Family Camp

This month we participated in Family Odyssey.  This is a family camp for families of those participating in Timberline and other training groups.

I volunteered to come help on staff for Family Odyssey so we could have some time with my parents.   Here are some pictures of our time.

While we were gone, Dan built this gate for the top of the stairs to the basement.  I love how it turned out!

We saw lots of deer at camp.  This is from one of our little walks and the deer is at the top of the hill.

On Monday night after the campfire program, the kids and I were walking back to the truck to go back to camp and Irene slipped and cut her head open.  No stitches, and she was a trooper while Papa Jack and others worked on her.

Ruth and Irene crashed for a nap one day.

We had some special visitors from movies in camp.

I worked with Miss Amy and the Shining Stars (ages 2-4 yr olds)  Miss Amy was amazing with the little kids!

We got a kiddy pool towards the end.  The kids loved cooling off.

Another of our visitors.  I did not get pictures with Megamind

The kids having fun with marshmallow shooters and some of the camp staff joined us.

Dillon's age group made cardboard boats  with cardboard and duck tape.  He was so funny crying to me that his boat wouldn't win.  Guess what it did win!  He had so much fun!

We are all tired coming home after being gone for a week, and we brought home an extra with us.  My younger sister Wendy went to Mississippi to help my baby sister Alysha when she had her baby girl this last week.  So we got one of her kids while she is gone.  Rivers will be with us for a few more days.  The kids have been enjoying having a baby around.

So until next time!

Home Improvement in progress

Well we are slowly, but surely working on one project at a time.  Our current project will take us a few weeks as we are buying the supplies a little at a time.  

As we looked at our deck we knew that we needed to get it treated before winter this year.  So we bought some special deck paint to get us started.

As we spent some time outside one night looking at the deck and talking about what we want to do over time, we realized that the reason our steps felt unsafe was because the stair tresses were broken. 

So we decided that if we were going to fix the stairs then lets move them to a different spot, which I think will make the deck a little bit more useful, as with the way it was set up it felt chopped.  So we have started on working on the deck but it will be a few weeks before we can finish it so stay tune for more work in progress.

Our sad deck

our old stairs

We took the rail down so we can put the new stairs right here.

The first coat of the new stain.  It will take a few more coats.

We will also be painting the front door and the shutters on the front of the house this same color.

Watch more more pictures as we do more work!

Changes...

6 months ago Dan and I were asked to teach the CTR 6 class in primary.  This is the 6-7 yr olds at church.  Then a month ago we were asked to teach the CTR 7 which is the 7-8 yr olds.  We have enjoyed teaching both of these classes.  Today was my last day teaching the class.  Dan will teach next week.

I have been called to serve as the 2nd counselor in the Relief Society (If you want to know more go here. )

Today we had fun talking about missionaries and we played a fun game called pin the tag on the missionary.  Here is a picture of our game.

I am excited, scared, and nervous about the new calling I have been asked to do, but I will do it with all that I have.  I am looking forward to serving with some amazing women and look forward to learning from them.

So for now that is the changes in our household.  Until next time!

4th of July

This year's 4th of July had many 1st things.  I have never been brave to try and take the kids to parades and such.  It just seemed to big of a challenge to do and the kids were so little.  But deep down I have wanted to get more involved in the communities we have lived in going to the community events.  Now that we have a house we get a monthly newsletter with our water bill each month that tells us what is happening, so we have started to go to different things.

This year we got the kids up really early and got ready to go to the church breakfast they were doing at 7am.  We went and had lots of yummy food!  Thanks Tooele 26th Ward for an amazing breakfast!

Then we went to the city parade.  We have never taken the kids to a parade before.  They collected at least 2 lb bag of candy!  We had a lot of fun.  After the parade we walked down the block to the city park and participated in some of the other events they had and we got lunch at the local Elk Lodge booth.

Kids with their flags! 

Waiting for the parade to start, the candy they got and a picture of the school color guard, which made me think of my sister when she use to do it!

Dillon ate the whole thing he was covered in Cotton Candy!

Pictures of the parade and events after.

We had a lot of fun going to the fireworks!  Dan did not join us as he had to go to work early this morning.  The kids were asleep in the car right after I started driving. 

We had so much fun this year that we are excited for the next community event to get involved in.

We hope everyone had a wonderful 4th of July!

Love the DnA Burke Family

Our Trip to Minnesota!

This last week Dan and I had the chance to go back to Minnesota for a few days.  Dan's sister Annette got married in the St. Paul Temple on Friday.  We then went boating on Saturday with our friend's the Hunt's and then went up to Floodwood, were we got to spend time with family on the Bolstad side of the family to celebrate Grandma Rene's 90th Birthday.  We had a great time.  It was wonderful to see Annette and Gabe get married, I have never seen her so happy!  At Grandma's birthday celebration, it felt like it was a goodbye, as that was probably the last time many of us would get to see her again.  On Monday morning as we leaving we were told that Grandma's cancer from 4 yrs ago had come back.  So we really don't know how much time we will have with her.  I am so glad Dan and I got to go and be there and spend time with her and the rest of the family that were able to come.

Thanks to my mom and dad and my niece Sammy for taking care of our kids while we were gone.

Here is some photo's from our trip.

Annette(Dan's sister) and Gabe, Congratulations! We are so happy for you!

It started to down pour rain as we went to launch the boat.  We got it launched and took a nice ride up the St. Criox River.  By the time we came back it was nice and sunny!

Annette and Dan

Annette walking along the side of the boat from the back to the front of the boat.

Annette and Marie on the front of the boat

Brent and Marie Hunt, Annette and Dan

Thanks for such a fun ride!

The Burke Family with Grandma Rene!  Happy 90th Birthday Grandma!

Grandma Rene with her 9 children: Dave, Janelle, Dawn, Nova, Laurie, Lana, Faith, Joy and Marlas

Something Special

Today I took the kids to the park for lunch.  Dillon went over to the basket ball court and sat on the bench and watched some teenagers play.  Next thing I know they invited him to play with them.  He has no skills playing basketball and does not even know the rules.  He played with them and had a great time!  I thanked the young men for letting him play with them before we left and they told me no problem.  One of them asked what Dillon's name was and called him by name and told him he did a great job!

This made me so proud of the wonderful young people who live in my neighborhood who took the time to let a 7  yr old play with them and teach him how to play.  I am so grateful that we were able to move into an area that has helped my kids and myself grow and learn!

Dillon had so  much fun today it is all he has talked about!  Thank You!

Fun Saturday!

We got busy this morning and I cut Dan and Dillon's hair, then we went to Home Depot for their monthly kid club day.  We have had fun doing this almost every month this year.  Today they made little lawn mower pencil holder.

Here are the kids painting their lawn mowers

Then we went to a food bank fund raiser put on by the local bounce house and several business.  3 cans of food to get in or $3.  The kids had a great time bouncing in houses with slides like this!

We had a lot of fun today!  

New Hair Cut

I found out a lady at church has a salon in her basement.  I made an appointment and got a hair cut!  It has been a while since I last had my hair cut and I am happy with it!  Thanks Brooke for doing it for me!  My girls are now asking when it will be their turn to go get their hair cut.  It told them we will do it soon!  I love the new look!

Last Day of School 2013

Today was Dillon's last day of school for the year 2012-2013

This year has brought a lot of changes for Dillon.  Entering into 1st grade, eating lunch at school, but the biggest change was the move from Longview Elementary in  Murray were he got to ride a bus to Northlake Elementary in Toole were he either gets a ride to and from school or he walks with the other kids. (we are 1.25 miles from the school so it is a little bit of a walk)

Dillon seemed to really excel and start to do really well after we moved, so in a lot of ways seeing him do the things he has done because of the move has been very worth it!  He is excelling in math.  Speech, reading and spelling are still the area's we have to work on the most.

All three of the 1st grade classes put on a program for us today and then we got to take our kids home.  It was a very patriot program.  It was neat to watch him singing, even though some of the songs were a very fast pace song, he did so well!

Dillon we are so proud of you and we hope that this next year is even better for you!
We love you!

Spring 2013 school pictures

The 1st grade program

Dillon and Mrs. Willis his 1st grade teacher.  He even helped me make a gift to give her for her new baby that is due soon.

Dillon worked hard and earned this scooter.  He was so excited as his bike is still not ride able for him to ride.  Also most of the kids in the neighborhood have scooters because of all the little weeds in our area that cause flat tires.  He had so much fun on it today!

Graduating Kindergarten

This last Friday, Jennilyn or Jen as she goes by at school (her choice not mine so I go with it) Graduated from Kindergarten.

When I heard some of the songs they sang I turned to my dad who was able to come and said, I seem to remember singing some of these songs when I was in kindergarten, he shook his head yes.  I had not heard I'm a VIP or No one else can Smile My smile in many years.  It was fun to hear Jennilyn singing it.

Jen with her diploma

This is two classes.  You can barley see Jen on the front row.

Thanks Papa Jack for joining us for this event.

School is now over for Jennilyn, but as her sisters will be starting preschool this fall and she is moving into 1st grade and Dillon into 2nd I plan to have school hour during the summer so we don't forget what we have learned this year!

Jennilyn, we love you and we are excited for you to move onto 1st grade!  Keep being the good student you are and the loving sister you are!

Having fun with projects

We have been busy with a few projects in our home.  They make me happy and I am loving how our home is coming together and is more and more what we want. Here are some of what we have done.

Our kitchen  windows face the West so we get the heat in there in the late afternoons.  We finally got a ceiling fan in the dinning area of the kitchen.  I never thought I would be so excited, but it feels so good with it going, as right now the a/c is not working.  Thanks Dan for getting it in for us!

This is the before picture of our room above the garage.  That we have turned into a office/craft room/guest room

This is Dan taking apart the bottom shelf.  It was a wall built and hung on the wall.  It was too high to be a desk so we took it out carefully so that we could reuse some of the wood.  Glad we had bought a shop vac, as it helped clean up all the sheet rock nicely!

Here is the office with the desks the table for crafts (sorry about the mess.  I have been working on a project for girls camp that is in 2 weeks)

These are some of the cubby shelves that Dan made from the wood he took down from the long shelf.   It has really helped get things put away and use the space more efficiently.

What fun we have had.  It has been good for us!