The Walker Family

Rasperry Pickin'

This was a great year for raspberries! I have never seen so many. We usually pack a lunch, go up in the morning, and are back by dinner time with half as many raspberries than we picked this year. We usually always have to wait out the rain in the truck a few times and we come home soaked! This year we had all of these raspberries by lunch time and it didn't rain on us once! It was the perfect day!

Back to School...

I told Justin over the summer that I wished I could freeze time. I am in denial about Shae going into High School. I love everything the way it is right now and I don't want it to change! I was thinking the morning that school started how sad I would have been if our little Kelton hadn't blessed our family 3 year ago. I am not ready to be home alone yet!

Shae 14..I think she is a lil excited to start HS. I asked her what her favorite part was and she said, "I like all of it but Seminary is my favorite." Wow Shae! Good answer!

Madison 11...a little nervous but excited to see her friends again. She loves her homeroom teacher and loves that she changes classes. But her favorite part is that she has a locker! She spent more time picking things out to decorate her locker than she did school clothes!

Easton 7...wished he didn't have to go to school. He would rather skip school and start working with his Dad everyday. All summer long he would randomly ask me, "how much longer is summer vacation?" He cried the week before school every night. He would tell me, "when do I get to spend time with the family if I go to school all day?" He didn't get excited until we went to his open house and he was able to meet his teacher...which he loves!

What I can't get off my mind...

I stumbled unto a girls blog from Utah when I was looking for ideas for a RS activity.
I have been following her blog because I love her ideas but most of all I try all of her recipes. Anyway, I have been helping with a baby shower and I had seen on her blog a few weeks ago that she had given her sister the cutest baby shower and I needed an idea for a "diaper raffle". So when I got on her blog last Friday I couldn't believe what she had posted! It said, "Grieving". She put in the post that she was having a hard time with the tragic accident that happened while her family was vacationing at Bear Lake where she lost her 2 year old daughter. My body instantly froze and I felt like I quit breathing, maybe because I was crying so hard. I feel like she is one of my good friends even though we have never met.

She started a new blog, "Move Forward in Faith". Her oldest daughter, who is 4, is named Faith. I found myself waking up in the middle of the night to check on my kids. She has been in all of my prayers. I constantly think about the things she writes about in everything I do during the day. It has changed the way I see things. I never stop thinking about it. I don't understand why some people get certain trials that they do but I find myself almost pleading with Heavenly Father, "Please not that trail."

She really is an amazing person. If you want to read it the link is on here but be prepared to never be the same and grab you some tissue...cuz you are gonna need it!

Summer Recap

Well guys summer vacation is over! It's time for school and sports to start again! It sure went by fast but we made some really awesome memories! Here are some of summers highlights:

The Trek
Shae & Madi's "Fire in the Sky" camp
The Show Low pool with Storie & Jarius
Madi's "mannies & peddies" was born
Our Temple Sealing
Family Home Evening on the mountain & homemade ice cream
Family clean up day at the car wash
Sleeping in the play house
The RV alumni football game
Girls Camp
Maryland
Sacred Grove
Gettysburg
Washington DC
Six Flags
Camping
Fishing with the Soderquists
Valley Trip..new bikes, swimming, & shopping
The 3rd Walker family raspberry picking trip

Easton bought his first trailer..for $1

When the girls and I were in Maryland, Justin sent me these pictures.

Easton has an obsession with lots of things and one of them is hitches and trailers. When Easton came to girls camp he found a little trailer that they used to haul wood. He told me that night, "Mom I know what I want for my birthday...a small trailer like the one that was at girls camp."
And sure enough when we got home he had me help him look on the Internet and had his Dad looking through tool magazines.

He found this trailer in a pile at Laveryl Crosby's house and asked him if he could buy it from him. Easton told Laveryl he only had $6. So Laveryl sold him this little trailer for $1! After Justin bought a new $26 hitch, welded it on, put some metal racks on it, and spray painted it, it looked new!

Easton pulls his trailer around everyday. I could ask him do anything if it involved putting something on this trailer. He takes hay to the horses and brings Kelton's bike up the driveway.
One day he says,
Easton: "Mom I wish the hitch didn't look brand new."
Me: "Why Easton?"
Easton: "Cuz I want it to look like I have used it a lot."
Me: Giggle
Easton: "How long do you think it will take until it looks old?"
Me: Giggle (I can't help it)

I love Easton's cute little personality! He likes what he likes and is who he is! He is one of a kind!

Crabin'

In Maryland, crabbing is seriously considered a delicacy! You call and order your crab and then go down and pick it up at a truck on the side of the road...and it's not cheap! There is a certain way that you are to get the meat out and it involves digging past lungs then you dip it in melted butter or squeeze lemon juice on the meat. It was really good if you knew what you were doing. They are all pros at it! Shae rocked at it..I think she ate 5 or 6. I ate 2 and was good! Madison didn't want to have any part of it!