Fun Trip With Kelley's 8th Grade Class

I was able to go with Kelley on her 8th grade trip to San Francisco. We left May 31 and returned June 3. It was the week before graduation and a great way to end the year. We spent 4 packed days visiting all kinds of places, the Jelly Belly factory, Oakland A's game, Academy of Science, walked the Golden Gate Bridge, Tech museum in San Jose, ice skating all in the first 2 days. We went to Alcatraz and walked around the piers, planned on riding the cable cars to Union Square but they weren't running so had to take the bus. We ate at a fun Japanese place then went to see "The Blue Men." That was quite an experience. I've never felt the beat of music vibrate in my chest before. It was the perfect show for that age kids. We all really enjoyed it. Friday was Six Flags before returning home. I was glad that I was able to go with Kelley. I wasn't able to go with any of our other children so was glad to be able to experience it with her. I was dead tired when I got home though. I was in charge of 4girls who were all very good girls. We didn't have any problems and were so exhausted by the end of the day that getting them to go to bed wasn't a problem at all. It did take me a couple of days to catch up though and it was on to the busy week of banquets,graduations and parties.

Lots to Celebrate

Well, we have a lot to celebrate in our house. Kristin graduated from BYU-I in April with a degree in Political Science. She is still not sure what she is going to do with it. She has to do an internship to fully graduate and get her diploma and that is what she is not sure about. We are proud of her accomplishing her goal.

Kelley graduated from 8th grade on June 8. We are proud of her. She will be attending the high school her siglings attended, Arcata High. She loved being with all her friends and able to gratuate from the school that she has attended since Kindergarten.















Justin and Kyle graduated from Arcata High School on June 9th. We are very proud of them also. Kyle will be attending College of the Redwoods here and working on his Construction Management degree until he goes on his mission in a year. Justin is able to attend another year at the high school so that is what he will do. We decided that it would be great if he were able to walk in the graduation ceremony with Kyle so that is what we did. He was very excited about being able to do that.



We are so proud of all 4 of our children. It sure made for a busy week though. We kept the extended family hot on the road for a couple of days. So the end of this school year brought lots of changes for our family.









Kevin will also be seeing some changes on Sunday the 19 of June. He will be released from his calling as Stake President. He has held that position for 8 1/2 years. It will be nice to be able to sit with him in church again. That hasn't happened for 20 years. I won't know how it feels. Now people won't think I am a single mother. (At least those who don't know me.) He is looking forward to it but I am sure that it will also be hard at times.

We are looking forward to summer and just being able to relax.

Another Month

Another month has come and brings with it the Birthday of Kyle. He turned 18 on the 4th and I can't believe that he is that old already. I guess with that it means that I also am getting older. He has decided that he doesn't want to be 18 and will remain 17. I don't think he wants the responsibility of being an adult. He still is our "smilie Kylie" that he was named when he was young. He has accomplished much in his 18 years of life. He is loved and enjoyed by everyone. He is missed when he isn't around. His love for building has been a strength for him. He is a hard worker and does a great job and all jobs he does. Kyle is constantly getting more people wanting him to do things for them that sometimes I have to schedule time for my things I need him to do. He will be greatly missed next year when he isn't at the FFA trips. Kyle is a joy to have in our family and I love him more that I can express.

A New Year

A new year and Kristin has decided to do the blog thing and wants me to also try doing better. I don't always have what I think exciting things to say but I guess it will be a good thing to do anyway. Things are pretty much the same day after day. Kevin is still doing the commute thing and only home on the weekends which is getting really old for him. I can't believe that we are in a new year and that all 4 kids will be graduating this year. We are excited to be able to have Kristin graduate from BYU-I in April. I can't believe that she is that old already.

It was great to have everyone home for Christmas. I love it when the kids are all home. Time is so short and we need to enjoy every day together. I can't believe that we are almost through the first month of the year. How time flies!!

I hope to have better things to put as I continue to do this. I will get better----I hope.

A Proud Parent

Just wanted to say how very proud we are of Kyle for becoming an Eagle Scout. He was able to accomplish his project and everything went well. We had his Court of Honor the day after Thanksgiving because Kevin's parents were here and Kristin was home for the holiday. My sister Donna and her husband Mike also came for Thanksgiving so we were able to have many family members there. I am so proud of him that I could just pop. His Eagle project was putting in a asphalt walkway at Pacific Union School where he went to school K-8th grades. He was able to get all the materials donated and had the help he needed to get it done. It was a struggle to get him to do everything and it is a lot of work for the MOM....but it is worth all the moaning and complaints that come as you go along. He did say that at first he was doing it because I wanted him to do it but then it became important to him. I will post the pictures so you can see what it was. CONGRATULATIONS KYLE!!!!

The beginning work on the path. First thing we had to do was dig out the 6' x 60' pathway.
What the path looked like before we put gravel down.


Putting down the first layer of gravel.
Putting the wood boarders on the path getting it ready for the asphalt.
Path is ready and we are waiting for the asphalt to arrive. It was supposed to get there at 4p.m. and it finally arrived at 6:30 so we spent some of the time working with the headlights of trucks since it started gettind dark about 7.

Starting to put the asphalt down.

Kyle is using the vibrator plate to pound down the asphalt. Everyone ease is spreading it until Kyle gets there. The asphalt is VERY HOT! He had to keep moving and could feel the heat through his shoes. I thought they were going to melt.

The finished path. We got it all done at 8:00p.m.


Wow! Does it look great or what?

The cub scouts came to see what an Eagle project was like.
I got to present him with his pin and neckerchief.

Pinning on his Eagle Scout pin.
What a bear hug he gave me after. Made it all worthwhile.
After he pinned on the father's pin. What a proud dad.

Update from the Hamblin house

O.K. it's been way to long since I have updated my blog. I guess that I need to do a better job of this.

We had a great summer. Kevin and Kyle attended the Scout National Jamboree in Fort AP Hill, Virginia. They were gone for 2 weeks. They had a wonderful time and really enjoyed their experience. Kevin worked in the LDS Social Relations booth. He was able to talk with hundreds of young men and leaders to award them the George Albert Smith award. It was a wonderful time for him that he will never forget. Kyle went with a troop from the Northern California area. He served as the quartermaster for the troop. They did some touring before the Jamboree as well as a few days after. He was able to see many of the sights in the Virgina, Washington DC area. Kevin was able to tour with him after the Jamboree for a few days. They were totally exhausted when they came home and were glad to get into the cooler weather but really loved being there and experiencing a once in a life time experience.

Kyle's troop (644)waiting to attend one of the areana shows.
All the participants before an areana show.

Kevin and Bill Burch. Bro Burch hand carves bolo ties that are highly coveted by the boys.
Some of the bolo ties that Bill Burch carves that the boys were able to earn.
Kevin interviewing a boy for the George Albert Smith Award.
Kevin and Kyle at the gateway to Troop 644. The Northern California troop has the exclusive rights for Snoopy because Charles Schultz lived in Santa Rosa which is in this area.

Kyle holding a bazooka at the Armed Forces pavilion.

Kyle was one of 80 priest who prepared the Sacrament during their meeting.
Elder Hales visiting for sacrament meeting.
Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. Troop 644 was able to present and place a wreath at the tomb.

Bush Gardens












While Kevin and Kyle were gone, Justin, Kelley and I went to Utah and Idaho for the 2weeks. We had a great time going to Lagoon. Justin was the only one brave enough to ride the wild rides. He needed someone more brave than us girls to have fun with. Next time he can have his brother go with him and all will be fine. We went to Idaho and spent some time in Rexburg with Kristin experiencing the life of a college student,though it was summer and school had just gotten out. It was fun to be there with her. We then went to Brent and Amberlyn's house (my nephew)for a get-together. We had a great time visiting with my sister Donna and her family. We ended up staying with them and had fun playing the next day. We stayed for a couple of night at Donna and Mike's also. Kristin met us and we went to Seven Peaks. We wish we could have had more fun there than we did but that was because of the weather. We were there for only about an hour and a half before a storm came in and decide to stop all fun at the part. We saw some wonderful lightening and heard some terrible thunder which kept us out of the water. Things didn't work out well and we were unable to go down any of the slides since the thunderstorm decided to hang around for the rest of the day. The fun part was being together and enjoying something that we had never done before. We had fun trying to figure out a way to keep ourselves dry from the rain until it stopped, in which is didn't do. Finally we gave up and decided to go to Donna's house.We had a great visit with them then went back up to Kevin's parents house.we stayed the rest of out time there. It was a great vacation and we really appreciate all the hospitality that everyone gave to us. Thanks for a wonderful time!!

A fun waterpark in Rexburg. Kelley and Justin had a great time and it felt good because we were not used to the heat.
The slides that we didn't get to go on at Seven Peaks.
Fun times at Seven Peaks in Provo Utah.









We are still living the life of a separated family. Our house didn't sell this summer so Kevin is continuing to travel on Monday to Crescent City and comes home on Friday. We sure wish that we could be together but that isn't in the cards for right now. Hopefully we will be able to sell in the spring so that we can move next summer and be together again full time. We are managing fine even with the seperation. Kevin loves his job and that is great. He left Eureka just in time because things aren'g good there. We are greatful that we are not there now.

The kids are the ones that are the most excited about not moving. Kyle gets to finish out his senior year at Arcata High and Kelley gets to graduate from Pacific Union School which she has attended since Kindergarten. I still have my job at Pacific Union School. I am in a kindergarten class this year. It is a different experience but I really like it. Justin loves his teacher and is glad to still be there.

We look forward to the weekends more now than ever before. It's great when we can be together as a family again even if just for a few days.

Changes for our Family

Guess it is time to let you all know what is going on with the family. We had this picture taken by a friend before Kristin went back to school after Christmas break. I though you all might like it.
Kevin started the year off with a new job. He is now working for the County of Del-Norte in Crescent City which is about 1 1/2 hours north of here. We are still living in Arcata and Kevin drives up to Crescent City on Monday morning and comes home again of Friday after work. He has a wonderful couple that he is living with. They have graciously opened their home to him. He LOVES his new job. He has 43 people he is over and 6 departments. Much different than the 5 people he was in charge of in Eureka. It is lots of work and there is lots to learn. That is what makes it so nice. The staff are great people and things are going just great. He changed his Stake Presidency meeting so that it works better with his schedule. He now has a busy Sunday but at least that cuts down of the weekly traveling. (As if his Sundays weren't busy anyway.)
The kids and I are managing to keep the house going without him. We all have such busy schedules anyway that it doesn't really matter. When Kevin does come home it is better quality family time since it is so limited. At least it isn't so far away that we can't go spend the evening with him and still make it home before it gets very late. We did that a few weeks ago so that the kids could see where he was now working. Kelley is the only one that isn't very happy about the thought of moving which we will probably do this summer. She would like to finish out her 8th grade year in the school she has gone all this time and also attend the same high school as her siblings but that won't happen. Justin has decided that he will rent this house from us and stay here. That to will not happen!! So needless to say things are very different in the Hamblin household.
It has been quite a change and will be but when I see how much happier Kevin is I know that is is well worth it. Life is full of changes and we all grow and get better because of them.
I really am not very good at keeping up this blog but then again there are others that are just as bad as I am so I don't feel so bad. You will just have to like what and when you get things. Hopefully I can do better. Everyone else keep up the good work!!