Lightning Strikes and Crocheted Blessing Dresses

This is why I have not been blogging lately. Our house keeps being affected by these freak thunderstorms. We still have several things to fix since a month ago when our house was actually struck by lightning. Wiring throughout the house is still messed up. Our water heater was destroyed. Our modem was fried. The phone/answering machine was also a casualty, as well as the phone jack. Our heater/air conditioner unit was affected, but easily enough repaired by replacing a fuse. The most recent storm, a week and a half ago Wednesday knocked out my phone again. Even though we got the phone line fixed, our replacement phone is also a loss. It is just dead. So we are borrowing one of Mom's old phones.
But the internet line leading to my computer is not working right now, so I am off the internet until we can get that fixed. And I don't have time to blog anyway, because I have got to get my baby niece, Kayzlee's blessing dress done. It is making me more than kind of crazy. It hasn't exactly been an easy pattern. Oh well. I can see the light; I am almost done.
Alright, enough of the excuses. Here is a small update about what is going on in our lives.

Olivia turned four, can you believe it?!! This is a picture of her posing in her new birthday clothes, purchased at Alco the night before her birthday. Good thing she is easy to please.

this is a hairdo I found on a blog that is all about cute hairstyles, and I even got it done in time for her to go to schoolGarrett's first cross country meet in Moab. I think he took 11th place (they only gave ribbons up to 10th place, darnitt)He took 25th in Aztec, and he said they gave ribbons up to 25th place YAY!Cole's first football game in TowoacCole was in on the tackle in the top picture, the second picture I just thought was cool. Britt coaches the defense on Cole's team.

Sad to say, they lost to Monticello last week. They did beat Towoac which is these pictures. The Monticello game was at night, so the pictures did not really turn out. That was a nail-biter, double sudden death overtime. We almost had them. Lost by one stinking point. It was a really hard game to watch. The referees did not call any penalties on either side, so the game was very physical and kind of frustrating.
Garrett is enjoying cross country again. He seems to be doing alright in school. I say I think he is, because my internet doesn't work so I can't check his grades, not that I always do anyway. It just seems like he hasn't had as much homework as last year, and that worries me.
Tyler is doing great in second grade (again)! She still has focus issues, but because she already knows some of the stuff, she is actually getting her work done (mostly) and feeling more confident in the things she does at school. Her teacher tells us she is in the top reading group, and she also said she thinks we did the right thing for Tyler by having her repeat second grade. She sure looks more like she fits in with her classmates.
Rachel is struggling with first grade. There is a lot that is expected of those little kids, and the amount of homework she has every day is going to give me a nervous breakdown. It is not the kind of stuff I can just leave her to it. I have to listen to her read passages over and over and time her and write down errors. I don't know how kids with parents who aren't around (because of work or other things) can possibly do it. She is learning to read, and doing well with math, she is just having a hard time with all the responsibility.
Olivia is getting stir crazy, being the only child at home. I don't do a very good job of keeping her entertained after preschool. Once this dress is done, maybe she and I can have more fun.
Okay, I am on Mom's computer, and it keeps saying it might not being able to publish, so I better just end this.
Love you all!!!