Remember these?

A couple of weekends ago, we cleaned out and organized our storage unit. As we were cleaning, I found these. My sister, Marilyn, made them as a project in one her community college art classes. She had to take a couple of rolls of film (yes, this was before digital cameras were so affordable) of close up and far away pictures, and then piece the puzzle together. If I recall correctly, getting Alexis, who was not quite 3, to sit still was quite a task. As you can see, they turned out to be awesome. I hung them in my office so I could always see my girls but they quickly took on a life of their own. There were several people that I worked with that always had to bring people by to see them. What a great conversation starter they became! Each girl's personality really shows through in their picture and it was amazing what people who didn't even know them observed. Now when I look at them, I get that catch in my throat and my eyes start to water because my girls are all grown up. But not to worry, Julee hasn't lost that "I'm really 6 going on 30" aura; and you can pretty much guarantee that Alexis' feet are still dirty.

Sidewalk Art and More!

Earlier this month we had a fun activity at the church. We started with a huge potluck lunch that had more food than you could even imagine. After lunch all the "booths" opened for the kids of all ages. They had a bouncy house, cotton candy, 4-square, parachute games, fire pits to make S'mores, and a sidewalk chalk contest. Of course, the kids loved the bouncy house (though I did see a couple of adults take their turn) and the cotton candy was quite popular. The fire pits saw their share of melted marshmallows, sticky fingers, and dirty chocolate faces. There was a continuous line at the 4-square game and lots and lots of friendly chatter. But surprisingly, the most popular activity seemed to be the sidewalk chalk contest. At any given moment you could see adults, teenagers, little kids, and even missionaries kneeling in the parking lot creating their masterpiece. And masterpieces they were...... (click on each picture to enlarge for better viewing)

Alexis posing with her winning universe (and princess dress)

A different view of Alexis' universe

A jeep for off-roading

(our friend who drew this keeps trying to convince Rick he needs to get

a jeep like his so they can head for the hills and enjoy their mid-life crisis)

A nice rendering of the Salt Lake Temple

What a fun place to visit on vacation!

You don't see turtles like this at the zoo

The missionaries disagree......on sports teams

Volleyball - A New Challenge

This year Julee decided that she wanted to be on the volleyball team at school. The team is made up of 7th and 8th graders, many of them never having played before. They spend time teaching the girls all the rules and techniques of the game. They practice every afternoon and have games 2 or 3 times each week. Having never played any type of organized sport, all of the practices and games have been a new experience for Julee. But, she is LOVING it! We are impressed by how much she has learned about volleyball in such a short time; and are excited to see how she improves each time she plays.

The first game.

Julee is sitting on the very left end.

Watching her team mate serve

Ready to go if the ball comes to her

Julee's turn to serve

They miss this volley but this is a good shot of Julee going for the ball

Julee serves again - this time for the winning point!
(Ignore the screaming parents in the background)

The season is almost over, but Julee has already decided she will play again next year.

GO JULEE!

A New Look

Last night my friend Emily came over to cut Julee's hair. Julee was really nervous about cutting her hair since she has had the same style pretty much her whole life. On the other hand she had decided that she wanted a change. Of course, the one thing you can't do when it comes to Julee's hair is lose all the thick curly locks that she has. Emily gave her the cutest new layered cut and Julee looks FABULOUS!

Alexis wanted to get in on the 'new look' action so this morning she

put her hair in pony tails and struck a pose!

Saturday Night Treat

The other night Rick, Alexis, and I (Julee was off having fun at a Stake Youth Activity) had the opportunity to participate in an impromptu service project. On our way home, we were treated to a fun fireworks show that happened to be taking place. We found a place to pull over to watch the show, which was one of the better hometown fireworks shows we have ever seen. We were close enough that you could hear the booms and smell the smoke. Alexis thought being so close to the fireworks was the "greatest experience of her life". The energy in the car was so exciting! Even Rick and I were oohing and aahing. It was the perfect way to end the evening. Not only were we treated to a great fireworks show, but it was a great teaching moment with Alexis. Service brings blessings - even if the blessing is a brief family moment watching fireworks that we would have never seen just hanging out at home! I was bummed that I didn't have the camera with me, but I was able to get some pictures on my cell phone.

1st Day of School

The 1st day of school was actually last Wednesday! Julee and Alexis had a great first few days and are off to an awesome start! More details to follow as the year progresses.....

Julee off to her 1st day of junior high

Alexis heads to 3rd grade

Before the First Day

Tomorrow is the much anticipated first day of school. Preparing for the big day over the past couple of weeks has brought anxiety, excitement, apprehension, and wonder into the Dunklee home. And I'm only referring to myself. Sometime last week, I came across a letter (here is the link so as to give full credit to the actual author) that a mother wrote to her 2 little boys before they went to school. Mushy and sentimental are not regular themes on this blog, but today I just have to go there. It's kind of long, but this mom was able to capture many of my own thoughts and feelings as Julee's and Alexis' mom. I am so blessed to get to be the mom of such amazing daughters of our Heavenly Father!

Dear Children,

Today is the first day of school. We've laid out your brand-new shirt and sneakers, and loaded your backpack with scissors, shiny spiral notebooks and unsharpened No. 2 pencils. You lunch box is filled with goodies, and I apologize now that it won't last. In a week my thrifty ways will set in, and you'll be lucky to get a peanut butter and jelly sandwich with an apple. But I hope for now that you enjoy the exotic fruit leather, cheese sticks and fancy crayon water bottle that you begged me to get.

We've had a summer of play and exploration, and now it's time to slide behind that desk, lift your elbows and begin to work. I hope you find a different way of exploring, through numbers that seem to stretch forever and the power that comes from manipulating them to create digital files, skyscrapers and airplanes. When you crack open the pages of a new book, I hope you fall into the story and find yourself in a land of cupboards and Indians, inside a magnificent candy factory, soaring high in the air atop a giant peach, or listening to the musical melody of a cricket in a New York subway station. When you get beyond the creep and strain of new reading, you will find that printed words will paint pictures in your head, sometimes delicate, or frightening, or heart-wrenchingly sad.

I hope that when you step into school, amid the bustle of children and the swirl of new experience, that you will keep a firm grip on the things we've tried to teach you at home: That you are a child of God, an example of the believers, a missionary in the making. You will hear things that sound wrong, or just plain dirty, and you will walk away, or stand up for yourself. You will come to us, your parents, with questions, and we will give you truth in a safe and loving environment.

And though most people are inherently good, there will still be bullies, kids and sometimes adults who are just plain mean, who seek to tear others down. On days when you find yourself in pieces, we will always be there to listen, to hug, to love, to bind you back together and send you back into the battlefield a little wiser and a little tougher.

My greatest desire in sending you to school is that you will grasp learning as tightly as you grasped the edges of tables when you were learning to walk. You will come to see that education is more than just getting the answers right on a test or checking off the latest homework assignment. It is a gift from God to expand your mind and fulfill the measure of your creation. Learning and knowledge are power -- not in a way that robs others but in a way that enhances the life of all who are around you. As you learn, you become more capable to help others, improve the future and grow the church. Focused study will teach you that the world is a vast and aching place, with a fabulous array of cultures, customs and traditions.

You will learn from history, from the tragedy of war and the sacrifices of brave men and women. You will learn from technology, that great allure of moving images and constant stream of front-line products. You will learn from the arts, the motion of dance, the swells of an orchestra, the self-exploration of painting and the captivating quality of theater.

Life, my dear little boys, is a glorious, soaring, painful thing. The hardest part as a parent is throwing you into the current, as gently as I can, and watching you get swept away. I keep you tethered close, and pull you in for reminders of love, to check your grounding and your direction. But when I send you off to school you are nearly on your own. When we kneel by the bed this night, on the eve of the first day of school, I remind you of your constant companion, the Holy Ghost, who is with you. Don't move so fast or shout so loudly that you cannot hear. He whispers and he guides. He'll do his best to guide you home at the end of this life of learning. It is a grand adventure. I hope you enjoy the ride.

Love,

Mom