Just some photos of our home. A couple are from Christmas. One photo shows the food storage pantry shelves we added after we moved into our new home.

Loving life in South Carolina!

Some of the fun things that have happened since we moved to South Carolina about 17 months ago! Reid and Chase enjoyed a great soccer season. Everyone received fabulous grades (the move didn't affect their learning - hurray!)Molly graduated from seminary and from high school. Ryan had fun at cup scout day camp. A lot of fun times!

A break?

Today is the first day of spring break here in SC but I am finally now, at 6 p.m., sitting down and well, sitting!
This morning began with forcing the boys into the showers - what's with their dislike to be clean? We then headed up to the middle school to put in some volunteer hours in the food pantry there. I know, school is out and that's the first place I drag them. I am the meanest mom in the world! Really though, they didn't seem to mind. Chase needs a ten hour service project for scouts so this is a good fit for him. The school had just had a food drive, a competition between classes that ended on Friday with lots and lots of donations that needed to be gone through. We had to check the expiration dates and stock the shelves. Unfortunately the air conditioning was off in that part of the school so we only lasted about an hour and a half before we called it quits due to the heat. Next time we will go earlier in the day.
Following that we stopped at the store to get some goodies for Austin's birthday. Molly is flying to AZ today for her spring break so we are sending his birthday gift with her. I am sad they will both be away from us on Easter Sunday this year.
Molly is on her flight right now. She has to change planes and find a different gate in Atlanta so of course I am a bit worried. The Atlanta airport seems so big to me! She is a smart young lady and will do fine but regardless I worry.
Ryan also had a doctor appointment today (and I have one tomorrow) so we fit that in as well. I hope we can get to the beach this spring break and a trip to the temple for me as well.
Maybe tonight, I will have my break?

Scouts!

The boys are off to scouts tonight.
James is Ryan's cub scout leader in our new ward. He is also the cub leader for the younger boys too since they haven't called anyone to do that position yet. He is also serving as first counselor in the Sunday School presidency (as well as doing a month long stint as gospel Doctrine teacher until they get a teacher called). Anyway, I am glad he is there with Ryan. Ryan was excited when James got out the soccer ball to bring to cubs - a promising thing when the kids are looking forward to attending. James also brought the fire bowl so the scouts could roast hot dogs and marshmallows (he also brought chips and juice boxes) so they could fulfill the requirement of cooking outdoors.
Reid and Chase are also at the church at their scout meetings. Not sure what they are doing tonight, possibly board games?
So....Molly and I are home alone (with sweet Violet of course). Molly is cleaning the kids' bathroom for me (need to teach her those life skills before she goes off to college!) and I think I will organize my crafting area tonight while the house is quiet.

A weekend at Winthrop

Molly earned a position with the South Carolina All-state Women's Chorus. Students from across the state gathered at Winthrop University in Rock Hill, SC for three days of singing, singing, singing! I was lucky enough to get to be a chaperone for this trip. Her high school had eleven students who earned a placement to attend. This was the last All-State Chorus event her teacher (Ms. Jones) will participate in as she is retiring at the end of this school year. It was a joy and a pleasure for me to get to know her these past few days. She has challenged Molly this school year and that has been a wonderful thing.

So much behind us, so much ahead

It has been well over a year since I have posted on my blog. Facebook seems to have gotten all the happenings from this family with five kids. That really must change as the entire intent of this blog is to print it into a hard bound book for our family.

Our family moved on August 20, 2011 from Tucson, AZ to South Carolina! This is another big move for us!

Here's a run-down of what is going on with the five Gubler children:
Austin:just obtained Junior status at the University of Arizona. Recently heard he was accepted as a neuroscience major. He still has his academic scholarship which pays for his tuition. He is working at Safeway in their bakery department, living in an apartment by campus.
Molly: finishing up her senior year of high school. It was tough for her to move her senior year. She was involved in so many things at her old high school: drama officer, chorus president, NHS, leadership here, there and everywhere...she is involved in many of the same things at her new school: chorus council, thespian president, musical theater (she jjust starred as Ms. Sherman in FAME!). She will begin BYU-I in the fall. She also got her first two jobs (besides babysitting) working at a gourmet sandwich shop/bakery. She is also working some doing secretarial jobs for her seminary teacher as she saves for college.
Reid:eighth grade in the GATE (gifted and talented) classes, loved his pre-engineering course at his new school, his is just a few merit badges away from doing his Eagle scout project. Reid LOVES his x-box so just recently James bet Reid $100 that he couldn't go one week without electronics and well, Reid did it! James paid up.
Chase:seventh grade and also in GATE classes. He enjoys p.e. and computers as his electives. Chase was ordained a deacon our second Sunday here. It is nice to watch Reid and Chase pass the sacrament together. Chase has made a good friend here and it is fun to see that.
Ryan:third grade. Still loves his puppy collection and Legos. He is in the Lego club at school that I volunteer with. Ryan loves a computer game called Minecraft. He is doing well at cub scouts with dad as his leader.

We are adjusting to our new home in South Carolina. We have almost been here seven months, each month gets a little better.

Saturday fun!

This past Saturday we had a relaxing morning and then bam! a crazy afternoon of activities.
First up was a soccer game for Chase. It was their last game of the regular season, although they do have the Pima Cup coming up in March. We have really enjoyed this team - Galaxy '99 - and their coach. He has done an amazing job with these U12 boys! Chase is number 13!

Family cheering on the team!


Following the game we hurried into the car and drove across town to the Pima County Fairgrounds just in time for Reid and Chase to sing with their middle school at Vail Pride Day. There are about six boys on the soccer team that are all in school choir so the choir teacher was a great sport about them arriving just in the nick of time to perform!
While they were performing (the middle school band also performed) I took Ryan over to see his artwork and also quickly found some artwork that Reid and Chase had both done. I am sad that the photo of Reid's artwork is blurry.


Here is Ryan's painting of a prickly pear cactus. We had this print made into a magnet.

Ryan's class project was to write on a cloud "What I want to be when I grow up". This is what he wrote...

Who knew our son wanted to be a lumberjack? He told me his second choice is to be fisherman. I think we will need to move away from the desert for these dreams to soar.

He was very proud to show me his work and pleased to pose in front of the display.
This other photo of Vail Pride Day just shows SOME of the many kids that perform. That place was packed!

Once they were done performing we literally RAN to the car and rushed across town a half hour away to see Molly perform in her Regional Concert. She did so amazing! She auditioned and got the only female solo. She did such a great job. Here is a photo of us after the performance (after she had changed her clothes). It was nice that so many friends came to support her in this.

Cori P, Molly, Joanne, Maurie, Cori G.