Tangled

Adrienne is doing a dance to a song in the "Tangled" soundtrack this year. The girls all have wigs (which they hate, I guess they are hot). I love the costume though, they look so cute.
Adrienne has a problem looking at the camera. Sigh. Do you love the cheesy smile?

This is her dance group and teachers. I'll bet I can guess what these girls are going to be for Halloween (or at least what Adrienne is going to be).

Here is her dance:


Unfortunately, I got my own "tangle" of sutures. It was on my shoulder and pretty sore every time I moved my arm and pulled on them. They finally came out and the wound looks great now. My boys thought it was cool that mom had to get stitches.

Getting There

I had what I hope will be the final procedure for this little drama done on Thursday. I am home recovering and hoping to be able to eat, sleep, and have a normal life soon.
My kids miss having me come to help at school and I really miss going to the gym and listening to Harry Potter on my Ipod while I run/jog on the treadmill.
Despite no exercise, I have found myself several pounds lighter. I guess not eating much for three weeks will do that to you, and I am not complaining about that.
I have found myself begging my husband to take me out on the town: last night we went to Wal-Mart for a birthday party gift and got a frozen yogurt that I ended up wasting.
But it was nice to get out.

Burke took both the boys skiing on Wednesday. They had so much fun. Kade did ski school in the morning and kept up with Burke and Nathan in the afternoon. He whispered in my ear that he secretly thought he did better than Nathan did. Nathan whispered that he thought Kade did okay, but needs more practice to keep up with the big guys.
They were all exhausted when they got home and they all looked like racoons because Burke forgot to put sunscreen on them until after lunch.
Now the girls are waiting for their turn.

I am hoping to have some more energy to do something productive with my blog and life soon...

Stay tuned.

We Take a Break From Our Regularly Scheduled Life...

I took an unintended break from life to spend some time in the hospital. It wasn't much of a vacation. And it wasn't very fun.
I am slowly healing up and getting to the point where I can eat again.
And lay flat.
And stop feeling sorry for myself.

I have an old college roommate who just found out she has cancer.
I am grateful for my little stent.
And that it will all be over in about 2 weeks.

Until then I am hanging out at home, watching way too much daytime TV and appreciating the sunshine that leaks through my blinds.

A Marathon, in Bites

I was asked in April if I would be interested in participating in a marathon relay. Meaning I would be on a team of four other women who would all run approximately 5.2 miles, adding up to a full marathon at 26.2 miles.

This is most of the larger group. There were two teams of 10.

Knowing myself the way I do, I knew if I didn't have anything to keep me motivated over the summer, I would probably take the summer off and never exercise. I figured the pressure of knowing other people were counting on me to not make a fool of myself by running 1 and walking 4.2 miles would keep me going.

This is my team of 5.

It did.

But the pressure was a little more than I bargained for in the two weeks leading up to the race.
The dreams were ridiculous.

I didn't get to the point where I could do it in under 50 minutes like I planned in April, but I finished strong and didn't have to walk once.

Burke came to watch.
He was the only husband able to make the drive and support us (thanks to Grandma for watching the kids). He was so sweet. He stalked me at the mile markers and snapped some photos of me.
My first mile was in 9 minutes! A personal best for me. I love that Burke knew that when I shouted it out to him at mile 3.

Mile 3. I improved my time over my 5k in the spring!

Although mile 5 took a good 11 minutes (plus), I didn't stop, even when the pigeon hiding in the bushes jumped out to get me.

Mile 4. Getting tired, but no longer freezing to death.

I kept going.
I knew Burke was waiting for me at the end with a big hug and an "I'm proud of you".
'Cause he knew how hard it was for me.

At the finish, almost there!

I'm not a runner. But I try hard.
And I made it.

Done! Passing the baton. And rejoicing!

Cousins and More Cousins

We have had lots of family time lately. We spent the 4th of July with Burke's family. Everyone gathered together to remember Burke's dad, as it has been one year since he passed away.
The cousins were so eager to play with each other.
Adrienne especially loves her cousins Acacia and Ava.
They are joined at the hip.
They absolutely love each other.
I'm sure they made Grandpa laugh.
We also were able to be present for the blessing of my newest nieces, Paisley and Zoey. I forget how tiny and sweet babies are until I am around them.
They were adorable and fun and I loved holding them and giving them a bottle, and everything else that comes with babies.
I am sure Grandpa would have loved to have been in the circle to bless his granddaughters, and celebrate their birth at the family gathering afterward. He was missed.
Later that week we traveled to visit Burke's brother Justin and his family. Justin was called to be in the bishopric in his ward, and asked Burke to ordain him as a high priest. It wasa wonderful opportunity for all of us to be there and for Burke to perform the ordination in place of his dad.

As we were leaving, they invited Nathan to stay with them for another week. He jumped at the opportunity, and we (a little wistfully) re-packed his belongings and said good-bye.

He was so excited, and I was thrilled for him. But I am a mother hen and have been worried about him already and it has only been one day.

Burke and I called him tonight. I reminded him to brush his teeth. Really good. Because his aunt really can't tell him they look gross the same way his mom can. Can she?
He sounds like he is having fun, but maybe missing us a little more than he thought. (Or that's what I'd like to think.)

Maybe we're missing him a little more than we thought too...

Summer Fun

We are furiously making plans for the summer.
The kids are working on the fun stuff.
I am working on getting more organized and teaching them how to help around the house.
(A nice way of saying they better be getting their jobs done before I end up yelling.)
I have some ideas, but haven't implemented them yet.
I will let you know how it goes.
But probably not for a few days because my beloved laptop is now officially a glorified paperweight.
I have to go alllll the wayyyyy downstairs to get on the internet now, and I am basically lazy, so I am only down here every few days.

But I am getting more accomplished around the house.
Hmmmm.....
Could the two things be related?

Struggles

I have been thinking about the struggles we all have.
I had an epiphany with the help of a friend the other day.

She told me that I sure seem to "have it together".
(Then she said that since she knows me better, and knows the things I struggle with, she also knows I am indeed not perfect).

It made me feel good, in a strange way. Apparently, "fake it 'til you make it" works for me.

In the past year, I have learned a lot about struggles.
I have helplessly watched my own children struggle with their problems, seen my sister deal with hers, and watched my father in law in his fight for life.
It is so difficult to watch others suffer and know that there is little, if anything I can do to help.
Then I remember that is what we are here for.
To struggle.
And to learn.
And to become stronger as we go through our trials.
We learn to accept help, learn to be supportive, and be supported, even when we don't like it.
We learn that we are not alone as we struggle.
Life is good, even if it is difficult.

I recently had the opportunity to hold a sweet baby girl who was born just shy of 28 weeks.
She was 2 weeks old and 2 lbs and 8 oz at the time this photo was taken:

This little girl has had to struggle each day of her life. But she is strong and beautiful and and has an amazing mother and a loving father to help her through every day.
I am trying to be the same type of mother: supportive, loving, and involved.
But I cannot take all of my children's struggles away.
Because they need to learn from them.
I can only run by their side and cheer them on as the work toward the end of the marathon.
Then we can celebrate together.

Goals

I completed my first (and probably only) 5k Saturday.
It is something I have always wanted to do, and I finally did it.
I wasn't very fast, but I ran (jogged) the whole thing.
I didn't stop to walk even once.
And by doing that, I fulfilled my goal. Which felt great!
I was very proud of myself, especially since I am not much of a runner and I hurt my foot right before we left.
A little tape and I was as good as new.
Kind of.
It was a good thing it was cold, because I think it kept my feet numb and I didn't feel a thing.
Burke did the race with me.He hardly broke a sweat and could have run ahead, but he stayed by my side until the very end when he let me finish first. What a guy.

The best part, aside from finishing, was when I was the winner of two movie tickets at the end of the race.

And then we went to breakfast at Village Inn.

And ate crepes

with whipped cream

and strawberries....

YUM!

Birthdays

We celebrated my birthday a couple of weeks ago. It was a nice evening full of family fun and a good meal that I didn't have to cook, although I did have to endure some singing after Annika let every person in the restaurant know that it was my birthday.
All of my children love to give gifts when there is a gift giving opportunity.

Adrienne gave me some of the crafts she has made in preschool, along with her favorite stuffed animal.

The older kids gave me some cards and breakfast in bed. It was thoughtful and appreciated.


I got a mirror from Burke for my bedroom. I have some plans for that room... But I think I will have to wait for a few more months for all my children to be in school.

Trust Me

I learned this morning how much my dad must have loved me even when I was a snotty teenager and he didn't have to.
But in a roundabout way.
We have been working on getting better at reading scriptures as a family lately.
Burke likes to do it in the evening before bed, but wonders why I have such a bad attitude about it then.
(I explained that after a full day of kids, bills, kids, making meals, kids, and shopping I am DONE and ready to fall into bed after we get the KIDS to bed).
We decided to try doing our reading in the morning.
Quite a commitment since Burke leaves for work before the sun rises. (In fact, Adrienne insists we are waking her up in the middle of the night because it is still dark.)
We have tried it all this week and found it to work out much better. They are a bit of a captive--if unconscious-- audience.
What does this all have to do with my dad?

Well, after we finished reading this morning and Burke was gone and we were all lying semi-conscious on the couch, the phone rang.
You NEVER want a phone call at 6:15 AM.
I flew to the handset and learned that Burke was stranded on the side of the freeway. (Remember that post with a 200,000 mile odometer? Yep, it was that car.)
I was to come and pick him up and tow him home in our other registered vehicle (the one with 155,000 miles. It came home from the shop Thursday.)
Grateful that all my children were at least partially awake, I issued instructions for them to be fully dressed, rooms cleaned, and getting their reading done while I was gone.

Then I ran out to the van to head to the rescue of my beloved...
And found an empty gas tank.
Like REALLY empty.
Sigh.
Stopped to get gas...
Then went to the rescue of my beloved.

I found a grumpy and frustrated Burke and a sad, broken-down, previously-faithful vehicle pulled off the road.
Burke hooked up the tow strap and we were just deciding who was going to be in which vehicle when the cavalry pulled up.
Highway Patrol.
With lights on.
AWESOME!
He offered to follow us and make sure we didn't cause any problems as we attempted to get to the next exit.
Gee, THANKS!

Anyway, it came to me to be the "driver" of the vehicle being towed.
A job I had done once before, as I nervously assured Burke this morning.
As a teenager.
My dad had come to the rescue of his stranded and clueless teen daughter.
He told me how to control the brakes and steering when "driving" an incapacitated vehicle as it is being towed.
That was many years ago.

As I climbed in the car this morning and Burke pulled away from the shoulder (with the HP trooper bringing up the rear), I distinctly thought to myself, "I CANNOT believe my dad trusted me to do this as a teenager. What was he thinking? I would never let Nathan do this. I know he would crash into the van. He wouldn't pay close enough attention to what he was supposed to be doing. I can't believe that I didn't crash."

Then I found myself wondering what would have happened if my dad hadn't trusted me, or loved me enough to let me try?

It was a bit of a wake up call for me (literally).
As I teach my chicks how to fly, I frequently find myself clipping their wings. I think of it as protecting them (and maybe my future vehicles ;). But is it really good for them to never make a mistake because they didn't get an opportunity to try in the first place?

Thanks to a loving, trusting father, I was armed with knowledge that I needed this morning at 6:30 AM.
Thanks dad!

Thanks to a loving Father in Heaven, we were able to make it to our driveway before the tow rope broke.
Yes, there was a little prayer of ironic gratitude uttered when Nathan steered the car into the garage as Burke and I pushed from behind.

Intellectual Fun

I just had so much fun Tuesday evening!

So fun!

I went to a political meeting where we discussed candidates for office. Both county races and state races.

Sound like fun?

It was!

I am a delegate to the convention coming up soon. Over the last two weeks I have been deluged with candidates giving me information via phone calls, mailings, and face to face meetings.

The delegates in my precinct met on Tuesday to discuss our opinions on candidates and issues.

It was so fun! (Did I already say that?)

I came home feeling energized, excited and empowered.

It was refreshing to see people who are informed and engaged in the process.

Although they probably should have been before now...

I was able to share the information I had gathered, and express my opinions and feelings about candidates.

We debated issues, and it was a great feeling to recognize that I actually have a lot of knowledge that is useful and thoughtful.

Sometimes it feels good to move out of "Mommy Mode" into something that engages my brain beyond fractions, phonics, and hairstyles.

When I came home from the meeting Tuesday, I was deluged with hugs, kisses, and "I missed you, you were taking sooo-ever!" That information is so fun too.

But...

I'm looking forward to the convention this weekend.

Burke will be home with the kids.

And hopefully the kids will recognize how important political involvement is. And how important it is to keep themselves intellectually engaged throughout life. And how important it is to seek out new experiences that challenge them and help them grow.

Birthdays

Happy Birthday to me.
It was a wonderful day of celebrating life.
I look at where I am at this point in my life and realize it isn't where I thought I would be.
But that's okay.
In some ways it is better.
In some, it could be better.
But I am grateful for what I have:
A loving and appreciative husband (who got me a gift I had asked for once, two weeks ago)
Children who are intelligent, sensitive, and loving
A (mostly) healthy and strong body
A home that is welcoming,
A car that starts when I want it to and (even better)--is paid for
A religion that gives me a strong foundation to build a family on

I'm loving life, even when it is not so lovable that is the best birthday gift.
Along with a family dinner I didn't have to cook.

Gooooooaaaaaaallllllllll!!!!!!!

I did it.

Today.

Finally.

Took over a year.

But I finally made it to my goal.

Lost 23 pounds!

And feeling very proud of myself.

An early birthday present to myself.

Aren't those the best kind?

'Cause I know I really earned it.

Blood, sweat and tears.

Now I have to keep it off.

I'm trying to make myself capable of a 5K this summer. That should help, as I am a pathetic runner.

But I can do it.

Just watch.

Hot Tubbin'

Aunt Kellie's family came up to visit us. Well, they came to ski, so we went to visit them at their hotel. It was nice to see everyone and let the cousins visit with each other.
We decided to take advantage of the opportunity to go sit out in the hot tub.
I got in with the kids because Burke couldn't find his swimsuit. (How convenient).

We started with a bag tied around Adrienne's cast, but lost the bag later when we noticed it was actually holding the water in.
Adrienne decided that Aunt Kellie and cousins Hannah and Becca were the greatest. We almost had to leave her there to live with them forever.
In the end, we convinced her that coming with us would be okay.
It was a great evening, thanks guys!

So Much Fun

Some days I really want to quit my job. Some days I really just want to run away. Some days I really feel like we DO live in a barn.

Then there are those days where I laugh and laugh. Like Sunday, when there was a lull in Fast and Testimony Meeting and Adrienne told me everyone was waiting for her to go up and sing for them (her own composition, of course). Or how she went a got a picture book to read while we did family scripture reading. She demanded a turn and we got to hear an interpretation of scriptures by a four year old. It consisted of lots of "Jesus"s and "Behold"s and "Yea"s.
There are those days where I wonder how I got such thoughtful kids. Like when the tooth fairy forgot to come and Nathan left Kade a dollar.
The days when the pride is bursting, like when I go to parent teacher conference and hear about how smart, helpful, and exceptionally kind my kids are.

It somehow makes it easier to get through the hard days when I remember the laughter and wonder and satisfaction that maybe I do some things right once in a while.
They sure make things interesting.

And, I think I fixed the You Tube video below so that it can be viewed by everyone now. Still figuring things out, sorry.

Because He Loves Me

... and has for 14 years.

Through fourteen years we have moved 8 times, had a combined total of 6 jobs, four pregnancies and four deliveries, six hospital stays, a bout with carpenter ants and the "crazies" that came with them, three broken bones, one set of stitches, three car accidents, one lawsuit, and lots of vacations.

It has been a wild ride, but I'm ready for more.

I love you!

Found It, Kept It

Last January I decided to start keeping track of things I get for free, including rebates I get.

Through the year I tried to keep track of the things I got. I think I may have forgotten some of them, but I listed the majority of them.

The purpose of tracking it was to show myself (and Burke) that the rebates actually end up being worthwhile. So now he just lightly teases me when I am filling in tiny lines on rebate forms and stuffing the envelopes with grocery receipts.

I ended up with nearly $300 this year, which would have been enough to pay for an Ipod if Santa hadn't brought it.

WooHoo!

My Latest Favorite

Streaming Netflix.
LOVE IT!
Especially when I am sick and Adrienne wants to be entertained.
And when I should be cleaning but want to veg with my baby on the couch instead.
I think popcorn's on sale at the store this week...

How did I ever get along without it?

Christmas Cookies

Or a burnt offering?
Yep, I've been baking.
While sleeping.
Didn't work out so well.

What Goes Around...

Shortly before parent teacher conference, Nathan informed me that he had a project in his social studies class.
No problem.
He had to build a model of a Native American home. A teepee or a long house, etc.
No problem.
Then he told me it was due the next day.
And it was already 10 PM.
And he didn't have any of the paperwork for directions or requirements for the teepee.
And it had been assigned for a month, he thought.
Now we have a problem.

I was more than a little perturbed at his lack of responsibility, but had to keep my tongue in check because someday my own mother hoped that/warned me this would happen.

I was in Mrs. Achziger's class for 7th grade English. She was just as her name sounded: awful.
We had to do book reports once each month. The requirements for the reports varied, sometimes we had to do a simple description of the report, sometimes we had to do it verbally.

There was one way we could get out of it. It was by reading a book that was extra long. Then we could skip a month and there was one less book report to do.

I decided that was the way to go when I had procrastinated one month and didn't have time to read an entire book before the report was due.

Now I just had to find a book that would fit the bill.
I picked Jane Eyre.
Not a short book.
Very long, very complicated for a 7th grader.
But I read it, and mostly liked it.

For the next report, the teacher had decided that we were going to illustrate each chapter with a drawing.

I had to illustrate each chapter of a 600+ page book.
Plus, this happened to be over Christmas break. Who wants to do a stupid book report over Christmas break?

So....

I found myself doing some drawings the Sunday night before school started. I didn't realize how long it was going to take until I had been working for an hour and had only done about three pictures.

My mom was hanging around the kitchen while I worked, asking questions. When she figured out what a predicament I had put myself in, she had pretty much the same reaction I did when I found out about Nathan's teepee assignment.

Grrrrr.

She let me work for a few more hours, but finally took pity on me around 10 PM and grabbed some paper and worked with me to get it done.

We worked for a while longer, and finally finished the report long after my bedtime.

I got an A.

But,

I have never heard the end of it since.

Which is good, because it helped me have a smidgen more patience with Nathan as we worked on his teepee.

He got an A.
He will never hear the end of it.