How does a period of time (summer for example) seem both extremely long and super short at the same time? In the middle of it, it felt like the days would never end, the house would never be clean and the kids would argue and fight for-ev-er! Now all of the sudden we're in the third week of school and it seems like the break went super fast. I'm not complaining. I like the school year. I like the few hours of quiet where a house stays clean and I can cuddle the little one to sleep without anyone coming and asking for a glass of milk or bowl of cereal.
So the new (school) year is in full force and life seems normal again. Sometimes august can be a bit of a bummer, it can be super hot and the kids hate waiting for the bus, riding the bus and playing at recess, this year the weather has had mercy on us. We've had several days of sub 100 degrees, which is normally unheard of in August. We decided to put in an in-ground trampoline and the weather couldn't have been more perfect. The mornings felt like late September and we dug to our hearts content (or more appropriately until our bodies couldn't lift another shovel full).
We are still in the process of becoming "foster family licensed." It is a grueling process. 10 weeks of classes, lots of interviews, a ton of paperwork and a still incomplete cpr/first aid certification. We are hoping to finish up in the next few weeks and be able to start holding some sweet little in need babies.,. well baby, let's not get out of control here.
I am continually reminded of how incredibly blessed we are. The days (and most nights) are long and crazy, usually chaotic but we have our health, we have sufficient for our needs and so much more. We have an amazing life. We are blessed more than we deserve.
Tuesday, August 26, 2014
Wednesday, June 18, 2014
6/18/2014 Month of Madness
Sometimes we just need to be reminded how blessed we are.
Trials make us stronger.
Blessings come to those who endure to the end.
The last month has been jam packed with experiences that are making us stronger and helping us to remain humble. It has been a doozy. Let's not relive it. We'll bullet-point it instead.
Trials make us stronger.
Blessings come to those who endure to the end.
The last month has been jam packed with experiences that are making us stronger and helping us to remain humble. It has been a doozy. Let's not relive it. We'll bullet-point it instead.
- The AC in Seth's car went out.
- The dryer quit drying
- I dropped and destroyed my phone
- We started our 10 week session of Foster Care Training
- Seth spent several hours in the ER in Prescott
- The battery in my car died
- Nash got a nasty rash
- Seth smashed his finger really badly
- I got a UTI
- Nash's rash isn't actually a rash, it's walking pneumonia
Why does it not seem so traumatic looking at it on a list? It felt much bigger than that. If I were to list the blessings that we've had through all of this it would go on forever. Apparently we needed a reminder of all that we have.
Tuesday, May 13, 2014
05/13/14 Mother's Day
I had a friend once tell me that I was a woman with a man's brain. It was a compliment, I think. She was trying to say that I have a way of not over thinking things. A way of just letting life happen without feeling overwhelmed by it. And that can be true. I have my days when it feels like I'm failing and I can't see beyond the sink full of dishes and the piles of laundry. In fact I probably have those feelings every day. When my son yells at me and tells me that I am "the meanest mom ever" and for a moment I wonder if that's a true statement. When my daughters don't "get" why we won't let them have or go to sleepovers and I hope I'm not scarring them for life by denying them this "rite of passage." So I guess most days and most of the time I am guilty of thinking like a woman/mom. I am blessed however to be able to let things go quickly and move on. I think it's a little bit of survival mode, I can't imagine letting all those "little" things clutter up my mind and drag me down emotionally. I think I would drown in it all if I didn't.
On Mother's Day I kept hearing people talk about how much they hate mothers day. WHAT? Hate Mother's Day?! My man brain must be in full function on this one. How can you, as a mother, hate Mother's Day? It's whole purpose for being is to celebrate and revere us, as mothers. It's all about giving gratitude for the hours on end of seeming thankless service. I realize I am spoiled. MD in our home is really MW (mother's weekend). It is my one day "off" a year. Breakfast in bed. No dishes to wash. No diapers to change. I even guilt my kids into treating each other in a semi-civil manner. I love it. I love that for one day nobody is telling me how to do my job better but instead, thanking me for what I do and telling me to take a break. What more could an over-worked girl ask for?
I'm told that the reason for the hatred of this glorious day stems from a woman's inability to stop beating herself up. That when she hears talks and/or stories about other people's "perfect mothers" she can't help but think that she herself don't measure up. That when a sweet son, who loves his dear mother for her noble attempts to raise him right, says that "she never raised her voice nor made him feel guilty for his choices" she then has no other choice than to compare herself to said mother, think of all the times she's yelled and/or guilted and in turn feel like a failure as a mother. If that were the case I guess I wouldn't love mother's day either.
I am pleading with all of you sweet, hardworking, under-appreciated mothers out there...can we not for this one day just quit? Remember it's our day off. That not only means our day off from making breakfast and wiping bums but also from degrading ourselves. Let's take this day that was meant to make us feel good about all we do and just feel good. Look at the faces of those kids that made us moms and say "yay for me, I did something good!"
Ok I'm now jumping off my soap box and I'm going to think about folding the piles of laundry that having been patiently waiting... (i'm not saying for how long).
On Mother's Day I kept hearing people talk about how much they hate mothers day. WHAT? Hate Mother's Day?! My man brain must be in full function on this one. How can you, as a mother, hate Mother's Day? It's whole purpose for being is to celebrate and revere us, as mothers. It's all about giving gratitude for the hours on end of seeming thankless service. I realize I am spoiled. MD in our home is really MW (mother's weekend). It is my one day "off" a year. Breakfast in bed. No dishes to wash. No diapers to change. I even guilt my kids into treating each other in a semi-civil manner. I love it. I love that for one day nobody is telling me how to do my job better but instead, thanking me for what I do and telling me to take a break. What more could an over-worked girl ask for?
I'm told that the reason for the hatred of this glorious day stems from a woman's inability to stop beating herself up. That when she hears talks and/or stories about other people's "perfect mothers" she can't help but think that she herself don't measure up. That when a sweet son, who loves his dear mother for her noble attempts to raise him right, says that "she never raised her voice nor made him feel guilty for his choices" she then has no other choice than to compare herself to said mother, think of all the times she's yelled and/or guilted and in turn feel like a failure as a mother. If that were the case I guess I wouldn't love mother's day either.
I am pleading with all of you sweet, hardworking, under-appreciated mothers out there...can we not for this one day just quit? Remember it's our day off. That not only means our day off from making breakfast and wiping bums but also from degrading ourselves. Let's take this day that was meant to make us feel good about all we do and just feel good. Look at the faces of those kids that made us moms and say "yay for me, I did something good!"
Ok I'm now jumping off my soap box and I'm going to think about folding the piles of laundry that having been patiently waiting... (i'm not saying for how long).
Tuesday, May 6, 2014
05/06/2014 Handling the Chaos
I have started like 7 posts in the last few weeks. Apparently I am lacking the creative juices necessary to post an update on our crazy chaotic life. Our family life is a bit overwhelming. Not in a bad way. Just in a "we have 5 kids under the age of 10 way". I love my kiddos. They are amazing in so many ways. If I take the time to sit back and just think about how awesome they each are I am overwhelmed with the happiness and joy they bring into our lives. The problem is finding/making the time to just sit back and ponder on those things and the ensuing disaster that will inevitably be awaiting me if I do.
People count my kids. Constantly. Whenever we go out in public as a family I catch people counting them. And then they look at me and say things like "wow you have your hands full" or "are they all yours?" It used to bother me. Now I love it. I love that people get to see what/who I am just by watching me walk by with my kids. I am a mom. It is my chosen profession and I love it. Now lets get real, there are a plethora of moments everyday that I don't particularly like. I don't love that I pee with an audience. I don't love that I sweep my floor 3 times a day and it still looks like a heard of dirty elephants just ran through. I don't love that the laundry NEVER ends. But it is what I have chosen and I would choose it again and again.
A good friend once told me "you guys handle the chaos well." I've embraced that as my mantra. Handling the chaos is what we do. My floors don't sparkle, my sink is often full of dishes, Nash and Jensen sometimes stay in pjs until well after noon and when we're all here in our humble (little) house it's LOUD and it's pretty darn chaotic but it's home and we handle it fairly well most of the time.
After each pregnancy/new baby I have felt very strongly that I wasn't done... until Jensen. Jensen felt like my last pregnancy and delivery. He has felt like a sort of completion to our family. Five seems like the right number. I'm not ruling out some future impression/prompting telling us that there is one more but I would be shocked by it because I just don't have that urge like I've had in the past.
That being said, I LOVE babies. I love holding them. I love the sweet spirit they bring into our home. I love the way my kids fawn over them and are just a little sweeter when there's a little one in our house. So I've always known that if I could I would want to love on other peoples' babies if at all possible. Seth is such a good husband. He listens to me and (usually) supports me in my crazy ideas. A few years ago it was the idea to have exchange students now it's foster care.
There I said it. We are in the process of becoming licensed foster parents. I know what you're thinking... You are out of your mind!!! How can you possibly do one more, you can barely handle the 5 you have? I know, I know. We are crazy. Just know we have prayed about this, A LOT. We know it's what we're supposed to be doing.
There are little babies out there who's parents are struggling. I mean really really struggling. They need help. I might not have a perfect house or a perfect family but we can love these babies. I can hold them. I can wake up in the middle of the night and feed them a bottle. I can change diapers (heaven knows I can change diapers!) I can do all of that. We know this isn't going to be easy. We know it's going to be really really hard. Heck just the process to get licensed has been a serious challenge. But through a lot of prayer we've come to realize we need to do this. And we need to do it now.
We will only be taking one child at a time and specifically a baby. Our first placement should happen sometime in aug or sept after we finish our 30 hours of training and mountain of paperwork.
So our life is about to get even more chaotic. And hopefully we will "handle it well."
People count my kids. Constantly. Whenever we go out in public as a family I catch people counting them. And then they look at me and say things like "wow you have your hands full" or "are they all yours?" It used to bother me. Now I love it. I love that people get to see what/who I am just by watching me walk by with my kids. I am a mom. It is my chosen profession and I love it. Now lets get real, there are a plethora of moments everyday that I don't particularly like. I don't love that I pee with an audience. I don't love that I sweep my floor 3 times a day and it still looks like a heard of dirty elephants just ran through. I don't love that the laundry NEVER ends. But it is what I have chosen and I would choose it again and again.
A good friend once told me "you guys handle the chaos well." I've embraced that as my mantra. Handling the chaos is what we do. My floors don't sparkle, my sink is often full of dishes, Nash and Jensen sometimes stay in pjs until well after noon and when we're all here in our humble (little) house it's LOUD and it's pretty darn chaotic but it's home and we handle it fairly well most of the time.
After each pregnancy/new baby I have felt very strongly that I wasn't done... until Jensen. Jensen felt like my last pregnancy and delivery. He has felt like a sort of completion to our family. Five seems like the right number. I'm not ruling out some future impression/prompting telling us that there is one more but I would be shocked by it because I just don't have that urge like I've had in the past.
That being said, I LOVE babies. I love holding them. I love the sweet spirit they bring into our home. I love the way my kids fawn over them and are just a little sweeter when there's a little one in our house. So I've always known that if I could I would want to love on other peoples' babies if at all possible. Seth is such a good husband. He listens to me and (usually) supports me in my crazy ideas. A few years ago it was the idea to have exchange students now it's foster care.
There I said it. We are in the process of becoming licensed foster parents. I know what you're thinking... You are out of your mind!!! How can you possibly do one more, you can barely handle the 5 you have? I know, I know. We are crazy. Just know we have prayed about this, A LOT. We know it's what we're supposed to be doing.
There are little babies out there who's parents are struggling. I mean really really struggling. They need help. I might not have a perfect house or a perfect family but we can love these babies. I can hold them. I can wake up in the middle of the night and feed them a bottle. I can change diapers (heaven knows I can change diapers!) I can do all of that. We know this isn't going to be easy. We know it's going to be really really hard. Heck just the process to get licensed has been a serious challenge. But through a lot of prayer we've come to realize we need to do this. And we need to do it now.
We will only be taking one child at a time and specifically a baby. Our first placement should happen sometime in aug or sept after we finish our 30 hours of training and mountain of paperwork.
So our life is about to get even more chaotic. And hopefully we will "handle it well."
Monday, March 3, 2014
03/03/14 Vacation
The days and weeks just fly by. It's so cliche but I really am starting to feel like "they grow up too fast." This last week was one of those times that I wish I could just hold on to and relive and relive so that I won't forget their sweet little smiles and the laughter even the tears, I think.
This last year Seth's company was bought out/merged with a bigger company as a result he was forced to cash out all of his PTO/Vacation hours. I/We decided that if we were cashing it out we should use it for a vacation and if we're going we might as well go big... haha. Disneyland was the obvious choice. The kids worked hard, well somewhat hard depending on the day, to earn part of their tickets themselves and we invited Seth's parents to go with us as added support.
The 2 weeks prior to the departure date the sickness started to set in. I don't even remember who started it, one of the girls I think. At one point McKay was on antibiotics for bronchitis and strep and the Luc was seriously struggling with his asthma. Pretty much everyone in the family was sick at some point. Two days before we were leaving the boys and I all stayed home from church, hacking and feeling generally crappy. But the timing couldn't have been any better. By Tuesday we were all feeling great and ready for some fun.
The drive over was great. Jensen didn't even get out of his seat the whole time. What a good baby. We got in late, like 11:00 or 12:00 i think. Steve and Colleen were already there.
We spent Wednesday at Disneyland and had an absolute blast. The weather was perfect, the lines were relatively short and the kids were troopers. Luc has a bit of a problem putting things into perspective, we had to remind him frequently that even though we may be standing in a line, it was a line at Disneyland so no need to pout or cry about it. By the last day he was a little better about it.
Thursday we did a second day of Disneyland. Nana and Papa took a day off. I loved Thursday because we had already done everything we really wanted to do on Wednesdays so it was just a relaxing have a blast kind of day.
Disneyland Favorites:
Seth: ??? I guess I didn't ask him
Denise: Watching my kids love every minute. And eating yummy foods without worrying about it.
McKay: Matterhorn
Kimball: Pirates of the Caribbean
Luc: Space Mountain
Nash: Buzz Lightyear Orbit Blasters (or something like that)
Jensen: Being outside all day long
Friday it poured. We knew this was going to happen. I did a couple goodwill runs for rain gear before we left We bundled up and pulled up our rain boots and made the best of it. It poured and/or drizzled for the first 6 hours or so. We were soaked and cold but once again I reminded the kids if we had to be wet and cold where better to endure it than at California Adventure. Again, they were troopers. Especially Nash and Jensen. They were unfazed by the conditions. Best purchase of the week: plastic rain cover for the stroller, seriously a life saver.
CA Adventure Favorites:
Seth: California Screaming?
Denise: Always Soarin' Over California (only took 3 tries to get on it as it was broken down half the day but so worth it. I love that ride)
McKay: Radiator Springs
Kimball: Radiator Springs
Luc: Radiator Springs
Nash: Toy Story (my 2nd favorite)
Jensen: Loved splashing in the puddles in his adorable baby rain boots.
Saturday we hit the very cold and windy beach. I was freezing but the kids love the beach so much that we had to go for a least a little bit. The crazies (M, K and L) all got in the water and the little ones played (while shivering) in the sand.
I loved this week. It was a crazy, sometimes stressful few days but so worth it. I loved making memories with my sweet little ones and being with my amazing husband for 5 straight days. Huge thanks to my in-laws for joining us and making the trip so much easier.
Can't get my phone to connect but I will post more pics soon.
This last year Seth's company was bought out/merged with a bigger company as a result he was forced to cash out all of his PTO/Vacation hours. I/We decided that if we were cashing it out we should use it for a vacation and if we're going we might as well go big... haha. Disneyland was the obvious choice. The kids worked hard, well somewhat hard depending on the day, to earn part of their tickets themselves and we invited Seth's parents to go with us as added support.
The 2 weeks prior to the departure date the sickness started to set in. I don't even remember who started it, one of the girls I think. At one point McKay was on antibiotics for bronchitis and strep and the Luc was seriously struggling with his asthma. Pretty much everyone in the family was sick at some point. Two days before we were leaving the boys and I all stayed home from church, hacking and feeling generally crappy. But the timing couldn't have been any better. By Tuesday we were all feeling great and ready for some fun.
The drive over was great. Jensen didn't even get out of his seat the whole time. What a good baby. We got in late, like 11:00 or 12:00 i think. Steve and Colleen were already there.
We spent Wednesday at Disneyland and had an absolute blast. The weather was perfect, the lines were relatively short and the kids were troopers. Luc has a bit of a problem putting things into perspective, we had to remind him frequently that even though we may be standing in a line, it was a line at Disneyland so no need to pout or cry about it. By the last day he was a little better about it.
Thursday we did a second day of Disneyland. Nana and Papa took a day off. I loved Thursday because we had already done everything we really wanted to do on Wednesdays so it was just a relaxing have a blast kind of day.
Disneyland Favorites:
Seth: ??? I guess I didn't ask him
Denise: Watching my kids love every minute. And eating yummy foods without worrying about it.
McKay: Matterhorn
Kimball: Pirates of the Caribbean
Luc: Space Mountain
Nash: Buzz Lightyear Orbit Blasters (or something like that)
Jensen: Being outside all day long
Friday it poured. We knew this was going to happen. I did a couple goodwill runs for rain gear before we left We bundled up and pulled up our rain boots and made the best of it. It poured and/or drizzled for the first 6 hours or so. We were soaked and cold but once again I reminded the kids if we had to be wet and cold where better to endure it than at California Adventure. Again, they were troopers. Especially Nash and Jensen. They were unfazed by the conditions. Best purchase of the week: plastic rain cover for the stroller, seriously a life saver.
CA Adventure Favorites:
Seth: California Screaming?
Denise: Always Soarin' Over California (only took 3 tries to get on it as it was broken down half the day but so worth it. I love that ride)
McKay: Radiator Springs
Kimball: Radiator Springs
Luc: Radiator Springs
Nash: Toy Story (my 2nd favorite)
Jensen: Loved splashing in the puddles in his adorable baby rain boots.
Saturday we hit the very cold and windy beach. I was freezing but the kids love the beach so much that we had to go for a least a little bit. The crazies (M, K and L) all got in the water and the little ones played (while shivering) in the sand.
I loved this week. It was a crazy, sometimes stressful few days but so worth it. I loved making memories with my sweet little ones and being with my amazing husband for 5 straight days. Huge thanks to my in-laws for joining us and making the trip so much easier.
Can't get my phone to connect but I will post more pics soon.
Wednesday, February 12, 2014
02/12/2014 Highlights
The past 2-3 weeks have been super crazy. Highlights/not-so-high-lights
-We decided to refinance our house. We've been thinking about it and planning for it for a while. I didn't think it would be such madness. We needed an appraisal. So we decided to put in much needed new carpet in the bedrooms. And we're cheap so we opted to move ALL the furniture out ourselves. The furniture came out. The carpet went in. And we had about 18 hours between the carpet being done and the appraisal so that was a fun and not at all stressful day. After all the stress, the appraisal was AWFUL! Like 30k under our goal. I wanted to cry.
-The Seahawks won the Super Bowl! Being a Seattle fan, I have never in my life celebrated a professional sports championship. It was awesome. It's still awesome. Go Hawks.
- Luc turned 6. I can't decide if he seems older than that or younger than that. I love his energy. And at times his energy sucks the life right out of me. He is so full of questions and needs and wants. But he's also super sweet and loving. He wants every minute to be filled with fun and entertainment. He's started playing soccer and he's awesome. Watching and practicing with his sisters has helped a lot. He scored 5 of 6 goals in the first game.
- We are now preparing for a second appraisal. I'm not going to stress nearly as much this time. I can't. My family doesn't need to endure that again. Hopefully the duct work being done and therefore adding 250 sq ft (the add on doesn't count without the duct work) will help with the outcome.
-We get to go to Disneyland in 2 weeks. I am so excited. Maybe more than the kids. I can't wait. I need a vacation. Even if it is a lot of work. It will be nice to just get away for a bit.
And my grand Highlight of the month... I hit my goal weight/size!!! Just this morning. Its been more than 10 years since I was down this low. Its a big day for me.
-We decided to refinance our house. We've been thinking about it and planning for it for a while. I didn't think it would be such madness. We needed an appraisal. So we decided to put in much needed new carpet in the bedrooms. And we're cheap so we opted to move ALL the furniture out ourselves. The furniture came out. The carpet went in. And we had about 18 hours between the carpet being done and the appraisal so that was a fun and not at all stressful day. After all the stress, the appraisal was AWFUL! Like 30k under our goal. I wanted to cry.
-The Seahawks won the Super Bowl! Being a Seattle fan, I have never in my life celebrated a professional sports championship. It was awesome. It's still awesome. Go Hawks.
- Luc turned 6. I can't decide if he seems older than that or younger than that. I love his energy. And at times his energy sucks the life right out of me. He is so full of questions and needs and wants. But he's also super sweet and loving. He wants every minute to be filled with fun and entertainment. He's started playing soccer and he's awesome. Watching and practicing with his sisters has helped a lot. He scored 5 of 6 goals in the first game.
- We are now preparing for a second appraisal. I'm not going to stress nearly as much this time. I can't. My family doesn't need to endure that again. Hopefully the duct work being done and therefore adding 250 sq ft (the add on doesn't count without the duct work) will help with the outcome.
-We get to go to Disneyland in 2 weeks. I am so excited. Maybe more than the kids. I can't wait. I need a vacation. Even if it is a lot of work. It will be nice to just get away for a bit.
And my grand Highlight of the month... I hit my goal weight/size!!! Just this morning. Its been more than 10 years since I was down this low. Its a big day for me.
Saturday, January 25, 2014
01/25/14
I thought about writing everyday this week but its been a crazy week and honestly I'm glad I didn't ended up getting around to it until today.
Today is our nephew, sweet angel Emmett's birthday. He would have been 5 today. He passed away at 8 months old and changed our lives in so many ways. Probably more than I could have ever imagined a nephew could. He's a constant reminder of what we are striving for, where we want to be at the end of our mortal lives and that the effort will someday be worth it.
My little Luc was almost 2 when Emmett left us and at the time I was struggling with getting him to go to bed. I quit trying that very day. I decided I could hold him a little longer. Snuggle him a little more. Let him fall asleep in my arms and cherish those moments. Emmett's birthday is a good reminder that I should still be doing those things.
I have to remind myself how I felt in the weeks and months that followed. How my heart broke for my sister who was grieving in a way I couldn't even begin to imagine. It hurt so bad just to think of what she was going through, I couldn't comprehend the pain she was enduring. The reminder is good because it helps me to appreciate the days that seem too long and too hard. At least I have those days. My kids drive me crazy and I need to be grateful for that.
My sister says that his passing as difficult as it has been and as badly as it still hurts has brought some of the sweetest blessings of her life. He truly is her angel.
I am immensely grateful for trials that bring blessings and strength.
Happy Birthday Emmett!
Today is our nephew, sweet angel Emmett's birthday. He would have been 5 today. He passed away at 8 months old and changed our lives in so many ways. Probably more than I could have ever imagined a nephew could. He's a constant reminder of what we are striving for, where we want to be at the end of our mortal lives and that the effort will someday be worth it.
My little Luc was almost 2 when Emmett left us and at the time I was struggling with getting him to go to bed. I quit trying that very day. I decided I could hold him a little longer. Snuggle him a little more. Let him fall asleep in my arms and cherish those moments. Emmett's birthday is a good reminder that I should still be doing those things.
I have to remind myself how I felt in the weeks and months that followed. How my heart broke for my sister who was grieving in a way I couldn't even begin to imagine. It hurt so bad just to think of what she was going through, I couldn't comprehend the pain she was enduring. The reminder is good because it helps me to appreciate the days that seem too long and too hard. At least I have those days. My kids drive me crazy and I need to be grateful for that.
My sister says that his passing as difficult as it has been and as badly as it still hurts has brought some of the sweetest blessings of her life. He truly is her angel.
I am immensely grateful for trials that bring blessings and strength.
Happy Birthday Emmett!
Sunday, January 19, 2014
SUNDAY 01/19/2014
I am learning to love Sundays. They are a little bit like a trial that you go through and in the middle of it you think there's absolutely no way that you'll ever survive it, then after it's done with you look back and go "hmm that wasn't so bad, I could totally do that again." Do you say that with trials? Maybe not trials, maybe a hard work out or something. Quite obviously I haven't perfected this little comparison but you get the point.
Sacrament meeting is usually the longest hour of the week. Excuse me hour and 10 minutes. Lets not forget those last 10 minutes that quite often are actually 15-20 minutes and somehow longer than the first hour all together. Today wasn't the worst ever. As the girls get older they're less trouble and more help but boys are a little more wiggly (wigglier?).
Luc is almost 6 and I am convinced that he should be able to sit for longer than 3 minutes at a time. He has yet to prove that ability. He is constant movement. And constant questions and comments.
Jensen is just so mobile all the sudden and he can get himself 4 rows up before we even realize that he's gone. It's like a fun little surprise for whoever ends up sitting within striking distance as a 1 year climbs under your feet and drools all over your shoes.
And this is the best part, Nash has decided that its really fun to imitate his baby brother. So if Jensen lets out a little baby squeal Nash then lets out a not-so-baby squeal and laughs hysterically.
I'm sure people wonder why we don't sit back in the overflow. I had someone ask me once when my children were going to learn to sit through sacrament meeting. It crushed me a little bit and we did sit in the back for a couple of weeks. It was awful. Not only was it uncomfortable on those hard metal chairs but I felt so disconnected from the meeting and in turn the messages and spirit that was being shared.
I don't go to church because my family is perfect or anywhere near it. I don't get 5 young children ready on Sunday mornings because it's fun. I do it because its where I want my kids to be. It's what I know they need to be learning. It's where they'll find their strength and their courage when times get hard. And it's how they'll know that even though its a really long hour, its also the best hour of the week.
Today was not our best sacrament meeting ever. I think we took kids out like 5-6 times. The first one before the bishop even finished welcoming us to the meeting. Jensen tried to chuck both of his shoes at the family behind us. And at one point Nash was playing with all of his Toy Story toys in the aisle. He just sat down and set up shop like he was right at home. But we were there. And we've always got next week to try again.
Sacrament meeting is usually the longest hour of the week. Excuse me hour and 10 minutes. Lets not forget those last 10 minutes that quite often are actually 15-20 minutes and somehow longer than the first hour all together. Today wasn't the worst ever. As the girls get older they're less trouble and more help but boys are a little more wiggly (wigglier?).
Luc is almost 6 and I am convinced that he should be able to sit for longer than 3 minutes at a time. He has yet to prove that ability. He is constant movement. And constant questions and comments.
Jensen is just so mobile all the sudden and he can get himself 4 rows up before we even realize that he's gone. It's like a fun little surprise for whoever ends up sitting within striking distance as a 1 year climbs under your feet and drools all over your shoes.
And this is the best part, Nash has decided that its really fun to imitate his baby brother. So if Jensen lets out a little baby squeal Nash then lets out a not-so-baby squeal and laughs hysterically.
I'm sure people wonder why we don't sit back in the overflow. I had someone ask me once when my children were going to learn to sit through sacrament meeting. It crushed me a little bit and we did sit in the back for a couple of weeks. It was awful. Not only was it uncomfortable on those hard metal chairs but I felt so disconnected from the meeting and in turn the messages and spirit that was being shared.
I don't go to church because my family is perfect or anywhere near it. I don't get 5 young children ready on Sunday mornings because it's fun. I do it because its where I want my kids to be. It's what I know they need to be learning. It's where they'll find their strength and their courage when times get hard. And it's how they'll know that even though its a really long hour, its also the best hour of the week.
Today was not our best sacrament meeting ever. I think we took kids out like 5-6 times. The first one before the bishop even finished welcoming us to the meeting. Jensen tried to chuck both of his shoes at the family behind us. And at one point Nash was playing with all of his Toy Story toys in the aisle. He just sat down and set up shop like he was right at home. But we were there. And we've always got next week to try again.
Tuesday, January 14, 2014
Journal Entry #2 (01/14/14)
Oh what a day (or two days). I scheduled back to back dentist appointment days, just trying to get them out of the way and done with. Problem is I made the appointments like a month ago and while I put it in my phone calendar I made the huge mistake of relying on my mommy brain instead of checking the dates and times. Then I had everyone around me adjust their schedules and drop everything to help me out and make getting to those appointment possible. Needless to say it didn't work out like it was supposed to. Yesterday morning I got up early, got Luc up early and off we went. Too bad his appointment was today not yesterday. I hurried home to make sure Seth could get out the door and to work somewhat on time, (since I would need him to go in late today for Luc's real appointment) I walked in our room and stepped on his glasses and broke them. Awesome. (Jensen loves to pick things up off of tables, dressers, counters and drop them on the floor)
I cried.
No really I did.
I felt so bad. And mostly I was really mad at myself for being so ditsy. My brain just can't store the amount of information that it once could.
I got nothing done yesterday or today. So to make things easier on ourselves we've decided to refinance our house which means that we need an appraisal in the next week. Great just let me super clean and organize my house real quick. I'll get right on that. As soon as I catch up on the 12 loads of laundry all over the laundry room floor.
I cried.
No really I did.
I felt so bad. And mostly I was really mad at myself for being so ditsy. My brain just can't store the amount of information that it once could.
I got nothing done yesterday or today. So to make things easier on ourselves we've decided to refinance our house which means that we need an appraisal in the next week. Great just let me super clean and organize my house real quick. I'll get right on that. As soon as I catch up on the 12 loads of laundry all over the laundry room floor.
Friday, January 10, 2014
Journal Entry #1 (01/10/13)
Trying something new this year. Just going to do regular old journal entries because that's really why I blog. So if it's too personal I'll keep it private (i'm sure there's a way to do that, right?) otherwise I'll just say it like it is. Pretty much what I do anyway.
This year has started well. Nothing too exciting, just feeling extremely blessed. Seth's job is about as close to perfect as one could hope. We may not be rich but he works a normal non-crazy-hours schedule and he can do the things most dads wish they could. He is coaching (starting next week) both McKay & Kimball's soccer team and Luc's team. It will keep us busy but I think its awesome that they get to have their dad coaching their team. And he is home all weekend. I am super spoiled.
Jensen turned 1 this week. He is such a good baby. I wish he would stay little for longer. Pretty sure he is our caboose and it makes me sad that he is acting like a little toddler. I want to go back to snuggling him and lovin on him all day long but he wants to run around making messes and throwing stuff in the toilet. Can't imagine why I want him to be a little baby still.
Seth is gone tonight. He's on a "camp out" with the young men. This is always a hard balance for me. I want him home. I need him. But deep down I know I don't need him nearly as much as some of these boys. For several of the boys he is their only priesthood holding father figure. We get him 95% of the time. I need to be less selfish with that other 5%.
I got to go to the temple this morning. I went all alone. Which was a little weird for me but it was very... rejuvenating. I love taking the time to just focus on the Lord and what He has asked me to do. I feel like I really got some incredible inspiration today. Now I just need to act on it. It always amazes me that even with all of that it's still a struggle to get there. My goal this year is 2x a month. Once with Seth, once on my own or with girlfriends.
I think I'll try to read in bed and see if it puts me to sleep. I hate going to bed without Seth. He's my security blanket.
He thinks he's so big!
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