I'm not a cryer. In fact, I used to schedule time on my calendar every two to three weeks to cry, because it helps me to relieve stress. But, I just don't feel the need to cry very often. I'll tear up when bearing my testimony or feeling the Spirit, or when there is a really touching part in a movie, but every day actions, good and bad, just don't make me cry.
But, after coming home yesterday from Emma's parent teacher conference, I bawled. Not because Emma is being bad in school; in fact it's quite the contrary.
I have spent the last three days at countless school things for Logan and Emma. I always go to their events, I eat lunch with them on occasion, but I spend a lot more time helping out my older two children. I'm there for my middle two, but I've always had the philosophy that I'll "really" focus on them once Cameron leaves the house and then Errolyn. But, when Cameron and Errolyn were in Elementary School, the same ages as Logan and Emma now, I volunteered a lot more to help out at school events, I tried more to talk to them because they were my first children, and I knew everything that was going on in their lives.
Well, over the last three days, I have gone on a GT field trip with Logan, I've been to two of his choir concerts where he sang so brilliantly and I was one proud mom, I've taken Emma with me on errands, I've gone to Emma's Field Day and still have Logan's to attend later today, and then went to two parent teacher conferences. On the field trip, I think I talked with Logan more than I have all month. I talk to him in snippets at home, but rarely a 3 or 4 hour long conversation. It was wonderful. At his parent teacher conference, which was student led, he talked to me for a full 20 minutes about everything he's been doing all year. Most of it was stuff I had no idea about and it was wonderful. I was so proud of him. But, I felt like I didn't even know my own child.
Then, yesterday, I went to Emma's student led conference and she talked for 20 minutes about everything she had accomplished, her likes, her goals, what she wanted to still achieve... and I realized that I was so very proud of her but that I barely knew her. It hit me like a ton of bricks.
I've been so focused on making sure my older two, who are leaving soon, are ready for the world and ready for life. And I've been focused on being there for my 2 year old, Allie, who really needs me, and so my middle two have gone by the wayside.
At those student led conferences, I realized how wonderful Logan and Emma are. They are smart, responsible, creative children who are full of promise and spirit. And I feel like I've missed part of their growing up. My eyes were opened to how wonderful they are... and how much I really want to get to know them. I love Logan and Emma! I will make a bigger effort to talk to them and really get to know them... because I want to... because I love them... because they deserve to have a mother who is part of their life NOW, not just when I have time because the older kids are gone.
I have already made an effort to talk to them more and I can't believe how much they are really willing to open up to me when I put aside my busy life and just focus on them. I feel like we're finally having real conversations instead of snippets here and there. I know this all probably sounds silly to some and I've tried to always be aware of my middle children so they don't get lost in the mix. I've enrolled them in sports, music, clubs, etc. and I attend everything I can. But, putting them in activities isn't enough. I want to know these wonderful little people that are part of my family. I want to be a part of their lives... because they're worth it... and because I love them! I will do better! I love all of my children and want to know all of them and be a "real" part of all of their lives!
Friday, May 19, 2017
Saturday, August 20, 2016
I bought Mike a trail camera for his birthday... this is our latest find out at our land...
Too many good things have happened... we had a fabulous trip to Missouri to see extended family, and to Nauvoo and other church history sites. It was great! Mike turned 40 and we had a fun and big birthday party for him. We went to Rockport (the beach) this week and had a blast (Cameron got off work early for rain, so we decided to go last minute since he hardly had any vacation days this summer). Cameron got us free tickets to Sea World and that was way fun. Last night we hung out with the Updike's again and went to dinner, mini-golf, and then played some Dominion & Seaside. So fun! Cameron is a deep-water lifeguard at Sea World and making a lot of money and doing well. Errolyn is going to a new school for 8th grade and she and I are both impressed with the new school and the students and teachers. Allie is talking up a storm and smart as a whip. Emma and Logan are just having fun and working hard. Mike is an Executive Director at his company now and doing well. I'm the volunteer coordinator and document creator for Cameron's school orchestra. And I'm in full swing working on this year's Messiah. We've had a great summer!
Monday, May 23, 2016
I feel like life has been so crazy busy and stressful that I've lost myself a little. There are so many things I would love to do each day, but I just don't have the time. My "to do" list is so long that if I do the daily reoccurring things, I don't have time for my "to do" list and vice versa. So, in the process, I feel like I'm not getting anything done and I'm failing. But, I've learned not to get too down on myself because that leads into a downward spiral of guilt. I've learned to be happy with where I'm at and with what I'm getting accomplished even if in the back of my mind I feel otherwise. I still try to do more and be a better person, mom, and wife, but it sometimes feels overwhelming at times and I wish I could do more.
So, I decided that I would devote one hour for the daily things I wanted to get done every day, leaving more time for me to start knocking things off of my lengthy "to do" list. Yes, one hour is not long enough to do any of these things well or as long as I would like, but at least if I'm gone the rest of the day running errands I won't feel like I failed myself in some of these areas. So, I picked six things that I wanted to get done every day and I set the timer for 10 minutes for each item. Exercise: approximately 3 Zumba songs, Chore, Laundry, Organize: cabinets, drawers, closets, etc., Violin, and Piano. I'll make more time to do exercise and especially cleaning on most days, but if I'm gone all day running errands, at the very minimum I've done these basics.
I love my 10 minute rotations! Often times I come back to these things after the hour because I see more things I want to get done. But, sometimes, I don't because I'm so crazy busy. The exercise makes me happier and gets my blood flowing so I have the desire and energy to clean. It's amazing how much you can clean in 10 minutes when you're moving fast and know you only have 10 minutes. And the same thing goes for organizing. My cabinets aren't terrible, but I can touch up several of them in just 10 minutes, or sort through a stack of papers, or clean under the couch. I've always wanted to practice my violin more because I love playing and want to get better, but I just can't spend the time to practice for an hour each day. It's been so nice to play each day, even if just for a little bit. The last 10 minute rotation was going to be dinner prep. But, because we currently have swim team in the evenings for 2 hours, we haven't been having formal dinners, but quick ones at different times. We'll go back to better dinners in a couple of weeks when school is out and swim team moves to the mornings. So, I had the impression to add in a piano rotation. I used to love playing the piano, just to play and sing. But, honestly, I haven't done it in ages!! I play the piano to find pieces for my choir to sing, or for piano lessons, but it's been years since I played the piano just for pleasure.
I opened up a binder of music and began playing and singing "Look Inside Yourself." After one verse, I was overcome with the Spirit and heard the thought, "This is who you are. Remember who you are." I broke down crying while I continued to play for the rest of the 10 minutes. I am not a great pianist by any means, but I forgot how much I enjoy playing the piano and singing. I forgot the calming peace I feel when I play. I forgot how much I feel the Spirit when I'm singing good music. I forgot how much playing for myself grounds me and fulfills my need for "me" time. It was wonderful! I will surely leave that 10 minute rotation in so I can fill my need for peace and "me" time.
Anyway, that experience probably will seem silly to most, but it was profound to me. We are also trying to simplify our lives in activities and home organization and it's so freeing to get rid of junk or time wasting activities!
Well, Cameron turned 16! He got his driver's license on his birthday. He went on his first date this last weekend to Mormon Prom. He paired up with three other couples which was fun. The Prom dinner was at my house. So, we hung up sheer curtains and lights in the archways to the front rooms to separate it from the house. We put in a table leaf, got a nice table cloth and runner, I borrowed Heidi's china and one of the boys' gold silverware (or goldware), I ironed fancy napkins with name cards and small flowers tucked in the pockets, there were candles and flowers on the table, goblets for drinks, and I made a nice looking menu. I know, I didn't simplify there. :) But, it was fun to put it all together and it's fun to use my creativity once in a while. The other boys' parents were in charge of all of the cooking, and the food was great. Errolyn and her two friends were the waitresses. I daresay, that the table and food was way nicer than most restaurants. Heidi made two of the corsages and boutonnieres and they were beautiful. Mike and I chaperoned the dance and then took people to their after prom activity. Errolyn went to an anti-prom party for those not old enough to go to prom, and she had a lot of fun.
Logan auditioned for his school's talent show and was one of a few 3rd graders selected to participate. He's singing "Wave Your Flag." Errolyn competed against almost 100 teams from 12 different middle school's in a Gifted and Talented Mentathlon and her team took 1st. Emma graduates from Kindergarten next week which is fun. Allie is talking up a storm. We taught her "Red Light, Green Light" yesterday and she loved it! I wish I had videotaped her because she was so cute playing. And I'm hosting a double 16th birthday party this weekend for Cameron and his friend Ben.
I'm sure a ton more has happened, but that's the short version. :)
So, I decided that I would devote one hour for the daily things I wanted to get done every day, leaving more time for me to start knocking things off of my lengthy "to do" list. Yes, one hour is not long enough to do any of these things well or as long as I would like, but at least if I'm gone the rest of the day running errands I won't feel like I failed myself in some of these areas. So, I picked six things that I wanted to get done every day and I set the timer for 10 minutes for each item. Exercise: approximately 3 Zumba songs, Chore, Laundry, Organize: cabinets, drawers, closets, etc., Violin, and Piano. I'll make more time to do exercise and especially cleaning on most days, but if I'm gone all day running errands, at the very minimum I've done these basics.
I love my 10 minute rotations! Often times I come back to these things after the hour because I see more things I want to get done. But, sometimes, I don't because I'm so crazy busy. The exercise makes me happier and gets my blood flowing so I have the desire and energy to clean. It's amazing how much you can clean in 10 minutes when you're moving fast and know you only have 10 minutes. And the same thing goes for organizing. My cabinets aren't terrible, but I can touch up several of them in just 10 minutes, or sort through a stack of papers, or clean under the couch. I've always wanted to practice my violin more because I love playing and want to get better, but I just can't spend the time to practice for an hour each day. It's been so nice to play each day, even if just for a little bit. The last 10 minute rotation was going to be dinner prep. But, because we currently have swim team in the evenings for 2 hours, we haven't been having formal dinners, but quick ones at different times. We'll go back to better dinners in a couple of weeks when school is out and swim team moves to the mornings. So, I had the impression to add in a piano rotation. I used to love playing the piano, just to play and sing. But, honestly, I haven't done it in ages!! I play the piano to find pieces for my choir to sing, or for piano lessons, but it's been years since I played the piano just for pleasure.
I opened up a binder of music and began playing and singing "Look Inside Yourself." After one verse, I was overcome with the Spirit and heard the thought, "This is who you are. Remember who you are." I broke down crying while I continued to play for the rest of the 10 minutes. I am not a great pianist by any means, but I forgot how much I enjoy playing the piano and singing. I forgot the calming peace I feel when I play. I forgot how much I feel the Spirit when I'm singing good music. I forgot how much playing for myself grounds me and fulfills my need for "me" time. It was wonderful! I will surely leave that 10 minute rotation in so I can fill my need for peace and "me" time.
Anyway, that experience probably will seem silly to most, but it was profound to me. We are also trying to simplify our lives in activities and home organization and it's so freeing to get rid of junk or time wasting activities!
Well, Cameron turned 16! He got his driver's license on his birthday. He went on his first date this last weekend to Mormon Prom. He paired up with three other couples which was fun. The Prom dinner was at my house. So, we hung up sheer curtains and lights in the archways to the front rooms to separate it from the house. We put in a table leaf, got a nice table cloth and runner, I borrowed Heidi's china and one of the boys' gold silverware (or goldware), I ironed fancy napkins with name cards and small flowers tucked in the pockets, there were candles and flowers on the table, goblets for drinks, and I made a nice looking menu. I know, I didn't simplify there. :) But, it was fun to put it all together and it's fun to use my creativity once in a while. The other boys' parents were in charge of all of the cooking, and the food was great. Errolyn and her two friends were the waitresses. I daresay, that the table and food was way nicer than most restaurants. Heidi made two of the corsages and boutonnieres and they were beautiful. Mike and I chaperoned the dance and then took people to their after prom activity. Errolyn went to an anti-prom party for those not old enough to go to prom, and she had a lot of fun.
Logan auditioned for his school's talent show and was one of a few 3rd graders selected to participate. He's singing "Wave Your Flag." Errolyn competed against almost 100 teams from 12 different middle school's in a Gifted and Talented Mentathlon and her team took 1st. Emma graduates from Kindergarten next week which is fun. Allie is talking up a storm. We taught her "Red Light, Green Light" yesterday and she loved it! I wish I had videotaped her because she was so cute playing. And I'm hosting a double 16th birthday party this weekend for Cameron and his friend Ben.
I'm sure a ton more has happened, but that's the short version. :)
(The table looked way nicer in person...)
Sunday, March 27, 2016
We normally do our Easter Egg Hunt on Saturday because we like to leave Sunday for the more spiritual parts of Easter, but we ran out of time yesterday. The two funny parts of the Easter Egg Hunt were: Cameron's eggs being hidden really hard but yet Allie finding two of the eggs that Cameron couldn't find and Mike writing the egg papers this year, which will not happen again! Haha! I usually write the papers that go inside of the eggs, but asked Mike to do it this year. His papers were: one back scratch from Mom, Mom will do your chore, etc. :/ Haha... my way out is that Mike and I are one... so he has to do them too. :)
I planned our Ward Camp-out this last weekend and it was awesome! It was really difficult finding a camp-site for a ward this large! I spent hours calling campgrounds for prices and driving around to different sites. I finally found one, but the Bishop (Mike) didn't like it. Then I found another two which fell through. I started driving up and down the river asking campsites for discounts. Finally, I prayed (again) but this time said that I had done everything I could do and now needed to turn it over to him completely or we would have to cancel the camp-out. There was one more place I drove to that was expensive and completely booked up when I called the manager. But, he called me back and said that one of his camp sites that had washed away in the flood 2 years previously could be cleaned up in time for us to use it. And, he gave us a flat rate that was way cheaper than every other camp site I had looked at. I was so grateful! It was a beautiful site with grass, trees, right on the river, bathrooms, sinks, showers, etc. We played volleyball, had s'mores, stayed up late hanging out with friends, the kids swam in the river, the Ward provided breakfast, and then the Primary had an Easter Egg hunt.
Last night, Errolyn and I went to the Conference broadcast and they really emphasized service and helping out the refugees and those in our community. The talks were wonderful and I enjoyed cuddling with Errolyn since it was FREEZING in the chapel. :)
I only have a few minutes left to write so... we went to Universal Studios and Disney World for Spring Break and it was awesome! Harry Potter World was absolutely amazing! And Emma loved meeting Anna, Elsa, and dancing with Belle. Our condo we found on VRBO was super nice and cheap. We also went to Utah for Christmas and had a wonderful time with family, sledding, and with the kids seeing real snow. We also went on a month long road trip last Summer, with Mike joining us for the last two weeks. My favorites were: Mount Rushmore, Garden of the Gods, Carlsbad Caverns, Yellowstone, Brian Head... but there were many cool places in between.
I do have to share one experience from Martin's Cove. The kids and I were going on a 3 mile or so handcart trek. Logan jumped on something and scraped his chest really badly so he had to ride in the handcart with Allie, then Emma said she was freezing and we realized she had a high fever, so she had to ride in the handcart. I had to tell the kids we weren't trying to re-enact the actual Pioneer trek and to stop getting sick, ha. Poor Cameron was doing the bulk of the pushing. Anyway, I was talking to Cameron about how many of the men died on the pioneer treks because of how far they had to go, the freezing weather, and the lack of food. He turned to me and said he would be fine; if he could hike Big Bend, then he could do a pioneer trek and be fine. I told him it was harder than he thought and he said he wouldn't die but would have been fine. I thought for a minute and turned to him and said, "No, you would have died. Because I know your heart, and if Emma or Allie were starving for food, you would have given them yours. And if they were freezing, you would have given them your shelter. And you would have died... for them." He thought about it for a minute, and a little teary eyed said, "You're right. I would have died." I love my son... he's such a caring person.
What else... Mike is Bishop now and that has been such a blessing for our family with the spiritual growth that comes from that. The kids are all doing well in their sports and music. Errolyn made the top all-region orchestra. Allie is talking and walking now... she's so sweet all of the time and rarely cries. There's been so much since I wrote last... but I need to rush off to our Stake's Musical Easter Fireside where Cameron and I are playing a cello and violin duet. Tata!
I planned our Ward Camp-out this last weekend and it was awesome! It was really difficult finding a camp-site for a ward this large! I spent hours calling campgrounds for prices and driving around to different sites. I finally found one, but the Bishop (Mike) didn't like it. Then I found another two which fell through. I started driving up and down the river asking campsites for discounts. Finally, I prayed (again) but this time said that I had done everything I could do and now needed to turn it over to him completely or we would have to cancel the camp-out. There was one more place I drove to that was expensive and completely booked up when I called the manager. But, he called me back and said that one of his camp sites that had washed away in the flood 2 years previously could be cleaned up in time for us to use it. And, he gave us a flat rate that was way cheaper than every other camp site I had looked at. I was so grateful! It was a beautiful site with grass, trees, right on the river, bathrooms, sinks, showers, etc. We played volleyball, had s'mores, stayed up late hanging out with friends, the kids swam in the river, the Ward provided breakfast, and then the Primary had an Easter Egg hunt.
Last night, Errolyn and I went to the Conference broadcast and they really emphasized service and helping out the refugees and those in our community. The talks were wonderful and I enjoyed cuddling with Errolyn since it was FREEZING in the chapel. :)
I only have a few minutes left to write so... we went to Universal Studios and Disney World for Spring Break and it was awesome! Harry Potter World was absolutely amazing! And Emma loved meeting Anna, Elsa, and dancing with Belle. Our condo we found on VRBO was super nice and cheap. We also went to Utah for Christmas and had a wonderful time with family, sledding, and with the kids seeing real snow. We also went on a month long road trip last Summer, with Mike joining us for the last two weeks. My favorites were: Mount Rushmore, Garden of the Gods, Carlsbad Caverns, Yellowstone, Brian Head... but there were many cool places in between.
I do have to share one experience from Martin's Cove. The kids and I were going on a 3 mile or so handcart trek. Logan jumped on something and scraped his chest really badly so he had to ride in the handcart with Allie, then Emma said she was freezing and we realized she had a high fever, so she had to ride in the handcart. I had to tell the kids we weren't trying to re-enact the actual Pioneer trek and to stop getting sick, ha. Poor Cameron was doing the bulk of the pushing. Anyway, I was talking to Cameron about how many of the men died on the pioneer treks because of how far they had to go, the freezing weather, and the lack of food. He turned to me and said he would be fine; if he could hike Big Bend, then he could do a pioneer trek and be fine. I told him it was harder than he thought and he said he wouldn't die but would have been fine. I thought for a minute and turned to him and said, "No, you would have died. Because I know your heart, and if Emma or Allie were starving for food, you would have given them yours. And if they were freezing, you would have given them your shelter. And you would have died... for them." He thought about it for a minute, and a little teary eyed said, "You're right. I would have died." I love my son... he's such a caring person.
What else... Mike is Bishop now and that has been such a blessing for our family with the spiritual growth that comes from that. The kids are all doing well in their sports and music. Errolyn made the top all-region orchestra. Allie is talking and walking now... she's so sweet all of the time and rarely cries. There's been so much since I wrote last... but I need to rush off to our Stake's Musical Easter Fireside where Cameron and I are playing a cello and violin duet. Tata!
Sunday, June 21, 2015
Summer has been good but busy. The kids just had their last swim meet before the championships. Emma did so good this season! At the first meet, she could only swim half the length without stopping and then she used the lane lines for help. At the 2nd meet she swam the length by herself but it took her 4 minutes. At the 3rd meet she did it in 2 1/2 minutes. And then at this last meet she swam it in 1 1/2 minutes and swam backstroke in 1 1/2 minutes. She's becoming a good little swimmer. Cameron wasn't excited to do swim team this year, but we bribed him with paying for his drivers ed. He's competing against all of the year round swimmers, at this age, but he still did well and it was good exercise for him. Errolyn and Logan both did well too, coming in at the top of their races most of the time.
Allie is crawling and still a super happy baby. The only sad part for me is, she is starting to self wean... and I am sad. I love nursing my babies! There is such a special bond while nursing that I can't even describe, but it makes me feel so emotionally connected to my babies. Since this is my last baby, I've been extra sad that we are almost done nursing because I feel like I'm losing my baby and I will miss that special bonding time that we have together. I know our family is complete, but one of my favorite parts of being a Mom is having a smiling, happy little baby. I love just cuddling and playing with them. I will miss having this phase of my life!
We are excited for our vacation this summer! We're going to Carlsbad, White Sands, Pikes Peak, Mount Rushmore, Martin's Cove, Yellowstone, 3 family reunions, and Cameron & Errolyn will go to their BYU sports camps. I'm excited to see my family! :) My friend Selena will stay in our house while we're gone since we'll be doing vacationing at the same time and she was planning on visiting here.
For Cameron's 15th birthday, my friend Maryann and I threw a joint surprise party for Cameron and her son, Ben. I made a truth or dare game which was a lot of fun (the truths were "Would You Rather" questions and the dares were more like minute-to-win-it challenges, so nothing bad). The boys were completely surprised, a lot of friends came, and it was fun! The most fun part was probably the tornado warning that came through during the party. Maryann made a duct tape pinata for the boys and right as Cameron hit the pinata a transformer blew, the electricity went out, the girls screamed, and everyone ran inside. So, they played Mafia in the dark until the lights came back on.
Cameron and Errolyn made business cards and they've been getting a lot of jobs. Errolyn has been babysitting for a ton of people and Cameron is teaching piano lessons. They're both enjoying their new found sources of income. Cameron plans on getting a job at Sea World next summer when he's 16 and because they work well with vacation schedules and they pay well.
During the summer, well always, our motto is "Work hard, play hard." So, the kids do swim team, their chores, their music practice, scripture study, reading, and a few other things in the morning and early afternoon, and then they can play with friends the rest of the day or go somewhere fun, One of those "other things" is what I call "life lessons." I teach them a new skill each week. Some skills are for everyone, but some are for just some of the kids (tying shoes, braiding hair, indexing, cooking, ironing, sewing, etc.). I taught Cameron and Errolyn indexing this week (transcribing birth certificates, military records, death certificates, etc. for family history purposes) and they've been really enjoying it. When they're bored or it's super hot, now they like to index.
Logan went to Cub Scout camp this last week (he was upset he didn't learn indexing while he was gone, but he's a little young for it). He had fun doing archery, bb guns, swimming, crafts, and other classes. Emma is our little artist. She has been drawing horses and cats and other things that look way better than what I could do.
I've been busy planning the Messiah. I've been called, for 1 year, to produce the Messiah (I will still conduct too). But, I have some really, really good assistants and filled some new callings so the work load has been much more reasonable this time around.
I ordered Father's Day presents for our dads several weeks ago and then promptly forgot about Father's Day. We got to church today and the Bishopric wished all of the fathers a Happy Father's Day... oops! We normally do breakfast in bed for Mike, but we all forgot, even him. So, we made him a special lunch. But, Errolyn had the idea to make a fake lunch first. We made him eggs, tomatoes, and chocolate milk since he doesn't like those foods. The kids brought up the lunch, handmade card, and sang to him. We could tell he was in shock about the lunch, but he figured out it was a joke. Then we presented him with his real lunch.
We've been working on getting along better in our family and I showed the kids this talk about anger by Lynn G. Robbine in 1998: https://youtu.be/fGzDSurv1Zk. It explains in a clear and concise way that getting angry is a choice. We plan on watching it once month for a while and trying to drive home the concept. Also, every dinner meal, we all share 2 things we are grateful for that day and one way we've been a peacemaker that day. We've been doing the grateful thing for a while, but the peacemaker thing is a new addition. Even though it's a small thing, it's fun that the kids are now looking for a way to be a peacemaker throughout the day so they have something to share at dinnertime.
Life is good! I love my family! :)
Allie is crawling and still a super happy baby. The only sad part for me is, she is starting to self wean... and I am sad. I love nursing my babies! There is such a special bond while nursing that I can't even describe, but it makes me feel so emotionally connected to my babies. Since this is my last baby, I've been extra sad that we are almost done nursing because I feel like I'm losing my baby and I will miss that special bonding time that we have together. I know our family is complete, but one of my favorite parts of being a Mom is having a smiling, happy little baby. I love just cuddling and playing with them. I will miss having this phase of my life!
We are excited for our vacation this summer! We're going to Carlsbad, White Sands, Pikes Peak, Mount Rushmore, Martin's Cove, Yellowstone, 3 family reunions, and Cameron & Errolyn will go to their BYU sports camps. I'm excited to see my family! :) My friend Selena will stay in our house while we're gone since we'll be doing vacationing at the same time and she was planning on visiting here.
For Cameron's 15th birthday, my friend Maryann and I threw a joint surprise party for Cameron and her son, Ben. I made a truth or dare game which was a lot of fun (the truths were "Would You Rather" questions and the dares were more like minute-to-win-it challenges, so nothing bad). The boys were completely surprised, a lot of friends came, and it was fun! The most fun part was probably the tornado warning that came through during the party. Maryann made a duct tape pinata for the boys and right as Cameron hit the pinata a transformer blew, the electricity went out, the girls screamed, and everyone ran inside. So, they played Mafia in the dark until the lights came back on.
Cameron and Errolyn made business cards and they've been getting a lot of jobs. Errolyn has been babysitting for a ton of people and Cameron is teaching piano lessons. They're both enjoying their new found sources of income. Cameron plans on getting a job at Sea World next summer when he's 16 and because they work well with vacation schedules and they pay well.
During the summer, well always, our motto is "Work hard, play hard." So, the kids do swim team, their chores, their music practice, scripture study, reading, and a few other things in the morning and early afternoon, and then they can play with friends the rest of the day or go somewhere fun, One of those "other things" is what I call "life lessons." I teach them a new skill each week. Some skills are for everyone, but some are for just some of the kids (tying shoes, braiding hair, indexing, cooking, ironing, sewing, etc.). I taught Cameron and Errolyn indexing this week (transcribing birth certificates, military records, death certificates, etc. for family history purposes) and they've been really enjoying it. When they're bored or it's super hot, now they like to index.
Logan went to Cub Scout camp this last week (he was upset he didn't learn indexing while he was gone, but he's a little young for it). He had fun doing archery, bb guns, swimming, crafts, and other classes. Emma is our little artist. She has been drawing horses and cats and other things that look way better than what I could do.
I've been busy planning the Messiah. I've been called, for 1 year, to produce the Messiah (I will still conduct too). But, I have some really, really good assistants and filled some new callings so the work load has been much more reasonable this time around.
I ordered Father's Day presents for our dads several weeks ago and then promptly forgot about Father's Day. We got to church today and the Bishopric wished all of the fathers a Happy Father's Day... oops! We normally do breakfast in bed for Mike, but we all forgot, even him. So, we made him a special lunch. But, Errolyn had the idea to make a fake lunch first. We made him eggs, tomatoes, and chocolate milk since he doesn't like those foods. The kids brought up the lunch, handmade card, and sang to him. We could tell he was in shock about the lunch, but he figured out it was a joke. Then we presented him with his real lunch.
We've been working on getting along better in our family and I showed the kids this talk about anger by Lynn G. Robbine in 1998: https://youtu.be/fGzDSurv1Zk. It explains in a clear and concise way that getting angry is a choice. We plan on watching it once month for a while and trying to drive home the concept. Also, every dinner meal, we all share 2 things we are grateful for that day and one way we've been a peacemaker that day. We've been doing the grateful thing for a while, but the peacemaker thing is a new addition. Even though it's a small thing, it's fun that the kids are now looking for a way to be a peacemaker throughout the day so they have something to share at dinnertime.
Life is good! I love my family! :)
Sunday, March 29, 2015
What a great evening of music! We had a Stake Easter Musical Fireside and each Ward contributed one or two pieces, all of the Primary children sang a piece, and then all of the choirs sang a joint piece together. Some of the music was so, so good! There had to have been at least 100 Primary kids singing He Sent His Son and it was fabulous and the Spirit was so strong. I conducted the last piece, Did You See Him in the Garden. All of the Ward Choirs practiced on their own and we had never rehearsed all together... but it turned out great and was so powerful and the Spirit was so strong! There were so many other great musical numbers and choir numbers! Afterwards, we had a dessert potluck and there was a ton of good desserts. Cameron played in a cello duet for prelude and did a great job, Logan and Emma got to sing in the Primary number, Cameron and Errolyn sang in the combined choir piece, I conducted and ran the evening, and Mike ran the sound. And Allie was just happy to be there. ;)
There have been a few hiccups with the land we're buying. We feel that everything will work out in the end, but buying the land will be one of those leap of faith decisions. I'll write more at the end of this process. We took the kids to hike the land on Saturday and they loved exploring and hiking around. I'm getting excited to own it soon!
Poor Emma is allergic to Oak pollen. Her eyes have been hugely swollen and she's been congested. The Zyrtec helps great, but if we give it to her even a little late, her eyes get so bad. Errolyn was excited that they got Sweepstakes at UIL. Cameron's orchestra also made Sweepstakes. Logan is doing well in chess and has his first tournament in a couple of weeks. Emma started soccer for the first time and is so excited. Logan will be doing baseball this season, and Errolyn volleyball as usual, and Cameron's doing well in tennis at school. We've been slowly but surely getting the house organized. It always goes into disarray when I'm pregnant and then slowly gets back to where it should be after I have the baby. The kids have been super great at yard work and inside cleaning and I'm glad I have a hardworking family!
Life is good!
There have been a few hiccups with the land we're buying. We feel that everything will work out in the end, but buying the land will be one of those leap of faith decisions. I'll write more at the end of this process. We took the kids to hike the land on Saturday and they loved exploring and hiking around. I'm getting excited to own it soon!
Poor Emma is allergic to Oak pollen. Her eyes have been hugely swollen and she's been congested. The Zyrtec helps great, but if we give it to her even a little late, her eyes get so bad. Errolyn was excited that they got Sweepstakes at UIL. Cameron's orchestra also made Sweepstakes. Logan is doing well in chess and has his first tournament in a couple of weeks. Emma started soccer for the first time and is so excited. Logan will be doing baseball this season, and Errolyn volleyball as usual, and Cameron's doing well in tennis at school. We've been slowly but surely getting the house organized. It always goes into disarray when I'm pregnant and then slowly gets back to where it should be after I have the baby. The kids have been super great at yard work and inside cleaning and I'm glad I have a hardworking family!
Life is good!
Tuesday, March 24, 2015
Woohoo!! They accepted our offer! 3.5 acres! w00t! We were super worried because another offer came in. So, we switched our offer to be all cash, instead of a loan (although we're still trying to rush through a loan so we don't have to use all of our cash), and a 30 day closing period. They were "enticed" by the cash offer and took our deal. And for those new to the conversation, we aren't building on the land until it's paid off... so it will be many years. But, we will hike and play on the land in the meantime. w00t!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)