Two Terrific Days

The past two days have been so good and productive. Yesterday I got up and got dressed to work out but noticed my kitchen and decided that needed to be top of the list. After Sunday dinner, my kitchen usually needs a little extra attention so I got busy getting that done. I was trying to be extra efficient and multitask while I was doing it. I was able to do some laundry, bake bread and get my kitchen all sparkly, including sweeping and mopping by about 10:30. Not too bad for one morning! I also got the bassinet cleaned up and ready for a friend to borrow who is due tomorrow. I printed out 2 different FHE lessons about prophets and conference. The afternoon came with lots of 'here and there', but was home in time to fix dinner, make cupcakes and still have FHE in a timely manner. Glade got home right as we were starting. After FHE, we packed up the bassinet and cupcakes and took them over to the Sherwoods. We stayed just a little while and let the kids eat cupcakes with their kids then came home and got everyone to bed! I was asleep before 9:30 and that was Dreamy (pun intended).

Today went just as well. I did actually work out though. Sort of, I guess. I did a cardio dance DVD while the kids were in the tub. At least it was something. After showering and getting the kids ready, we headed out to get all the supplies for our 72 hour emergency kits. We, Glade's whole family, redo them every April. I get to be the coordinator and buy all the stuff. I like doing stuff like that. So Bo, Katy and I headed to Walmart, Sam's Club and Costco to gather all the needed supplies. I got to explain to each cashier what I was doing because each one made some comment on the amount of items I was buying, ie: 6 boxes of fruit rollups. The kids held up great, we had a quick lunch and got home just in time for naps. Today is our first day of combined scouts, so I'm anxious to see how that goes. Then tonight is the Biggest Loser and I can't wait to see who they have brought back.

It's amazing how just a little insight and some gratitude can change your experiences.

Happy Birthday to Joe

Because our great friend and sorta brother Joe was born 30 some odd years ago last week, we got to go enjoy a terrific meal at Fuddruckers last night. Glade's family all met together after the YW broadcast and had dinner in honor of Joe's birthday. I love Fuddruckers! I used to go because of the chili cheese fries. They aren't so great anymore. Last night I even switched to sweet potato fries and decided to try the chili on them. Not so good. Too sweet. The rest of the meal was great though and as always, love to hang with the family. After dinner, John and Sherry, with their kids, and Glade and I went to Neilson's for dessert. We don't get to see them nearly enough so it was great to be able to sit and talk with them. She just found out she is having baby number 4 so that is very exciting. We stayed out way too late again and so today I'm still trying to catch up from the long weekend.

Church was good. Testimony meeting is, and always has been, my favorite meeting. Even when it's 5 yr old after 5 yr old. To go along with my "the Lord know us" theme, He again reminded me through the voice of others that it's all good. I got to help with the 4 yr olds today and that's always an adventure! After church, Chelsey, Whitley and I all watched the YW Broadcast from yesterday. It was nice and hopefully my girls gleaned a little something. Did anyone else cry? It think I dripped tears through the whole video presentation. When it was over we all had a little nap before our Home Teacher showed up. We love Bro. Stolworthy. He brought some little helps for conference next week. Once he left it was time to get ready for Sunday dinner. I was having a serious chocolate attack (maybe a little PMS) but still had no chocolate. While making the potatoes for dinner, I noticed the big bucket of chocolate chip cookie dough in the back. YES! That, Julia, is why I keep it around! I'm not at all worried about eating it before dinner and ruining my appetite. As Jerry will tell you, -there's always another one coming around in a few hours! Bon Appetit.

More weekend

This morning came very early! My children did not stay up till 1 am so they were up bright and early. We got up and got around. The boys had a merit badge clinic at 9 so I needed to get them to the church. Whitley had play practice at 10 so she and I ran a little errand then I dropped her off. I had made an appt to get my nails done at 10:45 so I headed that direction. While getting my pedicure, she scrubbed off part of my skin on my toe. It was starting to really hurt so I flinched and she just kept going. It wasn't long, a few seconds, when she realized what she had done. Ouch!! Anyway, it's always great to have fresh nails. Glade had taken Nick with him to work on a fence for his Mom and Dad.

I got home and asked the boys how the clinic had gone. Rhett, in typical fashion, threw a fit once he got there, cried and when he got home, threw away the packet he was supposed to have filled out while he was there to earn the badge. I seriously do not know who this kid is!! I flipped out on him. Seriously, three hours spent there and you have nothing to show for it? I told him he would have to repeat the entire thing again now. Such a waste. He went and fished his packet out of the garbage. He had it almost all filled out but because he didn't want to go in the first place he wouldn't do anymore and threw it away. I told him he wasn't doing another thing the rest of the day till the packet was filled out and how much easier it would have been to fill it out while he was there and they were basically doing it for him! He sat down, filled it out and was happy as a clam. GRRRRR! That boy.

After my chicken and broccoli lunch, I really wanted one Dove chocolate. Nope, kids ate them all. I say kids meaning Bo and Katy. I had some mini bars stashed in a drawer so I went to get one. Gone! What?? I also notice that the three packs of gum I confiscated from Nick were gone AND the keys to the money box I keep locked up with all the kids money in it. I have known the keys were missing for about a week now, but kept hoping they would turn up. Now that everything else is missing from that drawer, I wonder. I haven't completely interrogated everyone yet, but I think I have decided.....I'm getting a safe! I also think that the children should pull their money to pay for it. I should be able to feel safe in my own home. Glade asked "you're going to put candy in it?" YES!! And everything else I'm tired of replacing because I live with thieves. Very frustrating. I'm just amazed at the continued behavior and the blatant and easy lying that goes on in lieu of it. I did NOT raise my kids this way.

Tonight we are going out to dinner for Joe's birthday. We have to go late because of theYW General broadcast. Chelsey had to work all day so we decided to DVR it and the three of us watch it together tomorrow. Gotta love technology!!

Crazy Date Night

Yesterday I drug myself to the gym and rode 7 miles on the bike then went 3 miles on the treadmill. It was fun to push a little. It also helped to get me out of my funky mood. I ate a healthy lunch, had a small nap and then I started getting ready. I decided to listen to a Conference address while doing my hair. I randomly chose one and what do you know - the topic was exactly what I had been cranky about. I love when I'm so vividly reminded of the Lord's awareness of each one of us. What a blessing.

We were invited to go with a group of people out to the dessert for a Mexican BBQ. I don't love the dessert and I had been so grouchy all week, I honestly wasn't super excited to go. It didn't help that I had offered to take dinner to a friend, who just had a baby, at 5 pm and they were leaving at 4:30. I really just wanted to meet up with them later, but they insisted we all go together at 4:30. I was able to take dinner early and get there in time to leave with them. I was in a better mood by now due to the previous paragraph. We all piled into 4 four wheel drive trucks. Once we turned off the main road, we headed down a trail made for quads. It was SO bumpy and rough. Big stretches of deep sand. I felt bad for the guy's truck that we were in, totally scratched it up. We didn't reach the destination till almost 8 pm. Hence the reason we couldn't just meet up with them later! Did I mention, the dessert, lots of bumps, long time - no bathrooms! A few girls took a potty break along the trail, but I made it all the way to the site. The site was up on top of a hill over looking Fountain Hills. It was really pretty, but I'm not sure it was worth the effort it took to get up there. The host couple had prepared a wonderful Mexican fiesta. Home made salsa, beans, guacamole and very tasty fajita meat that they grilled over coals once we got there. Very tasty!! We started a fire, ate and just hung out the rest of the night. I'm glad I went. It's just like so many other things, once you just get yourself there, you are happy you did. We didn't head back out till after 10 which didn't put us home till after 1 am. Glade got carsick on the way out. He rode in the back of the truck for several miles. He was freezing. I slept the rest of the way home. A very fun adventure, but next time I might suggest my backyard!! Thanks to everyone who put so much effort into the evening. As I have said so many times, we are blessed with great friends.

Multiplicity

Yesterday I could have totally used that "power". The day was perfect. My visiting teachers came, we stayed home all day and I got a ton of laundry done. Then the afternoon hit. I had to pick up the kids at 3, bring them home to change and head right back out to take Stephen to his baseball game and Rhett and Brooklyn to a big orchestra concert they were having that night. They had to be across town by 4:45 for early rehearsal. I took Dalin with me so I could buy him some new shoes. I noticed yesterday that the entire end of his shoe was missing. He never really mentioned it. He did say that the good thing was that it was really easy to get the sand out. Goofball. After dropping off orchestra kids, I was heading to the store for shoes when Chelsey called "come get me". I was not even close to her school and she was done and hour early due to the wind. So much for getting new shoes. Right before I was getting ready to make the turn to her school, she called and said she had a ride home. Whew! Back to shoe shopping. Dalin is great, he has no real preference and pretty much would wear anything. We got some shoes and headed to Stephen's ball game.

The wind was insane. Every time Dalin would stand up from his chair, it would blow over. The game lasted forever, almost 2 hours. Normally I wouldn't mind, but I was supposed to be somewhere at 7 and the game didn't get over till 6:40. It was also frustrating because our school is a "no cut" school, which I love, but that also means there are 23 boys on the baseball team and the coaches feel no need to play them all. Because Stephen is a 7th grader, he gets very minimal playing time. I asked him on the way home if that was hard and he started crying. I felt bad, I'm exactly the same way. I told him to just stick it out and that would be him out there next year.

I got home at 6:55, threw on a skirt, ran a brush through my hair, spit out some very unclear instructions and headed out for our Stake Enrichment night. Having great friends, I was able to still have a good seat which they saved for me. It was an enlightening and inspiring night. After, I thought maybe I would still make it to Bunko, which I was missing, but decided I should just go home. Glade and Mom went to the kids concert so that base was covered. After some chit chat with the girls, I made it home by 9:30.

This last week has been as busy as it gets, I haven't been home even one night. Not true, Monday I was. Anyway, some other things have made me really grouchy and part of me wants to rant and unload about that, but I would probably offend everyone I know. I will just settle with "this too shall pass" and keep my mouth shut. I will contend that this week has been one of reflection, frustration and realization. How's that for vague?

Costco vs. Sam's Club

Recently we got a membership to Sam's Club. We already have Costco, but Glade needed some stuff at the other for work. I have been twice and I can't exactly decide what I think. Here is the best I can come up with:

-Some things are more at once place than the other and vice versa - no real help there
-Costco gives 2% cash back
-Costco's gas was cheaper
-Sam's Club is much like Walmart (duh) but what I mean by that is that the help is the same caliber, sorry if that is snobby.
-Sam's Club membership is cheaper
-I THINK I would save money in the end if I shopped at Sam's Club, but not positive. If I did, it would be minimal.
-Lastly, Costco's pizza is much better.

Was that helpful? I didn't think so. I prefer Costco, but it might be slightly more expensive. The thing I noticed is that Costco was cheaper than Sam's in a lot of areas, but when they weren't, it seemed like they were way more expensive. For example: Kellogg's fruit snacks were $4 more at Costco and Huggies were $6 more. That's a big difference. So I guess if I were diligent and paid attention and took the time, I would just shop both. I don't know, that sounds like a pain. I'm still comparing, I'll let you know if I come up with anything conclusive. Anyone have any opinions on the matter?

Pinewood Derby

Last night was our annual Pinewood Derby and my first as CubMaster. I was a little anxious about it just because I didn't really know what my role would be and what all the little things were that I was counted on for. Basically I was flying by the seat of my pants. Whatever that means. This was also Dalin's first race. The track guy showed up an hour late to set up the track so that was a little stressful. We also found out slightly last minute that the computer program used last year was not his, but the previous Cub Master. Glade was at home finishing up Dalin's car while I was at the church getting things done there. He was REALLY late because he had to figure out what kind of scoring system we were going to use and make a bracket. I was so grateful he took that all upon himself. I would have been so lost. The boys behaved beautifully so it made for a very enjoyable night with very little chaos. Everyone brought treats to share so that made it easy as well. Dalin's car did pretty well. He got 8th out of 18. The top three winners all received corresponding ribbons and a $5 gift card to Cold Stone Creamery. We also handed out two "good sport" awards attached to candy and all other boys received a ribbon that said "wow" on it. They were all very good sports and we were so impressed at how they handled their losses, especially little Zack Colby who's car rarely even made it to the finish line. He went home with the traditional Turtle Cake. All in all a successful night!

Dalin's police car and ribbon

Dalin was so patient and not all over the place like he can sometimes be

Dalin waiting for his turn to race. I wish I had gotten a picture of his victory dance. Arms waving in the air, a little jig going on. He was cute.

Even though Rhett didn't get to race, his group came to watch and support the younger boys.



Look at them all sitting down where they are supposed to be!

Dalin and his "picture smile"

See my great leaders back there helping to keep things orderly? Woohooo for order!

See more great leaders watching over and protecting the cars? Thanks everyone!

Going, Going and still Going

So it's been a busy few days. Sunday was mostly uneventful, still trying to get unpacked and laundry caught up from our trip. We didn't have Sunday dinner since most people were unavailable. Instead, I signed up to feed the missionaries. We also invited a family in our ward that we didn't know as well as we would have liked to. It was a nice night and I'm glad to know the Hamblins a little better. It will be fun to serve with her in scouts.

Monday was spent out running errands. I went running after the kids got home from school with dinner and FHE after that. I actually planned a real Home Evening! That hasn't happened in a while due to the many extra activities we have had going on. I dressed up like a nurse and briefly examined them all and concluded they were all suffering from the same epidemic - Spring Fever. We then looked up some scriptures on endurance and talked about how important it was to keep going and not get distracted with only a few weeks left of school. We had angel food cake with strawberries for dessert then they headed to bed. I headed for my DVD player. We bought Twilight yesterday. I saw it once in the theater and didn't love it as much as I wanted to. Everyone said they liked it better the second time. I would have to agree. I wasn't distracted by all the things that were different than I had expected. I still don't like Bella, nothing changed there.

Today, I had a doctor's appt first thing this morning for a cortisone injection and Katy got an immunization as well. She was not so happy about that. My elbow is still killing me. It aches really deep in there. I'm hoping it will feel better soon and that the cortisone will work. After, Katy and I headed to Sam's Club, then Michael's, then Target, then Cold Stone. Tonight is our pinewood derby and I still had a few things to take care of. She held up pretty good, but was really done and fell asleep as soon as I buckled her in. This afternoon I ran a few more errands since Glade was working at home, I could let the kids sleep and go get some stuff done. Now I'm headed off to set up for the derby. Pictures on that one tomorrow! There Dacia, that is why my poor computer has been lonely without me!!

update on the triathlon

We just found out that Glade placed 5th in his division. Not too shabby! He was really hoping to at least medal, but I think it's great for a first timer. Love you Babe!!

Lake Havasu

Day 1

We headed to Lake Havasu late Thursday afternoon with Jake and Jenny. It took a little longer than we had thought, but it wasn't too bad. We stopped for dinner once we got there then tried to do a little sight seeing. Not much to see at night. We drove over the London Bridge, but that wasn't too exciting. I guess all the good stuff is under the bridge in the day. We decided to turn in and head to our hotel. We stayed at a different place than they did because I procrastinated and didn't get it done in time. We walked into our room and knew we couldn't stay there. The walls were booming due to the music up stairs. We were able to get a different room that was much better. We didn't realize Lake Havasu was a hot spot for Spring Breakers. Craziness. We were able to sleep pretty well other than the 3 am disturbance of some drunks returning to their room.

Day 2

We slept in! Wow, it's been a long time. Glade and I went to Denny's to eat breakfast and wait for Jake and Jenny. We all headed to the bridge to see what there was to see. Not a whole lot, some little shops and a boat ride. We did learn the history of the bridge and that was interesting I guess. As we were on our boat ride, we noticed that we were the only ones who were under the age of 65. The only other groups of people that were there were the college students. We chose the old folks. The boat ride was nice, except for the group of students out on a boat who encouraged one of their own to flash us. We made sure not to look, but the old people sure got a kick out of it! After lunch we went to have a little down time, then to the packet pick up for the triathlon. The boys got everything they needed, then we went to drive the bike course. HOLY CRAP! The hills were big! And lots of them. I think Glade and Jake both hit 43 mph on their bikes coming down the hill during the race. Too scary for me!

We went to see a movie when it got too dark to do much else. We saw Knowing. It was NOT what I had expected. It was creepy in a not threatening way. I don't see scary movies so I was a little rattled that this turned out to be one. But not really, it's hard to describe. I would have to agree with Heather that I didn't love it, but I didn't not like it either. It had a very interesting take on life and is just not at all how they advertise it. I'm glad I didn't just take my kids. We thought it was going to be a little more National Treasure-ish....not. I certainly wouldn't discourage anyone from seeing it, just know it's a little creepy. After the movie we met up with Jake's brother and his friend and their wives for dinner. We turned in early again to get rested for the big day!

Day 3 - the Race

The boys were up and gone by 6:30. Jenny and I slept in till more like 8:30, met for breakfast then headed for the race. We got there just in time to see Jake and Glade come in from the bike and head off on the run, which was the last leg. While we were waiting, Jenny pointed out a girl with a biggest loser shirt on. I recognized her as Blaine's wife. I followed her and noticed Blaine was making the transition from bike to run as well. I took pictures over her shoulder, is that stalking? After he was off, I introduced myself to her and told her where we had met Blaine. She remembered and then said that she knew me from somewhere. I was thinking to myself "maybe because I posted my picture with your husband on the Internet?" She was certain she knew me so we started with the where do you live stuff. It turns out they were in my last ward with us!! She even knew where I lived in that ward because she had dropped stuff off for me. Weird! The more I talked to her, the more familiar she seemed. I can't recall Blaine at all though. Such a small world. We stood and talked with her and Blaine's mom for a little while. Not much later and Dane came along. I took a few of him as well. In my own defense, I confessed later to Jenni (Blaine's wife) that I had taken them. She said it was OK.

It was a neat surprise to see Glade's parents and sister show up for the race. They were headed to Utah and stopped by on their way. How fun for Glade to have his family there to cheer him on. Neither Glade nor Jake finished as fast as they had wanted, but they hadn't planned on the tough ride or the sandy run. It's possible that Glade may have placed in his division, but they haven't posted the results yet. This was the first Olympic size race either had ever done. Nice!! After the race, we went to lunch and headed home. It was a nice ride and we arrived home about 7:30. The kids were all very happy to see us and all talked at the same time for a very long time. I tried to catch it all, but honestly, I just wanted to go to bed! In the short time we were at the race, I got totally sunburned. It looks really goofy. We had a great time and would probably do it again.

Glade and me by the bridge - actually we were by the fountain that leads to the bridge

Jake, Jenny and Glade under the bridge

Glade and me on the pontoon boat ride



Glade finishing the ride

Jake was right behind Glade in the ride, but Glade has a 5 minute head start. They had almost the same exact times for the swim and the ride. Jake smoked him on the run.

This is Blaine getting ready to run

Dane heading out to run

Jenny giving Jake a little love right after he finished

Jake finishing right at 3 hours I think, not sure of the exact times, sorry

Glade coming down the homestretch. He finished in 3 hours 11 minutes.

Glade's mom and sister welcoming him in

Race Buddies

Laurie, Glade, Jake and Jenny - Lake Havasu 2009

I'm Leeeeaaaaaving!

I have spent the entire morning doing laundry. Blech!! But now it's done and put away and I can finally head out. Actually we aren't leaving for a few hours, but I can see the light! It really has been a good spring break and the kids have been really good, but I always enjoy some adult time away. Whitley left early this morning for the Fourth Year High Adventure part of girls camp. She will be gone the same time as we will be. Stephen leaves tomorrow for a scout campout and Chelsey works Friday and Saturday. I guess that makes it a little easier for my mom who is staying with the kids. Maybe not though, those are all her big kids! Good Luck mom. Jenny is picking me up soon and we are heading to the mall to get a pair of flip flops I found last week. I chose not to buy them, but then I got a 30% off coupon in my email so now I am! After that, we will go pick up the boys and head to Lake Havasu. We have no idea what is there to do, but we figured even if we just hang out and do nothing, that will still be fun. It's all about the company! We love Jake and Jenny.

A little update on the work week for Nick. He doesn't mind the hard work, but yesterday they let him loose on his own and it kind of swallowed him up. He just couldn't keep up. I should have taken a picture of his clothes when he came home. His jeans looked like someone dipped HIM in the icing. He is definitely ready to be done, but we haven't done the money part yet so I'm still anxious for his reaction to that. Today is his last day since Glade and I are leaving. Lucky duck!!

I'm Ready for my Vacation

Once we finished cleaning, which really means after I redid many of the supposed chores, I gave them ice cream treats and gave them the rest of the day off. I went upstairs to try to fix our TV that hasn't worked for about 4 months. I called DishNetwork and explained that this has happened before and that they always tell me the things to do to get my signal back. She kept telling me that it wasn't them and to call my TV manufacturer. Hello? Are you kidding me?? Like I'm going to call Samsung. I kept explaining that I just needed the setup codes and all the right settings. I asked to talk to someone else and she just wouldn't give. Finally she says she will have someone call me back. NOT! Never heard from them. Luckily I'm a genius (NOT) and I figured it out myself. Trial and Error. I baked some bread so my little ones wouldn't be tortured by store bought any more. I tried to lay down for a nap but had too much on my mind. I needed to get a few things before we leave out of town tomorrow and go to the bank. I finally just got up and headed out to run my errands.

I got all my odds and ends and grabbed a Pepsi at the check out counter. I can't believe I pay $1.38 for one of those little bottles, but I do. I was driving home and untwisted the cap to hear that refreshing sound of fizz being released. Ahhhh, big gulp.....ewwwww......I grabbed a Pepsi vanilla. Man, that sucks. Once home, I found everyone ready in their suits. I really don't like going to the pool. Having two little ones just means me walking around with two kids hanging on me. This is a new pool close to us and was actually pretty fun. It is heated and the kid pool is separate so the little ones can just run around. We stayed for a couple of hours then headed home for dinner. Stephen grilled hamburgers for us. He did a pretty good job for a newbie. It was one of those great nights where everyone was too tired to argue are do stupid things to frustrate someone else so it was a quiet, peaceful night. I loved the no stress of homework, showers, bedtime, etc. We were all just chillin. Katy had too much of a day I guess cuz she just cried about everything. It was a great moment when she finally went to bed.

Tomorrow we are leaving for Lake Havasu. By we, I mean Glade and me and our friends, Jake and Jenny. The boys are running in a triathlon on Saturday. We decided to tag along for a little getaway. I'm very excited for a few days of vacation with my sweetheart. My pictures of swimming aren't so great. I was a little nervous about having my camera by the water. People kept splashing! I finally just locked it in a locker and decided not to worry about getting really cute shots today.

Progress?

Yesterday afternoon the gal I visit teach asked if I could watch her kids for a while so of course I said Yes. It went really well, the baby cried a lot, but eventually got comfortable. They ate dinner and Bo and her little boy had a grand time. The baby fell asleep just in time for me to watch the Biggest Loser. I have to say I'm just a little skeptical because of the last "race" drama. Did they all really finish?? Who knows. Anyway, poor blue team, just can't catch a break. I hope they put them on their own soon. The kids were picked up about 9:30. We had a nice little chat with them and she tried to explain why their house was so messy earlier. I told her I would love to help her out and she quickly said "you could watch my kids every Saturday." Oh no no no.....I'm not going there. I told her I couldn't commit to that, but would be happy to if I were home and available. She was really sweet and asked me if there was anything she could help me with. Hopefully a door was opened and a little bit of trust gained.

This morning Glade and I went for a run outside. It's just getting too hot. We went 3.5 miles and now I need to get my cleaning finished. I told the kids we could go to the pool if they worked hard this morning. I really don't like going to the pool, but oh well. One more day till Lake Havasu...Yippee!

So Far So Good

Yesterday went pretty smoothly doing absolutely nothing. Actually, I totally cleaned my room so I didn't do nothing, but that's what the kids did. We were invited to the Johnson's for dinner and FHE. It's always impressive when someone has the courage to feed and entertain my family! The kids had a great time and as always, the company was so enjoyable. We were home by 9:30 so the kids went straight to bed.

They were up bright and early ready to work this morning. The only hitch is that in the past, when I make big lists, I try to break them down into really small jobs. Not this time. They went at them thinking they could accomplish it in 10 minutes, then move on. Not this time. They did it with very little complaint or prodding. I gave them a half hour "recess", then it was back at it. I think the jobs done at the end weren't done quite as well. I may have to redo some of them. You wouldn't know we cleaned all morning by looking at my house though! While we cleaned, the little ones played so there are toys everywhere. But check out my ceiling fans and baseboards! We got the walls and doors, the laundry room, the cabinets and the stairs. It all looks great! Tomorrow we are just left to finish the baseboards, a few more wall areas and all the shutters. That's a big one. I told them we could go to the pool if they kept up the good work.

I also went Visiting Teaching today. I came home with a broken heart. One of the sisters I visit is kind of in a bad way. They are both unemployed and highly under-educated. There home is dirty and smelly and very unsanitary. All that is sad enough, but when we went in, we found her two little ones, a 3 yr old and a 7 month old, playing alone with the dogs and cats. There was a dried up puddle of pee that the baby was sitting next to. Neither had been fed yet and it was 10:45 am. The mom woke up and came out, they had had a rough night with little sleep. I begged her to let me take her kids for a while so she could get some rest, but she wouldn't let me. It was so hard to leave them there like that. How do you even begin to help someone like that? She must know how bad that is for her kids, don't you think? She said maybe she would bring them over later while they went and did something. So hard.

Lastly, Happy St. Patrick's Day!! What the heck are we celebrating? Yes, I have a green shirt on, but I have no idea why. Isn't this an Irish holiday? I don't think we celebrate every country's holidays, so why this one? What relevance is it to us? I think American's will just take any excuse to drink more beer. That's the world according to Laurie.

The Calm before the Storm

Spring Break has officially started for all my kids. I always wonder what we can do to make the time go by quickly and without contention. Glade and I are headed out of town at the end of the week, so it gives me a short week, but not for the kids. I was reading Standing for Something by Pres. Hinckley when it hit me what our activity for the week would be. SPRING CLEANING! He told the story of how spring cleaning got it's name. When he was a child, their heat for the winter came from a coal burning stove. By spring, the house had a coat of black soot everywhere. They cleaned walls, curtains, furniture, rugs, etc. He said it was hard work, and they didn't like the idea of it, but they all loved their fresh clean home when it was done. The point of this story was to teach the kids to work and to enjoy the fruits of their labors. Sometimes I feel guilty for taking their free time, so I am allotting 2 days to spring cleaning. Today is their free day. I'm not going to make them do anything but the basics, you know, put your own crap away sort of stuff. Then tomorrow.......the fun begins!

The Experiment

There will be one child not participating in our spring cleaning. He instead, will be flipping doughnuts for 8 hours a day for a wage of $8 an hour. At the end of the week, we will take his paycheck and help him divided out his money to cover the expenses he would have if he were supporting himself. This is all in hopes to stir something inside him to care about his school work and put forth a little effort. We are trying to show what life will be like if he doesn't get the education he needs. When asked if he had any questions about what we wanted to do, he just said that it didn't seem like what Glade and I do. We were a little confused and asked him to elaborate. He said he meant "like pay all those bills and stuff." HAHAHAHAHAHA! Yep, I laughed right out loud. So I explained that every time he turned on the TV it was because I paid a bill, or flushed a toilet, or rode in a car, or answered the phone or took out the garbage - all because I paid a bill! I'm anxious to talk to him in 5 days and see if anything has changed for him. Prayers for this one, please.

Great Sunday

Why was is so great? I don't know, just was. Twas a little stressful getting to church, but that is normal. We didn't have a single lost shoe so maybe that started it off great. Sacrament meeting was actually a little taxing as well. Bo and Katy both wanting on my lap the whole time and Rhett right next to me in one of his "I will irritate anyone within 50 feet of me" moods. I think I leaned over at one point and threatened to break his finger off. I loved Heather's talk and mostly the part about the "sock basket". We are never without one here and we even call it that. It's always great that other people are as normal as we are. We headed in to Sunday school, but it was too crowded so I convinced Glade to go home with me for a PB&J. While home and enjoying my homemade strawberry jam, I happened to drip it right down the front of my white skirt. That's what ya get I guess, for ditching on the Lord. I scrubbed it the best I could and went back to church.

After church Rhett and I headed to the Clayton's to see the Null's. Rhett and Calvin got along pretty well when they lived here and he was excited to see him at church. They were having a little lunch for them before they headed home. I never wanted to leave. The kids all played nice in the back yard, and the girls hung out under a tree chit chatting about whatever. The weather was beautiful. I seriously could have stayed all day! Thanks ladies for a very enjoyable afternoon. Unfortunately I knew what would be waiting for me at home so I needed to head out. My kids are always much wilder on Sunday. It takes some serious effort to keep things calm and peaceful.

After a short nap with Glade and Bo, we all worked together to get the house ready for Sunday dinner. It's always nice when the family comes over. We had a few cousins stay with us since there was no school the next day. Katy was a little whiny all evening and I realized as I was putting her to bed that she had a fever. I so do not want to start this again. We'll see how she does.

I took this cuz I thought it was cute that they were sleeping the same.

Day at the Zoo

Finally, a Saturday with NO committments....ahhhhhh! What do I do? Take my kids to the zoo. I so do not like the zoo, however, my membership expires this month. It's also the last day of 70 degree weather so I thought..what the heck! It was extra good because Glade was available to go with us as well. Unfortunately Chelsey had to work so she wasn't able to come. We started out nice and early, packed a lunch and headed out. The thing Bo most wanted to do was see the zebras. Other than the giraffes, that was the first thing we went to. He didn't get to enjoy them too much because he had to go to the bathroom and was way to wiggly to look. I think we hit every thing there and everyone held up really well. We didn't lose anyone and for the most part they all got along. We had lunch near the petting zoo, where it was also lunch time for the goats. They were mostly in a pen waiting for their lunch so it wasn't that fun. Here is picturemania from our day at the zoo.

This was right when we got there and about the only time they were in the wagon.

Dalin and Rhett with the giraffe

Whitely and Nick

Bo and Stephen

Bo with the zebras. What you don't see is him holding himself so he won't wet his pants!

My family!

Look at all the cute little monkeys! No, really, lots of monkeys behind them.

Dalin, Rhett and Brooklyn laughing at the monkey swinging from tree to tree.

Katy's monkey face

Bo making friends with the squirrel

Down on the farm

Mom and Dad on the tractor

Nick and Katy talking "turkey".

I guess Dad needed a lift.

Lunch Time!

The squirrel came right up to Nick, stole the whole cracker and zoomed into the trees.

Tawoo Wuv!

This is how Katy was most of the time in the petting zoo, on my leg!

Pretty princess

Nick and Whitley

Whitley and Brooklyn trying to convince Bo to kiss the goat.

Katy taking a turn pulling.

Bo stealing my diet Pepsi

Mermaid Whitley

Dalin the turtle

Brooklyn caught a big one!

Bo's a mermaid, and so cute!

The monkey brothers

Rhett calls himself the first "gangsta turtle".

Look! They're twins.

They had a thing that clocked your speed. They all tried it over and over. The dumb thing was that they had you running up hill. Nick clocked the fastest, shocking!

This is Bo running at an amazing 6 mph

Stephen, Glade and I all clocked at 10. Not showing the pictures of him and me!

This is how the day ended. Bo was asleep in no time

Katy didn't give in so easily, but she cried for awhile. We convinced her to stop crying "mommy" and to cry other things like: monkey, giraffe, elephant, bubbles, etc. Of course it wasn't long before she was laughing. And just moments after that, crashed. We took Glade to work and everyone enjoyed a doughnut. It was a really nice day!