I Guess I'm Lucky

In talking to a friend tonight, I realized... maybe I'm just lucky.  We were discussing life and kids and what not and the topic of "cruises" came up.  You know that's one of my very favorite things!  Anyway, she just got off one so we were talking about the things they did.  She was surprised to hear some of the things Glade and I did together.  She said "he'd do that with you?"  Then asked "so you guys like to hang out together?"  I found it odd that she thought we were odd for liking to play together.  I know everyone's relationships are made up of different things, ours is not perfect by any means, but I'm just glad we like each other.  I'm not at all worried about "empty nest" for us.  If we can survive parenting, we're home free!  Playing is what we do best together.  We certainly have our differences, but in the end.... he's the one I like to be with.

Just Life

It's weird that I feel like I have nothing to blog about and yet I'm so busy all the time.  I'm going to go with it's all pretty blah blah stuff not really worth mentioning.  So let me think....  in the last few days...  Brooklyn had her day camp and ended up with $50 in her pocket.  She came to realize that entertaining 3 and 4 year olds isn't as easy as one might think!  We have taken care of pets for two families that live nearby.  That also included a two hour roundup of a very evasive dog who doesn't like hot dogs.  Seriously, what dog doesn't eat hot dogs??  We went to the pool several times.  I completely cleaned out and organized my office and the pantry.  Got my computer back so I now have two working computers in our house.  Had lunch with one of Glade's YM from our last ward, Jeff Nielson, who is 23 now.  I still like him! 

The boys have been earning money working at the bakery and for a neighbor doing yard work.  Put the kids to work on Saturday cleaning outside stuff.  Our grass is so green!  The rain and a few times of irrigation have done wonders.   Had a great lunch with mom and then went out with Glade that night to the very same restaurant (he didn't know that's where I had gone for lunch. Ü).  Great day at church and Sunday dinner.  Made a very delicious pineapple upside down cake.  I believe Glade said this after eating almost a quarter of the cake before dinner "I've been missing out on that my whole life?"  I'm pretty sure that was a compliment.  Took the kids to the park at 7 am after Katy sweet talked me into it.  Yes, she's spoiled.  Three big kids started school today.  Stepped on the scale and realized I really need to get on it!  Starting to have to wear my stretchy pants. 

This week is Bunko at my house and then a party at the park on Friday.  Going to try to get back into a good routine now that the kids have started school again.  So I better get thinking... What's for dinner?

Goin Back...

It's official, it's the last weekend before my big kids go back to school.  They start Monday and boy are they ready.  I bought my last pair of new shoes today (size 9 for my 11 year old!) and everyone has new backpacks and most of everything else they need.  It's nice when they are older because they don't grow out of everything from year to year.  This has been an expensive year for back to school stuff though, I'm ready to hit recovery mode.  My younger ones don't start until August 10 and Katy starts preschool Aug. 1st.  Every time we pass Rhett's school, he looks out the window and says "man I really need to be there!".  I love that my kids don't dread school.  Even the ones that struggle a little would rather be there than wasting the time away at home.  Even Chelsey is chomping at the bit to get back to a schedule and some purpose in life.  Whitley is a senior this year and it's freaking her out a little.  Me too, actually.  Bo goes all day which he is so excited for.  Lunch at school!!  And Rhett and Brooklyn are in JH.  Aren't I still only 20?  Chelsey likes to remind me I'm not.  On with another year of forward progression! (crossing fingers)

Patience is a Virtue

I'm having visions and it's giving me anxiety!  After having the first real nap I've had since the kids have been out of school (Whitley took everyone to the pool so it was SO quiet), I got up and started puttering around.  While putting some groceries away I started seeing myself organizing different things, canning apples, snuggling on the porch swing in a blanket, running...ahhh...running, serving hot, complete meals, kissing good smelling heads goodnight, gushing over my coupon savings, watching the cold rain... oh the life I would so love to have right now.  But it's not yet meant to be.  I'm sure I feel just like the kids do on Christmas Eve day, just get here already!!  I can't possibly wait one more minute!!  But the clock ticks on.  The heat engulfs.  The thoughts tantalize.  So, in my quiet moment of "I just want to do something!", I sat my butt on the couch and began to watch an episode of Friends.  I haven't seen that in years!  I guess this was an Ok way to waste away the time.  Oh wait... the kids are home.  The noise has returned and the TV is switched back to channel 8.  My sublime moment of fantasy has ended.  I guess I'll check the freezer to see what's for dinner.

I think I'm Good

I haven't blogged in awhile because all that would have come out were emotions.  After the accident on the 4th of July, I've had a really hard time getting myself together.  I would be fine for a few days and then in tears the next.  I'm pretty sure that not a day went by that I didn't tear up/cry for at least a week.  It was really hard to make sense of and a little embarrassing to be so not in control.  Finally people have stopped asking how I'm doing, that's good cuz every time they did.. I would cry.  I went to the temple last Wednesday and have spent a lot of time trying to figure out how to come to terms with all of it and I think I'm finally past it.  Today I woke up and had the thought - "I don't remember thinking about the accident yesterday."  It feels good to finally be able to go though the day without it being in the forefront of my brain.  It's been a different kind of experience that's difficult to explain and one I never want to repeat. 

With that being said, this is what DID happen last week:
- lunch with Leslie
- Charity Car Wash for a family in our ward
- Temple night, went to dinner/ice cream with several couples after.  FUN!
- Chelsey's 19th bday, lunch and shopping
- Dad's bday
- lots of school shopping
- summer movies, hadn't seen Shrek 4 before
- 3 trips to the pool
- lunch with Mom
- 3 mornings of exercise
- got my blog books in the mail
- night out with the Garrs
- GoodWill's 50% sale ($2.50 jeans)
- impromptu night in with 9 other couples

My big kids start school a week from tomorrow and the others 2 weeks after that.  Wow, summer was a breeze this year.  Now, I still have 3 more weeks, maybe I shouldn't jinx myself just yet!  Everyone is very anxious to get going and get back to friends and routine and not being so idle all day.  Katy will start preschool and is SO excited to do that and I'm excited to have 2 mornings a week to coupon shop without the distractions of little ones.  AND to top it all off... I bought my first Christmas present.  It IS July ya know!

Home

Home has been on my mind a lot lately.  At the scene of the car accident Monday, Katelyn jumped into my arms sobbing "I want to go home! I want to go home!"  It was heartbreaking.  Since that time I've done a little reflecting on why she chose home.  She could have said she wanted to get out of there or go to the park where we were headed for the picnic, but she said home.  As I've spent time here this week, I've seen our home in a different light.  It's been a little hard to leave.  I watch my kids doing their different activities around the house and it warms my heart.  Our home is comfortable and of course I love it, I designed it.   But that's not really it.  Within it's walls all sorts of wonderful, emotional, funny, scary... I could go on and on about the different things that happen here.  It's where we are.  Does that make sense?  Within these walls we are a family.  It's where we are together and where there's not the world.  It's just us.  It's safe and familiar and ours.

This is our house...

This makes it our home.  Of course that's where Katy would want to be.

Cow Appreciation Day 2011

It has become tradition to dress up as cows and get free lunch at Chick Fil A once a year for Cow Appreciation Day.  This year to mix it up a little, we all chose a "character".

Katy as "Princess Cow"

Bo as "Ninja Cow"

Nick as "Gangsta Cow".  You can't tell, but he has tinfoil for teeth.

Brooklyn as "Rainbow Cow".  They almost weren't going to give her a meal since she had colored spots. Lame.

Whitley as "Arnold Cow-inagor"

Stephen as "Dead Cow"

Rhett as "Harry Utter"

Dalin as "CowMan".  The underwear were totally his idea.

Me as "Homemaker Cow"

Chelsey as "Sparkly Cow"

The Smith Family Cows