We have been on survival mode for several months now. Not a survival mode where we are all miserable and unhappy surviving, just the kind where I have cut out doing a lot of stuff that is not essential.
But for a while I have been thinking that I want to write some of the moments that are beautiful.
so for things that make me happy:
#1 My baby's kisses. He turns to me with his tongue sticking out and wants to lick my face to show me his love. I kiss him and then he kisses/licks me back. Pretty adorable albeit slobbery.
#2 Family pictures on my wall. The baby turned one, so I thought that I better finally put up some family pictures that included him... especially since I had some great ones. Isn't it great having a few cute family pictures smiling at you! Makes me kind of feel like we ARE a good looking family, even if I haven't brushed my hair yet today.
#3 Music with memories. I played a song on the piano yesterday and it took me back so vividly to some wonderful college days. Isn't that amazing.
#4 Cheerios. Overrated: hot breakfast. Actually, if someone else wanted to cook, I would love a hot breakfast. But my kids can just pour whole-grained goodness into their bowl all by themselves, something that mothers centuries ago only dreamed of. Out of the thousands of years of human civilization, I am so glad to live in the time of Cheerios.
Monday, January 16, 2012
Thursday, October 20, 2011
Just a few more pictures
Is this the cutest group or what? And that is as close to getting everyone looking at the camera and smiling that we EVER get.
Kyle's favorite photo face. It's taken years of practice to perfect this.
Look at that front tooth coming in... after years of a toothless grin, our girl may not be wishing for two front teeth this Christmas!
Can we just say that we love this kid!
Like Father Like Son... seriously, nobody's asking "Who's your daddy?" to this kid.
Best Day Ever
Perfect day!
Got up and got things done... I even pulled out the ladder and cleaned a window. Rob took the day off because he has been traveling and will go hunting tomorrow. So he took the older 2 to Costco for new tires and lunch. Then we picked up a new glass door for the front door, and met a neighbor up in the mountains. We went on a FANTASTIC hike to Elephant Rock. I don't think that I have seen the mountains so red. At one part of the hike, there was a few workers doing work on a pipeline up there. We watched as a helicopter came right by us to drop off stuff to them. How cool is that! Then we ran most of the way back down the mountain. I was so proud of the kids! They were AWESOME!
Then while Rob was putting the door up (Gosh, he's so good), we cooked the pizza. After dinner (including the jello shaped like a brain), the kids each performed a puppet show they made up. It was fantastic, especially to see the baby on tiptoe watching it, trying to reach out for the puppets. Then is was scripture reading and some of "Bunnicula Strikes Back". Now kids are sound asleep; Rob is outside working hard to fix his car, and I am sitting on the couch writing, with a clean kitchen:).
Perfect day! Got stuff done. Had fun! And we were able to enjoy this fantastic weather and got some great exercise. We live for days like this! I just wanted to share it so I won't forget this.
Tuesday, October 18, 2011
Hiking
I've been trying to go hiking each week while the weather is so beautiful and it has been SO BEAUTIFUL! There is one fantastic hike for kids that you get to cross a small stream about 5 times. Last week, I ended up taking 5 children on it and we had such a great time. Two moms were going to come, but couldn't last minute. I'm so glad that didn't stop us. We had such a blast! We invited a neighbor girl and boy with us, and it was the little girl's first time to ever go hiking. When we got out of the car and started, she was too nervous to even walk down the trail without holding my hand. But by the time we finished, she was doing awesome. The boys loved hiking with their hiking sticks, all of the kids found a special rock to bring home (there are lots of rock with micah and quartz, so sparkly rocks are extra cool), and we even found a little teepee that someone had made out of branches for a little shelter.
I gotta enjoy this weather while I can, because who know how long it will last. I have stuff I want to get done inside, but have a hard time getting myself to do it because I keep thinking that I will have 6 months of winter when I will be inside plenty.
I gotta enjoy this weather while I can, because who know how long it will last. I have stuff I want to get done inside, but have a hard time getting myself to do it because I keep thinking that I will have 6 months of winter when I will be inside plenty.
Treasure Two
Kyle found another Treasure. Yes, for one more fantastic week, we were pet owners again.
You can see where this is going already, can't you.
Sunday evening, we came home to find our praying mantis belly up in his cage. We waited until morning to break the news. Kyle took it really well... he knew it was coming. We had discussed it. No tears at all, even while Treasure 2 was buried next to Treasure. But then he ended up sobbing when we pulled up a big bush. Near panic-sobbing that "it is my favorite bush!"
Good news: Treasure 2 was actually a she. She laid eggs in her cage, which was really cool to watch happen. Yeah... so we get to do this again and again.
You can see where this is going already, can't you.
Sunday evening, we came home to find our praying mantis belly up in his cage. We waited until morning to break the news. Kyle took it really well... he knew it was coming. We had discussed it. No tears at all, even while Treasure 2 was buried next to Treasure. But then he ended up sobbing when we pulled up a big bush. Near panic-sobbing that "it is my favorite bush!"
Good news: Treasure 2 was actually a she. She laid eggs in her cage, which was really cool to watch happen. Yeah... so we get to do this again and again.
Monday, October 3, 2011
FALL!
The first yellow leaves appeared in my trees 2 days ago. I took a picture. It is official. Fall is here.
This is my favorite time of year. While people make goals in January, it is always autumn that inspires me to be better and accomplish more. I think it is perhaps the coinciding of school starting and the harvest season, plus that hint of winter that whispers a reminder to "carpe diem" before the snow sets in.
That is one thing about fall. These beautiful fall days are spectacular, but they don't last long. There is always a storm just around the corner. Which is actually, kind of a good thing, because it reminds me that I better get out there and enjoy it. Temperatures are supposed to drop on Thursday, so I spent a lot of the day working outside. I might not have if it was always this wonderful!
Today I dragged the family up into the mountains to go on a short hike. I shouldn't say "drag", since they were all quite happy to go with me. It just takes so much effort... getting the kids fed early, getting jackets, socks, shoes, baby backpack, water, and then urging everyone INTO the car, then realizing Daddy wasn't quite as close to home as expected, so sitting in the car... Every mother knows that anything worthwhile takes at least some Herculean effort. Anyway, we had a wonderful time. Bekah was collecting leaves, Kyle was collecting rocks, Daddy was doing who knows what on his phone, Stephen was just happily chilling, and I was thrilled to be out doing exactly what I wanted with such a happy clan. It really was wonderful.
Rob brought home a huge box of apples from my dad's, and I'm at it again. When I'm in the middle of canning, I always wonder why the heck I do it! We had a load of apples from our tree and I made applesauce. I've also done peaches, raspberry jam, and salsa. There will still be more salsa, more jam, and grape juice. So last week, I put a hole through my steam bath pan (only noticed after trying to figure out why water was EVERYWHERE). Then I broke a jar of applesauce and a jar of peaches. And what drives me the most crazy is that my kitchen is a MESS afterwards. Yet, despite these setbacks, I do this every year. I'm trying to figure out why. I think a little of it is because I have the fruit and feel a compulsion to do something with it... you know, not just waste it. Then there is the fact that the food is healthy. I know the applesauce I'm making is just that: apples. Healthy and simple. Well, and of course I am addicted to salsa and my salsa is better than almost anything I've tried anywhere. I use about 50 pounds of tomatoes in all, but I love it so much, I probably only have 1 jar left from last year. So despite my grumblings, I'm at it again. And our house smells delicious!
Okay, actually, now that I think about it, I did have a wonderful time last Friday making applesauce. Kyle was helping push the applesauce through the grinder while I turned the handle. It was so great to work with my son. There were no deadlines, there was no rush. I could be as patient as I needed to be and he was having fun working with me. That can be hard to find: a project to work together without whining. Especially with the reward of a bowl of fresh applesauce. I kept him home from school for an hour because we were both having such a good time, and I figured that learning to work with me was the greater lesson.
Anyway, I just had some real toasty-warm home-made apple juice with a little cinnamon. mmm...tastes so good, I think I will snuggle off to bed. :)
This is my favorite time of year. While people make goals in January, it is always autumn that inspires me to be better and accomplish more. I think it is perhaps the coinciding of school starting and the harvest season, plus that hint of winter that whispers a reminder to "carpe diem" before the snow sets in.
That is one thing about fall. These beautiful fall days are spectacular, but they don't last long. There is always a storm just around the corner. Which is actually, kind of a good thing, because it reminds me that I better get out there and enjoy it. Temperatures are supposed to drop on Thursday, so I spent a lot of the day working outside. I might not have if it was always this wonderful!
Today I dragged the family up into the mountains to go on a short hike. I shouldn't say "drag", since they were all quite happy to go with me. It just takes so much effort... getting the kids fed early, getting jackets, socks, shoes, baby backpack, water, and then urging everyone INTO the car, then realizing Daddy wasn't quite as close to home as expected, so sitting in the car... Every mother knows that anything worthwhile takes at least some Herculean effort. Anyway, we had a wonderful time. Bekah was collecting leaves, Kyle was collecting rocks, Daddy was doing who knows what on his phone, Stephen was just happily chilling, and I was thrilled to be out doing exactly what I wanted with such a happy clan. It really was wonderful.
Rob brought home a huge box of apples from my dad's, and I'm at it again. When I'm in the middle of canning, I always wonder why the heck I do it! We had a load of apples from our tree and I made applesauce. I've also done peaches, raspberry jam, and salsa. There will still be more salsa, more jam, and grape juice. So last week, I put a hole through my steam bath pan (only noticed after trying to figure out why water was EVERYWHERE). Then I broke a jar of applesauce and a jar of peaches. And what drives me the most crazy is that my kitchen is a MESS afterwards. Yet, despite these setbacks, I do this every year. I'm trying to figure out why. I think a little of it is because I have the fruit and feel a compulsion to do something with it... you know, not just waste it. Then there is the fact that the food is healthy. I know the applesauce I'm making is just that: apples. Healthy and simple. Well, and of course I am addicted to salsa and my salsa is better than almost anything I've tried anywhere. I use about 50 pounds of tomatoes in all, but I love it so much, I probably only have 1 jar left from last year. So despite my grumblings, I'm at it again. And our house smells delicious!
Okay, actually, now that I think about it, I did have a wonderful time last Friday making applesauce. Kyle was helping push the applesauce through the grinder while I turned the handle. It was so great to work with my son. There were no deadlines, there was no rush. I could be as patient as I needed to be and he was having fun working with me. That can be hard to find: a project to work together without whining. Especially with the reward of a bowl of fresh applesauce. I kept him home from school for an hour because we were both having such a good time, and I figured that learning to work with me was the greater lesson.
Anyway, I just had some real toasty-warm home-made apple juice with a little cinnamon. mmm...tastes so good, I think I will snuggle off to bed. :)
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