Quick Pics

HAPPY HALLOWEEN

Peter Pan, Rico, the outlaw (he calls himself)

(I was watching and watching and watching to my left, for Parker to come by me in the school parade. Suddenly I heard, "Hi Mom!" from my right. He had already passed me by and I didn't even see or recognize him. He would have made a great outlaw or bandit.)

Queen of hearts, M&M

Jack-o-lantern

Pig Pen

Do you remember the Peanuts comic strip? Charlie Brown, Snoopy, Linus, and company. I think I have one of the characters living in my house.

PIG PEN(photo taken from wikipedia with full credit to Mr. Schulz)

When Parker got up from lunch, this is what his chair looked like, after it had been brushed off a bit.

Where did all that dirt come from?

Gorsh darn it - I love that kid!!!!

H.B. 3 yr old

We have a 3 year old in the house.

Happy Birthday RoJo!!!!

It was a great day with plenty of cake . . . .

. . . . and ice cream . . . .

. . . . and presents . . . .

Rachel is a delight. Just a pure delight to have in our home. She is sunshine!!! We love her so much.

Primary Program

I was really excited about the primary songs the kids would sing for the primary program this year. So excited in fact, that we started the learning the songs as a family in April. This first video is of them singing, "I Know That My Savior Loves Me." This video is AWESOME. You will see why.

I love how their personalities shine through. Older siblings, younger siblings, boy siblings, girls siblings, middle siblings. Good thing they love each other in the end. We watched this video about 5 times last night and laughed and laughed and laughed.

This last video is of Rachel singing by herself. Remember, it was taken in April. As I watched this video again, I realized how far Rachel's language skills have come in the last 6 months. Maybe I'll try and get another video of her singing now to compare. But for now, enjoy this one.

BTW- the program was last Sunday and they did a great job. Around 150 kids in the primary. AMAZING!!!

down to sleep

(written Sunday night)(before the storm)

Welp, here it is. Sunday night. The end of one week, the beginning of the next. Its a weird middle ground. Is Sunday the last day of the week? The seventh day when God rested? Or is it the first day, as dictated by most calendars? The beginning and the end.

Either way, tomorrow will soon be upon me and this is the quiet before the storm. The kids are finally in bed. The third glass of water has been served, second trip to the bathroom completed and quadrillionth hug and kiss given.

As I make my way to my own room to lay down my weary bones, I pass by the kitchen sink. In it sits the bowl with cookie dough still stuck and drying to the sides. The final remnants of pumpkin chocolate chip cookies we made to perpetuate the "you've been BOO-ed" game. Like a chain letter only much yummier. I pause only long enough to turn off the light over the sink and leave the bowl in darkness til morning dawns.

I make my way down the hall and step over the towel marking the spot where the toddler almost made it to the bathroom before relieving herself on the carpet. Another brief pause and a sigh as I step over the towel, leaving another task for the morning.

As I enter my bedroom, I'm greeted by the last load of laundry from Saturday that, by some trick of fate, made it out of the dryer and actually got folded but never made it to anyone's drawer.

I move that pile over to join the other piles of clothing that line the floor against my wall. Piles of summer clothes to be exchanged for piles of winter clothes, which can't be completely boxed up and put away until another day of laundry is finished.

"Ah well" I sigh. With bathroom essentials finished and only a dim lamp by the bed to see by, I pen a few words. A few hours of rest await me and a task list for tomorrow already stretches long. Now I lay me down to sleep....

Cute little baldy

Please meet. . .

. . . our resident 4th grade Governor.

Syd was elected governor of her 4th grade class. She is really excited. She has already appointed 5 judges and the senators and representatives have all been elected. The plan is for them to meet for a legislative session every month (I think). Its such a fabulous learning experience!!!

One of the first items of business is term limits. Someone is lobbying their representative for a bill in favor of term limits, limiting Sydney's term to only 2 months instead of 4. (He was one who ran for governor but didn't make the primaries). Ahhh, the drama of politics, even in 4th grade.

Favorite fall break haunts

Wheeler Historic Farm ( with Grandma)

Vineyard Pumpkin Patch

(Vineyard Garden Center with cousins)

Sunday dreams

This is dedicated to my brother-in-law.

We're hoping you get a few more Sundays like this. You deserve it.

Congrats on being released as Bishop!

In and out

So it was Sunday. One of my favorite and not-so-favorite days of the week, for various reasons. This particular Sunday, I had my primary lesson prepared, the lunch mess cleaned-up (a small miracle in and of itself), 2 of the children had already started to walk to church and 2 of the children were in the double stroller, ready to go. Parker finally found his shoes and we were ready to catch up with the girls. As I turned the stroller to go down the driveway, Rachel stood up in her seat. One minute she was in the stroller and the next she was out. In slow motion, she fell out of the stroller, onto the driveway, onto her head. OUCH!!!

She immediately started crying and just couldn't stop. I held her and loved her and then loaded everyone into the van. We drove to church.

As soon as we sat in our pew, she wanted to sleep. Was this because she was up around 5:30 am? Was it because this was her normal naptime? Was it because she hit her head? I didn't know but did know she needed to lay down. So, before the opening hymn was over I asked Sydney to help me into the "mother's room." I told her to carry Bryce, I would carry Rachel and asked Parker and Camille to stay in the pew. But as I looked behind me, I was followed by 5 little ducklings, all in a row. One minute we were in the chapel, the next, we were all out of the chapel.

After I herded the rest of the kids back into the chapel, I layed Rachel on the floor next to my chair and nursed Bryce. She fell right to sleep. About a half hour later, she vomited all over the floor. One minute lunch was in her, the next, it was out of her.

A little chaos broke out at that moment. One other mother was nursing with me and she rushed into the chapel to get a good friend who is also a nurse. She checked Rachel, who was still asleep, and just couldn't wake all the way up. Someone took Bryce. Someone else contacted Sterling and got him off the stand. I cleaned up the vomit. Then Sydney came into the bathroom and then she left, (I think). And then I was rushing down the hall with Rachel in my arms. And several people were asking to help. Thoughts came in and out of my brain like a pinball machine. Slow down, slow down, Slow Down!!!

Finally we were outside in the church parking lot. I passed off my primary lesson to someone else, asked for Bryce back and we were off for the Emergency Room. And I don't know how the laws of physics work but I am positive that I-15 extended about 10 extra miles that day. And during those extra miles of ashpalt, Rachel threw up again. Hurry, hurry, hurry.

"My baby. She's hurt.," I stammered to the E.R. clerk. "No, not that baby. This one, in my arms." The one who never stops smiling. The one who's vomit is on my blouse. The one who always wants another hug and kiss. This one, who can't quite wake up. She's in and out.

One minute she was in the room, on a paper covered bed, hooked up to a blood pressure machine. The next, she was out with Sterling, getting a CT scan. I stayed with Bryce. When she came back, she looked a little better and was awake, though still drowsy and would talk in full, comprehensible sentences. I started to feel calm as my heart slowed to a normal rate.

As we waited for the results of the CT, Rachel fell back to sleep. Sterling and I sat side by side, watching her breathe. In and out. In and out. Oh, sweet baby girl. The results came back normal. The diagnosis was a concussion. Sterling confirmed that she couldn't play football for a few days and we were cleared to go home. Rachel didn't wake up as we moved her out of the hospital and into the carseat. She didn't wake up until we arrived home and were bombarded by 3 deeply concerned siblings.

All is well now. . .

. . . until Monday night, when I was getting something from food storage, with Rachel by my side. Thunk, thunk, thunk. The cans of food rolled onto the tile floor. I heard a whimper, then a wail. I turned to see blood starting to pour out of Rachel's big toe. ("Oh, no. Not the toe!" I thought and envisioned my little sister and her "nine.")

We rushed upstairs, where the rice was boiling over. Under a steady stream of cold water in the sink, I saw the toenail was sliced all the way across. The cut extended around the inside of the toe. It was deep. There was a lot of blood. A Lot. Sterling was at a work meeting out of town, in Delta. Delta! Why Delta? I turned off the warming oven and stove. I left the rice on the cooling burner. A few phone calls later, I dropped 2 kids off at my visiting teacher's house, the baby at a neighbor's and Sydney held the towel on the toe while I drove to the after hours clinic, weaving in and out of horrendous rush hour traffic.

Syd was awesome at talking to Rachel and getting her mind off her toe. She even had Rachel smiling. We walked right into the clinic and were seen right away. The doctor glued up the cut, prepared us for the impending loss of the toenail and sent us home (by way of Wendy's). When I went to pick up the kids - they didn't want to leave. They made eye contact but didn't acknowledge me in any other way until I insisted it was time to go home!

And to our home sweet home we arrived. Safe and sound. Whew. And so far, so good. No more emergencies. Rachel is all smiles again, running in and out of the house, taking toys in and out of her backpack, with giggles pouring in and out and all around her.

losing leaves

The other day I was going through some of Hash's clothing. The weather is starting to really cool down and I needed to find some longer pants and warmer clothes for him. So, I got out the 3-6 month box and started to pull out bigger, warmer clothes. Part of that process was putting away his smaller, summer clothes. And by putting away, I mean giving away. As in, not putting them into boxes for storage like I have done for the last 10 years. It was a bit sad. All those teeny, tiny onesies and undershirts. The newborn sleepers. The cute outfits that carry sweet memories and tender whispers of late night feedings; a sacred connection with a spirit so fresh from heaven.

I put away those clothes and put Hash to sleep. I wandered into the family room and stared out the window at the tree in the backyard. That tree has had a place in our yard for several years. Its a little older, a little more weathered now than it used to be. The leaves are changing color and slowly succumbing to the force of the autumn wind. Its a change of season. I know it is. The fall leaves are beautiful and vibrant while they are here. But they don't last forever and the cycle of life is inevitable. Try as I might, I too succumb to this change of season.

the element

To every job that must be done,

There is an element of fun.

You find the fun, and.....

SNAP!

The job's a game!

Sterling dug out some of the garden space around the back of our home to make it bigger. Saturday he wheel barrowed (word or not a word?) it to the rattlesnake field behind our house. The children were required to load the wheel barrow with all the sections of excess grass and then they raced Sterling up the hill. As soon as the wheelbarrow was emptied, they all piled in and got a fun ride back down to the yard where the process started all over again.

I'm so glad Sterling thinks of fun tricks like that and is willing to entertain the children as they all work together. It sure was fun to watch.

Ring around the roses

Rachel was singing:

Ring around the roses. Parker full of roses...

Please vote . . .

Sydney is running for Governor of her 4th grade class.

Tuesday was the primary election. 8 people gave speeches and after the vote, Sydney was one of the two finalists. She was sooooo excited and I'm so proud of her.

She worked really hard on her Tuesday one-minute speech. So did Sterling. (wink, wink). Usually it is me who helps with school projects but this one is right up Sterling's alley. So, Sydney wrote a speech and Sterling wrote a speech and then Sydney cut and pasted it all together, literally. She adjusted it all and made it her own.

And it worked! She made it through to the final two. Of course, the dum-dum suckers for everyone probably helped a bit (Don't be a dum-dum, vote for Sydney B.)Today she gives a two minute speech after lunch. And she will give out do-nut holes. (Do Not (do-nut) vote for anyone else. Vote for Sydney B.)

Again, Sterling and Sydney sat at the computer and stayed up past bedtime, putting together a great speech. She's really excited and really optimistic. So wish her luck.
She's a winner either way.