Blessed are the Flexible

"Blessed are the flexible for they shall not be bent out of shape."


I love this quote. I first heard it from a mom of six small children (she was also the wife of our bishop). In a literal sense Remy happens to be double jointed in about every joint he has. Most kids can't scratch the top of their head with their toes. In so many situations where I need to stretch and grow I've found exercising some flexibility helps me get through.

Bare Naked Truth

I've been looking at more and more blogs lately and they are all 'truth' full and they paint this ever so 'cute'! picture of families or couples which is great. Trust me I am all for sending positive vibes into the universe. And I can't think of a better way to send something to the universe than a blog. That being said I am using this blog to publish my family history/journal. So my grandchildren know that life is good and because it's good it's full of small, medium, and big challenges. I've got to throw some reality in here and I tag anyone reading this who has a blog to do the same.
1. My jetted tub is used for parties like this instead of relaxing by candle-light and aromatherapy.
2. My big adventure taking my kids and my nieces and nephews to Park City tonight ended with Adam puking in the van as we did 80mph down the highway.
3. I decided to ignore my scale for 6 weeks and suddenly gained 12 pounds.
4. Because of those 12 stinking pounds I decided to do two-a-days for exercise this week...hmm that lasted Monday, half of Tuesday and half of Wednesday; and none for today unless you count cleaning the puke out of the van.
6. I completely spaced a meeting with my largest account Tuesday morning.
7. The laundry is clean just not folded or put away.
8. I haven't read my scriptures in two weeks.
9. I keep swearing off sugar and manage to have something sweet everyday.
10. I am about 15 years behind on my scrapbooks.

ABC's and 123's

The first day of school! I was actually nervous last night as I went to bed. I like school and I love the first day. Cambridge has Mrs. Brough for 2nd grade and Remy started kindergarten. He is in a function skills class with Mrs. Trinnamen, but also is assigned to a regular class with Mrs. Hutchings. We did the kindergarten scavenger hunt and then left Rem with his class and Zoe asked me "Where I go mom"? I said home to read books with mom and she didn't like that answer; she cried and cried. Rem made it on the bus and Cambridge missed it. (go figure) What a great day to stay at home and be a mom!

The Mechanics of our Lives

I have no photo to go with this but I literally mean the mechanical things in my life. I write this blog or journal for my sake and the sake of my posterity. I wish I had volumes of journals of my mothers my mothers mother and her mother to read, but I don't. I wish I knew the everyday things, the hard things, and the things that they loved. This morning as we loaded the trailer I watched Brian lower the trailer hitch with a motorized switch. (That beats the heck out of hand cranking). I just hopped of the treadmill which can simulate a hill so that I have the convenience of getting my workout in at 10:00 at night after my kids are in bed. I can talk with friends via txt and email within split seconds. I can't imagine trying to explain to my Grandmother Grace or Louise when they were young mothers....that this is what their grand-daughter would be doing.

Great Expectations

In sales they teach you to under-promise and over-deliver. Or in other words exceed their expectations. For about 5 years now we have looked and looked at trailers and campers and haven't been able to decide what would best fit our family and our style. I think we have found it. It sleeps all of us, it has a potty and a shower and a fridge and can haul 2 4-wheelers. We almost just bought a tent and with two kids still in diapers I am ever so grateful we went the trailer option. Our virgin run with the trailer was to Lava Hot Springs Idaho. I have not been here since I was 6. We camped at the Cottonwood campground and LOVED it! (ok the trains were a bit noisy as was the highway traffic) It was shady and cool and quiet! We went mid-week and it was not crowded at all. We swam in their very cool pool all day Thursday and sat in the natural hot pots this morning. Granted I've learned to lower my fun expectations, because any outing that involves 3kids is work, but I must say the fun definitely outweighed the work factor and the trailer was a great purchase.

Downy Day at Lagoon

Down Syndrome Day at Lagoon is the one day we have traditionally taken our kids to Lagoon in the past five years. It was hot! Way hot! I have a 7yr old who is sad to be too big for the kiddie rides and a 2yr old who cried because she is too little to go on the Wild Mouse. And a 5yr old who has Downs and got to check out some other cute downie girls. (Not really, although I was checking them out for him.) The Roylances came with us and Maga, Nana, (my mom - whatever you want to her) came as well. It was fun but I'm not ready to buy season passes.

You gotta have faith.

Sometimes I wonder why our faith changes as we grow. In some ways I think it increases and yet it's never as perfect as a child's faith. I wish I had complete and perfect faith that tomorrow I would wake up and Remy's bum would be healed. I wish I had complete faith my dad would stay sober. Coming home from picking up the trailer we realized we did not have running lights. We were in Tremonton and almost home. (So ready to be home) We stopped at the gas station and Brian fiddled and fiddled and I read the truck manual and no luck. I fed the kids (because it's 9:00pm and they are hungry) and with a huffing and puffing husband loaded back in the truck. I asked Cambridge to say a prayer that we would make it home safely. He said a prayer that Dad would know what to do. Within 30seconds of being back on the highway Brian got an idea. We pulled over yet again. Brian located a 3rd fuse box and within minutes we had running lights. We tease Cambridge he has a direct link.

Lions Tigers and Bears oh my...

Really it was Bears, Moose and Elk oh my. After a 3hr road trip to Rexburg. (not a fan of road trips....they are ok for the driver but a full cardio workout for the mom in the passenger seat)...to pick up a trailer we decided to stop at Yellowstone Bear World. And nOOOO camera! It was amazing to drive through this park and have bears three feet from your car. All three kids loved it and since that is a rare occasion to have all three love the same thing...I loved it. They had baby bears you could bottle feed ($50 - no thanks; fun to watch though).

"Brother you are Freaking Out!"

All kids go through that stage when they say funny things. Cambrdige did, Remy is working on it and Zoe is there. My mom always says write them down. And I didn't with Cambridge but now is better than never. Here are a few Zoe isms
To Cambridge, "brother you are freaking out,"
To Brian, "Dad you have a big butt"
To Mom, "Me too little My can't reach it"
To Remington, "C'mon Rems"
To Anyone that will listen, "my baby she needs me"
"This is my belly butnit" (she can't say button)

The art of the Chocolate-Chip cookie

I am not the greatest cook. I can bake and follow a recipe though. Brian's mom has a recipe for chocolate-chip cookies that we fondly call 'Lila cookies'. I follow the same recipe and I have to say I like mine better. It's all in the method. Brian LOVES them. This makes me happy. Two weeks ago I completely botched breakfast at the cabin. I mean really ruined everything I made - The cinnamon rolls tasted old (frozen dough); the eggs had too much garlic in them, and I burned the bacon. For all the meals he has suffered through at least I make really good cookies.

See ya later mom!

In her words, "I pedal mom I pedal" Rem is still working on this. It's a little freaky to have her pick up on stuff so fast. And fast she loves!

Girl Power

I was sitting at my desk today going over some work email and Zoe looked at the pictures and said, "that my mom" I said yes, she took the picture of Brian and said, "that my Honey". Yes, she has him wrapped and re-wrapped around her finger.

The Marvels of Modern Technology

Cambridge has had a dis-coloration on his lower central tooth. It is yellowish in color and I guess kids at school told him it was because, "he ate his boogers". Dr. Duke said we could fix it later. I didn't think it was that big of deal until Cambridge kept asking me about it. Today with modern technology of air abrasion and laser dentistry without having to be numb, Dr. Duke drilled out the discoloration and put in three layers of composite (he's a perfectionist). We got in the car and Cambridge said, "finally kids will stop teasing me about my tooth". How grateful I am we could fix it for him. Some things aren't that easy to fix; I am grateful for the things that are.

There is not enough chocolate for this!

Being a mom is tough business some days and being a working mom is really tough business. I didn't have a nanny today, so I had to call my accounts from home. My kids did well entertaining themselves and then we attempted to leave for the pool when my mom (Nana) showed up to have me do some typing for her in her favorite font that is no longer a font in word. That woman is a perfectionist and there will never be a personal progress chart more beautiful than the one she creates.

The carpet didn't come today, but tomorrow. I think the mayhem is making me a little nutsy! I just want to slow down. The multi-tasking can get a bit much. Did I mention my husband is out of town so the working mom is acutually sinlge working mom, today and I had six kids becasue Matt's 3 kids were here as well. I'm not sure I was the nicest Aunt today.

Better today than yesterday and tommorrow will be better than today. I would credit that concept to Bishop Lee.

I will be the fun Aunt
I will have the organized house
I am slowing down the pace

and I need caller ID back in my life! gotta go!

Day One - The purpose

This should be interesting! Go blogging. Why do people do this? That is a question to ponder. For me this is a journal of my family. Thus I will try to be as truthful as possible. We always want to put our best foot forward. Publish our prettiest pictures. How do you publish pictures of the hard moments and the great moments? If our lives our remembered by the pictures and moments strung together how much meaning or attention does the string get.

Today was the average day. We hit snooze too many times on our alarm after a night of musical beds. Brian and I hit the basement for a quick workout (20 min) and its off and running. The basement had to be prepped because they were removing carpet after the flood. (6 weeks ago)That has been a royal pain in the rear! Jess had the kids today. Cam had karate. He is almost a red belt. We played basketball as a family outside. All three kids piled in the tub! Bubble mania

Today I laughed because I asked Zoe as we ate Popsicles on the front steps if she wanted to take a mom and me class or go shopping on Mondays. She said "Shopping"!

I need to work on my office it's a mess! My work computer is haunted and my kids got to bed way later than bed time.