Keep Life Simple

My sister Ashley just gave me a Birthday present. It was one of those glass blocks with the words, "Keep Life Simple" on it. It came at the perfect time...right as I was feeling totally overwhelmed with everything I've got on my plate. Getting the puppy has put me over the edge. So, that phrase has become my new motto. In an effort to do just that I'm quitting all my "extras" except Bunko. I'm hoping this will help me feel a little more sane!! So, thanks Ash for the perfect reminder!

Vacation

We made it back from our vacation. Tami didn't trip over any "ghost kids" or anything in the airport on the way back so it was pretty uneventful. I'm still trying to figure out who's kids she tripped over. She blamed it on our kids but they weren't anywhere close to her. And to defend myself, I didn't even know what was going on until she was already getting up. I stayed away not because I was embarrassed but because I didn't want to get in the way of all the other rescurers that came to her aid. On the way home, we ran through the airport to make sure we stayed far enough ahead of Tami so that if she fell again, she couldn't place the blame on us.

We had a great vacation. We cleared land, ate, cleared land, ate and then repeated the process many more times. The kids played in the fire, road fourwheelers and raked about 10 leaves. They didn't quite finish the job they were assigned.

I have a question. If Tami is putting up Christmas decorations and swearing when she finds out that the kids broke the manger scene, does that take away from the Christmas spirit? We will just turn the Christmas music up a little louder.

You will see in the slide show that we had a complete lapse of good judgement. We saw how much the boys liked playing with Tami's parents dog that we decided they needed one too. I don't think he has been put down one time. The poor dog is going to forget how to walk. Jude on the other hand, better figure out how to walk quickly because it seems he was replaced in the boys eyes. I never realized that they were using him as a pet because they didn't have a real one.

Oh yeah, there are a few pictures in the slide show that some of you may not recognize. The one of the guy posing in front of the burn pile is my brother Jarom. (Single) The other picture of the guy actually working right in the fire, is of my dad. Somehow, it seems like all of us inherited a lot of traits from my dad but the one that was recognized the most this trip was our love of fires. We all have the same general idea of fire too. "The bigger the better." It comes from a long line of burners. My great grandpa used to clear land, pile brush and burn his piles. He cleared a lot of acres of land without any power tools. We had to make sure the tradition keeps going so our boys had to play in the fire too.

Up Up and Away (We All Fall Down)!

Flying with four young children is NOT something I'd recommend. However, it sure beats driving 16 hours with four children. SOOOOOO... We get to the airport with all the kids and luggage and head to the check in counter. Luckily Caleb flies a lot and qualifies for the "special" line where there is no wait. Caleb is carrying two car seats, a carry on bag, computer bag, diaper bag and pulling a large suitcase. Elias is pulling a large and small suitcase. Isaac is pulling a medium suitcase. I'm holding Jude and various baby accessories and Silas is getting in everone's way. We walk up to the line and the boys are having difficulty turning the corner with the suitcases... So somehow I FREAKING TRIP over one of my kids (it all happened so fast I'm not sure if it was Isaac or Silas). So imagine the Mom with too many kids tripping while HOLDING her 2 month old baby. Yes there were lots of concerned shouts... you would not believe how fast two airport employees were at my side concerned with my well being. Caleb's at the counter pretending not to know me (he said he didn't see it happen). Yes, the baby's fine. It's the type of fall where you do everything you can to save the baby and sacrifice your body instead (oh yes and I pulled down one of those line divider things as well). My knees will be sporting some fancy bruises by tomorrow I'm sure. The rest of the trip was pretty uneventful. I'm very glad to know that I'll never see those people again. It could NOT have been more embarrassing! The sad thing is I was planning on people making rude comments about the number of children I have (as they seem to feel the need to do as soon as you have 3). I was prepared with the perfect comeback, compliments of Kris Jeffers ("Oh these kids? They're my sister's who just passed away and we're taking them in" - perfect right???? Don't you feel dumb for asking after that one?). But instead I trip over one of my too many kids (so many I can't tell you exactly which one it was). Pathetic!!

Breaking Glass and eardrums

Jude was extra smiley this morning so in the spirit of good moods I began singing him a made up "Good Morning To You" song (to the tune of Happy Birthday To You). Midway through the song he burst out in the saddest of cries with the hurt feelings saggy bottom lip... I knew I was a bad singer but geeeze!

Just Say You Are

Gotta love your kids' philosophy on having babies... The other day Caleb and I were talking about someone not being able to have anymore kids. Isaac was listening in on our convo and said, "Yes they can, all they have to do is say they're going to have another baby and they will." I love his innocence.

WORDS TO GO BY

“I don’t want to drive up to the pearly gates in a shiny sports car, wearing beautifully, tailored clothes, my hair expertly coiffed, and with long, perfectly manicured fingernails.

I want to drive up in a station wagon that has mud on the wheels from taking kids to scout camp.

I want to be there with grass stains on my shoes from mowing Sister Schenk’s lawn.

I want to be there with a smudge of peanut butter on my shirt from making sandwiches for a sick neighbor’s children.

I want to be there with a little dirt under my fingernails from helping to weed someone’s garden.

I want to be there with children’s sticky kisses on my cheeks and the tears of a friend on my shoulder.

I want the Lord to know I was really here and that I really lived.”

-Marjorie Pay Hinckley-

Tagged

Here you go Erica!

Four Jobs I've Had:
1. Paper route
2. Cashier/Hostess at a restaurant until I caught one of my classmates stealing from the register and didn't want to get beat up by her.
3. After school child care Site Director...where I learned the appropriate amount of time a child can be in time out.
4. Pharmacy Assistant

Four T.V. Shows I Watch:
1. Prison Break
2. Pushing Daisies
3. Lots of Reality (Survivor, Amazing Race, Dancing with the Stars, American Idol, So You Think You Can Dance)
4. Friday Night Lights

Four Favorite Foods:
1. Raspberry Cheesecake
2. Chicken burrito from Qdoba (which I can't have right now due to breastfeeding).
3. Berry and Peach Pies
4. Orange jello salad with cool whip, mandarins, cottage cheese and marshmallows.

Four Movies I Love:
1. What About Bob
2. Dumb and Dumber
3. Most of Adam Sandler's Movies
4. While You Were Sleeping - The Preachers Wife

Four Websites I Visit Daily:
1. Everyone's Blogs
2. Fox News
3. US Bank - Bank of America
4. Craigslist

Four Places I'd Rather Be Right Now:
1. Anywhere without the kids
2. Bunko
3. Idaho
4. Shopping (again without the kids).

STUPID, STUPID, STUPID!!!

Yes, I did something really DUMB!! Elias needed an empty 2 liter soda bottle for his science lab this week but it had to have the little plastic sealing ring removed. I tried all the safe methods to remove it first... prying with my fingers and then with a fork. That didn't work so I decided it would be a good idea to pry a steak knife under it and try to pop it off. WELL, the knife slipped off and stabbed me in the hand. I said a few choice words and began panicking when I saw all the blood and the gaping wound. Caleb tried to close it up for me with butterflies, then medical tape and then a fancy band aid... none of which worked. So I called my friend who is a real Doctor (sorry Caleb) and he was nice enough to stitch it for me. Looking back I'm really angry at myself for my poor knife safety skills (or lack there of). Later that morning Silas wanted a piece of cheese. He got the block out of the fridge like he normally does and brought it to me so I could cut him a piece...then he looked at my hand and said "Oh Mom, you can't cut my cheese, you'll sharp yourself with the knife, I'll wait 'til Dad gets home". It was a little sad but I'm still scared of the knives and don't want to "sharp" myself again!

Halloween

Smile

Have you ever noticed that some people just don't know how to smile??? If you haven't noticed it yet, take another look at the pictures of our kids in the blog. I always looked forward to teaching kids sports, how to pee on a tree, teaching them how to tie shoes and do other normal things that dads teach boys. For some reason, I never envisioned teaching my boys how to smile. Now that we have recognized the problem, we have to fix it. This is one of those issues like sex that I'm not sure if they are at the correct age for teaching yet. I guess it is never too early to get started. Please keep tuned in to the blog and see if we are making any progress in the future.

Isaac!