A day at home

Something made me think that maybe I am doing too much this summer.

Maybe I should just stay at home and take it easy and not go any where one day.

Maybe my kids need a day of staying at home watching a few movies.... no school work..... no chores........just taking it easy. 

But just one day.

like father like son

The pictures never do Enoch's elaborate set up of "guys" justice.  He plays with these and only these for several hours a day.  He used to do this with cars, but has now moved on to super heroes.  Sometimes the star wars guys get in on the fun too.  He often organizes them by color, good/bad guys, marvel/DC comics, etc.... there are so many different way he sets them up.  It amazes me.

 It makes me wonder about what is going on up there in his little head.

The far away shots never allow you to see how majestic it looks when he is done.  It is crazy to say that I often find it amazing.  I don't know where he gets this from.  When I find out, I will let you know........ 

 hehehehehehe

HAHAHHAHAHAHHAHA

Enoch B-day

 Enoch turned four on Sunday.  He is wonderful boy.  I love him so much.  We have had hard times together, and I think it has made us grow closer than my other children.  He is getting so big, and we communicate with each other better every day.   I love the little man he is turning in to.  I love watching him live life.  Things are either wonderful or awful.  He makes me smile.

 He was so excited for his birthday, but sad that is was on Sunday.  There would be no McDonald's or Chuck E Cheese, and he had to go sit in church for three hours!!!  But he got over it.  He was very happy that they sang to him in primary.  He LOVED his presents.  Mostly all super heroes.

 He is jumping up and dancing here because he got a super hero he wanted.

 For one of his presents, he got a sprinkler, so we could play outside in it.  He had a good Birthday.

The next morning he woke up and looked at me with tears in his eyes.  I said "Enoch, what is wrong?"  He said, " it isn't my birthday any more."  He sat there  solemn for several minutes and then went to go play with his super hero toys for several hours.  Oh Enoch.  I love you.

Tyler

Tyler our friend from Lebanon came and stayed with us last week.  My kids loved having him here with us. 

Sometimes I think " I am a genius."  I think my parents did a really good job making sure I was a confident person.  This is one of those times I thought "I am a genius."  Baby pool on the trampoline!!! Now they can jump into the POOL!!!! 

My husband got home and told me how dangerous that was........ whoops..... I still think it was genius

We had so much fun.  He stayed for almost five days.  I often forgot my camera because I had one more kid and some how the camera is easy too forget.

Greg played TONS of games with the kids.  I think around 8 hours total the whole five days which is a lot if you realize he was working. So it was only when he was home from work that he played.

After it was over, it really made me think about being a foster parent.  I really want to do it; however, I really understand all the craziness that will come from it- so I shy away from it for now.   I think it might be too much for Greg.  It makes him remember sad times in his life with his foster sisters.  Too many memories.  We will wait.  And we will see.

A Camping we will go

 So we went camping.  It is a small miracle.  We haven't been camping since Ali was 9 months old.  Greg says he can't do it because of his back, but he came home from work early wanting to go camping.  I was a little tired myself, but I thought I might not ever get the chance again,so we packed FAST! I let Ali and Shad pack themselves for the first time ever, and I made Greg pack Enoch. And then we hit the road.

 The camp site we randomly picked was awesome! Not to far away and they have a lake you can go swimming in.  We set up the tents and then took everyone for a dip in the lake.  It wasn't Glen Lake up in Michigan, but it made everyone very happy.

 We came back to hot dogs and cheese nips.  Then the kids put wood of the fire for over an hour.  This was very fun for them.  Of coarse, we had to make s'mores.

 Enoch's face after his first bite of S'more. 

 The kids climbed trees

 Chased Raccoons

 Caught Lightning bugs

Played with Flash Lights

I couldn't believe how well it went.  They all stayed up until around 10:00 which is more than 2 hours past their normal bed time.  No melt downs.  Enoch woke up in the middle of the night and moved into our tent and slept with me in my sleeping bag.  I actually slept better after that happened for some reason. 

Our camping neighbors played the worst music I ever heard.  I heard more swearing last night than I have in my whole life.... maybe times two.  They played it sooooo loud and all the way until 3 in the morning.  Some how the kids fell asleep to it like white noise. But other than that great trip!

Pizza! Just how I like it!

 Why is making pizza so fun?  I don't think I will ever know.  It is so cheap and it is a meal and an activity in one.  I love it.  We do it at least once a week.

 This time they played with the dough for over an hour--  making it different T.V. characters.

 Enoch HAS to have sausage on it or he won't eat it.

Ali with almost no cheese at all.  Just enough for "eyes" and a "smile"

"No one Likes a Frowny Face"

Today in Primary I substitute for a 5 year old class. The class was on being a peacemaker and choosing to be happy even when you don’t feel like it. Boy, I needed that lesson today. I am so upset today! My best friend from Lebanon was in the hospital the last two days with VERY low hemoglobin. And I feel so helpless and so far away. I just want to be there.  I woke up at 2:30 in the morning worried and didn't get back to sleep.

  I want to live next door and watch her four kids for her. I want to run her day care for her this week. I want to make her dinner, but I can’t do any of that. It has made me really depressed. It has made me miss Lebanon more than I ever have. And the more I think about her- the more I miss Lebanon.

  I miss our little church in Lebanon. And when an eight year old got baptized, the whole ward would be a little teary eyed. And the Branch President, and Primary President would try hard not to cry when they welcomed them into the ward - because they remembered when they were just a sunbeam and they were their teacher or when they accidentally stuck their head in a chair and all of sacrament had to stop. And everyone would remember how much they have grown. Because they used to see them at play group every week and remembered that they could never sit still during story time. I purposely don’t think about all the people I miss because it is just too sad - so sad I just can’t take it. The last few months I lived in Lebanon, I didn’t even really see or hang out with anyone because I just couldn’t do it without crying.

When you start thinking negatively, it is poisonous. Suddenly, I can be annoyed by people who are really awesome people. Little things bug the HECK out of me. Stores every where, big old sunglasses, and IPhones JUST REALLY BUG ME! And if I hear the word BYU one more time I just might go crazy.

 So I am trying really hard to follow my lesson that I gave to some five year olds today. “Blessed are the peacemakers.” I can choose to have a positive attitude. Instead of crying that I can’t help my friend, I can help someone here in West Chester. I can take a deep breath. I can pray for Terri. I can take another deep breath. And I can pray that one day I will hear the words BYU and not want to gag. J ( hey I believe in miracles - it could happen) 

Heaven

Have I mentioned lately that I love Gregory? Because I do. Ever since the move he has been extra wonderful. Not that he wasn’t wonderful before- because he was. But he has made an effort to be a better husband, father, and person and I can tell. I think he knows that the move has been hard on me, so he has decided to be Mr. Wonderful.

Like he would come home from work, and “notice” I have had a hard day. ( Him picking up on signs that I have had a hard day is a big accomplishment in and of itself ) and will take all of the children to a park. Or even when I don’t have a bad day, he will come home and play with the children. Or he does the dishes. This is amazing. It makes me so happy that at the end of the day that he would volunteer to do the dishes.

I am often very tired at the end of the day and making dinner and eating makes me even more tired. ( it is hard to feed myself and four little people) Dishes and cleaning up the kitchen is like the last stretch in the marathon race of my day. They fact that he would help me makes me happy.

I think he is genuinely happier at his new job, and he is less stressed at the end of the day. But I also think he is doing it to be nice to me - which makes me happy. 9 years ago today I met Gregory at the IU campus for EFY. It has been a great 9 years. It has also been a lot harder than I ever thought but also more rewarding than I ever thought. I don’t won’t people to think it is all peaches and cream, but I wouldn’t have it any other way. I love you Greg.