Chores

The young adults in our home are very responsible when it comes to laundry  

Utah With Vivien and Justin

February 18, 2012

I had the opportunity to go to a sealing in SLC and decided to take Vivien and Justin for a mini-vacation.  While I was at the sealing the two of them wandered temple square and (I hope) stayed out of trouble . . . though with the two of them together there had to be some kind of mischief involved.

The sealing was beautiful!  Hollie and Grant had adopted a baby girl and she was being sealed to them.  It was endearing to watch their two little boys be so protective of their sister and seeing the family all together was a very touching experience knowing their struggles to have those three children with them.

After temple square we made our way to an underground pizza place that we had been told about.  Though the pizza wasn't that great, the graffiti was.  We had a good time getting some pictures, being silly and making memories.

We stayed at Kara's house for the weekend and on Sunday morning Justin and Vivien spent some time playing with Max and Zane.  I always love seeing my teens entertain the toddlers.

  

Valentine's Day 2012

Part of our Valentine's Day tradition is to start a week early for FHE and to have a box on the table throughout the week leading up to V-Day with envelopes that we have decorated and hearts to leave notes for each other.  The kids love reading the notes from each other and it is a good exercise for them to spend a week thinking of things that they love about each other.  We also did a heart for the Valentine's FHE with Jesus Christ as the center heart and each of us  having a piece that completed the heart around it.

We held to our 9 year tradition which did not disappoint the kids.  I love spending the hour stringing up my house with different colors of yarn to surprise each of my kids with a little their own little treasure hunt and goodie box of love.  Preparing for Valentine's Day is more fun for me that getting ready for Christmas.

It was fun to have first-timers Bret and Vivien with us for the string round up and to hear the kids enthusiastically tell of years past and how it gets more and more difficult each year.  They thought it was quite fun though Vivien was torn between trying to take pictures and winding her own string up.

It get a little tricky to follow each kid to be there for their candid smiles when they get to the end of their string with each of them ending in different spots.  I love seeing how excited they are for colorful socks, a 1x3 cube to solve, red sweets and a card.  I'm not sure if they loves the strings or the goodies more.

I didn't want to leave Levi out on Valentine's Day and I did offer to run a string from our house to his apartment (which he almost took me up on and I TOTALLY would have done - I'm that crazy) but instead I just took a Valentine box over to him.  He had texted me earlier in that week wondering if I was making lasagna any time soon, which I took as a hint that he was hungry and wanted real food.  This box didn't give him home cooked food but knowing that he was shy on groceries and this would be a step up from Raman I figured he wouldn't complain.  As he took everything out and layed it on his table I swear he almost started to drool.  He was thrilled and his roommates were convinced that it was the coolest Valentine gift ever.

My gift for LeRoy went along with a little joke that has been going on between us for the last 18 years.  When LeRoy started working as an electrician and taking lunches every day he became a little addicted to Little Debbie treats (they make me want to gag but they are cheap and he loves them so I won't tell him that).  When he started to complain about putting on a few pounds I teased him that his constant affair with Little Debbie was what was doing him in.  It hasn't stopped him all these years (and pounds) later.  Even the kids know about his "affair" and will tease him.

When I saw these pillow cases I read them a little differently than most people might.  I didn't get them to make sure that he knew that I am always right but rather that he would have an every day reminder that even though he still fosters his daily affair with Debbie that I am always his Mrs. Right.  He laughed and laughed, took pictures with his phone and laughed some more. Now he occasionally calls me Mrs. Always Right and he puffs his chest out just a little when I call him Mr. Right.

Justin's 13th Birthday

February 9, 2012

Justin's Epic Ninja Birthday was a hit from the moment he entered the door and saw his decorations.  He did a ninja kick and Hi-Ya for us to show his enthusiasm and couldn't stop repeating "this is so cool!"  The only tragedy to follow his party was found five days later when I pulled out the camera to photograph Valentine's Day and found that all of my camera settings were different and all of the pictures from Justin's party had been deleted.  We won't blame anyone because we wouldn't want Hyrum to carry that burden for his whole life.  Luckily, Vivien took a few pictures of the party.  The fifteen or so pictures that she took do very well to fill in the gap of fifty or so pictures that were lost in some digital black hole.

The epic ninja soda and rice krispie sushi with a side kick of wasabi (shelled pistacios) were the visual main attractions of our themed meal but Justin's all time favorite fried rice and soy sauce kebobs gave us some substance to bellies.

We had everyone wear black shirts and I had made monogrammed headbands using left over flannel from pajamas that I had made for Levi several years ago.  I've never seen my boys so thrilled about such a simple get-up.  My plan was to get a family picture with everyone.  We moved the table out of the way, all had our black shirts and headbands and Vivien (exchange student) and Bret (Erika's fiance) were with us to give us our most current family picture.  Unfortunately, those pictures did not survive the delete button and what we have left are a few shots of the boys trying out their chop sticks while I set up the tripod and got the camera ready - which Vivien took pictures of.  Again, I'm glad we have what we have.

It was fun to do a simple cake with real throwing stars.  It was simple but fit the occasion and Justin loved it. 

That night Justin, Derek and Vivien hung the pull-up bar that we gave him for his birthday.  The next morning there were many sore arms from the competitions that went well into the night.

Put Your Shoulder to the Wheel

March 29, 2012

I did my best to shoulder all that needed to be done but now I'm left with a useless limb and regret for pushing it to that point.

My right shoulder has been bothering me for about 3 weeks now but this week (after mixing 3 batches of jam, cleaning out the garage, moving some furniture around and doing yard work) I have lost nearly all use of my right arm. It was pretty stable at the annoying pain level with the majority of the pain focused only on the top of my shoulder and only when I raised it to chest height or was lifting/pushing something. Now it has graduated to full muscle weakness with very limited range of motion, tingling and stabbing pain down my bicep, and shooting pain heading into my neck and down the back of my shoulder. I decided I better quit ignoring the increasing pain and have it looked at.

Dr. Diagnosis: a “Grade II Strain” or in other words “a partial tear in the muscle or tendon of the supraspinatus" (one of the rotator cuff muscles). I have 1-2 weeks of physical therapy and then gradual recovery and increased range of motion.

My conclusion: physical therapy is PAINFUL!

Day 1 of PT: I wish I could say it feels better but I just want to strap this tingly, throbbing, heavy limb to my torso and perfect my left hand skills. I still need to use it on a “very limited” level to prevent my muscles from becoming stiff so it's taped up for a little support but no sling or brace is involved. There is no visual sign of an injury except for the constant cringing when I try to do anything. My 32 oz. water bottle weighs too much, raising my forearm above 90 degrees is too far and changing shirts is probably going to be impossible. Doing my hair is out of the question unless I figure out how to do it all left handed/one handed. I wonder if the PT will notice if I wear the same shirt or don't do my hair for the next two weeks.

At this point any movement leaves me fighting back tears. I've tried reading but I keep falling asleep. Now I have my arm rested on my laptop and have found that using only my fingers is pretty close to pain free and I have to admit that I'm not all that bad at running the mouse pad with my left hand. I’m not good for much else today.

I'm really, really, really hoping tomorrow is a little (or dare I hope for a lot) better.

March 11, 2012

I have struggled the last few days. My kids aren't bad, they are actually really great, I'm just low on patience and a bit grumpy.

Today in Primary, I had an experience that reminded me of one of the basics that I had let fall from my routine.

During sharing time we listened to short conference spots (stories) from the three members of the first presidency (Presidents Monson, Eyring, Uchtdorf). Just hearing their voices calmed me down. I could feel my squinted eyes and face relax, my shoulders and neck released the tension and I felt like I was breathing again. In just a matter of minutes I felt completely different inside. The grumpy was replaced with gratitude.

When I had a few minutes to myself to think about the experience, I realized that it has been almost 2 weeks since I have listened to a conference talk. I had been in the habit of listening to a talk each morning on my Ipod while making breakfast and everyone else was sleeping but when Derek, Vivien and I started running in the mornings and I was making breakfast with them in the kitchen, I got out of the habit of doing it.

Life and Laziness. That's all I can blame it on.

I really believe that listening daily to the words of the prophets helps me to focus and stay in tune with the spirit when dealing with all the mothering responsibilities and decisions I face every day. I absolutely love being a mother. No Buts About It. However, (not but) it is really hard on me emotionally. I always handle all that emotional mumbo jumbo better when I am on course spiritually.

I look forward to General Conference coming up in a few weeks. It always leaves me feeling loved and motivated with a boost to each {spiritual} step I take and the daily decisions I make.

Nathan Faith

February 2012

It seems like Nathan gives a primary talk at least once a month. He also frequently gives the article of faith during primary because he volunteers to do it for those who are missing. Memorizing comes easy to him and he grasps onto gospel principles so quickly. Though he is a child of great faith he still occasionally struggles with the extreme shyness that we saw in his first three years. Each time he has a talk we make it a point to get to church early so that he can practice in the primary room.

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Levi got his hair cut. It has been long for almost 2 years now and he did it short. Mostly because the girl he likes wanted to do it short and was the one cutting it. He was shy about it when he came out and I'm not sure he quite likes it yet but I love being able to see his eyes again.

After he got in the car and Nathan, Hyrum and I all complimented him on how great it looked, Nathan said to him, "are you going to start choosing the right and repent now?" Levi chuckled and replied, "maybe buddy". I love that about Levi. He may not have any intention on changing anything besides the hair but he doesn't argue with his little brothers over comments like this, he even encourages them in a way. He also didn't have his earrings in when he got in the car. Seeing his earrings was one of the reasons that I was nervous about the short hair. They just really don't seem to work on Levi. But, he didn't have them in when his little brothers saw him. He is very open about his opinions and choices but he is careful about what his youngest brothers see and hear from him. I appreciate that.

We drove Levi home and dropped him off. As he walked towards his building he turned around to wave again. I think he could feel me watching him. He is so good looking, so good hearted, so kind. His smile and eyes melt my motherly heart. I couldn't help but watch him for just a few minutes longer. He grinned in that knowing my-mommy-loves-me-way, waved again and walked in the door. As we drove off Nathan stated "I think our prayers are working, mom".

Nathan never forgets to pray for Levi. He uses his own phrases and changes them up frequently. Some of his latest prayers for Levi include, "that will find good friends; that he will make good choices; that he will remember that Jesus loves him; that he will remember that he is a child of God."

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We were doing a family home evening lesson on choices and the consequences that come from those choices - for good or bad. We were also briefly covering the atonement and how that helps us to correct wrong choices. After explaining the atonement in the simplest terms I could Nathan said, "it's just like Mrs. Parker says, do it nice or do it twice."
~Mrs. Parker is his Kindergarten teacher

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The little boys having a particularly hard time with each other one morning. I don't like you anymore, you're mean, you're not my friend anymore, go away . . . all the theme of their conversations. After trying to remind them about feelings, being like Jesus, choosing the right and finally leaving them to fight it out while I put some laundry in, Nathan came to me. He calmly stated that he had told Hyrum he still loves him even though he is being mean. He then asked me, "do you know why I did that?" Why? "Because of this" and he held up his middle finger. After a brief moment of shock wondering why my five year old was flipping me off, I realized that he was showing me his CTR ring. We hugged, I thanked him for choosing the right and told him I was sure Heavenly Father and Jesus were proud of him. He then looked at me very seriously and said, "we need to get Hyrum a CTR ring."

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After a brief boring spell following weekly parties at our house for some kind of holiday or birthday or social thing, Nathan seemed to be looking for a reason to party. Or so I thought. He asked when Harrison's birthday is. We looked it up from his kitten immunizations and figured out that he was born sometime in the first week of June. I thought he would be disappointed that we still wouldn't be having a party that week but I was put in my place when he declared with big eyes, "we need to plan his baptism." Nathan knows that Harrison is two years older than he is, which would mean our cat will be eight this year. I never imagined that I would need to teach a child why we don't baptize animals. His new eternal goal is to live with Heavenly Father and Harrison.

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During testimony meeting Nathan leaned over to inform me that he was going next. I've learned to never doubt his courage when it shows up but sometimes it does catch me off guard. When the person speaking finished, Nathan stood up and crossed in front of me only to turn around and sit down again. He looked up with pleading eyes. I asked him if he wanted me to go with him but reminded him that I wouldn't tell him what to say, I would just stand by him. He shook his head no, stating again that he would go up next. He really tried. I could almost see his giant spirit willing his nervous, socially quiet body to do it. After three attempts he finally whispered to me, "can I just tell my testimony to you?" So that week he did share his testimony. It was not the typical memorized child testimony that we hear so often but a few thoughts from Nathan on what he believes is right and true and what is important to him.

I am so blessed to know this amazing, wonderful son of God.

Favorites from Kahlil Gibran

On Children

Your children are not your children.
They are the sons and daughters of Life's longing for itself.
They come through you but not from you,
And though they are with you yet they belong not to you.

You may give them your love but not your thoughts,
For they have their own thoughts.
You may house their bodies but not their souls,
For their souls dwell in the house of tomorrow,
which you cannot visit, not even in your dreams.
You may strive to be like them,
but seek not to make them like you.
For life goes not backward nor tarries with yesterday.

You are the bows from which your children
as living arrows are sent forth.
The archer sees the mark upon the path of the infinite,
and He bends you with His might
that His arrows may go swift and far.
Let your bending in the archer's hand be for gladness;
For even as He loves the arrow that flies,
so He loves also the bow that is stable.

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On Pain

Your pain is the breaking of the shell that encloses your understanding.
Even as the stone of the fruit must break, that its heart may stand in the sun, so must you know pain.
And could you keep your heart in wonder at the daily miracles of your life, your pain would not seem less wondrous than your joy;
And you would accept the seasons of your heart, even as you have always accepted the seasons that pass over your fields.
And you would watch with serenity through the winters of your grief.


Much of your pain is self-chosen.
It is the bitter potion by which the physician within you heals your sick self.
Therefore trust the physician, and drink his remedy in silence and tranquillity:
For his hand, though heavy and hard, is guided by the tender hand of the Unseen,
And the cup he brings, though it burn your lips, has been fashioned of the clay which the Potter has moistened with His own sacred tears.

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On Joy and Sorrow

Your joy is your sorrow unmasked.
And the selfsame well from which your laughter rises was oftentimes filled with your tears.
And how else can it be?
The deeper that sorrow carves into your being, the more joy you can contain.
Is not the cup that holds your wine the very cup that was burned in the potter's oven?
And is not the lute that soothes your spirit, the very wood that was hollowed with knives?
When you are joyous, look deep into your heart and you shall find it is only that which has given you sorrow that is giving you joy.
When you are sorrowful look again in your heart, and you shall see that in truth you are weeping for that which has been your delight.

Some of you say, "Joy is greater than sorrow," and others say, "Nay, sorrow is the greater."
But I say unto you, they are inseparable.
Together they come, and when one sits, alone with you at your board, remember that the other is asleep upon your bed.

Verily you are suspended like scales between your sorrow and your joy.
Only when you are empty are you at standstill and balanced.
When the treasure-keeper lifts you to weigh his gold and his silver, needs must your joy or your sorrow rise or fall.

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Love that is washed by tears will remain eternally pure and faithful.

Winter Craziness

Vivien and Justin think that snow on the trampoline is an invitation to jump at night in shorts. To Derek snow means a warm coat, boots and to find a place to stay dry. Nathan and Hyrum go all out with boots, snow pants, coats, gloves and hats as they explore every foot of our newly covered yard.

Usual night time silliness with Vivien and Justin

This is how my kids go to the grocery store on a snowy evening: dressed for bed, dressed for summer and dressed for winter conditions.

Nathan and Hyrum love the Slovak shirts that Vivien brought for us. Hyrum swaggers around the house like a rapper calling out mačka (ma-tch-ka) as he looks for the cat.

A friend of Erika's left a huge roll of wrapping plastic at our house because he didn't want it. All it took was a late night of boredom and they found something to do with it.

Derek was a little hesitant to help Erika tie on her mermaid bra but he did it anyway. She couldn't walk on her footed fin so Derek threw her over his shoulder and carried her in to show us. Then he had to pull out his pocketknife to cut if off of her. When she held it up it looked like a dress so she put that on too.

And then Derek took a turn. . . minus the bra

Erika is usually with Bret but when she and Vivien do hang out it is pure craziness. Pudding through a straw is so much better!

While we hide from the wind and cold as winter drags on, the atmosphere in our home can range anywhere from quiet and calm to just plain crazy. No matter the mood there is always plenty of love and laughter to go around; someone to play games with; pictures to color; stories to be read; and music to be danced to.

Happy Hyrum

June 2011

Hyrum's imagination is a beautiful thing. He can take ordinary items and create a fun-loving world around him. He isn't attached to any specific stuffed animal or blanket or book. He loves them all.

Today he happened to be attached to Erika's tiger and Nathan's cowboy hat - which he informed us is a police hat when turned sideways. He rode his "pet tiger" all over the house, squealing like a siren, while capturing the imaginary bad guys.

One afternoon I found Hyrum climbing in my bathroom closet looking for band aids. I wanted him to show me where he was hurt but he was very shy and determined to do it on his own. After many failed attempts (band aids and wrappers left all over my bathroom) he came to me with 2 new band aids and his shirt off. When I asked him where he wanted them he gave me a "duh" look and pointed to his nipples. I did my best to hold back hysterical laughter and simply asked him what happened. "That's where Derek shot me. Fix it afore I die." He didn't take those band aids off until the next morning when he was sure he was all better.

During battle Hyrum is always good to bring his victims back to life. After watching the first Narnia movie at least a hundred times, he picked up on Lucy's ability to do 2 drops of her special oil to save a life. Now, in his own battles he will take out the other person and then bend over them and while pretending to pour something over them will say "drip drop". That's his cue that you are alive again and he's ready to come after you again.

Our carpet is frequently "hot lava" and to get from room to room without falling in the hot lava Hyrum likes to make paths of books, couch cushions, towels, clothes and blankets. And he always counts them as he hops along his safe path. I realized one day he could count to 27 only missing 2 numbers. That's how many items he had on his path.

While I play taxi around town I occasionally listen to conference talks on my ipod. Elder Russell M. Nelson was speaking on one such occasion. "That's Jesus talking", stated Hyrum. I told him it was one of Jesus' apostles and he insisted, "no, it's Jesus". I didn't want to correct him further and ruin whatever moment he was having so we listened in silence. When we got to our destination, before the talk was over, I attempted to get him out of his carseat and noticed that he gazing off as if in deep thought. I asked him if he was okay and in a longing voice he replied, "I miss Jesus 'cause he loves me."