Fun Minus One

Well - our first week minus Eileen went smoothly.  We got to hear from her a couple times and got some emails and pictures from Grandpa and all seems to be going well.  They have gone out for baked potatoes at our favorite baked potato bar in Edinburgh and have gone to the zoo and Eileen is eagerly looking forward to a trip to London tomorrow.  She has decided that she's not a big fan of plane travel since it involves a lot of waiting, but otherwise, they seem to be having such a great time that they don't have time for more than 2 line emails.... 

Back at home we are keeping busy - we are still getting rain most nights - but we are getting sunny days to be outside and enjoy!  It's been getting up to the 80's and my kids are whining about it being HOT!.  LOL - just wait until they get to Texas - even with all their torrential down pours they are up near 90.  I think the kids are really just looking for an excuse to play in the water and eat popsicles.... 

We got some work books for the kids to help keep their brains working this summer.  The kids have been loving them!  They want to work in them and even James has been wanting to do them - I just think he looks so cute sitting there concentrating so hard and working in his book!  He's really doing well too - I think preschool is going to be good for him next year!

Thursday, we went out to Stephanie's new house for piano lessons - the kids of course loved getting to hang out with Rose and play.

Friday, the kids finally managed to get things done and cleaned up, so we went to the zoo and met up with some friends.  The kids had fun and we ended up doing different stuff than we usually do - so that was fun.  We happened to be walking by the show area right before a show was starting so we went in to watch - and the kids had lots of fun - and Anna even got picked to go up on stage and be a helper - she LOVED that.  

Apparently I tired them out good - since this is what the back seat looked like when we got home.  But my day wasn't close to over!  After this - I got dressed and ready for the Chorale's concert - I brought Anna with me - she is so cute!  Then after, I took Anna home and headed over to the church for a Graduation party - I came in time to have a little cake and play some volleyball (and realize that I'm out of practice and out of shape....) and then head home and to bed

Saturday we spent a nice day enjoying the nice weather.  We walked over to a nearby pond, and played outside.  Then I spent the afternoon in my craft room getting some stuff done for the kids.

The kids have been having fun doing their summer fun books again - we are looking forward to lots of fun this summer too!

Today was great!  I didn't have to carry James out of Sacrament meeting and the Ward Choir did a great job on the musical number today.  We had some great lessons in Sunday School and during 3rd hour.  We really have a great ward!

Ugh - Can't think of a title that covers everything....

It's been an insane week.  The kids had Monday off of school (not sure why...) so we had fun at home playing and cleaning!  yey!  Then the kids had school on Tuesday and Wednesday and they were done with school for this school year!  We went by and hung out with Heather for a little bit to keep her company on Monday.  Monday night, while I was heading to the grocery store, I got a call from Heather needing a ride to the ER.  I took a detour, got her settled, went and got the groceries, cooked Dan's birthday cake (an angel food cake made entirely with eggs from our chickens) then managed to get a couple hours of sleep before i had to go drive Heather home from the hospital, then i got a couple more hours before I had to get up and take care of kids.  After the older kids got off to school, James and I went down and cuddled up on Daddy's recliner and he watched "Wild Krats" while I napped a bit more.  

Tuesday was Dan's birthday and Evie's Kindergarten graduation party.  We ate a quick dinner after Dan got home from work, then headed out to the kindergarten celebration.  It was pretty cute - the kids did lots of singing and dancing and they managed to get through the "handing out certificates" part of the celebration quickly.  Evie was so cute - she just LOVES being on stage and being at the center of attention!  Then we headed home for Cake and presents with Daddy.  

Wednesday, was the kids last day of school.  James and I still did out library trip in the morning with Nicole and Riley and Tayanna - then headed home (with a big stack of books to try and get the kids through this weekend...)  for lunch.  Then we headed to the school to pick the kids up from their last day of school.  Weather this week has been chilly and drizzly all week - but it was clear enough that afternoon for the kids to want to do our usual "last fling" get together at the park after school.  We only ended up staying for an hour - then we got too cold and went home.  

Thursday, I watched a couple kids for a friend of mine.  They were very well behaved polite kids and the kids all had fun together.  They played outside, played some Skylanders, played with the chickens, and played with toys.  We had fun together and the kids were great.  They went home after lunch, then in the afternoon, we had piano lessons so Rose was over playing with us too.  The kids mostly played outside since the weather had cleared up again.  I spent a lot of time Thursday doing yard work.  In the morning, the kids helped me as I put down some grass seed and then put peat moss down over it.  Then after lunch, I put down the weed and feed and during piano lessons, I mowed the lawn (having realized that by the next time I had a chance to mow - it would be way overdue for a cut.) 

Dan took Friday off work.  We spent the day getting ready for our camp out and getting Eileen ready for her trip with Grandpa.  We got everything packed up and headed for the campground around 2 ish.  Weather was chilly and a bit rainy, but we still all managed to have a blast.  Dan and I did a bit better preparing for it this time and had a heater for our tent to keep us warmer at night - now we just need to get some better sleeping bags for the kids - Dan and I still ended up with Evie and James sharing sleeping bags with us.  The kids had a ton of fun playing with friends and singing and collecting sticks and roasting marshmellows.  

Some of the older kids (including Eileen and Anna) built this "cabin" - They were so excited about it, and I think it really came out cute!

After we got back from the camp out, We headed home, cleaned up, ate lunch and played, then picked Grandpa up from the airport.  Grandpa stayed the night with us.  He went to church with us in the morning (and was lucky enough to get to hear the kids 'finally' do their Mother's day musical number and to hear me give a talk - which I found out about at 7:00 am this morning.)   Then after church, he took the kids home to get them lunch while I led choir rehearsal.  Then Dan and I headed home and got all the final bits ready for Eileen's trip.  She grabbed her stuff and we took her and Grandpa to the airport.  I can't believe my big girl is going to be gone for 2 whole weeks!  I know she is going to have a GREAT time, but I am going to miss her.  She made the first leg of her trip safely (back to Texas with Grandpa) but was underwhelmed with the overcrowded dinky little plane for this part - hopefully she will like the next part better :) Tomorrow she leaves for England and then a layover before heading up to Scotland!  

Go away

Ok  now I'm ready to say it - I'm ready for some sunshine - it's been a bit drizzly and rainy all week.... again....  Thankfully, the rain wasn't constant and we were able to take advantage of what sunshine we did get!

The week started off normal enough - school is almost out and the kids are getting antsy and I'm pretty sure they aren't doing much at school right now anyway.  Monday was laundry and grocery shopping and hanging out with James.

Tuesday, James and I headed to Costco to stock up for Dan's birthday party this weekend, plus a quick stock at Wal-mart to refill prescriptions.

Wednesday was library day for James and I.  Nicole and family couldn't make it - poor Tayanna was sick.  :(  But James and I had a good time (after he got past being grumpy that Riley and Tayanna couldn't come with us.)  That little boy LOVES being read to!  Dan had to leave town on Wednesday, but he left early that morning, went to a meeting in TX and got home before I was home from choir.  So it wasn't too bad.

Thursday was piano lessons for the older kids.  Our piano teacher brings her daughter (who's just a little younger than Evie) with her when she comes and the kids love playing with her.  It's sweet because she loves coming too - she cried when she had to leave and she calls the kids her brothers and sisters.  :)  Thursday night, we put James to bed a little early (he was cranky) and let the older kids pain their bird houses - they had so much fun and they came out beautiful!  Dan put them up on the fence in our back yard and they look beautiful!  We've also got birds in the same old nests as last year.   I also spent Thursday afternoon working in the yard - mowing the lawn and making it look decent - I really should have mowed it earlier in the week - but it was so rainy, I didn't attempt it - but by Thursday it was really long!

Friday was field day for the kids - they were SO excited!  Thankfully the rain held off in the morning and they got to enjoy most of field day.  After school, mommy turned into a mean task master.  The kids and I worked hard all afternoon and managed to get the house clean - kitchen swept, mopped, and counters cleaned off, and all the upstairs carpeted areas cleaned and vacuumed.  Bedrooms cleaned and vacuumed and by that evening, the bathrooms and playroom were done too - the kids probably hated me by the end of the day - but the house looked WONDERFUL and Dan got a nice coming home from work birthday surprise!

The kids love too let the chickens run around in the yard, and the chickens are generally very tolerant of our kids - in fact one of them lets Eileen push her around in this old metal stroller - it's so funny to watch - but she really seems to have a magical way with animals.

So the house cleaning on Friday was mostly so we could have a birthday party for Dan on Saturday!  But first, Aaron had a play date in the morning with a good friend who's family is moving, Eileen had flute lessons and of course, we had to get food ready and set out.

The party was wonderful - the rain held off just long enough for us to have a blast hanging out with good friends in the back yard!  Dan and I ate so much that neither one of us was hungry enough to eat any dinner....

After the party, Dan hung out with the kids so I could go to the temple.  A friend from the Peoria ward and from the Chorale was going through the temple before leaving on his mission and invited us to come - but we didn't have a baby sitter, so Dan watched the kids so I could go.  It was wonderful to be at the temple, wonderful to watch this amazing young man make wonderful choices and watching how happy his parents were to be there with him, plus I got to chat with lots of other friends that were there too.  I got home in time to put the kids to bed and get a little work done before I crashed!  

Today was wonderful.  James has been rather cranky the last few Sundays - so we have decided that next week we are going to try getting him to bed earlier and hope that will help things.  Sunday School was awesome - these kids are just so amazing.  I'm amazed at how smart and insightful they are.  I learn from them every week!  After church, Eileen and I sat down to make a packing list - it' shard to believe that by this time next week, Eileen will be off with Grandpa on the adventure of a lifetime!  We then spent the afternoon and evening playing games together - it's one of our favorite Sunday activities and all the kids love it - the hard part is sticking to games that won't be destroyed when James comes over and wants to join the fun... 

Rain Rain....

Well - I won't say "go away" because we need the water, but I'm really ready for my kids to be able to play outside with out tracking in TONS of mud and dirt....

The kids are counting down days until school is out.  They have had little to no homework this week which has been nice because it means they can spend more time playing!  As long as the rain was minimal or paused, they were outside having fun - but we all would have preferred a bit more afternoon sunshine :)

Tuesday evening, Dan had a meeting and was at the church until late - but the day was otherwise normal. Wednesday was the library for James and I.  He's finally starting to get to the point where he participates in story time - it's so cute to watch and listen to him sing along.  He even goes and sits with the other kids sometimes :)  Then choir in the evening for me.

Thursday was piano lessons in the afternoon.  I did some yard work (mostly pruning bushes back)  and the kids had fun playing outside until the rain started up again (the had lots of fun playing with the branches I had clipped off. Then in the evening, I went to the Stake Girls Camp meeting.

Thursday and Friday were "Immersion" days at school.  The school does 2 days near the end of the school year where they do a special subjects and the kids can sign up for the subjects that interest them.  (For example, Aaron and Evie both signed up for an outer space themed immersion class,  Eileen signed up for an animal themed immersion... etc.)  They kids LOVE these days.  They had been looking forward to them all year.

Saturday was busy busy busy!  Dan went out shooting with Frankie in the morning, Aaron had a birthday party he went to at noon.  We went to a graduation party for one of the girls in our ward.  Then we headed home to clean up a bit while Dan got a few groceries.  We had some friends over for dinner and games.  It was a lot of fun - they are a great couple, we played a couple games with Eileen, then put the kids to bed and played a couple more.

Today was Mother's Day.  I am so blessed by the wonderful examples of motherhood in my life - if I am at all a decent mother - it is because of them and their examples!  Today was wonderful.  Dan always makes sure that it is.  He's such a wonderful husband!  When we went to bed last night, it was snowing hard.  When we got up this morning, we found 8 - 10" on the ground.  Church was cancelled because they couldn't get the church parking lot and sidewalks cleared.  I missed getting to hear the kids singing on Mother's Day, and I missed getting to teach my lesson and going to Relief Society, but it was nice to get to take a nice long nap in the morning.  Dan made heart shaped biscuits for breakfast, then we had our own little church meeting - Eileen gave a lesson, Eileen conducted the music, Evie bore her testimony and Aaron picked songs and gave a prayer.  It was really sweet!  Then Dan took the kids outside and let me nap.  Then we all ate lunch and switched places - I took the kids downstairs and we played games while Dan took a nap.  In the evening we made a yummy dinner using the eggs from our chickens.  It was exciting!

We asked the kids to clean up and said that if they did, we could do something fun.  Well - only Anna was cleaning up - despite many requests that the others help - so we told them that they had lost the privilege. So we read scriptures then put the kids to bed - all except Anna who got to stay up and make ice cream with Daddy and play a game with mommy and daddy. Evie was VERY mad at us - she had a hard time understanding that disobedience brings consequences.  :(

Sprinklers!

This has been a crazy busy exhausting week - but fun!  Monday morning, Dan's parents arrived.  James and I went to pick them up from the airport.  We had to circle a couple times and each time we passed the big, blue bronco, James would yell "EWWWWW mommy, he's pooping on us!!"  Anyway, we got Grandma and Grandpa and headed home to work on laundry and get them settled in.  Dan came home a bit early and he and Gene went to work!   James and I took them out to show them the chickens and they noticed that they chickens had laid their first egg!  We made brownies with it :) 

Tuesday morning, bright and early, I had a chorale thing - I went, sang and then headed home just in time to make it to Aaron's field trip!   James stayed with Grandma and Grandpa and I met up with Aaron and his class at the Denver Zoo.  We had a great time - I loved getting to have some time with only Aaron.  We had fun hanging with the other kids and parents and checking out the animals.  Aaron loved getting to feed this little bird who just loved him - the bird was so happy to just hang out with Aaron and eat his food - and ate the whole cup of food on it's own.  After, Aaron and I headed home.  

Gene and Dan were busy most of the week digging holes, and trenches, laying pipe and getting our sprinklers in.  Connecting to the water meant digging a 5' deep hole in the front yard.  Then after getting it all set up, filling in the holes and trenches and getting it to work.

The older kids were in school during the day - but James was a super duper helper.  Ann and I helped the guys when they needed it and pruned plants when they didn't need us.  James loved helping us pick up plant clippings, fill in holes and dig in the dirt.  The chickens loved all the worms we dug up for them.  The kids have been having a blast letting the chickens out to run around the back yard and scratch up dirt.  

Eileen just seems to have a magic touch with animals - including our chickens.

 We finally managed to get everything done (sprinkler wise) before Gene and Ann left on Friday morning, but I think all 4 of us were glad it was done - we were all exhausted!  Dan and I felt a bit pathetic that we were hardly able to keep up with to (almost) 70 year olds - but we had a good time - now we just need to find time to recover...

Saturday was not a recovery day though.  Dan and I still had some yard work that needed doing - I hadn't really been able to mow the lawn all week with trenches running across it, so by Saturday it was in desperate need.  The afternoon  was Saturday cleaning and in the evening, we had Mallory come babysit the kids, and Dan and I went out to dinner with some of the guys from Dan's work, and the (almost) fiancee of one.  We went to a neat little Korean BBQ place in Denver, then came back to our house for a game of Settlers of Catan.

Church was wonderful as usual - the kids not a much so as usual - Eileen wasn't her usual self - found out later that she wasn't feeling well - and we gave her some Tylenol and sent her to bed.  James really isn't a morning person and he didn't like getting woken up at 7 am - and was grumpy all morning - but then we had a nice afternoon nap.  Eileen went over to Heather's house to teach her to crochet and had fun - then a yummy dinner of waffles made with our own eggs collected this week!