weekend

The last few days of vacation have been one thing...rainy.

Carter had his first experience in high school basketball. He had a MSU basketball weekend and really REALLY enjoyed himself.
It felt like such a quick weekend. After work on Saturday, the rest of us went up to Billings for a little bit of shopping :) It was a short trip, but fun!
Josh and Carter went back up for more ball today and the rest of us went to eat chinese for lunch with Papa, grandma Pat, Dave, Debbie, and Brandi. :) It was great to catch up.
Tomorrow, I am hoping to get a couple of the four wheelers running. The kids just love having them going.
I can't wait for actual summer weather :) It's a coming.

Life

Life is not an emergency. Life is a gift. Just.Slow.Down

3 things

Three things I love about day 3 of summer vacation

1. Sleeping in
2.Swimming at the pool
3. More friends for the kids

My little sis called me tonight and made me feel at ease. She is coming and staying the whole time I am gone and is going to help with the kids. I couldn't be more excited or thankful. I am blessed. :)

Summer Vaca..Day 2

So, I have decided already that I DO NOT like to work when the kids are out of school. By 8:3o, the time I knew they would be up...I was wanting to be home :(

This morning, Paige did another work out in the pool and took Mia...they had fun. Kain stayed home and played on the computer. Carter got up this morning and went to the gym and then hung out with Jackson until I got off of work.

After work, I grabbed Carter and the five of us headed to Cody. I had to work out and the kids were hungry, so Paige took them all to eat and to ice cream while I trained with Jess. We went to Wal-Mart and did some shopping. It was so nice to just be together...if only for a bit.

Tonight Mia was invited by Madison to go to story time at the library in her PJ's, Kain went to Dylans, Carter went to the gym, Paige went to a friends..what the heck! I made myself go the gym and now 50% of my kids are back. I don't think I will ever get used to the idea of them being gone..If I could freeze time and keep them with me, I WOULD!!!

We decided with the Thorington's kids that this was going to be the BEST SUMMER EVER! We have decided to decorate a shoe box and it is going to hold our most cherished summer memories. We decided that on every adventure we go on, we will collect one thing from that day (a rock, a treasure, anything) and we will write on the back of it so we can look back at then end of the summer and smile at all our adventures. My plan is to take pictures of all the activities and help them do an album at the end of the summer. I already failed because we went to Buffalo Bill and threw rocks in the lake, and they waded in the pond yesterday...but from now on..I am ON IT...maybe kinda sorta.

Tomorrow, I am going to try to clean my house AND do some laundry since it is slim pickings on the clothing right now! I need to finish filling out paperwork and registrations for activities (this will all happen after I sleep in-hooray for me). Hopefully we can make a few memories and maybe, if we are lucky, I will document some of it.

School is out...Vacation begins :)

No school. I get my kids back :) Hooray!!

Today was a great first day of summer vacation...what did we do?

It started last night for Paige with some work at Chinatown, followed by some sleeping in...and then some more work at the coffee hut, and then an 1.5 hour swim at the pool..not so much fun for her first day! But, she is at a friend's tonight :)

Carter spent the night at Kalei's and was up bright and early for weight training at the high school at six. He then went to Sweets to hang with Matt and Kalei..I picked him up with enough time for him to pack a new bag and he is heading to Jacksons...social butterfly!

Kain spent the night at Dylans house and we picked him up at 3 (he wouldn't go to the pool with us today) and we loaded up his bike and went to Thoringtons. He and Hartly went on a long bike ride, played in the pond, and had a blast!

Mia and I met Hartly, Addy, Austin and Lexus at the pool..they swam for FOUR hours!! I sat and worked on my overwhelming summer schedule. We then headed to Frankos for some lunch and then picked up Kain and we all headed our to Thoringtons. Mia had an awesome story about Dana going after one of the ducks who was being mean to Addy's duck..I wish I had a video because it sounded HILARIOUS. Mia and I also played an hour of Kinect :) I love these days.

I had huge stress today when I was working on the summer schedule. Four very active kids makes for a very very full summer. I think Carter has a total of seven camps and then games on top of that! It is a change this year because I am also working two mornings a week.(but better than the five or six I have been working)

I am not sure how we will get through the busy days, but I know one thing for sure...I will cherish the lazy days..the freedom..the smiles...the laughter :)

Mother/daughter campout

Who can say they actually got to stay in the Draper Museum of Natural History? Mia's girl scout troop! We got to spend an amazing night on Mother's day weekend there learning about the Plains Indians and so much more!

This is the second time the girls have been asked to be a part of something so amazing! The first time, they learned about nocturnal animals and had a live owl there! I was blessed to not only be with my most wonderful daughter, but my friends and their kids too! We laughed, we danced, we got "double dream busted", it was truly a memorable time! We had flashlight scavenger hunts, crafts, story time, games..I can't say enough about the wonderful staff and our troop!

Sweet Natalie snuggling in for the night!

Kenna Making me laugh! :)

My Sweet Hartly B.

Chilling before bed :)

The one who makes my life full of smiles, love, and joy. Darci and I were texting (nearly side by side) and laughing with joy at the memories we created with our girls, and ourselves for that matter.

vacation!!!

so, I am lying here on the bed of our vacation home in Malibu..reflecting....

1. on how wonderful my parents are to take us places, spoil us, enjoy us, laugh with us
2. on vacation mindset. I have stressed less, enjoyed more, laughed more
3. on my amazing kids. I love that they all will be in the bathroom at the same time, or huddled together on the bed watching tv with their arms around each other, or playing games with bowls and a bouncy ball...the list goes on and on
4. on my friends...they check on me, text me, tell me they miss me..makes ya feel good
5. on my sisters. I love them. Am blessed to be able to send them texts with the random things of life.
6. I WANT TO STAY HERE FOREVER.

lost__________if found please return to ME!!!

I have been missing my laptop chargers (both laptops) for TWO weeks..not one, but two..

I am missing the cable to my Cannon

I am missing the cable to my Panasonic

I am missing the 16 gb card

I am missing my two favorite tank tops that aren't made anymore by modbe

I am missing a christmas present for Jackie..it is somewhere

I am missing Mia's birth certificate

I am missing one of my favorite havaianas flip flops (just one)

I am missing my favorite pink flower for my hair

I am missing more than 50% of the makeup I buy

I am missing my favorite black tunic top..haven't worn in at least a month

I am missing 2 heat tools for card making..

I am missing...my MIND!!!


Ok, I think the point has been made. Every year I say, this is the year..the year of ME getting ORGANIZED..it NEVER happens! I don't have that gift. I lose everything. I lose my phone at least twice a day, my debit card once a week, checks I need to deposit ALL the time, clothes, stamps, everything that I touch..like magic dissapears!

If anyone..anyone has any suggestions..call me at 555-LOST..it's my hotline.

a better tomorrow.

So, it is 10:45 and I am listening to Carter get food...again. He is obviously growing and can't seem to sleep because his belly is always empty. As I sit here and think how amazing he is..I think about how UN amazing I can be.

I thought it would be easier as the kids got older. All it means is that their problems, clothes, appetite and schedules get bigger. :)

I never forget how blessed I am, but some days I need a time out..from myself~I am by no means a perfect mother and lose my cool, and in turn have to ask for forgiveness. Jamie and I always have the conversation about the refiners fire. I must need lots of refinement. Most days I pray..help me be better today than I was yesterday. Most days I nail it, other times I miss miserably and feel like an EPIC failure.

I wonder why I hang on to the failure for days?

I just hate that I get frustrated by small things when I look around and see how blessed I am to have only the challenges I have, which are minor.

I sometimes, like I said..need a time out to reflect on how blessed I am. How to laugh at the ridiculous things that happen in my house on a daily basis. My house is filled with love, LOTS of laughter, even more humor and I forget that. I get pulled down into this attitude of focusing on that "one bad thing" or that "one bad comment" someone said..Its a total waste of time. So tomorrow, I pray, I am better than today :)

Christmas Break OVER!!??!!

It just wasn't long enough. I love the time with the kids and man, were we busy this break. The bummer was that there was LOTS and LOTS of puking. We got a super bad stomach bug and everyone felt it in one way or another. We also shared with my sisters, mom, and Mia's friend Madison :(

I am immensely thankful for my family. I LOVE playing games. We are a game family. We played Catch Phrase, Trivia, Uno Attack, Farkle, Life, Loops, Headbands, Guesstures to just name a few that I think of. We also played many many games on the Kinect. The best part was having my sister home from Laramie, Mush,FINALLY getting whole family pictures, and SOCK WAR!!!

I am typing this thinking about Carter's birthday....which is today! I can't believe it. I will post separately about that AMAZING kid..but wow, he really is!! Tomorrow, just the two of us, are going to Billings. I am so excited for a day with just him. :) It doesn't happen near enough and I am happy that we are doing it :)

I am going to get pictures of our Christmas up here soon. :) Happy New Year!!!