The Sweetest Thing...

Today I decided to get my hair cut. Not trimmed, cut. I think she took off about 8 inches. I'd post a picture but my laptop is not working so I can't down load pictures. Shucks, right?! Anyways, she didn't cut it like I wanted her to and I had to keep telling her to go shorter but she was afraid. After several tries I just let it go. It's just hair, right? It looks fine but I'm not sure it's my favorite. This afternoon I had to pick up the kids from school. They all noticed straight away that my hair had been cut and they all told me it looked nice and I appreciated that! I have one child that is very sensitive and sweet. He always notices things and he is always complimenting me, leaving me notes on my pillow and coloring pictures for me. I love it! It totally makes my day! Today when he saw my hair he came up beside me as we walked to the car, grabbed my hand and with the sweetest smile on his face told me that he loved my new hair and that I was really pretty :) then he held my hand all the way to the car. Doesn't that just melt your heart? It did mine! I love that little boy. He really is the sweetest thing ever and he totally made my week!

Overload!!

I have been second guessed, doubted, questioned and told to suck it up and get over it. Well, I don't appreciate it! First of all, Michael and I will do what is best for our family! Meaning me, him and our children! We are capable parents with the ability to make decisions! We won't do anything for selfish reasons. We won't make any rash decisions! We will make our decision through study, prayer and discussion. I would like credit for the ability to be a parent! Sorry, just had to get that off my chest! I would like for any one who thinks that I am a wimp or a baby or a whiner to do what I am doing! I would like for them to take their six kids, the oldest being 11, and raise them while their father is off working for two thirds of the year. I would like for them to try to console a crying four year old at night as she goes to bed missing her Daddy. I would like for them to hold their 11 year old daughter as she sobs because it is hard when Daddy's gone and listen as she tells you that she cries herself to sleep at night because she misses him. I would like for you to deal with an 8 year old son who acts out because of all the changes that are involved with daddy being gone for two weeks at a time. I would like for you to talk to your 7 year old son, who didn't even cry with a broken nose, as he sits behind the couch with tears rolling down his face because he misses daddy. I would like for you to spend your days running children all over the place trying to be at everything for everyone even though it is impossible. I would like for you to see your 10 year old daughter's face when she finds out that daddy won't be there to see her in her first play. I would like for you to spray daddy's cologne on your 6 year olds favorite stuffed animal so he doesn't miss daddy so much at nights. I would like for you to be everything and do everything for everyone all the while trying to cope with the fact that you are alone. There is no one to help. No one to takeover when you are tired or sick. No one to help when a child is out of control. No one to take the pressure off when things are hard. No one to share the happy things and triumphs with. No one to fix the bathtub or the computer. Youngo to bed alone at night and you wake up alone in the morning. That's what I go through two out of every three weeks. And I'm a wimp? Because I express my dislike for the situation I need to suck it up? I normally just keep things to myself. I don't like confrontation or negative things. I just keep it to myself and go on with life. This time, however, I just want to say - if this is what you think of me YOU DON'T HAVE A CLUE!!! And I want to say one other thing. Money, as necessary as it is, is not worth this! I would rather be dirt poor and have my husband home with his family than to have the money that he makes being away. My children feel the same way. They have told me and from the tears that they have shed, I believe them 100%. I am on overload right now and not just because of the added responsibilities that I have while Michael is gone. But because of the lack of understanding and caring from those who should be doing both.

Wacky Wednesday

Olivia's preschool class is doing a theme week.  Yesterday was red, white and blue day. Today was Wacky Wednesday.  They got to dress up in wacky clothes and have wacky hair.  Olivia had a great time picking out clothes that didn't match and putting her hair in 8 different piggy tails.  The other kids got to do this earlier this year so she thinks it's pretty cool that she gets to do it now.  Here is our Wacky Lollipop!

Pretty crazy huh!?

Bathtub Troubles

Last night I told Zeke to go take a shower.  He came out later and said that the water wouldn't go out of the tub.  I went in and tried to drain it and it wouldn't drain.  I tried plunging it and that didn't work. The other kids had to take sponge baths from the sink :) After the kids went to bed I messed with the plug.  It didn't feel broken so I figured we had a clog of some sort.  I tried baking soda and vinegar down the drain - nothing.  Boiling water - nothing.  This morning the water was still standing in it. I had a feeling I should try to take the plug out. I tried to but could only get one screw to come out so I abandoned that and bought draino at the store - nothing.  I bought a little pipe thing that I could stick down the drain to pull the clog out.  I couldn't get it to go down.  I knew then that it was the plug that was broken.  I got a bigger screwdriver (the bigger the better right?) and finally got the other screw out.  It was indeed broken.  I pulled out all the pieces and down went the water!  Yay!  Now the tub is all cleaned and ready for kids to shower.  Hurray for clean kids and clean tubs!

Don't judge me by the stains in my tub - it's old but it's clean.  Judge me by the fact that there is no water standing in it!!

A Bag of Rocks and a Visit to the ER

Last night I had to take Zeke to the ER.  The glands on his neck were really swollen and kept getting worse.  The swelling had gone up to his ears, around the back of his neck and the front.  I was worried about breathing issues if the swelling was on the inside too and his neck hurt to move in any direction.  Michael had already left for his flight to North Dakota so I had my brother Jon come over to watch the other kids while I took Zeke.  Zeke loves rocks.  Jon had been looking for Zeke something for his birthday for two months and he finally found some rocks!  When I brought him over last night he gave Zeke a bag of shiny rocks.  Zeke was so excited!

We took the bag with us to the emergency room so he could look at them all while we waited.  They did another strep test on him and found out that it had indeed come back.  They gave him a dose of steroids to help with the swelling and got him on some more antibiotics.  This morning he is doing much better.  He can move his head and neck without it hurting and the swelling has started to go down.  Hopefully this will be the end of it and no one else will get it!

Leprechauns, Cheese Curds, and Corn Dogs

This weekend we made a quick trip to Idaho to visit Michael's family.  The weather was yucky but we still had fun.  Saturday morning the kids woke up to a table full of prizes left by the leprechauns.

Joyce gave me a shamrock plant that I love!  I saw those all over the place in Ireland.  I've been home for 14 years and I haven't seen once since - until now.  We enjoyed a breakfast of green waffles, sausage and milk in our new green mugs!

Later that day I stopped at the cheese factory and picked up some cheese curds.

There's nothing better for an afternoon snack than squeaky cheese!  The kids love it and we try to get some every time we go home to Idaho.

For supper Saturday night we tried out a recipe that Joyce found on Pioneer Woman for homemade corn dogs.  

They look a little cooky but they turned out good!

The kids also managed to spend some time out in the rain and mud playing in the haystacks, shooting guns and getting dirty.  They also played the Wii, watched some TV and put puzzles together.  

Makenna didn't go with us this weekend.  She stayed with a friend.  They are both in the High School play and there was a big rehearsal this weekend.  Plus it was her friend's birthday so they made a fun weekend of it.  It's so nice to know that she has a friend like Laura that she can be with!

It was a fun weekend for all and I'm glad we got to spend it with Michael before he headed off for another two weeks of work!

We Can Throw the Penny Up to Heaven!

Yesterday was my sister Katie's birthday.  Each year I try to do something for mom and dad in memory of her.  This year Olivia helped me.  We picked out a potted flower for them - white petals with pink middles, and made them a card.  Olivia knows about Katie.  We talk about her often and Olivia got her middle name from Katie - Anne.  As we were looking at flowers Olivia was asking me questions about her.  She wanted to know what Katie liked to play with.  I told her she liked buttons and pennies.  Olivia wanted to give Katie one of her pennies.  I reminded her that Katie had died when she was only 2 and that she was in heaven now.  I told her we could just give the penny to granny and tell her it is for Katie.  Olivia decided that wasn't good enough.  She wanted Katie to have the penny! "Maybe we could just throw the penny up to heaven for her!"  It made me smile.  She was so concerned about Katie and sad that katie couldn't be here for her birthday.  I told her that we probably couldn't throw it that far.  Then I suggested we put the penny on Katie's card and then when we say our prayers we can tell Heavenly Father to let Katie know that she had a penny for her.  Olivia liked that idea.  When we got home and made the card the finishing touch was a penny taped on the front of the card from Olivia to Katie!  I love little children and their innocence and pure love for those around them!

Happy Birthday Katie!  Hope you like the penny!

Max and Jack

This is Max.  He's three and he's the newest addition to the household.

He's a dog that has spent his life ignored by his owners and left in the backyard by himself so he still has some social skills to learn but he is a nice dog.

This is Jack. He is 4.  We've had him a little over a year now.

We got him from the shelter when we moved here.  He has turned out to be a very sweet dog that the kids enjoy having around.

In the evenings we let the dogs in to spend time with the family before going to bed.  Max is not used to being inside so he is a little excited at first.  Jack is used to it so he just sniffs around for a few minutes and then lays on his bed.

 Max

Jack

 Max

Jack

Get the picture?  Makes the evenings interesting!  The kids especially like it when the two dogs start wrestling each other or wrestling Zane.  I know, who cares right?  Well, this blog is about our lives and the dogs are a part of them so today you get to learn about our dogs!  And if you ever see them running loose through the neighborhood with a line of kids running after them calling their names feel free to join in the fun!

You Raise Me Up

I love Celtic Woman.  They have beautiful, haunting Irish voices and music. It calms me like nothing else can.  This particular song I listen to on a regular basis.  Our move to Green River has been particularly hard.  I have struggled with Michael's work schedule that has taken him from the family.  I have struggled with a child that I don't know how to help.  I have struggled with individuals that don't know their boundaries and can't seem to give me the credit I deserve.  I have struggled with being away from friends that I love in a setting that I love.  This song touches me clear through my heart.  It warms me and lightens me.  I can't really describe it's affect but if you listen to it I think you may feel the same.

I have thought a lot lately about how our actions affect those around us.  We really can either raise people up or do the opposite.  These last few weeks have been particularly hard and I have been blessed by people who have chosen to "raise  me up."  My brother, Spencer and his wife Kimberly, have done it on several occasions - an invitation to hang out and eat cookies, an offer to help transport children from place to place, conversation, and dinner.  My friend, Emily, met me for lunch and we had a great time talking.  We got a package in the mail from our dear friends the Olsens, phone conversations with Grandma Great.  All of these simple things have meant so much to me and have helped to raise my spirits as I struggle.  There are others who have chosen the other way.  There are things that have brought me down, but there has always been some one there to raise me back up.  I hope, as I look at what people have done for me, that I too can help to lift others up the way that I have been lifted up.  I hope I can reach out with simple things and make their day brighter and their way easier.

I listen to this song at nights, after the kids are in bed and all is quiet.  It fills me with gratitude and gives me time to go through the day and find the positive and erase the negative.  I am so grateful for the people in my life that raise me up and help me be stronger because they give me their shoulders to stand on.

Strep...

I hate sore throats and I feel awful when my kids have them.  This morning Zeke told me his throat was hurting and he didn't want to go to school.  I let him stay home. His glands were swollen and later in the morning his fever was 102.  I took him to the doctor and he has strep.  Poor kid.  It didn't stop him from playing outside this afternoon when the other kids got home from school, but it did slow him down when he had to swallow.  We got his first round of drugs in him tonight so hopefully he will be feeling better soon.  Tomorrow we get to spend the day together since he has to wait 24 hours before going back to school.  It will give him the weekend to recover before he has to go back Monday. Now my only hope is that the others don't get it...