Makenna's Essay

Makenna has discovered a talent for writing this year.  Earlier in the year she won an essay contest in her DARE class.  This last week she wrote another essay.  It was for the AARP Grandparent of the Year.  She decided to write about my dad.  She wrote everything by herself.  I did not help.  She did not win but I think she did a great job and I wanted to share what she wrote:

          My name is Makenna. My grandpa's name is William Wallace Cantrell III. We just call him Wally. He lives in Green River, Wyoming. He's handicapped, so he uses a wheelchair and crutches. He contracted polio when he was very young and it paralyzed him from the waist down. My grandpa never lets his handicap get in the way of what he wants to do. Growing up he played basketball and football with all the neighborhood kids.  In high school he was the manager for football, basketball, and track teams. He was also voted the most popular boy in high school. After high school, he played wheelchair basketball and track. He also liked to golf.

            I think he should be the AARP Grandparent of the Year because he's the world's best grandpa and teacher. He has the nicest personality and the best smile. He helps kids everyday. He teaches Special Education at Lincoln Middle School. He likes helping the students at Lincoln. Sometimes, he goes out and eats lunch with them and spends time talking to them. He also coaches cross country and track. He loves to work with kids and he loves his grandchildren. He is willing to help anybody who is in need of help.

            My grandpa helps me, my brothers and sisters, and my mom and her five other siblings. My dad's job took him up to North Dakota, so he was gone for two weeks at a time. My grandpa probably doesn't know this, but he helped me feel better when my dad was gone. He was there for me and if I had any problems, I could talk to Grandpa. He was the one who comforted me when I was sad. I love him so much for that.

            My grandpa helped me train for the Hershey Track Meet. He gave me good advice on how to train. He gives kids advice all the time. Sometimes he teases them and messes around for a little bit. A girl named Jodi Rae thought he was so amazing, she wanted to adopt my grandpa to make him hers! Lots of kids think he's awesome, but I think nobody could love him better than me! When I'm sad, he teases me and calls me the nickname he gave me, which is Macky Wacky, because I used to be so silly. He makes me happy. I'll always be proud to be his granddaughter! I'm glad to have such a great grandpa! This is why I think my grandpa, Wally, should be the AARP Grandparent of the Year!

I am proud of her efforts and the things that she wrote.  It is fun watching your children as they learn and discover about themselves and their abilities.  Makenna seems to have a knack for the artsy side of things.  She loves acting, singing, playing the piano, dancing, drawing, reading and writing.  She loves to do her hair and nails and tried to always look nice.  It will be funn to watch her grow and develop over the years and see what she decides to do with her life and talents!

Attitude

When we moved here, I knew it was the right thing to do.  I knew it was what we needed to do and we have received so many blessings since we have been here.  There are times though that I question things, I guess it is because of my lack of faith.  When money gets tight and we are trying make ends meet I wonder if we really thought things through all the way.  I ask Michael if we are going to be able to make it financially.  Trying to take care of a family of 8 sometimes requires more than what we have.  I won't lie.  I don't like going shopping.  Trying to get what we need with the money that we have is hard.  I am the one that makes the menus and gets the groceries.  Michael reminds me that if we are doing what we should as a family and living the best that we can that everything will be all right.  He is right.  It all works out.

When we decided to switch schools we were surprised by the reactions.  There have been several times that I have thought it would've been a lot easier if we would not have done that.  There are days when the kids struggle with friends or other issues.  There are times when the cost of gas to go to all the functions adds up to more than what we expected.  I pass some one on the street that used to be my friend, but now won't speak to me.  I wonder again if we thought this all through.  Then things settle down and again it all works out. 

I have to go back to the promptings and feelings I originally received.  I knew then that the decisions made were the right ones.  I draw on those feelings again and it brings peace to my mind to get through the rough times.  The other day I recevied this quote in my inbox.  It is from Pres. Thomas S. Monson.  It says;  "So much in life depends on our attitude. The way we choose to see things and respond to others makes all the difference. To do the best we can and then to choose to be happy about our circumstances, whatever they may be, can bring peace and contentment."

This really impacted me.  Our circumstances will never be perfect.  There will always be bumps in the road.  If we would have stayed in Wyoming, we would not have had Michael in our daily lives.  He has kept in contact with those he worked with there.  Not only would he have been gone, but the income would also have gone down and our financial situation would have been tighter than it is here.  Having Michael home every night has been such a huge blessing.  I have friends that will always be my friends no matter what school my kids go to.  They also have friends and opportunities that they would not have had had they stayed here and gone to school.

We have to look around us and see the blessings, be content with what we have and choose to be happy.  Promotions may or may not come, money may always be tight, friendships will change, bad days will happen.  During it all though, if we can look look for the good, keep our attitudes positive and choose to be happy, we will receive the peace and contentment that we need and want. 

Basketball, Injuries and Singing

Well, basketball season is in full swing.  We are at one school or other almost every night.  Maddi, Makenna, Zane and Dillon are all playing.  Most nights we have multiple practices in multiple places.  If we are not practicing we are either playing games or watching games.  I help coach the 5th grade girls.  It has been a lot of fun.  Michael helps the 3rd grade boys when he can and has also reffed a game here and there.  Not only are our weeknights filled with basketball but most of our Saturdays are too.  We go through a lot of gas and drive a lot of miles but it's fun.  The kids all seem to enjoy playing and I love to watch them.  We also enjoy going to the high school games.  Here are a few pictures of the kids playing...

Ok, so I don't have any of the girls actually playing yet.  I am always coaching when they are playing.  I'll try to get some later.  Here is Kenna in her jersey though after their first tournament.

Zane's in there in the middle of all the white jerseys.  He's in a maroon colored one though.

Here's Maddi after her first tournament.  They took 1st.

Here's Dillon taking the ball down.

We have had a few injuries too.  Kenna seems to always have a new bruise on her.  Maddi got her finger jammed in one of her tournaments.

Can you guess which one it is?

 

Dillon also broke his arm.  He jumped off a slide and slipped when he hit the ground.  That happened at the beginning of the week.  He told me his wrist hurt but I told him it was fine.  then he hurt it again on Friday.  I told him he was fine.  Saturday he had a ballgame.  I noticed he wasn't using his left hand to dribble or block.  I asked him about it afterwards and discovered it was not his wrist that hurt but his fore arm.  We took him in for xrays.  It was fractured.  I guess I'll listen to him from now on :)  It hasn't slowed him down though!

 

 

A fun basketball experience was the National Anthem.  Maddi and Makenna tried out for Honors Choir back in December and found out a few weeks ago that they made it!  They will be doing it in March.  There were seven girls all together that made it.  They got to sing the National Anthem before the girls varsity game earlier this week.  They were all so nervous but they did a great job!  Here is a picture of them singing.  You can barely see Maddi's face sticking out behind Makenna.  I think they were all so nervous that they huddled together so the girls in the back kind of got hidden :)

 

 

The kids are also all getting a chance to be Jr. Dolphins in the varsity games.  I don't have pictures of any of that.  They get to wear jerseys though and sit with the team.  They get their name called before the game when they are doing the line ups and get to go out on court and give the players high fives when they run out.  It's pretty cute to see the little elementary kids out there with the big kids! 

Ok, so I did have one :)  This is one that a friend took and posted to my facebook wall.  That's her son out there with Dillon.  I forgot about it.  I was right though, isn't it cute to see the little kids out there with the big kids?!

 

 We have had a fun, busy season so far.  Some nights I wish we could just stay home and do nothing but it is fun to go and watch the kids play and be involved with the school and their friends.



 

Zeke Turns 7!

/div> On the 6th of this month we got to celebrate Zeke's 7th birthday.  He was so excited for it to come.  He loved looking at the presents on top of the piano and couldn't wait to get to open them.  One of the presents had been there since before Christmas so he had to wait for a long time!!  We did a little early celebration when I took him to Buffalo Wild Wings.  He had been wanting to go there so I took him over Christmas break for an ealry birthday lunch.  He loved it and got a Wing Nut hat to wear :)

Sunday he couldn't wait to open his presents so we let him have at it before church!  Of course then he wanted to take everything with him to church and was dissapointed when we said no!  His favorite thing was a dinosaur that you could take the skin off.  It's ugly as anything I have ever seen but he loves it!



 

For his birthday supper he wanted chicken wings, tator tots, green beans and baked beans.  Then he wanted a chocolate cake with zebra frosting.  This is as good as it gets for me making a zebra striped cake!  He thought it was great and that's all that matters :)

 



 

We are blessed to have Mr. Zeke in our lives.  He is a little fire cracker that always keeps us lauging.  He never sits still and almost always has a smile on his face.  He is very kind and sharing.  He loves his mommy (which his mommy loves) and tries his best to be a helper.  He has a wonderful knowledge of the gospel and a testimony of Jesus which sometimes takes me by surprise.  He tells wonderful stories and hass a great imagination.  I love him and love watching him grow and change.  Happy Birthday Zeke!  We love you!

Homesick... Thoughts from the past

This week I have been quite homesick.  I'm not exactly sure why or what brought it on.  Maybe it's the fact that summer is almost over and another school year is about to begin.  Maybe its the fact that Michael is back to work and I am single momming it again.  Maybe it's just the fact that I have discovered there are some very important things in life that can't be replaced with money or things or ice cream!  Of course I have always known that, but sometimes life has a way of reminding me.  For instance, one thing I am homesick for is a house that feels like a home.  I had that once, in Rupert.  It was just a simple little brick home on a dirt road, but I loved it.  I learned this last week that it is going up for sale.  How I would love to sit in that living room again, looking out the big huge window at the big huge yard, the trees, the fields.  It has made me homesick for a time long gone and memories that can't be replaced.  Another thing I am homesick for is friends.  Friends that have changed my life and my childrens' lives.  Friends that only come around once in a lifetime.  Friends like these


The world doesn't make any better than this.  I know.  I've lived a lot of places and met a lot of people.  They are some of the best and I have missed them terribly this week. 

This is a post I started before last school year when we still lived in Wyoming.  I remember when I wrote this and the struggle I was having.  Well, it's been over a year since I wrote this.  We now live in Minnesota and just bought our second house a few months ago.  Moving back was a dream come true for several reasons.  The first being that Michael would now be home to be a part of our family.  The second was that we were moving back to a place that we loved.  The third was that we were going to be near friends that are very dear to us.

I will say, as I've said before, that it did not all turn out as we planned.  That's okay though.  We have the important things - the little things.  Michael spending the evenings with us.  Friends that, even though we can go weeks without seeing each other, seem like we were together just yesterday.  You know what I mean?  We can go without seeing or talking to each other but when we do get together it's like we were never apart.  I love it :)  There's other little things - waving to everyone you pass and having them wave back, taking treats to the nice elderly lady next door and having her hug you and tell you that she loves you, going to school and knowing all the kids, getting to coach and be involved with the kids, being able to walk to the store and the park and the bakery, having hometown/school spirit that brings communities together, playing in the streets, making fires and roasting marshmallows - so many little things that add up to make a wonderful life.  I'm so thankful for our opportunity to be here again and for the many blessings we have as a result.

Post Christmas Fun

Yesterday it was a little warmer than it was on Christmas day so the kids ventured out with their new prizes and tried them out.  Zane went around shooting things with his new Exploderz gun.  He and Dillon tried out their new scooters...

They were even nice enough to let the other kids try too.  Zeke only fell off twice.  Luckily he was wearing all his snow clothes  and the roads were snow palcked so it didn't hurt :)

 

Zeke tried out his new Shark Spinner.  It's a knee board.  It didn't work too well on the snow packed roads with him bundled up in all his snow stuff.  We'll have to find an indoor palce for him to try it out.

 

 

 

Maddi and Makenna have spent the last few days on their new kindle fires.  They love them!  They have downloaded facebook, text now, games, music and books.  They got haedphones and cases for them too.  I am hoping that they get lots of good use out of them.  They are excited to take a trip with them this summer and put those car chargers to good use!

 

 

 

Olivia has been enjoying her new kitchen and was especially excited when she got to have a friend over today to play with her.  They have put on make up, dressed up, had their hair and nails done all while listening to princess music :)  Now they are settling down to watch a movie and have some popcorn.

 

 

 

Last night we took the kids to Pizza Hut to use their Bookit coupons and then they went shopping with their Christmas money and gift cards.  The boys got DS games, Olivia got make up in a nice red fake leather case and Kenna bought a few things and Maddi is saving her money to get an electric razor scooter like the boys.

 

This morning I awoke to a make over :)  Olivia jumped in my bed and gave me a make over with her new make up!  I would post a picture but that kind of beauty can not accurately be caught on film :)  Then I got to give her a make over. I got pink blush, pink lipstick and pink eye shadow with black eyeliner.  She got pink blush, black eyeliner with purple eye shadow and silver accent, pink blush and a shiny purple lip gloss. Sounds beautiful doesn't it?

 

So the fun continues for a few more days until it's back to school and routine!  We still have a few days though for more movies, make overs, and game time!



 





It Doesn't Get Much Better Than This...

I must say, these last fews days have been wonderful.  It feels like the Christmas I have always dreamed of having.  I don't know what has made this year different.  Maybe it's the fact that we tried to focus on getting along with each other and serving each other more.  Maybe it's the fact that Michael has been able to be around and be at home with us - something we all love!  The days have jsut seemed to peaceful.  The kids have gotten along so well with each other.  They've been sharing and helping and playing together.  We've been able to spend time with friends and enjoy their company.  We've been able to talk to family on the phone and share our fun with them.  Today has been especially nice.  We opened presents this morning and the kids were all so excited about what they got.  I heard them say several times that this was the best Christmas ever!  After presents were opened and breakfast was eaten, the kids spent the rest of the morning and afternoon playing and having fun.  There was no fighting or arguing, everyone had fun and got along.  In the afternoon they went out and played in the snow.  Then we all watched a movie together while the ham and potatoes were cooking. 

It's not that the day had anything spectacular happen or anything.  It was just the peacefulness felt in our home.  We were together, we helped each other, we spent time reading the Christmas story and singing carols. It was just nice. I can't describe it any other way.  With six kids in the house, there are few times when we go an entire day without a squabble or mishap.  There's always something or other going on with some one.  Today though, nothing.  I loved it! I hope for more days like this in the future.  Today though, I will just enjoy it while I can!

RACK'd

This year in our family we are focusing on Random Acts of Christmas Kindness.  I saw this idea on another blog and decided to do it, but change it up a little.  We wanted to teach the children (and ourselves) to look around us and see things that we can do for others and then to do them.  There were some things we planned out and prepared for - like taking treats to our neighbors, the teachers' lounge, the bakery (the kids wanted to give them treats since they give everyone else treats all year long) and their friends at school.  The girls also gave change to the Salvation Army guy and we bought toys to give to the children of military parents (something they were doing locally here).  The other things though were truly random.  The kids have been working on serving their family members throughout the day and their classmates.  Each night when we read our scriptures and have family prayer we name one random act of kindness that we have done that day.  The kids have been doing a pretty good job with it.  Michael and I have also become more aware of things we can do.  There have been things as simple as helping each other zip up coats or holding open the door to doing another's chore or playing a game with some one.  Some nights it has been a struggle for some to come up with something to share but for the most part they have several things that they want to tell us.  It has really helped change the spirit in the home and soften our hearts towards each other. 

I think their favorite thing has been taking candy canes to everyone at school.  We divided the candy canes up into cups for each classroom and put a note on each one saying that they had been RACK'd.  Then one night when Dillon had practice at the school they took the cups and set them in front of the principal's office so when she got to school the next morning she found them.  The kids did a pretty good job keeping it a secret.  Olivia was the only one that spilled the beans :)  She did good until they started talking in class about what an act of kindness is and then she told them that's what we did!  It was fun for them to see the reactions of their classmates and listen to them try to figure out who it was from.  The preschool teacher told me her class thought it was from Santa, God, or some one they didn't know!  I subbed in the fourth grade class that afternoon and some of the boys were trying to get the attention of one of the janitors.  He was out shoveling the walk and the boys wanted to do a random act of kindness and give him a candy cane because he was working so hard. 

I'm not trying to brag or anything, I just wanted to share our story with everyone because it has done so much good for us.  With six kids so close in age there are times that I think the fighting and arguing and tattling will never stop!  Doing this and helping them be aware of their family members in a different way has really helped that.  Yes, we still have our moments where I need to send everyone to their opposite corners, but it has been better.  The older kids have included the younger kids.  The younger kids have "allowed" the older kids to play with them :) (that has been Olivia's act of kindness several times).  We talk about serving and it's importance.  It has taught them that there are so many different ways to serve each other.  We, of course, tie it back to the Savior and our reason of celebrating this wonderful season.  He came to this earth as a baby.  He spent His whole life in service and then He gave His life for us.  We are taught to follow His example and so we serve and love others.  In John it says, "A new commandment I give uto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another.  By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another."  If we can love those around us and serve them, our hearts will be open, our lives will be full and we will be helping to make our world a better place.

Another blessing that has come from this is being able to notice kindness shown to us.  We are so blessed with so many wonderful friends.  There have been so many kind things done for us.  An offer to buy all the kids new winter coats, birthday rides in a golf cart, letting the kids be in on a cousins picture with the star quarterback even though they weren't his cousins, offers for help with snow removal, phone calls, treats, invitations for Christmas Eve, hugs on the street... so many things.  It has opened our eyes to all the blessings we have and made us more grateful for the acts of service shown to us.  I am so glad that we decided to do this and that the kids have so willingly and excitedly (not sure that is a word) done this.  It has added more meaning to Christmas for us this year and has brought us closer together as a family. 

I Wrote This For You

Monday the kids had a snow day so I let them all sleep in.  Olivia had gotten up earlier than the others so I was in the living room with her playing Garbage (she was mercilessly winning).  Dillon came upstairs with a paper in his hand.  "Here, I wrote this for you."  I guess he had woken up that morning and decided to write me a love note.  Here is what it said:

Dear Mom,
     I love you even when you are mean to us. You are a really good cook and you are really nice. And when I get hurt you make me feel better. You are a good teacher and you are really fun. You are a good reader and don't hurt people. You are the best cook and you make things look neat.  Sorry about my handwriting I don't really write neat. I hope you can be my teacher sometime. You make good projects. You are a good writer and a good driver.

                                                                   Love,
                                                                  Dillon

Then he gave me a hug and a kiss.  Now, I know this letter was meant to be a good letter that showed me that he loved me, but the first line seriously made me cry.  See, for all of you out there that call me Wonder Woman and Super Mom and all those other things, that is so not true.  I am a far cry from any of that.  Everyone seems to think that if you have six kids you are patient and loving and kind.  I try to be all of that, but I am not - especially patient!

I have been working for years to improve on my patience and kindness.  While I have improved, this letter let me know that I have still have work to do :)  I yell at my kids when I get overwhelmed and frustrated with them.  I tell them at times that they are no longer allowed to call my name for the rest of the night when all I have heard for hours is "Mom, mom, mom, MOM!"  There are many times that I have had to go to my children and apologize for my behavior and then gone to bed crying because of my feelings of failure for that day.  There have been times when I have just had to remove myself (and not always gracefully) from the room which in turn has left my kids sad.  Some days I just don't "feel the love".

I get so upset with myself when I fall short and I hope and pray that what I have heard is true - that children are given strengths for their parents weaknesses and that as long as I do my best my kids will be okay.  I cling to that some days because I know that my weaknesses have overpowered the rest of me.  I hope that my children look back on life and remember happy things and not just a tired, grumpy mom.  I love my children with all my heart and I hope that my shortcomings don't break their hearts.

I'm not perfect, I'm not a super mom or wonder woman.  Some days I wonder why God thought I could handle being responsible for six of His children!  I feel very inadequate.  I try to involve the Lord in all my dealings with my family, but I know I fall short in that too.  Sometimes, I just take over and that's not always pretty!

I know the purpose of Dillon's letter was not to make me feel bad and point out the fact that sometimes he thinks I am mean to him.  I know it was to express his love and tell me all the nice things he thinks about me.  I love the letter and the funny little things like "you are a good reader and you don't hurt people".  He has always been a very special boy to me that holds a very special place in my heart.  From the time he was born, he has been that way.  We have a very close bond that has grown stronger over the years and I'm glad that he can love me through my meanness.  It was just a wake up call, I guess, that I still have a ways to go....

Maddi Turns 12!

I know - I'm a few weeks behind... I think it has taken me this long to realize I have a 12  year old!  I'm not sure I am ready for this stage of life but I guess ready or not here it comes!  Maddi tuned 12 on the 21st of last month.  She was so excited for this birthday to come.  I think the biggest reason for her excitement was that she graduated from Primary and now gets to go to Youg Women.  For those of you who don't know, primary is our church's Sunday school class for all the kids under the age of 12.  Young Womens is a Sunday school type class for girls ages 12 -18.  Now she gets to go to church acitivitied every Wednesday night.  Some weeks it's just the girls who get together and some weeks they combine with the boys and do things.  She also gets to go to Stake activities every few months.  That is an acitivity that includes all boys and girls ages 12 -18 from towns all around in SD and MN.  They usually meet in Sioux Falls and enjoy a fun day together.  Anyways, she's excited to get to go with the older kids now!

She had a fun day celebrating.  She took chocolate covered cookie dough balls to school for a treat.  They had an early out that day so she was excited for that too.  She wanted baked potatoes for supper and a marble cake with green frosting for dessert.  She had also been wanting her hair colored so we did that the night before like we had done for Makenna.

 

She loves the new color and I think it look pretty cute too!  She also opened presents and seemed to be pleased with what she got.

She was excited to see 12 candles on her cake and if you look in the background you will see Kenna helping to blow out the candles :)





Maddi, too, has had a lot of changes this year.  We moved at the end of the school year and while she was excited to get to be closer to old friends, she was sad to leave her Wyoming friends behind and also her grandparents.  At the end of the summer, she faced another change with going to a new school without the friends she had planned on being with. It was tough but it didn't take long for her jump right in with both feet.  She has made friends and gotten involved and seems to be loving it.  She was on the volleyball team and they ended up 3rd in their tournament.  Now she is playing basketball and loves it!  She had speaking and solo parts in the school Christmas concert last week.  In church she earned her Faith in God award before leaivng Primary.  She is taking piano lessons.  She has over 400 AR points in her reading at school and is aiming to break the school record of around 1000 points! 

It is fun to watch her grow.  I am nervous about all that the teenage years will bring but I am excited to see her learn and progress.  She is a beautiful girl with so many wonderful qualitites and talents.  I am so proud of her and who she is becoming.  I remember when we first found out we were having a little girl.  We couldn't wait for her to get here.  She has always been such a good little girl and now she is changing into a beautiful young woman.  The joy we felt the day she was born is still felt each day.