Life is Good!

Life is good!  These last few days have been amazing days.  We've worked hard - mowing, hauling branches, cleaning barns and scraping fences.  Maybe that's what has made the rest of the day feel so good.  Hard work makes everything better ☺

There have been so many little things that have brought joy to my day... 
Sitting out on the porch watching the sun set through the trees 
Getting winked at during supper by a cute little 5 year old boy - more than once 
Fist bump from the same cute 5 year old because he was impressed with my golfing
Watching the puppy wrestle with Nava
Listening to the kids run through the house and yard playing and chasing each other
Sitting around a fire roasting marshmallows
Feeling the warmth of the sun
Sharing Michael's hot, sticky buns with Maddi's boyfriend and totally embarrassing her (you had to be there - it was funny ☺)
Fresh bread with melted butter (yes, food brings me joy)
Waking up to birds chirping
Having a rainy day movie marathon
Going to the lake and watching the kids play in the water and try to jump the waves
Just sitting around, talking and laughing, telling stories until almost midnight
Playing cards with Olivia

Simple things bring the greatest joy and make life full.  Days like these, moments like these, help me get through the more frustrating times and situations.  The simple things that make life good, carry me through the challenges and keep me buoyed up during the stormy times. I'm so thankful for these simple, everyday joys.  The Lord truly has blessed me.

It's Been A Long Time

Wow!  I can't believe it's been almost 6 months since I have last written.  Time has gone by so quickly.  I have missed 6 birthdays, basketball season, track season, concerts and everything else!  I'm not going to try to catch up with all the little details.  I will post some pictures to document our lives the last 6 months - to show we were here and doing stuff!

School is out now and summer has started.  The kids are busy as usual.  Makenna finishes track this weekend.  She is going to state as an alternate this year.  She got to run in a qualifying 4x800 relay team but she was one of six that did that.  Her times this year were not among the four fastest so she will not run at state but go and support those that are running.  She has had knee and ankle issues this season so her running was not as strong as it usually is.  She is in physical therapy right now for her knee and they are also working with her ankle.  Hopefully this summer will be a time to heal and prepare for cross country next fall.  I am proud of the effort and hard work she put in to track this year.  She pushed through the frustration and pain and always did her best,

Maddi ended up straining her Achilles part way through the season so she was not able to finish running.  She has physical therapy 3 times a week and has been in a boot for a month now.  She has at least another month in it.  The swelling won't go down and stay down so that slows down the progress.  She has also been advised to not run cross country this fall. 

We just celebrated Olivia's 9th birthday!  She was very excited for it!  She chose a brownie cookie dough cheesecake pie instead of a cake this year.  It was yummy!  We are so thankful to have her in our family.

We got a new puppy the other day.  Dillon named her Sue.  She is a black lab and the boys are hoping to train her to hunt pheasants.  They have been wanting a hunting dog! She is super cute.  I love lab puppies!

She will keep the kids busy this summer chasing them around the yard.

The boys have started picking rock again to earn some money this summer. Makenna will start once she is done with track.  Maddi is starting a new job this summer too.  Her first day is Sunday.  She gets to work at the local gas station.  Summer will be filled with camps - church, scouts and sports, work, swimming, and hopefully a trip to the horse races!

Here are a few pictures of all the things I missed over the last little while:

 Zane #5 throwing in the ball

 Maddi on offense

Makenna taking a shot

 Maddi on her 15th birthday

Makenna turned 14 :)

Christmas morning - my most favorite day of the year!

 Zeke turned 10.  Happy Birthday Super Z!

Zane on his 13th birthday with his Reese's Fudge

Makenna turning 14 also means she gets to drive!

Spring Concert

I love this picture so I am just posting it because I can!

 This was the race Maddi ran right before she injured her Achilles.

 Zane finishing the mile.

Makenna

Our elementary school also did a Couch to 5K program for the 4th-6th graders.  Zeke and Dillon both ran in it.  I did too.  It was so fun to watch the kids work hard and see all the progress they made.  They are hoping this will become a yearly tradition!

 Zeke

Dillon

A Different View

Last Tuesday, November 24th, I went to the eye doctor.  About 5 or 6 weeks ago, my eyes had become very sore.  It hurt to move them and touch them.  It lasted almost 2 weeks.  I blamed it on allergies and didn't think much more of it.  Then I started experiencing cloudy vision, mostly in the early mornings or late evenings.  I blamed my cataract on that and just kept going.  Inside I was a little uneasy about it but I pushed that aside and worked around the cloudiness.  Then it started lasting longer until my vision was cloudy all day long.  In fact, it got to where I couldn't really see what my makeup looked like in the mornings.  I just hoped I was getting everything in the right place!  I decided to go ahead and get them checked.  Maybe my cataract had grown and was causing problems or something. 

Well, as soon as she looked in my eye she knew exactly what was going on.  I had something called uveitis.  It was in both eyes and it was pretty bad.  It is an inflammation of the eyes.  As the eye gets inflamed, the body sends in white blood cells to help heal.  The eye can only hold so many white blood cells and then they end up causing more inflammation which makes the body send even more!  So the eye starts depositing the white blood cells in the eye.  That, along with the inflammation, causes the cloudy vision.  It also makes things inside the eye sticky and gooey.  So the pupil in my left eye is actually stuck to the cornea. 

The solution?  Dilation.  She immediately dilated me and said I would have to stay dilated until it heals.  How long will that take?  Two to four weeks or more.  Why?  Keeping them dilated means that the eye isn't constricting and opening during the day so it helps not cause any additional inflammation.  I also have to put steroid drops in both eyes every hour or so.  I put dilating drops in three times a day.  I have to go in to keep a check on my eye pressure and to see if there is any improvements.  If there aren't any soon, then I will have to go to the next step which is injections (shots) into my eyes or take oral meds.  The injections are usually the way they go though. 

Also, because I have it in both eyes I have to be tested for other things that could be going on in my body that are being manifested in my eyes.  Things like lupus, rheumatoid arthritis, viruses and other things.  These tests are just to rule out any underlying causes because sometimes you get uveitis for no reason at all.  That's what I am hoping for.  I will get testing done on Tuesday.

So my life right now is one big blur.  It's blurry up close, it's blurry far away.  Even with the new prescription glasses that I had to get while dilated,  it's still all blurry.  I can see, I can drive, I can do things.  I just do it all with a blur.  People have to read my texts for me and send them for me.  Michael had to read my recipe to me yesterday when I was trying to make rolls.  I had to wake Makenna up to read the thermometer to me so I knew when the oil was hot enough to fry my pies.  Black Friday shopping was not fun because I couldn't really see well enough to do much.  When I do try to see things or focus in, my eyes get really tired and I end up with a headache and achy eyes.  Work is hard.  My computer screen has to be magnified really big so I can read my emails.  I wish I would've worked harder in computer class years ago so I could type better without looking ☺ That would really come in handy now!  I have to wear sunglasses all the time and even then, the light gives me a headache after a while.  I can't see to put on my makeup.  I can't really see to do much with my hair.  I struggle doing my girls' hair too.  Trying to watch movies with the family gives me a headache too.  Today I tried to set up one of our Christmas trees, but my eyes were too blurry to fluff it and trying to focus hurt so I had to give up.  Life is very frustrating right now!

The good news?  It isn't permanent!  She couldn't see any damage to any parts of my eyes so once this is all cleared up, I will be able to see just fine again!  That was very good news to hear!

I know there are so many out there with much more to deal with than I have to right now.  I know there are those that aren't lucky enough to be told it's only temporary.  Going through this has opened my eyes, as blurry as they are, to the struggles that so many face.  Day to day things are so hard!  Things that once brought joy, like decorating the Christmas tree, become a struggle.  Cooking is hard to do alone, reading causes too much discomfort.  So many things are affected. 

I don't like to ask for help.  I have always just done it on my own, whatever it may be.  Having to ask for so much help is frustrating and humbling.  I am grateful for a patient husband and children that help me with all these simple, yet undoable, tasks.  Things will be hard and I am crossing my fingers for a two week recovery and not four weeks so that I can enjoy this Christmas season a little more.  This is my most favorite time of year.  I love the lights and decorations, the smells and joy, the carols, the love and the giving of gifts!  I love the story of the baby Jesus.  He who came to this earth into very humble circumstances, who walked and taught and served those around Him.  He who healed and forgave and loved.  He who suffered, bled, died and rose again so that we may return to our Father in Heaven in perfection.  As I struggle with these earthly ailments, I am reminded of Him and the  promise we have of freedom from these struggles when we return to His presence for eternity.  These earthly imperfections teach us, strengthen us, bring us closer to Him.  Then when we leave this life, He removes them from us so we suffer no more.

My eyes are filled with things obstructing my view of things that I love.  Our lives are filled with things obstructing our view of Him.  Just as my sight will return if I follow what my doctor tells me to do, we will return to Him if we just follow.  We have to take that leap of faith, step out into the darkness so our light will expand and our view become clearer.  I have eye drops to help my physical eyes see.  We have the teachings of Christ to bring sight to our spiritual eyes and bring us back to Him. This knowledge gives me hope on so many different levels and brings peace to my heart as I work my way through this life.

Who is Your Superhero?

In comic books and movies, superheroes dress up in costumes, fight evil villains, rescue damsels in distress and then, in a huge final battle of good vs evil, they save the world from destruction!  Only a few have the special powers needed to be a superhero.  Only a few can win the battle over evil. 

Today these girls had their Young Women In Excellence program.  The theme was superheroes.

 



Each of the girls thought about who in their life was a real life superhero.  Then they wrote about why this person was their superhero.  They each got to invite their superhero to the program, present what they wrote and thank that person for being their real life superhero.  I was touched as I listened to the things they said.  I felt blessed knowing that they had people in their lives that they could look up to and follow.  These superheroes have taught them faith - in themselves and the Lord, kindness, confidence, persistence, positivity, charity and hard work.

These superheroes don't have fancy costumes, cool weapons and a tricked out car.  They don't have sidekicks or informants or a superhero squad.  They are everyday, ordinary people living their lives the best that they can.  Most of the time, I don't even think they know they are superheroes.  They just do what they do because it's who they are!

As I listened to Maddi and Makenna present their superheroes I thought about the superheroes in my life.  I have a lot!  They are the ones who have taken time to listen when I needed to talk.  The ones who held my hand and lifted me up.  The ones who smiled when I couldn't do it myself.  The ones who went out of their way for me.  My life has been full of superheroes.  Heroes who have silently lifted, served and helped.  Heroes who have taught and led and sometimes pushed and pulled. 

I had a 4th grade teacher that I loved.  She made me feel like I was her favorite student!  I was shy and quiet and nervous and she took time to get to know me and talk to me.  She is a superhero.  I had a Bishop when I was 14 who taught me about charity through the love he had for Christ.  When his son died in a car accident.  Despite his grief, he bore strong testimony of Jesus Christ and His love for each of us.  He is a superhero.  I have friends in Idaho (Katie and Monica) who made those early motherhood years so much more doable.  Superheroes.  I have a friend, Karla Wilson, who loved me and helped me and encouraged me and treated me like one of her own.  A very loved superhero. I have one that when I moved here for the first time 12 years ago, invited me in and has never turned me out.  One that I know is only a text away.  One that will come and help chase bats out of my house when Michael is away. A super superhero!

I work with superheroes.  They amaze me.  My fearless leader teaches me love and patience with an occasional burst of crazy to keep us all laughing.  I have superheroes that greet me every morning with a smile and hello.  There is a superhero that listens as I share my teenage girl woes and encourages me that we will all survive!  a superhero that stops by my desk just to ask me how I'm doing.  A superhero that goes above and beyond to help me with Zeke when I am overwhelmed with the thoughts of it all and encourages me to take time for me.  She reassures me that I am doing just fine.  A superhero that teaches me love and patience with her quiet voice.  A superhero that teaches me kindness as he goes about the school getting balls off the roof, cleaning up spills and messes, letting kids look at all his keys and showing them what's inside the boiler room.  A superhero that listens to my stories as I step into her office with a "so, guess what..."  So many superheroes.  So many small acts from people just doing their best that changed my life for the better. 

My life has been blessed with so many people who have helped "save" this damsel in distress and rescued us all from the evil villains that we face in life.  I am thankful for each one of them.  I am also thankful for the superheroes of my children - friends, leaders, teachers, coaches - all who take the time and reach out to pull them up.  Your light brightens the path for them.  Your example helps show them the way.  You are doing for them what so many have done and still do for me.  So I ask, who is your superhero?

Blessings

Ok, so this summer Maddi got her driver's license.  We started searching for an inexpensive car for her to drive.  A neighbor of ours in Hendricks called one day and said that her daughter was selling her old car and it just happened to be in our price range!  We went over, checked it out and decided to buy it.  We knew it was older and that there is always a chance that something will go wrong with it but we decided to take our chances.  My first car was $250.  I bought it at a rummage sale.  It worked great for several years.  Sometimes those old cars can go forever.  We were hoping this would be the case with this car.  We really couldn't afford anything more than that right now. 

We drove it some this summer and it never gave us trouble.  Once school started, Maddi started driving it to school and back everyday.  Then, one morning around 7am I got a call from Maddi.  Her car had died on the way to school.  I called Michael to see if he could go help them.  Friends took them to school and Michael took the car to the repair shop.  Several days later we got the news that the timing belt had come off and there was other damage that would cost close to $2000 to fix.  So, Michael went and got the car and parked it in the yard.  We could not fix the car and it really wasn't worth putting that much money into.  Unfortunately, we couldn't afford another car either and with her 7:30 class, she needed to drive to school because there are no busses that run early.

She drove our Expedition to school, but we didn't want that to be a long term thing.  We started looking but couldn't find anything that would work for us.  Finances are so tight right now that we could not afford to add another car payment to our list of bills. 

Friends of ours asked Maddi about her car and if it was going to be able to be repaired.  She told them no.  Then a few days later, these friends told us they had found a car that might work for Maddi and wanted to know if we were interested.  I said yes and asked them to tell me the details on it so we could look in to it.  I never heard back.  The other day, I asked again, if they were ever able to find out more about the car. 

Yesterday, I got a text from this friend and asked if I saw what had been dropped off at the house and if would work.  I hadn't been home yet so I asked what it was.  The response... you'll have to wait and see... ☺ When I got home, there was a car sitting in our driveway.  The same car that they had told me about.  The car had been paid in full, put in Michael's name and delivered to our house with a full tank of gas! 

Wow!  I couldn't believe it!  I didn't even know what to think!  I expected details on the car - mileage, price, color, etc... Not the actual car!  I never imagined that this is what they had planned!  What a blessing!  What an amazing act of kindness! 

I had been struggling with things lately.  Kids are expensive, food is expensive, life is expensive.  I am working.  Michael is working.  The kids worked during the summer, those that were old enough.  We are doing all we can but sometimes ends just don't seem to meet up and things get tough.  This car means so much.  It showed me that God was aware of my concerns.  It showed that I have friends who love me and care about me and are aware of me.  It showed me that blessings do come when we try hard to do our best.  It shows me that, despite all the crazies in the world, there are amazing people out there, doing great things in their life and making the world a little less crazy!

It is something that I can never repay them for, but I hope that they know how much this means to us.  I can't right now - not in this way, but hope that I can find ways to pay it forward and help some one else in need.

Fall 2015

It has been so long since I posted last!  Once school and sports start, life becomes a whirlwind of kids, bleachers, golf courses and football fields!  We have had a good year so far.

Maddi is in 9th grade.  She is a legal driver now so she drives to school every morning for her 7:30 class.  She is a member of student council.  She joined FFA this year and is getting ready to go to Louisville for an FFA convention.  She ran cross country again this year as a varsity runner.  This year the distance changed from a 4k to a 5k so it was a new challenge.  She also started seminary this year.  For those that don't know, seminary is kind of like a bible study class.  Each year during high school they study a different book of scripture - Old Testament, New Testament, Book Of Mormon, etc...  She gets up at 5:30 every morning, gets ready for school, and then does her seminary lesson from 6 - 6:40.  Then she leaves for school about 6:50.  I am proud of all that she is doing this year! 

 

 

Makenna is in 8th grade.  She is in chorus and a member of the student council at school.  She plays volleyball again and gave cross country a try.  She goes to school early every morning so she can meet with the cross country coach and do her workouts before school.  Then she goes to volleyball practice after school.  She has worked hard at both sports this season and has shown great improvements.  She ended up qualifying for state in cross country as an 8th grader! She placed 13th (top 20 go to State) and cut several minutes off her time.  She knows how to give 100% and keep working even when it gets uncomfortable.  I am excited to get to go see her run at State! 

 

 

 

Zane is in 7th grade.  He is learning to adjust to the new demands of a junior high student.  He has surprised me!  He is usually very unorganized and doesn't care too much for school.  While those feelings haven't changed, he is doing better at staying on top of school work and getting things done when he has missed classes for sports.  He also ran cross country this year and did really well!  He is also the president of his 7th grade class.

 

 

Dillon is in 6th grade.  He is enjoying being the big dog in school!  He is in band and enjoys playing the drums.  He also played football this year and loved it!  His last game he scored 4 touchdowns - a great way to end the season!  He is looking forward to basketball starting in a few weeks. He loves sports!  He also loves horses and working with his dad.

 

 

Zeke is in 4th grade.  He loves to read - it's his escape from life.  He played football again this year and had fun being with his friends.  He tried out for an honors choir and loves learning new things!  His best buddy is Maddi and he loves hanging out with her.  She is able to calm him down when other things don't work.  They have a very special relationship.

 

 

Olivia is in 3rd grade.  She isn't old enough to do much but cheer the others on while they area doing their thing!  She is a good sport about it and is happy that her siblings have friends and teammates who have siblings her age so she has company when we are out supporting ☺

Michael and I are still working and trying to get the kids where they need to be when they need to be there.  It keeps us busy and we rarely have a quiet night at home but it is fun to watch the kids.  I am grateful that we live in a place where the kids can be so involved and that I have a job that allows me to be there with them.

That is a brief summary of our lives right now!  Crazy, busy, exhausting.  We are always in some kind of a whirlwind of coming and going but I love it.  I also love the occasional night at home in pajamas doing nothing.  It is getting chillier out now so I love spending the evening by the fire when time allows.

Grandma-Great

For the last almost 16 years, I have been blessed to know one of the kindest women in the world.  From the very first time Michael took me to her house, she loved me and accepted me as one of her own.  I become part of the family as soon as I walked through her doorway.  As the years passed, she became one of my cherished friends.  I knew I could tell her anything and she would listen and love me no matter what.  She wanted to know how I was, what I was doing and how I was feeling.  She listened to my struggles and offered comfort.  She listened to my triumphs and celebrated.  She listened to my everyday life and wanted to be a part of it. 

When we lived near her, we would go visit at least weekly, often times more.  My kids loved her.  She loved my kids.  She always had treats for them - lots of treats! And she would always bring out her toys so they could play.  She would ask each of them questions about what was going on in their lives and then listen when they answered.  She always had hugs and kisses for them.

When we lived too far away to visit I would call her at least once a week.  We could talk about anything and everything.  I looked forward to our phone conversations. They were always one of the highlights of my week!  The kids would write her letters and draw her pictures.  They missed her and looked forward to our occasional trips to see her.

Now she is older and weaker.  Our phone conversations are shorter and often repetitive.  I still love to hear her voice though.  I still love to hear her say my name.  I still love to hear her tell me she loves me.  My heart hurts as I hear the news about her weakening.  What I would give to be sitting in her living room on her blue couch, seeing her smile and listening to her tell us the latest news.  What I would give to be able to give her a huge hug and feel her hug me back. 

I hope she knows how much I love her.  I hope she knows how much she brightened my days.  I hope she knows how much I look up to her.  I hope she knows that I think about her every day.  Even though we are not connected by blood, she will always be
my Grandma and she truly is great.

A Fallen Tree

Last night Michael cut down one of our huge dead pine trees.  Our (meaning me and the kids) task this morning was to get all the branches cleared out and hauled off.  So, instead of doing strength circuits and running, our workout today was hauling branches. 

I have been trying faithfully over the last 8 years to convince my body that it doesn't need to carry around 40 extra pounds.  I have struggled through early morning workouts, freezing South Dakota winter workouts, drippy hot, humid workouts.  I have flipped tires, jumped rope, squatted, lunged, done push ups, sits ups, tricep dips, step hurdles, tire runs, back peddles, weights, plank jacks, mountain climbers, battle rope, punching bag and anything else I could think of.  I have inhaled fresh morning air, late evening air, post-rain air and a few bugs.  I have had blistered feet, a cyst in my wrist that grows/hurts/bursts/repeats, sprained ankles, bursitis in my knees, a pulled hamstring and a stupid hip that aches.  I have endured constant fatigue and exhaustion, struggled through depression, and battled self doubt.  I have fought through it all and worked harder than I have ever worked in my life.  I have also spent the last 15 years trying to become a better mother.  More patient, kind, loving, caring, spiritual, righteous, and humble.  The results?  Nothing.  Nada.  Zero.  Zilch.  I am the same size I was when I started this battle 8 years ago after giving birth to my last child.  I am still the same impatient, stubborn person I was 15 years ago.  I still lack in all areas of my life.


Frustrating?  Yes.  Depressing?  Yes.  Discouraging?  Definitely.  My word this year is persevere.  I have hung tight to that through the early morning hours and the feelings of exhaustion and frustration.  I have done my best to continue to put one foot forward and keep going even though the results are not what I wanted them to be.

I look in the mirror and get so discouraged.  I see all the things I am not.  I am not thinner.  I do not look stronger.  I am not patient enough with my children, my husband or myself.  I am not kind enough or caring enough.  I am not spiritual enough.  My light does not shine bright enough.  It's hard to see the good when the bad is right there laughing at you in the mirror.

This last year has been especially hard.  I went back to work fulltime after 13 years at home.  That was a huge adjustment!  A huge blessing too!  We moved.  A stressful time but another huge blessing!  Five of our six children were in sports.  Our son was diagnosed with Tourette's Syndrome and ADHD.   We've had financial struggles.  Basically, we have experienced life.  Life comes with heartache, challenges, joys, triumphs, sadness, happiness.

This morning, as we hauled branches (not little branches) from here:

 

Across the driveway and through the trees:



Way over there:

 

To here:



I felt different about this overweight, asthmatic body of mine.  I could haul those branches and throw them up on the pile.  I could climb up the ditch bank on either side of the driveway while dragging a limb three times bigger than me.  And I could do it over and over again.  And it felt good!  I love working like that because it makes me feel strong.  It makes me sweat.  It hurts sometimes, but it is a good hurt.  I get scratches and cuts.  I get stabbed in the head from protruding branches.  The bun in my hair is decorated with sticks, grass and the occasional bug or sap (depending on the tree).  It feels good.  And it makes me look at myself differently. 

My body, though far from perfect, can do hard things.  It can carry me while I work.  It lifts limbs and logs.  It splits and stacks wood.  It mows lawns.  It weeds flower beds (although it hates doing that).  I can carry a 50lb bag of feed from the back of Runnings out to my car (don't laugh!  50lbs is still heavy for me).  My body, the one that I spend so much time being mad at, carried 7 babies (one for only a very short time) and delivered 6 and it did it in 6 1/2 years!  My body still carries the scars from those years.  My body has loaded and unloaded moving trucks more times than I would like to count, as we would begin or end our journey to a new chapter in life.  My body has spent nights up with children or worries.  My body has spent hours in the gym, on the sidelines, running across golf courses and standing at finish lines, cheering for my kids and their teammates.  My body has spent hours in the kitchen baking and cooking so my family and others can be fed.  My body has spent hours at church serving and worshipping.  My body, the one I wish was smaller and firmer, has carried me to bed every night after an exhausting day and gotten me up every morning so I can go at it again.

I know I have told this story before, but it applies so I am going to tell it again (I can do that, it's my blog).  When I was 21, I served as a missionary for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.  I served in Ireland.  As missionaries, we walked.  A lot.  After being there for a little while, my feet started hurting so bad from all the walking.  At night they would be swollen so much that my toes couldn't touch the ground.  In the morning, when I would try to stand on them, pain would shoot through them and the first few steps were very hard to take.  I would pray (very arrogantly) and remind Heavenly Father that I was doing His work so it would be really nice if my feet didn't hurt.  Yet, they continued to hurt.  One morning as I was getting out of bed, feeling the pain as I started walking, and wondering why Heavenly Father was not helping me, I was overcome with a very quiet, peaceful thought.  He let me know that He was there helping me.  The pain was still there, yes.  But every morning He was there to help me up and get me going.  He didn't take away the pain.  He gave me the strength to continue on despite it.  It was a tremendous learning experience for me.

It helps me still today.  As I fight through exhaustion, depression and a busy life, He gives me the strength to continue on.  He doesn't take away the pain, the tiredness or the extra weight, but He is there to help me up and get me going every morning.  He is there to walk me through the stressful times.  He is there to comfort the hurt, ease the frustrations and strengthen my weaknesses.

Today, as I drug those limbs across the yard, I felt gratitude.  Gratitude for this lumpy, almost 40 year old body.  Gratitude for a fallen tree to allow me to see and feel a little different.  Gratitude for a Heavenly Father who allows me to have the strength to do all that I have to do.

What We Have Been Doing...

I realized that it has been a long time since I wrote a post about what we have been doing around here!  We have been so busy the last 5 or 6 months that I have not taken the time to update about all the fun we have been having!

November started basketball season for us.  We had five playing ball this year.  Maddi and Makenna played for the JH teams.  Zane, Dillon and Zeke played on the elementary level.  Olivia was not old enough to play but she did do a cheer camp and got to cheer at halftime of one of the varsity games.  Basketball took up almost every night during the week.  It also took up every Saturday.  One Saturday we had 11 games between the four oldest kids!  Our first games started the weekend after Thanksgiving and our last games were on the 28th of March.  During that time we had two Saturdays off - the one right after Christmas and one in early March.  It was crazy, we were all tired, but we had a lot of fun!  Here are a few pictures from our basketball season:

During basketball, Maddi hurt her shoulder.  She has loose ligaments so they were not able to hold her shoulder in place properly.  As a result she had to end her season early and start physical therapy in order to prevent surgery.  Her job was to strengthen the muscles around her shoulders so that they could help hold her shoulders in place since her ligaments can't do the job.  She has done well and they are getting stronger.  She still has a lot of work to do.

Track season was fun!  There were a lot of meets and the weather was pretty nice for all of them!  Maddi and Makenna ended up making it to state in the 4x800.  They worked hard, beat the odds and made it!  Their team consisted of 2 7th graders and 2 8th graders.  It was a great experience for them to be able to go to state together.

The end of the school year came quickly and there are so many other things that took place - field trips, awards ceremonies, AR points and prizes, spring concerts, birthdays, science fair, and the list goes on and on. 

Things didn't slow down once summer started either!  We finished off the track season the end of May.  In June we started basketball camp for the boys and basketball workouts for the girls.  We also started our summer workouts.  The first day we had 30 kids here!  We have had youth conference, girls camp, scout camp, hunters safety, basketball camps (2 different ones), and volleyball camps. The four oldest kids picked rock for a month or so.  The girls have been working at the school once a week.  We have been doing yard work, cutting down trees, hauling logs, chasing chickens, gathering eggs, hunting predators, playing with friends, and enjoying the weather.  We ran one 5k and have another one to run next month.  We have gotten horses and sold horses.  We have gone for bike rides, gone swimming, gone bowling and we have almost gone crazy a few times!  It has all gone by so quickly!

Things are winding down now.  Our summer workouts are coming to an end.  Rock picking is done and so is work at the school.  The camps are over.  School supply shopping has begun.  We are still hoping for a few more days of swimming, bowling and playing.  We are looking forward to a trip to the race track to watch the horses run.

I think the most special thing that happened this summer was Olivia getting baptized.  She turned 8 in May and she was finally able to get baptized a few weeks ago.  She was so excited!  She is the last of my 6 to get baptized.  It has been such a blessing to be able to see all of my children make the choice to be  baptized and to be so excited about it.

They are all growing up so much! Maddi is driving and she will be in high school.  Zane will be in junior high with Makenna.  Dillon will be the top dog at the elementary school.  My little Zeke is in 4th grade now and Olivia, though still our little princess, is growing up way too fast!  It is fun to watch them grow and change and watch them as they reach new heights and experience new things.  We are so blessed!