play time

Every day after school Carter comes home and says "Mom, I would like to have------- over to play!", and I always seem to have a reason why that won't work out today..."but maybe another day" I say.
After this same conversation took place 357 times I started to feel bad, so we invited his new school buddies over today.

It is basically the first time I have invited children I don't know very well over to play with my children, and parents I don't know at all to tag along. It was the craziest thing, the way I was nervous. You know the way you feel when you're having a birthday party, and you worry no body is going to show up? That's how I was today....so weird!

Layla and I cleaned the whole entire house, swept and hosed down the back porch, cleaned up the yard, arranged the patio furniture just right, prepared fresh carrots out of the garden, grapes, crackers and cheese, punch, side walk paint and brushes, got the Geo Trax out, and waited! We waited and read, and waited and played a board game, and practiced the alphabet and waited until we heard Carter come home. The look on his face was priceless! He looked around as realization set in. He knew all this was for him, and for the magical moment, I think he might have felt the depth of my love for him.

What a day:)

The friends did come. The boys played in the castle outside, had a berry war, painted, ran, built a train track, had some snacks. At the end of the day Carter will remember all the fun he had with his friends, but mostly (I hope), the feeling of his mamas love.

This weekend I helped my Dad unpack some boxes....special boxes.

2 years ago my Mom and Dad thought they had sold their home on S. 19th Ave, so they packed almost all of their things and moved them to a storage unit until they had a new house. Sadly, the sell didn't end up working out, and they had already done all that packing.
Can you imagine? I would be livid if that happened to me! Rrarrrrr, tiger woman would make herself known.

Anyway, Mom Started getting really sick right after all that....and, you know that rest.

The boxes in storage took a big back seat to everything else (Like, they were clear back in the trunk, and the trunk popped open, and they totally came falling out of the vehicle kind of a back seat). We finally went to the storage unit a couple of weeks ago to haul some of the essentials back to Dad's house for him. I was putting some things in the closet, and saw some of Mom's clothes hanging up.

A rush of emotions over took me, and I suddenly missed her again with the same fierceness I felt the day she passed. My chest hurt, it was physical. I felt a something drip onto my hand, and realized they were my tears. However, as suddenly as the overwhelming emotions overtook me, they were replaced with deep feelings of Love. I have so much love and gratitude for my Mom, the things she went through, what she taught me, and the legacy she left.

Mom continues to play a very large role in my life. Not a day goes by that I don't think "what would Mom have said to me in this situation" or "would Mom approve of my parenting style right now?". I have flash backs of my childhood, and things she has said to me. I try to emulate her with my own children, and pray that I will do half as good of a job as her.

Love you mom.

new school year

The kids have been in school for a couple of weeks now, and we are getting into the new grove of thing. Carter is in 1st grade now = all day school 5 days a week, and layla is in pre-school = 2 hours 3 days a week. Carter feels like life is really unfair right about now, because he doesn't get to be home all day on Craigs day off, layla only has to go to school 3 days a week, and benson gets me all the time; so we have been trying to point out the advantages to him of his new school schedule. Here is what we came up with.

1. he get's to be the only kid at breakfast with me and Craig every morning, because Layla and Benson are usually still sleeping.
2. He gets to pick what treat he wants in his lunch box.
3.Chocolate milk!
4.walks home with one of his favorite friends everyday (if it's not raining, snowing, hailing, blowing, or iceing).
5. 20 exclusive minutes with Mom (me) when he gets home from school to go over homework, read, and catch up with each other.
6. and the biggest advantage to going to 1st grade....(drum roll)........The big toys!

Carter is super excited about the big toy. Last year he was on the other side of the school, and they just have an old school style playground on that side, so he's movin' up in the world.

Layla was a little nervous about that first day, but I think she has been enjoying it once the jitter bugs went away. I talked to her teacher about this next thing, and she said it didn't happen, so that makes it kind of funny. Every day when I pick her up and ask her to tell me about school she says the same thing. "my teacher was mean today. She made every one put their heads on their desk....except for me, because I was being really good." She heard Carter say that once, and I guess it made a real impression on her.

The other thing she told me about school is that she is worried she is going to get too smart, and her brain is going to get too big, and her head band won't fit anymore!

....Ya never know.


p.s. I have a new format for my blog, and I can't find spell check...which I normally rely on Heavily:)

Brains

It seems Layla has a new obsession as of late, and I have absolutly no idea where it came from. Brains. She has been heard saying things like, "let's squish that bugs brains out" or when I told her she is smart "that's because I have an extra large brain". When she got to the pit in her peach she yelled with excitment "yay, I found it's brain...but I am NOT going to eat it!". The other day we went on a little family hike on Craigs day off, and there were some tree roots visible on the trail, so she would say "there's a brain, and there's a brain, hahaha, and look guys...it's another brian." as she stomped on them with her happy little feet. I LOVE the stages children go through as they learn and grow, and the funny things they say and do. Layla is a constant stream of hilliarium (I may have just made that word up), always keeping things exciting at our home.

Bensons Birthday

My Baby turned one! He is 1!

I have been reflecting a ton the past couple of weeks. I think it's in part because Benson just turned one, part because Craig and I just had our 9th anniversary, and part because that's kinda just what I do. I've been thinking mostly about where I was emotionally, mentally, physically, spiritually a year ago, and where I am now. I'll take the now...for sure.

I have three very active, happy, and healthy children. We spend our summer days riding bikes, playing in the yard, swimming, reading books together, and laughing. I have a Husband that works very hard, so I can be home with our little Chickie's. He keeps our garden/yard looking amazing (and looks so hot while he does it), is Loyal, loving, and serves the lord. I love our cute little house in our quiet old neighborhood were we all know each other. What more could a girl ask for? I thank the Lord for the trials I have been through, the lessons learned, and the light at the end of the tunnel.

I am so blessed.






Back to Benson. He is such a sweet little thing, and always tries (with success) to make us laugh. He loves his Daddy more then anyone, and thinks anything Carter does is hilarious. He loves playing peek-a-boo with Layla, but doesn't love it when she picks him up. He is master of going up stairs, but still working on the down part. Looks for every chance he can get to play in the house plants dirt, and rub it in his beautiful blond hair. His favorite food is watermelon...he thinks it's a full contact sport! Not kidding. I'm going to have to post a video of him eating a slice...fantastic. Benson has a great arm, and lets us know he is done by throwing his Binky, bottle, or food as far as he can with a solid grunt to add affect.
What a boy! I love watching him grow, and discovering who he is. Benson is a very LOVED little guy! Happy Birthday buddy.

Ice cream!

What is better in the summer then ice cold ice cream? ...riding your bike to the ice cream shop with your sweetie's, and sitting on the grass under the shade while you eat that ice cold ice cream...that is the best! I'll tell you what else, my boys can make some crazy faces!

Especially the biggest boy.










What do you love to do with your sweeties in the summer?

p.s. today is my 9th anniversary, and the kids are sleeping over with cousins tonight:) Yay for me and my Lover boy, looks like we will be getting to bed early;)

City Slickers

When I was 3 years old my family moved out to the country. We had chickens, and a rooster. It was Paul and My's job to collect the eggs everyday. It didn't take us long to learn that the Rooster was big, and mean, and scary, and could bite us. We developed a strategy before too long, and it worked pretty well. one of us would distract the rooster, and get it to chase us while the other ran in the coop and snached up all the eggs.

Our summer days were spend fishing in the gentle creek by the house, building secret forts in the sage brush, exploring our mountain, picking flowers, riding the horses, weeding the garden, and LOVING life. We moved back into town when I was 5, but I have always remembered those 2 years as the best of my childhood. Deep down in my heart I have always known the truth...that I am a country girl.

My Family had our reunion at a ranch in Lava, Idaho this year. They had a few cows to brand, so being the country girl I am I ran right over with the kids. How exciting! I just knew the kids would think that was the coolest thing ever, and decide they are really country in their harts just like me. We all lined up to watch them brand the first one, and I watched Carters face....as he nearly began to cry!

He hated it!

He couldn't believe they would be so mean, and hurt that poor little cow. hahaha, so my plan didn't work out so much. After the kids slowly drifted away, my siblings and I jumped right in the middle of all the action. Matt held the calves down, Janelle and I gave them their vaccinations, and Joanne and Judy painted the oil on after the ranchers branded them. We were real life cowboys....for about 20 minutes, and we were all ready to get back to our city life ways. It wasn't until the reunion that I learned all my brothers and sisters have always felt just like me, and believed they were really and truly county kids at heart. However, we have been shown the truth, and have come to the realization that we are really nothing but a bunch a city slickers. The funny part is that we are all surprised by this discovery, even thought we only lived in the country 2 of our 29+ years, haha.

My camera died after the first couple hours of our weekend, so I missed out on LOTS of great pictures, but here is was I got.













The first night we had our branding experience, dinner, and then broke up into groups and made up skits. I had a bunch of props and costumes, and the skits were hilarious.


The next day people went swimming at the Olympic size pool and platforms, did crafts, slept, at really good food, played games, watched movies on the projector, and stuff like that. Judy made reunion shirts that turned out so cute. the boys were blue and girls were pink, all with a brown logo with our name and stuff on them. The theme this year was code of the west, so we talked about that a bit.

The last day we just had breakfast, and packed up. We all went to Moms grave together. It was the first time we have done that since the headstone was placed, so that was touching. I feel like Mom was smiling down on us, laughing at our cheesy skits, and loving the way we take care of each other. What a weekend.