Well, I Really Did Try

First--
The irony:
I ended my last post with "I hope I can stay up to the challenge of being a mother to my children."  Not 5 minutes after I posted that, my youngest came into the kitchen and lost his cookies all over the floor.  I could not believe that I just just wrote those words and a challenge came right to me.  All my kids were in bed asleep when I was blogging so I wasn't expecting anything challenging until the morning mayhem. (however, I am so so grateful he came into the kitchen thus saving my new carpet).

Now on to how I Really Did Try.

I have two "sets" of children.  My older teenagers and my elementary kids.  There is a bit of a rift or division between them.  Dustin gets along fine with the younger ones but just doesn't interact a lot with them--doing his own thing.  Brennen, as a typical teenager, gets so annoyed with the younger kids and how they don't put their stuff away, and are messy and loud, and dumb.  (Well he never said they were dumb but it seems to me he thinks that).  And the younger kids think Brennen is bossy and mean. (He is bossy, as most older brothers are I suppose).  Janessa's favorite phrase to him lately is "you don't have to get into everyone's business!"

I have talked to both sides but, yeah, not sure I am getting through.

So I decided we needed to do some "family relationship building" time.  Board games were (are) great for my older boys and we used to play so much with them, but not all of our kids are board games kind of people.  Plus its hard to play one with 7 people.  I got us all together and we decided to play charades.  Nothing formal, just impromptu.  We started with scripture stories.

Janessa and Andy went first.  They went into the kitchen to decided what to do.  When they came back into the living room Andy stood on a stool.  None of us said anything yet.  Janessa didn't do anything.  Except telling And he should stand on the smaller stool.  We waited for a few minutes and decided they weren't going to do anything else so the guessing started with "Samuel the Lamanite" and "King Benjamin".  It was Samuel.  Janessa then got mad because she didn't get to do her part.   She was upset that Andy used the big stool so we guessed it before she had a chance to do her part and of course I piped in telling her we were waiting but she didn't do anything (I said it nicely but still it was arguing I suppose).  I encouraged her to go ahead and do it anyway and we would watch.  She argued "What's the point!"  She got mad and stormed into her room and slammed the door.

Scott and I kind of looked at each other and laughed.  We didn't mean to laugh but it was funny that here we are trying to get the family to enjoy each other and within 5 minutes there is anger and conflict.

Well we kept going anyway encouraging Janessa to come back and join us which she did eventually.  Brennen only participated in one charade as his attitude was "this is dumb" but at least he was there with us.  Dustin participated pretty well.  Of course the little kids are the ones that kept wanting to do the acting.  We moved on from scripture stories to things in history.

It was fun and we laughed.  Maybe it didn't turn out like I wanted, and I should have taken Brennen's phone away first (since he was playing chess with someone I think), but at least I tried.  And it was just a random day, not family night or anything yet we all sat in the same room together without a TV.

Forever Family

It was 10 years ago last Friday on April 19th that we went to the temple where Andy was sealed to our family for time and all eternity.  His older brothers, who were in kindergarten and 3rd grade at the time, were able to dress in white and witness the sealing.  It was such a special day.  I told Cameron that he and Janessa watched us from heaven. Andy was a chubby red-headed 14 month old, and it was only a few weeks before this that we found out we were pregnant with Janessa. (such an exiciting surprise!)

My parents were on their mission at the time in Wyoming, but received permission to come to the sealing in the Ogden temple.  We had lots of family there, and ward members.  The next day in sacrament meeting Andy was given a name and a blessing.  (The adoption date was Wednesday the 16th, so he hadn't been given a blessing in church yet).

So this weekend my thoughts have been on that special day and how much our family has changed in the past 11 years.  He is such a special boy with a tender heart and spirit, and a body that can hardly contain his energy.  I admit that he and I have our challenges (as I do of course with every child--just differently) but he is so much fun and we just might be a dull family without him.  Little did we know that two more kids would follow him in joining our family.

Mothering these last 3 children has not been easy for me.  Of course motherhood is not easy for anyone, though some people sure make it look easy!  Maybe its because I am older or because they are closer together in age than my older boys.  But I really think it is personalities.

My number 3 and 4 children are much more demanding than my others.  Why?  Were they born that way or was it circumstances that have made them that way?   Do they feel they have to compete for attention in a large family?  I often wonder why the Lord sent these children to me because I struggle with them so often.  I wonder why our personalities are so different and why the Lord has confidence in me to raise and teach these children, their strong personalities with my soft-spoken introverted nature.  I know that stronger spirits were saved for the latter days and they will do great in life. I just have to get them through elementary school, middle school, and high school!  Which I know is really a short time and I will look back when they are leaving on missions and getting married thinking "it seems like just yesterday when..." But the moments are hard to get through sometimes.  I need to rely on my Heavenly Father and truly believe that He has faith in me to nurture and love his precious children.  I truly am grateful for them.  For all my children.

I have enjoyed slowing down a bit and reflecting on that day 10 years ago when I knew that two more children were being added to my little family, one by adoption and one by birth.  The memory of the beauty of the temple and seeing my children all in white with my loving husband.  Taking time to look at the "eternal perspective" and marvel how our family came to be.  And how the Lord sent us another blessing when we surprisingly got pregnant again with Cameron.

This busy life, and the trials that come with it, is exactly what I wanted, and I really am grateful, and hope I can stay up to the challenge of being a mother to my children.

All At Once

Like an ad says:  "Life comes at you fast..."

We got carpet!  New carpet in most of our house--4 bedrooms, the living room and hallway.  When we moved in there was only carpet in 3 rooms of the house.  The rest was mostly hardwood.  A year and a half ago we put some carpet in our downstairs which is just one big room and had really old tile that you used to see in schools.  I know lots of people like hardwood, but I prefer carpet.  Especially in bedrooms.  Besides, the wood was very old and stained and scratched and paint splotched.  So even when you cleaned the floors it still looked dirty.

I love my carpet! It's like a new house!  Before it came Scott and the boys put up new baseboards and I painted the kids' rooms. And we put Pergo in the dining room (because refinishing the wood costs lots more).

But getting carpet in most of the house is a lot of work.  Taking beds down, emptying bookcases and closets, and moving everything somewhere that isn't getting carpet.

A new  house!!

The carpet did not come on schedule and was over a week later than planned getting installed. And the Thursday and Friday it was installed I was already booked up with stuff.

--Cam stayed home from school those two days sick.
--Brennen had oral surgery Friday morning so when we got home and he was still half asleep I was steering him between carpet layers to get him to his bed.  (thank goodness we got all the beds put back together after the carpet people left Thursday night).
--One of our cars was in the shop so we had to shuffle getting us all where we needed to go.  (One night the neighbors had to pick up Andy from gymnastics)
--And, one of my nephews from out of town came home from his mission so I was packing and preparing to go to my brother's for the weekend to hear the returned missionary talk in church.

The carpet layers left by noon on Friday.  And do you know how hard it is to try to pack for a road trip and put your house back together and, and, and?

I was feeling a bit crazy--even more so than usual.

(Now I shouldn't tell you the next part because it is embarrassing for me but funny because of my Andy).

I hit the road with my 3 little kids after school for a 5 hour drive.  Only to be stopped before I was 1/2 hour out of town by a police officer.  Why?  Because he noticed the kids didn't have their lap belts on--they always put it behind their back.  He gave a us a nice warning and said to wear seatbelts correctly.

And as luck would have it a few hours later the lights of police were behind me AGAIN.  Out on the reservation I failed to slow down enough when the speed limit changed because of an intersecting road.  And luck really was on my side because I got another warning.  Especially since Andy was very eloquent talking to the officer.  He told him "This is the second time we got pulled over!"  Thank you Andy.  When the officer saw me with the kids he said I was probably distracted and didn't see the speed limit sign.  How nice to notice.  Andy assured him we would drive slower and safer.

Lots going on in a few days but I got through it.  Brennen's surgery to expose and band a tooth that won't come in went fine and he only took 3 pain pills.  Cam was better by Friday and probably could have gone to school that day.  Our car is still in the shop but we borrowed my mom's for part of the time.

but sometimes life does come at you faster than you are expecting...

Post Holiday Ramblings

We had a very nice uneventful Holiday season, thank goodness!  (because last year's season was too eventful with stomach flu, lice, and a totaled family car).

I was a little bummed that the kids didn't get out of school until Friday the 21st.  and it wasn't even a half day.  There just seems to be fun things to do with the kids before Christmas like frosting cookies, crafting etc.  And that gave us only 3 days before the big day.  It's fine, but just sayin'-

However, now I am ready for them to go back to school and they don't go back until the 8th.  Two more full days of kids with lots of energy and cold cold weather outside.

Dustin is home for a few months and won't be going back to school.  He is waiting for his mission call!  His papers aren't quite submitted but will be within the week I think.

Brennen gets to drive himself to school now.  Hooray!  He got his license mid December.  The day he got his license I had him pick up Cam from piano lessons.  nice.

This morning as we had family prayer I looked around at my beautiful family and felt so blessed.  I thought how awesome it is that we get to start our day together as a family kneeling in prayer, quiet and away from the world.  Though I do enjoy the quiet house when they are away at school, it isn't easy to send them into the world everyday knowing (or not knowing) all that is waiting for them.  I am so grateful for my family, the birth of our Savior, and the knowledge and truth of the gospel, and that I have the ability to teach and influence my children in our home, and hopefully, keep them "unspotted from the world."

Christmas Time--already?

Amazing that a year has passed and it is Christmas time again!  We were very busy last week with holiday stuff.

Tuesday--pack meeting at the nursing home where we sang Christmas Carols and handed out ornaments the boys had made.

Thursday--Christmas parade.  I was not going to go this year.  J & A were invited to be on the gymnastics float, but I didn't tell them.  Its just so cold out there watching a parade in December (yes even in New Mexico).  And it's a pain to drop them off and pick them up in the parade mayhem etc. I know that doesn't get me "mommy" brownie points but ya, I didn't want to do the parade thing this year.

However, my husband came home one night and excitedly announced that he was in the parade with the college float! passing out candy (cuz you can't throw candy anymore, just pass it out you know).  So we went to the parade.  But I enjoyed it.  It was not very cold since we are having a warm winter so far.  My favorite moment was the look on Cam's face when he saw Santa Clause on the fire engine!  It was precious and I realized I only have this year and maybe next year left of "Christmas magic" at my house.

Friday--Festival of Trees at the Civic Center.  It is a fun activity that our family enjoys.  It is a charity event where you buy 'raffle' tickets and then put them the bucket of the tree you like to see if you win a tree! We have never won a tree but it is fun to see all the fun themed decorated trees and to hope...
              and
then we went to "Riverglo" where saw luminaries lining the Riverwalk and heard choirs and saw a live Nativity complete with donkeys and a goat.  

Saturday--The amazing luminaries display at the College and then across the street to the Nativity Display at our stake center.  There were lots and lots of different Nativity sets displayed throughout the building and a live Nativity outside, completed with hot chocolate and cookies.

now that all the activities are almost done--still have Janessa's 3rd grade musical thing, and the ward party--we can get busy with the 'work' of Christmas like decorating, shopping, making cookies, candy houses, etc etc etc.

And or course we will remember the have the Spirit of Christmas!