August 28, 2017

I had an interesting dream last night.  It was so much fun that I was left thinking about it all day.  My dreams are always so vivid, so real.  I have the ability to think through problems and come up with totally new and creative thoughts. They feel so realistic that it almost feels like those things really happened to me.

Last night I dreamt that I was waiting outside a door, getting ready to go in front of a bunch of people at a dinner convention to give an inspirational talk.  I realized that I wasn't sure what I was going to say, so I started thinking through everything I've written trying to decide what would sound the best.  In my dream I thought through lots of real things I've written.  I finally decided to deliver an essay I wrote about our little house in Pennsylvania.  I woke up before I gave my speech.  But the interesting part was that I knew that I gave speeches often.  I knew it was a part of my life.  I was excited to do it.  And the people were acting really excited that I was there.  It was such a fun dream!  But how can I be resting when my brain is actually working so hard?!?!

Today has been a great day.  I've cleaned, done laundry, made sweet n sour chicken for dinner.  The kids had a short day so I let Miles have a few friends over and I took all the boys out swimming.  I've had a really happy day.  Greg and Miles are at basketball practice right now, Emma is working on her homework, and the other kids are watching Aladdin.  The dinner dishes are done, it's still 105 degrees outside, and the sun is shining even though it is getting later in the evening.

Lance fell asleep like this after a good swim in the pool.  Looks so comfy!

Owen has always been my little helper.  He still is.

Houston, Texas is right in the middle of the worst flood in its history.  Greg said Houston is maybe the fourth largest city in the United States.  And pretty much the whole thing is covered in water.  It is so crazy!  I just read on the news that the Houston Temple is now taking on water.  The grounds are completely covered and water has entered inside.  At the end of the article were many, many comments.  I seemed to get sucked into reading the comments.  And it was hateful after hateful comment about the church.  Just as I was starting to feel extremely sad that so many people felt it appropriate to make so much fun of our church and the temple, my phone died.  I set it down next to me and sat quietly for a minute.  Hmm.

Whenever I think of all the people I know and all those whom I wish to be like, I always think of those people faithful to our church and the Savior.  I think of the beautiful shining faces of the families I know. I think of the smiles on the missionaries' faces.  I think of the wonderful leaders of our church.  I think of the time I was at BYU and the Prophet walked into the room.  It felt as though the air just whooshed out of there---the spirit was so strong.

Then I think of all of these people scorning and laughing at our church. It seemed like an awful lot of them were REALLY familiar with our teachings.  Somehow their hearts have turned against this.  And that makes me sad.

But as for ME and MY house, we will serve the Lord.

I have been heartbroken for all of the people suffering in Texas.  It is terrible.  And I am praying for their relief.  I can't even imagine the nightmare they are all living through.  Life is so full of challenges and my testimony is that when we stay close to the Lord, follow His teachings, and keep our covenants, we will be blessed, comforted, and uplifted.  Even through very difficult trials.

God Bless Texas.

August 27, 2017

Sunday.  2:30 church is looking a little bit better lately.

We slept in.  It was delicious.

We slowly got ready for church.

I'm having so much fun fixing up Emma and Julia.  I realized that I'm feeling the same feelings I felt when they were tiny little girls.  I love doing their hair and makeup and seeing my beautiful girls looking fancy.

Emma wanted me to take a before and after pic.  This is the "BEFORE".

This is AFTER.  She is so pretty.  This picture doesn't do justice to how stunning she looked in her long, flowing, white dress.

Julia is photobombing us.  She's next in Rindi's beauty salon!

The last ten minutes before church we ran around screaming to get to church on time.  It was hectic as usual. :)

Lance is starting to get the hang of church again.  He was a really good boy.

Greg has been working really hard to get Lance to go to nursery and today Lance stayed all by himself!!!!  He even really liked it!!!

I felt the spirit so much as I sang the songs in Primary.  I'm loving that part.  And my class is so cute.  I've grown to love those kiddos.

We had grilled fish.  Again.  The kids love it so much.  I made the rice and rolls and salad.  Greg grilled the cod.  It was great.

We relaxed and talked about future plans, like Emma's sweet sixteen party, Fall break, and a BYU football party.

Then it was stories, kisses, and bedtime.  Thank heavens for a good Sabbath Day.

August 26, 2017

I even amaze myself a little. Sometimes.

I got up early, loaded on all my gear, did my best to get ready, and headed out into the pitch dark to run 16 miles.  I had my head lamp, and I stayed on main roads, but it is a little strange running at 5:30 in the morning in the dark, alone.  I just ran and ran and ran.  Thinking, unwinding, pushing myself.  Just as I had promised, at 6:30 a.m. after running seven miles I made it to Sunee's house.  She was up and ready to run with me.  She was going to run five miles with me and then I would leave her at home for the last four miles home.

We talked and talked and the miles just slipped by almost unnoticed (well, I was definitely noticing them, but, you know.).  I just felt the stress flowing out of me as we talked and listened to each other's burdens and hardships and triumphs of the last few weeks.  When it was time to turn back toward her house, she made a snap decision to keep running with me!  I was really grateful because I was starting to really feel the pain and I had many more miles to go.  So we pounded out the last four together.  It is almost straight uphill that last few miles to my house.  But we made it.  Together.  Sunee ran eight miles!  I finished at just over 15.  We called it good.

15 Miles! (Sunee ran the last 8 with me!) I'm about dead. :)

And shortly after that, I had a text from Stalee letting me know that she had completed 17 miles all by herself!!  I was so proud of her!

Greg and the kids were up and ready to go to Black Bear Diner for breakfast.  Amazingly enough, I had never even needed a bathroom on my run.  And I felt pretty good, so I went along with them.  We had a really fun time.  After breakfast, we came back home, cleaned the house and relaxed for a while.  Then I showered and Greg took all of the kids to see the new Cars 3 movie.  They all had a great time and I took a nap! Yay!

In the afternoon the girls and I went and found dressed for them to wear to Jacquelyn's wedding this next weekend.  She wanted all of her cousins in white.  Luckily we found something for both of the girls to wear.  But it was so blasted hot outside!  And I was so blasted worn out.  :)

We ended the day with Chic-fil-A.  It was just one of those days.  We all went out swimming in the beautiful pool, splashing and enjoying the beautiful day.  Julia went to her friend Bridger's house to watch a movie.  The rest of us just showered and got ready for bed.  Emma and I watched a couple episodes from Parks and Rec. It was so funny.  We always have a good laugh with that show.  Finally it was time to get Julia.  She'd had a really fun time.  I kissed the girls good night and went to bed.  It had been a long, good day.  And tomorrow is Sunday.  And I'm starting to see the virtues of 2:30 church.  Let's all sleep in!

August 25, 2017

I woke up this morning on the melancholy side.  I felt bad for losing it last night.  I was worn out from my hectic life.  Greg was right, I've been doing too much.  The problem is, I just don't see a solution.  But I vowed to take it easier today.  Austin and I rode the two-man bike to school, pulling the little boys.  I hugged and kissed him goodbye.  Owen and Lance played around while I slowly cleaned up the house.  I cried intermittently, just little tears releasing my emotions.  It was therapeutic.  After I took Owen to school, I ironed a big pile of Greg's clothes while Lance sat on the bed by me watching old Mickey Mouse movies.  I worked on laundry and organized my poor closet, which badly needed it.  I picked up the boys from school at 1:15 since it was short day.  Then we came home and I made chocolate chip cookies.  The boys had friends over and I ate cookie dough as I baked.  I had some music softly playing in my kitchen.  And when I thought about my frustrations, I just let the tears spill down my cheeks.

Finally at about 3:00, I showered and got fixed up.  When Emma came home, I took her driving.  I made her get a car wash, go through the pizza drive-thru, and stop at Harmons to buy a little gift for the birthday party she is going to tonight.  She is getting to be an excellent driver.

And then...I made Greg go on a date with me, even though I knew he was a little frustrated with me too.  We dropped Emma off at the school where she was working the concession stands for the varsity volleyball tournament.  Then we headed to the Rib and Chop House.  I ordered pot roast and Greg ordered a rib-eye.  During the day, I'd considered quitting the marathon, but I would have been quitting out of anger.  Like, Fine! If everyone thinks I can't handle all this...then...fine!  I'll quit!  But that wouldn't have solved anything.  Or made anyone feel better.  So instead, I just gave myself permission to admit my failures.  I forgave myself for losing it.  I forgave Greg for being upset about my workload.  I just decided to pick back up those juggling balls and start to slowly toss them into the air again.

We had a fun date together.  We laughed and talked and ate.  I sent Emma to a fun boy-girl birthday party at the city pool.  I let Julia have four friends over to have a night swim.  I put the little boys to bed and watched TV with Greg while I mapped out my 16-mile run for the morning.  I didn't worry that it was really late by the time I crawled into bed.  I just took a deep breath and set my alarm for 4:40 a.m.

On my running playlist is a song that says, "You've got to get up and try, try, try..."  Every time I hear that song, I think, "I've got to try.  I've got to try to accomplish my goals.  I'll never get anywhere if I don't try. When ten miles seems too far, I've got to try.  When PTA president sounds too hard, I've got to try.  When six kids sounds like too many, I've got to try.  When being kind or patient or helpful sounds like too much, I've got to try.  When I want to quit...I've got to make cookies, go on a date, put on a smile, and TRY."

Abraham Lincoln said, "Folks are about as happy as they make up their minds to be."

After this week, the thing that I am probably the proudest of is that I decided to be happy on Friday.  And I was.
And that made all the difference.

August 24, 2017

I woke up to rain and lightning.  When I saw that my group cancelled their run, I decided to cancel my run too.  I climbed back into my bed, tired and relieved to get another hour.  But unfortunately I never ran on the treadmill like I hoped, and that made me depressed a little.

I spent so much of the day trying to get ready for Back-to-School night.  I took the little boys to get Jimmy John's sandwiches and we met Greg for a few minutes of lunch.  After I dropped off Owen at school, Lance and I headed to the middle school to meet with the vice principal and to print off my programs.  I had worked all morning getting it just right, with the proposed budget on back and printing it off.  At least it felt like it took that much time.

Greg came through big time for me.  He came home and took all the kids out to dinner at In-n-Out and then brought them home, helped with homework and showers and put them all to bed.  I was so thankful to come home and see the house all straightened up, the laundry folded, and everyone in bed.

Back-to-School night went really great.  I gave my speech and did my part just fine.  I sat at the table, answered questions and sold more memberships and Thunder fundraiser cards.  I felt a little sick, to be honest, but I made it through and finally at 9 p.m. I climbed back into Greg's beautiful car and drove home.

I had to turn right back around and go pick up Emma who had been helping at the Varsity Volleyball game.  We came home, sat at the table, ate two bowls of Trix and talked.  It was late, but it was fun to talk.

And then as I was about to go to bed, I had that breakdown that I was worried I would have.  Greg was frustrated with all that I've been trying to handle, thinking I'm not going to be able to do it all.  I started crying and it all went downhill from there.  I finally went to sleep, but I've concluded that it's super hard to keep up.

And I never even did my run.  Boo hoo!

August 23, 2017

Today was a bit of a doozy.  I was just running the whole day.  My stomach felt sick.  I dragged kids all around town.  I sat out at Austin's football game for 15 minutes in 104-degree weather, at 6:00 p.m., with Lance asleep.  Boo!  Then I had to drag the little ones to take Miles to his first basketball practice.  Lance cried and screamed when he woke up.  Miles was nervous and unsure, but I had to get him settled the best I could and leave him there.  I ran back across town to Emma's volleyball game at Dixie High School.  I rushed in, the game already started.  My stomach was hurting so much!   Emma played an AWESOME game and her team won.  It was so fun to watch her, but Lance fussed most of the time.  When that was over, I had to drive clear back out to Washington City Community Center to pick up Miles.  He had waited for over an hour for me to come.  It was dark outside by the time he climbed into my car.  We all drove home--the bedtime routine awaiting me.  I was worn out and my running group texted that we were running 8 miles at 5:00 the next morning.  I just wanted to cry.

I finally decided to run my own five miles at 5:30.  I could feel myself losing grip a little.  I've had so much on my plate.  Tomorrow is the big Back-to-School night at Desert Hills Middle School.  I've got to prepare my speech, make a program, take it to the school to get it printed, as well as run the rest of my life.  My running is ramping up, PTA has been insane, life with my kids is in full force...
I have the feeling that I'm juggling a bunch of balls and I'm starting to falter just a bit.  I'm heading for a disaster...and I have no idea how to keep it all going.  So I just crawled into bed and set my alarm for 5:15.

This is the cutest picture Owen colored the first day of school. I think it is pretty great for a little  5-year-old boy!

August 22, 2017

Today was my first board meeting as the PTA president.  It was a lot of work to get ready for it.  I really wanted it to go well.  I had to sit at the head of the table with about 12 board members sitting around.  The Principal and two vice principals were there too.  I was more nervous than I thought I would be.  We had a lot to plan, a lot to go over, and a lot for me to manage.  When it was all over, I had met all of my goals and filled all of the major board positions.  I was relieved and ready to take a breath.

I came back to pick up Owen and Lance from my neighbor Katie's house.  I had been so nervous to leave Lance, thinking that he would totally freak out.  But he was so cute, walking straight into their house and saying, "C'mon, Owen!"  (Except he says, O-Yen!  It is so adorable.  He LOVES Owen so much.)  Ironically, Lance cried SO hard when I made him come back home.  He cried for 45 minutes to go back to his friend's house.  When I got him out of the car, he tried to run down the driveway.  It was really sad.  :(  But I was so happy that he had a fun time.  And I was really grateful to my friend, Katie for watching the boys.

There's just so much to do.

I had a surreal moment in the afternoon.  You know when you are thinking of moving into a house?  And you walk around and say, "This is where I'll stand and make dinner, and this is where I'll look out the window and see the kids playing, and this is where I'll have one kid doing homework, and another one will be upstairs at the computer doing homework..."?  Well, in the late afternoon I had Miles and Julia at two different computers working on homework; Greg was playing with the boys on the family room floor; I was standing at the counter counter cutting up peppers and onions for fajitas; I had a beautiful view out the back windows of the yard and pool.  I just stopped and realized that everything I ever dreamed of--family life, motherhood--it's all my reality.  Even the cliche-ness of being the PTA president.  My life is full of carpools and after school snacks and high school sports and homework.  I feel like I've hardly been able to keep up lately, but I'm just so grateful to be living my dream.

August 21, 2017

Owen's first day of Kindergarten finally arrived!  He was so excited! We were a bit shocked to get assigned to afternoon kindergarten, but we are taking it in stride.  Austin and I have been riding the two-man bike to school pulling the bike trailer with Owen and Lance inside.  We live a mile and a quarter below the school.  It is actually about a mile up and then a steep quarter mile down.  So on the way home, it is a steep quarter mile up, and then a good mile downhill.  Both ways are excruciating, especially pulling a hundred pounds behind the bike.  Austin and I have to push our legs to the max.  I definitely feel him helping me up the hill.  We are both exhausted by the time we get there.  I think it is so great for us.

Today was the big solar eclipse day that we had all been anxiously awaiting.  We woke up to a totally cloudy day.  I had signed permission slips for all of the kids.  The schools had bought special eclipse glasses for all of the students. I had thoroughly frightened my kids about getting their eyes damaged if they looked without glasses.  We were all set!  It was funny because Austin was getting a little scared about it (I probably didn't even need to warn Austin about the dangers!) and he said, "But if your eyes get blinded from it, can you ever get better?" and Owen quickly piped up from his bed across the room, "Only if Jesus heals your blindness."  It was so cute and so funny.  Then I spent the rest of the time convincing Austin that there was no way his eyes would get damaged!  So much for explaining the dangers!

But the day dawned cloudy and people were pretty devastated.  All morning I kept looking outside.  Finally, right during the eclipse time, the clouds parted.  I really hoped the kids were seeing it. I didn't have any glasses, but I was jumping on the trampoline with Lance and Owen and I noticed a change in the lighting outside.  All the kids came home so excited to tell me about the eclipse.  I'm so glad they got to see it.  Apparently for those in the path of total eclipse, it was one of the most amazing things.  It was neat to read about and hear about those experiences.  A day to remember for sure.

Cloudy day, pre-eclipse

Owen and I went back in the afternoon for his class.  He was so excited and so ready to go.  Lance and I went straight to the grocery store where Lance fell right asleep in the checkout line.  It was so hectic trying to hold him, load the groceries back into the cart and pay.  Somehow we made it home.  Once Miles got home, I left Lance and went to pick up the little boys.  Owen was so excited to tell me about his day.  He was THE only one in his whole class to move his behavior clip all the way to the top so that he could choose a prize from the prize box.  That's pretty good considering everyone is probably on their best behavior the first day of school!  I'm so proud of Owen.  He is so cute and so grown up.

Owen is all ready for Kindergarten!

August 20, 2017

Today is my dad's birthday.  He is finally home from the hospital, but he has a long road of recovery. He has an oxygen tank, a stomach drain, and a wound vac; home health nurses coming in every other day, and physical therapy coming to help him.  He mostly sleeps all day.  He can get up and walk on his knee, but then he is so exhausted that he just sleeps some more.  He is very weak and can hardly eat.  We are all still so worried about him, and we pray constantly for him and for my mom that they will both have the strength to endure this trial.  But I am so thankful that he is alive.  I am hoping with all of my heart that he will once again regain his strength and that I will be able to talk to him like I used to.  The kids and I made a little video wishing him a happy birthday and we sent it to him. Mom let me know that they really liked it even though Dad still can't see well and he couldn't see the video.  He could hear the cute little voices wishing him well and sending love.  Poor Dad, he's been through a lot lately.

Lance actually went to a little bit of nursery today and he was super cute about it.  Dinner was ready when we walked in the door.  I had Korean BBQ beef boneless ribs going in the crockpot and rice already done in the rice cooker.  It was all yummy and so nice to have ready.  We are gearing up for another intense week.  We are just holding on for the ride!

Emma and Julia think it is so funny to dress in black and white after church.  We joke that one girl is sugar, one is spice, one is naughty and one is nice.  Ha ha!!

But BOTH girls are so precious and beautiful to me!!

August 19, 2017

I had a total of three goals for the day.

Run Fourteen Miles.

Take My Kids Swimming.

Go on a Date with my Husband.

I woke up early, got on my running gear, my headlamp, my belt with two water bottles, strapped on a bottle of frozen red Gatorade, ate a packet of GU (packed another one in my pack), took some Imodium (and put another one in my pack), stepped out into the darkness, turned on my music and my running app, and started off on a solitary journey.  It took me to Dixie High School, to Main Street, down to the Convention Center, all the way back across town to Lin's Grocery Store, and home.  I stopped at two grocery stores, one gas station and one bathroom at the trailhead--four bathroom stops total.  I gutted it out, took another Imodium, thought a few curse words in my head, and ran FOURTEEN miles!!  When I hit thirteen miles, I was on a straight uphill for about a quarter mile.  I ducked my head and never stopped running.  When I hit fourteen miles, I just kept running another quarter mile to my house.  It took me almost three hours (2 1/2 hours running time).  But I did it.  And it felt so awesome.  I was SO happy to accomplish my goal.

What a beautiful morning!

Hot, tired, 14.25 miles.  Mission accomplished!!

When I came in, Greg was making pancakes.  Gotta love that guy!

The Mama

Lance and Owen after a good swim. 

After a bit of a rest I took the kids out to the pool.  They all had such a fun time.  They were laughing and splashing and playing and having such a great time.  I pretty much spend my whole time working with Lance.  He is getting better at swimming, little by little.  But he sure is a wild one in the pool.  I finally brought the little kids in and made grilled ham and cheese sandwiches.  I couldn't get the oldest four out of the pool so they ate their lunch poolside and kept right on swimming!  It was a beautiful, sunny day.

Austin, Julia, Miles, Emma -- so much fun!

Date Night!!

I showered and got all fixed up and Greg and I went out on our date.  We decided to go to Benja's since I'd recently gone there and really liked it.  We had a lovely quiet dinner together, slow-paced and delicious.  Greg wanted to do a little browsing through Dick's Sporting Goods, but my legs were starting to feel the exhaustion.  I sat for awhile watching him look around.  We still had a lot of fun.  Meanwhile, the kids were sending us texts of these cutest super heroes!  They were having fun at home!

Julia put the Hulk on her tummy.  Lance was in heaven.  He LOVES superheroes.

Once at home, I quickly cut Lance, Owen, and Greg's hair, showered all the kids and tucked them into bed (except for Emma who was at a party).  Then Greg and I climbed into our big, fluffy bed.  I was so happy that I had met my three goals for the day.  That is a day well spent!

Oh my cuteness!! Lance dressed up like Captain America.  He was SO happy about it.

Owen -- Ironman, Austin -- Hawkeye, Lance -- Captain America

August 18, 2017

Friday!  We made it through a whole week of school and it feels great.

This morning Owen and I got to meet his new kindergarten teacher, Mrs. Ybright (Why-bright).  She seems so nice and her classroom looks so fun.  Owen is super excited.  We got to play on the playground a little while I chatted to the other mom.  Owen "play" punched his friend, who then came and told his mom.  I was kind of embarrassed and had to have a little talk with Owen about not even "play" fighting!  It was funny.  Owen is just so used to being rough.  Oh boy!

After school, we had nine kids playing at our house!  I made all of them go outside and Austin and his friends sprayed the hose all over each other on the basketball court.  They were having a great time when it was time to go to his football practice.

It makes me feel so good to know that my kids are being active and playing outside.  So I decided to take Owen and Lance down to the park for practice too.  And I had the bright idea to play at the park in 100-degree weather! Ha!  But I knew there was a splash pad, I just didn't think about how hot I would be.  Owen and Lance had the best time.  At the end, I sprayed my water bottle on Lance's head and he thought that was the best thing ever.  He just kept saying over and over, "Hey, Mom, put water on my head!" (He said it maybe a thousand times!!) It was so, so cute!

"Hey, Mom, put water on my head!"

Owen and Lance :)

It is the first Friday night of the school year and that means High School Football!  Emma was going with her friends to the game, so Greg decided to take Julia and Austin and go to the game too.  I put the little boys to bed and let Miles watch "Doctor Strange."  Miles LOVED the movie.  I climbed into bed and did some writing and some reading.  I was SO tired when they all got home (I know, "tired" is my theme song).

Emma and her friends came back to the house, and I was happy about that, but I was anxious to get up before 5 a.m. for my long run in the morning.  I finally fell asleep and left it up to Greg to secure the premises for the night.  :)  It had been a great day!

August 17, 2017

Greg and I got the lucky chance to drive together to Moapa Valley High School in Nevada to watch Emma play her first volleyball game.  Miles and Julia babysat the little boys so we could go.  We rode down in Greg's nice, new car and just chatted and enjoyed one another's company for over an hour there and an hour back.

Emma played so great!  We are so proud of her.  She is the captain, the setter, and she plays every second of the Sophomore game.  They won and she did a fantastic job.  We love watching her play.  It was such a fun evening.

Owen and Lance - My Cute Little Bath Boys

August 16, 2017

I woke up with a bad headache.  Somehow I got that under control enough to handle the day.

I cleaned and wrote a little and took the boys swimming.  Juli Nield came over to join me.  We had a good time.  The boys swim and splash and play so hard in the pool.  It's a joy to see their sun-kissed faces and sun-bleached hair.  I love it.

I tried to take a little nap to catch up.  But the boys just kept jumping on me.

Then it was basketball and volleyball and pancakes for dinner.  The girls went to a special back-to-school dinner for the YW.  They had a lot of fun.  Emma was slow to walk home with her friends and it ended up being a long night getting everyone into bed.

I know we just need to get used to this new schedule, but it's rough.

I'm so thankful to be the mother to these beautiful children.  There is nothing I'd rather be doing than running this household every day.  It's literally my favorite. :)

August 15, 2017

Tuesday.

I started it off with a six-mile run with my group.  We were out in full force and it was really fun.

I made it through the morning rush and got everyone out the door.

I took Owen to his Kindergarten assessment.  He did a great job and was so excited.

We made a stop at Walmart to pick up some final school supplies for the kids.

I invited my friend, Rachel Garner, over for lunch.  She accepted and we had such a lovely visit over simple sandwiches.

I left Miles babysitting and went to Physical Therapy.  I'm doing so much better.

Emma had volleyball practice (everyday after school).  Julia had basketball.

I left Greg home to finish the spaghetti for dinner.

We spent the evening doing homework, signing papers, gathering supplies, showering and getting ready for bed.

They stopped wrestling long enough to hug.  I've got my hands full with these two home all day.

We are fully entrenched in the school schedule.  Summer, you seem so long ago.

I'm already tired.

August 14, 2017

Such a big day! The first day of school 2017-2018!!

Everyone was so excited, looked so darn cute, and had a great first day.

Emma and Julia -- off to the bus at 7:30 a.m., looking so cute!!

Emma--10th grade at Desert Hills High School
Julia -- 8th grade at Desert Hills Middle School

Miles, looking cool, leaving at 7:30 on his bike to 6th grade at Sunrise Ridge.

Austin, my happy 3rd grader, leaving at 8:30 to Crimson View Elementary.

Dropping Austin off on the first day.  Owen gets to wait another week to join him.

It's exhausting staying home all day.  :)

 I've been really sad to see the summer come to an end.  I've absolutely loved the relaxed schedule and the lazy days of summer.  But today I made the best of our new schedule.  I got up early and went for a run.  I scrubbed the house with the cleaners.  I played with the little boys.  I made ham and potato soup with homemade corn muffins.  I took the boys swimming when they got home from school.  Everything felt ordered and calm and happy.  It was a really nice day.

I'm so thankful for the ebb and flow of our life.  Some days are lazy summer days, and other days and fully scheduled hard working days.  But as long as we are together, loving each other, it's all part of our beautiful life.

August 12, 2017 & August 13, 2017

There are very few things in the world that can prepare you to see a loved one lying sick in the hospital.  But I did my best to be ready to see my dad that way.  So I was surprised to walk into the room and see him sitting up in a chair.  He opened his eyes wide, furrowed his eyebrows, and stared at me for a long moment.  I paused, uncertain.

Finally Mom patted his arm and said softly, "Greg, it's Rindi. She's come to visit."

He closed his eyes, struggling through a drugged-up haze to comprehend.

And I started to cry.

My big, strong, capable Dad.  The man who has loved and protected me my whole life.  The man who has been my friend, my support, my security.  There he sat, weak, sick, hooked to tubes and drains and oxygen, hardly able to utter but a few words, hardly able to keep his eyes open.

It was quite a shock.  Everyone said it would be so comforting to come see him and to know he was alive.  But I found it incredibly unsettling.  My heart broke.

But when I carefully slipped my fingers into his large hand, I felt the warmth and strength I've always known.  He squeezed my fingers tightly and whispered words of love.  I was able to kiss his brow and tell him that I loved him too.

Mom looked so exhausted.  Sunee and I took her down for lunch in cafeteria.  We sat outside in the shade and ate chicken cordon bleu.  Mom seemed so happy to see us and hug us.  She agreed to let me take her home for a nap while Sunee stayed with Dad.  I was so thankful that mom got a little rest.

When we came back to the hospital and Dad opened his eyes to see us, he asked me if we had gone to do something fun.  I had to laugh a little.  No, Dad, we didn't go do something fun, I thought.  We took Mom for a nap.  Mom's entire life is on hold as she waits by your bedside.  She would never leave to go do something fun.  :)

I stepped outside, worried about Dad and was met with this sunset.  So beautiful.  We are so blessed.

Eating with Mom at the hospital.  They had such a beautiful pond and gardens.

I am so impressed with the tender way Mom has been taking care of Dad.  She was so incredibly anxious as we dragged her away for the night.  Judi, capable Judi, came to stay the night while Sunee and I took Mom home.  I kept the phones by my bed on the living room floor.  I was on-call.  It was a bit of a restless night, but Mom was able to sleep a bit and then we rushed back up to the hospital.

Dad hardly spoke when we came back.  But he mustered up the energy to say that he had known that Judi had been with him through out the night.  And he said, half-jokingly I think, that it was a night they would always treasure.  But it just made Judi start to cry.  None of us can handle the emotions of watching our dad be so sick.

Oh Dad.  How terrible it is to see you so sick.  I love you.

I was really worried to tell him that Sunee and I were leaving.  The night before when we had slipped down to the cafeteria to get some dinner he had told us to please come back...don't leave for good.  It broke my heart a little.  So when we finally had to say goodbye, Sunee and I held his hand, kissed his face, told him we loved him, and hugged mom tightly.  It was really hard to walk away.

But reality was facing us.  It was Sunday and tomorrow would be the first day of school. Together we had nine children at home waiting to start school.  And Sunee would start another year of teaching math and Dixie High.  We got in the car and drove like the wind.  Not even stopping for food.

Sunee and I covered a lot of ground during those hours.  And I later thought, well, we ran out of drive before we ran out of talk.  Our conversation wasn't done even when we pulled into St. George.  Sunee and I never lack for interesting conversation.  So, just like dad joked, it was a trip I will always treasure.

My dear Greg, the love of my life, had everything in perfect order when I walked in.  He had given the boys haircuts, cleaned the house, washed and folded all the laundry, gone to the grocery store to stock up, gotten back packs packed and ready and had everyone ready to go to our late church.  I arrived home just in time to rush out the door again.

Church was a bit of a doozy.  Lance cried or caused problems through my entire primary class.  Greg was teaching elsewhere so I was stuck with Lance.  But my ward was so sweet.  I had told a few of my running friends that I was heading up to see my dad.  So the word had spread through the ward.  They delivered leftover ham and potatoes from the funeral.  Everyone was concerned and asking about my dad.  I could hardly walk down the hall without being stopped ten times.  They even brought flowers.  It was so nice to come home from church and have food to eat.

Greg gave our children beautiful father's blessing to get them ready for school.  I knew how tired I really was when I dozed off in the middle of the blessings.  But we all had family prayer, prayed for my dad, and climbed into bed.  It had been a whirlwind, but I'm so grateful that I was able to go up north.  And I'm so grateful that my dad seems to be on the mend.  Oh, how I love and cherish my family.

August 11, 2017

Friday.

-I picked up food to help with the funeral in our ward.
-I went with Emma to high school registration.  She looked SO cute.  She got her pictures taken for her ID card and school pictures.  High School here we come!

I also took Austin and Owen to their back-to-school night at our new elementary, Crimson View.  It was so cute to see the mascot and to meet the teachers.  We are excited for a great year!!

Owen and Wifi!!

In the late afternoon, I got a text letting me know that my dad had taken a turn for the worse.  He was bleeding internally and would need to go back into surgery. We all knew how serious this was.  The doctors told my mom to prepare for the worst.  But how can you prepare?!

I was on my way to Harmon's.  I bought every kind of sugary cereal I thought my family would like for dinner.  Then I came home and ate three bowls of Trix.  We were all so stressed and nervous.  I would alternate between being hopeful, and then trying to imagine my life without my dad.  I cried and felt anxious.

Greg and I were supposed to go to the viewing for Brooke, in our ward, but I decided I couldn't face it.  I was too emotional.

Finally the news came that my dad had made it through the surgery!  He had had two liters of blood in his abdomen that they cleaned up.  They were able to stop the bleeding and stitch him back up.  It was a huge relief for my family to know he made it.

I climbed into bed so exhausted.  I was emotionally drained.  I was about to go to sleep when Sunee called me to ask me to go up to see Mom and Dad in the morning.  I talked to Greg for a few minutes about it and decided I would go.  I felt too tired, but when Sunee told me that mom would be happy if we came, I agreed.

August 10, 2017

These days are busy!

-I took Emma to the dentist.
-I went to a physical therapy appointment for my back/hip.  He is helping me SO much!  I'm so grateful.
-I took the kids swimming.  Sunee and girls came, as well as my neighbor Laura and my neighbor Kelsey and their kids.  We had a great time.
-I went to Miles's Back to School night. He's so handsome and ready for Intermediate School.  I love that boy! I left Julia there with him to go through all of his classes.
-Greg and Austin were across the street at the park having football practice.  As I drove past, I honked and waved.  Greg looked super cute in his ball cap and dress clothes.
-I met my running friends at Benja's to celebrate Laura's birthday. It was a surprise for her.  I NEVER do stuff like this.  I just decided to do it.  I ended up having the best time ever.  We laughed and talked and enjoyed one another's company so much.  There were nine of us there.  About six months ago I was seriously lamenting my lack of friends.  Apparently I had to train for an entire MARATHON to get friends, but I did it.  The only time I have for friends is at six in the morning.  Ha ha!
And it is filling up my heart and soul so much.
-I came home refreshed and happy.

Oh the miles we've run.

I had to hold the camera for the selfie.  My long arms!
Back: Rachel Ence, Laura Evans, Milea Hunt, Ashley Michealson, Camie Schwartz
Front: Meisha Schwartz, ME, Juli Nield, Kelsey Ence

What a week this is turning out to be!!

August 9, 2017

So much has happened this week.  And I'm writing this after the fact.  I've got to catch up on the events of this week, but my entries will be a little short.

-Julia and I worked another day at the school helping with registrations and PTA membership/donations.
-I took five of my six kids to the dentist (Emma had volleyball) and they were all cavity free!!
-The volleyball team had a parent meeting tonight after practice.  Lots of veteran players got cut from the team.  We are feeling so thankful that Emma gets a chance to play.
-We are mourning the loss of a friend in our ward who took her life on Monday.  She had been severely struggling mentally.  It is very tragic.

These last few summer days are fading fast.

August 8, 2017

I got up early to run.  But everything felt kind of out of sorts and I didn't really get up early enough.  So I got on the treadmill and did sprints and jogs and sprints again, back and forth for two miles.  That would have to be good enough.

Julia and I spent most of the day at the school.  We were there from 8:45-2:00.  And we didn't know we would be there that long.  And we didn't have a lunch!  And I had only had time for a go-gurt for breakfast.  We were STARVING by the time we left.  Tomorrow we are packing a lunch.  Julia said she ate 15 mints.  But she was SO helpful.  She's so smart.  A boy she knows who's a little mentally challenged walked in and said, "Oh Hi Julia!  I didn't know you worked here!"  It was so funny.  So Julia and I ran the show.  We handed out schedules and answered questions and directed traffic and took payments and took money for PTA and sorted out problems and worked ALL DAY! When the secretaries told me that they couldn't have done it without us, they weren't kidding.

Julia--my little PTA president!

Rindi -- the big PTA president! Ha!

During the whole time I was helping, only four or five families asked me for fee waivers forms for low-income families.  We live in a pretty affluent area so most students seemed fine.  But when I looked into these moms and dads faces and saw the embarrassment, I tried to be so nice and normal.  I showed them what to fill out and where to take the forms.  I gave them their schedules and told them some things about their lockers and schedules.  Quite a few of them came back to me when they had questions.  Then there were the few Mexican dads who came in and said they needed to sign their child up for school.  They were unsure of what to do and probably sent because the mom doesn't speak English (I am totally stereotyping!) but I watched them pay their hard-earned money in school fees.  The whole process seemed to be a little scary to them.  I thought of all of the forms and fees I've dealt with this past month, and the school emails and the tryouts and the schools supplies and everything else.  I remember reading the Hillbilly Memoir recently and how he and his grandma sat at the kitchen table and were so overwhelmed by the applications and financial aid forms for college that they couldn't even figure them out.  Ever.

Some people come even though they have a lot stacked up against them.  It is impressive.  And I'm so blessed to be in my life situation.  I literally had to hold back from whipping out my own checkbook for a few moms.  They looked like they were trying so hard, but life was so hard!  I did come up with one idea though.  Our PTA was selling a Thunder Card which gets the kids into all of the parties during the year for ten dollars.  It's our only fundraiser and almost every kid seemed to get one.  Except these fee waiver people.  So for the first time ever at our school, I am going to propose we give those kids a card too.  Secretly.  Just hand them out with the rest of them.  I don't know.  I've been thinking about it.

Emma went to volleyball and Julia went to basketball and I fed the boys pancakes and took them out to the pool.  Oh boy they swam so hard and wildly.  Austin did forty laps tonight!  Lance just swam his heart out.  It was a splashy good time.  Pretty soon Emma came running out to the pool to tell me that she found out she made the team! We all screamed!  But the best part was that she did so well.  She felt like she was standing out--blocking and hitting and serving her amazing jump serves.  She was feeling so good about herself.  They did a sprint measurement and a vertical measurement and she felt so good about those.  She was so excited!!

I forgot to say, but Lance stayed asleep from six p.m. last night until seven a.m. this morning.  It was awesome!!

It's late now and I need to go to bed.  I'm meeting my group for a run in the morning before a big day of PTA stuff.  :)  It's busy but it's making me feel good about myself.  I'm using my talents.  I'm meeting people.  I'm serving.  I got this!!

We are rocking and rolling at our house.  We are still thinking and praying for Dad and Mom.  While I was out at the pool, watching my boys with their tanned skin and the water splashing everywhere, I felt so grateful for their youth.  They have so much to look forward to.  They are so blessed.  As the boys were brushing their teeth, I overheard Owen yell out, "Don't forget to pray for Grandpa!"  And my heart swelled with love.  Up and down, I love my family.

August 7, 2017

This is our last week of summer.  It's a busy one.  I've spent most of the day getting ready for middle school registration tomorrow.  The PTA plays a big part.  Lots of women have volunteered to help.  It's been a little scary trying to arrange it and hoping that people will help.  I'm so grateful!

The boys LOVE a bubble bath!  Here's Lance!

Lance and Austin!

I've been over to the school picking up mail-in forms.  I've been to the bank to get my name on a PTA account.  I went to Physical Therapy.  I've been feeling slightly better so I was really encouraged.  I told him that I did my ten mile run with no problems (I didn't tell him that it made my stomach sick though!).  He sent me to another clinic for traction on my back.  Boy did that hurt.  It was a little like a medieval torture chamber.  They put 75 pounds of pressure pulling down on my hips while another tight strap was holding snug on my ribcage.  I had to slowly breathe because I was so worried my back would completely start spasming.  And it aggravated my hips so much!  I survived ten minutes of that before the tech came in and unstrapped me.  I couldn't get off the table and I could hardly stand up.  I had to lean on a chair until I got my wits about me.  He told me I could be an inch taller after that.  I sort of had to limp out of there.  I'm not sure I will do that again!

Is this a torture chamber or traction?

Traction!!

When I got home, I had Julia measure me against our measurement wall in the pantry.  Sure enough, I was still a half inch taller!  We got a good laugh out of that.

I took the girls to Arturo to get their hair cut.  They both looked so cute when he was done.  We cut three and a half inches off of Julia's hair.  She loves her new shorter look.  It looks SO cute on her.

Then I rushed Emma to her volleyball tryouts.  I kept a prayer in my heart the whole time.  I know how important this is to Emma and I just want her to do well and be happy.

To pass the time, I took the kids out to the pool.  Austin decided he wanted to work on his six pack and to earn some beads.  So he swam 104! lengths of our pool.  He just kept going and going and going and pushing himself more and more.  Miles came out later than him and didn't want to be left behind so he swam 40 lengths before it was time to get out.  Lance swam and swam like crazy too.  Owen played so hard with Lance.  I was splashed on like crazy and it was one wild swim, but when we all came in the house for dinner, the boys were thoroughly exhausted.

I made taco salad and waited for Greg and Emma to get home.

When Greg brought her home, she was really excited about how well it went!  She has another day of tryouts tomorrow.  So we will see...

Lance ate dinner and fell sound asleep at 6:00.  There was no keeping him awake.  So I just tucked him into bed and hoped for the best.  Austin looked pretty tired too.

The girls and I ran to Harmon's to pick up some balloons and mints for Middle School registration tomorrow.  And then it was off to bed for everyone.

The pace of our life is picking up rapidly.  But it's fun too.  We have a great life!