Perhaps Some Improvement

I pulled out Ruby tonight.

I have wanted to make some cookies for over a week to take to our recently released Bishop and our newly called Bishop. I also wanted to take some to my new visiting teaching sisters.

Then I got the dreaded flu-it wiped me out more than I thought. Then, I think I must be in that special spot of the month when I start to lose my mind. Anyway-I have avoided anything possible.

Tonight I pulled Ruby out. Much later than I normally would. Em has wanted to make cookies for a week as well. She would make something every single day. I can't deal with the messes that are created and not cleaned up!

We made the easiest pumpkin chocolate cookies in the world. A spice cake and a can of pumpkin(the small size-or 1/2 a large) and semi sweet chips! Mix and bake-*350 for 10 minutes!

Funny how this one little act seemed to lift my spirits. I really have been in a funk. Blame it on the changing seasons (lack of sunlight kills me) but I have felt very frustrated. Frustrated with everything. My list could go on and on.


*dirty everything
*everything needs painted
*nothing ever put away
*poor decorating
*messy--everything
*sassy children
*never ending laundry
*Christmas plans that haven't been started
*weight that won't cooperate

Bringing out Ruby didn't change any of those things--but for some reason it brightened my day. Maybe it is because I am giving them away. Service to others is the best way to forget ones own problems.

Perhaps I need to bring out Ruby a bit more often! If I can just keep my fingers out of the bowl!!

Yuck!

Words that send a chill up a mother's spine? The Flu!

We have been dealing with a stomach flu for a week. It has now officially affected five out of six in this family. Including the Momma! I got it last night. Oh, how miserable this makes a body!

One good thing that came from the dreaded flu bug--I was two pounds lighter this morning!!! Too bad it will probably come back!!!

Annual Witches Tea

We celebrated our 2nd annual Witches tea last week. It was complete chaos! We had lots of Witches and at least thirteen little goblins running around. It is always so fun to have a reason to dress up silly--maybe next year we will get all the gals to play along and get Witchy with us!! (most of the goblins are not pictured!)

10-10-10! Happy Birthday!

October 10, 2010--
Happy 6th Birthday!

Justin was so excited for his birthday. He wanted to bake his own cake this year. I think he and Em did great! He received a remote control car and a model car--he was so happy.

It is hard to believe that he is getting so big! Where did my baby go?

Family Pictures 2010!
















(2010)

(2007)
Tina was in town so she said she would drop by and take our picture-this is what we got! Not too bad for no prep! I would say that we have changed in three years! My little kids are now BIG KIDS!

Been (still in) a little pity party funk lately. Decided to take the advice given to Thumper the rabbit long ago. "If you can't say something nice, don't say anything at all!" Hopefully, I will soon be used to the changing weather and will have some pictures to post.

Where have I been? Walking around trying to figure out how to make my dream house a reality. I haven't had much success. In fact, my house is so messy that I walk around trying to figure out which mess I want to tackle. Truth be told-I just want someone else to come and do it. This is a problem because noone has ever come and organized anything for me!!!

Hopefully, I will have some pictures of something more uplifting than laundry soon. No guarantees.

My Little Thief!

(summer 2009)

It has happened again.

I went to retrieve my blow dryer from under my sink and I was greeted by my old dryer, the dryer that Ashley kept "borrowing" because she liked it better than hers. After a few weeks of this(mine was better than hers) I bought a new dryer. The new dryer has found its way to Ashley's bathroom. Along with my new curling iron.

I am left with the old ones of both! I am also left without toothpaste, mascara, eyeshadow,shampoo, conditioner, eye makeup remover, my hair pick and anything else that she needs.

It is a good thing that she is so beautiful or I might really start to get irritable!

Hoarders Here we Come!

The other day Mitch and I sat and watched the program Hoarders. It is basically a show about people that have a real severe case of OCD where they can not get rid of things or they compulsively buy too much. They have usually been turned into the health department or turned in for some other public code violation. These houses are bad. I mean mounds and mounds of stuff on top of more mounds and mounds of stuff. So disgusting that it is hard to imagine anyone living in these homes.

When I was a girl my Mom often used this phrase in reference to us needing to clean our bedrooms, "you need a scoop shovel in here it is so deep". Well, I am here to officially say that I have never needed a scoop shovel to clean anything in my house! On this program they did use scoop shovels, and industrial sized dumpsters and face masks. It was really sad actually, because most of the people featured really did have a mental disorder that was the underlying factor to this utter filth.

Mitch watched with me in utter dismay. He kept making comments like, "how could anyone live like that?" "Why don't they do something about it?"

The comment that I jumped on was "our house could never get like that." Oh, really? I told him that our house could be the beginning stage of a hoarders episode within one month. That is why I am constantly asking them to pick up, dust, vacuum, doing laundry, taking mounds of stuff to the garbage and continually sending things to the DI(local thrift store).

I have actually been part of a couple of clean up efforts in my life that were close seconds to the Hoarders show. I learned all those years ago that anyone can get their life in a mess. It is a constant, every single day effort.

Today I have been doing some basic housecleaning. Things that no one notices unless they haven't been done in a long time. Dusting for example. Does anyone ever come in and notice that the house is freshly dusted? Not unless it was so dusty before that you could write in the dust--or there were cobwebs hanging all around.

What I discovered while dusting is that I ignore my piano room. It is a small sitting room as you walk into the house. We use this room for reading, playing the piano and housing the Christmas tree in December. I realized that in February when I took all the remaining Christmas decor from on top of the piano I never replaced it with the normal decor-which is a bunch of family pictures. It is now the end of September--I have had nothing on the piano for eight months!!! Should I put the pictures back up or leave it empty until Christmas again? Maybe some spooky Halloween decor?

I also discovered that when my children dust they really do a poor job!(surprise) The end table looked like it hadn't been dusted in months. I am wondering if it was dusted by me in February and not since. I also discovered that my children like to stash things instead of putting them away. My #3 child is the worst at this. I found a complete (dirty) outfit stashed behind a row of photo albums, empty pop cans under the chair and an electric fish tank stashed behind the chair. All of these items had been given instructions to be put away. I usually add to that command---"in the appropriate place." Somehow I think that my children have misunderstood what exactly the appropriate place is!

So here I am at 2:26 in the afternoon, still in my gym clothes that I put on at 4:30 a.m. I have been cleaning and decluttering for hours. However, if you walked into my house you would never know that I had done a thing today.

Just trying to keep one step ahead of the authorities! Please don't turn me in the next time you visit!

The Dream

I have a recurring dream. In this dream I walk from room to room in my house and as I open the doors there are lovely decorated and CLEAN rooms. Everything is in its place. The beds are all neatly made. The dressers are dusted with lovely frames sitting on top. The closets are neatly arranged with shoes and clothing neatly placed and the doors are close. The bookshelves are neatly lined with books with the occasional decor item. The floors are vacummed. As I leave the room there is a lovely scent that wafts through the air. As I enter the bathroom there is a bare counter and floors with clean rugs and soft fluffy towels hanging neatly on the hook. As I open the bathroom closet I notice neatly folded towels all facing the same direction. The towels all match the decor of the bathroom. In the main living areas the couch cushions are fluffed and orderly and the couch is ohh so clean. There are pictures on the mantel. There are current pictures in frames on the walls. There are lovely decor items that are up to date. The kitchen is a masterpiece. The counters are completely bare. Sparkling in the sunshine coming through the crystal clear windows. The dining table has a very large and lovely centerpiece and the place mats are all clean and placed just so. I wander around this lovely, oh so lovely home and am amazed at how wonderful it feels.


Then I wake up.

Happy 14th Birthday!

Today is my Mitch's 14th birthday. 14! That is big!



*you are over 6 feet tall
*you wear a 13 1/2 shoe
*you have two hollow legs so you eat like a horse-especially after football.
*you love your new dirt bike
*you love your new dirt bike
*you--get the idea!
*you are a pretty mellow guy, rarely do you get very riled up--Thank you for that!
*you are still a very tender hearted boy, even if you don't want to show it
*you are a secret comedian!
*you leave your big shoes everywhere
*you are very easy going
*you are very easy to have around



Happy Birthday! my sweet Bubba boy! You are growing too fast! Thank you for being so mellow, we need it around here. Thanks for trying to do what is good. You have a kind heart.

Will you just try and put your shoes away before I kill myself tripping on them?


love,
Mom

Made it through the first day!

So the first day of kindergarten has come and gone. I met him at the bus stop that first day so happy to see him smiling as he emerged from that big yellow bus.

As we walked home I asked him about his first day. "Did you like it?" "yea!" "What was your very favorite thing?"(thinking he would give me the answer that the others do--recess)

He thought for a moment and then said "everything!"

Oh, you sweet little boy, Good answer, good answer!

He then happily handed me his kissing hand and I cried.

First Day of Kindergarten 2010!

Hey My Little Man? Who said that you could grow up and go to kindergarten? I am not sure I am ready for you to go. You and I have been great buddies these last almost six years. We have gone everywhere together. You have been my shopping buddy, my nap buddy, my laundry buddy. You have been there as we go to help in the others classrooms, to take the others to their football, dance, tennis and a miriad of other activities. You have spent countless hours in the suburban being hauled around taking care of things.

What will I do without you?

You have been a complete joy to me. Okay, I might not feel that way when I realize that you went to the bathroom in the heater vent or on the floor in the hall or all over the tires of my car! However, all in all you have been a delight and a joy to spend my time with these last five years ten months and ten days! You are the little spot of joy that we were not expecting. I have always called you "our little bumper baby!" What a blessing you have been. There is something interesting that happens in a family when a bumper baby comes along. You are almost five years younger than Em. That is quite a large gap in child years. When you came along there were no other babies in the house. Everyone was old enough to instinctively understand that there is something so sweet and wonderful about a new baby. You were that new baby. You have been loved and doted on. Daddy would say that you have been spoiled!

If loving a sweet little angel boy is spoiling than I am guilty as charged. You have been loved on from everyone in this family since the moment you were born. I have often told Ash that she needs to get all the hugs and kisses she can--they go away much too soon. I am so glad that at almost six years old you are still so willing to hug, kiss and cuddle with me and your brother and sisters.

When you were born I knew that you were the last baby that would come to this family. I had already been blessed with three other wonderful yummy babies that grew up much, much too fast. Because of this, I promised myself that I would try to cherish each new development with you.

I have held you and held you---sometimes much longer than you would like- "Mom, let me go!" I have smelled your head and counted the little polka dots on your neck. I have tucked you into bed with a thousand kisses. I have watched as you have grown and grown. It seems that that just happens.

Today as you excitedly got ready for your first day of school I looked at you with a longing. A longing that I know every mother in the world understands. A longing to hold you just a little longer. A longing to smell your baby neck. A longing to have your chubby little fingers wrapped around mine a little longer. A longing to be the most important person in your world a little longer. A longing that never really ever goes away.

As you ate your breakfast you told me you wanted to ride the bus. "What?" Don't you know that I had planned to take you to school, walk you in to the school holding your hand, making it look like I was helping you? In truth, that walk is for the Momma's. We all want to be able to hold your hand as long as possible because from now on out there will always be other people. I will no longer be the only one that can help you. It is the first day of slowly being replaced.

I know that this replacement is the natural way that we grow and develop. I know that truly I can never be "replaced", however, from now on you are part of a bigger circle. A circle that gets bigger and bigger for you but I will forever be slightly on the edge watching you. Forever on the edge praying for you. Forever on the edge hoping that all the hugs and kisses, wiped noses and bums, the prayers that I have helped you say, the prayers that I have prayed for you, the books I have read to you will be enough to guide you when I am not with you. I have always been close by, you could turn around and I would be there. I hope that I have given you enough for when I am not there.

My sweet little angel boy. You have been a blessing to me.

Now let's just work on not peeing on the floor!

Love, Mom

Forever a little farther away.

Best Buds

(we went to have lunch with Daddy before the big day-Daddy chose a brand new McDonalds especially for this date)

First Day of School 2010

August 25, 2010

The first and last year that all my darling babies are in public school!

My first born baby started her senior year of high school--how did that happen?

My last born baby is starting kindergarten--wasn't he just a tiny bundle of joy?

My second born baby is WAY taller than his Momma and his voice has gotten low-when did I say it was okay for him to go to eigth grade?

My third born baby started fifth grade--such a big year, still a little kid but so on the verge of the big kid world.

Four Years!

Late last night I realized that it was an anniversary! A blogiversary!! It was four years ago I started this blog. Four years and 885 posts! That is a lot of stuff!

I looked at those first few posts. I wrote about not really knowing why people have blogs. Well, four years and 885 posts later I think that I have a better answer. I have continued to keep this blog because I want to remember.

I take pictures, lots and lots of pictures. The problem is that I don't actually do much with those pictures. Now with my blog the important pictures are documented. I have written about Christmas, school starting, death, birth, friends, memories and laundry--lots and lots of laundry. I am going to use Blurb to print these past four years. I may have to actually print each year separately--that would be big. A cousin made one using blurb and it was great. I may never be organized enough to do much with the thousands of pictures that I take. However, through this blog I have a lot of history--my history!!!

Who knew that four years would pass and I would still be blogging? My blog is not a popular blog-meaning I don't have a large readership. I rarely get comments from anyone. Sometimes I wish that I had a little more influence or that people would think I was funny or something. However, the real reason that I keep this blog is to document my life. I hope that somewhere down the line when someone looks at the books that I print they will know me.

I keep this blog because I want to remember.

The Uncles

I have had a feeling for a long time that I needed to make a trip to Driggs, Idaho and visit my Dad's brothers. My Dad has been gone for twenty two years. Unfortunately, in these years we haven't had a lot of visits with my Dad's family. It makes me sad. Very, very sad.

When I was a little girl we would spend a lot of time with my Dad's family. My grandparent's lived in the family home with my Uncle Darrel(he never married) and my Uncle Alvin lived across the street. We spent many, many a Saturday or Sunday at my grandparent's home. My Dad fished, hunted, rock hunted and visited with his brothers a lot. As children they were such a large part of my life.

Since my Dad's untimely death there has been very little interaction with the family members. Our family's kept growing and getting older. My Dad was the second youngest of seven. I am one of the youngest grandchildren.

I am so glad that we went to visit. My Uncle Alvin lost his wife a few years ago. He and my Dad were always close. They both taught school and loved the outdoors. It is always interesting to listen to my Uncle Alvin because I hear my Dad's voice in his voice. It is a sound I miss. My Uncle Alvin has really started to become more frail in the last couple of years. He is about eighty, I guess that it does happen.

My Uncle Darrel never married. My grandparent's always provided and took care of him. For some reason he just never really functioned in the real world. He is not handicapped but he just never went out and took on his own life. Now a days, he would probably be diagnosed with some sort of social phobia or Asperger's Autism. Regardless of those things he is still my Dad's brother. Over the years there have been many difficulties with these behaviors. After my Grandpa died my Dad tried to help Darrel. He gave him a job and tried to help him to help himself. That is a difficult thing for a grown adult man. It was hard on my Dad as well.

When my Dad died suddenly , there was really no one to look out for Darrel. I have felt so sad about this for many years. I think of him in his little apartment alone, day after day. I know that he has help come in and I am grateful for that. I also know that if someone has to be alone Darrel is the perfect type of personality for it. He is quite anti social, it's just the way he is. He doesn't really need people like most of us need people. However, I often think of my Uncle Darrel and then think of my Dad. I know that no matter how many problems my Uncle created or avoided in his life my Dad would have never left him alone. He would have done everything in his power to help him. He would have always visited and helped to take care of him the best he could.

I often feel helpless in this situation. There isn't much I can do. However, I decided that I had to at least visit him and let him know that I think of him. I remember him picking raspberries from the garden for us. I remember him giving us vitamin C tablets the size of silver dollars. He was a presence that was always there in my childhood. A presence that I feel deserves respect and love.

I wish I could do more.
Uncle Alvin

Uncle Darrell

The beautiful Teton mountains. I had to stop on the side of the road to get this picture. There is a feeling in this beautiful basin that only exists there. Every time I go there I get homesick. There is a longing that I feel when I am where my Dad spent so much of his life. I guess that it just reminds me how much I miss him. It never ever goes away.

Last Swim at the River 2010!

Going to Grandma's house in the summer is one of my favorite things to do. I hope that my children feel the same way! We knew we would be leaving so we had one more evening at the river. We started at the sandbar for Justin. He still loves to play in the sand and splash and run. After two shots of him my camera battery died so I took the rest of the pictures on my cell phone!

After playing at the sandbar we noticed kids at my cousins summer house just down the river, so we swam down. I called Mitch to come over and have his last river swim of the year. They went off the swing until their arms were exhausted. Where I had my cell phone camera I had a hard time getting great shots so we kept trying. We tried one too many times! Mitch went one step higher on the stairs and forgot to adjust--he smacked his feet on the rocks--I was glad that they were only gauged a bit and not sliced up!!!

It was a good week at Grandma's!

Playing at Bubble Land --July 26,2010

My brother Royce and wife Rhonda live right next to the river. Across the railroad bridge and down a path leads to a place that has been dubbed "Bubble Land". Not sure if it is because of the lava rocks or the waterfall but the place is lots of fun. We went one evening, trying to keep everyone from getting on each others nerves. Justin was really nervous at first, the rocks are a bit slippery. After a few minutes he was right there with the other kids. Mitch wasn't going to go because he cut his toe, I insisted that he put shorts on in case he changed his mind. It didn't take five minutes for him to be in that water climbing across the rocks and playing in the waterfall. I didn't dare go across the river with my camera to get a picture of the waterfall but Em and Mitch were able to sit underneath it. Justin wasn't brave enough for that yet!

We even got Grandma Dalley to take her shoes off and put her feet in! As we were leaving the mosquitoes about carried us away!

Pioneer Days Celebration-July 24th!

I grew up in a tiny little town in Idaho. St. Anthony to be exact. For many, many years the town has celebrated it's Mormon Pioneer Heritage by it's annual Pioneer Days Celebration!

For a tiny little town this is quite a production. The entire area gets involved. The local Mormon(LDS) church helps coordinate and run events. Each congregation(ward) enters a float that follows the theme chosen for the year. These floats are amazing! There is quite the competition to get the Grand Prize float award! They rival any floats from the Salt Lake City parade! Local businesses enter little floats, cheerleaders ride on firetrucks. The local baseball teams are in pickups, the Jr. Miss girls ride on old cars(which are usually my sister in laws dad's cars!). There are Grand Marshalls and kids holding banners in front of floats. Horses and pooper scoopers. Old farmers on older tractors. Old Mayors hollering at new Mayors. This parade is totally America at its best! Everyone comes out and supports the town, the kids, the veterans , our country and our faith in God.

The 24th parade is a tradition I will never tire of! There have been a few summers here and there that we have not been able to attend. The summer just seems off, like something is missing. We missed the parade last year. This year we had to leave our house at 6:00 am to make it in time--we didn't want to miss it again!

A few years ago the route was changed so the parade now goes directly in front of my Mom's house. So--it becomes a mini reunion! All the Aunts and Uncles, cousins and friends come to find a great seat.
Justin was totally anxious for the parade to finally begin! He is still such a joy to watch-he just loves everything about the parade!
This parade still allows candy to be thrown-so the kids run and catch as much as possible.

No matter how old I get I am still so moved by the carrying of the American Flag. I never tire of this tradition.

When I was a girl we always had marching bands. We would hear them practice all summer for the parade. I marched in a few parades. Then the marching bands disappeared. It was so sad. I loved the marching bands. I was so thrilled this year to hear and then see the marching band coming down the street! They were lucky they didn't have to wear the full band uniform that we wore--those were hot!

While I watched the parade a flood of memories came back to me. I remember carrying the very front banner with my best friend Laurel. We had matching rainbow shirts. Another year I rode on a pick up truck with our girls only baseball team-in a boys league. We never did win a game. I remember marching in the band. The first year we were in full uniform. Wool pants, heavy jackets and helmets. I remember taking off the jacket and being soaked to the skin it was so hot! I remember another year my sister riding on a float and it started to rain. I was at the front of the parade with the banner and she was at the back on the Grand Prize float. She was totally drenched when she was finished. We have watched the parade on Bridge street, at Bob's Lube Bay, at Uncle Merrill's house, at Vance's house and now at Mom's.

My beautiful cousin Sydni and Sweet baby Berkley.

Emily, Ashley and Nick

Two old codgers--oh--Uncle Garth and Dave

Ashley and Nick

A look at the crowd on Grandma's lawn-the perfect location to watch the parade!

Kids waiting for the candy fest!!