To Utah we go!

The kids were so excited to go to Utah! They were counting down the days for weeks! I had been frantically trying to get ready, and was busy with schoolwork and trying to get the new birth center painted the whole week before. I was feeling so guilty for leaving right when all the work had to be done at the new place, but there wasn't a lot that I could do about it. The stress of it all got to me though, and I got so sick on Thursday night I was no use at all. I had fever, aches and chills and a sore throat to beat the band. Ryan ended up getting the kids dinner and cleaning up and finishing all the chores by himself. More guilt, yet nothing I could do about it again! I really don't like that feeling of feeling like I should do something, but can't. We left Friday morning, October 3rd at 5:00 a.m. Max had an appointment at 2:00 p.m with Wade to have his tooth pulled so we had to get a move on it. I was so sick, I barely mananged to pull myself to the car. We finally arrived, the kids were great! They all slept for 3 hours, and then read and watched a movie and we were there. I should say they were perfect until we got to Brigham City. That is always where the meltdown occurs. Emma and Mara are done everytime we get to Brigham City. They were both screaming because we wouldn't get them out of their seats, and the boys were standing up trying to get some circulation back into their leg. We ended up turning on silly songs and that distracted them until Layton, and then it was a scream fest all the rest of the way to my parents house.

Boy oh Boy were the kids so excited to see grandma! Caleb said "when I get there I'm running into the kitchen because I know that's where grandma is going to be" They all ran, and I slowly made my way to the couch were I stayed the rest of the day and most of Saturday! It is no fun to be sick on vacation. We watched conference, and I loved it. Saturday afternoon, Rondi, Cami and Chloe and I went to the Body Worlds exhibit in SLC. That is a whole nother topic. Let's just say that I had a few moral issues with it, but it was interesting. On sunday Ryan went up to Park City after conference to attend his Mosquito Convention--yes they have those, funny huh!- I went up on monday with the "girls" in Ryan's family and Emma to shop. Emma and I stayed overnight and went to the banquet with Ryan and then Tuesday I dropped Ryan off at the airport to go to Seattle for another meeting. The boys stayed at my mom's and had a grand old time--of course-- Greyson got to stay home from school to play with them. "Lucky" is what my boys told him he was--forgetting that they were missing a whole week and a day of school.

Emma slept wedged between pillows at Park City. She rolls all over the place when she sleeps, but can't sleep next to me, or she constantly wakes up and needs to be fed to go back to sleep.

Here's us just before the banquet. We had a great time! It was fun to see old friends that Ryan used to work with.

When I got to my mom's on Tuesday, Joy and her mother in law came over, and the boys all wanted to go home with her. They all jammed into her car. You can barely see Sam peeking through, Mara was buckled with Lucy up front. They had a great time with their old friends. Mara and Lucy played so good. I had a conference for school Tuesday night, and all day Wednesday and Thursday. It was pretty interesting. I had to do my first venupuncture(collect blood for testing) I was fine doing it to someone else, I got it the first time, but I don't do needles in me. I totally had a stress about someone poking me--yuck! I jumped! So sorry to my partner!

Jamie and Brian blessed their baby on sunday, and we were going to go home after the blessing, but the roads were closed, so we ended up staying one more day and leaving on Monday.

Sophie and Max are exactly one year and two days apart and I think they look the most alike of all the cousins. I think they look like brother and sister, but maybe it's just me. I would love to have a child with curly locks!

We were so full on the way home with all that we had to take back, that Emma was kinda an after thought. She was totally surrounded with stuff. Good thing she slept most of the way!

What a great trip! We were so glad to be able to be there for Cale's blessing, and to be around family. It was great to get back home, and start a fire and snuggle up downstairs. That was of course after all the work of unpacking and putting away was done. That is definately the worst part of vacation. Putting away after.
This face sums up how we all felt about going to Utah! What a great trip we had!

Just a flashback!

So happy happy happy to my dad! He is 70! I can't believe it, he still can work me into the ground. He is going to retire the beginning of next year, and then he says he can finish all the projects he's left undone around the house (okay so my mom says that's what he'll do ;)!) He was always so rough and gruff when I was growing up, and it is so fun to see him with his grandkids. He is just a big push over! He coos and spoils and give the grandkids anything they want... he never did that for me! What gives? It is so cute to see him with them. I love it. What a great example he is to me of hard work, dedication, honesty, thrift, integrity, and forgiveness. I truly am who I am in large part because of his example and "solid as a rock faith" He's the best and I love him greatly.

Okay, wasn't that just yesterday? That was four years and two kids ago! Seriously, How grateful and how saddened I am by the quick passing of time. Is it possible to be both? It is for me. What a great time of my life to have all the little kids gathered around, where I know what they are up to and I am still a major influence in their lives, how quickly that will pass, and for that I am saddened. What great kids I have. I am truly grateful for each one of them and their quirky personalities.

A Sink Bath

I was cutting corn off the cob so that I could freeze it today, and Emma would have nothing to do with me putting her on the floor, so she had to sit on the counter right next to me. I'd say it was annoying, but I actually quite like that she has to be by me all the time. At least I know that she likes me. She got into the tomatoes though, and had them squished all over herself. There were seeds in her hair and all over her face and shirt.

I decided that since she had just had a bath, and I didn't want to fill the tub again, I would just put her in the kitchen sink. She loved it! I got the rest of my corn bagged and the kitchen all cleaned up and she was having a marvelous time in the water and I could watch her. We might just have to remember that for the next time I have a big project in the kitchen to do! Mara thought it was quite fun, and being the little mother that she is, had those tomatoes seeds off Emma in a flash.

At two she has it figured out!

Today Mara was up on the counter getting into the candy cupboard. I could hear her even though I was in the bathroom, so I called to her and said "Mara, get off the counter and put that candy back." as I started to walk to her.

As she saw me enter the kitchen, her eyes got really big and she said..."it's not candy, it's chocolate."

Oh! Of course, it's chocolate, not candy...well go ahead and eat it then.

October 1,2008

Today while Max and Mara were eating breakfast, Max started singing and Mara said in her most whining voice..."No Max I don't want you to give me a song...Mom, Max is giving me a song and I don't want it."

What a nut she is.

A Good Old Fashioned Corn Huskin'!

We went to the garden tonight, and finally the corn was ready to do some serious picking! I only picked about half of it, but I was excited to get started freezing some. Ryan had already claimed the older boys to help him put up some more fencing for the goats, so I took the younger four and we went out back to husk corn.

Emma thought is was great fun! She would pull the corn out of the box and eat the cornsilk. She would make the most disgusting face when the silk was in her mouth and then do a full body shake when she would pull it out and it would tickle her mouth. Then she would repeat the process again. What a nut!
Caleb, Max and Mara are excellent huskers! They thought it was really fun to pull the husks off and watch the goats eat them up. They would breat off the tops and chuck them as far as they could yelling "I am Anika!" don't ask... I have no idea what it means or where it came from. They worked pretty hard, and even though they complained when I told them we were doing it they kept say'in.. this is actually fun.
Mara loved to give the goats some husks, and even though she only husked three cobs the entire time, she never quit working. She has turned so bossy! I will tell the boys to do something and then she will repeat it as if she has the same authority. I actually find it quite amusing although the boys don't.

It was such a good time! We husked about five-six dozen corn, and I have about that much more still in the garden and enough for dinner tonight and tomorrow. I was quite happy with our corn harvest! I have never had corn do so well. I absolutely love working with my kids, there is nothing more I would rather do. I love it when we all work together and everyone is having a good time, It's my favorite!

Happy Birthday to that Man O' Mine!

I will spare Ryan and not tell you how young he is, but I was so glad that I got home in time to spend the entire day Sunday with him. I love this picture of Mara and Ryan. They are such goof-balls! While Ryan went to meetings, the kids and I made him a double decker pudding filled cake. It was delicious and the kids were so excited to show him. We got his presents wrapped, and were ready for a party when we got home from church.

I got him a propane stove to use when camping, or for emergencies. The fact is we lose our power all the time, and since we have an electric stove, if the power is out we can't cook or get water, so we are just stranded! Hopefully this little gift will keep us from having to pack up the kids to go into town for dinner when the power goes out.

I am so lucky to have Ryan, he is so supportive of me in all that I do, and is my biggest fan! He trys really hard to understand me, and forgives me for all my shortcomings. There is no one anywhere that I would rather spend my life with. I always tell him he is my rock, and he laughs at me, but I truly lean on him so much, and he always pulls me back down to earth when I get over excited about things, or think I can do more than I really can. He is my "logic button" and let's face it I really need one of those. I am so grateful for him and his ability to put up with me!

The cake was really good, and the kids had a great time making it! We sure love you Ryan, and hope all your birthday wishes come true!

Not just number 23...Kate Clarissa!

Wednesday September 17, 2008 started out with a 6:00 a.m phome call, a mom was in labor, and I was on call, so I quickly showered and left Ryan with 6 kids to get ready and out the door. Yeah, he is still trying to forgive me for that one. I was home by 10:30 after seeing a really cute baby girl born to a Hutterite couple that was hoping for a boy. They weren't very excited that it was a girl, and I felt so bad. I was thinking... well I'll take it if you don't want it. They eventually warmed up to the fact that it was a healthy baby, and that's all that matters. I was sad for that little baby though. So I got home and was going about my day trying to get caught up on homework and housework, when Joy Bouck called me to tell me that she thought she was in labor. I was planning on flying out Thursday to go for the weekend in the hopes that she would have her baby while I was home. I was thinking that there was no way that I would make it if she was in labor Wednesday. But thanks to divine intervention, I was able to find a babysitter for Thursday, and catch the 5:15p.m. flight to SLC. It is amazing, but the flight left 15 minutes early. I called my parents as soon as I landed, and by the time I got off the plane and through the airport, I didn't have to wait to long for them, we cruised to Ogden, and I entered the room at 7:11 p.m, and Beautiful Kate Clarissa was born at 7:17p.m. It is a wonder that I made it.

She was 8 pounds 2 ounces. The same size that Sam was. She was so cute, and so content, and such a surprise! I was so glad that she waited for me, although Joy might not have been glad that she waited for me. I can't really count her birth for much in regards to school since I barely made it, but I have to count her! I was so glad to be there, and I came from so far, she has to be 23!

Joy looks so great always, even just hours after she had a baby, and a big one at that

Emma had fallen asleep on the way to go see Joy Thursday, so I laid her on Joy's bed since Joy was out of bed sitting on the couch. When Emma woke up she was so happy, and looked so funny sitting on the bed in the hospital, I had to take a picture.

No! I Will Not Put Her Back!

Ryan's sister Jamie and her husband Brian had a little baby boy on September 11th 2008! That makes the count for the grandkids on Ryan's side 11 boys and 6 girls. Jamie and Brian already have two adorable girls, and they were surprised with a little boy. He is so stinking cute! I can't wait to hold him! Times like this make it really hard to be away. They named him Cale Brian.

Mara thought he was pretty cute when I showed her the pictures that they e-mailed us and said in a most serious voice, "I wanna have that baby! Let's put her back!." (pointing to Emma).
She really likes Emma and is always wanting to hold her and feed her and change her diaper, so I don't know why she said that, except that baby is stinking cute! I was totally shocked! I will not under any circumstance put my baby Emma back.
She is way too cute! and way too much fun! And she is sleeping through the night, eating solid foods and cutting a tooth. What a funny kid Mara is. We can't put Emma back!

A Cowboy Needs a Horse...

Max was so lucky to get a "tire horse" for his birthday from Ryan's mom and dad. He has wanted a horse for as long as he can remember, and this one is doing just fine. He rides it all day long. When we go to leave in the car, he always says "good-by horse." It's the best horse ever, it requires no food, and never poops! We love it. He gets his garb on, shaps, boots, vest and hat and he is set. He still needs me to push him, but he is willing to ride it with Mara, and they will stay on it forever! The little kids who come to visit think that it is great also. What a great gift! Thanks for it John and LaVone, the kids love it!

Garden's A Plenty

The kiss of the sun for pardon,

the song of the birds for mirth,

one is closer to God's heart in a garden

than anywhere else on earth.

Oh the joys of gardening! I love love love to garden! Usually! This year was a little harder to enjoy, because I was determined to make it a learning experience for my kids. Let's just say it is much more fun to weed in the solitude of the morning, where you can ponder and think on all that you hope to become, and all that you wish to accomplish. When you add six kids into the solitude of the morning, it no longer is solitude--funny how that is! The kids were great to help plant, and the first time weeding was okay, but when they realized that weeding had to be done again and again, they soon lost their interest for it. I spent more time hollering at them to come back and help than they did actually weeding. But harvest is here! It is now time to reap what we have sown. They are really excited about it now, eating corn on the cob fresh out of the garden, and snapping green beans are more fun to do than weeding. Last night for family home evening, we went to dig potatoes. It was almost like christmas. Max and Mara thought it was so fun to see how many potatoes would come off of one plant, and they got so excited when they would see one that Ryan had unearthed. I was totally caught up in their excitment, and quite enjoyed myself. The older boys were given the job of picking all the peppers. They thought that was fun, because we have been watching them get bigger and bigger, and they are easy to see, and easy to pick. It was a successful night, and all those stressful days, of wondering why I had planted such a big garden are behind me, and the fruit is good! I spent this morning cutting up green peppers to freeze, and we will be digging potatoes for a many more nights to come. It's about time to freeze the corn, and if we get lucky, the tomatoes will rippen before it freezes. Oh the simple pleasures of life!