Summer's Last Hurrah!

Summer's Last Hurrah!

Monday, I had to run to Costco and pick up a few things and my kids had some money from Grandma that they wanted to spend at the dollar store. So we went to the Costco that was nearer to the dollar store and further away from where we usually go. The kids had a great time spending their loot and it was quick in and out of Costco so everyone was happy!

Yesterday we met up with some friends and went to the pool to keep cool and have fun in the heat. It was fun, my kids had a great time! Kayla ended up staying for over 5 hours and the rest of us left earlier because I needed to come home and nap Tyler.

It was a little difficult for me because Tyler, being the 2.5 year old that he is, kept going out deeper and deeper in the water. I would have to cut off my conversation with my friend constantly to chase after him. Meanwhile the older kids were around the other side of the pool where I couldn't see them, the pool is horshoe shaped. All I could do was pray they were okay and check on them periodically. I forgot my camera, but I probably wouldn't have been able to get any pictures anyway.

Tomorrow is the first day of school and my kids are fairly excited. They are looking forward to seeing their friends, but not looking forward to the homework. (I'm not looking forward to trying to get them to do their homework either!) Tonight is meet the teacher night and so we will bring all their school supplies then, and I'm looking forward to getting these bags of stuff out of my house!

I'm looking forward to getting back to a more structured schedule, my house staying clean for more than 5 minutes (though Tyler will still be at home, so maybe not?), and having some peace and quiet to make some phone calls that I need to make, etc...

I've been working a lot on this upcoming Super Saturday for Enrichment. We are doing these projects

Tissue Paper Plate - We are buying clear glass platters at Walmart and will modge podge cute tissue paper to the backside for a festive look.
Sunday Bag- We are going to get smaller ones that the kids can use for their scriptures/Sunday stuff and decorate them.
Glass Blocks - These are the blocks you see in bathrooms instead of windows to let light in, but that you can't see out of. We will put Christmas lights inside and one will be wrapped with ribbon like a gift (they turn out so beautiful) and the other's will have a vinyl picture of Shepherd's and Sheep (Christmasy) and word's to the effect of 'Wisemen still seek him'
FHE board - done with vinyl lettering
Quote Board - Love is Spoken Here
Welcome Sign - Either with Wood letters going vertically or vinyl letters
"Be" Tile - Pres. Hinckley's 6 Be's done with a cute font in vinyl letters around the 4 sides of the tile.
Quiet Book - done scrapbook style for older kids with pictures of the Prophet's and/or the Mormonad poster post cards.
Card Making Class - We will have 4 cards people can make that are just an assortment like Happy Birthday, Thinking of You, Thank you and a blank generic one
Christmas Treats Class - quick and easy things to make and take to neighbors or that even your kids could make.

...and I'm supposed to come up with one more, something Christ-centered and in the price range of $12-$15, any ideas?

Oh, and just a vent - I have not been able to comment on blogs or post on my blog for quite a few days now. It is SO frustrating. So, I'm glad it worked today we will see if it get's better in the coming days or not!

Family Pictures and Walking

Family Pictures and Walking


Rilyn, age 5

Tyler, age 2

Kyle, age 7


Alyssa, age 9


Kayla, age 11

We got our Family Pictures back and some of them turned out really really cute and other's not so great (especially the one's with me in them). But the precious, timeless ones we got of the kids make up for the bad ones.

The one we got of Tyler (with us in the background) is pretty much the best "individual" shot we got of him. Being 2.5, he is too busy for pictures! He was only interested in throwing sticks, rocks and pinecones into the lake. He had no interest in picture taking whatsoever!

But, I'm glad we did it. Family pictures are always so much work and stress for me. But capturing the best in these great kids always makes me smile, and get a little teary too! I can't help but feel like the most priveleged Mother when I look at the pictures of these precious faces.

In other news, walking is going good. It's exercise and girlfriend conversation both at the same time. So it is time well spent. It feels so great to come back home from walking and feeling so good and ready for the day! But I do have to say, we walk so fast that it would probably just be easier on my shins to run. But then it would be harder to visit as we run. I hope somehow we can still do this when the kids go back to school next week, but I don't know if it will work with our schedules and getting kids ready for school or not.

Last night Laren and I finally got our night at the Ballgame! As I mentioned previously we tried to go about a week and a half ago and got rained out.


Laren and I getting a self portrait at the ballgame.

We had gotten new tickets for yesterday. The weather seemed bleak, rainy and overcast all day and so we were uncertain whether the it would turn out or not.

But the weather turned out being perfect, in the 70's, it was overcast with just a tad bit of annoying sun in our eyes, and it all turned out spectacular. If you've never been to a Major League Game before, you should go.

I especially love baseball, because it is a slow enough game you can watch and have good conversation all at the same time. Plus it is played in nicer weather, than say football. It is fun to learn about the players.


The beautiful Coors Field

This time though he was on the opposing team, we got to see Prince Fielder powerfully swing the bat. He is number one for hitting home runs this season in the National League. (Even better than Barry Bonds for the season, even though Barry Bonds is getting all the press for tying Hank Aaron's record.) Of course it was fun to see Todd Helton, Matt Holiday and other Colorado Fan favorites as well. Laren and I always get a kick out of the fact that the pitcher is always so terrible at batting. It is just a given that he will get out.

We got a great laugh out of some fans behind us who were disgusted at the fact that guys like the guy playing right field on the Rockies (Hawpe) get's paid so much$ a year to stand there and scratch his behind, though they did no put it like that. The fact of the matter is, that right field gets the fewest balls but we were actually surprised at just how many lefties there were playing last night.

As it happened we ended up sitting next to a section with mainly fans of the opposing team, the Milwaukee Brewers! They were all good sports despite their #1 team losing to the Rockies! Of course, we were happy that the home team won. This morning Alyssa asked me who won, I told her the Rockies won because we were there to cheer them on.

Few might know this about me, but I really am a sports fan. There are few sports I don't like to watch. I get seriously giddy about going to the game.


The great sunset behind the scoreboard.

Yesterday made me realize I need to do it more often. I don't particularly know why this is, but maybe it's because of my cheerleading years in high school? I embarass Laren because I cannot stand to sit in my seat, I have to be up and cheering my team on! Of course he sits there watching with a clearly neutral look on his face as to who he wants to win.

Anyway it was good times!

Roundup

Rounding 'em up!

So I don't have any major updates, really. But I decided to round up a few tidbits to share. First being that we lost the memory card to our camera so I can't share pictures until we either find that or buy a new one.

Because we just ordered the cabinets for our kitchen (YAY!) a couple of days ago, we may go awhile without the memory card if we end up having to buy a new one. We're trying to squeeze a lot out of our budget with the cabinets, and replacing a window that gotten broken during a wind storm in our family room, and the concrete sidewalk we recently had poured.

Laren and I spent much of Saturday working in the backyard. My arms and back still feel bruised and apparently the pain is telling me I exercised muscles I never knew I had. Wielding a pick-ax is no easy task, especially when done over and over again for a couple of hours! We are working on digging the trench for our block retaining wall in the back. Laren, because of his bunged up knee, is working on setting the stone instead of digging.

I did get Kayla and Alyssa to help shovel the dirt out after I got it loosened up. They were big helps! And then I took a break to come in and bathe Tyler. We all got so dirty from working/being out in the backyard because of the dirt and the rain that came down while we were working.

Speaking of rain, I don't know what it is--the Monsoon, I guess--but we've been getting rain every single day in the evening. Last night was no exception! We got DUMPED on with rain! It was coming down in sheets. The kids went out and played in it in the gutter and it was nearly up to their knees!

The rain is good, but it just makes for a very muddy backyard and it makes it difficult to get outside stuff done. We are starting to run out of summer and I'm worried about us getting all of our projects in before cold weather hits. My goal is for us to get grass planted in our backyard by Labor Day. We still have weeks worth of work on the retaining wall at this rate! I wonder if we'll get it all done?!

The Teacup Parable

Not Yet - The Parable of the Teacup

Author Unknown

There was this couple who used to go to shop in the beautiful stores. This was their 25th Wedding Anniversary. They both liked antiques and pottery, especially teacups.One day in a beautiful fine shop, they saw this beautiful teacup.

One said,"May I see that? I never have seen one quite so beautiful," and the lady handed it to him. As she handed it to him, suddenly the teacup spoke."You don't understand," it said, "I haven't always been a teacup. There was a time when I was red and I was clay. My master took me and rolled me and patted me over and over and I yelled out, 'Let me alone.' But he only smiled, 'Not yet.'

"Then I was placed on a spinning wheel," the teacup said, "and suddenly I was spun around and around and around and around. 'Stop it! I'm getting dizzy' I screamed. But the master only nodded and said, 'Not yet.'"Then he put me in the oven. I'd never felt such heat! I wondered why he wanted to burn me. I yelled! I knocked at the door. I could see him through the opening and I could read his lips as he shook his head, 'Not yet.'

"Finally the door opened, he put me on the shelf and I began to cool. 'There that's better,' I said. Then he brushed me and painted me all over. The fumes were horrible. I thought I would gag. 'Stop it! Stop it!' I cried. He only nodded, 'Not yet.'"Then suddenly he put me back into the oven, not like the first one. This was twice as hot and I knew I would suffocate. I begged. I pleaded. I screamed. I cried. All the time I could see him through the opening nodding his head, saying, ' Not Yet.'"

"Then I knew there wasn't any hope. I would never make it. I was ready to give up. But the door opened and he took me out and placed me on the shelf. One hour later, he handed me a mirror and said, 'Look at yourself,' and I did, and I said, 'That's not me, that couldn't be me, it's beautiful. I'm beautiful!'"'I want you to remember then,' he said, 'I know it hurt to be rolled and patted, but if I just left you, you'd have dried up."

"I know it made you dizzy to spin around on the wheel, but if I had stopped, you would have crumbled.""I know it hurt and it was hot and disagreeable in the oven,but if I hadn't put you there, you would have cracked.""I know the fumes were bad and when I brushed and painted you all over, but if I hadn't done that, you never would have hardened. You would not have had any color in your life, and if I hadn't put you back in that second oven, you wouldn't survive for very long because the hardness would not have held."

"Now you are a finished product. You are what I had in mind when I first began with you."That's life, friends. That's my life and it is your life. Some of you are in the oven, screaming, hollering, "Let me out of here!" Some of you are getting painted and the fumes are bothering you and driving you crazy. Some of you are spinning around and you don't know where you are. You're saying "What's going on? It's a mess here," and the Master keeps looking and saying, "Not yet, not yet." You see, you've got to trust Him.

----

I thought this was such a great parallel to the trials of life that it would be good to share. A friend got this in her Relief Society lesson at Church and shared it with me. I know I can relate to a lot of "spinning" and "heat" in my life.

Summer is winding down

Summer

Winding

D

O

W

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My kids did the Summer Reading Program at the Library and now we need to go and use our tickets that they earned to do miniature golf, bowling and eating out. I am bummed that 2 of them got free meals to Lonestar Steakhouse and 3 of them got meals to IHOP. I wish they could have all been at the same place. But they all finished their reading on different schedules/weeks and so the prizes were different.

We went out and got most of their school clothes this past week. Of course I love this store, but we also went here and here. It is so hard to find pants that work for my oldest son, Kyle, because he is tall and thin. And so many clothes are made this days for thicker kids. But my kids are so skinny (from Laren's genes) that we have a hard time getting the pants to stay up on them. It makes shopping for them tricky. Today I hope to get their school supplies.

Most of my friends have already done all this shopping, but because of our traveling escapades and having out of town company we are coming in late on it this year. Plus it doesn't help that school starts the middle of August. I am really wishing that school wouldn't start until the end of August so I could go to this.

I've started walking in the early mornings with a friend. It has been several years since I last did this and it such great fun. It makes me more committed to my exercise and I get it out of the way first thing and we get a great chat in at the same time.

Soggy

It's been a flurry of busy-ness the last several days around here.

Yesterday I spent much of the day trying to get back on top of my laundry and get my house cleaned - well, trying to get my kids to help me clean it. I think I spend more time working with them to clean than if I just did it myself. I always feel so driven to have them pitch in and help especially when they are home from school for the summer.

Then I spent several hours in the afternoon shopping for food for when Laren's oldest sister comes later today. It will be her and her 7 kids. Add my five kids to hers and that will be a dozen kiddos around here for a few days! My kids are really looking forward to playing with more cousins!

At Costco, the first store I stopped at, a middle-aged man got out of his white truck about the same time we were getting out of our van and going in. He asked if you needed a membership to get in the store. I said yes. He was obviously disappointed. He seemed affluent enough to buy his own membership so I was a little surprised at his reaction.

Then he explained that he lives in Loveland, which is an hour away and has no Costco, and there was some great stadium seats with blankets that he was hoping to get. I asked him if he'd like me to purchase it for him and bring it out. Then he asked if he could accompany me into the store. He seemed safe and he had a teenage girl, that looked to be his daughter with him.

So I agreed and we went in, we found what he wanted and he was surprised at the selection of color options. He said he needed 10. I asked if they were big CSU fans or something and he said no that they had some big 3 day conference down in Pueblo. He knew of somebody else that got these great stadium seats at Costco and decided that is where he needs to get his too.

He must have thanked me 2 dozen times for letting him make the purchase with me. I told him I was just happy it was a way that I could help somebody out. I think with having kids my time and money are more limited in helping others out more. I would like to help more often but it is not always feasible.

He offered to pay me for helping him out, I declined. Then he was insistent that he buy us something at the Food Court. Again I declined. But then he asked Rilyn and Alyssa, who were both with me, if they would like something to eat. A-hah, he found a way to pay us back. He told them to order whatever they wanted. Rilyn got a Churro and Alyssa got a Vanilla Frozen Yogurt and then he got a smoothie for him and his teenage granddaughter.

I was worried about my kids seeing me just letting this strange man and girl come in the store with us and what they might think about that or do about that in the future. So I explained to them that the man seemed nice and it was a public place with many other people around and he was not alone and neither was I.

Anyway, it felt good to help someone even if it was such a small, easy thing to do. After they left, we rushed around and filled our cart with things like Eggo Waffles, Raspberry Lemonade and Rolls - enough to feed a small army. Then we hurried to Walmart for a few more things and stopped off at McDonald's for a couple of movies.
Our final stop was Safeway where I picked up some roast for Sunday dinner.

We got home and I had just enough time to put everything away and throw a frozen pizza in the oven for my kids for dinner. I had a date planned with Laren to go to the Rockies Baseball game and I was supposed to be meeting him at his work so we could go there together.


It started pouring rain on my way into Denver. Laren had called me in advance so I was prepared with rain gear. He talked me into parking at his work and walking to the 16th Street Mall to take their free shuttle and then walk a few more blocks. I was opposed to the idea all along but finally gave in.

It was a bad idea. The shuttle never came and we kept walking. We walked 2 miles to the ball field in the pouring down rain. We got there and of course,there was a rain delay. The field was soaked. We peeked at our great seats and lamented the game being cancelled.

We had to wait it out until the game was "officially" cancelled before we could exchange our tickets for a different night. We didn't get quite as great seats, but they should be decent. And back we walked the 2 miles in the rain, watching for the shuttle as we walked. The shuttle finally got close just as we veered towards the direction of where we were parked.

If there was any consolation in the matter, we did stop off at The Cheesecake Factory and got a piece of Mixed Berry Almond Cheesecake that we shared on the way home. It was almost worth the long walk and the 30 minute wait in line for it.

On the way home, we listened to a book on cd that I checked out at the library this week. It is Between a Rock and a Hard Place by Aron Ralston. It is a riveting story about a young man in his 20's who lives here in Colorado who took a trip to the slot Canyons near Moab, Utah.

After biking and hiking for 7 hours he ends up getting his hand stuck with a boulder on top. After a number of days there and being near death, he amputates his hand in order to save his life. It really is an intriguing story. I recommend it. I only wish I had it uploaded to my mp3 player instead of having to drag the cd player and cd's with me from room to room as I clean.