Fare Thee Well, Summer–Part II

Well, the temperature doesn’t know it, but Summer has officially ended now that school is in session.  I can’t believe it’s only been 3 days, it feels like we’ve been doing this for a while now.  Poor little Ben is DYING because while he did get to have a little open house on Mon. he doesn’t really start until this coming Monday.  Poor little Joshy just keeps saying, “Where Anna going?”  “Where Abby going?”  “Where Nate going?”.  When I tell him they’re at school it doesn’t mean anything to him so he just keeps asking.  I’m so so so glad Ben will be going to Kindergarten in the afternoons while Joshy’s sleeping so that at least he’ll have one sibling to keep him company in the mornings.   I’m learning very quickly just how much the big kids did to keep him occupied.

We made the most of those last precious few days.  Friday Brennan had an adventure of his own, I’m hoping I can talk him into posting about it, he has some stories to tell.  Friday night, the kids and I drove down to a park to meet up with the rest of my family.  My sister-in-law, Meredith, was here from TN to bring their oldest child, David, to college out here.  We rarely see them so we’re so excited to have David in the same state with us and wanted to make the most of every second Meredith was here.  We met up for a picnic in the park.

This is the only picture I took all night.  I’m a little obsessed with this darling nephew of mine, and I spent most of the night chasing after Joshua

The next day we got up early to participate in our Ward Service Day.  We got the wonderful assignment of helping our good friends sanding and staining their deck.  It was such a great feeling to see my big kids really working.  Sometimes I wonder if they know how, so it’s always thrilling to see that do indeed know how to work, and to see them so committed to helping someone else out made me so happy.

I’m so grateful to our Elder’s Quorum Presidency for organizing this massive undertaking.  I’ve felt kind of desperate to give my kids more opportunities to do service, but I haven’t been good about finding those opportunities.  I loved this experience to be able to help out good friends and do it with our whole family was awesome.

After a couple of hours of sanding, we headed home to get ready for the rest of our big day.  Brennan and Joshy stayed home for naps (Brennan’s adventure took some time to recover from.)  I dropped the 4 big kids off at Josh and Liza’s where my brothers and David and the kids swam for a couple of hours while my Mom and sister, and sisters-in-law went to lunch.  I think that was probably the first time we girls were all together (we missed Rebecca who had a family reunion) by ourselves and it was FABULOUS.   I had so much fun with every one of them.   The kids, of course, had a grand old time being flipped and thrown by their fun uncles.   I have to give my brothers major credit for making every event so much fun. 

Next stop for the day was a big huge neighborhood Western BBQ.  It was at a neighborhood family farm/orchard complete with great food, hay rides, pony rides and entertainment.  I love my neighborhood and neighbors.

We came home exhausted, and ready for bed.  Sunday we had one final little visit with David and Meredith before Mere flew home.

One of the kids snapped this photo of them:

It was so great to have them, but always make me a little sad that we don’t see them more.   David will be around this year, though and we’re so excited!!!!

After church and dinner, Brennan gave the 4 big kids back to school blessings which is always such a sweet experience.  You should have seen how important and special Ben felt (the great thing about Ben is you can literally see every feeling he has in his whole body).  To watch the people I love the most interact in such a heavenly way was just…heavenly.

Goodbye, Summer, we will really miss you – you’ve been a good friend to us!!!!  We love Summer!

Fare Thee Well, Summer - Part I.

It’s always hard to say goodbye, but ready or not the end is here.  The stores are shoving Halloween in our faces, my email inbox is filled to the brim with soccer schedules and back-to-school nights.  Sigh.  It’s been a good one, and I am sad to see it end, but I am looking forward to the chance for a new routine and a fresh start. 

We’ve had some fun times these last few weeks.  Last weekend we had a family reunion with my Dad’s family.  I think there were 75 of us?  LOTS of people, I don’t envy all my aunts and uncles who planned it and all those who did the meals.  We came up a day late and met the group at the lake for some boating and fun in the sun.  Not one little picture of that so just trust me, it was fun, the boats were slow and the tubes were nice and big so it was perfect for the kids.  Ben got on for about 30 seconds and didn’t enjoy one of those seconds.  The three big kids had a blast though.  There was also a giant water trampoline that they loved.   This particular lake is manmade and evidently they decided to make it in a rock quarry.  Seriously, the rockiest place ever, but we had good company, boats, sun and good food so it was fun, fun, fun.

That night we got the kids settled and my cousins and siblings all got together til the wee hours of the morning.   There’s nothing I love more than chatting and laughing with people I love.

Saturday morning we ate breakfast and started packing up.  Brennan and several other Dad’s were trying to take the kids swimming while I got our stuff pulled together before we had to checkout at 11.  The pool didn’t open til 10 and when it did, we discovered it’s adult swim only til noon.  IS that the dumbest thing you’ve ever heard of?????  So we packed everything up and figured out what to do with the next few hours til we need to meet at a park for lunch.  My parents, siblings, us, and all the kids headed into town to walk around and get some ice-cream.

 

I have to say that this particular famous town that’s only about 45 minutes away from our house is lame.  I’ve been there many times, but I guess mostly without my kids.  I was so unimpressed by all the impatient looks we got at little ones in their way on the sidewalk and just plain rudeness.  My Dad was trying to take a picture of them on this bench and one man who could have easily stepped off the sidewalk and gone around walked right up to my Dad and impatiently waited for him to move.   How can you see a Grandpa doting over his darling grandkids and be so clueless?????   Rude people are the worst. 

I digress.  We then met up with the big old group for a yummy lunch and a big huge soccer game.  Brennan and the big kids played and loved it.  I chased Joshy around and enjoyed chatting with some aunts and cousins.  We drove home very tired, but grateful our we were able to give our kids such a fun weekend at the end of their summer.  Thanks so much Ally and Jan for all your hard work!

Anyway, that night Brennan and I went to the Josh Groban concert which was wonderful.  Sunday was Stake Conference and was the first year I didn’t feel like it was a complete waste of time because we spent the entire two hours taking kids into the hall.  Brennan was out with Josh a fair amount of time, but he big kids did really well. 

Wednesday morning my girls and I packed up and left for a quick little get away with some friends.  Abby’s bff, Paige, has an amazing mom named Megan.  Megan planned this trip down to see “The Music Man” at the Shakespearean Festival a few hours down South.  Megan loaded up her two girls, our friend, Kim, and her two girls, Abby and their friend, Emily.  I took Anna and her best friend Chloe.  We stopped for lunch at a park and then drove to our hotel that Megan hooked us up with for free with their points.   It took us about an hour to decide who to put in which of our two rooms and then another hour to figure out who should sleep in which bed.  The girls went for a swim while we moms enjoyed the fact that we didn’t have to swim because we didn’t have our little ones with us.  We happily watched from the patio.

We got ready and went to dinner and then to the play.  It was such an amazing production, it’s such a great show!  The girls LOVED it and loved getting to do something so special with their friends. 

Here are some of them as energetic as can be at 11:00 pm

Here are all the girls with “Harold Hill”

The next day Kim and Chloe and Anna and I headed home, while the most impressive and energetic Megan took the other 6 girls another hour south to a National Park.  They hiked and played in rivers and had a blast and then drove home.  Thank you, Megan, for planning such a great trip and letting us tag along!!!!  It was so fun to enjoy my girls and their cute friends along with two of my favorite friends.

While we were gone Brennan got a sitter for Josh and took Nate and Ben to the Demolition Derby at our County Fair.  It doesn’t get better for those boys, they LOVED it. 

We’ve got lots of fun packed into this weekend too, so that will be part II.  We’re going to enjoy these last 3 days of Summer if it kills us!

Love is in the Air

Sometime ago my brother linked to a fascinating article.  Check it out. I highly recommend it, specifically the last part of the article.  It cites a study that shows that having new experiences with your spouse is linked to happy marriages.    As Brennan and I are realizing that our kids are growing up terrifyingly fast, we’ve realized how important it is to have something left of ourselves and our marriage when the kids leave the nest.  We’ve been pretty good about trying to have date nights, but had kind of gotten in a rut about doing the same old thing week after week.  We decided it was time to mix it up a little and decided to take turns planning something out of the norm.   It doesn’t have to be anything major, but just something we haven’t done 41,000 times.  One week we went to a battle of the bands that a neighbor boy was in.  We felt a tiny bit out of place amidst the hip and happening single people dominating the scene, but had a great time.  Another time, we went for a short, but beautiful hike up a nearby canyon and then chatted over a shake.  My Mom and Dad gave us a groupon to a place that has a sky diving simulator, I Fly, and I was really terrified, but we did it and had SO MUCH FUN.  Last week Brennan surprised me with Josh Groban tickets and we had such a great time at the fantastic concert.  Anyway, it’s been so much fun and completely reinforces the fact that I married the right man for me.  We have so much fun together and I can’t wait to keep dating him for a very long time.

I’m not the only one who loves him.  I have so many parents tell me how much their sons love Brennan as their Young Mens’ leader.  He loves them which is good, because these youth leaders really devote a stunning amount of time to these kids.  One of his boys brought this thank you note by:

I thought that was the cutest note and it meant so much to Bren.  He loves these boys.  He found out recently that one of them had never been to the ocean and everyday he talks about how he could get him there.  There’s something really beautiful about the fact that he’s able to be such a great influence on these boys because he had some leaders really take him under their wing and have a huge impact on him.   We love Brennan.

Teenager!!!!

This darling little girl turned 13 years old on Saturday! 

Anna had a great day, it started bright and early.  She got up at 5:30 am and joined the other young men and young women from our ward for breakfast and then a 10 mile hike to our closest Temple.  It was quite a challenge, but Anna was up for it, she and her friend were the first ones to reach their destination.  When they gathered outside the Temple, a member of the Temple Presidency spoke to them.  They had lunch and got to hop in cars to drive home.  What a perfect experience to welcome Anna into teenagehood.  As soon as they got back she went to lunch and shopping with her bff, Chloe.   They got back around 3 and she very enthusiastically opened presents.  Mostly, stuff for her room, mostly having to do with Paris.

After presents we had such a nice visit from Brennan’s Uncle and Aunt, Buck and Jamie.  We love when they stop by, and Anna felt very special to have it happen on her birthday.

She requested purple and blue cupcakes, here’s a great action shot

Since we do every other year for a friend party this year was the family year.  Anna decided she wanted to do a family soccer game.  Brennan and I were really tired and headed outside out of total duty.  We quickly changed our attitudes and had so much fun.  The teams were Anna, me and Ben vs. Bren, Nate and Abby.  Brennan and I each had to hold Josh for most of the game, but it was still a blast.  It was even more fun that my team won   After that the kids had a bunch of neighborhood kids over for night games.  She was very happy with her special day.

We love Anna so much.  As hard as it is to watch my little ones get less little, it is really fun to watch them develop into full-fledged independent human beings.  Anna is opinionated, feisty, affectionate, artistic, athletic, stubborn, spiritual, thoughtful, and honest.  She has set a wonderful tone for our family as our oldest.  She’s so interested in and sweet to her siblings.  When Nate had been at day camp and she walked in after he’d been gone all day she ran right up to him and hugged him so sweetly and sincerely.  I love that hugging will be a natural, normal thing to do for all of my kids.   I think it’s normal to be hugged by your mom and dad, but maybe not all siblings hug each other.   I love how even though she’s 13, she still loves to play with her American Girl dolls with Abby or younger cousins.  

I’ll always be grateful to Anna for giving me the best job ever.  I’ll always remember the minute she burst onto the scene with her crazy long blond locks and her little doll face.  I’ll always treasure those first few busy but delightful years I spent in her rigorous training program for her novice mother.   I’ll always appreciate the help she is for Brennan and me in raising her siblings.  We love Anna June.  Happy birthday!

Holiday Fun

Monday was a local holiday and we celebrated!  Brennan actually went into work and a little fieldtrip in the morning so I took the kids (Anna stayed home so we brought Abby’s friend, Paige) to my sister’s community pool.  We had so much fun.  Ben has become a really good swimmer and I’ve got Joshy squared away in a handy-dandy floaty thingy so I can actually swim too.  Her pool set-up has a great kiddie pool, a hot-tub and a big regular pool.  The kids love to just kind of rotate between them all. 

These two anxiously awaiting our departure to head to the pool

 

Abby and Paige

My nephew, Peter – angel baby extraordinaire and my BIL, Josh.

The pictures speak for themselves, we had a fabulous time.  Thanks, Josh and Lize, for hosting us.

Later that day we gathered at a beautiful nearby park for a rare party with both my Dad’s and Mom’s families.  We do a potluck dinner with the world’s best homemade rootbeer (My Grandpa Bell always used to make it, now my Dad does), we do a few little games/races for the little ones (before they’re completely orphaned for the next few hours)  and then get right down to business, serious business – volleyball.  I think we had 8 teams this year, 3 nets/courts and lots of middle-aged people pretending we’ve still got it   Until we wake up the next morning.  

Here are the only two pictures I managed to take that night.

My team was really good, we didn’t have a weak player, but somehow we managed to lose EVERY SINGLE GAME.  Grrrrr.  It kind of made me in a bad mood.  12 years old is the magical age you are allowed to join in the volleyball tradition so Anna played this year on Brennan’s team.  She did really well and we were very proud of her in this very important rite of passage.  We also had mento/soda pop explosions and a fantastic firework show by Brennan and my cousin, Corbin. 

It was a very fun, very exhausting day.  We’re so grateful for such great families including some extraordinary ancestors.   We’re very blessed!

Cub Scout Day Camp

This handsome guy got to go to day camp for 2 days!  He left around 8:00 am on Wednesday and Thursday mornings and got home around 3:30 both days.  He LOVED it.  He came home super chatty about all the scout humor, bb gun shooting, bow shooting, winning a pull-up contest and all around great times.  He kept trying to tell us about a song they sang, something about a moose they were going to have for breakfast but it was still decomposing.  He couldn’t get it all out because it cracked him right up every time he tried.  Oh boy, its bringing back memories of when the “Boys Life” scouting magazine showed up in our home and my brothers couldn’t wait to learn all the awesome jokes.  It’s a bit painful, but mostly sooooo soooo cute to see these cute little boys get so excited about good things like scouting and cracking themselves up.   Mostly it was really strange to send my little guy away from home for a couple of days.  I’m so glad he loved it so much.  We love Nate!

 

Update

My emotions have kind of run the gamut this weekend.  Yesterday I got news that a darling girl I new in Arizona, died.  She’s about a year older than me, and left behind a husband and 4 kids.  Her oldest is 13 and her youngest just 3.  I didn’t know her well, but I remember her so clearly and she was one of those people that you just liked right off the bat.  She had the cutest southern accent and was so warm and real.  I’m not sure how she died, I’ve heard it was maybe a stroke.  It breaks my heart, mostly for her little family.  I have no doubt Stephanie is in good standing before the Lord and will continue to watch over her little ones and husband, but how they’ll miss her.  Today I attended a Sacrament meeting where my cousin spoke before she leaves on a mission.  This cousin is the youngest of 8 kids and when she was 16 years old her Mom died.  Megan bore a beautiful testimony of having that burden lightened by God’s Love.  I was so touched, and it helped me remember that these things aren’t random, there is a plan and there is reason to hope.  Sometimes I can’t for the life of me see meaning in the tragedies we hear about everyday, but if my sweet, brave cousin can stand in gratitude and humility and testify of God’s love after everything she’s been through perhaps I can continue to look forward in faith and trust in the Lord’s will.  I am so grateful to be here with my family and for every day I get to join Brennan in loving and raising and being loved by our kids. 

Anna is currently a little obsessed with Paris.  For her upcoming birthday, she’s asking for lots of Paris décor for her room.  (Of course a dog is always at the top of her list.)  She has such a cute sense of style and loves to express herself through her clothes.  I’m grateful she’s not dialed into brands, she just has a very specific sense of who she is and loves to put together outfits that reflect that.  Her friends sometimes wonder why she’s all dressed up, she just loves to dress up and accessorize.  She reminds me of my sister so much that way, which, of course, I love.  It’s just fun to watch her develop her identity and talents and emerge such an individual not just an extension of her parents.  We love Anna.

Abby was in our city’s summer theatre production of “Secret Garden”.  She loves being part of these productions.  I’m always a little surprised at her willingness to devote so much time and energy to these things, especially for relatively small parts.  I love watching her on stage.  In her everyday life she’s often a little self-conscious.   I think is part of why she loves performing so much is that she feels free to really let go of some of that inhibition.   Her best friend played the lead role of Mary, I know that was a little hard for Abby at first, but she got over that quickly and was so sweet and supportive of Paige.  We love Abby.

Nate is on a mission to save up some money for a new bike.  He spends LOTS of time looking up different kinds of bikes deciding on just the right one and dreaming up ways he can earn half of the cost of the bike.  So far, the money earning has mostly remained in the conceptual stage. He loves to tell anyone who’ll listen all about the bike he’s going to get.   He spends most of his time outside riding his old bike or having some kind of outdoor adventure with his friends or at the neighbors’ wii.   At night all our kids and the neighbor kids usually end up on their tramp playing a game.  He’s living a true, all-American 8 year old boy Summer.   We love Nathan.

Benny came up to me the other day and in such sincerity and enthusiasm told me he had decided when he gets older he wants to take tricks class.  Would there be anything better for a 5 year old boy than the prospect of somewhere you can go to learn awesome tricks?   I’m not sure he needs it though because much to my surprise and nervousness he did a front handspring off the diving board at the pool the other day.  He’s such a funny ball of contradictions.  In some ways he’s so tough and independent, but a mosquito bite can completely undo him.  I’m used to him hanging around with me and Josh, but when the big kids are around he’s always busy with them.  I miss my little boy.  We love Ben.

Joshua is very much a 2 year old.  He’s embraced his age and all the 2 year old trappings with gusto.  One of my favorite things is that he’s really started to do imaginary play with little action figures and cars.  He gets very wrapped up and the phrase I hear over and over is, “Bye, seeya, hab fun!”  I love that that is his go-to phrase.  The other day the girls saw a bra infomercial and Anna said, “Ewww, gross, that is disgusting!”  Josh sat there quietly but about 3 minutes later we heard, “EWWW, gosss – stusting!”  We love Joshy.