A Musing Mother 6

I can't believe how busy July is! I'm almost looking forward to school starting just to get a regular routine down! Of course, then we'll really have to schedule ourselves which really gets in the way of fun. Right now I'm pretty much funned out! I'm starting back to work on Monday so I'm trying to hurry and get a lot done. I'm changing the upstairs doorknobs to polished nickel rather than the lovely gold we've had. I'm looking at paint to paint the family room and wondering if I have the physical and, more importantly, mental energy to take on the project. It's the vaulted ceiling and moving the piano that dazes me. I'm also finding a great deal of joy in my garden. Every day I go out and putter. It's amazing that just a few weeks ago we planted a few seeds and now we have this amazing piece of ground in our backyard that is covered in plants! We've been eating wax beans and yellow squash. We've been shelling peas and

I finally became a bit more technologically inclined. I bought a Go Phone for the kids. I am feeling pretty weird about it. I survived until I was 29 without having a cell phone but I've found I hate to send my kids out someplace without any way to reach them. Oh, when I say I didn't have a cell phone until I was 29, the cell phone was a "brick" which is the approximate size, shape and weight of a real brick. Husband and I shared it while I was pregnant with our first child. The agreement was that I'd call him when I went into labor. I called him a couple of times while he was a graduate student just to say, "Psych!" I amuse myself. My second phone came just after I had my second child. It was about half the size of the first phone. No way would it fit into a pocket and I certainly couldn't clip it onto my belt. Over the years they have gotten smaller and smaller and much more frustrating and enjoyable. I still don't text although I t

Three year old on the beach!

More!

Jacob on the beach...

Jacob and Scott in Bear Lake

Look closely and you can see the bottom half is a Mermaid! "I feel pretty!" AWESOME!

The only bathroom on the beach! Look at the different expressions on the kids' faces! Priceless! Did somebody forget to turn on the heater? Great trip to Bear Lake! The whole family came on my side and we had a blast! We waterskiied on Monday and Tuesday then the boat's battery died on Wednesday. The starter was having a hard time before that which made it more interesting. We played a great game of football on Sunday night. I even got to make a touchdown! Okay, I must admit that my entire team spent an inordinate amount of energy blocking. My sister took a picture so I'll try and get a copy of that one. It's important to note that the lake temperature is in the high 60s. BURRRR!

How does a dog named Sunday cool off on a hot summer day?

Yay! My dad is 73! Here are a few pics from the festivities. My brother-in-law, Dave, took a picture of his own toe. Apparently, he has darker issues. We'll do intervention later.

Mom! I have a present for you!

Today is Papa's birthday. My three year old loves to give and open presents. This time he wrapped up a block with a baby wipe.

My mother is a breast cancer survivor of 5 and half years. Not only was she diagnosed with stage 4 breast cancer and given a grim prognosis, she survived breast cancer, aggressive chemo, and she has embraced her spiritual and emotional growth from her journey. She now helps others on their journey in a support group at the hospital. During one of these groups, she was asked to make a presentation during a local "Relay For Life." I am quite proud of her. My dad has been her biggest cheerleader. He retired to take care of her. Five years later, she is a true survivor and he was diagnosed with a giant Aneurism on his carotid artery in his brain and mortality staring at him. With the help of a great and inspired surgeon, his carotid was cinched shut and my mother took care of him while he healed. The whole time he was optimistic and calm. These are my heroes.

Dad turned 42 on June 22nd. The girls asked me for the window chalk and all four kids went to town on his car! I think he was a little proud of the artwork (it was good) because he drove his car to church, taught priesthood proudly, and drove it to work the next day before scrubbing it clean. I might add that my van, parked next to the car, got some pretty good artwork on it, too. It wasn't even my birthday!

I finally decided to join the ranks and start blogging. This is a work in progress because I have no idea what I am doing. This, of course, is nothing new. I rarely know what I am doing when it comes to domestic stuff. Somehow we survive, however. Today is Independence Day. We went to a neighborhood barbecue and lit fireworks in the street. We have some very nice neighbors who host it on their front yard. Of course, the kids end up going all over the place. #1 went running around with her teenage friends. She's really a great teenager. #2 and #3 stayed pretty close. They've been really getting along today. #4 enjoyed all of it because he's three. No pictures of today, but I am attaching a picture or two of a Sunday walk we took two weeks ago at the frog pond. We didn't catch any frogs but we heard them and had a nice walk.