Left or Right?

Have you ever gotten lost? I mean really, really lost? Well, I sort of have a history of getting lost. Especially when I'm with my mom. Especially when we are really sleep deprived! Especially when we're really really hungry!

Here's how the conversation went at 6:30 pm.

Me: "I'm sure I can get us to Joe's Crabshack. No problem. I've passed it a dozen times coming the other direction. It should be easy."
Mom: "Are you positive?"
Me: "Of course!"

Around 7:15.

Me: " This looks really familiar. I'm sure we're really close".

7:30.

Mom: "Which way do I go?"
Me: "Left"
Mom: "Are you sure?"
Me: "Obviously not, but go left . . . Ok, so that's right."

7:35

Me: "When I say left I mean left! What are you doing? We are never, ever gonna find it! I have no idea where we are!"

7:45

Me: "I really have no idea where we are. I'm really lost".
The waiter at Joe's (waiting with my husband, Dad, and two sons!): "It's OK, just stay on the phone and I will get you there!"

8:15

Breje: "Dad, please don't let Mom and Grandma drive me home!"

What we learned:

1. Get directions! Preferably, get them when you know where you are at the moment. This really helps!
2. Boise is not fun to get lost in. If you realize you need to turn around, you probably won't be able to, because you will hit a million one-way streets in the process.
3. My mom really needs to learn her left from her right!
4. Food tastes better when you have worked all day to earn it!

French Fries!

All of my parenting books say that this lovely reaction means that my 4 1/2 month old little girl is just not ready for solid foods. She'll let you put just about anything in her mouth, but it comes right back out with a nasty face! Loads of fun, but MESSY!

However, Daddy has been determined to find something she likes, and it seems that she just has her mommy's taste buds. We almost couldn't get this french fry away from her! The other kids would discard them as soon as they sucked the salt off the fry, but she was determined to keep it forever and ever. That's my girl!

Fall Harvest

Ok, so I've had a few complaints that it's been awhile since I blogged, but, aside from the various illnesses' that have been getting around our house lately, there just hasn't been much going on! The big news around our house seems to be the recent harvest. The kids have been so excited to finally have a garden again and have been anxiously awaiting the day when we'd have loads of fresh vegetables. The problem? Our vast acreage yeilded about the most silly, dwarfish crop I've ever seen in my life. Our corn stalks never got taller than me and we have some watermelon and canteloupes that are about half the size of normal ones. This doesn't seem to have dampened the joy my kids experienced while harvesting the last of it yesterday!

We also had a farmer plant loads of potatos across the street from us, and he spread the word that whatever was left on the ground when they were done harvesting was free game. I felt a little guilty (and ok, a little white trash!) sending my kids out there to gather up the potatos, but you would've thought they'd won the lottery or something! Trayson said it was just like an easter egg hunt! They turned it into a game; who can find the smallest potato, the biggest potato, the weirdest potato, the potato that looks most like Mickey Mouse . . . Now, they are offering to give potatos to every person we come in contact with!

I think this one won several prizes! I am just so proud!

Marshmallow Roast

Jody built us this way cool fire pit at the beginning of summer, and I have been dying to use it ever since! We finally got around to having some friends over this weekend, and I am happy to say the rain cleared up just in time to roast marshmallows! We had a barbeque first and it was so nice to just sit around and enjoy the company of friends, while the kids ran around outside (I am learning that 5 acres has its perks!) We are so lucky to have such great friends here. When the kids talked Jody into starting the fire and breaking out the smores stuff, it was the perfect way to end our farewell to summer!

Moments

Pretty Moments . . .




Brielle has so many cute new dresses, that I almost missed-out on having her wear this cute little green number from her little cousins. She felt so pretty today at church!


Sticky Moments . . .

Jody snuck outside to give Brielle her very first sucker this week! I caught him red-handed (literally, it was a mess!) but snapped a couple pictures for the scrapbook before I yelled at him!

Relaxing moments . . .

Watching Jody and the kids practicing soccer in the front yard with the kids. What a great Dad, huh?!

The sweetest mommy moment of

the week . . .

Today, after church, one of the primary teachers pulled me aside and said that Trayson had them all in tears today. There was one brief moment of panick on my part before she explained! They asked the kids what faith was and Trayson raised his hand and said, "Faith is knowing that Heavenly Father will keep Daddy safe while he is at war." Yeah, let the tears just flow!

Thanks MOM!

Ever since Hayley wrote her sweet blog about our amazing Dad, I've been planning on writing something equally as cheesy about mom, just to prove to Hayley that I am, of course, the "favorite" daughter! I got kinda busy, and then I thought better of writing something like that just to be a punk, but was reminded of it earlier today. I overheard some women talking about how they were doing everything they could to not be like their mothers. They were just joking, but it caught my attention because I had just been thinking about how I wish I was MORE like mine! I have several friends who are going through some difficult things right now (husbands being deployed, baby blues, family junk) and I was wishing that I could do something to somehow ease their troubles. All I could think of was, "what would my mom do?". All my life, my mom would always know some little thing to do for someone that would help get them through a rough spot. She was always baking something to drop off at a friends house, just cause they had looked a little blue, or whipping up a cute little craft for someone who'd been feeling down. She always acted like it wasn't much, but it still amazes me that she could always think of something --- and what's more, she always did it! I find that, even when I have a small flash of brilliance somewhere in the back of my mind, the execution fails me and I end up mopping the floor or, (usually) reading a book instead. How does she do it!?

This is just one of the small ways I'm hoping to become more like my mom. The older my children get, the more I hope I will be able to bond with them the way she did with us. I hope I'll remember to stay up late when I'm really tired, so that I can look into their eyes when they get home from a date. I hope I'll remember that they need a new shirt (or monster truck) when they're really stressed-out about something. I hope I'll remember that happy grandchildren are more important than clean floors. I hope I have just enough of her in me to survive their teenage years and still be their best friend!

THANKS MOM!

VROOM!

There's nothing my guys like more than the combinations of loud engines, wheels, and dirt! Lance and Milisa were kind enough to drive thier four-wheelers all the way up from Layton this weekend so that we could all enjoy the thrill (ok, so I just took pictures)!

Trayson and Breje couldn't wait to get out there and ride. Kutter was a little more shy at first, but a little ride with Aunt Milisa was all he needed to get him hooked! Once he got into it, we couldn't keep him away!

We had tons of fun hanging out with Lance, Milisa, and Cayden! We spent most of our time being lazy and eating (when we weren't out in the dust, anyway) but it was great to just get a chance to chat with them. We usually only see them at family gatherings, which are loads of fun, but there's little chance to really spend one-on-one time with people. The best part was watching how much fun the boys have together.

Thanks guys! I hope it was worth the 3 hours you spent on the side of the road fixing your trailer and the long, ugly drive after! We're sure glad you came!