SPRINKLERS

 Well, Nate got the sprinklers going again and saved the lawn at least the visible part. It still needs a lot of work. The kids have been having a blast running through the sprinklers. Ashton was soaking wet and then he face planted in the sand box. You don't even want to know what that looks like or the amount of sand in the bottom of the tub when he was done rinsing off. 

We have two new geese. Their names are Savannah and Caroline. They are both female and because of that they aren't as territorial as the male we had. They usually keep to themselves and we don't hear from them. My only complaint is the sidewalk and the gravel right in front of our gate are covered in goose poop. Brother LeBaron swears if we keep chasing them off they will re-home elsewhere but as of now I have a lot of poop to clean up every morning. 

It was family night tonight. Nate took us to the Chinese place for dinner and to the park. He had a really rough day at work, so it was extra sweet that he was willing to hang out with all five of us. He started to twitch as we pulled out of the driveway, so I was surprised he made it through the evening. He has twitched since dental school ended. His head starts jerking when he is really stressed out. The sacrifices that man has made for his family are not measurable.  

HAPPY SUNDAY and BABY DUCKS

 We have enjoyed Stake Conference the last few days. I took Leslie last night. She felt the spirit. She loved it and we went to pick up ice cream afterwards. Stake conference was great this morning too. I just wish I could sit and listen instead of chasing and disciplining children the whole time. Sigh. Those boys are a handful. Ashton is either running away or if you try to carry him, he is screaming his lungs out. James is whinning or tinkering with the chairs, doors, or cabinets. You just want them to sit still and listen. The girls sadly are only barely better. We showed up. I hope that counts for something. 

 Sister LeBaron hatched ducks and gave us four. We are so happy. They have swam in the bathtub, been hugged and loved to death, learned how to drink water and eat and have imprinted on my children. When ducks are hatched from eggs in an incubator they imprint on the first thing they come in contact with. They waddle after my children like they belong to them. They seem to be growing in beautiful ways. 

AFTERNOON AT THE LAKE

 We got a pass to the lake for the year. We can go whenever these kids want to. Today after an extremely busy day I thought I am tired of tackling my dirty house. You know it will just be a mess again tomorrow. I think we should go to the lake instead. We invited our friends and neighbors the Neff's and we played at the lake all evening. We came home and ate cereal for dinner and now we are off to bed. 

3 BABY CALVES

 We bought three baby calves today.  We bought them for steaks and hamburgers. They are going to live at Kay's farm. She doesn't trust us to raise them. Quite frankly, I don't trust us either. We will let her raise these ones and maybe the next ones we will be kept on our property. Sierra and Madison got to bottle feed them. I and the boys missed out on all the fun. We were waiting at home for Leslie to show up for her third discussion. She never did show up, but Ashton got in a long nap while the sister missionaries and I made smores in the oven. They were super yummy. 

 This is stormy. She has a name. She isn't a pet. However, look at those eyelashes. They don't belong on the same blog post as the word hamburger.

 Here is Ashton running all over the world and trying to kill himself again.

Kay was describing the large quantities of poop that come out of these little calves while Sierra tried to process the information. What the??? Really??? Glad there hangin' here.

UTAH TRIP

 We got to go to Utah for a week. We loved every minute of it and the time went by way to quickly. 

Sierra jumped in Chase and Tamara's car two minutes after we arrived and hitched a ride to St. George. She hung out with her cousins there. She go to spend time at their ranch and came back on Tuesday, just before we left for home again.

The rest of us, meaning me and the three little's went hung out with my parent's.  

I spent time helping my Aunt Ruth stitch on her quilt. 

I got to make my grandparent's lunch on Saturday. I said, "We are going to celebrate you while you are still alive, not after you're dead." It was a memorial day lunch. They are my last living grandparents.

I got to spend a beautiful Sunday with my parents at church and afterwards I go to have a nice dinner with them.

I got to play bad-mitten with my parents in the backyard and watch "The Finest Hour" with James and my parents. His eyes were glued the whole time, no it is not a show for a three year old. Afterwards he said, "Mom, please we go to the store and buy a ship like that." The kid is nuts. 

Madison got to have a sleepover with her cousin Kate and her cousin Tessie in Aunt Tamara's apartment. It was so sweet of Aunt Tam, especially because she is pregnant and doesn't feel that well. 

I got to go to the Provo Recreational Center with my big sister Jennifer. I tried not to have a heart attack while Madison ran around with her cousin Tessie, James kept disappearing and Ashton ran from me. I was in panic mode the whole time, but the kids had a great time.

I get to spend an afternoon in the temple. I love to be in the temple. I love the peace I feel there.

Until next time. 

MEMORIAL DAY

 We always seem to be in Utah on memorial day. (Click here.) I don't think any place on earth honors their kindred dead like they do in Orem and Provo, Utah. the whole cemetery was covered in flowers. The streets were lined with flags. I love how patriotic and devoted the people of that valley are to their nation and their ancestors. 

We loved spending time with our McKnight family. I was great to share a picnic and reflect on the great women and men and came before us. 

HAPPY SUNDAY

 I love the tradition our family has of going to church every Sunday. I love the way it unifies us. I never feel more like a 1950's housewife than when I am ironing the children's Sabbath day clothes and preparing a yummy Sunday dinner for us all to eat at the table together. I love to feel that way. It connects me with my roots and the great women that did this thing called motherhood so beautifully. I love being a mother and homemaker. (Unlike the woman before me, look at that white trash back porch. Don't worry mom, I cleaned it up. I had to include the pic anyway because look at James's face. It cracks me up.)

HIGHLINE HIKE

 There is so much of the last month that is missing. It makes me sad. I just have to start again today. I went hiking with Madison. The whole school does an end of the year hike. I packed the boys. They were great most of the way. It was a beautiful day. Madison loved having us there. It has been a hard year with the boys being so little. I haven't volunteered at all at the school. We have gone to very few school activities. The few times I have visited the school it was a absolute disaster. These two boys are a handful in public. They give me a run for my money every time. I hoping for an easier time next year. I can spend more time at the school with Madison.

Madison will be in second grade. Sierra will be in middle school. I dropped Sierra off for the last time to elementary school a few weeks ago and cried the whole way home knowing she would never be going back there again. This unfamiliar territory is scaring this poor mama to pieces. I am so grateful she is such a good girl and wants to do what is right. I know her courage and values will sustain her through this next journey in life. I am grateful for the strength that comes from daily prayer and scripture study, we will both need it in the days ahead.

APPLESAUCE

 I told Madison to watch this boy while I went to the potty. She was hungry and got out the applesauce and got herself a bowl. She finished and left the table. Ashton got up on the table and helped himself. I laughed remembering back to when Madison did the same thing. (Click here.) The irony was Madison was the one in charge.

GIRLS ON THE RUN

She wanted to do girls on the run this year. It was easy for me because her friend, Natalie, who is also our neighbor did girls on the run too, so her mother brought her home every day. Thank you Jenn. She loved it. She was the fast girl in the school. She was so excited for the 5K that they run at the end of the year. She was determined that she was going to win. She might have won or at least ranked in the top ten, if it weren't for some boys and a snail. 

I ran with her friend Natalie. She was determined she was not going to run with me because I would have held her back. I haven't ran since forever. I was fine with that. 

I kept telling her to pace herself. She said she would, but when the whistle blew there was a group of boys in the front and they took off like it was the 50 yard dash. She was determined no one was getting ahead of her so she tried to keep in front of them or at least pace them. (Why are their boys running in a girl's on the run program? No one is excluded. It's the world we live in people.) They of course pooped out. She did too. It was too fast. It wasn't sustainable. She didn't know they weren't going to sustain that pace, so she tried to keep up. It wasn't possible. She forgot to pace herself. 

When she knew she wasn't going to win, she lost focus. She saw a snail inching it's way across the running path. She knew someone was going to end it's life. She decided to rescue it. She carried it all the way to the finish line. (Not sure why she didn't toss it into a bush, you will have to ask her.)

She barely crossed the finish line in front of I and Natalie. She is a way better runner than me, so that shouldn't have been the case. We went to subway afterward and I told her there was some valuable lessons she could learn from this little race that may have been more important than winning. First, pace yourself, don't try to keep up with someone else, especially if they aren't someone you should be following in the first place. Second, don't get distracted.

She agreed. She said she learned from the event and as a mother that is all you want from your daughter.

She was stronger after her race. I love her dearly. She is growing into a beautiful young lady.

(P.S. Dear Family, 

I know I can afford to buy my baby running clothes. 

I did. 

I took her shopping. 

I bought her several running outfits.

Not one is in any of these pictures.

She preferred to run in cut offs or jeans. 

I love her.

Whatever makes her happy!

Me.) 

FIRST HARVEST

Well I got my first bowl of salad from my garden.

It was pretty exciting. I guess lettuce is a weed, so it is pretty easy to grow. 

I guess that is why it is the only thing I have successfully grown this year, so far.

My beans are looking promising.

Wish me luck, I may have a fall harvest yet.

A harvest of beans.

We will take what we can get.