Thanks, Mom!

My sweet mother was kind enough to fly out and stay with us for a month while I fulfilled my responsibilities with my church calling.  I had two events that took me away from my family and she willingly stayed home with my boys while I went out and served.  She was here for the end of the school year--always a stressful time.  She was here for cub and scout camps and for Young Women's camp and Youth Conference.  Needless to say, we didn't go out and do much as far as sightseeing or entertainment--until the day before she left.  It was the 4th of July and we had planned to go into Washington D.C. to see the capital and watch the concert and fireworks there.  The night before, however, we decided that it may not be so easy as it was going to be very hot and I wasn't actually sure how far into D.C. I would actually be allowed to drive, etc.  So, we went instead to Harper's Ferry, where Mom had never been.  Harper's Ferry is full of history and beauty.  I loved it and despite having been there a few times before, I learned a few things I didn't already know.  I love the history and the beauty of our nation and I love that we were able to share a piece of it with my mom before she had to leave.  I felt bad that we didn't do more "fun" activities while she was here but I cannot thank her enough for all she sacrificed and spent to be out here with us.  Mom, I do not say it often enough, but I love you so much and I am so very grateful for all you continue to do to help, support and encourage me and my family!

Gotta Write

Things have been, to say the least, a little hectic around our home this year so far. I have been adjusting to the new French IB testing and all the work that goes along with it(since there is no set textbook--we get to do it all on our own with whatevere resources we have time to research and personalize for the needs of our students). I have been inundated with grading and then having issues posting grades so then I end up spending my time responding to parent emails, reassuring them that their child's grade will be much more reflective of his or her efforts if I could just get all the grading done and entered without another incident. Then there are all the French Club events that suddenly piled on at once, and on top of that, I leave with 7 students for France in about three weeks and we still have much to do to prepare. And that is just with work. There is a NEVER-ENDING pile of laundry either to wash or to fold and put away. The sink is almost never empty or clean for more than a few minutes and usually it is stacked so high you can't rinse the next dish off without spraying or draining water everywhere, including all over yourself. Toys are everywhere but in their boxes and bins. The counter is covered with children's school work, food, kitchen utensils, left-ver Easter candy, and way too much other paraphernalia. Ugh! I can't seem to escape to any relief. But I need to write. i need the release. I need the therapy it provides. So, instead of getting ready for the birthday party that starts in 4 hours, for which nothing is fully ready, or going to the cardio pump class I really wanted to attend this morning, or holding a yard sale, which I really need to do to declutter (and where is the time to go through everything to find the stuff to get rid of?), I am writing. Just a little, but writing, I am. And I feel a little better. Now, to dress the baby and get the grass to the dump so our car doesn't stink all weekend long!

Buds of Joy

I love Springtime! I may miss all of my Arizona family and friends, but I love the changing seasons! We have 36 tulips currently budding in our front yard where we planted them last fall. 3 have purple buds and the rest are still just the shoots. eric and I had fun looking at the buds on most of the trees around our block as we went on a walk today. I love it . . it makes me think of the Primary song, "Whenever I hear the song of a bird, or look at the blue, blue sky, whenever I feel the rain on my face (and we had a little downpour--15minutes--in the middle of the sunshine today) or the wind as it rushes by, whenever I touch a velvet rose or walk by a lilac tree, I'm glad that I live in this beautiful world Heavenly Father created for me!"

Spring cleaning?

We had the day off today for District music competitions and I have made the most of it. I got a good workout in this morning after making breakfast for the kids. When I got home, we had lunch, then picked up Amelie's friend for a sleepover. At home, I cleaned out the garage (still lots more to do, but at least it looks better, more organized and the bikes fit in better) while I played with the kids. Tanner and Ethan are quite the frisbee throwers! I took Ethan in the wagon around the block what felt like a million times, though it was probably only 3 or maybe 5. He fell asleep so I put him in his little bed and organized/packed up all boots, gloves, hats, scarves and snowpants until next winter (providing we don't have a freak snowstorm like Calgary is currently experiencing). I have clothes ready for Tiffany to go through in 2 weeks when she gets here--see what will fit her girls of Amelie's old 12 month-2T stuff. Oh, and last night, Amelie and I put together her bookshelf so her room would be a little more organized. Now I just need to go through Ethan and Tanner's clothes and box up the ones that don't fit anymore. Tanner's stay put until Ethan is ready for them and Ethan's go to storage until I decide what to do with them. Ethan is crying and the bacon is thawed, so on to the rest of the day . . .

Highlights

Mary will be playing volleyball at the University of Great Falls. It also has an AMAZING program for physical therapy which excites her even more than the volleyball! We are all just excited that she will be only half the distance away as she has been :)

Billy is in Oregon this weekend with 80 other IB students doing some labs for his IB Biology class. We can't wait to see pictures and hear all about this adventure.

Amelie is loving Brownies and reading and riding her bike and all sports, though she still can't wait until she is old enough to play volleyball like her sister

Eric loves kindergarten, despite his struggles with fine motor skills. We have a whole slew of hand exercises that we4 ought to be doing more often, but he is sharp as a tack otherwise and a real crack up.

Tanner is our swordsman and our linebacker. He's ALL boy and loves to wrestle his brothers and show off how intelligent he is. He loves riding his bike around the block.

Ethan is learning to talk. Although Dad doesn't always recognize his efforts as actual words, Mom swears she hears words like Light, Dog, Go, Stop, and Down. Ethan still has a cute pouty face and walk, though luckily we don't see it as often anymore and it takes only a second or two to change into smiles and laughter.

too long

So it has been far too long since I have posted anything. Lots has happened and some of it really significant and newsworthy. And though I love to write and I know the benefits and the therapy of it, I just haven't devoted the time to it. So, I figured if I did just little posts maybe it wouldn't seem so daunting and I could still make a little family history without feeling too guilty . . . so, don't judge me if I fail, but I am going to try. :)

Sports

Not only are the kids in school, but fall sports are back in swing. Billy is running on the crosscountry team and enjoying that a great deal. He has run all over town and tells me that the team knows where all the best fruit trees are, so they grab a pear of plum as they run by. Fun! Eric started flag football yesterday. Last year, he cracked us all up as he would run the other way or not know at all what was going on. This year, he is getting it a little better. Of course, on his one run with the ball, I was chasing Ethan (he was attacking a little girl the entire time--I think he just wanted to give her hugs, but at his ability, he holds on more for balance and, well, he scared her off, poor kid). I may have one picture of it, but he did a great job running through the crowd, but right after someone grabbed his flag, another opponent, obviously not aware of the rules of FLAG football totally took him down. Coach carried him off the field and called out, probably for my sake, 'He's okay!' Amelie and Eric start cross country themselves in a week or two, then basketball. Finally, Mary is into her 2nd college season of volleyball. They won their tournament this weekend in a 5 set victory against the team they play on Wednesday at home. She played a lot of right back this weekend and I think she single-handedly kept her team in the game with her positive and upbeat attitutde. She is definitely a captain and a leader.