What we have been up to

The week before last we got to go to Springville and spend the week there while Mike was on his brother's trip. We had fun and as always enjoyed seeing family. We tried to go to This is the Place Park but it was closing an hour after we got there...off season, oh well. We decorated graves in Salt Lake and Santaquin. We went sailing. We hiked to waterfalls. Mike had fun on his trip. It was a rafting trip and he got flipped out of the raft twice, I am glad we still have him around.

That weekend my beautiful girls had their birthdays. Where did time go? We celebrated Sunday and Monday, and we still haven't done individual dates. I think birthdays should last a month. On Tuesday Katie had her interview with the bishop for her baptism. She was a little annoyed because when they called to schedule it, they asked to talk to me. Katie also got to officially attend her first Activity Days this past week. She has passed off 9 Articles of Faith to me.

Mike didn't have football this week and we really loved him being home and doing things as a family like watering the garden and walking in the cemetary...very exciting, I know.

Last week Katie and I went out YS on her B-day an d we got a motorcycle. It is battery operated, and goes up to 10-15 MPH. Katie and Jeffrey LOVE it. They take Bana on rides all over the property. One day Katie was supposed to be in her room cleaning and I hadn't heard her complain in a while and looked for her and there she was cruising all over behind the house. It is quiet...so was she. So she is off limits from it until Monday. Very painful for me...and her.

Since it warmed up this week, they kids have loved being outside. The Creek has more water in it. The kids have been working on a fort. We have some nice good neighbor kids who have come to help on it too. One is a 11 yr old boy...wow, they can work! It is a pretty awesome fort with a bridge and a rope swing. I have been down there to play because Mr. P thinks it is pretty awesome too.

Jeff caught a snake with his bare hands and kept it for a pet all day. Mike made him let it loose that night, he didn't like that.

So my kids get to play with a motorcycle, and a creek to swim in...I had a dry wash and a station wagon, oh how times have changed haha.

Yesterday I got a call to come and help a new mom with some nursing issues. It was perfect because Mike was home, and we didn't have anything planned. I spent about 3 hours there. Oh that baby was SO cute, and tiny...like 6 pounds. My babies are still cooking at that size. Katie wanted to come with me so bad...I can't wait until she can come.

When I got home Mike and I were upstairs talking...we were actually talking about CPS and an issue that an aquaintance is having with them, all of a sudden we hear SCREAMING! I run out in the hall and there is Bana with blood STREAMING out her nose. I am barking orders to everyone...get a rag! Get a wet rag! Get the comfrey root! Get an egg! Get the ear scope. Finally when the bleeding stopped I could see the cut on the innerside of the outerside of her nostril. It wasn't deep enough for stitches, but close. Jeff had tied a bear to her door knob and she was using Mike's pocket knife to cut it off. Obviously cutting towards her. Thankfully it was just her nose, and not an eye. It is healing well. So after she was cleaned up, and the carpet was cleaned up and the bear was down, I turned on the iron to finish ironing my quilt pieces. And then I hear SCREAMING! Mr. P had gone into the laundry room and touched the iron. Luckily he had just grazed it. Yes, I did say we were talking about CPS.

After we all recovered, we had errands to run in town. We drove past the I Love Drilling place and George was out getting people to honk. The kids have been wanting to go down there, but whenever Mike is with them, he is not out. And I am not going. But I told Mike if he wanted to take the kids, I would drop them off. So they went and stood on the corner and got people to honk if the love the USA. They were there about an hour. I ran home to get the phone and then came back and sat as Mr. P was sleeping and Bana was cold. So we hung out in the van. George did make me come out for a picture. They loved it.

Katie got a job for a couple of days taking care of a friend's chickens. We went to put them away lst night and I foolishly tried to get the rooster to shoo. Well, he told me! He came flying/running at me squaking. I screamed and peed a little. It brought back flash backs of Big Bird.

And to end the week on a good note, we put the mattress in the back of the truck and headed to the drive in. I rode in the back laying down with the kids there...so fun. The movie was dumb, but it was all about the experiance. Everyone fell asleep except Katie and I. When it was over I woke up Mike to drive is home and I laid in back with all the sleeping children, and since Katie fell asleep on the way home, he got to carry them all up the stairs when we got home. It was a good week.

Now we get to plan a baptism party. How do I possibly have a child old enough to be baptized?

Grand Central Station

That is what it was like Friday evening at Otter Creek Homestead.

I had some leftover Activity Day girls, 6 nieces and nephews, and my four.

The second counselor from the bishopric stopped by.

He has been to our home a couple of times to extend callings, invitations to speak and so forth. He is really neat, and knows all our kid's names.

Some of the kids were outside, and some were inside, and Mike and I were in the kitchen visiting while I was getting dinner ready. So that is where Bro. Cook was too.

He was telling us some thoughts he had had while in the temple recently...then he was complimenting us on how we are raising our kiddos. While he was on that topic "Whirlwind" (aka Katie) came in and got a drink then announced for all to hear..."I am going back out so we can rob Jeffrey." It was perfect timing, right in the middle of his "You're doing great" conversation. We were laughing so hard. It was something I wont for get for a while.

Yes, so Mike got a calling SCOUTMASTER

We laughed because he and Bro. Cook had already had a "There are huge problems in the scouting program, I am an eagle scout, but I am not fond of the program" conversation last time he was here.

But Michael is excited, and knows this is where he is supposed to be serving right now.

What we are up to: 5 foot 8

During General Conference in April I really felt like I could take the time I am on facebook or reading blogs of people I don't know and spent it doing better things. Specifically... indexing. It has taken me a month to go to the Family History Center and get the information I need. My next step is being off FB. I am not sure if I am going to wean myself, or stop cold turkey. I am still going to post on my blog because it is my journaling.

Somehow our days are filled to the brim, not that we are running around, but here at home working and playing. I am so grateful for summer.

Michael has been busy with football. He stepped in to play a down the other night and he came home saying that it really made him want to play. Of course with the warmer weather, he is busy at work, but we did get to see him a lot Monday afternoon and Tuesday. We got a lot done in the garage and outside. The lady who has been shelving and facing his water at Walmart quit so Mike took that over, another thing to his load, but he would rather it done right. We have been preparing the ground for our garden. We are so excited for it this year. Last year was the only year since we have been married that we didn't have one and I really missed it at harvest time. Mike still doesn't have a calling.hmmm

Yesterday we went to the fabric store and the lady was talking to us about receiving blankets. Then she said " So you have four and one on the way...so five, wow." I said "Oh, I am not pregnant, it is for my sister." I didn't think much of it since I was wearing a baggy sweater, and have had four kids, my stomach isn't exactly flat. So she was talking to the kids and they were telling her our life story. She kept telling me what a great job i did on their names, and what a great teacher I must be, and how smart they were, and how good they were being, and she gave them all scraps of fabric. So afterwards I started laughing wondering if she was being extra nice to make up for suggesting I was pregnant.

Katie is so ready to be baptized. She has a big dinner and party planed. It will be her day. She is miss smartie pants, and doesn't miss a beat. She made me smell her armpits last night to show me they were stinky...they weren't even musty smelling. So then we went over when she gets to do things...her favorite topic. Makeup 18, she asked if maybe 16..we'll see. Then she said, what if I get zits? I said so maybe some cover up? And she said no Mascara. That wouldn't looks good on zits. Marriage 30, she said " I might come home one night when I am 20 with a ring on" So we talked about 25. She loves life so much. She loves people. She is a blast to be around.

Jeffrey is always working, and if he isn't working, he is picking on his siblings. So basically, I try to keep him busy. He has dug various hole out side. He has been so good about being responsible about Jeep. His crying/whinning fits have pretty much stopped since he has been able to work out side and we have gotten settled here. I kept reminding myself the children were transitioning and then the transition went on and on for the year it took us to build. That is hard knowing you are moving. But here we are a little over a month later and they are doing good and I almost have forgotten what it was like.

Savannah says the funniest things. This morning she woke up and gave Parley a hug and said "Oh, I missed you last night" one day Jeffrey didn't fold his arms for prayers and she told him "You are ruining God's plan" She loves learning and spelling and counting and adding. She will give the other two quizzes...Jeff, what is two plus two, or our family's favorite. What is the highest number with three digits?

Parley is almost two and has gotten a little worse about getting into things. The other day he got my mascara (A NEW one) and I was in the closet hanging up clothes and he had it on his face hands and all over the bathtub. Yesterday he, Mike and I went on a walk while the others were at a Primary activity. After he got over the fact that he had to survive without them, he was pointing out every bug, bush, dandelion and rock. It was very fun. He reminds me so much of Katie when she was little. They both are little fireballs. THEY say that nursing through terrible twos helps the child not throw many tantrums ect. I don't know if that is the reason or if it is because I am more experianced, but it really doesn't bother me when he has a little fit, and he gets over it fast.

I love being a wife. I appreciate that Michael takes his role responsibly to be the provider and makes the sacrifices so I can stay home and fulfill my responsibility as blogger, JK as the one to nurture our children and nurture him and nurture our home. I have been studying "Nurture" lately...such a good word.

I love being a mother. I can honestly say that I haven't always loved being a mother. I regret the times I murmured about it when Katie and Jeffrey where really small. I still have to take one day at a time to try to get through that day with out yelling, or losing my patience.

These are what I dreamed about and prepared for. I am glad I still have a lot to learn and a lot of ways to grow. I am glad everyone is patient with me as I do so. They volunteered to be my children, Mike volunteered to be my husband...what troopers! I better make it worth their while.