Homework Help

Another day done. Heading to bed soon, here's a snapshot of the kids - Joseph asked Melodie to help him draw pictures for a poster he needs to make for school. Hyrum and Wesley were watching and Mel would laugh and then mess up the drawing cause she was using a permanent marker and she'd shake when she laughed, so then she used pencil, but not before she messed up a few times.

She was able to save it - turned a mess up face into the back of a head instead of the front. The kids were laughing, it was cute to hear them and I also loved that Mel was serving Joseph. Good kids.

I think it was so funny cause they thought the guys she drew looked silly. Not sure what was sooo funny about it, but it still made me laugh to hear and see them all with the giggles.

Sophi and Natalie, you should be in bed. 

They are playing Starfall, which has saved out sanity a few times. I think we need a few more computers though.

One other thing to share... today I listened to the live BYU devotional yesterday and I loved it. There is a devotional on everyday at 11. Usually it's a repeat, but on Tuesdays it's live. So today Ed Eyestone was the speaker, it's not printed yet but here's the video of it. One thing he shared was about how to reach your goals you need to sweat the small stuff - pay attention to the small things. I've been doing that with diet and am happy it's helping me reach my goals. I also loved the story of his Freshman run hoping to make All American as a freshman. And that was the one time he didn't make it, but is the only time he remembers compared to the other the other times he did make All American, an example of how we often learn more from our failures than from our successes. It's good to "run like a horse!" 100% committed to make it or die trying - that's the attitude of Corey with his business, good job sweetie.

2 Months & 2 Days

On Sunday Owen turned 2 months old... and that just flew by.

 We love that he is starting to interact more with us, so fun!

I've also really started supplementing with formula. I love nursing, but I think I'm just not making enough. Plus he's not patient enough to wait for my milk to let down and just starts freaking out. But with the bottle the milk comes easy, so he cries less and seems much more content, so far it's worth it. So, I think my milk will dry up pretty soon, but it's good if it means he'll stop crying and start smiling more ~ cutie!

Lunar Eclipse

We were able to see the lunar eclipse of the super moon last night. Amazing, beautiful, so cool.

We were out in on the street in front of our house and lots of neighbors were out watching the natural wonder too. We were able to borrow Elder Christofferson's binoculars to watch it, and I wish I could have gotten a picture of that vision. Elder Christofferson was sitting in a lawn chair holding Owen for a little bit (Ethan wanted that documented so that we remember to tell Owen when he's older, I guess it's a claim to fame). It was really fun to watch. That picture was the best I was able to get with my Canon Telephoto lense, but check out one of the pictures that my friend Ben took -

Yeah, I know. That's what it looked like through the binoculars, but 3D. I had to ask how he got something so awesome... "I used my Nikon, but attached it to my Father's 5 inch Celestron Telescope.  I also turned on the tracking.  I shot at 4000 ISO for 3 seconds.  I am not sure what the F stop for the telescope is, but I am sure that it is terrible" I'm a beginner at using anything more than a point and shoot camera, so I don't really know what all that means, but I've got that on the record to figure out before the next eclipse! After watching the blood moon for a good 20 minutes, we went inside to watch "Freetown"(trailer here) - a true story about native Liberian LDS missionaries who had to flee for their lives when the civil war broke out - here is a great article about it. Go see that movie, amazing. As we watched it, I'd go take a peek outside now and then to watch the eclipse finish.

 I love seeing all of God's amazing creations. Babies/children, the moon, and roses are my top 3.

Red Pine Hike

Owen kept me up for several hours last night/this morning (1:30 - 4:30). He woke up again at 8:30 and was ready to start the day, but I already wanted it to be over. I had to do something to try and re-do it or it was going to be a very long day (and I was going to be very grouchy). Everyone else was still asleep, so I took Owen, the baby wrap, and my camera and we went for a hike. A little bit of time in the mountains just might do the trick and provide the restart I needed

I headed up Little Cottonwood Canyon to the Red Pine trail. I thought I'd go get the valley view of the canyon like last year and see how the colors compared.

Mom and Baby selfie

Seeing the gray leaves that covered the ground, I think my hypothesis about how the 2 days of fall rain might have killed the colors this year is correct. They all got wet and fell off in the rain before they had a chance to dry in their bright fall colors.

Doesn't hold up to the trail that was paved with gold last year... But these red berries were pretty~

And waterfalls never fail to provide a lovely scene either.

Looking pretty gray... let's put on the vibrant colors setting. That's more like it.

Once I got my picture I headed back down. It was a nice 2 hour restart to my day.

Magic Update

Well, a little update on the life changing magic that's going on here. I'm pleased to report that Mel, Abi, and Lily all still have perfectly folded clothes. I worked with the boys on their clothes ALL day this past Saturday and sadly, they haven't quite caught the vision, but I might just give them the "they're boys" pass and forever close their bedroom door. Or I'll put it on the "someday" list. The Lego room, which was organized for over 3 months (while we were gone) is a complete mess. I'm giving up on that room too and going to keep that door closed as well.

The boys have been a little upset that the girls have broken parts of "lego city" and they want me to keep the door closed. But they don't have time to play with it much anyway, and the girls are here all the time, so I'm not going to give them priority for their once a week playing and forfeit the girls the opportunity to play in there, cause they are here at home all day everyday. They get first dibs on toys, sorry boys.

But I better get a few more pictures of Lego city before it joins the rest of the legos on the floor...

At the bottom of the photo above are the Lego Townhouses. It appears the only minifigure living there right now is the bird man (the cat lady's nephew) he lives there with his 4 parrots. Can you see all four? Wesley made those.

Here's the Townhomes from the front

The local lego LDS chapel

Pool table on the top floor of the Lego City Hotel...

 The art shop and the Indie Industries Office building, on Lego City main street.

I really like their main street. I like the lamposts, the trees, the sidewalks. At the head of main street is City Hall (the white building there0 and there is a black bronze statue of the mayor, Mr. Lego. That is also his bullet proof stretch Hummer driving down main street. In case you couldn't tell, the Mayor is the most important and most powerful minifigure in Lego City.

Bob's burger shop. Pay no attention to the lady running down the street with a gun in front of the burger shop, she's just a secret agent doing her secret crime fighting stuff.

Over on the table is the Secret Agents HQs. I liked their bunk beds, we need a set up like that here.

The gas station. It used to have gas pumps but Natalie (aka Godzilla) broke those out.

 Natalie requesting me to take two pieces apart. 

I like the grocery store too. Hmm, seems like someone bought all the ice cream and left all the veggies. Figures.

Ok, so that's the Lego room. And speaking of ice cream and vegetables, I'm not very happy to have a week pass and the scale not show anything different, but I guess ya can't lose 7 pounds every week. I've been feeling a bit like a victim. Alot of that "I give up" attitude has come because of my little friend Owen.

It's nice when he takes a nap. But he usually doesn't get much time before his sisters find him. Today I took matters into my own hands and we went to Thanksgiving Point. I got a membership there for our family again, cause I need to let these little girls ride ponies and see things in the world. So I left the house of my own free will and it wasn't so bad. Natalie made friends with a baby chick "Hi Birdie!" she said as they looked at each other nose to nose beak.

Then it was time to wait for a pony ride! This is why we came! They've changed things from last time we were members -  now the pony rides are unlimited! Wow!

We just went one time cause there was a long line, but good to know for next time if we can come on a not busy day. They loved the horses.

So cute. Those little smiles... that's what I was goin' for.

Natalie was very careful to hold on to the saddle with both hands, good job Natalie.

It was good to leave the house and do something for them. Owen slept the whole time as he snuggled on me in the baby wrap.

It wasn't too hot, a good fall day activity. 

Little by little I hope to figure out how to manage life with all these busy teenagers and these little girls and my little fussy Owen. Days of magic will come now and then, but I think overall I'll remember that raising my family, like anything worthwhile, is going to require patience and a lot of work. And it will be worth it