At 1 AM

Hey there. It was a busy Saturday. A few things from today:

• Some drama with Ethan about his payment due today paying us back for his China trip.
• Abi worked on sharing time and talk for sacrament meeting
• I watched video on my phone about the Miracle of the Sun - it is a Catholic video Iveth wanted me to watch. (trailer here) I liked the movie. I think Iveth wanted me to see it to understand why the Rosary is important to her, but it left me with more questions about the Mary and what "her immaculate heart" is supposed to mean

It is now 1am on Sunday. I thought I'd come blog for a second, cause I don't want to clean the kitchen anymore.

It is a mess. I fell asleep nursing Peter, but woke up and knew I had food to put away in the kitchen.

I made a sit down dinner today. And no one helped clean up after and only half put away their plates. This is one of the problems with having a sit down dinner. They all hurried out the door to go for a drive with Corey and Hyrum.

I fell asleep at 9:15 pm after they left. I haven't been able to get away from Peter all day to do anything. The kids all practiced music today but not one did jobs. I woke up 11:15pm when they got back from Corey's parents (Hyrum drove, Corey and Hyrum took kids to park to play and Wes to friends bday party) I picked up kitchen a little, put "dirty" dishes back in cupboard (just water in cups, plates, bowls) dinner all still on table, put away food. exercised, 1:30 am now Sunday morning. Here's a close up of sink at 2am, after I cleaned up a little bit

Tomorrow Abi gives a talk in church and she invited Iveth, and after our church we're going to Catholic mass with her family. Should be fun. I'm going to take a bath now, maybe. Or I need to get up at 6 to do it. One more mess - there are also always a lot of shoes by the stairs. I'm glad they didn't wear them on the stairs, but wonder why we have cupboards for the shoes sometimes since people don't use them

Sigh. Goodnight

Summer Friday

I went on a walk this morning, yay. Behold my beautiful roses!!!

I love the shadows on that one above, but this one was my favorite.

It's putting up a little competition for my all time favorite rose photo that I've taken. 

There are 8 lovely roses on our bush right now. Yay!

Here was our bedroom this morning when I got home. We have too many kids sleeping in our room...

Natalie is on the left on Corey's side, Owen in front, Daniel over on the right side/my side. Peter in the bed with Corey. We gotta figure something out. We have the keylock on the door, we just need to not be such softies maybe when they want to come in. But they are usually quiet. I don't mind so much at night, but I don't like them waking up Peter in the morning. Thankfully when I got back they were all still asleep. I woke up Wes. He got up and started practicing, what a good kid. Wes playing trumpet can turn any night with too many kids into a good morning for Corey.

Corey ate breakfast with kids around him, then helped Wes practice with toddlers underfoot. I caught this picture of Corey tossing Peter in the air, cute to see (ignore the messy mirror)

Corey with his little boys

We got kids practicing and Eth went to my parents to work and I went out for a few errands. I haven't been to Costco for almost two weeks. I didn't go last week cause Corey had the van for Youth Conference and I hadn't made it out earlier this week, and we were getting low on supplies, so I ran out today. We went to the Salt Lake Costco with hopes and prayers that they would have rice milk cause it is Crazy expensive to buy that anywhere else. Luckily this time they had it! It is the only Costco between SL and Orem that has ricemilk, although last time I took a special trip out there for it they didn't have any. I was glad they had it. We went straight for it, Abi is saying "Yessss". I don't know why they are not stocking the other stores with it anymore. We loaded up with 8 cases. With that we should be good for a month.

Abi came with me cause she's working on a goal for church where she has to plan the meals and do the shopping. So I took her with me. We don't use a cart at Costco anymore, too small. Well we took one this time to put the kids in, and the flat for the food. I pushed the flat in front and Abi was behind me with Owen and Peter. A lady passing out samples joked to her "You look too young to have a child that old!" Two more pictures - Peter stares into my soul when I nurse him, he is so beautiful. 

And tonight Peter and I matched for date night. I didn't realize it until after we got home and I saw myself holding Peter in the mirror, but we had coordinated our outfits pretty nicely!! Stripes and solids in navy and green.

June is almost over, summer is flying by.

Wrestling Dad

Ethan in Idaho with Crescent today. My apologies to my older children, that I don't blog much about your life anymore. You guys are lucky if I mention you once or twice a month! Peter is hogging all my blogging attention! Speaking of Peter... Corey got him to laugh really hard tonight playing peek a boo with him

- it was so cute!

Peter is nice to Corey, he doesn't demand anything and he's been a pretty low key baby with me too. He's pretty much perfect!

But once one kids starts having fun with Corey, some kinda instinctive toddler alarm goes off and they all start coming.

Too many kids!

Corey, you can take them!

I like seeing Corey play with the kids.

One other thing from this evening... there was a knock at the door. I thought it was probably a pest control salesman, but when I opened the door there were 3 guys. "Yes?..." Then they asked for Melodie!! Um... this has never happened before.

They were from the single adults ward and wanted to invite Melodie to come to their ward (10:30 on Sunday Mel!) Oh! okay, well that makes sense then. Still, I got their names (Jake, Aiden, and Robert) and then I asked if I could take their picture, cause I didn't think Mel would believe me if I said 3 guys were here looking for her. Funny huh! She should probably go a few times to the Singles Ward, to start to warm up her flirting skills before she starts school at BYU in August!

New Study Area

So we got a new desk last week. We decided to put it in the girl's room, eventhough it's black and all their furniture is white, so sad for them. Abi would like to repaint it, but I don't think it would survive another trip down and up the stairs. It's super heavy, but the top hutch is screwed or sealed to the desk, so it's heavy and awkward to move. One of legs on it kinda broke as we put it in place in the girls room, so next time it gets moved, there's a good chance it will break. So sorry Abi, I told her we are not going to paint it white. It's on the wall behind the closet door, so it's not visible from the door, it will be okay. So since I moved that in their room, I took their previous desk for my room! It is my new "gospel stuff only" study area and I think it looks great!

This is my place to read scriptures and write in my study notebooks or journals are okay too, but I'm going to try my very best to not let this become a clutter magnet area or a place where I put my laptop or anything else. Gospel stuff only. I hope it will be a good new visual "cue" (See Atomic Habits book) to help me remember to make good time for the scriptures everyday. This was a sofa table that a neighbor gave us. It is narrow enough that it fits on the wall by my bed without blocking off the door. I don't think it will get in the way.

What else for today - the kids have been working at my parents' house this summer. Ethan has been doing office work for my mom, and Mel, Hyrum, and Wes have gone over now and then to help them with yard work. They are going to tear out their lawn and put in new landscaping. Mel went over and help my dad today - I took this picture when I took Ethan over.

And then E and Wes went to Crescent/LBB. I'm glad the kids are out of school, but summer has still been busy, but it's good. I'm getting a better handle on things as Peter gets older. I hope I catch my breath enough to survive this next school year.

Wes is 14!

We sang Happy birthday to Wes this morning with a sushi breakfast in bed. We were going for a repeat of last year, cause we haven't had sushi for a while and Wes has been requesting it. Wes wasn't in bed tho, he was in Lily's room - she was trying to keep him from going downstairs until I was back. I had gone to the store at 7am but there wasn't any sushi ready yet. So we were going to do oatmeal with blueberries but then I decided last minute to go get sushi again. So happy birthday at 9 am -

He was gone all day yesterday doing lots of yard work, so last night he came home, took a shower, and went to bed. Hence the major bed head.

Plus all the boys need haircuts too. Ethan and Hyrum and Wes all look really shaggy.

For Wesley's birthday today, I didn't have any presents ready for him. I didn't know what he wanted. He didn't really either. But I thought he should get shoes. So I just took him to a shopping center. He said he didn't want shoes. So what do you want. "I don't know, I just want something I can use when I'm bored. Can we just go see what they have in stores?" He wanted to go to Walmart. I didn't want to do Walmart, so I suggested we started in Deseret Book. Cause when he's bored, he could read the scriptures to prepare for seminary or for a mission! Haha, yay, this kid doesn't brush off his mother's lame "grown up" suggestions.) He found lots of things he could use: a new scripture case, some scripture marking markers, and a small preach my gospel. (The case was so big he didn't know what he would put it in, so I suggested that for him.) He got a small journal too. He wanted a spiral bound. I liked the book bound ones. I esp liked this quote on a journal.

Gotta put that on a wall around our house somewhere. Then we walked around Michaels. He got excited about all the beads, but when I showed him the price of each string of beads he had, he put them all back. He did like these glasses.

He's always excited about glasses and hats. But he already has a few pair. So after too long in there, and knowing from out past 2 stores that I could probably talk this kid into anything, so then instead of Ross, we went to DSW, which was where I wanted to take him in the first place.

He got a nice new pair of Vans for the school year. He has a cheapo Walmart pair to get him through the summer, I think we got them like a month ago and they already look hammered.

We asked Peter how he liked the shoes. He didn't seem to be impressed. (He was being such a good tag along baby)

Then I said we were done and could leave. He liked that.

(AHHHH!! HE IS SO PRETTY!!!!!) So that was that. Then I took Wes to Panda Express where he bought himself lunch, cause I had already exceeded my kid birthday budget. Then I came home, switched Wes for Abi and took her to her flute lesson, then to Walmart to find ricemilk. They didn't have any either! Costco doesn't have any, none at Walmart, what is going on world? I wish I had checked at Smiths on one of my two trips there this morning. I will check next time. I did have nice cream and cake today but I went 4 weeks without sugar which is pretty good. I'm not having more sugar or junk for a while, cause I don't feel good about myself when I eat junk. Still, hope it was a good one for ya Wes, you're a good kids, happy birthday!

Summer Monday

Good morning. Happy Monday. Today started off with violin for Sophi. I actually like having the lesson on Monday, it helps to get the week started of on a productive foot. Owen was awake and came with me. He played with their train the whole time.

Peter came too.

Other than that it was a low key day. Iveth took some of my kids to the library, so I'm going to count that as our outing, ha.

Abi, Sophi and Natalie went. They made catapults or something.

And when I took Sophi to violin, I dropped off Wes to do yardwork for Corey's parents. After he was finished doing chores for them, I was aware that his cousin and friends had wanted to surprise him and take him out for a snowcone or something for his birthday (tomorrow). So he was gone all day. We went to a park over there in Holladay after picking him up. The little kids loved that.

They love going to this park in Holladay.

It is by the field where we usually watch fireworks on the 4th of July.

Eventhough we go to the fireworks here almost every year, I have never walked over to the park before. I'm usually just chilling in a folding chair heavy with child.

So this was my first time seeing it up close, and it is a really cool park! I can see why the kids really like it and often ask to go there. Daniel climbing up the ladder to the slides -

Daniel was so cute, he invited me to go up with him - "It's really fun!"

We'll come back again now that I know how cool it is. So we headed out once it was dark, Wes had a long day, it was a good day. More party-ing tomorrow with another birthday!

Lily is 10!

Happy Birthday Lily! Our little Lily is 10 today - one decade down, here's to atleast 9 more!

Lights off for some ambiance

My mom delivered Lily's presents yesterday. One of the gifts was a box of cereal. Corey took this picture of Eth in his hovering/threatening stance asking/demanding some lucky charms. Most of the kids don't dare say no to him. Corey said Lily's expression showed "the joys of giving"

We dressed up Daniel super dapper today - with a little tie and vest and a slicked over hairdo!

I let him take selfies during church to keep him quiet.

At church today, one of the youth talked about Aidan talk in church about Youth Conference. I emailed his mom asking for a copy, since I don't know much of what happened I enjoyed listening to it and thought it was a good sum up. During the second hour today, Mel and Abi had Young Women in Excellence where they got awards for things they've been working on. My poor Abi was almost in tears the whole time, didn't get anything, not even a book mark, but I haven't been helping her at all, so we worked on that today after we got home church. When we walked in the door, like 10 min after church let out, the teenage boys had already ruined the birthday sign. Lily's new name is Yil and she is apparently zero years old!

The first pictures I posted were taken when we had the cake after church.

We almost have to set rules about who gets to light the birthday candles, cause everyone wants a turn.

Kids played with Lily's new toys, and the new kitchen and stuff from Jersh, and Abi and I did Young Women stuff. I'm going to try and have her have some goals that help me clean around the house, ha!

Abi made a little house area with kitchen, dining table (Mel sitting on it) living room area (pink chair) bedroom (toddler bed) and behind Mel is the bathroom - with one of Owens small training pottys. I told Abi it was okay to have the potty there as long as no one really uses it. But I didn't clarify that rule with Owen, so we'll see how that goes!