a combobulated collection of stuff around here.

* Beckham has been telling me about his dreams lately.  They are hilarious.  He has been on a rocket ship several times and goes to visit a city in space.  He woke up one morning, came right into my room and said, “mom, I do not like the snakes in the holes.  I just like butterflies like Seneca.” 

* Speaking of the little miss, she has been especially whiney this week.  I finally told her that sound was hurting my ears and she would have to use that voice in her room and her big girl voice when she was with me.  It’s working but man, that sound is like a patience-sucker!

* Cooper has been student of the week this week.  His class made him a book today- they each drew a picture of him and wrote something nice about him.  It’s funny what Kindergarteners think are compliments. 

* DoTerra has kept me quite busy this week as well as rounding up gift baskets for Joete’s Playground auction coming up.  I love both of these endeavors, they are projects that are satisfying to me but can be exhausting when combined with my daily life.

* It was over 90 degrees today.  It’s like summer hit us smack in the face overnight.  I loved it but am not fully prepared with summer clothes for all the kids.  I don’t think Seneca has a pair of shorts that fits her.  I do not feel like I have time to shop for new summer wardrobes right now but it seems the weather is going to adjust my schedule for me. 

* We’re off to Oceanside in the morning for a 1/2 ironman race Saturday.  Packing for the beach is a much different experience than packing for McCall and three days is a lot different than eight. 

*  This is the time of year to live in Mesa.  The orange blossoms are a completely heavenly smell.  However, that usually means there are other not-so-lovely things floating around in the air that get to my eyes and nose and make life perfectly miserable all spring.  Cooper and I have both been using our oils to combat our allergies and have had awesome success.  I take mine in capsules and he drinks his in water and man, I’m grateful we don’t have to deal with runny, itchy symptoms for the next few months.

* I’m off to eat and pack and hit my bed.  Lovely weekend, all!

7:39 a.m.

Snow White (complete with slippers on her feet) and the Brother (sometimes the prince, sometimes the big bad wolf, sometimes the dragon) head out for a game of baseball.  Which looks a little more like golf.  Just another morning at the Homestead.

Sagebrush Coast

My used-to-be friend, then-got-lost and reconnected-again friend, Sara, writes a beautifully eclectic blog found at Sagebrush Coast.  This week’s Where’s Wednesday post features none other than yours truly.  From a distance, Sara seems to have mastered both the persona of a free spirit and being completely grounded at the same time.  Her craftiness combined with her outdoor adventures just add to her charm.  Give her a read, you’ll be pleasantly amused.

Two Weeks and Counting!

It’s almost that time again… Joete’s Playground will be holding it’s annual Mother’s Day Fundraising Auction April 13-16!!  We are busy little bees getting everything gathered and completed for this year’s event… it is going to be great!  We have fun gift baskets in the works, you’ll want to be sure to visit our site and bid on a favorite for a special lady in your life.  In the meantime, feel free to visit our site to learn more about Joete’s Playground.  We’re currently raising money for our playground in Kenya- we have the opportunity there to provide basketball hoops and soccer goals for these awesome kids who have never had access to those luxuries.  It’s a great project, we’re hoping to finish it up with money raised from our auction.  Whether you’re into gardening, cooking, sewing or being pampered, we’ve got you covered this year!

friday in my head.

my brain hurts.  it has a lot going on inside of it.  how people have this busy of a life and work on top of it all is beside me.

the pool has been draining yesterday and today.  that is A LOT of water pouring into our yard.  I please-blessed it wouldn’t flood our house.  so far, so good.  I am excited for a clean, fresh pool for swim season, which is fast approaching.  it would have started yesterday if miss seneca had anything to do with it.

my brain was too full and couldn’t hold it all.  I missed my appointment to help out in Coop’s class yesterday.  it didn’t even register that I was supposed to be somewhere until it was too late.  gratefully my presence wasn’t missed very much, but it bugs me that I spaced it.

we gave keys to new tenants this week. I am quite grateful for that.  I like them. I have high and positive hopes that this situation will end better than the last.  the house has been descended upon by cleaners, yard people, pool guy and carpet man.  poor cleaning people, I love them to pieces.  I would not have done what they did.

we have a week before cali and the half-iron.  it appears we’re bringing home an air hockey table and therefore have been trailer shopping this week.  by “we,” I mean denten.  I just get the cash and give it to the man.  and listen to internal debates turned outward about the benefits of different trailer options. 

I have had great classes this week sharing the benefits of essential oils.  I love hearing how these have blessed people’s lives and the new ways they are learning to use them.  it’s fun and easy for me to talk about them and I love seeing others enjoy them as much as we do.  I am learning new things about the products and business side of this all the time and am loving it.

coop is “student of the week” next week in kindergarten.  pictures and poster in the works this weekend.  he’s the last of his class and is quite excited for his week to finally here. 

soccer and such tomorrow and then a night out with friends.  can’t wait. 

sometimes my life requires deep breaths.

I am reading a book for bookclub this month called The Little Lady Agency.  It is a delightful, witty easy read by Hester Browne.  It is written in first person and the main character, when in unfortunate situations, tries very hard to think of three good things as to not be sucked into the negative.  I had to adopt her practice this weekend when I went to view our rental home.  The former tenants are out and new ones will be in this weekend and despite all promises to have it cleaned and ready, I wanted to cry when I saw it.  I know that it could be so much worse, but it was overwhelming to me how much needed to be done before new tenants could move in.  Denten brought me back to earth reminding me that their deposit would cover most of it and that I wouldn’t have to do the cleaning myself.  That thought alone would have put me over the edge.  So, three good things:  there is not actual damage to the home.  we already have cleaning people, carpet cleaners, yard care and pool maintenance scheduled for this week.  I am not emotionally attached to that house anymore. 

Being a landlord was not bad all year as they paid on time and had minimal complaints that we had to deal with.  However, I am just about convinced that there was zero cleaning that occurred in there all year long.  Lesson learned:  more frequent inspections and more thorough screening of tenants.  All in all it is a situation that could have been much, much worse.  Update:  the cleaners are there and just called to say there is no water.  brilliant. 

That project aside, this is set to be a busy week getting back into the swing of things.  I am teaching two classes on essential oils- one in Mesa and one in Phoenix this week.  I enjoy preparing for them and get excited to share these with people who I know will benefit from them.  It is becoming much easier for me to decipher quickly which oil to use when and how to use them and seeing results is so fun for our family.  I am looking forward to meeting new people this week and talking about these fun products. 

I hit the grocery store this morning after the gym for essentials as this house was bare when we returned.  I learned as I was unpacking groceries at home that I should not shop for food when I am hungry.  We came home with some random stuff!  I also learned that even the doughnut Seneca picked out at the store for her treat was not incentive enough to eat her dinner tonight.  She was perfectly happy to forego the treat and go to bed hungry- no chance she was eating those vegetables.  She did mention, however, that she is looking forward to breakfast.

The Bexinator was especially whiney today.  Hopefully getting back into the routine around here will help him be a happier kid tomorrow.  He spent the evening in his room while we cleaned up as he chose quickly not to be a first-time listener.  To be fair, the others needed motivation to clean up as well.  They played great together today but the family room was a disaster area.  After asking three times for them to get it cleaned up I set the timer and pulled out a garbage bag.  I told them they could keep whatever was put away, but when the timer rang I was putting everything that was left out in the bag.  What do you know, they all of a sudden became very concerned for their things.  “Seneca, your teacups, get them, quick!”  “Cooper, put the books on the shelf, hurry!”  It was brilliant, there is not a thing out of place in there.

And with that I am off… to put together packets for classes and fold laundry and hope D makes it home before I fall asleep.  Over and out.

Spring Break 2011: A Winter Wonderland

If my reality weren’t so great, I would have really fought returning home to it.  We had a wonderful week away.  Senny and Beckham skied for the first time and it was a hit.  Seneca picked it up so quickly and was making great turns all the way down Easy Street by herself on day three.  Beckham fought the snowplow but definitely enjoyed riding the “flying couch” and just needed another day or two to master turning on his own.

Cooper did great.  He was on the more cautious side after a few major falls at Christmas time, but was proud of doing his first blue run without falling.  He loves to ski and to me, that is the sign of a successful trip.

This little buggy has a very good mama who helped her ski even when her boots were three inches too long! 

The way to tube:  have a rope tow pull you up to the top of a great hill with four chutes, line up in a great big train or in couples and race all the way to the bottom.  Smile the whole time.  And don’t forget your goggles, they make the ride down much more enjoyable.

The way to cure bored children:  put them in snow clothes and send them out the door.  They created their own “playground,” complete with climbing structures and a few slides.  They didn’t want to come in for dinner they were having so much fun. 

If all the fun wears you out, just take a nap with Bode.  He is so stinkin’ adorable I couldn’t handle it. 

We missed D and Wadey, but Gram and Grandpa made the week so wonderful.  Besides all the outdoor fun and the indoor relaxing, we were treated to a 90 minute massage and mini shopping trip.  Yep, life is oh, so good.

we're having a perfectly terrible time.

bits and pieces

* laundry and rounding up necessary items  for winter weather are in full swing.  we’re off to McCall in two days and I have not turned my attention to preparing to go until today.  thankfully I am not significantly behind in laundry.

* I shared oils with a friend today who I know will be blessed by them.  my intuition has been strengthened as I pray for ways to support and help others.  I am grateful for the experiences I have when I listen to the Spirit. 

* donation baskets for Joete’s Playground Mother’s Day auction have started arriving.  I’m grateful for generous friends who support this organization and what we are trying to accomplish.  what kind of gift basket would you bid on for Mother’s Day?

* Beckham is picking up math and geometry concepts quickly at preschool.  I am grateful to know what to work with him on at home and grateful that his little mind is making connections and retaining information. 

* Miss Kerry commented today that despite being siblings, Seneca and Beckham have very different personalities.  Beckham, while full of life and energy, has a more mellow persona than his sister.  ‘Intense’ is the word I use for her.  At school she is little miss social, always aware of her friends and trying to coordinate playtime. 

* I am preparing for a hiking and climbing excursion that will occur at the end of the summer.  I have been increasing the load in my backpack as I spend time on the stair master at the gym.  I’ve decided that my back needs to be strengthened more than my legs do but I can tell that my regular attendance at the gym has made a difference as I am not dying as I would have been two months ago. 

* My trip to Costco this week brought home paper towels and toilet paper.  it’s amazing how much those items can entertain.  there have been TP fights, towers and walls built and destroyed and roads constructed.  and of course obstacle courses.  always.

* it hovered around 85 degrees today.  it was so, so nice.  I soaked it in knowing I will be in snow all next week.  the doors stayed open all afternoon, it was so lovely.  makes me wonder if we will be 150 degrees come july, but I’ll enjoy this bliss for now.

then and now.

March 9, 1999: 

morning:  I woke up with my mom and sisters in a hotel in downtown SLC.  I hadn’t slept well and had a nervous and excited stomach.  I spent the morning getting all dolled up.. hair, make-up, and running through check-lists of things to be sure we had it all.  Ok, actually my mother did this.  I honestly don’t remember much about that morning until we got to the temple.  The darling little old temple worker gave me some orange juice to calm my nerves.  I remember sitting in a sealing room feeling like it was a dream.  I remember how I felt and not much of what was said until towards the end. 

mid-morning:  I was married.  Sealed to Denten for time and eternity.  I was wearing a gorgeous gown… a beautiful corset top that laced up the back over a full skirt.  I felt so beautiful.  Looking back I would have done my hair differently, but we won’t start on what I would have done differently.  I was surrounded by a lot of family.  A lot.  We had gathered on the temple steps for the traditional and obligatory photos and then we pushed pause.  So I could run down the steps, lean over the bushes and lose my orange juice.  Yep, in front of everyone.  Wearing my beautiful dress.  And that’s the part my husband chose to tell my children this morning as he explained what an anniversary was.  “well, your mom threw up in the bushes.”  Thanks, Babe.  At least we have memories.  Like when we were walking over the the Joseph Smith Building and I tripped on my beautiful dress and did a face plant in the grass.  At least it was grass.  And it didn’t stain much.  This was going well, no?

afternoon:  Is it terrible that I don’t remember much?  There was a luncheon at the Lion House and then down time.  No, we didn’t do that during our down time.  I think I was redoing hair and such preparing for a reception. 

evening:  There were fantastic desserts at my reception and I didn’t even try any.  That I would change.  Oh, we’re not going there.  I smiled a lot, hugged a lot of people and felt blessed, happy and exhausted all at the same time.  My sister played the harp.  Both of my sisters were in ridiculously fluffy yellow tulle dresses with mini jackets because they didn’t have sleeves.  Those dresses are legendary.  As was my mom’s reaction when, at the end of the night, they were wrestling on the floor in them.  And Denten was involved.  I don’t remember the specifics, but there was a lot of laughter.  What I do remember well was my brother crying and when my mom and I asked him what was wrong, he said he was mad at Denten.  What?  Well, he was taking me away.  It was so sweet… he was going to miss me!  Man, he was young then. 

night:  No, you don’t get details.  We stayed at Little America and left the next day for McCall.  Denten was sick on the airplane and for the first two days of our honeymoon.  Not quite what most think of when you spend your honeymoon, “in bed.”

 

March 9, 2011

morning:  I squeezed Denten’s hand as he told me good-bye when he left at 4:something to ride his bike.  I woke up again when Beckham crawled in bed with me.  We got up and made Coop’s lunch and started breakfast.  Everyone ate, got dressed and we sent Dad and Coop out the door.  We went to the gym where I sweated my little pants off at step class, went to Target to get a birthday present, drove through the bank to make a deposit and went to pick up the pool vacuum.

midmorning:  I dropped Senny off at preschool and spent some time with Beckham.  I did some work at home, took a shower and cleaned up a little.  I was wearing work-out clothes and then my bathrobe.

afternoon:  Coop came home early- he and Beckham created an obstacle course in the family room while I answered emails and made phone calls:  newspaper, insurance company, energy appt,   Beckham pretended to take a nap then we went to pick up Senny, grab her friends and run them to dance class.  I talked to Dent briefly on the phone and very important rental, vacuum and furniture business.  Don’t worry, I had found real clothes by this point.  Although doing my hair was not a priority.

evening:  Will include feeding children, cleaning up with children, reading with children and getting them to bed.  D will be swimming after work.  Very romantic.

night:  No, you don’t get details.  But believe you me that it will be different than the night that occurred 12 years ago.

 

Denten said last night, “who would have ever guessed this is where we would be 12 years later?”  How could we?  He wanted to be an orthodontist and we were living in Cedar City.  We went from there to the Big City and now he practices law in Arizona.  Wouldn’t have guessed that one.  Couldn’t have guessed that getting pregnant would pose challenges and open all kinds of opportunities for our family to grow.  Don’t think IVF or adoption ever even crossed our mind 12 years ago.  Really, as cliché as it sounds, I don’t think my life could get much better.  Well, maybe if I had a maid.  But I get to do what I love.  He does what he loves.  We squeeze and kiss little darling children every day and we love each other.  Our life is not glamorous, but what did you expect when we started out with vomiting in the bushes.  I’m certain our future will provide more opportunities to learn and stretch and enjoy each other- not quite sure what else I could ask for. 

Do you know what would be great?  An occasion to wear my wedding dress again.  What a shame that it sits in a box. 

sometimes I feel sorry…

for all the people who don’t get to be her mom.

who needs anti-depressants??

when you live with this kid??

pick a face, any face, and I’ll be happy to kiss it for you.

good things.

* Denten survived his mega-ride yesterday despite his 4 a.m. departure and fueling issues.

* Our soccer players came to play this weekend!  They had a great time and did much better passing and keeping the ball in control and despite the rule that we are not supposed to keep score, my team informed me that we won 7-2.  And it was sunny and warm, that in itself is a major mercy.

* I am fully proficient at the Aroma Touch Technique and D is looking forward to having this skill in our home for him to take advantage of regularly!

* We had immediate appointments to show our house in Phoenix to new tenants.  The current ones informed us they are leaving and I stressed out for a minute thinking that I do not have time this month to put my energy toward that project, but after a mind-shift and prayer, it seems things are falling into place easily and quickly. 

* I have awesome people working with me on doTerra stuff.  I am grateful for their generosity, their dedication and for the continual success stories that keep pouring in. 

* We had a wonderful experience at cousin Dakota’s baptism yesterday.  It is so sweet to see the Sprit touch this family and confirm things that have long been questioned. 

* 10 a.m. stake conference.  feels like a lazy morning at home compared to regular 8:30 sacrament meeting. 

would you like to know how I really feel?

about the school carnival? I've actually hoped that the crazy that was my week would filter right into tonight so I could avoid it with valid excuse. It's been in the back of my head all week sticking it's tongue out at me taunting me with the fact that I was not going to get out of it.

So truth? I'm so excited to give valuable money to a school I do not fully support at an event with masses of loud and dirty children and pay for disgusting treats and junk that are not necessary while playing ridiculous carnival games. yes, that's the truth.

But what do I say? Oh, the carnival is tonight? You won 10 free tickets with your great behavior? That's awesome! Of course we're going, it will be great! Call your dad, make sure he'll be home, he won't want to miss this! Oh Senny, I hope you can finish your dinner because I take kids to the carnival who eat their dinner, and you do not want to miss the carnival! (I was secretly praying she wouldn't finish so I could stay home with her and send the boys with dad. bummer, she ate every bite).

So we're off and I'm so excited for the blessings I'm earning for this one. It's got to count for something.

** post edit: it wasn't terrible. the kids had a good time for the most part. the obstacle course was by far the best part. beckham getting whacked in the face with a metal bar was not so great. I suppose I just felt grumpy about going, but it was nice to be all together after such a hectic week.

quick thoughts.

it is so lovely outside. I was walking through the parking lot in only one long-sleeve shirt and for just a minute I was warm. totally warm! it was so nice.

my buns are sore. the good kind, but I feel them with every step.

I threw a lot of chopped up veggies and quinoa in burgers last night. They were great. I am excited about the new ways I am learning to use grains. It is awesome watching my children devour complete proteins.

Beckham does not nap well outside of his own bedroom. Bummer. He's pretty happy without a nap generally but we're going on day three and I have a grumpapotomous on my hands. Early to bed!

busy

There is so much going on around here I should not be sitting here typing this, but I needed to sit down so I might as well update quickly.

We have house guests this week... one turned into two and two nights turned into more... not sure how many that will be yet. Good thing we like them! We have been up way too late and going strong all day every day. I am exhausted but have been very productive. I am learning a lot, an overwhelming amount, but it has been great.

You know the feeling of being so tired you close your eyes and the next thing you know it's already 5 a.m.? That's a rare and welcome night sleep, to not wake up once. On the other hand, my mind is so full and busy that it takes a while for it to calm enough to sleep and once I'm awake there is no going back.

I am blessed this week. I am not in my regular routine and have been thrown off balance a little, but we're doing great and I am grateful.