The Fourth of July

 Our neighborhood has a parade on the fourth.  Its just a little one with the rich old folks driving around their fancy cars, decorated with red, white and blue.  There are kids on bikes with patriotic streamers or balloons.  Our three big kids were out representing the swim team.  And there is candy.  Its kind of a fun way to start the day.  It is followed by a cook out at the pool.

This year our bestest friends, the VerHoefs, joined us.  We love them.  Their oldest, Ky, is missing from this photo.  I think he was putting up flags with the scouts or something.  Myah and Grace have become very close friends.  Little Reese, with Miles and Lila above, is a joy.  Lila adores her.  Kora and Addie get along very well, but she also has a lot of fun with Andre.  Little Kolby and Lila are only 2 weeks apart in age and they have a super cute connection that I don't remember seeing in kids so young.  Although they may occasionally punch each other in the face, they love to play together, they love to hug and kiss each other, and they are each other's greatest protectors.  Last week in nursery, there was some trauma and the one leader whom Lila loves was unavailable to hold her so Kolby took over and held her hand and led her around, apparently, for nearly 2 hours to keep her from crying.   Today in church they were sitting on the opposite side of the chapel.  At one point Lila heard Kolby crying (I think he hit his head or something).  She jumped off my lap to run to him.  I stopped her.  "Kolby!  Kolby!  Tell Kolby sorry.  Ok Kolby!"  Since I wouldn't let her disrupt by running so far and yelling herself, she completely melted down and Jason had to take her out.

These are the cute parents, Wes and Sarah.  Sarah has become my best friend here.  Finding her has been a huge blessing in my life.  We see each other pretty much every day and miss each other when we don't.  I trust her and understand her and she's the same.  Its so cool to find a soul sister.  It doesn't happen very often.  And its handy that we both went on Spanish speaking missions because when we need to discuss stuff about our kids and they're there, we can just...speak in Spanish!  I'm sure its annoying.  Because sometimes we also talk about our husbands or people at the gym.  But its fun.  We are so much alike.  Except that she is only about 5'2" or something.   Awhile back her husband said that we were just like from the movie Twins.  She said, "Yes!  Exactly!"  But then crinkled her nose and was like..."Wait a minute...that means I have to be Danny DeVito."  Oh, and the other thing is that we both do crazy weird energy work stuff and learn together and have seen lots of miracles happen.  I'm really happy to have a friend.

 Now a note about these two.  They are at such a fun age where they are really liking to play with each other in coordinated play efforts.  I love it!  The other day I said, "Miles, I love how nicely you're playing with Lila."   He shrugged and said, "Yeah, she's my friend."   The same evening I decided to test again while they were playing.  "Hey Miles," I said, "I see you're playing so nicely with Lila again.  Are you guys friends?"  "Yep!" he said, eyebrows raised just like below, "She's my BEST friend."  I don't think I've felt much more content than after hearing that.  I love these two little babies of mine.
 "I can only thank God it was not too late..."

Piano and Goats

This is Addie at her piano recital with her awesome teacher, Sister Ward.  Janice Ward is the wife of our Stake President and has been very patient, sweet, and good to Addie.  She also has a hard time taking photos with her eyes open.  On the fifth attempt she asked, "Did I keep them open?"  I just smiled.  Good enough!  So...anyway...Addie has been playing piano consistently for over two years.  But she just doesn't really like it very much.  Does she have to keep playing?  Jason says yes.  I say no.  My kids are kind of getting tired of my saying that I started awhile back.  "We are strong and we can do hard things."  They want to give up on something or they complain and I say, "You are strong!  You can do hard things!  I know you don't want to go to school today and that its scary.  But you can do it.  Because you are strong.  And you can do hard things."  

So...they're starting to get used to me saying this and haven't begun rolling their eyes yet.  Andre wants to quit soccer sometimes and its just a flat out no.  "Son," I say, "God has given you a talent.  We're in a place where you are being coached by professional soccer players from all over the world.  You have doors opening up right now that you would never have had.   And I see when you are playing that you really do love it.  So, I know it is 107 this afternoon and that you'd rather just stay home and play on your 3DS.  But I have your special water/spray/fan and a jug of ice water and its only an hour.  It will be a hot and hard practice today but you can do it.  You're strong.  You can do hard things."

But piano?  Does she have to keep doing it?  She wants to dance and sing.  I think two years is enough.  Jason says that it was all for naught if we let her quit now.  Hm...stay tuned for our decision...

 Sometimes while Addie is at her piano practice we'll drive down the street to feed the goats.  Its a fun pastime.  And here are the photos to prove it.   ???

The Alamo

This first day that I arrived in San Antonio...an October day in 1995...I was greeted at the airport around 11am, it seems, by the mission President, and his assistants.  There were about 6 or 7 of us newbies.  We went to the office for some terribly boring training and I felt it my duty to try my best to stay awake, although I was completely physically and emotionally exhausted.  Finally near evening time we left the office and headed downtown to the Alamo.  We were given a bit of history of the alamo and told about when Davy Crockett drew a line in the ground and told his men that they might likely day if they stayed but that he would stay and fight.  If they wanted to join the fight, the would cross that line or leave in peace.  Some emotional words were shared by Pres West as we were invited to cross that line ourselves to join the good fight.  I heartily jumped across, anxious to begin.  And begin I did.  I was immediately sent out to start contacting tourists and homeless people right there.  It was exhilarating and scary.  Luckily I only had the Spirit whispering to me that many treasures and amazing experiences were in store for me (and not an inkling of all the difficult ones), or I may have ran right back across that line and not stopped until I found a bus station to take me back home.  But...I stayed and am forever grateful.  The road I began to travel...well...you know...Robert Frost...it made all the difference.

Anywho...so, it is (was) now June of 2013.  Almost EIGHTEEN years later.  And here I am, standing in front of this same national treasure with all of these people.  A big person I hoped and prayed to be able to find on this earth.  And little people whom I often felt were by my side during the difficult times of my mission saying, "Keep going.  It will be worth it."  One particularly difficult morning, struggling with anxiety and depression yet working to be exactly obedient and fighting to fake everybody else out so they'd think I was happy and wonderful and fine, I was reading my scriptures on the couch  in Austin and suddenly...there they were.  "How many?  Really?  My children?  You know what's going on now?  You care?  There are 6 of you right?  I think I feel 6."  I was completely renewed and rejuvenated.  I could do anything knowing that they were there and that the decisions I was making at that time would keep me on the path that would lead me to...a day like this.

 We took the this trip with all of Jason's siblings and their wives (or soon to be wives--Tyler and Naomie are engaged).  The kids loved playing with each other and with their cousins.  It was very very hot but we loved our time in San Antonio, Austin, New Braunfels, and Wimberly.   Definitely a highlight of the summer.

 Barton Springs.

 The Capitol.

Dear Journla...

...and thus summer passed as it were like unto a dream.  How sad.  Not a single thing to say about my kids or our adventures?  It is 12:21am and suddenly I am filled with guilt for not recording these precious times with my little ones which are, literally at times, just fleeing by like a dream.

When we moved to Texas Miles was only 21 months old.  Now the little one who was tucked snuggly in my womb at that time has now passed her second birthday and much more.  She is running and jumping and dancing and singing songs.  She counts two 13 and knows the ABCs.  She is very clever and very diva-esque.  She got a new pair of red cowboy boots this weekend and she thinks she's hot stuff.  Since I'm afraid it would break her little heart to be reading through blog books one day and see that her second birthday wasn't chronicled, I'll share some photos of my fair-haired and even fairer-skinned little angel here.  From her birthday.  Which was March 30th.  Almost five months ago.  Sigh.

Her favorite part of the day was when Batman came to her party.  Or maybe she didn't notice him.  But I thought it was pretty awesome.

Catch Up By Grace

This is Grace. As you can see, my mom has fallen quite far behind on all of her blogging. I'm going to help catch her up a bit. She hasn't blogged since May. There is a TON of stuff that she still has to write. On May 20th, I got out of school. On the last two days of school, we had testing. :( THE TESTS WERE LONGER THEN THE STARR TEST! If you ask me, if kids already have a big test to worry about, they shouldn't have an even bigger one to worry about. On the last day of school, (after testing) we had parities. Mr. John can kind of not see how the students feel at times like this. He scheduled the end of year party, think through math party, and i station party ALL AT THE SAME TIME. How did that turn out? Because the think through math and i station parties were because some certain kids earned them, I skipped both and went to my end of the year party. (You're probably wondering what think through math and i station are. They're websites that ask you questions and track your results so the teachers can see them) Anyway, let's go on to....
THE FIFTH GRADE LOCK IN!
 Anything can be awesome if you put it in big type and a different font color. I went to a 5th grade lock in at my school. This is the school's first year and they are at a Christian church right now. That somehow explains that they have a pool. So, we swam in it. Then we ate Little Ceasers Pizza and breadsticks. Then we went inside, got changed, and headed downstairs into the cafeteria that's really not a cafeteria because it has carpet and people aren't really supposed to eat in because it used to have two big flat screen TVs and was not built to be a cafeteria. They hooked up and Xbox to a projector and some kids played it while the other played bad-mitten or danced to music. Then it eventually turned into a full-on dance party. We all danced and danced until we all fell asleep. Okay, not really. Fatima and Camryn fell asleep on the floor and Elizabeth and I made up a dance to 'Mr. Saxobeat'. After that, we re-made Micheal Jackson's 'Thriller' music video. Then the girls went upstairs into the BIG HUGE dance room and the boy went into the teeny tiny P.E room. Then we turned on 'The Incredibles' and none of us stayed up the whole movie. In the morning, we ate doughnuts and had cookies. Then waited till our parents picked us up.

 I got out of school a week before Addie and Andre and they complained every day about it. Somethings we did during summer are: started swim team, went to the library, and mostly just chilled. WHICH IS EXACTLY WHAT I DID NOT, I REPEAT, DID NOT WANT TO DO.

I Mustache You a Question

Is the proper spelling moustache or mustache.  I was taught moustache.  Just kidding.  I already know the answer.  Both are proper spellings.  Depends where you are.  Anyway...through out time, certain images have become popular and often become themes for wrapping paper, stationary, kitchen decor, phone decals, or even parties.  I think for example of the peace sign, the disco flower, the apple, the pig, or, more recently, the bird.  I've liked the bird for awhile and still do. 

More trendy has become the owl.  Shower curtains.  Notebooks.  Cupcakes.  Bedding.  Necklaces.  I think the owl is on the way out. 

Most of these images (there is probably a specific word for this subject and I'm not using it because I don't know what it is) make some sort of sense to me.  But this one has me puzzled.  Its everywhere.  Wallpaper.  Patterns on nice shirts and dresses as well as screen printed on everything.  Phone cases.  Computer cases.  Mugs.  Framed photos. Candy.  Homework.  Cupcake toppers.  Suspenders.  Socks.  Carseat covers.  Its madness.  Its brilliant.  What is it?  Its the moustache.  I have to be honest.  I don't get it.  I thought Tom Selleck owned the moustache.  Or perhaps only the mustache.  I don't know.  But I thought it might be at least of some entertainment to note and have my children look back and say, "Hm.  That was...interesting... in 2012 and 2013.  You couldn't walk into a store anywhere with out seeing mustaches printed on everything in sight."  Or maybe in 20 or 30 years my children will bring it back.  It can't be around this decade for long. Can it?  No, it cannot. But, just as the peace sign started donning tween walls and clothing again a few years back, surely the rooster or the apple will again rule the kitchen and the moustache will...again...do...whatever it is its doing.  Some of the stuff its doing is kind of cute. 

 Some is just creepy bizarro.

So...anywho...we got moustaches at dollar tree and the kids played with them and thought they were very funny.  Well, the big 3 did.  Very funny. 

Miles didn't want a furry sticker touching his face...

 ...and neither did Lila apparently.