I like those words...

I have been oh so bad at taking pictures these days.

Yesterday Austin and I were picking blueberries and talking and having fun. I suggested we make blueberry pancakes the next morning for breakfast. He of course loved that idea. About a minute later he says "I love you mom."

Being a mom has to be the greatest gift I have been given. When my kids say things like this to me, I realize that all the hard work, loud noise, crazy moments....even the fighting, is so so so worth it.

I love my job.

So long, farewell, auf Wiedersehen, goodbye...

I just had to add that because I love The Sound of Music.

So, I have done something I have dreamed of doing for a while but just never could/would. I have left facebook. Before I go into "why" I have quit, I first want to say that I don't judge anyone who has one. I think Facebook can be an excellent tool of keeping in touch with those we love, and even just the ones we want to spy on for fun. Let's face it....we all do it.

For me it was because I need to illuminate as many outside distractions as possible and focus more on being a mom. It would be one thing if I could have a FB and not check it all the time, but I guess I have an addictive personality because I can't seem to do that. I went through it all in my head. I knew I needed email because I need to communicate with others. I need google because knowledge is power, but my reasoning for FB just wasn't good enough. The negatives outweighed the good for a person like me who can't seem to juggle things in the most productive way.

Anyway, so long my little FB friend. I will miss you, but in this weird sort of way....I feel free.

Nature strikes...

Ahhh...mother nature can be quite a beast at times. Grace ran to me yelling she had a pokie in her foot. I knew by the type of cry, that it was bee sting cry, not a random pokie cry. You figure these things out after so many years of parenting, I guess.

The boys have been stung many times but I've never had one of my girls get stung. This was new. Grace cried her little heart out for a good 10 minutes. The boys usually just yell "ow."

What kept coming out of Grace's mouth as she cried to her hearts content?? "Flies are better than bee's!!"

How many blueberries can you fit into your mouth at one time?

We are simple, and I kind of like that. I like to wear makeup and go shopping and take fun trips but when all is said and done, I like eating blueberries and even picking weeds. I like sitting in my rocking chair on my front porch drinking a diet cherry pepsi. This makes me happier than shopping. I like to see my children work. I like seeing them grow in character from doing so. I like to get my hands dirty and hate using gloves to weed, and only do so to avoid blisters. I don't mind dirt under my fingernails. Most of all I love to be barefoot. If I'm not barefoot I'm in flipflops. My children? They are always barefoot, and who cares if it's a hazard to their feet? They are happy, and that's what matters. This is why I love Summer.

Disney isn't the only magical place around...

We headed to coeur d'alene Idaho for a short but sweet vacation. We went that way mainly to visit the amusement park, Silverwood. My friend told me about how wonderful it is, even going onto say that she likes it better than Disneyland. Well for a 1/4 price of Disney, we decided to give it a try.

We started our trip out by stopping at the tiny little temple in the Tri-cities area. It was small, but very gorgeous. We didn't stay long because temps were close to 100 that day.

 When we arrived at Silverwood, I knew right away I would love it. There's lots of people yet you have room to breathe, and it's so clean and well maintained. They have rules that keep it family friendly...no immodest clothing such as thongs....and no walking around in swimsuits. They wouldn't even allow Scarlett on the rides without putting her shorts over her swimwear. I loved that they stuck to their rules. They were nice about it, but you knew they intended to keep the park classy and family friendly.

They also have a water park there and the lifeguards totally impressed me. I sat and watched them to see how well they did their job and they were constantly swooping the area, not once getting lazy. Totally took their jobs seriously. I felt safe, and if you know me, I never feel safe with my kids around water.

We spent 12 hours at Silverwood and would have loved to have stayed longer. It has an old town appeal that most amusement parks do not have. The kids were in heaven.

 We also did some other fun stuff. We took the kids to see some motorcycle races. Yes, we went redneck and it was fun, especially to see the boys reactions.

We also took in the movie Brave. I have to say it made me cry a couple times. One of the best Disney films I have ever seen.

We also went swimming in the hotel pool every day. That was a main highlight for our kids. I wish I had more pictures, but our camera was not very reliable.

The last day of our trip we decided to let Grace get her ears pierced. She did it with no tears, and has talked about how "pretty" they are ever since.

There was lots of arguing and picking between the kids, but one thing I have found is that only the good memories stick around and the bad ones just kind of melt into the floor.

I love getting away with these wonderful people.

My Aunt is more than just an Aunt...

She is my mother's twin sister. That in my opinion, is a pretty special thing. She passed away from cancer yesterday. I've been thinking about how hard it would be to lose someone who practically makes up half of you. How could you let go, feeling like a part of you has gone to the other side too? Mom mom sounds just like my Aunt. They look almost exactly the same. I'm convinced that identical twins share something regular siblings do not. They are different, yet they are one.

I have a strong mother. She doesn't always know she's strong, but I do. I have seen how dedicated she is to the gospel. That takes strength. I've seen her raise 5 children who could be a real pain in the real. That takes strength. I've seen her battle illness and come out strong. I've witnessed her faith. And I gotta tell ya, my mom has the faith to move mountains. Prayer means more to her than anyone I have ever met, because she believes in the power that comes from it.

Yes, my sweet, beautiful, Aunt has passed on, and she will be so very missed, but I know that the hard part comes to those who are left behind. My moms heart will ache for a time. This season of her life will be a sad one. But she will be filled with strength to get through it, because of her faith. Because Heavenly father loves her so very much. I have no doubt that she will one day be reunited with her other half, and she will feel complete once again.

4th of July...

This is the 1st year in the last 4 years that we have been in town for the 4th of July. My friend and bestie running partner, Tammy and I decided to run the 4th of July 12k that is put on every year. I was a little worried about the 3/4 mile steep hill that I knew wasn't easy. The weather was calling for sunny and warm too.

We took off at a fast pace...too fast. But it actually ended up being just right once we centered ourselves and found our happy place. The hill was tough, as expected, but the weather was cooler than expected. It wasn't near as bad as I planned for. Always prepare for the worst and it will turn out better than you expect.

Once we got up the mean hill, we were cruising and feeling great. We picked our speed up the last 1/2 mile, and ran past all the parade spectators...that was kind of weird. Luckily there were some guys ahead of us in speedo's so all the attention was on them. We aren't fans of running in front of tons of people we know. I guess you could call us "shy" runners.

The race all in all is one of the most enjoyable races I have ever raced. I felt good. I could breathe, and even appreciated being a runner. That doesn't always happen, so when it does, I welcome it.

We finished at 1:05:02. an 8:46 average.

It's a race I will do again for sure.

Happy 4th of July!

P.S We took the kids to tour a beautiful 16,000 square foot mansion after my race. It was gorgeous beyond description. We had a blast. I love being with my family.

A special day...

 Sunday was a great day. The kind of day that makes a mama's heart glow. With Austin turning 12 he reached the age of receiving the Priesthood. He passed the sacrament for the first time on Sunday. I could hardly believe I had a child old enough to do this. Pretty soon this child will be serving a mission. Time needs to slow down, big time. We love you Austin, and are so proud of you.

My little, not so little, Christian got baptized the same day Austin receieved the Priesthood. He was so excited. It warmed my heart to see that to him, it was more than just him going under water. It was a choice that would aid him for the rest of his life.

Yep, it was a happy day indeed.