Sunday, May 25, 2008

Sunday Grains of Gratitude......

Grains of Gratitude


Surprise, surprise - another busy week - but the school year is swiftly coming to an end - yahooo!!! I just love summer so much - having my kids home is wonderful - although they are still going to be pretty busy this summer - at least the older ones :) It will still be nice to be more relaxed though :)

This week I'm grateful...

that I know Heavenly Father hears and answers prayers :) The day of soccer tryouts I prayed and prayed Little K would do well and make a soccer team that would be appropriate for her, where the coach would understand her and really work with her potential and overlook her lack of skill. We went to tryouts, there were about 10 girls her age there, and two coaches, who were looking for a total of 2 players :( It was so discouraging. Oh ya, did I mention that one of the coaches was the coach from her team last year? I really like him, they are family friends, but I knew he wasn't looking to have Little K on his team, as he was building a more competitive team. So, although she did fine at tryouts, I went home a bit worried, as I had seen the other coach talking to another girl and her parents. Well - imagine my surprise to see our old coach's name and number on our caller id later. He told me he'd been thinking about it, and that a little girl's heart was more important than amazing soccer skill, and that if I wanted, she could come play for her old team for another year until they disbanded and went to state competition. I was surprised and grateful for the answer to my prayer! God does indeed work in mysterious ways, and does answer prayers, sometimes in the most unexpected ways :) I hope and pray that Little K will take full advantage of the opportunity before her and work hard and learn all she needs to so she will be good enough to make another team next year. We've introduced her to other sports and and activities, but soccer is just her favorite, and she continues to want to play, so I guess we'll run with that :) I'm grateful for Coach K and his soft heart this week :)

that C's soccer season is over! She had a tournament an hour or so away this weekend, and I'm grateful we traveled up and back several times safely (only costing an arm and a leg for gas - can you believe prices this weekend? YIKES!!!) Her team played decently, pulled off a tie and loss with teams a division higher, then ended up in the lower consolation bracket where they won their game there against one of their biggest rivals (which just happens to have a couple of girls C knows - including a good friend - who have been kinda cocky and buggy about winning the division) with a decisive 3-0 win :) It had been raining and the field had standing water and so much mud - after the game the girls all rolled in it for our end of the year photo - it was pretty dang funny :) They are such a good group of girls, I will really miss the ones that don't return to the team next year. This week she just has tryouts for this team, then we start highschool season with soccer camp the week after :) It just never ends LOL

that J got some of his big science project done. Why do teachers have big projects due the last week of school? That is just nuts - don't they know how crazy these last weeks are!!! Hopefully he'll pass of his last percussion levels this week too, and then he'll be done until summer band camp starts :)

that Big K and the kids did some cleaning yesterday while I was at the tournament with C! The house looked like a tornado had hit - the culmination of too many kids at home doing their thing, and not enough mom at home with cleaning time on her hands. Thanks so much Big K!!!

that my hubby had a safe trip to Indianapolis and back :) He was there for some work events surrounding the Indy 500 race. His company has been doing some fun client smoozing, thus his fun events of the last couple months (Masters, major league baseball games, NBA playoff games, and this car racing event). I wish my job was as fun :) I think I need to go to a Wicked Event, a Disneyland Event, and a Beachfront laying around event :) Whaddya think??? I am so grateful that he has been safe as he has traveled so much though :)

that H's State report keynote presentation went well and he got a good grade on it :) Yayyyy! So glad that's over :) Next year is a country report - I wonder which one he'll pick....

that Brady is feeling a bit better. My visiting teacher does some homeopathic stuff and while I'm kind of a skeptic, it didn't involve anything but her doing some emotional stuff from her own home, not even in his vicinity, so I was game :) Plus, she's doing it as a favor as apparently she charges an arm and a leg to the peopleshe works on in her home clinic. And would you know it - he's slept through the night for 3 nights in a row, in his own bed, and that hasn't been happening that much lately, he usually comes in by around 4 and climbs in bed with us and sleeps pretty restlessly (gotta do that repeat sleep study, but I'm waiting on some GI testing first!) I'm still skeptical, but, she may turn me into a believer yet :) It has something to do with the Sylva method (she explained it to me, but I didn't really get it - I might have to google it) :)

that school is almost over - did I mention that already - hee hee! Yup - I am just really grateful - although that's funny, as when my kids were younger, I was always so sad when the year ended. I think it was because I had the time to be much more involved in their classes and with their teachers (who I am still friends with, years later) and now that I have kids of all different ages at different schools it is much more difficult :) So, even though I love my kids teachers this year, and they've had great years, I am just so looking forward to the end of the year :) Whooo hoooooooo!!!!!

What are YOU grateful for today???

Wednesday, May 21, 2008

3 down, 5 to go.....

how many times can one family get the stomach flu in a year???

Really - that was a rhetorical question, I absolutely do NOT want to know if we can get it again.

Seriously.....

Who knew.....

honestly - I was really hoping to be an exclamation mark :)




You Are a Comma



You are open minded and extremely optimistic.

You enjoy almost all facets of life. You can find the good in almost anything.



You keep yourself busy with tons of friends, activities, and interests.

You find it hard to turn down an opportunity, even if you are pressed for time.



Your friends find you fascinating, charming, and easy to talk to.

(But with so many competing interests, you friends do feel like you hardly have time for them.)



You excel in: Inspiring people



You get along best with: The Question Mark

What your fridge says about you????

Interestin' stuff this.....





What Your Fridge Says About You



You like to be surrounded by things you love. You aren't exactly greedy, but you can be materialistic at times.



You tend to be a fairly thrifty person. You splurge occasionally, but you're mostly a saver.



You don't tend to be a very adventurous person, but you do surprise everyone now and then. You have a bit of a wild side.



You are responsible, together, and mature. You act like an adult, even when you don't feel like it.



You are likely to be married - and very busy.

Monday, May 19, 2008

I've been tagged!!!

AZ tagged me with this meme....

1. Write the title to your own memoir using 6 words.

2. Post it on your blog.

3. Link to the person that tagged you.

4. Tag five more blogs.

and..... here it is......

How to do it all without giving out?

Life and times of a crazy woman?

Adventures in rearing the perfect family? HA HA HA

Life is a journey, not a destination?

Never give up!

I'm so glad this week is over! (added at the suggestion of my niece - cause apparently I write that a lot LOL I told her I need to be careful, because one of these days I'll be saying instead - I'm so sad, my life is over and I just didn't appreciate it enough!)

Gosh - I just can't seem to get six words - I give up - I guess I'll never publish my memoir LOLOL

I tag:

Cyndie - at the Dobson Daily

Megan - at Comin Interests

Rhonda - at What-evah

Amy - at the Flege Farm

Christina - at Prince Vince

Sunday, May 18, 2008

Sunday Grains of Gratitude......

Grains of Gratitude


Another busy week bites the dust!! The month is just flying by - I can't believe May is already half over! At least the weather is finally starting to look up a bit - now I'm feeling guilty that our garden isn't in yet :) I guess there's always something to feel guilty about - so I just shouldn't worry about it! Hopefully this coming weekend - between games at the soccer tournament maybe???

This week I'm grateful.....

That my hubby made it back safely from New York in time to help with the busier part of the week! I'm so grateful that he was able to make it to J's band concert while I had C up at an away game about an hour away. I'm grateful that he took the time to help clean and take the boys to their various baseball and soccer games on Saturday, as well :)

That the "boys" in our family could go on our Ward Father and Sons camping trip on Friday night. I don't know if there were any pictures from that, but if there are, I'll upload em later :) They got off to a late start because H had baseball practice, so I think it was dark by the time they got to the campsite and set up the tent, etc.... I'm grateful they all had a great time, and that they were safe :) You never know what'll happen when a bunch of men and boys get together - they just all seem to lose their heads :) Luckily it was all good! And, I got a good night's sleep (in spite of dreaming that a woman handed me her baby with ds and asked me to adopt him and raise him) because Brady didn't come in and wake me up to come sleep with me - whooo hooo!

That C's soccer team party that we had at our house on Friday night went well. The whole team came, and it was fun to eat and watch the girls not in "soccer mode". I think some of them will be leaving the team to pursue different soccer club options, so it was fun to have one last get together before they go in different directions. This team has been together for a long time, so it will be sad to see some of them leave, they are all such good girls.

That C's belated 16th birthday party went well :) I was a little nervous, as she invited everyone and their dog, but thankfully only between 45ish kids showed up :) I made pulled pork salads and had lots of fruit, chips and salsa, and sodas on hand. It all seemed to go well and everyone seemed to have fun :) They went to the Stake dance after, so it was nice to have them all leave after about 4 hours ;) They're a cute bunch of kids though, and I'm grateful that my girls have such good and positive friends who are all good influences.

Photobucket - Video and Image Hosting


Photobucket - Video and Image Hosting


Photobucket - Video and Image Hosting




that soccer season is basically over! I will miss it, but I am grateful that for the most part, except for C - who's soccer season is never over, that we're done for now :) Little K will be trying out this week for competition soccer again. Her team is a little too competitive for her skills and are looking to move up to state level within the year, and I just don't think she's ready for that - either skill wise, or desire wise. She just doesn't have the interest to spend 4-5 days a week training plus 2 games. So, I'm hoping she'll make another comp. team, but if not, then maybe we'll just do rec. again and hope for a good coach so that she can further her skills. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that she'll make another comp. team though - send her some positive thoughts on Wednesday and Thursday :)

Photobucket - Video and Image Hosting


Photobucket - Video and Image Hosting




that I could go watch the girls sing in the Highschool Choir concert. Their choirs are all really good and went to the state choir festival and came back with superior ratings. C didn't make the choir she wanted next year, and the choir she did make conflicts with her french class, so I won't be seeing her up there at all next year :( But, I'll get to see more of Big K, as the Chamber Choir performs a lot more than the other choirs - I'm looking forward to that. The performance was great, and besides having to wrangle Brady through it and have Little K film, it was so fun to watch :) I'm grateful that my girls are cultivating the talents they've been blessed with.

That we got copies of the girls patriarchal blessings and my last father's blessing in the mail from my parents this week! The girls were so excited and I was so happy to be able to read the blessing my dad gave me back in 1994! I'm so grateful my parents still had a copy, as I had misplaced mine. My hubby is excited to have his smaller laminated copy of his patriarchal blessing to go in his scriptures too! Thanks Mom!!!!

That I could go out for lunch with Big K :) I checked her out of school on Thursday, while Brady was eating lunch at the Center (I left him there for the first time - scary for me!) and it was fun to go to her favorite restaurant and just be together. She is such a fun girl and I had fun spending time with her. It seems like both our lives are so busy and full of different things that we don't have much time to spend together, and I really miss that. It was great to chat with her about different things going on in her life :) We need to do it more often! Love you Big K!!!

and - that H got his big State report done - Alabama - fun place that state - lots of good interestin' history! And - Little K got her big book report shoe box diorama completed! And - I'm doubly grateful cause Dad helped them do these things while I was at the soccer game - WTG DAD!!!! I figured it was his turn - I get to do all the projects, as he seemingly has really good luck to be on business trips the night before they are all due (and we're working on the procrastinating thing, really we are, but gosh, it's a work in progress!)

Whewwww - that's it! What are YOU grateful for today?????

Friday, May 16, 2008

Prayer Request!

Please keep Brady's friend, Parker, in your prayers today! He's having a pretty heavy duty surgery and needs all the help he can get to have a successful and complication free surgery and recovery!

Thanks
!

Thursday, May 15, 2008

Thanks Grandpa D!!!



Thanks sooo much for taking H to his baseball game (they won - whoo hooooo) so I could go to the girls choir concert!!! You are a trooper! Hope it wasn't too long and boring for you (as baseball games can be sometimes!!!) Thank you so so so much!!!!

Wednesday, May 14, 2008

Not much bloggin' goin' on here......

things are just so busy and overwhelming right now! I'm trying to get a lot done, but the more I try to meet everyone's needs, the less seems to be getting done! A couple more weeks and things should wind down a bit. I can't wait for school to get out!!! Summer vacation rocks!!! Of course the stuff that needs to be accomplished in the next couple of weeks - ughhhh - I'm hoping to make it through!

At least the hubs will be home more when the month is done - I'm not sure why his work involves so much travel during both soccer seasons :) Of course, I'm sure I wouldn't think any time was ideal for him to travel a lot, and I'm so grateful he has a good job (and praying it stays that way - I'm not sure the numbers were so great this quarter - that always means lay-offs) but it is so nice to be able to share the chauffeuring and activity attending duties with someone, especially when you're supposed to be in 3 places at once - which is tricky even with two people :)

I know people look at me and say it's my own fault for having so many kids. So ummmm - which ones would they like me to give up? Honestly people, I never had an inkling of how much stuff I'd have going on at this point in my life with my kids, and if I knew then, what I know now - well - I'd still do it all over again - well - the 6 kid part anyway - there's a few other things I might change along the way :)

But, if I changed those things, who knows the differences it would make. I often think what would have happened if we'd chosen a different way at the forks of major decisions in our lives and marriage. There would be people I'd never met, friends I wouldn't have, and experiences that never would have shaped my life if I'd done things differently - would they have been better or worse? Who knows - but I have a pretty dang good life in most respects. I love my kids, and I try to do my best to give each one the quality time and love they each need. Am I perfect - nope - and I feel plenty guilty all the time about all the things I'm NOT able to do for each kid. Do they gain some good benefits by being part of a larger family? I think they do.

I wish I could do it all, and I really am trying. I guess it's cause I'm not really good at anything, I have not talents in music or athletics or anything really, that I've really tried to be a good mom and homemaker. And, when I take stock of everything on a daily basis, I'm coming up short in so many areas. I don't have the perfectly clean house, my food storage isn't complete, my yard has weeds, my kids have late homework assignments, I occasionally miss an activity cause it's not on the calendar, we're a little late for our 6 month dental appointments, the kids haven't quite had their yearly check-ups, the car needs the oil changed and tires rotated, oops - I forgot to get that prescription called in, spring cleaning is wayyy over due, and don't even get me started on laundry.

There are sooo many big things that aren't getting done, but I have to remember the other things that did..... I did manage to - work on speech and OT with Brady yesterday, find a great show and tell to send to school with Little K since I was going to be at the Center all day working with the behavior therapist and Brady and couldn't bring the dog in, fold some of the big girl's laundry, made it to C's game, where I took stats for the coach and cheered the team on while I keeping an eye on Brady and Little K at the playground and mentally making a note to call the referee assignor and let her know that the center ref - ummm -sucked, made sure H made it to his cast party, arranged for both J and H to make it to scouts, made sure there was milk for cereal in the morning, made flyers and food assignments for C's soccer party which is at our house on Friday night, threw something together for dinner for the younger kiddos once we arrived home from the game, spent 2 hours helping H with his State report on Alabama - interestin' stuff happened in that State - you learn somethin' new every day, felt guilty about not spending more time with everyone, had family prayers with all the kids, fell into bed around 11 p.m. and prayed for the Lord's help with some issues Brady is having. Luckily Big K is pretty self-sufficient, but I would have liked to have more time to talk to her about her last AP test, and getting elected to be the Secretary of the FLCCA (which I think is the acronym, but I'm not exactly sure what it stands for - I get confused :) When I look at it - it's not that I'm not doing something, it's just that I can't seem to do everything, and do it well anymore. I want to be able to do everything and do it well - any ideas on how to do that? AND still sleep - I really need my sleep. I've got to figure something out - really I do.....

So - until school's out - probably not a lot of bloggin' goin' on. But - I'm hopeful that someday, sometime, I might have a little more time on my hands, be a little more put together, be a little more able to do it all - really - I'm soooo optimistic it might happen - someday......