Beckham's Effort

Beckham insisted on helping Brent with the wood chips. In so doing he removed his shirt and replaced it with a blanket of dirt.

Is that a tan?

Oh wait, it's just Dirt!!!!

This is what my feet looked like after a full day of Yard work. Yes, I had tennis shoes on. Yes, I was wearing socks. This past Wednesday we finally got curbing. After weeks and weeks of waiting and flip flopping on the idea, and letting my garden go it's now finished. Boy did we have our work cut out for us. We removed sod, cleared away weeds, moved what seemed like a thousand pound trampoline up and over the curbing, laid landscape fabric, shovel and laid wood chips around the trampoline. All this for just one tiny corner in our yard. While Brent took Roman to the vet, I mowed the lawn. I wanted to impress him. I was so tired I went inside and wanted to lay on my bed. But it wasn't made that morning since someone was still sleeping in it and then it just never got made. So I crashed on the floor. I could feel every fiber of my body aching. While it ached and screamed at me my mind was telling me there was so much more work that needs to be done. Aside from the aches and pains that my body is still experiencing, I missed working in my yard. Using my body for what it was intended to be used for, WORK. Yes it was strenuous and I had sweat dripping into my eyeballs and down my back and in my clevig(if someone could tell me how to properly spell that I would be grateful). But it was so rewarding as well. To look out my bedroom window and know that my yard looked better because I worked my tail off.
I wasn't the only one working. The kids helped out as much as they could. After all, they are just kids. As a reward we went and treated ourselves to Hawaiin Shaved Ice. Yum.

Kelby's Wedding

Arika, Deven, Alex, and Kelby.

Yesterday my cousin Kelby was married to a great girl named Michelle. It was a beautiful day and Kelby and Michelle looked so extremely happy. As they should be. I am so thrilled that Kelby has found happiness. Like a retard I forgot my camera. The only picture I had of my cousin was from his Mom's funeral. My Aunt Candy. Which was the only thing missing from that beautiful day. I miss Aunt Candy.
During the luncheon they showed a video of old pictures and of course several of them included her. My heart ached. It ached for her absence, that Michelle will never meet her (in this life). But I know that she is in a better place doing something greater then us all. I am grateful that Kelby and the rest of his family have found happiness. Which is something we all deserve. I am grateful that my Mom and her sisters were there at the wedding to remind Val(Candy's husband), Deven, Kelby, Zach, Arika, and Alex of her. This way Candy will never be forgotten.

My Hero

As you know from my last post that the dishwasher went kaput on us. Unfortunately, or is more like fortunately, it happened on a night when we had only 1 baseball game. I say unfortunately because we could have had the evening to ourselves to do something other then fix a dishwasher. But I guess it was a good thing since we did have the time to fix it.
Brent is amazing. I feel very blessed to be married to a man who knows how to fix just about anything. He has an "I can do this" attitude and doesn't let anything get in his way. And despite the hard water build up that looked like petrified vomit, he stayed in the game and washed out all the filters. I'm surprised I didn't hear him gagging. After pulling the entire thing out from under the counter and checking all the tubes and other attachments we found that the washer was pretty much mended. The only thing that needs replacing is a small filter in the door. We ran it through the rinse cycle and it sounded so powerful and new again.
This is why Brent is my Hero. He puts his shoulder to the wheel and gets things done. Mostly he comes to my rescue when I can't seem to figure things out on my own.

New Dishwasher

Up to our elbows in soapy water

Yes, this is Jaren valiantly washing the dishes

There were SO MANY dishes to wash

Sure, she has a smile now. But would she still be smiling
after having to wash dishes by hand all summer?

I stalked the cups in the background. Something I use to
do as a kid. Isabel did a great job stalking the bowls.

Yesterday afternoon Hannah quickly informed me that there was a whole lot of water by the dishwasher. I walked over and sure enough, a puddle of water had formed below the darn thing. We quickly put towels around to gather up the mess and I called my hubby. I can't seem to figure things out on my own (not a good thing, I know). I let the washer run it's course and waited for Brent to get home to take a look at it.
Brent pulled apart the entire washer and much to my disappointment it couldn't be fixed. So I had to pull out some old tricks. I started to fill up the sink with warm soapy water and started dropping in the silverware. This brought back many memories of my childhood. I washed the dishes A LOT growing up. I remember, without fail, I would have to run to the bathroom to go number 1 while the sink was being filled. My goal was to make it back before it overflowed. I remember hating to do silverware!! I would leave it to soak in the bottom of the sink until very last. I also remember one time doing a whole counter full of dirty dishes, in cool water, with a toilet bowl scrubber. I had not idea at the time what I was doing. My Dad came in when I was just putting away the last of the dishes to air dry. He took one look, felt the water and I had to do wash them all over again. I was so proud of myself and then my little bubble was burst.

Anyway, I digress. As I was washing the glasses a thought popped into my head, " I have other dishwashers!! I don't have to do this." So I called up Jaren and Isabel, since their chores this week were to Load and Unload the dishwasher. I explained the situation and this was Isabel's response, " Isn't this what POOR people have to do?". CLASSIC!!!
Jaren had no idea what to do. I explained that the soapy sink was meant to wash and the other sink filled with hot water was for rinsing. I even demonstrated for him. This was his response,"Oh, I didn't know that's what I was suppose to do." I then realized, again (this was not the first time), that my children are growing up in a completely different age then myself. I didn't have the luxury of a dishwasher until I was a Senior in High School. Does that mean my family was poor? Probably. But I also realized that my children need to learn how to wash a sink load of dishes. One day we might not have electricity. What would we do then?

The Reservoir

Baby Grace

Hannah, Isabel, and Annika

Jaren burying Beckham

Whoa, where did Beckham go?

Here are more pictures of our first visit to the Spanish Fork Reservoir. The kids had such a good time. And Thanks to Aunt Kelli for taking the pictures. She was the brave one who actually brought her camera. Fear of sand prevented me from bringing mine.

I've Been Tagged

I was tagged by my friend Rachel .

I figured if I wasn't afraid to post a hideous picture of me in my bathing suit that I could show
pictures of my home.

Keep it real.

The rules are: No CLEANING/No CHEATING. What you are about to see is real, my house as of around 3:30m on a Tuesday afternoon. Which I think is pretty darn good considering I have my kids home from school for the summer and they are in charge of the kitchen and bathrooms. So kudos to my kids for doing their chores!!!

#1. The Fridge

Okay, so I could do much better at cleaning out the fridge.
I am a "just shove anywhere" type person.

#2. The sink

Way to go Jaren for actually cleaning out the sinks when
I asked you to!!!

#3. The Toilet

This is the toilet most used in our house, just off the kitchen.
What house with boys doesn't have a pee stain somewhere?

#4. The bed

My bed. Yes, I make it every morning before I do anything else.
And yes, I have to clear it off every night before I go to bed.
It is the only open space to put things on.

I tag Jessica, Denise, Kelli and Amidey!!!

So it goes

The kids and I enjoying lunch with Aunt Kelli and Alleah

The kids splashing and having a great time

It was a great day at the Reservoir. There was hardly anyone
there. We had it pretty much to ourselves.

It's been several weeks now since the kids got out of school for the summer. I didn't think that I would survive that first week. There were so many exclamations of " I'm so bored", " there's nothing to do", "this is NO fun", " this is the worst summer ever". And in my mind I was exclaiming "I can't do this anymore!", "I'm so done being a Mom today." I thought it was a great idea to let my kids have a whole week off of schedules, chores, reading and such. But they were so use to being busy from 9am till 3pm that they just didn't know how to cope. And neither did I!!! Thank goodness for wheel chore charts, library reading programs and the Spanish Fork Reservoir. We haven't had as many meltdowns or letdowns. Now that it's finally starting to get HOT we will be spending more time at the Reservoir. Especially since it now cost $4 a person to get into Spanish Fork public pool!! What is up with that? It would cost me $24 for a one time visit for my family. I didn't budget for that! Man it's expensive to have 6 kids.

Grandpa's Hat

Grace.
She was checking out Uncle Ryan

Annika

Isabel

Hannah

One of the girls' swiped Grandpa's hat off the table and placed it on Grace's head. I'm not sure why we get such a kick out of babies wearing ginormous things on their heads and faces. But it was sure cute to see her dark eyes peek out from under the brim. Due to the many Ooo's and Aaa's that Grace was receiving of course each of the girls had to take their turns under Grandpa's Hat.

Grace and Grass

Oh no!!!! Face Plant!!!!

Another picture of Grace's toes. Yes, she definately has
the Wood feet.

Bent over, loving the feel of the grass in her hands.

She is so cute I want to pinch her!!!

The only place she didn't like the grass to touch, her neck.

The other night while at one of our MANY baseball games I sat Grace in the grass. Most babies don't like the feel of grass on their feet. But Grace went fist full playing in it. I looked down and she was bent over and her little hands were grabbing onto that grass like it was a full head of hair. She would grab and pull and wiggle those fingers through the grass. This baby of mine never ceases to amaze me.

Ummm. Who did that?

I know that tongue is sticking out at me!!

What is it with all the tongue wagging?

Oh brother, you had to do the inside of his calf too?

I noticed something interesting about Beckham yesterday. I'm not sure how I caught it because it was artwork under his shirt, on his belly. Following is our conversation:

Me: Beckham, who did that to you

Beckham: It was Hannah.

Me: Hannah, why did you do that?

Hannah (with a slight grin on her face): Yeah, I got a little out of control.

Me: Yes you did.


As I was taking pictures to document this funny and oh so "you are old enough to know better" moment, Hannah pointed out that she also drew on both his knees. It didn't stop there. Hannah proceeded to draw on the inside of both of Beckham's calves. What is a mother to do but shake her head, take a picture and laugh. It's just ink, and ink washes away in the tub.

Ahhh

Hannah, not as daring as the others

Okay, this is fun

Not affraid of a little water. She is so smart to take
her glasses off!!!

Oh boy, I'm soaking we now

This isn't so bad

Oooo, this is cold!!!

One of the things my kids LOVE to do when they go to Grandma and Grandpa's house is to water the flowers and plants. This past Sunday was no different. Except that is was the hottest day of the year and Isabel just couldn't help but follow Grandpa's lead. It started with a request from my Dad to get his face misted. As you can see by the pictures, the girls' had a ball cooling themselves off too.

Brent's Dad

Mike is well, Mike. He loves his children. When he sees that their upset he tries to do anything for them. He is the ultimate problem solver.
Mike is a wonderful writer. In fact he wrote a poem for Brent when he received his Eagle in the Boy Scout program titled This Uniformed Little Boy. He has written several other poems as well. My kids love to hear him tell stories and recite poems. Beckham is the most recent of my kids to ask Papa to tell him a story. One of their favorites to listen to is Billy Goats Gruff.
Thanks Mike, for being a great Dad to Brent, a great Father-in-law and Grandfather. We love you!!! Happy Father's day, late.

My Dad

As I sit here thinking about my Dad my first thoughts go back to when I was in High School. I remember him being boiling got one night when I came home at 2 in the morning. He was leaning up against the kitchen counter, hands in his jean pockets and his knee just a shacking. Yup, I was in trouble. But it's his love and concern for me that always kept me safe, and molded me into the person I am today.
Not only is my Dad a great Father, but he loves being a Grandfather. When we moved from their home to BYU houseing he would call, not to talk to me, but to talk to Jaren and Hannah. Hannah could barely talk, but he still missed hearing their voices. I always thought that was so sweet. He is the one behind most sleepovers. He has a great library, filling two whole rooms in his home. My children love going and getting new books from Grandpa's library. He is helping to instill in them a love for reading.
My Dad is also an amazing photographer and graphic designer. One thing that he sure passed on to me was a love of gardening. He loves all things plants and flowers. I hope some day to have the same green thumb as him.
Thanks Dad, for all you do!!! I love you!!!

To Brent

I think it's great to celebrate Father's on Father's Day. We might sometimes forget to Thank them on a daily basis for all that they do for us. So I would like to take some time to Thank the Father of my children. Brent is a GREAT Dad. I watch as he interacts and talks with them and I am amazed at how well he can communicate with them on their level. He is not afraid to talk to them about hard subjects. He is truly instilling in our children Honesty and Integrity. He encourages them to be the Best that they can be.
Last year Brent realized that Jaren's baseball team was going to need a new Head Coach. He approached me and told me he would like to do this. I firmly put my foot down. At the time I was so sick with pregnancy and just the thought made me more nauseous. I would have 3 other children in baseball plus a 4month and a 4 year old to drag around with me. I don't think Brent ever excused the idea. He just kept on talking about it and ended up being Jaren's coach. To his credit, he has helped out and has been to as many games as he could possibly be at. He is dedicated to his children and recognizes the importance of learning to play on a team and cooperation. Even though my attitude still stinks at times, he is positive and he thoroughly enjoys every minute at baseball games.
So Happy Father's Day Brent!!! I love you!!!

Balance in Blogging

As a woman my mind goes a mile a minute. I move from thought to thought. Sometimes they flow into each other and sometimes they are as random as rain. A few days ago I was thinking about blogging. How much I love it. The things that I am documenting by blogging. Then my thoughts turned to technology and how advanced we are. We were given this technology by a loving Heavenly Father. What if blogging was His way to get us silly woman to start documenting our lives and the lives of our children. I knew it was important to do a journal. But picking up a pen and paper seemed like such work. And where to begin? Well I've begun. And it's started with blogging.
Brent mentioned to a co-worker the other day about my blogging addiction. His co-worker mentioned to him that I need to start printing my posts!!! Yes I do. And I will. It's a great way to spark other memories of that same moment in time.
Even though I've had to find balance in blogging. It's been a great blessing as well.

Building Castles

Annika

Beckham, so proud

Isabel's creation

Hannah being o so careful

Jaren's Hands

My Mom with Grace
Thanks for coming!!! Couldn't have done it without you!!!

The kids also enjoyed building castles. At home, these blocks wouldn't have sparked any kind of entertainment for my kids. I'm not sure if they were truly enjoying the moment or if they wanted to impress the camera. Either way, it was good times. It was fun to see my children's personalities and how they think come out in their designs. Annnika wanted hers to get taller and taller. Hannah started out with a great base. Beckham's went out instead of up. Isabel didn't really care if the piece fit, she did it anyway.