Create

A friend sent this to me. It is beautiful and so inspiring. Just wanted to share.

Enjoy!

Week link countdown...Oops!

So... two months doesn't always equal 8 weeks, ok?! Call me stupid, but I didn't really count the weeks on the calendar, I just calculated in my head that all of March and all of April would equal 8 weeks. WRONG! So what if I don't remember that stupid poem from elementary school that says how many days in each month... shoot me! But then that would have required dividing by seven and I don't DO math! obviously.

I know how disappointed you all will be to not have another picture of my paper chain this week. I apologize if I've ruined your day. Trust me... it kind of ruined mine too after I cut off the 9 weeks to go link (and even snapped the picture to post) only to double check the calendar and realize that there are still 9 weeks left! UGH!

So until next week... you'll just have to scroll down and look at the "9 weeks to go" link for another week. :(

On the bright side... as of this coming Sunday we will be able to legitimately say he will be home NEXT MONTH!!!

WOO HOO!

(I try to be an optimist whenever possible.)

Week link countdown...

Nine...

Short trips to the tropics...

Just one more of the joys of growing older...

*Lying in peaceful slumber. Suddenly your jolted awake as though someone just turned up your internal space heater and searing heat radiates through your entire body! Hurry, kick off all the covers, turn on the fan, drink some ice water. Better yet, wear some ice water! Lie back and let the sweat evaporate in the lovely air from the ceiling fan.

Ahhh, relief, doze off in cool comfort. Zzzzz... only once again to be suddenly awakened by the chattering of your own teeth. FREEZING cold, quick, grab the covers, turn off the stupid fan and bask in the warmth of your down comforter.

Return to * and Repeat.

Continue this process until morning arrives.

Please, if there's anyone out there older than me, tell me that these things end soon!

Helping hands...

Teachers are so overworked! It's insane the things they are expected to accomplish and often times without any help at all.

This past week our entire family, minus one missionary son went to daughter Amy's 5th grade class to help her kids with their science fair projects. She has been so overwhelmed with all she has to do that we felt inspired to make a family service project out of going to help her out. I mean it's the least we could do for the woman who is going to make us grandparents/aunt/uncles in August, don't you think? It was a rewarding experience and here are some pictures of the day...

I hope this can be the start of a tradition of many family service projects to come. Great experience... I highly recommend it.

Oh yeah... thank a teacher, better yet volunteer to help.

Week link countdown...

10...

Growing pains...and pleasures

A random collection of just a few of the pains and pleasures life brought our family in the early years ...

Peaceful and precious...

one of my favorite pleasures

Wo is me...

with two daughters we've seen this one a lot

Duh... SO lame

with four teenagers we saw this one a lot too

Watch this...

too many recitals and programs to remember
Glee...

Santa came!

Surprise!

That's a BIG honkin' monkey rock!

Crushes... the first of many

Perseverance...

You can't really tell in these pictures, but he had a cast on a broken foot and on the other foot was wearing a roller skate while riding a bike.

Persistence...

Despite breaking her leg on the trampoline she was right back on it.

Surrender...

Same girl, same leg... different bone. This one stopped her.

I'm the boss...

teacher in training.

Meltdown...

Haven't we all felt like this?

Through all the ups and downs I wouldn't change a thing.

Life is grand.

Week link countdown...

11 weeks!!!We just heard a report today from another missionary in our ward that returned from serving in the Philippines on Thursday.

I was hanging on every word!

Scaredy Cat (dog)

Allow me to introduce to you...

Che' (aka chicken-dog)

Che' - pronounced Chay

The other night I was awakened by the extreme silence and darkness. Weird, I know that quiet and dark could wake me up, but it did. I could tell immediately that the power was out. No soft illumination emanating from my possessed alarm clock no hum of the furnace or glare of obnoxious light from my neighbors back yard flood lights that shine directly through my window each and every night of my life! (sorry, that's an entirely different subject). Just utter and complete darkness and silence. But wait, there is one small sound... that beep. Somewhere in the distance there is a tiny beep rhythmically sounding every few seconds. What IS that?

A low battery on a carbon monoxide detector was the offending device emitting this little sound. So, with flashlight in hand we get up to fix the problem. Here is where Che's feathers emerge. He is shaking like a leaf and following right on my heels. Terrified! The question is... of what?! We have three options here... He's afraid of the dark... (can't dogs see in the dark?), he's afraid of the beep... (such a small sound) or he's afraid of the flashlight. Upon returning to bed, he was a nervous wreck. He paced back and forth for several minutes not on the floor or even the bed mind you, he paced for several minutes ON ME!!! Yep, shakily walking the entire length of my body (which granted is not that far) back and forth finally ending up laying ON MY HEAD!

Needless to say he didn't stay there long, but had to be laying up against me for the entire night.

I guess since I had such great kids I had to be cursed with insane dogs! Che' the chicken and Taco the deranged. Taco... now there's one for the books.

She requires a whole post to herself.