summa, summa, summertime

My kids love to swim, swim and swim some more!!! Ashton has discovered how much he likes swim parks and slides. Marin just likes to dive and breech in the water like a whale. Greyson just tries to keep from freezing. And Mesa only really likes warm water. We were in Boise this weekend for a quick trip to visit family and go to the water park. Boise has changed SO much since the last time I was there. Even though I do not appear in any pictures, I am still the mother of my children. I hate pictures of myself anyway.

Ashton is playing soccer and has figured it all out. He scores about 6 goals each game. I have discovered that Greyson is quite the runner! Those little legs can giddy up and go. Poor Mesa had to have some teeth that were loose, pulled out. She does not react well to anesthesia. So now she is toothless and still giggles when I call her gorgeous. And Marin has started helping me out a little with babysitting her sister when she is napping or in bed at night. I can't believe she will be 9 years old soon.

nightly negotiations

I should work for the government! Because the negotiations that go on at dinner are a nightly conversation and usually I win.
"Mom, can I be done?"
"Are you full?"
"No, I'm just stuffed"
"Well, eat your carrots and then you can be done."
"How about 2 carrots and then I'm done?"
"No, you need your vegetables even though they have lots of butter and salt to dull the taste."
"So, can I just eat the butter and salt off of them?"
"Ummm.....no that doesn't count."
"Ok, just one carrot."
"Fine, then no dessert!"
"That's fine, cause I don't want dessert anyway!!!"
"Right, like that works."
"Oh, all right 2 carrots."
"Great, thank you."
And then there is bedtime...that's a whole other tangled mess.

Our animal lover, dancer, gymnast...

Marin has been a busy girl lately. She moved up a level in gymnastics, started dancing and horseback riding lessons. She would like to do calf roping or barrel racing, I vote for barrel racing. She has been the class president at the Montessori school and all the kids LOVE her. They fight over who gets to sit by her and give her hugs when she leaves. She absolutely adores any animal that crosses her path and she actually built a little trap the other day to catch one of the wild bunnies that come into the yard. She has named all the nasty stray cats that come around, I tolerate them because they eat the mice from the farm. I am amazed at the little girl she has become and I wouldn't mind having my chubby little baby back just for one day!

Strong man and lion tamer

Mesa and Ashton had a school play a few weeks ago. It was all about the circus. Ashton decided that it was necessary for him to take the role of "strong man". He lifted a stick with a couple of black balloons attached to the end to look like weights. He worked it and made it look very hard. Mesa was chosen to be the "lion tamer". She had her own whip and got to crack it while the lions were running loose. She was loving it!! For once she was in charge.

Off to Texas

I was so lucky!!! I got the chance to go visit my sister in Plano, TX to help out with her triplets while her husband was at a wedding for the weekend. I felt like I was mainly there to kiss and hug all 3 of them. My sister has it all under control. They have a strict routine, sleep from 6pm to 6am, take 3 naps and in between all that my sister takes time to wash and sterilize bottles, make baby food and more. She is quite amazing. I was loving it, but it was really hot for the first few days. I am not a hot weather girl. I like it about 75 and that's it. It's a good thing I live in Idaho where summers don't show up til mid July. I had a little drama on the way home, it seems that weeping and wailing will get you on a plane that has already closed its gate. I had 30 seconds to run about 400 yards to the plane, sometimes my sprinting skills do come in handy!

ch-ch-ch-changes

A few exciting and challenging things have recently come my way. I was called to be the first counselor in the primary presidency and I took an LPN job for a new ENT in Rexburg. Since the birth of Mesa and Ashton I have consistently felt overwhelmed. But now that I really have to organize and multitask, I actually feel a little less overwhelmed. So silly and ironic. I am so grateful for the help I get with my kids from my husband, neighbors and friends. It makes the road through life more enjoyable!

today

I wanted to list all the things that I love today...so far:
Greyson slept in for the first time since birth
Michael Jackson was on the radio when I turned it on
The snow is melting
No hysterectomy pains this birthday
lemon blueberry cocoa bean cupcake
hand made gifts from my kids
new books
all american cheeseburger and fries
my kids forgetting to give me the 34 spankings that I deserve this year....