Fort Fun

Some days you have to make messes, forts, and towers. And frowns, too. This is what I awoke to after my Sunday nap. There are much worse ways to wake up, lol.

A Few More Favorites

Some of my other favorites from messing around in the yard with the camera on Saturday. These are my more elusive subjects, lol.

Deep Breaths

I'm gonna be honest. Today was a little rough around the edges.

It could really be so much worse in so very many ways.

Sometimes the emotional and mental load of what's going on around us takes some personal adjustment. And sometimes adjustment is uncomfortable.

I was kind of done peopling. Except there are 8 of us here, and there's nowhere to go. I ended up taking a bath and eating some chocolate, and then found myself anxious to get back to the kids. But we are all a little on edge, and so things fall apart quickly. We are a work in progress.

This quarantine is especially difficult for our social butterfly, Sariah. She misses her friends. She misses library books. She misses meeting new people. And the time frame is becoming more of a reality for her. She's cried. And when she's cried, I've cried.

I can't decide what to do about the little device in my hands so much of the time. Social media can be a blessing and a curse. I've appreciated my friends' posts of goodness and humor.

The news articles are unbearable, and once I get started reading them, I have trouble stopping.

I'm not sleeping at night, and that's bad for the body's immune system, which we kinda need at top notch right now.

So.

Deep breaths. Lots of deep breaths.

Unplug for at least a few hours.

Gratitude. For my girls and getting to talk to them through the marvels of modern technology. For Unstable Unicorns. For Epic! and for Prodigy. For sunshine and cool breezes. For long walks. For chats with two of my BFFs. For all of the people working so hard to save lives. For hugs at home. For the whisperings of the Holy Ghost. For Sam's grateful heart. For Madeline's joyful giggles. For Sariah's sensitive heart. For Rex's sneaky humor. For Caleb's full laugh. For daddies who take their little girls for walks, and for husbands who compliment their wife's begrudging meal-making. For my Savior and for my Heavenly Father and Mother.

So.

Get up in the morning, and hug my babies, and be with them, because time is a gift.

From Grammy's Eye

I totally ripped off all of Grammy's pictures from their visit here, because hello, fun!!

Class of 2017: She Made It!

Because...

...obviously I've been wearing my mittens wrong all these years.

Happy 2017!

Gingerbread

It was a little chaotic, a lot of sugar, a bunch of mess, and a lot of fun. One of our favorite holiday traditions.

Party On

So we let the littles--Sam and Sariah--have a Christmas party tonight since they are homeschooled and don't get to do that with friends very often. The guest list kept multiplying this week.

Let me preface this by pointing out that I've had a very long and stressful week. It started on Monday when I cried at the YMCA, and then there was Tuesday when I got really frustrated about my dumb thyroid, and then there was today. I was so stressed out by two hours pre-party, that when a collections lady called about my adult daughter's hospital bills (which we've been arguing about for MONTHS), she listened to me recite my daughter's identifying information, and then said, "You know, I'm not sure now is a good time to talk to you. Would you like me to call you back next week?" Yeah, the collections lady. Guess I sounded slightly hysterical. And when the lady calls back (again) next week, I will have to apologize. Get in line, lady. It's been one of those weeks....

Anyway, the party was pretty fun. As crazy as it sometimes makes me feel to have small people following me around 24/7, I still enjoy children and like to be with them. Once I got past being humbled because I was unable to get my house clean to my satisfaction (even though Bob made a very valiant effort while I was completely melting down AND he was being assisted by the Toddler Tornado), I really enjoyed being with these little ones and being a part of their joy.

And by the way, I'm super thankful for Caleb and Lizzi and their three friends for essentially running the entertainment of the party. I owe them...something. I hope it doesn't cost money.

I didn't get any pictures of the party itself. But I did get pictures of the aftermath.

One of the moms said, "They've destroyed your house!"

I hear you all laughing, you know.

What? You don't think this is any different than my regular housekeeping? I know. It's an improvement.

Dang, I hate it when you're right. ;)

Also...Madeline thinks the blanket Grammy sent Sam should have been hers. She kept trying to pull it from Sam while she screamed at him tonight. We hunted down the one Grammy made for her, and then she was somewhat mollified.