What Did You Do This Weekend?

Gardener Village with good friends (i tried to call you Erin)

Sighted a few of these

After the night here

to see this.

Yes, that is Mt. Rushmore up there. Trent had a bunch of days he had to take before Nov. So we packed the kids up and drove all the way across WY, into SD and saw Rushmore. We also stopped at Martin's Cove and Seminoe res. It was beautiful. Well, all except for the drive across Wy, that was nothing but blowing snow, semis antelope and cattle. The baby was fabulous, and all of the kids did really well being in the car for 1500 miles in 4 days. Well, all except 5 of 6, she struggled. Not as bad as it could have been, but considering she's only 20 months, she did well.

Now, back to the same old stuff. Kids off track, messy rooms.... But I will not want to eat out for a long time. That was overkill. The down side to vacations is all the fast food.

Anyway, we're happy to be home and sleeping in our own beds and our own rooms. Nothing like sharing a room with 7 others to make you glad to have your own.

Happiness is

A friend and neighbor and blogging buddy, has a segment called 'Happiness Is'. I would like to steal it, because every time I read it, I think to myself "yes it is, and it is also this" So here goes.... Happiness is a warm Indian Summer afternoon. Playing in the warm dirt with your little sister.

Happiness is an apple off the apple tree.

Happiness is covering yourself in the warm dirt, in your brand new school clothes.

And last.... not pictured, the bath after the dirt.

On My Mind Monday

The kids are off track, and no one slept in past 7, I don't mind. I didn't have to get anyone to school, the baby slept from 9-3... so did I. Things are good. Now, If I could get on top of my house before it gets worse, I will feel like I have done some good in my world.
Short term: bathrooms need to be cleaned,
Laundry done, again
house vacuumed
DI stuff collected.

We have also picked up family scripture reading again. It has been a little while since we have read as a family, I can already see a huge improvement in 1 of 6's reading. That has been a struggle for her since 2nd grade. I hope this will help her gain confidence, and that will turn into a love of reading. It is actually kind of fun, now that the 2 oldest can help read.
I also need to plan a few off track activities. We are planning a road trip for 5 of those days, hit a few ghost towns, but what to do with the other 2 weeks......

Updated

I finally updated my side bar to reflect the changes to our family. Now that 6 of 6 is 6 weeks, it was time.
I know can 1 of 6 look any grumpier? She would give me a grumpy look Every time I asked them to smile....... I thought 9 was to young to me grumpy, but she got grounded, and every time I remind her she can't do something, she gets grumpy again. This was after one of those moments. I think I just need to get used to not always getting to be the fun parent. This job has down sides too. Oh well, We have 3 weeks off track, and we are hoping to go on a ghost town trip, maybe in the Moab direction. I'm excited, we need to get out. Take a trip, get away from house remodeling, computer, Sponge Bob, laundry, You know every day norm.

Back in the Saddle

I have been meaning to set the treadmill up for about 3 weeks now. Today, it finally happened. I ran 2 miles. It was so good. I missed running, and have thought about it constantly for about 2 weeks now. I hope to be ready to do the SL half this spring, and the Wasatch Back with my SIL in July. Maybe it's Aug. And as a bonus for my efforts, drop 20 lbs.
As for life, I feel like there aren't enough hrs in the day. I my house seems to get the short end of the stick, but I'm sure it doesn't mind. It doesn't make me happy to get further and further behind, but I have days where I can get tons done, and when I get another one of those, I'll catch up.
Now, what's for dinner?

One More Thing

So. I was coming home from taking my kids to school this morning, when I noticed a neighborhood kids walking down the street with a kitten. I flipped around to ask why they had a kitten and if they needed help with it, because you can't take a cat to school. They started telling me about this box of kittens they found on the side of the road. I offered to bring it home with me until he could come get it. Then they all produced a kitten. So I ended up with 4 kittens. And none of the kids came back to get them. I didn't figure they would. Luckily Trent is an animal lover, so he was more mad at the person who had left cats on the side of the road, ( a few in the box had died) then at me, for bring them home. We are planning on finding homes for all of them. I will list them tonight, to find home for them There are 3 girls and 1 boy. I am not an animal rights advocate, but I don't think it's right to just dump them. If you don't want kittens, fix your cat. They even have free spay/neuter clinics in UT. And if a stray has kittens, take them to the shelter. Come on people, that's just wrong.

5 weeks

She has not quite warmed up to the new one.

She has.

Luckily, not enough to want to help. Just enough to come tell me every time the baby is crying.

I need to up date the pictures on the side of my blog. I need a nap more than that. We had one of those nights last night. She was asleep all day long, then midnight hit and she was awake. Until 4 am. She finally fell asleep, and Trent woke her up at 6:30 when he left. I don't like going to bed before him, but lately I have had to. If she goes down at 9, I have to go. And he's been staying up working on the stairwell, until 11 or so every night.

My other issue. I really want to start running again. I retain my baby weigh while I nurse. I never understood people when they said they lost all their weight breastfeeding. I loose all but 10, then get my milk established, and put back on 10. I can literally loose 20 lbs the month I quit nursing. If I weren't so stinkin tired, I would be running. I will probably start on Monday anyway. Tired or not. Hopefully it doesn't screw with my supply again, otherwise, I will invest in a few bottles of fenugreek.

My job today and tomorrow, get ready for Super Saturday. I need to get to the farmers market to get some more apples for the canning demo I am doing, then cook all but a handful so it doesn't take 5 hrs. I am also doing chicken, so I have to cook that before also. After that... I have no more projects. Well, unless you count the baby's blanket and 1 of 6's dress I need to finish. On top of everything else I HAVE to get done, you know like feeding a baby, a bunch of kids, doing laundry, dishes, and homework..... Being busy with things for my kids, is my favorite thing. Life is wonderful and amazing, and I thank my Heavenly Father everyday, for the things he has given me to keep me busy.

Bus Woes

So once again we were left out in the cold. 4 of 6 was moved from PM to AM pre-school. Which means a new bus driver. SO we're out waiting, and a bus drives right by our house. SO I call, and was told, "he's done with his route for the morning". This is why you call the day before, drivers. I can explain that yes, you have the right address, and where we are, and you can tell me what time to be ready. When you don't call, you end up getting an angry phone call. SO I took her to school, and the teacher tells me, the driver said 3525 was a service station. Um, no, they are next door, and they face a different direction, so they are not even on the same west. Come on, the house number is on the mail box. I know we don't live in a typical looking house, we';re off the street, I couldn't even find it when we wanted to come look at it. BUT, you're a bus driver. You need to be able to find a house with a correct address.
Okay, I'm done. I'm over it.
I also took 4 of 5 into the dr. yesterday. She had a snotty nose, and woke up the past 2 nights screaming about her toe hurting. So he digs in her ears, cleans them out, and sure enough, an ear infection. I feel a little better knowing she's not contagious, but we have to do oral antibiotics again. We also got a flu mist. I have decided, even though I am against the flu vaccination, my school age kids are going to get it. I CANNOT get the flu. 6 of 6 CANNOT get the flu, and 4 of 6 CANNOT get the flu. SO, we will vaccinate, and cross our fingers. No, we are not going to be the 1st to get the H1N1 vaccine. Don't trust it, I believe the rumors. I barely, want to get the regular flu shot, but, I feel like we need to this year. So I will.
And on a final note. I am not doing anything today. My kids are all in school (well, almost all) it's quiet, and I am going to bum around. Don't get me wrong, I really didn't want them to go back yet. It was nice to get up at 7:30. It was nice to have 1 of 6 get 4 of 6 breakfast. Or grab the baby if I was busy. But, we will be off track soon enough. I think I am going to go get them at 2 or so, and take them to my pediatricians flu clinic for the mist.

4 weeks

Wow, almost a month. I've had a lot of people tell me she looks exactly like 5 of 6. I don't see it. Yes, all of my babies look similar when they are brand new, and maybe only a mom can tell the difference between them. But, she's a replica of 2 of 5. The funny thing is, I have pairs. 2 and 6 of 6 look the same, 1 and 4 of 6 look the same, and 3 and 5 of 6 look the same. As of now. They change tons in the 1st months and years.

We are starting to figure each other out. She's figured out that when she wants to be picked up, she cries. I've figured out that she sleeps the best on her side. She won't sleep on her back, and only for short times on her tummy.

This is what Trent and 5 of 6 do in the evenings. We let her stay up sometimes and just hang out. She loves it, and just follows her dad around. This is Wed. night watching the fire.