Day 2

Day 2. We went to Hovenweep. It was an Indian city down in S. UT.
it was a long drive to walk around some dwellings. But we were on our way to 4 corners, so we thought we would stop. We take driving trips so we can do things like that. I like to just be able to stop when we find something cool to do. We went into the visitor center, and the man working there said 4 corners was closed. On to plan B. We decided to go to Mesa Verde. That was a cool place. And of course, I can't find my pictures from it. So you'll just have to settle fir the pictures from the not as cool Hovenweep.

Last Week

As you could probably tell from my previous post, I was getting a little frustrated by the dynamic of my household. So, we took a vacation. Well, that wasn't the reason, we had this planned for a few weeks. But it was really nice to get out of this area for a few days.
We took off Monday morning about 10. we drove to Buckhorn Wash first. This was a place we took the kids camping when we only had 3 of them. 3 of 6 was 6 months old. It was in August and in these parts, that means flash floods. It was a bit scary for me. we ended up driving through some washed out roads and camping next to the Buckhorn Wash, which was full. I was so nervous about it by the second night I made Trent pack us up when it started to rain at 10 at night. I thought for sure this wash was 10 feet deep and going to spill it's banks and sweep us into the Colorado.
This time how ever, it was dry, and looking at it, it was only 3 feet deep. I still have nightmares about the first trip, and getting swept away. (water and drowning are my phobias. Not swimming in a pool, but rivers and such) Maybe now I can rest at ease knowing it wasn't as bad as I thought.
This is the second place we stopped. It was getting late, so we did a quick drive to part of Canyonlands and found this arch. The kids ran and climbed and did what kids do.
Oh, these are some pictographs in Buckhorn
And a cave from the same location.
And if you are an out side kind of person, back packs will save you. I love this thing, we've had it and used it for every single kid.
Most of this trip Trent or I had a kid on our back and in our arms. 4 and 5 of 6 aren't very good at hiking. They would get in someplace really well, then get tired. Although, by the 3rd day, 4 of 6 was pretty used to it.
Everyday this week I will post a day from our trip. I have some cool video of 2 of 6 running/falling down the sand hill just north of Moab.....

Missed

My blog has been sorely neglected. I have been busy. Blogging takes more then the 5 minutes I have here and there to actually sit at the computer. And If I have more time, I have been playing Scrabble with my sisters. It's my guilty pleasure. And, I am feeling a bit overwhelmed right now. My life ebbs and flows. I feel like a wonderful wife and mother, at times. And then other times I feel like I am lacking in that department. I am in that department right now. Our family dynamic is not what I want it to be. I am struggling with trying to fix it. My nerves are a bit raw from the kids screaming at each other, and I can't figure out how to fix it. 5 of 6 and 4 of 6 have this love hate thing happening. It used to be more love than hate, but recently it has been 90% hate. The spend the day fighting and screaming and hitting and biting. They are 2 two year olds. I can't reason with them, I can ask nicely, over and over and over and over. My oldest has picked all of my worst traits to mimic. It's like hearing myself at my worst. My 3rd, blames everything that is wrong in his life on every one else, and is terrible to 4 of 6.
I know this will pass, we are doing what we are supposed to be doing. I am raising them the right way. I just wish this would pass a little quicker.

Torin Wallace 2 year old cutie pie on TV show (downs syndrome)

I saw this posted on another blog, and wanted to share with my friends. At the end of the clip, listen to how many kids the Drs. mom has. I love it.

Mom Shoulders

I looked at my shoulder this morning, as I was getting ready to take 6 of 6 to the drs. (She has been running a fever of 100+ for the past 3 days). They were filthy. A little green, a touch of blue, brown smudges toward the back. And honestly, they smelled a little like sour milk.
As I was getting ready to pull it off to trade in for a new nice smelling shirt, I paused. I realized that I am proud of my stinky, dirty, grimy shoulders. They were smudged with green because 6 of 6 is sick with a sinus infection, and I spent a good portion of the night rocking a sick baby. Blue because 4 of 6 had been coloring with blue marker at school, and because I am blessed with the opportunity to stay home with my kids, I was smeared when I hugged her as she got off the bus yesterday. Brown because 5 of 6 fell this morning while she was playing out side in the dirt. The tears mixed with the dirt and when I picked her up to kiss her better, it made mud.
And smelly, because I have been spit up on, almost daily for the past 7 months.

Waiting

I have a post. But, I am waiting for Trent to load the pictures from his camera, that go with it..... Be back soon.
Maybe.

A New Direction

Before I get into my post, I want to share with you, what I came upon Sunday morning.
This is what we are calling The Great Peep Massacre. My niece, tucked all of her peeps in to bed. 5 of 6 collected every one's peeps from around the house, and bit their heads off.

I just want to share a few things I came away with, after listening to conference this session. I am sure everyone listening, came away with something different. Something that they needed, something that their family needed. The message I got, was that I, well, we, needed to make sure our kids know where we stand. We need to make sure our kids know our standards, values, and know our testimony. We have decided that we need to have more formal FHE messages, that will give us the ability to teach our children. We don't want our children to get their morals and values from the world.
As part of that, last night, we listened to Dieter F. Uchtdorf's talk from the Priesthood session. His talk was on patience. Patience with ourselves, and others. We related that to their interactions with each other, their schoolwork and their chores. Also, our disciplining of them and our desire to be more patient with them.
We hope that this will help us to provide a more welcoming home for them. A shelter from the world, and a place the can be comfortable, and most of all, happy.