Emily in homecoming parade

Here is Emily marching in the USU homecoming parade. She is singing with the Cache Children's choir this year and this was one of their activities. She is also singing in a production of Hansel and Gretel with USU opera, and a small choral part in the nutcracker at the end of this month.

Sandi's visit

My sister Sandi stopped here in Utah on their way to Texas. They finished school in Oregon and are headed down south to be closer to Scott's family. The plan is to work for a year to get residency and then Scott will finish his degree. WE had so much fun visiting with them. Sandi said she hadn't seen my kids in 3 years! Her baby boy is so adorable. Cute smile and very good natured. My kids loved their dog, Peanut, too.

Camping at Lava Hot Springs

Over labor day weekend we went up to Trevor's Dad's property at Lava Hot Springs in Idaho. WE all needed a little break. It was fun to camp in Grandpa's trailer and swim in the hot water. We had beatiful weather. WE took a little hike, fed the chipmunks, built a fire and cooked on it for Max's scout requirement, played with rocks, etc. It was a nice relaxing weekend. Trevor's dad has really worked hard on this camping property. They have hauled tons of rock, built a nice fireplace area, and shed, etc.

Sam and Ginny's birthdays

Since I've been out of the blogger loop for awhile, I haven't posted anything about the most recent birthdays. I think Ginny's pictures are still on the camera, so I'll have to add those later, but here are a couple of pictures of Sam at our family party. Both kids had a little party with friends, and a family party with their grandparents. It's so fun to be close to family for these events!

Ogden Dinosaur Park

Last week we visited the dinosaur park when the kids were out of school for UEA. Grandma Ann took us there. It was a lot of fun. The kids were given some cool geodes from an educator there, and we had fun watching the mechanical dinosaurs move. There was a scientist cleaning fossils in the lab inside the museum. Ginny's favorite part is the sand pit where the kids can discover fossils and clear away sand with paint brushes. It was done up for Halloween so there were some pretty creepy scenes with human body parts hanging out of dinosaur mouths. I was worried Ginny would freak out, but she didn't. (Good thing my sister Nancy didn't come with her kids....) I did get a giggle out of a giant T Rex skeleton with a small Halloween skeleton riding it's back like a cowboy. Yee Haw! These pictures were actually taken when we visited the park earlier this summer, but I didn't ever get around to posting them at the time. It was a fun day. Thanks Grandma Ann!

cousins

Here are a few pictures with our fun cousins. Emily with Anna and Leah. Leah and Lance. Sam with Adam. my kids with Aunt Sandi, Uncle Scott and cute baby Mannix. Cousins Roman and Malcolm at Roman's birthday party this summer. These were all taken this summer, or early fall.

project peace

Okay, so since the last time I really wrote anything, our family has completely been in chaos. The move was really hard on us. My kids have been struggling more than I thought they would, and the charter school thing has been tricky. They really have a lot more homework, and much less time to play and relax in the evening, which doesn't help the psyche around here. We're up late with homework almost every single night, no matter what time we start. I will say that it has gotten better, and the kids are slipping into a routine, but it's still tough. Child number 2 needs more time with friends. There aren't kids his age right on the block, so I have to call to set up play dates, which is tough to make happen very often with everyone's busy schedules. He needs more fun and friends to balance the frustration in his life. I'm adding this as a priority to help improve project peace.

Does anyone have any suggestions on how to handle sibling rivalry and power struggles? We've left behind the tough years of babies, diapers, and chasing toddlers, for much more emotionally grueling struggles of kids, tweens and an almost teen.

At the adult session of stake conference this past week, the stake president outlined some concerns, counsel, and promises. The promises were just what I've been praying for: Peace amid worldly turmoil, war, economic recession, and personal struggle. Help from the other side of the veil in raising our families and doing family history work. Peace and help. Just what I pray for daily. I want to lay claim to those promised blessings, so I am really going to do my best to follow his counsel. WE were asked to read the book of MOrmon and mark all the scriptures that speak of Christ. (isn't that all of them?) Prayerfully stretch and increase our temple attendance, and re-center our priorities to be around gospel centered homes. Choose what is best among the good things like Elder Oaks said in conference. The last thing was to choose and fellowship a less active family. That one is more of a challenge because I don't know anyone in this ward yet.

OUr ward here is really nice, but neither Trevor nor I have a calling yet, not even home/visiting teaching. It's hard to really feel like you are a part of things until you have a job. This is part of what I was worried about when we decided to move back to Utah. I guess you sort of feel like they don't really need you here. It's a good feeling to be needed, and feel like you are really helping the ward in whatever calling you have. I've been attending choir, so I guess I've met a few people that way. I suppose we'll just keep trying to meet people and attending meetings and hope they ask us to help sometimes soon. Maybe they don't want to give us a calling because we are renters and won't be in the ward for too long? But we really will probably be here for a couple of years at least. That's longer than we lived in Missouri.

Boy, am I whiny today! I know I just need to buck up. Trevor is working really hard and seems to have a steady flow of instruments that come in for repair. We're figuring things out. I successfully filed our quarterly sales tax reports last week. Small triumph to have figured that out on my own. There are so many details to running a small business! It's hard, both and emotionally and financially. I think in generally things are good, though. People say that it takes at least two years to really have everything running smoothly in a new business. Trevor spent Saturday trying to re-organize the shop. With summer rush, he never really had time to get everything ship-shape, so he wants to improve his organization and thus his efficiency now. This week I need to call a bunch of band directors to schedule visits to their schools.

Last thing....I am officially starting a diet today! All the stress of the move and business are showing up on my waist line. (What waist line?!) Back to regular exercise and counting calories. I'm not going to do anything special other than cut back portion sizes, and skip dessert. I'll try not to eat after 8:00 p.m. too. I'd like to say 7:00, but it's not realistic with our schedule. Pilates, yoga, walking, etc. Wish me luck!

Back Online!

I'm back! It's been ages since my last blog entry because we moved, and haven't had internet until just a few days ago. It's crazy how much you miss the internet when you don't have it. WE had to remember how to do things the old fashioned way!

We are mostly unpacked now, but a few boxes remain downstairs. The first month or so was really horrendous trying to keep up with regular life things like homework, church activities, after school activities, helping trevor down at the shop, to say nothing of laundry and dishes, amid piles and piles of boxes. it was hard to find anything! Good grief! Now things are better, and we might have to stay in this rental house for an extra year because I don't want to move again for a really, really long time.

Kids are calling. I'll write more later.

project peace

Project peace started out okay today, but ended up a dismal failure. Homework trauma.
I guess we'll try again tomorrow.

Up late

The house is quiet, and I can't quite bring myself to go to bed. These peaceful moments are few and far between. I don't have a book to read right at the moment. I finished the first Fable Haven this morning and have to wait for my husband to finish the 2nd one before I can start it. It's very imaginative, and I recommend it to people who like fantasy books. Children's literature that an adult can also enjoy.


You know what I wish for? Peace. Peace among my children. Internal peace even amid the pressures of work, etc. I accompanied my friend kristen as she sang in church today, and the words of the hymn really spoke to me.
Be still my soul
The Lord is on thy side
With patience bear, thy cross of grief or pain
Leave to thy God to order and provide
In every change, he faithful will remain
Be still my soul, thy best, thy heavenly friend
Thru thorny ways, leads to a joyful end
Be still my soul, Thy God doth undertake
To guide the future as he has the past
Thy hope, thy confidence let nothing shake
All now mysterious, shall be bright at last
Be still my soul: The waves and winds still know
His voice who ruled them while he dwelt below.

The melody to this hymn is absolutely gorgeous, as are the harmonies, and so I think that most of the time when I sing or hear this hymn, I pay more attention to the music, but today I was really listening to the words. The poetry is lovely, but beyond that, isn't it comforting to think of the Lord as close by to "order and provide?" That he is nearby to "guide the future as he has the past." I wish I had thought more about this last week as I was agonizing over the school decision. I think sometimes I take things a little toooo seriously, when I should employ more trust.

I have a plan for trying to bring more peace into our home. First, I'm going to pray for it daily, and ask for this to be included in family prayers as well. I'm going to talk this all over with Trevor, too, and ask him to help me with this goal. Second, I"m going to search the scriptures for references to peace. Third, I'm going to consciously try to compliment everyone in my family at least twice a day. 4th, I'm going to handle discipline items more quickly and calmly before the explosions surface. 5th, We can center family home evening discussions on respect, love, and obedience within our family. 6th--when problems have already occurred, I want to help the kids learn remorse and repentance, sincerely. I'll be praying over exactly how to do this--besides obviously by example. I'm hoping that these efforts will help to change feelings and that we can all learn how to peacefully resolve conflicts and work through frustrations. The sibling rivalry has been really heavy lately. And everyone has been feeling stressed out, including the kids.

Be still my soul
The Lord is on thy side
l

finally a blog entry

Haven't updated blog in ages because of the complete chaos in our lives. This summer has been sooooooo stressful, but we're getting through it. Trevor is finishing the last of the school instruments this week and then he will be able to catch up a bit. I shouldn't have to work as many hours in the shop after this week, and will try to catch up on the accounting. Trevor has averaged 70 hour work weeks, and I've worked 20-30 hours each week as well, relying on grandparents, Emily, and friends to help with the kids. I don't know how full-time working parents keep up?! I'm really looking forward to a more normal family life. I'll probably take some students this fall, but am hoping to not take toooooo many because I want to be able to help my own kids after school. It's a lot of work to keep up with 3 kids' homework, practicing, etc.

3 kids in school! Sam started school this week and is so excited about it. He loves it so much, and asks me several times each morning if it is time to go to school yet. We did enroll all 3 kids at the charter school--there has been some drama about that decision, but I'm way too tired to write about it. Sam comes home and gets right to his homework, and has told me several times that he is "smart," and his teacher likes him. I have a few concerns about this school for him, but so far he seems really happy. Max is struggling the most. It was like this for the first month or so in Missouri, too, but then he seemed to settle in. I think he'll be fine after a little more time. Emily has started to mention a few kids by name, so i hope she's starting to make a few friends. I personally am feeling bad because the start of school is usually such a big event, especially the first day of a kindergartener, and I feel like it has really taken a back seat to the stress of the business. I hope they can forgive me for not being fully "mom" at an important time.

We did settle in on a house. It is right down the street from tutu and Papasan's house, and less than a mile from my Dad's place. 4 bedrooms, office, large family room, 3 bathrooms, enclosed yard, laundry room. Reasonable rent. So it should be a nice place for awhile.

Sam celebrated his 6th birthday on Monday. He was so excited to be 6 at last! He asked me if he would be 6 tomorrow, too. I took him out to Mcdonald's for lunch, and we had a family party with grandparents in the evening. He felt special, and it was fun. We're having cake and ice cream with some of his friends at the park this afternoon to finish the celebration. That was as much of a birthday party as I could come up with right now.

Well, the house is a mess, the kids need attention, and there is more work awaiting me than I have time to do, so I better get going.
Maybe one of these days I'll have time to post a few pictures.
But probably not until after we move next Saturday.

Harry Potter mania

Harry Potter Eve. At the park today, some of my friends and I were discussing our predictions for the last book. We were all optimistic about the fates of our favorite characters. I still want to think the best of Snape, and think Dumbledore had some grand plan that we are yet unaware of. WE'll see...soon! Trevor's new shop is inside of a book store, and he has volunteered to help with the Harry Potter Party. They are going all out and have tons of activities, a Hogwarts school laid out in their basement, etc. Trevor is dressing up as Filch, of all the characters.... Anyway, we borrowed a wig for the costume, which needed a little fixing to make it work, and Emily ended up using her hair straightener on it. It was just too hilarious NOT to take a picture. Also, Trevor took a picture of the books the store had received earlier today still in their boxes, all ready to be sold at midnight tonight. We're all going to the party. Should be fun!
p.s. Trevor and I also went to see the new movie last night. We both liked it and thought they did a good job with the editing, etc.
Harry Potter mania! We're currently making a schedule for who gets the book at what time of day, and Max is upset that he is last on the list of readers, but all is not fair in love and Harry Potter.

Blah!

Today was sooooooo boring! I'm so bored that I'm having some serious empathy for my kids, who are also bored. Not that I didn't cross off many things on my to-do list today....we did. I made a Walmart trip, practiced the flute, worked on some business accounting, helped the kids do chores and practicing, got the laundry folded and put away, etc. So we had stuff to do, but we definitely need a little excitement in our lives. Being new here, we don't really know that many people, and the people we do know have lives and schedules, as opposed to us newbies who are floating around without a schedule (other than work). So....yawn!

And today is definitely a fat and frumpy day. I always give myself a haircut on these days, and today was no exception. Emily was disgusted with me. I'll never be able to grow my hair out. Everyone in the family wants me to grow it out, but I just can't do it.

Ryan's Place Park

The kids and I went to visit a new park called Ryan's Place, which was recently built in a neighboring town in honor of a little boy who died. It was evident that the whole community had really come together to build the playground. There were little plaques everywhere telling about the donors, etc. I got a little teary walking around it thinking about the family who had done this in honor of their son. Anyway, the kids loved the park, and had a great time running and climbing. There were fun make-believe elements as well as just plain good climbing.

OH my heck!

Emily had a great time at girls camp this past week. I think she really got to know a lot of nice kids and had fun with the certifications and crafts, etc.
She said she wanted to come home the first night, but bravely stuck it out and ended up having lots of fun. She came home completely exhausted. Everyone knows these girls don't sleep at camp...then the evening they got home she also attended her first session of baptisms for the dead at the temple. She's really growing up!

Her comment after girls camp, "Mom, why does everyone here say "Oh my heck" all the time? My only response, "Welcome to Utah."

I played in the alumni band concert on the university quad last night. It was fun to reconnect with old musician friends. Always fun to hit the Stars and Stripes on piccolo. One of the fun things about being back in Logan is the musical connection. There will be more playing opportunities here. I've already had a lot of people ask me how many students I'm willing to take.