Staying Afloat

This past week was school registration for Eden, Abe, Lily and Sophie; Mikayla's is this week. I guess there is no turning back now. I think the kids are ready to get back on a schedule and as Mikayla put it "feed her brain". I'm ready for a schedule, but I'm never ready for my children to be gone or for the cold weather that is already peeking around the corner. Abe wasn't sure if he wanted to play soccer this year so we waited to register and when he finally decided to go ahead the coach that he wanted to play for had a full roster, so we may not be doing the soccer thing this Fall, which is alright by me. Abe can take it or leave it, but we encourage him for the sake of learning to look outside of himself. I've pondered trying him in Aunt Linda's choir; he likes to sing but I don't know if his attention span would hold out (or if mine would sitting through another hour of practice:)

Fred and Abe went on a self planned Father/Son camping trip Friday-Saturday and we had a Girl Party (well, at least Friday night). We went to the paddle boats and walked through the Rose Garden in Julia Davis park and watched a movie together in my bed. Mikayla and Eden left for their own beds to sleep but the twins slept with me; it was fun!

Mikayla made a goal to attend our stake humanitarian work days (every Wednesday morning) until school started for one of her 10 hour projects in Personal Progress and so I, and often the other kids have been going with her to tie quilts or sand toys etc. Last Friday, one of the sisters there offered us as many peaches as we could take, if we would come pick them off her trees that are breaking under the weight. So, Friday morning we picked as many as we dared pile on top of each other in the containers that we had and canned until 5:00PM on Friday and all day Saturday. I put up everything that was ripe (21 quarts) and have the bottom of 5 large laundry baskets filled with peaches waiting to ripen. Come Monday, it's back to the grind--I am a very slow canner, but I'm grateful for blessings that always come back a hundred fold when we serve someone else.

Mikayla has been walking with me in the mornings all summer--she has now decided that we need to run instead (because she can't keep up with me walking:) and now the balances have shifted and she is dragging me along. I ran every morning when we moved here, just so I could keep up with Olive, but we only went a mile. Now we are running 2-3 "and it's no fun either!" Ben said he ran with Renee (who just finished running in a half marathon) on their anniversary retreat and there is a point where you hit euphoria. I can't remember how many miles to that point, but I know it's farther than I am running and I have no desire to find out! I enjoy walking really fast, but running pushes me. I keep doing it because it makes me feel better after the fact and I accomplish so much more in the morning and also because I don't want to turn into a large mormon mama--the big 40 is just a month away and I can feel it coming on. Mikayla wants to keep running before school which would mean at 6:00 in the dark and cold. I would prefer to do a workout in my living room, but I can't find any instruction videos where anyone is clothed enough to allow into my house. Anyone have any good ideas? I'm sure there aren't any "For the strength of Youth" standard videos out there but it needs to at least be modest enough not to make my husband or sons uncomfortable and eliminate the twins from screaming "naked baby!" and we have to be able to do the entire routine in 20-30 minutes. I'll be waiting for your suggestions.

I get to hug my son in 15 days--and counting!!!

Mom and Dad, I would love for you to find out the name of the "progressing" young man. I feel a strong interest in him and would love for my family to pray for him by name. And being surrounded by all these young, worthy priesthood holders, what a great opportunity for Dad to ask for a priesthood blessing from some of the Elders for his wrist. Healing for Dad; faith promoting for them.

One of Fred's bosses has asked (well not really asked-- more like told) him to take over one of her classes because she is completely overloaded (much more than he is, if that is possible). It is twice a week and is supposed to be from 6-10PM. Fred doesn't feel qualified to teach it--it's not even directly in his field and it is such an infringement on our very precious family time as it is, but short of quitting he doesn't know what else to do. They simply do not have enough staff to accomplish all that needs to be done. He is trying to see if he can put together an online course or get a T.A. to take over after he gets the class started or something else creative. I don't know how much harder they can push him. His capacity seems to be unlimited-- he just keeps stretching and stretching, but I know there is an elasticity peak and beyond that he can only weaken or snap in half. I just keep praying that he'll be strong enough to carry the load, that I'll be strong enough to support him and that his superiors will be guided by inspiration and compassion. I've said it before, but it is a good thing that I married this amazing man--we balance each other out. He doesn't like to rock the boat and I'm prone to capsize it--together we just might stay afloat:)

Fred and Abe heading out for Father/Son

Paddle Boats for Girl Party

Strange ducks in the pond

Sophie and Lily 'trying' to pet the geese

 

'Looking' at the fountain in the Rose Garden

Taking time to smell the roses

Relaxing in the Rose Garden