Through Thick and Thin

This week:

--School started

--Peach Canning commenced--unintentionally

--Mikayla's friend came to visit Weds-Mon

--Annual neighborhood B-B-Q

--Jordan's friend came home from his mission on Tuesday and visited on Thursday

--A trek son, Cameron, had his homecoming and enters the MTC on Wednesday

--Sis. Stevens (1st counselor from the General R.S.) came to Middleton and held at least 5 different meeting for girls/women of all ages throughout the day on Sunday. 

Yes, it was busy and crazy and exciting and fulfilling and exhausting! Abe's school Open House was Monday and he walked around his "campus" like someone had just beat him into submission. With enthusiasm, all of his new teachers greeted him with, "Are you excited about school starting?!" and with apathy every time he answered, "Not really." What could I do but just put my arm around his shoulders, smile, and say, "At least he's honest." He doesn't like to see his summers end, and I don't blame him, but Tuesday was better and he actually came home excited about his day and has seemed content ever since. A Young Artist flyer came in the mail last week announcing the new choir season and I mentioned auditioning to Abe and he seemed slightly interested, which is HUGE. I'm just holding my breath to see if I can actually get him to join again without resisting. He's old enough to advance to Concert Choir with Eden and I think he would enjoy that age group much more, but we'll see if his interest lasts through next week. He's actually got a nice voice and the discipline and camaraderie would be good for him as he definitely has an "artistic" personality. Jordan LOVED it and I'm sure Abe would too if he is just willing to become invested.  Lily and Sophie are both anticipating choirs start with excitement and Eden can hardly wait. I'm trying to figure out how to let her audition for Premier choir as she wants to be in that additional group so much, but that would mean traveling to Ontario and I'm not sure that I am that committed with my time and gas. I'm still weighing out the pro's/con's.

Tuesday, our family went to pick peaches for a ward assignment at the church Orchard, but the lines of communication are often muddled in that endeavor and after an hour of picking the orchard overseer came down on his 4-wheeler and told us the peaches we were picking were too ripe to send to the cannery and just sent us home with them instead. The YSA branch was picking at the same time and the bins were full of peaches the cannery couldn't use and we weren't prepared for home transport so we just took home as many as we could carry in a single layer in the back of the Suburban and I have been canning and making pies and smoothies all week. A blessing yes, but not one I ever go seeking. This is one Mormon mom that will passionately declare that I do not enjoy canning!

Mikayla's friend Nathan, originally planned on coming down Thursday and leaving on Sunday, but called Tuesday and told Mikayla he was coming Wednesday. With peaches all over my kitchen and school starting for the girls I was a little anxious about the timing and I tried to get pristinely organized so everything would run smoothly, but life just keeps moving forward and I have limits and when he got here there were still peaches all over the kitchen and the frenzy of the first day of school was still tangible so I immediately discarded the idea of presenting a "normal front" and just announced to him that hostessing was not my greatest talent, that the nature of our Bloomer household was usually chaotic, but that he was most welcome and I would appreciate it if he would just make himself at home and hang on tight for the ride. I believe I sensed amusement in his eyes. Undoubtedly, by the time he left Monday morning he had certainly experienced the "real Bloomer deal", which, unfortunately, seems to me an intense and stressful kind of initiation, but miraculously, he didn't seem too scarred from the experience. 

Our neighbors invited us to their annual B-B-Q on Saturday. I'm realizing that I'm not very "good" at those. Even with the conscious effort in my head to interact with my peers I continually find myself sitting with and visiting the children and teens--I just naturally gravitate there. I really need to learn to be more friendly with adults. I finally did drag myself, with the teenagers, into the adult circle

Sunday, Sis. Steven's (first counselor in the R.S. General presidency) came to Middleton and held at least 4 different meetings that I know of, with different groups of women, before heading to Boise. Eden was in the first two groups--the first being an exclusive meeting with just Sis. Stevens and the 6 young women who are serving on the stake youth committee. Eden said it was intimate and incredible. Then Sis. Steven's met with all of the Laurels in the stake, then all of the YSA women (which Mikayla got to attend) and then all of the rest of the stake R.S. women (which I was a part of). She is a soft spoken, seemingly refined, emotionally controlled, beautiful woman who spoke all four times without "script" and carried individualized, powerful messages from the Spirit every time. How I admire all of those qualities--and how far I am from so many of them. What a privilege being in that environment was for all of us.

Lori called last night wondering if Mikayla would be interested in nannying for a young family in her ward, on a personal yacht, while they travel from Maine to Central America from Oct-Dec. I just about had a heart attack and so did Mikayla (for different reasons!) This young mother of six and Mikayla have started communicating as the family is starting the interviewing process. We don't know many of the details or how many young girls will be applying for the job or if the timing and salary would even work out for Mikayla, but she has always had that adventurous spirit and has been yearning, since High School, to join Green Peace or the International Language Program so she could experience travel and different cultures. All of it makes my heart quiver, because of safety issues, but I don't want to hold her down and this could be the safe experience of a lifetime. The thought of losing my girl right when my boy gets home does not thrill me, but I want her to fulfill her dreams. We'll just have to see what happens as the process continues and the opportunity is explored. My kids just keep sliding through my fingers and I can't seem to hold on. Oh how I want them to experience all of the joys and opportunities in life, but I want them with me too--the trick is balancing both wisely.

Quote of the week:
"Create the best life possible. The decisions you make determine where life takes you....make every effort...to get closer to Heavenly Father, to get the most education possible, to make...home a heaven on earth, and to learn how to manage ... time and finances....seek for any experience... to make...life happier and more fulfilling." --Sister Kristen McMain Oaks

Annual Mutual Mud Volleyball

Abe's the little guy in front

Eden drenched

Mud Models--Eden and her best friends Gabe and Hailey

BFF--literally through "thick and thin"

Abe is front right--Ready for home and showers!