Week Synopsis 8/11-8/17

Monday August 11- I now know the date of when the week starts because Colton has to fill it out on his reading log every Sunday eve. Phew! one problem solved.

Aunt Kerri called and came up for a surprise visit. I am afraid we aren't much fun around here... besides chasing kids. I was answering phones all afternoon and still in my pj's when she arrived! aaah! She took the kids for a wal-mart treat run (to which most of them insisted on paying for their own treats w/ their own money--except Colton--I am grateful for self reliance but I HARDLY think it is that, it is just the novelty of spending your own money has not worn off for the younger ones yet!) The whole family went out to eat at our favorite Mexican restaurant. The kids were pretty well behaved. I found a FHE lesson on zucchini & service (online) and we did it with everyone. Afterwards Aunt Kerri had to leave all too soon. My KIDS love extra attention! I wonder how her job interview went?

Did I mention that last Monday-I went to our new and big Ace Hardware to buy thicker stakes to keep the rose bushes up? While we were there AND the boys were using the sticks as swords (OF COURSE, but I did not have enough hands to take them away)-they knocked off a 15 dollar light bulb and shattered it!! AARGH! I made Colton take it up front and offer to pay for it (since I had just told him 10 seconds before to stop)--the store told him they would stick it in with inventory. Lucky! Why do I think I can ever take shopping trips without some sort of 'incident'? Dan and I staked the rest of the rose bushes by twilight after the kids were in bed. How romantic to stare up at the stars and bang stakes! It was a pretty night.

Tuesday August 12- I am sure I ran an errand or two that day, I get pretty brave shopping with only two kids home now, much to our budgets sadness. That evening I attended an Enrichment committee meeting (I agreed to serve on the committee before I started carrying 2 callings). They really only wanted my ideas and they LISTENED!! I love em'-I met a new sister coming back into activity that evening as well. I gave her a ride home and got to hear her 'story'. I miss having all the time in the world to listen and help those people, like I did on my mission. I miss it!

Wednesday August 13- We made it to playgroup 2 weeks in a row now!! Holy Cow!!!! Of course I was late because I went and had our car detailed! It was a MESS. They finished about 2-3 other cars in the amount of time it took them to clean our car. I got our money's worth on this one (considering I had just carted around loads of cat-tails for the wedding, and gone on a long car trip). Playgroup was at our friends home (The Williams)--of course, we love their home. We had a farewell cake for our good friend (Tara Trezise) who is moving to Snowflake this week. The kids and I spent almost the whole time in the pool! Dacie is sooo funny (check her out above) She sat like this for most the time! Doesn't she look like a classic pool /beach girl? I threw on the hat and sunglasses as a last minute hope for protection, and she kept them on until the car ride home! I love this picture (thanks Monica). My kids did turn into fish during vacation. I wish we had a pool.

The boys helped me take some green beans up to the church that afternoon for a luncheon after a funeral of an investigator (who was going to get baptized the next day when she passed away). It was a sad story-it is comforting knowing where she is at, however. I don't know how people find any comfort without the knowledge of eternity!

Of course I sported a sunburn (after swimming) for our first stake YW presidency meeting that evening. Our new presidency is up and running! I had to take the kids with me to the meeting at first, until Dan got off of work! I did feed our kids earlier this week--so Dan would not have to worry about it when he got home with them in the evenings!



Thursday August 14- I took the 2 kids at home to Beall's (like a Ross catered to older women)with me, in hopes of finding something to wear (jewelry, jacket, etc) for my first speaking assignment with the high councilmen this Sunday. Dacie headed straight for the purses against my will (GIIRL)! While I was looking at jewelry-I let the 2 kids (2 ft. away) play with these plastic candy cars lining them in a row (perfectly sealed where the kids could not get into them). No sooner had I turned around did I hear the clerk (an older lady) say, "oh My, kids! Do not get in the candy!" Then I heard her place her hand over her mouth and gasp in astonishment, 'Oh my, they have eaten the whole thing!" I turn around to see MY 2 kids with a Gheradelli's (sp)candy bar open, and their faces covered in chocolate. I walked over and calmly told the clerk I would purchase the candy bar. She was just so mortified. While we were purchasing the candy bar-she kept telling the kids how they were going to get sick from eating the whole thing. In my mind I was thinking, " Oh, you have no idea how much sugar my kids can pack away and NOT get sick lady. " But, I just smiled. The candy bar was 3 dollars!!!! DO NOT BUY CANDY THERE! The clerk kept ringing the candy up as 50 cents more. I clearly told her she had to sell it for the price they had it marked for. She was not happy with me. All the way home Dacie kept saying, "No No, mmmmmm". Think she learned that no means yummy? Hmmmm...should we go back this week?

Friday August 15- Remembering how much I hated moving, even without children. I called my friend Tara and told her that I was taking her children for the day. She has a hard time letting other people watch them, she feels too bad. I drove over and got her 2 boys (she held on to the baby girl)-ages:2 and 4 (check out dress-ups with them above and below). I think the boys had every toy in our house on the floor, and soaked each other with water in a matter of minutes. Naps were welcomed-except for the ones who refused them! Dan got home early that day, since they were moving into his NEW clinic-it is FINISHED and is BEAUTIFUL!! I let him sleep because I felt compassion... seminary started this week-he is up super early and has 38 students!!! While he slept I changed poops, cleaned up otter pop juice on the carpet, returned the boys to their parents, answered phones for work, went grocery shopping and picked up dinner!
Of course, Ryland did some great things (I don't remember what) and he got a treat at the store (since I NEVER just buy treats to buy them-ha ha). It was this glo-worm gummy candy (look at picture below)--It really lit up! We had fun eating candy, running around the living room and watching an alien special on TV..until it was time for bed, and our friends (the Trezises) came over to play one last night of games before they moved. We stayed up late, laughed and ate. I will miss them!
Saturday August 16- I had many grand intentions of getting things done on Friday, but succumbed to quality control instead. So today we kicked into high gear. Dan did the front yard work-which is growing into a JUNGLE because of monsoons! We stayed inside and mopped the kitchen floors, cleaned the bathrooms and vacuumed the house.

I was tired BUT instead of napping we watched Olympics all morning and went and got a babysitter. Dan and I went to a matinee movie and out to eat. We were back in the early evening, in enough time to bathe the kids and lay them down.

That evening I finalized my talk that I was giving in the morning for another ward in our stake-in a different town (Camp Verde). It was on pornography. I was able to read some really great talks, and talk with a LDS counselor (Sister Tenney) down in Phoenix who specializes in pornography. I learned and gained a great testimony in protecting my family!

I think I have an infection again because I started to not feel well at all.

Sunday August 17- Colton and I headed up to Clear Creek Ward (20 minutes away) while Dan took the other 3 kids to our ward. We were ALL on time to our respective wards. The morning ran pretty smoothly.

The Clear Creek ward was so humble, and so welcoming (I was greeted at least 4 times as I walked in). They are humble farmers, salt of the earth. My talk went well. I felt really good about what was said. It is such a sensitive topic BUT such a necessary one! Colton and I made it back in time for the end of church. I had a sub in singing, so it was nice to be in Relief Society again--at least, for one Sunday.

The Rest of the Sabbath we spent napping, coloring and Dacie in all her GIRL glory (album below) begged for us to put on a handkerchief, she added the sunglasses and pretty much strutted around the rest of the evening. She did not have clothes on because she manages to make a mess of her dresses on Sundays while eating!

Dacie has just become more obsessed with shoes than ever! Our babysitter on Saturday hid her shoes in her purse right as she walked in (so smart!) because last time she was here, Dacie took off with them and hid them under some bed. It took us a bit to get the babysitter back home! When playgroup was at our house, the entire time she tried on other girls shoes and walked around with them. For the majority of today she had one of her shoes one one foot and another person's on another. Oh yeah, AND she loves to take her purse with her when she goes "bye-bye". I got a girl!!!

May you each be the ROCK stars of your new weeks!!!