Insurmountable task

Guess what I am doing today? This is what I do every week. This is the results of having 8 people in this family that dirty clothes!

Kyla's b-day at Sheepbridge with the family

My kids and I spent the entire day cleaning our house and then unloaded our car from our weekend away. I had a few battles, but we got it done. Matt got home from work and helped with the finishing touches and made our zucchini/squash dish for the pot luck dinner. Then we went out to Sheepbridge and played in the river with all of Matt's family. Dan and Lise are still here from Michigan so they had their daughter Kyla's 5th birthday party there with us. We ended up playing in the water until about 8:30 and the park closes at 9pm so we loaded up and came back to our house for dinner and the party. We came back a few minutes before everyone else to make sure everything was in order. I had the girls make my bed and I cleaned my bathroom really quick. (I always seem to leave my room for last when I am cleaning.) We had a nice dinner or Little Caesar pizza, fried chicken from the grocery store, leftover cold twice baked potatoes, chips and salsa, watermelon, and we contributed grilled hot dogs, green salad and the squash dish. Quite the assortment, but we were all filled. Then they served the cake and Kyla opened her presents. After everyone left and we cleaned up, it was 11:30 before the kids got to bed, except for Beau. He fell asleep on the way home so it took until 12:20 before he finally fell asleep. Needless to say, we all slept in until after 9am this morning, except for Matt. he had to be to work at 7am.

The first picture is of the entrance into Zion canyon at sunset from sheepbridge park. You can see a little of the river in the bottom corner. The next is of me. BLAH. The bottom picture is of Kyla and the cake the Esther made for her. Esther is Matt's youngest sister.

4th of July weekend

We went to the ranch for the 4th of July weekend and Matt's family reunion. We wanted to go through Zion's canyon without paying so we got up at 5am and left at 6am. We are only a half an hour away so we made it before 7am. It was really pretty to go through it that early in the morning before the sun was really shining. Anyway, we got there at 7:30 and my kids headed right to the pond to play. They spent most of the day there. Despite sunblock and t-shirts they got quite burned. I told them tons of times to come in out of the sun, but kids will be kids.

That evening, after dark, the kids got to roast marshmallows for s'mores and play with sparklers. Aaron, Matt's youngest brother, brough a large box of firework and the kids had a ball. I did get a picture of Aaron and his girlfriend this time from a distance and zoomed it in.


That night before I put them to bed Beau was hungry so I fed him some cottage cheese and Candy talked me into letting him have a hot dog that she had just warmed up. BIG MISTAKE!!! That kid tossed and turned and fussed until almost 4am. Just then it started to sprinkle outside. So I got out of the tent and gathered up all the stuff in the back of the trailer including clothes, my diaper supply, and Matt's guns. Finally, after that I was able to get some sleep. I am so glad, though, that we weren't inside the cabin. Everyone would have been scowling at me the next morning.




























After breakfast the kids did races. Safia won hers. Jaren was the youngest of his group, but he still did well even though he didn't win. Angelique and Jileigh ended up being the only ones in their respective age groups so they didn't race, but they weren't that heart-broken. Talon and Kelsey tied their race. Then they had funny races of going backward, going in circles, and crab crawling. Talon and Jileigh did really good in those. Then, to my displeasure, they gave all the kids a piece of candy. They tried to give one to Beau, but I stopped them. I said to Jason, "I didn't throw a fit about the others getting candy, but I won't stand for you giving it to my baby!" He just laughed at me. Then the kids got to make some crafts. They did foam door hangers and pictures frames. It was a nice, cool, cloud-covered day where the day before was just hot and sunny. It was a nice change. It kept my kids' burns from getting worse.

Then we had lunch. It was assorted breads, meats, and salads. Everything was wonderful. I tried hard not to over-eat. I had a nice time visiting with all of Matt's cousins and their spouses. The first cousins in his family are all so close and welcome all in-laws with open arms.

Matt took Talon for a ride on the 4-wheeler. They went riding and crossed the stream a couple of times and got covered in mud. It was definately picture worthy.

Later we had a program / talent show like we do at every reunion. It really is great because it gives the kids an opportunity to perform in front of an audience. They also gave all the kids an award for participating in the races that morning.
Then we made a spaghetti dinner. I made a full pan of sauteed zucchini and yellow squash with shredded cheese and crumbled bacon on top. It was a hit! Matt and the kids packed up while I cooked. During that time, Jileigh came to me and asked me if I had an extra set of keys. Appearently, Matt let Beau play in the car while they were packing. Someone shut the door and Beau locked himself in alone with the keys in the car and had turned on the headlights. I had learned from my last experience and had the extra set. After dinner we left. It was sad to leave but I was ready to go home to my own bed.














I took a couple of pictures of the outside of the cabin from the front and back and then another picture of the kitchen. It is a bit messy from lunch, but you get the general idea of what it looks like.

By the way, I spent over an hour and a half on the post trying to get it to look acceptable. The formatting on the program could use some improvement.

Safia and Sariah are into mischief!

Today was picnic-at-the-park at the church building because it was too hot. I took whole grain banana muffins. They weren't a hit with everyone else, but we sure loved them. I took my fresh made raw butter along with it. I found a supplier of raw milk here in town. Anyway, after we were done eating and cleaning up, we noticed Safia and Sariah had disappeared. This building is an old style building with an upstairs. We found them upstairs in the nursery room in the toy closet. They locked themselves inside and were happily playing with all the toys. Unfortunately, Candy didn't have a key to this room and they weren't about to unlock it. We ordered, threatened and even bribed them to open this door. Finally, Candy offered Sariah a cookie and Safia said she wanted one and unlocked the door. That little TURKEY!

This afternoon Jileigh had an eye appointment to get a new pair of glasses. Her last ones broke and then she lost them. She hasn't had an eye appt. for a couple of years so it was time. Fortunately, her prescription was just about the same so her eyes aren't any worse.

FHE with Matt's family

Matt's brother Daniel and his wife Lise and their 3 girls are here from Michigan for a couple of weeks. (Lise announced that she is expecting!) We had them over Monday evening for a BBQ and swimming. We also invited Nate and Candy's family and Matt's mom Cynthia. Then Aaron and his girlfriend showed up, so we had quite the group here. The food was all good and the swimming was fun. Candy didn't want to get in so I went in with Sariah and Brandon. Those two were that last ones to get out. In return, Candy cleaned up after dinner and scubbed down my fridge and pantry door. I will take that trade any day!

Sacrament meeting fiasco

This morning I got up early and made whole grain zucchini muffins for breakfast. We got ready and actually made it in time for choir practice. Then sacrament meeting started. Safia slipped away from Matt and the kids to come sit by me up in the stand since I lead the music. The kids were able to bribe her to come back down, but during the prayer, she slipped away again. So I just let her sit by me. Then when I got up to lead the music for the sacrament hymn, she came to stand by me. Then she got in front of the music stand and started leaning over the rail. Matt was dealing with Beauchene's crying since he hurt himself. So finally the bishop got up during the song and came over to get Safia to come to him. She huddled down by my feet just out of his reach as he was sitting down behind me. Then she slipped in front of me again and was leaning over the railing again. This time I just stopped leading the music and pulled her down and pulled her body around to the stairs. Our primary president, Connie, got up and came to get her and took her out. I finished leading the song and sat down by my family instead of staying on the stand for the sacrament. As I quickly sat down, I heard a rip. I had ripped open the back seam of my skirt where my bum is. Ugh!!! So after the sacrament portion was over, I picked up Beauchene and had Jileigh follow right behind me and we went home. We only live a mile away. I left Jileigh and Beauchene in the car while I changed into a dress and we headed back to church. I had Jileigh stay in the foyer with Beauchene because he was still being fussy. We just got back in time for me to lead the rest hymn. Then I went back to Beauchene and took him in the mother's room and nursed him. Then we went back in the chapel just in time for me to lead the closing song. I so hope they don't decide to release me because of that crazy hour.

Happy Anniversary to Us!

Today we have been married for 12 years! The kids brought us breakfast in bed of scrambled eggs, bacon, and OJ. Jileigh did a really good job cooking! Later, Candy and Nate's family came over and went swimming with us for a while. Then after the kids got dressed, we took them over to their house for Candy and Nate to watch them. Then we had a quiet date at our house. We grilled steaks, zucchini, and yellow squash and had a green salad on the side. It was so quiet that it was weird. I forgot what it is like to be in our house alone with my husband not having all the ciaos of little kids. We picked the kids up at 9pm and came home to put them to bed. Matt tried to put Beau to bed without being nursed, but Beau wouldn't have it. I finally gave in and nursed him to sleep. Weening a baby is sooooo hard!

My Ode to Amanda

Thursday, I called Amanda, Matt's sister, and asked her if I could have a few tomatoes for our hamburgers that we were going to have that night. Well, Matt stopped by her house after work to get them. She not only sent a few tomatoes with him but she also sent some zucchini, some pieces of zucchini bread, some zucchini muffins, and a beautiful bouquet of sunflowers that she grew in her garden that coordinate with my kitchen beautifully. The bread and muffins tasted great and we sauteed up the zucchini that night for a side dish. So I had to take a couple of pictures and say my thanks to Amanda for her kindness and generosity.

Safia - take 2

Wednesday while I was trying to focus on finishing my dishes, a couple of little girls of mine were busy in their bedroom. Angelique decided to decorate Safia's face. Fortunately, they were washable markers. Angelique also was the one to get to bathe her as well.

Chienne and Talon save the day!

Last night, Tuesday, at 8:30pm I left to go for my nightly bike ride. I got home at 9:10 just as the phone was ringing. It was Nate, Matt's brother, asking me if I was missing a couple of kids. What happened was Safia saw me leave and decided to run after me, but I didn't realized it. Our dog Chienne was barking as usual when ever anyone comes onto or leaves our property. Talon was finishing up his dinner when he heard the dog barking, so he went to look out the window to see why and saw Safia running down the drive way. (We live on a flag lot and have and long driveway.) So he hopped onto his bike without shoes and went after her. She had thought that I went to Nate and Candy's house so she was determined to follow me there. So she ran/walked a mile all the way to their house with Talon following her. Matt thought that they were with the other kids in the other room watching a movie. So anyway, Matt took the truck and went to pick them both up. Safia came home kicking and scream because she wanted to stay at their house to play with Brandon. That little girl just loves her cousins. We gave Talon an extra hug and thanked him for being a good responsible big brother.

Jileigh has had an ear ache for three days now. She feels fine other wise so we think that she has a swimmers ear ache. We don't quite know what to do about it. About an hour after Matt got home from Nate's, her ear started hurting worse. So we called Nate over to help Matt give her a priesthood blessing. We then talked about ways to help her get her ear to pop and get some oxygen down in it.

Beauchene has also been sick for about three days. He has had a low grade fever and is a little bit irritable, but that's it. I'm not sure why he is feel sick other than he is teething two molars. I was trying to ween him, but that's gone to pot. That's all he's been doing for the past couple of days is nursing. Weening is so hard.

My House decor

My friend Jen put some of her house decor on her blog so I thought I would do the same. The curtains and tablecloth are fabrics from the south-of-France area called La Provence. The yellow curtains are actually a table cloth like the table cloth in the picture with just a different background. Anyway, I cut it up to make the three curtains for my kitchen and living room. The board is what Matt and I made for ourselves for Christmas. We made a few others for family members too.

I did it!

I made it through sacrament meeting! I was asked a couple of weeks ago to take a turn to sing in sacrament meeting. I agreed. Friday I finally picked a song and spent a lot of time practicing. Angelique loves to be by me when I practice singing. The song is called Write thy name upon my heart by Sally deFord at www.defordmusic.com. I love that website for finding free songs. I was actually not as nervous this time as I was the last time I sang a solo in church. I guess exposure helps. Later in the evening when it cooled off, we went to Nate and Candy's house to let the kids play and Amanda's crew and Cynthia, Matt's mom, were there too. We just hung out and visited.

Thursday play group and Cousin fun!

We started off the day leaving at 10 am to Sierra Hills Park for our Thursday play group. It is the park with the ground level water feature for the kids to play in. Candy, Amanda, and Matt's mom went with Ben and Shaea's kids as well as several other families from the play group. The kids had a ball there. By noon I made my kids get out of the sun and stay under the pavillion. We had all brought our own picnic lunch so we ate and visited. We didn't end up getting home until 2pm. The kids were starving again so I picked up Wendy's Jr bacon cheese burgers for everyone on the way home, I got one too without the bun and extra lettuce. Anyway at 3:30 Candy kids and Cynthia with Ben's kids came over and went swimming for about an hour. After they got out, they huddle together on the side of the house where it is the warmest; so I had to take a picture of it. Then I notice that the two little ones, Safia and Brandon, were still in the water, so I had to get a picture of those two water babies too. I have mention my light bulb moment. I was worried about Beau climbing up the ladder as well as other little non swimmers. As I was staring at the ladder the idea dawned on me to just remove the bottom step. So I did and it worked. Neither Beau nor Sariah can climb up the ladder to get into the pool without assistance. That was such a relief.

So after they all left, I went to a neighbor's house to do our monthly drypack canning. This month I did carrots. Candy and I split a box.

For dinner we grilled again which makes the 3rd time this week. I love my grill. Then we sat and watch a movie together as a family. This is the fun part about summer!

Just a side note about the burger w/o the bun. I have been trying to gradually ween Beau by not trying to eat so much and trying to get him to eat more. If I cut down on eating, I can't produce as much milk. I have also been trying to loose weight. I have been able to loose about 3 pounds this past week just by watching my food combining. I don't eat carbs/grains with my proteins. (I eat them, just not together.) I also have been eating a lot of raw and steamed veggies, lost of green salads with extra virgin olive oil dressing. I would like to get back to my pre-pregnancy weigh by the end of the summer which means I need to loose another 10 pounds.

Safia's Back!

Safia has been so good lately. She told me a few days ago that she didn't want to make any messes because she didn't want to make me mad. That was short lived! Today she unrolled almost a whole roll of toilet paper on the bathroom floor and down the hall. Then later, she got into the markers and drew all over herself.

Muffin fun!

Candy recently gave me a basic recipe on making muffins. I have been experimenting with it and have made blueberry, corn, and banana muffins. I use my ground whole grains and have reduced the amount of sugar to apply it to our taste. I figure that they are better for us than boxed cereal. If you want me to email the recipes to you, leave me a comment. (I tried to upload it, but it wouldn't let me.)

Jileigh's new room

Jileigh has been really frustrated this week with her sisters always making a mess of their room. Saturday after we cleaned up Safia and Angelique's messes, Jileigh threw a big fit about wanting her own room and decided to make the toy closet her room. She and Talon brought in her twin mattress and fit it in there. She brought in about a weeks worth of clothes and put them on one of the shelves that she cleared off. Funny thing was that she didn't want to sleep in there alone. The first night, Safia slept in there with her. Tonight, Angelique is in there with her. Matt originally told her No, but I intervened and told him that we need to let her go through her stages of being a pre-teen. Basically, we have to pick our battles and this one was not worth fighting.

Sariah's birthday party at Sheepbridge Park

Friday night we went to Sheepbridge Park for Sariah 2nd birthday party. It is basically a section of the Virgin River. The kids had a ball in the water but it was rather cold. In the picture with Safia and Brandon, they were shivering pretty bad. Beauchene was just content to stand on the shore. We took out our grill and had a BBQ picnic too. Amanda brought marinated zucchini slices (from her garden) that we grilled. All the food was really good. We brought our pie for the adults and the kids ate the cake. Everyone liked our pie.

Our latest Audio Book

I heard about a popular book so I found it on CD at the library. I thought we could listen to it while doing our chores. It is called The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan. The kids listened to it nonstop. Finally I made them turn it off at 11pm. They finished the next day. Now I need to get the next one.

Rule # 1 - Do not leave permanent markers lying around!

This was actually NOT Safia's doing. She was sound asleep. My first suspect then is Jaren, but he denied it. We will have to question him some more tomorrow! Thank goodness for rubbing alcohol.

We questioned Jaren again and he truly denies doing it. Hum?!?!?!

My garden!

I have been meaning to take a picture of my garden at sunset for a couple of weeks now. Tonight I finally remembered. Our peas are about finished producing. We only have two heads of cabbage left. We picked most of our beets, and our tomatoes and squash plants are taking off!