Growth Experience

Since I used this blog as a venue for venting about the challenges of my new calling as a primary teacher, I think it only fair to let you know that I am feeling like the storm has passed (or maybe, I am just in the eye of a hurricane, but the optimist in me would like to believe the first). After serious reflection, study and seeking out helpful resources (thanks to those of you who offered encouragement and suggestions), I decided to have the kids come up with some rules and rewards and basically just have a candid and open conversation about how we could bring the spirit into our class. Of course, I had some ideas of my own that we combined with theirs, but they were excited to have their ideas acknowledged and implemented.

The next week, I arrived in a room that was fully set up, kids -with scriptures in hand - who were reverently chatting with each other as they awaited their lesson, and then the whole lesson (taught by my teaching partner, Ashley) they were attentive and participating. At the end of the lesson, Ashley and I were both wondering if we were really in the same classroom. I would have updated you then, but I thought it may have been a fluke, however, it has continued to go very well and, as I finished preparing my lesson for tomorrow, I found myself excited about the lesson and the opportunity to teach it to my sweet class. And, at our Primary summer party, I was thrilled to have the girl in my class excited to be on my team and the boys excited to be racing against me and soaking me with water guns...that is how you know they like you, right?

Really, I can take no credit for the change...I am just thankful that callings come with guidance and direction from the Spirit. I still miss my sweet sweet young women...I think I always will...but I am grateful for this growth experience and I am truly enjoying my calling again!

Mom, Can You Please Hurry Up

and get me some food, so I can stop eating this table and move onto french fries!

Homework Part 2 aka "Awww Cute!"

Here is another one that I couldn't resist sharing (I took this picture last month and am just barely getting around to doing anything with it). Did I mention that I LOVE photoshop? The subject matter is pretty darn cute too!

Homework

I am taking a lovely photo editing class from the super fantastic Jessica Sprague and I am so excited about all of the stuff I have been learning! I heart photoshop! Anyway, since I was out of town for the weekend, I am playing catchup and this is one of the homework challenges...I love it so much that I sending it off to Costco to be printed (even though I already had it printed about 2 weeks ago in its more original form) in an 8x10 for my wall. Credit should be given to Seth for the lovely photo of the temple, I just did the editing!

Here is the original picture in its raw and unaltered state...just in case you wanted to compare.

To my baby girl...

Brynnie,

Every day I wonder to myself how we ever lived without you in our lives. I feel so blessed to be your mommy! Yesterday morning when I was feeding you, I kept falling asleep, so you decided to play peek-a-boo with me. You would say "Boo!" to wake me up and then giggle like crazy! The little things you do each day bring sunshine to our home and family! Thanks for opening your mouth as wide as you can and diving toward me when you hear the word "Kisses". Thanks for sucking your thumb nonstop...despite my best efforts to make you stop. Thanks for being totally content to lie on your back and look at the ceiling fan. Thanks for sleeping through the night. Thanks for looking at me with those giant bright blue eyes and making me wish I had your eyelashes! Thanks for loving your turtle toy sooo much. Thanks for the giggles and coos and cuddles and sweetness!

There is no shortage of adoration for Brynnie at this house...your brother and sister think you are the greatest thing that has ever happened to them and you have your Daddy wrapped around your finger already...even though you don't work it like your big sister...yet, I'm sure you'll learn though. I love you from your mostly bald little head to your teeny tiny toes and everything in between!

love Love LOVE you forever!

Mommy

Overtaken by Monsters

For any of you who have shared a recent playdate with my children, it is no secret that they like to be monsters/lions/{insert name of anything else that growls here}. And while this behavior is extremely annoying to me, and most other adults, they love it and their friends play right along, so apparently they like it too. In an attempt to not sweat the small stuff/pick my battles/attempt to not yell at my kids all day long, when used on a playground or in the backyard and not in the middle of church, at the library, or directly into an unsuspecting face, I have decided to let this one go. That seems harmless enough, right?

Wrong! Yesterday, all the kids were sleeping when I heard a growl coming from the portable crib. I must be hearing things, I think to myself...and then I hear it again and again and again! Later in the evening, after the big kids were in bed, Seth and I were watching a (crazy and very weird) movie, again comes a little growl from the portable crib. "Was that a growl?" Seth asked...and what could we do but laugh?! So yeah, our dainty little 5 month old girl is a fluent babbler, roller and now growler! I guess it will be funny in a few years when I tell Brynnie's handsome date that her first word was "grrr" (pretty much identical to the sound Lion makes before it pounces its oponent), but for now, I feel as though my house is being taken over by monsters of the growling variety. It is true that babies are sponges...and when they have older siblings...that isn't always a good thing!

Weekend Math

fun filled days

+

lots of grilling and hot dogs

+

even more watermelon

+

late nights of fireworks

+

3 kids age 4 and under

=

very tired kids

=

longer (and harder) "working hours" for mom and dad

=

very tired mommy and daddy

=

a family in serious need of some sleep

Thank you to the picnic table who so kindly took our only "family of 5 photo" thus far...and we are in hiking clothes!

We are all looking-ish so I guess it will just have to work!

(Fun times and good memories should factor into this equation, but I am no mathmatician!)

And, of course, some pictures for your delight!

First encounter with a slip-n-slide at Grandma's 4th of July breakfast...Chloe's "slide"

Morgan's slideThe best thing to watch...Chloe cheerleading for MorganBackyard BBQ/hot dog roast...have I mentioned how much I love having a backyard again?

The kids might have had more fun watching the street fireworks than the big fireworks...who knew that tank fights could be SOOO cool? (thanks for letting us join you Kelli and Nate!) And of course the big event...fireworks! (these are 3rd of July fireworks pictures...the kids did not survive the 4th long enough to watch fireworks!)

Hope you all had a fabulous 4th of July!

Before You Give Up On Me, Let Me Explain...

I realize that I have been a total slacker when it comes to my blog...and as anyone who reads this blog regularly can attest, no posts for 2 1/2 weeks has to be some sort of record for me! So this is what I have been doing...

I found this site and joined the group and started the baby steps...which led to reading this book...and keeping my sink looking like this...all the time...
which led to taking a lot of this (this is one of more than 5 loads...and I am not even finished with the upstairs) to the D.I. and garbage cansand after/amidst that, feeling inspired to do some touch-up painting/redecorating and making my room look lovely...seriously the flylady is amazing!

Watching a lot of this...which was very entertaining...

with her...

and him...And watching a lot of this...which was quite exciting after he reacclimated to the concept of swimming...

There has also been a lot of watching this...

laughing about stuff like this...hanging out on the sidelines with her...
and enjoying moments like this...
I have cleaned up a lot of this...and this...because it is worth it when I see this...
I have been enjoying the sound of Seth and Morgan doing this quite frequently...and feeling happy about seeing a lot of these fresh cut from my garden...I smile thinking about how he picked this outfit out all by himself...because it "matched his orange flip-flops"... and knowing that she is doing this now...Honestly, I can't get enough of this girl...she is just so darn sweet!

So, that is a quick snippit of what has been keeping me from writing these past couple of weeks...of course there is plenty more I could say and so much I didn't capture in pictures (mostly of the wonderful times I have been able to enjoy with my sweet husband), but I think I'll leave it at that!