rainy rainy day

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Today started a little too early.

Granted, it was initially my fault. My alarm went off at 5:10am, and like the dutiful person I am, I heeded the call to get up and exercise before the kiddos awoke. If only I hadn't gone to bed way too late last night.

But just as I had the laptop set up with my workout video poised and my kettlebell in hand, Jeremy opened the door to let me know Ginny was screaming and Raymond was awake. Could I help?

Of course.

So while getting up before the sun was voluntary, it wasn't the start I had envisioned. Such is life.

But it has created one of those days when you look at the clock at 9:30am, while feeding your kids their second breakfast of the day, watching the rain go streaking down the window, and wonder how you will fill the hours between then at 5:35pm when Dad comes home.

We've read books, played horsie (aka ride mom's back), colored, kicked the soccerball around the toy room, played with the play food, the play dough, and our lunches. Raymond went on a four-wheeling ride with Grandpa. I swept the upstairs, have washed the diapers, exercised (a little her and a little there with the kids underfoot), and showered. We played more with the toy food, read more books, and Raymond slipped out for an unauthorized skip in the rain.

All by 12:13pm.

Finally (it feels like) it's naptime, and I'm procrastinating my scripture study and potential nap, to ask you a very important question:

What are your favorite things to do on a rainy day?

Because I feel like I'm running out of ideas. Of course we can always make muffins (something we do just about every other day anyway), color some more. Or paint if I'm feeling ambitious. Or read more books. But my brain stops there. Any suggestions? 

Thanks! 

Oh be wise

So tomorrow I am going to get my wisdom teeth out. Yes, you read that right. It didn't happen in high school or before I served a mission. I'm 28 years old and just now getting my wisdom teeth out.

I only have two, you see (up top). And every time I've had teeth x-rays in the last fifteen years I was told they were going no where. So not to worry about it.

Well, about two months ago I started to worry when I could feel one of them coming in. Yep, that's always a fun discovery. And that pretty much was the deciding factor against going to California this summer. Sad but true.

Anyhow, tomorrow is the big day. And I am a wee bit nervous. I just wish the dentist (yep, dentist, not oral surgeon... ah the joys of not having dental insurance...) could put me out for it. But maybe I'll give laughing gas a whirl for the first time instead. (Which, honestly, also makes me feel nervous... and very vulnerable.)

I keep hoping that I'm one of the lucky ones that doesn't get a totally swollen face. That my life is back to normal in 24 hours or so.  And that Raymond and Ginny decide to take record breaking naps for the remainder of the week.

But there is already some ice cream in the freezer just in case that doesn't happen. Wish me luck.

This summer

I've been doing a lot of reflection and introspection lately.

Big changes are ahead... the second move of the summer, school starting, the kiddos sharing a room, a chance of pace, new friends, new goals.

I never miss a chance to set a new goal or two.  And so I'm up to my elbows in working out just what I envision all these chances will bring. How I can (purposefully) grow in the process of it all.

Let's just say that I am excited. I feel like we are about to make a big leap in life. That we are standing on the edge, so to speak, with the anticipation of the thrill of what's just ahead.

But at the same time I find myself trying to dig in my heels a little harder and hang on a little tighter to these long summer days and the carefree-ness of our current circumstances. I try to push Raymond a little higher on the swing, chase grasshoppers with a little more gusto, and overall smile more at the little pleasures of having "daddy" around more.

I feel like this is the last summer of our lives.

Never again will Jeremy work a manual-labor weekends-to-himself kind of job. Never again will time off be automatic and carefree. After this it's all school and work and more school and then work, work, work for the rest of his life. You know what I mean?

This is it. And so far, it has been just about right. Lazy and busy and fun and quiet all at once.

I know that someday we'll have more money to do to things with, more children to enjoy the fun with, more toys or gadgets or games. But for now, I wouldn't trade this gem of a summer for any of it.

The weekend

I think I'm still recovering from what was The 4th 2011. The crowds started coming the Wednesday before and the last car-load headed out the Tuesday after. At the peak there were 23 people in this house. It was a party.

I may or may not have finally finished washing all the towels.

Here is an (incomplete) list of some of the goings-on

• Jeanine made (almost all of) a new skirt
• Lindsey sewed eight (darling) patriotic bags for the kiddos
• seven adults hiked/swam the Black Hole (while three (sometimes four) adults watched eight kids under six)
• Ginny cut two teeth and learned to crawl (!!)
• unfathomable amounts of food was consumed... at least 8 bags of chips, 30 enchiladas, 3 packages of brats, 2 huge cases of strawberries (made into three delicious pies), a couple of dutch ovens of chicken wings, a few dozen cake pops... the list goes on
• Grandpa spent a solid two hours giving rides on his four wheeler
• Lindsey took family pictures for us and Jason and Cansas
• We actually went to the parade early and were able to sit and see it (rather than stand at the back)!
• Mark and Debbie reported on their trip to Jerusalem with a full table to Jerusalem food (hello homemade pita bread, let's be life-long friends) and a slide show
• Endless entertainment on laptops, ipads, and the DVD player for children of all ages
• Countless drink runs
• And occasional sleeping

Like I said, it was a party. I must say, I thoroughly enjoyed not having to drive anywhere or live out of a suitcase for this family gathering. It was incentive for us to buy a big ole house someday so people will come to us again. Alas. Someday.