Live Moves On

I just wanted to say thanks to all the nice comments, emails, and phone calls from everyone.  I am alive and doing much, MUCH better.  I read online that you can use soft contact solution to clean your eyes to help with the pinkeye, and it really worked!  I feel like I am starting to get back to normal now, and am just dealing with the lingering effects of a cold (cough and runny nose).  I had to go to Target to stock up on kleenex again, so now I’m good through the end of this.  None of the kids have gotten sick either, which is a huge thing for me.  I don’t know if I would have been able to make it with sick kids too.

We’ve been trying to stay busy here at home.  We spent the afternoon at the beach yesterday and it was so fun.  Caleb had fun in the sand, but didn’t like the water too much.  Brandon and Kelsie had fun building sand castles and then wading in and out of the lake.  It was nice and relaxing for me to just sit and watch the kids play and have fun.  Caleb did fall asleep for the last hour or so we were there.  I love living so close to the beach!

We spent this morning looking for flip flops and sandals for the kids and am happy to say we found a great deal.  I love it when we find a good deal.  It makes me feel so good!

Since I’m starting to feel better, I am getting the itch to start creating something again.  I have a few projects in mind, so I’ll post pictures when I get them done.  I really like not being tied down to any schedules.  It’s so nice to do what we want when we want. 

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Happy Father’s Day!

We miss you!

just another one to make you smile!

Perfect Timing

My goodness, this has been a long week here.  The summer weather has finally decided to come which is good, but I’ve been sick all week, which is bad.  I woke up Monday morning with a fever and sore throat.  This is very unusual for me, since I never get fevers.  Wally was starting to think there was something wrong with me since I was sick all winter and not once had a fever.  Since I was feeling pretty bad, and had a fever to prove it, I stayed in bed all day while my three kiddos ran around the house, watched TV, played computer games, and pretty much did whatever they wanted to.  And I didn’t care. 

By Wednesday, I was feeling so yucky that I went to the doctor, another big deal for me if you know me.  I was convinced that I had the flu or something worse and came out with “it’s just a really bad cold”.  The remedy?  Take a couple of advil for the discomfort and mucinex to clear it all out.  Great.  Except that mucinex doesn’t work for me.  Or Wally.  But I tried it anyway and it still didn’t work.

It’s Saturday night, and although I’m feeling a little better, I’m still going through 3 boxes of kleenex a day with no end in sight.  And speaking of sight, now I have some form of pink eye.  I’ve been putting the drops in my eye all day and looking up home remedies online (if you know any, send them my way).  Hopefully I’ll wake up tomorrow and this will all be in the past.  Except that probably isn’t going to happen.  Sigh.

To add to all my drama, Wally left yesterday afternoon for a work conference in the Netherlands and will be gone all week.  Great timing, huh?

I bet those bacteria bugs are laughing their little heads off right now. 

Summer Survival

It’s official.  The last day of school has come and gone—the whole 1 hour of it.  Summer has begun.  Since both Kelsie and Brandon did so well and actually graduated to the next grade level this year, I wanted to start the summer off right.

I am a strong believer in long, lazy, summer days—after jobs are done, of course.  Summertime is a magical time for kids to be outside, explore, get dirty, be creative, and have lots of fun.  I’ve found that with lots of other distractions (t.v., video games, computer games, etc.) I sometimes feel like I am pushing, almost bribing them (I’ll let you have another popsicle) to play outside. 

So, on the last day of school, just when the asking about said computer games started, I presented them with their very own

SUMMER SURVIVAL KITS

The kits included all the summer essentials:

• shove and pail, beach towel, and goggles (for when we go to the beach)
• a flashlight for those late nights playing in the backyard and for when we go camping
• sidewalk chalk, mini clipboard, and a florescent pad of paper for any inspiration that may come to their minds
• first-aid kits complete with antibacterial cream and colorful band-aids for all the scrapes and falls they’ll get
• The Dangerous Book for Boys and The Daring Book for Girls
• bubbles, because you always have to have bubbles
• walkie-talkies because they’re just fun
• bug kits for catching and examining those little tiny creatures
• sparklers and poppers for the 4th of July (which have been saved for that day—don’t worry!)

And finally, homemade cards from Wally and I telling them how proud we are of all their accomplishments this year.  We really are going to have a great summer and while there is time for the t.v. and video games, I was just really happy that they spent the majority of the afternoon talking in code through the walkie-talkies and looking for bugs.

Yes, my friends.  Summer has begun.

Promised Pictures

Remember when we had Easter like 2 months ago?  Well, I am finally getting around to posting these pictures of my kids.  Here they are sporting the coordinating ties and skirt I made for them. 

 I think these pictures might actually make it up on the wall—if I ever get over the love/hate relationship I have with the hammer.

Dear Summer

57 degrees in June is not acceptable. 

This is a mean trick to play on those of us who only made it through the winter with the promise of sun and warmth to come. 

I have been waiting, patiently. 

Until now.

I need you. 

My garden needs you. 

My kids need you. 

Please come and stay.

Thank you,

RP

p.s. we could do without the humidity for a little longer, if you would be so kind.

A Great Memorial Day

This past Memorial Day just happened to be my Grandfather’s 89th birthday.  A few months ago, our family was planning a big surprise party for him.  Our plans were put on hold, however, after he was hit by a car eight weeks ago.  From the outside, his body is healing.  The inside is a whole different story.  These last few weeks he has gone through some pretty rough patches sprinkled with a few good times.  We decided to go ahead and celebrate his birthday, even if it meant we were going to all cram all of us into his small hospital room to sing to him.  And there are a lot of us.

I flew out the Saturday before Memorial Day.  It was a long flight and after having to switch planes due to some electrical problems, I finally made it a little over an hour later than planned.  I was able to see most of my sisters and their families who came for the special occasion, and my parents.  It was so good to see everyone, especially since I don’t get to see them very often.

When I went in to see my grandpa for the first time, it was hard.  Before his accident, he was totally independent and healthy.  I have never seen him like this before.  I brought in pictures that my family drew for him and told him that I loved him.  He was pretty nonresponsive that first day.  I did get a little smile and a small squeeze while I was holding his hand to let me know that he heard me and knew who I was. 

My sisters and I came in to decorate his hospital room with a birthday banner and flag (he is a veteran who fought in WWII) the morning of Memorial Day.  He was in another room having some treatment done, so we each took our turn to wish him a happy birthday and told him we would be back later in the day. 

We all (19 of us, I think) came back, as promised later that afternoon and sang Happy Birthday.  He was so happy we were all there and was the most responsive he had been in a while.  He opened his eyes and gave us some priceless smiles.  He was even able to mutter an “I love you” to all of us before drifting off to sleep again.

I don’t think I am going to see my grandpa again in this life, but I do know that I will see him again in the next life.  Families have a very powerful  impact in our lives.  Living far away from both of our families has helped us to understand and appreciate this better.  As unfortunate as this was for my grandpa, it has given me hope and faith in the gospel of Jesus Christ and His Plan of Salvation.

In honor of him, we’re going to head out to the golf course (one his favorite things to do).  It’ll have to be miniature golf for us though, since we can’t hit the ball near the hole no matter how hard we try! 

 

I love you, Grandpa.

All in the Nose

I just love the funny things my kids say. This one was from breakfast this morning:

Brandon: “Dad, you have the longest, pointiest nose I’ve ever seen!”

Dad: “Well, you have the flattest nose I’ve ever seen!”

(Unfortunately for Brandon, this is true.)

We then spent the next 5 minutes comparing our noses.