How you can tell we've been home too much

We've been sick. Blah, blah, blah. I know, so has everyone else. This is how I can tell we've been stuck in this house this week:


~My laundry is done and my laundry room clean

~Payday was today and I still had half a tank of gas

~I steam mopped the tile (can't even remember when I last did that)

~The kids consider returning the Redbox movie to be a special outing

~We are out of cereal but have had dessert nearly every night

~I actually have the costumes ready

~I have been reading all your blogs and yet have nothing blog-worthy to say about my wild, kleenex-filled life

~I found the time to sew pajama pants for every kid

~The kids are killing each other and I don't even blame them; I'll just chalk it up to being a product of their circumstances

~I begged the hubby to get me a burger last night, just to verify life was still happening outside these 4 walls



PS. My little Rosebud turned 9 months this week but I can't bear to take her monthly pic with a crusty nose :(

GameDay Provo

If you have ever watched ESPN on a college football Saturday, then you know what College GameDay is. Fowler, Corso and Herbstreit came to Provo today for their match-up of the week, BYU vs TCU. (If you haven't heard of them, tell your husband - I promise he will think it's cool). Wish the game had turned out in our favor, but I went with my sister and had an awesome experience. Go Cougs!



{photograph intensive post alert}

Arrive about 6:45 - line is as long as the stadium.

In place about 7:30. Here is Lee Corso.

Some of my favorite signs around us.

8:00 am, broadcast begins and it's getting lighter

Watching the show live on the screen was really cool

These were our signs - well, my sister did all the work last night while I slept. Hey, I didn't ask her to! She did such a fantastic job, though.

Please don't cough on me

I know I have been quiet lately. Blogging is taking a backseat. I miss it, but my energy is going into keeping us healthy and happy.

The kids are off track and half of us are sick. Potter and I have escaped it so far. Three are done. Two are very ill. Strider is so sick that I have not touched him in 6 days! I simply cannot afford to be as sick as he is and take care of my family. I make him food but he fills his own water bottles and gets his own medicine.

I am being a nurse to Jedi as well and it's hard to love and snuggle while not passing germs. So we are all being best friends with hand sanitizers/stripping bed linens/washing hands like crazy hoping I can ward it off.

Hey, a kid can dream

My boys were having their regular if-I-had-a-billion-dollars-I-would-buy... discussion.

I guess I should back up by saying we turned our heat on last week. Just a little in the mornings. As far as I can remember it is the only time in my life, married or in my parents' home as a child, that my heat has been on before November. Really big deal around here. We do the blanket/socks/hoodie thing.


So the kids were going off on their wishes.


"I would have the biggest swimming pool ever!"


"I would have a Mustang convertible!"


"I would turn the heat on at night so we could be warm!"


Poor things.

One word only

1) Where is your cell phone? Desk
2) Your hair? Sleek.
3) Your mother? Unpredictable.
4) Your father? Predictable.
5) Your favorite food? Chinese.
6) Your favorite drink? Dew.
7) Your dream last night? Vague.
8) Your dream/goal? Order.
9) What room are you in? Family.
10) Your hobby? Crafting.
11) Your fear? Loneliness.
12) Where do you want to be in 6 years? Settled.
13) Where were you last night? Home.
14) Something you aren't? Adaptable.
15) Muffins? Sometimes.
16) Wish list item? Wheat grinder.
17) Where did you grow up? East.
18) Last thing you did? Supper.
19) What are you wearing? Sweater.
20) Your TV? On.
21) Your pets? None. (thank goodness)
22) Your friends? Reunited (back in contact with some again!)
23) Your mood? Content.
24) Your life? Simple.
25) Missing someone? Matt.
26) Vehicle? Working.
27) Something you're not wearing? Socks.
28) Your favorite store? Tai Pan.
29) Your favorite color? Blue.
30) When was the last time you laughed? Afternoon.
31) When was the last time you cried? Yesterday.
32) Your best friend? Strider.
33) One place that I go over and over? Church.
34) One person who emails me regularly? Sister.
35) Favorite place to eat? My dining room.

Contentment and balance

Anybody out there also on a roller coaster? I feel like a teenager sometimes with how quickly my emotions and demeanor flip flop all over the place.

Some days I go from being happy to frustrated to laughing to overwhelmed about a thousand times a day. My poor family. I crave the even-keel, the steadiness I observe (falsely?) in others.



My good friend loaned me this book for the month of August. It was very insightful and I needed to hear those words. Helped me realize that I need to gain perspective and that the power to see purpose in my everyday actions is mine. It is up to me to realize how much nurturing my family can bring peace. It is my job to show the family I serve each day the joy I feel in doing so. We were not put here for drudgery. My loads of laundry, helping with endless homework, giving pointers on handling the bully in class - these are my service and what brings fulfillment to life. I don't want it any other way, nor would I do it differently. It's all my life and part of the plan.
Fast forward to General Conference this weekend. What did I learn? That I need to begin looking elsewhere more. Seek out more selfless acts. My service at home is priority. But when things are "too much" I will feel the "UGH, why are they calling me MOM again" feeling subside more easily as I serve my fellow sisters. My weariness at home can be occasionally cured out of the home.
I have felt strongly lately the purposes of sisterhood and the bonds formed through visiting teaching will only be fully realized when we give of ourselves from the heart. Not only when we feel we have nothing left to give others, but sometimes especially then. I know when I have tested this that it is the case.
When I am sure that I am too busy or too depleted, nothing recharges my spirit more than visiting someone or showing my love to them. Sometimes at home with the fighting and chores and bah bah bah I don't get that. It is wonderful there but I am only complete when I give my all in AND out of the home. My patriarchal blessing says that others will need to lean on me. I need to do more to have my shoulder ready.
I am now striving for balance so that I can feel true contentment. I have many roles in life, and while I can't be everything to everyone all the time, I can spend a lot more of my time being something to someone.

Some of my favorite sounds

Princess making up stories to herself when she thinks no one is listening

The sound of amazement when I ask "would you like to take a pony ride"?

Leaves crunching when I walk

Cute baby squeals

The sealing of canning jar lids

Occasional (like, RARE!) silence during homework time

Happy football with Uncle David

Not pictured: The screen door slamming at 4pm after school, Hubby's car pulling in the driveway at 5pm, the dishwasher running at the end of the night. Bliss.