Alien Invasion

An alien spaceship landed in our back yard last night. You can come see our crop circles. At first Hazel and CC were confused.

Then they were indignant!!!

They rushed to protect the babies, but they soon realized there was not much to protect...ahem.

And then they knew fear, true heart pounding fear. Where did the aliens go after our house? Maybe they are at your house...

A Burden Shared, A Friend Made

I am home from church sick today.  After nursing sick babies through fevers this week, I finally succumbed. So we are all home from church getting better and Nate is still nursing the babies, the girls are nursing me, I have never had so many tenderly balanced cups of cold water brought to me or enjoyed so many lotions rubs and tuck in's from tiny hands. Sweet girls.

I don't watch TV on the Sabbath but I am sorely tempted to, in my misery. I will write to occupy my time instead.

If you have ever come over to visit me, I have chairs in the kitchen and I work, while you sit, we talk and laugh, tell stories or gripe, I wipe noses and load dishes too. I'll allow myself the luxury of slowing down, in a few years maybe. I am not trying to make a martyer of myself or look better than I am, I am what I am a slightly crazy, busy mom.  Heavenly Father totally gives me the power to live like this. I asked for it and for the most part, I love it!

For a few months, we hired a BYU student to come and clean or babysit. While the shirts got ironed and healthy dinners were made on those days, I usually came out more frazzled for it. It has bothered me ever since and now I am questioning why. Our student was fine, she did what she was asked, and we were just a job to her. But there was no heart in it. Nearest I can tell, what I really wanted in hiring out was someone to help relieve the burden of being a parent for a while. It is a heavy load and although Nathan carries more than his share, there are still 10 hours a day unaccounted for while he is at work. Ten hours to entertain, be creative, teach, read, play, practice, exhort, make meals, tidy, do laundry and hair, give bathes and hugs, kiss babies and hurts- ten hours where everyones emotional well being depends on you. Tall order.

There have been few people that can come in and lighten that burden for me. My mom and my mother in law for example. Sometimes, just the mere act of a friend being in my home can help keep my spirits soaring, a song in my heart and energy rolling. One such friend was Hannah, she is on a mission right now and I miss her dearly, if she never picked up another one of my babies ever, I would still miss her for her friendship and sense of humor- total package deal, oh and her eye liner techniques- who doesn't keep a lighter in their makeup kit?

She never waited to be asked, she never thought I might get upset if... she just did. She saw something that needed to be done and did it.

If you need to be asked to pick up a crying baby, even if you are willing, it's more of a burden than that parent should have to carry.

Hannah grew up around the corner from us. Her big brother Ben used to come over and we were his 'refuge' til he got too old for us. Ben and Hannah both had an innate ability to relieve burdens maybe it is a cool mind reading trick their whole family has, I don't know. Several years ago, we were digging out our driveway, Ben walked by asked if he could help and called some of his friends over too. It was no skin off his back, big muscle ball that he was, to help out but he made friends for life that day.

Hannah came along when I was big pregnant with the triplets. As though we had been friends all our lives, she eased her way into my heart and helped carry my load. Little girls got their fingernails painted and taken to play at her house, she fed them peanut butter sandwiches. We laughed together (being worried how this triplet thing was all going to go down), I hadn't had a good laugh in a while. We would talk about our growing up years, how experiences had shaped our beliefs and whether she should keep dating so and so. She was there when I needed her. After the babies were born she would often take midnight and 2 am feeding shifts because she claimed, she was just coming home from a friends party and was awake anyway. She would bring her friends to help feed babies. When Hannah was there, her light heartedness made my burden feel lighter.

This is so Hannah, nacho cheese chips from the hospital cafeteria and Utah truffles chocolate, dressing like a boy for days then doing a 180 and knocking us all out with dangly earrings and high heels, huge smiles and hugs, Lucky Penny eyeshadow, spicy food, BBQ, late nights -taking a snooze on the couch, sneaking in while I am napping to pick up a baby that's awake, playing with the girls, baby Wilson riding on a pig, wondering about her future and what it had in store, 4th of July firework with Gary and the gang, long boarding with the gang, going to work crazy early hours, happy meals toys, Lisa stories, Lori stories, PB and family, Sweet Emily, Houston Texas, (yuck, Texas).

You are not forgotten Sweet Hannah. Thank you.

The Minimalist

Can you guess

Which baby

Is the minimalist?

Boys

Left to right: Cole (Amys), James, Chase (Leahs), Wil. The boys are at Amy's house, meeting their calf, I love this sweet little picture

Still Marveling About This

I keep thinking about my sister Leah. When I go to visit her in Eagle, she has a great big house, they built it and it's lovely, with beautiful grounds. She has a peace garden she created with all white flowers and a little patio surrounded by a partition of trees, beautiful landscaping and planning have helped make this home a sanctuary. They have an ATV track, dog runs, a frog pond, a trampoline, a swing set, a hammock beside a restful willow tree and you get the picture, they have created a beautiful home inside and outside, they have worked very hard.  When you drive up and get out of your car, the air is heavy, thick with flowers you can't help but feel at peace and drink it all in.

They are giving it all up.

Nope, the money hasn't run out. The home wasn't built on a fault line, they love their church friends and neighbours. But for some reason, with the insight only a loving parent can have for their children they decided they wanted to give their children more. More as in this...

Nah, this isn't the home they rented for the summer, I took this picture to horrify Leah, did it work?  The house they rented is an early 70's farmhouse, dirt road and horse pasture and all. Four bedrooms, two bathrooms with a creek running behind the yard etc...

A few months ago, Jay and Leah went away for the weekend. They planned out the next few years together and decided what was really important for them as a family. They even wrote a family code to live by! I wanted to talk about one of the big reasons they decided to move. It may be more or less noble than I make it out to be but here it is.

As a young family Jay and Leah moved to Eagle city in its infancy. It is a lovely town with a great family feel, well planned, with fountains to splash in but Eagle has way too much wealth to be a normal city. They are moving on behalf of their children.

I grew up in Montreal, Canada, and it wasn't until my mom and dad saw that their kids were about to dive into the pit of worldliness that they pulled up stakes and moved to Idaho. They didn't want that for us. Having things, clothes, cars, being someone, doing something didn't matter to them. They didn't want it to matter to us, so they left. Having gone back and visited old friends there, very few made it, in fact only one out of all the good kids we played with in our youth group and school, and the good parents that raised them, one made it out of the addictions and gambling and partying that cropped up to become... a successful wife and mother. Really that is what it is all about? We can talk about that later. But I am glad our little seedling selves were repotted in different soil now that I saw the outcome.

Austin and his truck

Back to Leah's people, her seven children are growing up good and strong and getting ready to go to a high school were you are given your own new SUV when you start driving, it is just almost the standard. (And there is nothing wrong with this. Take no offense wealthy peoples I give you none, I am simply exploring a noble cause) They are getting ready to feed into this high school that is crazy competitive about sports and grades- achievements and scholarship. While those are important, they are not where a childs self worth is generated. I guess they could afford to buy SUVs for their kids, but instead, Jay and his oldest boy Austin elected to rebuild and repaint an old yellow truck that we used to drive when we were kids, and it was old then! We called it Dolly, I wonder if he has a name for it, probably he will want something more manly. It is a sweet little number now!

Dolly

I also heard Jay say about Austin, "I have three more years until Austin graduates, I only have three more years with my son, I don't want to spend it working the whole time." I see now how quickly children grow up. I remember Austin as a baby. A desperate little voice in my head often whispers that this time is short with my loved ones, so I appreciate the time valued with their children and that they don't want to spend it mowing 3 acres every Saturday. I love this family! I love their children, they are so good and loving, they come from parents that have watched over, trained and nurtured them with wisdom and love. Truly, why don't I live in Boise where their goodness (Amy's and Tiffany's kids too) can rub off on mine!

I am sure the decision to move is not entirely as noble as I am making it sound, the market is doing better, good time to sell, Leah has ants in her pants and always wants to move, it is not a permenant move, yes they are renting the place, I am sure they think of it as something like a summer cottage, I am sure they will have to find a much bigger place eventually, they do have seven growing kids.

Here is how I look at it. Leah and Jay are moving from their McMansion into a house not much bigger than mine, because they want to? Is there something I am missing here? My sister is willing to give up all that she hath, to save her family, so that they can spend more time together, have a less worldly approach to life, a better schooling experience and save money?

In Middleton, visiting my sister Amy's family. Lindsay, (Amys oldest girl) is teaching the family a lesson about the good samaritan. Leah is wearing the yellow tee and Jay is next to her.  The children are a smattering of Leah, Amys and mine.

I wonder if she has ever felt looked down on by those with more, I wonder if those with more, know what it takes to sacrifice the appearance of wealth for a something so good. I am not calling for anyone to make any life changes. I am just thinking aloud here. I hope when the time comes, I will be visionary enough to see a problem from a far and have the character to fix it for me and for my family.

Sort of makes giving up a cute SUV for a minivan seem downright noble eh Amanda?

A Summer Promise to My Kids

Just when I was ready to sink into despair, and abandon myself to the ruinous life of motherdom to which there can be few, however, deep joys and far too much heartache and too much work and too much negative emotional output heaped on one for all my good intentions. Just when I was ready to give up all hope and sacrifice my dry, tired bones to being a zombie mom, I visited with my sisters, mother, N8s mom and sister in Boise.

Going to Boise renewed me. I don't know what it is about family but there is strength in it for me. Seeing Nathans sisters and my sisters-these wonderful women and mothers that share love and friendship just renews me, I feel so loved.

A few months ago, we determined that I needed to get the kids out of the house so N8 could work on the bathroom without interruption, we decided I would go to Boise with all the kids in the limo. I called my sister to tell her I was coming. I told her that N8 got to stay in Provo and live his dream of doing a project without interuptions. There was a pause on the line and she said, "No, I am pretty sure that is your dream." Oh, you're right, why am I the one driving to Boise again?

So since I am have a renewed joie de vivre, I am making a few promises to my kids that may keep me from the head aching, parched bones and clenched jaws of yesteryear.

1. I choose not complain about otterpop wrappers left in the backyard or fret over juice/popsicle spills that cause me to stick to the floor.

2. I choose not care about about the inch of sand that gets tracked in our house and am willing and happy to clean it out of the tub. Sorry you don't like to bathe on it, I haven't had time to clean it yet. Sandpaper bum might be good for you.

3. In our attempts at being sweeter, the girls and I set a goal to make caramel popcorn Sunday evenings and eating it out on the stoop, inviting anyone walking by to join us.

4. We will go to the pool once a week, dare I say twice? (Usually, we went 2-3 times a week before the babies, but by the end of the summer, I was so burned out I was praying for rain and cold) I don't know how Sylvia does it.

5. We will finally make the PVC pipe ride through bikewash we have wanted to make for a long time!

6. We will go camping if all the babies are walking, oh oops, on second thought, I will let dad take you camping, and I will stay home with the babies...I was getting carried away in my generosity and good humor.

7. I will say, 'Oh Well' in my head much much more, instead of, this is killing me, this is too hard, I can't do this!

I am looking forward to a wonderful summer, full of happy little girls with messy braids streaming behind them and dirt eating babies in yesterdays onesie and well watered gardens. I relish it!

P.S. If you can't handle the sight of muddy kids, don't come over because I love it! For my kids, it is needful, healthy and happy.  

Blanket Pass

I haven't caught this on camera, I suspect I never will, but the babies play "pass the blanket" either before or after their naps while they are kicking it in there. Blankets that I have given to Quinn end up in Wilson's bed-and they have to pass through James' bed first, since he is in the middle. I get such a kick out out of this. I hear them in there, monkeying around and laughing- thats fine, I have time to get one more thing done.

I caught them today right before bedtime gearing up for blanket pass! Look at James (green blur) he looks so tired- and peaceful like he is about to drift off to sleep har-har, Wilson already has one blanket over the side.  Quinns bed is on the other side of James