A Missionary in the Family!

I've not blogged for so long that we have much news to catch up on - one of the most exciting bits is that we have a Missionary in our family!! Zack received his mission call after a very long couple of weeks waiting by the mailbox - his call was actually delivered to the wrong PO Box and sat there for a week before it was discovered!! You can imagine the distress this caused!! He was finally able to open it in the company of family and friends on Tuesday, September 8th. As I heard him read the words, "called to serve in the Brazil, Belo Horizonte mission" my emotions were on overload. He is to report to the MTC in Brazil on January 13. I'm thrilled that he will have this opportunity - I know it can be an incredible chance for growth. I'm a Missionary Mom!!

Running Faster Than I'm Able...

And, not running at all!! It has been months since my treadmill has seen any action and it's starting to show. My "ME" time seems to be the first to go when life gets too busy for the fluff. I'm missing it and my thighs are missing it more!! Time to re-prioritize!!

It's a Balancing Act

Just a question... How in the world do you find time for all that needs to be done in a day? I feel like it is an extreme juggling act everyday. So many things to do, never enough time. Where is the balance and how do I get it???

Finally...

I've decided it's time to get back to the blog! I've missed it. This isn't much, but wanted to share some my favorite pictures of Cassidy and Ty that we took last fall behind our house. Sure do love these two and their "larger than life" personalities!!

A Crazy Couple of Months

Just so you know, I haven't totally forgotten about this - just been a little preoccupied. Let's see, in the past couple of months, we have had our first child graduate from high school and leave the nest, put in hundreds of hours on building a home, packed boxes that were too numerous to count, moved to a new city, took a trip to the big apple, started a new job, and several other many things that I'm sure I should be remembering but am somehow forgetting. We are settled enough finally to be able to at least find the laptop - as soon as I feel settled enough that I won't have to feel guilty taking time to blog, I'll add some pictures and try to catch up. It's been a crazy couple of months, but ones that I don't want to forget!

Time Away Just For Two!

With the help of awesome family members who stayed with our kids, Rick and I were able to get away for a week together in Mexico. It was a week full of relaxation, sightseeing, and some fun times together - much needed time away!

We were amazed with Chichen Itza, Tulum and the Mayan culture! We snorkeled at Xel Ha and scuba dived off of Cozumel - for a gal who is scared of water, this too was an amazing experience! But, my favorite discoveries of this trip happened because we had time to talk and learn new things about each other. After 19 years of marriage, I wasn't sure there was anything new to learn. Thankfully, he still has a few surprises for me and I think I threw a few his way as well. I hope we'll never run out of new things to learn about each other! It's nice to have time away once in a while to make some of those discoveries together!

Congrats!

Congratulations to the debater in our family! Zack qualified to go to Nationals over the weekend. He'll be headed to Las Vegas in the middle of June to compete in the national tournament. Way to go!!

It's good to see that those skills can be used for something more than arguments with your mom!! ;)

Spring Break on the Slopes

Instead of heading somewhere sunny for spring break, we decided to take advantage of some great spring snow and found our way to McCall, Idaho. We were amazed at the amount of snow they had - easily 6 or 7 feet of the white stuff, and this was in town. We spent our nights at a condo in McCall and spent a day at a fairly new resort there called Tamarack and loved the mountain.

With three boarders and two on ski's, it promised to be a good time, but we did hit a few bumps through the day, and I'm not speaking of moguls: Our family trip ended up with one shy - Zack met some girls from Rigby and decided that time with them would be way more fun than time with family. Cassidy accidentally locked the keys in the truck and we had to enlist the help of the local sheriff to get us out of a jam. And, I had a little pouty moment (yes, I'm nearly 38 years old - not 2, but I still managed to have one!) when I was struggling to keep up with the other ski bums.

Even with these "bumps" - I will look back and be able to find fond memories of the weekend: Spying a fox sitting just outside the back door of our condo. Sitting alongside Rick at the pool, watching the kids play and reading a good book. Witnessing the amazement of kid's who had never seen or been on a high-speed quad lift. Being able to enjoy the incredible beauty of this glorious earth we live on.

I think that each time we embark on a new trip, getaway, adventure, vacation, or whatever you want to call it with our kids, we seem to have grand illusions of how perfect it will all be and how appreciative they will be of our efforts to expose them to some of the amazing things in life. Somehow, it never ends up to be as perfect as we pictured. But, as with the rest of life, we sort the bad from the good and try hard to learn and make the next time better...

...And then look forward to time away JUST FOR TWO!

Daily Hoops

For as long as we've lived in Rigby, Ty has struggled with friends. They seem to pick on him in every way. I've watched as they tease and trip and take his things and taunt and every other mean thing that boys that age will do, and because of his pleading, I've bitten my tongue - nearly off at times. "It'll just make it worse, Mom." It has broken my heart to watch him struggle, mostly because I just can't figure it out. He has such a great sense of humor, and is so kind and so thoughtful.

Well, finally it's happened. After years of jumping through hoops to fit in, the hoop has helped - the basketball kind, that is. We now have 6-8 boys each day in our driveway shooting hoops from the moment they step off the bus until the dinner bell rings. What a difference it has made. My flower bed will never be the same, but more importantly, neither will my boy.

A Mother's Worry

What is it that makes us, as Mother's, worry so about our children? It's a continual thing - never a break, and for some odd reason, only seems to increase with the number of candles on their cake.

Of course we worry when they're little. Is that the sniffles or something more? Don't run too fast, you might fall. You can't play with Joey, he has the chicken pox. Don't stand in the shopping cart. Hold my hand while we cross the street. Don't ride with strangers. Stay where I can see you. Don't climb on that, you'll get hurt. Don't play with matches. Wash your hands. Don't forget to say your prayers. And on, and on, and on... We work continually to keep them safe.

But, they grow up. They want their independence. They want to spread their wings and fly. And, hard as it is, we watch as they make their own choices and hope with all our might that the consequences will only sting a little bit - just enough to learn the lesson and do better the next time.

Please, wear your seat belt. Are you on the phone with her again? Remember, home before midnight. You haven't done your homework yet? You really shouldn't be going steady with a boy at your age. And why is it that you think you need to do a back flip on your snowboard? Show them some respect. How many minutes are you over on your phone bill this time? Is that friend going to be a good influence on you? Did you get signed up to take the ACT test yet? Who will you be doubling with? Please drive safe. Learn to set some limits. Don't forget to check in. Just say no. Did you wear your seat belt? Don't forget to say your prayers. And on, and on, and on... We still try to keep them safe, but now they think they are old enough to handle that one on their own. What's a mom to do?

The worry lines in my face are not there by accident. I worry that I've taught them what they need to know. I worry that they are safe. I worry whether or not they have good friends. I worry that the choices they are making are the right ones. And, I worry whether or not they will figure it out someday for themselves that their Mother worried and nagged and begged and pleaded and worried some more only because she loved them dearly.