My Svester

How fun is this? My sister Brigitta is pregnant and due at the exact same time as me. Well, technically, I am due first, but she will have a C-section the day before I am induced.












She is having a girl and I'm having a boy. Can't wait to meet these new little cousins!

Summer Play Days

We are very much enjoying our summer break around here. Bethany and Elinor (pilot) were invited to a costume mystery party for a good friend who will be moving away soon.









Friends were staying at a hotel for a couple of days and they invited us for swimming. This picture is very embarrassing for Abe and I.
See, our three oldest children have all LOVED the water from their infancy. They learned to swim early and there was never any fear involved. Abe has prided himself (rightfully so) on being the best swim teacher on earth.
This picture proves that we are failing miserably at exposing our younger children to the water. Cannon insisted on wearing this life-jacket AND floaties the entire time. He wouldn't even get in the water for the first 45 minutes. Faith has no interest in learning to swim. I think we missed a window of opportunity. Oh well.
We had a yummy a backyard BBQ with a great family in our neighborhood. They have five kiddos and their mom is pregnant, so we felt quite at home.
We love getting together with other families where everyone has someone to play with-- parents included!









Cannon and the ladies at the little people's table.















Cannon liked the popsicles at our book club. I like Cannon's crazy hair.















Cannon's baby days are numbered. So I can't help myself, I have to put up all these cutie pictures of him. I think Abe was tickling him in the picture.













We went and saw the parade floats for the Days of 47 parade at the Expo Center. Those are a bunch of glittery crickets on the float behind the boys. Cannon is being held by his most favorite person in the world--our neighbor, Matthew.

Gorgeous

My bedroom serves as a morning family room at my house. I never remember such free access to my parents' bedroom. But everyone seems to congregate here in the morning. The younger ones get dressed in here. The older ones do their hair in here. Toys are dragged in, clothing is searched for in the unfolded, but clean laundry stacks. The sock pile (home of all mysteriously unmatched socks) is a popular morning destination.
This morning I announced to the crowd in my bedroom that I was going to put my make-up on. Bethany jumped up and said, "I want to watch you put your make-up on".
I feel somewhat flattered. Oh, my daughter thinks her mother is special because I am a grown up woman who wears make-up.
I say to her in the bathroom, "Prepare yourself. I am about to go from scary to GOOOORGEOUS in a matter of moments".

Do you know what the little darling said to me? She said, "Well, I wouldn't go straight to gorgeous!"

WHAT? Bethany, don't you know there is nothing more beautiful than a pregnant mother?

She responds, "I don't really think so".

Get out of my room. Like I needed THAT this morning.

Hearing Problems

An ad in my local newspaper today for selling hearing aids:

"HEARING PROBLEMS?
Do You Hear but Not Understand?
Do People Seem to Mumble?
Do You Ask Others to Repeat?"

Are you kidding? Where do I sign up? This is exactly how I feel, particularly in trying to communicate with one of my little people (Elinor) lately. Numerous times a day I say,
"I'm sorry, I can't understand what you are saying"
"What is that?"
"Say that again?"
"Please speak clearly"
"Am I suppose to understand what you are saying?"
"Are you talking to me?"
"LOUDLY AND CLEARLY!"

Is it pregnancy related? Do I have a wax build-up in my ears? Do I have hearing damage from all of my screechy, high pitched squealing babies? Am I distracted? Am I just not listening?
Perhaps I need a mommy hearing aid.

Let No One Feel Deprived

We took our kiddos to "Classic Fun Center" tonight. Or should I say "Trashy Fun Center". It's a place that has roller skating, bouncy slides, laser tag, a small water park area, and a few other "attractions". Tuesday night you can choose any activity for only $2 per person.
I feel compelled to take the kids out for a few fun outings seeing that
1. It IS summer.
2. I'm about to have a baby and I don't know if or when I'll ever feel like doing anything fun ever again.

Now in hindsight, I don't know that "fun" is quite the word to describe our outing this evening. Clark, Bethany, and Elinor had fun on the bouncy slides. I don't think Faith and Cannon had fun and I'm fairly certain Abe and I did not have any fun. I figure if we do something like this once a year or so that is enough. Then they can't argue that we never get to do anything "fun". Not that they do argue that point (they don't), but just in case anyone TRIED to make that argument I could point to the "Trashy Fun Center" and the $.25 ice cream cone on the way home and call it good.

A First for our Family

We had our missionaries over for dinner tonight FOR THE FIRST TIME EVER!
That is right. In our 13 years of marriage we have never had any missionaries over for dinner. I have never once seen a sign up list at church. Clark has been asking for the past 3 years if we could have the missionaries over and I would tell him that if I ever saw the list I would sign up.
Last month the elders stopped by the house and I took the opportunity to book a dinner appointment for a month out. The kids were SO excited today. I'm telling you, my children have never been so cooperative, helpful and obedient. They worked a lot today with absolutely no complaining to get the house ready and help get the dinner ready. They also have a little job for a neighbor with a pest control business to staple rubber bands onto fliers. They did 1000 fliers as well today. Talk about productive!
We really enjoyed our evening with the elders. The elder on the left is from New Zealand, but it was shameful how long it took Abe and I to guess where he was from. We actually had to get the globe out. He seemed to enjoy watching us try to figure it out. Faith drew them a picture of "the tall one and the short one".
My mother always fed the missionaries well in Italy and I think I had a bit of my mother's spirit with me today and I went above and beyond in food prep today. I think I temporarily forgot how pregnant I am and I completely went against my energy conservation program. I am beyond exhausted this evening. We may have to take a movie day tomorrow.

My Sunday Afternoon Sharing Time

I had a birthday this past week. I'm 33. This brownie was my dinner and birthday cake in one. How efficient of my people. I spent the afternoon at the Dr. office, but the good new is I have an induction date of July 30th. Now-- I must not get too set on that day. I must keep in mind that things can change. I may not be able to go in that day or. . . I could go into labor on my own two weeks early. What? It's possible! It has happened to other people. It could happen. Maybe. Probably not.



Clark also had a birthday this week. He turned 11! For his birthday he wanted to do a reptile hunt.
Hey, to each his own. We knew of a good place to find reptiles up Spanish Fork Canyon. So Abe and a couple other dads drove the gang down for a hike/hunt and a picnic lunch on Saturday. I suppose my pregnancy paralysis set in again and I opted to stay home with Faith and Cannon.






They had fun and were successful in catching a few lizards. Abe says they probably saw about 50, but they were hard to catch. I'm sure the boys' mothers were grateful they were hard to catch so there weren't many "party favors" brought home.










The boy on the left is Ammon. He and Clark have been friends since they were babies. Well, they've been friends for the past 8 years. For the first 3 years of their acquaintance they just took turns injuring each other. But they've matured and are great friends now. He lives some distance away, but Clark really wanted him to come on this outing.
Because of the distance involved it worked out for Ammon to stay the night at our house on Saturday and then go to church with Clark. We will return Ammon to his family this evening when we go to dinner at his house. This is a big deal because we don't do friend sleepovers. When visiting with family we've had cousins stay over. Our family has had camp outs with other families. But just one child, one friend sleepovers we have never done. It has worked out well and Clark has really enjoyed the extra boy time. We've known Ammon for so long and we know his family so well that he feels like one of our children. Except he's probably quieter and better behaved than some of my children. I wonder if we could work out a trade?


I thought I would try to make the most of the time with Faith and Cannon. I took them to a local splash pad to play in the water and stay cool (and not spend any money!). We put on swim suits and sunscreen. Got our towels and water bottles ready and headed off. I'm feeling like such a nice mommy. It was a bust. I didn't realize Faith and Cannon are HORRIFIED of sprinklers, Splash pad wasn't much fun it you can't stand water falling on you. The area was fenced off, but Cannon kept crawling under the fence to escape. After about 20 minutes we packed up and headed home. I'm just saying I think I should totally get mom credit for attempting to do something fun.

Clark, Bethany and Elinor played a trio of "Love is Spoken Here" in Sacrament meeting today. Clark and Elinor on the piano and Bethany on the violin. They practiced it a ton and were very well prepared. They played it very well. Poor Elinor was pretty nervous as it was her first time playing in church. Afterward she told me her heart was beating really fast. I thought to myself, "I think mine was beating faster!"

Abe's Reunion

Many of you know how I feel about the beard.
The beard and I are NOT friends. Abe wanted a beard for the pioneer trek. He wanted a beard for the family reunion so he could get a picture with his other bearded brother, Russell. Mission accomplished. The beard has been shaved. According to our "deal", the beard ought not to make another appearance for many years--if ever.






Abe and his brother, Jesse, after riding a scary ride.















I thought it was pretty brave of these dads to take 6 kids to an amusement park.














A fun part of the family gathering is the brothers playing D&D. If you don't know what that is, it's probably for the best. This picture features 6 of the 7 brothers, one "brave" brother-in-law, and one cousin.












Some of you may have noticed that Abe likes to wear hawaiian shirts for his regular attire. He helped outfit the kids for the luau night. The shirt Clark is wearing is the shirt Abe wore on our very first date. That date didn't go so well and the shirt didn't help things.
True confessions: I really like that shirt now. I thought it was the UGLIEST thing I'd ever seen.

Abe Note: That shirt actually first belonged to my Dad....who knows how old it really is. But the shirt still lives on (I just can't fit into it anymore)!!