This Week at Our House #25

1. John came to Bear Lake with us this past week. He worked the whole time, though. He's trying to get some photo editing?? apps up for sale to see if he can bring in a little extra money. 
2. We went to Bear Lake with Jeremy (John's brother) and Rosanne, Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday. John and Jer both worked most of that time. Rosanne and I had a ton of fun in the sand and water with the kids. The lake is absolutely beautiful!! We had some rubber rafts. I would row some of the kids out into the deeper parts of the lake, jump in and swim them to shore. I love swimming in cold, clean lakes. I grew up doing it. I just love being out in the middle of the water with no pool sides. The cabin we stayed at belongs to all of Rosanne's extended family. I got to meet a bunch of her cousins. They were all very nice. We really had a fabulous time.
3. Tuesday, Ruth didn't put on any sun screen. A couple years ago, she'd make fun of me saying, "It's the sun screen mom coming after me with spf 50". I think she's changed her mind about sun screen being a waste of time. My poor girl burnt on her front and her back. She's been very uncomfortable. Today she is peeling everywhere. Ruth still had tons of fun. Rosanne's cousin with girls Ruth and Kate's same ages were there. On Wednesday, a bunch of other teenage cousins arrived at the cabin. Ruth had tons of fun with everyone.
4. Kate wore sun screen and didn't burn too badly. She's had a few uncomfortable spots and that is all. Kate enjoyed all of the teenagers around too. I enjoyed watching my girls talk and hang out with kids their age.
5. Johnny loved the rafts. He and Adam went out in the lake a lot together. Johnny and Adam were the best oarsmen. On the weekend, we stayed at Jer and Rosanne's house playing games. Johnny had a lot of fun with Jer playing game after game after game. Aunts and Uncles and cousins are good things. I love that my kids have positive influences from extended family.
6. Adam spent half his time in the rafts with Johnny and the other half of his time building sand castles with the younger kids. Adam was afraid to go out into the very deep water. I got him out there on Wednesday. I had to keep reminding him that if he can swim in Grandma's pool, he can swim in the deep part of the lake. Adam got pretty badly burned too, and he had sunscreen on the whole time.
7. Rachel enjoyed the whole week. She loved the lake. She loved sleeping in the tent. She loved the boats. She loved having her cousins around to play with and sleep with. Rachel had  a good week.
8. Anya was the best little swimmer. When I explained that with her life jacket and swimming noodle, she would have no problems in the middle of the lake, she jumped right in and began swimming around. Anya had no hesitations. I loved having her out in the cold water with me.
9. Joseph spent a lot of time in the rafts with me or Johnny and Adam. Joseph loved getting out to the deeper parts of the lake and singing songs. He liked to sing "My Favorite Things" from the Sound of Music and "Take me Home, Country Roads". 
10. Josh was adorable. He would pull the rafts out as far as he could to get me to row him out. He loved the water and especially the rafts. He fell asleep while out on the lake a couple of times. Since Wednesday, Josh has added boats onto his list of favorite things that go.
11. Arwen hated the rafts and the life jackets. She had a hard time sleeping and did a pretty good job keepung me awake at night. When I wouldn't just nurse her, she would crawl up to me and bite my face. Babies are not fun on vacations. 

This Weeks Pictures

 

Thoughtful Thursday: Teaching Kindness

In our home, how you treat other people is more important than how you feel. Practically everyday myself, my husband, and my children feel annoyed, grumpy, or put out. Life is tough. We get hungry, tired, hot, cold, have hormone imbalances, feel over crowded or over stimulated. Girls have pms. Sometimes we may feel less important or unloved. Unhappy and unpleasant times arrive. There are many, many reasons to not want to respond kindly to those around us.We do not accept excuses for being mean from ourselves or our children. We wouldn't have a happy family if it was okay to be rude every time we got hungry or hot.

We teach our children that they have to be nice even when they don't feel nice. When problems arrive, we look to the gospel to help our children understand. In John 13:14-17  and 34 it says:

" 14 If I then, your Lord and Master, have washed your feet; ye also ought to wash one another’s feet.

 15 For I have given you an example, that ye should do as I have done to you.

 16 Verily, verily, I say unto you, The servant is not greater than his lord; neither he that is sent greater than he that sent him.

 17 If ye know these things, happy are ye if ye do them.

 34 A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another."

I love the "happy are ye if ye do them." How we treat others is tightly bound with our own happiness. A happy person is not rude, indifferent, and mean to those around them. A happy person is kind, involved, and compassionate to those around them.

When someone and especially when family members are mean and indifferent toward me, it makes me sad. If I turned around and spread that sorrow, our family would be a harmful place. The Savior is perfect. His perfect law of "love one another" makes a happy family. The idea of love one another unless...harms a family.

In our home repentance and forgiveness go hand and hand with kindness and charity. When someone slips and says mean things or hurts another family member intentionally, forgiveness is a must, as is repentance. A big part of being kind is saying "I'm sorry". 

We have found that when we focus on kindness, love, forgiveness, and repentance, we all feel better. When times are rough, we have the love in our home to get us through. When hormones are imbalanced the kindness of others helps. When we are hungry or tired, too hot or ill, kindness lessens the pain. Since we all experience disappointments, trials, grumpiness, tiredness, hunger, and pain, we all need to be especially cautious in how we treat each other and not excuse ourselves just because.

This Week at Our House #24

1. Every 4th of July is John's parent's family reunion. We spent a lot of time driving back and forth to Provo. John got in a lot of much needed physical activity. He swam with the kids and played this violent physically taxing pool game called, "Pomp" twice, and played soccer with his brother, brother in law, and a bunch of the older kids once. 
2. Lots of John's sisters who live out of town have been back visiting. I really enjoy John's sister Mary. She has 7 children that are slightly older than mine. She has always been patient and easy going with her kids. Her kids love and adore each other. I don't think I have ever seen them fight. I can learn a lot from Mary. On Friday our central air quit working. I fixed it for under $15. I found and diagnosed the problem and fixed it. For that, I am very proud!
3. Ruth spent the whole week desperate to see Mary's two older daughters who were still home and at girl's camp. They made it there on the third and Ruth hung out with them on the forth. We decided to stay home on Friday because the littler kids were exhausted and needed a break. We were planning on coming back on Saturday, but Grandpa had the stomach flu, and since we are going camping for this next week, we decided no exposure to that was good. Ruth is in morning. If John has a job by labor day, I think we'll have to go to Wyoming and visit Mary's family so Ruth can have her cousin time.
4. Kate is such a fun kid. On Tuesday, she came with me to the State Capitol for some United Families Utah stuff. I love that she likes doing these things. In a way, Kate has become a mascot. I think Kate had fun at the family reunion, but she is one of our home bodies and was really glad we stayed home after the forth.
5. Johnny had a bunch of cousins his age around all week. I also let him play computer and wii games as much as he wanted. I think Johnny was in Johnny heaven all week. 
6. Adam had tons of fun with his cousins from out of town. He stayed up past 2am most nights. He loved it. I thought it was too much for his little self to handle. By Friday, Adam was teary eyed and mean spirited and the very reason we decided Friday needed to be a day off.
7. Rachel had fun with the cousins too, but her favorite cousins were not here. They will come later in the month. When I told Rachel that I did not want help folding the laundry, she told me that when she is a mom, she is going to let her kids help whenever they want to because, she said, when kids ask to help, it is just to be nice to their mom. Touche.
8. Anya had a fun time with cousins too. I really didn't see her much because she was off playing all the time.
9. Joseph, like Joseph decided toilets are only for kids with less things to do. The first half of the week, I cleaned up a lot of pee. The second half of the week, Joseph was required to spend a lot more time on the toilet.
10. Since going to bed after midnight became the norm, Josh began sleeping in past 10. I think we will rework his sleeping again this next week when we go camping. Ahh summertime.
11. Arwen is our priceless little doll. She enjoyed her baby cousins and other crawlers and all of the crumbs that get dropped when so many people are visiting at one house.

This Weeks Pictures

Swimming was wonderful

Rosanne holding Arwen

Becca and baby Taylor

he wore his swimsuit a lot. I wonder if he peed more than I thought?

One of the two times I year I buy soda

A little worried around so many strangers

Clover bouquets smell good

So lovely

Add caption

Princess Tea Party

My 5 lovely princesses plus one

Revolutionary War Hero

Marching to Battle

Colonial Dress Up

Rachel excitedly recognized the first flag

Chores from back in the day

Knights

Sparkler fun

Caught trying to burn the grass

United Families International Volunteers

 

Thoughtful Thursday

In 1776, Thomas Jefferson penned these words:

“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.”

With the ratification and signing of this document, many men entered a war almost certain to fail. Our Founding Fathers understood that “Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness” are God given rights and that government is responsible to protect these rights. They fought the Revolutionary war not for themselves, but for their posterity. “Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness” affirmed by the people and protected by the government began only after the sacrifice of many men—most of whom did not enjoy the fruits of their sacrifice until the end of their lives. Their sacrifice, unselfishly given, was for their children.

Their sacrifice stirred in the hearts of men throughout the world spurring revolutions in many nations. Democracy and religious freedom found a place in the hearts of men.

Again, we find ourselves in a battle for the God given rights of “Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness”.

Our government once protecting all life has turned against the innocent. Some lives are valued less than others. Women, in the names of “freedom” and “rights”, legally terminate the fruit of their wombs. No longer can we say, “our nation and our people sacrifice their lives for the lives of their children.”

Laws that for generations have protected the liberty to speak, believe, and worship according to the conscience of the individual are being sacrificed for laws protecting the arbitrary sexual rights of the individual. Democracy and religious freedom are losing. Men’s hearts are turning from liberty.

As sexual rights remove liberty from the laws, governments falter trying to take the place of mothers and fathers. The costs of social programs stifle the pursuit of happiness.

Slowly, the majority is becoming comfortable with the idea of sexual rights being superior to “life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness”. Our children will not know the blessings our forefathers bestowed upon us. They will not understand the meaning of liberty.

Like the Founding Fathers of our nation, our generation is being tested. Are our children important enough to for us to give what we need for their future? Will we sacrifice what is necessary to assure the blessings of our Creator? Will we once again, in the face of opposition and tyranny boldly declare:

“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.”

Monday Management

Okay, so for this I am only pretending that I know how to be a good homemaker. Our house is the white trash house on the block. We have weeds in our grass and broken blinds lining our front windows. I dream of lovely new curtains and plush green grass lined with a lovely flower garden. It's not going to happen anytime soon. So I will move on to a topic that I am a little better at: Laundry!

Laundry is my nemesis. My whole married life, laundry has been a challenge to me. In the beginning and for many years we had no washer and dryer, and so I had to tramp out to public laundry facilities. that wasn't so bad until I was hauling three kids along with me.

Once we got our own washer and dryer and a lovely home, I had four kids and laundry became it's own new nightmare. I had to find ways to conquer it. I think I finally have.

First I did the wash a bunch and throw it in baskets and fold and put it all away at a later date. That never worked very well for me.

Next, I began folding as soon as the clothes got out of the dryer and putting every single load away individually. That took way too much time, and it wasn't long before clean clothes were left in baskets again.

My next try was folding everything right out of the dryer and  putting it onto a table. Then when I had time, I moved the laundry to the bedrooms. That worked well until I had so many little kids. Laundry was consuming my life.

Finally, I found the perfect solution. Only kids mature enough to put their own clothes away get dressers in their bedrooms. All other family members get baskets set on shelves for all of their clothes in the laundry room. Actually everyone has their baskets including bathrooms and kitchen and cleaning rags. It works! I never put more than dish towels and my own clothes away. I never have unfolded clothes sitting around in baskets. I never have big 3 hour laundry folding parties. I wash the clothes. I fold right out of the dryer while putting each item into its designated basket. The kids change their clothes in the laundry room leaving the dirty clothes in the dirty clothes baskets. I have not had to worry about making bedroom space available for dressers. It works!

Oh and one more great invention. I keep a bucket of folded socks on the dryer for the kids to rummage through when they need socks. We haven't lost so many socks that way.

This Week at Our House # 23

1. John is still looking for a job. If anyone wants to pray for us, we'd be very grateful.
2. I have been doing some freelance writing. BUT... I only get paid about $5 to $6 for an hours worth of research and writing. It's not that great. AND... it's honestly hard for me to find the time. I have rearranged my cleaning schedule to find more working/playing with kids time. That actually has been good. It really was time to readjust my schedule to better fit my large family.
3. I can't remember if I wrote about how much fun Ruth had on trek yet. She had a wonderful time! She came back happy. She hasn't spent so much time moping and complaining. Today in church, the Stake President came up to me and told me that Ruth bore a courageous testimony that a lot of the other kids needed to hear. He told me that what she said has helped other youth be happy. Of course, I asked Ruth what she said. She talked about feeling her pioneer ancestors and doing family history work. She talked about getting to know her ancestors and choosing to be happy in the face of adversity. Ruth is a good girl. 
4. Kate is having a nice relaxing summer hanging out with Ruth and Bonnie. Kate came to the Celebration of Marriage with John and I on Wednesday. Kate has spent a lot of hours talking to me and doing family policy political stuff. I love that Kate is interested in the same stuff I am.
5. I'm not sure if I mentioned this or not, but Johnny  had his first scout camp out. He had fun. He doesn't like fiahing, but he said it might not be too bad if he had a book to read while fiahing. I agree. Johnny said he thinks a lot of girls are pretty. Apparently, he likes girls with blond hair and blue eyes. Cute!
6. Adam had his last week of second grade-- finally! I was done two weeks ago. The last of any school year is crazy. I went with him on a field trip to the splash pad, and he had a little singing thing the next day.  I know Adam is glad to be done and on vacation.
7. Rachel had a little singing thing this week too. She is the cutest little thing. Rachel told me a lot about school. She said she is excited to start the second grade in three weeks. I am sad that she did not get into the charter school so she could be on a normal schedule. Rachel said she is glad because her second grade teacher is the funnest in the school.
8. Anya's been really cute asking me to play with her and read to her. I am always glad when my kids demand the attention they need in a nice way. 
9. Joseph is growing out of those toddler years. He is more mature. He's starting to think about things before he acts. Joseph has been LOVING the hot weather. He spends all of his free time outside and usually playing water and mud. I let him have his water and mud even though it is extra work for me. We have a small yard, and I know my kids need to be out and exploring, so I let them dig and play and water as much as they like. 
10. I love how Josh loves his cars and trains. A toddler that loves toys more than toilets is a really nice thing.
11. Arwen is standing up to things and even walking across the couch a bit. She is 11 months now, but still looks like she did at 6 months. Arwen is the sweetest baby! I remember feeling strongly against having more children after Josh was born. I feel blessed that Heavenly Father forgave me and sent little Arwen to brighten up our lives.