Let's begin at the very beginning...a very good place to start. WRONG!!! We will start at the end (actually the present) and work our way back through the past 5ish months.
Daphne and I went to Linder Farms with her preschool class today. END OF AN ERA. I've gone with all my kids for preschool, and it's all over. She had fun, was jumping and running and sliding and chatting with friends. Pretty good time. Side note: I took scissors to my hair starting Friday night through Sunday. I just didn't like my hair cut...see picture below, and though I'm no pro, I will rock bangs for a while now I think. Something exciting needs to happen as I grow my hair out. Daphne is very impatient about the process. I remember wanting my mom to have long hair when I was little for me to play with and style. I'm trying, DG, I'm trying. I'm even taking biotin and singing to it.
I had to put this picture in just because it gives me the warmest of fuzzies and lots of excitement about the coming year. The children were gathered in my room talking about this and that after church on Sunday. They are magnificent in their quirky, why, how, what in the world ways. I look forward to stepping it up in how we approach family time on the sabbath and other days of the week, in taking more time to teach them because I want them to have rock solid testimonies show that when their faith shakers come, they say, nope, sorry Satan, and can keep going, through hardship, through mistakes and heartache and repentance and the calm times and happy times when it is so easy to get distracted or mix up your priorities.
Then we have creepy cat. The cats became obsessed with my shoe area of our closet last week. I pulled out every bag and box and nothing suspicious. Maybe I stepped in some catnip or maybe Piper could just hear spiders in the floorboards. No idea, but she looked at me like I was invading her room and not vice-versa when I caught her in this photo.
Bucket list item. Family bike ride. We were missing Lucas, but I figure take them a time or two without him so we can work out the kinks. If we don't work out some kinks, he may never come with us again.
And it went pretty well.
Mostly well.
The first half went really well.
But time was limited before I had to work and on the way back 2 little souls got so, so tired and hungry and they nearly died. Wolves might have been chasing us. Shawn's bike might have been too small. He may have only eaten a donut and a few meals so far that day and, yep, it was pretty much the end.
Until it wasn't and we all made it home. Keep in mind I had to make 2 trips to the river and 2 trips back with all the bikes and children that I own and love, respectively.
Said haircut. Like the color is darker and different, plus highlights. That part's okay, but last time I got sidebangs I loved it. This time they were all on one side, none on the other and with my hair back (I almost always have mom hair due to cooking and cleaning and don't care), it looked like poof on one side and severe on the other. So snippety, snippety. I felt maybe like 1% Brittney Spears as I chopped away at 12:30 a.m. one night. Is this a good idea? But I like my bangs. I like how they make my eyes a feature and make me look quite different and maybe a bit younger. Fingers crossed.
Not that I'm afraid of getting old...
And Lily's got all these fun birthdays to look forward to. She also got her patriarchal blessing around her birthday. One of THE most spiritual experiences in my life, certainly more spiritual than receiving mine. I could feel God's love for her. I could feel the Savior's love for her, and I have no doubt they were there through the presence of the Holy Ghost. I need to remember that day and that blessing when I get eye rolls and drama and it's the end of the world and general displeasure. Because this girl is amazing, has always been amazing and has so much potential and so much to look forward too. How did I get to be her mom???
And the day of Lily's birthday was Wagon's Ho. I did this for Lily's class and loved it, so I came back for more. (Sorry Matthew, mommy loves you.)
Lucas went on a guy's trip to SLC and it was great to have a break until waiting for him to get back on Sunday was torture and so I took all willing souls to my happy river place (WHICH SOME MONSTERS HAVE BEEN LITTERING IN. WHY??????). They were totes adorbs playing and enjoying. Lily and I did have to have a discussion about how me feeling zen while lying on a tree trunk looking at sky and tree branches is a-ok even though her zen is splashing in water. We all have our own zens. Respect the zen. Respect it.
Shawn watching those water skater bugs, dozens of them. Wheee.
Matt moved up a rank in scouts. I truly don't see Eagle in our future, but I see a boy who is learning a lot and I see a troop who takes the time to treat him with respect even though they could care less about the book he read or the facts he knows. They are really into sports and being active. Matt is really into not that stuff, but he has learned so much about horsing around and pranks and jokes and including and being included despite everyone being very different, and it makes me proud of those guys and proud of him.
Daphne's first day of preschool. She was ready. Her favorite little school friend right now is Adeline. And she just loves school, even though she is very tired afterward. Teacher Diane is the best. That woman is so full of love and has touched so many lives. Glad Daphne gets to be a part of her class this year.
Look at that look of utter satisfaction. Daddy's girl. I love her face.
And I love that she conquered bike riding. We went from both of us thinking she (let's be honest, it's a team effort) wasn't going to make it happen this summer, to her thinking she couldn't, to her being proud she could sort of do stuff, to her being able to do EVERYTHING and hold her own on that greenbelt ride with her tiny-diameter tires. She is a rockstar. Fashionistas can be super tough and strong, definitely not just a pretty face.
And this, this would be me. I had to do a profile picture for my EdTech 202 class...20 pictures later. It was a rough first week and then it's been okay ever since. I can do this. I can do this well...mostly.
Last hurrah of floating DeMeyer for the summer. So glad we got to share it with some of the best friends ever. I do not want them to move. I do not want them to move. Such great parents and such great kids. Wherever they live, their neighbors are lucky because they are friendly to EVERYONE and not superficial friendly, legitimately care. I love them very much even though I'm not a woman who rocks at expressing her feelings to non-family members.
At 7th grade registration, Matthew happened upon a free old library book shelf.
This one's just because. You're welcome.
Aunt JaNiece let us borrow her hotel pool for a few days. I enjoyed the wonderful early morning time we had to walk and talk along the river, despite the smoke from so many range fires and despite the sleep deprivation. Precious time. I look forward to any chance she has to come.
We spent a lot of time at DeMeyer this summer between ditch time and bike practice.
Visited ye olde alma mater and BAM with the kids as we needed to visit an art museum for matt's merit badge.
Oh Shawn. It was his birthday and his present to himself was stitches right when we were about to light the candles and sing. Cake was delayed as they went to urgent care. Staples. Blech. What a trooper though. He is a tough boy. He just made the best of it.
And 3 days before that, we celebrated 17 years together. Probably deserves it's own post. Maybe some day. I do need to write about marriage but that will take some thought coalescing.
Love when Lily is big sister extraordinaire.
We had our small town Fourth of July fabulousness (with no misguided car driving practice ideas on my part and thus a safe sane trip).
Extra special this time, we rode THE GHOST TRAIN. Shawn's dreams fulfilled, pretty much. Dirt the Cat was a delight as we toured the engine house afterward.
And the beginning of the trip meant time with Lucas's dad, Grandpa Terry.
Which involved feeding ducks.
And I always love the time the kids get with Grandma and Grandpa (and the thought they put into this special time we have...it means everything) and Sam and Jon and J.T. The best all around.
READING IS LIFE. At least in this house. Along with the little ones, I learned that like my river (and other) walks, recreational reading is soul-giving to me. I'm trying to eke out time for that but I really laid it on thick this summer before I started school. Yes. I laid it on thick.
Below: A phone but still reading, right? RIGHT?
The raspberry bushes I didn't have to work for thanks to the neighbors. Just grew right into our yard and they were delicious. I hope even more grow next year.
Swim lessons. If we took swim lessons as hard as I made them practice bikes, maybe we'd having swimming superstars. GOALS.
Matt's half at Red Robin.
My mom. There's another post. I helped clean her apartment this spring and summer, and now she has moved into a care center where she got rehabilitated after, apparently, having a stroke we missed months ago. I'm glad she's doing better and has a social life and yet I miss having longer conversations with her. It will be good to visit her next month with Lucas and the kids.
Ben photo as there appears to be a shortage of those. He's always running around doing who knows what..in mostly entertaining non-criminal ways.
Lucas's decided (with good reason) we needed MORE DISHES and so he got a set of service of 12 and silverware set service of 16. It's the little things.
Beginning of the summer, still flooding fun of river walks.
Daphne playing Nerf guns at Jump Time with her beau.
And how this all started was with an extra wet spring (which turned into an outrageously dry summer) with a plethora of rainbows and dancing in the rain for these 3 amigos.
I am going to try to be more religious about posting here. It is good to look back and see growth and thought processes and good and bad and ugly (some of my rants).
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