Last Week of June 2017

It was our first BUSY week of summer.  Ben had his first Cub Scout Day Camp.  He LOVES scouts.  It cracks me up how much.  He worries about if we will be late or he will miss it, and this boy doesn't normally get excited about much more than video games, so I can't help but think he's leaders (a husband/wife team, the Sanders) must be doing a great job.  He did great at being away all day and having the time of his life, didn't get much sunburn at all, and, as you can see, thought mom trying to document the momentous occasion with glaring morning sunlight seering his baby blues was not cool.

 I keep telling him he is the middle child like his Aunt Ja and he will be able to handle anything; perfectly balanced, able to fit in with all sorts of situations and people, an accomplish anything he'll set his mind to human being, and so far it's true.

This here's, um well, I don't know that Lucas names his cars, but Lucas has had this car since we were pregnant with Matt, so over 11 years.

 I remember test driving it (note the 2 doors) with Lily riding in a carseat in the back with her pregnant mom (me) and Lucas and the car salesman in the front.  Lucas got it detailed this week in order to sell it (he bought a new car at the end of April) and it was gone in 2 days.  Bam!  Good car but the V6 did make me a little overexcited in my accelerating maneuvers, I'll admit.  Her sunroof will be missed, but 4 doors, newer and better gas mileage just made sense.

Below we have Matt, my victim (or helper) for a Family Home Evening lesson.  One of my biggest desires is for my children to always be strong in the knowledge that God loves them, the Savior died for them and now lives (meaning his Gospel is true), and that we have modern-day guidance from a living prophet, not to mention the ability to pray and receive answers any time we are willing to put forth the effort.  I see some friends of ours losing their faith and some of them appearing quite lost and unhappy.  I don't want that for my children.  I want them to always feel loved, always have the ability to access power from heaven and to know what they need to be doing personally whenever they desire to.  I want to be contributing members in families, communities, society, church, etc., and to never get so self-centered that all they care about and all they see is the person in the mirror...So for our lesson we talked about how to stay spiritually strong, and every time someone gave a way, like serving others, saying we're sorry, etc., I gave Matt some more muscles.  It was pretty giggle inducing but hopefully got the point across.

Daphne started swim lessons this week.  The last time I will have a child take their first swim lesson.  Sniff, sniff.  Here are Daphne and Shawn being silly in the back of the van afterwards.

 And here is Daphne enjoying her Starburst from her swim teacher for trying everything.  She LOVES her teacher, LOVES going to lessons but thinks her head under water is totally bogus.  Hopefully she loves it more this 2nd and final week.

She is so squishably, perfectly wonderfully adorable.  I get the squeeze the cute kitten tight feeling when I look at her way too often (if you think this sounds weird just look it up, scientifically proven, psychologically studied fact).

And speaking of squishable adorableness, a short clip to remember her loveliness forever.

The Stand

Matthew decided to do a lemonade cookie stand.  His current dream is to be a pastry chef, and he is obsessed with baking.  Bad for the waist (potentially) and the grocery bill, but good to encourage a child in their dream.  He talks about going to BYU (or wherever has the best baking school which I think it's safe to say is NOT BYU).  He has baked for many neighbors, and his piano teacher was even kind enough to encourage him by paying him to bake cookies for the final piano recital of the year.  He was sure a cookie stand was his next step.  I told him he had to be strategic and pick a cooler day because no one is going to want cookies when it's 95.  Matt said he needed a high traffic area, and I said he'd need a permit or something so please, PLEASE just do it on our lawn and see if that would be sufficient.  We are on a corner of the main neighborhood road (isn't that good enough?).  

Thankfully he listened to my advice, plotted and made signs with his brother and then we threw stuff together the morning of and he baked so the cookies would be fresh.  It wasn't his best batch because he softened the butter too much, but the PEOPLE CAME AND BOUGHT!

 Ben:  Caller, sign and booty shaker extraordinaire.

 The main sign.  He was so excited when he had one left he crossed out the dozen offering.  He also made signs to put on both entrances to the neighborhood.

 Lily:  DJ and background gymnastics, along with her friends.

 Shawn:  Calling master, "Cookies, fresh cookies!"

Daphne:  Hanger outer.  And, of course, Matthew, calculatingly counting his sweet moola. I took it inside when there was too much so he could be more customer-service oriented and less Scrooge McDuck.  I mean if he started swimming in it, he could have lost some customers.

Matt did really well, thought things out for the most part and sold EVERY LAST COOKIE in a couple hours (almost 6 dozen).  So I guess our neighborhood works for selling cookies, eh?

My main takeaway aside from my kids are VERY cute is that our neighbors are the best.  Everyone smiled and waved and the eager kids even if they didn't buy cookies, and so many different kinds of people did stop and support them and it just warmed my heart to the max.  GOOD PEOPLE ALL AROUND.

Summer 2017 So Far

We get 2 weeks of slow, slow (in theory) summer before our summer activities kick in for several weeks in a row.  That is mom heaven for me, I tell you.  Below we have children eating fresh bread...not just any fresh bread but my grandpa's recipe which is divine (thanks to extra sugar, extra oil and powdered milk, I think) with white honey and butter just like he always served it.  We did it for dinner one night when I had lost track of time sewing.  Lucas had to take a picture because they were super abnormally quiet which never happens around our table, but the bread was just too good.

 Matt graduated from 5th grade and Lucas, Matt and I were always surprised when he got the Presidential Award.  He's obviously super smart but applying himself at school...we just didn't know.  I want to remember forever that he randomly wears the pin on his tshirts when he goes out into public.  Cuteness indeed.

 Our children's school is a STEM school (whatever to me, charter schools, magnet schools, etc., don't really impress me.  I think a well-rounded education is best for my kids and this school just happened to be our neighborhood school when Lily started way back when) does a cardboard challenge every year.  I LOVE IT because they used to do a yearly science fair and it just was not a pleasant experience...especially for someone who knows what a science experiment should involve.  It was always a last minute nightmare for many parents, but the cardboard challenge has been nice.

 I'm glad we actually went this year...I tend to avoid school activities (having to work at night helps that along), but I committed and am glad I did.  They were each proud of their teams works and eager to share.  Plus the librarian was getting rid of old library books.  I was so surprised that Daphne was way into the games even.  It was fun for all ages.  Happiness all around.

 Ben's shaggy hairdo makes me feel a wee bit neglectful but it's a nice buzz cut now for anyone who's worried.  This picture will be great for blackmail later, but I LOVE IT because he normally refuses to smile in pictures because he hasn't figured out how to real smile for pics, just the painfully fake ones that kids this age tend to do.

 My heart was extra happy at how much pride he took in his contraption.  It was a pretty big game and fun, almost like a hole at a mini golf course.  When we found it he started to fix all the things that had broken as people had played it the hour before we got there.  "It's all wrong!  This isn't supposed to go there!"  So sweet.  Pride in a job well done maybe doesn't happen often enough around here, so I loved that he had worked hard and wanted to keep it nice.

 Shawn graduated for kindergarten, and speaking of all these graduations, fun fact:  We will have a 5th and K graduation in the same year 3 times with our 3 oldest and 3 youngest.  Kind of cool timing that.

It has been an usually wet spring, many gloomy days, lots of greenery, not too hot and some gorgeous days in between.  It's been a pretty blessed spring actually.  A poorly captured sunset, and this is facing east.  Who knows how cool the western colors were that night?

 And we are in full summer gear.  This year that means giant poster board charts.  No tech Monday through Friday afternoon.  It means I am very needed and very involved and am sometimes expected to entertain (which doesn't happen too much), but it also means they are having to stretch and reach and imagine which is good.  They have been extraordinarily awesome on working on their charts.  Once they collectively reach 500 dots then they get a free day where I am at their disposal if they need driven somewhere (or they could play tech all day I guess).  They also get a $20 budget to spend  or save how they choose.  It seems to be enough motivation to keep them plugging away and not vegging out.  I LOVE SUMMERS WITH MY KIDS!

 And me, I am taking a starting/growing your business class which has been quite eye opening.  It started with someone just inviting me to go, and I had no idea what I would even do for a business, to brainstorming, to deciding to give it a go as cheaply as possible.  In some ways I have no idea what I'm doing; in other ways I've done a ridiculous amount of research; and I am learning many, many things about what makes a successful business (whether I actually own one or not).  So I am sewing and sewing and sewing and plotting and searching and will see.  I think ideally I would like to at least make back the money I invested (if not the time), and if that happens, I will call it a success...and if it is a royal flop I'm not spending much money, learned a ton, and will have some fun things to donate to a charitable organization.  Win, win!  Doubting Marianne um doesn't feel so confident but she is dealing with it okay.

Hope my compatriots out there are having a great time and I'm sending lots of love to those who are struggling.  You are stronger and better than you think you are, and there is beauty all around us.  Just look, find and embrace it.

More things I want to remember

Daphne has heard her brothers say, "Me too!" for a few years now.  She started saying, "Me three!" after someone else said, "Me too," but now if you say something she agrees with or want to do (even if no one else says, "Me too," she says, "Me three!" every...single...time.  It is very cute.  Her brothers keep trying to correct her, but I kind of want it to last a little longer.

5 Hopes I Dared to Hope

5 Dream Come True

5 Pregnancies (all different but not he most miserable ever)

5 Labors (each with their own story recited every birthday)

5 Years of Breastfeeding (because it was cheap and easy for us)

5 People Who Know Just How to Push My Buttons

5 People Whose Triumphs I Feel Deeply, As Well As Their Struggles

5 People I Hope To Spend Forever With

To anyone else the above pic looks like a jumble of sleeping children.  To me it is a little slice of heaven, perhaps on the smelly on ragtag side...but heaven nonetheless.  I want to remember that this Memorial Day weekend instead of taking it easy, my husband did an entire day of yard work, still went to church and a meeting with me on Sunday (didn't even get a nap), set up a tent, got briquettes ready for a boy desperate to make cupcakes baked in orange peels, pulled out and put away gear, slept uncomfortably and got a cold head as we camped in our yard.  The kids thought it was all pretty fantastic, and that's why we did it!

Daphne's 3rd

WAAAAAY back in February, our little DG turned 3.  She asked for an ice cream cake (which meant less money for presents), but she is 3, so she didn't care one bit.  

 For her special dinner she requested we all get to make homemade pizzas.

 And she was introduced to Frozen by a doll I had saved since she was 1.  My mom had bought it for her (I think possibly as an excuse to also buy herself one), but I knew she wouldn't like it as a baby.  She LOVES it this year though.  So much so, that she just asked dad this month to please by her Frozen, and she watched it the first time yesterday.

Daphne has been 3 in great ways and in less than great ways.  Lucky for both of us, since she is 5th tantrums are more likely to make me laugh or feel pity for a tired little girl than to get her in trouble.

Daphne has the best imagination and can play for a good amount of time with her baby dolls, ponies, her stuffed animals, her dollhouse, her kitchen or any of her siblings.  This last week when I was busy sewing she and Shawn played house for 2 days all morning long.  It was more than precious to witness.  She likes to keep up with her brothers and be tough and silly, too.

Below I believe she was putting all the dollhouse dolls and their pets to sleep.  She has also been known to cause pandemics amongst all the animals and dolls which Dr. Daphne then treats.  So, so fun.

The more I get to know her, the more I like, and I can say that even as she is rolling around on the floor next to me wrapped in a blanket, feeling a little angry I didn't get her milk fast enough.  Luckily, she'll snap out of it a minute or two.  Looking forward to many, many more years to come with our little Dapherdil.

EVIDENCE TO DOCUMENT SIBLING LOVE AND JOY

There is a lot of contention, arguing, teasing, hitting, ignoring, etc., that goes on at our house on any given day.  When I got back from a quick neighborhood walk it was great to hear ONLY laughter in the backyard.  When I looked outside I saw this.  They were all having fun; they were all included; they were all happy.  No one was cheating.  Sigh.  It was a beautiful few minutes and gives me a lot of hope.

Ben's BIG DAY

I suppose I have lots of things to share, but I'm starting with this weekend.

Ben is in a I don't want to smile phase, in case you couldn't tell from this year's family pictures.  He ends up looking like a boy from those Old West photos...living a hard life, homesteading it, but that's okay.  It will bring back fond memories someday.  On April 8, 2017, Ben was baptized as a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints.  He made promises with his Heavenly Father to remember Jesus always and to keep His commandments, trying to be more like Him every day.  It's a tall order for a little boy, but he was confirmed with the gift of the Holy Ghost too, which has been a huge a blessing in my life and will help him along the way too.

I remember thinking once I made a mistake after being baptized it was all over, so I emphasize to my kids again and again that we have the opportunity to renew our baptismal covenants (promises) every week when we sincerely and conscientiously take the sacrament.  Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ want us to succeed more than anything.

One of my favorite quotes of all time, and it applies to every single human on earth who has a sincere heart:

“Our Heavenly Father did not put us on earth to fail but to succeed gloriously.”—Elder Richard G. Scott

It was a great day, a holy day, and took a few extra months than I would've liked, but it was worth the wait.  Mom and Dad wanted to make sure our resident class clown knew what he was doing and that this is serious business.  We had the missionaries come over just for him and teach him several lessons.  Yes, he knew most of the answers, but I think it got him thinking and realizing this is a big deal, not just something I'm doing because everybody else is doing it.

 We were very happy to have my dad and the ever-trusty Aunty Ja come for the big day.  My dad is a super reliable fellow, and I love him for that.  Life has few certainties - a father who is always there when he says he'll be and who has never made an empty promise is pretty fantastic.  Ja just jumps right into the madness and helps and it makes my heart very happy and our home a nicer place too.  She is well loved and seems to handle the hyper pretty well.

Lily graciously agreed to lead last minute even though she had no idea what she was doing.  Love that girl's Will-Try/Can-Do attitude.  Ben asked if Matt would give a talk, which was kind of a huge step if you consider it wasn't just our friends and family but 2 other kids were getting baptized and Matt has never done a talk beyond the walls of the primary room.  He learned about feeling the spirit as you put effort into writing a talk, and Matt ended up really being happy he had the experience.

I included the picture of Daphne because she was singing and *reading* the words intently as Lily led "I am a Child of God".  During the video with some songs and some sweet testimonies she sat with her knees up to her chest just drinking it all in.  Needless to say my heart was full of love for our whole family on this most important of days.

We invited the people who came to the baptism over afterward for lunch and visiting (and for the kids to run around and scream apparently), and it was just a great day, one for the history books.  Incidentally, in church the next day, a lot of people felt bad because last week was Gen Conf and so Ben's baptism date didn't get announced.  I was told I should have texted reminders to all, but, um, I guess I would have felt embarrassed, and we know we are loved anyway, so no worries there.  All that really mattered is that IT HAPPENED.  I love Ben and even though more than any of my other kids he likes to tease his mom to no end, all straight-faced as can be, he will always be well loved and worried about, prayed for and looked after in our family.

And now for your viewing pleasure, my 2 (only) blue-eyed boys with a few irreverent selfies before the meeting started.