A little turkey... A lot of chaos...

Wow, what a crazy whirlwind, emotional all over the place weekend.  Friday morning was spent preparing what I could for our little family dinner.  Wade was not going to be here for the big event on Thanksgiving day, so we had to make our own version of it before he left.  It was cozy, fun and over too quickly.  Morgan and Greyson made it down, and Brenden's girlfriend Ashley joined us as well.

The chaos part of the weekend hadn't even gotten started yet.  Soon after dinner I had an emotional (again) interaction with my dad that left me in tears, and him hanging up on me on the phone.  Oh that he could ever get over the past choices of my life that apparently haunt him so much.

Saturday morning I had to get in a run while everyone got ready for family pictures at 9am.  I blow dried sweaty running hair for pictures and we headed out the door, hoping to beat the big storm that was blowing in.  We arrived at our location, but our photographer did not.  I texted and called her and her husband, and then checked my messages.  I had made plans with her for the following Saturday, not the Saturday that we were all sitting in the car ready for.  So I decided to come up with plan B.  I found a photographer already out taking pictures of another family, and asked her to take ours.  She did, until we got rained out... but the pictures so far are ones that I am in love with.  Lucky break on our part.  While all of this was happening, my brothers were back at the house putting in 2 basement windows and setting the shower base in the downstairs bathroom for me.  When we got back from pictures, they left for the BYU football game, and left me with 3 extra kiddos.  Needless to say, mentally I was a mess.  My house was a mess, I had noise everywhere and no personal space.  I was still anxious from my phone call the previous night as well.  By the time my brothers' returned, I was SO ready to get out of the house.  Clay and I ran to Costco to do some shopping, and some decompressing.   By Saturday night, everyone had gone their own way, including my kids (with the exception of Aspen).

Sunday morning was a mad dash to Tremonton for Wade's farewell.  After picking up Morgan and Greyson, we were hoping to make it to the church soon enough to not embarrass ourselves.  Thankfully, Kara had saved us a couple spots, and we snuck in seamlessly with five minutes to spare before the meeting began.  After hanging out at Ken and Julie's house for some soup, Morgan and I got our last selfies with Wade before taking off for home.  Hard to believe I'm losing my kiddo for 2 years.  Still not totally seeming real yet.

By Sunday night, I was beat.  It was 6 o'clock and I was ready for bed.  But wait... NO!  Bedtime was not to happen for awhile afterwards.  Connor Stewart, a student of mine from 2 years ago, needed some math help, so I stayed up to try to remember stuff long forgotten.  It's amazing how much you can remember once you pull up a few reminders on Google :)

All in all, it was a crazy, emotional, all over the place weekend... one which I am glad is over, but wouldn't have traded for the world.  I sure do love my kiddos!

My spring "break"

My kids were away for most of Spring Break (Moab with the grandparents), so I had time on my hands.  Hayden and I have a different version of what a break looks like.  His includes taking naps and watching a movie he's been wanting to see. 

This is what mine included this week:
Rake garden
Stair climber workout
Rake yard
Mow yard
Fertilize lawn
Plant spring flowers
Till garden (until my tiller rebelled)
Plant three rows of spring seeds
Treadmill class
Twelve miler with Arica
Walk Provo trail with Lawrence
Bathroom cleaned
Three doctor appointments
Grocery shopping
Edge lawn
Email parents/students about homework
Email Brenden (while running)
Birthday cards for April
Einsteins with Becky
Plan two weeks for school
Dig out perennials from vacant lot
Make math quiz
Haydens meeting
Spray round up on entire empty garden spot
Plant perennials
Fixed broken pipes in yard
Buy garden seeds
Go to wades tennis match
Had TV guy come to fix broken receiver
Spent two days (5+ hours) in the yard
Got text from Brendens mission president
A million other little errands

I missed the kids, but glad I got stuff done.
Bad part... I am having trouble walking today. So sore.

Gratitude should not be an annual event (note to self)

I was out for my run today, and my heart was full, and I was thinking about all the great and amazing things in my life.  I thought "I need to write these down, before I forget how much I sometimes take them for granted".  So while the rest of the house is in bed full of turkey and pie from the day, I am sitting in bed, intent on not letting my thoughts be forgotten.

This year has been a crazy year with so many changes, so many accomplishments, so many ups and downs.  This had made me come to appreciate some things this year that have heretofore gone unnoticed.

Thoughts of gratitude from my run (in no particular order) (and not all inclusive... just what came to me while running):
1) My kids.  They are as different as the seasons, but each bring its own beauty as the seasons do, as well.
2) Morgan.  I have been able to spend more time with my oldest this past few months, and I forgot how much I love her.  She sometimes makes me want to strangle her, and I know she sometimes thinks I am crazy/weird, but I just really have enjoyed getting to know her again.
3) Running.  Seriously.  This is my sanity... literally and figuratively.  I know that someday I may not be able to run, but today is not that day... and for that I give thanks.
4) Hayden.  For someone who has started from step 1, and had never handled a power tool... and built a company into what he is taking care of today, I am truly amazed and impressed.  He has given up much for me, and I am grateful for his listening ear, his BFF status for me, his crazy work ethic, the friend and listener he is to my kids, and the amazing dad he is to his girl who pretty much think he is THE KING.
5) My job.  I know... I'm weird to love teaching jr high, but it is where I feel I truly make a difference.  My students love me and I love them (most of the time... with the exception perhaps of block days... and maybe sometimes not during 7th period ;)  I have some amazing co-workers who make my job more bearable because they are in my life.
6) Wade.  This kid has grown so much this past year... both in inches and in character.  He is the peacemaker OF THE WORLD and is willing to sacrifice whatever his opinion is for the benefit of others... which is admirable, but more admirable is how much he has learned to speak his mind, and have a say.  And when Wade is around... he is THE KING, and Hayden has to step down from that status.
7) Ability to be introspective.  I hope I never lose being able to take other people's feedback and process it, and decide what really applies to me, and how I can become a better person from it.
8) Aspen.  Holy cow.  This girl makes me grateful EVERYDAY!  She is the "cleaner" of the house as of this past week or two, and if I don't watch, she has moved my stuff to wherever she has decided is "the place" for it.  She has more energy than a herd of chickens (or a classroom full of 12 year olds), and somedays my gratitude is just in having her fall asleep early.  I love her, and she gives love so freely to everyone.
9) Great people in my life.  I have some pretty amazing friends, I have an AWESOME set of in laws that anyone should be envious of, and I have some wonderful people I'm related to that would give their shirts off their back for ANYONE... and sometimes do for  me.  I love you guys, and I truly do appreciate having you in my life!  Thanks Arica, Becky, Jocelyn, Frank & Debra and Kara.
10) Brenden.  Serving a mission in Canada, and I have forgotten how much I took for granted just being able to see him when I felt like it (even if it did require a 3 hour drive).  Aspen is counting down the days to see him, and I know he is going to be such a great missionary.

Mothers Day 2012

For the first time in years, all my kids were here for mothers day. A nice day for hanging out and a BBQ.

Spring break should not be called a BREAK

This is the first year I can remember not having a list a mile long of things I HAVE TO GET DONE over the 7 days of spring break. Ironically, I have accomplished more this year than any year previous.

Mow yard
Fix broken hinges
Yoga class
Treadmill class
Spinning class
Swimming
3 doctor appointments
Dentist appointments
4 showings of my house
(cleaned house top to bottom for 4 showings)
Shower cleaned
6 loads of laundry
Cleaned patio
Grilled outside
Sprayed weeds
Planted flowers
Bike ride/ walk
Grocery shopping
Christmas lights (finally) down
Wash car
Oil change in car
Tracy aviary
New menu and meals
2 naps :)

St Patty's

We went to the parade this year at Gateway. Bagpipes, green, dogs and wind. Aspen loved it

Lincoln Logs

While adding to her endless list of Christmas wishes, Aspen ran across a picture of Lincoln Logs in a toy magazine.
"I want that", she said.
So I went into the boys room, and unearthed some old boxes with toys in them.
It was like Christmas early.
She played for hours.
Not sure I've ever seen cowboys and Indians next to My Little Pony before, but I guess that comes with the territory when a 4 year old girl is in charge.