Unreal life

 I have been so incredibly blessed.  Tonight as we read 1 Corinthians 10:13 I remarked to the children how we had a child with cancer and hearing loss within the span of a year.  That was very difficult, but we could bear it.  We bore it.  We consecrated our efforts and have experienced so many beautiful things in life because we are G's parents.  Each of our children is unique and precious to us.  

I'm glad I've been blogging and making family movies all these years.  We have had an incredibly beautiful life together.  

Meeting new people here, it feels like I should keep a lid on our life experiences and pretend we're just a family of extremely good looking, brilliant people who have never had any challenges.  That's not true though.  But to share our actual trials would be immodest.   Yet, as an aging woman I cry about everything!  And I feel compelled to overshare.  But I'm aware of this so I do actually manage to not share as often as I feel compelled.  I don't want to be known as that lady who is always crying and sharing their sad life history because my life has been incredible and beautiful.  It is incredible and beautiful.

Fruit Trees and Clothes lines

 Our lot is 0.4 acres and it is all lawn with shade trees.  It is glorious.  There don't seem to be deer here but there are chipmunks.  Our grass is so green!  I have planted 3 blueberry bushes on the Northeast side of the house.  That side of the house doesn't have any trees so it gets the best sun.  I ordered some raspberry canes and I hope they live.  I got them potted tonight after they arrived with bare roots.  I'm not a great gardener, yet, but Alabama seems to be a great place to grow things.  I also have a peach tree on order from Tractor Supply.  P seems to think this is hasty.  But I've been waiting years to plant these trees and bushes.  

Our trees in the back yard are perfectly positioned to allow for a triangle of hammocks and 30 feet of clothes lines.  With the 100 degree weather we are having right now, it is very nice to dry clothes outside.

We bought an electric vehicle.  It's the newest and lowest mileage car we have ever bought.  P can charge it overnight to have enough to drive his 70 mile commute.  Hurray to not buy gas!  

The boys are both back to riding bikes.  It has been hot riding in and out but I love that we get to.  It is an incredible privilege to be in the throng of kids dashing away from school on bikes.  I am so grateful for this home and how it is such a blessing to our family.

3 or 4 months ago as I was looking at houses there were different ones that I liked.  They each had different features that I liked but they each went under contract quickly and that was frustrating.  The spirit whispered to me "Just you wait to see what I have prepared for you."  This one was actually under contract when we came in April to look at houses.  When we got the OK to move to Alabama, this house had just barely come back on the market 2 days prior.  The day we were moving out of RCT, we put an offer in on this house.  We were nervous that it would be worse considering the price was quite low for the lot size.  But it has been great!  We are incredibly blessed by this home.  It was prepared for us.  The Holy Ghost told me so.

free time

 

Mornings are a bit hectic.  P leaves for school at 6am.  M and I leave for seminary at 6:30.  B walks to the bus stop at 6:30.  When I get back from dropping M off I wake up L, get him fed, dressed, and medicated before we ride bikes to school.  While I'm gone lP gets herself up and rides to school.  It's all so fast!  Then It's 8am and everyone is off for the day.  

I'm trying to use this time wisely and productively.  Friday I was actually up at 4am and worked on "I believe in Christ" and my talk for L's baptism.  Then during the day I went to Sam's Club, painted the boys shelves, planted blue berry bushes and in general, tried to make the house more ready for my brother S's family to visit.  I also picked up 3D prints from the library, paid M's school fees and made dinner.

Some days I watch a movie.  It's been several years since I could sit and watch a movie.  I watched Guardians 3 and Iron Man 3.  I hope to watch the Harry Potter movies when the hold comes through with the library.

The library here is so awesome!  They have 3D printers, Gloforge, Circuit and many other machines for making things.  They also have color printing for $0.25.  Oh, and they don't charge fees and they have a great selection of books.  

The band programs are awesome at the schools.  The new assistant director at lP's school used to do the 6-12 program at a nearby school.  All of the current directors built these amazing programs.  I hope to volunteer with the middle school band.

I have volunteered with the boys school.  It's so great to be able to help out.  I'm trying to figure out what I want to do going forward.  I love being able to help.  Part of me is very interested in getting a Masters in SLP because I imagine I will be good at it and that it would be a great career as I age.  P says I don't need to work and values my contributions to the family.  I do want to be available to help when my children start their families.  What is best for us as a family?  What is best for me as an individual.  I have this whole year, and more to figure that out.

Talent Show debut

 Tonight P, M and I played "Come, Come, Ye Saints" on our horns for the ward talent show.  It was nice.

G flew to California!  So exciting.

Candy Apples to Apples

 We invented a new game.  Take a bunch of treats and then take turns being the judge as each other player writes something catchy about the treat.  For example: Twizzlers

-"Rapunzel Rapunzel let down your long long Twizzler."

-"100% yum"

-"Twizzle to the shizzle."

Tears were shed.  Both of laughter and bitter defeat.

Hiking the mountain!

 Today we hiked a mountain to see a waterfall.  L was apparently not feeling well but he complains so often that it is hard to know when he is actually unwell.  Well, after lP and M carried him up the mountain, on the way down he had to poop, twice.  Yay.  Then at the bottom of the trail when lP was carrying him again he threw up, a lot.  Oh boy.  

We were out that way to attend a community event for P's school.    L and I stayed in the car and the other kids attended the event, sweaty and tired, but the had a great time.

There are so many times when the kids are complaining when we are doing something awesome.  I hope they grow out of that.  M and G are so strong and awesome.  P says they used to complain but I don't remember.  I'm good at not remembering the complaining.  But there are hard times in life and I want the children to be resilient as adults.  I love them.

first days of school!

 Everyone started school.  P started Wednesday and the kids started Thursday.  I dropped M off at a friends to get a ride to school.  It is close but she didn't want to ride her bike.  I rode bikes with the boys to school.  We didn't leave when we should have so they just barely got there late/on time.  When I got home lP asked me to ride her over as well.  Go Grandma Buffy! We hustled and got there just before they opened the doors aka let the kids go from the gym to classes.

Everyone got home safely and it was great.  L started eating when he got home and did not stop!  I haven't seen him eat that quantity of food ever.  He ate 5-6 dub dubs and similar amount of go-gurts and ice pops.  B seemed to do fine. 

Today we woke to a storm.  I went to walmart and bought ponchos for the boys but then realized the path would be too wet where we go off road.  So I got everyone loaded in the car and we did the drop off line.  I must say I am so impressed by the planners of these drop off lines.  When we got to the boys school I realized I forgot to give L his medicine and could not let him go unmediated.  So B jumped out and we circled back to get L's medicine.  M was so calm and encouraged me to try and get L dropped off before taking her to school.  We made it to drop off 1 minute before it closed.  Just 1 car behind us got through.  

I really appreciate how M is calm and not selfish.  We worry.  I WORRY!  But she is a lovely person and is most often thinking of how to help the whole.  She even thanked me for organizing to get everyone to school today.  So nice.

Also, we got a pew!  Pew Pew!  I've wanted a pew for years.  I love how sturdy and minimal space they take up relative to the seating capacity.  Our new house lacks public room sq/ft compared to our old house.  We brought 1 couch with us, and with the pew, we now have a lot more seating capacity.  Yay!