Cascade Springs

For family home evening we drove up to Cascade Springs in the mountains. It's a beautiful little hike and the weather was beautiful for it. This time I had a camera, and Savanna and I went a little crazy with it. I deleted a bunch of "nature shots" Savanna took. She would love to have her own camera. It was fun to have Jared with us this time on our little hike. We love you Jared!

Another race

While Jared was knocking out merit badges Amy and I ran another 5K. This was a lot lower key than the Freedom Run, but it was fun to get out and run again, and all proceeds go to Wasatch Mental Health where I am volunteering this summer. We shaved almost exactly 1 minute off our time, 33:27. Aaron was a great sport and brought the kids to watch us run to the finish line. Amy caught me off guard by sprinting at the end, and the results show her came in first. I'll get her next time...

witches spell

We are on day 3 of Jared being away to scout camp. 3 more to go...
Monday a witch cast a spell on my kids so that at every given moment at least one of them was upset. Savanna was sad first. I'm not sure what set her off, oh yes I do, she didn't want to do her dish job. She moaned and cried for the longest time. Just about when Savanna was cheering up Fiora got all bent out of shape about something and thought it best to cry and thrash about my bed for 30 minutes. She didn't talk normally for the longest time, more like this: "Waaaa wanaaa mwaaaaa unahwaaaaaa." Nothing would calm her. I said, "There must be a witch casting a spell on my kids today." After Fiora clammed up Weston got mad because I didn't give him a round ball like Fiora's (we were making cookies and Fiora makes really round balls of cookie dough), he held onto his dough and cried for over 45 minutes. We tried to have a picnic in the back yard for FHE and play boola boola with the cookies and Fiora and Weston switched back and forth from upset to content. and Savanna said, "How DID that witch get in the house today?!" Their fighting pretty much ruined the evening.

I had had it, and Jared had only been gone 1 day! Tuesday I decided to give the kids something to complain about. I took them hiking, to the Y, at 11:00 in the morning on the hottest day of the year. Exercise, fresh air, beautiful scenery, and a big Y to see. Something I love and builds character. Savanna won the complaining award, she hated going up as it was hard, hot and too long. She hated going down, her legs were tired, the rocks slippery and she fell twice. Good thing I listened to the spirit and brought that first aid kit! Weston fell also and he needed two bandaids. Weston and Fiora did surprisingly well! They were just terrified of the bees that wanted to share our lunch. I was scared they would fall off the Y with all their jumping around avoiding bees so we ate our lunch walking down. Weston was tuckered out and slept all the way driving home and 2 hours longer. I credit Savanna with one nice saying, whilst resting in the shade on the trail, "Thanks for taking us on this beautiful hike mom."

More Quotes of the day
Weston: Mom I want to go play at Hannah's
Mom: Hmm, do you know where she lives?
Weston: Yes, she lives at her house!

Fiora: Mom, where does Jesse and Kelsy work?
Mom: At Nuskin
Fiora: Oh. Is that where they make new skin for people?

bathroom?

Jared had a plumber set a toilet and sink in the basment bathroom that has intened to be a bathroom for 16 years. I can't believe how excited I was to see a toilet that works in there. The kids are very excited as well. There is still no dry wall on the walls so you risk someone coming in the storage room and seeing you whilst using it. But it is a step in the right direction! Me and the kids and Jesse and Kelsy were all gathered around it the when it was finally finished for the very first flush.


I put my old blug rugs on the cement floor of the "bathroom" downstairs and that meant I could buy a new rug for my kitchen. It is splendid.


Our garden is small but growing. It would be even smaller if people hadn't given me some starts. I will know better next year. One zuchini plant, a watermelon plant (compliments of Amy Schauers) 9 corn plants (compliments of Neil Schauers), and 2 tomato plants.


Fiora figured out a new way to buckle up. She buckles herself with all THREE seatbelts in the back of the Yukon. (She calls it the Yoocarn.) Now that is what I call safe.

Not playing

The kids have developed a new defense/threat mechanism this week. In order to get one of the other to play or do what they want all three of them use the phrase, "OK I'm not playing with you then." This has become used so much that they know when it's coming, Fiora saying "No I..." is interupted with "OK I'm not playing with you." The response is either "Fine!" or "Play with me!!!" They have shortened it up a bit this week. It's "K not playing" "Play with me!" in quick succession.

Weston has discovered howitshouldhaveended.com, he is particularly fond of the Spiderman episode. I enjoy those little cartoons myself, but I have to sit over his shoulder the whole time for fear of him clicking on a questionable link. My kids really have exhausted nickjr.com and pbskids.org and sesamestreet.org. I tried getting them interested in disney.com but it is basically the same games just with different characters. Soon they will be begging me for a wii...

Tonight is taco night, but I can't tell the kids that. Any hint of what I'm cooking for dinner is a cue for them to criticize my cooking. They switch off, tonight Weston will complain. When it's soup night Fiora will moan. When it's german pankcake time Savanna will wail. Jared is happy most nights, but whether he comes home by dinner time or is even hungry is up to chance. :) Jesse and Kelsy have been nothing but thankful! They are mostly the reason I keep making dinner.

Jared and I took the boy scouts on the 50 mile bike ride Saturday. I love biking, but THAT is a long time on a bike. To quote Jared, "we just kept going and going and when my rear-end said 50 miles we stopped." We froze in the morning and swealtered during mid-day, but we accomplished our goal and the boys now have a merit badge. So do I, honorary merit badge.

Summer Fun

I just came upon a LOT of pictures from Grandma Sandy, Heidi Carpenter, Amy, and Jared. So this will be a fun albeit lengthy post.

Gunnison. The annual 4th of July parade and party at Grandma's house. The kids slept in a teepee and play with Montana cousins and go to the local carnival there.




I Heather opted to stay in Utah Valley for the Freedom Festival 5K run and parade. My sister-in-law Amy and I ran among 3400 other runners and came in 1002nd with a time of 34 minutes and 33 seconds. It was awesome. The parade was huge and patriotic, and of course HOT, but we were able to scurry out of there quick without any kids in tow.


Fireworks scare Weston. He clamped his head with his hands every time he thought there was a chance of hearing any, which was the entire evening of the fourth while we were waiting for Stadium fireworks. The next night with all the neighborhood fireworks freaked him out so much he shut himself in Savanna's bedroom closet and fell asleep in the costume bin! I hunted the whole house before I found him, and personally I would be more afraid in a closet than in my room hearing a few pops! He is a funny boy. He got so tired last Sunday that during primary the 1st counselor caught him nodding off, and ultimately trying to keep his eyes open with his fingers! She found Jared and he let Weston sleep on him for the rest of church.



Josephs Baptism! My youngest brother turned 8 this year and is my last sibling to be baptized. He is such a handsome boy. We're proud of him and love him and his friendly and sweet spirit. We had a great big luncheon afterward and enjoyed playing games with the family for a few hours. It's fun at grandma Barrett's to see the grandkids all collect on the trampoline to eat their food.




Swimming lessons are still in session. The kids still love it and are doing well. Fiora refused to participate one day because her hair was curly and she didn't want to mess it up! But after a few minutes watching she decided it would be more fun to participate.





Rachel's Birthday! We celebrated my sister's birthday last night, she turned 10 today and is as cute as can be. I love my sisters and am so grateful to be part of a big family. I can't imagine life without any one of them.

Baby Blues

Savanna is taking piano lessons. She alternates from singing along as she plays and banging the keys and screaming. Hopefully since I like to play that will help motivate her to do it too.


Here we have this problem. Our kids are just getting too big to jump on us anymore but they don't realize that. Love their enthusiasm, just wish there was a defense mechanism.


We are contemplating a family vacation. Pros, good memories. Cons, we have to live through it. Plus the gas cost of driving anywhere is a major reality check.


We all choose our battles. This is one battle I get all sweaty just thinking about trying to fight it. The girls room, as a result, is rarely clean. Weston's is not so bad, he's not as messy and I can more easily face battling one child to do it.

Family Secrets

My brother Jesse and his wife Kelsey moved in with us this week. We are delighted to have them. In theory this should work out great, they pay a small rent and babysit once in a while, which will help me with my schooling. They are closer to work and school and can save some money, time and gas. But I think they are getting the rough end of the stick because we don't really have a downstairs apartment. A nice clean room is all that is down there, no batheroom and no kitchen. I don't mind sharing if they don't, what I didn't foresee is their being in on our family secrets. Like, Heather bursts into song during the day now and then. Sav Fi and Wes fight about 158.3% more at home than they do in public. Weston has massive boogers and unfortunately shows them to us before disposing of them. (Jared for some reason approves of this practice.) Doors get slammed here, what is it with kids and slamming doors? Weston wears only underwear more often than I like. My house is only clean about 35% of the time (that's a generous stat). Savanna is a heedless breaker (bless her heart, she always feels sorry about whatever she breaks). My kids spend more than an hour a day in front of the TV. I only mop once every two months and rarely dust. I could go on...but I hope there are a few things they won't discover and if they do at least YOU won't! :) Unless you move in and anyone is welcome! Hopefully Jesse and Kelsey won't leave shaking their heads, "Those Schauers..."

The kids started swim lessons this week. The weather is perfect for it this week! At first Fiora did not want to get in the water, which was odd, but a small doughnut bribe was all it took and then she loved it. I was thrilled to see all three of them so happy and having fun in their classes. It is a very worthwhile way to spend the summer days. And it does take time. Swimsuits, towels, sunscreen, baths, laundry, driving, getting doughnuts, all this on top of the actual time in the water takes up a good chunk of the day. But we love it!

We hope you all have a wonderful Fourth of July weekend!