Welcome to our World

D begged and begged to do Cub Scouts and Flag Football this year.  I told him he could do both and we are in the middle of selling Scout popcorn right now.  Wow, that stuff is expensive!  I was so grateful most of our neighbors were willing to buy some or donate to the military fund to donate popcorn to our troops.  D loves flag football.  But guess when his practices are?  One practice is the same evening that I go to Activity Days as a leader with K and Husband was asked to help out with the Cub Scouts at church.  So, that night every week, Grandma comes over in time for K and I to head to AD, Hubby comes home early from work in time for Grandma to take D to football, and I arrive home in time for Hubby to drive to the church to do his calling.  Grandma and D get home after Hubby is gone and all the children are in bed by the time he gets back.  Grandma also put A TON of time into planning the activities Hubby does with his den so t...

In the spring we reserved a site at the Molly Brown campground and were so excited to go over Labor Day weekend -- the last hurrah for the camping trailer before winterization.  Events the first week of September told me K needed some time alone with me instead of camping.  So, Hubby took D, M and N off for the weekend while K and I stayed home.  She had her choice of pretty much anything she wanted to do in and around Denver.  Know what she picked?  Swimming at her friend's apartment complex pool, eating at Noodles and Company, and watching movies.  Yup.  I arranged for her pool play date, took her out to eat, and introduced her to Jurassic Park -- my favorite movie of the weekend.  I'm still amazed at the staying power of a movie that I enjoyed as a kid!  We also watched movies we knew the rest of the family wouldn't like -- mostly Disney Channel musicals.  Our list included Teen Beach Movie 2, High School Mus...

While attending the GSCO 100th Anniversary, our family met April, a woman who runs Spartan Races.  She taught us how to throw a spear and talked to us about staying strong.  D and M were inspired to run a Spartan Kids Race and they had their day.  My dad and I drove them to Breckenridge and were amazed at what these kids could do!  They both competed in the 1/2 mile race they had signed up for ages 4-8.  My dad figured out they could go again.  The next race was a 1 mile one geared for ages 9-13.  I was a bit worried about my 7-year-old trying it out, but he did it!  Then the two of them did another 1/2 race.  Then they both did the 1 mile together!  D knew what to expect and excelled that time.  I think my proudest moment was when M finished and commented that she had come in last.  She hadn't!  But I was very impressed she had kept doing her best when she thought no one was behind her.  I think that takes more ment...

For my birthday this year, we had the once in a lifetime opportunity to visit our new temple's open house.  We pulled the children out of school about an hour early, changed clothes, and headed up.  It was magnificent to go around the different rooms of the temple answering their questions and realizing we were bearing testimony in the process.  The feelings of love and peace were so strong there.  In the baptistry D said he couldn't wait to turn 12 so he could come back.  While we were in the bridal room M announced she wanted to get married there someday.  Awwww.  My all time favorite moment was when we were together in the Celestial Room.  I sat down on the sofa and D sat down on one side and M sat on the other and N sat in my lap and we just enjoyed the idea of being together forever in heaven someday. After our tour, we met my birthday twin, Lisa, and her family at a great little Chinese restaurant near th...

Well, everyone in this family is enrolled in school now except me.  This is Hubby's last semester of his master's degree, my oldest 3 continue on as 1st, 2nd, and 3rd graders, and my youngest is away from me two mornings a week -- boo hoo!  N loves going to school with her older siblings and misses them when they are not around.  She loves telling everyone she meets about her friends, A & A & M.  It is adorable.  I am adjusting to having only one at home -- this hasn't happened since 2009 and I've never had a 3-year-old that didn't have a younger sibling before.  It is quite fun but I still don't get a lot done.  lol. This paragraph is only for people who like TMI: I considered naming this blog post "Aftermath."  Turns out leaving the family reunion in Oregon a day early still meant missing the first day of school for my children.  I found out the names of their teachers and room numbers by calling the school on back to s...