Oh, how we've missed you!

Warm weather is here!!! Halle-freakin-luja!! And yes, we have missed you! The kids had a blast playing in the sprinkler and the water a few days ago (WITH sunscreen this time!) Here's the proof...10 little feet.

5 bathing beauties!5 feet, 5 great kids.

Schools Out! Schools Out!

We have officially passed into summer at our house. The last week of school is always a doozy, FILLED to the brim with a dozen different things from field trips to programs. We all survived it, and are now taking a breather from the BUSY last week of school! Here are some of the happenings from Highland Primary School last week... Aubrey's First Grade Portfolio Open House. Aubrey is in the back row halfway hidden behind the woman in the white vest. She is wearing the light pink visor. I was literally in the very back row. Couldn't see a thing, but it sure sounded nice! They sang a few songs and then I went back to her classroom where she shared with me all of the things that she had learned this year. Her teacher, Mrs. Lopez then presented her with an awesome little picture slide show DVD full of shots that she had taken throughout the year. We haven't stopped watching it yet. =)
And here is Aubrey with her "very bestest teacher ever", Mrs Lopez! She really is a great teacher that taught Aubrey a lot. She had the magic touch that got Aubrey reading. Thank you Mrs. Lopez! Emily graduated from kindergarten this year! She is such a nice, sweet little girl and did fantastic this year in school. Great job Emily! And here she is with her teacher, Mrs. Tanner. I have a special place in my heart for Mrs. Tanner. She was also Nathans kindergarten teacher. I loved her then, and I still love her now. She just has a way with teaching and with my kids. Thank you so much Mrs. Tanner!!And here is Nathan, with Aubrey, on his last day of school. His teacher, Mrs. Bonham was not around for a picture, but I really loved having her as Nathans teacher. She, and her husband (who was part of our stake presidency), are moving out of state this summer. We will miss her, and her husband SO much. Thank you Mrs. Bonham, and President Bonham, for all your hard work as a wonderful teacher and wonderful counselor in Snowflake Stake!! (Man, I wish I had a picture of her with Nathan!!)

In other news, all the kids report cards were absolutely perfect looking! They are all such smarties! Nathan will be moving on to 4th grade and to a new school. His teacher for next year at Snowflake Intermediate is Mr. Decker. Aubrey will be moving on to 2nd grade and will have Mrs. Binnie, and Emily will be headed to 1st grade with Mrs. Dennee as her teacher. We are looking forward to a summer break, and then new adventures next year for my three oldest kids! Great job Nathan, Aubrey, and Emily! We are SO proud of each of you!!

Mothers Day Luau

I went to the annual Mothers Day Luau that the kindergartners put on for their moms. This year I got to go with Emily. She is super cute, and had such a great time singing her songs, doing the limbo and watching the "real live hula dancers". She is SO very skinny that here paper grass skirt kept falling off. We had to tie it to her belt loop on her jeans just so it would stay up! Here are a few pictures of the night together.She didn't quite get low enough and didn't make it passed the first round. Oh well. She had fun anyway.Emily with two of her very good friends, Jasmine and Braedyn. Such fun girls together!

Emily squinting into the sun for her picture! I can't get it to flip, so just turn your head or something! =)

It was a fun night together. I love my wonderful Emily Jo!!!

OUCH!

This is what happens when children play outside for almost 4 hours with no sunscreen on. A few weeks ago (the day before Mothers Day) the weather was wonderful! I was busy running around from here to there. David was luckily home from work. I left, yet again, to a song practice for a few hours. I came home to a beautiful sight. Four kids (Nathan was at a friends house) jumping happily on the trampoline in their swiming suits with the spinkler underneath. It was only a few minutes later that I asked if they had sunscreen on. The answer; no. I brought them inside and got them changed back into their clothes. It looked like just small damage done. By that evening at bathtime it was looking worse, and by the next morning, it was terrible. The kids could hardly move, and they were miserable. We went to church, and then came home with a bunch of SORE, sad kids. They got lotioned up and laid around for the rest of the day, all recieving doses of ibuprofen for the pain.

Anyway, the pictures above are of Jay and Besty, 9 days later. Yes, NINE. It was a long week... And now, here we sit 17 days after, and they are finally not hurting at all. Both Jay and Betsy have been complaining for the last week that they are itchy. Now they are both looking better too. Normal.

*Sunscreen is a GOOD thing.

34

The pictures WILL NOT flip, sorry. David sporting his go-tee. It didn't last long, but he did enjoy it for a few weeks.

David had a birthday on the 22nd. He turned 34! Old man. For his birthday he went camping with the boys at Fathers and Sons. He, Nathan and Jay were grinning ear to ear when they got home and had a great time together.

For his actual day he got to go to church and NOT teach the lesson. It was a random coincidence that the bishopric had the "5th Sunday/Combined" on the 4th Sunday. It means that he teaches next week, but didn't have to for his birthday. He got a small backpacking tent and a nice mess kit for his camping gear collection. The kids each had one gift to give him, It was fun seeing them all in a line with a bag a piece for Daddy. I should have taken a picture.... oh well.

Happy birthday David! We love and appreciate you more then you will ever know. You are a wonderful man and I am so grateful that you got to know me, and still wanted to marry me. =) You are a hardworking, unselfish, GOOD person. I LOVE YOU! Happy 34th.

Crisis Cleaning

David went out with his Elders Quorum Presidency for visits on Tuesday night. As he was leaving the house at 7:00 pm he turned back and said, "I am going to bring them all back here for our Presidency Meeting, probably in about an hour. Oh, and it would be great if you could have the kids in bed, and make some brownies or something too." He then said goodbye and left.

It was a simple request. Put the kids to bed a bit early and put some brownies {from the box, shhh!} in the oven. No big deal. Right? WRONG!

I turned to face my house. It was a DISASTER! Absolute tornado worthy, holy cow, call CPS disaster. Due to my busy schedule the last few days, I had not focused much attention on it since before the weekend. And around here, weekends are the fastest way to reek havoc on our home.

So I quickly, and rather forcefully, gathered all the kids and put them to work. I barked out the orders: You do dirty clothes! You clear the table! You pick up toys! You gather and take the garbage out!

I focused my energy on the kitchen, unloading, reloading the dishwasher, washing a few bigger dishes by hand, and wiping down the counters. Then I swept the floors. The house got clean pretty quickly. The kids did alright with helping, which is sometimes not the case.

It was 7:40pm (10 minutes later then I wanted to have them in bed by). I then started barking more orders: Go put on your PJ'S! Brush your teeth! Go to the bathroom! Come for a quick family prayer! GO TO BED!!!

AHHH! It was 7:50pm. I was expecting David and a hoard of other men to come to my house in about 10 minutes! I still had to vacuum, wipe the table (which had cemented oatmeal on it from breakfast, petrified jelly from lunch, and dried tomato sauce from dinner), AND make the brownies.

I ran the vacuum quickly and put it away... CHECK.
I wiped the table off (which took way longer then it should have)... CHECK.
I mixed up the brownies and popped them in the oven... CHECK!

It was 8:08pm, and gratefully, the guys were still not here yet. So I did a few things more to try and help the house look a bit more pleasant. I folded the throw on the chair so it looked better. I watered the plants (they were VERY thirsty). I even lit a nice scented candle. AHH!! The house looked great, and was beginning to smell great too between the brownies and candle.

It was then 8:25pm. Still not here. I wandered around looking now for things to do. Took the brownies out of the oven and set them on the counter to cool. I sat down and thought about what I could do before they got here. The house was clean, the kids were in bed and all asleep (although it took Aubrey a few more minutes then the rest, which is usually the case), and the only thing left for me to do was take a shower. I figured that the men could figure out how to get in the house, serve themselves brownies, and hold a presidency meeting without help from me. So I went back to our room and took a quick shower. I came out after my shower around 9:00 pm. No one was here yet!

15 minutes later David moosies in. He says, "Oh, we just did a quick informal meeting. No one is coming." And wanders off to change out of his Sunday clothes.

I stood there, baffled! I just busted my butt cleaning this house, making you brownies, and that is all you have to say!!!!! I was NOT happy.

I felt like he set me up!! 'Tell her that people are coming and then she will finally clean up this mess and make me brownies to boot!' I approached him, told him what I thought about it all, rather angrily, and waited for his reply. He assured me that he really was planning for a meeting here. He thanked me up and down for cleaning the house, putting the kids to bed, making brownies, etc.

I walked away, still feeling rather upset about the whole ordeal. Then the thought hit me... WHY do I do this to myself? Maybe that is the only way the house would have gotten clean! The pressure of last minute guests is something I ABSOLUTELY HATE! I get all stressed and mean, and upset... but the house gets clean.

Then I remembered what my house looked like just 2 hours before that. Remember the tornado, disaster, CPS mess? Yeah. It was bad. I then remembered the things I have learned about keeping your house always about 10 minutes away from 'company ready'. I remember someone telling me to always have your house looking nice enough that if your visiting teachers, or the bishop, or your mom-in-law dropped by, you wouldn't want to crawl in a hole and die.

I felt terrible. Felt like I had failed, yet again. I realized then that I usually don't clean just to have a nice home for my family. I clean so it looks good for the people coming over. Why do I care so much about what other people think?? I don't want them thinking that that crazy Valerie with all those crazy kids, can't even keep her house clean! I worry way to much about what other people think. IN FACT, the entire time I was cleaning I was imagining the men all walking into my house telling me how wonderful it looked, complementing me on my delicious {from the box, shhh!} brownies, then rushing home to tell their wives what a wonderful housekeeper I am!!!! HOW PATHETIC. Mostly because men usually don't care to notice, or talk to their wives about stuff like that anyway.

I am proud to say that I have kept my house {relatively} clean since then. But it is not for ANYONE else but me, and my wonderful husband, and my five absolutely great children. So if you happen to 'pop on over to the Petersons', and my house is not Better Homes and Gardens worthy, know that I am okay with my home the way it is. It is lived in. It shows signs of life and love and kids. And that is how I want it.

All night long...

I have been feeling unusually tired lately. Last night was no exception. So I felt really good when I climbed into bed at 9:00 pm. It was going to be great; a full eight hours sleep, up at 5:00 am, have some quiet "me time", get ready for the day, before the family gets up.

That was my plan, this was my reality:

9:10pm: fell asleep
10:15pm: Emily awake, she was cold and thirsty. Got her an extra blanket and drink.
10:30pm: fell back asleep
12:30am: Jay awake, he was thirsty and his ear hurt. Got him a drink and some ibuprofen. Went in to the office to find David asleep in front of the computer. Brought him to bed all while turning off lights, locking doors, putting the dog out.
1 am: fell back asleep
1:45am: Betsy awake, she was cold. Got her an extra blanket.
2:05am: fell back asleep
2:55am: Jay awake, again. His ear hurt still. Couldn't give him more medicine, but held him until he fell back asleep.
3:05am fell back asleep
3:17am woke up all by myself to a strange noise (still can't decide if I heard it for real, or in my dream). Wandered the house, checked on the kids, found nothing strange.
3:35am fell back asleep.
4 am: Aubrey awake, climbed in bed with us. Kept squirming and wouldn't hold still.
4:30am Finally gave up the battle, climbed up to the top single bunk that Aubrey left empty.
4:40am fell back asleep
6:40: David came in and woke me up to help get the kids ready for school.

I need a nap. So much for quiet "me time". Maybe tomorrow....

Mom

I sang in a quartet during Relief Society today. It was a wonderful experience, and how I feel about my mom. It is entitled, "An Angel to Watch Over Me". Sorry about the spacing, I couldn't figure it out...

She watched by my cradle through long sleepless nights,
She taught me to pray as she knelt by my side,
She guarded my childhood and all through the years,
She echoed my laughter, she counted my tears.
In the arms of my mother I came to believe
that God sent an angel to watch over me.

She taught me the meaning of courage and faith,

She taught me to live with the Lord as my strength,

She taught me to follow the pathway he marked,

She guided my steps when the journey grew dark,

And I know there were dangers that I could not see,

But God sent an angel to watch over me.

She taught me to serve with a spirit that sings,

She taught me to seek after heavenly things,

Because of her love and her kindness and care,

Because of the place that I hold in her prayers,

And because of her goodness, I still believe

That God sent an angel to watch over me.

We thank you dear mothers for all that you are.

No softer a moonbeam, no brighter a star.

No stronger a mountain, more constant the sea,

Yes, God sent down angels to love you and me.

Blessed are we, you're an answer, and answer to prayer.

Deep in our hearts, you will always be there.

The song was written by Sally DeFord, with the last verse written by a wonderful woman, (who also happens to be my visiting teaching partner) Linda B. It was a great experience to sing with Amy, Sharnell and Tanya, Linda, and Wanda. They all are so talented, and lots of fun too!

I have two very wonderful mothers in my life. My very own mom, who is busy serving the Lord on her second mission in Nauvoo. She has always been a constant in my life, and I always feel safe with my mom. And my wonderful mother-in-law that loves me and my kids so very much. She always makes me feel relaxed, accepted, and at ease. And she also raised the son that I call my husband. I love these women so very much!

And then, of course, I have five little monkeys that call me 'mommy'. Without them I would not know the true meaning of love, patience, and sacrifice. You never truly understand what it is to be a mother, until you are one. I thank my Heavenly Father everyday for the privilege it is to raise His spirits here on earth and have the title "mother".

Focus

I have quarantined my house today due to a nasty stomach bug that reared its ugly head about 10pm last night. I did not get much sleep going from child, to child, to toilet, to child (you get the unpleasant picture). So, not feeling well today has forced the kids to spend a bit of time watching cartoons on NetFlix. And I have spent most of my time laying on the couch reading. Namely my scriptures and Aprils' Ensign. I am sad to admit that I usually don't spend hours on end reading those books, in fact I am lucky if I ever even crack the cover of my Book of Mormon some days.

I kept getting the impression that my focus has been off. I have spent the majority of my time lately complaining; about the house, the weather, the job, the time alone, the terrible things the kids do, etc. Negative things look really big if that is all you focus on. So if that is true, do positive things look really big if that is what your focus is on?

Ready to put my focus on what REALLY matters, and start being more grateful and positive, because life is GOOD... even if I'm sick!

Single and cold

Yet another week has come, and David left for work. We are on week three of him working out on the rez, and not being home. He comes home for the weekends, but has not been around much. It is not fun. It is hard. And I lose my patience more then I would like to admit. Hopefully this is the last week that he has to leave for a while, but who knows? With the economy the way it is, and construction work so slow, we have to take any work we can get, thank you very much.

Anyway, other then playing single mommy for the past little while, life is going well. The kids are all happy, relatively healthy, and wishing that it would get warmer. Me too. BLAST this winter stuff that is hanging around, all while looking like a beautiful summer day, and being 45 or 50 degrees out. BOO!! I HATE COLD.

The kids brought home their new May calenders from school on Friday. I about fell over realizing that summer break is approaching FAST. I am not ready for summer.... I think I may move away to an undisclosed area for a few months and then return around the end of August. Until it is warm enough to not have to run my furnace or light a fire, I will not have the idea of 'summer break' floating around this house!

I realize that this has been a pretty negative post. But what can I say? I miss my husband. The kids miss their daddy. I am SICK of this HORRID weather. And that, my friends, is reality.