Funny stuff.

Life is funny isn't it. I sat down and for the bajillionth (yes it is a word according to me) time proclaimed that I was going to keep this blog going. 

And then I didn't. Again.

I promise that I have a good reason.

Moving.

It is truly a long story. If I was to type it all out you would beg to have your eyelids pulled up over your head just to make it stop. To make it short...we had a tough decision to make. Stay or go. Believe me when I say it is one of the toughest decisions I have EVER had to make. Our neighborhood....the best. Some of the greatest, sweetest people live in our corner of the world and the thought of leaving them breaks my heart. If I could push our current house out of the way and put the new house in its place I would do it in a heartbeat. 

We have known that this housing decision was going to be a big one since our goal is to finish raising the kids there. We searched for months, looked at more houses than I even want to admit and even had a few contractors out to give us bids on projects we would need to do if we stayed. 

It wasn't until we made the decision first and then prayed about it that we knew. The story of how this house has become to be ours is nothing short of crazy. 

My only hope is that I can take all of the wonderful amazing lessons and examples that I have learned living here and carry them on to our new home. 

I will put more pictures up when it is completed and let's be honest, when we are moved in, but for now here is a sneak peek. 

They say that a woman loves a home when she knows where she would put the Christmas tree. It is safe to say, I know exactly where it is going to go. 

I have learned

I miss this.

Blogging.

I had started before blogging was "cool" and I rode it out when "everyone was doing it" and then I went and got so busy that I didn't keep up on it. I have had a shift in my perspective the last few months.

Simplify has been my goal.

I have cut back on my business...running a house, raising kids and a big calling spelled disaster for being able to do it all. I still love taking photos but I am not overbooking myself anymore and it feels great. I am spending more time with my munchkins and have been so grateful that I can. They are growing up so fast (Hayden is getting baptized on Saturday. Holy crap.) and I want to be really present rather than preoccupied in my head with my lists of things to do.

The kids have battled some sort of horrible bug this last month. It has been my own personal nightmare. The stories I could tell. I seriously thought someone "up there" hated me. One would get over it and then another would come down with it. The pediatrician has determined that it is some sort of superbug and that bleach and extreme handwashing is the only thing that would kill it. We are on the mend and I could not be more grateful. There were many sleepless nights and I spent a few reading old blog entries. I was so happy that I had things recorded. At the time I wrote them I didn't think they were a big deal.

They were.

I loved looking back and reading stories about our life. There were so many things that I had seemed to forget.

I have told myself I would be better at blogging at least a bajillion times. This time around I saw the profound impact it had on me to go back and read the stories I had written down. My goal for the year was to document daily life more. I have still been doing the photo a day (sometimes more miss than hit but it is there) and I have been trying to keep a gratitude journal but this little blog of mine is where I think I can make the biggest accomplishment in this goal.

This is my life and I don't want to miss a single moment.

December can't come fast enough...

I have SO SO SO much to catch up on...I went on vacation...without kiddos...I know! Crazy stuff. But while I was gone I saw the preview for Les Mis. Have you? Oh my gosh. I got chills. Big ones. I can't wait to see it. December 14th you know where I will be. Who's in?!

Run Forrest Run!!

You guys....you guuuuyys....

I truly have the best friends and family around.

No joke.

Thank you so much for your kind words here in the comments and that you have said to me in person. We all have bad weeks and it is so good to know when I need to let it all out (blabber on and on like a baby on my blog) that there are people in my life who get me. Who understand and make me feel better. Isn't that what we are all here for? When we are tired and don't know how we will possibly make it through the week, let alone the next 5 minutes, there are people in our lives cheering us on?

THANK. YOU.

I didn't mean to leave such a Debbie Downer post on the blog for that long.

So lets talk about something much more upbeat and uplifting okay.

How about my awkward junior high years. Mmmkay?

Here we go.

So running. You know the HUGE crazed fad that is sweeping across the nation? I have never had so many friends enrolled in relay races, triathalons, marathons, etc. Seriously. Everyone I know is out there running around and training for their next big race.

Super awesome. Go runners!

Me?

{crickets}


Let's put it this way. In junior high there was a requirement every single year that stated that all students enrolled in P.E. would have to complete a 10 million mile run at the end of the year. Okay, so it wasn't 10 million miles. It was probably only a mile but in my mind, it might as well have been.

7th grade: I was a newbie really to the whole "running because it was required" bit. I ran everywhere as a kid...but when it was required? No. Elementary schools only required seeing how many times you could go around the track. This was the time for socialization. Coordinating outfits with the besties so we would have the same outfits during the week...right down to the ring clips on the sides of our shirts. The important stuff. As long as I got at least 5-7 around the track, teachers were content.

8th grade: I knew what to expect this year and wasn't exactly all that fond of the run through the neighborhood around the jr. high. I am pasty (and currently working on loving that trait I have..it is touch and go still to this day) and when I get sweaty and hot outside I turn a nice shade of lobster. Did I mention my throat does some weird burny thing? It is hard to describe, most people have no clue what I am talking about. Basically huffing and puffing while running makes me feel like my throat is on fire. I wanted to die.

9th grade: I was conveniently "sick" the day of the test but was friends with the gym teacher by then and she let it slide. Thank you Mrs. Benton, wherever you are.

High school: I was the only one out of my parents 4 kids who DID NOT join the track team in high school.
I was okay with it.

Flash forward to this year when I decided that I wasn't going to say I "can't do" this or "I can't do that" anymore.

Still to conquer this year...

...crochet
...canning
...writing personal stories of horror about myself on the blog...go me!
...and you guessed it....RUNNING.
 {there are many others but for the sake of time, lets just cut it to the point.}

I joined the gym and started working out. What does every gym have a million of? Treadmills.
I hopped on and was within buffer distance of another girl who was "about my size" and she was just running away. I thought to myself..."If she can do it...so can I." Positive thoughts. Positive thoughts.

WRONG.

I was embarrassingly horrible at the treadmill. One minute in and I wanted to die. I am totally horrified to admit that here, but it is true.

Several nights of trial and error and I was ready to give up. Running was going to kick me in the pants. Again.

This was going to have to go on my car:

 and it would be parked right next to all the 'fancy' cars that have this:

We had a big family dinner and I was talking to my cousin and she told me she had started the couch to 5k program because she wasn't a "runner" either and she was loving it. There are tons of super cool apps and they work right along side your running music and tell you when to run and when to walk and build you up to your goal of running 5k straight.

I am a little over halfway through and my feelings on running are completely changed. I LOVE it.
I don't get "burny throat" (there has to be a medical term for it somewhere) anymore and I can run WAY more than 1 minute. A miracle I must say.

Am I running out (hahaha....pun!) and signing up for the next "big race"? No. Not yet. If I never do, I won't be disappointed. I have done something I thought I could "never" do.

That in and of itself is good enough for me. I am going to do the 10k program once I finish and go from there.

And maybe...just maybe this bad boy will go on my car:

Don't say anything at all.

You know how the sayings go...

"Never say never"
"If you have nothing nice to say, don't say anything at all"
"If you think you are having a bad day...someone is always having a worse one."

Yeah, I have now remembered them all pretty well.

It all started last week. Josh headed out to New York for work.

New York is on my bucket list. (I have never actually written down my list because for some weird reason in my head, I don't want to feel bad about the things I DIDN'T get to do but be grateful for all of the things I DID do...plus not having everything crossed off at the end would drive me insane. Thank you OCD.)

So was I sad that I wasn't going? Yes. No. ...Yes....but I told him I wasn't. But I was.

So I did what I do best. Plan a super crazy project to do while he is gone. This time...start the playroom renovation.

I started by carefully (when I say carefully I really mean in a crazed mothers rage that has stepped on her last lego and barbie shoe) placing everything in a huge pile. I told (read: threatened) the kids that they should say goodbye to a TON of toys they don't play with. Please tell me I am not the only mother that goes stir crazy with cluttered toys?

I started the giant chalkboard and then started painting over the princess mural that was on the main wall. Yes, I was Hayden's hero that day. He hated having princesses in the playroom. They were cute and the painter had done a fantastic job but I had a boy who wouldn't play down there because it felt too girly for him. I can understand that.

Plus this meant I could revamp the whole thing! Happy PINTEREST day to me!

I was sweaty and super unattractive in my painting gear. Remember, the pile of toys were mounding all in a scary heap, and I had my gym music on to keep me motivated. Just then I heard a "HELLO RACHEL!!" My cute neighbor from next door swung by and Maddie guided her down to the most disgusting sight she has probably ever laid her eyes on. Slap me silly and call me embarassed. She was sweet and said nothing about it while I did my best to say "It isn't normally like this". After she left I went up to rinse my paintbrush and holy crap. The kids had a field day upstairs setting up tents, bowls of cereal...the works. My neighbor hadn't just gotten an eyeful of the basement but the ENTIRE house. Sweet deal.

The rest of the week continuted about like it had started. I cleaned two bathrooms in 30 minutes because one child thought it would be a great idea to clean his bike helmet with toilet paper. Soggy toilet paper all over the floor makes me gag to touch it.

It was one of those days where you feel like all you do is just chase one mess to the next and I was exhausted. I sat down to hide for a minute and checked facebook. To add insult to injury...where was he?

Central Park:

and Times Square:

and I smelled like cleaner and paint. :)

I had to take Maddie to her early morning golf lesson and was bound and determined to find happiness in the place I was. It is all about the attitude right?

I will say, the road to the golf course is gorgeous. And I got to behold it all while slumping down in my seat still wearing my pajamas and crazy hair so that all of the dressed and ready to go golfers wouldn't call the cops because some crazed lady was out and about.

Josh arrived back home and next thing was Fathers day. We ended up having to split the day since Josh needed to go up to his Dads and we had a party for my Dad at my parents house. What do you do, right? I took the kids with me and by the end of the night it was like a Mac truck had hit me in the emotional behind.

I came home and like a put together lady I bawled and lost it all on Josh. Super ladylike. Happy Fathers Day sweetie. Your wife is mental. I told him how tired I was, that the kids wouldn't stop fighting, that I missed the gym (yes, being emotionally tired...the gym sounded just like the beaches of Hawaii to me) and a full nights rest.

Somehow he talked me out of the idea of running to the mental hospital and we went to bed. The next morning Grace slept in. I was LOVING the idea of getting a few things done before all 3 were up and at it. I jumped in the shower and I had just gotten out when I heard the sound that NO MOTHER wants to hear. EVER.

Grace was sick.

It continued ALL. DAY. and ALL. NIGHT.

I don't like the word (or any of the slang words associated with the word she was doing). I have a severe germaphobia to it. I am an avid hand sanitizer user. I have it stashed everywhere. Yes, the kids still get sick from time to time but I try to avoid it. (Holy crap my windows need washing. That is disgusting.)

So here I sit the day after.

Someone up there must have heard my ranting and raving and pulling my hair as I exclaimed that I was "SOOO tired" and thought...that girl needs to be shut up. Because I have been. The point of this post? It was probably therapeutic to put it all out there. Sometimes you win...sometimes you lose...sometimes you child gets the flu. I will try my best to stop complaining and suck it up, cause if I don't, clearly someone thinks it is time to put me in my place.

But** I still really really really want to go to New York...right after a REALLY good nap.

(**I will probably always use prepositions at the beginning of sentences because my high school English teacher will never read this or grade me on it. All those hours of teaching me correct English...out the window.)

Twelve years

Twelve years of happily together and I think we have finally found us a good system for the whole bit. Every other year besides this one we have spent hours trying to agree on what to do (if we do anything at all...yep, we have had those years too) On even years, Josh is in charge of planning. Odd years are mine.

So first thing that morning, I got a call from Josh on his way to work. He told me to pack my bags and overnight bags for the kids and that he would be home by 2:00. He was taking me away overnight and the munchkins were headed off to Grandma Tina and Grandpa Brian's for a sleepover.

Is it wrong that I had thought in the back of my head that he wasn't really going to do anything? Yes it is. I should have given him more credit. To my defense, I must add that he was out of town for work right up until the day before our anniversary and had been crazy busy so I figured it would slip his mind and we would just celebrate with a dinner...maybe sans kids. Apparently he planned all of it while he was away. Sometimes that man of mine can surprise me.

Kids were dropped off and we headed up Ogden canyon (which might I just add is absolutely BEAUTIFUL.) to our very own cabin at the Alaskan Inn.

Pretty stuff huh?! Our cabin was the one on the far left. At night they had lights in the trees and it was so pretty.

We checked in and headed back down the canyon to dinner here...

Great food and you get to eat in a wagon. I joked with Josh that this was the "western" anniversary given that we would be sleeping in a cabin and eating in a wagon.

Since we were absolutely kidless (THANK YOU GRANDPARENTS!) and didn't have to entertain anyone until food arrived we killed time with an app on my phone called photobooth. Little sidenote: When phones first came out with cameras I thought to myself "why in the world would anyone want a camera on their phone. What good would that be?" NOW...I can't imagine life without them. So easy and convenient. :)

I am sure the people in the wagon across from us were thinking we were crazy but we had fun. Isn't that all that matters. It was so fun to just spend some much needed time together. With three kids and a million things going in a million different directions it was nice to just be us. That boy makes me laugh until my cheeks hurt.

At dinner we ordered the steak. It came wrapped in bacon, held together with a toothpick. I saw mine and took it out. Josh didn't see his and accidentally ate part of it. Yep, ate it up. Given Josh's track record with WebMD (good stories with that guy of mine), I told him I would look and see if there was anything we should do, which there really wasn't. Some people eat ENTIRE toothpicks. How in the world?! We made a memory and now laugh about Josh and toothpicks.

After dinner we headed to the movies. There wasn't anything we were dying to see so we picked Dark Shadows. I am a Johnny Depp fan and knew that with Tim Burton flicks they will be a little on the weird side. OH my GOSH. It was horrible. It got even more horrible. Bad writing. The plot was dumb. Poor Johnny picked a bad script.

The next morning the staff at the Inn delivered breakfast to us. It was SO good that I didn't even take a picture. Breakfast in bed and we didn't have to clean up dishes? Heaven.


To top off a great anniversary get away...I had a good hair day! (it is a rare occurance so I felt that I would let Josh pack while I goofed off in the bathroom. I hate pictures of myself so goofy faces are the only way they will happen. This is my tribute to Grace.)

Happy Anniversary to us! I think next year I should go with a beach theme. :)

Reason 5,725

I could list a million reasons why I love teaching primary. This EASILY is one of them.

There was a knock at my door and as I was walking to answer I saw a little head bobbing to hide in the bushes.

I opened the door to see this left on the porch.

It was from one of my cute primary kids. She has been bringing me a little flower to class every Sunday. Her family was out of town this past Sunday but she still managed to get me my flower.

It totally made my day.

I have the best calling in the world.