What we've been up to

I think today is the first day that I have actually been home all day in 2 weeks. I am so exhausted. Pioneer Day is the big celebration time for Spanish Fork and there has been stuff going on almost every day for the past 2 weeks. We've been to 2 parades, the carnival, concerts in the park, and fireworks. Not to mention all the other things that went on that we heard anyway because we live so close to the city center. We have heard the rodeo going on every day for the past week and all the activities going on at the park. The kids have heard these things going on and have been asking to go to everything, so we did oblige them on a few things. I have to admit that yesterday morning when I woke up to everything cleaned up everywhere and all the cars gone that had previously lined the street, that I felt very relieved. It was fun and all but I am ready for things to be back to normal.

McKay turned 11 on the 18th. We went to Lagoon together as a family to celebrate and he also got to have a friend sleepover. He got a rubber band gun, a humongous Frisbee, and a really nice acrylic paint set and paper to go with it. I can't believe I have an 11 year old. He gets to go on his first overnighter for scouts next weekend and he is so excited, and I am so nervous. I don't know if I'm ready to let someone else be responsible for him, even just for one night. He has had sleepovers, but they have always been with cousins.






We broke down and bought a really old 3rd car, so that Clarence doesn't have to drive his gas guzzling truck to work anymore. We seriously have been spending as much on fuel as we spend on groceries. Crazy. Clarence also did another concrete job this week. He is the man. I helped him screed again and the kid's played in their fabulous back yard. Elena got bitten by their dog though. That's what she gets for teasing him and throwing a Frisbee at his head numerous times. It was very HOT! I drank tons of water and sat in the shade when I wasn't helping, which was most of the time. I think it must have been a humorous sight to watch a 7 month pregnant lady bending over a screed rod, screeding concrete flat. To screed concrete means to run a 2x4 across the wet concrete to make it level and flat. That's basically all he has me help with, he does everything else himself. There is actually a lot involved in making concrete look good.

We also have been trying to fit school and playgroup in, and my friend Mindy taught me how to bottle apricot jam and butter. Thanks, Mindy. You are so inspiring to me.
Those are some of the things we have been up to and why I feel that I can not move today. Hopefully next week will be a little more laid back.

What did you say you are selling?

Have you ever had the experience of teenagers going through the area knocking on doors trying to sell magazine subscriptions? It happenned to me last night for the second time since I've been married. The first time I actually obliged and bought a subscription for a magazine I never read which cost about 3 times the regular newsstand price. I was not about to oblige a second time. I figured out after listening to the sales pitch last night that these kids use guilt, manipulation, and flattery to get you to buy. I did not hear anything about the quality of the magazines or why it would be a good idea for my family to make this purchase. Some of the things this young salesperson said to try to convince me to buy went something like this:

1. After finding out that my occupation is "domestic Goddess" (his term not mine) he told me that is the hardest job in the world and I deserve to put my feet up and read trashy magazines. (yay for me.) These magazines were pretty much garbage except for maybe "Family Fun" and "Parenting" which incidentally gave him the most points, which also means most expensive.

2. He is so close to winning the most points to be able to win a vacation and if I help him out he will for sure win.

3. All of my neighbors have helped him out by buying a subscription. (let's rub on the guilt.)

4. If I buy from him, he will put a sticker on my door that says "Don't bug me" so that none of the many, many other teenagers in my area will not knock on the door and bother me again. ( and this is a good reason why I should buy? Give me a break.)

5. He entertained me with some extremely lame jokes and asked me many personal questions and shared personal things about himself so that by the end we were on familiar terms.

6. He talked so fast I couldn't even get a word in edgewise.

7. Oh and my favorite: He told me that he is from a national group that is teaching teenagers positive communication and social skills.

I succeeded in not buying, and as he left he said "Please don't buy any magazines from anyone else." So what are they actually selling? Magazine subscriptions or the chance to further the education of the future leaders of our country by teaching them to get away with manipulation and con artistry. (If that is even a word.) Whatever happenned to selling things for the purpose of providing a useful service to someone? Well, that's how I feel about that.

12 More Weeks

I feel like a balloon that is about to pop but I still have 12 more weeks to go. I have no real complaints though. This pregnancy has gone by so fast. I don't know if I am ready for this change. Alexia is so cute. I have a box of baby clothes and blankets that I have not figured out where to put yet. She has gone through every article in that box atleast 5 times. She pulls everything out, sorts them very neatly, and then throws them all back in haphazardly. Elena, I think, shows the most outward excitement. She constantly hugs and rubs my belly and talks very sweetly to the baby. The other day we were at a park and there was a scottish festival going on. Elena and Alexia went off to play and I decided after awhile that I better go find them as there were quite a few people there. I found them in the middle of the festival looking at all the booths. They then showed me all the things they wanted to buy at the different booths. At almost all of the booths we came to, I heard from the attendants that Elena had told them all about her new little brother. I think we need to have a discussion about talking to strangers again. I think McKay is very excited to have a new brother, but he is also beginning to understand that it also means more responsibility. I depend on him so much and all the kids really, because my energy level is not quite up to par, and they really do a lot around the house. McKay is really a great help but he has expressed to the girls that there are going to be a lot more responsibilities when the baby comes. He's such a mini adult. I think Clarence is ready to end the 9 month emotional roller coaster, although he has been very supportive. I know that it has been hard for him to deal with a wife who breaks down every few days and totally loses it. I also have a much harder time with meals, laundry, and just general maintenance, but he never says anything and pitches in to help with housework a lot. I have a great, supportive family. I am so grateful for my husband and each one of my children. Somehow we will all get through this, and be blessed with a beautiful baby.

4th of July Festivities

This year we opted not to take the kids to the balloons and parade like we normally do. We did have a fun family/friend BBQ at Clarence's brothers house on the 3rd. We ate some great food (thanks to Marilee and Howard) and the kid's put on a fabulous firework show, although I was very nervous the whole time as all the kids were lighting them simultaneously. Then, last night on the 4th we went to watch the Provo firework display in my husband's work parking lot. McKay has been with his cousin Jake since the 3rd and I am sure he has had and is still having a blast. I am grateful for the freedoms we enjoy in this country and for the opportunity to celebrate.

My hard working hubby

I thought I would pay a small tribute to my dear husband. I don't think I have even mentioned him in any of my previous blogs and I want everyone to know what an integral part of our family he is. He works 12 hour shifts so that he can spend less days at work and more time at home with us. However, everyone at work has been finding out that he used to be a concrete contractor, so he has been doing some side jobs and we have gotten to come with him and offer our meager assistance on some of them. The last job he did was a at a cabin lot by Indianola. What an amazing place. This was a 3-acre lot with deer and other wild animals constantly running through the property. The people who live there just happen to like birds and had many bird feeders and bird houses all over their property. McKay got to see about 30 different species of birds, and the kids had a blast wandering all over the property and seeing beautiful nature. McKay and I helped Clarence a little bit, but I must confess we spent much more time wandering than helping. I am so grateful for Clarence's work ethic. He is such a great example for McKay and he has taught him so many things that are hard for boys to learn when they live in the city. I am also grateful for his dedication to family. He has taken us on many field trips and spent so much time helping the kids do projects and have fun. Home school would be very boring without Dad to spice it up. Many times he has brought lumber home to build boats, bird houses, and any other project he thinks the kids may be interested in. He even recently made me a garden box so I can have fresh produce, even though he doesn't even like most produce, and he faithfully takes the kids out and weeds and waters that garden. What a great guy.




These are pictures I took of the last job he did in Indianola. He did that whole thing by himself. I just helped him screed the concrete flat, and McKay helped him form it up and tear everything down. I don't know if you can tell from the picture but it is a huge pad. They are putting a big garage on it, with room for sidewalk all the way around.

All About Elena

Elena is the middle child and is always apt to feel left out even though we try really hard to keep things equal for all of our kids. This past few weeks however, she has gotten to do a lot of things that the other kids have not gotten to do. I thought if I blogged about it I would have proof to show her that life really is fair for her. For her birthday, Elena got a cutie bakeware set and she has recently gotten to make cupcakes a few times by herself with Lexie hovering and wishing she could help. This really is a big deal for her because she loves to cook, but she loves to do it without Alexia. She does not want to share the fun. She would rather let Lexie add all the ingredients than to have to split it up half and half. So Alexia usually does the helping while Elena leaves the room angry.





Elena got invited to 2 birthday parties which Alexia didn't get invited to. That's pretty rare because they both have the same friends and where one goes, they both go. However, Alexia ended up going to one of the parties anyway because it was quite a drive and my sister-in-law needed some help with watching the kids in the swimming pool which meant that Lexie and McKay had to come. She did get to sleep over at her cousins house all by her self the night before though.

And finally, she got to take swimming lessons for 2 weeks all by herself, she didn't even want the kids to come with us to drop her off. She got me all to herself for all of 5 minutes of driving time, but it was enough to make her feel very special. I did stay and watch her about half the time.


Elena is such a cute and sweet little girl and we love her a lot.

Great friends

Yesterday, I was fortunate to see my great friend Tammy for a few hours. She moved away to Ohio a few years ago, and she was in town visiting her husband's family. When we lived in Provo, we were neighbors, and we became really close. We did joy school together with our oldest children, we went on many walks together, and our children played. We both home school our children and she was and is a great influence on how I teach my children. It was so much fun to see her children, and how much they have grown. When she moved she had 3 adorable little girls, and has since added two more girls to their family. She is also expecting again, and is due a few weeks after me in October. It was great to see that we are still so like-minded in many ways. Thanks for keeping in touch Tammy! I sure love you and your family. Of course, I forgot my camera!