September, you came too soon!

Well school has officially started. We got all the back to school haircuts this week. I took Corban to get a spiky cut because that is what he wanted instead of me cutting his hair. I think he has only worn it spiky one day and has done it the same as before every other day. How interesting kids are. We went to the back to school open house and met their teachers and got the new school t-shirt. The older two had their first day and we attended Brynna’s parent meeting for kindergarten. I think it will be a good year for all. They all like their teachers and seem happy.

It was also our anniversary. Bridger surprised me and took the day off work. We went to the temple and did sealings. I cried. I remembered 11 years earlier, and felt so lucky to be sealed to him for eternity. He had been out of town at the beginning of the week. I missed him. I am used to having him gone because he has to be gone so much, but I missed him. It just isn’t the same with him gone. I thought of the couples who have died and not been together for years! How sad for them and how joyous to be sealed together finally. I am so grateful we were sealed together and not just ‘til death do you part. I think doing sealings is the best thing you can do for an anniversary. You remember those covenants you made and cement them again in your heart. It was funny. When we pulled into the temple parking lot, it was full. I said, “Oh great, I forgot. It’s problaby a wedding day.” Bridger laughed and said, “Yeah, I guess so.” Getting married in the fall is like starting school for a happy life but you never graduate from this school.
I took the kids to Ross Park yesterday to celebrate the last warm day of summer. It has gone too fast. But fall is here knocking on the door and it is rude to turn him away so off we go!

Love One Another

Last week I was busy doing all the details that need to be finished before the kids go back to school this week (shopping, appointments, etc.) I read an article about one mom's back to school shopping and she said she really wanted to get her kids some other items that they would really need for school, like faith, courage, etc. You send them off having taught them everything you hope you can and hope for the best. Today I gave a talk in sacrament meeting. I spoke about love. The last commandment the Savior gave his apostles was to love one another. I thought of the last things I tell my kids before I leave. Go to bed on time. Be on your best behavior. Don’t fight. Be good. Some people have the saying “Remember who you are” posted by the door to remind them of similar things before they leave. But the Savior, knowing He was going to leave chose not to say any of those things. Instead, the thing he wanted them to remember the most was to love one another. I think it was probably appropriate. He had seen the beginning of time. He saw Cain kill his brother Abel. He saw his prophets killed and ridiculed. He saw the Children of Israel turn on Moses after he had delivered them from Egypt. His cousin John the Baptist had been killed. Certainly he knew of future events as well and knew the early Saints in this dispensation would be persecuted and driven from them homes because of hatred. It is the hatred of Satan for those who have bodies that drives him to continue to tempt and try to drive them away from the truth. I think it is interesting that love is the last commandment Christ gave his apostles and charity is one of the last things Moroni writes before he finishes the Book of Mormon. Moroni says “if ye have not charity, ye are nothing” and “whoso is found possessed of it at the last day, it shall be well with him.” I think before my kids leave for school on Thursday I will tell them to love one another. That should cover most everything.

Back to the Future

My older three kids left on Saturday for cousin camp with their awesome Aunt Kim. It is almost as if it were 8 years earlier, and Corban was 2 and Kjerstin was a newborn. Is it any less busy? Not a bit. All moms are busy regardless of how many children they have. I was actually a bit sad to have them go. In Sunday School yesterday they were talking about jobs in the family, and who is responsible for what. One fellow said kids are responsible for creating terror. It is amazing how crazy they can drive you, but how devoted you are as a mother to your children. I remember when I was pregnant with Corban and was doing TaeBo. I imagined someone trying to get my child when I was doing my punches and kicks. It gave that extra "umph!" I remember how numb I was when Corban was in the hospital when he was three and was so sick. I was trying to protect myself from the hurt I felt for him and wishing I could take it all away and praying nothing worse would happen. I still wish I could take away their pain but it is part of the plan, the good the bad and the ugly. As babies you enjoy each new phase and yet wonder if you can still love them as much when they aren't little tiny, cuddly babies. But you do. They truly are the best gift because it keeps evolving and developing and "WOW"ing you. My older kids are good company for me. Bridger has been out of town the last two weeks (during the week and home on the weekend). In a way I am more traumatized to have them gone for a week than having him gone two weeks. It is like Mother Eve said, "Were it not for our transgression we never should have had seed, and never should have known good and evil, and the joy of our redemption, and the eternal life which God giveth unto all the obedient." Our children do bring us joy. I was reading the newspaper yesterday and there was a section on getting your kids back to school. In that section, it had a section for sending your kids off to college. That still seems like it is so far away but it will be here before I know it! I guess that is Back to the Future, part two.
P.S. I guess the Lord wanted me to remember how much I love ALL of my children after having to go through five kids dressers last week in prep for back to school. Oh, how I dislike that chore!

Stop, Look and Listen

I was lucky enough to get to go the temple yesterday. I had read an article about parenting yesterday and it talked about the simple instructions that we teach to children, "Stop, Look, and Listen." I thought about that while I was in the temple. First, I have to stop to make time for me to go to the temple. My kids asked me as I was getting ready to go, "Why do you want to go to the temple?" I told them because I feel peace and happiness in my life when I go to the temple. I always have things that come up that make it inconvenient to go but I have to stop, and remember that I need to go. While I was there, I listened. It wasn't silent like you would expect in the temple. It wasn't loud though, either. There was work that needed to be done and it was happily being done. It reminded me that being busy isn't bad. The Lord wants us to be busy with a good cause. I also looked and the faces of the many people I saw there. I imagined what they looked like when they were younger or when they are outside the temple. It is so easy to see the good in others in the temple and I need to look for that good when I am out of the temple, because it is still there. Maybe I can apply Stop, Look and Listen in other areas of my life, too!

Picture Story

Sadly it seems summer has me in a stint where I am only posting every 2 weeks. We were out of town last week and it was Corban's birthday the Sunday before that and if I don't get time on the computer on Sunday it is slow to happen. Corban said his birthday was the best ever. We had a great time on our vacation. We came home to company and have my niece and nephew here for a week. It is great to see them. It makes it feel like the vacation really isn't over. I can't believe it is August and it is almost the end of summer. August is already filling up with activities and will be gone before I know it. I have a picture story of our vacation. We started in Lewiston. Bridger's oldest nephew is leaving a on mission to South Africa. My kids have been begging us to go to Lewiston since they moved there a year ago. After the drive there, I am not sure there will be as much begging to go but they did have a good time. We got some energy out at the batting cages. Daven even wanted to join in the fun. Bridger installed a zip line at their house which he had initially bought for our house and decided against, but it works great in my sister in-laws yard. This is Brynna enjoying it.

This is a great game. Supposedly it has been on Minute to Win It. You make a fishing pole and tie a gummy worm on the end of the string. Then, holding only the pole, you get the gummy worm wet with your saliva so it is sticky enough to grab a pretzel off a plate. Then you eat both, still only holding the pole.

We stopped at the Spokane Temple. When Bridger was younger he went to a stake conference where a general authority was visting and told the people that if they were righteous, they would one day have a temple in Spokane. It is a special temple for him.

We went to a family barn night and all the kids got to ride horses and go on a wagon ride. We ate dinner around a campfire. It was fun for the girls, Corban was ready to leave before we got there. We camped at great campgrounds along the way and I can't believe I actually enjoyed camping. The weather was great. It was nice to be outside more and nice to lay in the tent at night with all our kids and just talk.
This is the Panic Plunge that Kjerstin talked Bridger into going on with her. I lucked out and sat with Gideon in the stroller and read a book while everyone went on rides. My body is getting too old for these thrills!

We went on a cruise of Pirates of the Coeur d'Alene. It was fun. The kids were renamed as Catious Corban the Killer, Kick and Punch Kjerstin, Bossy Brynna, and Dastardly Daven. Gideon was napping.

This is a ghost town in Montana we dragged the kids to. They were less than excited. Here is the school house. I told them they would have summer school.

We are back safe and sound, except for a hubcap that fell off somewhere along the freeway. Hopefully the memories don't fall off, too!

Photos Phinally

Go Fourth

Well I missed blogging last week about our 4th of July and so I am combining 2 weeks worth of activities. We went camping to Lava Hot Springs for the 4th of July. I am not an avid camper but I think I need to become more of one. I love to travel and want to take my kids places but don't want the hotel fee that accompanies traveling. We are going to Coeur d'Alene at the end of the month and plan to camp so this was to test our camping ability. I have been to Lava several times staying in my parents cabin there. It isn't new to me. But it was perfect place to test out camping. My parents decided to accompany us since they LIKE camping! My kids had a great time in the hot pools and swimming pool the next day. It was so good to get away from the house and cleaning and laundry and other work that is always ready to be done. Of course you come home to work, but it is so nice to have a breather and it is so good to get my son away from electronics. He is a little too addicted. As we were leaving town, we passed the Ramada Inn. He said, "I wish we could go there instead." I think he is his mother's son for not loving camping but it is good to expand ourselves. We came home for Sunday and lit of fireworks in front of our house. It was great. Bridger and I got some plans made for what we will do in Coeur d'Alene at the end of the month. I love just having him home and around. He called me today and told me they needed someone to go to Bloomington, IL for 2 months and asked if I wanted him to volunteer to go. What craziness! It is like the speaker of our church said yesterday. He works for the National Guard and is getting ready to be deployed to Iraq again. He had 3 kids when he left before and has 6 now. He said, "Being deployed isn't hard for me. It is hard for my wife." I couldn't agree more. I love having him around. I think it is so important that as we are married and get used to having the other person around, we don't take it for granted and continue to "choose" to have this special person as part of our lives for a good reason. So now we are into July. Softball is over and kids are in swimming now. AND I FINALLY took Gideon for pictures. Here is the link to the website to view the photos if you are interested: www.searsphotos.com
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