FINALLY!

Finally! I'm finally writing another post. It's finally summer! I'm finally feeling a bit better!

Summer here on the Bluff's is different than any other place I've lived (which is a lot of places in my lifetime). It is very...uh...cold! It's summer and I'm in a sweatshirt as I type. The cool, moist air that blows off of the ocean from the Strait blows (a lot) right on to us. It is literally like having an air conditioner. Then, on the other side of the house we have forest...forest that creates lots and lots of shade. So many people in the world love the hot weather and living in heat. Luckily...Travis and I are NOT those kind of people. I LOVE having to drink hot tea in the morning to warm up...during the entire summer!

Also, all our little friends are around us more now that it is summer. Our robins are back and the sweet little baby deer with their adorable spots are back (instead of their way ugly winter coats)....

 This is Robbie the Raccoon. He comes by every evening to eat the scraps we leave out for him. (and if I forget to take the bag of garbage to the shed...he loves to shred the bag and make a mess!)

This sweet little deer was hanging out on the edge of our front lawn. She was there for a couple of hours. We see lots and lots of deer during the summer.

Travis loves robins. He has taken some amazing pictures of some of the robins that have come to visit. (and of a lot of other gorgeous birds that didn't make it to this blog today cause I'm lazy)

 (slightly random) All my married life I have wanted a kitchen that has a window. I wanted to be able to look out the window while I cooked and did dishes...I finally have one! I really really love my kitchen window!

This day it got to about 65 degrees, so the kids ran through the sprinkler. Notice Connor ran through with his blankets? It was still a bit cold for them, but they had a blast anyway.

Notice Elizabeth wearing a diaper???.....

 One week later...notice Elizabeth's stylish underwear???....Another Finally! This girl is 3 years and 5 months old. For the past 6-8 months, I have tried to get her to potty train. She said NO! She would take off her underwear and actually try to put her own diaper on! Drove me crazy! But, I have learned through the years not to force things like this. I don't know any adults that aren't yet potty trained. Plus, she's my baby. I'm not going to rush her if she's not ready. Needless to say, we found ourselves last week with only about 4 diaper and 3 days until pay day. So, I hid the four diapers and showed her the empty diaper packaging. I told her the diapers were all gone and offered her the underwear. She immediately put them on. Then I took her in her room and had her feed her Baby Alive while the doll was sitting on Lizbets potty chair. Baby Alive peed in the potty...then she got cheers, hugs and kisses. Little Miss thought about that for a while, pulled down her panties and peed. That was that!

She still requires "night night diapers", but doesn't request to wear them during the day. I put a diaper on her for church because she is terrified of the church toilets...BUT...we have made huge progress this past week! I'll take any progress. Although...it sure makes me sad to see my little baby girl getting so grown up already.

One last photo...my little helper helping to make homemade brownies.

So...that is all I have to report. Oh, I am now in the Nursery in church...they called me there because I was already hanging out in there quite a bit with Elizabeth. It's great. We have such an outstanding Ward and those little kids are just awesome!

Also....looking really really really a lot forward (Connor's words) to the 4th of July this year!!! Travis has the whole day off this year! Woot! The kids are super excited to go to the Ward 4th of July breakfast and then bbq at home and do fireworks. This weekend we are going to go buy just a few fireworks at the closest reservation. Yay for our country's birthday!

I Hate Getting Old!

Lately, as I gaze upon the magnificent gorgeousness of a little one like this...

my heart hurts a bit...because I want another to add to this...

but alas...Travis says no, because my body said whoa! (with our last one)

*sigh* Oh well. For someone that was told 13 years ago that I had less than 5% chance of having any...I am pretty dadgum lucky! My heart could just burst with the love that I have for these cute, kissable, somewhat strange, definitely goofy, totally lovable children! Thank you, Heavenly Father, for my special gifts. 

(ps...i wrote this entry using my Galaxy Tab. Somewhat tedious, but kinda cool! Maybe next time, I will try out Travis's iPad) *grin*

One Tiny Step

I'm finding that my life goes considerably better if I take things one tiny step at a time. As soon as I begin to think of all that needs to be done...I freeze and get nothing done. (I'm sure I have described most everyone on the planet) And nights...ugh! Dad was right...Satan's best time really is night...when I'm laying in bed...thinking...and thinking...and thinking...(can we say...Thank you Melatonin!)

Anyway...I'm not a real go-getter. I have always been the one that was told I was kinda lazy or didn't apply myself. Truthfully...I just would rather daydream or read a good book than do most anything...but...that isn't what a mommy can do. So...today I started eating my elephant...one bite at a time. I went through all of the homeschool junk that was piling up on and around the table and got it all sorted and the table area is now all pretty again. The thing that makes me so sad...the kids were thrilled with the cleaned off table and immediately all sat together and did their own things side by side. Why does this make me sad? Cause I didn't get my behind in gear and do it earlier. How on earth did my parents raise such a pack rat? I understand why all of our kids are that way...cause both of their parents are...but seriously? My parents are both sooo super clean! What the heck? I'm figuring that Heavenly Father has his own ideas of how to use me and what I should be...I guess I'll keep trying to figure that out and keep on keeping on.

Here is a picture of the kids doing their activities. Connor was coloring, Elizabeth was using my tablet, Spencer was watching "Arthur" the cartoon on his Nintendo 3ds, and Joseph was watching a documentary about monster trucks on his 3ds. It was so peaceful...I did dishes.

Balm of Gilead

I was thinking of just closing out this blog and being done with it, because I'm so bad about writing on it these days and I'm pretty sure only about three people read it anyway so it would pretty much go unnoticed. But...!!!...circumstances lately have made me rethink this. I've been so depressed lately. For lots of reasons...but none that I need nor want to share. All I want to do is draw everything around me so tightly that I disappear. Apparently though, Heavenly Father doesn't want me to do this. (Probably because I have four beautiful children that need me..you think?) So, he sent me angels that have ministered to my heart and have helped me find peace in little ways. I am trying now to find my happy places in myself and work from there. Today we were doing school and my kids were giving me such a hard time. I started to fall apart, but was able to rein it in as I looked at these little people that have my heart. They were sorry for giving me a hard time. I forgave them. We moved on.

Have you read the Psalm's in the Bible lately? I admit I haven't read them for a long, long, long time. And the last time I read them, I am pretty sure that I was just glossing over them in an attempt to get it done and say I'd read it. Last night I really began reading them. Reading the encouraging words to David and to all of us. Reading about how much we are loved and how NOT alone we are...even when we feel like nobody on the planet cares. Last night I was encouraged to read Psalm 61 and 138.  "In the day when I cried thou answerdest me, and strengthenedst me with strength in my soul." Isn't that beautiful?

So! I'm not looking to have a pity party or looking to get any sort of sympathies. This is just where I am right now. There is no written blog law that all blog entries must be totally happy and positive. I feel as if I've been underwater, drowning, and trying to figure out how to get out onto that dry dock. I think that my head has finally broken the surface of water and I've gotten a breath...now...I will doggie paddle with all my might to figure out how to get to that dock.

But...not to leave on a too bummed out note...here is a fuzzy picture of our newest, dear, little friend. The kids named him Robert Burglar Raccoon. We call him Robby for short. He comes by every evening to see what goodies the kids have left out for him. Most of the time it is just a couple of slices of bread. Last night he got the fat off our steak and some moldy cheese to go with his bread. The kids aren't allowed to be outside when he's in our yard, but it has been fun watching him and learning all about him through our sliding door. (please excuse the mess of toys...Robby didn't mind) (now...we just need to figure out if it's really a Robert...or a Roberta!)

I have been thinking a lot about the song, "Did You Think to Pray"...I love the words to this song...Especially the last two verses.

1. When your heart was filled with anger,
   Did you think to pray?
   Did you plead for grace, my brother,
   That you might forgive another
   Who had crossed your way?
2. When sore trials came upon you,
   Did you think to pray?
   When your soul was bowed in sorrow,
   Balm of Gilead did you borrow
   At the gates of day?
3. Refrain:
   Oh, how praying rests the weary!
   Prayer will change the night to day;
   So when life seems dark and dreary,
   Don’t forget to pray.

Aye Yi Yi...Is that even how you write it?

I thought I would do better at keeping up...but, alas...I suck. I'll try harder. Here is a cute picture of my silly kids. I took them hiking on the Olympic Discovery Trail. It is 140 miles long. There is alot of trail we could cover this summer. And it runs right by our house. Fun times ahead!

Ferry

Travis is taking a class for work...it's a Pharmacy class..in Bellevue...it just started this past weekend. We have always driven around the Sound, down through Tacoma to get to Renton where we stay. (at Travis's parents house) It's about a 3 hour drive total. This week we figured out that it's "only" $12.75 to ride the Bainbridge ferry into Seattle, so we thought we would try it out. It's still almost 3 hours total...but what a difference it made! The kids were able to get out of the car and explore the ferry for a half hour, go potty, eat a snack....totally worth the $12.75! It made the trip seem so short! Going home~well~that is a much more expensive story. It costs $38.50 for us to go from Seattle to Bainbridge. We had planned to drive home because that's pricey! But, we got delayed a day for leaving and we decided that scrounging up the money and riding the ferry home was a wonderful sounding idea. It turned out to be a good choice. I don't think we would be able to afford coming home on the ferry every time, but it was a fun adventure!

A Sunny Evening

Last week we had a sunny evening.Travis mowed the lawn and we just plain enjoyed it!

 Lizbet made her hippo eat all the other poor animals.

 Spencer enjoyed nature while playing his 3ds.

 Yah, yah...it's the septic tank cover...and that's slug killer behind her...but she was having fun! And she didn't eat any slug bait.

 I love how much she loves her Daddy!

Travis took a picture of Spencer with his ipad.

 Travis mowed the lawn...Connor rode his bike.

 Cutest lawn mower guy in town.

 Watching the deer across the street.

 Jump!

 Connor

Joseph and his newest monster truck.

It was a good night. The kids had fun and the lawn looked awesome!

Faith and Snape

Today I am thinking that faith is the word for me. I lack a lot of faith...in a lot of things. It changes day to day. I think I lack faith in myself more than anything. I'm really looking forward to the next Ensign to come to my home...because the Conference talks were all beautiful...and I can't wait to have them all packaged up in one place. Conference really helps build faith.

Anyway...I'm rambling. I found this funny picture on Pinterest...oh, Pinterest...yet another blog post about THAT  little addiction. hee. But...here is my funny picture that made me actually laugh out loud tonight!

**snicker**snort**

If you didn't laugh...or snicker...or snort....how are we friends? Just kidding........

The Library is Awesome!!!

So we went to the Port Angeles Library today. The kids LOVED the children section! It's smaller than the King County libraries we are used to, but it made it easier for the kids to find things that they liked. Plus, they have some awesome things that kept Elizabeth happy...like puzzles and puppets and a little house she could sit in. The kids each got their own cards and I let them check their books out themselves. I don't know why I took so long to do a field trip to the library, but I am super glad we did it today! 

Here are a couple of pictures...fuzzy and all...that I snapped while there with my phone. I hadn't planned to post them, or I would have taken a few more, but, as I look at all four kids sitting and reading their new books as we speak...I had to write about it! 

Little Miss got a princess book!

Lately...

We have done a couple more science experiments...

This one is called Corny Goo...

 The ingredients

 Corn meal...

 and water.

 Mix...mix...mix...but it won't stay together!

 For reals. They both tried. 

 Then documented their findings. It was fun!

 Joseph got a couple of model cars. I helped him build this one. It's a Dodge Challenger. We went and let him pick out his own model car paint. He picked GREEN!! 

 Lizbet wanted to help him...so I got out the water colors and she made her own masterpieces.

 For science a different day, we walked around our neighborhood. We saw several deer...

A Downy Woodpecker (see him on the tree?)

  And a lot of mallard ducks.  I couldn't get a good picture of them, but that's what we were watching here. Down in the little swampy pond.

 The ducks flew away all at once...Lizbet liked that part.

 Then we fed the neighborhood dogs. We bought milkbones and take them with us on our walks. These poor dogs are olllld...but very friendly.

Oh, but the old, friendly dogs tend to wander the neighborhood...and poop where they want. Joseph and Connor get pooper scooper duty a lot. Joseph got fed up. This is on the bush in front of our yard.

So...there are a few things that we have been up to. We are going to finally go and get library cards today...and show off my shiny clean van...compliments of Connor and Joseph car wash. (yep...they wash cars in 45 degree weather!)