CHARLIE's SAFARI

The kids were amazed at it all!!

There is this new play place in Olympia called Charlie's Safari. My kids loved it. There are several things to do. Miniature golf, Lazer tag, an arcade, and bouncy slides and a big climbing thing. Of course, the more you want to do, the more money it costs. We just stayed with the bouncy toys and climbing thing. It was pretty reasonably priced and the adults get in free!! Bonus! We were there for several hours. The kids were exhausted, sweaty and they had a really great time. They watch the kids very closely. Doug met us there later on, so he didn't get a stamp to match the rest of us. I left to take the girls to the car while Doug stayed and waited for Payton to put his shoes on. They stopped him at the gate and wouldn't let Payton leave with him...no matching stamp. So, I had to go back in and show my stamp so they would let Payton leave. It was kind of a hassle, but a good hassle. I am glad they are watching out for the kids!!

This is exactly how I feel. Like I am swimming in laundry. And let me tell you right now, I am not a very good swimmer. But, it's more than just laundry I am drowning in...it is the every day existence. There are so many "things" to do. How can I keep up? (can I get an AMEN?)

TWINS!

I guess Doug was feeling that he needed a little more attention. Tuesday evening after we had put the kids in bed, Doug went out riding on our track. He was only out there about 15 minutes, if that. I heard him come back and knew that something was wrong because he just wasn't out there long enough. In my mind, either the bike was broke or he was. I wish I could say it was the bike. His left leg is broken...again. He was in a lot of pain and it was a pretty long couple of hours after it happened. Thankfully, we still had his walking boot they gave him last time. So, Wednesday morning, he strapped it on, got out the trusty ol' cruches and went to work. Yesterday, he decided he should probably just go to the doc (he didn't really think it was broken). It is. He actually has to go see a bone specialist on Tuesday and have him really look at what is going on.

So, I have a couple of gimps on my hands for the next several weeks. I got Jillian a walking boot on Tuesday, so her and daddy are "twins." Her walking boot is so stinkin cute. I thought that having a broken foot would slow her down...come on now, it's Jillian. What the heck was I thinking? She has even figured out how to walk on it without the boot.

My grandmother once told me that the scriptures say "and it came to pass," not "and it came to stay."

Well, amongst all the craziness of yesterday...it was Heidi's (dare I say?) 30th birthday! We hung out for a little while, talked, ate some really good carrot cake and ice cream, took some pictures. We are saving our real craziness for Friday night!

Well, just a few very short months after she broke her arm, it happened again. We were playing at the park yesterday and surprise, surprise, Jillian fell. She was screaming and limping. It continued for a while. After she calmed down a little, I tried to get her to tell me where she had fallen from. I'm pretty sure that she fell from one of the 6 foot platforms. To make a long story short...her right foot is broken. Good times!

I have to drive back to Olympia today and get her fitted for a walking boot. I hope she will actually be able to walk in it. It is a little difficult carrying two babies around. Although this happened, I at least don't have to worry about what she is doing or getting into. Wherever I put her is where she has to stay! Maybe this won't be so bad!

Yesterday morning, I was woken up in a way I have never experienced before. Jillian had woken up right before Doug left for his early Sunday meetings. He put her in bed with me. I thought that she would just go back to sleep. I should know better. Well, I fell back asleep. Apparently my daughter has an obsession with chips because she went into the kitchen and got the can of Pringles. She got back in bed with me. I felt something moving my lips...and heard the distant sound of a little girls voice. "You have some, mommy, you have some." I woke up to her trying to shove Pringles in my mouth. (At least I have taught her to share.) Then I looked where she was sitting and the whole area of the bed was covered in Pringles and crumbs. It was on Doug's side of the bed. Needless to say, the Pringles stayed there until after church because I just didn't have time to clean them up.

I want to take a minute and say HAPPY BIRTHDAY to my friend Heidi! LOVE YA!

This was Miss Isabelle's first outing to the river...she didn't like it at all. Well, the water anyway. She did, however, enjoy eating the rocks and dirt. YUM!

We are fortunate enough to have a river running through the back of our property. The kids love to spend time out here during these hot summer days. It is really great to be able to take them out here and look at all the different insects and birds and fish just right in our back yard. The river has changed so much since we moved here 4 years ago. The section that we have really great access to is pretty shallow for the most part but it also has a great swimming hole.

You can tell from the picture that Jillian got tired of wearing her swimming suit. I tried to pick a picture that didn't show too much of her amazing physic! I didn't want all the other two year olds out there getting jealous. The kids have a great time playing in the mud. Living out here, you can't be too uptight about your kids getting dirty! It's just gonna happen.

Oh, say can you see...we have matching shirts. I love Wal-Mart. Where else can you find the same shirt for everyone in your family...for under $20?

We started the morning off very early with our annual ward flag raising ceremony and breakfast. Being the activities person, I was in charge. Man, it was sort of stressful. Let me tell you, if you don't have the food ready when people are ready to eat ...watch out! It was fun and nobody got lost in the woods this year!! Then it was family time. We had a bunch of family over for food, fun and fireworks!

Doug spent most of the day out redoing his dirt bike track. He is very proud of the way it turned out. I have yet to go examine it. The kids just ran around having as much fun as possible. Riding dirt bikes, and quads, having tree house meetings, riding bikes, coloring with sidewalk chalk, licking the salt lick for the cows...gross! By the end of the day, all the kids were absolutely filthy and tired. The fireworks couldn't come fast enough. We had a few kids who just couldn't fight off their droopy eyes and gave in before the end of the fabulous display. Thankfully all those threatening clouds we saw were all just show. We had very little sprinkles here and there...but it didn't rain on our display!

I just want to say how blessed I feel to live in this amazing country. It truely is the promised land. God bless the U.S.A.

I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America. And to the republic for which it stands. One nation, under God, indivisible, with Liberty and Justice for all.

Looking back on the last ten years, I have realized that Doug and I don't have that many pictures together. This was taken at my 10 year High School Reunion in May. (Alamosa, Colorado.)

Doug and I will celebrate our 10th anniversary on September 11th. We want to do something big...but the chances are slim.

These are my beautiful kids. Anyone who knew me about 12 or 13 years ago would not have seen this coming. In fact, I didn't see this coming. I think when I was in high school I really didn't see myself even getting married. Apparently, neither did my mom. She has told me that she thought I would be one of those girls who was content with being single for my whole life. Those who know me now, know that I could probably not exist, function or even breathe without my husband.

So, four kids. More than the average family. And we feel that there will probably be more. Our oldest is Payton Troy. He will be turning eight on August 13th. And reminds us of that at least every other day. He is totally out numbered as you can see. He obsorbs any "male bonding time" he can get with his day. He truely is a great big brother. Not always a willing big brother, but a great one none the less. He likes to ride dirt bikes, play baseball, climb trees, get dirty...the typical boy stuff. I look at him and really wonder how he has grown and changed so fast. He is a very sensitive and understanding and intellegent kid. Now, don't get me wrong, he whines, and complains, and smells bad sometimes, but he is a really remarkable boy.

Savannah Marie is our five year old who thinks that thirteen is a good age for her to be a mommy, cries at the drop of a hat (or the sight of a misquito). She loves to help me do the dishes, take care of her sisters and just be a girl. She is very loving and cuddly. But she is sneaky about cuddling. Doug and I will be sitting somewhere and then all of the sudden she is just on our laps. She likes to play with her brother as long as when they are playing with dirt bikes, there has to be a mom, a dad, and a baby dirt bike. She has been telling her dad and I that we are "the best mom/dad in the world." I always tell her thank you, but the other day I said, "Well, I am sure there are a lot of other mommies that are much better than I am." Her response was quick and very sure. "But to me you are." I love her.

Since I already wrote about "little miss trouble," (which she does call herself). I will move on to Isabelle Grace. She is almost ten months old and full of smiles, giggles and chubbs. This girl can light up a room in an istant. She has started dancing, and pulling herself up to things just so she can stand on her own. She like to slap my skin (she likes the sound) and she like to pinch. It really does hurt. She plays shy and is a momma's girl. All my kids are huge blessings, but Isabelle is my personal miracle. I like to consider her my little life saver.

This is Jillian Clair. She is two. Now that really should explain it all. But for me she hasn't been my typical two year old. She may look innocent...but she is most certainly not! Now, I have been told that I should have a blog devoted just to her and all the crazy things she does.

Just this week she has snuck out of the house at 7a.m. while I was still sleeping. (Thankfully she just headed to Grandma's house. She was wearing only a tshirt and diaper...no shoes. Oh, but she was well prepared carrying the essential bag of chips.)

She has smeared toothpaste into my bedroom carpet, flooded the bathroom, used diaper rash cream as "soap" all over her hands and face. She decided to play with one of her bath toys outside of the bathtub. It was one of those ones that squirts...anyway, she squirted water throughout the hallway and kitchen. While I was cleaning it up Doug was opening up a can of chile. The phone rang, I asked Doug to get it...he did, leaving the can of chile just in reach of a two year old on her tip toes. Seconds past and the can of chile was down her dress and all over the kitchen floor.

For the last several days, when I change her poopy diapers I have noticed a smell of mint. Now, I racked my brain thinking, "What would cause her poop to smell like mint?" Nothing came to mind. Well, yesterday I was cleaning the family room and came across some gum wrappers. All of the sudden, it clicked. Minty gum = minty poop. I remembered that a few days before I found that she had devoured an entire pack of gum. Now, I am not exaggerating when I say devoured. She probably ate that pack in under a minute. Probably for fear that she would get caught. But alas, she had evaded me again. I seem to get to her just seconds late...

Now, this doesn't even compare to some of the other things she has done. I know that there are several children out there like this. Probably much worse. She is my third child and she is one of a kind in this family. I can never stay too angry with her because she looks at me with those big hazel eyes and says things like, "I funny mommy," or "I so cute." There are those great moments with her when she breaks into the chorus of "I am a Child of God" that are reminders to me that she is so awesome. She brings such a spark into our family (as do the rest of the kids.) I just hope it's not the kind of spark that burns the house down.

This was on Father's Day. The kids love little holidays like this. They get all excited to give someone presents. I think it is GREAT that they love to give. Of course they are still kids and love to receive even more. But, hey, they will learn eventually. (I hope)