May 30, 2010

May 30, 2010

Dear Family and Friends,

This has been a strange week for us. Poor M and J have been super sick. Most of the week M stayed home from work because he was sick. I kept thinking, “Oh great M is home, this will be so great!” And then I would realize that he being home is actually worse than begin gone because he was sick and would do a great job of staying in his room trying to get rest. The poor guy was really not feeling good. J had a pretty rough week too, but started to improve a little before M. In between taking care of the patients I did manage to get some things done, like shopping, FHE etc.

Tuesday M went to work for a part of the day, but came home early when he started hacking. He didn’t go back to work until Thursday. Tuesday night I had a presidency meeting and then went visiting teaching. My companion hadn’t gotten my message saying I would be fifteen minutes late, so they had a chance to get to know each other without me…

Thursday I got up and decided that if I was going to pick strawberries at the farm the best time to do it would be before B-man got home from school. So J and I rushed around and got off in time. I was a little nervous about the picking by myself, but it went better than last week and I was actually able to get more picking done than I had last week. But when J was done, he let everybody know. I was so happy that the picking was easy this week. The longest part of the day was waiting in line to pay for our extra berries that I picked, but eventually we made it and I was able to get back and pick up B-man from the bus. Later that day we went to the pool. It was the first day that our pool opened, and B-man must have asked me about five thousand times when the pool would open. We were the first ones there, and he was so happy to be able to swim. Thankfully it was a nice hot day and the pool water was surprisingly warm. Later that night M and I went on a date to celebrate his birthday. It was a little early, but we weren’t sure what would be happening with the weekend, and wanted to make sure that we got out. We went to dinner and a movie. We saw “Iron Man 2” and both thought that it was a fun movie. When we were driving home there was tons of lightening happening in the sky, and it made for a beautiful drive home.

Friday M was supposed to have off, but since he had missed so much of work earlier he went to work anyway. I went to help with B-man’s “field day.” It is basically a day where they spend all day outside playing fun games. I took J with me, and thankfully he was pretty happy for most of the time. I helped out with a game where the kids were in teams and had to put their shoes in a hula hoop a ways away and then in a relay race run and put their shoes on before going back and sitting down. It was nice and easy for me. Later when M was home we went to the pool and had a great time.

 

Saturday was a nice relaxing day. Everyone was starting to feel a little more normal. I went out with a friend to look for deals at yard sales. There weren’t too many but we found some good things. I found a new bike for B-man. He loves it! His old bike we got for free, and it was really starting to be very rusty. This bike was a great deal and will be great for the summer, etc. While I was gone the boys had cleaned their bathrooms and done some other work. We ate lunch together and then the boys went to the pool. I took J to Home Depot so that we could get some plants for the yard. It always takes me forever to decide how many, etc. When I got home I put J to bed and then got to work in the yard. I almost got it all done before J woke up. Luckily he played happily in the backyard while I finished up the last two plants. After a nice long time at the pool, the boys came home and we ran a few errands before coming home and making dinner. After dinner we went over to a friend’s house to take pictures of their new baby. We showed up just as they were getting to ready to eat, so M and I worked on taking pictures while they ate. Eventually the parents joined us and we were able to finish up the pictures. M was so happy when we got home and saw that at least some of them turned out great. B-man had a great time with their older kids while the photo shoot was happening. We were so happy that their baby was super happy and never cried. It made the process much easier!

Today has been a great day. M had no meetings, and he celebrated by making pancakes! It was so nice to have the morning together. Church was very standard, although there were wonderful talks. Seriously some of the best talks that we have heard in a while. After church we went to dinner at a friend’s house. It was great to be with people after the long week that we have had. When J started to melt down we came home and got the boys to bed.

We love you all!

R, M, B-man, and J

May 23, 2010

May 23, 2010

This has been a crazy week. It has been full of things that are important to do, but not that exciting to write about. I apologize in advance.

Monday was full of things. In the afternoon I took B-man to the dentist. The ladies at the office got such a crack-up out of him and what he was saying. He was telling them all about his two girlfriends how they are “a lot older, cause they are six.” While we were at the dentist M was going to his first physical therapist appointment. He thinks they will be really helpful in getting his back feeling better. That night we had FHE. We talked about our bodies. We had told B-man that he would be getting a special surprise at the end of FHE which put him in a very excited mood. When I told him we were going to be talking about our bodies, and asked him what are bodies were good for he said something like this (while being very excited and animated) “Our bodies let us see, and touch, and eat. They really are amazing. I mean look at your body Mom!” It was such a funny moment. After FHE he opened up an envelope that had a little note telling him that we are going to have another baby. It took him a little while to figure it out, but once he did he was really excited. I then left and got a massage. Massages are wonderful, unless you have had one, you can’t understand how amazing they really are. It was done by a friend so it was great to be able to catch up while she was “working” on me.

Tuesday was a pretty slow day. I almost kept B-man home from school because he has a nasty cough, but he begged to go so I let him. He seemed a little better once he was home. That night was our Relief Society (aka Enrichment).

Wednesday the notable things were that I did some visiting teaching. Then that night M had a bunch of things to do for church. First he went and did some visits of members and then he had a PPI with a member of the Stake Presidency.

Thursday was another slow day. I did more visiting teaching, and that night M did more visits. That is going to be a pattern for the next couple of weeks.

Friday the weather was beautiful so I took the boys to the park. I found out that B-man can now do the monkey bars all by himself. It was very exciting. J had a good time eating the wood chips when I finally put him down. That night we had pizza for our family party and then went to a friend’s house to help them spread some mulch. M and B-man had a great time outside while J and I hung out inside and chatted with my friend. I left M working so that I could get the boys in bed, J was super wasted, but B-man wanted to stay and play.

Saturday morning poor J woke up with a terrible cough and congestion. I think he got what B-man had earlier in the week. I went and looked for garage sales. It was a great day for deals! We took advantage of the good weather and worked in the yard too. J took lots of naps, so hopefully he will get better quickly. That evening we took B-man to a birthday party. While he was at the party we ran some errands at the mall and then picked him up and went home. After eating and getting the boys in bed M and I watched an episode of “Foyle’s War” and ate some fun treats.

Today has been more like the same. M went to the meetings in the morning. I worked on a lesson. The advisor wasn’t going to be able to make it at the last minute. We decided that M would stay home from church with J. Both of them were not feeling that well. Church went well, and it was so nice to come home to dinner ready to eat. Cute M had made dinner even though he wasn’t feeling well. After dinner we played some balloon basketball/volleyball and then read some books before getting the boys in bed.

We love you all!

R, M, B-man, and J

May 16, 2010

 

May 16, 2010

Dear Family and Friends,

This has been a great week, but we were sad to have Skate leave. Monday he was still here, and I put him to work. I had a doctor’s appointment to get my thyroid checked out. It was at a slightly awkward time, naps, meeting B-man at the bus, etc… and so I was so happy to have Skate here so I didn’t have to coordinate a babysitter. I was pleasantly surprised the doctor and how the visit went, and I was so grateful that Skate didn’t complain about a very cranky J that he was watching. That night we had pizza and then had FHE.

Tuesday was a slow relaxing rainy day. After B-man got home from school and J’s afternoon nap we went to Chucky Cheese’s with Skate. We had a really great time. B-man loved playing “Mario Cart” with Skate. I challenged him and he even beat me in one race. We stayed for a little over an hour and then headed home. While I worked on dinner Skate and B-man watched “Star Wars” together in the basement. B-man was so happy. When I later asked him what his favorite thing was that he did with Skate he said “Going to Chucky Cheese’s and watching Star Wars!” I’m sure glad we got those things in before he had to leave! That night mutual was at my house. We had a class activity and made a freezer meal to give away to a family in our ward. After my activity M and Skate went to play basketball at the church.

Wednesday morning I had to take Skate to the airport. We were so sad to have him leave, but were SO happy to have him come visit us. Visitors are one of our favorite things. The rest of the day was slow and uneventful. I did plant the garden, which ended up being very hot and miserable. I am so happy that it is in though, and have taken to “examining” the plants every day.

Thursday was so slow. I can’t remember anything. I think I finally made it to the grocery store. That was the highlight.

Friday was a great day. M wasn’t working so he was home and helpful. That afternoon I had a friend over for lunch. Later that afternoon B-man took a very short nap (we were thrilled about any length) in preparation for the Fathers and Sons Campout. We were able to get the car packed and ready for their grand adventure. B-man was SO excited about the campout. He has been telling lots of complete strangers about it. The drive took a longer than anticipated because of traffic, but eventually they made it. They were only the second car to arrive. They went on a small hike and found some great bamboo walking sticks that they also brought home with them. The rest of the night was spent around the campfire, eating hot dogs, marshmallows, etc. (Strangely B-man liked all of his marshmallows cold.) While the men were gone I rand some errands with J and then got some Chinese take-out. It was almost like being at home with my family. Except my family wasn’t there…

Saturday morning I woke up and went to a few garage sales. I ended much earlier than normal so that I could get J in bed for a nap. I took advantage of the people being gone and napped with him. The rest of the day was pretty slow for J and me. Meanwhile B-man and M were busy playing with their bamboo, and they took another hike to a waterfall before heading home. B-man was so happy with the campout. The rest of the day he played with the neighborhood kids and we worked on cleaning the car, etc. That night after the boys were in bed M and I watched an episode of “Foyle’s War.”

Today has been a great day too. The morning was relatively calm and uneventful. Church went well, although J is “finding his voice” more and more every week. After church we went home and had dinner and got the boys to bed.

We love you all!

R, M, B-man, and J

May 9, 2010

May 9, 2010

Dear Family and Friends,

We’ve had a great week having my brother here. The time is going too quickly though. Monday was a nice slow day. In the afternoon Skate took B-man to the Air and Space Museum. I think they both had a lot of fun together. That night we had FHE, and Skate showed off his ear wiggling abilities in the “Spotlight” portion of the evening. B-man thought it was the coolest thing ever.

Tuesday morning M went to the doctor for his back. He didn’t get much info, but he did get some medicine, and hopefully with some exercises his back will be back to normal. It was great to have him home in the morning for a little extra time. Once he got home though he was off to work. That night we had mutual. We worked on some gifts for Mother’s day, and personal progress tracking. Our project involved sewing, and both of the machines (including mine) were having every possible issue. It was frustrating, but in the end we were grateful for the small turnout so that we could get the projects done. I also learned to never loan out my sewing machine. Even if the person using it is very experienced.

Wednesday was a beautiful day. We decided to take advantage of the nice weather and I took the boys and Skate to the farm for the afternoon after lunch. There were a bunch of school groups there which is slightly a pain, but B-man loved having all the kids around. He and Skate did the double barrel slides together. The best part of the day was when Skate and I sat in comfy chairs in the shade while B-man was playing in the sand. In the shade there was just the perfect amount of breeze to make it that utterly perfect temperature. Skate and I both lamented that there wasn’t sand under our feet and water in front of us. When we got home we were all really thirsty and M was kind enough to have a slushy whipped up and waiting for us. It was very refreshing!

Thursday I took my brother to the commuter bus stop in the morning so that he could get to downtown. B-man was sad not to have him around during the afternoon, but we survived. That night the boys went to play basketball at the church.

Friday was a big fun day for us. We got everything ready to go and when B-man got home from school we headed into the district. We took the scenic route to get there and made a slight detour to an Argentinean restaurant by the temple so that we could get some empanadas for my brother to try. (He is going to Argentina on his mission.) We ate them in the car while driving to Arlington National Cemetery. At Arlington we first went to the Tomb of the Unknown and watched the changing of the guard. We could not believe how perfect the weather was for our day. Absolutely perfect temperature with partly cloudy skies. The changing of the guard ceremony was wonderful, and the ceremony and being in a cemetery brought up a lot of interesting conversations with B-man. After visiting the Tomb of the Unknown we then went to the grave of JFK before heading back to the car. B-man’s legs were already getting a little tired from the walk. After we left the cemetery we headed over the bridge and into the District. We then went to the World War II memorial. This was the first time for my brother, and the first time for our family with all of the fountains running. I love all the quotes that they have on the walls of the memorial. It made me want to learn more about the war, specifically the battles happening in the Pacific side of the world. After the WWII memorial, (and lots of duck chasing by B-man) we walked to the Vietnam memorial. Since I had seen it more recently than M I went to get the car and move it from the parking spot since the time had run out. I got in the car and waited as long as I dared before heading out. I did a lap around the block and pulled over to a better spot while the rest of the crew crossed the street and came to the car. After a little debate we decided to go to dinner. We took Skate to a fun old restaurant in DC for dinner. It was slightly nicer than I would normally take two small children to, but I do like to use these outings as an opportunity to work on manners. The dinner was fast and furious, but the food was delicious and the servers were all patient with us. We had to slightly rush because our parking spot was only good for one hour. After dinner we then headed back home. We were all tired, but so grateful for the great weather, and the wonderful men that have served our country.

Saturday was a busy day for me, but slower for the rest of the family. I was supposed to have a car wash fundraiser for Girls’ Camp, but it was looking like it might rain, and so it was delayed several hours. During the delay I went garage sale shopping. It was super windy and looking like rain so it was slightly a slow day. The people that were having sales though were anxious to get rid of their things so they could go inside. That meant great deals for me. I came home got lunch etc, and then headed off to the car wash. I was very surprised to see that there were a bunch of girls already there washing cars. Then I realized that they were not our girls… The fast food establishment that was kind enough to let us use their houses and parking area had double booked the place. .. So now here we all were ready to go (we had already postponed once due to weather) with not really many options. On a chance our camp leader ran over a block to another restaurant to see if they had outside water, and if they would let us use it. We were all surprised that they said yes to both! We decided it would be better to do it now then wait. The car wash was busy the whole time. We probably only could have washed about five more cars than we did. We washed for three hours before we had to stop because the restaurant had wanted us done by a certain time. The girls had a great attitude and did a really great job. We only had one car come back because we had missed a spot. For some reason it was hard to see up close, but when you were back about ten feet you could see the area really well. I felt really good during the whole three hours, and then as soon as I stopped moving I realized how tired I was. I was SO tired. I came home and just sat on my bed before having the energy finally get myself cleaned up. Then I was back in bed again. I asked the other leaders if they were exhausted too, and they were. That made me feel like less of a wimp. That night we scrounged for dinner and then watched “Terminator Salvation.”

Today has been a great day. B-man has been so excited for Mother’s Day and has been telling me all day how helpful he will be and how I get to just sleep in and take naps, etc… I was happy to follow his instructions. M and B-man had a great breakfast for me, and M has made sure that all the meals were delicious. He did a great job. I will have to really step up my game for Father’s Day. Church was great. B-man did a great job singing with the Primary during Sacrament Meeting, and for the first time there were children louder than ours. They were cute and loud so it was okay. I know have a Beehive Advisor, so I didn’t have to teach today. Honestly it was a little strange to be in the class with the girls but be teaching. I wasn’t quite sure what to do. Tonight we also got to participate in a conference call with my brother on a mission. The connection wasn’t great, but it was so nice to hear his voice and hear a little about his teaching pool and area.

We are so thankful to the wonderful mothers that we have. They are/were great mothers and are wonderful grandmothers now. We wish we were closer so that we could spoil you like you deserve!

Love,

R, M, B-man, and J

Dinner

Today M had the day off, and my brother is still here, so we all went into the District today after B-man got home from school. We first went to Arlington National Cemetery, then the World War II memorial, and then a quick stop off at the Vietnam War memorial. After all that we got back in the car and figured out dinner.

We decided to take our brother to a fun place right across the street from the White House called Old Ebbitt Grill. It is a pretty nice place, but you don't feel out of place in shorts. At least not if you go early enough in the day. Skate and I were sitting at the table waiting for the rest of the family to join us. We had so many adventures. Here they are slightly in order. All of this was happening very fast.

1. B-man noticed the HUGE mural with three women painted in "the buff." This is a nice establishment. He sits down and says, "Mom, look." And points right at the mural. He was sitting next to my brother, and he had been sitting there for ten minutes without noticing it. I had to try and explain why it was okay to show people without clothes on in art to a five year old. Slightly impossible.

2. The table has a table cloth on. J quickly tries the trick where you pull the table cloth off the table without breaking anything. Luckily we averted that crisis.

3. B-man first decides he wants shrimp. Plain shrimp. Then for a brief moment he wanted crab. Then he decided on a hamburger. This was his order "I want a hamburger, no cheese please. But pickles and ketchup." He got extra pickles but was slightly disturbed that they were spears. He wanted them "in the hamburger." I cut them up and slid them in. Another crisis averted.

4. B-man after a few reminders of manners started telling everyone "Thank-you Sir!" He even asked for more water when his glass was full just so that he could thank the server.

5. While all of this was going on we were basically giving J anything he wanted off of our plates or the food that we brought for him. B-man was being especially helpful with J and kept handing him fries off his plate. Is it bad for a baby to eat fries? We didn't really stop him since it meant we could finish our own food.

6. As we were walking to our car I realized that every time I looked back at B-man and he keeps trying to hide a mint he had in his hand. It was one of those mints you get on your way out of the door of a restaurant. I could tell that he thought he wasn't supposed to have the candy. That he had stolen it. Which was hilarious because of course they were free. So that was another fun conversation we had about being sneaky etc.

The dinner was great, and exhausting. We were working so hard to keep the kids quiet that it wasn't like we had amazing stimulating conversation. But hopefully we helped B-man learn a little more manners, and we all got to eat in a great DC haunt.

May 2, 2010

May 2, 2010

Dear Family and Friends,

Monday was a pretty quiet day.  Most days have been pretty quiet.  M has been trying to get his back feeling better and I haven't felt great myself.  So we haven't been moving that quickly.  I did some shopping for food during the day, and that night for FHE we went to our friends' house.  They did a great lesson on stories from the life of Jesus.  It was a cute little lesson.  We then came home and got the kids in bed.

Tuesday was a slow day, not much going on.  Wednesday was a pretty slow day for most of the day.  That night we had a camp certification for the girls.  I didn't realize that I didn't really need to be there.  It was all put on by the Stake camp leaders, but it was still nice to be there and visit with some of the other leaders from other wards.  That night M and I listened in on a conference call while my brother opened up his mission call.  It was so fun to be able to listen to him reading it. We are so excited for him.

Thursday we were so excited to have my brother Skate coming into town.  I sent B-man off to school, and then I tried to finish up the last details that needed to be done.  Sadly we realized that my poor brother had some long delays, and so he wouldn't be coming until much later in the day.  B-man was so sad that he wasn't there.  We had a lot to do while we were waiting.  I went to a friend's house for some information on essential oils, and then met another leader at a fabric store to get some things for a project.  From the fabric store we then went home for a quick snack and then headed to the airport.  We did a lot of laps while we waited for my brother to get his lost baggage problem squared away, and then we headed back home.  My poor brother had had an exceptionally long night and day.  As soon as we got home I started dinner.  After dinner and getting everyone ready for bed both M and I left for different church meetings.  We were so grateful to have my brother there so that we could get to our meetings.  After my meeting I then went late to our book club.  We discussed "Blink" and had a great time.  I was up way too late.  I came home just completely exhausted.  Everyone was long in bed when I got home.

Friday was a recovery day.  We all were pretty tired after such a busy day.  We had a nice quiet day.  B-man was so excited to have Skate around.  We did a trip to Costco, so that he could get his passport pictures.  That night for our family party we went to a local restaurant that was having a big promotion.  After dinner and the boys were in bed we watched "Sherlock Holmes."  It was a fun movie. 

Saturday was a fun day.  I spent the morning hunting at garage sales.  I found some fun things and then headed home.  When we got home we had lunch and got organized and then headed out to Harper's Ferry with my brother.  It was a hot, hot day, but we managed to still have fun.  I didn't realize that my brother knew all about the history at Harper's Ferry.  We should have had him giving us the tour!  We walked down by the river at one point, and B-man decided that he needed to either fish or go swimming.  (Even though he had told us there were alligators in the water.)  Once we found a suitable spot he stripped off his shirt and shoes and jumped in the water.  He swam around for a while, and probably would have liked to keep swimming, but we were tired of all the bugs.  We then headed off to finish exploring the town.  On our way to the car we bought some ice cream.  It was our way of "paying" for parking since M parked in the employee parking for the ice cream store.  It was delicious and a great way to cool us off for the ride home.  Luckily our car was still there for us to drive home in.  The rest of the day was a rush to get people fed and to bed before settling down and watching a basketball game. 

Today has been a normal Sunday for us...  No meetings for M before church, which was nice.  We were able to get things ready for dinner and I worked on my lesson.  Church went well, and I taught a combined lesson to all the young women on journals.  After church we went home while M met with the Bishop.  We had dinner and read books before getting the boys in bed.

We're so happy Skate is here.  We love you all!

R, M, B-man, and J