March 10, 2013

As I was jotting down a list of this week's happenings I realized that it has been a very busy week.  In fact I remember one night going into the bathroom where the girls were brushing their teeth at the conclusion of a long day and saying-"You know I could certainly love, clothe and care for one more child, but I don't honestly think I could run one more child around.  Would that be ok to have a give a child a happy, safe, abundant home but just not be able to give them activities?"  If you are bored, you can chew on that one for a while!   For the sake of time I think I'll just bullet the week again. 
I have to apologize ahead of time for the sideways pics.  I don't know how to flip them.  

 Breck has been on a health kick and is exerting incredible self-control as she improves her diet.  She has much more patience than me right now and is willing to be very patient and determined as she prepares her nutritious meals.  Above is a hummus wrap she made.  Sometimes it takes her so long and she has anticipated the results so vividly that I find her near tears with hunger and frustration as she slaves over a bean burger that will not flip or some other dish that doesn't quite turn out.  She is looking awesome and fitting in her clothes better than before.  In church today I was noticing how defined her arms are getting. 

 One busy night this week when all the kids were either at swimming or bball I decded to take the little girls swimming.  They loved getting out and just moving.  I tried to get Capriel to practice her strokes and realized watching her thrashing around at the speed of light and nearly drowning in the process that we have some work to do.:)

 Rhyse and I also got to head up for an afternoon/evening Thursday night to see Trev who was visiting Brigette during his interviews with BYU.  It was fun to shop with Get's and take a "city walk" (we left the keys in the truck and ran the battery out-requiring us to walk a little bit with all the babies to another location where Trev picked us up)  It was so fun to see Trev and Dev and Getti and realize that half of my sibs were together.  I love being with family and enjoying their company support and spirits.  We are so excited for Trev and Lauren and all that is in store for them in the near future!

 Breck and Tal went to Pizza Pie to celebrate Talia finishing her signtreading book 2 (this has taken at least 1 1/2 years)  They had a fun time and upon picking them up found enough silliness exuding from the two of them to keep a clown going for a week! 

 When Craig took the big kids to the state meet the little girls and I decided to tackle a project I've been wanting to do for years.  We aren't going to talk about the process, but lets just say all's well that ends well and I LOVE the open bright feeling!  I was really impressed with Tal and Capriel and their ability to run a drill, figure out problems and lift heavy things!

 The chickens love to hang out in the sunshine on the deck.  As the sun has come out and the temperature elevated a little this week we just keep finding ourselves exclaiming, "Oh, the sun, look you can see grass, look there are people outside,!"  We have all loved watching the animals enjoy their broadening milder world and spent as much time on Saturday outside as possible pruning, cleaning up, and exploring our yard again.  

 Here's on old picture from a week or two ago when Craig took Lan to the BYU/USU game. 

Here are the times for the state meet relay Lan swam in.  He swam the first leg 100m Free of the relay and helped his team win 3rd place overall.  They had a great time watching the other (very fast I might add) swimmers at state and enjoying Golden Corral together afterwords.  We are so proud of Lan and Breck and all they've accomplished with their swimming this year. 

Tal also had her first game in her new league.  Her coach put her team on a 5/6 girls competitive team to "give them more practice."  Of course they got soundly beat, but her team put up an impressive team and Talia's quick hands even got a couple of steals and breakaways.  She had been so nervous going into the game and afterwards said, "I'm excited now for my games Mom.  I've always wanted to go under another girls legs."  Considering the height difference this may eventually occur! 

 Finally, here is  another old shot of Breck's bball team.  They didn't have the best record, but Breck made enormous improvements. 

Here's Capriel on the ski lift this Thursday.  Craig took the three oldest girls to the stake ski night for our annual ski trip.  Tali and Breck took off immediately, but Craig and Capriel apparently had some "memorable" moments or hours trying to maneuver the hill together.  As Breck tells it one time she looked down from the ski lift and Craig and Capriel in some sort of predicament and cheerfully called down, "Hi Dad" to him.  Her only response was a tense, "I can't talk to you right now."  In retrospect Craig said they had a great time, that it was a miracle he didn't blow out his knees, and that Capriel looked as if she might just ski off the mountain at any point!  I'm thinking she might need a few more runs! 

Breck also got to dog sit Bruno (our neighbor's  shnauzer-Yorki )   Feeling sorry for him the first night she decided to bring him home to sleep with us.  We had loads of entertainment watching the two dogs endlessly and energetically wrestle for hours.  Breck on the other hand spend an almost sleepless night rocking, cuddling, and maybe even cursing Bruno (who was evidently feeling homesick).  I came down at like 2am to find that she'd gone and gotten Pepper thinking that they'd "fall asleep together."  Then she'd let Pepper out who had apparently heard a deer and went outside to bark brainlessly at one.  She looked at me as she held Bruno and tried to retrieve Pepper from outside in a mad sort of way and absolutely seething said, "I HATE DOGS!"  Bruno did not spend the next night with us.