Happy Birthday Auntie Kara

Auntie Kara's birthday was yesterday, and I just hope she had a good one. She was out here visiting last week and we all had such a great time. I thought this was a great picture she took with the kids.
We made a cake for her today, sorry she wasn't here to eat it with us. The kids think it is a great idea to make cakes for everyone's birthdays even if they aren't here to enjoy them too.
We love you Auntie Kara.

Not Me...Monday #7

It is still Monday right...

Well anyway I think it is still Monday so I'm going to play along with MckMama.

I did not sit in a house with no kitchen and feed my kids cereal or mac and cheese all week because Ben was out of town, that would have been taking the easy way out.

I was not the least bit jealous that Ben was in Las Vegas and I was here in over my head of things to do and it was below zero outside.

I am not thrilled my cabinets are finally here and I am not the least bit impatient with them getting put in.

I love washing dishes in the laundry room utility sink, I don't need a dishwasher, I get them done after each meal and I never wait until the next morning. I haven't had dried on food or spoiled milk yet. Where is Papa Lloyd when you need him.

I did not order my Christmas card this week and I did not settle for a semi-okay picture because I planned way ahead of time and I wasn't running out of days left before Christmas.

I certainly did not Christmas shop for the child that was sitting in the cart, I did not buy him popcorn and distract him by telling him to look at strange things like see that pink coat with black dots on it, he was so confused poor child.

I didn't enjoy watching Beau play his first hockey game and I was not at all proud of how hard he tried.

I did not love taking all my kids ice skating even though 2 of the 3 had no clue how and I did not get a completely aching back on Friday and then turn around and do it again on Sunday because the kids didn't have any fun either and we would never want to have that much fun over and over again.

Being a mom and building a house isn't all my life is about, it just seems that way...or is it???

Ice Skating

I took all three kids ice skating tonight. In the beginning I was really stressing and a little shaky because I wasn't sure I could manage, but I did. A little thanks to Rob (a friend of ours) for lending a hand and letting Luke go fast.
Anna held on to the side most of the time, although she is sure to mention she let go a little bit. And she did a few times she let go and she tried and she was scared but she did it. She is my one that has the most fear of trying new things, so I am always really proud when we make through something new and hard without a meltdown.
Beau, I guess he was there but he was feeling pretty big stuff and I barely saw him. Also Sam (he's 7 too), Rob's son was skating and Beau was with him almost the whole night. He had a great time and wants to continue hockey. We are almost through with his 8 week season and have to choose whether to go 8 more. I'm feeling done but we haven't come to any decisions yet.
Luke was all about going fast. He could stand on his own but as soon as he started moving his feet he was trying to go too fast and he'd bite it. He was able to go a few feet at a time and HE LOVED IT. He really loved when I or Rob put him in front of us and skated fast. His smile was so big all night. At the end they got a treat and I got to skate, I only made it around one time because Luke preferred skating to his treat. Beau did too but he didn't need me. Anna was done and was content sitting and watching.
As we were putting our boots on Luke said, "that was great!!! thanks Mom for taking me skating!" That was icing on the cake. We all had fun, no one got hurt, no one cried and I was blessed to watch my children do something new. The anxiety I felt in the beginning was replaced by great joy and gratefulness and awe in the awesome children we have.
God Bless!

A Family Photo

So the jury said it wanted a whole family photo for the Christmas card, well maybe it will happen and maybe it won't.
We tried, I got us all dressed up even Ben and after church we took pictures. Anna decided not to smile for many if any of them. Luke has to ham it up as soon as he sees a camera. And Beau is just Beau he did try to cooperate for the most part, and since I couldn't see what they were doing I couldn't stop it. I have since discussed with Anna how disappointed I was that she didn't smile and let her know that wouldn't happen again. With her it is usually that easy problem cleared up. Beau actually looks pretty good in all the pictures, and Luke was hit or miss. But these were some of the tries.
We'll have to see if I ever get a Christmas card done and out.

I particularly like how my boot looks in this picture.

This one is cute but Ben and I aren't in it, Anna was really being goofy the whole time.
Out of focus and no smile from Anna, Luke also smiles so big that you lose his eyes.
Luke and I chatting, although I think it is cute it isn't what we are looking for in a family picture. I think he was saying "I love you Mama", which he says a bazillion times a day but I never get tired of hearing it.
Again Anna in her I'm not going to have my picture taken mode so there is no smile and Luke found something else to look at, but look at Beau he did try, and he looks so cute in his dishevled wrinkly sort of way.

The Dumpster is Here

I have never been so happy to see a dumpster. Garbage, Inc. (that is really the name of the company) finally delivered the dumpster so I can finally unload some of these garbage bags specifically the ones the dogs have torn into. I am soooo tired of cleaning up garbage off of my front porch and I have had to become creative in where I put my garbage bags, but not anymore. The dumpster is here. Now if Ben were just here to carry all these bags out to the dumpster that would be even better.
This whole house building project has been one step behind the whole way. The dumpster was supposed to be here Monday. Now it is Friday, that is a lot of garbage when you are unpacking boxes. The new cabinets were supposed to take 4 weeks we are pushing 5, and they are supposed to be delivered today. I will so enjoy having a dining room again, not to mention having a real kitchen. The toybox can go back to the basement, and the dishwasher can wash dishes and not hold the toaster on a cookie sheet.
Luke is in the garage playing with the kittens, at least he has boots on this time. It has warmed up so I'm not out there with his coat and hat trying to wrestle those on him. Thankfully it is still cool enough that we don't have mud, if that can just hold out until after the cabinets arrive this afternoon I would be happy.
Just ask Memere about the mud it was her favorite part of Montana. I think she even took a little home with her so that she wouldn't miss it. :)
On to unpack another box, although if I can get Luke to settle I'd love a short nap with him.
Blessings!

Officially Country Kids

So I decided this morning, that my kids are officially country kids. It was zero degrees outside so they did wear snowpants and boots and Beau wore two coats plus a sweatshirt, and they were ready to go. We are driving to the end of the cul de sac to wait for the bus because I am not yet up to trekking out there with all three of them, although Beau and Anna are all for it. Once we get there, Beau and Anna are begging to get out of the van, I didn't want them all covered in snow to get on the bus and have it melt and then get out at school to be in wet clothes, but I did give in for the last five minutes and you would have thought I'd taken them to Disneyland. They have to cross the road to get on the bus, so I am trying to get Beau to make sure Anna is right with him, and he stops and spins around looking for her, goofy kid. They get on the bus and they don't even look back.
Yesterday afternoon they all three went outside to play, they did put shoes on, Beau put on coat and gloves, Anna got her coat and Luke was out there in a sweatshirt. I took his coat out but his hands were already freezing and he came in. They love the freedom out here as do I. I don't worry about much out here other than when the garbage company is bring my dumpster. Life sure is good out here in the country, this is what we were waiting for.
God Bless.

Wolves, Buffalo, and Prairie Dogs

We went to the First People's Buffalo Jump Site this past Sunday. We learned lots about how the Indians used to drive the buffalo toward a cliff and then the buffalo would fall off and die and then the Indians would have food and warm skins for clothes.
This is Luke's version, the buffalo got to close to the edge and they fall off and are dead forever. "Mom don't get too close to the edge."
Luke and Beau dressed up in a wolf skin and practiced their howling, Luke has been demonstrating it for me as I type this because he sees the pictures. The boys really liked being wolves and Luke keeps reminding me that the wolf was dead too.

You can see Luke howling in this picture, he is a good little wolf, he wouldn't chase a buffalo or eat a sheep.

This is the cliff the buffalo would jump or more realistically fall off. Luke just told me that is the edge. He remembers the day very well, it made quite an impression on him.


Here is Anna by a buffalo she enjoyed having her picture taken all day. And there was a nice little hands on museum inside.And here are the prairie dogs, hundreds of them were out in the fields above the cliff. They were fascinating. We all enjoyed watching them. Luke tried to get close and would try and look down the holes to see if they would come out.
This is where Luke's confusion of the whole day comes in, he is certain that the buffalo that are dead forever are down in those prairie dog's holes just hiding from us. We have tried to make him understand, but alas we are wrong and he is right per usual. He seems to know it all or at least believes his version is better than everyone else's.
We really did enjoy the day visiting this local (well only 120 miles away) landmark with Ben's family and we are looking forward to taking other visitors there. Hopefully this time I won't hit a deer on the way home.