Catching my breath...

Amidst all the clutter and boxes, life is still marching on. Of all the weeks, this one, in particular, seems to be SO filled with goings on.

Here are a few quick blurbs (I was going to try and do thirteen, but I'm so dang tired, yet I feel compelled to write and post pictures, but the boxes, oh the boxes, they are calling me....so is my bed, and poor, poor neglected pillow. Yet the urge to post prevails.)



Elise started Karate a few weeks ago and is LOVING it. You haven't heard a "HIYA!" until you've heard my little Elise yell it. It's intimidating.
(Please forgive this mom's midnight desire to speak highly of her children)












Claire is immensely ENJOYING Gymnastics. She's coming right along with those handstands, splits, cartwheels, flips, etc. Finally, an outlet for all that energy.










Sam thinks he might be able to make it in Television. Sam, Elise and Claire were asked to be in a commercial and Sam thoroughly enjoyed it. He's got a quirky sense of humor that won the director over. You can read more about Sam's experience here. As for the rest of us, it was a whole lot of "hurry up and wait." We enjoyed being at U of U's Museum of Natural History, though.






A good friend brought over some German Shepherd puppies and my kids have been begging for a puppy ever since! They were so adorable....but asking for one while I'm trying to potty train my own human child, is probably not the best time.











I have looked out this kitchen window so often these past four years. I love to watch the seasons change, watch the birds come and build nests, eat left over crumbs dropped by my children and most of all, I love watching my children play. They've grown up so much since I first watched them from that kitchen window. I wonder if my perspective will change that much when I'm looking through the window of a different house. I want to etch in my mind the memory of my little children playing out in the back yard of this kitchen window.









As promised, a picture of our new diggs. We decided to take a minimalistic approach when looking for homes. Our children are quite happy with the "one room" feel. I am delighted about the roof hole that will allow the smoke from our fire to escape. Jeremy is hunting some animals that we can skin and make furniture from. Perhaps, I'll even get a new sarong and nose bone?








Aaaah....there it is. You see that? That my friends is a silver lining. Mama said there'd be days and weeks and months like this. They won't last forever. There have been times this week when I have felt like the worst mom ever.

Our school and learning theme for that past week and a half has been "lessons in life" ie "what if feels like to clean all day" "how to love and teach a temperamental, screaming her head off, two-year-old" "how to be flexible" "how to throw things away or give them away if they are not being used" "how to know Mom still loves you even if she's yelling" and probably most importantly, the "We need to pray and read the scriptures every day so that we can have the Lord's help" lesson.

Don't worry, dad, we've managed to get in a little math, reading, writing, science and music in too. We will be normal (again, it's all relative). We will be happy. Anna won't be a crazy, Little Einsteins addict forever, by jingo!

Thanks for all the kind comments, emails, calls and support. I'm so grateful.