Monday August 20

I tried to get the kids up at an early time this morning.....but it was a bit later last night than I thought it would be when they got to bed.

Tonight they went to bed earlier, so early wake up time trail again tomorrow!

Cassi did s couple hours of her driver's ed driving this morning.

She did great.....and she gets to go on the freeway tomorrow!!!!!!!

She will do great!!!!

Let's see, I went running and then when Madi got home from a birthday brunch she went to, we went school shopping for her.

We had to get home in time for me to take Elsie to Speech at 3:45.

Elsie did great.

It has been hard, this speech therapy she has been doing!

We are trying to loosen her top lip.

Her bottom is very lose and the top is very tight.

She does a bunch of exercises on her top lip to help loosen and lengthen those tiny muscles.

But the hard part is, you can't do it when you are smiling...…

Guess what?

Elsie smiles a lot!

So we have been trying to get her to work on meditative type of stuff....or boring stuff :)

She plays with some putty while me and her therapist talk about things that are boring for kids :)

Ha ha....we work on breathing too and relaxing....

So today she did a great job not smiling!

It is still hard, but she is working on it :)

Went to Walmart, where Madi was with Porter, Alex, Laela and Henley, and I gave Elsie to her, because she was heading home and I swapped for Porter.

The girls went home and got dinner started

Port and I got some fun stuff like toilet paper :)

Then this evening, while I cleaned the kitchen , the kiddos all spent about an hour reading.

Part of that time, Port was outside with me watering plants and catching chickens that had escaped.

Oh, and I forgot that he did a great job this morning of picking up the fallen pears and apples and giving them to the chickens and cows.

I ordered a dehydrator today and it will be here Wednesday, so I am looking forward to making some fun dried fruit and fruit leather!!!!!

Sunday August 19

I got up early because I got to go to ward council.

When I got home, the three youngest left for choir, and Madi went to a friends mission farewell.

Church went great.

A new family moved in with a couple girls YW ages, so that is exciting!!!!

Cassi is so excited because there are not many Miamaids, and  lot of times she ends up being the only one there!

After church, Cassi stayed and practiced her song that she will be singing next week in sacrament meeting.

I am excited to hear how it goes.

Then we had a yummy dinner that Dad cooked up.

We invited Bubble and Eldon over for dinner, but they were just leaving the burger joint.

They said they still wanted to stop by and watch us eat, and they would bring dessert.

We are so lucky to have them!

The Terry's had dinner at a friends house.

They attended their new ward today, so that is exciting.

They start school tomorrow, so that is exciting too!

I can't believe we are so close to school starting for us!

Still trying not to feel nervous about Elsie going to middle school.

Everything will be great.....

It's all gonna be great!

She will do great!!!!!

Saturday August 18

I got up and went for a 5 mile run this morning.

Cassi made some blueberry muffins for the clan.

When I got back and ready, I took Porter to the store for his school supplies.

Then I made some treats for Madi to take to another friend who just had surgery.

I was also planning to bring treats to the Salisbury's tonight, but we ended up cancelling that because one of their kids threw up last night, and we don't want to chance getting anyone sick!!!!!

So I've got extra treats, for my Beehives :)

Brad and Jenni got back around 2 and the girls were excited to see them.

Dad got a dead tree cut down and also a branch that broke off our apricot tree the other day :(

Got some house work done and then I took Cassi school clothes shopping.

She was not having fun at first, but then found some stuff she really liked, so that changed things around.

Came home and Dad had made dinner for everyone.

Terry's took Porter with them to ride bikes on the greenbelt, Madi got to set up for the stake dance (since she is on the committee now :), and Cassi got ready and I took her to the stake dance with some friends.

We were a little early, so we stopped by the old church and let her drive the car around a bit.

Back at home I just finished planning my lesson for tomorrow, Elsie and Dad watched a show together and then we got Elsie to bed at a good time.

Everyone else is gone!!!!!

At least Elsie will be well rested!

Friday August 17

This morning we spent time trying to find the owner of the dog that came by last night.

Our neighbor finally took him to the vet where they checked his chip, and he got back home :)

After that the morning went slow, playing games and hanging out with each other.

I got ready for the day then went grocery shopping.

When I got back home, Cassi and Ayden wanted to go to the movies.

We got the groceries put away and then I took them.

Then I met up with Jenni at her little girls school to bring them back to my house.

She left from there to pick up Brad and head to Mccall for their anniversary night :)

So the girls and I went home and I cooked dinner.

After dinner, we all went to the Edwards house to celebrate Graham's birthday.

We were there for a long time and the kids had fun.

Then I promised my kids and the Terry kids a movie night...….so now they are all cuddled up on the couch watching 'Karate Kid'

Thursday August 16

Kind of  Lazy day.

I did get up and go to the gym.

I got the mountain sorted in the laundry room.

Cassi and Ayden went and did baptisms with Avery.

They had a stack of names that they forgot to bring to the youth temple night, so it was fun for them to get to go again, twice in one week :)

I did run some errands, but that's it.

Cassi and Avery made a cake, a friendship cake.

Silly girls.

Port took the girls for a ride and driving lessons on the mule this evening.

Henley has been so cute and helping with the chores each night :)

When Madi came home from taking Ice cream to spencer (who just got his wisdom teeth out...) she picked up a lost dog wandering around on the busy road.

So he is spending the night in the garage until we can figure out who he belongs to.

Wednesday August 15

Oh my goodness.....today was one of those days that we had almost each hour of the day planned out!

It was busy!

Started the day with taking Alex and Laela to their friends house in Paramount.

I was heading that way with Elsie to take her to Target, so it worked out just perfect for me to take them.

Then Elsie and I went and did some school clothes shopping with her.

She had a fun time and it is fun to see what she likes and doesn't like....and what you can't talk her out of :)

Ha ha ha....

I got home and Cassi went babysitting, Dad and I dropped her off on our way to an appointment/day date.

When we got home, it was about 30 minutes before Cassi got home and I ran her to Sister Burk's house to go over the song she is gonna sing on the 26th in sacrament meeting.

Then I brought her home, picked up Elsie for her Middle school open house!

She is so excited!

After today I think I am feeling a bit better about things, I still feel so nervous!

But I am not letting her know that I am nervous!!!!

We ran to Walmart for some milk after that.

When we were gone, Dad took Cassi to her Rugby practice.

Then he had to go to a parent meeting at 6, I took Elsie to YW at 7, and Cassi, Madi, Ayden and Alex all came later as they trickled back home from their activities!

Crazy crazy!

Our YW/YM activity tonight was swimming and volleyball and some other games.

The kids all had a good time and it was fun to have Ayden and Alex join us.

Tuesday August 14

I went for an early run with Makenna this morning.

She leave for Idaho state tomorrow!

I am glad I got one last run with her.....and I am excited to see where she goes from here!

Then Dad and I went to the gym.

The kiddos, Terry's and ours spent the morning drawing pictures together, which made me so happy :)

Then Elsie and Cassi went school supply shopping with Jenni and her girls.

Later on this afternoon, Dad and I went and volunteered at the Cannery.

We canned peaches and it was pretty fun.

Something kind of funny happened.

There was an older couple there.

Our job was the make sure all the pits her cut from the peaches.

She was about middle of the assembly line.

The kid at the front of the like left for a minute, and she came up there and started throwing the 'green' peaches in the junk place where you put the stuff you cut out of the peaches.

We watched her, peach after peach, throw them in!

She had very high peach standards!

But the funny thing was, after watching her, we peaked down the line at her husband who was taking those same peaches out, giving them a good look and placing them back on the good side of the conveyor belt :)

OH my goodness, it was the funniest!

Now he was a bit slower and he couldn't keep up with all the ones she was throwing in there.

Later on, on e of the people came and talked to her and told her that those were in fact just great.

Unless they were neon green peaches, then keep them on the line :)

But as I was there watching them ,I thought, there must be some kind of gospel lesson in this!

And I figured this one out.

Don't be too quick to judge others!!!!! 

(And I say this without judging the lady, she was doing the best she knew how to do!)

But just because someone is not how we think they should be, not perfect, too loud, too messy, or too green :)......does not mean they do not belong there with the rest of the awesome peaches!

We are all unique, all different, all beautiful and all striving to do our very best!!!!!

So give each other a break and lets stay on the good side of the conveyor belt together!!!!!

:)

While we were gone, Cassi and Ayden went with the youth to the temple trip.

Madi worked too late, so she couldn't go.

And Porter had his football practice.

And now the craziness begins!!!!!

Can I handle it :( ?????

We had our FHE tonight, since Dad was at work last night.

We are making plans of what we want to get accomplished day to day once school starts, being more healthy, setting goals, etc.

It's gonna be a great school year!!!!!

Oh, and as a side note, during scripture study we were reading in Jacob when they are talking about not judging the Lamanites by the color of their skin.....now that goes right back to those peaches again, doesn't it!

:)

Monday August 13

I got up and went for a little run.

It was cooler this morning, with a bit of a breeze, so it was nice.

I took Cassi to her Ortho appt.

Then we picked up Avery on the way back home, it was her birthday today!

Cassi, Aydo and Avery went to lunch at Red Robin.

I took Port with me and while they hung out, he and I did his school shopping.

Then we picked up the girls, I dropped everyone off at home and then took Elsie to speech and PT.

She did awesome again.

We came hoe and Ayden and Cassi made dinner for us all.

They did a great job once they allowed for some adult help :)

Henley helped me to the chores, she is such a fun little thing with big personality!

Then Port and I made cookies and he also drew a dragon.

He did a great job!

Madi was gone at work all day, when she got home she spent time drawing.

She's got a portfolio she's got to finish up before school starts!

Sunday August 12

It was a nice Sunday.

It was a little hard.

Again, I have gotten used to Brent being around...….which makes life so much easier!

So it feels like the fighting and annoying stuff was on extra overload today.

But we made it.

Elsie, Cassi and Porter went to choir.

Then we went to church.

Ev's kept asking 'Where Bent?'

She sure loves him!

I told her he was at work, and then she kept telling me 'Bent at work'.

So cute!

Elsie complained of a tummy ache.

I think she has been drinking too much chocolate milk!

Anyway, I brought her home during Sunday school.

But I had to go back to church because I was teaching the Beehives.

So I left Elsie with her phone and a list of rules.

I was the only one she could text.

No TV.

No eating.

If she played with Mater, she had to make sure the door was shut, so the hot air would stay outside!

She could only do stuff on her LDS app, Mormon messages, scriptures, music, etc.

I had her text me every so often and it seemed to go well.

She just had some time to relax.

She still had a tummy ache all day, so maybe we should try and cut milk stuff out.

We will see how she feels tomorrow.

Anyway, my lesson went good.

I only had two girls there, but the Sister missionaries came in with me and that was great to have their help and input.

After church we had fun watching some old home videos.

It was around the time Porter was born.

Such cute little kiddos they all were!!!!!

Cassi went to do a recording about TREK, and Porter and I went and moved sprinklers.

The Terry's were heading home today, and she asked me to open widows and turn on the fan.

Well, come to find out, the electric cord had been knocked out of the socket......so the everything went bad in the fridge and freezer!

I didn't want them to have to clean it late when they got home.

Port and I got it all cleaned out and then we decided to decorate it for them :)

Port was an awesome helper!

It will be fun to have them around for the next little while!

Madi and I drove the Morgan's van to the airport, they are getting home late tonight.

So that will be great to have them back.

Now Cassi, Ayden and Alex are having a late night, playing games.

But I need to go to bed!

Saturday August 11

I got up and went running today.

I knew I was going to do a long run.

The first few miles were hard.

And after 5, I was so thirsty, so I ran to Tuscany park.

I knew if I headed home I would probably just quite and be done.

So I got some good water :)

Then went back.

A pit bull was not happy about me passing her house......and she came after me.

I called Brent on the phone to calm me down.

Oh man, I was scared!

But all was well...I backed up and went another way, adding a little more to the distance.

When I reached home I was at 12 miles......and I thought, heck, lets go one more so we can call it a half marathon!!!!

So that's what I did.

13.1 (ish) miles.

I am thinking I might be a little sore tomorrow.

And I am exhausted today!

Thankfully it was too hot today to really do anything again but swim!

We went swimming with the little kids.

Cassi was hanging out with her friends and Madi had to work.

That really is pretty much what we did today.

Dad got some stuff done, worked on the sprinklers, went to the gym, did a little grocery shopping because I was too tired....

Cassi is babysitting tonight and Madi is debating whether or not she should go to a party.

We are just gonna watch a movie with the little ones and call it a night!