How we're getting through summer!

I know it would seem weird that I don't know how to do summer with two grown kids...but our girls were homeschooled, so spring morphed into summer morphed into fall, and I don't think I ever had this sense of making 'the best summer ever'.  That, and we were always travelling, and well...

This is kind of our first "normal" summer.  Last summer, the littles were still so traumatized, and JUST coming out of the 'honeymoon' phase--I think we were just trying to not drown!

I don't know if it's Utah, or if other Moms feel pressure to make each and every day special...but I was feeling really overwhelmed.  Our littles, too, for whatever reason, have a 'Disneyland' mentality that we struggle with a lot.  (have insight?  Do share on that one!)

Anyhow--what is working for us now is to alternate days.  Tuesday and Thursdays I refuse to go anywhere, or figure out anything fun for them--only slight facilitating their own ideas.  M,W,F, I surprise them with the 'fun thing for the day'--pool, a movie, snow cones, ect.  This is helping a lot!  Two days a week, THEY are learning to hunt bugs, self entertain, play in a normal way, do chores, and BE BORED--which I think is so good for them.  And on those other days, we do something great!

I am feeling a lot less frazzled, and they are slowing down, emotionally, and becoming more  appreciative of what we do!

I just wish I had more time with my teens!  Both when they were 5 and 7, and now.  I get the supreme blessing of parenting this age again--but it won't bring any time back with my daughters!

Ode to 2013

I don't ever quite get with the turning of the New Year.  Christmas is always pretty chaotic, and heading into January means ANOTHER birthday and our Anniversary, both somewhat emotional powder kegs.  I would love to say I am SO EXCITED for a new year.  Mostly, I'm tired.

I honestly, at this point, just want calm, quiet.  A clean house.  A not-in-pain knee.  I guess I could say I am in the right now.  Which is probably a good place to be most days.  I guess I'm always afraid if I look too hard into either the past, or the future today, I will lose hope.  My spirit is dry and I am just ready for a) conclusions, and b) fresh air and c) growth.  Honestly, I'm feeling pretty stuck.  Maybe that is what resolutions are for?  Maybe that is what spring is for.

2013 was a crazy year.  Not a bad one, not a great one.  We doubled our family.  Then lost one(Diane).  Headed into Joelle's senior year.  Switched churches, AGAIN.  Bought a vehicle. Teaching Bria how to drive. No animals died, no one went to the hospital, no tragedy befell us.  God is good.  Even if I can't feel his presence any.where. right now.  Joelle turned 18.  Sabrina turned 16.  I turned 40.  Eric went to Korea, twice. And Budapest.   Diane from Korea lived with us. We road the rollercoaster of the court system.   Looking through pictures, last year was GREAT.  So here's to 2014. I guess I can handle a repeat--after all, I survived 2013.   Whether I am ready or not, here it comes!

January, 2013. "40"

Happy Birthday to my cute husband!

Eric turned 45 this year!  Time flies.  The girls thought it really funny when we had to calculate how old he was turning.  Really, after 40, who wants to know!?

We told him to be happy about his cake.  This was his very best effort.

This is Eric pretending to be a rapper.      

 I think this is video of us playing musical chairs.  I don't know why videos do that on our blog.  I think the dog is trying to play too.  I could watch this all day long.  Am I weird?

For a man who hates his birthday, I think we had a pretty fun time!~

Life in General...

Joelle is off to take her ACT for hopefully the last time.  Our dear GuineaPig is quite the impressive young lady.  She is really showing herself to be an adult, and we're proud of her!  A young man invited her to homecoming with a pizza last week.  Hope she has fun.

Sabrina grows in beauty and grace every day.  I really just find great delight in hanging out with her.  She makes and keeps great friends, and she is ever proving her wisdom in life skills to us.  She is ever funny, and has such a good head on her shoulders lately.  I am hoping that there are ACT's in the evening though--I'm not sure she'll survive an 8 am ACT!

Fayzeal is growing.  The pants I bought in August don't fit anymore.  Yesterday, he and a couple of boys piled up leaves in the back yard.  Sometimes I struggle to parent a boy--boys just do weird things--like wack eachother with rakes.  Eric assures me this is normal.

Alissa is...Alissa.  She is on a Thumbelina kick.  I am working on 'small choices' with her.  She has been diagnosed with Oppositional Defiance Disorder.  In other words, she is pretty hard to parent.  I'm doing o.k. with it, as long as we don't have to do anything quickly.  Good things she's cute and funny!  I'm sure anyone over 50 would know of some good cures for ODD. ;)  And they wouldn't call it ODD.  But until she has some permanency in her life, we're just going to have to muddle through with theraputic parenting.

Eric and I are just always looking for ways to find some time together.  Kind of a crazy life.  But good.

Fayzeal turns 7!

Our little guy turned 7!
Fayzeal chose to eat :  Robots, (brats) chips, and pop.  A chocolate cake with chocolate frosting and chocolate ice cream.  We had candles with colored flames.  He chose the same 3 foods to 'not eat'--rice, sushi, and watermelon.  Irony: we're adopting a child who hates rice.  His new responsibility is picking up dog poop.  His new privilege is staying up later to walk the dogs with Dad once a week.
Here are pictures!  The first is for Grandma, who made a wonderful blanket for him.  He would wear it to school if I let him.  Thanks Mom!

I think we're up to July now??

Family Hand print project.  It was stressful, but turned out great!

I love this picture.  For a lot of reasons! 

Total of 5 dogs in attendance.  

Mom and Dad are getting quite the grandchild collection!

Finished hand print project.  Wish we had Kev's and TIffs.

Two trouble makers in a pod.

All chiefs, no indians.  No one died in the making of this project.

Our first views of the damage, headed up to Mom and Dads.

Road trip to my Beloved Colorado

4 people, 3 dogs, 1 rooster named George.