Wednesday, May 12, 2010

The Joy of Grandparenting














EVERY WEDNESDAY I WAKE UP EXHAUSTED

Our daughter, Karrissa works as a hair stylist each Tuesday so

Bruce and I watch her 4 kids while she is at work

It never fails ever Tuesday night I find myself wondering

why my back aches,
why I'm so tired,
why I got so grumpy with the children by the end of the day

I keep thinking,
"It can't be that hard,
they are really good kids,
I should be able to handle them one day a week,
I was a mom, I did this before. I raised two kids.

I studied Child Development
I should be able to keep 4 kids happy all day.
I carefully plan our day, we go to the gym for a few hours in the morning, come home, have
lunch, the little boys take a nap,
Wyatt goes to school and Monroe and I have some alone
time with me to make playdough, or do an art project, or read books.
When Wyatt comes home we'll go for a walk, or go to the park, and then by that time Brad will
come pick them up.
It sounds good
But it never seems to go the way I plan it!
no matter how prepared I am things seem hectic,
even chaotic at times.
It shouldn't be that hard,
I am not doing this alone
I have my husband here to help

and most days I have my mom here as well

so there's always an extra set of hands to......................

get baby Cash out of the bathroom toilet,

clean up a spilled glass of milk,

get Cash out of the closet before he pulls out the vaccum or Bruce's tool box

to help Maverick to the toilet before he pees all over the floor,

Even getting the kids in the car to go to the gym is a production,
finding shoes,
carrying Cash out to the car while I keep an eye on Maverick so he doesn't go into the street
Making sure everyone goes to the bathroom before we get in the car
strapping the little ones in car seats,
making sure everyone has a clean face,
sometimes this is when I notice Cash has gotten into something and his shirt is dirty or his
diaper is dirty, then I have to make sure I brought the key to lock my front door, my gym card
the diaper bag, a snack
for the kids when we get done at the gym
When we get home we only have a few minutes before Wyatt needs to go to school so
I try to find an activity to keep the big kids happy outside for awhile
This is usually when the big kids tell me the younger kids "keep messing things up"

or when someone comes to get me to get the ball out of the tree or the neighbors yard or

to break up a squabble,

then it's time to
get Wyatt's lunch ready for school
I am so grateful for the extra hands to help with all this
Someone has to drive Wyatt to school and pick him up in a few hours,
If I do this myself Cash will fall asleep and the 15 minute car nap will replace his two hour
afternoon nap.
I am grateful that Bruce and my mom are there when we take our afternoon walk because I
need the help with

finding 4 sets of shoes ( I know they should be right by the door but Cash likes to move things)
and putting them on when it's time for a walk
I need someone to
watch the other 3 kids while I'm strapping the baby into the car the stroller
or to hold Maverick's hand so he doesn't go out in the street when we go out the front door
I need someone to

help hold hands when we cross the street
to push kids on the swings, and keep Cash from eating the sand at the Park


and when we get back home I need someone to help make surethe kids have snuggle time

and someone available to listen when they have a really
interesting thing to share with us




NOW I KNOW WHY I'M SO EXHAUSTED
I haven't had to think about so much stuff at one time for a long time.
That's one of the cool things about getting old.
When it's time to go somewhere you just have to remember where you left your glasses and
grab your purse and go.
Thank goodness I have my mom and Bruce to help
I DON'T KNOW HOW I COULD EVER DO THIS ALONE

but I have to say....

I wouldn't have it any other way
I couldn't wait to come home from Ukraine to be here with my family again.

I love how when Karrissa drives up all four of the kids run out of the car to hug me as they call
"Hi NANA" and run into my arms and hug me like they haven't seen me for weeks, even if


It's Wednesday and they were just here all day the day before


and maybe I was a little grumpy by the end of the day


I love being Nana


and.....................


as long as my mom and Bruce are nearby to lend a hand I think we'll all be just fine

Our Trip to Idaho

A few weeks ago we packed up and went to Idaho to visit our friends, Brent and Charlene Lee in Idaho. We met the Lee's on our mission. Well, actually we met them at the Missionary Training Center before we left for the mission. They had returned home to Idaho for a few months after serving an 18 month mission in Ukraine. They were the Country Directors of the Humanitarian Work in Ukraine. They were going to be home for a few months then return for another 12 month mission. They came to the MTC to train us since they weren't going to be in Ukraine the first few months that we were there. When they served in Ukraine they were in a different city than we were. It was about a 10 hour train ride away. We did however, have several opportunites to spend time with them. We had a wonderful friendship from the first time we met and we so happy to have the opportunity to see them again here in America. They took a few days from their busy schedules to show us around Idaho. It was really fun. We even went to Jacksonhole Wyoming and stayed a night. After a few days of traveling we returned back to Pocatello and packed our bags to return home. Brent and Charlene headed were headed to Boston the next day so that Brent could participate in the Boston Marathon. Brent and Charlene will be leaving for Jordan in July for another 23 month mission doing Humanitarian work. We feel so grateful to have had the opportunity to meet them and become friends they are such an example to us. We know that they were a huge reason that we felt our mission was such an enjoyable experience. They were always a phone call away. This mission to Jordan will be their fouth of fifth mission, all of them in Foreign Countries.

Tuesday, May 11, 2010

An inspirational video about Stephanie & Christian Nielsen who were in a terrible plane crash last year. She has a blog called the nieniedialogues.

Stephanie is a remarkable woman truly an inspiration. Click on the words "My New Life" below to see the video

My New Life

Monday, May 10, 2010

I just got home from lunch with a friend and..............
THIS IS WHAT I FOUND...
AND A NOTE FROM BRUCE THAT SAID HE WAS AT A MOVIE
WHICH MEANS
I HAVE THE WHOLE HOUSE TO MYSELF
I CAN DO ANYTHING I WANT TO
I KNOW
YOUR THINKING
DON'T YOU USUALLY DO ANYTHING YOU WANT TO ???
of course I do with some compromise
I mean...
there are two of us here
we have to agree on
TV on?
TV off?
Radio on?
Radio off?
talk time?
reading time?
nap????????
blog??
BLOGGING WON!!!!!!!!!!

I just got home after a nice afternoon with my good friend Kim

Kim is one of those people I can go without seeing for a long time and

when we get together we pick up right where we left off.


Kim and I met when Zach her youngest was almost 4 and Nathan our baby was barely 3


We were all instant friends

Zach and Nathan went to preschool together,

we took them shopping with us and chased them out from under the clothes racks

they played soccer and kim and I sat on the sidelines and screamed,


"get it Zach",


"go nate, kick it kick it"

all our kids attended


each others birthdays and baptisms

This is Kim with her children, Tyler, Zach, Alyssa, Amber and Zach's son, Gabe.

I am so happy that her kids have such an awesome relationship with her. She is a great mom.

THE PICTURE BELOW WAS TAKEN ABOUT 20 years ago

WHEN OUR

HUSBANDS TOOK US TO THE NAPA VALLEY FOR MOTHER'S DAY

(check out these cute t-shirts Kim's even had matching flowered leggings)




WE DID EVERYTHING TOGETHEROUR HUSBANDS PLAYED SANTA ON CHRISTMAS EVE AND WE TOOK OUR TWO OLDEST CHILDREN AND DELIVERED PRESENTS TO SOME VERY NEEDY FAMILIES

(KIM, TYLER, KARRISSA AND I GOT TO PLAY SANTA'S HELPERS)

WE EVEN WENT TO THE MUD BATHS


THIS WAS TAKEN ABOUT 5 years ago


When our children were little we spent every day together,

we did our shopping together,

picked up dry cleaning,

had dinner parties,

shopped for Christmas presents, stayed up all night wrapping them,

We traveled to Utah several years for Education Week at BYU


Our families spent more time with each other then we did with our own extended family.


FAMILY HOME EVENINGS,


VISITS TO THE PUMPKIN PATCH, THE CHRISTMAS TREE FARM, BOATING, CAMPING, PLAYING IN THE SNOW, SAND SURFING IN THE OREGON DUNES


I am so proud of Kim she returned to College after she and her husband divorced and got her RN liscense.

She has raised 4 children who have grown to be awesome young adults.


It's so good to spend time with Kim. She always makes me feel so loved. I am so grateful that we were so blessed to have been able to share such an important time in our lives as best friends