Temple Day

My aunt called me early in the week last week and asked me if I would be able to find a babysitter for the older boys on Saturday so that Nick and I could come to the temple with Cody.  Cody is going to be serving a mission for the Lord in the Idaho Pocatello Mission starting in August, and he needed to go through the temple for himself.  I rearranged a few things that we had planned on Saturday and made the arrangements for some friends of ours to watch Tanner and Spencer.  Thankfully Emily was going to be at the temple to watch Bennett while we were inside for a little while. 

So Saturday morning we drove over to the Washington, D.C. Temple to go through a session.  It was so nice being back in the temple.  Nick and I don't get to go too often because of the kids, and mostly because I'm still nursing Bennett.  So we took the opportunity to go.  Cody was excited to be there as well.  I especially love being there with my family.  My mom, dad, grandma, sister, aunt and uncle, my cousin and his wife, and of course my cousin Cody were all there for the day! 

Nick and I have had a few questions that needed to be answered, and Friday night, before we left, we both discussed those things that we thought would take a little extra help from the Lord to answer.  As we were there in the temple we both felt an overwhemling answer to the one major question that we have been asking.  After talking to each other later, we found out that we both felt the same answer at the same time.  Funny how the Lord works.  As we were sitting in the celestial room, I also had a few other questions to ask the Lord to help me find the answers to.  I've never felt this before, but on Saturday I had an overwhelming sense of peace and comfort envelope me while I was sitting there contemplating.  I knew then that everything was going to go well.  I know the Lord is mindful of us and that He has a plan for us, and that we, mainly I, need to stay faithful and trudge through these hard moments in order to get to the blessings that are coming to us soon. 

So in all, it was a glorious day!  I love going to the house of the Lord, especially when I go with a humble heart ready to be taught the things that I need to learn.  I'm grateful for the knowledge that I have that the Lord loves me!  He is watching over me as Nick and I try to follow His will.  I can't help but see His guiding hand in my life as we try to do the things that He would have us do.          

Conversations with Tanner

Potty training:

Tanner: (out of no where) Gotta go potty!!!
Me: Okay, come on, hurry!
Tanner: (on the potty and nothing is happening) It's not working!
Me: Uh-oh
Tanner: Here it comes!
Me: Okay
Tanner: I did it!

Right Now...

I miss my husband.

Birthdays All Around

Tanner turned three yesterday!  Crazy!  We had cupcakes with sprinkles to celebrate.  He's such a big boy now!  He's potty training and doing better than I expected.  He's talking up a storm.  He's full of energy and is so smart.  I love his so much!

Spencer turned two a little over a week ago.  He too is getting so big.  He's saying more and more things every day.  He's such a good little guy.  He loves giving kisses, and he's very quick to smile.  He always wants to be where Tanner is and do what Tanner does.  I really love this sensitive little boy!

Weekend Camping

Friday afternoon we took off and headed to Susquehana State Park for a weekend of camping with the family.  Nick and I and the kids picked up my sister, Angie, and met my brother and his family, and my parents for a quick trek over to the park.  We set up camp and hunkered down for a weekend of fun!

We played a little LadderBall to pass the time until dinner.  That evening my dad made dinner.  It was chicken pot pie in the dutch oven.  So yummy!  Afterward, we had smores while we waited for the berry cobbler from the dutch oven to cook.  There is something about camping that makes eating food from the dutch oven fabulous!!!  After dark, we got the boys down for the night and we hung out around the picnic table. 

Saturday dawned cool, but quickly warmed up.  We sat around in the morning and just talked.  We played more LadderBall and let the kids play around.  That afternoon we drove over the other side of the park to take a look at some old historic buildings.  We toured an old gristmill where we were able to bag our own freshly ground cornmeal.  That was pretty neat.  Nick and everyone else toured an old house built in 1817 that was owned by a civil war general that I can't remember.  That evening, Kevin & Patty made kabobs for dinner, and we ate more smores!!  The day ended up being pretty hot, so that evening was pretty hot.  But after quite some time during the night, it finally cooled off and wasn't too bad for sleeping. 

Sunday morning we went to Sacrament meeting at the local ward that meets just down the road from the state park.  Afterward, we made our way back to the campsite to break camp and head home.  At 10:00 that morning, it was already about 85 degrees, so breaking camp was pretty miserable.  All the boys were sweating to death, and us girls were glowing like there was no tomorrow.  We made it home about 2pm that afternoon and we just lounged around at home in the air conditioning. 

All-in-all the boys did great.  They got tired a few times, and had a hard time going to bed Saturday evening, but they had a good time.  Bennett was fanastic the whole time we were gone!  He slept all night for both nights, which never happens!  We had a good time.  I think we'll go back there if we end up staying here. 

In The Dark

I'm not quite sure I know what I'm doing.  It's such a nice day for once here that I'm sitting out on my parents' porch typing this.  My husband is on his way home to his other residence after a day of school.  I'm sitting here listening to my older boys fuss and complain because I don't want to get on the trampoline and play with them.  My little one is still sleeping, but I'm sure it won't be for much longer.  But yet I still feel like I'm not quite sure what I'm doing. 

Nick's been in school now for just about 2 and 1/2 months.  My daily routine has become mundane almost.  Bennett wakes up between 5:30 and 7:00 every morning.  By then Tanner is usually awake.  After feeding Bennett we come downstairs and I fix the other boys something to eat for breakfast.  Then we usually watch a little bit of what's on PBS.  I let them watch way too much television.  I don't feel like doing much of anything else.  I would love for them to play outside more, but I don't like having to watch them constantly because there is no fence in the backyard.  So I let them watch television all morning. 

By noon, I fix them lunch, and by 12:30, 1:00, I put them down for naps.  During their naps, I don't do a whole lot.  Lately I've been looking up jobs for Nick on various search engines.  By 2:30, 3:00, the boys are all awake.  Sometimes we play outside, but others we just sit inside and they play.  5:00 comes along and it's time for dinner.  I try to make well balanced meals for my kids, but they never want to eat the vegetables or the casseroles or the fruit that we have with dinner.  All they want are chips and candy, and cookies.  We hardly ever eat any of those, but they want them anyway.  Trying to get them to eat more healthful has been a challenge. 

After dinner, they play a little longer and by 7:30, 8:00, it's time to pick up the toys and go to bed.  Bennett stays up until about 9:00 and then he goes down for the night, but only to wake up somewhere around 3:00.  Then we do it all again the next day.  And that's it. 

I don't know how effective I am as a mother.  My kids seem to not like doing as their asked to, or really listen to what I need them to do.  Tanner only ever wants to watch movies and when he's told that he can't, he cries.  The boys are constantly fighting with each other.  I know it's because of their age, but it makes things difficult when I'm trying to teach them not to hit or throw things and the other just goes ahead and does it anyway.  I feel sometimes that I'm being judged by my parents.  I know they don't really do this, but I still feel that way.  I allow my children to get away with way too much and I feel like my parents don't approve of my parenting.  But who knows really.   

I know being a mom isn't always the most glamorous job in the world.  Most days it's far from it.  But I'm kind of at a point where I need something new.  I'm tired of living with my parents.  I'm grateful for it, but I'm tired of it.  I'm tired of Nick not being here but for two days a week.  I'm tired of not knowing where things are going to end up for us after Nick is finished with his training in August. 

I was talking with my sister-in-law on Sunday, and she said that true faith is having to take a few steps in the dark before the Lord will step in and turn the light on for us.  Well, right now I'm in the dark.  I have absolutely no idea where things are leading for us.  I have no idea if we'll be able to stay here when Nick is done with school.  I have no idea if we'll be buying a house or renting.  I have no idea if we're going to be having more kids or not or when we will have more if we do decide to have more.  I've applied for a few jobs for Nick these past couple of weeks, but who knows if anything will come of it.  Most of those jobs are either much more north of here, or way west of here.  I just don't know, and that's the part I really don't like. 

So as I sit here listening to the neighbor's lawn mower, and my kids screaming at each other and crying, I'm still not quite sure I know what I'm doing. 

Harry Potter 7!!!

Okay, I may be a bit of a Harry Potter fanatic, but I'm not ashamed to admit it.  I was on Facebook earlier and noticed that someone had seen the trailer for the upcoming Deathly Hallows movie, so I went searching for it.  I found it!!  Can't wait to see it now!  Check it out and see for yourself!

Potty Training Log...Day 2

Tanner's been in a diaper all day.  I've had too much to do today to deal with trying to fight with my 3-year-old.  Starting up again tomorrow.  I don't feel bad, but then I do.  This is hard to do this whole potty training thing.  We'll get it though.

Potty Training Log...Day 1

Okay, so I'm going to document my progress with how I'm doing potty training Tanner.  I started today.  I figured I was just going to start doing it and stop putting it off.  So, after breakfast, I put him on the potty much to Tanner's dismay.  But we sat there and waited for the pee to happen.  A little while later he peed and off he went.  Not even five minutes later, he was out on the trampoline and I came back around to watch him jump and I noticed he wet his shorts.  So I went and got clean underwear and shorts and came back out to change his clothes.  Much to my dismay, after getting his underwear off, I noticed that not only did he pee, but he pooped too!!  So after cleaning Tanner up, and then the trampoline, we were back in business. 

So a little while later, I tell Tanner that it's time to go potty again, and we have more drama about how he didn't want to go potty.  Same thing, we sit there for a while, he pees and then he's off.  Five minutes later, he completely wets his shorts again!  Clothes change number 2.

After lunch, I tell Tanner that it's time to go potty again, and more "don't want to go potty!"  So we sit on the potty some more, but this time he won't pee.  I put a pull-up on him and off he goes for a nap.  After his nap I tell him that it's time to go potty, and more resistance.  He doesn't pee again this time.  I figured he'd just peed having just woken up from his nap.  Underwear goes back on and we go back out to jump on the trampoline.

Tanner tells me a little while later that he's done jumping and wants to go inside.  I said okay, and off we go.  Before I could get Tanner in the house, he wets himself and the floor again.  By this point, I'm frustrated.  I've changed his clothes four times.  I'd had it.  I was busy making strawberry jam and I didn't want to fuss with him any more.  So back on went the diaper.  We'll try again tomorrow.  But for today, not the best start, but, at least we're starting.  We'll get this.