Keep Walking....

Windows open and warm breezes blowing, I sit down and realize I am so sore! We finally are starting to be consistently warm - it hasn't even snowed in over a week :) With the onset of warm and sunny weather, we have been outside playing at parks and walking everyday. Our multiple trips during the week to the library have become adventurous excursions as that we have been walking and choosing different routes - added adventure points due to keeping toddlers in strollers, retrieving objects thrown in a projectile fashion from said stroller and their hands off shelves.

I can't believe how quickly my children are growing. When I snuggle Zackie while putting him to sleep, he still seems like a little baby, but yesterday at the park he refused to go down the slide - saying "No - too high! Too high!" Sophie charged this same slide, which does send you down at an amazing velocity, (it is a tube style twirly slide, and the kids literally pop out the end) even when she came out the bottom with a bump and ended up landing face first on the mulch chips. Everyday they grow more independent and say things that surprise me - such as Sophie pointing out accurately a hawk in the sky.

Melodie is going to be 12 in a couple weeks. She is, as she always has been, just absolutely amazing. I am so excited for her to be entering this point in her life - where she gets to visit the temple, participate in young women's activities, go to girl's camp, and start exploring in depth who she is, and who she really wants to be. At the same time, I wish I could hold on tight to her childhood years just a little bit longer. I miss the little girl who cuddled on my lap for stories and snuck in to sleep with me at night.

Chloe is as vibrant as sunshine. She too is growing up far to quickly for my taste. She can read stories on her own now, and has been practicing her cursive and multiplication tables. She has been having a few struggles, such as being diagnosed with ADHD (which left me giving a flustered apology to her counselor after responding "Ya think" when this diagnosis was revealed) and still suffering from some lingering depression we can't seem to shake. But for the most part we have good days, and are excited for the sunny weather when she can ride her two wheeler bike without training wheels.

And so life continues to be good and bless us. With the warmer weather and sunshine we are greeted with amazing scenery - perfect blue skies with cotton ball clouds and backdropped by snow capped mountains. It is beautiful, peaceful, and soul satisfying.

Quoth the Raven

I almost, almost have gotten used to that there are big black ravens out here, and that they have the disturbing habit of landing on the hood of my van while I am praying and cawing surreptitiously. It would be a little more helpful had I not read all those Edgar Allen Poe, Charles Dickens, and Agatha Christie books. I miss cardinals and blue jays, but their replacements have been ever so much more fun. FAT little quail run around in abundance, and it is not uncommon to see pheasants running through the neighborhood yards, or for that matter, wild turkey. At least I know that if hard times come, I won't go hungry....of course that is if all the other gun owning citizens in the valley don't get them first.

It is definitely a different world here, where pretty much everyone owns guns (more than one and legally) and they look at me like I have three eyes and antenna when I mention I don't. That fact is probably going to change, plus I am enrolling the girls in hunter's safety classes. The average person starts shooting and gun ownership out here around the ages of three or four (even the girls - I asked my Bishop's wife, and she said she was three). I don't want my children to cause an accident or worse because they don't know anything about guns or are uncomfortable with them.

Yesterday was a beautiful day. Unfortunately we didn't go outside to enjoy it because my children have continued their strike on cleanliness, and I decided to hold them captive until rooms were clean. Of course that means today, with rooms clean and furniture moved, is an absolutely dreadful chilly and overcast day and taking the perpetually coughing and consistently nose running gruesome threesome of my four children outside to walk around barns and play with brand spanking new farm animals is probably out of the question. But then, if we bundled up and went today, we could avoid the crowds sure to accompany one the highest anticipated events for kids in the valley.

Along with getting the rooms clean, I managed to go through Zackie and Sophie's closets and in a burst of rebellion packed away the heaviest of the winter clothes for next season. I know it is early to do so, but I can't help but try and be optimistic. It has snowed continuously since I moved here, and snow and I are no longer on speaking terms. I also managed to pull out the stray too small clothes, and the clothes that they own but I will never ever let them wear, and should they appear on my child in my presence the result is altogether unpleasant.

Today's list of excitement on the "staycation" - inoculations, bank, WIC clinic (anyone who has ever had to go knows that you need to take camping supplies and food for three days - I have been there over nine hours before) Sam's Club (thanks to free one day passes deposited in my shopping bag at Wally World), library, possibly the DI or another thrift store, and then, if I am feeling real adventurous Target. I have not suddenly struck it rich, in fact just the opposite - I haven't gone shopping other than for groceries in a long enough period of time that we may need to use those t-shirts that have become new members of the rag pile (thanks to red crayons and dryers) as cloth diapers if I don't go. We also need to replace the newly inducted t-shirts and pants. And come up with art supplies less likely to be hiding in tiny nubs inside children's pants pockets.

Some may not have heard my bitterness over that the closest Target is through the dreaded canyon and an hour away, but in case you haven't, I am bitter and periodically suffer symptoms of severe Target withdrawal - especially since diapers, diaper rash ointment, and fruit snacks - all necessities at the moment, are cheaper there. I know that they are non veteran or charitable organization friendly, but due to that their associates are not perpetually incompetent or unfriendly, their prices are comparable or cheaper, and their product is superior, they remain on my favorite store list. How I long for the good old days where there were three Targets within a five minute highway drive from my house - none of that driving requiring navigation through a canyon of doom. But I suppose that I do have something like 15 tractor and farm supply stores - including one that sells tractors in a variety of designer shades, is something to be grateful for.

Golly gee Goliath

As some may or may not know, I am in charge of our "Orange Embrace" program at work. It is not a position I particularly enjoy or stay in voluntarily, but since it pleases that powers that be, so I remain. This often means that my register area is covered completely with paper, markers, glue, and other things that make it resemble 3rd grade arts and crafts. A customer of mine noticed that I was drawing different people and asked if I was an artist. No was a quick response from my lips, but he pressed onwards. His ward is going to be doing a talent show, and he needed help making a life size replica of Goliath. I am not an artist, I maintained, but would be more than happy to help the best I could.

So that is what I found myself doing bright and early in the sunshine this morning for three hours - marking out Goliath's massive form. His head is now gingerly shoved behind my seat for me to work on here at home - making it as three dimensional and fearsome as possible. When I got home, Melodie asked me if I was done with Goliath. No, I sighed in response, there would still be several hours of painting and reworking before Goliath will reach his complete splendor and be presented on the 23rd in the talent show.

"Mom," she replied in exasperation, "Why is it taking so long to make a giant pickle?"

Sunshine and sandwiches

I was hit with the sudden realization the other day that my children are all...well...children. Though this may sound odd, for the first year and a half or so of life, depending on the child, children aren't really children. They are instead a living force somewhat resembling something imagined by Jim Henson and his amazing muppet people that though hitting milestones and developments, still depends on you for absolutely everything. Their likes and dislikes are relative to what you have exposed them to, and what will garner approval from you. Then all of sudden one day they turn the switch from automatic to manual, and from that day forward, you have one wild, breath taking, and fabulous ride. Zachary hit this point a few days ago - and our lives haven't been the same since.

Today is the third day of my official "staycation." It was supposed to be a vacation, but alas it was not in the cards. Rather than picking up shifts at work, I decided to enjoy the time with the kids - our first real down time since moving out here. Monday we walked to the park and the library, and were rained on for the walk home. Tuesday we stayed inside - huddled together against the four inches of accumulated snow outside, and today was library and park again. Though seemingly a mundane pattern, it still was filled with moments of surprise - like surprise that wet spot on the couch was not from the leaking sippy as previously thought.

Sophie has been speaking in complete sentences for a while now, and last night recited the whole entire story of the three little pigs, complete with plenty of "huff and puff." Zachary is still doing one word at a time, but has mastered inflection, proper response, and sarcasm. (Being pushed on the swing while he laid on his stomach garnered a "wee" with as much enthusiasm as one might expect if he was being presented a spoonful of cod liver oil) Since he can say words like "dinosaur" and has been able to for a while, I suspect there is more vocal capability there then what he is demonstrating, but prefers to present himself as the strong and stoic type.

If he is going to carry off the strong and stoic thing, he is probably going to have to ditch the motto "Everyone deserves a little sparkle" especially when carried out with mass amounts of rhinestones, glitter, and his sister's tutus. We are currently trying to focus this energy in the direction of pirates and musketeers...and I personally am thrilled with his new penchant for trains...though trying to explain that not everything is a train or destined to make the choo choo noise has been a little more difficult....

Beheaded Barbie is indeed Broken - brought to you by the letter "B"

Sophie came up to me just a few minutes ago with a head in one hand and a body in the other and informed me that her "Barbie broke." The title of this post was my response. Poor Barbie, we loose so many good ones that way....

Aside from the lessons on decapitation and plastic resiliency, we had quite an enjoyable weekend this weekend, which was a well deserved variance from the chaos that has dominated the past few before this.

For those that don't know, Melodie's dad has recently moved out to Utah, only about an hour away. This provides a unique situation, since we have not resided in the same state, let alone within reasonable driving distance, since she was a year old. Prior to February 5, she had not seen him since 2006. Right now we are trying to establish a workable comprehensive visitation arrangement, but needless to say there are inherent bumps and spills along the road.

Couple the changes in circumstances with potty training, teeth loosing, school registration, summer sport sign up, inoculations, and the flu that will not leave, and our well was running a little dry....so despite airline tribulations, having my friend Chris from Phoenix visit was a great respite.

The kids and Chris got to experience some new things together - we went to Angie's, a local restaurant that is the very pinnacle representative of small town everybody knows everybody atmosphere, which is also conveniently a block from my house. Angie's is always busy - but the kids were awesome.

This was followed with our first trip to Willow Park Zoo, a cute little zoo here in town that I can't wait to go to again. I think it is a safe bet to say that we will be spending many spring and summer evenings there, as well as at the adjacent park and play area.

Some of the most fun was probably found in the flurry of excitement from some sword play - Nerf style. Chris purchased four Nerf swords on Friday night at Walmart, and as most of you saw on my Facebook page, plenty of enjoyment followed.

Time machines, memories and dreams

"We all have our time machines. Some take us back, they're called memories. Some take us forward, they're called dreams" - Jeremy Irons

While I have been busily straightening the house, preparing for a weekend guest from out of state, I finally managed to unpack the last few boxes from our move. I have also managed to vacuum out the van for the first time since our arrival (it should be noted that frosted mini-wheats, no matter how much children like them, are NOT good travel food) , and post some recent pictures on Facebook. It is only now that I realize we have been here almost five months. Five months? It seems almost hardly possible. Even though some of the very cold and snowy days have felt individually endless, it also feels like we just got here a few weeks ago.

We had great travel weather - bright, sunny, and gorgeous the entire time. Nothing dramatic happened, unless you count that we subsisted pretty much the entire drive off of McDonald's, there were a few desperate miles of waiting to find civilization, and the lone rest stop resembled something that would make "The Shining" seem like hospitable and feel good. We also learned that slight incline and 90 degree demon drop can mean the same thing on directions, and that will power alone will not cause a van to drive over 35 mph if it is climbing a mountain and pulling an overloaded trailer.

People came out of the wood work to help when we arrived - providing enough cooked meals to last us two weeks, and unloading the van, trailer, and car top carrier so quickly I barely got the word "Hi" out before they were done.

We have been incredibly blessed to have a great ward, good neighbors, and a generally open hearted community. Upon learning that we were new comers, people made sure I knew where everything was, what numbers to call, and had recommendations on where to go for everything from pediatric care to Popsicles. To ease some of the scramble for Halloween costumes, we were able to borrow from my visiting teaching companion - and we got to experience the annual Pumpkin Walk - which is a walk through of displays comprised of scenes made out of pumpkins, and ended with cider and cookies.

Was the move everything I hoped for? Absolutely. I could not have done a better thing for my family. Every time I step outside, even now, I am swept away by the beauty and majesty of the scenery surrounding our small community. There is simply no way to capture it, on film or in words. It is truly awesome.

Moving here allowed me to transfer into a full time position with Home Depot, with a set schedule and guaranteed hours. I have weekends off, and get out early enough in the afternoon that I can have some quality time with the kids before they go to bed. They go to better and safer schools - I get calls on a regular basis from parent volunteers at the middle school with kudos from the teachers on Melodie's performance in the classroom, and Chloe's school secretary has even gone as far as to help arrange transportation for Chloe to go to birthday parties.

Shortly before Christmas I finally caved and cut Zachary's hair, primarily because my little monkey man had started pulling it back into pony tails on his own. Zachary copy cats everything Sophie does, which means I am now potty training two toddlers, though only one of which is ready - and the standard warning issued to unsuspecting visitors in our house is "Watch out for puddles." I am also getting the special treat of some spectacular tantrums thrown by two very stubborn and opinionated toddlers.

Speaking of toddlers, it is their bedtime. More to write later, such as the many deaths of the parakeets, the recent updates with Melodie, and the desperate search through pictures to determined if the newly lost tooth was indeed supposed to actually come out......

Delay in Information

We have been in Utah for two weeks now, and even though we have experianced several bumps, I have to say that we love it. I am sorry for the delays in updated posts, but we have been incredibly busy and do not have internet access at the moment. I am hoping to change both of those issues shortly.