Anticipation of school

I know that it must seem a bit weird to others, but I cannot wait till school is in!! I am counting down the days. What this means for me is no kids calling me at work asking for candy or sweets. No more children calling to see if they can watch a netflix movie. No more children sitting around waiting to finish their chores until 4:30 when I should be arriving at home from work. No more kids going through 3 different towels (I have 4 kids...add how many towels) each day that are wet and dropped on the floor. No more fighting, no more teenager getting upset because she couldn't sleep in even though it was here choice to stay up reading until the wee hours or morn. No more "can I go to so and so's house". I am looking forward to the orginazation, cleanliness, orderliness, rest, sleep, and peace we seem to have when school is in session. We say our daily prayers, scriptures, and daily thought. I am looking forward to studying, parent teacher conference, school plays, school lunch, teacher gifts, emails, powerschool, buses, backpacks, and all the cool things that come with kids being in school. Most of all, which is weird out of all those things....I look forward to children getting ready for bed at 7:30 so John and I can spend some time alone without children! Someone is always up during the summer. I hate it. During school....everyone is scheduled and in bed at 8:00!!

The cheesecake and avacado egg roll appetizer. I had the chichen madera for lunch. Holy crumb it was sooooo good!

I'm ashamed to admit that I did in fact buy the watermelon, we did go to the Jefferson County fireworks, and yep we had the hamburgers. However, I did not buy t-shirts or make potato salad! To admit, I really had Howard Jones on my mind. My little brother, Blake texted me to let me know that he bought HoJo tickets!! Now I will admit this because I am adult enough to realize that everyone has some closet obsession. I am a closet Howard Jones groupie. I love his music, love his concerts, and if I lived in London my kids would take piano from him...no matter what the cost!! The 4th shouldn't have taken a "back seat" but it did. I was ready to go Friday night, rode to SLC with my older brother who went with us! I stayed the night at my moms house, slept in, watched my nephews, swam at the pool, went to lunch at The Cheesecake Factory, and went to the concert!! We were third in line WHOOT WHOOT. My awesome brothers got the best seats in the house WHOOT WHOOT! First order of business was buying the coveted concert t-shirt. Now in reality where in the heck would I wear a concert t-shirt? I have been known to wear it to church (that was the last HoJo concert). I work full time, I go home get into my PJ's and usually just stay there. I'm not going to wear it in the garden, it might get dirty. I would not wear it to a "church function" (Sunday church is different). I will fold it up, put it in my closet and keep it there. Anyway......I bought the t-shirt went into the bathroom and changed before you could blink. We sat down, had dinner and then the miracle of July 9th started!! (I still get giddy in my tummy). As the concert proceeded the girls behind us were a little, okay, well on their way to intoxication. They were talking about rushing the stage. I was not intoxicated, but Clint told me that if I didn't do it, it would be something I would regret it the rest of my life. I sat for a few songs and then it happened. I realized that I would indeed regret this, I would sit back and ponder the concert and wish that I had "rushed the stage". In that moment of a haze I turned around told the ladies behind me "come on, we're going up"! I don't know what happened but a huge smile appeared and I was grooving to the music leading the ladies like the pied piper of HoJo!! We passed all the duds in their seats, sitting down and started to dance right in front of the stage :0 I turned around, waved my arms at my bros. and danced until the song ended. I can truly say that Howard was so happy, he looked right into my eyes and I could tell at that moment we had a connection. After the song was over, he took an intermission. I ran back to my bros and jumped for joy as I realized that I didn't sit back and let someone else "lead the group". It was me, all on my own, I decide to get off my butt and do it. Now I can go really deep, but I realized that I didn't need to be intoxicated, no one else knew who I was and lots of people were smiling when we came back to our seats. Maybe, just maybe I inspired some other woman in the crowd to get off her duff and do something. I know I'm more motivated to get off the duff and do more, do something, want more, do more. Thank you HoJo, I would not have come to this realization had it not been for you.

Ponderings

I don't know why, but this year the 4th of July just seems like a dud. We haven't done the annual firework trip to Wyoming. I haven't bought the watermelon, doesn't everyone have watermelon on the 4th. I don't have the hamburger thawed for the BBQ, I haven't gone to the store to buy chips, drinks, stuff for homemade potato salad. I don't even have lemonade for a cool refreshing drink. I don't have sunscreen, my knees can attest to that (they are fried from mowing the lawn)! I haven't even taken out the decorations (I still have Easter up....shhh). No flags, no sparklers, no t-shirts from Old Navy, doesn't everyone get their $5 shirt there? Then I sit and ponder that the 4th is not about all of these things. I think this year we are going to pull out the free booklet that has the Declaration of Independece, Bill of Rights and the documents that continue to make our country the best in the world! I think this year I will make a turkey and stuffing, kinda like Thanksgiving and teach my children how blessed they are to live in a country that allows our freedom of speech, freedom of religion, right to bear arms! I think I'll go buy a box of ammo and set up a target in the pasture, just because I can!! I think I will write on a piece of cardboard box and stake it in the front yard with a message about freedom, just because I can!! Forget the darn t-shirt, sparklers, fireworks, pop and chips. This year we will let freedom ring by doing what we want to do, because we can, within the limits of the law. Maybe we will get all the books we don't want and take them to the county jail and donate them. I have learned that there is a library in the county jail. Books are allowed to come in from friends and family, but once there, they stay. I am sure you can realize that there aren't a lot of books in the library. In our county jail, there is no TV. Can you imagine sitting in a cell for 23 hours without anything to do but read, write letters, and sleep. I need to clean out the bookshelf anyway. This year we're going to stay at home, protect it, take care of it, thank the Lord we have it, and we will enjoy every minute of it. I still might make the potato salad though!! Enjoy your 4th of July and don't let the stuff take over why we really are celebrating the 4th.

School Days

Today is the beginning of school for all 4 of our kids! I am so excited, and yet so scared. Madi is now in Jr. High, Tom is in 5th, Cali 2nd, and Bryan is in Kindergarten. I ended up being one of those moms who I have made fun of in the past (carma sucks). I held it together when he went into the room and then John took a picture and I could feel the tears well up and I couldn't stop it much longer. I held it together until I got in the hall, and let it go. Holy cow, I am so scared for him, well, for all my kids. Jr High, 5th grade...kindergarten. I worry that the kids will be teased, bullied, and have no friends. Since I have been working full time and I'm not able to be home I think I worry more. The freedom of summer is now gone. A schedule and regiment are now at hand. Time flies by so fast. A co-worker was looking at strollers, she is pregnant, the thing was $249.99!! I could not believe it. I took a sigh of relief that I don't have to worry about that anymore!! All I get to worry about is all my kids in school and no little tikes to worry about during the day, weird. A new chapter is unfolding for our little clan. I look forward to the next year.

August Birthdays

Well, here is August again...UGH. This means 2 birthdays, kids getting ready for school, school supplies, school clothes, new shoes, new backpacks, and dealing with who got who for a teacher. Cali Ann's birthday was the 14th, she turned 7. She wanted a princess party, she got one. With our limited funds we found easy, fun things to do. I think the favorite part is where the girls got to go play in Cali's room. The were so sad to leave. I really wanted them to stay too! We had a "day of rest" then, yep another birthday!!

Bryan turned 5 this year. We didn't have a party for a few reasons. My first reason is that he isn't able to tell me who to invite. With his speech delay I just can't bring myself to invite kids that I don't know and he can't tell me if they're friends. Sad, I know but on the day he can tell me who he wants to invite, I will throw a HUGE party and will probably cry my eyes out.

So, now I have the 21st to look forward to. John and I will have been married 15 years! The years seem to have flown by. I can't believe it. How blessed I am. Well of to do the stuff August is made of......things to do.

We went to girls camp on Thursday night to visit for the "Bishop" night. We packed the tent, 3 kids, all the fixings for an overnighter in the truck and off we went. We drove down to Soda Springs, back into 8 mile canyon. What an amazing, beautiful piece of the world. I am ready to move! We arrived, pitched the tent, watched the girls, had a great dinner, wonderful fireside testimony meeting and some great sleep. Next day, breakfast and breaking camp. I had to do a "tent" lesson because these girls did not know how to take down tents!! How do you get 15...3 years of girls camp under your belt and not know how to take down the tents?? So the Scout Nazi in me came out and the girls finally learned that Sister Dunn is passionate about camping and the outdoors. Most of them didn't listen, the others blamed that when they got the tents they weren't swept out and some underwear was left in them.

The tents were wet, so we drove home and reset up the tents. Another lesson in setting up the tents, seriously?....how do they not know this?? I was so upset and John was so upset about how the boys had left them for the girls and upset at the way the girls left them for the boys....we called up the boys and had them come take them down...properly....and pick up the underwear!! All in all it was great. Our girls learned the proper way, and the boys learned it too! I'll tell you what, when those tents are used again and inspected they will be in tip top shape!! I truly do love the outdoors. I love camping, smelling the pine, taking part in nature and then the hot shower when I get home. I hope that I am teaching my kids how to enjoy and do all that the proper way.