Random Happenings

I find myself sometimes lost in the day-to-day routine. The laundry. Cooking and cleaning, repeating the routine several hours later. Pulling weeds. Baths and showers. Reading scriptures before bed and remembering to say personal prayers. Trying to squeeze in time at the gym.

Recently, though, I catch myself sitting at the dinner table smiling at the antics of my little circus. Mallorie informs me how "by accidently" something happened. Spencer hollers, "Drops!" when his toy hits the floor. Morgan has become infatuated with the Nancy Drew series that I read as a child (and I admit to re-reading The Mystery at Shadow Ranch the last few nights) and has devoured the stash my dad brought to town in June. They love to ride the lawn mower, sing songs, and will have moments of serenity at play. Favorite bedtime songs in the past few months - The Rose, Hanging Tree (from The Hunger Games), Hallejeuh (best version is by Pentatonix), Nearer My God to Thee, and I Am a Child of God.

Did I have this much stuff when I was a kid??

 

 

We made it through majority of our "Summer Bucket List," for which I am grateful. Since school let out in June, we have gone camping, had fun, rode horses with me, been to the library, road tripped to Utah, picked raspberries, mailed a bundle of notes and drawings to Grandma and Grandpa Hunt in Texas, and played at Eagle Island. Many afternoons have been spent riding bikes, coloring with chalk, playing in the water, napping in the car, and grudgingly doing chores around the house.

At the beginning of July, I took a quick weekend trip to Grantsville to watch a dear friend get married in Grantsville. I knew her in Boise during a rough patch and I was thrilled to meet her new husband and get a feel for the wonderful people who are now her in-laws. It didn't hurt that I got to stop when I wanted, listen to my songs, sing loud or quiet, and have some "me" time in the process. Those moments are cherished in this crazy thing I call life.

 

Morgan constantly has her nose in a book, and she is often in trouble for it. She is great at helping me with Spencer, loves, to read the scriptures, and is learning to walk the line between younger and older child. Art is still a favorite activity as is wrestling with her dad and little brother, riding her bike, and picking food from the garden. Oh, and she lost another tooth the night before school started. Her note to the Toothfairy cracked me up!

We caught the LegoAmerica display at the Boise Towne Square a few weeks ago. I've never seen such an amazing display! For example, the Capital Building took 1700 hours to complete....

 

Mallorie is my tender girl. She sings when content, wakes up each morning with a radiant smile, and adores her little brother. Artwork is also a favorite activity and she's quickly mastering the ability to ride her "stroder bike" with ease. It was a proud moment last weekend when she caught and carried around a grasshopper.

 

Spencer is a rascal. There's no better word to describe his antics. He has learned that by adding a chair or stool in front of a piece of furniture, his reach is significantly longer. I have come downstairs several times to find him playing on the iPad on the coffee table. A password has since been added to the device and he hasn't quite forgiven me. His enthusiasm is contagious, his energy levels exhausting, and also likes to color. Younger of two sisters, he will occasionally play with dolls and barbies. The first words out of his mouth each morning are to ask if he can go play. Puzzles, cars, and dinosaurs are the favorite choices.

And I've been working on projects - remodeling the living room and a couple of craft type things. Such as a decorative box that now occupies the center of our dining table and a long-awaited chore chart. This thing makes me so happy and is about "Pinterest worthy!"

 

My friend Cyndi and I have been doing a project group for several months and it has given me the motivation to try new things (like using the chop saw!). We have loved the time to focus on a project as things get done more quickly, and with more fun, when there are two adults. The efficiency is hampered somewhat by the presence of 8 children, but that's motherhood!

The temperatures have dropped some and it's been hard to focus on inside chores....looking forward to the crispness of fall.