three months

Oh, this little girl! What to say? She really is such a sweet thing. Generally happy and mild tempered. She even sleeps through the night!

The other day Dave commented about how good she is. I agreed that yes, FINALLY, we got a calm, happy baby for our fifth child. His thought was that perhaps we should be done having children so that we don't mess it up. I replied that perhaps Heavenly Father sent us such a baby just so that we would keep having children. Well, either way, we're keeping our fingers crossed that she will stay so sweet.

lagoon

We finished our vacation with a day at Lagoon. We totally lucked out with great weather and small crowds. Also, I was smart enough to invite Aunt Megan to join us so we were able to divide and conquer the rides. Emma went on everything. Slade did most of the big rides. Nathan wanted to do the bigger rides but was too short. Sawyer was happy to do whatever.

I only went on about three rides. I'm not a huge thrill seeker so it was okay. I would have liked to go on a few more but it doesn't really work out with a baby. Too bad there weren't better shows to entertain me. Mostly I just sat in the shade holding Anne and eating too many snacks.

Sawyer had fallen fast asleep in the stroller by the time we took this picture. I took the boys and Anne home while Dave and Emma stayed with Megan to ride some more. The boys slept while Anne screamed the whole way home. She had been so amazingly good the whole vacation that I quickly forgave her. After pancakes for a late dinner, it was time to go to bed and say goodbye to vacation. What a wonderful time we had.

back to boise, sweets for the road

On Monday, after a lazy start to the day, we packed up all our stuff and loaded it into the van. It was really rainy so Dave didn't want to put the luggage carrier on top. Because he was driving home with us, we had one less seat and one more suitcase. The van was rather cramped. I ended up with a suitcase and all the food under my feet. Good thing I like to stretch out with my feet up on the dashboard.

We bid farewell to the Meisters and headed to east Boise to Powell's Sweet Shoppe. I didn't bother to take out my nice camera but maybe I should have. There was a feast of color and sugar all around.


We let the kids have $2.50 which sadly did not stretch as far as it should have. Still we all left happy. Our trip back to Utah was uneventful. Thankfully. We stopped at a hotel in Layton. No family suite this time. We are big enough that we have to have two rooms now. Suddenly we are a big family! Seems crazy sometimes. After a mediocre dinner from Marie Callendar's, Dave plus children went swimming while Anne and I lounged in the hotel room. We divided up into a boys' room and a girls' room. Emma and I headed off to Walmart for supplies while the boys played video games and Warcraft with Dave. This hotel was not nearly as nice as the Best Western in Boise but we all slept well enough.

back to Boise, Slade cousins

My dad is the 9th of 12 kids. There are ninety-some grandchildren. Needless to say I could pass quite a few of them on the street and not recognize them. I've been able to reconnect recently with some of my cousins through Facebook and blogs. The internet really is awesome.

On Sunday evening, we were able to go visit with some Slade family at my aunt and uncle's house in Star. My Uncle LeGrand and Aunt Dianne live in the same neighborhood as two of their daughters, Marie and Trish. They graciously accepted my suggestion of getting together on Sunday evening. We had a delicious dinner and dessert. The kids were able to get to know one another without too much of a struggle. Emma was the oldest one there and she totally took advantage of her status. At one point, several of the other kids were interviewing her.


I'm glad that we were able to enjoy a lovely Sunday evening with family. Thanks, Dianne, Marie and Trish!

back to Boise, the Meisters

We were in the same ward in Columbia Village with Neal and Kelly. We did not know them very well. I think our attempts to invite them over never worked out and then they moved out to Meridian. In 2005, we ended up back in the same ward on the other side of the country and a friendship was born in the fire of adversity that was Manassas, Virginia. When I was planning our trip up to Boise, we were inspired to invite ourselves to stay with the Meisters. I'm so glad I thought to call them because we enjoyed every minute of our stay with them.

We arrived around 9:30 on Friday night. The kids made quick work of finding new toys and getting reacquainted. Kelly, dear Kelly, got breakfast going the next morning for my children while I slept in until 9. Despite the overcast day, we went into Eagle to the Eagle Fun Days Wet and Wild Parade. The first half of the parade is just the usual stuff (although I must lament the sad lack of candy being tossed to the crowd) but the second half is all about getting wet. On a normal summer day in June this would be a lot of fun. But this June day was only in the 60s. Emma, Slade and Nathan did wear their swim suits but they were smart enough not to get too wet.


Then we were off to watch Grant's baseball game, grabbing a whole heck of a lot of McDonald's on the way for everyone. Anne and Sawyer both fell asleep so I got to stay in the car. I got to chat with my mom on the phone so it was not all bad. After the game, we left Neal and Dave to entertain themselves with Rock Band and Guitar Hero, while Kelly and I took the kids to Planet Kid, a huge indoor playplace.

Finally, we were able to go to dinner at a steakhouse called Cool Hand Luke's while the kids stayed home with a babysitter. Everything tasted great while we were there but my stomach was really not happy with me the next morning. It ached all through church but I finally was feeling better after an afternoon nap. So beware the chicken fajitas at Cool Hand Luke's, I guess.

So yet again, the trip made it clear that I have been lucky to find some great friends in my life. Thanks so much for hosting us, Meisters! It was wonderful.

back to Boise, old friends

After we checked out of the hotel, we headed back to our old neighborhood. I drove by the old house, which looked totally different and smaller than I remembered. Then we went to see our friends. Malauna and Susie live next door to each other. After a yummy lunch of sandwiches and chips, we spent the afternoon talking while the kids went from one house to another. For there being 14 kids 10 and under, they got along very well. The only real mishap being when Nathan lost one of his flip flops out in the large common area behind their houses.

I went to meet Dave at the airport where he had to drop off his rental car. We returned to the Gibby's house for an evening barbecue with even more old friends. I love that we all have blogs so we still know what is happening in each others' lives. Though I do think that even without blogs we would manage to pick up right where we left off whenever we get together. The kids also had quite a good time. Emma and her friends disappeared to play freeze tag in the front yard while the rest of them enjoyed playing in the backyard rock piles, removing all the rocks from Malauna's garden border so that they could build bug houses.


Seriously, how lucky are we that we not only knew so many great people while we lived in Boise but that we are still friends!?

back to boise

Dave flew up to Boise on Monday, June 8, for what was supposed to be his last week of work up there. We had planned previous to his work up there being extended to come up and visit. I drove up with the kids on Thursday. The first three hours were fantastic. Anne slept the whole time. After watching a movie, the three boys also fell asleep. We stopped in Burley so I could feed Anne. For the next two hours, she slept some more and was generally happy. The boys were another story. They weren't really interested in the movies anymore. Sawyer kept touching and pestering Slade. Slade in turn repeatedly cried out that he was going to die if he couldn't get out of the car. I tried my best to ignore them all and listen to Island of the Blue Dolphins instead.

We made it to Boise around 6:30 pm. Dave already had a hotel room for the night because of work. He was able to upgrade into a family suite for free. We went and ate dinner at IHOP. Then we came back to jump on the beds, fight with the bolster pillows, eat junk food, swim in the hotel pool, and finally lounge on the beds to watch TV.

Dave had to work still on Friday. I took the kids down to swim again in the morning. For about an hour, they had the place to themselves.

When other hotel guests started showing up, we left and got checked out.

keepin' busy

In the last few weeks:

Emma played Minuet 1 as a duet in a recital. I was very proud of her because even though she messed up she kept going.

We enjoyed a Family Home Evening lip sync/karaoke event at Katie's.


Slade got his second set of casts. Purple the first time. Blue WATER-PROOF casts the second time.


We went swimming at our friend's house.

I took the kids to the park near our house to watch another friend's clogging studio's recital. Makes me want to dance.


We bought a zoo pass and took our first trip of the season with our neighbors. Keeping track of ten kids is not easy.


Emma did soccer camp for a week and has started swim team practice M-F mornings.

I performed in a string quartet for the first time in about twelve years for our stake's Fine Arts Night. We were the second number so we had tuned just before it started. When we sat down to play, we didn't tune again. Immediately, as we began our piece, I heard that my D string had popped way out of tune. I spent a measure or so trying to figure out how I could play without my D string. Couldn't. So I had to stop us, tune and then start again. It was a little embarrassing but better than playing a whole piece out of tune. Anyhow, after that it went well. In the lobby they had a visual arts display. I was asked to display several of my photographs. I didn't get a picture! Oops.

Last Saturday, Anne and I spent the day in Salt Lake City at the Utah Home Educator's Association convention. It was wonderful. The keynote speaker was Susan Wise Bauer. I use a lot of her work in my curriculum so it was great to hear her speak. I enjoyed all of the classes I went to and got to visit with my friend Tonya. Dave was Wonder Dad and took the kids both swimming and hiking while I was gone. And the house was clean when I came back. He is amazing.

Grandma and Grandpa Slade came into town for the weekend to celebrate my nephew Evan's graduation. Everyone came to dinner at our house on Sunday. We had great food (find the recipe here, Mom). Keri and I started and quickly stopped watching Lost in Austen (terrible!) while the others played Settlers. We finished the evening with banana splits with homemade fudge and strawberry sauce. Mmm mmm.

Now we are off to Boise to join Dave. This was supposed to be his last week up there but the transfer has been extended unfortunately. Still we will have a wonderful time swimming in the hotel pool, playing with friends and cousins, and then going to Lagoon on the way home. Wish me luck!

five for friday

1. Anne has started to suck her thumb. I do think it is really cute but I much prefer my babies to be attached to pacifiers. Those I can take away.


2. I've been on a bread-making kick lately. I'm trying to perfect a really great whole wheat bread. So far I haven't achieved success but all I've made still taste really yummy with strawberry freezer jam. I've also been making pizza every Friday night. I use the recipe from here. That does seem to be working well. Tonight I made one cheese and one chicken alfredo.

3. What is it about boys and dirt? Add water and I've got a perpetual mess on my hands.


4. Sawyer got Anne to laugh for the first time tonight. I was holding her and he started hitting her feet. She totally busted up and it was so cute. Nathan and Sawyer have been hitting her feet all night trying to get a repeat.

5. And now for the kicker of the day: Slade broke both of his arms tonight. Two arms. Broken! He was swinging without holding on and fell off the swing. He cried until he fell asleep. When he woke up about half an hour later he was still complaining and wouldn't move them. I had Dave come home early from his Daddy/Daughter date with Emma so he could take him to Urgent Care. I will take him to get his casts on Tuesday. We'll see how long they have to be cast and how badly it will effect our summer. Emma was able to have a water proof cast when she broke her arm. Since I just paid for a pool pass and swimming lessons, I hope he can too.

high five

Nathan turned five on Friday. His birthday celebration lasted the whole weekend. On Friday, he began the day with a pancake. He requested to eat it in my bed while watching cartoons.

He went to lunch with Grandma Daniel and then went to pick a birthday present from the store. He picked squirt guns, a bubble blower, a magnifying glass and a kite. Dave returned home from Boise around 6 and helped him fly his kite.

That night we had pizza and strawberries with whip cream for dinner. Then Dave and the kids took a bike ride over to Walmart to pick a movie from RedBox.

On Saturday, after two soccer games, Dave took the four older kids swimming while I had a photo session. They met me over at our nieces' dance recital and then left again to go get dinner. They ended up eating at Purple Turtle (most expensive fast food place ever) because McDonald's computers were down.

On Sunday afternoon, Keri and family came over to celebrate with us some more. Keri brought kazoos so we played a lovely rendition of "Happy Birthday" before he opened presents.


Because his friend across the street had a volcano cake for his birthday, Nathan requested one too. Thanks to Google, I made this one. Nathan put all the dinosaurs on himself though.


I intended for it to be a steaming volcano but all but a very small chunk of dry ice had melted since I had to buy it the night before. If you look closely you can see just a tiny bit of "steam" rising from the crater.

Oh well. He still was happy.


Nathan. What can I say about this kid? He loves being outside, anything to do with water, and playing with friends. He is my pickiest eater and survives on crackers and mashed potatoes with a little fruit it seems. He has the best smile. He is adorable and aggravating. One minute he is flashing that charming smile and the next he is hurling himself on the floor in an inconsolable tantrum. Even then, we totally love him!

he's back

I don't know how single mothers do it. Day after day. Night after night. Dave has been doing his somewhat annual work up in Boise. This is the third time he has had to do this. He is up in Boise during the week and comes home on the weekends. The first time was in the spring of 2007 for eight weeks. The second was in the fall of 2007 for ten weeks. When he told me he would have to go this time, he initially thought he would be leaving right when Anne was due to be born. The start date got pushed back to mid-April so I breathed a sigh of relief. Then it was decided that the transfer team would only go up to Boise for four straight weeks and then every other week for another month. So instead of ten weeks straight we were only looking at him being gone for six out of eight weeks. Suddenly this transfer looked like no problem. We have made it through the four weeks and really it hasn't been too bad. Believe you me I would definitely rather have Dave here but I've been doing okay this time around. I am going to give credit to a few things that I think have made the difference.

• First of all, just the psychological break of knowing I would only be facing six weeks alone instead of ten . The last transfer was really hard for me so anything seemed doable in comparison.
• Dave's sister, Megan, has been coming over two nights a week to help out. She does the dishes. She plays with my kids. She babysits so I can go shopping. She is a lifesaver!

• The weather has finally started to warm up so we have been able to enjoy being outside. The kids are totally enjoying the swingset in the backyard. I have awesome neighbors with great kids who play with mine. They make movies, walk dogs, ride bikes, and play soccer.

• I have awesome friends who brought me dinner a couple of times. Instead of cereal for dinner we enjoyed chicken pot pie and chicken and pasta. Yum!
• I've said lots of prayers and taken lots of deep breaths.
  

Still, we are super glad to have Dave back for a whole week before he leaves again. There is someone else to hold the baby, to discipline children, to wash dishes, to read stories, etc., etc.


And he brings home great treats!

two months

Our little Annie-Danny (so dubbed by Emma) has been in our home for two months. She is starting to smile and coo at us. Since we've started opening the windows and being outside more, she appears to be suffering from some allergies. She sleeps decently at night but only seems to nap well in her swing during the day. She is constantly being held, loved, and "petted" by her adoring older siblings.


She is a baby which requires a lot of work but is a joy and delight.