The List

(my very cute next door neighbor, L, took this incredible picture- she was standing at the end of our driveways-this was the Sunday of S's graduation & the weekend we met D)

I had been saying how much I loved my boring life. I shouldn't have tempted fate in such a large fashion. For more my sake than yours, here's a list of life events since August 2012. I'm sure I've missed something. Pretty much every item on the list could have three or four sub-items listed. It really seemed to amp up right before spring break. That's when we hired a new realtor and she hired a "stager"who wore stilettos on our wood floor and made a mile long list for us to accomplish in two days. It seemed like every time I thought we were getting a handle on things, there'd be a phone call or someone would come to the door or something would happen and we would not have a handle on things. So I'm going to take a big risk and say that life seems to be coming back to a more manageable speed as of this moment. Just this very moment, because I don't want to give fate any more ideas.

Here's the list:

bought property
worked almost full time
S college visits
H gets mission call
house on market (Nov-Feb, then March -April)
fun spring break trip with S, B & J
rocking on keeping house prepared for showings anytime
and on making dinner
H making different choices - of which we were informed in a letter dated April 1st
offer on house
hailstorm last Friday of April
car & roof totaled
new roof
re-imagined car
tornadoes
soccer season
tornado clean ups
swim team
end of school year
meeting H's friend D
S graduation
sold house
big news for H and D
finding rental
the move
got braces for medical not vanity reasons
taking S to college
the wedding
and reception
and open house
and open house
beginning a new soccer league for J - my mr. not coaching that little team anymore :(
adapting to life as a household of 4
soon to start back up again at work with a reduction of hours
flailing on keeping house up - but 10 freezer meals ready when we need them


There's  couple of doozies in there. I wonder if you can spot them or not.

I didn't list another major change because it happened in the spring of 2011, after the backyard was dug up down to the sprinkler system.

The dog moved to a 20 acre farm way north of us with a donkey and some cows and a twin chihuahua. She is very happy and so is her new owner. We were not a good fit for her, her new family is, and I am so happy for all of them. And us.

There you have it. Even though it's quite a list, I'm feeling very blessed to have experienced each moment of it. Life is good. Now we are looking forward to a year of building a new home, getting to know a son in law and dental work for me. Should be exciting.

The Big Picture

This came home from first grade sometime this winter. Shows us how this child sees the world. I displayed it in a frame in the hall and told him to be proud he sees the world differently than a lot of other people.  I hope I can always see the big picture like him.

Sunday School - my mr. the Bishop

That day.

 

Once in a while there are changes made in our church congregations that kind of rock member’s worlds. Things like changing Sunday meeting times once a year in a shared building, ward boundary changes, and changes in leadership our ward was rocked. 

In July of 2012, our ward was rocked. We got a new Bishop. 

Early last July, I got to go on a whirlwind road trip with the youth from our ward and stake. We went to Nauvoo, Illinois and other important church historical sights along the way. It was wonderful. I was finally in a comfortable place with those beautiful young women I’d been working with. I felt that now that I was comfortable and close to them, I would really be able to more effectively affect their lives and their testimonies of Christ.

I didn’t know it then, but I would not have much time left serving with those beautiful young women. Shortly after returning from that trip, my mr. and I were asked to visit with our Stake President and he extended the call to my mr. to serve as the new Bishop of our ward. My husband’s first assignment would be to find a replacement for me. 

It took some time for me to process, but I’m ok with it now. It would just be too hard for me to serve as the Young Woman’s President with him being Bishop.  We did have a couple Sundays and one Wednesday overlap and that about did me in. His time away coupled with the time and energy I needed to give was just too much.

This was the second major calling I’d had to leave because of changes with him (the first being in Washington when an employment change led to our relocating out of state). I would be lying if I said it didn’t make me feel a little cheated. But as we went through those early weeks, I came to the knowledge that I needed that time with the youth to help them with their connection to him. Because they knew me, they were more open to him.

I declared- “no callings for me until all the other people in this crazy big semi-transient ward have callings.” Which worked for a few months. I’ve been managing our family and a few other things for him - one of those things which has turned into an unusual calling of “new member specialist.” I am interpreting that to mean: meet the new people, help them find their way around, and plan a three times a year ‘new member social’ (aka- come meet the ward leadership because they want to get to know you & make new church friends & realize that it’s highly likely that the person you are sitting next to in church is new too – ok, I am exaggerating a bit on that one- every Sunday is not like this- we seem to have surges in arrivals and departures in June, August and January- this year’s been especially busy).

I’ve been shy to talk to our friends about what’s going on with him and church, but with all the commitments he’s had coaching the boys’ soccer teams and other things, I’ve had to let people know why he’s not around or why we need help with things.  Our non LDS friends have had reactions that surprised me a bit.  They’ve said things like, “what an honor,” “you must be so proud,” and other things along those lines. That made me feel a little uncomfortable- so I’ve had a chance to talk to them about the LDS way of running our organization. How it’s different. He didn’t apply for the position. He didn’t aspire to the calling. In fact, knowing what it required of a LDS Bishop, it’s a little scary.  It’s not a matter of pride, but a blessing that he’s lived his life so that he can minister to our brothers and sisters in this way.

That’s where the biggest change has appeared.

He used to be very uninvolved in other people’s lives. He used to be very quiet. He used to not want to talk much. He used to get in, get the job done, and get out. He’s always been out and about doing things.

Now he’s talking with and ministering to people. Now he wants to talk so much more. Now he gets in, gets the job done and stays around to visit. He’s out and about doing things. Now he just gets home later most evenings.

He doesn’t talk to me about the people he visits with and I am very thankful for that.  But he wants to talk about other things. A lot.  I think he’s got so much going on in his brain, he has to get some of it out. I am not used to that. I’ve had to learn to live with his quiet over the last twenty something years and it’s hard to get used to this new my mr.

He stands up at the pulpit and I think, “Is that him? Is that my mr.?” And when church friends ask how it is being the wife of the Bishop, right now my answer is “weird.” It’s just weird. Weird and incredible.

Labor Pains

We are in the process of moving out of our house because it sold. Yay. 

A week before close, our buyers/their realtor had some last minute issues and it looked like the deal might not happen. I'd already paid a deposit & first/last months rent on a rental. We were out looking for a fridge when we got the phone call. It was then that I realized that these few weeks I've been feeling like the first time I was in labor and all I wanted to do was stop the whole process, go home and return to normal. Of course I couldn't. And great things came of it. Now I'm telling myself the same about all this mess. I hope this labor is worth it. 

PS- I think I packed to much in that big box. 

PPS- Maybe someday, like next week (bahaha), when we get settled I can tell you all our awesome news. I can only hope. 

Cleaning List - It's the little things that matter

Here's a change - we've always had weekly "zones" that each family member is responsible for, I was still having to remind the other family members of the details that their "zone" entailed even though it was the same thing each week and each room. I grew weary, so I made a list.

This little list has become dear to my heart.

I especially love the "extra chores" section.
It enables flexibility. A flexibility that is the total opposite of what happens when something long and gooey hardens somewhere where it shouldn't.

Side note- once I broke up with a boy ever a booger. I think that is an important lesson for my young sons know. Their future may depend on it.  

My children are pot heads or Playing with change

Something changed in my little home office and I am typing on a much smaller keypad and looking at a much bigger screen, but the most exciting thing for me is that I downloaded the 750+ photos and videos off my phone (which I really shouldn't call a phone- for me it's more a camera that can communicate with the outside world). Well, they are still on my phone because I was too nervous to say yes to the "remove photos from your mobile devise" question. I will get to that later. (Yes, you may call me a virtual hoarder. And you may not look in my bedroom closet.)

So, I'm playing with my new toy and want to share some of the fun.

This has been some of what we've been up to while not being here with you:

I wish I could figure out how to post the video on here.

It's much more entertaining.

But, 

these will just have to do.

And, 

if you want,

you can imagine them running & spinning around like this in the driveway.

See- way more entertaining. 

(Even if the pictures are almost a year old.)

Whoop there it is

Little mr. j's basketball team's really grown a lot this season. They're taller, more coordinated, and a little more mature than last year.
My son, well, he's become versed in the art of drawing fouls.

Last weekend he told me his team lost because he missed two free throws. I told him they probably lost for a lot of other reasons too. I didn't know for sure because I'd only heard the 7 year old's version of the game as I was with miss s in Utah and missed the game. But I was told all about it later-according to my mr. - whom was very fired up about certain aspects of the officiators' using the rules towards the two teams fairly and equally- there were a lot of other reasons they lost the game. Phew. I'm kind of glad I missed it.

So today we went outside to practice shooting (specifically foul shots) and he was having quite a hard time getting the ball into the basket, so I gave him a suggestion.

I told him to hold his breath right before his foul shot.
Guess what- swoosh, swoosh, swoosh, swoosh, swoosh.
High fives all around. It was awesome.

Apparently I have some latent basketball coach skills and now you know. Booyah, you've become versed.

We play that team tomorrow at 11am.
I will do best to keep my mouth shut.