More Potty Fun

Parker is getting really good at squeezing out a small pellet of poop because I am giving him a bag of fruit snacks each time he does it. I'm thrilled to see his progress, but I'm running out of fruit snacks. I don't want to change the rules to our game because he's doing so well. On a not so positive note, Apollo ate poop tonight. I'm not sure if it was his or Parker's, but GROSS!!! He spit it out on the floor after I had made brownies and I couldn't be sure what was poop and what was brownie. I just HATE poop! Ryan was out on splits, so I hate to clean up my poopy two year old and a poopy/brownie floor.

Family Fun Weekend Galore

It's been a great weekend. It was very busy, but fun. My sister, Pinks, and her family. came with my parents on Friday night. Pinks ran the Seattle rock and roll marathon on Saturday and she needed to be here rather than in Port Angeles with my parents. So we had fun BBQ and enjoying their company. Then Sat. morning we had a stake BBQ and softball game to go to, so while Pinks was running her marathon, we were at that. Then we left to meet her at the finish line. Rachael gave us an unexpected surprise and drove here to be with the family for Pink's marathon. It was so nice for us three sisters to be together. After the marathon (which was amazing and inspiring ~ Ryan thinks we need to do one together) we spent some time g-saling and getting slurpees, just us girls. It was wonderful! Pinks went back to our parent's house. Next weekend we'll all meet up at Ryan's house for the 4th. 

Today was a really nice day at church. Ryan has a ton of meetings after church, so I'm home with the kids. Now that Bryce is ten, I feel more comfortable asking him to do some of the housework. He sprayed down and wiped all the counters and our kitchen table, and he did a great job! It's so nice that even though Ryan is gone, I still have a good helper. 

Missionary Discussions

I noticed the Lord's hand in my life today when we had a couple over to take the plan of salvation missionary discussion. These people are as down and out as you can get ~ much like the people I used to associate with on my road to homelessness. The guy was talking about how he doesn't know how to get past his past and I felt impressed to share where I've been. I could see a light go on for him and I think it gave him hope. No matter how far down we are, we can always find our way out with Heavenly Father's help. That's really what it comes down to. It felt good to see how my past experiences can bless someone else's life. I feel like I can relate to almost everyone from the things I've been through.  Oh, and she's on date for baptism. YEA!!!

Bryce's 10th Birthday!

Today is Bryce's 10th Birthday. I can't believe he's ten, but he behaves very much like a ten year old, so go figure. I feel so blessed that he is my first and that we had so much time to develop a strong relationship before his siblings came along. 

He's having a sleepover for his birthday party ~ his first one. I'm planning on the boys staying up all night and I'm ok with it. They will be playing up above our garage, so hopefully I'll get some sleep tonight. Ryan is going to be up there with them. I hope he has a great birthday!

My Nails!

I noticed the Lord's hand in my life today in the way my husband knew he should let me get my nails done. That might sound bad, but it really was a blessing. Usually when we have "the conversation", really a debate, about whether or not I should get my nails done, it ends in me feeling thwarted and not doing it. But lately, I've been feeling like I'm not a priority because I serve my family constantly and I don't take time for myself. So I opened the debate, and Ryan told me to go get my nails done ~ no debate. I was so grateful for that time I had to myself. It's kind of like how flowers make you feel like someone loves you ~ only I get to carry these flowers with me everywhere!

Life feels good!

There have been more poop things go on this weekend ~ like when both boys got back at us by taking off their poopy diapers while we were doing our garage sale. But enough of that. We had a blast doing our garage sale this weekend. We combined with Raine on Fri and Sat, and the Crass' joined us for Sat.  It felt really good to clean house and get rid of a lot of our clutter. Simplifying feels good. 

Today we renewed our temple recommends. That felt good, too. Living with everything in accordance with the gospel makes me feel like I'm doing exactly what I'm meant to be doing and that I can be an instrument in The Lord's hands. It's helping me utilize the tools I've been given to bless other's lives, and that makes me happy. 

So, the potty training continues. But at least I'm in a better place mentally to conquer this task. 

Another humbling moment

In all the fun of potty training. We had an accident (the poop kind). I had to take Ollie to the Dr., so I quickly changed Parker before taking him. When I got to the Dr. office, I realized there was poop on my pants because the smell was horribly strong. I tried my best to cover the smell with the foam hand sanitizer. When the Dr. came in he asked Apollo if he needed a change. I knew very well that Ollie did not need a change. I felt my blood pressure rise and felt my face get flushed. I was so flustered that when I answered for Ollie, I said, "it's not him, it's me, well.. not me, just my pants". The Dr.'s face looked concerned and then I explained the whole thing. We both had a good laugh ~ and I'm considering changing doctors. 

Summer is starting!

I'm feeling grateful that school is over for Ryan right now. We have ten days until it starts up again, which means we have a lot of housework to cram into the next week and a half. 

Parker had his last day of school today. We made little treat bags for his teachers and bus drivers. When he handed his busdriver her treat bag and thank you card, she started to cry. It was so sweet. I hadn't realized what an impact Parker had on her. I'll miss her bright cheery attitude in the mornings. Busdriver Tish was the best. Now that Parker is home, he's in undies. This will be the summer of potty training. At least one of the youngest three will be potty trained this summer. 

The Lord blessed us today by Ryan's microbiology teacher changing his grade from a 3.4 to a 3.5. He also sold his books back and got $250. Every little bit helps. 

My first Zumba class

Today I'm going to teach my first zumba class. I've been taking it for several months, but I've never taught it. I know the routines pretty well, but I'm still nervous that I will mess up. I feel grateful that I have an ability to move to music and that it brings me such joy. I'm grateful that the instructor who is also the director of the Y has befriended me and is using her position to give me this opportunity. She has also signed me up for a workshop to teach me to be a personal trainer and that could turn into a nice side job in my spare time (like Rachael's haircutting). I'm a truly social person, but I became more introverted with of that with all things I've been through. I feel like I'm coming back to who I truly am. 

My journal

I heard a talk on Sunday reiterating a conference message from a year ago. It was about keeping a journal of the Lord's hand in your life so your children can read it. Then yesterday, Ryan and I were talking about what a cool missionary tool it would be if I had a dramatic event that changed the course of my life, but I don't. I've had several experiences that have increased my faith, but it's a daily effort to improve my walk with Heavenly Father. My life is dramatically different than it used to be, but it didn't happen in a flash. It's taken about three years. And it continues to get better. So that's what I want to use my blog for. It's less cumbersome than downloading photos, and it will create a journal. 

Service, Please.

One of the perks of being the ward mission leader (or being married to him) is having very good workers at our disposal. The missionaries are required to do a few hours of service each week and they love yard work. If they don't have members to serve, they have to do the service at the food bank (and our favorite elder from Germany says "it really sucks"). We had a wonderful work party and got a lot done. 

All Alone

You know that cheesy song, All by myself? I think they play it during the montage in Dumb and Dumber where the friends break up for a little bit (I might be wrong). It's been playing in my head since my sister moved on Saturday. I really am all alone, now. I guess this will be a good exercise in making friends for me. I'm too social of a person to be a recluse. 

Adventures in potty training (yes, still)

I was writing this response to my sister after her comment on fashionista, but I thought it was funny enough to add as a blog entry. 

I think you have to enjoy those funny little things in life. Like today Parker had pooped a little in his undies. I could smell poop, but didn't know where the smell was coming from, but there was a naked Parker near me, so I put it together that there was poop on his butt. I get kind on frantic when there's poop that is not contained in a diaper. I told Parker not to move, so he sat his poopy butt down on the carpet. Then I told him to "come here" (panicking now) and he scooted his poopy butt along the floor over to me. I wasn't laughing at the time, but now that I'm done steam cleaning the carpets, I can laugh about it.

Fashionista!!!

Today, the boys decided to dress themselves. Here's Parker wearing a beach print shirt, under a dark denim jean jacket with coordinating (not so much) Hawaiian print shorts on the bottom. We missed the black pumas he was wearing without socks. And then Apollo. He's wearing a red hoodie tucked (yes tucked) into his multi-colored undies with his church saddle shoes (also without socks). What trend setters they are!

Halea's ear piercing

I went to the Supermall with my sister yesterday. On a whim, I took Halea to Claire's to get her ears pierced. The whole thing went smoothly and I'm still happy that I did it. I'm not sure how happy she is about the whole thing, but I'm sure she'll thank me later!