Fun at Thanksgiving Point

Well - it was a fun weekend. Saturday was Tim's company party, which was held at Thanksgiving Point this year. They gave everyone passes to all of the attractions, and even though it was a SUPER HOT (100+), we had a good time.

We started out in the gardens (my choice since they are my favorite and I wanted to go before it got too too too hot) I love to just walk around and enjoy the peace and quiet and beauty. (A little more difficult to do with 3 energetic children, but in the beautiful environment, still possible.) The first photo is one Aaron took of Tim and I at the bottom of the Italian garden fountain. The kids always have a good time in the children's garden, playing in the water and exploring the maze and bear cave, so by 12:30 we were all hot tired, and ready for lunch.

Lunch was delicious and a nice break from the sun, and they had big inflatable slides and a climbing wall for the kids to play on. The only downside here was that Tim didn't win a prize in the drawing (they had some nice prizes too. oh well, maybe next time:)

After lunch we went up to the Dinosaur museum (Officially called the North American Museum of Ancient Life, or something like that.) We had family passes to T. Point last year, so the kids have been several times before, but they love it. (Here are pictures of Trina and Aaron (and Tim) playing on the erosion table, which I love probably as much as the kids. I have to be careful to not let myself get carried away and take over the "playing.")

Included in the passes were one viewing on the Xango giant screen, so the kids and Tim went to see the 3D movie about Dinosaurs . Bryan was asleep, so I didn't go in to the movie. When Bry woke up I wandered around the museum with him. He was SO adorable to watch. I was pregnant with him when we got our passes before, so he doesn't ever remember going. He ran from one thing to the next exclaiming "wow" or "awesome" over and over. I loved it!

After the movie was over, we went to Farm Country. I think it's pretty dull, but the kids seem to enjoy it. They all got to ride the ponies, and feed some animals etc... And we took a picture of them in the only jail I hope they spend time in.


The company gave each child a "goodie bag" that included a disposable camera. My kids used up every picture on their cameras - including taking ones of the gas pump when we stopped for gas on the way home. I'm not really that excited to PAY to get these pictures developed, but the kids can't wait to see "THEIR" pictures.

We were also give 4 passes to the megaplex movie theatre, and we considered 1)taking the kids to a movie or 2) taking the kids to my mom's and then Tim and I having a little movie date night - but in the end we decided we were DONE having fun and we just wanted to go home and rest! (We're trying to plan another time to go back and use those passes)

All in all, we had a great day, and we were totally worn out by the time we got home. Okay - at least TIM and I were totally worn out. Somehow the kids found energy reserves and ran out to find friends to play with. Trina wandered home around 8:15 and was content to snuggle with Mom and watch a movie, but Aaron didn't wander in until after 9:30. I normally go out to gather them around 8:30, but I was simply too tired to get up and do it, so I'm glad he finally came home. ( I was actually heading out to get him when he came home - so I'm not a total and complete slacker mom...)

GO ME!!!

The title above is a "FLYlady" saying. The general message is to be proud of every accomplishment in our lives - even the ones that we might have a tendency to think are insignificant. For example:

I ate a healthy breakfast and lunch today - two healthy meals in a row... GO ME!!!

I've had 4 glasses of water so far, so I'm on track to meet my daily water requirement.. GO ME!!

I picked something for dinner and it is in the crockpot even as I sit here celebrating... GO ME!!!

I got all the dishes done and the sink clean and shiny this morning... GO ME!!!

I got up and made my bed right away... GO ME!!! (this has been a bit harder to do ever since we moved the bed downstairs. We moved it downstairs because it's so much cooler down there and I can sleep a bit better. However, it is harder to get the bed made since Bryan is often still sleeping in it when I get up, and with the bed downstairs I don't really see it again once I leave the room...)

That's about it, but I'm having so much fun celebrating my accomplishments, that I'm feeling a bit inspired to go do a some more.

GO ME!!!!!

the grass is always greener...

I'm thinking right now about Charlotte's comment on my last post. I'm pondering why it is that everyone else's life seems so much more interesting and exciting etc... than my own. I'm wondering why it is that we always seem to be looking at others and always measuring ourselves up against them. When (and how) do we get to the point when we are just okay with ourselves and we don't compare ourselves constantly???

I think Melissa might be pretty close to being there. She seems really confident and secure in who and what she is, she feels completely free to openly express any emotion she is feeling - and she expresses them with FEELING!!! - See, here I go again, comparing my 'emotional abilities' with what I perceive to be Melissa's abilities.
In my "logical" mind, I know that we only see what people put out for us to see. We don't see the inner struggles and turmoils. We only seem to compare our weakness to another person's strengths.

Yet - even knowing these thing "logically" - I can't seem to stop myself from doing the comparing thing. Oh well - I still have lots of years to work on it, and I can see that I am making PROGRESS in this area, so I guess that's something.

Another thing - I think it's important to recognize the strengths of others so that we can model our own behavior and attitudes after those people we admire. I just find there is a fine line between admiring people in a healthy and productive way, and comparing ourselves to others in a negative, tear ourselves down way. Ya know what I mean?

Well - that's enough pondering for today. I have been INCREDIBLY lazy all morning, and now I have GOT to get up and get some stuff done!

(with the photo - I was going for a "grass is greener on the other side of the fence" kind of thing, but this one got picked because 1 - it had green grass, 2 - it had a fence, and 3 - it kind of reminded me of the trip Charlotte and I took to New England the October before I got married. The autumn leaves were BEAUTIFUL!!!)

Nothing to post...

I don't really have anything specific to post today, but just wanted to check in and say things are going well. I am feeling much better and I have more and more energy. Today I might even get some good housecleaning done. (or not, but if it doesn't get done it be more a product of laziness than of morning/all-day sickness and pregnancy exhaustion.)

I wish I was more like Charlotte and could just come up with fun RANDOM things to post, but my brain doesn't seem to work that way...YET. Maybe in time... Ya'll have a great day!

Burial for Jack

Well - it's been a long week, and I was hoping to take the kids swimming yesterday to both cool off from the 90+ degree heat and to relax from everything that's been going on around here. Instead, we had a crisis in which the pet rabbit (Jack) somehow got out of his cage (I suspect it didn't get latched properly after Aaron feed and watered him, but we'll never know). Our dog Jasmine was outside and found Jack first and did some damage.

We rushed Jack to the vet, but before they could even start to treat him for the severe shock he was in and do a little damage control, Jack died. This may sound terrible, but if he was going to die, I am glad he died BEFORE they started treating him and running up a bill. As it was, they didn't charge me for the emergency visit and we just put Jack in a box and brought him back home for a little burial service. One of my projects today will be to carve his name into the "headstone" (a big flat rock).

Tim is out with the scouts this morning doing a 20 mile bike ride, but he said if he has any energy at all left this afternoon, we'll take the kids swimming then.

more compassionate service

Charlotte and Harmony expressed "my" opinions much more clearly than I did. Harmony is right, there seem to be perpetual "takers", and it always seems to be the same people who are willing to give. Every once in a while when I feel particularly put out by being called all the time to fill needs, I remind myself that it could be a lot worse. I would much rather be in the position to be able to give, than to have some situation where I am in serious need. Ya know what I mean? one of our wards "takers" called for help again this weekend. here's the update:

I got a call last night from the comp. service sister (the new one just put over arranging babysitting) The sister in "need" is supposed to be going with the YW to girls camp (including her own 12 year old) this week. (Tuesday - Sat) She "forgot" to arrange child care for her other 2 children (2 rambunctious boys aged 8 and 10) She just called up the RS and told them that her husband is gone from 5am - 4pm each day, and that she would need child care provided for her kids.

The sister trying to line up child care was very frustrated by the whole thing. I agreed to help where needed.

I'm glad the one sister is going to camp, their family is like 99% (or more) inactive, and I had no idea she had even accepted a calling to go with the girls to camp. I think it's a great opportunity for them, because camp is usually a great time of spiritual growth and both mother and daughter desperately need that... The other plus is that at least the husband IS working (he has been unemployed for years and years)

I just hope that on my day to watch the boys it will be a "good" day for me. I'm optimistic it will be, as I'm feeling quite a bit better over all these days. And again, I am just super grateful that I am in the capacity to give, and that I don't have a real debilitating situation that would render me unable to care for my family.

Compassionate Service - Used and abused??? or just Jeri PRIDE???

Today was a pretty good day for me. I woke up feeling good, so I decided I'd better get busy while the getting was good. I hadn't been going long before I got a call from the person in charge of compassionate service in our ward. There is another sister in the ward who is... (get this)... pregnant and not feeling well enough to take care of her three kids. (she also has a few other health issues that I'm sure compound the situation, I just think it's kind of ironic...) They were looking for people to help take in meals and babysit her kids. The most pressing need was for someone to watch the kids today, so I agreed.

Today (for our summer of fun) we were making cookies and doing secret deliveries to some of our neighbors. I let the kids help mix, roll out, cut out, and decorate the cookies, then they got to go do the knock and run deliveries. They had a great time. (My kitchen doesn't look so great, but it was fun)

I just took the extra kids home and I sat down to chat (online) with Tim and he said, "you need to be on the receiving end of some of this compassion." So now, that's what I'm pondering.

The way I see it is this - I may not be doing super great, but we are doing fine. The house isn't super clean, but it's not a toxic waste land or health hazard yet... It may take me all afternoon (in baby steps) to get dinner made, but it gets done. I'm trying to make sure I spend at least a little time each day helping my kids work and playing with them. I may have to rest in between everything I do, and if I overdo it, I pay for the next day, but I certainly don't think I am in a position that I need to "ask for help."
The problem I have is this: Would I know (and be willing to do it) when the time came that I SHOULD ask for help? I really do have an independent streak and I hate to NEED help from anyone. I really think I probably go to far in the "be self-reliant" direction. (I'm afraid I got my attitude from my mom. She never needs help from anyone, and she is really of the opinion that people use the RS Compassionate Service to the point of abusing it.)

Just wondering if any of you have an opinion on when a person should ask the church members to step in and help. In my mind, I tend to think it's when you just CANNOT do what is NECESSARY to be done. Not things you'd LIKE to get done, but that which HAS to be done. I've never been to that point yet. I can always say "it's not really necessary" or I "Can" do it, just not easily or comfortably, or right this second. I know I am WAY to prideful, and I need to learn to accept service as well as give it, but at the same time, I also really believe people need to do EVERYTHING they can for themselves before they ask the church to step in and help.

Side note - I have a good friend and neighbor who does know that I am expecting and sick, (no one else in the ward knows yet) and I don't have any trouble with it if she calls and offers to take the kids for a while, so it's not like I can't accept ANY help; but I would NEVER call and ask the C. Service person to line people up to watch my kids for me. (at least not for something like my current situation)