Isaac, Paper Boy

I am feeling a little overwhelmed this week. Isaac's schedule is so full I can barely breathe. Next week we will add the girls' crazy schedules. Isaac is now involved in piano, violin, orchestra, scouts, soccer and now he is a paper boy. He really wanted this job. He has been helping his friend with his paper route so he could substitute if his friend went away. I called the paper route people and they told me there was a paper route available down the hill from our house. Isaac decided he was ready for the one time a week responsibility and he is now responsible for delivering 107 papers every Wednesday. He got a new gear bike from some of his birthday money and some money his Dad owed him. The kids sometimes work for Tom and he owed them a good chunk. Isaac used some of that money to buy his new bike that will take him on the route. You can see from the full bags (that his cute sisters helped him stuff full) that he has a heavy load. To say I was worried that he would crash, is an understatement. I made him take my cell phone. The moment I sent that boy off to his first paper delivery is the moment I seriously regretted my "no cell phones until you are 12 rule." I needed a way to contact him. We were leaving the house for Becca's soccer game. I called Tom and he checked in on him. Isaac made it back alive with only one war story about some stranger asking him to come inside for a drink of water. Isaac will not return home via that route again. It freaked him out. Of course, he was exhausted I mean who wouldn't be? Did you see that haul?

In other news, canning season snuck up on me. I am not ready for it but here it is and I have spent the last two days from 9 a.m. until 3 p.m. on my feet in the kitchen and I know this is just the tip of the iceberg.

My Commitment to the Love Your Body Run

This past Saturday was the Love Your Body run in Salt Lake City. It is an all woman 5K run/walk or 10K run. Although the next run is a year away I am making a commitment to participate in the 5K next year with my mother -in-law, sister-in-laws and some of my nieces. I feel like if I get this commitment in writing I will be there for sure, barring some crazy unforseen circumstance.

I vow to exercise at least three times a week and lose 20 pounds before next August. It is my goal to run at least 1 1/2 miles of the 3.2 miles. I know, Tarynn that you think I should shoot for running the entire time. But I have never been a runner. The mile run at school, in the height of my teenage health, made me want to throwup and pass out. A mile and a half is a big goal for me. I have not run in over a month. I am totally off track. By making this commitment I am pushing myself to get back on track. I hope my fellow SIL, nieces and MIL will make their own goals and recommit to running with me.
We will totally pamper ourselves afterward.
I will update you on the last Tuesday of the month to how I am doing.

First Day of School and A Dad's Revenge

There they are, my 6th grader and my 2nd grader. They are tall giants, I know. Today was the first day of school and I am happy to say my kids were excited to return. Isaac was dressed by 6:40 until I reminded him that he needed a shower. Seriously, they better sleep in until 7 am tomorrow. They each got to have the same teacher they had last year and so there was a lot of familiarity for them today. It was low stress and mostly just reconnecting with friends. I really can not believe I have a child in sixth grade. It kind of blows my mind. I had a day of peaceful relief and, strangely enough, a little sadness. I would have loved another week of summer just to relax and prepare. Oh well, we are back in the saddle again.

We had an emotional week last week and yet my husband and son know how to keep this house laughing. Isaac learned a valuable lesson this Saturday. Never start a water fight with Tom. You can't win and you won't win. Isaac decided to douse his Dad with a safety cone full of water at the ward picnic. Later that night as Isaac slept, Tom got his payback.

Isaac slept through the shaving cream makeover and the photos. The boy is a sound sleeper. Tom finally got out of bed to clean Isaac's hands and face (he was worried he would wake up with a rash.) Isaac opened his eyes for this part but he has no recollection of the event. The next day, Isaac discovered his Dad had replaced his computer wallpaper with the sleeping Isaac. We laughed and laughed. Isaac said something about a bucket of water, a hand and my bed. I decided it was time for the practical jokes to come to an end.

The following message is meant for a few of my readers. Disregard if you don't get it:
NEVER UNDERESTIMATE THE POWER OF 8 HUGS.

Hummingbird Lessons

It was a sad day in our house today. We found a dead hummingbird in our garage. I am pretty sure the bird got stuck in the garage, we closed it and the bird couldn't get out, fell to the ground in exhaustion and either died or I (I have a really hard time telling the next part) unwittingly ran over it. Let's just say the girls, including me, were really sad all evening. We had another hummingbird experience last week that actually brought on some real epiphanies for me.

A hummingbird flew into our garage and managed to get itself confused and stuck. I watched as it banged itself into the window over and over again. I tried to shoo that bird out, I tried to show it the large escape out the garage door opening and the back garage door. That stupid bird just flapped its wings even faster and whizzed away from me bumping its tiny head against the ceiling of the garage. I just kept thinking "You stupid bird. Can't you see the way out? It is right there. I tried to gently nudge that bird with a broom pole until my arm felt like it was going to fall off. I kept thinking "look down, I can help you." Finally, that bird found it's way out of the garage. I thought he had learned his lesson but oh no he returned a few minutes later, lured by the red dangling rope of the garage door opener I learned later.

I knew that bird had not found something to eat in the few moments it had ventured outside the garage. A hummingbird's high metabolism and outrageously fast heart rate requires it to eat or drink often. When that crazy bird flew back in the garage I really started to worry. I knew that bird could not survive for long and as it started its worrisome attempt to escape, ignoring all help. We offered it the hummingbird feeder to perch on and butterfly bush flowers, but its fear would not allow it to notice the outstretched hands of its salvation. In fact our proffered help actually made the bird more manic. At one point I left the garage thinking that bird has to help itself. But as the minutes ticked by my little heart could not bear the imminent doom. "You stupid bird," I kept thinking. "Why won't you let me help you. That bird had to rest a few times and perched itself in some pretty wierd places. Eventually, we saw the bird start to fly in an ever descending spiral. I knew that bird was going to fall and it came to a sliding exhausted fall on the cement floor. Rebecca and I scooped it up in my giant sun hat. Rebecca ran and filled the hummingbird feeder. We placed that bird outside on the lawn on the hummingbird feeder. I thought that bird was a goner. I tried to pour out the juice for the bird but it just sat there panting. Eventually, it miraculously regained its strength and flew over the house as if drunk. The next few days, I am positive I saw that recovered bird. And I am pretty sure it is not the same bird that was killed today.

That was a dramatic morning for us and while I was trying to help that beloved stupid bird, I realized something about myself. I have been that hummingbird lately. Struggling with my own spirituality, I have flown manically in the wrong direction, never noticing the outstretched hands of my Savior, offering to bring me to safety and to him. I have been so busy buzzing from one duty to the next that I have forgotten to pray and read my scriptures. Like that hummingbird I need frequent spiritual nourishment and I was feeling empty because I was ignoring the opportunities to drink and be filled. I felt empathy for that silly bird because I finally understood. The loss of a different hummingbird was quite a blow to me today. Rebecca pointed out that our new garage arrangement has several bright red lures for the bird. How often are we lured into dangerous territory by something that is not what it seems?

I originally meant to write a very well-written essay on this hummingbird experience, but the untimely death of the bird today nudged me to get my thoughts down on paper, no matter how random they may be.

Wow what a week. Last Saturday we arose at the brake of dawn to hightail it to Payson for my nephew's baptism. I am more than a little sad that I didn't get a picture of the newly baptized boy. Cameron was so adorable. He was all business as he got ready for that baptism and any one that knows Cameron knows he is more full of play than serious business. I was so proud to see that cute boy. Rebecca is the next cousin to get baptized. I am excited and nervous. Will I have her ready in time? We spent the rest of the day with Tom's family. Melinda you are such a good sport to host us all. The kids had fun dressing up. But truly my favorite costume is the buck naked Ryan. I had a migraine that day and I am sorry to all of you that had to put up with me. Especially, those of you who went to the mall with me. I should never shop with a headache. Thanks Melinda for saving the day and getting Becca the pants she so desperately needed for school. That Becca is really hard to pant shop for especially when you are suffering from a headache. But Melinda traipsed off with her and a passle of kids to Gap and got her all ready for school.




On the way home from the mall my sister Nicole, who I have not seen in 1 1/2 years met me at the Chevron in Payson. She had just arrived from a long drive from Boise that day. She followed Tom and I down to Cedar and we spent the next four days playing so hard I fell into bed every night exhausted. OK, one night we stayed up talking until 1 am. I am really mad that I forgot to get pictures from her camera before she left. She took all the good photos. I kept forgetting my camera. Nicole is one fun Mama to her three boys. She is not afraid to get right in the middle of the water fights or soccer games or in one case the creek in order to play with her kids. She is such a smart cookie too. I am always amazed at her wit and her perception of current events. I really enjoyed playing with her even if I was so tired I almost fell asleep during a Boggle game. I don''t normally sleep during Boggle becuase it is my favorite game and I usually have to wait until I see my sister's to play a really good competitive Boggle match. Love ya Nicole. I had fun playing in the creek,(both times) making dinosaur rocks, eating snow cones, watching movies, watching a waterfight, and visiting Cedar Breaks (even if it was freezing._

The 24th of July

I am a little behind. I have a dozen ideas for posts running through my head. But first I wanted to post about our 24th of July day. It took me a long time of living in Utah to remember that Utah had a second holiday. I just could not remember the 24th of July for years. Now, I look forward to this great day of celebration for Utah. This year we had a really fun day.

Tom's sister's Stephanie and Libby's families were coming up. Tom's band was playing in the Enoch celebration, Enoch was having a party in their park where all the kids activities were free and the kids were going to be in the Enoch parade.


We had such a great time. We spent the afternoon getting the Hughes' grandkids float ready. We had a few authentic pioneers.
The kids were well stocked with candy, water guns and balloons. The
big boys dunked their heads in the water and had a blast soaking the parade spectators, especially me. Aunt Stephanie was the best sport of all as the only adult actually on the float. I am sure she had fun waving to complete strangers.


We finished up the evening in the park where we listened to Tom's band. There were also some other performances, one of which had all the adults in shocked disbelief as we watched a puppeteer sing and perform her wannabe Muppets act. I guess the kids liked it. We did enjoy Tom's band.



A couple of my nephews joined in on the pie eating contest. Cody actually won.
This is how you win a pie eating contest. Get your whole head in the action.

Lia was in total heaven as she ran around with her best friend/cousin. We all took turns waiting in the big blow-up slide line with them. They even managed to get matching face paint tattoos.

Isaac was pretty much on the lam since he was off with his cousin Cody.

The rest of us enjoyed an enjoyable evening, except for that little run in I had with the police man. But hey only a few of us know about that one and I say we keep it that way. I did, after all escape unscathed and ticketless. Can't wait for next year.

Write A Little -- An Inspiring Woman

I am busy writing up an article on job options for women so I am not writing extra stuff today but my article about the Deputy Director of Parole for Utah (who happens to be a woman) is published online at Wasatch Woman today. This woman really inspires me. She reminded me that we should reach for our dreams and never sell ourselves short. You can check out the story here
Tomorrow I will update on our fun 24th of July day.