The goodness of people

Tonight we went over to a family in our ward. Thy are about the same age as my parents (real young folks). They have chickens about the same age as ours. They have a beautiful piece of property. It has a big garden, nice fruit trees, a steel shed, and a great area for the kids to play. This man had some extra chicken supplies that he offered to us. The chicken feeder is at least 75 years old. It belonged to his father. I was so honored he gave it to us. I must say I love old stuff. It has craftsmanship you just don't see anymore. Someone once told me that if you touch something that is made of things from the earth you connect to it. Unlike things made from plastic or other man made materials. I have noticed this to be true. When I touch something made of wood, I tend to stroke it, almost petting it. There is a respect for that thing that was once alive. Anyway, I am thrilled with this feeder and thrilled to be one step closer to having my coop ready for the chickens.

14 years and still smiling

One of my favorite quotes right now is what my friend wrote on her blog "I was a much more interesting person 10 years ago (before she got married) but not nearly as happy." I am happy. I feel like that quote is my motto. 14 years ago I could go wherever I wanted, do what ever I wanted and buy whatever I wanted ( thanks to my dad's VISA). But through 2 years of undergraduate school, 4 years of medical school, 3 years of residency, 5 years of practice, and 6 kids I am so much happier now then I ever was then. I got married rather early in life and there is some regret in that, but would I do it over? In a second. I was out in my backyard yesterday evening. We were making s'mores and everyone was having fun. It was what heaven will be like. I am so glad I married Gordon! I look forward to the next 14 years- they're going to be great!

Angels babysitting service

Last Sunday Gordon and I had to get our temple recommend interviews with our stake presidency. The member of the stake presidency (who knows I have lots of little children) asked "Who's watching the kids?" I replied " The angels." He said that not many people know about that babysitting service. Last night we went to Seven Peaks water park. We had a great time, but Jacob got lost- really lost. Not just for a few minutes, a long time. I even had to go to the first aid station and let them know to alert the life guards. They asked " Was he wearing a life jacket?" I thought "The kids terrified of water!" Drowning then entered my mind- I was frantic. Moments after I alerted the seven peaks personnel, a nice lady found Jacob and went around trying to find his parents. This lady was my angel yesterday. There is so much bad and distrust in the world, it is wonderful to see good. Just so you don't think we loose our kids all the time, we were counting up the number of times we have lost someone- 5 times. Not bad with six kids. Matthew once at IKEA in Chicago, Jacob twice- once at home, once at seven peaks, Isaac twice-once in our neighborhood and once in our own home (he was asleep under the stairs). I am greatful for an angel babysitting service. Note: Jacob is our little Jamaican when he says "ya mom". It is so cute!

Best of friends, worst of enemies

Do your kids fight often enough that you are convinced they would be happier if the other one wasn't around? James has been gone this week with Gordon's parents to Lake Powell. I missed him because he's my friend, but I have to admit it was nice having one less kid to account for. I only had to count heads up to five not six. Matthew has been a little lost soul this week. His best friend's grandma died, so he's been gone and James hasn't been around. Matthew was so excited when we found out James was coming home 2 days early because Uncle Rob had strep. James had a great time, but I could tell he also missed Matthew. They have been wrestling and playing loudly all evening- it really got on my nerves. I am greatful the way our family has turned out. James and Matthew are buddies and Jacob and Isaac will be buddies one day (I hope). I love having space between my girls. I get to spoil them at their different stages. Bridie is so cute- she's almost walking. She crawls on her hands and feet, so she won't put her knees down on the ground. It's cute. I can't believe she's growing up- it makes me so sad! Anyway back to James and Matthew. I'm just relieved they like each other. I know tomorrow they will go back to getting mad that they are breathing each other's air, but today I saw their true relationship. And that makes my job a lot more rewarding.

Swimming

We went swimming for our first time this year just a couple of days ago, I know we're a little slow. My kids have been swimming for a couple of weeks now. James and Matthew are on a swim team. They are able to bike there and back. They just love it! They have done a practice meet. Adaline and Isaac are taking swim lessons at 8 a.m. ( I thought the time would kill me off, but I really like it.) I can leave the younger kids home with Gordon before he goes to work. That means I can sit by the pool and read. That doesn't happen most of the time. I usually go with no makeup on and my hair in a ponytail. One more thing, yesterday we got our phones turned off. By the time we discovered the phones didn't work it was too late in the evening to have anything done, but we had just gotten a bill that said our balance was $0. This morning Gordon called to find out way we didn't have phone service. They figured out it must have been some mistake. I think it's hilarious- Gordon will never live that down. The biggest irony is that as soon as I started this new budget we get our phones turned off. Life is full of surprises- good thing we had our cell phones to fall back on.

My Debt Free Dream

I've been reading a book called The Total Money Makeover. It's by a guy named Dave Ramsey. I have listened to his program for a long time now- it's on 570 am in the evenings. It's not a get rich quick scheme. It's a get out of debt and make your money work for you program. So today I had to take the credit cards out of my wallet. It was so sad! That Discover Card and I have been a lot of fun places together. We have always paid off our balance every month, but statistics say a consumer (me) will spend up to 18 percent more if they charge it. I have gone to a cash only basis before and liked it. It really makes you think when you have to lay down cash for something. The only problem is I get lazy about getting to the bank every week to get the cash. Then it's just too convenient to get out the discover card and charge it. His motto is 'live like no other so you can live like no other'. Basically it's get out of debt ( even your house) and then reap the rewards of a debt free life. I remember well the last semester of medical school Gordon coming home with the grand total we had borrowed over 4 years of medical school and we didn't even have a job yet. It was a little frightening to say the least. Somethings, like school, require debt but boy I can't wait to not be beholden to anyone.

Father's Day

When I think of father's day, I first think of my own father and then of Gordon, the father of my children. I am so glad my children have such a good dad, but today in church I had a flood of memories of my dad growing up. I remember he had a black mechanical pencil we would fight over during church. And we were not allowed to use the eraser. It would have been all used up before the sacrament was even passed. Then I remembered cup cakes and date night. My dad would stop by Albertsons on his way home from work and get a neat cupcake. One that had a ring or other cool prize on top. Then I thought of the things we would do for fathers day- like shrinkie- dinks. I remember my dad ran every day after after work, sometimes we were lucky enough to get to go with him. That was fun playing in the Smith Field house. We would work really hard every Saturday morning, but we would play equally hard that afternoon. I remember laying on the grass with my dad looking up at the clouds trying to find objects hidden in them. I remember once my dad brought home used roller skates. They were way too big so we would stuff toilet paper in the toes. I remember other people being afraid of my dad because he sometimes has a stern look about him. I remember fathers blessings, family home evenings, Indonesian dinner at his birthday, trick birthday candles, getting money out of his 'caddy' for a kiss on the cheek. I remember growing up seeing my dad on the stand at church (my poor mom sitting alone with 6 kids). I remember once we had mice living under our freezer in the garage. We set up chairs and watched the mice get caught in the mouse trap we would set for them. I remember when my dad hadn't shaved, him coming up to our cheeks and scratching his rough face against ours. We would squeal with laughter. I remember my dad's den being moved all over the house to make room for all of us kids. There are so many other good memories! I think I enjoy most watching my kids interact with my dad and reliving my childhood through them.

Time with Nanna

Today was quite an odd day. My four oldest children went to spend the night with their Nanna. I was thinking- 'This is going to be great- get rid of 2/3 of my children.' Then it occurred to me that I was loosing my 4 easiest children. If she took the 4 youngest, that would be a break for me, but she's taking my babysitters... Anyway, it isn't about a break for me, it's about spending quality time with their grandma. They have already called and she bought them all books. She is such a great grandma! It was so quiet and lonesome here at home with just the 2 little kids. That's what it will be like this fall. I'll get used to it. Jacob and I made rolls while bride napped. Then we played outside. Gordon, Bridie, Jacob, and I went for a bike ride up the canyon. It was a really nice ride. Coming down was much better than going up. It's funny now the house is quiet and it makes me miss my big kids. I should just enjoy it. Tomorrow night everything will be back to normal and I'll be wishing for some quiet.

The importance of grandparents

Today we stopped by and visited Gordon's parents. It never ceases to amaze me how much my kids love their grandparents and how much their grandparents love them. It was a nice visit and we all had a good time. In the car on the way home Matthew told us he had a great idea to make lots of money when he gets older. He then said that after he made his money he would be able to stay home all day like Opa. A kids perception of life is a funny thing. Later this evening I got upset with Matthew. I went to talk to him and found him in his room clutching a letter my mom had written to him for his birthday. My mom always makes Matthew feel so loved and important. Watching her interact with him encourages me to be a better mother to all my children. It made me think of the important role grandparents have in the lives of their grandchildren. I am greatful my children have grandparents that love them and live the kind of lives that my children can look up to and model. Having my parents gone has been the hardest in this aspect. I talk to my parents on the phone but I miss having my kids run into the study looking for Opa or the kids having a bad day and saying 'Let's go to Grandma's.' September can't come soon enough.

Riding bikes

I grew up in a really hilly area. Everything was either uphill or downhill. My parents were also very frugal. They found a big blue bike on sale and bestowed it upon me, even though it was twice my size. These two elements combined meant I didn't learn how to ride a bike until I was 12 years old. My parents tried to teach me, everyone in my family tried to teach me. I even remember Mark, my younger brother tried to teach me. My dad would load the blue bike into the station wagon and we would drive down to the school and he would try to teach me. I was a complete failure until one day I was at a neighbors house. They had a small bike, I climbed on and rode home on that bike all by myself. By this time I had just learned to walk everywhere so the blue bike went unused. Fast forward 15 years, we lived in Indiana and took a trip to Mackinac island. No motorized vehicles are allowed on the island so everyone bikes. I was a little apprehensive when Gordon suggested renting 2 bike and 2 bike trailers for the kids. I remember climbing on and riding off around the island. It was actually enjoyable. No hills, no cars, just riding. With the support of the trailer behind me I did just great. Now that we live in a flat city, I wanted to start riding again. Lots of people and families ride bikes here. Last summer quite often after dinner I would tell Gordon I needed a break and would go ride for 30 minutes. This spring I wanted to get everyone a bike so we could ride together. We are quite a site! Gordon rides a bike with the burley (trailer) behind him with Bridie and Jacob inside. Bridie used to scream the whole time, now she's starting to enjoy it. Jacob also used to scream but now he knows we are going somewhere fun ( we usually bike to a playground and the kids get out and play). I ride with an attachment to my bike, it is a bike for Isaac that just has a seat, handlebars, and a back wheel. He pedals and it actually makes it easier on me. Plus it's fun to have him talk to me while we ride. James, Matthew and Adaline each ride their own bikes. We are limited by how long Adaline can go, but she has improved a lot. Once I stopped at a stop sign and Isaac hopped off. I didn't realize he was off and I started to ride off. Adaline stopped me. We have had so much fun with the bikes! We ride several times a week. We want to do some bigger trips, so we'll just work up to it.

Garden show and Bridie takes the cake

Yesterday I dragged Gordon to a garden show. Roney's and Coleman's yards were the two I had Gordon visit with me. They are just breathtaking. They are the best yards money can buy. Swimming pools, pool houses, a village full of little playhouses, grass as far as the eye can see. I got some great ideas (just on a smaller scale-size wise and budget wise) . It is like walking through a great art museum. This wisteria covered pergola I am going to do eventually. Tonight Gordon and James had a stake priesthood meeting so we ate late and weren't able to visit family. Jacob left his dessert alone for a couple of minutes, and came back to find it being finished by someone else.

chicken surgery

Friday night I was the scrub nurse for two chicken surgeries. The last eggs were hatching in too dry of a climate. The membrane inside the eggs had become tough. So tough that the chicks couldn't hatch on their own, so we had to help them. It was stressful. Then we had to clean out the incubator. It was so stinky because the one chick that had died in there. The new chicks and the eggs were stored in a cooler. I offered to put them in the oven but they laughed at me. Obviously they haven't read any pioneer stories about hatching chicks in an open oven. We have 15 chicks. 1 that has braces( pipe cleaners shaped like chicken feet) on both of its feet and another that Gordon says has neurological issues (and I didn't even have to pay a copay for that diagnosis.) . That last chick really is messed up, we'll see if it makes it. I told Gordon the irony of all this worry and work is that these chicks that I worry about and give special attention to are probably male and we'll have to kill them anyway. Baby chicks really are very cute. It is so funny to watch them! The pen has been moved into the exercise room, and has a baby gate around it after Corby, our dog, tried to chew his way into the pen.

Birth and death

Well the chicks have arrived ( at least 7 of the 21). 9:30 this morning the first chick hatched. It's yolk sack didn't get fully absorbed into it's abdomen and was hanging outside it's body. It looked really gross. Our friend Brad (whose eggs these were) has been our on-call chick midwife. He has been at our house so many times in the last 2 days. The kids have his phone number memorized. Other chicks began to hatch. It is amazing to watch something be born. The other 6 came without incident. Around 6:00 p.m. the first chick started to go downhill. I hate seeing things suffer, so I asked Gordon to take it out of the incubator and kill it. That was pretty traumatic for the kids (they didn't witness the death). I then announced that dinner was almost ready and that we were having- chicken. Adaline said "We're eating the chicken dad killed?" Needless to say I should not have served the chicken for dinner- nobody ate it. I don't know how long it is going to take to get use to the idea of eating something we are raising. For now we'll stick with beef and pork. I know it is good be exposed to birth and death, but it can be tough sometimes.

Nature

I am amazed at this beautiful world. Today our chicks started to hatch. 3 eggs now have little holes in them, by tomorrow we should have babies. I have been gardening lately and I am convinced Heavenly father made this world for us to enjoy to the fullest. Flowers are meant to be picked and enjoyed- other wise you have to deadhead them. They are also meant to be shared. Dividing perennials most be done every couple of years. What once used to be one plant is now 2 or 3- plenty to share with friends. I love to garden! When I am in my garden I am in awe at the beauty that surrounds me. From now until September I will have vases of fresh cut flowers in all my bathrooms and by my kitchen sink.

First day of summer break

Today was the first day of summer break. And what a day it was. I used to be crazy busy from 3p.m.- 9 p.m. Now I'm crazy busy from 9:00 a.m. to 9:00p.m. (I should be getting overtime for this.) It actually went really well. We always spend the morning doing jobs and a little reading, math facts, or writing just so they don't forget everything they spent a whole year learning. It went great! They worked so hard and there was NO fighting! That in and of itself is miraculous. There were even times the kids asked 'what can I do now?'- shocker! They loaded, unloaded the dishes, hand- washed dishes, sorted dirty clothes, moved Isaac's bed to Adaline's room and Bridie's bed to Jacob's room. Isaac has been sleeping on Adaline's floor for the past year so I just figured Bridie doesn't care where she sleeps. They put away camping things that have been out for 2 weeks and we cleaned the toy room. We worked for about 2 hours and they were so good we went and got snowies. I have decided to use positive reinforcement this summer, so if they have gotten their jobs done and not fought they can choose a reward such as the snowies. They will also be working towards big rewards like trips to Lagoon and seven peaks. A couple of weeks ago Isaac's pinkie got slammed in a door. Today the fingernail fell off. He has this incredible desire for the tooth fairy to come visit him. Last week he asked me if I would pretend to be the tooth fairy and leave money under his pillow. After the nail fell of he asked me 'Are fingernails just skinny teeth?' I asked him 'Why?' He wondered if the tooth fairy would come visit if he put his nail under his pillow. This is the same kid that later on today pulled his pants down and peed on the back patio. When asked why he did that he said he didn't think he could make it to the bathroom in time. I also gave Jacob a bath this afternoon after he had a roll in a non disclosed substance. I can't wait to see what tomorrow brings.

Summer and habits

I love summer! Tonight we made homemade ice cream. Last night I came home to the sound of children's laughter and the lawn mower. I love sitting on the porch swing in the back yard and having the temperature just right. I love going for a walk around our neighborhood and stopping to talk for a while with other neighbors who are also out enjoying the evening. I love wearing capri's or skirts, sandals and short sleeved shirts. This is our first full week of summer break. Last week we had our wood floors refinished. That was a pain! I will definitely go on vacation next time we have it done. I have already made up my list of things the kids and I need to do tomorrow. One being put away the kids winter clothes. Tonight it was so nice thinking- there's no school tomorrow! I have to say Matthew has already asked me 'So what activities do you have planned for us?' I told him I am not an event planner, but if he wants something to do I can give him some jobs. He found something else to do. One other thing of no relation to summer is James is madly trying to finish reading the Book of Mormon. When I was a teenager my dad offered us $100 to read the Book of Mormon. This was big money since I only got 20 bucks if I got a 4.0 g.p.a. for the semester. Ever since I began that challenge almost 20 years ago I have read the Book of Mormon nearly every night (I like to read right before I go to bed. I have less nightmares. Yes, I am a chicken). My dad quoted a study that found if you do something for 21 consecutive days, it becomes a habit. Well, I have a Book of Mormon habit and I want my kids to have a Book of Mormon habit too. James wants a paint ball gun. All his friends have one. I told him he would have to earn the money. He got thinking the fastest and easiest way to earn the money would be to read the Book of Mormon. He is in Helaman. I think he just might get the $100 and a Book of Moron habit (I hope!).