Little girls growing up

Mornings have become quite hectic now that the house is on the market.  I get up, exercise, get showered and dressed, get the kids up and then straighten up the house (wipe down bathrooms, make sure beds are made,  and all the rooms straightened up).  So the kids have been in charge of getting themselves dressed, eat, and make lunch.  One day as I was bustling around I saw Bridie doing Eleanor's hair and just had to take a picture.  They were so cute.  Bridie did a great job.

Bridal Shower

Saturday we had a bridal shower for Eliza.  It doesn't seem real that she's getting married.  I guess all the kids are growing up and she's just the first of many more to come.  Lots of people came to support Eliza and she got some really nice gifts.  My mom did the food and it was delicious as always.  It was fun but after everyone left Gordon reminded me that when we have a shower, even though it only it's only planned for 11-1 it is an all day.  It's so fun for my sisters and I to talk all day.  They left around 6.  I couldn't have spent the day any other way and enjoyed it more.

P.S.  Tender Mercy Note- One of the women that came to our shower lives in the ward of our new house.  She will be Adaline's miamaid instructor.  So Adaline met her advisor, found out when girls camp is and much to my kids delight, for youth conference they will be doing trek again.  I am amazed at the small and simple acts of kindness the Lord shows me and my family.

Seeing the house

Friday night my kids finally got to see the house.  Up to this point Gordon had only seen it once, me twice, and the kids had never seen it before.  Friday we had the home inspection so I thought that would be a good time for the kids to see it.  They were really excited to go to the house.
We walked through the house and I told them which bedrooms were theirs.  They weren't too happy about the bedrooms so they switched them all around and are happy about it.  I'm not too happy about it but I don't really count.  They liked everything else so that's good.
Then the inspector wanted to walk around with Gordon and I so we sent the kids home and we stayed until about 8 pm.

Did I mention we're buying a fixer upper?  It's killing Gordon about what a fixer upper costs.  The house is also way bigger than Gordon and I ever wanted to live in.  We want this to be a forever house but with it's size I don't know what we'll do with all the empty rooms once the kids start to leave. 

P.S. Tender Mercy Note- There are 2 families renting the home.  One family lives in the basement and the women's parents live upstairs.  They were devastated to have to leave.  They have taken really good care of the home!  It's been a really touchy situation so we have not wanted to bother them and take people over to see it.  That's why my kids hadn't seen the home until now.  The renters found a house in the same ward so I want to have a good relationship with them.  When we went for the inspection we knew that the woman in the basement would be there working from home.  I wanted to meet her.  She came out and we had a great conversation and it was good.  We also met the rest of her kids and husband.  They have a daughter Adeline's age and I think it'll be just fine.

Showing the house

Wednesday we had our first three showings of our house.  I was at target at 11:30 when I got a call from my realtor asking if someone could show the house at 12.  The only problem with this is the dogs.  They have to leave the house while it's being shown.  It is such a pain!  So I zipped home and loaded the dogs and Eleanor into the car.  I went back inside to tidy up telling Eleanor to keep the dogs out of the food we had bought.  The house looks great but always requires minor tweaking for me to feel good about showing it.  I went back out to the car to find that Corby had eaten almost a whole loaf of banana bread!  I though "Great now we are going to be driving around while Corby throws up in my car."  We went and got lunch and luckily Corby did not throw up.
We got another call from the realtor saying that we had 2 more showings that day from 4-6.  So we couldn't be home at that time.  Wednesdays are by far my busiest day running kids around.  So it was an adventure!
The kids came home from school got a snack, did their homework and we left.  I sent Matthew to the library to finish his homework and the rest of us plus the dogs loaded up into the car and went to get drinks.  It was fun driving around picking kids up from dance lessons and piano while going to the park, getting the car washed, and getting drinks.  All with the dogs in the car.  I think Corby might get used to being in the car with all the time he's spending in the car.

Eleanor and I driving around the first time.  Not pictured- the two dogs.

Presidents day

Presidents day was great.   I love spending time with my kids.  We decided to head down to Fountain Green for a few hours.  We stopped by a new restaurant in Spanish Fork for lunch.  It was crowded and slow but we still had a great time.  Then we stopped by the Big Red Barn on the way down for snacks and on the way back for ice cream.  Hey, it's a holiday!  Fountain Green was great fun.  We played hide and seek in the house.  When the weather is warmer we'll have to go back.

School

All throughout this selling the house and moving time I have seen the Lords hand in my life- in the tiniest of details.  If I blink I'll miss it.  Tuesday I had the thought I should check into what it takes for Jacob and Bridie to transfer to the Chinese Immersion program in Provo.  I wen to the school district to find out I had almost missed the deadline.  It was a tender mercy.  I also drove over to the junior high where Isaac will go to talk to them about testing Isaac to see if he could get into more challenging classes.  It all worked out great!  Our new house is right by the field at the junior high so I snapped some pictures.

Back of the house

Front of the house.  It is pink brick.  I wasn't to change that first!

Sunday night fashion show

Sunday we stayed home and vegged.  It was stake conference and we met in our old ward building.  It was so nice to just walk across the street to church again.  Gordon sat on the stand and everything was going great with the kids until out of the corner of my eye I could see bubbles.  Isaac had brought bubbles to church and was blowing them for the girls entertainment.  Too funny.
About 8pm I decided to go up and see my parents.  The kids did' have school the next day and so we could stay out late.  That's when the fashion show started.  Bridie and Eleanor got dressed up in all sorts of outfits.  It was cute to see them come down the stairs and strut their stuff.

 

Cleaning out flowerbeds on Valentines day- crazy

Saturday was more of the "get this list done before anyone comes to see the house" list.  Replace smoke detector, balance Bridie and Eleanor's fan, caulk the front window, touch up cabinets, and clean out flowerbeds.  Gordon did a lot of the inside stuff and the kids and I headed outside on the beautiful, warm February day.  No  one wore coats.  Some were in short sleeves.  No one was cold.  Matthew and Adeline were amazing!  They worked like crazy.  They got a bed done in an hour that usually takes me about 15 hours to do (I am more careful than they are, but they got it done.)   The other kid "helped".  It got done and I am thrilled.  The tulips and daffodils are starting to come up.  It's all just too early.  We are 6 weeks ahead of our normal weather.  Then the kids had a picnic outside.  Gordon and I went to the adult session of conference and then to some friends house after for dessert.  We have some really great friends.  I really hope that we are able to stay close.   It definitely was and abnormal Valentine's day.

February 13th- our Valentines day

This year we celebrated Valentines day on Friday the 13th.  The kids had their parties at school and we did our family Valentines dinner that evening because Saturday was stake conference and Gordon was gone to meetings for the last half of the day.
Friday was a perfect day!  The kids got off to school and I did last minute things to get the house ready for the real estate pictures.  I climbed down into the basement bedroom window wells to clean the windows.  It was spooky- especially Jacob's.  I thought I was taking my life into my own hands.  I did go armed with spider spray.
Then I dashed around like a chicken with my head chopped off making each room magazine worthy.  Alarm clocks in nightstand drawers, dog's beds put away, mud room straightened up, etc.  I had bought rolls and had meat marinating for our dinner later that night that I put in hid in the oven.  Every room had a little tweaking done.
I was supposed to help out in Isaac's class for their Valentines party at 12:30.  I was 20 minutes late.  I am rarely late.  I got there and there were two other mothers helping and they looked like they had everything under control so I asked if I could leave.  Luckily they said yes and so I ran to the grocery store to get flowers and got home right before the photographer came to take pictures.
He photographed the house and then gave me some really good advice.  Relax.  I hope I can relax when there is so much on the line.  I can try, it might be good for me.
After picking up the kids from school I ran over to the church and gave blood.  I'm an easy poke and I have a very desirable blood type so I feel like I should donate when it's convenient.
After giving blood I felt so good I cleaned out the chicken coop.  I will be so glad to not have chickens anymore but I sure will miss the delicious eggs.  Cleaning out the dusty coop made my respiratory system freak out and that made the rest of the evening not quite so enjoyable because I felt like a kid with asthma.

That night we had our candlelit dinner with singing cards.  It has become a tradition that Valentines dinner is a steak, shrimp, and mashed potatoes candlelit dinner.  It is so much fun that Matthew had forgotten that we were having the dinner a day early and was planning to go out with his friends.  He called them and told them he would come late.  After dinner we watched a Charlie Brown Valentine.  Really depressing show.  But a really great evening.

Telling friends

We kept our move a secret until we knew that it was REALLY happening.  Then I wanted to tell my friends first.  I wanted them to hear it from me and not from their kids.  So I bought some cupcakes and typed up the some from Wicked- Because I Knew You and took them around and told them.  It was an emotional day.  Lots of tears.  I have made some very dear friends who are righteous good women that make me want to be a better person.  When I was telling my friend Kim Lewis she said "I look at friendship in the eternal perspective.  We amy not see each other for years but we will be friends for the eternities."  I love that and that thought brings me a lot of comfort as I say good bye to dear friends.

Bridie

Bridie is such a cute girl.  She is my Tigger.  She is full of life and energy and character.  I found these pictures on my phone that she taken.  She got hit in the face with a ball at school and I guess wanted to immortalize the fat lip.

Moving forward

This week I spent interviewing realtors.  I interviewed 3.  It was nerve-wracking having the house in perfect condition for theses 3 men.  I also learned a lot about people and their different business styles.  We chose one that we felt loved our house and believed in it.  That was really important to me.  This really is a great house and a family is going to be so lucky to get it.
Then we signed real estate contracts.  That too was a learning experience.  The legal nuts and bolts behind putting our house on the market.  I know we are on the right path.   But there are still so many fears.  This is definitely strengthening my trust in God.

P.S. Today is my nephew Anthony's 19th birthday.  When Stuart gave him his baby blessing Stuart blessed Anthony to grow to be an old man.  At the time that was a really bold statement.  I am so happy to see it come true.

News

I have been replacing carpet, painting walls, and dejunking or house for one reason.  We are moving.  We are selling our home.  We have bought a house in Provo.  It's been touch a go and could still fall through but we feel like it is the next step for our family.

This week I was interviewing realtors.  It has been stressful getting the house ready to show to them.  And meeting with them.  We have found one that we like and he will be listing our house by Monday.  This whole process makes me really nervous and anxious.  We haven't told any of our neighbors.  We wanted to keep it a secret until our house was for sale.  But today I bought cupcakes and will be delivering them to some of my friends so I can tell them in person.

There are so many emotions that I 'm experiencing right now.  It's hard to really spend any time processing all of them.  Some are just too hard to address.  Like saying good bye to friends and our house.  It's going to be tough.  But I tell myself to "Move forward with Faith."  I know this is the right thing to do so I just need to press forward.  The next few months are going to be a wild ride.

Dejunking

Yesterday we spent the day "dejunking" the house.  It was a little sad putting away things that have so much meaning.  We have also spent time doing projects that we never have gotten around to doing.  Seats on the pizza oven, touch up paint, cleaning baseboards, etc.  The house looks great and I'm so glad we did it.

Cleaning out flower beds in February?

Friday the weather was so nice I cleaned out my front flower beds.  I even have tulips coming up!  It was so warm that Eleanor kept telling me that we needed lemonade.  We were warm!  It has been so warm that I rarely take a coat anywhere.  I cleaned out my beds in jeans and a long sleeved shirt and I was too warm.  The sunshine and warmth have been so nice!  I wonder if I'll miss the fact that we never had a winter this year?

The scar  have from cleaning out my flowerbed.  A rose bush got me on the back of my ear.  After I was done  I came inside and cleaned up the blood and the girls took a picture of it so that I could see "how bad it was".

The Thursday to be remembered

Thursday morning started out with my helping out in Jacob's class.  Then I went home and Suzy came and helped me paint.  My mom and Christina also came to help paint.  It was fun to have people to talk to while we painted the kitchen/ kids study.  It only took us about 4 hours.  Tina and I edged and Suzy rolled.  I painted it a really light yellow.  The color before was just a little too neon at night.  This is just a really light, creamy yellow.  I think it looks great!

After we finished painting it was time for the kids to come home.  Later that night was the blue and gold banquet.  When I was in the stake I had to go to all the wards Blue and Gold banquets.  I was critical of some of the wards lame attempts.  After doing one this year I will never be critical ever again.  It is hard work!  It takes a lot of people to pull that thing off.  I cooked chicken and had a fridge full of Jello cups and macaroni salad.  The day of I went to go set up and we were talking about food when we realized that my den was supposed to bring rolls.  I ran to the grocery store and bought 100 rolls 20 minutes before it started.  Then I ran home, loaded up the car with stuff and kids and got to the church just in time.  It was a crazy night.  I did get to sit down and eat.  Jacob finally got his wolf award.  After the banquet

I came home, put everyone to bed at 9 and watched netflix in bed until 10.

Gordon has been got so much lately.  This week it was another 3 days.  The kids always think they will starve while Gordon's gone because I don't cook.  But we all survive.  The one thing I love while Gordon is gone is sending the kids to bed early and climbing into bed around 9 and watching decorating shows and then getting to bed early.  I love to lay in my bed after a day where much was accomplished.  I am glad that Gordon is back.

The Science Fair Project

Isaac had the science fair on Friday.  Gordon was going to be out of town so I told Isaac that it had to be done before Gordon left so that he could help him.  I knew if we left it until the night before I would be up late and a nervous wreck.  Isaac did the whole project himself.  He and I came up with the idea... Does playing video games affect heart rate?  I thought he would enjoy that.  We talked about the steps he would take.  Resting heart rate, getting the pulse oximeter, who to do, etc.  Then he digit he rest.  All by himself.  He is such a great kid.  So motivated by hoops.  He loves to accomplish.  He got the poster done the night before Gordon left.  So Friday morning he just had to grab his poster and walk out the door.  That was really nice.

Eleanor's birthday

Eleanor turned 5.  I can't believe it.  She is so old.  She loves being the baby of the family and revels in the title.  On her birthday Bridie woke her up early because she had made breakfast for Eleanor.  Eleanor wasn't too happy about being woken up to a bowl of soggy rice crisps.  It was a nice thought on Bridie's part though.  We got the kids off to school and went to look for the perfect birthday gift.  We stopped by Funfinity and she saw an Elsa dress that she loved.  I thought if she wants a dress I'd rather pay a little more and get something really high quality at the Disney store.  So we drove out to the Disney store and looked around.  Watching Eleanor shop was so interesting.  She really took the one gift under 30 dollars seriously.  And she wanted to pick just the right gift.  We saw the Elsa dress and it was beautiful!  Then I looked at the price tag and gasped.  100 dollars!!  Yikes!  We decided the $30 fake at Funfinity would do just fine.  Eleanor wanted to have lunch at the McDonald's play land but it  wasn't very fun playing alone so we left early.
For Eleanor's birthday she said she wanted to go to eat at the place that has strawberries dipped in chocolate (aka. Zupas).  So we met Gordon in Provo at Zupas.  Gordon's parents came down and had dinner with us.  It was great to see them.  Bridget is having problems with her back right now and has been in horrible pain so it was good to see her out.
Eleanor is a sweet heart and we are so happy to have her in our family!  Happy Birthday Eleanor!

This is really what she wore the whole day!  

My new calling

A year and a half ago I was released from the Stake Primary presidency.  I LOVED that calling!  I was so sad to be released.  After my release there were 2 callings I did not want to do- Scouts or sunbeams.  I was called to do both.  The Lord has a funny sense of humor.  It's like every time I say I don't want to do something, I get the opportunity to do it and to learn and grow.  That was how these callings were.  I gave them my all and I was really sad when they released me from both of them and called me to do singing in primary.  Sunbeams was my favorite calling!  I had Eleanor and two other children.  We played, had snacks, went on walks, and got drinks from the drinking fountain.  It was wonderful!  I decided that I wanted them to have a short message, play games, and learn to love coming to church.  I feel like I accomplished that.  One little boy still comes up to me and says "That's my teacher!"  I love that.
Scouts was another story.  I had 9 boys and a partner that didn't do anything, would show up 15 minutes late if at all.  It was so hard.  I got a program going that worked ok.  Doing scouts is  so hard it's like throwing a birthday party every week.  You try to make it fun while still passing off requirements.  I finally got through the 9 boys and we were down to the 3 sweetest boys and I had a new partner who was awesome and them I got released.  I was so sad!
So now I am doing singing time for Senior primary.  It is a challenge because the kids learned these songs 4 years ago.  So I am finding that I have to stay on my toes more than I am comfortable with.  I have had this calling before and I love singing with the kids.  The spirit is so strong!

Me with my print outs.