Lists

James like to make fun of me a little bit for making lists. It's true, though. I make lists for everything!

One such list was for our yard, and I am happy to say that it's FINISHED! Yes, we planted our grass on Wednesday! The sprinkler system is all set up, the garden is growing well, most of the weeds are under control, and I even added a new flower bed for some irises my neighbors gave me. I can't wait to see what they look like next year. A little research revealed that we've been watering our lawn too much. Oops. We've cut back but have to water the seeds a lot until they grow, which will take a few weeks. I think the suspense might kill me before then, but at least we don't have to water by hand! In this 90-degree weather, we'd be out there all day trying to keep the soil moist enough.

Another list is for the Extreme Makeover: Head Edition. We decided that it would be best for James and the kids to go to Idaho for a week while I paint everything (except closets and the laundry room) and get new carpet. I can't wait! I can't say painting is my favorite, but I have done it before and can do a thorough job. I'm so excited to cover up the ugly, forest green/ivy print wallpaper and get the awful carpet out of here. For how little time it will take, it cost 10 times what it did to do the yard. (Yet, the yard took 10X as long. Go figure.)

I've been trying to be less boring by going on "adventures" with my family. We went to East Park for our last FHE. There are many awesome places to explore just within our county. We're hoping to see most of them by the end of the summer. 

Saturdays, we've been hitting some yard sales. I love it. I've had some success getting clothes for Katie (3T's). We've also found some other treasures, such as an ice auger, several house plants, a bookcase, and a dresser.

I have been a little stressed thinking about the upcoming project. I'm not worry about being alone, just that I won't finish in time or have some other mishap. I'm sure it will be just fine. I play out way too many worst-case scenarios, and most of them are never an issue. :)

Progress, Not Perfection

Lindsay Nixon (known as the Happy Herbivore), is one of the most inspiring people I've learned about recently. She has 5 cookbooks, which I love. I'm hoping to try over 200 of her recipes in the next year or so. Yes, that many.

I mention her because of her philosophy of "progress, not perfection." Too often I set high goals, fall short, and then feel bad. Setbacks make me feel terrible. I forget that I'm still working toward my goals even if I take a step back. Setbacks are not permanent. I'm still heading the right direction.

The yard that we'll be planting grass in is full of weeds, a minor setback. We will have to get down on our hands and knees and pull them all out before we will have a beautiful lawn - finally! We are planting it next week.

We bought all the paint we need for our entire house (minus closets and the laundry room). We decided that the best thing to do was to have James and the kids go visit his family over 4th of July while I stay and paint. Don't worry, I actually kind of enjoy it and don't mind being alone. I know I will get a little lonely after a week, but the work will be less stressful without kids. I plan to be very thorough and get a lot of things cleaned as well. (You know, those high up places that get dusty but I can't reach!) We're hoping for carpet the week that James gets back. I'm going to take before and after pictures!

James is almost done with his first online class for his geography endorsement. 4 more to go!

And that's about it. I don't know why I think summer will be easier, because it's not. It seems a lot busier than when school is in session. Oh well. It's been a good one, even though it's too hot now.

Idaho Trip

Well, we're back! We had a great time in Idaho this year.

In Rexburg:

1. Joseph's birthday. I can't believe he's 5! I made him a chocolate orange cake, as requested by him. We gave him two transformer toys, and he got clothes and a book from his grandmas.

2. Dinner with my brothers. They came on Sunday and Tuesday. They bought me lunch (Chick-fil-a) on Wednesday.

3. Lunch with James. We love free babysitting. And D.I. Rexburg's is so much bigger than Vernal's!

4. Dinner with the Lee grandparents. This also happened on Wednesday. The kids had a great time in the yard and getting rides on the tractor.

In Albion:

5. Family reunion! It was in the same place for the 3rd year in a row. Albion is my favorite reunion place because it has good accommodations and lots of space outside. We had different holidays every day and covered most of them: St. Patrick's Day, Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas, Memorial Day, birthdays...

6. Swimming at the hot springs. I think this was my favorite activity in the reunion.

7. Food. I are a lot of it, and it was yummy. I'm still not very good at navigating social situations. It's not hard to avoid meat and dairy, but it's almost impossible for me to say no to desserts. Ah well. 1 pound is a minor setback.

8. Working out. I loved the aerobics class done by Angela (James's cousin). I have never taken a fitness class at a gym. I really enjoyed it and felt a bit sore the next day! I was able to work out with Melodie the week before as well.

9. Compliments. I have never in my life received so many kind words about my appearance. I don't think I look a lot different than last year, but apparently I do. I heard words like "thin", "vibrant", "cute", and "glowing". If that's not motivation to continue on the eating path I've chosen, I don't know what is.

Coming home:

10. The garden is growing and looks amazing! I mulched using the thatch from our grass. I think everything is up except for a few herbs. (basil, oregano)

11. The fair. We went today and had a great time. The kids got to go through the Little Red Barn, bascially a farm expereince where they plant seeds, milk cows, etc. and trade in their basket of produce/dairy for money to buy a treat. They loved it, and there was a candy drop afterward.

The past week went by so quickly, but it was really good. I was ready to come home from our trip by the end, but it was a lot of fun to be there with all the Head family. Some who haven't been able to come in a while were there, which was awesome. I wish my family lived closer together. Until next year then. I think I can prepare for that. Miraculously, we all came home in good health. I'm not sure that's ever happened. :)

9 Days

The past two weeks have been crazy, and it's not about to get better. Hopefully I can remember everything.

1. Yard work. We've now planted the garden, put up netting around it, built sand paths in between the boxes, pulled out the willow trees, and set up hose timers for the garden and front grass. I did general maintenance as well (mowing/trimming). We still need to finish the sprinkler system, fix the one station that won't come on, and put a few things away. When we get back, we will plant grass. The people at the nursery said to wait. I'm okay with that! It's been stressful to be hurrying so much with everything.

2. Sam & Jesse came to visit last Thursday with Charlotte. We had a great time hanging out, going to the park, and even planting the garden together. James and Sam went shooting. The kids got along pretty well. The only two who fought were Charlotte and Katie. They were either hugging or yanking each other's hair.

3. End of school. James finished up on Friday and checked out of his classroom. He had to pack up 30 years' worth of stuff from other teachers. His new classroom at the high school is 50% bigger and brand new, as well as empty! That's the best part. We've heard nothing but good about the high school.

4. End of preschool. We did a little celebration at the park today. It was a little muddy from all the rain, but the kids had a great time. They got certificates and had "fruit sundaes".

5. Rain. It has rained almost every day for the past 2-3 weeks. It's driving me crazy how wet it is. There are even frogs in the neighborhood now. They're really loud at night.

6. Classes. James is still working on his 3 classes from BYU for his geography endorsement. He will finish them by the end of the summer, and since he won't be working, he will have time to hang out with us too.

7. Trip. We leave Saturday for Rexburg and the Head reunion in Albion. We will be gone for 9 days. I haven't had time to be stressed until now due to other demands, but now I am! I've been making lists, cooking so we don't have to eat meals out, and trying to get loose ends tied up before we go. It can't be as bad as last year. I had a horrible time with Katie at the reunion because she cried for 4 days straight (ear infection). It drives me a little crazy anyway to be around so many people and have no time alone, but I'll make it work.

8. Church stuff. James has had some kind of church commitment every day this week. Sunday- church, Monday-FHE, Tuesday-meeting, Wednesday-moving someone, Thursday-baptisms with youth and cleaning the temple AND buying stuff for the Father/Son campout, Friday, Saturday-campout. Basically, the boys will come home and we will leave for Rexburg right after that.

Whew. I thought this week would be easier, but it's been full. I haven't had spare time due to all the cooking, cleaning, yardwork, and even cleaning someone else's house so she can try to sell it. I have a goal to actually finish a book while I'm on my trip. It's by Brandon Sanderson, so who knows if that will actually happen. I'm ready for a real vacation!

Progress

This week has gone all right, but yesterday did not end well for me. I'll get the complaints out of the way first. I worked in the yard for 3 hours Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday. For some reason, yesterday left me feeling really drained. It's probably the warmer weather, which made me a bit dehydrated. Anyway, I dragged myself to make James's favorite meal, almost to completion, but I ran out of time before I had to go to Chelsie's house. I left instructions on how to finish the meal.

James called me around 5:30 and said he wanted to eat out, then go to his classroom and clean up (and pack up) since he needs to have it ready for a math teacher. I didn't want to do this. By this time, Katie had started crying for no apparent reason even though she had food and drink. She just wouldn't stop! All I wanted to do was go home to a hot, prepared meal, which I already did most of the prep for. That didn't happen. We ate out, and to make matters worse, I didn't like the meal I ordered, and it cost more than I would normally pay. That didn't improve my mood at all. Katie cried the entire time we were in the classroom, so I don't feel like I was able to help a lot, and then I fell asleep during one of my favorite TV shows. Also, I forgot to put the dumplings away, so they sat out all night. Basically, yesterday was a huge waste of time.

But on the positive note, I cleaned up the garden area, tuned up the lawnmower, and mowed/trimmed the front yard. The back doesn't need it yet. I took apart the last of our pallets, made 2 more garden planters, and cleaned up the LAST of the river rocks from the driveway and empty lot. We went to Lowe's and bought all the stuff for sprinklers, which cost almost exactly what we thought it would. I also gave the extra pit liner to my neighbor. Next steps are install the sprinklers, add dirt to the garden boxes, and then plant everything! I'm so excited that we're getting so close. Since we have 14 working days left, it doesn't have to be stressful at all. Hopefully. :)

Another positive note is that I've started losing the last 10 lbs. of baby weight. Really, this is baby weight from Kenny and Joseph! I have to be more strict now. The first 20 lbs. of Katie was effortless, and the next 20 wasn't too bad either, but the last 10 is always the hardest. Once I reach my goal, I will share how I did it. I don't want to make any assumptions yet. :)

On mothers: a guest post from James

Hi there, this is James and these are some of my thoughts on moms.

These are some of the sounds that greet mothers every day.
crying
whining
hitting
spitting
the "pitter patter" of little feet
which is realing the ungainly "thump thump" of toddlers falling
laughing
falling
banging
clanging
sniffing
chattering
the little voice saying "I wuv you mammee"

These are some of the smells that greet mothers every day
diapers
sweat
food
half digested food
baby hair
that clean baby smell
that dirty toddler smell

Some of things a mothers hand feels every day:
snot on a baby's face
a banana peeled for a little one
that gross feeling when you step on that banana after with was thrown to the ground
the soft cubby cheek of a toddler
a lego creation of a 4 year old
that feeling of stepping on one of those legos
the hug of tiny arms

Some of the things a mother sees every day
running children
the inside of that diaper
weepy kids
chaos itself
smiley faces
remnants of dinner
a room that looks like it was hit by a tornado, hurricane, earthquake, and the Hulk
kids playing together
half finished plates
way too much Sesame Street, Wild Kratts, Thomas, Frozen or whatever is on Netflix..
sleepy little eyes as they go to sleep.


These are some of the sights, sounds, smells that greet mothers every day. I am so grateful for my mother and my wonderful wife, the mother to my kids.

-James

Rainy Days

One thing I miss about the South is the rainstorms. When it rained there, it really rained. If you were outside for more than 30 seconds, you would be wet enough to need new clothes. Also, the rain was very warm and refreshing, though not so nice once it stopped and went straight into the air. As a child, I loved playing in it. It was like a free shower.

Desert rain is an unusual occurrence most of the year. We have spells of a few days with showers, but it's usually cold and misty, just barely enough to use the windshield wipers in the car. This was to my advantage yesterday since I worked in the yard for 5 hours total. With my hoodie on, I stayed pleasantly cool, albeit disgustingly muddy by the time I finished what I was doing. It's still weird for me to even see rain here, and it seems that I have to explain to my children each time that it's rain, not snow. They don't know the same rain that I did.

I finished the dry creek bed!!! Even though it goes through dirt on most of the yard, it looks totally awesome! It really makes our yard look like it's on purpose, like one of those nice yards I always envy because a rich person can hire out people to do the dirty work or have a gardener or something. There is still a lot of work left, but I should have my patio and sidewalk back by Saturday night. That's the lofty goal, anyway.

I promise pictures once it's all put together. I never thought that landscaping a quarter of an acre could be so much work, but it is. :) Worth it? Yes.