Week Three and a wedding

Week three of "our new life" I spent preparing for my brothers wedding.

I made the cake and did the flowers, which turned out lovely. Although, of course, I didn't get a picture because I could hardly stand up afterwards. Many, many thanks for my sister Minks and my mom for all their help. No way I could have done it without them.

The ceremony was SO nice. Blending two families doesn't sound easy, but I think Geoff and Cindy will be very happy. They seemed very excited.

The morning after - we had snow. And LOTS of it. It has been one of "those" late winter, early springs. Sun and warmth, followed by a ton of snow that melts by mid afternoon. I happen to LOVE when it's like this here.


We had ALL of my family here in town. Well, of course, except for Peter. We got some really nice family pics - again, minus Peter. But since I am nine months pregnant, I won't feel too bad not wanting to hang them around the house.

I didn't get many pictures, but one evening with my sister Krista's family, we took some.

Here are Krista and Chugger, he's wearing her glasses and lookin' good!

Here are the Walker and Tennis families, minus husbands. (Wallace is taking the picture)

We had a great time. Their wedding was perfect. Short and sweet, with a fantastic lunch at Tucanos afterward. Oh, mama. I was in heaven. Although, being this pregnant squashes my stomach and I can't pack it away like I would like to. Oh, well. There's always next time. My boys were in heaven. All you can eat - mmmmm.

Week Two and Great Friends

Week two. Week two, I had been sick with a cold/sinus infection/bronchitis for nearly a month. And although it STUNK, sun shone my way.

Two of my dearest friends packed up and drove 14 hours to see me. Leaving behind ten kids, two husbands, a couple of dogs, a baby they babysit, their lives - just to see me. Can you imagine? Let me tell you how wonderful I felt.

I kept saying, "what do you want to do now?" "Just see you", they'd say. Most people that come to Utah have a large agenda. They have family, friends, shopping, and what not to get done. And I truly don't mind this at all. I was just flabbergasted that they just wanted to hang out. It was wonderful.

These friends are my old roommates from college. Some of the best times of my life were spent with them in Ellensburg. We laughed so hard we cried. Then ee cried about our lives now, which quickly turned to more laughing. Who would have ever guessed 16 years ago we would be here? All these kids, life's ups and downs, having lived all over the place, just everything life brings so unexpectantly. We were so young and naive. Oh, well. That's the beauty of being young, isn't it? We get to be stupid. It was wonderful.

So while this is terribly late, I wanted to thank Amy and Maile for coming to see me. (take a second to meet them by clicking on the links - they'll make you laugh) Things are hard around here. I had no idea that being nine months pregnant, four kids and no husband around would be this hard. Really. I know it sounds silly, but I am very self sufficient. Guess what? Not that self sufficient. Having them here meant the world to me, and I hope they know that. We haven't spent this kind of time together in years. They were my bridesmaids 14 years ago this weekend, and that was the beginning of the end of the three of us. What a wonderful gift they gave me. To come a see me before our worlds are even farther apart.

I love you, girls.

*read about their trip here http://amysspoonfulofsugar.blogspot.com/2010/03/travel-diary.html

I don't fit anymore

My kids love, "No shirt day." A term coined by their father. I think. Or the boys and their dad.

For Family Home Evening this week, they played games on the trampoline together. I was in the office when Chugs runs in, pulling like a crazy man on his onsie, "shirt -shirt!" "You want your shirt off? Oh. Must be no shirt day out there, " I reply.

Sure enough. This is how I found them.

Before dinner though, Roo came in and asked if we could have FHE on the tramp.

"I can't get on anymore honey."

"We have a ladder."

"I know, but I can't fit."

"You used to fit. (pause) I wish dad were here. He fits."

Week One

Week one of our "new life." By this I mean Peter being gone, and we are officially that much closer to heading off on our adventure.

Week one was spent spending money. And lots of it. Not the kind that is fun to spend. The kind that there's a list that has to be bought - now go find it and get it done. It was horrible. I HATE shopping, as you know. I'm talking thousands of dollars here. I think some people may enjoy this kind of thing - puke, not me. If it weren't for my sister and parents, none of it would have gotten done. THANK YOU!

So my garage was looking like this, and the "shipping" room was in a similar state.

Wanna hear a little of the list? Okay. Too bad, you're going to anyway:

washer

dryer

fridge

deep freeze

new bed (a KING size!!!! - by FAR the best purchase)

portable grand piano

couch

love seat

double baby jogger

bedding for a family of seven

towels for a family of seven

glasses

dishes

silverware

toys for five kids birthday's for a year

fabric for five kids quilts for their new rooms

.......

It's seriously making me tired just hearing it again. Not to mention all the planning of getting things I already have into the shipment. You may be asking about some of this stuff. Why buy new? I figured that if I was going to ship across the world, where I can't get most of this stuff - I may as well send new. My washer and dryer are ten years old, bed -14, dishes - 14, baby jogger -10, piano -to precious to move, dishes - bought at Target 14 years ago, never bought a new couch in my life...and so on.

Our shipment was finally loaded and departed last week. Hooray! Now there's nothing I can do about it. Have you ever had to do nothing during a move? Let me just say it was AWESOME!!! All the prep was worth it. I just sat around while a bunch of men (who I'm pretty sure may have been using some kind of drug or another) packed up half of my house. Nice.

Lists, lists and more lists

It's like moving - several times.

First, I sent Peter. Lots of list making by both of us.

Then, yesterday, I sent 5,000 pounds of our home. I'm not exegeratting when I tell you I'll bet you I've made 35 lists, just to get me to this point.

Then there is "the baby" list. Things I need/want for the birth of the new baby. BTW, 20 days 'til Peter arrives home - 24 'til baby arrives. (keep your fingers crossed!)

Then there is the in between living - four months without my kitchen, any of our own beds (thank heavens for those who love me enough to let me borrow!), having to borrow a vacuum, missing half of our furniture and wall decor. And much, much more of displaced living.

Now the list making for what to take in our luggage, four months from now, begins! We each get 140 pounds, and you can guess I will be using it VERY wiesly.

Like I said, lists, lists, lists.

And today while I was picking up the boys room, I found this laying on the the bed, it belongs to Simon:


Translation:

Today things to do

Dawn I get ready for school
morning: do school work
at 12:30: go home
afternoon: if we do, pack up for sleep over at grandmas
evening: play until grandma and grampa comes.

I think all of think all of this list making is rubbing off on my kids. Not sure if it's a good thing, or a bad thing. He is only seven, you know.

Un-happy St. Patty's

I'm a mean mom. Really.

Yesterday, terrible little leprechauns attacked my children first thing in the morning. Making them very naughty and mean. I awoke to full on fighting from the big boys.

What?!

That's right. We don't do that! I kindly let them know, we DO NOT put up with this.

I grounded them from each other at school. "No playing with each other AT ALL today. Don't talk to each other. Don't look at each other. And no playing at recess!"

To this request, Simon started crying, and Sam smiled the biggest smile ever. Hmmm.

As punishment even further, I didn't tell them it was St. Patrick's day until we were in the car on the way to school. Ha! Put that in your pipe and smoke it! No green on and nothing you can do about it! (I told you - I'm REALLY mean) "And you can tell your friends that your mom says to pinch you as much as they like, that way you can remember not to fight with your brother!"

To which Simon replies, "I don't mind, I have green on my shoes."

Now who's smiling? Little punk. Darn shoes!

(Don't worry, as Sam got our of the car I told him to pin a green piece of paper to his shirt. bad mom, i know At the end of the day, he couldn't find any green paper and told me that's why he had to draw a green shamrock on his arm. He also happened to mention that he really liked being "grounded" from Simon at school. Heaven help me.)

ON another St. Patty's note...I went to The Store of Death with my mom and sister yesterday. (That'd be Wal Mart - although Mink's has the newest and nicest Store of Death on the planet!) At any rate...When everyone is wearing green, it's very easy to lose a person. We kept separating and it went like this: "Oh, there's Mindy. Wait no. She's just wearing green too. Oh, there she is! Nope. Another greenie. There she..." You get the point. Sheesh!

That's why I wore all black yesterday. That and the fact that only three things even fit me anymore! Three outfits, four weeks. Not pretty.