Big pancakes

Usually we have a few small pancakes, so the kids thought it pretty neat that they got one big pancake on a big plate for yesterday's breakfast.

We've been eating lots of half-gone things from the cupboards to try and have less of that kind of stuff to pack. Popcorn, pancake mix, stroganoff with cans of whatever added to the mix. I don't think they're minding most of it, but some have looked a little questionable.

We had a good Sunday. The kids even got to FaceTime with Spencer after church. That reminds me, yesterday on the way home from church, Avie told me she said the prayer in primary, even though she didn't have a sticker (usually she gets a sticker sent home the week before telling of her assignment.) She said, "I just wanted to sit up there so I could say the prayer. I just wanted to say the prayer because I love Jesus." The way she was talking was so funny though. She cracks me up. Then when I asked her to say prayer for dinner, she in this surprised/exasperated/but happy tone/facial expressions (with big wide eyes) looks at me and says, "Mom, if I say this prayer, I like said three prayers today! Three prayers!" (Because I guess she said one in her sunbeam class too).

She's such a funny girl. Always makes me smile, even when I'm wanting to pull my hair out because of her! Last night she just wasn't quite sleepy by the time Jack had fallen asleep. I went in and sang to her some more. Then I whispered and told her how when she was a little baby and up at night, how I would do this and talk to her about all the good things she was sent here to do. And I believe it. She's got a fire in her, this spark and love for life! She's so spirited about everything she does. Sometimes it can make us crazy because she just.doesn't.stop. But I know she has it to do good things and accomplish much in her life. It can seem a daunting task to help mold and teach that little spirit of hers correct principles and ways, and I am so grateful for a loving Heavenly Father who is there to guide us and help us along the the way. Hard to imagine His love for me, her, Jack, Spencer - each and every person - is far greater than I can comprehend because the love I have for especially my children and husband makes my heart feel pretty full at times.

Oh yeah, this post started with pancakes...

More rain today!

As soon as I walked in from work this afternoon, Avie asked to go out jumping in the puddles!

After some dinner, we bundled up and headed outside.

We found a massive puddle in one of the parking lots on the street. 

Unfortunately, I have no rain boots. I jumped and ran around the edges so I wouldn't get that wet. 

Avie is fearless. She ran, jump, kicked, grabbed worms, got water in her hair, her eyes, her mouth. 

She was soaked by the time we were done, and her boots were filled with water when they came off.

Jack is more cautious. He walked instead of ran, barely kicked and grabbed rocks instead of worms.

His socks were just a little wet, but his hands were so cold, and he never likes that (once he's inside!)

As I was wrangling Jack to head back inside, I turned to find Avie just about to put a poor, helpless worm inside her coat pocket. I am so glad I caught that in time! Eww!

We came inside and found we still had two packets of apple cider. Perfect.

Then it was baths and the whole bedtime routine we do every night.

- jammies, teeth, books, scripture, prayer, potty, songs, loves - 

They were asleep within minutes!

Gave me plenty of time to prepare the lesson I'm teaching tomorrow.

before the puddles

the little worm that almost made it in her pocket

saying goodbye to the worm, watching if it will go in the dirt

warming up with apple cider

Spencer sold three more cars today!

I am so proud of him.
In the last three days, he's put in 36 hours.
He is a tired man tonight, but he is loving it.
It's so exciting - every time he sends me a text.
It brings such a thrill.
I am so excited for this new chapter we are now in!
Can't wait to be down there with him, all together, again!

pity party for one

I was feeling rather sad for myself this afternoon.

My husband was gone.

Both Nicole and Alyssa were gone for the weekend. 

It felt quite lonely.

And outside, it looked like this:

I was having my own little pity party. 

It was only 3 p.m.

I decided I had to snap out of it for everyone's sake. 

No more moping around. 

So I turned on some music. 

It started to help immediately. 

We danced and danced and danced. 

Then I asked the kids if they wanted to make something for daddy. Of course they did!

We traced their little bodies, giving a "hug" so we could send him an air-hug through the mail. 

They had a lot of fun with this, and when the paper Avie and Jack were all cut out, 

they made great little babies for them to pretend with for awhile.

Avie wanted princess sleeves (gloves) on hers and would giggle when she thought of her daddy opening it up to see those on her when she doesn't really have any.

 

We caught sharks on my bed for awhile too. Avie made a contraption with one of Spencer's old deodorants (that I had washed out for them earlier this week at their request because they love to act like they are putting it on) and some masking tape. She would lure the sharks in with the tape, and then they'd get caught inside the holes and be stuck inside forever. 

At one point, she had to make a call to a shark catcher guy.

It went something like this: 

{in her sweet normal voice}  "Uh, hi. I am just sitting here in my yard and have a pile of sharks here, and I put this smell (the deodorant) at them and they didn't like it, and do you have a sharp knife so you can come and kill them forever?"

{in a slightly deep voice} "Uh, yeah. I have that. I can come to do that. I'll be right there."

{back to her sweet normal voice} "OK. Thanks so much. I'll see you soon."

We also had popcorn and pancakes for dinner. 

Oh, and Spencer sold a car today!!! One with a bonus even!

Woohoo!

Biology degree to selling cars?

Life is really interesting.
I mean, really. Spencer just graduated with a Biology degree, and now he's selling cars. What the !?
A lot has happened over the last few weeks to bring us to this point.
It all started with some stuff he was dealing with at B's. At the time, we wondered why???
But in the end, it's been a blessing because it's brought us to where we are now.

I am grateful that, through all of this, we've been able to see the hand of the Lord over our lives.
He's been leading and guiding us every step of the way regarding this change. It's hard to move and leave the security of what you know to somewhere new without any idea of what kind of money you'll be making (or not). It's been a big test of our faith. When fear and doubt try to creep in, I remind myself that I really do feel good about this decision. Everything will work out - however that may be.

We were planning on moving back to Washington to be closer to our families. Spencer applied for jobs up there, but had no luck with landing one. He had mentioned selling Hondas with his dad a time or two, but I never really took him seriously. We wanted to move home, after all!

But when he told me almost two weeks ago that he really was seriously considering it, I believed him. And surprisingly, I wasn't sad or mad. But I felt calm and peaceful. It just felt right. I knew that was what we needed to do and where we needed to be. It will be a good buffer time and place before another bout of schooling.


From there, it's been a whirlwind. Spencer has been there and back and there again in a week. He put in 12 hours yesterday and is planning to do the same the next few days. I am grateful for his determination and motivation to work hard at this job. He told me if there's anything he's learned from working at B's, it's that he loves people. He didn't want to be stuck in some lab up in WA making some set hourly wage. Here, he gets to talk to people all day long and has the possibility of making more than any of the jobs he applied for. It's fun for me to see him be so excited about it!

I keep wondering how it will still all work out until we get down there and settled, but I know it will. It has to, and so I try to stop thinking about it so much and just work on the cleaning and packing part of it. I'll let Spencer worry about the rest.

... on hold

I'm sitting on hold with the IRS for an additional tax refund that they said we were due a few weeks ago but never received. With two little children needing my attention, I am wondering if the $56 is worth the 15+ minute hold time... ultimately, I decide it is.

Thank goodness for speaker phone and glue sticks. 

---

Spencer had his first day at the new job yesterday, and he really enjoyed it! I am so glad! He sent me this picture of the Wasatch mountains. They are so grand. I think we're really going to enjoy our new home.

---

Last night I prayed and asked Heavenly Father if He could maybe help the kids sleep longer in the morning. They slept til about eight. For my kids, that's AMAZING. They are usually up around 6:30-7. Heavenly Father answers ours prayers, even if they are seemingly insignificant. It is hard to be the one-and-only-parent for your children 24/7, without extra help. Makes me ever more grateful for how much Spencer helps with the kids, and even more admiring of those single parents.

Yes, we are moving...

to...

Utah!


And why?
Spencer is starting a new job there next week! He will be selling cars at Ken Garff Honda of Orem alongside his dad. He had his interview today and is even more pumped up about it!

If all goes well, we'll be there for a year or two until dental school (or some other program if he changes his mind). And if it doesn't, we could end up somewhere new in three months too!

It's absolutely crazy because it's nothing we saw ourselves doing - which is even more reason for us to believe the Lord has had His hand in this. Everything is just falling into place. Tender mercies!

We are excited, a little bit nervous, but trying to lean more on the side of excitement, for this new adventure!

And I'm trying not to think about actually leaving our home in Rexburg, the only place we've lived since being married, because then I cry.

Hallelujah! The day is done!

Today was crazy.

It all started with the idea I had to finally figure out why our dishwasher wasn't working - not cleaning dishes at all - so I started taking things apart (nothing new, I've done it before) ... but this time I couldn't get a piece back on just right, so I decided to leave it off.

Well, that resulted in our kitchen floor being flooded. Who knew a simple rubber ring was such a staple in the dishwasher?

Another hour later, the piece I left off was back on. Whew!

Oh, and the garbage disposal quit working last night.
And I had about 20 loads of laundry piled up on the kitchen table, from yesterday, that needed to be folded.
And there were (still are) about 50 apple+orange boxes all over this place so we can pack. Perks of having a husband work at the grocery store!

(Oh yeah, we're moving!)

Our place was a major disaster.
Oh, and all this needed to be cleaned up and shining by 4:15 because I had activity days at my place today!

To say I was stressed, would be an understatement.
But I got it all done, and by 4:15, no one could have ever known what my day had been like prior to that time.

Looking forward to tomorrow. I think my week will finally slow down, just in time to be over.

Yellowstone

We took a quick day-trip over to Yellowstone last Thursday. We've lived here for over 5 years, and Spencer had never been!

(With the very likely possibility of us moving soon, we are eager to see and do all the things we love or haven't yet done since living here!!)

Top left- The kids looking at a herd of bison for the first time.
Bottom left- Old Faithful, the end of it. Spencer got some good shots on his Nikon.

We had a great day! As a mother, one of my favorite things is giving my children new experiences or experiencing something firsthand with them for the first time - something my stepdad, Jack, was so fond of doing for us as well, anyway, Yellowstone was definitely one of these times. I will forever hold in my mind the picture of them seeing the bison for the first time out that back van window.

Every animal and every geyser gave them such a thrill!

Bear World

Saturday was free admission for mothers so I invited my friend, Rebecca, and her boys along and we all went together.

It was a fun time!

Probably the most exciting, yet aggravating thing was this bear that climbed on the van! Exciting because the bear was that close, aggravating because it did indeed leave its mark and scratched the paint. But I guess if you're going to have a scratch in your car, it's cool it's from a bear.

It was a perfect little ending to our Yellowstone trip we took a few days before.