Special Treat

Nate has been in Philadelphia now for four days; I know that's not really that long when you consider that he will be gone for 4 weeks, but still I consider it an accomplishment that we've made it this far. Things have been going pretty well and Luke has been a terrific help while Dad is gone, however I DO NOT want to get used to this!! Things definitely work better when Nate is around, even if he's only here a little bit. After we got home from church on Sunday the kids and I sat down and made a menu, because lets face it with dad gone it was going to just be cereal and mac and cheese if I didn't!! So we made a great menu for the week that everyone was pretty happy about. Luke wanted to help so he said he would make dinner a few of the nights. One of those nights was tonight and we were going to have sandwiches. However I was SOOOO tired when we got home from school today that he watched the kids while I took a HOUR AND A HALF long nap!! I NEVER do that!! So to thank him I decided we would go get subway instead. (My kids LOVE subway)

(I woke up to this, "Luke Potter" doing a Dino puzzle on the living room floor while his sister watched him. Ya they were so thrilled ;)!!)So we piled into the car and drove the 3 minutes to Subway (Luke was counting because he had his baptism interview with the Bishop tonight at 6:30 before scouts and he didn't want to be late.).I am such a softy and got them all cookies as a treat too, what can I say?! (I am really just trying to compete with when Nate took them to ice cream while I was at Time out for Women ;)!!!)Look at that cookie, it is almost as big as Lily's head!! The kids were great, they all ate all their food, sat quietly and didn't make a mess, I was amazed!! We were in and out of there in 32 minutes!! We had a fun little evening together and I am just so glad that I have these three little munchkins to keep me company while Nate is away!!!

The HEAT!

Well it is officially fall now.... So where is the cooler weather?! Fall is hands down my favorite time of year and something I look forward to with much anticipation. However here it is almost October and it is still in the 90's!!!! Come on, this isn't Arizona!!! :) We have had a few really hot days and the rest have been just pretty hot. I am really looking forward to the cooler weather and the changing leaves. So Mother Nature, I am making a public request, can it please be Autumn now??!
(really I just needed a post to replace that other awful one I put up... and I have no pictures yet...)

Need more steam...

It is 5:53 p.m. and I haven't heard from Nate, I have no idea when he is coming home and I have no idea what I am going to fix for dinner. Yes I know, I get the mom of the year award because here I sit at the computer instead of trying to find something to make, but regardless that is where I am and that is what I am doing. I am out of ideas. I am tired of the same old things I make. I don't have time to prepare like I used to and by the time I think about it there are only a few options, none of which I am excited about. I am tired of making nice dinners that the kids don't like and that Nate doesn't even eat because he hasn't been getting home until I am in bed, but then I don't hear from him so I never know if he will or won't be home. Then if I just assume he won't be home and I don't make something, he walks in the door hungry. So here I sit, tired. I am running out of steam and out of ideas. It's been a rough week, and it's only Wednesday. I better get some steam quick because I am about to be a single mom for a month while Nate is in Philadelphia. I have given up on potty training, that is just more then I can handle right now. But I am at least getting my lessons for seminary prepared and I feel like it is going well every morning, at least most of them stay awake!! (I'm kidding, no one has fallen asleep...yet) I am loving the opportunity I have to teach early morning seminary, it is great for me. I just wish it wasn't so EARLY!! I am in desperate need of some steam, so if you have some would you send it my way?! Oh and any ideas for dinner too!!! :)

Potty Training...

One would assume that after having successfully potty training two other children that the third would be a piece of cake. However that one assuming would have to know that the third child was incredibly willful, stubborn, defiant and has to do everything on her own terms. That is where I find myself with Lily. She has been interested in the potty for a year, A YEAR!!! And she is still NOT potty trained. She will sit on the potty, and she will even go potty occasionally when I ask her to. But put her in big girl panties and have her tell me when she needs to go and I have a big wet mess on the floor!! I ask her if she wants to be a big girl and she says, "No, I want to be a baby. Hold me, rock me and feed me!!" None of the other motivations that worked on the others work on her. But look at that face!!! It is so hard to get frustrated at her when she is so cute, and so proud when she goes. She just doesn't want to be a big girl yet. But she is going to be three in a month!!! I have no idea what to do and I am SO done with diapers!!

I should clarify a little, she will go potty whenever her DAD asks her to go. However when I ask her, she gets on the potty, cries and says there is no pee. What does a mother do?! Especially when dad is gone a lot and will be gone for the whole next month?! I am at my wits end with this girl, anyone willing to help with potty training her I am willing to make cookies, cakes, you name it, in return!!! (She is cute though, isn't she?!)

Making Cookies

What kid doesn't love making cookies??! Add to that DeNae's awesome lesson about how each member of the family is an essential "ingredient" to the family and tada! you have a wonderful family home evening lesson and activity rolled into one!! It was especially nice because both of our husbands were working late or on call at the hospital that night! Thank goodness for good friends and for the Gospel, or I would be INSANE!!! :) Tia and Riann were so good to help the kids add their ingredient at the right time, and it turned out great, very good cookies!!

All future chefs I think!!

Thanks DeNae, Tanya and Riann for the fabulous FHE and for the cookies, we love you guys!!

Suprise!!!

Have you ever opened up a watermelon expecting it to be like any other watermelon you have ever seen and found this???

I sure hadn't!! I was shocked, but it tasted pretty similar, just not as good. It was more sugary and less flavorful, but the kids still loved it. I just never knew watermelon came in other colors!!

Last bits of summer

One of our favorite places to go play is Coonskin Park. There are many wonderful places to play at the park and in the areas surrounding the park. We discovered a hiking path that leads back to this quiet part of the river where we can play in the water with no one else around. We went with the McLemore's and the Israelsen's and had a blast! Koyo LOVED the water and couldn't get enough of it!! I love his expression in the picture, that is pure joy right there!!

Tia was every ones favorite "ride" in the water, the kids just adore her!

On the trail Ethan spotted this really neat turtle. I have no idea what kind of turtle it was, but the orange was really brilliant! (The picture does NOT do it justice!!)

The lovely ladies I get to associate with!! Riann, Chisa, Tanya, and DeNae, they are great!!

We finished the day out by doing the paddle boats on the lake and then having a fabulous dinner, too bad I didn't take any pictures of those parts!!

Defeated

I keep thinking that I will find time to get caught up with this blog. However the more time passes the more overwhelmed I feel. Add to that getting up every morning at 4:45am so I can teach early morning seminary and then rush home and get the kids ready to get to school by 7:15 and then having Lily so lonely that she literally hangs on me all day til the kids get home. By the time we get homework done and I get the next days lesson all prepared, it's time to make dinner and then clean up, get the kids ready for bed, get there clothes and lunches ready for the next day, get them in bed and then I have to get to bed because I am getting up at 4:45 am after all. It is leaving me no time to sift through all the hundreds of pictures that I took while on vacation. So I have resigned myself to the fact that I just won't get that done right now. SO I am defeated in that area. However I am really enjoying this time in life, both Luke and Gabby LOVE school and I am kept so busy that I hardly have time to notice all the time Nate is spending at the hospital and not home with us. It is preparing us for the times he will be gone on his away rotations. So I may at one point find some time to go through all those wonderful memories and share them, but for now we are just going to move on. There, I feel better already!!