Half Marathon Anyone?!?!

So...I've pretty much fallen off the map at dailymile. I've done a bit of running here and there over the last couple of months, but nothing near what I had been doing and I haven't been recording it very well.

The longest run I've done in the last several weeks was a whopping 4 miles.

But I'm "running" the Oak Brook Half Marathon tomorrow. Nice.

Mr. Bloomers will accompany me as we trot about the course. The kidlets will stay home with a baby-sitter.

Kind of like date night.

But not. (We don't usually run till we hurl on date night.)

Good thing.

I'm not expecting to PR. LOL. Just have my sights on a finisher's medal.

Night before last I had bad dreams about not being able to get to the starting line in time for the race. Mr. Bloomers had a dream where I ditched him with 6 miles left to go and he felt lost and abandoned.

When we registered many weeks ago it seemed like a good idea.

When we realized how poorly prepared we were going to be, it began to be a humorous idea.

And at this moment it seems kind of like a dumb idea, but that won't stop us.

Happy Labor Day!!!

Brave? Ambitious? Crazy? Dumb?

As if traveling with five kids for three and a half weeks, and getting home just in time to start school, and prepare to host two sets of visiting grandparents for the occasion of our second beautiful daughter's baptism this past weekend didn't offer enough excitement for our already chaotic family, today we adopted this guy:


Thanks to the grandparents for your patience in sharing your special time in the visitor spotlight with a DOG. And for your generosity in helping the pick-up go smoothly. Three grandparents stayed behind to care for little ones sad to be left while one grandparent came along.

Your help made things so much easier for me and made everything with the introduction of the dog to the family home go so much smoother than it would have otherwise. We appreciate you.

Now if we could just get Princess on board...




***I should note that our family vote on whether or not to adopt Sampson was not unanimous. Mr. Bloomers was in opposition and his vote was duly recorded in the Family Council minutes. Thanks to Mr. Bloomers for not calling in the veto. We love you.

HOME

We arrived safely home this morning at 5:30 AM after driving through the night from Denver.

We left our home July 22nd.

That is a long time to be away.

I'm tired.

More to come...

Happy (Belated) Fourth of July

This is our TENTH cheesy year of matching Old Navy Flag Tees. And the first year of real resistance from one of our children. I am sure there are many more years of that to come. The tradition lives on though folks, though I did tell her she only had to wear it long enough for the picture. (Unfortuneately for her, it seems that the tees aren't the offensive part, it's participating in the photo. )

Also, finally downloaded pictures. Many posts in the making.

Shh. Don't tell, but I think I'm getting old...

The week I spoke in church I got to really listen to the meeting. It isn't that I don't try to listen other weeks, it's just that I am trying to listen while bouncing a baby, handing out a snack, helping with a sticker book, refereeing between children, and doing a lot of shushing while trying to listen. So I miss details.

Anyway, so the week I spoke I was listening to Bro J. who spoke after me. He started with something to the gist of: "I've been doing a lot of reflecting lately, what with having another birthday and also hitting a decade since I finished my undergrad."

And I thought (literally, welcome to my stream of consciousness):

"Wow, he's older than I thought. He's already been out of college 10 years. And I thought he was just a few years older than I am. Hmmm...let's think...how long has it been for me? I graduated in 2000....Holy crap.** I've been out of school for 10 years."

And then my thoughts went silent, and I just felt old.

Now I know there are a lot of people older than I am--who probably either think I'm ridiculous for feeling this way, or who I should apologize to as I am probably making them feel old just by sharing my feelings here--and I know I'll get even older.

But somehow in my mind I'm still a young newly married, even though my five children and ever-increasing age would evidence the contrary. And lately the evidence seems to be building at an alarming rate.

My oldest daughter is approaching TEN. And she is spending the night without me (or any family member) for the first time ever. Sniff. And she will do very well. Even if I am not. (She has been at Girl Scout day camp all week and the last night there is a sleepover option for the girls in 4th grade and up.)

And my second daughter will be baptized in August. TWO kids who are already that old.

And my third, fourth, and fifth, just keep hitting growing spurts. They are older and more independent everyday.

So I must be getting older too. And I feel it. I am so so tired at night. Me, the night owl! And if I don't get 8 hours of sleep at night these days, I'm super dragging. Went to bed at 2 last night, so you can only imagine how I'm feeling at the moment. But I'm too young to wimp out now!

And yet here it is only 9:38 PM, and wimping out is all I can think to do. I can barely keep my eyes open.

Sleep well my friends.

**Please excuse this phrase...I'm sure I could have thought of a nicer one, but that is just what came to mind at the moment.


PS In honor of the girl out camping tonight (in cabins, fortuneately)...here are a couple of photos of Max at the boys church campout.


Apparently he acquired a reputation as the boy who made the best marshmallows. Love those golden brown awesome ones. Way to go Max!


Doesn't a delicious freshly made campfire smore sound awesome!

Motherhood is not for the faint of heart, and a message of hope

Today was one of those roller coaster days with my children. Now I will say that I do adore my children. I admire their brilliance and have confidence in their talents. I also have confidence that part of their role on earth is to build my patience, and they work hard in that role.

Up: The Actress is so excited to go to Girl Scout camp. We found an acceptable hat on the way (thanks Walgreens) and made it there on time.

Down: The Artist got out of the car in the rain to whine and whine at me while I waited for the camp bus to pull away.

Up: The kids agreed to go to Great Harvest and Trader Joe's for yumminess.

Down: Max whined and cried something FEROCIOUS on the way. So much so, that I turned around so I could head back home before he decided to clam up because he really wanted more yummy bread and watermelon.

Up: Great Harvest Cinnamon rolls and Trader Joe's 99 cent pizza dough.

Down: Little Mommy and the Artist contending against each other on the way home. Little Mommy's lungs are quite powerful.

Up: I finally got them to laugh and settled after pulling the car over and telling them they were in a happy car that only went forward when the occupants were happy. (Took other funniness on my part, but they were laughing when we pulled away.) Score 1 for the Mommy.

Down: The Artist was so mad at me that she forgot her towel for swim lessons. What?

Up: The kids played pretty nicely together in the basement after lunch while I cleaned out a kitchen shelf and the top of the fridge.

Down: Pretty much the whole two hours after we picked the Actress up from camp. She needs a t-shirt to tie-dye tomorrow and was so picky. We went to KMart (which I despise but it was closest). Kids were obnoxious and I walked out without purchasing what was in my cart due to the combination of the kids and the person in front of me who was taking 15 minutes to check out because they didn't understand how to use a rebate card. The Artist kept telling me basically how awful I am and how I don't love her. Then we do Target. Holy cow was that another adventure. At least I like Target though! But not so much with five unruly children. The Artist told me that I didn't love her if I didn't go back to KMart on the way home. Seriously? Seriously? I came back with a super awesome response of, "That's like me saying you don't love me if you don't eat my boogers." My stand-up comic skills were so phenomenal on the way home that The Actress kept struggling not to laugh. (Cause she was being mad about the whole shirt business and I was ruining her pout.)

Up: Making the pizza with Max. Best time of the whole day. He loved spreading the sauce, putting on the cheese, and arranging the pepperoni. He did a great job.

Down: Continually being berated by the Artist and Little Mommy about how I don't like them or love them. Also, Max stealing a book from Princess when he is supposed to be getting buckled and walloping me when I retrieve it for her.

Up: Picking Mr. Bloomers up from the train and seeing Max light up as there were TWO freight trains on the track.

Down: Getting the kids to bed with the exception of...

Up: when we sang "I Feel my Savior's Love" after scriptures and before prayer.

Down: The Actress continuing to lament about the t-shirt problem. Only 3 acceptable choices (to me). None are acceptable to her. And the poor girl just needs some sleep! It was a long day for her.

Up: This clip. Seriously, it made my day. And the thought that I actually stayed pretty even-tempered and patient with my kids despite their horror today is an up feeling. Hoping tomorrow will be better.

Be still and know that I am God

Travis passed away peacefully in his home on Friday. He lay cuddled with his eternal sweetheart Mandy who now presses forward to raise their four children. If anyone can do it and do it well, it's her.

I am grateful to understand that God has an eternal plan for us. Travis and Mandy's marriage and family are not permanently separated nor destroyed by T's death. I take great comfort in knowing that because of our Savior Jesus Christ, that we can all be resurrected again, and that this family will be reunited again.

Yet it is still hard. It is hard for me, so I can't even begin to imagine how it is for Mandy and the children and their closest friends and family. I pray for them and mourn with them from afar, and invite you to do the same. I know they have been blessed to feel deeply of the love of our Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ for them, and pray that they may continue to do so.

T's obituary can be read here.