11.20.14 Anna's First Basketball Game

 As Saunders we are very competitive. Surprised? No really we are. We are also very busy with work and living a deliberate life. However, as the kids are getting older I am realizing they need some additional experiences to help round out their personalities and give them more confidence. So now that Anna is in Middle School and practices were easily slotted after school and the season is only 2 months with 8 games this seemed like a pretty ideal situation. She was excited! I was totally hoping for tennis or some running thing, but will admit with the baby coming this is much better timing and fall sports are out as we are so busy with fall work.
Addie was the camera lady she does very well especially considering she is under 8 years old.

So we got her physical done, totally healthy there. And got the necessary clothes and shoes and she has been having a blast! I love how happy she comes home. I'm really impressed after her first game at how well she did considering this was her first time on the court in a competitive match up ever! She made three baskets (I really think I made three baskets in the entire 3month season of any of my basketball experiences) some assists, really good screens, and caused some turn overs.

Harold was way disappointed that none of the girls tried or even thought about 3 point shooting. He of course wants biggest bang least effort. I told him boys and girls play very differently they take the closer shots to be guaranteed of the points.
My one anxious moment was after she had been subbed out and gotten instruction from the coach she was ready to go back in. The coach told her to check in and Anna was ready to just run back into the game. Thank goodness her coach caught her and instructed her to wait for a break and the ref to let her back in. Small nuances that she'll get with experience. I'm very thankful the stated objective of the program is to help the girls learn and experience playing basketball. Some are obviously more experienced but all made some mistakes and are LEARNING! Good times and memories to look back on later. 

She really liked these blue shoes, there were other options but this was her desire. Love that basketball shorts have gotten so much longer since I played long ago.

All in all it was a fun adventure and so good to see her be successful. She made the A team- a bit of a surprise because again we have not done the years of rec league basketball. She started in this game and played roughly 3/4 of the time. It is good to watch them grow and learn, and hard to give them up to live their lives and develop their various talents. I'm thankful for a good coach and good friends. She has a knack for picking good friends.

Some of the kids were not impressed with just watching so yippee they get to be the babysitters next time. Phew. I had left the two little girls with a friend- my wise sister suggested we would all enjoy the experience more- and it was much easier to just watch the game. So onward and upward another chapter opened in our family life.

She doesn't realize her strength yet. When she does, watch out. She is farm tough and smart, a great combination.

11.19.14 Awards

My grandmother says one of her fondest dreams from childhood was to be locked in the library so she could read and read! I'm happy to report that it must be a genetic component in our family because my kids all got reading awards from their school awards assembly.

Harold hit the 1000 point accelerated reader award plaque. Aliza is in a category of her own now holding the new school record for 3500 points. She reads about 13-15 books per week.

  They also got some awards for math- we are working on encouraging that component of education as well. While I have to threaten to lock the books up in the safe and I have to constantly monitor some of the sneaky ones who love dragon books- ugh! I am thankful they are proficient, curious, and accomplished readers. Because life ratcheted up another three notches this school year I only read out loud about 1x a week. But we still manage scriptures and the little kids get some story time everyday.

In between eating popsicles and making messes. These were the last of the summer popsicles and sometimes mom is busy and well you just let things go. They were content, safe, and not crying or fighting... it's a win-win for some needed time.

I am loving hearing Addie get reading and school! I am impressed how much more confident she is becoming. Each of these progressions really makes an impact in who they are.
 

Anna is in Middle School and that was a whole new experience going to the mass of maturity/immaturity of a 2 grade middle school. Oh the learning and growth. She has been stretched quite a bit this year but I'm happy to report is doing well. I love how kind she is and I love that she is making good choices to work hard and learning how to learn. As she learns these lessons she will be successful in her life.
Sorry the picture is bad we were both a little unsure of how picture happy mom should be.  I think that is the biggest adjustment to middle school for me how involved do I get, or do I encourage and help her learn to ask the questions, question the marks and comments and take control of her educational future. I love the 45 minutes we have in the morning to do homework, piano, chores, talk etc. She is a great oldest kid. We are blessed.

11.18.14 Normal Activity

I have been learning a lesson lately. Last week Greg and I were contemplating/discussing chronic pain and what it meant to be worn out. Or burned out. What does that mean? Why does that happen? Is it mental, physical etc? I mean we are both pretty healthy. We have been able to do what we command our bodies to do and have not had much experience with not being able to go when we say go. Unfortunately I am learning that chronic pain is tiring, frustrating, and not something you just will away. My most optimistic thought right now is I get to be done being pregnant.  Real chronic pain people don't have an end they just have to adjust to a new normal. UGH!

I remembered this picture from about a month ago. It's so interesting how we take things for granted. I remember when I looked through these pictures how funny it was that all the pictures were of me walking with long strides. We were hurrying because it was our one day to go to beet harvest for lunch. We were in charge of picking up lunch and the crew doesn't like to wait. We were making a stop at a the local pumpkin-pa-looza to look around and see the sights. It was full and interesting but I'm not one for lesiurley chasing 9 kids around a crowded artsy craft fair. We got the gist and needed to move on. Not to mention Millie got heavy. It is so hard to keep shoes on a barefoot country kid. And the fact of being the 4th or 6th wearer of shoes means she really needed some new shoes...

We were blessed to have grandpa with us. He was going to drive a car back from this town to the one where Greg works. He is so patient and fun. We love kidnapping him for a while.

Livy had painted herself and Millie with white out the night before. That stuff does not come off. We scrubbed, rubbed, picked and peeled it was on for a few days.

Mark of course loved all the farm stuff.

Livy was happy with her helper. She loves her grandparents and is just getting very friendly and confident with them.

At lunch we had to wait for a while, we were early!! The kids found this five legged preying mantiss. It was doing so well in it's adjusted condition. Looking back I remember feeling sorry for it and amazed at how well it did not whole. I'm feeling a lot like that bug lately.

Waiting for rides and visiting. Our family crew is getting bigger by the year. It's fun to see traditions passed on and continued. More babies, more cousins, more learning, and more fun. It was a beautiful day full of dirt, truck rides, tractor rides and driving and just soaking up the warm fall sun. We need those memories on these single digit cold winter days.

**As I got out of bed for the second time on Monday, I am always so tired from a long busy weekend, I was barely able to stumble around. I knew I was in trouble facing a long day alone with the three little ones to care for, and a very wet Millie needing immediate attention. I begged for heavenly help and am happy to report for the last 3 hours at least have been able to walk moderately well and to do the things I need to. Experimenting on the Word and Grace of God is always humbling and Amazing. Hopefully I will be able to continue to do what I need to do. 

11.17.14 Snow Day

Our prayers have begun to be answered in a big way. Last week we got about 7 inches of snow.

School was cancelled as we had a weird 3 day week starting on Weds. So the kids actually only went 2 days. It was so nice to have them home. And it was so pretty to watch it snow and snow. Greg spent a fair amount of time on Thursday shoveling snow off his front driveway. I know he was missing his crew. We were thankful when we found out school was cancelled on Friday. He took the bundled up boys to town and they WORKED!

 Mark shoveling the ramp. It's important to move snow soon after it falls and not wait. The temperature dropped into the negative numbers this night and there would have been no way to move all this snow the next day.

As I mentioned before I am a wimpy mom and was worried they would get cold, hungry, tired, etc. But they did a great job and survived amazingly well. Thank goodness for their dad to toughen them up and make them men!

John demonstrating the boot method of removing snow. Saves your arms from hundreds of pounds of tossing snow. Just push to edge and boot the snow out!

They have about worn out their Pushnboot snow pushers (click link to get your own). They have done many miles of shoveling. They are quite a team. I really loved watching them finish the church sidewalks. Watching and hearing them work together. Seeing their different styles of work.

My favorite picture. They were almost done and working to get the last few spots.

Some are all done, although slower, the first time. Others do bare minimum and have to go back again and again, and some are fire balls and resters.

Harold hiding. He is strong and gets to do the really big areas. He's a great big brother.

So neat to see how they compliment and accept each other and rely on the skills of the other. Happy winter! Oh and while they were out working the younger kids were enjoying fun inside.

 They are on boats finding treasure chests and avoiding sharks. The  older girls and I were trying to clean and well we always find treasures too good to get rid of. It's so good to be a family. Love all these kiddos and so glad they have each other cuz' I sure wouldn't have been in a box this weekend playing treasure cruise. Best to you all.

11.15.14 An Essential Oil Warning

Can you spot the red circles under her eyes? She got into a bottle of wholesome courage, some of you will know it as theives. It is a hot oil. Most essential oils are. She had rubbed it all over her face, mounth, hands, and neck. She was waiting in her high chair while I took a shower to go to town. Her curiousity and ability to grab things was not a good combination.

When I went in to get her out she was crying and rubbing around her eyes- not good. I washed her hands with dawn soap and then began diluting the oil with vegetable oil. After 2 applications she looked fairly good. Eyes are hard to clean! Lesson if you have essential oils keep them up higher than possibly kid reached and remember dilute oil with oil. Some experiences are just not fun.

11.14.14 Food

As you might guess food is a big deal at our house. We are eaters and we store and make a lot of what we consume. The girls were semi-waiting for dinner to be ready when they discovered this pie. They decided to taste test. That leads to faces like this from dad.

Actually that face was in response to Reed's toast

OR should I call it jam stacked on bread. Yes we do go through a lot of jam. I was just glad he used bread and not a spoon this time.

We were trying to poison John. Actually no we made white chocolate chip with craisin cookies. He was expecting the usual chocolate chip and is complaining that we ruined his cookies.

A bit of over-reacting I thought.  He survived, as did the cookies.

We were baking to take a small treat to the many veterans we know to say thanks on veterans day. It's been  a favorite tradition. The men and women are so surprised and always say "This is the first time we've gotten a card or thank you on veterans day."
While I don't agree with all or most of the political stuff happening in our country of late, and we could debate war on and on. I do admire people who enlist and serve despite bumbling arrogant politicians. They have often faced enemy fire, long periods of time away from home, injury, loss of dear friends, and a lifetime of memories. It is a great sacrifice.

And one last picture. The boys were able to watch/help grandpa do a tuneup on the trusty water truck last weekend. They had a good time learning from grandpa and being away from home chores.

11.11.14 Laundry Weather

Oh how I love my clothesline. We inevitably do LOTS and LOTS of laundry. So days that are sunny but mostly windy are laundry weather. We run the washer non-stop, I love the new 28 minute cycle.

On Saturday we were able to wash all the quilts in preparation for winter and some of the laundry. My heart and head hurt just thinking of all the loads we will be forced to dry this winter. Even with our inside clothes line it just can't keep up with all the bodies that live here. So it's always a nice nod from God when the wind isn't too blustery and the sun makes an appearance and we run our poor washer till our baskets are empty and our clothes are clean.

Thank goodness for two of those days this long weekend. Unfortunately those trips to and from the clothesline are my only trips outside. But up and down stairs lugging my baskets, up and down to put the clothes on I think is a fairly decent workout. Good thing Anna made so many cookies this weekend. Gotta keep things even. Oh winter how we pray for you but how I don't like your reality! I guess we should just sew the kids into their clothes and burn them in spring... colonial or Alaska style. Phew what a stench that must have been. Best to you.

11.10.14 Sunday

Between the years of possibly 10-14 I spent many a Sunday at the kitchen sink. I was doing dishes, for hours, with my dad. It took hours because he would gleefully inspect each dish and return them time and again to be perfectly clean... Oh how I hated Sunday. I'm not sure if he hated it or enjoyed the fun of antagonizing me. However, this not so fun experience was the result of my poor attitude or behavior choices.

We have LOTS of dishes here and if not sufficient to learn the lesson Greg always thinks of something else to whip up.

Fast Forward 20 years or so and I had three daughters in need of some correction yesterday.

On their knees with their hands. It just makes it a little more meaningful and hopefully more clean. That green grout is like a canal system. Looked good for a few hours thanks to their efforts.

We had stake conference yesterday which was really nice.  We were even able to attend in our ward building. I would like to vote for doing that again, especially with the dim lights. Most of the kids 4 and under went to sleep for the last hour. And probably some mom's and dad's too.
But it was really nice and less stressful than wrestling on metal chairs far back in the gym in Nyssa. When the kids realized we were going to our building and not the one in Nyssa there was some grumbling. Then as the meeting progressed there was some jostling that was not necessary by the big kids. So I got a clean floor and the dishes done all day by the culprits. It is so nice to have them home!

Mopping is my least favorite chore right now. It really hurts to be in that position so I avoid it and it makes a nice punishment... we have a lot of tile and a lot of feet that track stuff in and around. I told them with a smile in my voice that probably someday they would have their daughters do the same thing.

On a happier note. Addie is really moving along in her reading! I knew she would when she got it worked out in her mind and gained her bravado back. School is a big step. She finished her first reader and is sailing through the next one on top of all the other books she and I read for AR points.

 

And not to miss a reason to eat cake we celebrated grandma's birthday. We are very blessed to live by grandma. We get to learn from, work with, and share food stuffs with her. She is amazingly positive and cheery, very talented, wise, and empowering. The kids love her and I am grateful to be in her family. She makes it possible to live this close together. She never says anything about my not tidy house or yard and is always willing to sell or loan me sour cream, cake mixes, weird vinegar mixes, zippers,  or whatever I might need. She's saved many a meal and random project here. And she does things like teach the kids how to garden and cross stitch! We are thankful to be her closest neighbors. 

And how to lick the frosting off candles! Just one of the kids favorite experiences with Grandma.

 

11.6.14 Saturday Fun

Because of our strep  diagnosis we had to cancel our Saturday plan to drive to Twin Falls to attend the temple with Aunt Sheryl. We were sad to be left home, but as we ate a leisurely family breakfast- which doesn't happen often with all the early morning commitments- the kids begged Greg to stay home. They made a list of 20 things they could do with him. Grind corn, build fence, fix the chicken pen, put up some insulation... things that needed to be done that appealed to his manly muscle side of life. It was also a rainy dreary day. Constantly drizzling even outright raining from a gray overcast sky. (Just to set the stage).

Greg consented and so I got my drain re-dug and my banister repaired. The kids got out of a day of housework, which let's face it YUCK! Instead the boys and girls on-and-off helped dad. Our front steps are wooden and steep and SLICK in the winter. This summer the support posts for the banisters had rotted off and thus we have been carefully making our way up and down the stairs. However, with the winter fast approaching the ice and freezing rain, we hope to get, make them treacherous hazards to navigate. Those helpful banisters have saved many a backside, front side, and person from a wild ride to the top or bottom of the stairs or a quick trip off of them to the ground below.

I think she is packing the hole or maybe measuring distance. If I recall they said it was 32 inches deep. Even with the 1/5 inches of rain we got that day the ground below was still dry. We need a lot more rainy days to stop this drought.

The boys chipped out the old cement. Excavated the holes complete with pick and shovel- we have really hard ground here. Helped carry up new/old posts, drilled new holes and then set the new posts. My husband only does jobs completely, all the way. He doesn't fudge at all. This means it takes longer and he uses the most heavy duty stuff he can find.

Our new stairway closely resembles a cattle loading shoot. I'm pretty sure steers or hogs could go through it and it wouldn't budge. I do love his commitment to doing things the best he can. In fact, he reminded me so much of my grandfather that has passed away. Working all day in the rain, claiming not to be cold, staying till the job was done and motivating the kids to dig some more, make sure it was level, to do their best too. It was a big day of learning.

I of course did not help outside but rather  cooked and cooked inside. Trying to make warm, energy invoking food stuffs to keep the boys going and warm. Dad's are so important to toughening up kiddos. I worry about colds and discomfort- mostly mine- and call it quits much sooner than their tough dad. And it was good for their dad to observe their more mature personalities. I remind him periodically they are growing up and changing. It is interesting to see what quirks they have and how much stronger and capable they are becoming.

The kids changed wet coats at least 2x that day, Greg of course was too busy to notice any wetness. It was a bundle of extra laundry but great skills to learn.

We did have one ace in the hole we had rescheduled our trick-or-treating for Saturday night so the kids were a little more driven to get the job done in a timely manner. All in all it was another day for the memory books and now we are ready for all the snow and rain we have fasted and prayed for these last two years. Let it SNOW...!

11.5.14 Cider

We were blessed with LOTS of apples this year. And I mean LOTS like over a thousand pounds, which in years past I have split with at least two other people. So we had to come up with some creative uses for apples. About 13 years ago we made apple cider with Greg's family. I mean aunts,uncles, cousins etc. It was a major project! We pressed 5 800lb bins of apples but man was that cider good. We checked on the availability of a press, but had a hard time finding anyone with the machinery that was local. We were finally hooked up with a local inventor man and made our appointment.

We worked for two hours grinding and pressing apples and got about 10 gallons of juice. I was a little disappointed it wasn't more productive but it sure was good. We are scheduled to go again sometime this week I hope, because I am done canning apples here and need a way to use the rest. 

Cider deserves donuts and grandma was kind enough to help us out and make some yummy cake donuts.

FIRST TASTE OF THE CIDER, YUM!

Our kind friend Kelly who has blessed our family with many opportunities. She is an amazing woman.

Turning the press to get the cider. Anna and Harold were best sized for the job, but Mark and Addie had to have a turn too.

We decided the remains were diabetic apples. Sugar is gone just fiber...Makes great animal feed though.

Washing then shredding the apples. That was the best bowl. This is set up on a geothermal hot spot, while the night was fall-cool the water was delightfully warm. In fact they have to cool not heat their water for use. We live in a great place.

 It was a fun night and the apple cider syrup on pancakes the next morning was divine!

As we continue to debate travel and doing fun things like the rest of the blog world vs. our work together in all different conditions and situations I have to remember to be thankful for who we are and not wish we were somebody else. The kids really enjoyed the evening. The owners are delightful people full of talent, kindness, and newness to our family. It's good to meet others and great to get such delicious rewards for a big project. Let's just say apple picking is almost a bad word at our house. Not that it's hard or bad it's just kids... but this night, like most nights we work together as a group, was full of good giggles, great people, and a lot accomplished. We did recently decide that we try to live with purpose. Mean getting good things done.

I love helping others and I love that my family is able to serve others in real and meaningful ways. We appreciate all the opportunities we are given to do these projects. And really fresh cider and homemade donuts is that really so hard? Nope just fall goodness! Best to you.