4.26.23 Productivity

One of the best gifts of this year has been having my amazing team of hard workers home for a week. They got so much done! Addie loves to cut trees! I let her go as they are about to drop their seed pods and start millions more trees. That is not an exageration they are so prolific and hard to remove. 

Mark and Merle working last years stubble to prepare the soil for this years cow forage. 

Merle had a birthday! I love the simple happiness of young children. As I was wracking my brain for what to give him, balloons were an easy option. He was thrilled for days. 

My mom made hi this masterpiece. He was so thrilled with his tractor cake. I appreciated her time and creativity making a special treat just for him. We all enjoyed sharing!

He likes most food, we had spaghetti then tractor cake for his birthday!

Andrea is getting tall enough to slide things off the counter. A lot of sandwiches have been packed this past month as kids have been working here and there. 

I rushed Mark and John out of school to attend the shop skills contest at TVCC. John won this DeWalt thing and is seen with Uncle Justin who organized and hosted the event. 

Grandma Lasley has a birthday right after Merle. The kids visited her while we listened to Anna report to the stake high council. That took a lot longer than we had planned.  I kept getting texts but knew it would be poor manners to respond while she was testifying. Thus when we got to grandmas the kisd were on their way out and we spent a few minutes visiting with grandma then headed home in a different car. 

My book worms are always intent on reading something. 

Mark left for a leadership event so the working in of the seed was left to me. Lia joined me for a while saying that today the buddy seat (we call Merle Buddy sometimes) was now a Lia seat. She brought an orange in each pocket for nourishment. I am always thankful to remember how to do what needs to be done. 

After a mad scramble to get Mark a sleeping bag as the bus passed our road and then finishing up the cleaning for the day the older three girls left and I had to stop driving and go be the mom. With the job not finished I went back later in the day with my two little ones and finished the planting. 

They succumbed to the rumble of the diesel engine and safely slumbered while I completed the job. Best times with these kiddos. I love being a mom and I love driving tractor. I applaud my husband who has sought life occupations that allow for the incorporation of our children. The need for their help, the space for their learning, and being with us. We are blessed by these choices. 

I decided Wednesday night we could in fact host a welcome home party. Thus I texted a lot of people an invitation to come to our house. While I had been driving tractor I realized there was so much clean-up and maintenance to do on our house. Thus we went to work. Again those daughters of mine did the heavy lifting. They cleaned and raked and picked up and sifted and sorted through a decade worth of children playing and breaking and imagining in our play yard. The tree management is always challenging with each wind storm more sticks are on the lawn. I realized our very used house needed more TLC. Aliza had painted 85% of the house in the fall prior to leaving for college. Some was to high and uneven to access. Thus Reed brought the tractor and I got in the bucket and he slowly and carefully lifted me very high to finish painting the house.

I panicked and breathed hard through the experience. It was very nerve wracking to be so high with no restraint. But I wanted the house to look done so I perservered and deep belly breathed and prayed. Through it all with my smiling Reed in the drivers seat I was very impressed and touched by his extreme care with me. He didn't tease he wasn't careless but so slow approaching the house, lifting and lowering the bucket, and in general making sure nothing bad happened. I'm thankful my sons when it's important are kind and protective. It means the world to me they are gentlemen. 

Millie wanted to paint some too. She worked on a smaller portion. 

John was asked to Prom in a neighboring town. He had a great time. 

It's so flattering when people want to socialize with you. John is a great guy and I think he's pretty handsome. 

At home with my sick kiddos after a long day of preparing for the party the next day. 

I got this picture and was sure he was having a grand time. 

Anna obliged her mother and painted the inside high traffic areas. 

Livy and Millie added some paint to an outside doll cradle they have in their play house. 

Addie had many helpers working to rid the yard of sticks. Evander and Myla are favorites to play with whenever we can. 

 I appreciated all the time and work my kids gave me. As I drove around looking at the yard from the tractor I was sure there was no way we could make the yard presentable. But with the addition of a lot of kid power they made it delightful. The many hours of work and detail laid a solid foundation for a pleasant Sunday afternoon. Work comes before and after fun and makes the fun all the richer. Life is good. 

4.25.23 Easter

Easter! One of our traditions is filling easter eggs with candy to donate to the local community hunt. The kids love this activity and the saying many hands make light work is real. I'm thankful to mostly just be responsible for buying the supplies. Added bonus this year was the older girls were here to help. 

Addie just could not bear the thought of no easter egg hunt at home. The kids were not interested in dying eggs. We did paint some with water color and paintbrushes earlier in the week. But general dying eggs the turned down the three offers I made to do it with them. So Addie true to style hid some empty eggs for the kids outside. Andrea and Millie are watching her hide. 

Just cuz he is so cute. The night before we had pizza. The remaining dough Merle worked with for the entire hour I was making pizza. He had the best time rolling and flouring that dough again and again. I'm glad he was so happy and that I didn't stop that. Usually I do and shouldn't. He is such a happy guy. 

Andrea was thrilled to hunt eggs. 

John had just returned from a weekend getaway with the auto club to Portland Oregon area. 

After our shortened church services we took a family drive to the full reservoir. Andrea got out while we drove slowly around looking at the water stored. She loes to ride this way. Even giving Greg a head massage. 

We haven't seen this much water in years. This is an answer to our coninuted prayers for enoguh water for a crop.

After am mini-fasting session we didn't eat breakfast pre-church, we had bunny shaped pancakes. I grew up with this tradition but haven't done it more than a few times in my own house. The kids were impressed. 

The never ending food line. Millie cut bananas and strawberries for toppings. 

More egg hunting pictures. Addie helped Andrea have a good experience. 

Life is good! Easter is a primary reason for that. The gift of the infinite Atonement. A Savior who understands all and loves us enough to die for us. A long seeing and understanding Heavenly Father who has given us this life and then a whole Millenium without Satan to work through our difficulties. We are blessed by knowledge of their plan. We are so thankful for the Atonement and the great power in Easter! Life does go on, we too will rise again. We are blessed. 
 

4.23.23 The good life

I'm behind on posting as everyday is chuck full of either preparing or recovering from the mass that was expected/accomplished the day before. For one month almost to the day I have 13 kids in my home. We have accomplished a lot and yet each night I try to convince them sleep is a gift not a punishment and we really should go to bed. They en masse don't believe me.

We had cousins come. Shown are Newell, Myla, and Merle. Same age. 

So many memories have been made over this red tablecloth. Uncle Bryce is so good to tell the kids stories about his mission. 

Andrea and Miriam Flake. Andrea is older by about 4 months but they are pretty similar in movement abilities. 

Traditionally we go to the Owyhee Dam sometime during spring break. This year there was just too much going on. My parents graciously hosted a very large group at their house for a picnic, play, and visiting. The kids always have a great time.  

 
Man what would life be without marshmellow roasting? That is sucha  simple joy yet a great skill. Mark was very good at patiently toasting perfectly golden offerings. Uncle Justin and Ty manage the other cooking- bacon and hotdogs respectively. 

Unfortunately coats were still very necessary but we enjoyed being outdoors in spite of the unseasonable cold day. 

The benefit of the change of venue was more family could come. I'm so thankful our families are good friends and comfortable with sharing time together. 

We are a family of talkers. 

And huggers, and swingers, and dirt loving people. 

Merle is so adamant about wearing jeans. Unfortunately he cant' button them so he hounds me when he has unbottoned them to button him back up. He is such a cute boy we are thankful for his determination to be big. 

After almost a year maybe just 6 months of just being the child Andrea has won over Addie and enjoys spending time with her. The more involved Addie is in her athletics and finds her spot in her bigger high school class the more relaxed and settled she has become. I'm thankful these two have found a spot to be friendly. Sibling friendship, respect, trust and love are important to me. 

Of course Millie is the best at comforting Andrea to sleep. How thankful I am for the patience of siblings in helping nurture the younger kiddos. 

Anna back in the mix. We were discussing things we had learned in general conference and making a palm leaf to commemorate palm sunday. 

Andrea so thrilled to also be part of the group taking her turn to share. 

After our leaders asked us to more fully celebrate Easter- like Christmas I thought an Easter tree was necessary. I found one local for $15. We used silk flowers and pictures of Jesus' life to decorate our tree. I'm not sure that it was any more or less festive but I was trying. Andrea is super curious and was investigating. 

Lots and lots of bike riding has been happening. Bruce outgrew his little bike and jumped straight into a teenage size bike. He pedals like the wind up and down the road enough to cause a blister on his hand. He also crashed a few times thanks to the neighbors dog cutting him off. I'm not a dog fan. 

And the best part of my days and the biggest part of this year I think. These kids are going round after round being sick with something or the other. 

Afton got the cooperation award from her teacher. She is willing to work with anyone she doesn't complain or tattle or get in the fights. Afton has consistently just done her own thing and stayed out of the people messes that can be cohabiting the same space. We are thankful for her talent to love others and to dislike contention. 

Aliza came home and treated Anna to pie! Anna said she had been missing out for 18 months. Aliza has been well trained and doesn't stop with one but makes many. We have thoroughly enjoyed the almost complete family dynamic while they have been home. 

Be still my heart the precious moments of all safely gathered in, of learning, and enjoying being close to one another. I absolutely treasure these night gatherings. Wrestling, fighting, jockeying for your spot, and fitting in the space. Sharing, wandering off, testifying and trying. We are very blessed. 

I'm so behind in cataloging as it has been a swirl of life, emotions, expectations, and enjoyments. All in all we are blessed, the holy ghost does guide and protect, and life is Good.