Friends vs Family

I've told you once, I'll tell you again:

"One loyal friend is worth more than a thousand relatives." 
-Euripedes

The last couple of years, I have learned some of the greatest lessons of love, support, consistency, and acceptance from all of my dear friends.  I count my friendships with others (not just those in these pictures) as some of my truest blessings in life.

There is something uniquely divine to a good friendship--my experience with friendships has been that friends know they have to keep up the relationships, so time together is greatly sought after.  My experience with family too often seems, that relationships are taken for granted and time together isn't as valued.  I could easily find more friends to make it a priority to spend hours together at the park just visiting, relaxing, and not wanting to leave, than family members on all sides.  Too often, families think relationships will last because of mere lineage rather than time.  It makes me sad, but such is life.

Back to Sunday... Though there are lots of smiles in the pictures above, it wasn't one of the more jovial times together.  And though thank heavens I don't think there were any tears (kids included--I think!), there were some pretty somber, serious conversations.  Life is heavy for each of us in our own ways, but what a change in pace to sit in a park, under blue skies and a bright sun, picnicking with friends, on a peaceful Sunday afternoon.

Getting that many schedules to jive is usually no small feat, but I think a greater power knew how soothing this time together could be and the first day and time suggested accommodated us all.

Sunday afternoon was a sun-shining, warm reminder that life is good.
It really is.
Even if it is sometimes hard.

Using the NON-Christmas Present

Today's report of last weekend, really wouldn't be complete without using part of the blog post I have in my drafts still from December.

Of course on Christmas Eve, we didn't know the uncertainty in our lives (and finances) that would be coming our way.  Ironically though, our current uncertainty, has made Mike's Christmas Eve decision seem more and more right.  Yep-you read that correctly--seems more right.  After all, our circumstance is fairly temporary, but Megan's talent will be lasting a lot longer than that...

Mike laid around in bed most of Christmas Eve morning not feeling very good due to a cold. I politely refrained from asking him how long until he was going to get up and do something productive.

But before I knew it, I heard Mike saying to Megan, "Why wait any longer? Let's go get it."
Mike's few months of research, Megan's patience, and my closed mouth (surprise!) finally resulted in...

Megan's upgrade to a pedal harp!

(I love that she was so excited, she didn't even take her coat off before she started playing.)

Like Mike said, We can't afford it now and I'm sure we won't be able to afford it in three years either. But talent doesn't really wait...

And though Mike finally decided to get it on Christmas Eve.
It WAS NOT a Christmas present!

Now back to this last weekend, I had a very busy week, culminating in a big event I was part of on Saturday (will be blogged about soon).  Megan had a harp recital in Salt Lake--all was fine that I wouldn't be able to attend this event; Mike would be there with camera and video camera in hand, we'd all watch it together Saturday night, and life would be good.

Well, during the day on Saturday I noticed I had a couple of missed calls and then a text that read: "Where are the boys supposed to go?"  Oh yes, minor detail.  I had promised Mike I would arrange for a babysitter for the boys during the recital.  But in the hussle and bussle of my own preparations. I forgot!

Oops!
Drew, though a lover of music, I guess had no interest in the recital music on Saturday.  So Mike spent the recital outside of not only the recital hall, but clear outside the music store, to alleviate Drew adding any sounds to the musical performance.  Being outside the building, didn't lend itself well to Mike being able to hear any of Megan's piano or harp performances.

Just as well he wasn't inside, as the video camera that was beginning to show low battery at the horse show the previous evening had forgotten to be charged.

Such is the life of a parent, it wasn't that we didn't care, it wasn't that we just stayed home, we both gave it some good effort but we fell a little short.  No pictures and no recordings, but we've heard the songs over and over enough times from practicing, that I think all will be well.

Add to it that Megan recently played at a Stake YW activity, the City Hall (which she was featured in the local newspaper for), and will be playing in a couple of weeks in Sacrament Meeting, and we didn't and won't be missing those performances-life is good.

Pictures or no pictures;
Megan is good.
Very good at the harp.

(PS--I have found it quite 'coincidental' that Mike chose to purchase the big, heavy, pedal harp a couple of months before major back surgery where he can't lift anything heavier than 6-10lbs for 6 months!!!  Instead he stands by and 'directs' the move and lift into the car.)

A Blurry Cowboy

This weekend was chock-full of so many great events, that instead of doing a  long 'weekend' post, please oblige me while I spend the next few days focusing on one event at a time...

Back in December when I was looking at cameras I wanted to purchase, the man at the store said, "This one will be great for capturing moving targets at your kids' sports events."  I didn't feel the need to expound on the fact my kids aren't really the sports events type.  But, I did wish I had paid more attention to his advice AND read up more on the camera user manual before Luke's first Horse Reining Show on Friday night.  Luke was a moving target for his whole event and oh man what cruddy camera shots I got.

Surely a second place ribbon makes up for the fact Mom doesn't have great photos of the event.

A photographer I am not. A proud mother I am.

Goats, Kindness, and Crocheting

Oh man, this week has been one of those weeks that I've barely been keeping my head above water, but it is all worthwhile. You know, kind of like that 'be anxiously engaged in a good cause' thing. But there are a few things I've had mulling around my mind, so I'll get them out.

*The other evening while working in the back yard, I heard Luke call to me from the cul-de-sac. He was taking Hank The Goat on a walk. Complete with a leash and everything. My son was walking his pet goat. (Now that is one line I don't think I EVER would have dreamed I would type!!) It's become a daily occurance, although I made some very serious threats when Luke attempted to allow Hank into the house!!

*The other morning while running I passed a lady doing something I couldn't quite figure out, then when I passed her later on, I saw clearly what she was doing. Crocheting! The lady was crocheting while she was exercising. I wanted to stop her and ask her where the time in her life is that she can just do one thing at one time, shouldn't exercising be that time? But then I remembered that just a block back, I was texting three friends planning a friend picnic this weekend. Why oh why do women multi-task too much??

*I am having some really honest conversations lately with Megan. Why oh why are girls so unkind to each other. Poor Megan has been on the receiving end of some really brutal two-faced personalities this last school year. The sad thing? Having to tell her that some girls never grow out of it. We all (but especially women) need to just BE KIND!

*Speaking of kindness, yesterday I was the recipient of a stranger's kindness. And though it was a tiny act, it was just the kindness I needed during a very crazy, tense few moments. I made about 549 phone calls to Mike in this first few minutes, perplexed at my situation, and then my 550th phone call to him was me in tears telling him how kind a lady was and how I am now committed to be kind to EVERYONE, ALL of the time. I know--kind of a far-fetched goal, but I can try.

*Continuing with my kindness thoughts; I love our new hand-made sign (that I owe my sister-in-law still for!) in our family room that states, 'Kindness Matters'. Indeed it does.

Happy Weekend.

The Next 76 Days

Despite the fact that the first day of summer vacation I...

Picked up 5,291 Otter Pop wrappers from the back yard
Swept the kitchen floor 654 times
Called Mike and told him I was SERIOUSLY considering calling a local day-care to get the rates for a certain child to attend.
Was dismayed at the aftermath of a eating popcorn and playing Legos combo for three of my children and two neighbor kids.
Picked up 343 towels from my backyard while the children picked up the other 8,729 items strewn across the lawn.
Gave my kids a reprieve from the 'summer tasks' for the first day.

I am still feeling optimistic about the rest of the summer.  I've had a couple of people ask me lately how I feel about all my kids being home for the summer.

My answer?

I love it.  I love summer vacation, I love my kids home from school for a couple of months, I love the do-what-we-want-when-we-want kind of feeling without schedules of school, homework, bedtimes, etc.  But I do love the return of routine when school starts again.  There is something about the more routine, organized schedule of a school year that keeps us all in check. But a two-three month vacation is glorious too.

Although, with that said, summer vacation definitely isn't all Otter Pops and water games around here.  Just like last summer, the summer before that, and the summer before that; we have daily morning task lists that include such things as; homework sheets, pick-a-chores, music practicing, bike rides around the local trail, and summer goals.

And when Luke said the other day, "Why do we always have to do homework sheets in the summer?  No one else does!"  Mike and I gave him the standard reply, "We don't care what other people do. It's what WE DO."  Luke's follow-up comment was cut short by Mike's reply, "No one else I know has a goat either, should we get rid of Hank?"

Luke had no further comment.

All in all, I think the summer and us will get along just fine.
(For the most part.)

From This to That

No more lllooonnnggg school programs that don't hold pre-schoolers interest.

(Yes, I  have no problem admitting that the only camera I took to a school program was my cell phone!)

No more 'parents needed' field trips:

(And we wonder why state test scores aren't as high as they could be!!??)

No more dragging undressed kids in the car to take children to school with over-sized items such as teacher gifts, report props, birthday treats, etc. that aren't easy to transport on the bus:
 


No more sixth grade graduations:

(If the students don't even want to be there, do you think the parents do?!?)

No more Megan at this school, that she has loved so much (well except not really this year!):

It's time for toddler stunt riding:

It's time for neighborhood out-door parties:

It's time for SUMMER!!!!!!

The Last Hoorah

I can't decide what was the most exciting part of our elementary school Field Day on Wednesday.

Watching Megan, as a member of the Student Council, dutifully sit in the dunk tank. 

I wish you could see better the look of sheer excitement on Luke's face at the thought of being the first to dunk his sister.

When Ellie's baseball throwing attempts didn't result in a dunked Megan, she just ran up to the 'button' and pushed it.

• Somehow allowing my competitive streak to come out, and racing other mothers, students, and the principal in the 50 Yard dash. And oh boy am I feeling it today--but the satisfaction of a couple of good wins outweighs the pain.  (sort of)

The glory of the win is taking precedence over the unflattering nature of the photo!!

• Playing on the blow-up toy, laughing and bouncing down the slide with my kids and a few other PTA volunteers during the lunch break.

And though the bouncy slides were a ton of fun, the photos of me--a thirty six year old bouncing down them are really not flattering enough to put on here... you get the idea, right?

• The impromptu PTA vs 6th grade tug of war challenge.

I might add that while I was totally fine with the 6th grade students beating us, what in the world was up with my competitive streak yesterday?!?

And quite possibly, the tied for first-place highlights of the day were:

• Speaking with a megaphone. Mike did not think I was serious last night when I showed him one on e-bay I really want for my birthday this fall. It could quite possibly eliminate the need for me to ever raise my voice again...
• The fact that my stint as a two year PTA President is OVER!!!!!!!!!!  Hooray!!