Yard Sale

Despite being sick these last 5 days, we managed to get everything together for a yard sale on Sat. The weather was perfect and we weren't sure when we would get a chance to do it again, so we bit the bullet. It felt so good to sell stuff that we don't use, and we even sold some junk! We didn't get rid of everything like I had hoped, but we have more space and more money for other things we need.

Connor had fun! He was playing hide and seek in the cabinet. Unfortunetely we couldn't get rid of the cabinet.

Hayden stayed with me throughout the whole sale and helped me. Even when there was noone around and his friends were playing, he wanted to stay and help. So we gave him $5 for being so responsible. He is going to use that money along with other money he has been saving up for a pirate ship-probably Peter Pan. We have a bid on EBay right now that ends tomorrow night. I hope he gets it. He's been waiting so long! I'll keep you posted on that!

The Training is finished

I should have updated my blog when it first happened, but I guess I wanted to make sure that it was working first. Connor has been fully potty trained for over three weeks now, including nap and bedtime. No more Pull-Ups! Shortly after Serena was born I realized I didn't like two kids in diapers, but I had no idea that Connor was going to be so good to me! I can't believe how easy it was! I thought potty training was the worst thing in the world before Connor! Especially because he can be so stubborn and independent sometimes. But he surprised us all. Way to go my boy!

Great Friends

We have so many sweet and thoughtful friends, sometimes I wonder if I deserve them! Yesterday my Mike mentioned to Mike Ashton that our mower wasn't working and that our grass was getting taller than Connor. After work, Mike Ashton shows up on our doorstep and says, "Ashton Lawn Care at your service." He insisted on mowing our grass! Thanks Mike, we owe you a lot more than ice cream!

So last night I mentioned our mower problem to Josi. Tonight after I put the two younger kids to bed, they show up to see if they can fix it! Well, by the time he was done, Dave said, "You can buy a used one for about $35." I guess if Dave says that, it's not worth trying to fix!

Both of these families are threatening to move out of state on us, but we really don't want them to go. I'm not so good with change. My Mike and Mike Ashton have been running together since they moved here about 5 years ago. That's a tradition we just don't want to break!

At least I still have my Jamie! (and family!) I feel bad for Jamie because I know how much she would love to live near her family, but thinking only of myself, I'm glad she is here! She had me and the kids over this past weekend to stay over Fri. night and all day Sat. while our husbands were up in NY at a race. Not only was she a great hostess for us, but kept a smile on her face the whole time with little sleep and being 18 weeks pregnant!

Forever Dishes

Sometimes I feel like my life revolves around dishes...and kids of course! But tonight is the first night this week I can go to bed with a sense of accomplishment, simply because the dishes are done! And when I don't get them done, I have failed for the day! I've been frustrated about being behind in housework, but because the weather has been so nice this week, the kids andI have spent lots of time outside. So I have to keep reminding myself that it's okay, as long as I am spending quality time with my kids, it will all work out.

Last night was book club and we talked about a book that was a compilation of letters written by Marjorie Hinckley, wife of the prophet. The letters displayed her everyday life, which at times are the same things that I go through. The book made me realize that it's okay to record everyday life, because one day I will be looking back on these days and wondering where they went. And I will be grateful for the little details that I recorded. I can only hope that they will be interesting for my kids and grandkids as well.

Grateful for life

This was one of those moments where you are grateful for health and safety. Let me just say that we were not in that truck, but right across the street, we were waiting on the corner for the bus just a moment earlier. The young man driving the truck and the other driver were both okay. Hayden's bus had just picked him up and had driven down the street when I heard a horn honk and then "crash." I turned to see the truck hit the telephone pole and roll. I called 911 and helped the man (CERT training at work!). Then as trained professionals arrived and I stepped back, I looked at my two kids still in the stroller, and was so grateful that nothing happened to them. I'm also glad it didn't happen one minute earlier when the truck could have hit Hayden's kindergarten bus. I think I will be a little apprehensive about standing on the corner from now on.

Food storage

I've felt the urgency lately to work on our food storage and preparedness. Has anyone else felt that way? It's getting scary-all the things going up in price. I can't even order wheat through the Church website right now because they are backed up due to the wheat crisis. Even though we've never had that much extra money to work on food storage in the past, I still feel like we have "eaten, drunk, and been merry." What will happen tomorrow?

On a more cheerful, positive note, Serena is really expressive now. Yesterday Serena and I were sitting on the floor with Connor and something he did made her giggle! It was so cute. It was one of those moments you just want to bottle up and pull out when you're having a bad day or in twenty years when your kids are having real problems.

Easter Eggs

West York has a really nice Easter egg hunt at our park every year. They divide the egg hunt into 3 seperate age groups so that the younger ones get a chance to have some eggs. Connor took a minute to figure it out, but soon got the hang of it. His age group was really cute because the kids don't really know what's going on yet, so their not so pushy. Hayden's age group knew exactly what was going on, and had no mercy! (Parents are not allowed inside this one.) Hayden had a little basket that he filled up quickly, so I put about ten eggs in the pocket of my sweatshirt so he could go back out. As he did, another kid ploughed into him and knocked him over and all his eggs spilled out of his basket. (It's like I was watching it in slow motion.) Suddenly, other kids noticed more eggs on the ground and dove for them-they took almost all his eggs before I could get to him and grab some. I gave him a hug and he said "I'm okay, with a crying face." Two moms had their boys give a couple of eggs to Hayden-to which I am so grateful. I don't even think they were the ones that took his eggs in the first place. I understand those kids who took his eggs didn't realize what they were doing, I just felt so bad for Hayden. Anyone who knows him recognizes his sweet, gentle and thoughtful personality. As I was watching this scene I thought about him as he grows up in this cold, cruel world and that things will happen to him that I have no control over. It was an introspective moment. Later we had fun painting our Easter eggs.