Do I Have To?

My Home

Do I HAVE to make a new post? If I do the picture of my stick-straight new hair cut will no longer greet me as I pull up my blog. And it is very fitting now that I have to kiss my straight hair goodbye! We're officially moving to the suburbs of west Houston, and the humidity will force me to have big crazy afro hair.

Russ accepted a job offer with BMC Software. A total career change. A huge leap of faith. Leaving my family, the trees, the lakes, the rivers, friends like family, a dreamy neighborhood and everything we love and cherish. What in the heck are we doing?????? I could kick myself in the bum.


I have been in such a state of gratitude for SO SO many years now. I could live and die with my dated kitchen with the teapot backsplash. I am just so grateful for it. I love my home. I need nothing more. I was planning on raising my family here.

Today I have mentally checked out. Already downed a huge bag of popcorn staring off into space and took an accidental nap on the couch with 8 children swirling all around me. I've never done that before! I've got to get with the program because my to do list is so long I wonder if it is achievable. Mom and Dad have helped so much...they have saved me!!!!

For now, I will choose not to think about it because denial is a great way to keep back the tears.

WHAT'S NEW...

A NEW 'DO

I got my annual haircut. Yes...once a year.

Chad: "Wow, Mom! You look like a supermodel. You look like Brittany Spears. Wait, is she pretty? Well, what I'm trying to say is you look stunning."

Alyssa: "Mom, I NNNNEEEEVER thought I'd say this, but you look hot."

A NEW BOOTY.

A NEW TEENAGER! Went boarding for his birthday and got...

A NEW AIRSOFT GUN.

There is nothing soft or airy about it! This thing can do some serious damage. He is happy to now be a winning competitor in the airsoft wars in the fields by the house. 8 guys from church played for 4 hours last weekend. They are having the best childhood running through the forest!

A NEW RANK

He planned the whole court of honor where he received the Star scout rank! I love when the boys have to pin the rank pin on the moms. It reminds me of prom or something!

A NEW ITEM ON MY TO DO LIST

Russ totally upset: "Why did you throw the rock at the window?!"

Ava feeling justified: "I thought I could throw it OVER the house."

A NEW PROUD MOMMY MOMENT
Alyssa's school worksheet: "What would you do with one hundred dollars?"
Her answer: "I'd give it to my sister, Sarah, so she could buy a new bike."
Made my day.
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A NEW JOB OFFER.
Coming soon...
Can't think about it or it makes me cry. We love it here.

My Husband is Great

I know, I know. Everyone that knows Russ, knows this. But I just am so grateful for him lately. He loves to take the kids snowboarding. I mean, how cool is that? He and Sarah both went for FREE this week! 6 hours of memories with your Dad...very cool.

As I type, he is reading scriptures to the kids. The discussions are always interesting. Chad is devastated to learn that there will be work in Heaven and not a bunch of video games. And in learning about the spirit of discernment, Chad was sure that the bishop would know if Chad wanted a Krispy Kreme donut or not. And when the topic of polygamy came up, Sarah felt incredibly jipped that women didn't get lots of husbands. Anyway, so scripture study has ended, and now he's reading a book to Sarah like he does every night. I don't know how his voice doesn't get worn out!

I was totally flattered when he asked me out on a date Saturday night. Just the way he asked made me feel like a school girl being asked out by her crush. He always makes me feel beautiful and desired. We went to his favorite place with all you can eat freshly grilled made to order steak. He's known to down 5 steaks in one sitting!

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He was invited to be the speaker at the Families for Conservative Change meeting this week. I heard he rocked it. He's SO well read. Always reading. Loves the founding fathers. Loves The US Constitution. People said he should get into politics, but he'd rather teach US History and coach basketball. However, his wife wants him to make more money than that pays. Poor guy! Some day.

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He also can restore order to a wild and crazy home. My house is very loud. The kids are wild and crazy. They fight, they play, they whine, they laugh, they scream, stuff is flying everywhere. When he woke up from his nap today, the kids immediately started behaving and peace was restored. He's magic! Or just firm and consistent. Russ can save the day.

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And I can't forget to mention his eye-candyness. All of that weight lifting has done a body good!

Long Recap of the Latest...

Of course we microwaved peeps for Valentine's Day. We do for every holiday! Came home late from a ward conference to this beautiful Valentine's Day sight...a candlelit table set for two and dinner made by:Sarah all by herself. Orange chicken with heart shaped bell peppers and heart shaped rice. She really knows how to spoil her parents!

President's Day at Mom and Dad's was awesome. I loved playing poker with Dad and Ben...and for some reason I won! I have no idea how (beginner's luck!). I still don't really know what beats what. But poker with your brother and Dad is always more laughter than strategy. I totally came from behind and wiped them out. However, I still have NO clue how to make a poker face.
Took the kids on a walk to the old community dock. This old staircase is WAY steeper and and longer and scarier than any picture can capture! I swam here when I was my kid's age! And my Dad just refinished the dock with his bare hands.

We threw huge boulders. What's more fun than throwing rocks, really???



Dreaming of a family photo in this spot.

Russ took Chad night boarding!!!!

A bit icy but fun. We've had a snowless winter and every day it is shocking! But I'm loving it.

Chad told a girl she had a mustache, she cried, so I told him he had to wax his. I mean if this poor girl is going to be waxing for decades, he might as well understand what she goes through! A natural and logical consequence. What a fine and creative parent I am.;) Anyway, he did it and laughed through the whole thing but now has great empathy. And he knows if he ever does it again, he's busting out the waxing strips!

And the main thing that's been going on this last week is a lot of this
Saint Ardis painted my ENTIRE basement!!!!Saint Larry redid our stairs to the garage.
Saint Larry fixed our jacuzzi tub.

For several days now Mom and Dad have spent loooong days painting, fixing, and scrubbing too many things to count (at least a dozen big projects) just in case we have to sell our house. They have saved us thousands of dollars with their elbow grease and brain power. Dad can fix anything. ANYTHING! And Mom can make anything look new again. They are so very sweet. I call them the Spirit Lifters. They always leave me feeling like a million bucks. My gratitude is overflowing!!!

No job offers yet. Russ has applied for 21 jobs to date. And that's only the ones he can remember. Only 2 companies have interviewed him. Both loved him. Both companies are waiting for an open position. But when they do...if they ever do..he's the man.

Meanwhile we enjoy things like Ava eating Fun Dip out of a Frisbee
And it's things like Fun Dip in a frisbee that make life good.

Snowboarding Hillbilly Style

How to Snowboard Hillbilly Style for your Daddy Daughter Date:

1. Park at the local ski resort for free.
2. Buy NO lift passes.
3. HIKE up the nicely groomed bunny hill.
4. Snowboard down.
5. Hike back up the bunny hill.
6. Repeat for 3 hours!

She loved it!

It was FINALLY Alyssa's turn to go snowboarding! Chad and Sarah have been going for years but we kept waiting for Alyssa to be old enough for the stamina and patience it requires. For years everything was "Too hard, too heavy." But no more! She did awesome and Dad ran down the mountain after her cheering her on. Just the thought of it is so endearing.

No job offer yet, but it's coming soon. I found out the closest ski resort to Houston is over 1000 miles away in New Mexico. That makes me sad because the kids really love boarding and we have several resorts in our backyard. Geesh, we love this place we call home! Possibly having to leave it too painful to even think about.

Preschool Dilemmas

Chad taught the lesson for family home evening last night about staying away from drugs and alcohol.
Chad: "Ava, one of your friends at preschool is smoking and says, 'Hey, Ava, do you want a cigarette?' What would you do?"

Ava: "I would drink it."

Chad: "No, you don't drink cigarettes, you smoke them."

Ava: "Oh, I would smoke it."

Don't worry, by the end of the evening she learned how to say no to drugs. :) And she has no idea what a cigarette is but she thinks it looks like a bug.

My Celebrity Hair Stylists

Hello, bloggy blog. Sorry I've ignored you, but I've been sick, sick, sick. AGAIN. Finally better.

So what do you do when your body aches and everyone else is laying around sick too and thus has watched entirely too much TV? Grab all of the hair ties in the house and announce we're having a hair style contest! Everyone had a turn and I was the lucky model who got to sit on her bum and had her hair brushed for an hour. I was so miserably sick I could barely stand to move, so this was the best fun I could come up with and I got pampered all at the same time. Double bonus. I totally have the best memories of doing this to my mom growing up. We'd put 50 barrettes in her hair and she'd act like she loved it! We followed with an award ceremony and here is what Russ labeled each do...

Ava's Masterpiece got the "Springfabulous" award

(Yes, I felt as sick as I looked...)

Russ gave Alyssa's Do the "Patty Playful" award. (huh?)

Sarah's Creation: "Blue Bow Beautiful" Award

Chad's busted out the power tools and got the "Braid-o-licious" Award

We'll definitely be doing this again.

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My fairy godmother and fairy godfather stopped by (aka Mom and Dad). They knew I had been sick so while I was out driving kids around they stopped by and did all my laundry, scrubbed bathrooms, vacuumed the whole house, the garage, made dinner, etc. etc. I wish I had pictures of that beautiful sight! Watching my Dad push a vacuum around and my mom do her thing is so touching. Makes my heart melt.

Meanwhile, Russ has a job interview in Houston in a couple weeks. It would be a total career change into software sales. They may let us stay here. Maybe have to move. We'll see. I don't know anyone from Houston. I'd love to talk to someone that is raising a family there!!! Anyone have any Houston connections???