Autumn Days

It has turned into Autumn around here. It is not full blown beautiful yet, but there are some changing leaves, and the weather has finally cooled off, and it has started to rain. I sure love Autumn rain, especially after all the junk we have had in the sky, it is so pleasant, I actually want to be outside! Hooray! 

Things have been moving along around here, the kids have entered the homework stage of school. It seems almost cruel sometimes the amount of homework they have to complete. I wish that our after school moments could be spent involved in other things beside all that busy work.

I have taken to running more consistently again, and I have been enjoying it with the weather change. I sometimes run with the stroller and Zoie, and that is a real test of my patience and strength. My wrist has not been the same since I fell months ago, it just has this ache, and it is my right wrist which is my dominant hand. It makes controlling the stroller with Zoie pulling it very hard, and sometimes painful.

I much prefer to not take both the stroller and Zoie out at the same time, because the stroller by itself is an effort. I am trying to teach Zoie to stay more behind the stroller, rather than pulling it in front like an Iditarod sled dog. I am trying to teach Zoie a lot of things, but I am not sure if I am cut out with this dog-training stuff. Her energy vs. my lack of patience come head-to-head often. I would not really recommend getting a puppy with the chaos of small children running around either, unless you are already familiar with dogs, extremely patient, or a dog-trainer. (I am none of these things.)

Trying to train her to do certain things with so much distraction and temptations often seems futile. Apparently, she is entering the teenage years, so she will start to become even more stubborn and test her limits. I love teenage people... teenage dogs? I am scared. I do love her, and I feel connected to her after raising her these 8 months. I just so often feel bad for her with the chaos that reigns here. But I talked to my hair lady (I go in like once a year to fix my hair), and she has the same aged Doodle, and no children, and she said her dog is just as bonkers at this stage, and she is familiar with dogs. I am trying to exert some patience, not just for the short term training, but the long term picture of her growing up and becoming a more calm and obedient dog. You may be wondering why I chose to add her to my already crazy full house... I often ask myself that very question. If I ever discover the answer, I will let you know.

I have been writing sticky notes to my kids and leaving them in random places. Henry was so excited about his. It is nothing fancy, but it just shows that I care. And I do!

We have another trumpet in the house. William decided he wanted his chance to blow the horn. For months, maybe years, he claimed he would never join band, and certainly he claims he will never sing in choir like the other kids. (Sammi and Daniel said they would never sing in choir either -- HA! Now they live and breathe it. Thanks to a teacher who simply asked them to join.)

William wants to do his own thing, and I get it, I really do -- I am very like William in many ways. He did not want to be pressured by his siblings to do something he did not want to do. (I never pressure my kids to do extra-curricular activities, they get to choose.) So I left it wide open, and I asked the older children to back-off on the pressure, and when the band teacher came in to recruit in the elementary school, William was all for it! He even chose to play the same instrument as Daniel, which surprised me. So far, he is loving it, he really likes the teacher, and that makes all the difference when it comes to learning music. He has been practicing and is getting a good sound out.

It is hard for him to be the third child sometimes. William is a very good boy, and he really has to fight for attention because his older siblings are so involved in life right now with activities and demands, as well as Henry being little and needing supervision and help so much of the time, and let's not forget adding the dog... the dog that William wanted, but can get very frustrated with now, as she gets crazy with him when overly excited.

William loves one-one-one time with me, and so I try and take him out with me to the store, or to run errands, and other fun things, so that we have that quality time together. He loves to talk to just me, without distraction from the sounds of singing siblings. (They are always singing and talking about choir together, which is great, but hard for William to be heard over their fortissimo level.)

I love my William. I am excited to see what he chooses to do in the future.

It is not always easy finding your place in a family dynamic, I get it, I am the fourth of five children. It is hard when you feel like your voice is not heard, or that your efforts are not as celebrated as other children. It is hard to balance all those things out as a parent, especially as a single parent with no back-up from a spouse. I have to try and maintain sanity for myself, and also try to balance the needs of my children. Doing it alone is hard. I've learned how to manage things, with the help of the Lord. But I really do wish we had our two-parent family, because husband and wife working together to raise children is a beautiful and divine organization, and I see the tremendous value in the way family is organized. Children need a mother and father. I see this so very clearly. I miss having the completeness. I miss it for me, I miss it for my children.

Speaking of wishing Charles was here... I have to take Sammi out for 50 hours of driving so she can get her license. Now, that may not sound that bad, but it is all on me! And I spend my time in and out of the car during the day as a child-chauffeur, so getting back in the car after school is the last thing I want to do, especially when after school is homework, dinner, and activity time. I do not know how we are going to squeeze those hours in, but we will try. It might be awhile before she is able to drive alone. She has inherited Charles' old car as her vehicle. This car has a story all its own.

They say angels play trumpets, right? ;)

Daniel has a new talent. He can play both, it sounded pretty cool!

What could be better than relaxing on pumpkins? I am sure I don't know.

Speaking of pumpkins. Check out these babies. (Thanks, Rachelle!) These were actually my last cookies for... well, I don't know how long.  But I have decided to give up sugar, because I really do think it has been affecting my health physically and mentally. I will write much more about that later. In the meantime, I need to find other ways to enjoy my love of pumpkins.

William made "GAK" at school. He was pretty excited about that. He is in a combined class, which he was not originally excited about, but he loves his teacher, and has been having lots fun.

Henry loves his pinwheels.

Henry is enjoying kindergarten. One day he brought home this little book. I was curious about what he would write to describe his family. Count the number of people there on the page. There are 5 people (and a car). Henry says he has, "A mommy, a Sammi, a Daniel, a William, and a Henry." Nope, there is no daddy on there. It was kind of a sad moment. He knows he has a daddy, he can even identify him, but he does not understand how he is part of our family when he is not actually living in our home. It is going to get even more interesting in the future when he starts understanding things more. I just hope all of my children will be ok, despite not having a father in the home. I will continue to teach him about Charles, and of course, most importantly, Heavenly Father and Jesus.

Some days Sammi be like...

Daniel had to go and "supervise" at a junior high dance. He said he ended up being a DJ, and he played some jazz music. He loves Jazz. I have kind of infused it into my home since they were babies, and for some, it has sunk into their soul.

Daniel had a cool experience after the dance. He had run out of battery on his device, and was not able to contact me, and so he started walking home in the dark. The school is about a 10-15 minute drive, and a LONG walk home, and he was carrying all of his school stuff and instrument. He said he prayed for help, and just moments later, a car pulled up to him. It was Sammi's good friend, Katie. She was so kind to drive him home. We heard from Katie, she explained that she saw this guy walking and passed him by, but had a feeling she should turn around. She went back and saw that it was Daniel. We are so grateful that Katie listened to the Spirit and saved Daniel a long walk in the dark! Prayers are answered, and so often they are answered by the living angels among us, who listen to the promptings of the Spirit!

Some days Henry be like...

Having a chat at the kitchen counter. Oh the many conversations we have here.

Daniel has been doing car washes almost every Saturday since school started. He has done them for choir, and Honor Society. He is a busy guy, and I want to make sure he doesn't burn out. But it is also good for him to learn how to work hard. I am grateful for the opportunities he has had to learn how to serve. I am also grateful for kind people who offer support. Thank you Levi Gates for donating the cleaning supplies for the car wash!

Funny enough, I decided to go to a carwash, but my car was in need of some serious help, because it was covered in ash in strange places. I decided to go and have it cleaned by the machines. William came along for the fun. Of course, right after washing it, it started raining.

I have been working on the tires on my jogger stroller. It was time for some slime, and I also had to get it patched because the goat heads got the tube nice and damaged. (Thanks, Tyson, for patching it!)

Henry may not have a Dad, but he does have a Dan. And funny enough, riding on Daniel's shoulders is a much higher view than it would be from Charles. I am so grateful my boys are manly boys, because it makes me feel safe. I know that God planned it this way. Daniel has got some serious muscles too. I am grateful for some strong children around here to help with things. And don't mess with Sammi, that girl is tough! If I want to move heavy furniture in the house, I call her.

This was the message from my herbal tea. I have been drinking some non-caffeinated herbal teas to help with healing. It is an acquired taste to be sure. Basically, it is just drinking a cup of herbs. Yum? 

I taught a lesson on how to Share the Light within us. I teach the 16-17 year old Sunday School class. It is the BEST calling ever. I currently team teach, with a combined class, with an awesome lady, and we alternate weeks. I don't normally bring a lot of props, but this week called for some. 

My dad sent me this Care Bear when I was in the thick of sickness and mono. He lifted my spirit through love and kindness. I brought Sunshine Bear and talked about the "Care Bear Stare" and how it relates to sharing our light with others. Here is the definition...

THE CARE BEAR STARE: The Care Bears' ultimate weapon is the "Care Bear Stare" (a.k.a. "Belly Magic"), in which the collected Bears stand together and radiate light from their respective belly symbols. These combine to form a ray of love and good cheer which could bring care and joy into the target's heart.

And there it is, right? 

RADIATE LIGHT to form a ray of love and good cheer, which could bring care and joy into the target's heart!

I just loved it! 

As we share our light, we can help others to heal, we can bring care and joy into the hearts of others, and we can bring others closer to Jesus. Sometimes we might feel like we are too small to make a difference, but that is never true. And we do not have to be perfect to share the Light either. The Light of Christ is powerful, and we are meant to share the Light that we have with others, and even the world! Do not be afraid to share your light! The more you share it, the brighter it will glow! The worst thing to do is to hide your light, because you are afraid. Let that light SHINE! 

It is that time of year when Pride and Prejudice is a must. Sammi and Daniel were watching it together. I was kind of in-and-out while they had it on, because it is long, and it is hard to sit still that long sometimes. I remember the first time I saw the show, I was unsure about it. I had never read the book, and so it was all new. I had a hard time getting over the annoying mother's voice, whining, and acting. But after a few episodes, I was hooked and a huge fan!

That moment when I start identifying more with Mrs. Bennet than the other characters.

Another Herbal Tea message.

It is getting really beautiful out there. I just love fresh air. I love being able to breathe!

Henry can get pretty tired after school.

We went for a walk for family night. It got dark, and it was fun to walk together by the river. After the walk we went for a car ride in the dark. We turned on the Disney pandora station and the kids were in Heaven. We had the windows rolled down, the music was blasting at full volume, and we were all singing along with Disney music. I believe those are the moments my children will remember: The magic moments. So often those magic moments, are music moments.

Me and Sammi.

Sticking together in the dark. (It got way darker than the picture.)

I found this sign at Michaels and I had to have it. It is what my Nan (Grandma) always says. I love you a bushel and a peck, and a hug around the neck.

I took Henry with me to look for Halloween things. He was so funny, he thought all the really creepy stuff was awesome and funny. My older kids freaked out when they were his age. I don't really do creepy Halloween, I think it is yucky. I like to do more fun Halloween things, that are more Autumn themed, or just silly and cute.

I got some activities for the kiddos.

It has been raining! I love to have the windows open and hear the rain. The other day there was a pretty sweet thunderstorm too -- my favorite!

I had a really great experience I shared on Facebook...

Mari Lindquist van Ormer

September 15 at 9:12pm

Miracles still happen! There is so much light and good in the world. Today, I was sitting on the couch, feeling under the weather, and I was just praying that Heavenly Father would send me something, anything, so that I could know that He loves me and is aware of me. I decided, despite not feeling that great, that I would go sit outside on the front lawn with Sammi and enjoy the coolness in the air, and the lovely wind that was blowing. Just a few moments after being outside, I noticed two very cute young ladies walking towards our house. They had name tags, and they were carrying a book... a very familiar book, The Book of Mormon. I smiled as they approached and they asked how we were doing, and I exclaimed, "Do you have a gospel message for us?" They looked a little shocked and said, "Yeah, we do, do you want to hear it?" I said, "Let's hear it!" and before I let them go on into detail, I said, "Wait, wait... I am Mormon, too!" After that we just started talking, chatting about different things, and the subject of family came up, and I mentioned being a widow. Almost immediately, one of the sisters opened The Book of Mormon to Alma 7:11-12, the perfect scripture to lift my spirits. We talked about Jesus and his power to lift us in our afflictions. They bore their testimonies and I shared mine. It was a beautiful conversation, too long to type here. But the whole time I was just amazed that they were even there. I prayed, and angels literally showed up on my doorstep! At one moment, one of the sisters said, "I can just tell that you are strong." I mentioned I do not always feel strong, but she said as a missionary, she can see others how God sees them and she knew it was true. We talked about the Light of Christ and how we could see it in each other. It was just like sitting and chatting with heavenly beings. I let them know that they were inspired and they were following the Spirit to come and talk to me, because I needed them. They were just walking around waiting for their dinner appointment to be ready, and I just happened to have gone outside at just that moment. A miracle! They left us with a prayer and blessing on our home, and the sun was shining through the clouds right in my face as they prayed. Sometimes in my life, angels are unseen, and other times they are right there in front of me, talking to me, and bringing me closer to Jesus. I felt so grateful for the knowledge that I have of the gospel, and for those who so eagerly are out there willing to share the gospel Light with the world, because today, I was the one who needed that Light! I know that God loves me, and He hears and answers my prayers. Miracles happen. I love Jesus. God bless the angelic missionaries!!!

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God has been good to me. :)