A few of the things we have done

We have tried to make every day fun so the kids don't miss mom and dad too much. So far it has worked. It's also convenient that they are good at playing together and so easy to please. 

I didn't get pictures, but Monday night we took them to get ice cream from Macey's with a couple cousins and one of our aunts who is in town from California.  I'm not sure why Jared and I have lived a minute away from there for several months and never knew they had the best soft serve ice cream cones for only 47 cents!

The following day three of the boys went to play with their cousins and I took the four girls and Pierce to the Gale Center. It's a museum of the history of South Jordan. It was such a fun place to play. 

 

 Putting on his hat to go through the mine.

 Digging for gold nuggets and the random little balls of tin foil

 That is a real Buffalo skin  but the drum was way more exciting.

 We had just finished our school work for the day but for some reason it's still fun to pretend. 

 Why is it that one of the first things they think of when in an old school room is punishing each other with the yard stick?

 It was easy to submit to a whipping when Hannah had the stick but as soon as I grabbed he ran like a dog with his tale between his legs. I don't know why ;)

Unfortunately my camera died after this so I didn't get pictures of the grocery store, fishing, checkers, milking a cow, washing laundry, playing house, sack races, marbles, and jacks. (I'll have to get the girls some jacks.)

Here are a few pictures of a day of our actual school. Don't worry no beatings here.

  It's been a day shy of a week and the kids have been great! Last night after they went to bed Jared and I set up all these prizes for them to pick from in the morning. Toys and treats are all you need to get kids to behave ;)

 Or maybe it's this face that keeps them in line...

 As much as I wanted to get upset with him for making a mess this was too funny and there is nothing better for a kid than playing with soap suds. I laughed, took a picture and then asked him to do the dishes. He happily did them all.

 Playing with model airplanes.

 All the kids playing "office" together. Well... except Pierce (the legs hanging off the chair) playing DS.

They even have things to decorate their desks. I love that she chose a picture of the Savior. 

She is just too cute. Notice what picture she chose? Yes, that is a little picture of me. I don't think I'm vain, it just makes me feel good.
 
Tonight Creed is off to the High School football game and we just got back from renting Madagascar 2 for the kids to watch while Jared and I escape to go to the temple. Thank you Pierce for being willing to babysit.

5 days down 15 to go

While my parents are off experiencing quite the adventure (picking up two children) in China, Jared and I are here having our own adventure. For three weeks we are the "parents" of ten children. They range from ages 15-5. Eight of them are home schooled. I'll admit I knew we could handle making sure the kids stay out of trouble and are fed but I wasn't sure if I would be able to keep the schedule going with school.

I am happy to say it has now been three days (of school) and things are going well. My mom hadn't had a chance to completely figure out the curriculum, due to many different complications, so we have had to be flexible. These kids are great. They have been so patient and willing to work hard. I discovered yesterday how to check up on their progress (most of their work is on the computer) and realized some of the children needed more direction. Today I said they would have to redo lessons and quizzes until they could pass with an 80%. Some of them had to redo it five times or more but not one of them complained. When I realized how many times they were repeating things I felt kind of bad and made sure to sit down and explain concepts to them and walk them through the quizzes. I love watching the learning processes. Even the children who don't think they're very smart truly do want to learn and will do what it takes with a little encouragement.

This really is a full time plus some job. Even though these kids have been well behaved and very helpful it is still tiring. We were up by 6:40 and I hadn't stopped to sit until about 45 minutes ago when I had to do some things on the computer. Yes, the house is a mess but I decided I should take some time to unwind and regroup soo I can finish out the day with a genuine smile on my face. I know my mom will just say she does what she has to and that she's really not as amazing as people think she is but she's a hero in my eyes. I love you mom!

We're off to a good start and I am anxious to see what we can accomplish in the next couple weeks.

Now to rally the kids to make some dinner and clean this house. 

 

Weirdness

Jared emailed this to me today and I can't help but share it.

 In the words of the philosopher Dr. Seuss:
"We are all a little weird and life's a little weird, and when we find someone whose weirdness is compatible with ours, we join up with them and fall in mutual weirdness and call it love."

For Whom the Horn Honked

(For the title reference, search "For Whom the Bell Tolled" by John Donne.)

BERNICE the Sentra...may her memory ever be blessed...is dead.

IT happened that gloriously bright and warm afternoon of 2 September 2011.

I got off work, came home, and helped Sereen load Bernice for our trip to Reno for Loni Boyd Hall's wedding and for a visit to Sereen's extended family in California. We had spent a considerable amount of money in repairs to bring the car up to scratch. Sereen drove first, because I did not want her driving across the west desert as the sun set in our eyes.

WE had traveled not but a quarter mile, according to the American Standard of reckoning, before a seventeen-year-old juvenile in his mother's vehicle laden with like-minded and aged youth chose the most inopportune moment to exit the parking lot right in our destined path.

AND destiny was not to be robbed that day, I discovered, as rocket fuel (true story) propelled those life-preserving bags of air into our faces and filled the car with the most odious and noxious fumes.

IN a terror-stricken moment where methought my wife injured and our unborn man cub irreparably harmed, I leap'd from our slain vehicle, (seriously now) and pulled Sereen from the car to make sure she was OK. As soon as I got her out of the car, she calmed down. The rocket fuel that they put in the air bags (it makes them deploy faster) left her with a few minor burns and bruises, but she--and the baby--are fine.

BEHOLD--pictures:

KIND of disappointing, eh? I was expecting something a little more epic, too, but my back and neck and Sereen's neck still took quite the hit. Oh well. At least the chiropractor's bill is on the kid's insurance. Rock on.

OWING to the loss of such a fine and faithful steed, we found it requisite to acquire a new (pain in the) asset. (I hate dealing with car repairs...)

WIFE and I found a vehicle much misunderstood by others--though the paint job is uneven (you won't be able to see it in the pictures), the interior (quite frankly) jacked up, the interior bearing a most funky smell, and the windshield cracked, it bears a fine engine with many horses beneath the hood.

BEHOLD--Dash the Mirage:

And since we bought this car for half of what the insurance company is paying us for the other car, we have many repairs to make (windshield, tires, brakes), and I am happy to make them. :)

"How do you feel?"

This tends to be the most common question I get lately.

The quick answer: "I feel great!" I almost feel like I did before I got pregnant.

The long answer: I said ALMOST like before being pregnant. I still find that every day there is something new to discover about what my body is doing. The best part is no more nausea! Instead I feel like I am always hungry. I was a snacker before being pregnant but at least I could go without eating, now my stomach will definitely let me know that it wants food at least every two hours. 
My tailbone had been giving me issues but since going to the chiropractor (due to the car accident which we will post about next) it hasn't given me any issues. Now my mid back likes to give me pain when I sit without the proper support for more than an hour. I'm hoping that after a few more visits with the chiropractor it won't hurt as bad.
My stomach is growing and as a result I am having to switch my wardrobe over to maternity. I'm still able to fit into most of my pants and hope to keep it that way even if I do always have to keep them unbuttoned. I will admit it is a little odd sometimes to look at myself with this round belly and then to bend and realize that it's a little uncomfortable. The best part about it is this means our little man is growing and he sure does like to move around. I will often just sit there and feel/watch my stomach move.

Here are some pictures from today at 23 weeks. Only 17 more to go. I can't believe how fast it has gone already.

I had to post this picture because if I don't Jared will. Even though it is embarrassing it sure does make us laugh. Jared thought it would be fun to take worms eye view pictures of me. I can tell you these are never flattering so of course I decided just to be a goof.

Fun with Chad and Emily!

Chad and Emily may as well become administrators on our blog since they make such frequent appearances here! Here are our most recent adventures with the Dream Team.

First up: Timpanogos Caves

A view from the other side of American Fork canyon on a beautiful, cool August morning.

Chad and Emily in the back, some funny lookin' guy in the middle, and then Emily's brother in the foreground. Emily's brother's wife is...occupied...behind the door in the background. :)

It was a cool cave...really.... But taking pictures in a cave with a tour group where you can't set up a tripod makes more blurry pictures of rocks. Consider this proof that we went to the Timpanogos Cave where we saw THE Wasatch Fault Line. The tour guide assured us that if there were an earthquake during our tour, we probably wouldn't remember it, anyway.

The whole crew!

Caves can cure cancer. True story. This formation makes it look like caves are infested with cancer, but I'm no scientist. Or geologist. :)

That's one pretty lady!...and that goofball popped up again.

Adventure #2: Shotgun Shooting!

Remember that awesome and memorable post where Sereen was practically 007 with that handgun? Chad and Emily bought a shotgun, and we went shooting clay pigeons. Lemme tell ya, when your pregant wife is blowing clay pigeons outta the air, it's pretty darned awesome. Here's proof:

The pregnant belly just makes the pose that much better.

 

In competition clay pigeon shooting, you start with your gun down so that you have to come up and see the pigeon, aim, and fire. Well, that's not what Sereen was doing. She just wanted to make sure she loaded the gun correctly. :)

Emily, showing some pretty mad skills 

  

  

This is Chad, who knows he loaded the gun right and is simply being boss. If you'll notice, the pigeon is flying off the launcher. That's the orange blur between Chad's belt and the barrel.

Ready to fire--boy, that thing was a pain! It wouldn't hold the pigeon in place, so we had to hold it for the throw with either a stick or a finger.

We love Chad and Emily, but you're here to see Sereen and her cute belly. Here is it again.

And again.

I do like me some guns. ;-)

And I do know how to use them!

Obligatory picture of cuteness. :)

Chad and Emily are pretty awesome. We think we'll keep them!