January 2016

Our January started off with the realization that we had 9:00 church.  Early church is an accomplishable task if you just have to wake up and get your self ready and go.  But, when you have to get 4 people ready and 3 of them are unwilling participants...  it's the pits.  We had a nearly perfect attendance streak going from the last year.   And I didn't want to break that.  So I decided that a change of attitude was in order.  I decided that preparation is key.  

"Saturday is a special day...  it's the day we get ready for Sunday...  we bathe in the night and we lay out our clothes so we save ourselves time in the morning...."  

So far, 5 weeks in, we have been successful.   We have been on time.  We have been decently dressed.  And we are SO tired.  Every week, we lose one of them.  And no one complains.  And the best part is...  I LOVE 9:00 church.  It's pretty great.  Attitude.  

Speaking of attitude.  I was called to be the 10 year old teacher in primary.  I allowed myself 3 days of mourning.  And then I adjusted myself.  And decided to magnify.  It's been so fun.  I LOVE the kids in my class.  They are so smart.  I love teaching them the Book of Mormon.  

Attitude

As we do every January, we are watching Downton Abbey every Sunday night.
Only this year is the final season
So depressing.
What will I do when it is over?
I will have to start over.  There is no other choice.

Kaleigh was born with a little birthmark on her right bum cheek.  It's cute.  I've been watching it all this time.  Not because I have been worried, just because I do that sort of thing.  I still keep an eye on the mole of Brayden's arm that he's had his whole life.  I just monitor their imperfections.  Anyway...  I noticed that her mark was changing.  It was starting to change shape and it was darker on one side than the other.  So, we went to Dr. Scott and he thought it should be removed.  He was so nervous, because of her age that she would be hysterical and it would be a difficult procedure.  But, I said "this is KK, my little elf, who doesn't get hysterical.  I promise you, she will just lay there perfectly still."  He didn't believe me.  But, I was right.  She never flinched.   Not during the shot, not during the removal.  She didn't whimper.  She didn't act scared.  She didn't ask if it was almost over.  Nothing.   And he was in shock and said  "I wish all of my patients, young and old would hold that still."  She is magical.  

We were blessed to find out that everything was benign.

Allie had to get three cavities filled so that she could get her braces on.  Two of them were frontal cavities on her incisors.  As a result of her accident back when she was 3, she had trauma to those teeth.  So we got them all fixed up

And got some braces.  She is the 4th and we have 3 to go....  Ughhhhhhhhh.....  kids and their medical procedures and all of the ridiculous amounts of money these doctors charge the poor parents.  

It could make me sit down a bawl.

Peyton is very smart.   Sometimes she is too smart for her age.  My dad comes and picks her up for school every day.  And on the way, they have little conversations.   One day, a couple of weeks ago, Papa mentions that one day, he will take her on a bike ride.  I am not sure exactly how the conversation went, but somehow she conjured up the adventure in her 6 year old mind and called it "a mile".  Every day for a week and a half, when I would pick her up from school, she would tell me only "X" many more days until we go on our "mile."  I finally asked her what the heck she was talking about.  

"What is this mile?"

"Papa and Me take loads of water bottles and we jump on our bikes and we ride them to that mountain"  and she pointed to Pine Valley.  

"Oh my"  I said "that is really far"

"I know"  she said  "a mile."

Suddenly it made sense.  So I called my dad to ask when the mile was happening. 

He said,  "oh, I suppose it could happen this Saturday."

And I said  "aaaaannnd you are riding to PINE VALLEY?

And he burst out laughing.....  "Um....  no......  I thought we'd ride over to the park."

 We loaded her up with water bottles and knee pads and gloves and off they went.  

They ended up riding 6 miles.  She kept up.  And she was the happiest little girl in the world.

Gracie, Peyton and Papa

Senior Prom 2016
Morgan went with Cody Reusch.
He is the star of the Basket Ball Team and so naturally, he is very tall.
She is having to cram all of the activities that she would have done as a senior, into her junior year.
She is currently enrolled in 19 classes.  The typical second semester junior year classes, plus all of senior year classes, plus 4 college classes from DSU, UVU and Snow College.
Let me just say that "I" have been working my tail off.
Last night, I was emailing an essay that I wrote to a 500 pound college professor from DSU at midnight.  I apparently wasn't supposed to email it,  I was supposed to submit it through something called "Canvas".  But, how was I supposed to know that?  They didn't even have computers when I was in college.  I typed my papers up in the typing lab and submitted them with my two little hands to the professor himself.
Well....... tonight,  I received a response from him that took me back to my college days.  He belittled me.  He made me feel inadequate and reprimanded me for not following directions.
And it was all I could do to not write him a strongly worded email telling him exactly where he could put my essay.  For crying out loud, you arrogant piece of crap, you are a professor of Interpersonal Communications (which is such a stupid subject anyway) at a college where the majority of the students are undergoing academic repentance.  Get off of your high horse, you loser.   And don't you ever speak to me that way again....  I am a 44 year old junior in high school and I am sure I could kick your butt both physically and intellectually.

I'm a little stressed out.
.....................................................................
Back to the Prom

They had a great time.  He was so darling when he walked in.  He said
"ohhhhh Morg, you look beautiful"
What a nice boy.



 Remember that time I decided to have 3 more children?
I was passed diapers, bottles, sleepless nights and messes like these.
And then I made a conscious choice to go through it again.

We were laying on our bed and the mayhem was unraveling in our bathroom in almost complete silence and KK pokes her head out of the door and says...
"Um... could you help us with a little disaster in here?"

I don't know why, but things like this are just funny to me.
I think it's because I know that things like this are not a big deal.
Things like this are EASY problems to fix.
This isn't a disaster.
I have some disasters going on, but this isn't one of them
I love them.
I am so glad that I got the chance to have three more.
I would have missed out on SO MUCH JOY

And finally...   

The Broncos are going to the Superbowl
and this is how I will look through the whole game.