Farming 4 Hunger

We had an opportunity to participate with our community in a big service project. It was a great day.  Everyone had a good time working and it was hot but not too hot.  In fact on the way home Grace said she had so much fun and could we go again next year.

After many hours of working we packed up and headed over to Ethan's soccer game.  We lost but had fun watching him.

 We got home around 5 and everyone showered and we fixed dinner and played outside.  We had a feast of crab and steak, corn on the cob and broccoli and chocolate cake.  It was a really special and tasty dinner.

It has been SO SO nice having Clayna here.  They are fun, easy going and helpful.  It was a top 10 weekend!

Tonight we are watching a movie and tomorrow going to church then they will head home.  

Fair Day

Every year we get a day off from school to go to the fair.  It's a fun tradition.  Today was the day!  We got there early and did all the usual fair stuff!  We looked at the animals, watched part of the horse show, Grace had fair hostess duty, we ate fatty food, rode rides, saw friends, got free stuff and looked at the giant produce!!

Grace,  Ainsley, Arden, Ellie and Izzy.  Cute girls!!  Ethan took off with Eric and Hannah with Chelsea so we didn't get many pictures of them.

After Arden rode the giant drop her legs were too weak to walk to the next ride.

what is Clayton doing?

Jenna and Clayton met us at the fair! Everyone was thrilled to see them!

After a long, hot, sweaty day full of fun we went home, walked the dogs, then met up with dad at Cheeseburger in Paradise.

look at the clouds reflected in the water

We've been busy with the usual things.  Swim clinic, kick boxing (ha!), culinary, soccer, homework, laundry, girl scouts, mutual, dog walking, car pooling, work.

I dream of simplifying.  This morning I passed this boat on my walk and thought what would it be like to live on that, full time?  Tied up somewhere different, floating along.  I don't think I'd really like to but there is a simplicity and a peacefulness to it.  I am enjoying our slightly decluttered home more.  There's always more to shed.  I'm loving how quickly I can run through the laundry.  I am considering tackleing Rob's ironing pile.  

Tonight we are having a presidency meeting here.  Looking forward to that. 

Tomorrow is fair day so no school!  We love fair day!

Tomrorw Jenna and Clayton are coming to visit!! So excited!! We haven't seen Clayton since the wedding and even though we saw J last month it's been a long time since she's been home to see us, almost 2 years!!  Dang.  It'll be great to have a weekend together.

weekend recap

Friday night dad went fishing.  He caught a big one!  Usually Grace wants to go with him, but not this time so he was solo.
While he was gone we played badminton and went to Salsas for dinner, then came home and watched Edge of Tomorrow.  Which I liked.

 Saturday Hannah and I went to the stake youth activity.  She didn't want to go and said she didn't have a good time.  Despite this report I think many of the youth did have a good time.  We had planned a volleyball tournament and a kick ball tournament with brunch in the middle.  The weather forecast was really bad so I asked the missionaries to come do a youth district meeting with the kids and we planned indoor games so the kick ball rotation could move inside.  Anyway, since we had such a great back up it didn't rain. We ended up splitting the kick ball time anyway and having the Elders do their district twice instead of 4 times.  Larry and I both spoke and the games were fun.  It did rain a little but we played anyway.  I thought it went well.  Becky and I, with the help of two of our awesome ward YW leaders who wandered by and offered themselves as chefs, made tons of pancakes.  I think the food was a hit.  We had fruit and juice and milk then lots of pancakes, blue berry, chocolate chip, traditional.  It was hot and yummy.

While we were gone Ethan had a soccer game.  They won 3-1!  He played keeper the first half and on the field the second half.  I hate missing his games, they are lots of fun to watch.

Saturday afternoon Ethan went to a birthday party for Tyler. It was a sleep over, although Ethan wasn't going to sleep over we were planning on getting him at 11. At 10 we got a call that that birthday boy was sick and to come early.  2 min later we got a call that John's dad was there and would bring the both boys home.  So that was a bummer for Tyler.  Ethan said that the rest of the boys had a good time.  They had mission BBQ and played football/basketball/soccer the whole time. (from 3:30- 10:00)

Between soccer and party the menfolk mowed the lawn.

Grace, who now lives next door :), played with Arden a lot of the day.

Sunday we church, then dinner, then Rob and I went back to the church for an adult fireside on finance. 

Hannah spent some time feeling sick this weekend, and now Ethan does a little.  It's the time of year I guess.  Although I suspect E's illness this morning was spurred by the "forgotten" homework.  Sadly it's not going to be a good day for him.

kick boxing

yep, you read that right.  Hannah and I went to a kick boxing class while Grace had her swim clinic and Ethan and dad were at soccer.  We were like an exercising crazy family.  I was concerned but wanted to be "fun" and "supportive" and I have to say the hour went really fast and I had fun and I could do some things that I was surprised I could do.  So sweet.  I had to document it because who knows if that will happen again.

Also it's raining and we had to walk the dogs in the rain and we got very wet but it wasn't cold so that was okay.  R and I said to each other " next week we won't be able to do this without umbrellas. "

Also also I bought curtains for my bathroom....a year ago.  I remember well because it was right before I hurt my back, which was last September, and I had started painting and got the curtains.  Tonight we put them up.  Yay!

over

Mary, Martha, Molly of just me??

silly sisters

In the story of Mary and Martha I have always sympathized with Martha.  She's a good woman, doing what women do. Serving. Maybe Mary loved Jesus more and that's why she rushed to sit at His feet, unable to allow herself to be away from Him when the opportunity came.  Or maybe she was prettier, and Martha wanting to show her love did it the only way she knew how..by serving; preparing a meal, sweeping the hearth.
While I know, and have every confidence that the Savior loves each of us with an infinite love and that He looks on the heart not the countanance we don't all have an equal capacity to receive that love.  So Mary trusted, perhaps a bit more, that she was of worth and we are taught that she chose the better part.
The practical application of the better part is sometimes difficult. Yesterday was a busy day for me.  I had a lot of things planned, things that were good, serving others things.  I woke up looking forward to my duties.

Mornings are always the same, 5:30 alarm, children in and out of the showers, needing shirts ironed, "oops I forgot" papers sign, back packs looked through one more time, lunch made, rides given, dogs cared for, teeth brushed...
Then I headed out the door to do a ward orientation. I always look forward to these, they are so sweet and lots of fun.  Just as I was walking out the door I got an emergency phone call from a friend, who was in despair, and didn't know if life was worth it.  We talked for a few minutes and I promised to come visit that very evening.  While I drove (an hour) to my meeting, I considered which of the good things, the serving others already things, I had on my schedule I was going to rearrange so I could now do a different good thing.  I called Rob and asked him if he could please get home "early" read: before 6pm, and drive Ethan and Grace to swim clinic.  He agreed.  This man of mine is a worker and we have to request his presence if it's daylight hours so I was happy that he could do this.

Orientation went well.

Came home and made a pie then started the picking up of children.  Today we added piano lessons for Hannah to our routine.  She has been asking to take again for about a year, and promised to practice and has been working on praciticeng on her own, which is a good sign.
By 4 we were all home, children were doing homework and I was making dinner for us and for the Wiests who had a new baby.  I talked to the kids about the altered evening schedule and that I was going to be out and that they needed to be ready to go when dad came to get them.  I have really good children.  The girls helped with another pie and Ethan showed great concern about my evenings visit. Grace even agreed to wear the less desirable pair of goggles with out complaint (this I found out later) because the good ones were in my car and my car was gone.

By 5 I was out the door and off to deliver dinner.  I got to hold baby Petra and hear about the birth, and the adjustment to having two little ones, and the itchy rash (there is always something for us moms!) and it was a delight.  I really like this little family, they are faithful and bright and cute. After that I went to my friend.  I thought a lot about our Sunday School lesson from last week and how to offer comfort as I drove.  Job's friends sat with him for a whole week, without saying anything.  They were just there.  I thought I would try that approach since I don't ever know what to say anyway, there isn't usually anything too helpful to say.  So I sat and I listened and I hugged.  Helped? Probably not but I showed up.  Interestingly both my new mom friend, and my struggling with life friend said to me "I know so many people have it worse than I do", and it occurred to me, and I said to each of them; yes, there is always someone who is suffering something harder, or that we would think of as worse and while it's great to count our blessings especially in times of trial, and we should, and that helps; it's also okay to recognize that at the same time the struggle we are having is real, and worth consideration, and hard.  A friend saying "that's really hard, and I'm really sorry" is a gift.  Life is hard.  Wonderful and worth it but terribly hard at the same time. This validation is a precious thing.

Well, the day ended as all days do.  I did some good things, some Mary things.  Also did some Martha things, still cleaned the kitchen, twice.  Still changed the sheets because the dog threw up on them.  Still....

So I am not really Martha, as you can find dust in my corners and laundry in my baskets, and I am definitely not Mary.  I am not Molly (Mormon) that darn pinterest is the death of me and my heels aren't high and my hairs a mess.  I am just me.  If I was talking to someone else I'd say, and I'd believe,  "that's all you have to be! you're great! Keep plugging along, improving, doing your best!"  To myself I say "you are called to do better, to be better...keep going....I think I can, I think I can!!"  Or on a not so kind day I say "this is why you will never make it to the celestial kingdom".

farm day

The rest of the weekend

playing sequence and one of me in my cute agnes & dora skirt ready for church

 We had a second soccer game.  While at the first one we sat in the pouring rain and were cold the second was in the middle of the afternoon and was sweat rolling down your back hot. It was a good game, full of action and drama! In the end we left with a satisfying tie, won at the literal last minute.

Grace spent the day next door.  Early in the morning two cute girls knocked on our door and thus ensued a lot of running back and forth, mostly there though. I kept checking in and they kept keeping her.  Hannah was home all day and had the easiest baby-sitting day of her life I think.  Finally at 10:30 pm they sent her home.  Lucky Grace!

Rob and I went to the temple.  Bishop came with us and we had a small plates worthy conversation coming home and experience there.

Went to church. Testimony meeting was powerful.

Jeff is our new home teacher so the Streeter crew came over after dinner and we hung out together, had a lesson and ate my favorite Popsicles ever.