Birches

I have put of f writing this post because I just don't think I can do it justice.  Colorado became home to us very soon after we moved here.  It happened so fast BECAUSE of the Birches.  They became our family.  Our personalities just clicked and they really took us in.  Veronica becamse like a sister to me - in lots of ways - but in a service kind of way.  We helped each other in the way only sisters help each other.  It was just known and expected.   They also love hosting and cooking and had us over on most Sundays and for every holiday.  Most of our kids were the same ages and the husbands even got along.  In fact Aaron has become one of Jason's good friends.  Well - they moved to Georgia in October.  It was and is very sad.  Besides Jason and I the move has been the hardest on Madison. Lucia was her best friend and she has cried SEVERAL times about loosing her. 

Aaron, Veronica, Elena, Carmen

Vaughn, Harry, and Lucia

We (the ward) threw a going away party for them.

Marisa Neyenhuis, Veronica, Angela Jensen, Julie Roper (we had it at her house)

Christina Marriott, Cindy and Paige Hamilton

Lucia, Elena, Madison, and Lana Olsen

I had people write favorite memories of the Birches.

Aaron made some delicious pork and homemade rolls (as usual)

Mike Clark, Bishop Glen Roper, Matt Olson, Jeff Bullock

Ammon and Davidson Jensen and Aaron

Brian Neyenhuis, Jason, and Reid Hamilton

Julie Roper, Kris Merrill, Nicole Bullock, Heather (and Mollie) Child

Me and Veronica

Marisa Neyenhuis, Leslie Prusee, Veronica, Hazel Cope, Whitney Olson, Christina Marriott

Ella Anderson and Carmen

Evan Roper, Megan, Cameron Neyenhuis, Madison, Noah, and Harry


Then the Sunday before they left we had them over for breakfast for dinner.

Aaron and Jason rocked the breakfast.  Jason made waffles while Aaron made lots of meat!

Then we had them over the night before they left. 

I talk to Veronica several times a week still and hope we maintain our friendship.  It still hasn't really settled in that they are gone.  I felt reassured about having these babies becasue I knew Veronica would take care of me and my family like we were still in Utah.  I know there is going to be a huge void and I am going to just have to pull up my big girl pants and do it alone.  She (and they) have been a example to me of unity in a ward, reaching out, and ministering.  We hope to take what we have learned from them and pay it forward.

Madison's soccer

This was Madison's 5th season playing soccer with the same team.  She had a rough start at the beginning of the season - but by the end she was really having fun, working hard, and making several goals.  She says she likes games but hates practices... don't we all... don't we all.

She got to play goalie a few times and loved it - she was pretty good at it too!

This is from her last game - they got cookies and cupcakes.

 Go Lady Panthers!

Baby thoughts

I was really hoping to have the baby last night.  But here I still am.  I wanted him last night becasue I was in charge of my ward's primary program and it was on Sunday - so anytime after Sunday I was fine.  Now I don't want him too close to Thanksgiving - so yesterday or today would be great. 

So far he is following much the same pattern as the last 3.  I get to 2 cm and 50% effaced around week 34 and then have pretty hard surges for a few weeks.  Then it goes quiet for either a few days or a few weeks (this is where we are now) - and then I go quick.  From like a 2 to a 10 in 2 hours.  I am not doing anything to put myself into labor - he is still kind of early - but if he wants to come - then I want him to come.

The primary program went great.  When I got called to the presidency the first thing I wanted to do was change the Primary Program.  I hate the way our ward does it (5 or 6 kids give talks - everyone else just sings in the choir).  I wanted it to be more personal and meaningful and let more kids participate.  It kind of took over my life - but it was ok because I had  the time to work on it.  I probably put 50 hours into it.  I "interviewed" kids on Sundays and then took what they told me and turned them into little testimonies for them to share during the program.  It doesn't sound like a lot of work - but it was.  Anyways... I really wanted to be there for it.  On Friday night I thought FOR SURE I wasn't going to make it.  I was clearly in pre-labor.  But by Saturday afternoon everything had slowed down and here I still sit.  Everything is done.  My house is clean.  My bags are packed. My fridge is full.  Now I am just waiting.

Brock's Soccer

Brock tried out for and Made the Silver team for Real's competitive soccer league.  This has been a long time coming.  Brock was born with a ball in his hand.  He is very athletic and loves sports - he could most likely excel at any sport he dedicated himself too.  He has mostly chosen soccer as his main love for now.  He has always played on Rec leagues but last  year he said he didn't want to play anymore if he had to play on rec leagues.  He was by FAR the best and sometimes the only one who knew what he was doing.  It was frustrating for him.   It was fun to watch him be dedicated to soccer so much this season.  He had practice 3 nights a week for 2 hours and sometimes had soccer all day on Saturdays (and travel an hour or two for several games).  He gave up a lot - but never complained.  He had a great season and has learned a lot.  I especially loved watching him.  Watching my kids play sports (or something they love) is one of those "pay back" moments as a mom.  It seems to make all the hard stuff worth it.  And Jason... he took this project on.  I was actually against it.  So he was the one to really help Brock get ready for try-outs and work with the coaches and managers and get Brock to and from games and practices.  Brock owes it all to his dad - I just cheer!  

Fall Break: Swimming

We ended up going swimming twice.  Once I took the girls and their friends.

They all have mermaid tails and loved being mermaids together.
Madison, Zoe, Megan, and Delaney.

Madison climbing the rock wall.

Then we went the next day.
Madison, Megan, Anna, Zoe

This time Noah wanted to come and he brought Riley.  I sat and read books.  It was a win win.

Fall Break: Rock Climbing

When you turn 7 you get to go to our rec center and get your own rec card and you are also old enough to use the rock climbing wall (the rec centers are free... well it comes from our HOA payment - which has been a great blessing to us during this time - there are lots of fun things to do for free).  Madison has been VERY eager to go since her birthday.  Finally during Fall Break I took her.  Megan wanted to come too.

Um... these girls were awesome.  When Megan went last  year she was timid and didn't climb much - which is weird becasue Megan has always been my climber.  Well today she redeemed herself and Madison was amazing.  They have 5 walls - you have to pass off wall number 1 to climb wall number 2 and so forth  -each wall is harder and harder.  Every time I have taken a child they usually only attempt one wall and if by the end they pass off the wall they don't attempt the next wall until the next visit.  Well, we stayed for an hour and a half and both of them climbed all 5 walls!!  I was amazed at their strength, determination, and courage.

Fall Break: Jumping place

The kids each came home with a coupon to a trampoline place for a free hour of jumping.  We went with our good friends/neighbors the Oakerstroms and the Barretts.

Mark and Brock played dodge ball almost the whole time.

The other kids played a lot in the foam pits.

Fall Break

Ahh - fall break!  This was kind of a weird emotional fall break.  One one hand I was VERY aware that this was the last real time with the kids and me before the baby comes.  BUT I was also feeling VERY pregnant and unable to really do a lot of fun things with them.  I was really only up for 1 outing a day.  ALSO - things financially kept getting worse and worse and there wasn't any money to do anything.  AND I needed help around the house.  I needed a lot of jobs done that I hadn't done since summer (clean baseboards, blinds, etc) and we needed to do the weekly cleaning.  I tried to find a good balance and looking back I think we did a great job.  On Sunday night I let them all pick their own jobs and they had all week to do them - on their own schedule and at their own pace.  We spent most of the week just lounging around and playing with friends.  Everyday I told them I would take them somewhere if they wanted.  Most days they never took me up on my offer.  In the following posts are a few times they (mostly the girls) did.  I was also very "nesting" and we desperately needed to go through all the kids' closets, clothes, and deep clean and declutter their rooms.  I had them pull out their beds and clean baseboards and vacuum under all furniture.  I did one kids a day.  Noah told me I had gone crazy.  

The list of chores for the week!

Baby Bump

36 weeks

General Conference

We had such a wonderful general conference weekend.  My sweet friend (and former VT - Jane Guthrie) really spoiled us with wonderful general conference packets and supplies.  She gave each child their own journal and pen (the pen had a pin will on it that really entertained the children).  Megan and Madison took a lot of wonderful notes and learned a lot.  The boys didn't take notes but played a few games and just enjoyed listening.  We did our usual "guess who is coming to dinner" prepping for conference.  

Jason took some pictures - I just love general conference and I love that my children really seem to love it.  That was my goal - and it seems to be fulfilled every six months.  Brock had a soccer tournament this weekend - but he honestly chose to not go and watch conference - I actually didn't give him a choice or anything - when he saw that that dates conflicted he said, "I don't want to miss conference - or make the family miss it". 

This year was especially great because it was Megan's first time coming to the Women's session with me.  I had been looking forward to this for a year.  It is funny - when they first announced it Megan was 5 or so and I didn't have the best attitude.  I thought - "this is my night off - to be with other women and to be spiritually fed and then go out for dinner and dessert and enjoy the night away to get refilled - I don't want to have my kids with me".  Terrible attitude - I know - but true.  Then last year I remember thinking  "I can't wait for next year when Megan can come with me."  IT is funny - begin with older kids isn't draining or hard and i love hearing their thoughts and perspectives and growing our relationship.  

We went with some other women and their daughters to Shake Shack before the session.  

Then we went to the session.  Megan is a wonderful first daughter.  She is very helpful, responsible, and a hard worker.  She is also very nurturing and king.  But mostly she is very spiritual.  She came to the world that way.  As a VERY young child she was always drown to pictures of Christ and specifically angels - her prayers have always been deep, personal and non-repetitive (evens as  young as 2  her prayers were like that).  She has taken notes at general conference as long as she has been able to write.  And she is my only child (as of now) that reads her scriptures on her own and marks them.  She has a tender spirit and I can't wait to see how she serves the Lord in her life.  It brought my heart such joy to sit on the bench next to her and take notes together.  Afterwards we talked about what we learned.  Her biggest take away is that as women we have been given special spiritual gifts to know how to serve people and we often know what people need.  She has talked about it several times in the lastmonth or so as she has tried to help her friends and family members.