Grandparents Come!

Grandma and Grandpa Hanna came and spent a whirl wind of a weekend with us.  Most of the kids (3 of them) had activities going on that weekend so they came in to watch and support them in the fun. It was a lovely weekend, both in weather and in happiness.  I love when people come visit, but I don't know if it was the ages of my kids, the activities we had going on, my state of mind, or the fact that they stayed at a hotel (sigh) but this was one of my favorite trips that they have taken out here.  I feel like memories were made, relationships were strengthened, and love was felt.

We started out vacation with a trip to Brock's football game.  This game ended up being a turning point for Brock's football career.  When my parents planned to come I warned them saying, "just so you know, Brock doesn't play".  But Brock had been working hard and praying hard and this was the first game that he started playing, he played almost the whole game and after this game he started, then he started and played first string the rest of the season!  Brock has always loved (and played his best) when people come watch him.

Then they watched Noah's play at the middle school.  He did "A Wrinkle in Time".  

On Saturday morning we all went to Maddie's soccer game.  As per her usual Madison scored a bunch of goals.

The week before my parents came Megan accompanied the primary children in the primary program, playing "I am a Child of God".  My parents missed it, but during second hour we snuck into the primary room during singing time and they let Megan do it again so her grandparents could listen.  She did awesome, again.

It was so great having them come and share in the joy, accomplishments, and hobbies of my kids.   Besides coming and going to a lot of events we also played hard. 

Dane LOVES his grandma... sometimes a little too much.  He doesn't leave her side the whole time she is here and is saying, "grandma read me this book", "Grandma, play soccer with me", "Grandma, you wanna play trains with me?"  It is adorable.  They came a month ago and he still asks if we can go pick up grandma from the hotel.  

Eve wasn't quite as warm, but she did warm up eventually. 

On Saturday my parents treated us to a whole day of fun! (literally).  They got the kids all day, unlimited passes to Main Event.  It was thrilling.  We all went for a few hours, and then Jason took the babies home to nap and we stayed a few more hours, and then my dad took just the kids back at 9:00 at night and stayed until 11:00! They plated while he watched "the game" (who knows which one) on the screens - my family is usually a little frustrated when they come to our house because we don't "get the game".  Afterwards he took them for fancy ice cream.  On a personal note I realized that those 2 hours of just the 4 kids playing together and doing something "big" did more for their relationship than all the discussions in the world about "loving each other" can do.  It helped me create a vision about how to help these 4 through the next 5 years of teenagedom.  We need to drop them off and  things and just let them create their own relationships without us there.  At home they are mostly all in different parts of the house, doing their own thing, so we need to drop them off at an activity.  I am grateful my dad  came and was willing to take them, it was an answer to prayer and helped me see my next steps. 

Grandma won bowling.  My mom loves bowling.  She loves any type of game or competition, it is one of my favorite  things and strongest memories of my mom.  Surprisingly I took second, I am normally a terrible bowler, but today I was feeling it.

Megan

Brock

Brock may or may not have used the little kid slide to ensure a spare.

 

Noah

Madison

Jason - Bowling with a baby like a boss!

And Dane was NOT short of helpers!

My dad hung out with Eve and she came to love him

They also played laser tag together.

They also did a high ropes course.  This was exciting for Noah and Megan.  They both get a little nervous at stuff like this (can you see it on their faces?) But especially for Noah, he had been unwilling to do the ropes course the last 2 times he had opportunities, despite really wanting too, and trying a few times.  But he did it today and was very proud of himself.

Megan

Noah

Madison

Then we played a bunch of arcades. 

And last but not least (always my favorite)  they took us out to dinner to Red Robins. It was fantastic.   

We crammed a lot into 5 days, but it was so fun. I am so grateful they are always willing to come out and build special relationships with my kids.  Going to their house is fun, and important, but it is different when they come here.  My kids are blessed with good grandparents on both sides!

Conference

We love our conference weekend.  Dane thoroughly enjoyed "guess who's coming to dinner" - even the delivering part. 

Brock wanted his haircut for Homecoming (the night of conference) so in between sessions I cut all the boys' hair - including Danes.

This year's conference was a little rough.  Brock had a football game during the morning session and homecoming during the evening session and Madison had soccer during the afternoon session.  Jason did all of those so I was home managing conference and the babies - which proved to be very difficult.  I ended up giving up on listening to conference and just played with the babies.  That hurt my heart, and then I felt guilty for it hurting my heart because I really shouldn't love conference that much and OBVIOUSLY I can watch/listen/read it later and I should just focus on my kids, but my feelings got in the way and I couldn't feel the way I wanted to feel, it was a vicious cycle.  But then Jason came home from the activities with the kids and then they had to make up conference - so I was alone with the kids/babies again.  It was a difficult weekend - not because it was actually difficult but because it didn't match my expectations and I had a hard time adjusting and being flexible with my emotions. 
 

Homecoming

This cute boy went to his first high school dance.  I was reluctant to let him go because it seemed "shady".  Back when I was in high school I (and my friends) went to school dances before 16.  It was a date.  But the parents justified it by saying "they go as a group".  It was a lie.  Sure, we went in a group, but we were paired off in dates.  Obviously.  I didn't want to be tricked, like our parents were.  But truly they went as a group.  Most LDS kids have always just gone in a big group, just like a stake dance.  they all go, they dance with everyone, boys mostly hang out with boys and girls hang out with girls. No body asked anybody.  Ok, off my soap box.

He was pretty cute about the whole thing.  Because he is a boy I didn't even think about what he would wear.  I figured he would just wear what he had.  But he cared.  He asked me to iron his shirt AND his tie and tried on 2 or 3 different ties.  He also asked me to help him do his hair and he shaved of his own accord.   

He is the sweetest and I hope he stays liking me throughout his high school years.  He did tell me yesterday in the car (while I had taken 2 hours out of my Saturday to take him to a job fair) that I was "sometimes annoying about all the stuff I wanted him to do".  Well... if that's annoying then call me annoying, because since football ended he sits on his bed listening to music or audio books from 3 pm - 9 pm.  So... I will be telling him things to do!

One of the girls mom is a photographer so we got a lot of pictures.

Emily Rosenbaum, Audra Marriot (Brock has a crush on her and I am sure purposely stood by her), Brock, Ash Henniger, Evan Roper, I don't know that girl (and neither did Brock), Dallin (I don't know his last name), Riley Whey, Cameron Neyenhuis

The Rosenbaums hosted a dinner before the dance.  

Oh, and Homecoming is a BIG deal here.  It takes up 100% of their whole week.  They have movies, bon fires, sports, dinners, games, etc everyday the whole week before.  And becasue he is a teenage boy I will likely never have pictures of him at any of those activities.  It is sad to start to loose a bit of his history and life.  

 

She is walking!

It took a while.  But now she is walking and running.  Having her not crawling anymore was sad.  I love having a crawling baby.  I love when they come up and put their hands on my legs while I do the dishes.  I love the sound.  I love their little bum in the air.  I love when they get stuck.  But her walking is pretty fun!

 

Primary Program

Megan has become a wonderful piano player.  She was asked to accompany "I am a Child of God" in the primary program.  She practiced for weeks and weeks and poured her whole heart into making it perfect and she did a phenomenal job.  It was perfect.  No mistakes.  Smooth.  Beautiful.  I was so impressed.  She has greatly exceeded my piano skills and I am so proud of her.

 

IEP's and Parent Teacher Conferences

 First quarter just ended and I have finally wrapped up all of my children's Parent Teacher Conferences, IEP evaluations, and 504 evaluations.  I feel the need to report my complete joy  at the wonderful reports I got from their teachers.  Every single meeting I attended the teachers praised my children.  They all seem to be thriving.  They all perform very differently at school and have their own set of strengths and weaknesses and over the years many of them have struggled with many different things.  For years I would get in the car after parent teacher conferences and just cry.  The stark difference this year was so obvious I needed to record it.  My kids are happy in class.  Social.  Participate.  Engaged. Inquisitive.  Caring.  Productive.  Hard working.  A light.  The boys' teachers specifically pointed out that they are a "joy".  I have no idea what it is really going to take emotionally to get these 4 kids through high school.  From my vantage point right now it seems as though are hardest days are behind us (I have put in SO MUCH blood, sweat, and tears to get us here, I (we) have labored and worked and prayed, studied, researched and sacrificed) but I feel to say that I know things swing back around and there will be hard days, weeks, and years.  There may be a year when all 4 are struggling and I am back in that car crying.  But that too will swing back around and I need to remember years like this.  We are building.  It is messy.  But we are headed in the right direction.  I am so proud of my kids.  The best thing about them is that they are good.  They want to be good.  They want to do what is right.  They want to help.  They want to be successful.  I have come to find out this isn't true for everyone, and not everyone has that innate instinct.  It has nothing to do with the parents.  It is just inside of you.  And all 4 of them have it.  It has made parenting a joy.