Family Celebration

Jason wanted to reward the kids for being SO AMAZING during the fall with my broken foot and Jason's crazy work/teaching schedule.  Most days they came home from school and were put right to work either babysitting, making dinner, driving kids around, cleaning something, or anything else.  They were awesome.  Jason tried getting a feel for what they thought was a "reward" and they were not very good at identifying that, we had everything from a frosty to a new gaming system (insert eye roll).  One kid said, "go to one of those self serve frozen yogurt places but we can get as much as we want" (spoiler alert: they can always get as much as they want, but this time they wanted it to be guilt free - insert another eye roll).  Anyways, that got me thinking.  Where could we get unlimited soft serve...

 I told Jason, "what about Golden Corral?"  At first he wasn't so sure, isn't it kind of a junky place?  My kids have never been to an all you can eat buffet of any kind.  I don't think they even knew they existed.  I assured Jason that all they would notice was the unlimited ice cream and that they would love it.  We told them we were taking them out and it was a surprise, they didn't like that.  Wasn't this their reward?  Shouldn't they get to pick it?  They knew it was "my idea", which made them even more skeptical, they all have a pretty negative view of me lately and think I don't "know them".  I try not to let it deter me.  I told them to trust me, I KNEW they would love it.  And oh how right I was.  All 6 of them.  Dane and Eve loved it as much as everyone else, it was pretty adorable.  The older kids said things like "why do we ever go to other restaurants?"  "I hope a guy takes me on a date here" "This is where I am picking for every restaurant now."  It was so so  nice to have a win.  Pretty sure they all hugged and thanked Jason on the way out, I wouldn't want it any other way. :)

A few fall things with a broken foot

This post was supposed to be full of WONDERFUL things.  I had big plans for this fall.  My last fall with both of them in the mornings.  But alas, it wasn't meant to be.  We did a lot of things just around the house.

Took a picture of Dane reading to Eve one morning.

Made slime

Coloring.

a few random pictures.

Tons of playing in the backyard.

More book reading

But by late October I was confident to go very easy places with them again.  So we got a few in.

We fed ducks at the park.

Went swimming in November

And played in the "forest" in December.  

 

Megan and the library

About a year and a half to 2 years ago I gave all the kids "life jobs", things that I just couldn't handle anymore.  I can't remember the 4 things I gave to everyone, I am sure I have a list somewhere.  But basically nobody did them... except Megan.  Her job was managing the library.  My children were (and still are) checking out upwards of 50 books a week.  Sometimes more than 100 are on hold.  They are always on different schedules and books are needing to be put on hold, picked up from hold, renewed, found, and/or turned back in.  When I was managing it holds often expired and we often had fines.  Megan took it on and ran with it.  She has managed it beautifully.  I have not had to think about the library in 2 years and we have had almost no fines.  When she can't get a ride to the library she rides her bike.  She manages the WHOLE families books.  I can't even put into words how grateful I am for her.  She truly lightened my load, I would have probably had to "call off" the library by now.  Just the thought of it gives me anxiety.  This is a picture of the books she picked up off of hold today.  It is a fairly small stack, however, she will likely go back 2 more times in the week and get stacks just like this.  

(some other jobs were: going through, editing, deleting, downloading, and categorizing pictures and videos off of my phone, helping with my blog and blog books, family history projects and printing names for the temple, and.... I can't remember the last one.  

 

Fall Extra Curriculars

Fall comes with all the "fall stuff".  I guess Megan's fall play should have gone in this post, but there were so many pictures, I guess I decided to give it it's own post.  I actually hate that my blog has become so predictable.  Every year I have the same posts: holidays, birthdays, "spring activities", "summer activities", etc, extra curriculars, soccer, temple trips, etc.  I wish I had more journal posts, but I feel like I always just end up complaining about something.  But more than anything I fear my blog lacks accurate emotion.  The problem is I can't tell until a few years later when I have some perspective.  My blog was started because I wanted to capture the "every day".  The things I would forget.  The routines.  I am saying this in THIS post because I usually just name the event and who did it and move on, what it lacks is the reality and emotion.  So I will try.

It is so hard to go to these events.  They are long.  We sit through something for 2 hours and see our child for maybe 5 minutes.  The are in the evening.  We usually have MANY things going on, or nothing, in which case we want to do nothing.  So, sometimes the thought of  them is... painful.  However, I LOVE it.  I LOVE that my children are in choir, drama, tech, I LOVED that Brock was in orchestra and it broke my heart when he quit, although I complained about  going to each one of his concerts.  It is a love hate relationship.  I relationship I would so much rather have than not have.  Sometimes I sit back and look at my children and am amazed at their goodness.  They are incredible.  They care, they are involved, they want to make things better.  

Noah had a choir concert.

And was co-lead lights in the fall play

Brock fell in love with woodshop and poured his heart and soul into a bowl.  His teacher kept sending me pictures and said he hasn't had a student care so much before.  

Noah started the piano again!  I could not be more thrilled.

And Megan had a fall concert, which was nice because her choir teacher quit the day before her choir concert, so it was postponed, but the long term sub put another concert on about 3 weeks later.  We were all sad to loose Mr Garcia - all 4 of them had him.  

Mini MTC

It was Brock's first time at the Mini MTC.  I was so excited for him!!  I was personally a little sad that I wasn't helping out in any way.  I have never been to the mini MTC and assumed once my kids started going, then maybe I would get to go.  I think next year I will just go anyways.  His companion was Will from the Highlands Ranch ward and they actually taught a non-member.  Brock says that did awesome.  

We always host a companionship and this year we got these girls.  

 

Middle School Fall Play

Megan was in the Fall Play, "bedtime stories my dad used to tell"

Here is the group waiting to go on stage.

Megan did a great job, she was the Mayor and had quite a few lines that were funny and full of personality. 

Her cute friends came out to support her.

She even agreed to take a picture with me!

 

Girls Soccer

This is entitled "girl's soccer" because both of my teen girls played soccer this fall, but apparently I only took pictures of Megan.  I DID take pictures of Madison, I also took pictures of Brock's football,  I took them both on the same day and then they all got erased but I didn't realize it until the end of season.  So this spring I am taking a lot of pictures of Maddie.  I do have great video's though - there is even one of her making a goal.  Maddie is great and almost always scores.

 

But here are some of Megan.  (oh - for the first time in a few seasons Megan and Madison weren't on the same team).  Megan usually plays defense and is very good because she is so aggresive.  

It have been fun playing with Liesel and Claire!