Dear Friends and Family,

The sun has finally reappeared after a week of snow and cold. Jeremy had to break the quad out Monday to scrape the drive way - it just seems wrong! And I was seriously starting to wonder if I could handle driving and taking the kids somewhere warm by myself next week (Arizona?) Today between session to celebrate the warm weather we broke out the big stroller and we all walked to a nearby field where kids ran around and Rocky could poop to his heart content. Its been a great two days but it reminds me that as a mom the line between being abused and loved is a very fine one. I would have one kid on my lap and one squeezed in on each side, squirming, whispering with droplets of spit flying in your face, wanting help with their questionnaire booklets and then later their sewing projects. On the plus side I went into the weekend not expecting to hear much and was surprised by how many talks I was able to hear at, least big chunks of at a time.

Taylor seems to enjoy his new school. He comes home quite chiper and happy. I decided I was being lazy by just combing the tangles out each morning and have started gelling his hair in a messy spikey way - looks very cute. And its a good motivator for me to shower him every night instead of saying its late and we're tired, he can skip a day. As puberty is hitting more - he really can't skip anymore. Taylor has been very congested the later part of this week and stayed home Thursday to be snotty with us instead of his teacher.



Spencer said his stomach was hurting Monday and ended up calling from school 10 minutes into the school day to come home. I always take his declarations of sickness with a grain of salt as he goes a bit overboard in displaying how weak and pitiful he is. But he came home and slept till lunch, drank a few sips of soup (DOWNED a soda), watched a cartoon and then was back out till dinner. So obviously something was wrong. Tuesday was spent in the whiney, grouchy stages of being sick where you just want to smack him upside the head and send him to bed. But Wednesday he went back to school and has been fine since.

On Friday Robyn and I got to drive Spencer's class through a wet, cold snowfall on a field trip. We hiked around the State Capitol, the Daughters of Utah Pioneers Museum and the This is the Place Park. There was a tour guide, a scavenger hunt, pulling handcarts, watching different exhibits and learning the Virginia reel. I decided that the teachers' plans were to have the kids move at such a fast pace that there would be no time for any mischief and no one could complain about being bored.

I came home zonked out and recovered by talking to not only my parents but Mimi as well on the phone. I was thinking of how lucky I am. Despite not having any of my family in the state, I will within a years time spend time with my parents and all of my siblings plus I get to talk/blog with them all the time. It is pretty amazing. Revitalized by family we packed kids up and headed out to UVU to watch Meredith's senior dance showcase. Robyn was mesmerized, Allison and Spencer were a little bug eyed. It was modern dance so it was a combination of coolness and weirdness. Robyn was there with bells on meaning she had her swimsuit on under her clothes and a Santa cap on her head to stay warm with a fistful of candy and yelling for Meredith. Honestly she was pretty good but I am sure some parents were wondering about the competency of her parents. Spencer hit his limit after 30 minutes and his head started bobbing.





The difference between boys and girls amaze me. Girls giggle and hold hands and sashay. Boys nervously only hold onto wrists or clothing and never sasahay only stumble back and forth.

Allison lost her first tooth Monday during FHE as we drove treats around to Jeremy's family. She was VERY excited and proudly took a capri sun to school the next day for lunch so she could suck with a straw through her "hole" in her teeth. She has been having play withdrawal and has been busy writing, directing, making costumes, scenery, tickets, posters etc for "her" play. She has been happy to play with friends everyday and is in her own little world while friends are over. It doesn't really matter what you say or ask if friends are around it just passes right over her head. We're working on that. We found an old pattern of my Mom's to make a tooth fairy doll that has a pocket to store your lost tooth in. She wanted to sew one as well so today has been busy breaking out the needle and thread.

Last night during Priesthood session two of my friends and their kids came over. We made homemade cafe rio style pork salads and the kids were ecstatic to run everywhere. Allison said we planned the party on purpose to make up for sitting all day. Allison and her friends gathered in her room to giggle and make strange crafts out of her sewing basket. I was just excited to catch up and listen to other adult women talk. I swear there is some need that cannot be met by simply talking to husband or kids you need friends to bounce thoughts off of.



Robyn is the cute little wild child. Some days she is doing great in underwear other days you just have to shake your head and wonder what is wrong. I don't have any diapers to fall back on though so we will persevere! She had nightmares Thursday night with all the wind and storm outside and by 2 am I was dead on my feet and made the mistake of letting her crawl in our bed. NEVER AGAIN! It brought back memories of disrupted sleep and kicking and turning all night long. Friday night again the nightmares came back but I stuck it out till by midnight she crashed. I am so glad that usually our kids sleep through the night now as I am not a fully functioning person without sleep. She was excited this week as we got her vinyl letters to write Robyn's nest up on her wall.



Robyn at the capitol.



Robyn's nap time. I tuck her in and find her either sacked out later surrounded by dolls and in some new outfit or she finds me saying its time to wake up!



Robyn "watching" a movie with her friend Tally and then dancing to a youtube video. There is no such thing as "down time" right now with her.

Jeremy has had a photography week. He was able to meet his photo friends for a photo store launch, go to a photo gathering, take pictures for a friend of his dad's funeral and then spending Saturday morning taking bridal pictures and then staying for conference in SLC and taking pictures afterward. With his new EQ meetings and then covering for me, he has been pretty busy.

I was able to go Tuesday up to temple square for the general Relief Society training. I learned a lot. They had some very different approaches for visiting teaching and enrichment that made so much sense when they discussed it. Now to figure out how to implement the changes! Thursday I was able meet two of my friends with Taylor in tow to celebrate a friend's birthday at Kneaders. French toast is always a good way to start a morning! Kids range from crying to giggling, yelling to loving, housework goes from done to piling up and I periodically find a book that steals me away for a while. So although it seems like not much gets done - life gets done. And most of the time its pretty fun. I had my fitness check with Jeremy's work this week and realized my lack luster attempts at the treadmill need to be taken up apace. So the next day I was having trouble walking and bending very well! I am hoping my body and will power will catch up with what I need to do. Jeremy keeps bringing home chocolates to ease the pains of sick or grumpy kids and I am just not resisting! So life is good.

Love to you all, Heather