Why do I bother?

Last night our family home evening was a lesson in patience! And yes, I do need that lesson as Pete likes to point out! We started our FHE around 6:45 and this is how it went.

Mom and Dad- Okay time for prayers!

Kenyon- AHHHHHHHHHH! Shaylee just scratched me!

Shaylee- Kenyon kicked me in the face!

Dad- Well, Shay, that's what happens when you scratch someone's foot.

Kenyon- It really hurts!

Mom- Oh! It's bleeding! She really did dig her nails in!

Dad- No, that's just a mole.

Mom- No, it's red it's blood!

Dad- Let me see, yep it's blood!

Mom- Okay, Shay you need to go get one of your new Barbie bandaids to put on Kenyon.

Shay- Okay mom! Kenyon here's the bandaid!

Mom- Now tell Kenyon your sorry!

Shay- Kenyon you need to tell Shay Thank You

Mom- No Shay, you made him bleed! You need to say sorry!

Shay- Oh, sorry Kenyon.

Mom- Okay let's say prayers and then we'll put the bandaid on.

Shaylee is sitting in the little rocking chair. Jaron comes up and pushes her out!

Shaylee- Waaaa! Jaron pushed me out! Waaaa!

Dad- Jaron you can't push your sister out of the chair!

Dad takes Jaron out of the rocker. Massive temper tantrum follows. Jaron throws himself on the floor (almost hits his head on the entertainment center) kicking and screaming. And for those of you who don't know Jaron- he has quite the set of lungs- his screams are blood curdling!

Mom- Okay, Jaron stop! Fine, you're going to time out.

Jaron goes to time out screaming the entire way and the entire time he's in timeout. FINALLY Jaron stops screaming.

Mom- Okay, let's say prayers.

Prayers are finally said.

By this time it was 7:05. It took us 20 minutes to say our opening prayers! Beat that people! I think we hold the world record for longest amount of time to say an opening prayer for family night.

Jaron made it through prayers, the first song, and scriptures by the time the lesson rolled around he was done! Screaming and crying over everything. Let's just say, he went to bed and we had a very nice lesson without him!

There was much eye rolling and long suffering sighs throughout the entire process by both parents. Amazingly! Neither of us lost our tempers.

The Great Wolf Lodge

This summer we decided that it would be fun to take the kids to The Great Wolf Lodge in Chehallis Washington. It opened up last February or March. We read about it and I talked to people about it and it just seemed like a lot of fun. We thought November would be a good time to go. It's gets so yucky around here in the fall, we thought it would be a nice break. Pete gets Veterans Day off, so we made reservations to go Monday night to Tuesday. We were very excited to go, but then my grandma passed away on November 5th and her funeral was set for the day we were supposed to go on our trip. We postponed our trip to The Great Wolf Lodge for Martin Luther King day. That day FINALLY arrived and we were off!


We arrived around 2:15 and were able to get right into our room. We immediately changed into our swimsuits and were off to the water park. We stayed there until about 6:00. It was so fun! They have a perfect little pool area with all kinds of water toys and little slides for Jaron and Shaylee's age. Pete and I took turns being with Shay and Jaron and going to the bigger slides with Brandon and Kenyon.


Brandon was able to slide on all the slides. Kenyon could slide on all the slides, but one, The Tornado, which was my favorite and so much fun! It has a big drop and then half way through this big kaleidoscope circle thing, it's just crazy and fun! Brandon had the most terrified look on his face the first time we went on it, but he couldn't get enough of it! He kept wanting to ride it again and again.


They also have a fun wave pool that all the kids loved. Pete and I just took Jaron and Shaylee on our laps in the tubes and they loved the waves. They didn't care if the water splashed them in the face, they were fearless. There is also a HUGE bucket that holds 1,000 gallons of water that pours down over one of the play, slide areas every five minutes or so. And believe me when you're under it you can tell it's a thousand gallons of water! Whoa! It's crazy!

This is the 1,000 gallon bucket!

This is the wave pool

On the balcony looking down at the water park

After we got back to the room we had pizza for dinner then we went exploring. They have a game called "The Quest of the Magi" where you have a wand and you go on a quest through the lodge to find different items. It's like a big treasure hunt. Brandon loved it! Kenyon just loved pointing the wand at the different animals in the lodge to make them talk. While Pete and the boys did the quest, Shaylee, Jaron and I went to story time at the clock tower. When we were done with this, we went to the Arcade and played there for about an hour. The kids got to bed at about 10:30. They crashed, they were so tired.

The next morning we were at the water park by 9:30, we stayed until about 10:45 then we went back to our room to pack it up. After we checked out and ate lunch we were back at the water park by 11:30 and stayed until 3:00. I loved the water park. I thought it was such great fun!



After we were all changed, Brandon wanted to finish the quests, so he, Pete and Kenyon did that while Shaylee, Jaron and I went to the Cub Club and read books, played and colored. Jaron did end up going with Pete and the boys for the last hour while Shay and I had girl time. We colored princess pictures together. It was a nice bonding time!

We got home at about 8:00. It was two very full days of going, going, going! We had such fun and enjoyed every moment of it! I give the Great Wolf Lodge an A+! At least for us it was worth every penny!

I love this face!

I do! I just love this little boy's face! From the moment he was born I have adored this little boy's face! He is my character! He is funny, he is sweet, he has TONS of charisma, he is a charmer! All he has to do is grin and people fall in love with him. He has been like that since he was teeny tiny.

This little boy can also frustrate me to no end! He is so slow! He does things in his own time. This morning was not a good morning for Kenyon and mommy. He is supposed to leave for school with his walking group at 9:00. School starts at 9:25. This morning at 9:05, everyone was waiting for him and he still wasn't ready for school. I decided to help speed him along and found a little boy with shoes on and no socks going commando! Yep! 25 degrees outside and he has on no socks or underwear! When questioned he responds... I couldn't find any! I'm thinking... Really! I just did laundry! So, I tell the kids to leave without him since he obviously will not be ready in time for them to get to school on time. We get him redressed with all appropriate undergarments and then I load up Jaron, Shaylee, and myself (all of us are still in PJ's) into the van to drop him off at school. We make it by 9:20! Phew! What a morning!

All of this frustration was bottled up and ready to explode when Kirse comes over for a play date. She tells me about these Mormon Ad commercials from the 1970's that she stumbled across on Monday night. We watched them and I loved them! They are great commercials! They gave me a different perspective and okay it wasn't the best morning ever, but in ten years when Kenyon is 16 and so much more independent, I'm going to miss these times. Yes, even mornings like this one. I need to let Kenyon know I love him always and encourage him for his accomplishments. Yes, he is slow, but he is very giving, loving, funny and just a joy to have around. I have plenty of faults I need to work on myself. I can't expect a six year old to be perfect. I probably need to be more involved with his morning routine and reward him for his accomplishments.

So, Kenyon, I love you! I think you are the most wonderful six year old boy around. You make me laugh, you make me smile, you keep me young. I wish I had just one ounce of your energy and verve for life!

Did I mention... I LOVE this face!

I pledge allegiance...

Kenyon came home from school today, went into Pete's office found Pete's flag of the United States, handed it to me and said, "Mom, hold this so I can say the Pledge of allegiance."! So, in a state of shock (because I had not taught it to him and I didn't realize they said it in their school) I held the flag while my sweet six year old put his hand over his heart and recited the pledge of allegiance.

It was such a proud moment for me. Proud of my country, my son, and his school because not only did they teach him the Pledge of Allegiance, but they taught it to him correctly.

"I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for which it stands one nation under God, indivisible with liberty and justice for all!" Yes, they taught him to say under God. I know in some places this has been taken out and I am so proud that it was taught to my son correctly. It gives me faith in our country, in our schools and in the American people.

Fun Family Home Evening

On Monday, January 5th we got together with our friends the May's for dinner, family home evening and sugar cookie decorating! We were supposed to do this before Christmas, but we were too busy and decided to postpone to the uneventful month of January!



Good times were had by everyone! We love the May's and always enjoy hanging out with them! We realized on Monday that we have known them for five years now! Wow! Time does fly!

New Year's Eve

For New Year's Eve, we had a party at our house with my mom and dad. Growing up, New Year's Eve was always a big deal in our home. My parents didn't like us to go out and be on the roads, so we always had a big family party at our house. Having my mom and dad here, we decided we would throw the same kind of party at our house.

We played games, watched movies, ate yummy food and enjoyed each others company. We let the boys stay up until midnight and they thought that was the funnest thing ever. They enjoyed being grown up for one night. Both of them made it until midnight, but their daddy just couldn't hold on. He crashed at about 11:20. He goes to work so early and he stays up late most nights, so sometimes his poor body just says, "I need sleep!" and out he goes!

Playing "Pass the Pigs"

Sleeping daddy with two boys ready for action!

About ten minutes to midnight we turned on the television to watch the ball at Times Square drop. The boys had gotten silly string from Santa in their stockings and so at midnight they sprayed the string everywhere and over every one. They loved it! They had so much fun. I am so glad that we had a family party where we could enjoy each other and each others company.

Woohoo! Silly string fun!

CHRISTMAS

Christmas morning started bright and early at 6:30 for us this Christmas. Our kids usually sleep in and we don't get up until 7:30 or 8:00, but not this Christmas! I love Christmas morning with young children, it is so fun and magical!

Once everyone in the house was awake and ready to go we headed down the stairs to see what Santa had brought. After playing with all the Santa gifts and discovering what was in their stockings, it was on to unwrapping all the gifts from siblings, parents, grandparents and cousins.







It was such fun to have Grandma and Grandpa Summers and Grandma Phelon and uncle Nathan here for Christmas morning. I am sure it will be the only time they will have all their grandparents together for Christmas. It was such fun to have them here for all the chaos and fun of Christmas morning.

After all the presents were open we had a yummy breakfast of butterscotch balls and scrambled eggs. Then Grandma and Grandpa Summers went to the other cousins house and we played with our new toys and games. We had our friends the Kings over for Christmas dinner and games on Christmas night.

Our white Christmas

It's Christmas Day and time to eat the Ginger bread house!

It was a wonderful Christmas and we enjoyed celebrating the day of the Lord's birth with all our family and friends.