It's been a while and I don't have pictures

The big news at the moment is how well Andrew is responding to his new meds.  It's a night and day difference.  We start counseling in conjunction with the meds in Aug.  It just takes that long to get an appointment.  If we can get his depression under control, I will be more comfortable tackling schooling issues.  At the moment, school is a huge stresser to him and exacerbates his depression.  I am very worried for high school.  I would love to be able to put him into the alternative high school but Andrew is just not motivated enough to work by himself.  I'm keeping my fingers crossed and doing a LOT of praying.

Alex will have one semester left next year before graduating.  He'll still have a year of seminary.  I'm hoping he will take some college courses during the 2nd half of the year.  I think it would be a good wake up call for him in regards to his lack of studying.  We are still hoping he'll chose to serve a mission but at the moment, he's got cold feet.

Avery shows a lot of the same memory issues that Andrew displays.  Luckily, Avery has a wonderful teacher this year who helps him for a half hour 2 days a week.  She so needs a really nice thank you at the end of the year!!  I'll take ideas.

Aiden is doing fabulously.  He's reading, adding and subtracting and working on writing.  It's a relief for me to not see apparent learning disabilities (at least for the moment).  I hope he continues to love learning and to be able to catch on quickly to what is being taught!  Aiden is super excited for his birthday and the new baby.  His order of events for the summer is: 1st school gets out, 2nd his birthday, 3rd new baby.

Ari has popped out 3 new molars.  She's actually average height--or close to it!  Her vocabulary is increasing and she's kept her blue eyes.  Her red hair is more of a strawberry blonde at the moment.  If we put her in purple or blue the red shows up a bit better.  Still, it's slightly more red than blonde. 

CJ has been dieting successfully.  He looks good and is feeling really good other than just getting old and having his body not work properly.  He has a shoulder he injured in high school that gives him trouble and a leg that troubles him when he runs too hard or much.  Next year he won't have to run so hard for his physical training test.

CJ's dieting and exercising makes me feel like a fat cow.  I've actually done fine with the pregnancy weight gain.  Expanding bellies have never made anyone feel nice looking.  I've been hoping on the elliptical and lifting weights--but not regularly.  I hit 3rd trimester recently.  So far, I've been able to nicely compartmentalize this pregnancy into sick, starving and hormonal stages.  I'm excited to have a teeny-tiny one around and hope Amelia appears a little after Independence Day but won't hold my breath.

If you didn't see it on facebook, I brought home a pet cat.  She's an older declawed cat.  Whoever her previous owners were, they trained her well.  She had no accidents when we brought her home and she didn't jump on furniture unless invited.  She wasn't sure what to do with the little kids.  She tolerates Aiden and Ari right now.  Ari mostly only if I'm nearby.  The kitty's name is Callie (calico cat).  A couple days ago I gave in, put her collar back on her and let her into the backyard.  Last night, she caught a mouse.  Good kitty! 

We're not sure we'll make it anywhere else this summer as the week after school gets out is scout day camp and not too long after that I hit the no travel zone.  Y'all are welcome up here anytime.

Sunday dinner report

Sunday dinner with our nice phone call couple was great!   The food was good and filling and the conversation even more so.  I had no idea the brother was as old as he said!  He and his wife had such interesting stories.  They have both really been through some struggles.  I am so glad they are able to take things a little easier now.  CJ and I were invited to their house on top of it all.  =)  I think that is a wonderful indicator they enjoyed themselves.

This is going to definitely be a once a month thing for us.  Since we already schedule in our home/visiting teaching family once a month, I figure it's a good thing to leave the other 2 Sundays for just us.

At any rate, we'll see if these all are successful.  I imagine they may not all be but I will have fun finding out!

A couple random pictures

Aiden and his missing front teeth.  It was so cute to hear him try to pronouce the "th" sound and realize  he couldn't.

Nice hair after eating a pudding.  Poor girl...  Gosh both my little ones have dirty faces.  Seriously, if I make them wash, they are no longer happy for pictures.  You can have a happier, messy child or a clean, grumpy one....

My house is too dark and I had waaaay too  much help from Ari trying to climb up me.  I got ambitious and made a Valentine's decoration.  Maybe I'll charge my camera battery and take a picture this evening.

At the moment, Ari is scattering small glass marbles (the kind used in decorative potting) all over the living room/large upstairs room.  I learned they fit down the vents coverings in the floor.  I also learned they do break.

I listened!

Since Sunday, I haven't had one "nice" phone call.  I've come to absolutely dread answering the phone.  Since I was having these awful feelings, I decided to put my invite-empty-nesters-in-our-ward-to-dinner-once-a-month plan into action and called a couple who'd been on my mind for a few days.  Maybe they could have a "nice" phone call.  I am so, wait, SO,  no, wait..SO glad I did!  This dear sister's reaction was, "Wow!  We never get invited to dinner."  I am so thankful I followed through on a prompting--even though I did need some nudging.  I know I feel better and will be more cheerful about answering the phone and hopefully she will have some pleasant feelings to carry around for at least today.  I'm really looking forward to getting to know this couple better.  =)

Meandering thoughts

We live in small ward.  So small, that the inactivity of any family makes a difference for the worse.  As a Primary Presidency we've been trying to visit Primary children and their families in conjunction with the Relief Society and Priesthood visiting the families too.  I have been enjoying getting to know more people.  It's such a different ward than any we've been in before.  I have never had to work so hard in a ward before this one.  I don't think I've even really loved a ward quite as much as this one.

A few nights ago my knees were aching.  Usually this is just arthritis.  I think this particular night it may have been a combination of arthritis and over use on the joints.  My right knee hurt not only around the kneecap, but below my kneecap, at the top of the tibia/fibia.  It made me think of the day I had knee surgery.  Rather than try and call people from our then ward, I had CJ drive me to the base.  All the male dentists at the time were active, priesthood holding gentlemen.  I asked if any of them would help CJ bless me.  Bless their hearts!  The only one who didn't come in was drilling on teeth and couldn't get up for a bit.  I didn't think much of my choice then; when I think back I realize that I just didn't know my home ward there very well.  There was a couple neighbors who went to church with us.  I think we saw our home teachers maybe 6x in 4yrs.  In our now ward, I know there are so many people who would drop what they are doing and welcome the opportunity to help CJ should he need another set of hands for giving a blessing.  I wouldn't hesitate to call any number of people.  It is wonderful to know there are so many helping, willing people out there.  I'm sure there were many in our then ward too.  I just didn't know about it.  Neither they nor I put ourselves out much and let people know we were available.

I've been going with a member of the presidency or a teacher to put ourselves out there and visit not only the inactive families in our ward, but active families too.  It's keeps me busy.  I am gone only 2 nights a week for church related stuff.  It's amazing what those two extra nights away mean.  Between church and kids activities, I'm gone 4 nights out of 7.  CJ has really had to step up his game and he's done brilliantly.  This doesn't include visiting teaching or home teaching, dental meetings or book club.  Lots of extra work for all!

I know I've been blessed.  One of the most apparent blessings I noticed right away is my ability to remember kids names.  I will forget the parents names almost as soon as I hear them; I remember the kids names.  I'm really grateful for this.  I usually have to write note after note after note to remember items, names, dates, etc.  I love this church and this ward.  I will so miss these good people when we eventually move again.  This is the first time I have come away from a ward with more than just one or two good friends.  I am so thankful that I will have an opportunity to see them again whether here or there, it doesn't matter.

So yah...

it's true.  We're expecting #6.  Families are so weird when do you try to add 1+1.  Suddenly 1+1=8!!!  I'm feeling much better about this pregnancy than the last one.  I'm definitely feeling pregnant.  I feel queasy a lot of the time.  I'm not as sick as I was with Ari (thanks goodness!) and really hope I don't get that sick EVER again.  I'm tired and making more trips to the powder room.  I am also having a few cravings.  I want protein; usually in meat form and warm.  Tonight I wanted seafood.  I grabbed some crab salad knowing full well there wasn't really any crab in it.  I hate fish.  I always have.  I can't even eat tuna without smothering it in Miracle Whip and adding lots of celery, cucumber, salt and pepper.  I've eaten almost half a pound of this crab salad.  I feel better right now and am, quite frankly, surprised at myself.  I just can't think too much about it.  =)

Taken opportunities!

I had a breakfast with a couple of girlfriends and have been reflecting on the good fortune I've had to make a couple really good friends where ever we've lived.  The kind of friends that even if I don't get to see in person for the rest of my life, I'll look forward to seeing in the afterlife.

Which got me thinking about what would have happened if I hadn't had the experiences I've had.  I've definitely had some memorable experiences everywhere we've lived. 

Not all have been good.  Not by a long shot.

Not all have been bad. Not by an even longer shot.

Memorable.

For one thing, we've had a child in every state we've lived in.  Those are good experiences.  The great people I've met--another good experience.

Memorable.

The horrid landlord in Logan.  Lead poisoning fears I've kept with me since living there.  My dismal school failure in Connecticut.

BAD.

Memorable.

But, I've learned from the good and the bad.  After 8 pregnancies and 5 kids, I'm learning to be more grateful for my children and for timing other than my own.  I'm humbled by people I've met in every state.  There are so many people struggling out there that I have trouble remember everyone when I pray and am left feeling like there are more but I just can't remember.

After bad landlords and lead poisoning fears and failures at school, I hope I've learned when to quit, when to step up to the plate, and when to speak up.

Mostly, though, I'm just really thankful to be where I am, when I am and with whom I am with.  It's nice to know I'm supposed to be with such a great group of people right now.