All About the Argyles

I'm ready for them to go back to school. I love my children and there is noone that I would rather spend time with than my family. But I am doing my yearly turn as host of book club and trying to cook for 17 and get my home back under control with all five children under foot. And it feels futile. I had just cleaned the kitchen to a sparkle when one of them asked if they could make lunch. Ugh. Now I am starting all over again. I  think this is one of the reasons that I don't really enjoy cooking. It is the exact opposite of a clean kitchen.  And I feel as though  I am ALWAYS cleaning my kitchen or doing dishes or cleaning the dishwasher out or scrubbing a sticky floor. I know many of you can relate. I really miss my 7 hours a day of productivity. I am ready. 12 more days.

This is by far the hardest church assignment I have ever had.   Seriously.   And I have had some callings that have really stretched me over the last 24 years that I have been a married adult. Why? Because I don't like to camp. I am overwhelmed by large volume. I have a terrible sense of direction. And I've never ever seen or participated in a trek. So why would the Lord inspire the Stake Presidency to call me? I know my husband is pretty friggin' awesome and he has been involved in several treks.  But, man oh man!  I have felt IN WAY OVER MY HEAD. About a year ago a sister spoke in stake conference (I wish I could remember her name).  She was talking about a calling she had been given in family history.  She didn't know where to even start.  She knew nothing about it.  She went to President Tolbert and asked him for some advice.  He told her,   "I have found that it helps just to move my feet."...

It starts with a tiny seed planted by a farmer.   The seed, when planted, watered, and nurtured for an entire growing season does not appear to have grown even an inch.  Then, after the second growing season, a season in which the farmer takes extra care to water, fertilize and care for the bamboo tree, the tree still hasn’t sprouted.  So it goes as the sun rises and sets for four solid years.  The farmer has nothing tangible to show for all of his labor trying to grow the tree. Then, along comes year five. In the fifth year that Chinese bamboo tree seed finally sprouts and  the bamboo tree grows up to eighty feet in just one growing season!   Or so it seems…. Unbeknownst to the farmer, the little tree HAD been growing those four years.  It's just that all the growth was taking place underground.  The tree was working that whole time to develop a root system strong enough to support its potential for...

Brent turned forty six yesterday.  Wow!  A birthday that big calls for a two part celebration. It started on Friday.  We all  went to Hawaiian Falls for the day.  (except Jensen who was working.)  :O( But even my sister and her family were able to join us. Tanner with his cute cousin, Hank.  Can you tell we kind of like that kid? and on TUESDAY, his actual birthday,  we celebrated at Twisted Root Burger. Instead of cake, we had custom milkshakes.  I can't think of  a better way to celebrate such a great hubby, dad, and person. We are a lucky crew to have him at the helm.  

Brady took the plunge on Saturday and was baptized.    This is the great group of men that participated in his confirmation.  (Left to Right)  Matt Lloyd, Mike Hennefer, John Sallaway, Brent, Wells B. Anderson, Jake Wortham, and Herc Rainey. Tanner baptized him and Brent performed the confirmation. I gave the talk on Baptism and Brother Rainey (Brady's adopted grandpa) gave the talk on the Holy Ghost.  Reagan and McKinley offered prayers and Jensen led the music.  It was truly a family affair. I am sad I didn't get more pictures but we were so caught up seeing old friends that I just plum lost track of time and before I knew it, it was time to start.  It meant so much to us that Lindsey and her family, Tyler and Amy, Mimi, Greg , Sharon, Poppy, and the Hennefers all came. Afterward we went back to our place for Brady's favorite thing: homemade chicken pot pie and swimming.   It was a wonderful day for all. ...

I wish it was my brain child.   But it's not.   I stole it from flylady and then revised it to fit my family.  She calls it a 20 minute room rescue.   Usually, we only need 5 to rescue rooms pretty well. Saturday mornings we work hard doing our chore auction and cleaning every nook and cranny in the house.  But I have noticed now that we have 9am church and are able to lounge around the house the better part of the day on Sunday - come Sunday evening its a clean but un-tidy mess again. So that's when I pull out this.  And we draw 12 little slips of paper from it.  And you get to run and spend five minutes tidying up whatever room you draw.  It's like a game and usually everyone is happy to chip in and bring order back to the house.  Everyone usually does two slips of paper and we have one parent go around and check things.   It works like a charm.   Your welcome.

Here's a tip from me, for what it's worth.    Some might accuse me of being a  mean mom   for doing it this way.   (Please suspend judgement until the end.) Fact #1: Brady got a TON of birthday presents at his party.  So many that it was a little overwhelming.  In fact, here is the haul.  See for yourself.   ( I really am in awe of how generous people are each and every time my kids have a party, btw.) Fact #2:  Gratitude, feeling it and expressing it, are kind of a big thing in my house.   Fact #3:  The thought of getting all those thank you notes written by an 8 year old boy  in a timely manner makes my head spin.  Of course he was so excited about all of it and couldn't wait to open them all and play with them.  Fact #4: It hasn't been 24 hours yet since he opened all the above presents and all but three of the thank you notes are written without any nagging or prodding from me...