Dear Diary,
I've decided people don't want to hear about how someone who is going through a difficult time is "really" doing. It's a polite way of saying hello is all... If you answer cheerfully, "Life is hard, but we are managing, and we've made it this far and by golly we are gonna do great!" They love it and makes them feel good because they were considerate of you, but don't have to do anything.
If you answer more truthfully, "Do you REALLY want to know?" Life sucks most of the time, it's really hard, I don't know how to stay on top of everything, but I know you don't want to really have to put in time that you don't have to find a way to help, so please don't feel bad, and now you know it's hard and that's really how I'm doing."
Then, they feel like crap because they don't know how to help you not that they probably could help, but they just leave feeling weird, like wow sucks to be her...
It's better to just politely smile and get on with life and if you really do need help with something to think of someone specifically to help, or nothing gets done.
I'm a wimp though and hate asking for help.
Some things on my to do list haven't gotten checked off since right after Derek left...
-Still can't figure out what kind of edging line I need to buy.
-Still need to dump old gasoline and buy new gasoline for my lawn mower.
-Million kids school papers to file.
-Light bulbs purchased and changed out.
-And the never ending to do list goes on...
If anyone wants to accomplish those things for this wimpy Mom I'd grately appreciate it.
The point of all this isn't to make people feel bad, or to complain... I guess I've just been thinking a lot lately, do people REALLY want to know how I am doing when they ask?
I don't always get asked "how" I'm doing... Now it's how long has he been gone? Oh that's great you've come so far... To which sometimes I feel like wanting to scream I still have forever to go...
But I put on that smile and do my best to hold my crap together.... Because although I am wimpy, I am also polite.
I've really been feeling down lately. More like a roller coaster, I feel super powered at some moments and then others to be honest I'm sitting on the floor bawling like a baby. (totally allowed on wimpy mom blogs) Like the time two days ago when I kicked a soccer ball and sprained my thumb. That hurt... "Another long story"
I've been finding it getting harder and harder to be positive and have really felt lost lately. I've been told I am enthusiastic and happy, and the longer this goes on the less I feel that way, or not the less I am, but the less I "want" to be enthusiastic and happy, and at times it feels like I'm losing it... Coo coo crazy pants. I'd like to blame the winter blues for making me so wimpy this last month.
BUT, it's time to change. I can be wimpy AND positive. And I'm going to look for the positive, happy, good things for the next 3 1/2 months. Because even if it is the downhill finally, it is a VERY long hill to go down...
Now, that being said, funny stories. Derek got the kids Just Dance for Christmas. Almost every night before bed we have a dance off party. Kael wins EVERY single time. He hops around and sticks out his tongue, but he WINS! It's rather funny and it's something even Connor can get into.
The dentist at the kids last dentist appointment told Elara to start wiggling one of her baby teeth because the permanent tooth is growing in behind it. I've been lazy and not wanting to wiggle it... She REALLY wants it out though. She just doesn't have the strength to get it wiggly because without the other tooth pushing it out it is basically stuck.
So, last night she got really brave and we got dental floss and she wanted us to try slamming the door to pull the tooth out. We tried about 5 times and the knot would come untied. She was never afraid and just kept wanting to try even though I'm sure it had to hurt a little.... She was so excited to tell Heidi what we did, and try again tonight.
Heidi knows her stuff and knew the tooth wasn't wiggly enough so she was cranking on the tooth. We tried thread this time and made it double thick and did like 10 knots. When we slammed the door the thread just snapped off! She wanted to try again so we did and it happened again. It made it slightly more wiggly and the thread was still attached to her tooth so she had Kael grab the thread and yank really hard! The thread just broke again. It got a little more wiggly and bled, but I think more because she scratched her gums.
She is SO brave and wants to just keep trying. Hopefully we get the tooth out soon so the other tooth has some room to grow. I can't believe how brave she is.
She was also super excited to tell us tonight her teacher is going to have a baby. Her cute face was so fun hearing her tell the story. She also got picked to have a speaking part in her music class performance!
Kael is such a sweet big brother. Elara cried for about 30 minutes after school because Kael and Eden got to go to a friends house to play and she didn't. When Kael got home and heard he went up to talk to her and promised her he would play minecraft with her and to not be sad. What big brother does that?! He is amazing!
Eden can do a back bend all on her own now. She went to karate tonight and was so excited she convinced her class to try and do the splits! She is always so happy and energetic. She is such a light and always sees the good even when life is hard.
I'm worried about Connor's speech. I think he is starting to have more vocabulary, but I'm not sure about his comprehension... I should probably get it checked out, but it is just one more thing on the list...
Freya has scratches on her nose that have me worried... I'll probably take her to the vet. And thankfully Odin is all vaccinated for another year! No reaction this year and he did great. A lot more expensive though.
I don't know if I ever wrote about Heidi coming to stay with us. As I try to remember the positive, Heidi is definitely the most positive part of our lives. Heidi is Derek's cousin and is going to Physical Therapy Assistant school. She is basically the coolest person I know and has become my favorite girl roommate ever. Heidi's school was about a 2 hour drive from San Marcos in traffic, so she asked to live with us during the week. I LOVE having our spare bedroom and I am so happy she is here.
I have definitely needed her as a friend, and she helps with the kids, and makes us all feel so happy whenever she is around. She is one of my favorite people ever. I'm so excited, happy, and overjoyed she will be here with us until Derek gets back. If I can't have Derek then Heidi is definitely the next best thing.
Heidi listens to what I like to call Mom vomit. She has taken on Derek's roll of coming home and hearing all about my day. Whatever random thought enters my mind, Heidi gets to hear all about it. And I don't know how she does it, but she listens, has all the right reactions, and laughs with me every time. It's amazing.
And for my grand finale. Heidi and I were cleaning up the dishes tonight because have I mentioned how cool Heidi is? She helps do my dishes people! So she washed and I was drying and putting away dishes and I went to a bottom shelf and opened the cupboard and I screamed like a a a I don't know I screamed REALLY LOUD and yelled and ran away and slammed the cupboard shut.
Heidi was laughing what is it?!
A COCKROACH! A GIANT COCKROACH! Yes, I squealed/yelled...
So, I got the spray and Kael came running in to our rescue. He emptied the cupboard and sprayed the nasty thing! Kael has definitely took man of the house seriously and he is so brave. haha
Heidi then looked and laughed and said, "It's big, but not as big as I imagined". Probably because I screamed so loud. haha
Wimpy Mom!
Then, Kael got the mini vacuum and sucked that baby up and put it in the trash.
THE END!
Love,
Wimpy Mom
PS: I miss Captain Wimpy Pants
Monday, February 11, 2019
Friday, January 25, 2019
Entry #17 100 down
Dear Diary,
In kindergarten they make a big deal about the 100th day of school. It's pretty awesome. They usually have a party and do crafts that represent 100 or something along those lines. I should know my 3rd kid is in kindergarten this year and the 100th day of school is coming up next month.
Derek has reached his 100 day mark away from us, and you know what? I feel pretty accomplished. We are close to the half way mark depending on when he gets back of course. It's been long, eventful, and a lot of work, but I'm certain one day I'll look back and be glad we went through this growing experience. Today was a good day. I got the kids to school on time. I exercised and did some squats. I played with Connor. Took a short nap. Worked on some projects. I walked and picked up the kids from school. The weather was beautiful. I went to a friends house for dinner and pizza. The kids got to play. We cheered on the young women from church playing volleyball. They took 1st place. And we came home and got ready for bed. It's a lot of work doing all of that by myself. And I did it. And we all had fun along the way. So, 100 days is a big accomplishment and I think I'll go to bed feeling pretty good tonight. 100 down. About 100 more to go.
If only I could have 100 entries by the time he got home.... Nahhh I'm too wimpy for that.
Love,
Sharice
In kindergarten they make a big deal about the 100th day of school. It's pretty awesome. They usually have a party and do crafts that represent 100 or something along those lines. I should know my 3rd kid is in kindergarten this year and the 100th day of school is coming up next month.
Derek has reached his 100 day mark away from us, and you know what? I feel pretty accomplished. We are close to the half way mark depending on when he gets back of course. It's been long, eventful, and a lot of work, but I'm certain one day I'll look back and be glad we went through this growing experience. Today was a good day. I got the kids to school on time. I exercised and did some squats. I played with Connor. Took a short nap. Worked on some projects. I walked and picked up the kids from school. The weather was beautiful. I went to a friends house for dinner and pizza. The kids got to play. We cheered on the young women from church playing volleyball. They took 1st place. And we came home and got ready for bed. It's a lot of work doing all of that by myself. And I did it. And we all had fun along the way. So, 100 days is a big accomplishment and I think I'll go to bed feeling pretty good tonight. 100 down. About 100 more to go.
If only I could have 100 entries by the time he got home.... Nahhh I'm too wimpy for that.
Love,
Sharice
Monday, January 21, 2019
Entry #16 Back peddling
Dear Diary,
Do you remember how awkward and weird it feels to peddle backward on a bike? It's NOT normal. Your body is so used to doing one thing and then trying to mentally keep your brain telling your body to do what it doesn't want to do is complicated. Just writing that and reading it out loud sounded complicated.
That is going to be my post today. I am back peddling. So much has happened since we left for Christmas at Grandma's. To tell the whole story would take a week, and I'm trying to accomplish it in one night. Good luck to me I guess. Then, just try and get my Mom brain to remember every important detail my children experienced is just going to make me cry for the lack of memory.
Let's stick with the "important details". The trip began after the kids had a half day of school. They had hot chocolate and read the polar express. Hundreds of little children touching things and mouths and it was bound to happen that disease would spread. I had already been to the doctor for the cold that would never leave my body twice before we left on this trip. We stopped in El Paso, Texas and stayed at an Embassy Suites. The best hotel EVER. We got a great breakfast the next morning and we were on the road to Uncle Jake and Aunt Nicole's house.
While Derek is gone I promised to go to the temple once a month while he is away. I was able to go in November when it opened back up. December I was sick and so busy every second that I couldn't go before we left. I knew it would be basically impossible to go while traveling so I made a great way to include the kids in my adventure. We decided to stop at as many temples that we could along the road on our journey. It was awesome!
The first temple we stopped at was the Gila Valley, Arizona temple. It was literally on the side of the road in the middle of nowhere as we were driving and was the perfect first temple.
We arrived at Uncle Jake's around dinner time. The kids played, we grabbed some cafe rio for dinner and then we went to bed, except poor Eden woke up and threw up in the middle of the night. The next morning she was still sick as could be.
We had plans to visit with Grandma Sapp and wanted a cousin get together but the pukes were getting in our way. We decided to head over anyway and do a road side visit and then head to Shannon's house so we would be on that side of town for the trip and to get to Mom's car and pack and just be ready.
Along the way we made sure to stop at the Mesa temple where Grandma and Grandpa Heaton were sealed in the temple. It was completely under construction and looked nothing like it did when they got married, but it was a special place for us and I'm glad we were able to stop.
We had a lovely short stop at Grandma and Grandad's. Kiddos stayed in the van so as not to spread our germs. It was so nice to see them even if it was brief. The kids were spoiled rotten and we were on the road to Shannon's when what to our surprise the 3rd temple on our trip was again on the same road we were traveling on. We made a brief stop at the Phoenix temple that was literally about 2 minutes from Shannon's house.
Poor Eden was sick all day Friday at Shannon's, but thankfully slept ok. Saturday morning we woke up and got on the road to head to Grandma's house. Along our journey poor Elara threw up in the car. We had several hours left to go on the trip.
We decided to stop on the way and visit Dad's grave in Moccasin. I'm so glad we took the time then so we didn't feel rushed to take it on the way home. We snagged a picture with the kids. It was so beautiful. The sun was almost down as we drove in and the mountains were just beautiful. It was a crisp, cold evening of perfection and felt right.
When we pulled into Aunt Shelly's house Kael started to feel sick. We chatted with Uncle Jer for a bit and decided we needed to get to Grandma's house and take care of our sickos.
Sure enough that night Kael was sick and the next morning Eden was again. It was so hard having round robin. We ended up skipping church and staying at Grandma's so we wouldn't expose anyone.
Then on Monday Christmas Eve we were finally feeling a bit better. We got some last minute shopping done and last minute preparations for Christmas. We were able to gather Shellianne's kids, Shannon's kids, and my kids and all go caroling at Grandma's neighborhood. Shannon and the girls played ukelele's and it was so cute! I'm so proud of those sweet kiddos. It was fun. Then we headed back to Grandma's for hot chocolate and a cousin gift exchange. They all had names drawn and had to think of an ornament that fit that cousin's personality. It went perfectly! I was so impressed with each cousin came up with. It was such a fun tradition and I feel like we should try to do it again another year. My kids had a great time learning about their cousins and putting some effort into a gift that would mean something for many years. And in return they received gifts that meant something to them.
Kael received a pokemon ball ornament, Eden a blue reindeer, Elara a baby doll, and Connor a train ornament. All were perfect for the kids.
Then when the cousins left we were able to do our tradition of putting all the presents under the tree. It was so fun. It was so late so we hurried and got ready for bed. Then Grandma and Mom got to watch a show by ourselves while the littles slept.
At 6 am Connor started to not feel so great. He woke up with a stomach ache... With everyone awake we decided to set up facetime for Derek and it turned out just perfect timing for him to watch. He was awake and not working, which I felt extremely grateful for. Shortly after opening the presents poor Connor got really sick and the throw ups started...
I'm just glad we made it through Santa Clause presents first. Sure enough Santa Clause made it to Grandma's house and found our family. That man seems to know our Dad's crazy work life and how to best take care of our familly.
We had a wonderful relaxing day. Grandma took the 3 big kids who were finally feeling well to Aunt Shelly's house and I stayed home with sick Connor and we both slept and relaxed, which to be honest was exactly what I needed for a Christmas present.
The next day was the epic cousin kickball get together. We had such a blast meeting up with almost ALL of our cousins. We were only short about 3 cousins total. Grandma stayed home with sick Connor who thankfully hadn't thrown up that morning. We decided to meet at Arctic Circle for lunch and had Grandma bring Connor. He got a little excited to eat and ate more than he should have along with an ice cream cone. As we walked out he ran outside to the front door and threw up all over me and him and the ground.... Poor dude was still not feeling great...
It was pretty dramatic and I have the best family. My Mom and Shannon helped cleaned up and back to Grandma's we went for a nap and to hang tight for a while.
On the 27th Shannon and I took the kids swimming at Grandma's pool and then showered and headed to Aunt Shell's for dinner. Eden tried out her new mermaid fin and tail. And Kael tried out his new swim flippers. Indoor pools are the best. And Shannon and I enjoyed soaking in the hot tub.
Friday the 28th we had fun prepping to go skiing. That was one of Eden's gifts and one for myself. We went night skiing at Brian Head and it was so much fun. It was absolutely freezing. -1 F to be precise and I am so proud of Eden! She got better snow gloves and she didn't complain about the cold and she went down the mountain about 6 times! We went with Josh, Emily, Shannon, Rebekah, and Shell and it was a super fun group and after we stopped at Denny's for some food. It was a late night, but I'm so glad I had that opportunity to go with my sweet Eden. I'll treasure that memory forever. She had so much fun and I loved being able to do something special with her!
Saturday the 29th I visited with my friend Ashley Higbee from high school. I wish we had more time for our kids to play and catch up. She is one of my favorite people in the world and she means so much to me. After our visit we got on the road to drive to Salt Lake City to visit our Grammy! Along our journey we stopped at our 4th temple the Cedar City, temple. I had never seen it yet, so it was a treat for me. And the kids hadn't played in snow yet and there was snow on the ground. Poor Connor stomped through it and reached down with bare hands to grab it so excited and about 5 seconds later held his hands in the air and cried ahhhhhhh.
We got our picture and grabbed some food and got on the road. It was great having time to visit with Kelly and Mark. The next morning Sunday the 30th we went and visited with Monica and Ryan Fowler and their kiddos. My kids LOVE their cousins and it was so fun being able to spend time with them. That saying the church used to always say, "It's about time" is so true and I'm glad we put forth the effort. We were able to stay the morning and go to a duck pond to feed ducks and play in the snow. The kids had a blast. Then, we went and visit the Bartholomew family from when we were in med school. And then on to the Bell family. I can't believe how lucky we are to have so many great friends that we are able to keep in touch with.
On Monday the 31st the girls got to hatch their hatchimal babies. It was so fun and cute. We then went to the zoo with Grammy. Along the way we stopped at our 5th temple the Oquirrh Mountain temple. The zoo was just perfect. It was basically empty because it was so cold, but there were plenty of animals to be had. On the way home we stopped at the 6th temple the Salt Lake City temple. It was fun to take the kids around Salt Lake where we lived for 4 years and sweet Connor has never been. It was our home. It was familiar, but for our children, they do not remember. We totally knew they wouldn't remember, but it was so fun being able to show them what I did with them when they were babies.
We packed up the morning of the 1st and headed back to St. George. I needed to get laundry and all the Christmas packed up. On the 2nd Grandma took the kids and I literally slept all day. It was glorious. I kept thinking I should get up and do something, but then I remembered how I would be driving with the kids the very next morning and just didn't want to adult. I was still sick with a cough/cold the entire trip. Thankfully I got up and worked on the process of loading and packing everything up. That evening Grandma took us to this awesome playground. It had a volcano and dinosaurs. It was so great. Then, we drove to our 7th temple. The St. George temple. My favorite temple ever. It was wonderful to take a picture of my kids where I stood moments after getting married to my best friend. Show them where Kael and Eden were born across the street. I have always loved the St. George temple. It always felt special to me. Its one of the oldest standing temples. It was completed before the Salt Lake temple. It's where Derek and I both got our endowments. It was just special taking my kids there.
After going to the temple Grandma then took us to dinner at chuck a rama. It was so awesome. They had apple beer. And the kids loved picking out their food and as much as they wanted and then of course having ice cream after. It was the perfect way to end our trip. Little did we know how much we needed that Grandma time. We miss her so much already. I'm so grateful for my Mom.
This wimpy girl is crying. I am a wimp. I couldn't have made it this far without my Mom. She took care of me and my kids especially while I was sick that entire time I was with her. And then not only did she take care of me, but I got her sick with a cold too, and helped take care of me and my sick kids along the way. We had so many times where we laughed and cried together and it was nice to not feel lonely.
It's stupid, but part of me is grateful for this stupid deployment because some miniscule part of me can relate to how my Mom and Juli must feel with their best friends on the other side of the veil. Except it's awful because Derek gets to come home to me in a few more months and they have to wait until the next life to see their best friend. And it breaks my heart. I just hope someday I can be half as awesome as these ladies are.
Anyway, on January 3rd we said our goodbyes and got on the road. It was really hard. Can't lie. Remember this is a WIMPY blog... I do have the best kids in the world "most days" and they did pretty amazing for car pooling companions. We made it to Albuqurque, New Mexico that night and pulled into the temple there for temple number 8. We snapped some photos and went on to the hotel. It was colder than I imagined it would be in Albuquerque and there was snow on the ground. We got up fairly early the next morning and got on the road for an 11 hour drive non stop. Around lunch time we made it to Lubbock, Tx for temple number 9. That's right folks we took a picture in front of 9 temples in 4 different states on this trip!
On the car ride home I'm pretty for certain I developed my first ever sinus infection because my head felt like it was going to explode. We made it home, unloaded some stuff and then just went to bed. It was late and I was exhausted.
Needless to say we stayed home and chilled until school started on Tuesday. Like 3 days of just recover. I'm so glad I planned it the way I did. I needed that time to just lay and do nothing....
I went to the doctor that Tuesday got some more medicine. And life went on. The kids went back to school and we are finally getting into a routine. There is a LOT of other stuff going on, but that can be for another story.
For now. I feel like I can finally stop back peddling and just start moving forward again. We are basically at Derek's half way ish point. I'll take it. Because now or in a week in this time frame it officially means we are looking at the downhill of this deployment instead of trudging up a steep hill. I know it won't be smooth sailing, but it'll be an awesome adventure to talk about someday.
If we survive. I am a wimp remember.
Love,
Someone who doesn't really ride bikes anymore
Do you remember how awkward and weird it feels to peddle backward on a bike? It's NOT normal. Your body is so used to doing one thing and then trying to mentally keep your brain telling your body to do what it doesn't want to do is complicated. Just writing that and reading it out loud sounded complicated.
That is going to be my post today. I am back peddling. So much has happened since we left for Christmas at Grandma's. To tell the whole story would take a week, and I'm trying to accomplish it in one night. Good luck to me I guess. Then, just try and get my Mom brain to remember every important detail my children experienced is just going to make me cry for the lack of memory.
Let's stick with the "important details". The trip began after the kids had a half day of school. They had hot chocolate and read the polar express. Hundreds of little children touching things and mouths and it was bound to happen that disease would spread. I had already been to the doctor for the cold that would never leave my body twice before we left on this trip. We stopped in El Paso, Texas and stayed at an Embassy Suites. The best hotel EVER. We got a great breakfast the next morning and we were on the road to Uncle Jake and Aunt Nicole's house.
While Derek is gone I promised to go to the temple once a month while he is away. I was able to go in November when it opened back up. December I was sick and so busy every second that I couldn't go before we left. I knew it would be basically impossible to go while traveling so I made a great way to include the kids in my adventure. We decided to stop at as many temples that we could along the road on our journey. It was awesome!
The first temple we stopped at was the Gila Valley, Arizona temple. It was literally on the side of the road in the middle of nowhere as we were driving and was the perfect first temple.
We arrived at Uncle Jake's around dinner time. The kids played, we grabbed some cafe rio for dinner and then we went to bed, except poor Eden woke up and threw up in the middle of the night. The next morning she was still sick as could be.
We had plans to visit with Grandma Sapp and wanted a cousin get together but the pukes were getting in our way. We decided to head over anyway and do a road side visit and then head to Shannon's house so we would be on that side of town for the trip and to get to Mom's car and pack and just be ready.
Along the way we made sure to stop at the Mesa temple where Grandma and Grandpa Heaton were sealed in the temple. It was completely under construction and looked nothing like it did when they got married, but it was a special place for us and I'm glad we were able to stop.
We had a lovely short stop at Grandma and Grandad's. Kiddos stayed in the van so as not to spread our germs. It was so nice to see them even if it was brief. The kids were spoiled rotten and we were on the road to Shannon's when what to our surprise the 3rd temple on our trip was again on the same road we were traveling on. We made a brief stop at the Phoenix temple that was literally about 2 minutes from Shannon's house.
Poor Eden was sick all day Friday at Shannon's, but thankfully slept ok. Saturday morning we woke up and got on the road to head to Grandma's house. Along our journey poor Elara threw up in the car. We had several hours left to go on the trip.
We decided to stop on the way and visit Dad's grave in Moccasin. I'm so glad we took the time then so we didn't feel rushed to take it on the way home. We snagged a picture with the kids. It was so beautiful. The sun was almost down as we drove in and the mountains were just beautiful. It was a crisp, cold evening of perfection and felt right.
When we pulled into Aunt Shelly's house Kael started to feel sick. We chatted with Uncle Jer for a bit and decided we needed to get to Grandma's house and take care of our sickos.
Sure enough that night Kael was sick and the next morning Eden was again. It was so hard having round robin. We ended up skipping church and staying at Grandma's so we wouldn't expose anyone.
Then on Monday Christmas Eve we were finally feeling a bit better. We got some last minute shopping done and last minute preparations for Christmas. We were able to gather Shellianne's kids, Shannon's kids, and my kids and all go caroling at Grandma's neighborhood. Shannon and the girls played ukelele's and it was so cute! I'm so proud of those sweet kiddos. It was fun. Then we headed back to Grandma's for hot chocolate and a cousin gift exchange. They all had names drawn and had to think of an ornament that fit that cousin's personality. It went perfectly! I was so impressed with each cousin came up with. It was such a fun tradition and I feel like we should try to do it again another year. My kids had a great time learning about their cousins and putting some effort into a gift that would mean something for many years. And in return they received gifts that meant something to them.
Kael received a pokemon ball ornament, Eden a blue reindeer, Elara a baby doll, and Connor a train ornament. All were perfect for the kids.
Then when the cousins left we were able to do our tradition of putting all the presents under the tree. It was so fun. It was so late so we hurried and got ready for bed. Then Grandma and Mom got to watch a show by ourselves while the littles slept.
At 6 am Connor started to not feel so great. He woke up with a stomach ache... With everyone awake we decided to set up facetime for Derek and it turned out just perfect timing for him to watch. He was awake and not working, which I felt extremely grateful for. Shortly after opening the presents poor Connor got really sick and the throw ups started...
I'm just glad we made it through Santa Clause presents first. Sure enough Santa Clause made it to Grandma's house and found our family. That man seems to know our Dad's crazy work life and how to best take care of our familly.
We had a wonderful relaxing day. Grandma took the 3 big kids who were finally feeling well to Aunt Shelly's house and I stayed home with sick Connor and we both slept and relaxed, which to be honest was exactly what I needed for a Christmas present.
The next day was the epic cousin kickball get together. We had such a blast meeting up with almost ALL of our cousins. We were only short about 3 cousins total. Grandma stayed home with sick Connor who thankfully hadn't thrown up that morning. We decided to meet at Arctic Circle for lunch and had Grandma bring Connor. He got a little excited to eat and ate more than he should have along with an ice cream cone. As we walked out he ran outside to the front door and threw up all over me and him and the ground.... Poor dude was still not feeling great...
It was pretty dramatic and I have the best family. My Mom and Shannon helped cleaned up and back to Grandma's we went for a nap and to hang tight for a while.
On the 27th Shannon and I took the kids swimming at Grandma's pool and then showered and headed to Aunt Shell's for dinner. Eden tried out her new mermaid fin and tail. And Kael tried out his new swim flippers. Indoor pools are the best. And Shannon and I enjoyed soaking in the hot tub.
Friday the 28th we had fun prepping to go skiing. That was one of Eden's gifts and one for myself. We went night skiing at Brian Head and it was so much fun. It was absolutely freezing. -1 F to be precise and I am so proud of Eden! She got better snow gloves and she didn't complain about the cold and she went down the mountain about 6 times! We went with Josh, Emily, Shannon, Rebekah, and Shell and it was a super fun group and after we stopped at Denny's for some food. It was a late night, but I'm so glad I had that opportunity to go with my sweet Eden. I'll treasure that memory forever. She had so much fun and I loved being able to do something special with her!
Saturday the 29th I visited with my friend Ashley Higbee from high school. I wish we had more time for our kids to play and catch up. She is one of my favorite people in the world and she means so much to me. After our visit we got on the road to drive to Salt Lake City to visit our Grammy! Along our journey we stopped at our 4th temple the Cedar City, temple. I had never seen it yet, so it was a treat for me. And the kids hadn't played in snow yet and there was snow on the ground. Poor Connor stomped through it and reached down with bare hands to grab it so excited and about 5 seconds later held his hands in the air and cried ahhhhhhh.
We got our picture and grabbed some food and got on the road. It was great having time to visit with Kelly and Mark. The next morning Sunday the 30th we went and visited with Monica and Ryan Fowler and their kiddos. My kids LOVE their cousins and it was so fun being able to spend time with them. That saying the church used to always say, "It's about time" is so true and I'm glad we put forth the effort. We were able to stay the morning and go to a duck pond to feed ducks and play in the snow. The kids had a blast. Then, we went and visit the Bartholomew family from when we were in med school. And then on to the Bell family. I can't believe how lucky we are to have so many great friends that we are able to keep in touch with.
On Monday the 31st the girls got to hatch their hatchimal babies. It was so fun and cute. We then went to the zoo with Grammy. Along the way we stopped at our 5th temple the Oquirrh Mountain temple. The zoo was just perfect. It was basically empty because it was so cold, but there were plenty of animals to be had. On the way home we stopped at the 6th temple the Salt Lake City temple. It was fun to take the kids around Salt Lake where we lived for 4 years and sweet Connor has never been. It was our home. It was familiar, but for our children, they do not remember. We totally knew they wouldn't remember, but it was so fun being able to show them what I did with them when they were babies.
We packed up the morning of the 1st and headed back to St. George. I needed to get laundry and all the Christmas packed up. On the 2nd Grandma took the kids and I literally slept all day. It was glorious. I kept thinking I should get up and do something, but then I remembered how I would be driving with the kids the very next morning and just didn't want to adult. I was still sick with a cough/cold the entire trip. Thankfully I got up and worked on the process of loading and packing everything up. That evening Grandma took us to this awesome playground. It had a volcano and dinosaurs. It was so great. Then, we drove to our 7th temple. The St. George temple. My favorite temple ever. It was wonderful to take a picture of my kids where I stood moments after getting married to my best friend. Show them where Kael and Eden were born across the street. I have always loved the St. George temple. It always felt special to me. Its one of the oldest standing temples. It was completed before the Salt Lake temple. It's where Derek and I both got our endowments. It was just special taking my kids there.
After going to the temple Grandma then took us to dinner at chuck a rama. It was so awesome. They had apple beer. And the kids loved picking out their food and as much as they wanted and then of course having ice cream after. It was the perfect way to end our trip. Little did we know how much we needed that Grandma time. We miss her so much already. I'm so grateful for my Mom.
This wimpy girl is crying. I am a wimp. I couldn't have made it this far without my Mom. She took care of me and my kids especially while I was sick that entire time I was with her. And then not only did she take care of me, but I got her sick with a cold too, and helped take care of me and my sick kids along the way. We had so many times where we laughed and cried together and it was nice to not feel lonely.
It's stupid, but part of me is grateful for this stupid deployment because some miniscule part of me can relate to how my Mom and Juli must feel with their best friends on the other side of the veil. Except it's awful because Derek gets to come home to me in a few more months and they have to wait until the next life to see their best friend. And it breaks my heart. I just hope someday I can be half as awesome as these ladies are.
Anyway, on January 3rd we said our goodbyes and got on the road. It was really hard. Can't lie. Remember this is a WIMPY blog... I do have the best kids in the world "most days" and they did pretty amazing for car pooling companions. We made it to Albuqurque, New Mexico that night and pulled into the temple there for temple number 8. We snapped some photos and went on to the hotel. It was colder than I imagined it would be in Albuquerque and there was snow on the ground. We got up fairly early the next morning and got on the road for an 11 hour drive non stop. Around lunch time we made it to Lubbock, Tx for temple number 9. That's right folks we took a picture in front of 9 temples in 4 different states on this trip!
On the car ride home I'm pretty for certain I developed my first ever sinus infection because my head felt like it was going to explode. We made it home, unloaded some stuff and then just went to bed. It was late and I was exhausted.
Needless to say we stayed home and chilled until school started on Tuesday. Like 3 days of just recover. I'm so glad I planned it the way I did. I needed that time to just lay and do nothing....
I went to the doctor that Tuesday got some more medicine. And life went on. The kids went back to school and we are finally getting into a routine. There is a LOT of other stuff going on, but that can be for another story.
For now. I feel like I can finally stop back peddling and just start moving forward again. We are basically at Derek's half way ish point. I'll take it. Because now or in a week in this time frame it officially means we are looking at the downhill of this deployment instead of trudging up a steep hill. I know it won't be smooth sailing, but it'll be an awesome adventure to talk about someday.
If we survive. I am a wimp remember.
Love,
Someone who doesn't really ride bikes anymore
Wednesday, December 19, 2018
Entry #15 To Grandma's House or Bust
Dear Diary, December 19, 2018
We are about to get on the road to drive to visit family and go to Grandma's house for Christmas. It is finally the last day of school before winter break. The tests are done, partying is happening and children are excited beyond measure. It is pure joy on their faces at this time of year. I just hope that as we journey I can help them remember the true meaning of Christmas. To always keep Christ in their hearts. To want to give to others and to be secret Santa's and to love all those around them.'
We miss Derek terribly. We feel so blessed to have facetime and to be able to chat with him every once in a while and see his handsome face. The days are long, but it seems like time is passing quickly.
Being sick this whole last month has been draining. I feel like the happy energy has been sucked out and I didn't accomplish all the "fun" things I wanted to, but looking back the kids are smiling and happy and we are progressing each day and that is what is important.
I love these sweet children so much. They work hard every day to better their lives so that one day they can help better other people's lives. Eden invited a friend to church with her. Kael is progressing in scouts and should complete his Webelos badge by the middle of January. Elara is learning more and more every day and Connor is growing and understanding and is so sweet when he isn't the Hulk.
We are SOOOO grateful for Grandma coming and being with our family. It has definitely filled a hole in our hearts and brought us so much joy this season.
As Elfie The Elf would say "To Grandma's or Bust".
So many stories to catch up on next time.
Until Grandma's house.
Love,
Sharice
We are about to get on the road to drive to visit family and go to Grandma's house for Christmas. It is finally the last day of school before winter break. The tests are done, partying is happening and children are excited beyond measure. It is pure joy on their faces at this time of year. I just hope that as we journey I can help them remember the true meaning of Christmas. To always keep Christ in their hearts. To want to give to others and to be secret Santa's and to love all those around them.'
We miss Derek terribly. We feel so blessed to have facetime and to be able to chat with him every once in a while and see his handsome face. The days are long, but it seems like time is passing quickly.
Being sick this whole last month has been draining. I feel like the happy energy has been sucked out and I didn't accomplish all the "fun" things I wanted to, but looking back the kids are smiling and happy and we are progressing each day and that is what is important.
I love these sweet children so much. They work hard every day to better their lives so that one day they can help better other people's lives. Eden invited a friend to church with her. Kael is progressing in scouts and should complete his Webelos badge by the middle of January. Elara is learning more and more every day and Connor is growing and understanding and is so sweet when he isn't the Hulk.
We are SOOOO grateful for Grandma coming and being with our family. It has definitely filled a hole in our hearts and brought us so much joy this season.
As Elfie The Elf would say "To Grandma's or Bust".
So many stories to catch up on next time.
Until Grandma's house.
Love,
Sharice
Saturday, December 8, 2018
Entry #14 The Forgotten Carols
Dear Diary, December 8, 2018 Saturday
It's a lazy Saturday. It's 10:35 and I'm still in my pajamas, but texting Derek always reminds me of all the amazing things my kids do and I just want to write them down and never EVER forget them. I feel like there are so many forgotten carols in my life. Why can't I have a mental type writer always typing and printing out my life story as life goes by? Instead I have my short term memory brain that has to try and jumble it all together.
I feel like I didn't dive into the awesomeness of our ward Christmas party. The pot luck food was AMAZING. I think I tried about 5 different types of potatoes and there were were probably 12 laid out. They always have fun coloring pages and word games for the kids/adults. The program was beautiful. I love singing Christmas songs and I love having my kids participate.
The last part of the program was Santa Clause visiting. What I didn't mention was that Connor had recently seen Santa for the first time. He gets it this year! I don't know if he truly understands Santa will bring him a present, but he knows who he is and he LOVES him. We saw one the other day and they played together and had so much fun, so when Connor saw this Santa he made a mad dash. I had to chase him to keep up. All my kids ran up. They adore Santa and wanted to see him. The bigger kids asked if it was the "real" Santa and I explained he was a helper.
So the line is growing longer and Connor cannot navigate through the tables that are taller than his head. He finally found the line and made a mad dash again and cut in front of EVERYONE to be the first on Santa's lap. I couldn't even get there in time for a photo or see him on his lap. All the adults were laughing and it was simply adorable.
A lady in the ward took photos I'm trying to get that were simply magical. This moment was magical.
I didn't want it to turn into a forgotten carol. Memories should be documented. My children are amazing. They all truly believe in Santa Clause and giving, and love and the Savior. They are good and kind. Kael asked to be surprised for his present from Santa Clause. Eden asked for a pogo stick. Elara asked for a scrapbook to go with her new camera. Connor didn't know he was suppose to ask for something so once all of the Bradley's went through and Kael was the last he jumped back over and whispered (shouted) he wanted Paw Patrol toys.
Anyway, it seems like magical moments like this happen every day in my life. Some small way or another. Elara took a photo of Kael and Eden and Elfie the Elf on Pirate Pete's shoulder. Yes, our family is weird and that probably made no sense to anyone other than those who live in the walls of my house, but it was magical. So sweet. Kind. Good. That is who my children are. And those moments will not be forgotten.
At least not today.
Love,
Wimpy Mom
It's a lazy Saturday. It's 10:35 and I'm still in my pajamas, but texting Derek always reminds me of all the amazing things my kids do and I just want to write them down and never EVER forget them. I feel like there are so many forgotten carols in my life. Why can't I have a mental type writer always typing and printing out my life story as life goes by? Instead I have my short term memory brain that has to try and jumble it all together.
I feel like I didn't dive into the awesomeness of our ward Christmas party. The pot luck food was AMAZING. I think I tried about 5 different types of potatoes and there were were probably 12 laid out. They always have fun coloring pages and word games for the kids/adults. The program was beautiful. I love singing Christmas songs and I love having my kids participate.
The last part of the program was Santa Clause visiting. What I didn't mention was that Connor had recently seen Santa for the first time. He gets it this year! I don't know if he truly understands Santa will bring him a present, but he knows who he is and he LOVES him. We saw one the other day and they played together and had so much fun, so when Connor saw this Santa he made a mad dash. I had to chase him to keep up. All my kids ran up. They adore Santa and wanted to see him. The bigger kids asked if it was the "real" Santa and I explained he was a helper.
So the line is growing longer and Connor cannot navigate through the tables that are taller than his head. He finally found the line and made a mad dash again and cut in front of EVERYONE to be the first on Santa's lap. I couldn't even get there in time for a photo or see him on his lap. All the adults were laughing and it was simply adorable.
A lady in the ward took photos I'm trying to get that were simply magical. This moment was magical.
I didn't want it to turn into a forgotten carol. Memories should be documented. My children are amazing. They all truly believe in Santa Clause and giving, and love and the Savior. They are good and kind. Kael asked to be surprised for his present from Santa Clause. Eden asked for a pogo stick. Elara asked for a scrapbook to go with her new camera. Connor didn't know he was suppose to ask for something so once all of the Bradley's went through and Kael was the last he jumped back over and whispered (shouted) he wanted Paw Patrol toys.
Anyway, it seems like magical moments like this happen every day in my life. Some small way or another. Elara took a photo of Kael and Eden and Elfie the Elf on Pirate Pete's shoulder. Yes, our family is weird and that probably made no sense to anyone other than those who live in the walls of my house, but it was magical. So sweet. Kind. Good. That is who my children are. And those moments will not be forgotten.
At least not today.
Love,
Wimpy Mom
Friday, December 7, 2018
Entry #13 Grandma Arrives to save the wimpy family
Dear Diary, December 7, 2018 Friday
I'd say tis the season to be "busy" is pretty accurate of life right now. Derek works non stop and the kids are going non stop. Thank goodness Grandma arrived after Thanksgiving. Shannon flew in with my Mom on the 28th and it's been non stop fun and good times since then. You forget how helpful an extra set of hands can be with four kids.
I guess my Mom has been here just about 10 days today. 10 fabulous days. I think just having another adult to chat with calms ones anxieties about life. Getting all the stress out and just giving it away.
We all pretty much have colds now. The coughing is almost a chorus of coughing if you can imagine. Maybe we should try coughing to Jingle Bells...
Exhaustion has kicked in. However, we are well prepared for life. Elfie the Elf has arrived to keep an eye on the children who are starting to become quite wimpy themselves. Chores? Who wants to do chores? Homework? No way. Pajamas? Who needs pajamas. Single parenting is a constant battle. And Grandma is here to whip these wimpy kids into shape. I can't lie the kids aren't that bad. We are struggling to get a routine down, but it is slowly coming along with Grandma's reinforcements.
The cavalry has arrived!
It takes a little longer to get them all in bed when everyone needs cough medicine, vapo rub, humidifiers, and extra snuggles and kisses. Sickness you can leave this house already.... Please. Pretty please with sugar on top.
We leave for Utah in just 12 days. The kids are getting excited! A stop in Arizona to visit cousins and great grandparents and then on to Utah for Christmas celebrations. School is coming to the end of term, and christmas cards and gifts are getting out. The craziness has begun. Present wrapping has begun and the kids have asked Santa for what they want.
Kael asked to be surprised. Eden wants a pogo stick. Elara wants a scrapbook to go with her new camera she won. And Connor asked for Paw Patrol toys.
My ward Christmas party was tonight and it was just beautiful. Singing Christmas songs and seeing Santa and eating yummy food. It never disappoints.
The kids piano recital is approaching on Sunday.
It's all quite exciting.
I think my thoughts are all scrambled. We sure are missing Derek. Have I mentioned that yet? We were able to facetime chat this morning. There is just something special about seeing his face smile that lights up my world and warms my heart. Texting is great being able to stay in touch, hearing his voice amazing and wonderful, but seeing that face drives me crazy to see him again. I love technology and I am SO grateful for it.
Kael started indoor soccer. His team won their first game 4-1. The rest of life is just plugging along. It's been so fun watching the kids grow. Connor gets bigger and talks more every day. He has definitely started to turn into a little boy more than a toddler lately.
7 weeks down. Who knows how many to go? Seriously anyone know? Well, maybe I really don't want to know...
Wimpy Mom is becoming tired Mom. Maybe I'll think of something else to write later.
Sincerely,
Wimpy tired Mom
I'd say tis the season to be "busy" is pretty accurate of life right now. Derek works non stop and the kids are going non stop. Thank goodness Grandma arrived after Thanksgiving. Shannon flew in with my Mom on the 28th and it's been non stop fun and good times since then. You forget how helpful an extra set of hands can be with four kids.
I guess my Mom has been here just about 10 days today. 10 fabulous days. I think just having another adult to chat with calms ones anxieties about life. Getting all the stress out and just giving it away.
We all pretty much have colds now. The coughing is almost a chorus of coughing if you can imagine. Maybe we should try coughing to Jingle Bells...
Exhaustion has kicked in. However, we are well prepared for life. Elfie the Elf has arrived to keep an eye on the children who are starting to become quite wimpy themselves. Chores? Who wants to do chores? Homework? No way. Pajamas? Who needs pajamas. Single parenting is a constant battle. And Grandma is here to whip these wimpy kids into shape. I can't lie the kids aren't that bad. We are struggling to get a routine down, but it is slowly coming along with Grandma's reinforcements.
The cavalry has arrived!
It takes a little longer to get them all in bed when everyone needs cough medicine, vapo rub, humidifiers, and extra snuggles and kisses. Sickness you can leave this house already.... Please. Pretty please with sugar on top.
We leave for Utah in just 12 days. The kids are getting excited! A stop in Arizona to visit cousins and great grandparents and then on to Utah for Christmas celebrations. School is coming to the end of term, and christmas cards and gifts are getting out. The craziness has begun. Present wrapping has begun and the kids have asked Santa for what they want.
Kael asked to be surprised. Eden wants a pogo stick. Elara wants a scrapbook to go with her new camera she won. And Connor asked for Paw Patrol toys.
My ward Christmas party was tonight and it was just beautiful. Singing Christmas songs and seeing Santa and eating yummy food. It never disappoints.
The kids piano recital is approaching on Sunday.
It's all quite exciting.
I think my thoughts are all scrambled. We sure are missing Derek. Have I mentioned that yet? We were able to facetime chat this morning. There is just something special about seeing his face smile that lights up my world and warms my heart. Texting is great being able to stay in touch, hearing his voice amazing and wonderful, but seeing that face drives me crazy to see him again. I love technology and I am SO grateful for it.
Kael started indoor soccer. His team won their first game 4-1. The rest of life is just plugging along. It's been so fun watching the kids grow. Connor gets bigger and talks more every day. He has definitely started to turn into a little boy more than a toddler lately.
7 weeks down. Who knows how many to go? Seriously anyone know? Well, maybe I really don't want to know...
Wimpy Mom is becoming tired Mom. Maybe I'll think of something else to write later.
Sincerely,
Wimpy tired Mom
Wednesday, November 28, 2018
Entry #12 So sick of being sick
Dear Diary,
I should probably write about Thanksgiving... We made it through the school week before. The kids had a whole week off of school. I had SO many plans I wanted to accomplish. FUN plans.
However, the week turned out to be survival week. Elara got strep throat on Saturday the 17th to kick off our week. We skipped church on the 18th. My sweet neighbor still offered to watch her so we could attend the conference with the Prophet, which I wrote about and it went well.
I look back and mostly it was just exhausting being home with all the kids and sick. I had a cold I could not shake and stayed down most of the week. Looking back though (which is good to do I guess), I got a lot done. We got the Christmas lights hung outside. We put up our Christmas tree. We made a Thankful tree for Thanksgiving.
We were able to spend Thanksgiving with Rob, Julie, Heidi and Jamie Pinkston. It was so fabulous. Elara had a fever of 104 the night before and so our sweet neighbors came the next morning to make sure she was ok. Then, we were able to facetime Derek and it was so wonderful having that time with him.
We took our pies we made and got on the road! We had so much wonderful fun food with our favorite peoples. I made a mississippi mud pie, pumpkin, cherry, and pineapple. SO YUMMY. We also took a green bean casserole up. The food was just SO GOOD. Julie made a feast of turkey, ham, rolls, mashed potatoes, veggies, treats. SO MUCH YUMMY.
We lounged and watched shows, then played some games and then just spent the night there. It was fun to play with the new sweet piggy Fleur. I've always wanted to try an indoor pig, and she did not disappoint us. We were going to stay longer the next day, but Kael got a fever and Elara's came back so Friday we spent the afternoon at the urgent care for just viruses.
We came home and relaxed after some much needed McDonalds. The kids played on the playground and we ordered pizza to be delivered. Best modern day convenience...
We survived. We had fun. We slept a lot. It was a good week.
It is so nice to get back into our groove. It was so needed. I love the kids, but taking care of them all at home while being sick was tough and getting back into a routine and school has helped a lot.
Miss them, but I'm glad they are in school while Derek is gone. My sanity is better when I can work out and have a little break from them all. Being surrounded 24/7 solo parenting is tough!
Do I sound wimpy yet? Being sick in one way or another since before Derek left has taken a toll. I'm a complete wimp. I am really hoping and praying the worst is behind us.
My Mom is coming today and I am beyond excited! Now to just have a small break from being sick.
This kind of is a boring journal entry and not very much fun...
Guess I'll go bathe the dogs.
Boo.
Love,
Wimpy Mom
I should probably write about Thanksgiving... We made it through the school week before. The kids had a whole week off of school. I had SO many plans I wanted to accomplish. FUN plans.
However, the week turned out to be survival week. Elara got strep throat on Saturday the 17th to kick off our week. We skipped church on the 18th. My sweet neighbor still offered to watch her so we could attend the conference with the Prophet, which I wrote about and it went well.
I look back and mostly it was just exhausting being home with all the kids and sick. I had a cold I could not shake and stayed down most of the week. Looking back though (which is good to do I guess), I got a lot done. We got the Christmas lights hung outside. We put up our Christmas tree. We made a Thankful tree for Thanksgiving.
We were able to spend Thanksgiving with Rob, Julie, Heidi and Jamie Pinkston. It was so fabulous. Elara had a fever of 104 the night before and so our sweet neighbors came the next morning to make sure she was ok. Then, we were able to facetime Derek and it was so wonderful having that time with him.
We took our pies we made and got on the road! We had so much wonderful fun food with our favorite peoples. I made a mississippi mud pie, pumpkin, cherry, and pineapple. SO YUMMY. We also took a green bean casserole up. The food was just SO GOOD. Julie made a feast of turkey, ham, rolls, mashed potatoes, veggies, treats. SO MUCH YUMMY.
We lounged and watched shows, then played some games and then just spent the night there. It was fun to play with the new sweet piggy Fleur. I've always wanted to try an indoor pig, and she did not disappoint us. We were going to stay longer the next day, but Kael got a fever and Elara's came back so Friday we spent the afternoon at the urgent care for just viruses.
We came home and relaxed after some much needed McDonalds. The kids played on the playground and we ordered pizza to be delivered. Best modern day convenience...
We survived. We had fun. We slept a lot. It was a good week.
It is so nice to get back into our groove. It was so needed. I love the kids, but taking care of them all at home while being sick was tough and getting back into a routine and school has helped a lot.
Miss them, but I'm glad they are in school while Derek is gone. My sanity is better when I can work out and have a little break from them all. Being surrounded 24/7 solo parenting is tough!
Do I sound wimpy yet? Being sick in one way or another since before Derek left has taken a toll. I'm a complete wimp. I am really hoping and praying the worst is behind us.
My Mom is coming today and I am beyond excited! Now to just have a small break from being sick.
This kind of is a boring journal entry and not very much fun...
Guess I'll go bathe the dogs.
Boo.
Love,
Wimpy Mom
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