Doing better

I knew it would happen sooner than later. Halle came home from school happy every day this week. She says that she listened to her teacher better and talked to her freinds less, so her teacher did not have to scold her as much, and that made them both happier! She still says that it is hard, but she does not have emotional break downs anymore. I'm sure the year will still be full of ups and downs, but for right now things are looking brighter for our little first grader! Thanks to everyone for your comments and encouragement and advise. I am going to try potty training with Vinny FOR REALS this time! I have "tried" two times in the past, but after cleaning up 6 accidnets in a three hour period two days in a row, I just felt like being lazy and giving up and trying again later. That was about a month ago, so I think we will start Monday, and hopefully I can stick with it! At least we have wood floors. Now I just have to worry about all of the furniture.

Struggles

So, Halle started school about two weeks ago. She does not like it very much at the moment. She misses Kindergarten and her teacher from last year, who was absolutely fabulous. She says her teacher this year is mean and she yells a lot. I have talked with her teacher, and she seems nice, but can come across as a little harsh. I feel so bad for Halle because she LOVED school last year, and now she comes home grumpy every day. She will often just break down and cry and cry. She says that first grade is so hard and she has a hard time paying attention for a long period of time. I feel so bad for the poor emotional girl. She is doing very well academically. All the homework she brings home is no problem for her and she is reading very well. I guess she will just have to keep getting used to her new environment. If anyone has any suggestions, I would be happy to take them :) It is so different to have to deal with theses types of problems.

I haven't posted pictures for a long time, so here are some random ones from the summer...

On Halle's last night of freedom before school started we had a slumber party and movie night on the living room floor. It was so much fun! I ended up in my bed at about 1 am because I wasn't too comfortable. Tyler came in around 4. We watched movies, had snacks and had a great time together!

At Home Craziness

Since we got back from Utah, I still don't feel like life is back to normal yet. We ended up driving home to California with Tyler's parents instead of flying home. We had a great time with them and saw a lot of neat things. After we got back to being just us again, we had to seriously decide what we were going to do for the income deficit we are in when our savings runs out this month. We had discussed it quite a bit before we left for vacation and came up with about six different options that would work, each of course had its pros and cons. After weighing the options and praying and praying and praying about the decision we decided that me going back to work would be the best for our family right now. I have been trying to get a job as a medical transcriptinist since October of last year, but the company I was going to work for didn't have work for me until now. A couple of times I thought it was going to finally work out, but then it would fall through, so I gave up in July and decided to spend the 300 dollars and send in my application for my LPN California licensure. Wouldn't you guess that a week after I sent in my application and made arrangements to get recertified in CPR so I could start working I got a call from the medical transcription company to start work the next day. I was in shock! I should know by now that Heavenly Father does things on his time and not ours. He wants to give us what we need, but we have to be willing to accept it on his terms. So, I started work last Monday and am very happy with the way things are going. I am probably still going to have to work a day or two at a nursing home for right now, but that will be okay. I miss being a nurse and am excited to get back into it.

I have the greatest kids! Last week when I was glued to the computer all day every day trying to get my new job figured out they entertained themselves and eachother so well. They have been playing together all week. Halle has been the greatest helper to me and plays so well with Donovin. She loves to help me clean and that has really helped me this week too. She does dishes, makes beds (as best she can anyway) picks up and helps me clean the bathroom. The poor things didn't leave the house for like three days, and handled it all really well. Things are already getting much easier as far as my job goes, so I don't think this week will be nearly as rough. I'm so grateful for this opportunity to work from home and not have to leave my kids.

It's been a little over a year now since Tyler left to come to California in search of "the dream". It's so strange to look back and remember what our lives were like a year ago. So much has happened and so much has changed. We are not the same as individuals, and we are not the same little family we were a year ago. So many people think we're crazy for being here and having to struggle so much, but as I've said before, we wouldn't trade this experience for anyting else in the world. Tyler and I gained our testimonies by going through those trials. I can't fully put into words what exactly happened to us. I just know that we have been through our own little refiner's fire (with a lot of other fires to come in the future I'm sure) and we are more dedicated to the gospel and to eachother than we ever have been before. Struggling keeps us humble, and apparently we need to be kept humble a lot, but I've also never been happier, and our family and faith has never been stronger. We have grown so much and continue to grow here in ways we couldn't anywhere else.

Anyway, sorry for the LONG post, but I just wanted to express my feelings a little and say how grateful I am for this answer to our prayers even though the timing seemed all wrong to me at first. I can see now that it has worked out for the best just as it always does, because Heavenly Father knows what we need and when we need it.


Oh yeah, one more thing. I know it's been almost a MONTH ago... yikes, but we did feel the Los Angeles earthquake on the 28th of July. It was about 11:40 am and I was just on my way out the door with the kids to go to the police station to get my fingerprints done for my application. I got to the car and the kids all buckled in and remembered I should probably bring some documents with me from inside. I knew exactly where they were and it would only take a minute. What's the worst that could happen? So, I went inside, leaving my kids in the car, (I know... I am a STUPID, AWFUL, HORRIBLE mother), and called Tyler because I couldn't find the key I needed to get into the drawer we keep all that kind of stuff in. So, I'm talking to Tyler and all of a sudden he says, "Oh my gosh! It's an earthquake." My heart froze. I felt a surge of heat run through my body and I was running out the door screaming "Oh my gosh! Oh my gosh!" My neighbor probably thought I was seriously mental. I felt the floor shaking at first, but then I didn't notice anymore as I was running out of the apartment and to the garage where I had stupidly left my precious children to be crushed to death in the car. I don't know how long the shaking lasted. It was over by the time I got to the car. Halle was really frightened, and said that she thought it was a robber shaking the car, but Vinny was just sitting there sucking his thumb like nothing had happened. Nothing was knocked down, or over or even off the walls. There was virtually no damage done to anything in the whole city, so we were very, very blessed. I freaked out so much because I thought this had to be "The Big One", and I was expecting all the madness and mayhem and destruction you see in the movies. Well, at least I learned a lesson and will never leave my kids alone in the car again, even if it is in my own garage! You never know what may happen. I called Tyler back when we got back in the house and he said his building was still swaying about 20 minutes later, but every one was all right. It was a scary experience, and I hope we never have to deal with a bigger one, but the odds are against us on that. It also made us realize that we have some more preparing to do to get ourselves ready when the big one hits.

LiKe PeAs In A pOd!

I never considered myself a "country girl" or considered Newton "country", but after being away for a while I've realized you don't get much more country that this! I love it though. It's so nice to have nice fresh air and beautiful mountain views everywhere you look. Also, it's SO QUIET there! Besides the cows and goats and dogs there's really no other noises. Another thing I love is picking home grown vegetables and enjoying them at your dinner table just minutes later. Is anything more delicious? My mom's peas were ready for the pickin' so we took the kids out with us and had a pea picking fest!

Halle and Carson were super helpers and cooperated very well together. They were having a competition with me to see who could fill up their bowl the fastest.











Carley and Alivia gettin in on the pea picking extravaganza!




Then it's time to shell the peas. It's like my mom said, "It we had to live on our crop of peas, we'd starve!" You don't get many peas for all your labor, but it's fun just to sit around and visit while you shell, and shell, and shell and shell some more peas.



Kjeaton helped out by keepin us entertained and riding the tractor sprinkler.


Carson and Halle very dedicated to the shelling of the peas.

fun with the family

We went to Willow Park for our "Ladies Get Together" that our family tries to have every so often. I certainly hope it becomes a tradition, because it's loads of fun to get together and let the kids have a chance to play and get to know one another.




The crew ready to go! Get a load of all those strollers! It's so fun to have kids around to same age to be friends and play together!

Kjeaton enjoying his snow cone. It was very refreshing on such a hot day!


Carson, Brooklyn and Halle showing off their snow cones. Halle and Carson had to get Tiger's Blood. I guess it sounded the most dangerous.

Darling little Gracie and sweet little Garrett!

Me and my sisters. My best freinds in the whole world!

So, then Monday we all got together again at my mom's house for a pool party and picnic. I couldn't believe the slide Camille brought for the kids to play in. I wasn not expecting it to be so big! It was awesome and the kids had SO much fun! Halle especially enjoyed it. So worth the money to keep your kids occupied for the summer!

S'Mores night!

I'm so glad Carley and Grayson decided to put a fire pit in their back yard (for 10$ too.. you go you pro DIY's :) Summer just isn't summer without at least one campfire to roast s'mores over, right? Mmmmmm.... s'mores!






Halle and Carson with quite a mouth full!

Pool par-tay!

We had the first of many pool parites at Carley's house on Wednesday the 10th. It was so HOT outside! Donovin and Alivia enjoyed basking in the sun. All the kids enjoyed the picnic. The moms enjoyed staying in the air conditioned house!