SUNDAY STRUGGLES

So I just have to talk about my day at church today because it was WONDERFUL. . .

Now I'm a mom with three kids so notice I didn't say PERFECT just WONDERFUL!!!!

First of all Saturday nights are my favorite because Kyle gets up with Kara on these nights (now she only gets up once somewhere between 4 am and 5 am) but still to sleep until 7:00 am - it's already a good day.

Somehow this morning just went smooth - no major struggles - the boys got dressed - we got breakfast (cold cereal - but what do you expect with 9:00 am church?) - the dress I had anticipated wearing actually fit and I think looked decent - I even got to try on 2 separate outfits on Kara and then decide which one looked best (totally remembering doing that with my Barbies) - so I'm waiting for the bomb to drop. . . I'm waiting for a meltdown - I'm waiting for the car to break down on the way to church - I'm waiting for a blowout before we leave the house (on Kara everyone - Kris is doing much better) - I don't know what I'm waiting for but Sunday mornings cannot go this smooth. . .

So we get to church (early) and we pile onto our bench - Kara falls asleep (yeah) - I realize it is High Council Sunday - could this be the bomb (boring sacrament meeting?) NO! It is actually interesting - The talk was on the Articles of Faith and as the speaker begins talking about the Articles of Faith I notice my 8 year old unzipping his scripture case, pulling out his scriptures, and turning to the Articles of Faith to follow along. (Believe me I did a double take - I swear it was yesterday he was bringing Star Wars Coloring Books to church and now all he brings is his simple scripture bag) So could the day get any better?

YES! Kristopher did Amazing at church (notice again that I did not say he was perfect) but believe me I will take Amazing!!!!  He looked at church books - leaned all over me a little which is where the not perfect part comes in - do we as mothers have signs all over us that say "We like to have as many bodies as possible draped all over us especially while sitting down?" Maybe it's just me. He didn't fight me about waiting for his snack until after the Sacrament was done being passed. AND. . .when he asked me to get a drink - he asked please - walked (with his arms folded) out of the chapel - and came right back (arms still folded). I was a very content mother.

I couldn't stop thinking about it all day - I'm so thankful for all the times I was consistent on the snack thing and consistent on what I expect during sacrament meeting because today every struggle paid off - It was just a little while ago I had this conversation with Kristopher:

THE SCENE:

We are driving to church after a stressful morning of getting ready for church - the past few weeks Kristopher had spent much of church in the car with Dad for as he puts it "being a pill" (We even had to fix the rear view mirror of the van - because after Kyle strapped him into his car seat Kris was so mad he took his shoes off and threw them as hard as could up to the front seat breaking the rear view mirror) 

Are you starting to see why today was so AMAZING?

So here's how the conversation goes:

ME:  Kris - we are going to have a good day at church today - do you understand?

KRIS:  (grumbling) yes

ME:  Kris - I mean it Sacrament meeting is a time when we think about Jesus and we are reverent. I brought a snack for you but if you even ask me once for it before we take the sacrament I will walk out in the hallway and throw it away in the garbage - do you understand?

KRIS: (grumbling even more) yes

ME: So what are we going to do today during sacrament?

KRIS: silence

ME:  Are we going to look quietly at our books?

KRIS: (grumbling and I can tell getting a little annoyed) yes

I decide to wrap the conversation up before I get him to annoyed. . .

ME: So I'm going to think about Jesus today during sacrament and all that he did for us and how much he loves us. What are you going to think about during sacrament today?

KRIS: (In a deceitful little voice I wish I could explain in writing) MICKEY MOUSE!

Maybe now you can understand why today meant so much to me - do I expect it to happen every Sunday - NOPE - I'm realistic. But today was one of those . . .

IT'S WORTH IT DAYS!

KEEPING IT REAL WEEK (Thanks Sheena)

So most of you who read my blog are aware of

my Sister in Law Sheena's Blog!

(Way fun if you haven't checked it out)

She is having

KEEPING IT REAL WEEK

and you can't get more real than this meal!!!!

YES - this was a real meal I fixed for my Family!

HELP! HELP! HELP! HELP!

Now in my defense. . .

I didn't realize what was happening until I saw it all put together.

We had just returned home from vacation so there was nothing in the fridge.

Those are the Tyson (real chicken right) nuggets (not the dinosaur one's they get for lunch).

I did have broccoli in the freezer but without realizing what was happening 

decided to change it up and have corn.

We didn't have milk so I made up orange juice - 

and it was a choice between canned peaches and cantaloupe 

(like the cantaloupe would have made the color palette any better)!

So there you have it!

Isn't my family lucky?

Please share recipes with me so my family doesn't have to suffer any longer!

"DIRT"CATION

SERIOUSLY . . .

Have you ever seen such DIRTY FEET

AND FACES????

Who can blame them when you spend 3 days having this much FUN!!!!

Thank you Kjerstin for the Flyswatter Bubbles. . .

They were a hit!!!

Thank goodness for Baseball (and an empty campsite next door)

We had a blast on the lake. . .

Who needs a boat - when you have a raft?

Kris even got some Fishin' in!

These two were inseparable

They were definitely made from the same mold.

KARA is the only one who managed to stay clean

because she "hung out" in here all weekend!

Even took a nap. . .

(look close there's a fly taking a nap on her too)

We had a GREAT TIME with these two Families. . .

It's a Tradition. . .

JIBSON, TIRONE, and LENCIONI Families

We will see you next year!!!

We have to now - Kris marked our territory!!!!

DAY 4 - FINAL DAY

SIX FLAGS DISCOVERY KINGDOM

(on the hottest day of the summer so far)

Kale's first priority was to measure himself to see after 3 summers of waiting if he was finally tall enough to ride the BIG rides. . .

AND HE WAS!!!!!

However

Kris wasn't quite so fortunate -

he was pretty bummed, but Six Flags has plenty of

rides just his size so we rode. . .

and rode . . .

and rode. . .

and rode. . .

and rode . . .

and rode. . .

This is Me congratulating Kale on his first BIG ride!!

I will admit there were tears of anticipation (by him - not me)

and even some attempts at running out of line. . .

But after one rotation and us hanging in midair

Kale was loving it

(Loving it so much in fact it's all he talked about the rest of the day)

THEN WE WATCHED SOME SHOWS

And saw some animals . . .

I took a picture of this guy because it was so HOT that I felt like I  was moving this slow the entire day!

Now normally we are that family who never buys souvenirs, but today we made an exception because it really was so hot - we bought the kids some squirt gun misters!

As you can guess here's what happened. . .

We even got Kara one and rigged it up to the stroller - 

she had her own air conditioning the whole day!

We had a great day! The heat kept the crowds away and we walked on every ride!

What a great ending to a great vacation  - I mean stay-cation!!!

I'm so glad we took this trip. As disappointed as I was at having to change our plans I look back now and realize this is what our family really needed.

Just to be with each other having fun - just the 5 of us!

(Wow did I just say 5 of us - CRAZY)

DAY 3 Continued. . .

We went back in time. . .

to ride THIS

through THESE. . .

to get HERE!!!

We took the Roaring Camp Railroad through the Redwoods to the top of Bear Mountain.

HOW FUN!!!!

When we got back to the train station the boys ran over to this. . .

(In Kristopher's defense  - I don't think he knew he was posing as a lady!)

DAY 3

SANTA CRUZ

When we stepped up on the boardwalk

Kris darted away for a minute  - 

I turned my head and he was standing there

staring at the ocean!

I Love That My Kids Love The Ocean!

I didn't see the ocean until I was 16 years old and I love that my kids have grown up with the ocean and the beach!

As I was savoring that moment - Kyle and Kale had already headed to the rides!

I can only imagine what this conversation was about. . .

Looks pretty serious - do you know you are about to enter a deep dark tunnel????

OK - this picture does not do this ride justice.

First of all Kale was the "responsible rider" that Kris had to go with . . .

Scary Already

This is that ride that you go up and then fall down and then go up a little, then down a little, up and down, up and down, you get the idea. . .

I HAVE NEVER SEEN A LOOK OF PANIC ON KRISTOPHER'S FACE

(I have tried many times to invoke this fear into him as we have had our power struggles)

The worker must have thought we were the worst parents because as our child was fearing for his life Kyle and I were laughing so hard.

It was so funny - but I do think we traumatized him - he was nervous about riding any rides from that point on . . .

BUT. . . that didn't stop us from riding!

SEE TRAUMATIZED. . .

Kale had a blast!

He even got to ride by himself on the HANG-GLIDING RIDE! 

And then I told Kristopher we were going to go for a FUN BOAT RIDE!!!

Ha Ha Ha!!!!

Then we headed to the

BEACH

The BOYS had a great time wiping out in the OCEAN. . .

and the SAND!

While Mom and Dad hung out together on the BEACH. . .

With Kara of course!!!!!!

DAY 2

The boys started Day 2 off by waking up early

and fishing at Quarry Lakes with Dad and Papa!!!

We then all piled in the car and headed to:

MONTEREY

Kyle and I spent our Honeymoon in Monterey and haven't been back since . . .

So I was probably most excited about this day - 

I wanted to see the little bed and breakfast we stayed at. . .

I wanted to see the beach that I remember walking on and thinking to myself  "I'm married"

I wanted to see the restaurant that we spent over $100 on dinner and thought we were royalty!

I just wanted to remember all the feelings I had 11 years ago as a newlywed . . .

BUT NO! 

As I am sitting in the back seat of the mini-van surrounded by my two boys fighting and teasing each other I made a mental note to myself **DO NOT bring your children back to Monterey with you -  next time only bring your husband. 

Now it's not quite as bad as it sounds. . .

The kids had a great time at the AQUARIUM

Even Kara loved it!

And Papa finally found someone who hadn't heard his stories before!

It was during the 17 mile drive (which is absolutely gorgeous) and our time in Carmel that I wanted to drop my boys off on the 18th hole of Pebble Beach Golf Course and drive away!!!!

"I'm bored." "This is BORING." "Drive Faster." "Where are we going?"

"When does this road end?" "How far are we from Nana and Papas?"

"I wish we had a DVD Player."

ARE YOU KIDDING ME?

We are on one of the most beautiful drives in the entire country (which we had to pay over $9.00 for) and you want to watch a MOVIE?????

Kyle and I on the same beach 11 years later . . . WOW!!

Then we went to the Mission in Carmel.

BEAUTIFUL

If you notice no kids in the picture - 

You guessed it  - THEY WERE BORED!!!!

So when we eventually headed home I started to feel a little resentful. Here I had been looking forward to this day and I kinda felt like it was a letdown because my kids complained the whole time but as I again sat in the back seat way far away from my husband I looked up and realized that for the entire day my view from the backseat 

was my husbands sexy eyes. 

So as I looked into those eyes (something I haven't really done in a long time) I realized how far we have come in 11 years  - and even though at this point I had two heads sleeping on each of my shoulders I wouldn't trade where I was now for anything.