Elder Noah?

You've GOT to check this out! My son is not a big animal person, or at least, I've never thought of him as one. Considering that he calls our dog Maggie, "Food," yah, I'd say he's not much of an animal person.

Here's the deal, though. Every week since he left the MTC and has been out serving his mission, there have been new photos of animals. It's almost bizarre. I'm sure he doesn't do it on purpose. It's become something I laugh about every week.

Here's the rundown....along with captions when I can find one:

Week #1

"The duck looking thing is weird...it walks like a dinosaur and is really weird"

"There's a community of trailer houses  and they have weird animals like grackles (crows but sound like whoooooOOOOOOPPPP), alligator gar(picture an evil fish had a baby with an alligator that doesn't like people) and peacocks (there's a picture in there but it's tough to see)"

Week #2

"The dogs followed us through the entire neighborhood"

"The cockroach was on the wall of the church"

"Who knew crabs would be chillin in the middle of texas?"

Week #3
He sent me the entire kill, pluck, gut, and cook a chicken process in picture form. I will spare you the details.

"We had dinner with a family who owns a farm and Elder P killed a chicken"

Week #4
There was only one photo this week. It was his toughest week so far, but no worries. He makes up for the lack of animal life the following week....


Week #5
Okay, I'm not even kidding here....He actually sent me EVERY one of these photos. I'm guessing he wanted to take his family along on the trip. At least, that's how I felt after viewing the photos...I had BEEN there. Here, you can come along too....You're welcome!

No captions necessary. But wait....There's more....

Altogether, there were 39 photos of animals of some kind or other in that one email.


Week #6

"A possum we found while mowing the lawn"

And...this week. Week #7
Does this look say, "I solemnly swear that I am up to no good" to anyone else but me?

"Today we found a turtle and brought it to district meeting."

I mean, seriously, a turtle? How random is that?!

"Named it flamoorgathyn."

So, there you have it....Seven mission weeks worth of Texas wildlife.

I've gotten to the point where if some little beasty didn't show up among his weekly photos, I'd be sorely disappointed.

Just Life on a Monday Morning

I am convinced that this blog got me through times when my brain was on overload--raising kids while going to school....Once I graduated, I found that I didn't need it that much. It was nice to have it to empty my brain a bit at times when it seemed to be overly full, but for the most part, life was pleasantly busy but not over the top.

Lately, I've been feeling the need to return. There are things to write and share and more than any of that, there are things I need to unload. I also need to feel some accountability, and that is for sure one of the major needs this blog has filled for me.

For today, I just need to dump a huge amount of debris from my brain. This will probably be a long post, and I really don't expect anyone to read it. This post will be just for me....To clear some much needed space.

I missed #2's email this morning. Typically, I've learned that he doesn't write until noon-ish, but this morning, I checked email at about 6:45, and he'd already written. DARN! I was supposed to sit down and write last night, but I took the risk that I had a good three hours this morning in which to write. He beat me to the punch, so I missed him already. The kids all wrote yesterday, so at least he had their words.


THINGS LEARNED RECENTLY:

• When writing to my missionary, I always send him a "pictures of the week" email. I post many of the photos I've taken in the past week and attach captions to them to describe the week's activities. Makes writing so easy....Most of the explanation takes care of itself--"a picture paints a thousand words."
• When you've got the finances all figured out, NEVER give that job away. 
• Don't blog in a series---I'm just too darned random in my way of thinking. Blogging in a straight line is just too difficult. It'll keep a person like me from ever blogging again--too much pressure.

THINGS TO BLOG ABOUT:

• Finish what I started with last year's Portland to Coast.
• Finish the series on picking up missionaries.
• Jamberry nails--love 'em.
• Started WW again. I have less than 20 lbs to lose, but it HAD to be done.
• Vitamins

THINGS ON MY MIND:

• The girl stuck in Idaho with the broken down car....How wonderful not to worry about this young woman who knew how to work her way around a foreign country. She can definitely handle this. LOVE what the mission experience did for her and does for me on a daily basis with reassurance of her maturity level.
• The young man in Texas who gets a new companion this week. His first was AWESOME! They had some very interesting experiences together. Makes me wonder what lies ahead. I'm really blown away by how hand-picked mission experiences seem to be for each young man/young woman.
• Nursery toys that I'm working on shipping to the Philippines. Boxes are sitting in my family room. There are many, but there need to be more.
• Christmas for missionaries is starting up....working on getting reps for each mission. Next will be a letter to the Mission Presidents to see who wants to participate.
• Dying dryer, dying car, dying dishwasher. I've heard of this kind of stuff happening to others. No question we'll get through it, but I guess we can go back up to point #2 listed under the "Things Learned Recently" section.

WHAT'S COMING UP:

• End of school. Always a busy time for our family because of my husband's job.
• Jury duty. I've never had this opportunity. With so much going on, I really hope I don't make the cut, but if I do, I guess we just roll with it.
• Taking #3 to Utah to live and work with her sister. Jury duty could really screw this one up.
• A cruise to celebrate my parents-by-marriage's 50th anniversary. Never been on a cruise before--so EXCITED!
• Christmas packages.

THINGS I WANT TO LEARN/DO:

• How to have enough energy and not get overwhelmed by the upkeep of a house.
• Plan summer.
• Create a summertime menu so that things are easy, breezy.

The big thing I'm trying to wrap my brain around is that I'll be down to entertaining four kids this summer. FOUR! These four are easy....Anything makes them happy. They're all, for the most part, go with the flow. I guess that's what happens when you're used to being dragged around to older siblings' activities your entire life.

With issues I am currently dealing with and those I can see on the horizon, there are things I MUST implement into our summer plan. We HAVE to have reading and math practice. Chores are a VITAL part of this plan as well. I hate that it will probably mean that I'll be nagging and urging them throughout their "vacation" time, so I'm going to have to come up with some kind of system of consequences--If this, then this.

FOR TODAY:

#7 is home sick today. As soon as she threw up last night, she said, "Does this mean I get to stay home with you tomorrow?" When the answer was "yes," she cheered. I love having her here too, but for me, it means getting less done, and heaven knows that Monday morning seems to be when the pile up needs to be dealt with....Thus this blog post this morning, I guess--an attempt to clear up confusion about what takes top priority.

Life is funny....When #7 started kindergarten, I pictured that I'd have ALL of this wonderful free time to get everything done that had been growing on that list I'd been keeping for so many years. Two and a half hours just weren't enough to get much done--darned half-day kindergarten (full day kindy will start at my kids' school next year...figures). When #7 needed extra reading help, they increased her time by another hour and a half. She got the help she needed, and I got a little more time to conquer life--definitely a win-win. BUT as soon as she started this increased school time, #2 broke his ankle and needed surgery. He ended up on my couch for six weeks and lost his job. That kept him home until he left.

Since he's been gone, there has not been one day go by when one child or another hasn't said, "Mom, I'm sick" or had some excuse for staying home from school. Had I caved, I would've had a little (or big) buddy every single day since February 25th. I guess I'm just one of those people who is meant to have an unfinished list until the day she dies, but I will never be lonely.

I've got to get my house in order (an on-going battle). I'm going to set up a plan for the day. Laundry's gotta get done so I can get it to the laundromat to dry tomorrow. That's become part of my reality. My husband can fix the dryer, but well, it's May. His life is crazy busy. Do I dare fix it?...Umm....No. I haven't a CLUE what I'm doing. I really don't mind the laundromat either. Everything gets done in one trip. NICE!

I've got to sit down and write to #2, and there's an air shipment that I sent to the Philippines that has un-updated tracking....Frustrating. Of the hundreds of packages I've sent, every single one of them has made it. There are 11 packages that they say have made it to Manila, but the tracking remains the same. I just keep waiting and hoping for the tracking to change, but so far, no. Ugh! I don't want to give up hope....They WILL arrive. I'm sure of it. So, #1's going to get on the horn and call the Philippines for me today. I love it when she does it. When I do, they start rattling off in Tagalog, and I can catch an English word here and there, but otherwise, I'm completely lost.

Waiting to hear if #1's car is fixed so she can get back on the road. #3 leaves for California on Thursday for the school choir trip to Disneyland--so much has gone into this.

Okay, enough stalling....I'm off to get my house straightened up....Cleaning up the Sunday aftermath.

The Madhouse at this Point

The time has come…..

Sheesh! It's been FOREVER since I've been here. It feels strange to sit down in front of this screen and write. I know you probably don't even care why I haven't written, and really, I have no reasons for not, but it's become pretty clear that I need to get at this again.

I went to Time Out for Women a number of weeks ago now. I always feel so uplifted and inspired when I go each year, but this year's take-away for me was interesting….More than anything, I felt that I needed to get back to writing. Seeing that TOFW was so many weeks ago, you can see how quick I am to actually do things about what I feel. Oops!

twiniversity.com

The funny thing is that although I haven't been writing, recently, three or four times a week, when I sign on to Facebook, I find a notification telling me that someone new "likes Hesses Madhouse." Huh? Okay, well, I'd better get back on it.



First order of business--getting #1's mission emails up to date. That will happen in the next few days, so watch for a barrage of info from the Philippines. She's doing great and is preparing to return home…..Even to the point of having signed up for her college classes.

It seems that her emails will be replaced fairly soon--we're not sure when, but #2 is awaiting his call. His papers went in last Tuesday, and we've heard that calls can arrive in as early as ten days, so we are right now, very patiently awaiting some important mail. I will share that information here as much as I can.

If you've been wondering….everyone here is doing great. We have our ups and downs, but all in all, life is good. #1 gets home right before Christmas. #2 broke his leg, had surgery, and is still recovering--in a boot after many weeks on the couch--while he awaits his mission call. The doctors gave him full clearance, so he really could be called to serve anywhere in the world.  The fact is the broken leg put him out of work, so just after he'd finished earning the money needed for his mission, he was laid up….Nice timing, and great for me that I get to have this time with him before he goes….I'm NOT complaining in the slightest. One warning about #2, he intentionally doesn't smile in pictures. He'll be laughing and smiling and the moment he sees my phone primed and ready to snap a picture of him, he'll change his expression--just for me. **SIGH**

#3 is looking forward to taking over #2's room (known as the "tower"). She's all about choir and Pinterest and selfies (or in this case, "groupies").….

See what I mean about #2?

#4 is wishing he was playing indoor soccer for the winter, but I failed on the sign ups. Same holds true with #5 and winter basketball….These are the reasons my children will write their "Mommy Dearest" books. I guess you can say I got my defense going here, so you can vouch for me at their book signings. As I'm looking at it now, though, winter's going to be busy enough. These are just some activities that need to be nixed for now. 

#4 is in high school now and seems to be doing pretty well. He's taking an AP class, which has been challenging, but freshman year is such a huge learning opportunity, right? He's getting by and learning some lessons the hard way--the best way. The lessons learned the hard way are those that aren't soon forgotten, right? #4 is also ready to take on an Eagle project, so that will be a huge focus this winter.

#5 is now in middle school. He seems to like it. He's riding his bike to and from school each day and is playing the trumpet in band. He hasn't quite learned how to combine both--get his trumpet to school on his bike, so we're definitely open to any ideas anyone has. Believe it or not….That's one offering I haven't been able to find on Pinterest. You look up "bike" and "trumpet," and this is what you get….

http://www.pinterest.com/pin/63331938481553458/

Like that idea, as he may, that just ain't gonna happen. Neighbors, you're welcome!

#6 is enjoying school for the most part. He's all about Legos….Can't wait to get home and create. I have to hide them away so he can get more important things done first. Believe it or not, I have found THE BEST hiding spot. I thought it wasn't possible anymore, but it's like hiding something out in the open. He walks by the spot everyday but so far hasn't figured out that that's where they are….Amazing! Oh, my chocolate stash has found a new awesome home too. If you ever need to find a place to hide things, just ask me….I've become the master stasher. That's what having seven kids'll do to you….Oh, the skills!

#7 is in kindergarten. She is so full of life that school is tricky. She loves it….everything about it, but after having the kid who read Harry Potter as a kindergartener, it's interesting to have one who struggles with reading so much. Again, I'm learning new skills here. She's taking dance, which is perfect for her. She will frequently show off her moves no matter what tune is playing in the house.

There's a little update on all of them. As for me, I was writing quite a bit there for awhile even after I took my little blogging hiatus, but as that dissipated, shipping things to the Philippines took over. It was kind of a nice little change. I had a writing offer, but I sadly had to turn it down because the Christmas rush was on. Now, I help get things from point A to point B and offer a less expensive shipping resource to parents who have kids serving missions in the Philippines. It has been a BLAST! I have met so many wonderful people through this and feel like, with so many of them things just click. I feel like I'm shipping for my friends, and what could be better than that?

So, things of biggest importance around here right now…..

• Getting a house ready for a young woman to return home to--decluttering, painting, cleaning and scouring.

• Awaiting a mission call.

• Shipping Christmas packages for missionaries--lots and lots of them. 

• Surviving the everyday running around while attempting to create happy, functional children and striving to make a house a home…..which includes: groceries, laundry, tidying (endlessly).

Among all of this, look for more on this blog. You may wonder how I plan to do the things on my little but massive list. Well….there are some changes in the works, so be looking for those as well. I'm hopeful that there will be a little less madness in the Madhouse thanks to what I have in mind.

So now for #1's emails…..