Pajama Party

We have a serious problem at our house: 

We can't get Hyrum and Ivy to go to bed at a reasonable hour.  They play and play while we make threats, take away "pillow pets" and special blankets, scream our heads off, and finally, one of them ends up on the extra crib mattress in the bathroom.  After five minutes of being separated they both completely zonk out.  Is it too much to expect a 3 and 6 year old to let each other sleep in their own beds?

It's a problem because #1.  They wake up at the same early hour every morning whether they've gotten enough sleep or not.  AND #2.  Bry and I spend those precious hours before our own bedtime fighting with the kiddos instead of spending quality time together.

I don't get it, it's not like they don't get enough play time or aren't completely exhausted by the time we tuck them in.  I also don't understand why this is starting right now.  It's never been a huge problem before.  HELP!

So, last night I decided to use the best card I had, the one I knew couldn't lose- I threatened them with NO OUTSIDE time tomorrow if they didn't go to bed immediately.  Well, my best card ended up biting me in the rear because, since they completely disregarded the threat, I had to actually follow through.  That meant no pool, no park, no bikes, and no other outdoor entertainment to keep them busy and happy enough to forget driving me crazy!

This morning, with the gloom of a day stuck inside hanging over me I decided to make the most of my terrible mistake and have a mommy vacation, so we had our first official "pajama day" of the summer.

My mommy vacation consisted of the following do NOTS: Do NOT make yourself feel guilty for the number of hours the TV is on,  Do NOT clean up every mess (immediately), Do NOT dress the kids or fix their hair (teeth brushing was still mandatory), Do NOT stress about how many fruits and veggies everyone does (or does not) ingest, and do NOT even think about following a strict schedule.

There was lots of toy time

Lunch consisted of popcorn and chocolate milk... in the playroom!  SCANDALOUS! 

Messes stayed messy

All in all, I really enjoyed my mommy vacation, but one day is long enough for now.  Hopefully the kids get to bed tonight so we can enjoy a full and busy day tomorrow!

Welcome

Cookies, brownies, flowers, watermelon, entire meals, supplies, notes...

We've been astonished at the welcome we have received since moving to Texas.  We fervently prayed to live in an area with kind and welcoming neighbors. 

The funny thing we didn't know, was our ward was praying for families to move into the area too.  It's hilarious to have excited conversations where both correspondents have prayed for each other without knowing who in the world the other was until minutes before the exchange began (Yep, that sounds much more confusing than it really is).

The biggest lesson we'll take from this experience is to emulate these wonderful examples.  They took precious time out of their lives to come by and say, "We're glad you're here and we're excited to get to know you more."  It's such a small and simple gesture, but I can't tell you how great it feels! 

So, now I'm super excited to pray for someone else to move into the ward so I can stop by and give them muffins, or breakfast cereal, or asparagus!

Utah

Our Utah Trip was crazy.  First of all it was FREEZING!   We ventured up to my parent's cabin and it actually snowed a few inches... at the end of May people!   We were hoping to go fishing, hiking, and relax by the campfire- instead we were trapped inside.  At least we had lots of family to keep us company!

The girls did puzzles

And the boys watched Star Wars

While the men were constructing walls

I've never roasted marshmallows in the snow before.



Here's a beautiful view of the snow



We made it safely down the canyons through the snow to Grandma Trump's.  The weather was a tad warmer, but we still hid inside.

Video games with the cousins

Movies with cousins

FINALLY the weather was warm enough for a dip!

And swings

And tether ball (Hyrum totally reminded me of Napoleon Dynamite attacking that ball.)

And lounging on soft Utah grass
(If you've ever tried to lounge on Virginia or Texas grass, you know why I say "soft Utah grass") 

And more swings

And uncle loves

And Grandma  snuggles

And tree climbing

Hyrum discovered tree climbing on our trip and judges a tree worthy enough of his praise if it is "climbable".

It was so great to visit with family and friends before we started our new life in Texas.  We love you all! 

Try not to smile when you watch this video- I DARE YOU!

Family Pictures

Before we left Virginia we had to take advantage of our amazing photographer friend and the beautiful Virginia landscape.  I wish I wore a different outfit- it drives me CRAZY how wrinkled and uncomfortable I look (I was).  But everyone else looks so perfect, so I can't help but love every shot.  Here's some of our favorites:

Thanks so much Ashley!  We're so lucky to have you guys as friends!

Rollercoaster

I feel like I've lived an entire lifetime of craziness since I last posted. So much has happened in such a short time. It's amazing how life can change so quickly. We're doing great. We've settled in Texas with amazing neighbors and friends already made. We feel so very blessed and fortunate, I can't even describe my wonderment.

Here's a quick (or not so quick) overview of some of our experiences...

We started packing the house in Virginia and our buyer backed out exactly TEN DAYS before our scheduled move (it's a long story- just call me if you want more details). We couldn't believe she would just drop us like that. It was so heartless and cowardly. I've never been temped to tell Heavenly Father to MAKE someone feel bad before. I wanted her to feel the pain and betrayal and panic and fear I felt! I was so scared. Anyone who's ever read this blog before knows we have a tight budget. The thought of having to pay rent and mortgage for and undetermined amount of time was so overwhelming. We had spent so much time and money staging our house to sell- and it did sell quickly, but would it sell if it was empty and cold? It just so happened in the middle of this drama my scheduled reading was St. Luke Chapter 12.

Here's an excerpt:

28 If then God so clothe the grass, which is to day in the field, and to morrow is cast into the oven; how much more will he clothe you, O ye of little faith?

29 And seek not ye what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink, neither be ye of doubtful mind.

30 For all these things do the nations of the world seek after: and your Father knoweth that ye have need of these things.

31 But rather seek ye the kingdom of God; and all these things shall be added unto you.

It's such an amazing, powerful, miraculous chapter I'm sure I've read and studied and even sung about, but it didn't REALLY mean anything to me until that moment. I can't describe the relief, love, and comfort I have felt since reading those words (Thank you Manchester Ward leadership for challenging us to read the New Testament!!!)

I haven't just FELT relief, I've also seen miracles. Only ten days after putting our house on the market again we were under contract for MORE money and a quicker closing than the previous buyer- EVEN with the house in disarray with boxes and junk everywhere! It has since closed and the whole fuss is over and done.

Christ was talking to me when he said, "O yea of little faith". It's something I struggle with. I try so hard to control and plan everything, but when something unexpected happens I FREAK OUT. It was an amazing lesson for me and even more amazing to witness miracles all around us.

Amid all the selling chaos we still had to pack up an entire home, graduate a dental student, keep track of three kids (one of which decided to start crawling), eat, sleep, and SURVIVE.  Luckily Mom Trump and Bry's nephew Jacob flew in from Utah for some much needed support.

Jacob helped me pack and watch the kids all day.  He was an AMAZING help.  Thanks Jacob!!!!

Our handsome graduate.

Our good friends the Lamms.

Bry with his Mama who was such a trooper even though her back was injured.  Love you Mom!