And she's here.....

This is a picture from the news station in the Dominican Republic

Tropical Storm Erika

Hurricane Danny downgraded to a tropical storm and petered out by the time it reached the Dominican Republic.  Now Tropical Storm Erika is almost on top of the DR. In the small island of Dominca 25 people have died because of it already.  (Dominca is not the Dominican Republic, but an island southeast of the DR.)  In the map the DR is just above the red location mark.





It's course is headed straight to southern Florida.  The weather sites I've been looking at are predicting it will become a class 1 hurricane by the time it hits Florida.  But, they were saying similar things about Tropical Storm Danny.  Weather patterns can change quickly.

Hurricane Danny

Tropical Storm Danny is turning into Hurricane Danny and headed towards the islands of the Caribbean.

Prayers are headed Palmer's way that he will be safe as well as all the people who live in these islands.

Official first day of school

Today marks the first day of school for my kids!  Yesterday Eric and Andy went to orientation, but today it starts!  Andy had 6:00am football practice, but still managed to come home and shower and be ready on time!  Seminary doesn't start until Monday, so today was a little more relaxed getting everyone up and ready to go.

Getting Peter to do a normal face is always a struggle!  Andy is looking so excited to be taking this picture!

Lucy is trying to get him to smile and it worked!

I hope it a great day for all of them, they looked great as they left this morning!  I had to restrain Lucy, she wanted to leave 45 minutes early to walk to school!  I made her wait and leave 30 minutes before school starts!

Here's to a good school year for my kids!

Back to school thoughts

What has been your favorite thing about your life thus far?  This question popped into my head today.  I think of “moments” that were perfect, most recently being with my children in the temple will be hard to top.  I thought of my own marriage to Brian in the temple and the births of my children.  But as I thought about this question a slightly different version occurred to me, “what in your life would you want repeated again and again?”  Not just a single moment, but a process.  As much as I love my children and love babies I wouldn’t want to go through childbirth and the process of being pregnant again and again.  Being married once is also wonderful, but I don’t need to go through that ceremony with Brian again to make my marriage more meaningful.  I can remember and renew my commitment to him when we do sealings in the temple together and I hope that I have many more times sitting in the temple with all of my children.  Those are definitely times I want repeated.

But those things aren’t what came into my mind.  This last year I was able to stay home and not work.  Peter was in 1st grade and so was in school all day.  I was not home schooling anyone.  I had 7 hours every week day to do whatever I wanted.  This was an indulgent gift.  Some days I got up and did productive things, I played the piano and learned new pieces, I cleaned the house, baked bread, I talked to my friends on the phone, I went out to lunch with my husband, I read a complete book in a day!  Some days I didn’t get out of my pajamas until right before 3:00.  I felt very pampered.  I felt like I was the most spoiled of all people and was in awe that I had this opportunity.  

I’m facing a new school year starting tomorrow and I have been thinking about my 7 hours each day that I will have to myself again.  Despite that wonderful blessing in my life I’m missing quiet time with my children.  I think back to the times I home schooled them.  Some times that went well and other times it didn’t.  My most favorite time, however, was when I would read to them one on one.  I loved that time of the day.  Today I took some time with Peter and Lucy when they were the only ones here and started reading a chapter book to them.  What joy that brings into my life.  To have little bodies sitting next to me listening to a story is a small slice of heaven.  I never tire of it.  

I have thought many times that I would love to have raised my children on a remote farm away from the busyness of life, media, friends, jobs, etc.  I have romanticized the “Little House on the Prairie” life.  How peaceful and joyful it would be to just have my family around me each day.  To teach them about the world and about heaven and about life.  To read to them each night by candlelight as they sat playing with a toy or making something with their hands.  I realize how ridiculous this sounds.  Farm life back then was anything but easy.  I still yearn for my dream at times and at the same time thank the Lord that I don’t always get what I dream for!  I can have a little of that dream each time I sit on the couch and pick up a book and a child sits next to me. 

What in my life would I want repeated again and again?  Reading to my children.  

Event at Blodedorn

Brian's store, Bloedorn Lumber, and the business right next to him, Frandsen Safety, hosted an event today with bouncy houses, food, and games.  We all went.  It was very warm-upper 90's.  The little kids had a great time in the bouncy houses and eating cotton candy.

Lucy got tired of jumping

Cotton Candy, yum

Mid jump

Peter getting very hot jumping.  He ended up very red and needed water!

There was also a car show with some pretty cool looking cars.  I wanted the 1960 convertible bug!