Small Town Family Goes to the Capitol

Warning: The following post sounds at times like I am a whiny baby. Note, I didn't mean to be whiny, just telling it like it was...I am aware what an awesome blessing it is that we were able to take this trip...
Hi All
We have returned from a trip to our nations capitol. We initially planned the trip for the future president. He has been so excited. I am going to give you a little list of the joys (and the not so) from our trip.
#1 We visited the Abe Lincoln memorial. I love that man, he is truly one of my great heroes. Standing at the base of that giant monument I am surprised at how quickly the tears come. Looking at it this time I was overwhelmed with the thought that he was a little boy once too and that with the help of people around him and the inner direction he felt he was able to do what he was sent here to do. This rekindled my desire to help my boys find their way in life.
#2 Nothing adds to a trip like the two boys you took getting the flu. Poor Kyle, on his first day there he threw up from the Washington Monument to the Lincoln Memorial. He wanted to risk the capitol because he didn't want to miss it. Long story short, after throwing up in many capitol trash cans we had to ditch our tour and get him back to the motel. On the way back, in the subway Jamen began throwing up....I try to comfort Kyle with the reminder that when he is president it will be a funny story that his first trip to Washington he spent most of the time throwing up in garbage cans and in the grass...It was really awful though.
#3 On the second day I stayed in bed with Jamen and watched Nick & Disney for 9 hours while he was sick and Dad and Kyle were off seeing the sights. I felt like my brain had been melted into fruit wax, but I loved snuggling my sweet sick boy (nothing slows Jamen down but illness).
#4 I haven't been a lot of places but I would like to nominate DC for the rudest people you will ever meet award! One example, Jamen was not hip with holding our hands everywhere we went and I was not hip with him running into large crowds and getting lost. Our agreement was a little rope that I planned to tie to his belt loop and mine. Now let me say I have always believed that a child on a leash is child abuse, but there have been a lot of times where I have had to do the things I swore I would never do to keep Jamen safe. He wanted me to tie it around his tummy and he could be my puppy. You never found a happier boy in your life. He was barking and laughing and really enjoying himself. Anyone could see that this was working for him. People nearly dropped their brief cases, mouths hanging open and making comments making sure I heard them. Whatever happened to disapproving of people but being to polite to say anything...At this point between the comments, the throw up, the motion sickness from the subway and the humidity I was in tears...
#5 On our last day there we were all well enough to go to Arlington Cemetery. I was so moved to see all the men and women that have died serving our country. The silence was so touching and gave you the opportunity to really see how blessed we are.
#6 We also went to Mount Vernon, which was my favorite thing. Geroge Washington is my hero and I loved seeing where he lived. I could imagine him and his wife there and really appreciated this opportunity to see where this amazing founding father lived.
#7 At the capitol our tour guide was this amazing young girl who I just couldn't help but admire. She was obviously very capable, knowledgeable and also excellent with Jamen (which is hard for most people). At the end I managed to find out that she had been homeschooled her whole life. I wanted to put her in my purse and pull her out for everyone that worries you will be a social reject if you don't go to public school!
#8 We got to meet Jason Chaffetz, which Kyle managed to appreciate though he was miserable. I have to be proud of my home state because about the only nice people we talked to while there were him and all of the sweet people working in his office!
#9 Flying home I was able to share some of what I believe with a sweet lady on the airplane. It reminds me that I can't wait to be a missionary and have the chance to share something that means everything to me.
#10 Lyndon was like a soldier the whole time. He did his job and got us to the right places safely, but hardly cracked a smile. The minute we landed in Utah he started dancing and singing along to Billy Joel with a big smile. He reminded me that if I wanted to travel maybe I should go without him and he would pay and miss me, but he was a homebody! Usually that annoys me because I always want to travel, but after this trip I think maybe I will stay home with him!
So there is a little bit from our trip. I am so happy we were able to fulfill a big wish for Kyle, so appreciative of the country I live in and so happy there are still towns population 1800 for me to live in!

Ode To The Hubby

Today is Father's Day and to top it off I have been married to hubby for 13 years today as well! I feel that deserves a tribute...Considering to begin with our "song" was "One" by Metallica you will see that we are not your traditional couple (you may not remember that particular little number but some of the lyrics were "all that I see absolute horror..." a real romantic little ditty!) So besides all of the sentimental hallmark card words that do apply to the world's best husband and father let me name five things that are just to cool about the man in my life...
#5 He yells "son of a biscuit" when he is really upset. He also had to add a family rule that states, "you can only swear when you shoot yourself in the finger with a nail gun" since that was the only time our sons actually heard him cuss.
#4 He can't lie....seriously he can't. He will look you straight in the face and say, "no, I have nothing planned for our anniversary" but he is grinning and blushing like a crazy person (yeah, babe you fooled me way to go!)
#3 He runs almost everywhere he goes! He is just so excited he is like a puppy on the loose and runs or sprints even into the hardware store to buy ant killer.
#2 He delusionally thinks that I am the hottest thing on this planet. I used to think it was just bacause he is legally blind, but I am beginning to think he really just thinks that. Pretty tough being married to someone who has to leave the room for a minute because you are so beautiful he can't take it.
#1 He gets up everyday and keeps trying, even though our life together with the wild monkeys can turn you into a crazy person!
So here's to you babe on this awesome day of celebrating you! I love you and don't know why I am so blessed, but I am always grateful to be.

Parenting-The "moments" theory

First a big hug to all of you for pretending you would be heartbroken if I were to sign off forever! Boy you guys are good! I think I might have to many soap boxes to leave for good, but I always think I will quit because I am a technology "hater". I totally should have been born in the Little House in the Prairie time period (exceptions-washing machines, electric light and air conditioning...wait there really are a lot), but I really hate cell phones, computers and don't even get me started on my feelings about texting....I digress...
Today is Sunday (translated the day you should feel close to God, but the day that at our house is a fight from morning to end). For some reason Satan seems to come to stay for all day so that we can't possibly feel the spirit and I told husband that I thought maybe I had decided the best way for me to go was to drive off a cliff...to which he replied, "take me with you my love." I really would like to be fired from this gig today, but let's face it there is no one willing to replace me and though I don't feel so thrilled with my kids right now the bottom line in they are mine and so I have to forgive them for their wickedly bad choices of today.
An apostle (don't remember which one) and an author have a theory about parenting that I really liked. Warning I am not quoting them, but instead putting my twist on it. If you want the spiritual or well written read them, not me. The theory goes something like this, "parenting is made up of moments that make it all worth it in a sea of things that make you wish that you couldn't give birth or adopt children..." Ohhhh baby does that ring true. In my world there is no such thing as a good day, and very rarely is there a bad day. One minute you are driving home and your sweet two year old is yelling "mom" and you say "What?" and he yells "chicken, bock, bock!" and you laugh and all the other boys laugh and he thinks he is so funny that he belly laughs and does it all of the way home...."Ah", you think, "this is what life is all about". The next morning you wake up to little people screaming, "I hate you", "If you cook it I would rather die than eat it." Then you think to yourself, "I surrender, I give up" and you reach for a cookie. Then it occurs to you that this isn't a job at the local gas station. You can't quit, that's called child abandonment. So you send your son to bed at 6 because you have run out of creative punishemnts and he has way over stepped the bounds this time (again) and you pace around wondering if the Lord knew what he was doing when he sent you five babies that need to be turned into men of God and mostly by you....
So, here's to the moments...they are going to be few and far between sometimes, but I am almost sure that those will be the things your kids remember if you are really trying to be the mommy the Lord sent you here to be...Here are just a couple of mine.

• Getting ready for church today I see Isaac grinning with a thumbs up and he says, "mom sometimes you are so beautiful I can't stand it."
• Grayson napping in my arms through church
• Kyle setting a goal not to lose his temper or be grumpy for a month because, "he doesn't want to let me or the Lord down anymore."
• Driving home from science camp with Kyle and my mom laughing hysterically and thinking over and over, "he is so amazing, how did I get so blessed?

I hate that quote that says "life isn't measured by the amount of breaths you take, but the moment's that take your breath away." When you are the mother of five kids there are lots of moments that don't take your breath away (well, unless you count the ones that make you feel like you have been kicked in the stomach...) If that's the case, then life isn't much! So much of what you do is so not like that. But, those few moments thrown in mixed with daily TLC, forgiveness on both sides for messing it up, and renewing your committment to the little monsters (sometimes hundreds of times a day), to me that is parenting...that is why I am here and so though I don't "quit", for now it's only because faulted though I may be these blessing are all mine! Heavenly Father help me today to endure my blessings!

Multiple Personality Disorder Girl

I have a friend whose blog I read...on that blog she has a list of blogs titled, "Blogs I read that you shouldn't" Like any good defiant teen of 34 I couldn't help myself from looking them up and then spent the next hour reading one and laughing so hard I almost peed my pants (apparently if I am like most women near my age I will be doing that soon anyway). After reading it the blog posts started filling my mind and I realize there is an inner conflict in me that battles almost constantly, either that or I have multiple personality disorder. Let me introduce you to the two Heather's...On the one hand we have Typical Mormon Housewife Girl...This one works hard to keep things neat, orderly and happy. I home school and as of yesterday own chickens. I make my own bread and read to my children like crazy. We do morning devotional and have family home evening. I read parenting books and make charts for everything. We attend church every week and I love the Lord. I can bear my testimony with tears and I mean every word of it. I believe in family and at the moment have five children, but still don't consider us a large family. I drive a mini van. I adore my husband and have been married to him since I was a child (19 almost 20). I have a fake Scentsy candle wafting out lovely smells most of the time. I try to do what is right, I spell check and do food storage inventory. I used to scrapbook and know that I will probably start doing it again. You know her, sometimes you don't like her very much....let's hear it for Typical Mormon Housewife Girl!

Now may I introduce you to the other me! To friends like EE, Nic and T this girl is not really a shocking revelation...to most of you, you just won't believe it! I have to bite my tongue almost constantly not to say the inappropriate sarcastic remark that I have for almost everything that is said. I think motherhood is wicked hard, harder than anything I have ever been faced with and some days there is nothing I would like more than to turn the job over to someone else. I hide candy from my kids and then hide myself so I can eat it without them. My husband's perfection sometimes annoys me to death and sometimes I swear just to see his eyes get all big. I have read Twilightmultiple times and I think it is stupid and a waste of time, but though the other me thrives on the productive use of time, this girl likes to waste it on anything remotely entertaining (may I also add mindless teenage chick flicks here). The other me is already worried that keeping it real will offend so many of you that I try daily to be like. Most of my friends appear to enjoy their children and love them so much that butterflies appear to be shooting out their faces every time they look at them. Sometimes when I wake up I make a rule that my children can't talk until I have had a shower. They never actually shut it, but I still say it. Point being there is a lack of butterflies shooting out of me a lot. Some of you know her, most of you don't. But, this is me anyway so a big round of applause for Psycho, Immature Full Grown Teenage Girl!

I could yammer on until the end of time. But after spending two days with a friend recently I realized a couple of things. First off, people don't like you if they think you are really and truly perfect. It makes you completely unapproachable and it's just not real. Second, I am tired. I am tired of trying to be "perfect". I am not. My children are not. The husband I love and I can fight better than most people, we also know that doesn't mean it's the end for us. I am going to try and live in peace with these two women. I know that some of that "evil" stuff needs to be tweaked (not like tweaking which I learned from my friend is mom's on meth), but you know improved. But, like it or not I just might be both. The me that hates holidays, parties and social gatherings and the me who plans each of those with a theme and a clean house because it is the right thing to do....who do you like best?

So feel free to write whatever you think about this...Some of you will go with the typical perfect response "oh Heather, none of us are perfect, but we just love you, love you no matter what." And that will be greatly appreciated. Or you can say what you are really thinking things like:

• "You weren't fooling anyone we always knew you were a loser"
• You can leave tips of the best places to hide while eating peanut butter M&M's
• "Sarcasm is an art, feel free to use it."
• Feel free to introduce me to your alternate self, I would love to meet her!

I spell checked this, but I am not taking the time to find a fitting photo to match...In the future, if I chose to continue to blog which personality do you prefer. Gorgeous pics of my kids in matching outfits in the perfect seasonal setting or me ranting on like an old version of Avril Lavine with no musical talent?

Where's Heather?

Usually I am writing a blog post in my head at all times. For the last month that just hasn't been happening and I have been trying to figure out why. Last night I think I found the answers...First off, I have been crazy busy. Quick re-cap: moved into new house, had lots of friends visit new home, went camping, finished up school year, etc. Second, lots of things have thrown me "off". Quick re-cap: everyone got the flu (including me), I broke my toe (yes again), and I got into a car accident (no worries we are fine). I also have been helping (but let's face it mostly watching) my husband put in out yard. If you know my husband you know the energizer bunny has got nothing on him. He works like crazy and whistles the whole time. Quick re-cap: put in sprinkling system, planted grass, built sandbox, planted garden, built flower boxes and planted them, planted 12 trees and built the mother of all chicken coops. I also have been arguing with myself about whether or not I plan to remain in the blogging world. So with that out there how about some comments on why you blog or don't and why you think I should keep at it or not...