Helpers…as in goofer offers….

I thought Cannon was the biggest “goofer offer” always distracted when it’s time to help around here but…when he was gone these two stepped right up. 

😩

Poor Cannon though he worked ALL day Saturday with the excavator and skid steer with Isaac -his preference over house work- for the reward of watching basketball but we’re still pretty anti tv around here so we just use the rabbit ears and we get CBS but Saturdays Elite 8 games were both on TBS. Whoops. Sorry buddy. And we missed the sweet 16 games cuz I put the TV away. 

He’s definitely to the age he’s realizing we’re “peculiar” but he’s not loving it. 

Again-sorry buddy. 

Distinct and Different in Pres Kimball’s words ✔️ He’s just not sold on the “in happy ways” part. 

We tried to watch some on the computer but—it was lame. 

Older brothers might be a little more excited about a little walker than me—so they play balance games with her. 

Basketball on the computer was so lame Cannon even came out to play Family soccer. It was fun but it got a little rough…(Cannon’s a flopper…) 

When I subbed out I thought Isaac was too rough but…look at that grin—he doesn’t look any worse for wear. 

And he does his share of being too rough so go with it right? 

Their crazy! 

Bishop Sorhus stopped by Sunday I have no idea why (maybe he’s aware of Isaacs new freedom on Sundays 🤣) but at this point Isaac asked him he thought of a potential remodel—or addition. 

These two are peas in a pod. 

But I’m just not the saint his wife is! 

He did a remodel at his house-he did it all himself (see why my fears are warranted???) and it was a 10 year project. Heaven Help me. He WAS the Bishop for 6 of those years but….I might stick with the little dining room. 😉 He was just getting his opinion…as alway—time will tell. 

I got this sweet note from Seth AND Tanner but then I crossed Tann (I don’t remember how) and he told me he hated me. (The mom life is rough sometimes and safe to say if he’s as much the male version of me as my mom says I’m probably lucky she didn’t keep a weekly blog) but anyway he said he hated me and I said “no you don’t I have a paper that says you love me” so he went in and got it and ripped his name off the bottom—except the r 😂

Cannon needed “a disguise” for his young mens activity and he was pumped about it…this is what we came up with 🤣 (the cheapest wig Amazon could get here in 1 day! He said “why’s it orange?” I said “cuz it was cheapest” then he grumbled something about it and I said “watch it buddy I married a guy with orange hair” but it was long flowing hair down to his rear end…so we just  chopped…we didn’t use hedge trimmers but that’s what it looked like. Then he ended up being so embarrassed he wouldn’t even let me take a picture. And…they didn’t even get to the part he needed it for at YM. Oh well—he’ll have it for next time. 

Beaters!!!

That’s really all I’ve got pics of. 

It’s soccer soccer soccer almost every night for me and putter putter putter almost every night for Isaac, but we’re both doing things we enjoy (and may or may not know anything about) so I guess it’s a win. 

Tornado watch tonight…

We’re not very worried…it wouldn’t help anyway. 

I think that’s about it—

Turning the Bishop page...

I think the biggest news on the week was that Isaac got released from his calling as Bishop. I knew that last week when I blogged but it was still hush hush then. Not anymore. 

It was cute, he got to share is testimony (he did great) then he turned to President Marler (The 1st counselor--Pres Thomas wasn't there--but he came later) and said something then Pres Marler nodded and Isaac came down and sat by us! We'll probably even ride in together next week. 😊

I knew Pres Thomas was going to stop by Sunday but "afternoon" was all I knew. So I just put some food in the crockpot.  If we know he's coming we like to feed him because its about 2.5 hour drive since he lives in Macomb....and on Sunday…not that there’s really anywhere to stop and eat if it weren’t Sunday—I dunno. We invited Pres Marler as well but he couldn't make it. But we ended up staying after church for Levi Page's baptism. So that thwarted my brown rice in the oven plan, but I pulled off white rice (we're fine with simple carbs around here and I do think the baptism was more important) but Bishop and Sister Sorhus came too because Isaac had picked up his temple clothes when he was working last time because the temple is closed. Anyway. We talked them into staying and eating with us too. I got home from the baptism about 8 minutes before President Thomas and the Sorhus' got here and Isaac "misjudged the time" ran a little errand and got here about 15 minutes after they got here. Oh well. We sat around and visited while we waited for him (and the rice cooked) and then we ate dinner. I had a tired tired little Addi girl so mostly I packed her and listened and pitched in here and there too. But it was so fun. President Thomas only wanted to stop by to tell us thanks for serving. He really is so great-and SO AWESOME with our kids--I mean I wished he could have heard them telling my parents that night how cool our stake president is. And he is! Cannon asking him if he had President Nelson's phone number...it was just funny and great. And Bishop Sorhus preceded Isaac so it was just fun. AND...I love pictures and thanks to Seth I have some. It was hilarious he had snagged my phone from in the other room and took several. And said “picture!”  Well done Little Mr Ison --I guess you have some of me in you too. (And he looks the most Frei…but he’s not) but here’s a few he took. 

There were lots of those headless ones 🤣🤣

But it was great. 

The weakness with the farmhouse is ALWAYS the dining room but especially when we have company. Oh well. But actually I randomly called Isaac this week and said "Hey, I want a cement pad and a basketball hoop--you know that right?" And he did, but I just thought dang these kids they want something, they ask him,  maybe nag, and (as long as its a piece of equipment) we end up with it! I thought to myself its really a simple (much cheaper) thing I want... he offered twice after I called him to walk around the property and try to decide where to put it!... but that led to the: are we going to add on a garage discussion...anyway all of this to say we've started dreaming and scheming about an addition to that dining room. Again.

Well see

Maybe someday

I mean...it doesn't fit our family now so maybe someday soon??? Who knows. But the problem is that we get along just fine. But if I start thinking about what I would want different. A bigger dinning room yes but a mud room too with a big utility sink and a shower, “lockers” and hooks galore, a place for snow clothes, and life jackets and work clothes, how about an extra washer and dryer out in that mess space but wait I'm not going to want the new "nice" space messy...or unfinished but (too bad my life is) Oh and it would be great to have a place to put the Christmas tree and... how did we get to all of this out of me wanting a hoop???? Get out of the way because there's a train coming down this track!

So anyway time will tell. 

Monday spring break still wasn't over! It was windy but the sun was shining so after a trip to the library, so much 3D pen mess, Tanner tossing Cannon Alley Oops, rides on shoulders and so on...I kicked them outside! 











Tuesday...Thank You teachers! But look at this sweet picture Tanner drew of himself on the 4 wheeler. I have the school projects blog to save things like this but I loved it and I'm being lazy so here it is...I loved his helmet around his head. More on him and the 4 wheeler later--the picture is cute and all but I really couldn't care less about it, I want that head protected in real life!

While her brothers were at school Sis and I went over and put a wind chime in the tree to try to keep the deer from snacking on Rizzy's tulips. I'm doubtful (they are barely coming up and there's bite marks in them...I hope they tasted like green apricots😆) anyway we tried. I thought I'd let this girl help me drive home. Whoops. She was a terror-yanking the wheel, mad I wouldn't let her grab the gear shifter. Yikes. A mind of her own! Just like her brothers. 



Tuesday he came home with this. Tanner's been wanting one but Seth was the first one to help him drive it. Ya can't really see Seth in the picture--but he's there. 

And I need a new (not when she's 3 months old) pic of this girl on my wall...and I want this with a different background. Too bad I'm not much of a photo editor. Oh well, it will green up soon and I will try for one. Its getting harder and harder to trick her into forgetting about those bows. Dad hates them, Grampa hates them. Someday I'll probably hate them but for now I think its cute and until she grows some more hair...Sorry sis, even if there's flowers on your shirt you just look too much like your brothers. 

Check our this "green egg" Seth got at school. Ms Karen is so fun. She gave him some extras to share with his siblings. Sister was pumped when she got a whole one. He snagged the skittle and I found pretty much the whole pretzel in her mouth--all the almond bark sucked off. She loved it. 

And see this smile...Its about as polar opposite as I was feeling about the situation as possible. 
Have Mercy!

I used to always try to keep the blog positive...I don't know if I do that anymore. Who knows? But I used to always tell my side of the story in my regular journal. But then I took the emotional resilience class which was life changing because you have to write down something you're grateful for every day so I just started doing it at the top of my journal. And life changing because its so good to focus on the good and often times the rant will fall by the wayside--undocumented. 

But last night I was wound up! I know I wrote something I was thankful for...but then I just went off on the Isaac special. (I've kindof gone away from calling it Ison special because really--its just him. His siblings...there's not one of them that would have put up with this circus. Anyway...)

So I don't know how much I should tell because really I wrote it all down in my journal and I wasn't any better off for it right?

But here's the summary...its was a disaster-over and over again. Typical. Including Tanner driving the 4 wheeler home by himself with no helmet. I was following. He's almost 7 but...still 6...and he was a nervous wreck and so was I. A hydraulic leak.  A completely different project across the street at Kilmers. Not making the turn with the semi and lowboy, and so on... See this next pic: That sun has set. Originally that excavator was going to be at the property in town and he was going to take Seth into school (noon) and maybe we'd go to lunch before he ran into work....

None of those things happened.

Instead I'm scrounging up old tires for this project in the gross chicken house and the like. I couldn't find enough so I had to get Colt to help me. We found the required 6...we easily could have used 10. He crawls the machine off the lowboy off and then he was going to have me drive it...I've never been in the thing. And when it dwarfs the whole street ya kinda realize just how big it is! Anyway I don't want to drive it so I don't even give him a chance to stop I just keep running tires-as soon as he's past them I put them back in front of the track. (Far more of a work out than soccer practice just for the record.) But we're trying to keep that 80000lb machine from ruining the road. 

Anyway. Addi -who had to go to freezing soccer with me because of this project-fell asleep on the way home from soccer and slept through the whole deal. Thank Heaven. But then she was wide awake at 10:00pm pulling tricks like this all on her own. 😲

Cannon who had been up early for weights also slept through everything. Seth was "Helping" always--since after school he had me drop him off-they are partners in crime. He got grease on his school coat, Isaac was like "you dropped him off don't be mad at me."  Colt had his nose in a book and Tann...hung out with the big boys who were sleeping/reading. So basically by himself. He was fine but...not good on my mom heart. Oh and I'm hungry which is just a recipe for disaster no matter what. Not Isaac's fault at all. 100% me. But definitely part of the disaster. I'm hungry because as I was pulling out the stuff for the pasta salad after soccer before the "I need tires" call I spilled dressing and tiny chopped up vegetables EVERYWHERE. I was so mad-at me-and that I had to clean it up. Back over at the project though (Oh the old boy who lives on that street is totally watching the circus out the window. But we're over there with Addi and Seth when Tanner and Colt finally called (on the old phone through the internet like we do) and I was like oh we're almost done...pop some popcorn and we should be back before its gone. We were :) Isaac bought KFC when I told him what had happened to dinner plan A. And I was grateful but I was still so ornery. It was almost 9:00. Then we have to eat. And still do CFM. And I was tired but Addi was wide awake. It was just a disaster. 

But we survived it. I think. Just another day in Paradise. 

This is one of Addi's favorite places. 

Colt was Isaacs helper tonight. Cannon got to go to the middle school fun night. I've never let him before because I didn't want two extra trips into town. But since I let Colt go to the glow night I thought I better...he was so excited I felt bad about being a grouch the other times. I don't know what else. I stay busy with Laundry even if I don't get anything else done. Tanner and I finished his library book. 

Bout it. 

...I'm sure we'll have something to tell about next week too

Even if its just soccer. 

😉

Spring break ‘23

Well we almost got away without a Spring Break snow…but there was definitely snow on the ground, although the only proof I have is the picture of Seth and Isaacs load of gas tanks they went to Omaha to get. 

That was Thursday’s project. 

It’s always something. 

They bought a compactor on that trip….why????…you might ask —no you wouldn’t,  not if you read my blog instead you’d probably just shake your head and think “only Isaac” 

Yeah that.

Ok back to Spring Break-

It definitely wasn’t Puerto Rico but we’ve had a good time. 

All Tanner wanted to do was take the motorhome somewhere-anywhere-but we don’t fit! There wasn’t even places for people to sleep! So Saturday morning they started ripping cupboards out with the intent to build bunk beds. 

I should’ve done before and afters…but I didn’t. Here’s the pile of junk cupboards and a closet that were in the back “room” with the queen bed. 

It turned out to be a good move-they didn’t build the bunk (yet-it’s still the plan) But Now there’s an extra queen mattress on the ground back there that they want to build a bunk over and our regular bed. It was much better. Oh but if only the plans stopped there-nope. 

Eventually he wants to cut the back open so he can load motorcycles… as well as build rails so it had a deck on top and you could sleep up there too. 

Have Mercy…but don’t doubt him.

🤯

Ok so anyway this was there Saturday morning project while I peacefully went to the Relief Society activity…I was sitting there when Isaac called and asked when I was going to be back because he had to pick one of the young men up before the youth temple trip. Whoops. Communication would take us a long way! 

Anyway-I left and we had plenty of time. So off Cannon and Isaac went to the temple then the older kids had a super Saturday activity or something. So Cann came back with his leaders and Isaac stayed. We have been talking up youth temple trips and getting to go out to eat and I excitedly asked Cannon how it was and where they ate and he said “good-McDonalds” I was pretty surprised. Luckily his buddy “gave him a waterfall” out of his water bottle -the other young man was just parched. It was terrible weather Cannon said they fishtailed a couple times-so maybe they were trying to get back 🤞🏻Let’s go with that. By time Isaac came home the roads were great—maybe he went a better route-who knows? 

But we probably owe Cann a little better outing than McD’s 😂 we can handle that. 

While they were gone Colt had a friends birthday party  and Tanner Seth Addi and I picked out some flowers to plant. Once we picked Colt up we went and bought some groceries only Isaac had the van and the trunk on his car wouldn’t open so I piled 4 of 5 kids in the car then piled groceries on top of the kids and we called it good. 🤷‍♀️

Sunday I taught RS-not the best but I’ll have another chance next month so I’m not going to loose sleep over it. And we had a linger longer to celebrate the Kirksville 2nd Ward’s 24 birthday! (Our ward was actually established Feb 21 -Isaacs birthday- 1999)  kinda cool.  I actually really enjoyed chatting with Bro Gilchrist about the history of the ward. Isaac is only the 4th Bishop the ward has had! Crazy huh! 

Monday it was just too cold for that motorhome camping trip so we met up with some friends at skyzone down in Columbia. It was really fun! 

I’d never been. And really tightwad me really hates the idea of paying that much money to jump and having to buy special socks BUT I just had to change my mindset and think it’s spring break and this is what we’re doing for fun (and it’s way cheaper than Puerto Rico) so once I did that—it was a BLAST. So fun! And totally worth it! 

And when Sethy wanted me to jump with them I paid more money and bought more special socks and was so glad I did! I would totally do it again, it was so fun! (Blurry pic but I had to include it cuz we both look pretty happy) 

Tuesday I have no idea what we did all day but at 7:30pm we were on the road making Tanners dreams come true with that camping trip. 

Best camping trip ever—we were gone a grand total of  14 hours😂

Isaac was ready to pull away at 9:00 the next morning. Perfect. No wonder he didn’t want to pay the camping reservation fee -he did though- we were barely even there! Seth was still asleep-no worries-sleep on. 

I took this pic of them swaying for balance and realize I’d been taking pics of them in the same clothes for 3 days…and I didn’t have pics but they probably really put them on Sunday😩 Gross. Showers when we got back were mandatory!!! Tanner fought me on that- changed his shirt and really didn’t shower until that evening! Yikes!! 

Wednesday it was nice and we got outside a bit before it started raining again yesterday. Colts activities we canceled but Cann had YMs 

Thursday Isaac and Seth left but Cannon and I had March madness to watch so we’ve enjoyed and wasted a fair amount of time on that. Monday was with all Cann’s buddies, camping was Tanners idea, Seth got to go get the fuel tanks, so I asked Colt what he would want to do-rust would make Spring break fun for him and he just wanted to play dodgeball at the church so we made that happen today and that’s pretty much the wrap. 

Happy Spring -cold- break!! 

Oh wait last week I blogged about “laundry equipment”…yeah the older boys hated it and begged me to stop. They don’t like finding random things in random drawers. 

So here’s tonight’s “people equipment” 😂 Seth is the semi Isaac is the bellydump…🤷‍♀️

Look who’s 10 months old!

Wow!!! Time goes so fast—when they’re on the outside—

I think it’s been a good week. 

If I remember right they were working on their pond job  last Saturday…and Tuesday when I was the skid steer driver (just over I made Isaac be the one to actually spread the rock) I took a couple pics. 

Dam 1

Dam 2

And the original pond—the 4 wheeler pond shall we call it? 

Ray wanted them for wildlife and it’s crazy how many deer tracks are on them already! 

I rode over to the cemetery just to see if anything we’d planted was coming up—there’s a few but Isaac worked in the temple yesterday and came home told me the temple bulbs look way better. Ha. Ok. At least it’s the temple! 

Sunday I was determined to have a better day! So we tried to stay busy after church. My sweet friend Gabby gave us some flowers to color before the real ones come up. It was perfect because it gave us two things to do on Sunday—first color them. Then we took them over while Cannon and Isaac were at a meeting that evening. (I’m still scratching acrylic paint from these markers off my table but totally worth it!) 

We also did a writing assignment for a treat of their choice…this needs refined a little. It needs to be one of them picks a treat not I have to make 4 special treats cuz they write for 10 minutes but whatever-it was a start.

It was also very insightful what they wrote too…I just said write about anything from this last week, when I read them nothing had made the blog! So yes this is our over documented life but your definitely getting things through my lens. For better or worse. Cannon wrote about young mens and playing Mofia and when he was the “murderer” interesting because the “moral abomination” of a game being played -I wasn’t there but I heard about it-was changed to where they just tagged people and they were out instead of dead in an attempt to respect the sacredness of life. But I read that journal entry and thought -yeah, that didn’t work! Anyway Cannon has hit an age where we as parents are getting dumber and dumber. 😩 Buckle up. 

Colt wrote about the games they did at  glow night he hadn’t said anything about the specific games to me and also who he hung out with.  Tanner wrote about (or started to write about)  an adventure they went on with the neighbor Bristol -I’d forgot it. Seth…I can’t remember what I wrote for him? But I love it when they write about life! …cuz it’s what I do…

Ohhhh The things I find on my phone…they were taking pics of themselves to edit. And check out this cute little “puppy” 

These two are peas in a pod! And Addi just wanted some sucker! 


Wednesday was tanner‘s first grade music program! We love the music teacher at his school…except she might have just talked me into coaching soccer 😳😳😳 what!?? True story! 

The dress code was “his best” he wasn’t crazy about church clothes until we made this tie! The program was called "Not a box" and was about them using their imaginations to take them anywhere...I guess that's a good enough synopsis. At 6:15am he was asking it was time to put his suit on! 

He did great! The program was awesome! 

I wished I had filmed the song “what shall we do with a grumpy pirate?” Because that’s the one he’s been singing  around the house for months but it was awesome -so cute -all of it! 

https://youtu.be/1vhxF4ZZ7RI

I went to both performances Seth came with me to the first one and therefore I had my hands full. On the second one I had help though and Seth was at school so that was nice. 

We celebrated with pizza…maybe cuz I was hungry! (It wasn’t fast, hungry me with 5 kids in a pizza joint was wishing I’d grabbed Hot and Ready instead. But Tan had a “caught being good” ticket for this place and we were celebrating 😊)

Oh and Isaac wasn’t there because he had a meeting…and we went right after school. 

 And that’s the top step! 

Laundry-is just part of my everyday but Seth is always asking to play equipment so we made up a new game and it’s Laundry Equipment. Seth can be either a loader  if he scoops the pile up, or an excavator if he just reaches out with one arm (so much for folding it) or a dump truck if he just gets loaded up but then he delivers the loads to the drawers than need them. I work in the Gravel (Laundry) pit. Awesome right?…well let’s go with well intended and better than no help at all. I walked in their bedroom and EVERYTHING was in the top drawer. Hmm—we meant well. 

Tonight Cannon got to play dodgeball and have pizza with his buddies from football but he needed to be picked up at the same time I had agreed to go with the Missionaries so he got to go on a missionary excursion with me. That was quite a first experience! I had been earlier in the week and thought we were going back there. Nope. Not where we went! When we got in the car afterward I said “ok I owe ya-let’s go get a milkshake” to which he said “will you wash all my clothes to?” 😂😂😂 yes! But he did good when I asked him (maybe made him) contribute and tell a story. He hasn’t quite mastered my “turn off your nose”  trick but he was trying!!! 

We did have a good little chat afterward how Jesus wouldn’t have flinched being there and how he doesn’t love that man any less than he loves us. 

I dunno-I hope it was a good thing overall. 

And currently it’s a family party in the motorhome all Tanner wants for spring break is to take it somewhere…I’m just trying not to be a dream crusher 😬

Oh & one last thing- I got this sweet text from Nan (my friend -actually relief society Pres- in the other ward who serves on the school board) passing on what Tanner had written. 

This is so sweet-but I can’t take any credit-this is all Mrs Totta we love her!!!

This week it was our neighbor and friend Dennis’ birthday so we made a little treat and I said “Tanner will you make him a card?” And he did! All by himself -it was awesome! I mean he asked for some idea of what to say but again Thank You Mrs Totta! ❤️