heart coaster

What a week. I took Preslie in Monday morning to get her tonsils and adenoids removed. Dax was on a work trip so I left Hunter to care for the littles. Preslie was super nervous. When the nurse took her blood pressure, it showed.

 The freaking out was real!

 When she came out of surgery, she kept going, "Whoa!" "I don't remember anything!" "Are they really out?" "Whoa." "That wasn't even that bad!" (Later that evening, it WAS that bad) While we were at the hospital, my girlfriend Jolona took Mack to audition for Missoula Children's Theater. He's wanted to be in a play so badly so he went for it!

Preslie and I arrived home from the hospital and found out Mack got a part! He was to be a pumpkin in the play. Yay!
The next moment I found out that our dear friends tragically lost their 12-year-old son the night before. My heart has been so heavy. This spunky boy was my cub scout and his Mom was my den leader assistant as well as a good friend since I moved to Roosevelt. My heart is broken. Friday I went to the viewing. Upon entering the church, I felt sick knowing that my friend was going through this. I saw her and we just hugged and cried. There is nothing to say to parents who have lost a child. You simply hug and cry. I pray every day that they will unite together as a family and that they will be strengthened in their trials. It is amazing what happens when hard times come and you turn to the Lord. I've felt peace and guidance in the most crazy of life's trials. Though I've lost a few people that are close to me, this boy's death hit me pretty hard. I do have a testimony of eternal families and of the healing power of Christ's atonement.

 During the week, Preslie had friends come visit and bring popsicles and balloons. And a giant bear.

Although it's always crappy to get your tonsils out, I dare say (in this case) that doing it with an older child is slightly better because it's easier to get them to drink plus they're bigger and stronger. It's sad to see your kids in pain, but especially the little ones. Also reasoning with a 4-year-old with a sore throat is impossible.

My boys surprisingly have played really cute together this week. They generally don't hang out that much but I've loved seeing them have lightsaber battles and play Legos.

General Grievous

 Here are my tonsil twins with their matching hospital mugs. Good to have all the tonsil surgeries over with! Deductible was met, people. Mack is the only one with tonsils left in our family. That kid can never follow the norm! Good for him.

My father-in-law came up to play with my other kids while I took care of my baby teenager. Mack had play practice all week and performed in the play Cinderella twice on Saturday. He was totally darling and LOVED the experience. He even had a little solo part that made our hearts burst! Saturday night at bedtime Mack said, "Mom let's find another play I can be in right now."

Sunday we went to church and in sacrament meeting, Preslie told me she felt hot. I touched her head and she was warm and sweaty. Dax took her home, fed her and she went to bed. At that point, I felt apprehensive about sending her to girls camp the next day. Well, she woke me up this morning at 6 and had me drop her off at the church! I sure hope she does ok! She is one week out from her surgery and I sent her to the mountains with a bottle of Tylenol! So we will see if I get awarded Mom of the Year.

Quinn has been melting my heart. She made her own cookbook last week with her delicious salsa recipe in it and we were going to make it but she couldn't find her cook book. So I got out a little cookbook my grandmother gave me when I was little and she picked a banana bread recipe for us to make. We headed to the store to get bananas and I just loved our conversations and the fact that she wore a ring and that she gasped when we pulled into the store parking lot and said, "Capri Suns are on sale!"

I just have to share that as I was typing this, a super annoying big loud buzzy fly was circling around the room trying to break my concentration so I texted Dax who was in the other room..

Dax is pretty much the most fun husband of all time. I love how he keeps things light. Life gets too serious sometimes! Also- his cooking. So yeah, best husband ever.

4 space updates: befores and afters! (and a curtain rod made from a tree branch!)

Here are some space updates/redos that I've done in the past few months!

Most recently, I did a mini-makeover on my front porch.  I like sitting on the porch with my husband in the evening, so I wanted it more cozy.

Here's the BEFORE:

blah and boring

Here's the AFTER:

 Everything was re-purposed or thrifted except for the tall grassy plant (Ikea) and the rug (Target).

I made a little cushion for the bench, added a padded footstool, and a little brass stand for Dax to set his drink on.

Come visit and sit on the porch with me!

Someone with a pulse lives here! And now it shows.

Next are my friend Jo's girls' rooms. She hated this bedroom the most and I don't blame her. There was a conglomeration of decor and furniture that puts me on the verge of a panic attack.

BEFORE:

We decided to put Jo's daughter Paige in this room. Paige is a smart, fun, and sassy 11-year-old girl that lives in the country and raises sheep and pigs in the summer. The vibe we chose was Farm Girl Glam.
We used furniture they already had, plus a couple thrifted treasures, and gave it fresh paint. I think it looks completely different!

AFTER:

This is the same view, just before and after...

before

after

So different!

Jo and I dug through her crawl space and found this beautiful quilt her grandma made just stashed in a tote not being used. The antique desk was also her grandma's. We needed a chair for the desk so I called my neighbor who has a chair collecting problem (like me) and asked her if she had an extra metal chair lying around. She gave me this cute yellow one out of her back yard!

The curtains are one of my favorite things in here. I hopped my back fence and grabbed a tree limb out of my neighbor's burn pile and used it for the curtain rod. I used 2 random curtain brackets I had to hold up the branch, and the lace curtains are made from a buttload of lace fabric that I bought at a yard sale. The entire curtain set up was TWO dollars!

I scored some furry cow print fabric and this little side table at the same yard sale where I got the lace. The table was $5 and the cow fabric was a buck.

I made the pillows with the cow print fabric and the pink one I made out of a sweater that was in my donate box.

Jo splurged on the chandelier floor lamp. I found it at my local consignment store and called Jo over to look at it. It was marked at over $100 but we talked the owner lady down to $80. It became Paige's early birthday present. It adds such a fun glam vibe to the room!

I should have turned it on before I took pics!

The room was completely transformed very inexpensively. I love using what you have and making it work. Fun to see it all come together. Paige loves her new room and it shows by how clean she keeps it.

Next door, Paige's little sister Maelee wanted a new room, too!
Here is the before picture:

Jo picked out a pale pinky coral for the walls and we went from there. The room turned out great!

 Jo already had the brass head and footboard (which she took from Paige's room and painted), comforter and all the picture frames. The only things purchased for the room were paint, curtains, and a throw pillow. She got the nightstands and chair at yard sales. The swirly decor above the bed was donated by a friend.

 Maelee loves her pretty, new room!

Jo was on a roll and redid her son's room, too! That girl is a worker! She didn't get a single before pic, but trust me, it was not as cool as it is now.

The inspiration piece for the room was this rad 70s velvet ship painting we found at Deseret Industries for $3. 

 Jo's son Porter LOVES it and he loves his fresh clean room. It's perfect for an awesome jr high boy!

 I love this antique dresser from Porter's great grandma. The metal bed frame is from his other great grandma. The paint Jo used is a muted gray-blue. It looks awesome with the gold in the ship painting and the warm wood of the dresser.

 The thing I love about all these bedroom makeovers is that Jo didn't buy any new bedding, furniture, or decor. We shopped her house and the rest was thrifted.

Her kids all had things that were special to them and we incorporated them in their new rooms. If a teen boy wants to display his animal fur and bottle collection, he should! These aren't show rooms; they are rooms that kids really live in and the style reflects them and their family. Buying nice bedding for a kid is a waste of money. Use the cheapest bedding you can stand because it will get ruined our outdated quickly. We didn't add a lot to the rooms; we mostly took things out that didn't serve a purpose and arranged everything else to best fit the space.

What do you think? Which is your fave makeover?

My next project will be finishing my basement family room and bath, back patio and building a shed! It's gonna be major! CAN'T WAIT.

meaning, purpose, and direction

I've had a strong desire this year to simplify and focus on what is most important in my life. I do less of what others expect/want me to do and more of what I know is best for me and my family. My list of people I want to please is short. I say no to extra commitments and yes to my family. Moving in this direction, I have had increased peace and contentment and (I hope) better relationships with my husband and kids. I'm becoming more and more of a free spirit, living by inspiration and by my gut feeling, rather than social norms or expectations. 

I attended Mack's class read-a-thon and started a book called Stargirl. Been a long while since I've read a book for leisure. Mack had forgotten to give me the note about the read-a-thon but I saw it after he left for school that day. Quinn and I surprised him when we showed up with a beanbag, pillow, blanket, and books. Mack read The Chocolate Touch and Quinn read I Spy.

 It has been raining and raining this spring! A few Saturdays ago, we hopped in the car to go play at the park and cook s'mores but the rain started coming down. We just kept driving and listening to an audio book, The Indian in the Cupboard. We ended up at a neat park up the canyon that had covered fireplaces where we cooked s'mores with the kids. Turned out being a wonderful day together.

 I had a special Mother's Day at home with my husband and kids. Dax cooked me good food all day and we attended church where my 3 youngest sang "I Often go Walking" in sacrament meeting. I know Mother's Day is a hard day for many people. Even women who are blessed with kids often have feelings of inadequacy or regret. I have felt those feelings but this year, I realized we are all just trying to do our best and we are not perfect and it's ok!

 Last Saturday was the Fathers and Sons campout but Dax took us ALL camping someplace else. We played board games and hiked and did some shooting. Hunter killed me at chess. He is awesome.

 We saw wildlife and enjoyed more rain and the outdoors.

 I love my kids with all my heart. They are all so quirky and difficult in their own way but so easy and wonderful in other ways. Hunter can squat on top a high railing while eating his lunch!

The end of school equals projects, papers, performances, but also parties, movies, and water fights!

We attended Preslie's last choir and dance performances. Hunter ended his math club last month.
 We traveled to see the newly built Payson Utah Temple. We loved the pretty flowers on the grounds. The temple itself was beyond beautiful and over-the-top extravagant.

 We were able to visit siblings and their kids and also my dear parents. They are the best people. I had a wonderful therapy session with my Mom late one evening. We solved the world's problems and I am better for having spent that time with her. I love her and all she is and stands for. She has been a rock in my life and I will miss her dearly when she leaves this Earth. It has taken me a long time to get to the point where I'm willing to let her go because I rely so much on her wisdom and strength. I know she welcomes the day when she will be released from her mortal pains and cares and so I will also be happy for her when that time comes. But it will be really hard, too.

Back home, Dax and I planted potatoes, tomatoes, and peppers. Added to the peas, carrots, raspberries, and onions, our garden is full. We went to a neighborhood social and felt like outsiders even though we've been here 6 years. It didn't bug me. I used to live for social gatherings and now I can take them or leave them. I do love people and enjoy a good chat once in a while but I find that need is usually filled by interactions with people in my own home and family. I am good with that!

School is out. Hunter ran the mini-marathon (a tradition at his school on the last day). It was his last time running it;  he goes to jr. high next year! This has been the best school year for Hunter. Mrs. Olson is the most wonderful teacher. She expects a lot; she keeps her classroom under control and pushes the kids to excel but they all know she loves and adores them. She not only teaches them academically, but the kids leave her class with better life skills and greater character. I teared up leaving that school with Hunter. He has blossomed this year. To say he's a great kid is an understatement! So grateful for him in my life! His giant hair makes me smile! Takes after his Mama.

I took Quinn to kindergarten screening and immunizations even though I don't think I am sending her to school. I thought because she would be 5 in the summer that she would go to school this fall but the closer it gets and the more steps I take in that direction, the more I feel I should wait. \She is a wonderful and capable child, but I am not in a rush to push her out the door for the next 13 years.

 We bought a pool pass and have already been 3 times! I love going the last hour the pool's open...no crowds, less sun, and when they blow the whistle to get out, it isn't Mom that's the bad guy for making them go home!

 Dax whipped out a couple of summer haircuts for the boys. I have an internal struggle with buzz haircuts. But I didn't as much this time . . . my new "simplify" mindset helps! Whatever is easy and gets the job done works for me.

The kids had some friends over last night for a little party. Burgers, hot dogs, and 15 kids playing in the house and yard kept them busy for hours. I worked on projects mostly! Fun night for all.

I love summer's flexibility and freedom. I wanted my kids to have a little structure so they wouldn't be total wastes so I started a new chore checklist for them this week that is working pretty well. They have daily jobs (clean room, household job, prayer/scriptures, weeding, exercise goal) and weekly jobs (scouts/personal progress, their own laundry, journal writing, and memorize a weekly scripture I give them) All of the jobs are small and simple. At the end of the week, they get paid a little for each job completed. Pay doubles if they have everything checked off for the week! It is going well so far. I've never done a system like this; I'm a more on-the-fly type but I wanted to have a plan so that I don't have to come up with stuff each day. It is already planned out so we just stick to the plan and the plan tells us what to do instead of Mom pulling jobs out of the sky whenever and not being consistent.

Update on my brother Matt: He has made miraculous progress in the year that he's been here. He and little nephew have healed a lot from the crappy year they had. After a lot of dating and looking, he has a girlfriend! He is working and I have my nephew full time while he works. It is pretty great most of the time. But I know now why God didn't want me to have a 5th child. It kinda puts me on the edge of sanity sometimes! I already walk too close to that edge as it is. So adding another kid who has his own set of issues to my already nutty bunch makes my house an asylum sometimes! It's the crazy leading the crazy around here.

I'm trying my best. Life is so full. I saw this saying on Instagram the other day and it is my new mantra:

Do less,

 but with more

 focus.

This is exactly what I've been striving for these past few months. I used to try and do everything all the time for every person. It's not sustainable. My focus is God, Dax, my kids, and beyond that is a case by case basis. I am learning to say no to things and people that don't add purpose to my life. I have all the purpose I can handle!