loving life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness!

Summer is hauling and there is lots to catch up on so I will just start with the most recent things and work back. Last night I took my girls to Vernal for a night out. We enjoyed school shopping for Preslie, Café Rio, and going to Wool-Mert. That is what Quinn thinks it's called and she says her 'R' really strong and it is adorable. Vernal is growing up! They have a new shopping center going in... JoAnn, TJ Maxx, Ross, Sportsman's Warehouse.. I feel like I'm in the city! Vernal is 30 minutes away and when I first moved here, it was an adjustment not having shopping nearby but now I really like it. Sometimes less options are better. Traffic in our town is mellow, and shopping isn't used as a default activity or recreation quite as much as when you live in the city. I like small town living for the great down-to-earth people, open spaces, and outdoor adventures. My neighbors are on the city council and school board; my voice can be heard more easily. This is a great place to raise my family.

While the girls were playing, Hunter was getting babysat at home by Pokémon and Dax and Mack were working in the hills, checking bear traps and taking wildlife pics. They had a great time. Bears have been keeping Dax super busy this summer.

Many are getting into camp trailers and wandering through town. The dry weather is making them look harder for food. We did get a KILLER rainstorm last week that was GLORIOUS. It hailed ice marbles for a minute and then downpoured for 20 more minutes. Everyone came outside to soak it up. We haven't had rain for months. It was wonderful!

Every summer we celebrate with the rest of the Uinta Basin at U.B.I.C (Uinta Basin in Celebration) which is held right here in our town, just a stick's throw from our house. We are lucky to have the Ute

Tribe as our neighbors and they always put on a show each year. These little boys are so cute all decked out.

 Dax's favorite brother and his family came to visit and celebrate UBIC with us! They have been coming to it for the past 4 years. I snapped this pic at the concert.. I don't know how little Ev fell asleep with all the noise! Can't wait to meet their baby #3 pretty soon.

 I watch my nephew 8-5, M-F while my brother Matt works. It has been an adjustment having another kid in the mix. Great to have him close and playing with my kids everyday. I think it has helped him learn to share and get along with other kids. Being the only child, he is used to calling the shots but it is a different story when he is at my house.. My kids shut him down really quick. They also need to learn to give and take. I have too many little bosses up in here!

 Preslie, Hunter, and Mack all took swimming lessons this summer and they all passed their levels. I am proud of each of them for the improvements they've made. They have learned a lot!

 I cleaned all the baby clothes out of my storage room and gave them away! This has been a process for me. I'm closing a huge chapter of my life; one that is very dear to me.

  I am at peace and know my job is to enjoy my beautiful kids in the here and now. I love my family and am just bursting with gratitude for the chance I have had to bear FOUR healthy children and raise them.

We had Dax's Mom come visit and stay with us for a few days and we had a ball with her. She is the

 most fun and spunky grandma ever. She was like a celebrity at our house. My kids loved having her. While she was here, she made Quinn a birthday fruit pizza and we celebrated. I love my little sweetheart so much. She is a bright spot in our family. Impossible to be sad or mad when she is around.

 We drove to Dax's bro's house on Quinn's b-day (July 24) and celebrated again with those guys. And of course, Quinn always gets fireworks on her day!

 The next day, Dax and I met my bro Tyrel, wife Kaeli, and my SIL Kenzi at Lagoon for some grown up kid time riding coasters. BLAST. Only way to do Lagoon is minus little kids. I think Preslie is old enough to go finally but we needed her to babysit Quinn. My boys played at their friends' house.

We ran down to see my parents and Dax cooked up some yummy ribs for everyone. My parents are so wonderful. My Mom's health continues to go down hill but she still takes time to play games with the kids.

 

I took Hunter in for an eye exam. He looked trippy with his eyes dialated! He will look great in glasses. 2nd kid of mine who needs glasses.. Dax and I don't wear them so it is new to us.

 Dax went to Beaver High Adventure scout camp for SIX days with his teachers quorum. They hiked, repelled, biked, went canoeing, horseback riding. It was intense. It was also intense at my house with me and 5 kids and the worst PMS week of my life. (Which came first: the PMS or the husband leaving?) The kids seems crazier than normal, the toilet in the main bath was clogged for 3 days and I just was ready to flip off the BSA. My dad called mid-week and invited us to go camping with him but I only had my crappy car with bald tires and did not feel like camping one bit. He really wanted us to come so I went and choked down the $600 bill for new tires (needed to be done anyway) and took my kids camping. I am glad we went.

My boys are great hikers. Mack wanted to climb the mountain again when we woke up the next day, so we did! My girls rode with grandpa on the 4 wheeler and Preslie was driving when she got one wheel in a rut and they tipped the machine onto themselves. My Dad was quick to toss Quinn out of the way and she came away unharmed. Preslie was bruised and my Dad was the most beat up but they are all ok.

 

Took a day trip with friends to Starvation Reservior and tubed, fished, and played on the beach. It is a fun place!

We had a round of the stomach flu the beginning of July and I'm the lucky one that didn't get it. Quinn threw up in primary on the floor in front of the Sunbeams. Great timing because our church recarpeted after that! Here's Dax on 4th of July when everyone else was watching fireworks and enjoying BBQ food...

 Earlier that day, my bro Matt and I ran in the Roosevelt RedMud Run. It was 2 miles of mud and obstacles and grueling fun. We had a blast. I hope more of my family will join in and do it next 4th.

Mangus family reunion was at Palisades State Park near Manti. My MIL planned it all and brought her new kayak to share. Fun with family swimming, eating, dancing, making ice cream and making memories.

Most of our family and friends who saw the cover of the July Friend magazine thought the girl on the front looked like Quinn.

 Preslie has a blast her first year at Girls Camp. Kinda calm at our house without her spunk.




I am sad that summer is winding down. I will miss my kids and especially Mack who will be in 1st grade all day. I will miss the warm weather and the carefree schedule. But I am excited to have some time to cook good meals and work on projects while the kids are in school. I have so so many projects I want to do: Scrapbook the kids' school years, Master Bedroom decorate, and food storage just to name a few.

 

Let's end with a Mack quote, Yes?!  So Dax taught a lesson in YM about dating and making yourself worthy for a great wife. He was telling us how it went and Mack piped up with, "I'm gonna spy on the girl I'm gonna marry to see what kinds of things she does. I don't want to marry someone nerdy who drools and falls down a lot."

counting blessings

This week wins the award for most crazy, most wonderful, and most scary... all at once.

Monday my oldest sister Tisha went to the doctor for a pain in her abdomen was diagnosed with renal carcinoma which is kidney cancer for which there is no cure and life expectancy is short. She was scheduled to get her kidney removed on Wednesday.

Tuesday morning we had our final inspection on the house and were thrilled. After that I called Tisha and I hardly knew what to say and we just cried as we were both so unsure about her future. My mind could not process losing her. Later, Craig, Dax and I took the boys to eat lunch with Preslie at her school to celebrate finishing the house.

Wednesday Tisha got her kidney removed and my siblings and parents and I were on edge all day awaiting news of the surgery. The doctor said that they were very optimistic that they got all the cancer. They will have to watch her closely to make sure to catch any other possible occurrences. She may have to undergo chemotherapy or radiation.

Thursday we packed and packed as I dreamed about my new house and wondered how my sister was digesting all of this news. Dax carried boxes and furniture down all the stairs, loaded the trailer, then unloaded everything at the house. I usually do this with him when we move, but Mack was SO in the middle of everything that it was all I could do to keep him out of the way and off the concrete stairs as Dax was loading. Needless to say Dax was SICK of carrying boxes up and down stairs.

Friday, Dax's work buddies came to help us move and we were so thankful. That evening, Craig and Nadine came to visit us and celebrate our first night in our house. I think it is cool that we moved in on Craig's birthday. I woke up a couple of times in the night and looked around thinking how pretty my room was and then I would fall back asleep smiling.

Saturday felt like Christmas, not Valentine's Day. We woke up to a light snow on the ground, boxes everywhere, Craig putting together the kids' little table and chairs Nadine brought them, Dax putting up curtain rods for me. It all felt like a wonderful dream. A wonderful, exhausting dream.

Sunday (today) we were a circus trying to find shoes and makeup and blow dryer and get ready without any mirrors (we still need to get those in the bathrooms). We made it to our new ward and it hit me when the Sunday school introduced us and said, "are you permanent residents?" Whoa. It is just crazy to me that I live in a house. Our furniture is so tiny in here. Our couches and kitchen table shrunk!

I called Tisha and I was brought to tears by how grateful she was for her life and how blessed she felt. I guess that is what happens when you look death in the face. It makes you realize just how neat life is and that each day is a gift from Heavenly Father. She has always been an example of someone who cherishes each day and spends her time on what is truly important. I have faith that she will live long enough to enjoy her six children and that God's blessings will continue to pour out upon her because of her faithfulness and all the good she does in the world. I love my family and am so thankful to have the chance to learn and experience this life!

plain and simple - part 2

These types of thoughts have been mulling around and building in my head for at least a couple years. I started noticing that we live in a world of excess when we would come home from Christmas barely able to close the back door to our SUV. Christmas morning every year consists of one child opening a gift and being so delighted that they start playing with it instantly. Then pretty soon the toy is taken away and they are handed another gift to open from the stack. If the child is so content with one present, why do we think they need two (or ten)? Especially when they have a whole room full of toys that they are perfectly happy with and still play with. I know that a child is loved by many people: moms and dad, at least 2 sets of grandparents, aunts and uncles, siblings, even their teacher at school. If Santa is going to compete with all of THAT, he'd better bring something good. And while it is so fun and exciting and appreciated, it's all too much!

A friend recently recommended a book to me called "It's All Too Much" by Peter Walsh. I believe it was an answer to my prayers. My husband jokingly calls the book my new scriptures, and I can't really discount that statement because many of the points in the book rang true for me. I have hit a point in my life that I'm ready to let things go.

And that is what I did. I went through all of my personal belongings, worked with the kids on their room, and helped Dax go through some of his things. We filled many garbage bags and many bags to take to D.I. By the end of our week, we had made a good dent. I would have taken it all to Deseret Industries, but my checking account was pretty low from building expenses, so I had a yard sale Saturday. I sold a lot of things and got to talk to a lot of people. I can't tell you how many times I heard something like, "I already have too much stuff, but I really like going to yard sales." One lady said, "Whenever anyone in the county needs anything, they just come get it at my house. I have a shed full of stuff and I am getting another shed." It's so easy to acquire belongings, and it even makes us feel good and successful and productive. But it is even more exciting to let it all go and see the open space grow and feel my mind clear.

We'll never be done de-cluttering because we will constanly be getting more stuff as the years roll on. This Christmas, my husband and I are cutting back on gifts for each other and the kids. We will focus more on service and experiences and fun. Memories last longer than presents, anyway. And they don't require me to buy more storage bins!

making adjustments

I have realized that I don't have many pictures of my middle child and no recent stories to blog about him. I hope he is not just blending into the background of my life. He was our "baby" for a long time, and now that we have a new baby, he's had to become big boy and I've really missed the time I used to spend with him. We would sit on the rocking chair and snuggle for a long time quite often, and he would rub my thumb with his thumb--something he's done since he was a baby, but doesn't do hardly at all anymore. I really miss reading books to him, just me and him with no squirmy ticking time bomb that will need to be fed or changed or want to stand up and bounce any second. The pressure and constance of having a baby really piles up on me around 3-4 months, always. I guess that is when I realize that I have done little else but attend to the baby for 90 days and I am about to go nuts if I don't get back in balance right quick. I always feel guilty telling people about it too because it seems like everyone else with babies just can't get enough of their little bundle and are just loving life. Well, I have figured out that it isn't the baby that makes me crazy; I just love our little guy and have really enjoyed the wonderful experience its been to have him join our family. It is the adjustment period that seems to take forever that makes me crazy. But I think the key is to not think about how much easier it would be if I didn't have the baby, because, lets face it, the baby is here to stay, and we're grateful for that. So why is it so hard to change my thought process so instead of thinking, "I can't do that, I have a nursing baby" I can say, "I will just have to bring the baby, and I'll find a sitter for the other two." Having a baby, or two, or three, makes life more complicated, plain and simple. But life doesn't have to stop. Or I guess I should say that FUN doesn't have to stop. There IS life outside feedings, diapers, drool, and spit-up. And thank goodness for that. Figuring out how to do it with a baby in tow and getting everything else done in my 10-15 minute windows is what I gotta do, and then I'll feel like I am more in control of my life.

life goes on.

The only thing about life that stays the same is that it is always changing. My family and I have experienced a lot of major changes in the past while, and I've been so crazy this past month! One thing that has really helped me is friends and family who care. I am so grateful for the people in my life who love me. Life is a great balancing act with marriage, children, testimony, finances, housework, hobbies, friendships, and self. It is difficult to adjust to major change and keep up with most of these other things that also require daily maintenance. Life will not ever be how it was 4 months, 6 months, or a year ago. But friends and family are the constants in life that help you smile, move forward, and realize that yes, life is hard, but it is doable and so worth it.