Happy Birthday David!

Happy Birthday David!  We love you and miss you like crazy!  Thanks for being the best husband and father ever!  Thanks for working hard to provide for us every day.  Thanks for serving our country and teaching us all about patriotism and sacrifice.  And gratitude.  And kindness.  So much we learn from you.  Thank you.

I love these boys...

Life these days

So David has been gone for 2 1/2 months now.  He is stationed at a small checkpoint on the border between Iraq and Iran.  He is there to take care of sick soldiers and deal with trauma.  However, there is not much going on there.  In fact, he is really bored.  In the last couple weeks he has put on a bandaid and put in a few stitches (a soldier got elbowed playing basketball). He told me the school nurse does more medicine than him right now.  I told him that I do more medicine than him right now--with Ben's shingles, William's strange rashes, my black and blue toe, and the colds we've all had, there's been plenty of stuff going on around here. But, being bored is better than the alternative.  I'm glad he is safe and there isn't too much going on by way of trauma.  He is reading a lot and exercising and he calls me most every day.  We are hoping he will be able to come home by the end of September. 

We miss him lots, but are managing without him.  I'm having to reach outside of my comfort zone and learn some new things.  Last week I fertilized the lawn for the first time.  I'm not sure that it is much greener, but it didn't die, so that is good.  Today I took the car to get the tires rotated and balanced.  Except then I ended up buying two new tires.  I don't know much about picking out tires, so I hope I did okay.  I'm still not sure if I made the right choice or not--or got taken advantage of for that matter--but oh well.  I had to make a choice and there was no one to call and ask.  Really, I'm just going along a day at a time and trying to get things done.  Lots of things don't get done.  Like scrapbooking, and cleaning out the garage, and changing the lightbulb out front that requires a ladder, and figuring out how to get the sprinkler system to water the garden, and loading the software that will configure my new electronic picture frame (Thanks David for the nice mother's day present!).  If it can wait, it does.  Most days are packed to the brim with just the regular things like feeding five children, doing dishes, laundry, helping with homework, cleaning the house, gardening, signing school papers, primary meetings, visiting teaching, driving kids to piano lessons, appointments, playdates, gymnastics, art, and baseball practices, and working.  Life is busy.  But, life is good.

Mother's Day Photo Shoot 2010

Last Sunday I had my annual Mother's Day photo shoot with each of my kids.  I take pictures with them each every year and it is fun to see how they grow from year to year. 

This year I spent Mother's Day in Ellensburg with my amazing Mom.  So of course we had to get a photo of us together too.  I love you Mom!  I love this picture of us together.  

The funniest part about this photo is the wet spot on my shoulder where William had been drooling on me moments before.  At first it bothered me--I thought it kind of ruined the picture--but then I decided that a drool spot is a pretty good tribute to my life as a mom right now.  I kind of like that wet spot.  I really love that drooly baby!  And I love being a mom.  I love that I get to spend every day with these five wonderful kids.  I chose motherhood.  I picked it over so many things I could be doing with my life instead.  And it is the best job ever.

The Best Mother's Day Gift

Roses say, "I love you"

Orchids can enthrall

But a weed bouquet in a tiny fist,

Oh my, that says it all.

 

(Thanks Allison for reminding me of this poem)

(And thank you to my sister Karen who put this poem on facebook for me after Allison reminded me of it--okay, is that good Karen?)

Rachel's birthday

Happy 11th Birthday Rachel!  We love you!

 

Another cool treasure from the middle east.

Rachel had some of her favorites for her birthday: 

* strawberry waffles for breakfast

* a roast with carrots and potatoes in the crockpot for dinner

* chocolate cheesecake pie for her birthday cake

She got some of her favorites as well:

* a new snow globe

* a new set of gel pens

* new pajamas

And...the big present...contacts...coming soon.