summer daze

I am sitting here at 2:30 in the afternoon, my oldest is at work, and my 3 others are playing assorted computer games. The house is in fairly good condition given the fact that just the minimal housework has been done today, and most importantly, everyone is happy, the 2 youngest are playing together, and no one is crying. I remembered back to a time when I was the mother of 4 small children, one on the way, and the 6th not even thought about out yet, and it was summertime. I woke up all of the children by 8:00 and we spent the next several hours doing "school", learning new things, singing songs, followed by lunch time and quiet time, sometimes headed off to the library for story time and assorted other things. I think I have wisened up over the years, and other than one of my sons who tortures himself each morning by running with the high school cross country team, no one moves until close to 10:00 and I have the house to myself. As i drive to pick up my morning medical transcription tapes, I see children outside playing tennis and riding bikes and have to smile to myself as I think of my kids at home, fast asleep. They do read and practice piano 4 out of 5 days of the week, and we usually go do something fun in the afternoon, trying to squeeze in as much play time before our missionary leaves in 27 days. We stay up way too late with tournaments of Monopoly (which i won last night) or Phase 10, having sleepovers in the family room or living room, whereever everyone happens to be, consuming bowls of popcorn or whatever else we have available (last night it was homemade no-bake cookies baked by my 9-year old and my 12-year old, and being pretty darn lazy. We might not attempt to learn French this summer, and we won't even talk about the family garden, or lack thereof, but I will treasure this time forever, for school routines will come fast enough, and I, for one, intend to soak up every opportunity to relish in the ease of summer.

Look out Brazil, here I come!!!

Austin's night at the prom

the budding entrepreneur

So how can you resist the roadside lemonade stands that taste like watered-down dishwater, or the snow cones with way too much syrup and no ice... that alone would not be so hard, but add to that the excitement of little kids who yell from the corner with enthusiam trying to sell their wares and they are pretty darn hard to resist. My kids have gotten into the snowcone-selling business, with their bag of ice, and 5 different flavorings, and 2 snowcone making machines, one with electricity, and one the old-fashioned grinding way, and I see them sitting outside, after leaving water drippings from the kitchen sink to the front door, yelling from the sidewalk, sign in hand, trying to sell their wares, and my heart tugs just a bit, especially to see brother and sister working side by side, and those poor, unknowing "customers" that consist of the adult neighbors that have become so much a part of their lives, and they sit outside in 95-degree weather to collect their quarters, thinking they have broken the bank. It makes me think of tomorrow and what those same blonde-headed children will be as they make their way in this world, do they have any idea how hard it will be? So for today, as I have mopped up the sticky mess for the umpteenth time, and run to the store for more ice and Dixie cups, I will cherish their desire for working together and what can come from hearing those quarters clink in their pockets.

bumps in the road

Ok - This has been one of those weeks. I woke up last Saturday morning thinking I didn't have much to do, so I offered to babysit some of the grandchildren. I was involved in typical Saturday chores when I get a call from Russ, who is being flown in on a helicopter to the Provo Airport because is father was hours away from dying. We made it in time and sat in the room while Rulon passed away. This was a first for me, and you could literally feel the angels there to take this sweet man home. Life is full of those bumps in the road, some seem like small bumps that you need to slow down for, others like huge pot holes that you must figure out a way to get around. I am always amazed at how life works, when you think things are going smoothly and you then get stopped in your tracks, realizing that someone else is in charge of your life, and isn't that wonderful? So the key for me is to put total faith and trust in He who knows all, let him lead my destiny, and hang on and enjoy the ride.

nothing sweeter than baby girls. This is Jaycie (tiffany's) and Shantel (Ashley's)

Posted by michelle liddell at 9:20 PM 0 comments

they grow too fast
Okay - so I was sitting at Seven Peaks today alone on my towel, the wind was blowing in my face, and I realized, as i listened to all the moms around me trying to keep track of their kids, and calm down, slathering sunscreen, etc., that I was definitely at a new stage of independence' my kids were giving me a little alone time and they all went off playing together. It made me think about how things have changed since the time they were all little. Brandon and I went missionary shopping this weekend to get him ready to go and I am just amazed that the time has gone so quickly. I still have many years of parenting left, and then grandparenting, but it is never quite the same as having them jump out of the tub and having to chase them down with a towel as they drip water everywhere. No sweet little voice getting up from naptime and running to the kitchen to see if there are brown bananas to make banana bread, though this same child still gets excited when he comes home from school to the smell of banana bread. I can sleep until I want to get up because the kids all sleep later than I do, no more singing "If you're happy and you know it" in the car because they are "touching" each other. While I definitely love this season in my life, right now it is my favorite, the memories make me cherish the wonderful gift of motherhood and the blessing of having a big family. And, as I stood at the top of the Seven Peaks tower and watched Haylie go down the tallest slide by herself, she calls it "the wedgie slide", I realized that I was in trouble, because the next time the family all went and I was in my suit, I didn't have Haylie to use for an excuse anymore as to why I coudn't do all the big slides. Happy summer to you all!!