Being a Mother (and Kuna, ID)

"Mothers decide to stay home not just because they are tired of juggling family and career; not just because they want to "be there" for the first word and the first step; not just because they have found that a rich home life requires persistent personal investment.

They want to be home because in some quiet moment caring for their children, they have suddenly experienced the vastness, the intricacies, the delicate nature of this work. While performing some entirely routine act of nurturing, they have unexpectedly stumbled on a moment of insight so luminous as to reveal with imposing clarity that the greatest opportunity for success they might ever have is nestled right there in their arms." -- Linda Burton

We are so excited to welcome a new little boy into our world this November! And fortunately for me, this pregnancy has been kind thus far.

I've never intended to be sporadic in my blogging approach. Most days, I dream about keeping up with this blog, yet a part of me feels like God is calling me in other directions -- trying ever so carefully to lower my expectations, NOT lose my temper (as there are behaviors in ALL of my children that trigger some serious frustration), monitor the way in which I spend my time, and foster a safe place for all of us to land. I'm so grateful for each new day that allows me to start fresh and try again.

Kuna, Idaho is quickly becoming a happy place for me. The kids & I went there for nearly a week following their last day of school. My own mom has a special way of filling my tank -- giving me alone time, feeding all of us dinner every night, talking me through challenges, and entertaining the kids with various activities. I love the Thornton family and feel so grateful for the goodness they've brought into our lives.

Specifically, we women did the "Bubble Run" in Boise on an early Saturday morning, spent time as a family roasting marshmallows over the fire, and overall - just enjoyed a lot of time in the water & sun.

Eat, Drink, & Be Scary

Last October we were still in the woods as far as life in Utah was concerned. It was hard to see the forest from the trees, and I spent a lot of time just putting my energy towards helping all of us adapt to our new surroundings...different friends, a different school, and different living quarters. So many changes! But Halloween brought a lot of fun-filled activities that helped all of us feel more at home: our ward's traditional outdoor dinner and carnival (right here on our street), the annual elementary school's costume parade, and of course, trick-or-treating.







It must not have been enough though -- because in addition to all of that, we decided to go completely crazy and cave to our daughters' pleadings to host a bash for 15 little girls, haha! A few years ago, I started thinking about how much fun it would be to throw a Halloween costume party for the girls when AnnMarie became a 5th grader, mainly because my parents threw one for me when I was that age. My Mom went all out, too, by hosting a 4 course meal (complete with menus -- all items disguised in creepy names), ghoulish games, a costume competition, and a piñata to finish off the night -- so I knew that if I was going to do it, I had to do it right! She set such a high standard in so many areas, haha! (I never anticipated doing something like this right after a major move, but I've realized over the years that life just doesn't stop amidst life changes.)

The invitations turned out SO CUTE, so of course we invited double the amount of people that we originally planned on, but hey -- it was a great way to jump in and get to know the neighborhood! The dinner was WAY trickier than we expected -- and Jared and I were completely exhausted halfway through the party -- but all of the girls were well-fed, and they LOVED being surprised by the many different combinations of food on their plate.

AnnMarie and Carlie helped me plan the menu, which was so fun in and of itself.

Witch’s Brew (drink)

Werewolf’s Road kill (meat lovers pizza)

Rotting Worms (ramen noodles)

Giant’s Toes (large steamed carrots)

Zombie Boogers (fresh cut corn)

Bat Eyes (olives)

Witch Fingers (dill pickles)

Skeleton Bones w/Pumpkin Guts (little hard bread sticks w/cheddar dipping)

Ghost Poop (marshmallows)

Harvest Moon (sherbet ice cream scoop)

Slop Catcher (napkin)

Grave Digger (spoon)

Back Stabber (knife)

Vulture Claws (fork)









I obviously don't have a plethora of pictures to document the madness, but it was very memorable, and considering everything we learned (via trial & error), we might just have to do it again in a few years.

California Adventure

I've been anxious to document more about our trip to Disneyland from last November (maybe because I want to go back, and I need to relive it again, haha!), but we had such a great time, and Disneyland is just one of those places that I hope we can take our family to over and over again in the coming years.

My Mom flew over to meet us since Jared had work meetings during the day Monday thru Wednesday, so it was so fun to have her there, and of course she was a HUGE help! She met up with us midday on Monday while I was handling the kids solo in California Adventure, haha! We were just coming out of the Hyperion Theater where we had watched the musical, "Frozen," (which was phenomenal), and there she was!

My good friend, Rachelle, and her kids found us, too...at the exact same time!! She and I served in the primary together back when we both lived in Tri-Cities, WA. We were sad when their family moved to California, but we moved shortly thereafter, too, so we promised each other that we'd meet up in Disneyland someday...and lo and behold, we did! Her kids are so darling, and Rachelle knew a lot of the little tricks for getting on rides more efficiently -- like parent swap regiment and fast pass protocol. It was SO awesome!!

We hit California Adventure on Wednesday, too, and after two full days there, we all agreed that "Radiator Springs Racers" in Cars Land was one of THE best attractions hands down!! "Soarin' Round the World" and "Grizzly River Run" were definitely right up there, too. California Adventure is overall, such a happy, fun place. After dark on Monday night, we watched an incredible light show on the water called, "World of Color."

It was definitely a wonderful few days there, and we loved every bit of it.