Life in a nutshell

Too much has happened this summer for me to give a detailed account of it all.  Our 'Staycation' turned into 'A million things to fit together like a tight jigsaw puzzle- cation'.  There wasn't one trip that included all six members of our family. Milla nannying in MD-twilight cubscout camp-Bishop's Youth Retreat-Mt Rushmore-Catherine visit to La Grande-My best La Grande friend visiting here-Hiking-Billy Joel/Maryland trip-Cousin's camp-Sean GT Minecraft and Mystery Writer's camp-Ziplining-Alpine Slide-Grand Junction with Lys.  We didn't make it to the Denver Mint (but did run into a stranger at one point that worked there), a mountain train ride, or whitewater rafting.  But I think that we fit in all that we could manage.  Honestly, all the visits made us more appreciative of the down time just being home.

School began on August 13th.  Sean's first year in high school, Rin's first year of middle school, Thomas braving 4th grade in elementary all on his own.  Well, at least sibling wise.  He's got two great friends: Jacob and Angelo that ride the bus with him and are at our house pretty much every afternoon.  I find myself saying, 'don't you want to play at Angelo's (or Jacob's) sometimes?'.  He says he likes it here.  And then I wonder why I am even pressing the point! I've always thought how much I WANTED the kids to bring friends home.  Funny.

So life is running along, passing by whether I want it to or not.  Milla has a different confidence about her since returning from Spencer and Cherry's.  Being herself and being more comfortable with who that person is.  And just smiling more. Sean is realizing that being on his own is not so far away and keeps commenting about 'when I go to college' or 'when I have my own job'.  He talks about girls sitting at his lunch table.  Milla and Sean have technical drawing together this year, last period of  'A' days.  They enjoy walking to seminary and school together.  I'm glad they have each other.  They understand each other alot better that I understand them.  They give me alot of hugs.  I like hugs.  I do get some eye rolls from time to time because of things I say, but my teenagers still seem to like being around me.  even in public. even when I'm (honestly) not that much fun to be around.  So that's good.

Then there is Catherine. 11 years old.  What!!  My most focused, planned ahead, thrives in the school setting Catherine.  She talks about so many fears, but seems to do what she wants to despite them.  Thomas has taken to sleeping in the hallway between my room and his.  He says that he likes being closer to us, that it 'feels like home'.

So that is life right now.  We played a round of family 'Tennis Baseball' at the park last night.  A few breakdowns but even more smiles.  That's life too.

I got a job as a CNA- working for a non profit Long Term Care center in Centennial.  Most days in regular skilled nursing (think traditional nursing home), taking some turns in Rehab (Seniors staying only a few weeks following surgery).  I start tomorrow. Really looking forward to it, but know it will take some time for the family to adjust.  Working 3 12's, Tuesdays, Fridays and alternate Weds/Sat.  One of those things that I don't quite know how it will all work out, but I feel so calm about it that I'm just going to start. One day at a time.

I asked thomas to make his bed on Thursday.  Here's what I got. ;)

Brandon's the Best

The kids decided to do a little something special for Father's Day this year.  Probably would have been nice to have the camera straight, but honestly, we were all pretty happy that we were able to figure out how to hook the computer up to the projector to show the kids google presentation, to download and then to successfully edit and export the movie WITHOUT papa's help.  That's a miracle in inself. 

*BIG SMILE*

Here's to all the great dad's in our family!

(and when I say 'Sean's dad', I'm talking about Sean Spencer from the show 'Psyche', in case that's lost on you. I'm not sure where the kids came up with some of the others. ;)

Success!

Thomas has been working on landing his front tuck with Coach Charlie for a while now.  Yesterday he just got it.  And then did it 3 times in a row.  Gave me the biggest smile.

Digging

So, in trying to be more active this summer, I've been doing morning outings while it's still cool: bike rides, neighborhood hikes, tennis.  All close to home and not to exceed an hour.  And all optional because then I don't have whiny kids to worry about.  I thought I'd be going out alone a lot.  But not so!  I usually only one or two companions, Thomas being my most regular. Milla did give me a pity walk one day (when I made a really sad face after no one wanted to come, 'It's just so EARLY!'), but it ended up nicely.

This morning we biked to a nearby neighborhood park.  Very small but has a 'dino dig' so we came equipped with brush (yes- the bottom of my broom), shovel and magnifying glass and discovered an amazing collection of bones. ;) 

Thomas and I climbed about on the rocks and played in the waterfalls and pools that run between our subdivision on  another day, trying to get sticks in the right current to flow into the reeds instead of run circles around a rock.  That was fun, but someone just told me we have a bunch of crawfishs in those 'marshes' that you can fish for!  Good reason to pull out my old fishing line from grandpa... I'll have to let you know how it goes.

Guess who's 7?

Or 49 if you want to count that way.  Henry is

finally the oldest one in the family.

Carrot, Peanut Butter, Beef stick cake.  Mmmm.  Doesn't get much better than that.

Wicked

We had a lovely outing with the family last night.  Went downtown to see Wicked.  Which was awesome.  Only Thomas fell asleep and that was only for the final 20 minutes of the 3 hour show.  We arrived with a few minutes to spare, thanks to Brandon's particularness and so got to walk around the grounds for a bit first.  Perfect weather for it.

A chalk drawing of a stream that we crossed over 'Mom! Papa didn't cross over at the red bridge!' (guess who that was...)

Trying to dance with the happy dancing giants

And last, but not least, Sean trying to avoid being digitally captured

Milla's Amazing Race

 It has been a mad dash of events for Milla this week.  She was thoroughly exhausted by the end (so was I!),but I think she would say it was all worth it.

Thursday - The awards ceremony

3pm: Milla arrives home from school, grabs a snack, changes and we head out for her horse lesson up at Saturday's venue in NW Denver (we live in SE).
4 pm: we see her stable's trailer just arriving with their horses at the same time we arrive.  They begin unloading horses and Milla helps get 'Paige' ready for a ride. (the horses will stay here at the show location through the weekend)
4:30 pm: She finally gets into the arena for a quick practice
5:00 pm: We rush out, but hit rush hour traffic... get home at 5:45 and Milla jumps in the shower.
6:05 pm: Dinner
6:10 pm: Milla grabs her plate to scarf down in the car and we leave for her HS awards ceremony.

*She got a little medal and award for being nominated by 2 of her teachers (science and english) as being an exceptional talent in those classes*

SLEEP...a little

Friday - The Prom

after school and seminary,
4pm: Lady from our ward arrived for hair and makeup!  Rin enjoyed chatting with the stylist as she worked.  I could hear the 3 of them laughing and conversing for the 1 1/2 hours it took to pretty up.  So grateful there are people that know how to do such things!
5:30pm: left to take Milla over her friend Maddie's house were prom festivities were to begin!
After pictures and dinner, Milla's date, Ethan Hunt, drove them over to the Wildlife Experience in Parker (south of us), the venue for the dance.
11 pm: She arrived home happy and exhausted.  (Luckily neither Milla nor her date are late, late night people so she could get some sleep before Saturday...)

The group!  Milla and Ethan on the left.  Thankfully his mother passed these pics along to me.

The couple shot!  She's growing up!

Saturday - The Colorado Classic Horse Show

8:15 am: Out the door for the horse show.  Milla's first 'academy' show competing with riders from other stables.  Jods (the long pants they wear for American Saddlebreed riding), collared shirt, tie, tiebar, vest, leather gloves and boots.

9:00 am: The riders aren't allowed to help prep the horses this morning!  They stay in the makeshift 'lobby' as others come to do their special buns and cement down their wispies, clean their boots and apply their numbers

10:00 Shows on!  Parents go to the stands!  This is a pretty small show including American Saddlebreed, some western (no jumping or barrel racing), and some english that I really don't know about!  There was a 'record 65 people watching in the stands'.  The venue was so large, though, as you can see from the pictures, we had our choice of seats. ;)

Milla performed in one morning 'class' and in the evening champion 'class' on equitation.  Her type of riding is all about presentation.  I learned from the southern grandmother of one of the rider's that this Saddlebreed was developed in the American South back in the age of plantations.  They needed a horse hardy enough to make all the rounds through the fields to check on things as well as calm and presentable enough to pull the family carriage.  So one has to maintain posture, balance and form: hands up, back in the saddle, posting (controlled bounce with horses gait) properly, heels out and down.  And probably a bunch of other things...

Terribly fuzzy, but here is Milla looking beautiful and on her correct diagonal (posting up when horses leg on the rail side is up)

Milla's first entrance into the ring.  This show arena in connected to a practice arena.  They start a trot in the practice arena and then continue in this trot into the show arena as their name is called.  She competed against 4 other riders in each of her classes.

So fun to watch Milla ride!  She showed confidence and grace!  As she did her first circle in the morning, her coaches kept calling out to her about something.  I couldn't figure out what was going on!  Turns out the horse was doing some other gait, similar to the trot he was SUPPOSED to be doing, that she wasn't familiar with.  She looped once before reallizing what was going on.  Even though her equitation was beautiful, this landed her in 5th place.  She was thrilled with the pink 5th place ribbon, none the less, I mean, it was pink after all, and still got to progress to the 'championship finals' in the evening as there were only 5 kids in her class.  We went home for a brief rest in the afternoon.  Keeping her spirits up, we returned in the evening with the whole family.  Paige was getting in the spirit of things and was responding well to Milla as she came out for her final 'class'.  I thought she rode beautifully, but I always do, so when they called out her name as Championship Winner of her class, I couldn't believe it!  We were all whooping and hollering as we cheered for her and went down to the edge of the ring to congratulate her as she did her victory lap.  Pretty cool.

And her Blue/Yellow/Red Championship ribbon and Pink 5th place ribbon go together just fine.