James left to go to San Antonio to help Caleb find a home....which he did! I am so happy for him. Now the wait to see if the sellers will accept his offer. He found a 3 bedroom, 2 bath home. 2 car garage. The kitchen is nice with counter space (something I would die for) and what I would call a huge walk in pantry off of it. The site did not show bedrooms but there were two pictures of the both baths and both baths have tubs too. James says a lot of scrubbing and some updates and he will have a very nice home. He is not far from work either and the church is also practically just around the corner. Now he may choose to go to the YSA ward still but even that building is not what I would call too far, although twice the distance. Caleb and James called and talked me through some of his other looks and then let me help them make the decision on the final two. It was almost like being there. Today they say they are going to see the Alamo and then off to the river walk. I hope both have a good sight seeing day and have a good flight home tomorrow. Ian leaves on may 6th to fly to Las Vegas to help Caleb move. Caleb hopes to close on his new home with a month. GOOD LUCK! now to plan the trip there to see his new baby.....hummm..
On my end I have spent so far two days cleanning my kitchen! Yes two days and I am still not close enough to done. I thought it was pretty clean but I was wrong. There was dirt behind the freezer stuck on the wall of all things, dirt up higher on the wall border too. UG! I got cedric though to scale the heights and clean for me. I then decided that he needed to stay up high and clear off the tops of the cabinets and clean. Then I scrubbed the cupboards inside and out. Pulled the drawers out and reorganized and cleaned them too. Scrubbed Refrigerator and Freezer...rearranged the other cupboards by the door too. And decided to toss about half my cookbooks. Well giving to Rachel and Jenny anyway. I use what I use anymore and haven't even looked into what I am opting to give away for years. Trying to put things that I do use where I can get them easily too. Like I said I would die for the kitchen I see online that Caleb is hopeing to get. I guess coveting is not a good quality here but after 9 kids and never ever having any real kitchen space seeing my 28 year old son (not married son) (no kids son) getting a workable kitchen well...grrrr... ha. No really I am happy for him but sometimes.....grrrr.
Anyway today I have to finish up with clearing the table of the extra things. I did go out and buy two ceramic jars to hold my spatulas and serving spoons. I was previously using these old tin can holders, not the best but all I had. I might have to go and get another one but I did manage to talk myself out of keeping several items I had two or more of. SO hopefully I will be done today and can get my floors done too.
It is so nice to clean and see the results for a day too. Now with any luck I will get to keep this cleaning bug for a few weeks so I can divide and conquer more of my house. The only real question is "Will I go into labor now?" Haven't had this strong of a desire to clean since my last water broke some 12 almost 13 years ago! I have had little to no real drive for housecleaning for years. IT sure hit me yesterday though. SO if nothing else the kitchen reaped the reward and I won't even have to set up the crib after! ha
I am on count down for work too. Now I love going to work 99% of the time but for some reason I just want to stay home right now and get things done around here. WHY?
Maybe my cleaning bug is stronger than I think? And my painting itch is creeping up on me too as once something has been cleaned I start dreaming of colors! OH NO!
I will keep you all posted.

More pictures

Here are more pictures from different angles, I have a small breezeway where there are two coolers for milk and juice and the the snack shelf. So hope you enjoy seeing me at work.

My work

Here are some pictures of my work place. It is a very nice kitchen.

The Invisible Mother

HI all, Well it has been awhile since I have been on. Seems like all I get anymore is problems but I guess those too teach you things. But the light is on at the end of the tunnel even if it is a very very long tunnel still.
I also read something on a friends blog that really kinda fits on how I have been feeling about life and kids in general and it gave me some perspective so I thought I would post that for now.

The Invisible Mother

Invisible Mother......

It all began to make sense, the blank stares, the lack of response, the way one of the kids will walk into the room while I'm on the phone and ask me a question.

Inside I'm thinking, 'Can't you see I'm on the phone?'

Obviously, not.

No one can see if I'm on the phone, or cooking, or sweeping the floor, or even standing on my head in the corner, because no one can see me at all.

I'm invisible. The invisible Mom. Some days I am only a pair of hands, nothing more: Can you fix this? Can you tie this? Can you open this? Some days I'm not a pair of hands; I'm not even a human being. I'm a clock to ask, 'What time is it?' I'm a satellite guide to answer, 'What number is the Disney Channel?' I'm a car to order, 'Right around 5:30, please.'

I was certain that these were the hands that once held books and the eyes that studied but now they had disappeared into the peanut butter, never to be seen again. She's going; she's going; she is gone!

One night, a group of us were having dinner, celebrating the return of a friend from England ... and a friend had just gotten back from a fabulous trip, and she was going on and on about the hotel she stayed in. I was sitting there, looking around at the others all put together so well. It was hard not to compare and feel sorry for myself. I was feeling pretty pathetic, when she turned to me with a beautifully wrapped package, and said, 'I brought you this.'

It was a book on the great cathedrals of Europe. I wasn't exactly sure why she'd given it to me until I read her inscription: 'To _____ , with admiration for the greatness of what you are building when no one sees.'

In the days ahead I would read - no, devour - the book. And I would discover what would become for me, four life-changing truths, after which I could pattern my work:

No one can say who built the great cathedrals - we have no record of their names. These builders gave their whole lives for a work they would never see finished. They made great sacrifices and expected no credit. The passion of their building was fueled by their faith that the eyes of God saw everything.

A legendary story in the book told of a rich man who came to visit the cathedral while it was being built, and he saw a workman carving a tiny bird on the inside of a beam. He was puzzled and asked the man, 'Why are you spending so much time carving that bird into a beam that will be covered by the roof? No one will ever see it.' And the workman replied, 'Because God sees.'

I closed the book, feeling the missing piece fall into place. It was almost as if I heard God whispering to me, 'I see you, I see the sacrifices you make every day, even when no one around you does. No act of kindness you've done, no sequin you've sewn on, no cupcake you've baked, is too small for me to notice and smile over. You are building a great cathedral, but you can't see right now what it will become.'

At times, my invisibility feels like an affliction. But it is not a disease that is erasing my life. It is the cure for the disease of my own self-centeredness. It is the antidote to my strong, stubborn pride.

I keep the right perspective when I see myself as a great builder. As one of the people who show up at a job that they will never see finished, to work on something that their name will never be on.

The writer of the book went so far as to say that no cathedrals could ever be built in our lifetime because there are so few people willing to sacrifice to that degree. As mothers, we are building great cathedrals. We cannot be seen if we're doing it right. And one day, it is very possible that the world will marvel, not only at what we have built, but at the beauty that has been added to the world by the sacrifices of invisible women.

Hope this encourages you when the going gets tough as it sometimes does. We never know what our finished products will turn out to be because of our perseverance.

Ramblings

Hi everyone, well as usual the holiday has brought us some good colds and stuffed up heads and such. Gaelan went to spend the night at one of his friends and ended up coming home within an hour because he was throwing up! ug...once here he was fine but he went straight to bed. I have had this sinus infection or cold or whatever now since last monday and it keeps getting better then worse then better then worse. My head hurts from it and between taking drugs to stop the running I am also taking drugs to unclog. HA
At least everyone but me seems to be doing good today. Gaelan and Cedric have a progressive dinner to go to for Mutual tonight. They are going to start the evening off with bowling and then go to three different homes for a dvd presentation for the new mutual theme and food. We will pick them up around 9pm at the bishops. Both seem interested in going which is so totally not the case around here usually. Most of the time the activity seems to be of interest to only one age group. I just hope that Gaelan doesn't start throwing up because he eats too much!
This then reminded me that I have to schedule them a physical this year and eye appointments. Something that I just hate doing but I will wait until the weather is good so we are looking at april. Nothing is worse then trying to take a kid to a non emergency doctors appt in 7 degree weather or worse a snow storm. So I will call around the first of march to schedule something for spring break. I even put it on my calendar this time. This is actually my one and only new years resolution this year. To put appt dates or to remind myself by putting things on the calender so that I remember to do things in a better time frame. I also need to schedule something for Ian seeing how he will be 19 the end of april. Just in case and I probably should try to get him in during winter break in February in case we have to take him for an appt on something. I doubt we will but? He is now old enough to go to a non pediatric doctor too. It seems silly that a big ole 6 foot boy at 190lbs goes to a pediatric doctor but I am told it is actually pretty normal until they are 19. So I will call and double check. Make sure all shots are up to date and that I am back on track for people. Although I figure I am anyway. These younger kids just have not been sick like my first family of 4 was and so not having to take kids to the doctor for things over the years makes you forget about the regular appts that are needed. Of course once they hit school there are not many that are really needed anyway but Gaelan is 12 now and I know I need tetnus for the kids and maybe the second mmr booster for gaelan.
Now I have rambled too much. But this is what I do. I hope that 2009 is a good year. I have felt like the past two years have been nothing but trouble. So if we can have a good year this year it would be one of the best presents ever. I suppose it is not starting out too bad if you discount the sickness and I will becasue that is just the way it is with the weather and being cooped up without good air flow to stay warm.
Hope you all have a good year too. HAPPY 2009!

Hi All
Well kids have left and are on their way home. Jenny and Eric too have left kodiak and are flying home to seattle. I expect a full report on life once they return.
We had a nice christmas, hectic with the kids but super nice. I always get a bit blue after as it gets so slow after all the rush to get christmas done but at least I have this next week to wind down, go out to eat lunch with my lunch lady friends and a movie and dinner out with James. I guess I am old because I love the quiet and the adult outings. We will try our best to go on a road trip to see Alex and his family this coming summer though. Want to be able to better visualize his home and the kids life as much as I can.
Not going to go out or do anything special for New Years Eve. We usually just sit at home, weather and all is usually not its best and watch some tv or rent a movie. Gaelan likes to sit up and see the ball drop.
I have some work related paperwork to do this coming week and some cleanning up after the holidays. But like I said I think we had a really nice visit. Kids are growing way too fast.
I will post some pictures maybe tomorrow or at least within a few days. Just too tired to mess with it tonight.
Happy Holidays to ALL and Happy New Year 2009.

belated

HI guys! well behind as usual. I just realized that I had my halloween photos already downloaded and in a folder. So I will post a couple of pictures of Cedric and Gaelan and ryan. We had a great Halloween too! the weather was perfect. A bazillion kids were out and all were of course cute too.
Forgot to take pictures at thanksgiving but that is because I spent the entire day in the kitchen cooking. Can't do much else though with a house full of boys. Rachel though was here and she was a good helper so it did go faster once they came. I have been busy since with wrapping presents for grandkids and married kids. James and Cedric, Gaelan and I all piled into the car with boxes and drove to the UPS store and got them mailed. I was told one week so everyone will have their box by the 12th! WHOO HOO! Now I just need to concentrate on the kids and grandkids that are here. OH NO WAIT! got a call this afternoon and guess who is thinking of driving up to see us? YES you guessed right.....Alex and Family.....so 3 boxes later they may be bringing the boxes back? Well whatever happens we will be happy to have them for christmas with or without the boxes. WIll have to write santa though and tell him that we will have more.
I will take pictures and it will be super nice to see Samuel too! SO now I am busy brain storming on what I can do while they are here, where we can take the kids to keep them happy. Glow golf? skating? MOVIES? crafts? have to start thinking. Of course we have a full half day out at Rachel's on the 24th and then christmas itself and I did want to go see the new adam sadler movie in the afternoon too. Plus with having the wii I think we can occupy little boys and little girls for a few hours playing something. Well happy holidays everyone!
Here are some pictures of the boys at Halloween.