Thanksgiving

We had a great Thanksgiving. I felt very full from all the food, but even more full from all our time with family. It was absolutely delicious. We spent 5 days with Seth's family, and then headed up north to spend a couple days with mine. My personal high lights from the trip: all the hiking in Caineville as a family, shopping with the girls on "Black Friday," and playing board games (I won RISK again!) I know I said I wouldn't write about poop, but on the way home Seth and I both had a moment where we looked at each other and responded to what each other was thinking, "I never saw myself doing this with you." It was while I was changing Clara's diaper on the passengers seat, and he was changing George on the driver's side in the McDonald's parking lot. I know people here in California think we're crazy for having so many kids, but what would life be like without moments like that? Money can't buy it.

We went to Utah for Thanksgiving. We had a lot of fun. Alot of our time was spent hiking and exploring. Eliza loved it the most. She wants to be an Indian now.

One Week

Has it only been one week since I wrote last? Feels a lot longer than that. Life seems pretty busy lately. It's the holiday season, and as Susanville's Most Wanted Violist, I am currently rehearsing in several different groups. I had Messiah practice Friday night. Seth was camping with the scouts, and I left the other kids with a sitter (good old Uncle Trevor--he probably wonders what we did without him) but I decided to take little Clara with me. She was the hit of the evening. I sat her in her car seat right in front of my music stand and she smiled at the choir surrounding us throughout the two and a half hour rehearsal. By the end I had exhausted all my resources to keep her entertained, handing her everything I could find out of my bag. The biggest hits were a cassette tape, and a small pad of paper (which she crumpled and sucked on each page individually.) My rag I use to clean my instrument with worked well also, only because I acted like I didn't want her to have it. After rehearsal we were mobbed by elderly women, and finally escaped fifteen minutes later.
Seth had fun on the campout with the Deacons. He came home telling us about the lies they spun by the campfire (all in the name of "scary stories") and the never ending tongue twister: "One smart fellow, he felt smart. Two smart fellows, they both felt smart...." =)
Kids are into Lincoln Logs lately. The boys got bad haircuts today, which was initiated by Len giving himself a bad haircut first. I took Eliza to a craft fair Sat. When we got home she begged me to show her how to knit. I told her I have no idea how to knit, never wanted to learn, still don't want to learn. She decided to teach herself. I caught her with needles and yarn and a big mess.
I am really exhausted tonight, and I can't think of much else to write. I love my hubby and kids, but I'm thinking of becoming one of those people who only own a toothbrush and a roll of toilet paper though. Maybe then I could keep the house clean.

New Feces--I mean Faces!

So, we are doing the family blog thing--thanks to Seth's computer skills. He also has nun chuck skills. While making this a true reflection of our family, I am determined that this site isn't to be a dumping spot (no pun intended) on my emotional breakdowns surrounding my daily crusade against poop. This will hopefully become my weekly writing lavatory--I mean laboratory, where I can plop myself down and write instead those daily spurts of joy I experience. I don't want to focus on the things that strain my patience, and constipate my creative functioning. I am truly grateful to be a mother, and despite the foul smells and loads of laundry, the hugs and smiles and laughter more than make up for it. We miss all of you, and I think we will enjoy keeping in touch this way. Hopefully I won't be too log--I mean long winded. --love, Robbin