The Rackleys

Dicken Woods Walk

2011-02-22T13:27:00.000-08:00

On February 15th I took the four oldest on the Dicken Woods Walk. It's an annual school event that I look forward to every year. The kids love it too.

During art class the kids create these great lanterns which are then placed along a pathway through the woods. As a community, we walk along the path at night enjoying the lovely glow from the lanterns. It's really magical.

When we get back, we all meet in the school for cookies and hot chocolate. We had a great time.

During the night I managed to snap this picture of Josie, Adam, Joshua, and Isaac just as we were heading into the woods.

Here's a Flikr link for some more shots of the lanterns: http://www.flickr.com/photos/annarborcom/sets/72157626062986964/

Adam's Teeth

2011-02-21T08:56:00.000-08:00

Yesterday morning as we were getting ready for church Adam walks into the kitchen and smiles at me. I think it's hysterical so run him into the red room where Josie, Joshua, Isaac, and Jacob are watch something on the computer. I say, "You guys have got to see this." I put Adam in front of them and say, "Smile, Adam!"

He gives them a great big smile, but we only get a few good natured laughs. They clearly don't understand how funny this is. I tell Adam to smile again, but this time the kids don't even look up from the computer.

These false teeth are marvelous! You out-did yourself this time, Adam.

Nice job!

Beach Day!

2011-02-18T13:33:00.000-08:00

Thursday was Beach Day at Adam and Isaac's preschool. They were so excited! They wore their swim trunks, Crocs, and goggles. At school everything was beach-themed.

They had sand and water in the sensory table, went "fishing," made surfboards, etc. . . . My little boys came home beaming about Beach Day.

Wouldn't it be great if every day was Beach Day? I love you guys!

Issac and the Airplane

2011-02-16T06:05:00.000-08:00

For Valentine's Day we went to a local book store to pick out some books. Josie was so sweet. She thought we were getting books for Mama and got this darling sticker book about a little girl and her mother. Mama loved it.

Joshua got an airplane book with cool paper to make airplanes. He made a bunch and gave some to the Happies. This morning they had a blast flying them around the house. This is Isaac "giving the plane some air" in front of the kitchen heating vent. He's so great!

Josie was behind him at the table coloring in the cool design book she got for herself.

Three Boys in the Bath

2011-02-14T06:43:00.000-08:00

Adam and Isaac like taking showers together. This morning they got a real treat: Jacob joined them! This is what it's like when three gorgeous little boys get in the shower at the same time.

I love the way Adam is kissing Jacob's cheek. I feel like doing the same thing whenever I see him . . . wait a minute, that's exactly what I do!

Adam's Tower of Dishes

2011-02-11T10:36:00.001-08:00

I've been without a computer for about two weeks. I thought I lost all my data. It's an eerie feeling to think that everything you have on your computer can disappear - poof - just like that. Anyway, I'm back (with my data, thank heavens).

This morning Adam and I were doing the breakfast dishes together. I washed. He stacked. He literally stacked the dishes.

What a clever boy! He worked hard to get the collander on top. We had to call everybody in to the kitchen to see Adam's work. We all cheered for him. He grinned from ear to ear.

Isaac's 3rd - 1/2 Birthday

2011-01-24T15:37:00.000-08:00

The other day Isaac started telling everybody (inside and outside the family) that his birthday was on Monday. Mama tried to tell him that his birthday wasn't until August 31st, but Isaac insisted.

So, today we had a party for him - with cupcakes!

We each got to share one thing that we love about Isaac. Here's our list:

1. Papa loves Isaac because everything is always so exciting for him.

2. Mama loves Isaac because he looks like Papa and he always says, "Mama, I missed you!" when he comes home.

3. Josie loves Isaac because he's funny and she has a good time playing with him.

4. Joshua loves Isaac because he's fun to play with.

5. When we asked Adam what he loves about Isaac, he said, "I love Jacob."

6. Jacob didn't have anything to say about Isaac.

Right before Isaac's party he told Adam that Adam's birthday was on Saturday (remember that Adam and Isaac are twins!). Mama is now planning another 3rd - 1/2 birthday for Adam on Saturday.

In anticipation of his 3rd - 1/2 birthday, Adam began wrapping presents for himself with tinfoil, singing, "Happy Birthday."

I'm sure the party will be great!

Parties

2011-01-21T19:47:00.001-08:00

Tomorrow Josie is going to her friend's house for an American Girl party with some of her girlfriends. The neat thing is that Josie's dolls used to be Mama's dolls when she was a little girl. Josie thinks that cool. So do I.

Josh, his friends, and the little boys are - at the same time - having a superhero party at our house. Mama planned the whole thing with input from Josh. It's going to be great!

I can't wait to hear how the parties go. Is it silly that I'm really excited about this!

Far Away

2011-01-20T12:28:00.000-08:00

The other day Michelle was talking to the kids about me being away from home. Josie said, "Wouldn't it be great if we had magic and could put a kiss in an envelope and send it to Papa and he could open it and get a kiss from us?"

That would be cool. The thing is . . . I do feel their love. And it's a wonderful feeling.

Utah

2011-01-13T12:22:00.000-08:00

I'm in Utah for a few weeks pursuing some job leads. One of the best things about Utah is the mountains. They are amazing!

From what I remember, they explode with color in the fall. I've always thought that somebody should paint the Rocky Mountains in fall.

But the mountains come with some drawbacks. Do you see that haze at the bottom? That's air pollution. The Salt Lake Valley has some of the worst air in the country because the mountains keep the pollution right where it is.

When we were students at the University of Utah we lived in married student housing. Here's the playground that Josie played on for the first few years of her life. Sometimes she and I would get up early in the morning and go for bike rides around the playground so Mama could sleep.

One winter morning, we saw a bunch of deer feeding in the playground. It was a great way to wake up.

And here's the student housing apartment where we lived. This is the place Josh was born. Mama delivered him in the kitchen, overlooking the playground.

Utah has some good memories for our family.

Jacob and Jared

2011-01-11T12:46:00.000-08:00

Jacob is a big boy that loves being around his siblings. He's 18 months old and weighs almost as much as Adam, who is 3 1/2 years old.

Here's Jacob giving Jared a pacifier. Before he gives him his paci, Jacob climbs into Jared's basket and - very carefully - sits on him.

Jacob also likes to give Jared kisses, but I think Jared is still getting used to them.

It's such a pleasure having kids in the home. Love you guys!

Josie

2011-01-10T12:43:00.000-08:00

This is Josie. She's kind and loving and funny and faithful and wonderful. . . . And she can dance.

Check her out! She's got some great moves. And don't you love her wild hair?

I love Josie. She's such a treasure.

The Happies doing the dishes

2011-01-08T10:04:00.000-08:00

It's been a crazy few weeks, so here's what you missed:

Adam and Isaac started doing the dishes recently. It's been great. They are so eager to help. After dinner they run right up to the sink and get to work.

They love the bubbles! Although Adam was supposed to rinse the dishes, his sink seemed to always have a ton of bubbles.

In this clip, Isaac is trying so hard to be patient. Bless his little heart.

At some point they got tired of pulling up their sleeves to keep them dry. . . so they took of their shirts.

This is what it looked like when they were done. Adam stacked the dishes all by himself.

After the Happies were asleep, Mama rewashed the dishes. She's such a good mother.

Joshua's Hair

2010-12-23T08:36:00.000-08:00

Joshua has thick, dark, wavy hair that Mama loves to run her fingers through, especially when it's long.

Usually, we just throw some water on it in the morning and call it good, but recently, Josh has taken to syling his own hair.

In the evening, after baths, Josh grabs a brush and goes to work.

Last night he was especially proud of what he had done. He said to me as he was falling asleep, "Papa, do you think I can sleep without messing up my hair?"

This morning his hair looked surprisingly good. Way to go, Josh!

Mary and the Christmas Monkey

2010-12-22T09:33:00.001-08:00

We try to do a small-scale nativity around Christmas. Josie has always loved being Mary. She really gets into the part! She used to wear this Mary outfit around town. People gave Mama strange looks. I think someone asked her if she was Amish.

When Adam and Issac were infants we had two baby Jesuss (what's the plural of Jesus?). And Josh is always some animal. One year he was a sheep. He wore white tights, a white leotard, and we pinned a white fluffy tail to his bottom. It was great!

Here's a picture from three years ago with Josie as Mary and Joshua as the "Christmas Monkey." Mary and the Christmas Monkey are taking care of baby Jesus.

Sledding Vets Hill

2010-12-21T13:39:00.000-08:00

The other day we went to Veteran's Park for some winter fun. It was cold with an icy wind that put the temperature near zero. But all was good because the park has a big hill that's great for sledding.

We bundled everyone up in warm clothes. The little kids were out for over 45 minutes. The big kids lasted over an hour. By that time it was really dark and I was freezing.

Here are some pictures of our handsome twins. Getting a picture of Isaac standing so still was a miracle. Let's hear it for really cold weather. Don't you love his big, brown eyes.

Josie and Josh had a blast sledding on the big hill. If you listen carefully, you can hear Isaac cheering on Josie and Josh. I love Isaac's excitment for things.

Right before we left Josie and Josh discovered a jump. Check this out. This is Josh. It's kind of crazy, but cool. You can hear another parent's amazement. You can also hear me laughing.

Josh was okay. He walked away without a scratch.

O, Christmas Tree

2010-12-17T09:59:00.000-08:00

We put up our Christmas tree with the crooked star the other day. The kids loved decorating it. It's great to see the decorations that they made in school over the years go up on the tree.

Together, Josie and Josh put up the tree and strung the lights and the tinsel streamer. Mama sang Christmas songs. I sat on the couch, watching.

For a few days now the first thing Adam and Isaac do when they get up in the morning is decorate the tree. They move things around, add things, take some things off. They work so hard to make the tree beautiful. Thanks everybody. The tree looks great!

Jacob in his dinosaur pajamas

2010-12-16T12:57:00.000-08:00

So, what's the big deal about Jacob in his dinosaur pajamas? Take a look. He's adorable!

Sure, he looks cute, but you should give him a squeeze. None of us in the house can keep our hands off of this little boy. He's just so squeezable.

Adam and Isaac love his cheeks. Josie and Josh love his cheeks and his belly. And Mama and I can't decide what we love best about Jacob. We just love having him around.

Yesterday after dinner Josie walked up to Jacob and pushed her cheek up against his. She nuzzled into him. They both smiled. It was great!

Wacky Hair Day

2010-12-14T09:46:00.000-08:00

This morning we had homemade hashbrowns for breakfast. We got out all of the pans and the big griddle and had a hashbrown bonanza. The kids loved it! While they waited, Joshua and Adam sat in front of the heater vent in the kitchen, trying to stay warm.

Take a look at Joshua's hair. It usually looks like he just got out of bed, but today was different. It was Wacky Hair Day at school.

The kids love Wacky Hair Day! They get to do silly things with their hair. Joshua likes his spiked. I like it too because it highlights his great head of hair. It's hard not to run your fingers through it everytime you see him.

Josie loves it too. Usually she likes her hair braided into a dozen or so thin braids. I love her hair like that. It lets you see how truly lovely she is. This year Mama put her hair into 6 wavy ponytails.

Happy Wacky Hair Day everybody!

A whole lot of sick

2010-12-07T11:14:00.000-08:00

It started with Adam and Isaac. Then it spread to Jacob and Jared. Next Josie and Joshua got it, followed closely by Mama.

At it's peak, seven little Rackleys were all sick at once this weekend (that's a record for us). It was the flu! And it was terrible, from what I hear.

For some reason, I escaped the brunt of it. I got to take care of everyone. It truly was a pleasure for me. The best part was being able to cuddle as much as I wanted. Nobody objected, not even Isaac.

We had sick beds set up throughout the house. Each person got a vomit bowl (we practiced turning heads into the bowl), a pillow, a blanket, and quiet activities. But mostly, everyone just rested.

Adam set a record this weekend. He was swinging in the basement with a look of pain on his face. I was pushing him in front. I kept asking him if his stomach was hurting. He shook his head "No" every time.

Then, all of a sudden, I see a stream of vomit coming right at me. I jump out of the way and it spatters across the floor to the furnace. Later on I measured from the swing to the furnace (I know, that's terrible, but I had to know). Ready? Adam projectile vomited (with the help of the swing) 10 feet! Now, that's amazing!

I'm glad everyone is finally on the mend.

Happy Turtle

2010-12-02T11:02:00.000-08:00

The kids and I made a book the other day. We were sitting at the kitchen table and Isaac started telling a story. I asked him what happened next and before we knew it we had Happy Turtle.

Isaac and I came up with the plot and the words. Josie did the art. I read it to Josh and he said, "That makes no sense." He's right, but we had a good time putting it together.

And there it is: Happy Turtle. We still have to finish the last page. Adam's working on a car book. He tells me where to draw the cars and I draw them. It's a good system.

Fire Night

2010-11-29T14:02:00.001-08:00

Sunday nights in the winter we all get together around the fire right after dark. The kids love cozying up to the fire in their pajamas. Sometimes they bring out their pillows and blankets and just lie down and watch the flames.

I look forward to Fire Night all week. It's great having everybody together. Sometimes we'll tell stories as we roast marshmellows.

Every once in a while we'll make a fire so hot that the kids strip down to their underwear. Then it becomes (nearly) naked Fire Night. That's fun too.

Michelle

2010-11-24T14:03:00.000-08:00

I had just put down Jacob for the night when I walked into the hallway and found Mama sitting on the floor outside of Adam and Isaac's bedroom singing this song.

What a lovely way to end the day. I love Michelle because she sings to our children . . . and because she has a much better voice than I do.

Josie and Adam

2010-11-23T08:28:00.000-08:00

The other day everybody was hanging out in the kitchen. Everybody wanted to be together, but it was getting pretty crowded in our small kitchen.

All of the sudden it seemed much quieter. I couldn't find Josie so I walked down the hall to her room.

Quietly, Josie had gathered yarn, the string box, scissors, and Adam and headed to her room.

There, in the middle of the bed Josie was teaching Adam how to make cool things with string. They seemed so peaceful.

Josie is such a gem. She does so many things to make our family happy.

Gum Update

2010-11-19T08:40:00.001-08:00

So, Josie's still collecting gum. She throws some pieces out from time to time, but overall, the collection is still growing.

Here's what it looked like recently.

So you can really savor the image, here's a close up . . . .

And an even closer one.

All of those colorful pieces of gum are actually kind of pretty together. Sort of.

The note

2010-11-15T07:01:00.000-08:00

We found this on the sink in the bathroom the other day. This is what it says:

Dear Mama and Papa,
this is a letter to just
let you know how
much I love you
Love
?

I love findings this like this around the house.

Happy (belated) Halloween

2010-11-13T08:35:00.000-08:00

This was a great Halloween! We were all very excited about it.

We carved and painted pumpkins.

Josie and Josh didn't like the goopy insides much.

Mama made a cool Halloween dinner with spaghetti served in carved orange peppers. The kids loved that!

We also made some great decorations, including a spooky Halloween tree.

And, of course, the kids dressed up. From left to right, Jacob was an elephant, Isaac was a monster, Josh was a scary skeleton, Adam was a frog, Jared was a chick, and Josie - our dear Josie - was a black cat.

Happy (belated) Halloween everybody!

P.S. Adam thought Joshua's costume was the coolest. He'd run up to Josh and say, "Scare me." Josh would make growling noises and Adam would run away screaming. It was great to watch.

Jacob eats . . . and eats

2010-11-10T08:43:00.000-08:00

This boy loves to eat! For quite a while Jacob would only eat mashed potatoes - that's it! He ate bowls and bowls of mashed potatoes every day. Most of the time he ate them ravenously. We couldn't feed the little guy fast enough.

Recently, he's settled into eating other things, but he still eats as much as or more than any of the other kids, which Mama and I still find amazing. Way to go, Jacob! And he's getting quite vocal about his food preferences.

We haven't noticed an quirky things like Adam's penchant for condiments, but we're watching. I'll have to upload the video of Adam eating spoonfuls of ketchup with Josie making gagging noises in the background. Now, that's a treat.

We love Jacob. He's such a joy.

Music!

2010-11-04T13:23:00.001-07:00

Josie began playing the recorder this year because she's in fourth grade. It's a district thing, and I love it. So does Josie. Next year she'll pick an instrument of her own.

She practices all of the time. She is so pleased with herself. She knows Mary Had a Little Lamb, Hot Cross Buns, and Gently Sleep. She plays in the morning, in the evening, between meals, and in the car. When I'm not around Josie I can hear these songs in my mind.

Keep up the good work, Sweetheart. You're doing a great job!

Josie's Gum

2010-11-01T10:28:00.001-07:00

Josie likes to collect things - stuffed animals, silly bands, trinkets of all sorts . . . and most recently, gum. She made a cool paper box for her gum and put a sign on it that reads: Do not throw away!!!

This isn't ordinary gum. This gum's already been chewed. Throughout the day Josie will add a new piece to the box or grab an old one and start chewing. She seems very content with her new collection.

Every once in awhile we'll catch Josh adding to - or borrowing from - Josie's box. I'm sure if Adam or Isaac had the chance, they'd borrow from the box too.

Mmm, delicious.

Jenny's Farm

2010-10-29T08:46:00.000-07:00

As the weather starts to turn we know it's time for our trip to Jenny's to pick out our pumpkins.

The kids had a great time. They love the staw maze!

The owners rebuild the maze every few days with new bails of straw.

We also picked out our pumpkins.

Josh went for the big ones.

Most of the pumpkins were almost as big as Jacob.

The kids also like the animals. The Happies love the chickens and pigs. Josie and Joshua like the huge horses. They are all pretty cool.

Happy Halloween!

A bigger family?

2010-10-27T08:20:00.000-07:00

Recently, Josie and I were on a walk and she said, "We have the world record for the most kids out of everybody we know." I asked her how she felt about that and she said that it was, "Good."

A few months ago the radio in our van stopped working. It's been frustrating not having music for the kids, or books on CD, etc. . . . But last night as Josie, Josh, and I were going to pick up a used crib I realized one of the advantages of not having a radio - talking with each other!

I don't know how it started, but Josie and Josh were talking about having lots of children. I asked Joshua how many kids we should have. What the perfect number would be. He thought for a second and said, "Twenty." Josie said, "I think that's too many." Josh explained that with 20 kids we could play great games. He talked about playing soccer with everyone, and tag, and hide-and-seek. Josie liked that. She said, "Yeah! That would be great. If Mama and Papa were "it" they would never get all of us." They both laughed.

They talked like this until we got to the home where we were picking up the crib. I feel blessed to have such wonderful children and such a loving, patient, and faithful wife. My wife and children make all the difference for me.

A walk in the meadow in the night

2010-10-26T10:51:00.000-07:00

The other day the four big kids and I went for a late night walk. It started out as a walk around the block, but we ventured into the large meadow near our home. Josh asked if it was time for the rabbits and skunks to come out. It was. I told the kids that if they were very quiet we might see a skunk.

As we walked through the meadow, the kids were very peaceful. We held hands, Josie and Josh made sure their little brothers were safe and happy, Isaac whispered (and encouraged others to whisper), and Adam doddled behind us picking flowers. This must have inspired his siblings.

By the time we got home, we had picked three lovely bouquets of wild flowers, and a little bouquet of grass. We also saw three skunks and a frog.

It really was a wonderful evening. It was just what we needed.

I love you guys!

Throwing Acorns

2010-10-22T10:25:00.000-07:00

Blogger didn't want to upload this video. So, it's on YouTube.

Recently, we went to Independence Lake. The kids had a wonderful time. Joshua found a treasure trove of acorns scattered on the ground. Josie and Josh collected them in buckets. Adam and Isaac got handfuls, ran to the end of the pier, and threw them one by one into the lake. Check out Adam. You'll love it!

If you listen carefully at about 9 seconds in you can hear Isaac say to Adam, "That was a good one." What a supportive little brother. At 20 seconds Adam says, "Watch this."

The Gravel Pit

2010-10-19T10:26:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I went with Joshua and his 2nd grade class on a field trip to a gravel pit. The kids have been looking forward to this for months!

They went as part of their unit on geology. The kids looked for different types of rocks. Josh was excited when he found and could identify certain kinds. He has always loved being outside.

Each of the groups had the help of a local naturalist (Ms. H). The kids loved asking her about their rocks. One of the kids in our group kept bringing Ms. H rocks and asking her, "Is this a stone?" She kept saying, "Yes. Stone is another word for rock. Everything you pick up here is a stone."

Another time Ms. H was looking at one of the kid's rocks and said, "Oh, you have some fossilized lichen in this one." With a mix of disbelief and excitement the boy said, "A viking!" She said, "No, lichen." That wasn't nearly as exciting for him.

The kids even got to see a rock that was over 1 billion years old. I thought that was pretty cool! Everybody got a chance to slide down the rock.

It was great spending time with Josh. He's such a wonderful boy.

Fall dinner: "This is so cool!"

2010-10-16T06:42:00.001-07:00

Fall is upon us here in Michigan. And we are having a gorgeous fall this year! To celebrate, Mama made a special fall dinner.

She made pumpkin soup and - this is the cool part - we ate it out of pumpkins! Josh saw the table and summed up how we all felt about dinner. He said, "This is so cool!"

And it was. The leaves, the fresh farm bread, the cucumber boats, and best of all the great company.

After dinner the kids loved carving their pumkins into jack-o-lanterns. Adam's pumpkin had a round mouth and big round eyes. It looked like it was singing, but Adam kept calling it, "Scary! Scary punkin!"

Sweeping

2010-10-15T08:10:00.001-07:00

After we eat we all help clean up. We clear and wipe down the table, wash the dishes, clean the kitchen, etc . . . . For his part, Adam has taken an interest in sweeping the floor. It's his favorite job.

He works so hard at it. Sometimes he's still sweeping after everything else is done, being very careful to get the last bits of food or dirt off the floor.

Thanks, Adam. We couldn't do it without you!

Taking care of babies, ala Isaac

2010-10-13T08:38:00.000-07:00

Isaac is a very attentive big brother. He also likes to talk. He often talks during the day to anyone who'll listen. Most of the time it's his twin brother, Adam, doing the listening.

The other day I was pushing Adam and Isaac on the swings we have in our basement. Isaac said, "Don’t put Jared in the dryer."

This is Jared (not in the dryer):

This morning on the swings, Isaac said, "I don’t want to put Jacob in the washing machine." He then explained why: "I don’t want my babies to be sad."

This is Jacob (in his high chair):

Isaac is a good big brother. Not only for keeping his baby brothers out of major appliances, but for not wanting them to be sad. Isaac does a very good job doing both.

It's so good to have Isaac in our family. We are all happier - and safer - for it.

Trees

2010-10-12T12:31:00.000-07:00

Recently, Jacob (1 yr) learned a new word - "tree." He says it more like, "tee," but he points, so you know that he knows what he's talking about.

This weekend, Josie and Josh took to climbing trees. We have a pretty big one in our front yard. It's hard to get on because the first branch is pretty high - about 9 feet.

With a little help, Josie and Josh climbed right up. Joshua asked if he could climb up higher, along a branch, and get on top of the roof. That was an easy question to answer - No, way!

When Josh was ready to get down, I told him to jump to me. He shook his head and laughed nervously. I could tell that he thought it would be cool to jump.

With a few words of encouragement, he finally jumped. Right into my arms. Seeing that her little brother did it, when it was Josie's turn to get down she jumped too.

Back to the Lakes

2010-10-11T08:50:00.000-07:00

We just had a gorgeous fall weekend - mid-70s, sunny, and at times, breezy.

So, we went to the lakes to try to squeeze out every last bit of fun - and sun - before the weather turns.

We went to Silver Lake and Intependence Lake. Both were great, and practically deserted.

The water was very cold, but Josie, Josh, Mama, and I all went in. Adam and Isaac are even venturing into the cold water deeper than before. It's still a little cold for Jacob and Jared.

At Silver Lake we had a great game of soccer. Josie and Josh played against Adam, Isaac, and me.

And Adam wore his googles the whole time, although it took some effort to keep them OUT of his eyes and on the top of head where he prefers them.

Conference Weekend

2010-10-05T11:06:00.001-07:00

In fall and spring our Church - The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints - has a general conference where the Church leaders speak. On Saturday and Sunday President Monson and others spoke about the importance of using our agency well, expressing gratitude, patience, Jesus Christ, and getting rid of pride, to name a few.

One of the talks that struck me was Elder Patrick Kearon's.
http://lds.org/conference/sessions/display/0,5239,23-1-1298,00.html

He spoke about the healing power of Christ. It was simple, beautiful, and powerful. We watched it again the other day as a family. Josie and Josh liked the story about the scorpion at the beginning.

I also really liked Sister Allred's talk about being "steadfast and immovable."
http://lds.org/conference/talk/display/0,5232,23-1-1298-37,00.html

Conference weekend is really a treasure for our family.

Apple Picking

2010-10-04T07:02:00.000-07:00

I wait all year long for fall apple picking. We finally got to go this weekend!

It was rainy and windy, so there weren't alot of people there, but it was still great! And Mama did a great job of keeping little Jared warm.

Jacob and I got to hang out as Josie, Josh, Adam, and Isaac picked and ate apples.

Adam brought his dog along. It got lost a few times. Josie, Josh, and Adam worked together so well. Josie and Josh would pick the apples and hand them to Adam, who would then put them in a bag.

Isaac didn't seem to care much about picking apples. Most of the time he was just eating them - one out of each hand, with juice dripping down his chin.

By the time we got two bags full, Adam and Isaac's little hands were too cold to pick/eat any more. We got some warm dounuts from the store at the apple orchard and headed home.

When we got back into the warm car Josie announced, "This was a great day!" Josh said, "Yeah, this was great."

I agree. What a great day!

On the way to the park

2010-09-28T12:17:00.000-07:00

This weekend really felt like fall. The leaves are turning and it's much cooler outside. Josie, Josh, and I found a few minutes to play at the park late one afternoon. On our way, we stopped in the front yard to get a few pictures.

Josie's anxiously anticipating one of her favorite parts of fall - Halloween. The probelm is that she doesn't know what to dress up as yet. When Josh saw that Josie was wearing all brown he said, "Josie, I know what you can be for Halloween! A stick!" I love the idea, but Josie's not wild about it.

I drop hints about how cool it would be for her to go trick-or-treating as a stick. I told her maybe we could get Mama to sew a few leaves on to her shirt, or put some in her hair. I'm not sure that Josie will go for it. We'll see.

Anyway, we had a great time at the park. We took a soccer ball and I kicked it as hard as I could. Josie and Josh ran after it and kicked it back. We also played kickball, sort of. It's so great being around Josie and Josh.

It's done

2010-09-25T08:31:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I had a meeting with the kind folks at Rackham Graduate Studies. They reviewed my dissertation page by page to make sure it conformed to all of their formatting requirements. And it did.

My dissertation - Motivation for Religious Literacy Practices of Religious Youth: Examining the Practices of Latter-day Saint and Methodist Youth in One Community - is done!

At the end of our meeting the kind woman handed me a small envelope and extended her hand. She smiled and said, "Congratulations. You're finished." And just like that, it's Dr. Rackley now.

This is what a 337-page dissertation looks like. The kids called it my book. One day Joshua asked how many chapters it had. When I told him that it had 9, he said, "Oh, that's not very many."

Here's the inscription of the dedication page:

To my wife, Michelle, for inspiration and support.

To my children, Josie, Joshua, Adam, Isaac, Jacob, and Jared, for filling our home with joy.

Hey, you guys, we did it!

He did it again

2010-09-24T06:42:00.000-07:00

Yesterday the kids and I played after school. After everyone left Joshua decided to climb the lightpole . . . again.

It amazes me how easy he makes it look. He just jumps on and starts climbing. Mama said it's like watching the boys on the islands climb up the coconut trees. I've never seen them, but if it's anything like this, it must be amazing to watch.

His little brothers were cheering him on. Isaac was saying, "Go, Josh!" and "Whoa!" You can see Josie walking past at the bottom of the picture. This wasn't a big deal for her because she does it too.

Periodically, Josh would look down and smile. I told him to stay focused, but when he got to the top he just had to give me one more smile.

You're an amazing boy, Josh!

Josie the Safety

2010-09-21T09:16:00.000-07:00

Josie is in fourth grade now. At her school, the fourth graders are the Safety Patrol. Josie is a "safety" this year. She's very excited about it. . . and a little nervous.

Yesterday was her first day. She was paired with her good friend, Sarah. The three of us practiced while the girls waited for students to come. I played the part of the student. They both did a great job.

I put this picture in because I want you to see Josie's pants.

They are actually Isaac's pants (Isaac is 3 years old). Josie tried them on a few weeks ago and liked how they fit, so she keeps wearing them. I think Josie's the coolest. Really, she's one of the coolest kids I know.

Baby's Out!

2010-09-20T09:44:00.000-07:00

Saturday at 5:01 AM Michelle gave birth to Jonah/Jared Rackley (we still haven't decided on a name yet). Mama, baby, and family are doing well. Here's what happened:

Michelle woke me up at 4:15 AM Saturday morning. She said Jonah was coming soon and asked for a blessing. She got into the birthing pool set up in the kitchen. I handed her ice and mostly just tried to stay out of the way. It's always amazing to watch Michelle give birth. She is so peaceful, and so focused. She looked at me right before Jared's head came out and said, "It hurts."

At 5:01 AM Jonah was born and promply fell asleep, just like Joshua did. At 6:30 AM, by the time Joshua got up to go to the bathroom, Mama and baby were resting peacefully. Josh saw the birthing pool and asked, "Did Mama have the baby!" He ran to see Jonah. Josie was the next one up. When Josh told her that the baby was here, she said, "Oh, my gosh!" She saw the baby and said, "He totally looks like a Nathan."

Josie and Josh got about an hour with Jared before the Happies got up. Josh told them the baby was here and Adam instinctively knew that he was good looking. Adam said, "Baby so cute." After seeing the baby Isaac ran into the bedroom and announced to Mama, "We found a baby!"

We all had a great time with Jared that morning. Everybody got a chance to hold him and touch him and kiss him and talk to him. It's great to have him here!

We kept Jonah's basket in the red room for most of the day so the kids could be near him. It's hard to do anything else with a new baby in the home. Jacob would crawl up to the basket and just look in. Adam and Isaac would stop to touch him. And Josh couldn't stop himself from kissing the baby every few minutes. And Josie . . . . Josie was in heaven. I think she held Jared more than anyone that day, and the next.

Like Mama said right after Jonah was born: "It's good to hold a baby again."

Baby out . . . please

2010-09-17T07:26:00.000-07:00

So, Michelle's still big with child. The due date was September 14th. This is the first time Michelle has made it to her due date . . . and beyond. Usually she delievers two weeks early.

I don't have a recent photo of Michelle. This one was taken 3 years ago, but it's a very good approximation of what she looks like now, although her serene smile has faded a little. We're hopeful that Jonah will join us this weekend. We are all very excited to have him in our family.

A Great Day

2010-09-15T08:37:00.000-07:00

Yesterday Josie came home from school and said, "Today was a great day." I love it when that happens. Today is also a great day.

First, Joshua won a paper airplane contest at Trader Joe's. We all went there early this morning before school to pick up his bag full of tasty Trader Joe's treats. He plans on sharing them today with all of his friends after school.

Don't you just love his smile. I told him to imagine his airplane soaring through the sky. Josie took the picture.

This is the prize-winning airplane. It's simple, and well-built. Good work, Josh!

The second reason that this is a great day is because it marks 10 years since Michelle and I got married. Over that time, we've lived in four states, attended three universities, had five (almost six) incredible children, and created a whole lot of great memories.

This was our wedding announcement picture from 2000. We've changed a bit since then, but boy have we had a great ride! I still think that I married an amazing woman.

Michelle's commitment to this family is incredible. She's the anchor; the rock that keeps us grounded in the simple, beautiful things of life. She's also constantly moving us onward and upward by helping us be better, more kind and loving people. Michelle, you make me and our children happy. I love you.

First Day of School - Adam and Isaac

2010-09-14T07:00:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago Adam and Isaac had their preschool orientation with their teacher. It lasted about 20 minutes, and it made an impression. Later that day as they were playing at home Isaac said, "Adam, it's time to go to school. Let's get in the van." The two of them grabbed their school bags and headed out to the van. Mama had to tell them that it wasn't time to go to school yet. Isaac was heartbroken. I think Adam was relieved.

But today was the REAL first day of school. It's always so exciting! Isaac put on his elephant backpack and was ready to go first thing in the morning. On the way there Isaac tried to get Adam excited about school. He said, "Adam, clap your hands." Adam just looked out the window.

You can see Isaac's excitement in this picture of the two of them right before they went inside. You can also see Adam's trepidation. As we walked inside Adam looked up at me and said, "Don't leave me." Poor litle guy. I'm anxious to talk to them when they get home to see how things went.

Adam in the News

2010-09-10T06:06:00.001-07:00

Mama took the kids out of school yesterday to take them to a local fair. It's become a family tradition of sorts. The kids love the animals and the rides. A few years ago at the fair a photographer took a picture of Josie that made it into the news. This year it was Adam's turn.

He wore the frog costume all day, insisting on keeping his little hands inside the frog hands. It made it tough for him to grasp things, but overall he managed pretty well. And Grandpa was there to help, just in case.

Holy Cow!

2010-09-09T06:14:00.000-07:00

This is Joshua, our adventurous little boy.

This is the lamppost he climbed up after school yesterday. He hung - no, SWUNG - from the horizontal arms holding the lights.

Part of me is proud of him for making it to the top, but part of me is also crazy scared about what could have happened. Thankfully, Michelle was there and calmly told him to wrap his legs around the pole. Let's hear it for a mother's clear presence of mind.

The First Day of School

2010-09-08T06:24:00.000-07:00

Josie and Josh started school yesterday. Josie's in fourth grade now. Josh's in second. They were glad to be back. Josie wanted to wear all pink. Even pink silly bands and a pink bow. Josh didn't care what he wore. I tried to talk him into getting some clothes for school a few weeks ago and he said, "I have enough clothes." Fair enough.

Here's what I got when I asked them to smile.

Here's what I got when I asked them to look at each other.

Josh was happy that he got to sit by some good friends. On the first day he wrote in his journal about what he did over the summer. He wrote about going swimming and having Grandma and Grandpa visit.

On the first day Josie got to know her classmates. They walked around the classroom talking to each other, trying to learn different things.

We sat around the kitchen table that night talking about the first day. They both had a great time. We're looking forward to a wonderful year!

A Few Busy Days

2010-09-06T06:45:00.000-07:00

Here's what happened from Wednesday to Friday:

Michelle's parents showed up. Surprise!

Michelle went into early labor. No worries. It usually goes like this and then the baby comes pretty quickly.

We found out our van needed nearly $2,000 worth of work.

I successfully defended my doctoral dissertation. To celebrate, we took the kids to a lake early, early the next morning for a swim. It was great! Mama, Josie, Josh, and I took the plunge.

We didn't see any polar bears, but man, it was cold!

We're looking forward to another busy few days: Josie, Josh, Adam, and Isaac start school tomorrow, and Jonah (baby #6) will probably be here any day! We are all very excited.

So, you can remember me

2010-08-31T10:50:00.000-07:00

As I was walking out the door today Josh handed me a cake decorating tip and said, "So, you can remember me."

I said, "Josh, I'll never forget about you. Not ever."

Joshua's rainy and wonderful 7th birthday

2010-08-28T04:57:00.000-07:00

Last weekend we celebrated Joshua's 7th birthday at Mill Pond Park. Josie, Josh, and I got there early to set up. It was raining. But we got to spend some time with the swans.

The kids fed them grass. Looking down river, we saw another swan. We didn't think that anybody would show up to the party because it was raining, but right on time, we had a bunch of our friends arrive. And they kept coming!

We had paper boat races. The boats quickly turned into floating clumps of mushy paper, but that didn't seem to stop the kids. Even in the rain, they were having a great time playing in the river.

Right about now it started raining pretty hard. The kids ran into the forest along the trails. It was great to watch so many children having such a great time together.

After the kids took a break to have popsicles - Josh preferred popsicles to cake this year - they headed over to the large play structure. If anyone was still dry, they didn't stay that way for long.

The kids kept going!

And going. . . .

By the time everyone had to go home, everybody was soaked and smiling. It turned out to be a really great, rainy, wonderful birthday.

Happy birthday, Joshua. We love you!

Do as I'm doing

2010-08-25T06:40:00.000-07:00

Jacob learned a new song recently – “Do as I’m doing.” It’s a cute children’s song that has hand motions. The kids learned it at church. We like to start by rolling our arms. The song goes like this (start by rolling arms): Do as I’m doing, follow, follow me. Do as I’m doing follow, follow me. I can do it high (roll arms high) or low (roll arms low). I can do it fast (roll arms fast) or slow (roll arms slow). (Roll arms) Do as I’m doing, follow, follow me. Do as I’m doing, follow, follow me.”

Jacob likes to roll his arms during the day so that we’ll sing to him. It’s very cute. Sometimes as we sing, the Happies will roll their arms along with Jacob.

Slurp!

2010-08-23T14:16:00.000-07:00

The other day Adam got out a small, plastic cup and placed it on the kitchen floor. He opened the refrigerator, got out the pitcher of orange juice and poured the whole thing into his cup, and onto the floor. Then he enjoyed a nice, full cup of orange juice. Mmmm.

Later, he helped Mama clean up the mess by slurping the orange juice off of the floor. What a helpful little boy!

So you can remember me

2010-08-20T06:44:00.000-07:00

The kids like to give me things when I leave in the morning so that I can remember them. Usually it's small stuff. Josh likes to give me Pokemon cards, marbles, or colored pencils. Sometimes he just picks up something from the ground like a rock or a stick. This morning I got a rock. Josie used to give me stuffed animals and small pieces of food. Every once in a while she still gives me a note or a piece of jewelry.

This morning Isaac wanted in on the fun, so he ran to the neighbors house, grabbed the newspaper from his driveway, and handed it to me through my car window as I was leaving. He said, "Here, Papa!" He was so pleased with himself. I didn't have the heart to tell him to put it back.

Nobody wants to play with me

2010-08-19T07:11:00.000-07:00

Today Mama had an early morning dental appointment, so I was in charge. Finally! Josie was up early organizing her room and I was getting Jacob ready for the day. Josh wanted someone to play with him. Josie - because she's such a kind girl - took a break and played with Josh. It didn't last long. She came back upstairs and continued organizing her room. Josh came up after her and said that Josie didn't want to play any more because he was winning. I tried to explain that sometimes we could help the other person to feel good about the game by going easy on them, just a little. He said, "Nobody wants to play with me because I'm so good at playing games." He threw up his arms up in disbelief.

I told him that we all loved playing with him, but we'd have to do it in a few minutes, after I fed Jacob. The next thing I know, Josie and Josh are outside playing catch with a tennis ball. And Josh - my wonderful little boy - was throwing very carefully. He was going easy on her!

I'm goin' thwimmin'

2010-08-18T09:06:00.000-07:00

The kids love this joke:
Knock, knock.
Who's there?
Panther.
Panther, who?
Panther, no panth, I'm goin' thwimmin'.

The possiblities for throwing this joke into conversations is endless! Especially earlier this summer when the kids were on swim team.

We went to an end of summer party hosted by some good friends over the weekend. The kids’ favorite part was swimming in the lake.

Joshua liked dancing on the rafts!

I liked this great shot of our little Isaac.

Skoochie, Skoochie.

2010-08-17T05:44:00.000-07:00

We got this couch from my parents a few years after we got married. It's a great couch. It's dark, so you can't see stains. It's leather, so it's tough. And it's just the right size, for now.

Here's everybody relaxing at the end of a long, energetic, wonderful day. I think Mama and the kids were at lakes and pools all day. From left to right: Isaac, Joshua, Adam, Mama (with Jacob), and Josie. You can see Mama's belly. That's Samuel, or Jared, or Noah, or Jonah. We haven't decided yet, but he'll be here in a few weeks! We're leaning toward Noah or Jonah.

I love you, Pegisus

2010-08-16T12:56:00.000-07:00

The kids love notebooks. I can't count how many we have filled with cool drawings, designs, lists, and notes. I found one of Josie's small notebooks the other day on the Lego Table. It was opened to this page.

Ah, Pegisus. I remember seeing Clash of the Titans when I was a kid and thinking Pegasus was awesome. Imagine, a flying horse. What's not to love?

Running Together

2010-08-13T07:02:00.001-07:00

Yesterday morning Josie and Josh went running with me. Josie really liked it. Josh didn't. He said, "I'm never doing that again." He didn't like the mosquitos, or the humidity, I think. We got started a little late, so we didn't see any animals.

But later that morning at Josie's Cove they saw the same two swans and 5 cygnet (baby swans)! They fed them and Josh touched one. They said it was really cool. Josie said that the swans were as big as Isaac!

Josie asked that I wake her up early this morning to go running with me, so I did. Josh decided to go too. I guess he changed his mind. The three of us sneaked out of the house and walked to the meadow. It was very quiet. Josie and Josh noticed that the world smells different in the morning. On the way we saw two rabbits.

When we got to there, the fog was back, hanging over the meadow. The kids loved it. Josh was wide-eyed. Josie smiled. She said, "I like the way the grass feels on my feet. It's cold." She wiggled her toes. We saw two more rabbits right away and then a skunk. It had its nose in the grass. We walked slowly past it, but it saw us and raised its tail. They thought that was great. We talked about skunks.

By the time we got home it seemed that Josh had changed his mind. He told Mama, "That was really cool. I want to go again!" It's great being out early with Josie and Josh. Josie seems so peaceful.

Foxes and Swans

2010-08-11T08:35:00.000-07:00

We have a huge meadow surrounded by trees near our home. I like to go running there early in the morning or in the evening. Sometimes I see wild rabbits and the occasional skunk, but yesterday I saw a fox. There was really thick fog that morning and as I came around some trees and down a hill I saw the fox standing right in the middle of the path, shrouded in mist. We starred at each other for a second before it trotted off. It was wonderful, almost surreal with the mist. I saw the same fox three times that morning.

Sometimes Mama takes the kids to one of our favorate places - Josie's Cove - early in the morning right when they get up. They have a breakfast picnic there and have full reign of the park. It's a great way to start the day. This morning they got to feed two swans for about 20 minutes. Just so you know, swans are really big. They're not like ducks, or even geese. It's wonderful what you can find outside when you get up early.

This morning we started an "Animals in the Morning" chart. We've only kept track of yesterday and today, but we've already recorded seeing rabbits, foxes, swans, skunks, and opossums. We hope to add some raccoons soon. Almost two years ago, Josh and I were on an early morning walk and we saw four raccoons running around together. We still talk about that.

Legos

2010-08-10T11:06:00.000-07:00

We pulled out the Legos the other day and spread them out on the dinner room table - which we actually call the "Lego Table" because that's where our Legos go. The kids had a great time! Adam likes cars. Isaac likes "big jets." Josie is fond of making really cool houses. And Josh likes to watch Mama and me make complicated stuff for him.

Josie made a cool hotel and put it in her bedroom because there were lots of little hands that wanted to touch it. Good work, my dear.

Joshua made some cool stuff too. He used Legos and Supermags to make Darth Vader's house. They've never seen Star Wars, but they think the story line is pretty cool.

In the afternoon we got out the big Legos and made a pretty great tower in the basement. We all contributed some, but Adam and I were the stalwarts, working on it until dinner.

This is what our tower looked like right before it got destroyed.

TV Time Gone Wrong? You Decide.

2010-08-09T09:44:00.000-07:00

So, this is Astro boy. He's a robot that looks like a boy, without a shirt. I'm still not sure if he's flying around in his underpants or if those are shorts. Anyway, the kids have taken a liking to him recently, and he's a likeable enough boy, but we've been watching a little too much of him.

During the school year the kids have about 30 minutes of TV time after school each day. Sometimes amid the excitement they forget about it entirely. During the summer, it's a little different. The TV is on more. As we get ready for school to begin, Mama talked with the kids about putting the TV away (it's a 13-inch TV/DVD combo that we keep in the closet) and reestablishing TV time. They were, of course, fine with that.

Later that day as they were watching Astro boy, Josie turned to Mama and said - are you ready for this - "The thing I like about Astro boy is that he helps his enemies, like Jesus." Josh, without taking his eyes from the TV agreed, "Yeah." Horrified? I actually think it shows that Josie is able to see some of the things that she admires about Jesus in other people, it may not be important to her that those people are cartoons. Anyway, I'm proud of my little girl for helping us find Jesus in unexpected places, like Astro boy.

Thanks, Josie!

Josie, we love you

2010-08-05T11:48:00.000-07:00

It has been great having the kids home so much over the summer. Although I'm still working long hours on the dissertation, I try to sneak away from time to time to go to the pool or the lake or the park with everybody. Recently, I've been noticing what a responsible, sweet daughter and big sister Josie is.

She is a great example to her little brothers. With the birth of the new baby boy it will be Josie and five boys. I can't think of a better suited big sister. Here she is during a Book of Mormon party. We finished reading it and celabrated by selecting a character, dressing up, and talking about why we love that character. We also had cup cakes! Josie's favorite character is Rebekah (which is actually from the Bible, not the Book of Mormon). Here she is dressed up as Rebekah, telling us the story of Rebekah at the well and why she loves her.

Another thing I love about Josie is that she is so kind and helpful (like Rebekah?). Jacob got started on dinner late last night, so Josie stayed with him as he finished so he wouldn't be lonely. She talked to him and made him happy while we cleaned and got everybody ready for bed. It's wonderful to see her take such an interest in her little brothers' happiness.

I also love that Josie works so hard. In school she always completed her homework, even when she didn't want to. She was also on the Student Council. This summer she got up early to go to swim team. She swam and swam and swam in that pool with Josh and their friends. She also works very hard to keep the home running smoothly by keeping things clean, organizing the toys, helping set and clear the table, and a bunch of other things that probably aren't her favorite.

Josie, it's such a blessing to have you in our family. We love you, Sweetheart!

Catching Crawfish . . . Catching Arrows

2010-08-03T09:00:00.000-07:00

Josh is the best. He's almost seven and he still thinks his Papa can do anything. Recently, he has been interested in bows and arrows. He snapped a pretty cool wooden bow we got from a friend, so we've been on the lookout for a new bow stick. One afternoon during his searching he came into the house and talked with Mama about catching arrows. He showed her how he would move to catch an arrow if someone fired one at him. His moves were pretty slick - he showed them to me later that night during dinner.

So, that afternoon he turned to Mama and asked, "Do you think I could catch an arrow?" Okay, what do you say to that? "Sure, you're so fast." You know where that could lead - ACTUALLY TRYING TO CATCH AN ARROW. Or, you could deflate him and tell him how dangerous it is and that it's crazy to even think about. Mama - being a wise mama - waited. Josh thought through things for a minute and then said, "Papa could do it!" Mama said, "Oh, really. Why do you say that?" He looked up at her and said, "Papa catches crawfish," suggesting that if Papa can catch crawfish, then he can catch arrows.

I love you, Josh. You really are the best.

Back to Josie's Cove

2010-08-02T13:21:00.001-07:00

We've gone back to one of our favorite places - Josie's Cove - alot this summer. It's a nice little place tucked in among some trees and water. I can't believe we only have one month left until school starts. Summer goes by way too fast.

When we arrived Isaac was very excited about a crawfish he found on the edge of the stream. He yelled, "Papa, catch it! Crawfish!" We all ran over there to find a pile of ants eating a mostly dead crawfish. We talked about how it might have died, compared its coloring to the crawfish at the lake, and tossed it back into the stream.

It's great to see the kids just relax together during the summer. I love it when we're all together. Isaac does too. When he was younger he would get up in the morning and ask where everyone was, by name. If they were sleeping he'd go into their bedrooms and wake them up. Thankfully, that only happened a few times. Even now, Isaac notices when people in our family are missing, and he asks for them. You should see him during our Pizza, Popcorn, Movie, Game Nights with our friends. When we have up to 20 kids between 2-8 years old in the house Isaac is living in dreamland with the company. He gets people food, brings them water, and talks and plays, and laughs. It's like he has this giant family. It's really great to see.

Josie got this great picture of Adam. You can see him talking with his pacifier. Isaac never took one and he talks very well - maybe too well. But Adam is taking his time, maybe because of the paci. "Help me," sounds just like, "Happy." It took us a while to figure that one out. He would be asking for help - "Help me" - and we would say, "That's right, Adam. You're a happy little boy." When he started yelling that he was "Happy," we realized he wasn't saying what we thought he was saying.

Even Jacob gets into the spirit of adventure, crawling around, exploring the place. He looks so small outside by himself. Sometimes he buries his face into the sand and kind of rubs it around. Josh did the same thing when he was little. We're not sure what's going on with that, but they both seem to enjoy it.

Mama took this great shot of our little Jacob. He's standing up now and having a great time pulling himself up all over the house. Every once in a while we'll hear cheers from a corner of the house and one of the kids will run in and announce that Jacob stood up "all by himself!" He's going to be walking soon.

Adam and Isaac

2010-08-02T07:52:00.001-07:00

It's hard to believe that Adam and Isaac have been with us for three years. They are such a pleasure! I love the way they interact with each other. They are so kind and loving. They share very well, and when one needs something the other one tries to help - except when they threw each other's toys down the laundry shoot; that was not pretty. So, in celebration of our twins, here are some pictures of Adam and Isaac that we took this weekend.

Look at the size of these apples. Isaac worked on one for about a hour the day before and finished the whole thing. He decided to try another one at the lake. Adam joined him. The apples weren't as big as their heads - as the pictures show - but they were close. Adam would drop his in the sand (I couldn't tell if it was accidental or not) and then run/prance to the lake to wash it off. He and Isaac did a great job sharing their apples with each other, and everyone else.

Here they are together: Adam and Isaac! Look at those smiles. If I didn't know that they were twins this picture certainly wouldn't convince me. They are so different - and wonderful. I love you, boys.

I also got some great shots of them in the splash zone. I love these pictures. I told them to get close to each other. Adam giggled and squeezed into Isaac. Isaac wrapped his arm around Adam's neck and they stood there for some pictures, giggling. It was great to watch.

Adam and Isaac, it's so great to have in our family. You make us happy, boys. We love you!

The (Watcher at the) Lake in the Morning

2010-08-02T07:14:00.001-07:00

Okay, I think it's clear how much the kids love water. They spend most of every day in or around water. They were in heaven in July during the one-hour early morning swim team. One morning Josh told Mama that he wished swim team lasted three hours: One hour to swim. One hour to rest and play. And one more hour of swimming. They had a swim team dinner/party recently and had a blast! They got cool medals and a some really good memories.

Given their love of water, we went back to lake early in the morning. The morning was wonderful and the water was nice and cool. Check out the lighting in some of these pictures.

I got this one right when we got there. There is something that I just love about this picture of Josie and Josh. I can't put my finger on it, but I look at it a lot. They are such good kids.

Here's Isaac coming out of the lake. He found a squirt gun and was running to show us. He was very excited.

You can't really see it in this picture, but Adam started prancing this morning at the lake. He ran off in front of us, prancing along. Mama and I looked at each other with a mix of curiosity, amusement, and horror. "Where did that come from?" I asked. Mama just laughed. She said, "Get a picture, quick!" I missed it, but I manage to get this one. He wanted to prance, but I think the water was getting in the way. Anyway, he's a great little boy. He and Isaac are getting so big.

I told Josie and Josh - who the Happies refer to as JosieJosh (one word) - to look at each other. This is what I got.

One of the coolest things that morning was the ducks. A bunch of them were swimming right next to us. Isaac was in heaven. He put his hands together, forming a cup, saying, "Hold the ducks. Hold the ducks." He followed them carefully for a while. So, if the ducks were one of the best parts that morning, the woman following us was one of the weirdest.

I got out of the lake and Mama said, "Don't turn around, but that lady by lifeguard tower has been staring at us for about 10 minutes." I turned around and there she was, watching us. She even circled around to the other side to get a different angle on us. When we moved closer to the lake to feed the ducks, she followed us and watched us for quite a while. You can see her in the purple shirt in the left of the picture. She eventually moved off, but she never really stopped watching us for about an hour.

Happy July 24th

2010-07-26T13:29:00.000-07:00

On July 24, 1847 the Mormon pioneers made it into the Salt Lake Valley. In Utah, July 24th is called Pioneer Day and it's a really big deal. Here in Michigan we celebrated Pioneer Day at a local park with our friends from church.

Jacob sat in the grass and waved his flag most of the time. I don't know how he got it, but he probably should have been better supervised because that flag had a very sharp point - more like a spearhead - on the end of it.

Adam and Isaac were supposed to lead the childrens' bicycle parade, but Josie beat them to it. She was off like a shot and had to slow down a little farther up the route for the little children to catch up to her. She decorated her bike very nicely with ribbons.

Adam and Isaac eventually got the hang of the super cool Spiderman vehicle, sort of.

Joshua was beat! He tried so hard to put on a happy face, which, to me, looked very painful. He was feeling exactly how he looked in this picture. He fell asleep quickly that night.

I love this picture of Jacob. It's so patriotic. It almost looks like a political ad campaign poster - VOTE JACOB RACKLEY. HE'S AS AMERICAN AS APPLE PIE . . . AND REALLY CUTE.

Josie's Cove

2010-07-24T12:11:00.000-07:00

We found a great spot at a local park (Mill Pond Park) that we just love. Over a bridge, in the crook of a small stream there is a small, tree-covered picnic spot. The kids can play in the water, explore the forest, climb the trees, or do whatever they'd like. We call it Josie's Cove because it sounds nice and the kids kind of think of this as their spot. Surprisingly, we rarely see other people there.

Here are Josie and Josh crossing the stream. They've created a "house" farther up the stream on a bank near where the crawfish live.

Josie loves this place. She always seems so serene. Here she is crossing the stream by herself.

It's always great to see them exploring together. At the right time of the year they can find frogs. That is always very exiciting.

Back to the Lake

2010-07-21T06:55:00.000-07:00

So, we went back to Independence Lake after the little boys' party. These kids just love water! It was warm and windy. Very nice.

Jacob had a great time with Mama in the splash zone. I love his smile.

Josie took this picture of Jacob.

Adam spent a lot of the time picking flowers. He has been fascinated with bugs lately, so it's good to see him branch out a little. I actually think he started looking for bugs and decided that flowers would just have to do.

After Adam picked the flowers he and Isaac sent them down the drain.

I love how much time Josie and Josh are spending together this summer. They spend every day together. After they finished a week-long day camp earlier this summer, Josie was asking me about a sleep-over camp. I told her that I wasn't sure I was ready to have her gone, and that the first time away from home can be hard. She said, "I better take Josh with me then."

And here are Josh and Mama. Don't you love his goggles. . . and his smile! It's so good to have everybody together. Thanks, Mama, for a wonderful day.

Happy Birthday, Little Rackley Boys!

2010-07-19T07:07:00.000-07:00

We went to Independence Lake this weekend to celebrate Adam, Isaac, and Jacob's birthdays. We decided to have all three parties at once. As we arrived, a dark thunder cloud was dumping buckets of rain and cars were streaming away from the lake, but we waited and the clouds broke and the sun came through . . . and the little boys got their cupcakes!

All but four of the cupcakes had little finger marks on the frosting. Adam and Isaac waited patiently (sort of) all day for their treats.

This was Jacob's first taste of cake. I think he liked it.

The kids swam and played on some rocks near the beach. Here's Joshua and our good friend, Sarah. This picture doesn't show it, but there were more than a dozen little bodies climbing all over these rocks. I'm amazed that nobody fell off.

Josie's goofy face!

Another picture of our handsome Josh . . . and his Pokemon cards. Josie and Joshua have given me some of their cards so that the three of us can trade them. They're actually pretty cool.

And a picture of one of the birthday boys. This little girl followed Adam all over the rocks. She had cool, sparkly makeup around her eyes. Adam was not impressed.

Happy Birthday, boys! Another year down, and a bunch more to go.

Jacob!

2010-07-18T11:05:00.000-07:00

It's hard to believe that Jacob has been with us for almost a year. We love having him around. One of his most charming habits is blowing kisses. If you make a kissing noise, he'll copy you. It's like he's blowing you kisses!

Recently, Jacob and I were playing in the front yard. I couldn't help snap a few pictures of this handsome little boy. Look at those eyes! And, yes, those cheeks are as soft as they look.

We love you, Jacob!

Josie's 9th Birthday

2010-07-16T19:11:00.000-07:00

Josie turned 9 recently. We celebrated her birthday at a local park with family and friends. We are so proud of Josie. She is such a wonderful big sister.

We got eight watermelons for Josie's birthday party. Here are Josie, Josh, and Jacob posing in the watermelon patch. I think we had about six left over.

Here's Josh kissing the birthday girl.

Isaac liked eating - and sitting on - the watermelons. What a handsome little guy.

The kids loved playing in the water. Here are Josie and Stella posing for a picture.

This is the birthday crew. We had a great time with everyone. We feel blessed to have such wonderful friends!

And here's the woman responsible for such a memorable birthday! We love you, Mama.

Silver Beach

2010-07-15T05:19:00.000-07:00

Josie, Joshua, and I went to Silver Beach recently. It was supposed to be warm and sunny, but it turned out to be warm and rainy. I got a few shots of Josie and Josh, though.

I love this picture of Josie. We turned it into an oil painting.

I think Josh is dancing, but I'm not sure. I was just glad that I got a picture of him. He still thinks it's funny to run away when I try to get a picture.

Here's a fuzzy picture of them jumping in the waves - such as they were. This was probably the biggest "wave" that day. We only got about 45 minutes on the beach before we were rained out, but it wasn't a total loss because we were together the whole day, and that counts for a lot.

Instead of . . . .

2009-08-05T08:49:00.000-07:00

Washing these . . .

Or folding this . . .

Or going on an outing . . .

I held Jacob all day.

Boy, does it feel good to have a baby in the home again.

Jacob Rackley

2009-08-05T08:35:00.001-07:00

July 28 2009
6:15 p.m.
9.6 pounds 21 1/2 inches
Welcomed into our family with the aid of Papa, Josie and Joshua.

Back in June . . . Changes

2008-11-11T06:32:00.000-08:00

Because of this

and this

I now use this

(The Baby Cage)

And this

(The Baby Throne)

So I don't have to look like this.

Thanks Andrea. I never felt so free!

If you think you're having a bad day

2008-11-10T09:28:00.000-08:00

Remember there are others having worse . . .

Magic and Miracles

2008-11-07T12:29:00.001-08:00

Joshua and I headed to the dollar store today. His FAVORITE place on earth. Where he would spend a million dollars, if he had.

He picked out this super cool magic set. Was bursting with excitement the whole way home. Could hardly contain himself. Then, we figured out the tricks. . . and to his utter disappointment he realized that magicians aren't really magic. They just know tricks. He was shattered, devastated by this, even a little hostile. Poor guy. I tried to explain how his cool Uncle John knows a bunch of neat magic tricks, but that didn't do anything for him. Living in a world where magic doesn't exist just isn't any fun.

At least there are still fairies. And the amazing fact that we somehow, magically have enough money for mortgage this month. Wait, that isn't magic, that is a MIRACLE. And thank goodness for those.

How about you? Seen any miracles lately?

Feeling Blessed

2008-11-04T11:29:00.001-08:00

. . . for living in a country where I can vote. And for sunny 70 degree weather in November.

For getting to spend the whole day with the best people in the world on a school-less Tuesday. At our favorite lake.

We missed you honey. Meet us at Millpond (4:30-5:30) if you can. Love you.

Back in the Sadle . . .

2008-11-04T11:22:00.000-08:00

Again. Really. After much purging and feeling lighter physically and emotionally I'm jumping back on. So if you are interested in the Sunny parts of our day, keep coming back for more. Because somehow the sun is always shining, even in Michigan.

Happy Father's Day Grandpa!

2008-06-15T14:20:00.000-07:00

Our Big Girl

2008-06-12T20:07:00.000-07:00

When I think of Josie, this is what I picture. My little 4-5 year old, starting kindergarten. I can't believe that she'll be turning seven next week. All the sudden she is so big and grown up.

This growth has been amazing to watch--all of it--physically, intellectually, socially. It has been such a big year for her. A year ago, Josie struggled to sing in primary. Then, just a few months after she started first grade, she happily and excitedly participated in the school musical. She also voluntarily tried out for the talent show with a great jump roping act. Again, I was amazed. Where did my shy little girl go?

Josie has done such an amazing job in first grade. Considering her homeschooling last year, she adapted so well and quickly rose to the task. Sure there were many long days, and even a few sad ones, but man she sure loves her friends and grew a lot from their association. She quickly became every one's favorite friend around--always bringing stuff from home to share after school (Easter or Valentine candy she had saved).

When she isn't writing, doing subtraction or a craft, she can be found climbing trees and teaching herself how to ride a two wheeler in 10 minutes. She can do anything she puts her mind to.

There is so much I love about Josie. She is so patient with me as I've tried to figure out how to be a mother. She waits patiently as I try to learn how to let go. She is capable of so much. I find myself holding on because she is just growing up too fast. She is such a great support to me. She is more responsible than I ever was at her age and notices what I need at the perfect time. Instead of getting grumpy when I am having a bad day, she usually finds something to do to help out--all on her own (dishes, weeding, taking out the garbage). Last month, I angrily voiced my frustration about her many bags we have laying around the house filled with all of Josie's random, favorite things. Amid all her sorrow, I started collecting them to dump them out and sort the stuff to put away. She drew this picture for me (Josie handing her bags to me so we could put them away). What a girl! Again, I realized I just need to back off, because Josie always comes through . . . always.

I am frequently inspired by how Josie internalizes scripture study and our statements of faith. After reading about the tree of life and holding to the rod, she started to be sad about going to school. But she remembered the idea of holding to the rod and how that could lead her through anything, even really difficult things. Her attitude quickly changed and she went to school happy. That same evening my own grasp on the rod started to slip as Adam couldn't stop crying. Josie quickly started to pray. It was such a sincere and faith filled prayer, that it wasn't a surprise when Adam calmed down. Josie even made up a song, after studying one of our favorite people in the Bible--Peter. It goes like this, "Thinking of Jesus everyday. Thinking of Jesus in every way."

I love these next two pictures of Josie. This is what she does best. She makes her three brothers so happy. And we sure love her for that.

Tomorrow is the last day of first grade and this is what we'll look like because our girl will be home and for the next 10 weeks and she is all ours!

Things I'm proud of

2008-06-11T20:10:00.000-07:00

Eric said that I'm too hard on myself, so to balance the last post, I've decided to share the following. . .

I am proud that I'm a mother and a homemaker that loves doing what I do. I'm proud that my children are so beautiful, and that my husband is so handsome. I'm proud that I birthed all my children in water and that three of them were at home, unassisted. I'm proud that I carried my twins till 38 weeks and that they were 6.5 pounds and 6.3 pounds on a predominately raw vegan diet. I'm proud that I gain 10 pounds while nursing these twins and lost it while nursing them too. I'm proud that I homeschooled Josie for a year, mow the lawn for Eric every week (even when I was nine months pregnant with twins - that was a sight!), clean the gutters, keep a really clean and organized house (minus the floor and sheets), live simply w/o excess, cook healthy and tasty vegan meals for my family, have the spirit in our home more often than not, play the piano, sewed Josie's blessing dress. I'm proud that I give Eric pedicures and that I have children who listen to me. I am proud that we don't own cable TV, and that my children love nature documentaries. I'm proud that I want to have more children and think that I'll raise them well. I'm proud that we live on so little and feel so rich. I'm proud that I can take care of most of my family's illnesses with diet, herbs, homeopathy and other alternative meds. I'm proud that I have a testimony of Christ and His restored gospel. I'm proud of the times I've relied on faith to see me through, and that I pray and study the scriptures daily. I'm proud that we haven't used any paper products for two weeks because Josie and Joshua are finally washing all their own dishes (without much moaning).

Man, I feel much better now.

Confessions of a Mother

2008-06-11T18:04:00.000-07:00

I let my kids eat grass and any other plant they want outside. My children climb on play structures in dangerous ways. I wash whites and darks together because I'm lazy. We've eaten pumpkin pie and french fries for dinner. I leave my keys in the car because then I always know where they are. I don't buckle the kids to drive a half a mile to a friend's house. I let the twins cry more than I should. I sometimes let Josie get breakfast ready--consisting of cheetos, vanilla waffers and sugar cereal--Yum! (all from Trader Joe's so it's healthy, right?) I wash the sheets once every three months, mop the floor once a year. I let the kids play on the railroad tracks while I vacuum the van at the car wash. I give in when my children moan too loudly. I lose my patience, get angry, went years without consistent FHE, exercise or Book of Mormon study. I discipline inconsistently, indulge in fearful, judgmental and critical thoughts of myself, others and life. I don't give Eric foot rubs when I say I will. I let my kids watch too many DVD's, don't have any baby pictures of Joshua, ruin my husband's clothes, talk too much and listen less than I should, get overwhelmed too easily, question whether my prayers are sometimes heard.

With all these mistakes, it sure make me grateful for my testimony of Him and the hourly forgiveness given by them.

And it makes me grateful for tomorrow. Because everyday I'm getting better and trying harder to become the wife and mother I know I can become.

p.s. honey, thank you for your constant forgiveness and for not letting me settle. I feel like i can do anything when I'm with you.

A Tribute to my Lover (on Father's Day)

2008-06-10T17:50:00.000-07:00

So, I'm a little early (its 4 days till Father's Day). It's not your birthday or our anniversary (which we always seem to forget). But I wanted to do a little something for you on this day. Because after all, you being the father to our children, has made me completely fall in love with you.

It is safe to say that I am married to the best man I've ever known. He has helped me create the best children. I love that he is so dang good looking, and that he is brown. He loves my cooking, even when it really isn't that great.

He can fix anything . . . really, and he has made 3 of our homes (and three apartments) beautiful places to live because he can do anything (paint, sheet rock, install toilets/sinks and hardwood floors). He is the most patient man I've ever met. He still thinks I'm sexy after 7 years of marriage, 4 children and 15 (okay 20) extra pounds. I can trust him completely. He is so forgiving. He believes in me even when I don't. He is the best lover. He helps me see our children with new eyes.

He is the best midwife. He delivered twins, took care of Josie and Joshua, and was a constanst support to me during labor. His eyes convey this strength and trust and peace like nothing I've ever felt before.

He is the best father.

He kisses me even though my breath is terrible. He is just so dang smart - all his degrees seem to come so easy for him. He waited while I served a mission. He lives so closely to the teaching of the scriptures that the Spirit is always with him. He has no desire to watch R-rated movies, sports (with the exception of an occasional soccer game) or play computer or video games. He rescues me when I need saving. He follows the Spirit and always knows what I and the children need. He keeps the commandments faithfully and makes me laugh so hard I pee. He thinks I'm sexy even when I haven't showered, brushed my hair or teeth, and have a combination of blood, vomit, poop and spit-up on me. He gave me a son that looks just like him and wakes me up 45 minutes after we fall asleep for some more fun. He has no desire but to be the best husband and father and teacher. He knows my size and picks out the best clothes for me. He does all the clothes shopping for the children and enjoys it. He handwashes the dishes (we've never owned a dishwasher) even when they are piled to the sky.

I could go on and on . . . Dang, I am lucky! Twelve years ago I knew life with you was right. I just had no idea how amazing it'd really be. . . .

So, Happy Father's Day, my Love. I can't wait for Eternity and all the time we'll have to make lots of these . . .

Rule No. Six

2008-04-22T15:04:00.000-07:00

In a moment of inspiration as we were eating dinner, Michelle added another rule to the previous five. We call it Rule Number Six. Here it is.

Rule 6: The first bite of food at any meal must be followed by an enthusiastic, "Mama, this is DELICIOUS!"

Note: The follwing are also acceptable: "Mama, this is the BEST food I've ever had!" "Mama, I love everything you make for me!" "Mama, I could eat this all day!" Or simply, "Mama, you're the best!"

Michelle and I offered some demonstrations. Josie and Joshua laughed, and Joshua said, "Papa, you're funny." I looked at him in all seriousness and said that we wouldn't eat if Mama, out of the kindness of her heart, didn't feed us. He looked at Michelle, and Michelle gave him the he's-right-you-know-you-are-alive-and-happy-because-I-take-such-good-care-of-you look.

Thanks, Michelle. You're the best! What's for dinner?

I'm Back . . .

2008-04-15T12:46:00.000-07:00

Well sort of . . . I have a long list of things I want to write about and pictures to share, but really I probably will never get around to it. And I'm not sure if I'll be posting regularly until we get a computer for Eric so he can finish his prelim paper. In the mean time I just had to write the new rules of the house. I have these posted in our kitchen in BIG letters, just so no one forgets--especially me! Feel free to use these rules for your house. But knowing all the amazing mothers I know, you probably are really consistent in these rules. I'm hoping they will add a bit to my sanity and teach my kids a bit of discipline for a change:

Mama IS the Mama. That Means:

1. When I say NO, I mean NO, so--don't ask again!

2. You NEVER say no to Mama.

3. Be happy, because Mama isn't changing--get used to it!

4. Even if you make a mistake, I still love you.

5. If you ask nicely, I might say yes.

The Making of Vegans

2008-03-17T17:35:00.001-07:00

While eating dinner a few nights ago, we started talking about sometimes food vs. anytime food. We started playing a game . . . someone says a food and we'd use our hands to motion whether it is an anytime food or a sometime food. We mentioned Eric had a hamburger the day before (a celebratory Blimpie Burger signalling the end of the first part of prelims). Joshua asked, "What is a hamburger?" Eric answered him, "They grind up a cow and turn it into a patty and put it in a sandwich."

Of course this brought a real nice image to our minds and with it, even more questions . . . "Does it hurt the cow?", "Does the cow make noises?" Eric went on to explain, in great Fast Food Nation detail how we get beef and chicken (complete with sound effects) and how poorly the animals are treated and how they are slaughtered. During this conversation Josie had a sickening/fascinated look on her face, and our sensitive little Josh covered his ears. Thank you, Eric.

"I need a vacation . . . "

2008-03-17T06:43:00.000-07:00

Eric and I have been married for 7 1/2 years. In that time we have:

Had 4 children (starting just nine months and five days after marriage).
Completed two masters degrees
Worked at a law firm
Lived in Portland, Oregon, two apartments in Salt Lake City, with parents in California, and Ann Arbor (5 different homes--4 States)
Worked at 3 different High Schools
Taught 5 series of birth classes
Half completed a PhD
Survived various other experiences that have made life exciting (unemployment, homeschooling . . . )

It is no wonder we've managed to only go on 6 or 7 dates since we've married. And amazingly, we've managed to still stay madly in love with each other.

So it is not surprising that when Eric said, "I need a vacation . . . " I agreed. Sure, we've visited family a few times and even managed our first family vacation a year ago (one night at a water park). But we've been feeling it was time for a real vacation--just me and Eric (and two nursing boys) for one day away. We'll keep you posted on the plans . . .

Happy Birthday to . . . ME!

2008-03-17T06:13:00.000-07:00

It is St. Patrick's Day and my birthday. It is only 9:15 am and it already has been great day. Although I have to admit, I never liked having a birthday on St. Patrick's day. I always got woken up with 3 brothers and 2 sisters pinching me (I'd much prefer my birthday to be on Valentine's Day like my sister-in-law).

I wanted to share some great pictures my brother John found of me (he posted them on our Jenkins Family blog). I thought they were great:

Five years old, taking care of our class pet.

Painting with my Grandpa. I really miss him.

And I had to add some pictures of what Eric and the children did this morning. Josie and Joshua worked for an hour to decorate the red room for me and wrap some great presents while Eric made a great breakfast. All of it made me feel very happy and very blessed. Thanks everyone!

Joshua made me a bookmark, cut out some shapes and wrapped some seeds and a water balloon he found on a walk yesterday.

Josie made we a really great bookmark and a beautiful card.

After School . . .

2008-03-14T06:20:00.000-07:00

It was in the mid 40's today, and in Michigan that means t-shirts and flip flops even when there is still snow on the ground. It was clear, sunny and windy so we all headed to our favorite park to fly a kite. It went up in a flash (much better flying than our last attempt when I was 8 months pregnant with Adam and Isaac -- I ran around for 45 min. in a field behind a little league game. I looked like a fool and finally when the kite stayed up--everyone cheered--baseball players and their parents). So considering how kite flying went last time--we all had a blast.

We headed home covered in mud, and somehow I managed to cook dinner and eat, bath and feed 4 children, start a load of muddy clothes, mop up the muddy kitchen floor, get everyone in their PJ's and head off to enrichment for the RS birthday party--oh and nurse two hungry babies--all in a hour.

On the way to the party I questioned my decision to attend. I was tired and I figured it might be better to just put everyone in bed early so I could rest too. But in the end I was glad I didn't.

Josie and Joshua got to play in the nursery with Joshua's old primary teacher--He just adores Cory. So while they were having fun I got to sit next to some great women and hear two of my favorite songs for the musical numbers--Come Thou Fount and I know Heavenly Father Loves Me. I sat there being filled, after feeling empty and tired all day. It was just what I needed. The party continued with great food and company topped off with a dozen amazing cakes to sample. Josie and Joshua were in heaven getting little tastes of everything.

So during all this, I felt very grateful to be apart of such a great organization of women. I am so grateful for Relief Society, especially in this ward. There is a unity and sisterhood I've never felt before. These sisters love me and care for me and would do anything for me. I am so blessed and thankful to be apart of them.

We left the party after sunset and way after the children's bedtime. The excitement of the day--the kite flying, the friends, the cakes, staying up late . . . seemed to all come together as we saw how beautiful the night was. It was clear, dark and a little magical from the fading light on the horizon. Josie exclaimed, "Joshua, isn't this beautiful?" Joshua replied, "Yes, It looks like Jesus' love." Josie and I agreed. What a great way to end the day.

Random Moments and Tender Mercies

2008-03-10T06:45:00.000-07:00

I am behind in documenting good things that have happened lately. I've kept a running list as to not forget. . . . so this post is a quick summary of those things. Beware, it is a little boring and more for us to remember these things--so feel free to skip to a better post--like the one I wrote last week.

Babysitting Mr. Squeakers. We got to care for Josie's first-grade class pet for a long weekend. We had a great time with Mr. Squeakers, except when it bit Joshua. Josie and Joshie were playing with the guinea pig in the kitchen and I heard Joshua crying, announcing on his way down the hall, "Mr. Squeakers bit me!" It didn't break the skin. Other than that, it was a great way to have fun with a pet, without the commitment of "real" responsibility. Aside: I can't believe how big Josie is getting (in this picture). She is turning into a lovely young lady. In one of the stories Eric has made up for the children, Josie is called Josie the Graceful and the True. And she really is.

Dicken Woods Walk. Josie has been talking up this event for weeks. Her art teacher organized this annual woods walk where the children make lanterns, light up the woods and the school gets to have a night walk. It was very special and really magical, and once again, I fell in love with her school all over again. We did, however, manage to lose Josie for a few minutes. I didn't get any pictures, but you can see some from a friend who posted about it on her blog.http://potatogirl-in-michigan.blogspot.com/2008/03/winter-walk.html.

Joshua has been really internalizing our "Statements of Faith" lately (see previous post--traditions--about our statements of faith). One day we discussed Mary Fielding Smith (about how brave she was crossing the plains by herself, how the leader of the group continually discouraged her and said she'd be a burden . . . but how she never gave up and always put faith in the Lord to help her through the hard parts of the journey). Our statement for the day was "I can be like Mary Fielding Smith and never give up". Later that day Joshua was practicing his juggling--two balls in one hand. Every time the balls fell he'd said, "I'm not giving up . . . I'm not giving up." And he didn't. It was very inspiring for me to hear. If he can do that at 4, I can be more determined and faithful.

Joshua is fascinated by Mormon lately. He loves the picture of Mormon in a cave filled with hundreds of records, reading them and abridging them. So Joshua created his own cave down stairs to be like Mormon. He has collected all of our copies of the Book of Mormon and Book of Mormon readers and stacked them in his cave. He has started to keep his own records. He makes his records by taking aluminum foil and carving letters with a chopstick - just like Mormon! Every time we tell him he is being just like Mormon, his big, brown eyes beam.

Eric goes to the temple Saturday mornings. His time in the temple has been a huge blessing for the whole family and has helped us feel connected to the family names he is going for. The strength Eric feels there is felt at home and helps us get through difficult days that lie ahead. There are days, though, when we miss Eric. Making temple trips a priority is a sacrifice for all of us, yet I know that we are blessed far more than the sacrifice involved. But on the mornings when Eric is missed, I sometimes struggle. And when I struggle, so do all the children. It was on one particular morning I felt like I needed to ask specifically that our home feel just like the temple. That the peace that Eric was feeling, would be felt at home now. In spite of a really rough start, the feeling of peace filled our home. And with that peace came a blessing of safety (during Isaac's fall), support (Joshua putting away Josie's clothes, and Josie doing Joshua dishes), and love (strangers at Trader Joe's and Meijer giving words of encouragement and offering help).

Last week Josie and Joshua were planning their weddings. Josie is feeling torn about who to marry (I think she's feeling like Joshua may not be the best choice - much to Joshua's dismay), and so she said, "I'm going to marry Papa." Joshua responded very seriously, "No, Papa is already married!" We all got a laugh from that.

Eric has really been amazing me lately. He always does, but lately he has really come through for all of us, especially me. Last month was a stressful one for him. One week in particular was filled with a lot going on at school as he tried to drop a class he was enrolled in, against professorial advice. Normally such a week would have really set us all back. Eric would have been stressed (all internal of course, but felt by us all), and we would have struggled to maintain optimism and the spirit. But Eric just plowed on through like it was nothing. He had this confidence and strength like I've never seen before. As a result, a potentially terrible week ended up being a great week. Ultimately, Eric said he felt complete confidence knowing he was doing the right thing, and that even though others around him thought differently, he knew he was living a righteous life and doing what was best for his schooling. Perhaps the greatest thing about this all is that Eric gives me that same complete and perfect confidence, even when I doubt my ability to accomplish anything. I see it in his eyes and feel what he says. Eric knows I can be the best person I can be, even though I constantly second guess myself. Now I just have to start believing him.

I had a similar feeling of confidence a few weeks ago. Wells Fargo Mortgage messed up on our payments . . . . again. This is the third or fourth time they've done this with our automatic withdrawals. And it is always a long process of making all these phone calls, and waiting on hold and more phone calls . . . . all right when we were really close to running out of money for the month. I normally would have let such a lame experience ruin the day. I would have been crabby and impatient with children and that would have spilled over to the next day. But something was different this time. Maybe it was seeing how well Eric handled the week before, or remembering our experiences when funds were tight over the summer. Whatever it was, I kept thinking, "We pay an honest tithe, we give generous fast offerings. There is no way the Lord can't bless us. . . . we'll always have enough." It really was that simple. And of course, the problem was solved quicker and easier than I thought it would be. I had never felt this kind of peace and comfort before--just because I knew I was keeping the commandments. It was a really powerful feeling. And once again I realized how much energy I've wasted in the past by worrying over things that always end up working themselves out on their own.

Eric is in the middle of his prelims right now. These are qualifying exams that determine if he can become a doctoral candidate. Over three consecutive weeks he is given a question and has 48 hours to respond with a 20 to 30-page paper. He is doing this on top of writing a scholarly paper of original research (another part of his prelims), teaching his night class, attending his own classes and keeping up with his other assignments . . . oh, and taking care of the five of us. It is quite the job, and he does it so incredible well. I know of no other father who, in spite of everything else he is trying to accomplish at school, still takes so much time for his family. Eric drives Josie to school every morning, hangings around longer on mornings I need him, and right during a prelim paper, stops everything to attend the Woods walk with us. Perhaps the most impressive thing about it all is that when he is with us, he is really with us. His mind isn't off somewhere else thinking about his paper, or wishing he were elsewhere. He is with us completely. And we sure love him for that.

Last week we talked about Christ's atonement during breakfast. I won't be able to really describe what a great experience it was for our family. All I can say is that it was a very important morning for all of us. Eric described Christ's sacrificial prayer in gethsemane and how he asked his apostles to stay awake and watch and pray, but they couldn't do it. We all felt very grateful that in spite of complete and total exhaustion, fatigue, and pain, Christ continued to pray until the atonement was complete. We felt sorrow that He had to do it alone, except for an angel to strengthen him, because Peter, James and John were too weak to stay awake. And we determined that we, as a family, would recommit ourselves to never cease to pray because of fatigue, remembering Christ's words, "What, could ye not watch with me one hour?" Josie was really taken by the story, we could see it in her eyes. And me, well, it was just what I needed (after recovering from a weeks worth of illnesses).

That is all . . . a month's worth of random moments and tender mercies we all want to remember.

Rituals, Routines and Traditions

2008-03-06T14:34:00.000-08:00

Isaac (6 months now!) army crawled the whole length of the room today. Adam has started to rock back and forth on his hands and knees. It is a matter of days before they are really mobile and with this change came a flood of thoughts. No matter how hard I hold on, my children keep growing up--way too fast for my liking.

I was thinking about this while cleaning the toilet and this thought came to my mind. "You know, I probably will never hear, "Gee Mom, I really appreciate how clean the toilet was growing up." In fact, it will probably be decades before I have a grown child call for a favorite recipe or an expression of gratitude about how great and healthy their meals were growing up. Then I thought that, really, it seems like all my children ever see me do is cook, clean, wash, fold . . . . anything but play with them. I don't want them to grow up just to say, "Boy, my mom was great at cleaning." I want them to grow up to say, "My mom was great. . . . she played with me a lot!" Before I know it, Josie will be too old to "play" with me. And although I'll be so excited to get to met and know that grown up Josie, I sure want to cherish the small Josie I have now. So while thinking about this, I started to feel grateful for the routines, rituals and traditions we've created over the years.

Some of them are old, some of them are new, some of them I want to do better and some I want to start. But ultimately, these are the things that bind our family together, see us through the hard times and help me to slow down and remember to play:

Holidays and Birthdays. I haven't been too good about making these days really special. We keep things really low-key, and I like it like that, but I know there are little things I can do to make them even better. Birthday crowns, capes, and streamers during a favorite breakfast . . . . Thankful trees for Thanksgiving, cut out hearts (written with things we love about each other) posted all around the house for Valentines day and boxes made to collect valentines from each other during the month, Jack-o-lantern carving contest--scariest, funniest, silliest pumpkin, and the usual Christmas gingerbread houses, decorating cookies, acting out the nativity. So many ideas and fun things to do . . .

Everyday Stockings. I made these stockings a while ago--a new sock is added every year. Once a month--when the kids have been working really hard and doing really well--I'll fill the stockings up with something small and lay it on their beds. They get so excited to wake up to these. I fill them with things we needed anyway--new glue sticks, scissors, or crayons--but the smallness of goodies doesn't seem to matter. They just get so excited, maybe because it is a way they know they've been doing a really good job.

Family Dance. We did this all the time when Josie was little. We need to do it more-maybe twice a month-move all the furniture, and just let loose listening to the Gypsy Kings.

Movie Night. Friday night. Pizza, Popcorn and great flicks. Can't get better than that.

Fire Night. I explained about this in a previous post. It is a great night. Last week we decided to do a fire down stairs. Something was clogging the chimney and so in a matter of minutes the whole house was filled with smoke--everyone coughing and eyes burning. The kids still roasted marshmallows in their skimpies and just wore goggles to protect their eyes. It was a great site.
Game Night. Usually held on Saturday nights, we finally strayed away from Candy Land and played Perfection last week. Josie gets so anxious and nervous when the shapes are about to jump. It makes me laugh every time.
Journals. 4-5 times a week we gather around the table right before bed and write about our day. We write about something great that happened or how Heavenly Father helped us during the day. We usually take that time to follow up on our Statement of Faith (see # 9) and write about how we tried a little harder that day. It is a great way to hear about Josie and Joshua's day. They always seem so much more willing to talk right before bed time.
Sunday Letters. After our Sunday naps, we write letters to grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins and friends. We load the table with construction paper, glue, crayons, markers, and envelopes and spend an hour making great cards. I'm terrible about having stamps on hand and actually getting them mailed.
Saturday Family Work/Service. I just stared this a few months ago, and it seems to be going well. We all take time to work together to clean/organize something on Saturday morning. After a job-well-done, we usually head for an outing together. In the afternoons I want to start creating service for our family to do in the community. We'll see how that goes.
Statements of Faith. Every morning we pick a picture from the story box and retell a story from the Bible or Book of Mormon. Eric has this amazing way of telling the story in way that fills our home with the spirit. We then create a statement of faith. For example . . . "I can be like the Nephites and never stop praying." We then sign our name to it. We discuss how we did during journal time at the end of the day.
Sunday Dessert/Visits. I have friends who are really good at this, and I want to do better. These friends of mine are so good at inviting people into their homes for dinner or desserts, or who continually visit those in need. Regardless of how they might be feeling or the state of their home, they drop everything to help others. I know we can do much better with that and open our home more to those around us. In an effort to do that, I want to start making Sunday desserts and inviting others to join us, or visit someone to share the dessert with. We visited a sister in a home a few weeks ago and it was really great. The kids loved it and felt so good about making some one's day.

Letters. We've only done this a few times, but I really want to keep this up. We write Josie and Joshua letters that they get in the mail. In it they read about how great they are and how much we love them. We ask them if there is anything they want us to do better or anything that would make them happy. (Josie always wants an ice cream date, and Joshua to go to the dollar store). I figure when they are older, writing letters may be easier for them to ask us things or explain about things that might be difficult for them. I need to make it a habit now, so when their older they'll feel comfortable with it. I've been thinking about starting yearly Birthday letters--a letter written by us expressing our love, and how much they've grown the year before.
Late Nights. Whenever the time seems right (a couple times a year). Sometimes when Josie or Joshua have a hard time falling asleep, we let them stay up late with us. They LOVE this. To them, the whole world is asleep, including their siblings, and for the first time, it is just them and their parents. Just even 15 minutes makes them feel like they are the best and the most important thing around. Because after all, they really are.
Lunch Dates. Something I want to start doing monthly. Now that Josie's in school most of the day and Joshua will soon be in Kindergarten, I want to surprise them at school and take them out for a long lunch. Sure, their younger siblings will be tagging along, but I want them to feel that this is their time with me. They get to choose where to go, what to eat and for that time, let them know that they are the best kid ever . . .that they make me and Eric so happy. Maybe even give them an option of skipping school for the rest of the day. After all, it is just elementary school. School will be stressful enough in time, so why not just relish the little time they have before ditching school becomes a problem.
Interviews. I want to add this to our lunch dates. Eric does this really well when he takes Josie and Joshua on Papa dates. I want to tell them how much we love them, how great they are and tell them things they are really good at, maybe even set some goals in different areas in their lives, and perhaps most importantly ask them what I can do better. Of course, when Josie is licking a chocolate ice cream cone, everything is just fine.
20 minute Mama play time. I've done this the past two days now and it makes a BIG difference. For a minimum of 20 minutes a day I want to play HARD with my kids downstairs--chase, wrestle, Ninjas, dodge-ball. Even just 10 minutes seems to make a world of difference. Josie and Joshua are happier, play better together, laugh harder, listen more easily and are much more patient with me. And for 20 minutes, I don't think about making dinner, cleaning the bathroom or doing laundry. The kids feel that and know there isn't anything else I'd rather be doing.
Clean 5. This has actually been a big help in keeping things clean. When things start to get messy, I'll shout, "Clean 5" and we stop what we are doing and pick up 5 things. Between all of us, that usually cuts down on the mess. So far, I haven't had any complaints.

Massages. We've only done this a couple of times, but man, are these massages relaxing for all of us. The kids have a warm bath and lay on our bed while we sing and massage their backs, legs and arms. Of course they fall asleep right away and sleep deeply on those nights.
Papa stories/Family History stories (usually on Fire Nights). Eric's stories are amazing. I swear, he'll be able to publish his children stories some day. The best part is that he creates these stories with Josie and Joshua--actually all of us--as characters. It is a mix of Bible stories, Book of Mormon stories, Lord of the Ring, Star Wars--all in one. We are all faced with opposition and fear and hear how we can overcome anything with our goodness and love. The kids LOVE this. I swear, just by hearing these made up stories, our children are more confident. They go to bed believing they can do anything. We also take time to share stories about their ancestors and extended family.

So after writing all this . . . . I've decided to stop all cleaning and just play. . . .

Kidnapped in Canada

2008-03-02T21:14:00.001-08:00

I am hesitant to write about my day. The experience is still quite raw for me. But I know that eventually it will seem quite funny. It was for Eric. Maybe in a couple of days it will be funny to me too.

I woke up on Sunday feeling like I needed some "Mama Time." I know that I should have been excited to go to church to "fill up my cup" per say, but instead I decided to stay at home. I figured that by reading my scriptures and praying and resting that maybe the feeling would leave. I should have stopped right there . . . because I've learned that lesson before . . . it is always better just to go to church.

So soon after Eric left with Josie and Joshua I started to plan this exciting day to myself with the twins--my whole 3 hours. My mind went a little wild and I thought, "I really want to be out in nature. That will make me feel rejuvenated." Unfortunately with the winter weather, my usual options of the woods or lake didn't seem very appealing. What I really needed was the ocean (yes, no matter how hard I try, I'm still a Californian). I thought about driving to Silver Beach, but I didn't feel like driving for 2-3 hours. So then I thought, maybe I could find a closer beach on one of the Lakes. So my mind jumped to St. Clair in Ontario. . . .Yes, I know I should have just stopped there . . . I actually had this thought (or my "still small voice") whisper, "Don't go there, just get ready and go church late" . . . but little me didn't listen.

So I filled up a grocery bag full of food, my scriptures, diapers and wipes and loaded up the boys and left. I drove around Detroit for a while and ended up site seeing all the slums that make up a major portion of the city. My stars, it is amazing how great you can feel about your own life when you see all the devastation of poverty going on there. But it's not like I'm feeling bad about my life. I really, really love my life. I was just numb . . . so after a little driving I decided to head to the tunnel--find my little oasis in St. Clair . . . feel grounded again and come home.

Driving through the Detroit-Windsor tunnel worried me a bit. The road leading back was filled with cars not moving an inch, so I decided that I would probably just stay in St. Clair for a while till the traffic died down on the road back. I made it to the boarder where the immigration officer started asking me a bunch of questions as she reviewed my drivers licence (which is still a Utah licence from two moves ago).

"Where are you going in Canada?"

"Just driving around. I thought I'd check out St. Clair beach?"

"Why do you want to go there?"

"Just need to get away for a little while," I respond, which seemed perfectly reasonable to me.

"Do you have anyone driving with you?" she asks as she is looking at the twins in the back seat.

"Just my two little boys," I answer.

The officers voice immediately changes and she asks in this forceful tone, "Why do you need to get away?"

All the sudden I feel nervous and defensive, and I say, "I've had a long week. I just thought driving around Canada would help me relax."

"Where are their birth certificates?" she asks.

At this point I feel like screaming. Of course I didn't bring them, or their S.S. cards, or their passports. I'm driving around Canada for heaven's sake. . . not Europe! I tell her I don't have any identification for the twins.

As you can imagine things got really, really messy from here. I get pulled in the immigration office, questioned by 3 different people . . . all thinking I am kidnapping these baby boys. They repeatedly tell me I should have brought identification. "Yes," I feel like screaming, "I know that now!"

After a very long processes, they decided to let me enter Canada, because I think, they felt bad for me and I really didn't want to drive back in the tunnel with that traffic yet. But the whole thing was so upsetting I decided to forget St. Clair, find a parking lot across the street, nurse, change diapers, and head home. It took 90 minutes to get back through the tunnel, thanks to a dog show in Detroit. I finally see sunlight at the end of the tunnel and breathe a sigh of relief, knowing that I'm almost home.

At the boarder I give the officer my diver's licence and start answering questions again.

"Just going home," I say.

"Where is home?"

"Ann Arbor."

"Why do you have a Utah driver's licence?" . . . . . ."Why didn't you bring your babies identification?"

"AHHH" I feel like screaming! I just went through this! I just want to go home. So, yes, I got to do through the whole thing again, just worse because Americans are so tightly wound since 9-11.

Five hours after I left to rejuvenate, I am home. Eric greeted me at the door smiling. The only reason the officers let me come back to the US was because they called Eric and he described me and the babies over the phone. The officer asked him if there was any reason that I would be leaving with the babies. Eric told him that I probably just needed a drive.

I'm going to sleep now. Hopefully in the morning this will all seem funny and I'll feel better.

P.S. So, it looks like paragraphing isn't working.