I am very happy to have the kids home again. It's always nice when it's just Robby and I, but after not seeing Brett for a month, I really was glad to pick him up at the airport and see him again.
Brett arrived home on Thursday night and Emeli arrived on Friday. I had been planning to make bobotti and show off a new South African dinner I had learned to make. I finally made it on Saturday afternoon. The kids liked it a lot.
On Saturday, we took Emeli and her friend, Bella, to the Oquirrh temple open house. That was really nice. I like the Draper temple better, though. Robby and I both thought the Oquirrh temple looked a lot like a hotel inside. You stand in the main lobby and there are all these banisters and railings. You feel like you are in a hotel lobby. It was pretty, but not as pretty as the Draper temple.
I would like Sundays better if I didn't have to go back to work on Monday. I am starting to find some friends in the ward, so now I enjoy church more. Robby teaches Sunday school to the 14 year olds and he's really cute. He always wears black slacks and always gets chalk marks on himself. He likes to stand in front of the class. I prefer to sit when I teach. He teases the kids and tells them stories of when he was a kid in South Africa. Because he doesn't have a teaching companion (a must), I sit in his class as the second person. On Sunday, I had forgotten to bring my scriptures. One of the boys had forgotten his scriptures and had gone to the library to get a couple sets. He gave me one. Of course, Robby had to make a comment about that. He called me Mrs. Library because that's what was written on the side of the scriptures...brat. haha!!
Emeli was thrilled to go to church because it was her first day in Young Women's. They spoiled her. They gave her a little baggie of treats, a frame with her name in it. They had taken each letter in her name and had listed a trait she had. I was so impressed by that. She also got her Personal Progress book. She was so cute. She wore the outfit I had bought her for her birthday and she looked just like a little Beehive. I was so proud of her. The choir director was talking to me in Relief Society and said, "Emeli is looking so old!" I told her that the second Emeli put her make up on, I regretted letting her put make up on at twelve years old. I wanted to change the rule to sixteen. She asked me if I really did that and I said there was NO way I would be allowed to get away with that!!
Yesterday was the first day for me to go back to work with the kids home alone together. I called to check on them. Brett was down in the basement sewing. He was designing a shirt for Emeli to wear from a plaid shirt he doesn't wear anymore. When I came home, she was modeling it for me. It was really good. Brett had taken a pair of jeans he doesn't wear anymore because they have a huge hole in the butt. He turned the pants into a school bag. He was down in the basement sewing up a storm all weekend. Robby and I would play darts while he sewed and commented on our game.
When they were gone, I would get so lonely at nights when Robby was working late. I would just sit and do my needlework and play my music really loud. I probably pestered Robby with all the texts I would send him. I really missed the kids' company.
By Sunday evening, I was kind of wishing it was just Robby and I again. Brett and Emeli were goofing around in the stairwell throwing a ball at each other. Whenever they goof around, Emeli ALWAYS gets hurt!!! I was just waiting for that. We told them to take their game outside. They did. I can tell they missed each other as well.
My favorite time is when we all sit down to dinner and talk. Brett likes to say something rude to me in German that only Robby can understand and then Robby will add his little piece to it. Dorks! It's very nice to have them home. I have really missed them. I would stay late at work because there was nothing to go home to. Robby would be at work and I would just be alone. Now I have a reason to leave work again.
Tuesday, July 28, 2009
Thursday, July 16, 2009
My children
I'm sitting here alone, thinking about things as I stitch. I love stitching because it helps clear my head. It requires perfection or you have to tear the whole thing out. I like that. I am not usually a detail oriented person, but in needlework, you have to be, and to me, that is very therapeutic. It soothes me.
So I'm sitting here thinking about my children.
I know Taylor reads this blog and I want him to read this...
As soon as I found out I was pregnant with Taylor, I was scared out of my mind. I wasn't worried about having a child to raise. I had always known I wanted to be a mom. I was terrified of the pain. They had shown so many movies in high school about women having babies, that I was pretty converted to the idea of abstinence (which was their goal).
Before Taylor was born, I had thought I would work still. I would drop him off at a babysitter and work. I was pretty sure that's what I would do.
The moment Taylor came out, I knew I would never leave him with anyone. He was my child and I would raise him. I was in love instantly. He was a beautiful ten pound baby with an olive complexion and little slanted eyes. He looked like a little Indian baby. I had a C-Section, so I was in the hospital for three days. It was a total love fest. I held him as much as I could. When we left the hospital, people were telling me I was going to spoil him from holding him so much, but I didn't listen. I didn't care. I had done a lot of research and I had learned that you can't spoil a newborn. They need to know their little world is safe and that they are cherished and cherish is what I did. My sisters would get very upset with me because I would not let them hold him. My dad finally had to get after me. I will never forget how he said to me, "Judi, he is NOT the Christ child. Let your sisters hold your baby!" To me, he was the Christ child.
Taylor had a very sweet, obedient nature. He was a sponge. I would talk to him and he would just eat it up. He loved to be held and pet. I used to call him my "petting boy" because he loved to have me stroke his back and rub lotion all over his little body. Taylor was also a very sober child when he was little. It's like he knew the purpose of life even at a very young age. There were a few close calls for him. He was spared each time and I know it's because he has something to accomplish. He is meant for greatness. I have always known that.
I am excessively proud of Taylor and always have been. He has always had an inner confidence like he knows who he is and that God expects great things of him. I know he's right. I loved nothing more than having Taylor at home, on the computer in the front room listening to his music or showing me a new band he had discovered. I loved going into his room and listening to new songs or new previews for movies. I loved having his friends over and listening to them laugh and talk. I loved hearing him play his guitar at nights, even though I would tell him to stop at 10pm. I miss that a lot. Sometimes just the memories of that tug at my heart strings and I get misty eyed.
I love Freddy. Freddy had such a peaceful spirit when I was pregnant with him. I could feel it. He was such a sweet baby. He came at a very difficult time in my life. I was going through a lot of emotional upheaval. He was my easiest baby. That was a blessing.
Freddy had these huge, brown eyes that could melt anyone's heart. Those eyes hid the mischievous little spirit that dwells inside. Freddy may have looked sweet, but he was a devil child when he was younger. No child has tested my patience like Freddy, yet I love Freddy more than life itself.
Because Freddy has gone through a lot, he has empathy for others. He reminds me of my dad in that respect. He always cheers for the underdog and I love that about him. When I was going through the roughest time in my life, Freddy was there for me and I will never forget that.
Brett was a joy to raise. Brett was my little buddy when he was very young. He was an adorable baby. When he was eleven months old, I prayed to God that Brett would never grow up, but that he would stay this precious the rest of his life. Of course, that prayer went unanswered.
When I was pregnant with Emeli, Brett and I would "take a snooze" every day. He loved to be on a schedule and would ask me when we could take our nap if I was behind schedule. We would climb into bed together and he would throw his leg over my hip and we would sleep that way. It was so sweet.
Brett is very intelligent. I am amazed at how easily he takes tests and how easily he can pull his grades up. He remembers facts. He has a very compassionate side. He is very good with Emeli. The two of them are hilarious together at times.
Emeli was a very pleasant surprise. I thought I was done. I had three boys and I was good with that. I was told she would probably be a girl, but I didn't want to get my hopes up.
When she was born, they yelled out, "It's a girl!" and I started to cry and sob for joy. The nurses all made fun of me for crying when I was happy. But I was ecstatic.
I had no idea how wonderful it would be to have a daughter. Boys are great, but girls are awesome. I had someone who thought like me. She liked girlie things just like me. She has a sweet, compassionate nature. She is accepting of me and is easy to be around.
As she is maturing, I see a young woman who will be a great mother, friend and nurturer to the world. Children are naturally attracted to her tenderness. She has a beautiful spirit. She loves people and animals.
She is artistic, musical, smart, sassy and a lot of fun.
I love my children. I have always taken parenting very seriously. I knew who gave me these little spirits to raise and I know who I am accountable to when I die and report back. I will have to explain what I did with my children and how I raised them. When I would get mad or yell or spank the kids too much, I always felt a set of eyes watching me and I knew when those eyes were not pleased with my behavior.
I feel so grateful and blessed to be a mother. I am grateful for the four children I was blessed to raise. To me, the best thing I could ever be called is Mother. I have always been proud to be a mother. I would not trade that gift for anything in the world. I adore my children and hope they never doubt that.
So I'm sitting here thinking about my children.
I know Taylor reads this blog and I want him to read this...
As soon as I found out I was pregnant with Taylor, I was scared out of my mind. I wasn't worried about having a child to raise. I had always known I wanted to be a mom. I was terrified of the pain. They had shown so many movies in high school about women having babies, that I was pretty converted to the idea of abstinence (which was their goal).
Before Taylor was born, I had thought I would work still. I would drop him off at a babysitter and work. I was pretty sure that's what I would do.
The moment Taylor came out, I knew I would never leave him with anyone. He was my child and I would raise him. I was in love instantly. He was a beautiful ten pound baby with an olive complexion and little slanted eyes. He looked like a little Indian baby. I had a C-Section, so I was in the hospital for three days. It was a total love fest. I held him as much as I could. When we left the hospital, people were telling me I was going to spoil him from holding him so much, but I didn't listen. I didn't care. I had done a lot of research and I had learned that you can't spoil a newborn. They need to know their little world is safe and that they are cherished and cherish is what I did. My sisters would get very upset with me because I would not let them hold him. My dad finally had to get after me. I will never forget how he said to me, "Judi, he is NOT the Christ child. Let your sisters hold your baby!" To me, he was the Christ child.
Taylor had a very sweet, obedient nature. He was a sponge. I would talk to him and he would just eat it up. He loved to be held and pet. I used to call him my "petting boy" because he loved to have me stroke his back and rub lotion all over his little body. Taylor was also a very sober child when he was little. It's like he knew the purpose of life even at a very young age. There were a few close calls for him. He was spared each time and I know it's because he has something to accomplish. He is meant for greatness. I have always known that.
I am excessively proud of Taylor and always have been. He has always had an inner confidence like he knows who he is and that God expects great things of him. I know he's right. I loved nothing more than having Taylor at home, on the computer in the front room listening to his music or showing me a new band he had discovered. I loved going into his room and listening to new songs or new previews for movies. I loved having his friends over and listening to them laugh and talk. I loved hearing him play his guitar at nights, even though I would tell him to stop at 10pm. I miss that a lot. Sometimes just the memories of that tug at my heart strings and I get misty eyed.
I love Freddy. Freddy had such a peaceful spirit when I was pregnant with him. I could feel it. He was such a sweet baby. He came at a very difficult time in my life. I was going through a lot of emotional upheaval. He was my easiest baby. That was a blessing.
Freddy had these huge, brown eyes that could melt anyone's heart. Those eyes hid the mischievous little spirit that dwells inside. Freddy may have looked sweet, but he was a devil child when he was younger. No child has tested my patience like Freddy, yet I love Freddy more than life itself.
Because Freddy has gone through a lot, he has empathy for others. He reminds me of my dad in that respect. He always cheers for the underdog and I love that about him. When I was going through the roughest time in my life, Freddy was there for me and I will never forget that.
Brett was a joy to raise. Brett was my little buddy when he was very young. He was an adorable baby. When he was eleven months old, I prayed to God that Brett would never grow up, but that he would stay this precious the rest of his life. Of course, that prayer went unanswered.
When I was pregnant with Emeli, Brett and I would "take a snooze" every day. He loved to be on a schedule and would ask me when we could take our nap if I was behind schedule. We would climb into bed together and he would throw his leg over my hip and we would sleep that way. It was so sweet.
Brett is very intelligent. I am amazed at how easily he takes tests and how easily he can pull his grades up. He remembers facts. He has a very compassionate side. He is very good with Emeli. The two of them are hilarious together at times.
Emeli was a very pleasant surprise. I thought I was done. I had three boys and I was good with that. I was told she would probably be a girl, but I didn't want to get my hopes up.
When she was born, they yelled out, "It's a girl!" and I started to cry and sob for joy. The nurses all made fun of me for crying when I was happy. But I was ecstatic.
I had no idea how wonderful it would be to have a daughter. Boys are great, but girls are awesome. I had someone who thought like me. She liked girlie things just like me. She has a sweet, compassionate nature. She is accepting of me and is easy to be around.
As she is maturing, I see a young woman who will be a great mother, friend and nurturer to the world. Children are naturally attracted to her tenderness. She has a beautiful spirit. She loves people and animals.
She is artistic, musical, smart, sassy and a lot of fun.
I love my children. I have always taken parenting very seriously. I knew who gave me these little spirits to raise and I know who I am accountable to when I die and report back. I will have to explain what I did with my children and how I raised them. When I would get mad or yell or spank the kids too much, I always felt a set of eyes watching me and I knew when those eyes were not pleased with my behavior.
I feel so grateful and blessed to be a mother. I am grateful for the four children I was blessed to raise. To me, the best thing I could ever be called is Mother. I have always been proud to be a mother. I would not trade that gift for anything in the world. I adore my children and hope they never doubt that.
Friday, July 3, 2009
July 3, 2009
I haven't blogged in a while. Mostly it's because life has been very stressful and when it gets stressful, I don't like to blog. I find myself just vomiting negative feelings and that's no fun for anyone to read.
Last Sunday Rachelle and her family came to visit. They stayed overnight and went to the Provo airport to the airshow on Monday. It was a nice day. We had set up a dart board in the basement. I had gotten Robby the dart board for Father's Day. He is very good at darts and always beats me! He has really good aim. I just kind of shoot from the hip. It was a relaxing visit and I enjoyed it thoroughly. While I was in the kitchen getting things ready for dinner, D'Jayden and Zoe kept climbing on the step ladder I have right by my sink. They would stand there and play in the bubbles of my dish water or just play with the tap. It reminded me of my kids. It was cute. I wished they lived closer. I would have them over to visit more often.
The last two weeks of work have been pretty busy. But I like it that way. When there is nothing to do, I go crazy. Yesterday was a pretty crazy day. It seemed like every time I turned around, there was another PO arriving in the fax. My job is to process those PO's. And of course, every PO that came had issues.
Heather and I play darts every day at work. One day we decided that whoever lost at darts would have to ask Bill about his cats. Bill is a whole other blog. Short version: Bill is fat, gross, has said some pretty creepy things to me, smells and if you get him talking about his cats, he could go on and on. I lost that game. Of course, everyone in the office thought that was hilarious, except Bill because he didn't know that he was part of the consequence. So I just casually asked him about his cats when I asked him about the phone calls he was making. I document his phone calls, so it's natural for me to ask him about his phone calls. He has a picture frame next to his monitor with a cat picture in it. I asked him about his cats and sure enough, I got way more information than I ever wanted to know. Then he picked up his frame and pulled out ALL the pictures that are behind the one picture that is showing. He changed the picture to his other cat. After that, I won about four games in a row. So Heather has had to come to work with no make up, do the robot in the cafeteria for 30 seconds, ask Rick his opinion on something (which is almost as bad as asking Bill about his cats), and flirt with Todd (a creepy Novell guy who is a perv). I have had to come to work with my hair in three pony tails, bring cookies to work and eat something off Bill's chair. That one was completely gross because there's a stain on his chair. Robby told me he would not kiss me anymore after I ate something off Bill's chair. Yesterday we played and the consequence was the person who lost has to sell lemonade to three people in the breakroom. We tied that game, so we put that consequence back in the cup to be drawn again...yikes! It is hard coming up with consequences for the loser, but it's hilarious.
I adore Heather. She is young enough to be my daughter and I feel kind of like her mother. We have a hilarious relationship. We met when I was working at Evans' Construction. It was funny when I first met her. I could tell that she is the type who doesn't open up right away. You have to earn her trust. She also thought I was a Molly. A lot of people think that of me. She soon got to know me and found out that I can be VERY irreverent. I left Evans because I couldn't handle it there. I hated that job. So did she. When I found Novacoast, I told her about it and she got hired too. So I have known her for about 1 1/2 years. She is my best friend out here. We have so many inside jokes. But I worry about her. She is a wild thing. She is married in the temple, yet she doesn't wear her garments. She has an occasional drink and I am afraid that she is having an affair. She has become pretty secretive. The mother in me recognizes that behavior. Yesterday she wore a very low cut shirt that showed a lot of cleavage. When I first saw her, I let my eyes bug out and said, "Wow!" Then I grabbed a post it note and put it in her cleavage. She laughed really hard. Later I wrote on an index card "Do not look here" and we put it in her shirt. My boss, who is a complete perv, said "Now I DEFINITELY won't look there!" He spent a lot of time talking to her in her office yesterday...
All week Emeli has been at girls' camp. She was so nervous all last weekend. She was convinced she would be homesick and want to come home. I kept telling her that she would have so much fun she would forget that she had a mother. I dropped her off on Monday morning and all day Monday I worried about her. Our home teacher went up on Tuesday to stay for the day. I called him on Wednesday to see if I needed to get a note to Emeli. Sometimes they collect letters from the moms and give them to the girls the last night at camp. I thought how terrible it would be if Emeli was the only girl there without a note. He told me she had seen him and told him to tell me that she was doing well. That reassured me. I could breath easier. I had been really worried that she would feel left out or lonely or homesick. She comes home today at 11am and I'm looking forward to spending some time with her. She has been at her dad's for two weeks and then went to girls' camp, so I haven't really seen a lot of her for the last three weeks. I miss her.
Last Sunday Rachelle and her family came to visit. They stayed overnight and went to the Provo airport to the airshow on Monday. It was a nice day. We had set up a dart board in the basement. I had gotten Robby the dart board for Father's Day. He is very good at darts and always beats me! He has really good aim. I just kind of shoot from the hip. It was a relaxing visit and I enjoyed it thoroughly. While I was in the kitchen getting things ready for dinner, D'Jayden and Zoe kept climbing on the step ladder I have right by my sink. They would stand there and play in the bubbles of my dish water or just play with the tap. It reminded me of my kids. It was cute. I wished they lived closer. I would have them over to visit more often.
The last two weeks of work have been pretty busy. But I like it that way. When there is nothing to do, I go crazy. Yesterday was a pretty crazy day. It seemed like every time I turned around, there was another PO arriving in the fax. My job is to process those PO's. And of course, every PO that came had issues.
Heather and I play darts every day at work. One day we decided that whoever lost at darts would have to ask Bill about his cats. Bill is a whole other blog. Short version: Bill is fat, gross, has said some pretty creepy things to me, smells and if you get him talking about his cats, he could go on and on. I lost that game. Of course, everyone in the office thought that was hilarious, except Bill because he didn't know that he was part of the consequence. So I just casually asked him about his cats when I asked him about the phone calls he was making. I document his phone calls, so it's natural for me to ask him about his phone calls. He has a picture frame next to his monitor with a cat picture in it. I asked him about his cats and sure enough, I got way more information than I ever wanted to know. Then he picked up his frame and pulled out ALL the pictures that are behind the one picture that is showing. He changed the picture to his other cat. After that, I won about four games in a row. So Heather has had to come to work with no make up, do the robot in the cafeteria for 30 seconds, ask Rick his opinion on something (which is almost as bad as asking Bill about his cats), and flirt with Todd (a creepy Novell guy who is a perv). I have had to come to work with my hair in three pony tails, bring cookies to work and eat something off Bill's chair. That one was completely gross because there's a stain on his chair. Robby told me he would not kiss me anymore after I ate something off Bill's chair. Yesterday we played and the consequence was the person who lost has to sell lemonade to three people in the breakroom. We tied that game, so we put that consequence back in the cup to be drawn again...yikes! It is hard coming up with consequences for the loser, but it's hilarious.
I adore Heather. She is young enough to be my daughter and I feel kind of like her mother. We have a hilarious relationship. We met when I was working at Evans' Construction. It was funny when I first met her. I could tell that she is the type who doesn't open up right away. You have to earn her trust. She also thought I was a Molly. A lot of people think that of me. She soon got to know me and found out that I can be VERY irreverent. I left Evans because I couldn't handle it there. I hated that job. So did she. When I found Novacoast, I told her about it and she got hired too. So I have known her for about 1 1/2 years. She is my best friend out here. We have so many inside jokes. But I worry about her. She is a wild thing. She is married in the temple, yet she doesn't wear her garments. She has an occasional drink and I am afraid that she is having an affair. She has become pretty secretive. The mother in me recognizes that behavior. Yesterday she wore a very low cut shirt that showed a lot of cleavage. When I first saw her, I let my eyes bug out and said, "Wow!" Then I grabbed a post it note and put it in her cleavage. She laughed really hard. Later I wrote on an index card "Do not look here" and we put it in her shirt. My boss, who is a complete perv, said "Now I DEFINITELY won't look there!" He spent a lot of time talking to her in her office yesterday...
All week Emeli has been at girls' camp. She was so nervous all last weekend. She was convinced she would be homesick and want to come home. I kept telling her that she would have so much fun she would forget that she had a mother. I dropped her off on Monday morning and all day Monday I worried about her. Our home teacher went up on Tuesday to stay for the day. I called him on Wednesday to see if I needed to get a note to Emeli. Sometimes they collect letters from the moms and give them to the girls the last night at camp. I thought how terrible it would be if Emeli was the only girl there without a note. He told me she had seen him and told him to tell me that she was doing well. That reassured me. I could breath easier. I had been really worried that she would feel left out or lonely or homesick. She comes home today at 11am and I'm looking forward to spending some time with her. She has been at her dad's for two weeks and then went to girls' camp, so I haven't really seen a lot of her for the last three weeks. I miss her.
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