House Update

Scott reminded me that there were pictures of the house I hadn't posted.

 

 Windows are in!

 

We have bath tubs, electrical and heating and cooling done. I'm pretty sure the plumbing is done as well.

The sheet rock was stacked and ready to be put up as of Monday.

 



 

He gets home from work for the week today, so hopefully we'll see some more progress and have more pictures to share. 

A week in Idaho

Another week down and one more closer to our finished home. This week was good. We played lots, hung out with family and started to establish a good routine. Then Scott flew in Thursday and messed everything up! Haha. Isn't that how it goes? Its okay, I would ruin our schedule any day for daddy. We loved having him here and are sad to see him go. 

In all honesty though, this week was good. Everyone is starting to settle down. Bedtime is getting easier, the boys are getting along and we are making things work. I worked really hard to be positive with Tayden and he was much better this week. We did have one morning of 'consequence chores' due to some naughties at bed time the night before, but other that I feel like things went rather smoothly. 

After a week of counting down until Daddy came, Thursday finally rolled around. We were all happy and ready to go to the airport, then we got some bad news.

He was going to be late! His airplane had some mechanical errors mid flight so they had to turn around and go back to Vegas. I am so incredibly grateful that he was safe and they were able to make it back to Vegas without any issue, but it was still a hard thing to try to explain to his boys who had been patiently waiting for him 

These are our mad faces. Tayden was still genuinely upset in this picture. 

However, only 3 hours late, we were able to pick up Daddy. As I walked behind all four of my boys I had an overwhelming sense of gratitude for my family and the eternity of families. Its hard not to be grateful for all my blessings. Most of all these four. 

We hit the movie Friday during nap time. Cache was great and slept during 3/4 of it. Beckett did his best, but passed out about 20 minutes before it was over. Tayden loved it and was excited he finally saw Turbo.

My birthday was Saturday and Scott got me some beautiful pearls, although Tayden really wanted to get me a barbie...because that is what girls like. I got multiple phone calls, texts and facebook messages of well wishes for my birthday. We went out to dinner with my parents and finished the night with pie. It was a great birthday! 

Plus, Scott and I were able to go to the temple together with his brother Matt. It was an awesome experience to be in the temple with the whole family! We're so proud of him and excited for him to serve in South Africa! It was just icing on the cake of an already great day. 

We also had some crazy rain in Idaho this week. These pictures were taken Friday after the movie. I haven't seen rain like that in years. I love love love the rain, so it was a special treat for me.

Oh, and before I forget... My boys do their own hair...everyday. Its makes me proud to watch them grow, but a little embarrassed to go out into public, but mostly proud!

We dropped Scott off this morning to head back to Vegas. It was a great weekend and he'll be back in 11 short, but probably long, days. Saying goodbye never gets easier and the car is usually filled with tears on the drive back to Pocatello. 

We're missing him already. 

(Tayden stares at his dad in our big Mennear family picture.)

Phew, I got it done. If this post sounded rushed and jumbled, its because it was. Scotts waiting for me to call as we speak, but I feel it so important to stay up on my blog, since it is our family journal. Hopefully, things will slow down a little more for me to blog more regularly and with a little more clarity. Until then, it is what it is and we'll all just have to deal.

Heres to another good week! 

Going Up

The house is going up! And, it can't go fast enough.

 Kitchen Island.

 From the kitchen looking into the living room.

 From the kitchen island looking up to the stairs. To the left is the formal front room and to the right is the dining room.

Kitchen Island to dining room.

Upstairs. The middle doorway is to the bathroom with a room on either side.

Entrance of the top of the stairs. This is the loft and the doorway is to the master bedroom.

Its getting closer!

Like I said, it can't come soon enough. The stress of being 'homeless' is getting to the kids. I forget how sensitive they are to our emotions and how much they pick up from our example. The past few weeks have been nothing short of hectic and it is starting to wear on them, especially Tayden. Their listening skills used to be my pride and joy. They have always listened fairly well, until about 2 weeks ago. I repeat myself at least 15 times a day...or so it feels so. T is pushing every button I have and he knows it.  On top of flat out ignoring me, he is talking back, being rude and tormenting his little brother. Its pushed me to the breaking point and leaves me questioning if I am going to be able to stick this out for the next 6 weeks. It will be worth it. We will get back into a routine and a schedule and he will mellow out. Alot of me thinks he is trying to find some sort of control in his life. I don't do well with the unknown and he may be proving to be the same.

However, just as my life seemed to be spirally out of control, I had the opportunity to go through the temple with my sister in law, Ashley, as she took out her endowments. It was so neat to go through the temple with her and it was a much needed session for me. I found peace and clarity during the two hours I was there. I was in a dark and confusing place. Not only being mentally and physically exhausted, but spiritually as well. I was reminded in the temple that joy comes from fulfilling our potential. I have not been fulfilling my potential as a mother lately. In fact, I've flat out neglected my calling as a mother. I've been short and quick to get angry. I've been looking at it as a burden and my kids behavior as a burden. The temple gently reminded me what life is about and gave me hope that things will get better. I learned again to be positive about life and our trials. All to often I am quick to be negative or complain about the boys and their behavior. I vocalize it too loudly. And when we give in to negativity, it only exasperates the problem. It clouds our sight and makes things seem worse then they are and the vicious cycle continues. So this is the last I will be complaining about the boys. I'm taking this challenge head on with a positive attitude. I am going to find things to keep them busy. I am going to give them peace and comfort and stability in all this and do my best to love and cherish every moment I get to be among family. I am going to stop talking badly about them to other people, even if the people I am talking to are noticing...and commenting...about how poorly they are acting. I am going to be a shining example and advocate for my kids and help them through this. Because it is not easy on them. I forget I am not the only one going through a hard change. 

Among all this, its exciting to see the house go up and it already feels like home. 

This will be worth it.

And as two very smart women reminded me, "Come what may, and love it!" 

Up the Creek

If I could give my kids anything in the world, it would be space. Space to run free and wild and room to explore. I never knew how much I loved wide open spaces until I moved. Las Vegas can be very confined and claustrophobic with not a lot of room to run and play. Don't get me wrong. I love Las Vegas and there are so many things it has to offer that other places can't, but it is lacking in space. Luckily, we have amazing great grandparents with amazing backyards. Today, the kids enjoyed Great Grandma and Grandpa Packards creek. The water was low enough for the kids to splash around in and had a few spot deep enough to wade through. Even the dog got in on the fun and took an unexpected swim.

 

 

 Cheryl brought down chairs and we just sat and watched the boys play for hours. The weather was perfect, the kids had a ball and it felt like heaven on earth.

 

 Beckett loved splashing in the puddles!

 

 Tayden saw 2 little fish swimming around and was going on fish hunt the rest of the time!

 

Even Cache enjoyed it.

 

It was a great afternoon. Its fun to watch the kids discover nature and play outside and even though I can't provide the space I'd like to in Las Vegas, I am so grateful that we can in Idaho.



I'm sitting here, waiting for the chaos to stop. I try to find a constant that is no where to be found, and in the back of my mind the question, "Is this really worth it?" is asked again and again. I force myself to look at the positives and try to keep my eye on the light at the end of the tunnel. The new house will provide stability for my family and a place to call our own for years to come. It will plant our roots and for the first time in years, I won't have to wonder what move is next, at least for the current future. I can live my life whole heartily in Las Vegas, something that I have struggled with the past two years. It will be worth it.

 

And luckily, we have people cheering us on and helping us every step of the way. My wonderful mother in law flew to Las Vegas only to drive back with the kids and I. I can not express how grateful I am to have families who love and support us and are willing to help where ever it is needed. She flew in Thursday and we ran her into the ground with a full day of lunch, the Children's Museum and tours of model homes. Then on top of that, she cleaned our stove and our fridge! We woke up and hit the road Friday morning. She helped with the kids, sang them songs, passed them gum....multiple pieces, helped them go potty, and endured the famous last 30 minute crying. She was an amazing life saver this past weekend.

 

 

Of course the minute I left Las Vegas they started framing the house. All I wanted to do was watch one wall go up. I am bummed I'm not going to be there to watch the process, but it would have been nice to at least see one stinking wall. Scott is good at sending pictures though and it will be a nice surprise to see it in real life once we get home.

 

 

We stopped at my Grandma Karlsons Friday to spend the night. My children love Grandma Karlson and staying at her house. She has a fun creek and plenty of room to run outside. Tayden found a snail and named him sparky. He held it for awhile before letting it go and was off to his next adventure. Being at my grandmas is always so refreshing for me. It holds a lot of sweet memories and is a beacon of relaxation. 

 

Unfortunately the ride from Utah to Idaho was less than relaxing. Cheryl met up with Dave in Utah and rode home with him Saturday. My parents came down to spend the weekend with us and my mom rode to Idaho with me Sunday afternoon. Saying it wasn't relaxing doesn't mean it was awful, just entertaining. Beckett manages to make a mess of everything and the drive proved no different.

 



 

Mr. Cool himself in his new booster seat.

 We pulled up to my parents house and immediately felt the love radiating. My dad welcomed the boys with some good old fashioned side walk chalk and they played outside for the rest of the evening.

 

 Life will be good here, but hard too. Its hard to be away from Scott and our daily routine in Las Vegas. Its hard to be away from friends and our lives. Its hard to be out of our space. Its hard to be out of our beds and all sharing a room. Its hard. But it is so good too. Its good to be around people who love us. Its good to cook dinner and eat as a family. Its good to be out of the heat and be able to play in the grass. Its good to have parents that open their home so willingly to us. Its good. I have to open my eyes to the positive and start a life and routine for my kids here. Even if its temporary. Its necessary. And that might be the hardest part.

 

As the physical chaos tones down, I try to make my mind follow suit. Focusing on life in Idaho and knowing this is His plan for us. Building a home and finding our roots in Vegas is His plan and because it is His plan, it is perfect. Doesn't mean its easy, just means its right.

 

Krispy Kreme

Yet another tour with our new ward. This time, Krispy Kreme Doughnuts. It was a pretty basic/lame tour. The kids just watched the convey-er belt make the doughnuts while a employee explained the process. I thought it was really interesting and the kids enjoyed the milk and free sample at the end. Plus, its always fun to do stuff with friends, so all in all it was a win/win situation. 

Progress

Finally, some progress on the house. In a few short weeks, although I am sure they will feel super long, this...

will turn into this...

...and I couldn't be more excited!

We got some great news this week! The house has been rented out. Yay! We found out on July 31st and need to be out on August 10th! Luckily, we already had quite a bit packed up since the last time we thought we had found tenants. Unfortunately, there is still alot to do and this week is proving to be quite stressful. Stressful enough I got a migraine. Ugh. I don't get headaches. Ever. But when I was driving my kids home from a play date last week I felt an excruciating pain on the side of my head like an ice pick was being jabbed into my brain. It happened twice more and then my head started pounding. Over the course of 3 days the pain moved from my head, to neck and into my shoulders and back. I tried to do as much as I could amid the pain and the children screaming, but I didn't get too far. I called Scott on Friday in tears. I thought for sure I was going to have to go to the ER. I couldn't find anything to relieve any of the pain, was constantly feeling sick to my stomach and just weak in general. It was awful. I laid down most the morning, forced some food and said a prayer. By Friday afternoon I was feeling quite a bit better, but still had a head ache. Now, I'm feeling 97% better and feel like I might live. I lost some precious packing time, luckily Scott is rock star and whipped out half the house this morning! We still have lots to do and cleaning to get done, but its looking like we might just make it.

In the mean time, the kids and I are packing up and heading back to Idaho. I am bummed I'll miss watching the home be built, but feel lucky that going to Idaho is an option for us. Scott will stay at work since they provide barracks and then (hopefully) live with a friend on the weekend. He'll come up to Idaho every other weekend until the home is done. Its going to be madness, but I know it will be worth it in the end.

In more exciting news, Cache had his 9 month check up this past week. He is doing great and is healthy as ever. He is still small, but was higher on the percentile than last time, so the doctor isn't worried. As long as he is growing and moving in the right direction, we don't have any complaints. He weights in at 19 lbs and is 28 inches tall...or short! But boy oh boy can he put up a fight. I often joke that I'm glad he's small, because if he was any bigger I'd be in trouble. If you are holding him and he wants down he pushes against you with every little ounce of his body and squirms until he is impossible to hold. Its frustrating. I often get worried because of how small he is, but my doctor told me to knock it off and be grateful he is healthy. And is 1000% right. Everything else looks great. He is crawling all over the place, climbing stairs, digging in the trash, pulling food from the fridge and causing all sorts of other mischief.

I also was able to talk to the doctor about my Beckett and his speech. I have been worried about B's pronunciation for some time, but have kept saying we'll wait until he's 3 to get him evaluated. The doctor took a few extra minutes during my appointment to discuss the matter. First of all, Beckett is huge. I told the doctor he was barely 2 1/2 and the doc just started laughing. He thought for sure he was at least 3 if not 3 1/2. He said that is the first problem. People, including myself, expect more out of him because he is so big. It's hard to remember he is only 2. After talking to the doctor and getting a few tips to help him speak more clearly, we decided to wait until he was 3 for evaluation. The beauty with Becketts speech is that he talks in sentences. Full blown sentences, all the time. We got back to checking Cache out and the doctor then started talking to Tayden about girls. (I love our doctor) Tayden told him he had one girlfriend named Hannah. Beckett then chimed in and said, "Me know one Hannah. Not two Hannah. Only one Hannah...and Paigey". Doc just started laughing and said Beckett was forming more complex sentences than most 2 1/2 year olds and told me there was definitely no speech delay! He could understand Beckett and suggest I just work with the sounds he has a hard time with and be patient. What a great thing for this mama to hear.

So, things are going to get hectic again. 

But I am grateful for it, because all the chaos is confirming just how blessed we are. 

And we are blessed.

And so grateful.