Temple

Yesterday we went on our third temple trip of the year. We are trying to get a group together every month to join us in Billings. It has been wonderful. Yesterday some of our wonderful friends went through the temple for the first time. There were 17 (12 already committed before the Himes were going through and we gained a few more for that occasion!) of us from Gillette 2nd ward in the celestial room! It was so amazing. It makes my heart want to explode with happiness. Well this morning while I was cooking the boys breakfast, Carson was sitting on the counter next to me talking to me. He says out of no where, "Mom. Do you know that you are really weird on our temple trips?" I get a scowl and ask him why he says that and he replies, "Because you tell us you love us out of no where. Like driving and you just say, Caden I love you!" and he looks at me like, see...you are crazy! I smiled at him, which he then tells me, "And you smile ALOT!" I didn't know how to explain to him why I am so happy. I just told him that when I go to the temple I remember that all of the things they do that make me mad, don't matter. Being with them forever is all that matters. He then asked me when he can go to the temple and I tell him 12. He says that he is really excited to be 12 so he can go too. How precious is that!!! It makes me really happy that he sees the difference that it makes in me, and that he wants that too! The best teaching tool is to be an example!!! So thankful Chet and I have made it priority to go every month, 5 young kids in tow!

Dinner

On Saturday Chet was gone in the evening to a youth dance, so I threw together some broiled ham and cheese sandwiches for dinner. The kids scarfed them down! Well, last night we got in late from FHE, so I made the same sandwiches (they only take about 4 min to make!) As Carter got done he says to me in a semi-disgusted voice, "Mom, do you think that you could actually cook dinner tomorrow. This is the second time this week that you have just thrown this together." He then looks at me with these begging eyes. I just bust out laughing. They have no idea how lucky they are. If I go two nights in one week without cooking them a "real meal" in Carter's words, they think they are being deprived. I can't decide either if I think this is a good thing...or a bad thing! I have to make them a "real meal" or I wouldn't be able to afford to feed them.

Family Home Evening

Last night for Family Home Evening, we went to the rock wall at the Rec Center. The boys have been BEGGING to go!!! Chet and I are both certified to belay them, so we jumped right in. Carter gets on (this was his second trip, he had been once before about 3 mo ago). the wall and starts climbing. He goes right up the 42 ft wall like it was nothing. Later, when it was his turn again, he cruised up another run. So when it came his turn again, he was asking me where to go. I go every Monday morning with a friend and have been working on a run, unsuccessfully to date, so I told him to try that one. He asked if I thought he could do it and I told him I would pay him $5 if he made it to the top. That little turkey flies right up until about 2 ft from the top. He worked for about 2 min to figure out how to get where he could touch the top. He was calling down for some advice, but I couldn't see up that high, so I told him to just drop. He says, "But I want my 5 bucks!" and continues to try. I told him I would pay him anyways. He immediately dropped back into his harness like it was nothing, not an ounce afraid to be hanging 40 ft up there. He was AMAZING! He is SOOOOOO strong it kills me! I told Caden that if he made it to a certain spot I would let him get the biggest ice cream DQ makes (the kid could almost conquer the world for that bribe!). He went about double farther than his personal best and made it (his fear is the repelling part. He wants to climb back down the wall). Then he was telling EVERYONE that I had to buy him the biggest thing DQ makes. It was really cute. They were very proud! I love my little boys. My life is chaos 95% of the time, and I feel like I am on the brink of going insane most of the time! But moments like these make it all worth it. To see them grow and accomplish things, and then be proud of it is really cool to see!

Happy Birthday

Holy Cow!!! 8...8...they are REALLY eight! It seems so crazy. How can I have boys that are 8! Their birthday was a blast. They are so fun and know exactly what they want. Carter's list: Breakfast: pillsbury cinnamon rolls, Lunch: chips and salsa (Mexican food), Dinner: Arbys. He wanted 2 things, legos (I've held off as long as possible, I am not excited about that!) and an airhog. He got those and a sling shot and a 3 pack of gum, maybe his favorite gift. He wanted fruit popsicles for his treat for the class. He also got to choose to have a party or $100, and he choose the money. He did however try to tell Carson about all of the REALLY fun things to do for a party, since they had to invite their brothers if they had a party. It was hillarious because Carson was falling for it hook, line, and sinker!

Carson's list: Breakfast: sausage, bacon, sunny d, scrambled eggs. Lunch: chips and salsa. Dinner: Garlic chicken. He wanted air hog, remote control stuff, deodorant (because he gets sweaty in PE class!), and a kick ball. He was wanting to have a party all along until about a week before his birthday when Carter started talking about buying his gun (the reason he wanted the money) and then he realized what he was doing. He now wants to go to WalMart and buy everything Carter got that he didn't, oh yeah, and another 3 pack of gum. He wants to look like his Aunt Charity with a variety of packs! So cute...but not gonna happen! He took in Gushers for his class.

They also both received a 30 min later bedtime than their brothers. Wow the tears fell on that one from Caden! They have to pick something quiet to do, but it doesn't have to be in their room, which makes them feel big and cool. I told them with this new, big age comes more resposibility, but also more priveledges. They are very proud, and Caden is still crying about it. Such is life. I think this may be a problem his whole life. He is NOT their age, and reminds me of that when it's chore time and other "resposibility" things. What do ya do...

The morning of their birthday Carson comes in and says that he is going to be really good because he is now being recorded in Heaven. He is making good on that so far (I won't hold my breathe, but I am riding the wave for now!!!) I am so proud of him. They are so much fun. I love being their mom!! Every day is a new adventure (Some I love, and some make me wonder if motherhood is really for me, JK, kinda)! They make me stretch, scream, grow, learn, and a million other things. I cannot imagine my life without them! I thank my Heavenly Father for them every night... and morning... and meal... yeah pretty much ALL the time! (I cannot figure out how to get pics off my phone anymore, so no more pics! Bummer deal!)

Summer

Today was the first day that we have reached temperatures over 60 degrees. As I walked out of the gym without a jacket for myself or kids, I actually thought, "This might be a really fun summer!" The boys are getting older, funner, I don't have a baby (Colby is 15 mo right now) and excitement was building. Then school released early today. All of my hopes and dreams for a great summer were dashed and I was welcomed back to reality. My boys were all changing and on a dead run for their bikes. They all wanted fudgesicles (I have no idea how to spell that word!) and outside they went. About 15 min later the neighbor, with 3 week old baby in tow, knocks on my door. She told her barely 5 yr old that he wasn't allowed to leave the culdasac and couldn't see him and wondered if I might know where they were. I grabbed my shoes and off we went to look in their normal "play areas" in the neighborhood. No where to be found. Getting a little panicked, more for her sake, I start running down the street. I ask the roofers on a nearby house if they saw 5 boys (my three and two neighbor boys) on bikes come by and they pointed towards the school (.5 mile from my house) I run back to my house and tell Cassie that I will go find them and throw the babies in the car and take off. As I am about to the school, I see a whole slew of kids walking along. They had went down the neighborhood gathering kids to go to the park. There were about 12 of them. Half of me wanted to laugh, and the other half wanted to yank them in the car so fast their heads would spin! They looked at me like I was crazy when I told them to turn their butts around and get back home. I followed them to a place where they could do nothing but make it home, and told them I was leaving to tell Cassie I had found them. They decided to take a "short cut" (with their bikes) through a field. Well, snow mixed with 62 degrees = MUD!!! Caden and Conner where sitting in the mud about 10 min later when I went AGAIN to find them. I had to apologize to the neighbor and tell her that I was sorry that my boys had taken off with her little boy, but I also had to apologize for the many times in the future that they would probably be bad examples!!!

Cael Reading

About a week ago we did a little change in rooms. We put Caden in with Carter and Carson in with Cael. Carson and Cael get up WAAAAAAAAAAAYYYYYYYYY too early for the rest of us, so we thought they could party alone in their own room at 5:45 am +. We didn't realize how wonderful it really would be. Carson noticed yesterday that he is getting alot more sleep (they don't stay up near as long as Carter and he would) and therefore he has not been in trouble at school for an entire week (gasp, that's a looooong time in our book!) This morning while I was getting Colby dressed I heard Cael at the table. He was reading (well reciting) Go, Dog! Go! Every night Carson reads to him and he has it memorized. The kid is amazing! I think he has a slight form of a photographic memory (Cael "Morgan", I think that was an appropriate name for him) So fun to see Carson reading to him, and to see Cael knowing all these books! Love my little, ok not so little, family!!!

Future Lawyer

So a while ago while we were reading in the scriptures, and came across a part where it talks about recording our lives in heaven. Chet and I took the opportunity to teach about repentance and tell them that if they do something wrong, it can be erased. Of course what Carson picks up on is that things are recorded from the age of accountability. He immediatley asks us what that means, and we tell him that that means when he turns 8. Since then, if I ask him if his actions made Heavenly Father happy or disappointed, he looks me right in the eye and says, "Heavenly Father doesn't care. It is not being recorded yet." It makes me want to laugh and to scream at the same time. His personality is so frustrating, and yet so funny to me too. So today I told him that in less that one week all his sins will start being recorded, and that he better start practicing being good. He says, "No. We are getting baptized on the 31st and they will all be washed away then, so I am ok until then." Too smart for his own good!!! I have a feeling he will make me laugh more than any of the boys, and also make me yell more than the other boys will. We have to be very careful of our wording with him, because he will always argue his way out of a lie by the way we worded something. Wrong is wrong, but just like a lawyer, he can make it sound any way he wants it too! Man I love that boy, I just have to figure out how to chill and keep him under control all at once. Not a task for the weak!!!

Stinky

For as long as I can remember, Carter has been very worried about his appearance and smell. For Christmas a year ago Morgan and Charity gave him some body spray, which he has LOVED and used sparingly, so it will last forever. It has been cute at times, and also crazy trying to keep his brothers from using it. Well, today Carson was in my bathroom, doing who knows what (He is always just wandering around without rhyme or reason) and he informs me that Carter is trying to take his spray to school with him. I asked why and he tells me that when they get done with PE he is sweaty and wants to make sure he does not stink. SEVEN! He is 7!!! It is nice to think that I will not have one of those scouts that can clear a room. But seven years old...really!