Back cracking

Our chiropractor will cringe if he ever comes across this post. He dislikes the terms “cracking” and “back” in the same sentence.

Matt and I discovered him a year and a half ago and love going in for adjustments to alleviate problems and prevent new ones from showing up.  Mostly, we adore Dr. Kronlund.  He is an amazing guy with a great office staff.

I received adjustments all through pregnancy with Kaden and Kaden received his first adjustment at about 5 days old.

ahh, look, he is even chubby still.

Soon after his birth all our deductable was met, go figure, and we ran all the children through his office as many times as possible.

His theories fit in so well with ours. Not vaccinating, whole health remedies rather than medical interventions.  I can honestly say he is the first medical professional that I have trusted my whole family to in a long time.

Thanks doc!

One of the ninety and nine.

I saw Michael Mclean perform this song for the second time at Time Out For Women last month. I remember how the first time I heard it I thought of Seri and how perfectly the song described her. I came home and posted it on her facebook page. She never saw it.

This time she was with me and I was so excited he was doing the song again. I sat there sneaking peeks at her and silently praying that she would feel as if this song was being sung just for her.

It sums up a lot of how I perceive Seri sees herself. A normal teen, not special or unique in any way. What she doesn’t see is that her normalness makes her unique. Makes her incredibly special.

I am so proud of her in a million different ways and my prayers have included that she recognize how great and beloved she is.

The next Sunday was testimony and how my heart swelled with relief as she bore her testimony of how Heavenly Father loves her and has not forgotten her. How she knows she is recognized as one of the ninety and nine and is so grateful that she is among the fold. Thank you Michael.

government

I was so excited to spend a day at the State Capitol in Olympia with the older children thanks to WHO.

For the boys and I, it was our second trip. Ser'i’s fourth.  During the tour I have to say that I learned more from Seri than I did from the tour guide.

We spent the whole day wandering and then went on a tour of the Governors mansion.

Before we left we headed over to the law library where Seri showed the boys how to look up different laws and then find the book they were contained in. 

We went to the office of our representative but he wasn’t in. Next time I will be more diligent and make an appt.  We watched as an Indian group had a mini pow wow and discussed how different groups come to the capitol to get the attention of their rep or to just remind them who they are serving.

As we left I was filled with gratefulness that my children are familiar with the Capitol campus and have a working knowledge of what goes on there.  Should they ever need or want to go to support an issue or whatever they wont be nearly as intimidated because it is familiar to them already.  It is accessible to them. Tangibly.  They realize that our State Government is their Government and exists in their reality.  It is not an idea or something for someone else to do.  They truly recognize that it is their responsibility to ensure the govt. is working in the best interest of those it serves.

This is so important to me for so many different reasons. I think a lot of people talk about govt. and such, but few see it as something they should be a part of.  Part of my home schooling has to do with my wanting them to be thinkers and leaders.  People who believe they have a voice and a responsibility to act on it rather than just follow what is dictated and leave the acting to someone else.

After coming home the children mentioned to friends that they had gone and I was surprised when all the other children in the group mentioned they had never been to the capitol.  We only live an hour away.  Over the next few weeks I began randomly asking kids (teenagers) if they had been to the campus or even wanted to go.  Must admit I was discouraged by their responses.  I understand we all want different things for our children and that my goals for mine are not necessarily the goals of others.  Still, it is disheartening to realize that a lot of my children's generation are not even in touch personally with their state govt. or politics in general.  It makes me fearful and more dedicated at the same time.

Softie

Want to know why this baby is in such distress?

Daddy wont share his ice cream!

No Dad !  That bite was mine!

That’s better. Keep it coming.

Baby K

Have I ever mentioned how completely in love with this little guy I am?  I’ll tell you a secret, hope daddy doesn’t mind.  Matt once told me that he is sometimes a tad jealous of K.  He gets to spend all day with me, sleep next to me and I love him so dang much it makes me weak sometimes….  But what is there not to love? 

A friend of mine had a “Got Milk” baby shower and took this picture.  He was five months old and knew exactly what to do with that cup :)

These were taken in Jan. He was three months old.

Now for the real pic fest.

Lately he was making this incredibly cute face where his grin took up almost his whole face in a comical sort of way.  After him making this face constantly it dawned on me that he looked like the baby from “Rugrats”, not that I would know..  Never watch the show. I think it enters through my subconscious while the children watch.

Well, having been through this just a few times I knew that he would eventually stop and that we had to get it captured quick. Our camera not being able to do it justice (I swear one of these days I AM GOING to get a decent camera)  I asked a friend if she could snap a few.  Amazing I tell you!

You have to wonder, is it hard being so stinkin cute??

He is truly edible also.

 

At seven months he has the greatest personality and is very expressive.  He loves flirting and is highly distracting.  He is always happy unless we dare to strap him into that dreaded car seat and then all heck breaks loose!

He crawls, pulls to standing positions and today he started cruising with the couches.  The boy is just determined to grow up and to do it quickly.  He has two teeth and adores his siblings, especially Seri.  I think he tolerates the younger two, but you can almost see this look in his eyes when they have him, kind of like, “Are you done yet”?

Oh, baby K, you are just too perfect for words! I adore you little man!

On a side note, one of our friends casually mentioned that “you have too many kids when they start going by one initial”.  Too funny!  But it’s true Tristan got two initials, we call him TJ and poor Kaden goes by K most of the time…

deep, deep thoughts……

I haven’t posted a “real” blog in awhile.  The cord that connects the camera to the computer has taken a vacation and decided it likes it better in that hot spot.  Believe me though, the posts are collecting and one day you will come here and be onslaughted by them.  for now, you just have to deal with my wandering thoughts.

 

I just woke up from a long, warm, snuggly nap with this guy right here. Heaven. Except for the fact that I was awoken by the acrid smell of something burning and the sound of absolute silence where there should be the loud voices of the 3, 4 and 8 year old.  UH oh.. I lay there praying for noise so that I am reassured all is ok and I can snuggle in closer… No such luck.

Upon coming down the stairs I find an empty house with an empty bag of Jeenie-O turkey bacon (the big costco kind that was full when I started said nap) and a very satisfied yet slightly guilty looking dog.  The red light indicates their is still a warm surface on the stove and the black crud in my good pan indicates that said 8 year old was attempting to make bacon, left it on the counter and said dog hit the Jack pot.

Still no children.  Then I hear their faint laughter and discover them in the mud pit of our back yard playing in the rain, covered with mud.  I convince myself it could be a lot worse.

children strip naked in front of the door and go to enjoy a bath.  I blend a quick smoothy and then spend twenty minutes watching k throw a ball, look around as if trying to find someone to get it for him, sigh in exasperation (I am not kidding!)  then crawl to get the ball only to do it again.  Pure entertainment.

I don’t feel good and know that I should be cleaning instead of wasting time doing nothing.  But laziness gives in and that’s where I stumble across a blog from one of my “ciber” friends.  She is angry, yes… angry and a whole host of other feelings combined, that she can’t be a stay at home mom at this time.   And as she throws in my face (in a loving way) how lucky, how fortunate, I am. I begin to cry.

I have never HAD to work. there have been times where I have worked, they were usually short lived. Matt would prefer it if I had never worked outside the home and I am keenly aware of his hidden jealousy over the fact that I get to stay with our children while he has to work, but he wouldn’t want it any other way.

Now K has picked up a straw from the broom because my floor is dirty, but I get to watch in fascination while he passes it from  hand to hand and gags himself with it.  The children are upstairs dressing up and dancing their little hearts out.  I am grateful.  Sooo very grateful.  Yet, I hurt for those who want, long for what I have.  I am conflicted between being grateful and feeling like I am helping other mothers wish for something else, if that makes any sense.  I don’t want others to mourn.  My heart truly goes out to them.  The best I can do I suppose is be grateful everyday and not let a moment go by that I do not cherish my chance to be home with and to teach my children.

On another note, I attended a womens conference with some friends, one of whom I don’t get to see very often.  She held baby K and in her eyes I saw want and appreciation.  Her husband became ill awhile ago and I believe they will not be having any more children, yet in her eyes I see that desire. She hands him back and in a side breath whispers “You are so very lucky”.

As I continue to have more children this happens more and more often.  Women my age realizing that having more is no longer in the cards for them.  That look that says, “Oh, but I am going to miss this…”.

Or someone will casually mention how very lucky I am to have Matt and how they admire and respect our relationship. How they love watching the way he cares for me and of how I mean the world to him and he shows it every chance he gets.

then it hits me again.  That confused feeling that makes me aware that I have the things that are in the prayers of so many other well deserving women…

All I can do is send a prayer up in their behalf and be grateful for what I have, even though I wish there was more I could do.