Wait…what the?? Who is this?…and how’d you post on Christy’s blog?!!!

I know you must be taken aback. I promise this is me and not some fine gentleman in Uzbekistan who’s going to share a tragic story of my getting stuck overseas and needing you to send money (though you are free to send me money when ever you’d like…I’m just saying.) Yes, I know it’s been some time since I blogged but I thought I’d back the old gal out of the garage, give her a tune up, and see if she’d run. I’m hoping to take her on a few joy rides on some wide open roads with the windows down and the music loud enough that I can’t hear myself singing at the top of my lungs. (I also hope to not get a ticket during said joy ride as this is notoriously when it happens…I digress…)

So, I know you thought I was lost in a deep abyss of….something or other, and you were right. The last several years have been a challenge for me in the blogging world. Broken cameras, broken computers, dumb phones, dumb life things, this stress, that stress, and lets not forget the ever growing needs of a family – all of which have claimed my time, my mind, my strength, and my heart. HOWEVER, there has also been growing children, new adventures, new callings, laughing-‘til-we-cry moments, new family, proud moments, loving moments, growing moments, and even a very rare few quiet moments. None of which have been shared in much more than a snapshot online.

I’m a firm believer that you should not hide your light under a bushel (an analogy that has always drawn me to imagine the raging fire that might start. David O. McKay once said something to the sort that one should never yell in a home unless there is a fire…maybe that’s why there’s so much yelling at my house…that overly-thought-deeper-than-necessary analogy and the fact that if you yell from the farthest back corner of the downstairs the acoustics allow for a child/parent/sibling upstairs in the nether-regions of their room to hear you almost clearly.). Anyway…I can’t vouch that I’ll ever catch up on the last 4 years of blogging. I’m lucky if I can catch up on the last 40 minutes of sleep I need. But this is a start….right? :) I want my amazing kids to have stories they can go back and read, memories they can share, and my own inner satisfaction that life has been documented and is safely kept. (Oh, and a reminder that sometimes I’m still funny…even if only to myself…)

ON TO THE SHOW!

If you’re just tuning in, we last left our heroes 2.5 years ago with a Fairy-ly odd problem. However, much has happened since then:

• Multiple vacations
• Sports
• SO MANY ADVENTURES
• Starting new schools
• Kindergarten…Middle School!
• Sad losses of those we love (We miss you Harvey, Grandpa Great, Renee (Fama), Uncle John, GGma Runyan)
• MARRIAGE! (and with it, the gift of an amazing Daughter I didn’t have to birth!!!)
• Illnesses
• Home decorating
• Concerts
• Races
• New cousins/nieces/nephews
• Baptisms
• Birthdays
• Braces
• Holidays
• Milestones
• Miracles
• New homes
• New projects
• New friends
• and not enough sleep!!! lol
• (oh, and Pokemon Go…one can’t forget that…)

Where do I even begin?? Well, this is me so my excitement over typing a blog post says to start at the beginning but my brain remembering the 4 loads of laundry that should get folded today says start at the end…or close to it…so I say we start with April 2018! Sweet!

(It’s Not) Fairy Petition…

Wishing more fairies would pattern their livelihoods after the Tooth-fairy (who, oddly enough, is banned from our house until she can stop scaring small children who are only pretending to be asleep while she’s moving all around under their pillow)...

Instead I have:

The Pen/Pencil Fairy who removes every last stinkin' one of anything that writes even remotely well and is within reach and leaves lost Utility Bills stuffed into their place.

The Sock Fairy (doesn't just visit the dryer – and who does NOT leave change at our house like he does at others) and leaves me Dust galore (and not the sparkly kind) All. Over. The. House. – Seriously, reign it in, Dude. 

The Fork Fairy (WHY??!! I am honestly baffled…) who has reduced two separate fancy utensil sets to one fork each and is slightly over abundant in his giving of Extra Pounds (not the $ kind - sigh) that seem to just show up on the scale.

The Undies Fairy (sorry Mom) who trades the 6 pairs of used undies my kids SWEAR they changed and put in the hamper with double the number of towels...all wet...and at the bottom of the bin...for days...(I had originally thought I had a towel fairy, but alas…)

The Cell Phone Fairy who doesn't exactly take your phone but who just moves it from the bottom of your bag or that outside zippered pocket (then puts it in a totally random location like the fridge, sock drawer, back pocket, right where you left it plugged into the wall, etc.) and leaves some sort of old, out of the wrapper, sticky candy/gum thing in it's place....every single time...

And the worst of all?? - The Change Fairy who steals every last penny and nickel from the change spot in the car and beneath the seat (Sorry, Son, I just knew I had enough in here for your lunch today…how about this old Starburst I found in the bottom of my bag where I thought I left my cell phone? – They saved my life once, ya know.) and replaces them lovingly with old milky sippy cups. (He really loves to hide them well.) I mean, seriously, how do I get THAT one reversed!

Wondering if there's a (It’s not Fair-y) petition I could sign somewhere...

EllaS.trations: Flashback

 

INTRO: Welcome to Ella-Strations! Ella’s new Blog posts about her life and moving to a new town. I’m so excited for her to share her stories!

July 14(ish), 2014

By:  Ella S.

Today is a very sad day because I had to leave my friends at church and school. That day I miss my friends so much that I cried. Then our family drove to our new house. We parked in our driveway. We unlocked the front door. Then we walked inside. Then we took a little tour around the whole entire house (counts the backyard). It was great.There was one problem. Dad saw mistakes that the builders made. He was angry. He did not like that. He yelled at the builders. After that it was my first time sleeping in my huge room all by myself and I was a little bit scared. I couldn’t find a bed on Pinterest or Craigslist or on Ebay so I had to sleep on a mattress with no pillow, just a blanket. I felt so cold in the middle of the night. Tomorrow was my first day of school in 3rd grade. I met the teacher. His name is Mr. L. We don’t actually call him Mr. L. He has a different name but we don’t want to share private information. Sorry about that.  I was super excited. I couldn’t sleep but I could kind of sleep but I woke up in the middle of the night because I had a bad dream. I called my mom. She almost couldn’t hear me. But she didn’t come but it was okay, I knew it because the Holy Ghost was comforting me. I woke up that morning at 6 o’clock in the morning.  I was tired. I was not bellowing at my dad but I schlepped down the stairs with my eyes shutting on me.  I almost fell down the stairs because I was very tired and I couldn’t believe my dad woke me up at that time because it was too early and I couldn’t. But I didn’t want to go to school I wanted to pretend I was cool sick but my dad said you’re going to be fine. You’re just nervous and you have butterflies in your stomach. I said No but I was lying to him. Just wanted to shake things up. Then we drove for school. It was called NFP. (Still, we don’t want to share private information.) I walked to my classroom with my mom and my dad. Then we met Mr. L. I was crying to my Mom and Dad because I was going to miss them. I just wanted to go in the bathroom and wanted just to stay there for the whole school day because I had really bad butterflies in my stomach. This was like the worst day of my life at a new school.  It felt like I was starting a new life but new lives are okay because in a few years you might get used to it.  Then my mom and my dad had to leave. I wanted to leave with them.  But I could not.  I still was crying as soon as I sat by my desk. I’m afraid that boys might start looking at me and thinking I’m weird or something.  Then I realized something. It was someone that looked like we could become friends.  I walked near her desk just walking around the class because I was pretending I tried to get a tissue and then I looked on her desk and her name was S.C. (still private information). Then the next day I still had to sleep on the mattress. And the next time I came I kind of became used to it. Then I met S., she was right there in my face looking for a friend. Then she looked at me. I was smiling and she was smiling. Because she thought we were going to become friends. Then we did. We made her a BFF bracelet with a note telling her my private information just to call her or have a playdate.  I felt a warm feeling in my heart. It was the Holy Ghost giving me a warm feeling instead of Satan tempting me (trying to tell me to not become friends because he wanted to make my life worse because he didn’t want me to have any friends and he wanted my life to become worse.) Here’s a picture:

 

{CYCOTP – Day 2} Cousin Time!!

Today I was so excited to get to hear Mormon Guitar’s version of How Great Thou Art. If you don’t know already, it was dedicated to my brother, Jason, who passed away almost 2 years ago.  We miss him so much but feel just as joyful about his love of all of God’s majestic creations. Thus our love of going outside!!!!

We are SO VERY BLESSED to have cousins living nearby! Nothing like spending the afternoon together with family!

Take: One

Take: Three

Today was just fun with cousins. They played with water balloons, tossed eggs back and forth, and just laughed and laughed together!

Be prepared for lots of these sorts of photos this month…lol.  (Oh, and Sylvie lost a tooth!)

 

My flowers :)

Playing catch off the deck. It got a bit competitive!

See you outside tomorrow!