Victory

I have been waiting for this moment for 11 years(Taylor's age). The length of time I have been a mother. Waiting for what you ask? Waiting for a child to throw something in the toilet that gets stuck. Never happened with the girls but leave it to Brody and a glass curtain rod end. Yes, it is round so he could confuse it with a ball. Yes, toilet bowl does have a nice circular shape that could resemble a basket. Due to my expert experience and years of preparation and training I was victorious and jammed it out. No husband or plumber needed. Bring it Brody... I am ready for you!!!!

Life insurance!

I always up his life insurance before every vacation. After this photo he rode the sting ray!

The Ward Splits

I'm happy for my husband today to have some of his burden lifted. I am sad for him to lose some people he loves. I am happy and sad today for my kids and I. Sometimes I feel a new ward is 100 miles away with how everyone drifts apart. Things never stay the same nor should they or life would be boring. But I will miss all the friends and never being able to walk down a hallway without having a great conversation. I think I will be able to walk down the hall and maybe get to class on time next week. I will also be looking for a new running partner. The new Bishop's wife is my running friend. That would look weird having the bishops wives running together. Then again who better to help you then those going through the same struggles.

Girls birthday message to dad

The girls made this and sent it to him on his birthday while we were gone.

Lessons learned in Guatemala!

For those who do not know my whole family went on the trip. Mom, Dad, Grandpa and his friend, 5 kids and their spouses plus Aunt and Uncle and their friends. We had a total of 18 of us in a Book of Mormon tour group. My parents are amazing and decided long ago to pay for these vacations for us instead of giving us an inheritance. This way we can make family memories at times when most of us could not afford these trips. Now for my lessons learned....


My Mom drinks alcohol while out of the country. I guess she forgot rum had alcohol in it... because every hotel we went to they gave us a welcome drink with rum in it. She would run in and be first in line for the drink. Then we would ask what was in it and hers would be gone. I think she might be drunk in this photo:)

We can spend 10 days together and all get along

Why it is called the rainy season.

What did I learn in this hotel room? No comment! Everyone was jealous we got the jungle room.

I hate birds in Guatemala as much as the U.S.

My grandpa can kick all of our butts at 80 years old. He won the pull up contest.

I felt like Britney spears in Guatemala. I needed my own security team due to dangers in the country. I don't know how secure I felt when I could of taken both of them at the same time.

I am not the only ones who have a hard time listening to long lectures. Look at everyone in the photo behind the guide. They are all looking for tarantulas and not listening. Yet my mom told the guide I had A.D.D. because I would move on when I heard enough.

Victory!!!!!! Finding the spider and interrupting the lecture.

I am so athletic I can zip line with flip flops and not lose them.

You need to listen to the zip line guides or you could break a bone. My aunts friend broke her leg on day 3 zip lining and had to go home. So sad.

They are so poor...they pour soda from glass bottles in a baggie and give it to you with a straw. They want to keep the glass to recycle. I just imagined giving this to all my kids and having spills all over.

My final lesson learned is that I am grateful for my Laundry and Laundry room.

Feliz Cumpleaños

What is the dream of most missionaries? To spend your 37th birthday back in your mission land? Well, that... and to bring your wife back to your mission and see the sights you never saw. I love Guatemala and Belize. I feel like I am getting to know a piece of my husband that I never knew. A country who helped shape him into who he is today. They are poor but happy and friendly. The biggest bonus is they all love 80's music. These are my people they are stuck in the 80's. This is us in Tikal a ruin built in 400AD. They think this could of been a Lamanite city.

Hola

I am still on vacation. This is where the Mayans think the Garden of Eden is... Lake Atitlan. So I guess we are Adam and Eve. I wanted to put some leaves in front of us but Scott was not for it. Those are volcanoes behind us. We swam up next to edge of the volcanoes and they are so hot it makes the water feel like the spa. Some spots are so hot that you could not stand it. So much to tell so little internet in the Garden of Eden.

2 day countdown

First day of school photos. Our annual tradition of holding fingers up for what grade they are going into. 1st, 3rd, and our 6th grader who thinks she will rule the school. blah...blah...blah... Now back to more important things...my trip.

Did I mention no kids on this trip? I know people are probably getting bugged with all my talk about my trip. People put a count down for a new baby on their blog which seems like forever. I was this close to doing it for my Belize trip, which I refrained from. So humor me for 2 more days. I thought I would share a little trip trick I like. Each day we are gone I have a bag with some sort of gift and note in it. That way they can take down a bag and see when we will be back as the bags leave the shelf. I think it helps them feel like we are not forgetting them and thinking of them. Look how many bags there are!!!! Yeah for me!!!! I promise I will come back a better more patient mother. It is a mother's summer vacation. Scott is invited too as my interpreter and nothing else.

Life is fair again

I said previously that life is not fair when Scott went to China. Next week life will be fair again when I get to Scuba dive the Great Blue Hole. The only laundry I will be doing is my bathing suits.

Tinkerbell

Over time I have gradually come to the conclusion that I like Sunday movies, Sunday music, Sunday journaling(blogging), Sunday reading and staying in my Sunday clothes(my dresses are more comfortable than some of my daily clothes). Just embracing Sunday things on Sunday. Never really laid down the law it just sort of evolved. Since Scott was called as Bishop the sports games are never on. Not because we are against it but he does not have any time on Sunday for a game. I guess in my own evolution my children have caught on. They play primary only on Sunday and stay in their comfortable dresses and only watch church movies. I guess they were trying to come up with a way to watch the movie they wanted to watch on Sunday. The girls approached me with the Tinkerbell movie and wrote the Mormon on it. "Mom can we watch this church movie?" What movie?...Tinkerbell The Mormon Movie...What are you talking about?...Look she is Mormon now!! I gave them a point for creativity and laughed. I said "Let me know when she starts dressing modestly and embraces her new beliefs...then we can talk."