Pinewood Derby

Wednesday, March 16th-



Pushing me on the Merry-go-round
after story time today

Working hard on his state report

Today is early out day and it was lovely weather, so the kids played at the park at the school. Molly was asleep in her car seat and I had a headache so we were just hanging out in the van. At one point at turned the key part way to roll down the window and apparently had it on like that too long because I killed the van battery. Luckily my nice friend and neighbor Elisa was still there too and we jumped the van.


All hooked up

When we finally got home, Cleod and I worked together on his state report. It is a Power Point Presentation on the state of New York. It is coming along well. It is a project that we've known about for a while but I put it off. It's due next week but my goal is for him to finish it this week.
To continue the pattern of stress in the Aitchison household this week, we decided to finish Ryan's pinewood derby car in the last hour before it started.

Pinewood Derby 2016

The race ended up being a lot of fun. I honestly was nervous. Cleod won last year and I felt really guilty about it. I know it's dumb, but I don't want other kids to be sad because of my kid. Ryan ended up getting 3rd and he was super happy about it.

3rd place!

Cleod's winning car from last year
didn't make it through the year
but he tried to race it anyway

March 14 & 15

Monday, March 14th-

Today was the start of a very busy week. I was trying my hardest to get done what I can get done today but it was sort of a failure. I forgot that Cleod and Ryan had orthodontist appointments until it was too late to go in. I had to reschedule it for next week, which made the boys sad. 

Molly hugging Cora when Cora was sad

We had the Huff boys over which is always great for the girls. They all get along well and I really don't have to interfere too much so I can get lots done while they play.

In the evening I had to babysit at the gym because the new Monday night girl can't start until next week. It was a busy night in the daycare and the kids were a little stressful for Silas at home. Not the way we like to spend our Monday nights, but it was a sacrifice I was willing to make. It is VERY hard to get someone to tend at the gym on Monday nights so I needed to do what I could to make sure the new girl would be able to get the shift.

Goofy girl

Molly combing Truman's hair

Tuesday, March 15th-

Today Cora had her last two immunizations do be up to date for Kindergarten. She was amazingly brave and didn't whine or cry at all. Afterwards we went to Lin's for a treat, the bank to see dad (and to get treats from our friend Kathy) and then to pick up some bundt cakes that Angela bought me in Vegas. (That's friendship for you!)



Mother-load of candy at the bank

Two bundtlets

Tonight was the Relief Society Birthday Party. Theme of the night was Princesses, since we are "Daughters of a King." Amber and I went together had made sure that we both dressed up (it was optional). I wore my Junior Prom dress that my mom made. We had SUCH a good time. The food was yummy and the company was excellent. I haven't laughed that much in a long time. Silas came for a little while but ended up having an impromptu meeting with his counselors and staying late at the church.

While I was gone, the kids watched Monsters, Inc. which apparently we haven't watched for a while because they told me that Grant, Cora and Molly all cried. I was sad I missed that. I kind of like watching them get so into the emotional parts of movies, especially Grant. He is so nice and sensitive.

Silas & I, Spring 2000

Amber, Me and Silas

Amber, Me and Melissa

Buddies!



Bishop Aitchison's first RS activity
 

March 13

Sunday, March 13th-

This morning was *great.* The was sarcasm. Actually, looking back it wasn't too awful, but we had a lot of factors working against us. First of all, today daylight savings began, so we lost an hour of sleep. Really, we slept the same but when we got up, it was later. Silas made it to his priesthood leadership meeting on time but the kids and I were later than normal getting to Grandma's house to wake her up. I left Cleod and Ryan home to get ready and so they could go to church with Silas. I was afraid the rest of us weren't going to make it back for much of Stake Conference, which started at 10am, but I tried to nicely tell Grandma that we needed to get to church and she didn't take as long as she normally does in the mornings. We walked in just as Pres. Rau got up to start the meeting.

The meeting was very good and mostly helped me to feel like I am doing ok and although I need to work on things, I didn't feel the guilt that I sometimes feel during meetings like this. Molly was a little crazy during the meeting so Silas was in and out...I was enjoying having him with me because I know it is a new rarity.

Joleen shared photos she had taken while she was here on Facebook a couple days ago, so the rest of this post is a FLASHBACK post.

Last Sunday as some of our company was starting to get on the road, we had a little snow storm. It was one of those really lovely snow falls. Luckily, everyone got home safely.

For dessert on Sunday, my mom had bought some Nothing Bundt Cake for us in Vegas. We had a regular sized cake and four bundtlets. Pure joy in a bite.

Lovely line of bundtlets

From our Monday adventures-





Temple site

Uncle Gary visiting

Playing in the snow

Little snowball fight fun

During our shopping trip

March 11 & 12

Friday, March 11th-

Today was lovely.

After waking up Grandma, the kids and I went to the Warby's and just hung out for a few hours. We haven't been able to do that in so long. I held Tamina a lot of the time, which was great, and Deruchette and I had lots of time to visit.

In the afternoon, the kids and I met Amber and he boys at the track where we walked for an hour or so. The kids enjoyed playing together and we had a great visit.

Then in the evening, Silas and I went to St. George to the temple. We had a chapel session with the Stake leaders before doing an endowment session. During the chapel session, Pres. Rau talked to us about our eternal nature. I have always known that I am a daughter of God but something in the way he taught it tonight struck me differently. I felt especially that I needed to remember that my children are eternal beings who existed before they came to me and that they are strong and faithful spirits. Not only do I need to remember this, but I need to remind them regularly of who they are.

Oh, and today I came up with a new slogan for our family: Blessed and stressed! This week has felt like a roller coaster, full of highs and lows. But we do feel so blessed.



Saturday, March 12th-

This morning the littles and I headed to the gym to babysit while Silas and the two big boys went to the church to help load chairs from our church building to take to the Stake Center for Stake Conference this weekend.

While at the gym, Cora took pictures with my phone. This is a regular occurrence but today she would out how to edit pictures on my phone. She had a lot of fun playing with the different effects.



Photo and editing by Cora

This afternoon we walked with the kids to the church to figure out how to decorate the Bishop's office. We purchased a couple of nice pictures from Deseret Book this week and spent some time deciding where to put them. The kids enjoyed playing in the gym while we did this.



Playing at the church

This week Cora received a late birthday present from the Warby's and today we sat down to work on it. It's a little kit to make toy pot holders. Cora is so good at it already! And she's so nice, she let Cleod make one too!

Happy girl!

Concentrating

This evening, Silas and I headed to the Stake Center for the Adult Session of Stake Conference. This is always my favorite meeting and tonight was not a disappointment. Pres. Maxwell talked about the importance of councils and how we can all work together to help people in our ward. I need to be a better visiting teacher. Brother Potter talked about making sacrifices. He talked about how in the ancient church (before Christ) they gave their best animals or food and sacrificed it on the altar. We should also sacrifice our BEST to the Lord. We had a member of the Seventy and his wife visit: Elder and Sister Zeballos. They were adorable. Sister Zeballos talked about having faith and being obedient ALWAYS. She also talked about marriage and how we need to always think of the needs of the other instead of being selfish. Elder Zeballos explained how we are stronger when we work together and continued the discussion on councils.

After the meeting, Silas and I took a new couple in our ward out for ice cream. The husband is the new Executive Secretary so Silas chatted with him about schedules and some of his duties. We had a good visit and I am happy to see that good people will be serving with my cute husband.



The honeymoon is over

Wednesday, March 9th-

Yesterday afternoon Silas told me that the honeymoon was over, meaning the weight of his new calling has set in. Today he had all kinds of phone calls at work. I tried to be positive and remind him of how much peace we had recently concerning the calling. We know it is the right thing and that we will be fine. 

But this morning I felt the weight of it on me as well. Silas got home late last night so he didn't wake up for racquetball and was stressed as he got ready for work this morning. I don't love it when he's stressed like that. He left for work without a hug and then the enormity of the rest of the week with the kids at home came down on me. I normally love having my kids home but the last few days they haven't gotten along and I haven't been keeping up with the house while we had company. There is so much to do and I won't have a husband home tonight to help me.

During the last year or so, I have been able to leave the house without kids more often than I ever have as a mom. With no baby attached to me and with such a great husband who is willing, I have been able to do Book Club and mutual and Relief Society meetings without worrying about it negatively impacting the kids. I have felt very free. Today I realized that some of that new-found freedom will be lost to me for a time. Silas won't be able to be home as much as he was. It will be more of an adjustment to my selfish side than I realized.

Honestly though, I am grateful for the challenge this will be for me. I can show what I'm made of...I can show how strong (or weak, at times) I really am.


Thursday, March 10th-

Found Ryan reading to Molly this
 morning before they came down for
breakfast.

This afternoon I took the kids and Kianna to the Aquatic Center for a couple hours to swim. It was good for the kids to get out of the house. We have been busy with Grandma Warby this week and I feel like they haven't had the most exciting Spring Break. At the same time, I think it is good for us to just be together. Spending some time at the pool helped us to forget about some of the stress we've had this week.

We were all anxious for an evening with Silas tonight, after he was gone yesterday and Tuesday until late, but together Silas came home from work with an awful headache and had to go to sleep after dinner. I wasn't very patient (in my head) about the situation. Can't I have some attention from my husband too? Don't my kids deserve to have their dad around?

I realize now that those are mostly selfish thoughts. They might be true, but life is hard and we need to use these experiences to grow, not to become bitter and frustrated.

March 8

Tuesday, March 8th-

How I found Molly when I got home
from the gym early this morning

Feeding ducks at the gas station

Grant lost a tooth today too!

Today the lack of routine for the kids (with the crazy weekend and with Spring Break) started to become more apparent to me. We were originally planning that the kids and I would drive Grandma and Grandpa Aitchison to the airport in Vegas but I decided that the kids and I probably wouldn't be able to handle that much time in the car, especially since we did about the same trip on Friday to Provo. So our nice, unselfish Grandma Rowley met us half way. I am grateful for a mom who wants to be as helpful as possible. I'm also grateful that I really do get along with my mother-in-law. I wish we could hang out more often.

Photo by Ryan, taken in the Gorge

Once the kids and I were back home, I tried to start some laundry and other cleaning that was neglected the last few days and the kids played outside. I enjoyed more of the goodies we had purchased yesterday as well.

Silas had his first crazy long night at the church, meeting with his counselors and visiting a member of the ward who is in the hospital. The kids and I spent some of our evening at Grandma Warby's feeding her dinner. The kids seriously love going there.



The boys love readying the Charlie Brown books
at Grandma Warby's

Nerdy Cleod reading the newspaper

Cora serving "donuts"

Molly loving her applesauce

Enjoying our company

Sunday, March 6th-

Notes Cora made during Sacrament Meeting today

After church, we got together at our house with the family that came to supper Silas in his new calling. Grandma and Grandpa Aitchison flew into Vegas yesterday and Silas picked them up along with Cleod and Molly. Grandma and Grandpa Rowley drove into town for the day as well as Darin and Nicolle. Brett and Deruchette came with Kianna and Tamina and Brooklyn came by later in the evening. Josh Williams came to sacrament meeting as well, which was very nice. We felt loved.

Cleod holding Tamina for the first time

Cora wearing all her socks

Enjoying the evening together

Grandma Rowley holding Tamina

Happy Granty

Pretty girl

Monday, March 7th-

Silas took the day off today so we could spend time with his parents. This week is also Spring Break for the kids, so we all got to enjoy our company. We did some shopping and went to Pastry Pub for lunch. Joleen and I picked up a ton of desserts from the French bakery and enjoyed making our own sample plates several times throughout the evening. We also got Thai food for dinner. We basically totally spoiled ourselves today and it was fun! Gary came to visit for an hour or two, which was really nice.

Reading in Deseret Book

Ready for lunch

The whole gang

Silas patiently letting Molly be the hairdresser

Dessert Extravaganza



Grandma and Cleod at Habit Burger on Saturday