Family Home Evening—Rope

Our theme for family home evening this week was: rope. We had a lesson from a talk by Elder Richard J Maynes of the Seventy. We learned that our families are like ropes—just like a rope has different strands woven together to make it strong, we as a family have different individuals working together to make our families strong. We learned of all the things we can do in our lives to make our family strong just like a rope (Elle really enjoyed this analogy; Hudson didn’t listen to me once). We then wove our own jump ropes out of old socks and clothes we found around the house (both Elle and Hudson enjoyed this; it turned out really cool). And lastly we had marshmallow ropes for dessert (eating our theme for the week is always a favorite).

Father's Day

We tried to make Father’s Day extra special for Johnny, by letting him sleep in and get breakfast in bed. However, Hudson spoiled our plans a little, because for some reason he decided that he just had to get into our room and see his dad before the designated hour. He screamed and cried at the door until Johnny came out; and once he saw Johnny, he stopped crying and then he ran off to do something else. I couldn’t figure out what the whole screaming bit was about. I still can’t. I guess he just wanted to make sure Johnny was still alive in there.

Once the screaming was over, I told Johnny to go back to bed. I then hurriedly got a breakfast together and took it up to him. It was not quite the surprise I was going for, but he still thought it was nice (except for the part where Hudson was screaming at the door; that was not so nice). But even with all the screaming, Father's Day turned out extra special.



And take a look at all those blue eyes. I am feeling quite left out with my lonely green ones.

Funny Girl

Funny statements and questions are constantly streaming out of Elle’s mouth. I am often amazed—although I shouldn’t be—at what she says. Today was no different. Today she made me laugh, out-loud, many times.

Here are two of her matter-of-fact statements that really made me laugh:

This morning when she woke up and was still a little groggy, she said, “Mom, I’m unstable.”

Then, later in church, I was trying to be funny with her, and she said, “Mom, you’re so embarrassing.”

A Boy after His Daddy's Heart

Hudson often wakes up from his nap each day, and immediately gets into mischief. He never cries out or lets me know he is awake; I usually find out, because he has gotten into some kind of trouble or other. He is a very quiet trouble maker. One never knows what naughtiness he will sneak into next.

This was precisely the case the other day when he woke up from his nap. I was busy doing things that I can only do when Hudson is asleep, when I was pretty sure I heard him awake. I was a little busy, so I told myself he was being good—never a good thing. After a little longer, I knew I heard him near Johnny’s desk, which is a definite no-no in our house. I quickly dropped everything I was doing, and headed up the stairs. I was not sure what I was going to find, but having my son sitting at his father’s desk watching golf was not at all what I expected.

That’s right. Hudson somehow managed to turn on the computer monitor, and then he somehow managed to turn on the satellite. How? I don’t know. But manage he did. And to top it all off, he was being so good—not even a little bit naughty—sitting there watching golf on ESPN. I was in shock. First, because he had turned the computer and satellite on by himself; and second, because he was being so good—no trouble making at all. I couldn’t help but just stand there and smile. And all I could think at that moment was that his daddy would be so proud. And he was.

Half Marathon

Today, along with many other pain-seeking girls, I ran a half marathon. I have been training for this half marathon—if you can call running once a week training—since about April. I do so love to run, but running long distances for a long period of time often bores me. For a little under two months I have been running once a week, usually on Saturdays—it is the only day Johnny can watch my two sweet-but-I’m-not-running-with-you-in-a-jogging-stroller children. I know this is not the best way to train for a half marathon, but even only running once a week got boring to me. I was tired of spending an hour and a half running every Saturday.

However, the semi-training worked, because I was able to meet my goal of running in two hours flat (I was hoping to run in under two hours, but two hours is just as good to me). It was painful and extremely tiring (mentally and physically), but in the end it was completely exhilarating. I now have the biggest blister I have ever had on the bottom of my foot, and I found out, after the race, that I was bleeding at my ankle wear my shoe rubs up against it. But other than my two minor injuries, I feel good.

And Johnny, Elle and Hudson were waiting for me at the finish line, and that made it all worth it. Elle spotted me at the last bend before the finish, and it was so sweet to see her cheering and waving me on. Hudson was a little oblivious to what was happening, but once he found me at the end of the race, he did not want out of my arms. He did then proceed to pull my pony tail at least twenty times, and he also bit me on the shoulder; but I knew that deep down it was his way of congratulating me.

I am so glad that I ran this race. I ran it harder than I ever have, and I had to dig deep down to my last reserves to finish in good time and reach my goal. But I am also happy that the race is over. I am happy to have my Saturdays back; and I am happy that I will not have to spend them running for any more boring lengths of time.

Gymnastics

Elle had another exciting—meaning she could hardly contain her enthusiasm—week in gymnastics. Elle just loves being in a gymnastics program. She enjoys every task they do—even down to smelling her feet in the butterfly stretch (I know gross). But, as a mother, it is fun to see your child so excited to do something. There is nothing worse than dragging their cute little bums into each and every lesson. It is much better to take them in smiling and bubbling over with enthusiasm.

Mamma Mia!

We attended the Broadway production of Mamma Mia! this week, and it was so much fun. I’m pretty sure I say that every time we attend a show, but how can Broadway not be fun? I just love having a girls night out; dinner and a Broadway show is always fun. Johnny may say otherwise, due to the fact that he acquires all nighttime responsibilities when I am gone; but no one asked him. It is my blog, and I say they are always fun.