I spoke too soon

Yes, I shuddered. I really don't like snakes. Oh, but the kids were excited. Their only disappointment was that it had accidentally found its way in front of the tractor.

Wild Animals

It didn't take long for a trap to be set for wild animals. Although we have seen quite a bit of wildlife, nothing but caterpillars has been caught so far. Sightings include skunks, deer, turkeys, armadillos, turtles, and squirrels. Some close to the house and thankfully, some not so close.

First Day of School

I don't think it could have been much more different than our usual first day. On a cloudy, misty/rainy, 64 degree day, we sent the kids off to their first day of school here in WP. With all four at the same school for the first time, there was definitely some anxious excitement. Since Sam entered kindergarten, they were all used to friends waiting and walking and talking on the first day of school. We missed the ritual of walking which is not an option because school is 2 miles away on a narrow, barely car safe country road. But, except for needing help finding a locker, they all seemed to enter their classrooms with confidence. Casey walked right into his without looking back, Zach gave his teacher a hug, Maggie took control of her desk, and Sam high-fived a baseball buddy. I was so proud of their bravery. I personally was glad to have Jill there to bring home with me, and was missing the usual faces and friends to commiserate with. So, I can't wait to see how the first day went and hear all about the day. Luckily, I always forget how fast the day goes and now, it is time to go pick them up.

Lake Norfork

On Saturday, we went to Lake Norfork with a family in the ward. The kids were kind of excited, but none of them had ever been to a lake before. Not knowing what to expect, they were full of questions like, are there sharks or alligators, and they wanted to know if you actually get in the water and swim. The lake is a short 45 minute drive from our house and is one of the most beautiful lakes I have been to. It is surrounded by hills of green trees and the water is very warm. (A major plus for me.) After much coersion, Casey even rode the banana and ended up loving every minute. He says he is going back to swim at the lake for his birthday. *He doesn't quite understand that we don't have our own water vehicle. We ate tons of junk food and we all loved to swim and float. Jill especially liked the ease of floating with a life jacket on. All of the kids agreed that the lake was way more fun than they thought it would be and hopefully we can get back there someday to enjoy some more great family time.

Worn out

I think this picture of Jilly is a small representation of how we all feel after packing up our house, loading the big truck, a two-day, 21.5 hour car trip with 5 kids and a dog, unloading the big truck, returning the big truck to Springfield, retrieving Ron's car from Springfield, moving furniture inside, slowly unpacking boxes, changing locks, situating the stuff in new surroundings, acclimating to a new ward, and getting started in baseball, school sign-ups, sports physicals, laundry and all of the other normal day activities. We are all happy that most of the moving is done and, I promise, we do have a bed for the poor sweetpie.

Trip to Branson

Branson, Missouri

Our first Saturday in Missouri, we drove 2 hours to Branson. We found good shopping, good food, good people watching, and Sugar Bears. We all fell in love with a fast trip to Branson and the kids fell in love with Sugar Bears. (check them out at www.sugargliderinfo.org) *A fair warning,

especially for Savannah, because they are soooooo cute. For the next 3 days, the kids tried and tried to find a way to influence a purchase of a sugar bear. Maggie wants me to write that she is dying for a Sugar Bear. The options presented by the kids were saving their own money, putting all of their money together, combining birthdays, and of course Christmas. They played Sugar Bear family and begged and begged until they finally got it. We are not getting a Sugar Bear. They were fun to watch, but not to own.
Anyway, Branson is beautifully located on a river running along an outdoor shopping mecca. A giant fountain show is the centerpiece with people staking out seats an hour before each show. Since the trip, I've been told that Dixie Stampede is the show to see with kids, so maybe next time. Anyone wanting to meet us in Branson, let us know. And no, Kat, we did not age just by going there. Anyway, we are always up for the trip, especially to meet up with someone.
I wish I had taken more pictures, but my resident photographer, Thelissa, was not with us. So, all I have is pictures taken at the restaurant.
P.S. It is not autumn yet, but the picture was beautiful and shows how many trees there are in the area.

Tears over Teddy

Ron has not enjoyed Teddy's rough transition to Missouri. Things such as throwing up in the car on the way here, Teddy having house training issues, and white fur constantly being under foot have gotten on the dad's nerves. So, today Ron was trying to buy Casey over to the dark side by offering him Star Wars toys in exchange for finding Teddy a new home. (We all know Casey can be bought.) Casey was thrilled and screamed with joy at the thought of adding to his toy collection. Unfortunately, Maggie overheard and burst into tears and sobs, thinking Teddy was leaving us. She immediately picked up Teddy, marched to her room, and let us all audibly know her feelings on the matter. The tears just seemed to snowball from there with homesickness from several kids and me aching for some sense of familiarity. Sunday seems to be a hard day with church both a bright part of the week and a sad one. We all definitely miss so much about RM ward, but also love to go where there are things that we know and love. So, hopefully each week will get better as we get to know the flow of WP and hopefully continue to stumble across forgotten notes from Eliza in the church bag reminding of good things.

Basking in green

Please no chiggers, please no chiggers, please no chiggers.

Believe me . . .

Believe me, the whole time this was happening, I was cringing with thoughts of chiggers and ticks. So far, none to be seen. But, this video, shot by Sam, is typical behavior most days after Ron comes home from work. You see Ron mowing, Teddy frolicking, Casey picking his nose and exploring, Maggie running and picking flowers, Zach (not seen) seeking out rocks worthy of a new collection, and Jill looking for trouble. Me, I just pray and hope that chiggers and ticks don't find us and love that the kids are having a good time.

A lasting memory

Our last night in AZ was spent sweating and cheering on kids at Kino pool. Sam, Zach, and Maggie swam in the city championship meet to say farewell to a fabulous swim season. Sam ended up placing sixth in butterfly and I.M. Zach placed first in backstroke, second in I.M., and third in butterfly. Maggie placed first in backstroke, second in butterfly, and third in freestyle.

It was a meet made more intense with Ron keeping track of points and contenders and me crossing my fingers for two hand touches. Sam was wishing he was twelve and not eleven, but swam an I.M. to remember. He continues to improve each year and is going to be a great mid-distance swimmer. Zach was seeded eighth in butterfly, but listened well to last minute coaching and tweaked his kick to improve 5 spots for third. He wasn't expecting a trophy and was surprised when he was awarded the runner-up trophy for getting the second highest point total for the boys 7-8. Maggie remembered to swim butterfly and NO freestyle arms to keep from getting disqualified and was thrilled when she won High Point trophy for girls 6 and under. They all did an awesome job, swam faster than they ever had before, and will always remember their last City of Mesa swim meet.

P.S. I found the cord, so pictures and video of MO to come soon.