Bye Bye Bakery!

Whew! What a relief! Words cannot even describe how grateful we are to be done with bakery ownership. I haven't expressed much of the stress and anxiety we have had over the last couple years for several reasons. I don't like to complain. If you can't say something nice, don't say anything at all, right? Plus, it's not a good idea to complain when you have employees that you need to stick around, or customers for that matter.

Looking back, we had every intention of this working out beautifully and of bringing our family closer together. We knew that it involved financial sacrifice. We never thought we'd be rich off the bakery, but we didn't expect to loose so much either. Trying to be frugal when there isn't enough to work with is frustrating beyond anything. No matter what, you still don't ever have enough. And that extra time together? Didn't happen, and when it did it was overshadowed by the amount of stress we were dealing with. Me, being the worrier I am, started looking ahead and thinking, "4 more years till college, kids are going to need braces, both our cars are 9 years old, if anything were to break in the house.." And knowing there was NO way any of these things could be taken care of within our current situation.

I have to say that it was not due to lack of effort! I have always had confidence in Doug to be able to take care of us--and still do. I've been so blessed to be able to be a stay at home mom most of our married life. He has so many talents and is so good at many things. But something had to change, and Doug finally realized it a few excruciating months after I felt that way. Doug is ever the optimist and that is why I married him, to balance us out. :) So the money was running out, in fact we had 2 weeks left before it was gone, when Doug got a job offer at Leprino foods. Hallelujah! I can't describe how wonderful that first paycheck felt coming in. Finally, hard work equals pay! He'd been working so hard and it had been so long since he'd been rewarded for it.

I have no doubt that Heavenly Father blessed us at that time, but why did it have to be at the 11th hour? That, I still don't know. I also know that the floodgates were opened which I felt He was holding off until we had the means to deal with them. Our water heater went out, and we had to buy 2 new cars in one month! Then a few months later we had broken arms, emergency room visits, and braces. All of which would have done us in had they happened earlier.

So although the new job was a major relief, Doug still had the added stress of not being in the bakery and was always in damage control mode. So his relief comes now that we can sell it. Now he will be able to focus on his real job during the day, and maybe have a spare moment to actually recreate or just relax during all other hours of the day. So again, within 2 weeks (again, the 11th hour!) of having to make some major changes in order to stay in business we found the perfect buyer whom we hope will be able to make the bakery all that we weren't able to.

I like things all wrapped up in a nice clean package. So this whole experience has me miffed. What was the purpose? There doesn't seem to be an obvious answer. Maybe we were supposed to know what it feels like to not have enough money, or to loose a LOT of money, or to fail at something. Or maybe we were to experience being pushed to the limit emotionally and realize where we are weak. Or to appreciate what we have? Or simply a very hard lesson on patience? So we can have real empathy for others in a similar situation? Maybe I'll know in the future, because what is the point of a trial if you don't know what you learned from it?

In the end, I do know that we aren't forgotten, and that we were rescued--2 times--just as we were about to fall off the cliff. We aren't bankrupt or destitute. We just have what I like to call "the invisible house" that we will be paying for for several years. But it's doable, just barely, but doable.

We are looking forward to happier, easier times ahead. Just in time to deal with teenagers! We will need all our mental capacities for that.

Hunger Games Party

For Grayson & Whitney's Birthday-palooza we celebrated by watching the release of Hunger Games! They each invited 5 friends, plus Grandma Millie & Grandpa Ted and our family, so we ended up with 15 of us going to the movie. We started the evening with some Hunger Games trivia and lots of food including Nightlock berries, Prim's goat cheese wrapped in Basil (which is really good!), charred tree rat meat (meatballs), sleep syrup (homemade root beer), birthday cake and cake pops. Then we did a "reaping" and each guest had to act out their death when their name was drawn. Some were attacked by tracker jackers, fell off a cliff, died of thirst, etc. Both boys and girls enjoyed this!

The movie was excellent! Most of the girls cried through the sad parts. The violence wasn't too much though, considering the plot of throwing 24 people into an arena to fight to the death. There was usually camera shake which blurred the scene during the bloody parts, so you knew what was happening but didn't have to see every detail. My rule has been if they read the book and know what to expect then I'm ok with them seeing the movie. This worked for Harry Potter. I still haven't let Whitney read Twilight and so she hasn't seen those movies either. Especially after the last movie, I'm ok if she never reads them! The sad parts were more traumatic than the violent parts I think in Hunger Games, but they knew they were coming from reading the book. I was anxious to see how they portrayed the Capital people and I was impressed, they did a good job of making them look different but not kookie. The only cheesy part for me was when Peeta painted himself into the stream. Overall they did a great job on the movie, and Katniss was really believable--loved her! Always good to have a young female character who is more into hunting, strategy and making a sacrifice for her family than being a silly, love-crazed teen. I think there are a lot of good messages in this book if you don't take it at face value. I give both the movie and book 4/4 stars, and ALL the kids boys & girls loved the movie.

It's been years since we've combined boys & girls for a birthday party. For those that don't know, Grayson and Whitney share the exact same birthday two years apart. So when they were younger we often combined, but it's been a few years. It's a lot of work to do 2 separate parties within the same week, we've even done them the same day just different times. Anyway, they are all good kids and there wasn't any awkwardness. They pretty much split up boys and girls, but played games together. Pretty successful for a group of 13 year old girls and 15 year old boys!

Play in a Day

All the wards in the stake had to come up with a play in a day complete with scripts, costumes, props and all! My kids had SO much fun and wish they could do this every year. Whitney designed the shirts for the Kool Ponies (80's style) and Grayson had a small speaking part. These were super fun to watch, but our ward's was the best! If you want to watch the whole thing, click below:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=9JFL7pKwyn4

Mitt Romney for President!

When I offered to take my 2 older kids OUT of school to go to a Mitt Romney rally I got this reaction: "Mom, of all the things I care about on a scale of 1-10 politics are a 2." (From Grayson). And from Whitney, "Mom, I don't even care about shaking the current president's hand." Neither do I, Whitney. But now Romney, that's different! I've been watching all the debates and am convinced not only will Romney be the GOP candidate, I think he'll be our next president.

I finally convinced Grayson to go to the rally with me (and friend Heather Tracy) in the snow about 40 min drive. We waited and waited and Romney didn't show until an hour late when he came in a grand entrance. The rally was at a RV place so the bus drove straight in and he was right there, literally the bus came within inches of where we were standing. Thanks to Heather's connections, we got a great seat right in front. He gave a brief speech and then went around shaking hands for another 30 min or so. Right before he got back on the bus, both Grayson and I got to shake his hand! Now he just needs to become president so we can say we've shaken the president's hand!

Eli turns 9

Eli had a friend at school whose parents gave him money they would have spent on a party to buy toys instead. He thought this was an excellent idea, and I went along with it. Less work for me! So we sat down and picked a bunch of things from Amazon (mostly legos). So a very low-key birthday for our very low-key Eli!

Eli is a sweet tender hearted little guy. He is very shy which is good and bad. He wouldn't dream of getting in trouble at school, but he has a hard time trying new things. At home he is relaxed and we see the goofy side of him that dances around silly and laughs. He's got a great sense of humor, and his laugh is contagious! He is small for his age, but luckily has good buddies with the same challenge. He is good at soccer and an absolute pro at tetherball! Hardly anyone can ever beat him even with a couple feet above him. I'm starting to get him interested in baseball because I think he'd be really good at it. His hand-eye coordination is amazing. For Christmas he got several tickets to professional sports games--CU basketball, Lacrosse, Soccer, Baseball. Ever since he was little he LOVED to watch live sports. All the other kids would be bored out of their minds after a few minutes, while Eli was keeping score and memorizing players' names. We love our Eli and can't imagine our home without him! Happy Birthday E!

Lion King

Doug and I had the opportunity to see Lion King last night thru a work connection. We had a fabulous meal at Maggiano's in Denver, then walked over to the Buell for the show. Anyone who knows me knows I absolutely love broadway shows! I was surprisingly disappointed with this show, especially because all the reviews from friends and online reviews are excellent. Did we see the same show? Maybe because it's based on a cartoon, but it seemed so hokey. It was almost word-for-word the movie. This movie came out when my bigger kids were little so I've seen it oh, a few hundred times over the years. Love the movie; it has a great message. The musical though, all the deeper themes were sort of lost. The costumes were kind of cool, the music was just ok. Rafiki was the only character whose voice really shined and was amazing.

It wasn't just me either, Doug felt the same about the show. After seeing Les Mis there a couple months ago, Lion King wasn't even in the same league. We absolutely loved Les Mis. The music was outstanding, and it had all the deeper themes that make for a moving story. I know that's like comparing apples to oranges but it's just such a contrast having seen the two within a few weeks. It can't be that it was just Disney, because Mary Poppins was awesome--actually one of my favorites of all time. So, for what it's worth Lion King would be a fun, albeit expensive night with kids 5-10 years old. Just my opinion :)

My list of favorite musicals: Les Miserables, Wicked, Mary Poppins

Just ok list: Phantom of the Opera, Mama Mia

Bottom of the list: Lion King

Halloween

ER

Third time this kid has been to the ER in his eight years. Only kid who has broken a bone. This morning after drop off at school Eli headed straight for the monkey bars, slipped off, and landed with his hand folded under-Ouch! I was only 5 min down the road when the school called. Morgan saw him fall and went to find a teacher when he said he thought he broke his hand. She now claims she's saved his life. When I got back to the school, it was very obvious he had broken his wrist. The xrays show a break in his ulna about an inch from his wrist on his right hand, and yes he is right handed. So we headed straight to the ER and spent most of the day there. After xrays and a resetting by a really great orthopedic pediatric doc, he got wrapped up in a soft cast with some pain meds and we went home. I hope to never have to see a bone reset like that again, but it was pretty amazing. Eli was knocked out for that part and doesn't remember a thing, thank goodness.

After being home and situated with a happy meal and a movie and not being at school, Eli says, "This is the best day ever!" I think maybe the pain meds were talking there. But he does seem to be fine now. Not being able to carry a backpack or go to the bathroom pretty much means he'll be home until he gets the hard cast on in 6 days. Poor little guy. So glad his sister was there and helped him, and glad for the school's quick action, and for the great docs we had that made a bad situation as good as it possibly could be. There will be no tetherball playing, soccer practice, biking, scootering and a bunch of other things for a while so I hope he won't be too bored. By December (6 weeks of cast) he should be good as new!

You think it's broken?

Can you see the bone that should be straight but is bent upward?

Getting ready for resetting…very sleepy.

Time to go home..

Home to heal; good to see that smile back.

Happy Feet

Maybe I was inspired by Whitney's running essay, or maybe I just have too much time on my hands, but here are some thoughts on my challenge of running the past decade or so. It doesn't get any easier, but sometimes there are rewards that keep you going.

Shiny new running shoes means I have to put away yet another well-worn pair. As I think back to where each pair of shoes has taken me, I remember the hard work and effort it took to consistently put them on and pound out a few miles. I think of the races I’ve worn them in, and how supportive or unsupportive they proved to be when it really mattered. Lost toenails, blisters, and shin splints have each had their turn.

Sometimes I may think I’m not fast enough or doing as well as I’d like, but the fact that I still manage to wear out pair after pair means I’m trying. And they remind me to keep trying. They remind me of where I’ve been and that I can do hard things. I’m reenergized with my new Mizuno shoes, (first time out of Asics) and ready to pound out more miles. These shiny new shoes will yet be old and unsupportive like all the others. A sad day is when I don’t wear out my shoes!

The Last Race, by Whitney

Whitney wrote this personal narrative for school… I think it's pretty awesome. She is loving cross country and getting so good, even giving me tips on how to get faster.

The Last Race

My heart thumps like a band of drums. A man walks to the middle of the field. The thumping my heart’s making makes me think my chest will burst. “Get Ready!” yells the man; his voice cracking from the strain. “Get Set!” Everyone leans forward, looking around or ahead at their opponents. But not me. I look straight, so that when he says the word I will run with no hesitation. “GOOO!!!!!!” He dodges us while he tries to reach the sideline before being pummeled by the runners.

By the time I had ran for about eight minutes One fourth of the people who were in front of me at the start of the race I had passed. Closing in on them, getting closer and closed. For just a split second our feet thumping on the ground would be synchronized. But I would move on, not stopping for anyone or anything. I passed all of the people who walked, all the time listening to my own thoughts. Thinking of how wonderful and refreshing it would be to walk with them. I wanted to more than you can imagine. But I dropped my heart’s desire at that moment and continued.

While I listen to my thoughts I think; I can’t let all my hard work go to waste. It took all season long to get here. I am a runner. Running cross country is my sport. Most people quit cross country. The finish is in sight, but I can’t give out now. The crowd sees me. Some people cheer, others just look behind me for their relatives or friends. I speed up. Putting my hands straight, elbows bent, and taking strides. Sprinting the rest of the way. I hear the crowd. It gets louder and louder. I zone out focusing on the race and me. I notice I start to slow, so I go even faster seeing that the crowd is cheering for another person behind me. I cross the line and I hear my name. I slow to a fast walk which turns into a walk which causes me to sit. People approach me and congratulate me.

Then I see my family. I stand to greet them. My dad comes and lifts me up. He raises me in the air. I feel a magical breeze on my face. I feel a feeling of accomplishment, and know that this is my sport. On the ride home I think about when the season began. I was fast but I got cramps and I did not try that hard. And when I did I was exhausted, but as the days passed, then weeks, the end has come. The last race; I look back on my accomplishments: three ribbons, two for participating and one for ninth, and a fifteenth place medal. I realize that if I had not gone to practices or tried hard I would have been miserable, and I would be slow too. So from that day I learned a true lesson; when you want to achieve something you have to work for it.

The Salty Lake

I've always wanted to go out to the Great Salt Lake and show the kids. No one ever wanted to go with me. But this year my mom and I went. Despite what other people say, we had a great time! If you can get past the dead birds (I don't understand why they're there) and the harmless brine flies near the shore, it's fun! The fun part is floating in the water. And it's not deep at all. Whitney and Eli went I swear a mile out to where they could no longer hear me screaming at the top of my lungs…for several minutes to get them to come back. Then we went and took a look at the old Saltair building that is still there, but rebuilt several times. Grayson was at EFY at BYU all week which is why I have none of him. I remember coming here as a kid and thinking it was gross but cool. Same impression this time. Next time we want to bring some tubes or rafts, because although you can float you don't want to get your head wet because your eyes will burn with salt!

Yeah, those are bugs. Eli enjoyed running along the shore creating a grey cloud of bugs as he ran. These are our shoes when we came back in to shore.

More Utah

Salt Lake City and Sister Petty! We visited with my mom who is serving a mission in the Church History Center in SLC. We got to go to church with her in the Joseph Smith Memorial Building, and the kids were amazed at the ceiling and wall carvings and how fancy it was inside. It was good to see her, and she looks great and we are proud of her! She'll be serving 18 months ending in August 2012.

I also got to visit with my wonderful sister from California and take some family pictures and senior pictures of Hayley. Aren't they adorable? :)

So hard to believe Hayley's graduating this year! I remember when I would buy her baby clothes from The Children's Place with my discount. I was just a bit older than her then...Man, I'm old!

We also got to stay with the Olsen cousins (Doug's family) because it seems everyone lives in Utah. This is Whitney's closest cousin Abby. She's lucky to have 2 cousins her same age-my brother's daughter Emilee too. Emilee actually came back to CO with us for a week and the girls had a great time.