Busy May... and June!

The month of May was a crazy one for our family.  I guess every month is crazy for our family with everything that goes on in our lives, but May just seemed a little more so.  First, pay day couldn't come soon enough, and when it finally did the funds were gone within just a few hours.  All the bills had to be paid and the fridge had to be filled.  The sad thing is that we can fill the fridge, but these kids are like ravenous wolves and eat everything in sight.  By the end of a week, we wonder where all the food has gone, and turn to see our 6 lovely children staring at us.  Needless to say, somehow we made it.

Our cute little Seth turned 5 years old!!!  Happy Birthday cute little man!  He had a fun birthday with friends and family that came to celebrate with him.

 He is all boy and got everything from nerf guns to Lego's.  He was even able to take a treat to preschool to share with his friends there, and got a special birthday crown to where.

Seth is a great kid, and adds so much life to our family.  He has the most contagious laugh and can brighten a room with his smile.  Now, don't get me wrong... he has his bad day's and bad moments like every other 5 year old out there, but he really is such a good boy.

We are so thankful for family and good friends who helped make his day so special.

Jake finished up another season of soccer in May.  He had a really good year and we really saw a lot of life come out of him this time around.  In years past it has just been a bunch of little people running around on the fields, but this year the kids were aggressive, had more control, and seemed to be having fun while they were playing.

 What a stud!  He will probably never be a pro soccer player, but a mom can dream, right?

Mary had her first tumbling revue in May and did really well.  I see her doing some of these beginner moves, and think to myself "I used to do that all the time, and more.  I can do that so easy and show her how it's done"  Your right, I can do these moves.  The only problem is that now when I do it, I can get into position just fine, but then I am stuck.  If I am lucky enough to pull out of some stunt, I get back up with a hurt back, sprained neck, or stiff joints.  Not to mention the lowered self-esteem from the realization that I have let myself get out of shape, and that I am not as young as I used to be.

 Mary finished up her first season of soccer in soccer as well.  She had a blast!  Not only was it her first time doing soccer, but she had like 6 of her friends with her on the same team.  Of course she loved it.  It was like a party every time she went.

Seth had his last preschool field trip of the year.  They went to Wheeler farm, learned about the animals and what is done on a farm, and had a wagon ride.  

 I had to post this picture.  This is Seth and Micah learning about how to milk cows.  I just thought this was so cute. They look almost the same with their cute little haircuts.  They are buddies... most days.

Along with all the fun and exciting stuff that kept us busy in May, we also had some injuries along the way.  Gideon had to have his forehead glued shut because Micah hit him in the head with a stick.  Seth had to get 4 staples in his scalp from jumping off of a bunk bed. Then we started out the lovely month of June with yet another injury.  Are you ready for this one........................

 Yes, that would be my baby with a huge black eye!  This picture doesn't even come close to what it looked like in real life.  It wasn't done swelling when this shot was taken.  He was accidentally hit by a baseball while Daddy and Little Aaron were playing catch at the ball field.  He was lucky that it didn't hit him just a bit higher in the face.  It could have been a lot worse.  I guess this is what we have to look forward to with 6 kids (5 of which are boys!), and all their sports and activities. 

This is just a small taste of what May was and what June is.  The boys are still finishing up their baseball season this month, getting out of school, and the pool is open, so the craziness is still at hand.

May was rough.  Busy and rough.

To add some personal perspective, during last month I experienced many sad days, where I felt overwhelmed and alone.  I felt as if this life of a big family and few resources had become too great for me.  I forgot on so many days how much the Lord had blessed my life, and just went through the motions of trying to get to the next day.  I had to take a step back and really remind myself that this IS life.  This is what I am doing.  I have six kids who all have desires and aspirations to do something great.  They  have more energy then I know what to do with most of the time.  I have a husband who is a full time student, and works very hard to provide for our family.  We are at capacity.  Yes, sometimes we just go, go, go all day.  I wonder how I can be in 3 places at once.  Sometimes our fridge is bare,  sometimes I wonder if the kids will ever stop fighting, and EVERY month the next pay day can't come soon enough.  We fly by the seat of our pants, and pray that we make it.  Our family is so loved and so blessed by our Heavenly Father that sometimes it  is just too much.  We feel like we don't have room to receive it.  Even though life is crazy, it can remind me how much the Lord is mindful of me.  I can think of the alternatives, and then what I have doesn't seem bad at all.  I love my family, my crazy little kids, and all their crazy little friends.  I love my husband, and believe it or not... I love this crazy life.

Love the Warmer Weather!!

We have really enjoyed this warmer weather and have taken advantage of the parks.  We have so much fun, and the kiddo's love it.  The swings have to be their favorite part.

 Micah in complete Heaven!

 Seth is just too cool to smile for pics right now.

 This is Seth's little friend Aidan. He loves the park as well.

 Shorty.

 He's always so serious now.  What happened to my cute little Sethy?

Little Buddies.

To the Amazing Women in my Life

Most days go by as normal without a second thought of some of the most important women in our lives. Sure, we talk to them on a daily or weekly basis, have some interaction now and then, but life keeps moving and time keeps slipping. Before we know it, today is yesterday, and we may look back on a time where we wish we could have said something so important, but life was too busy, or moved too fast. Today is NOT one of those days.

I love you Mom.

Thank you for all the years of caring for me. For giving me life and raising me to be the person that I am today. Thank you for giving me opportunity to discover who I was, for teaching me that I am a daughter of God, and a daughter loved by her parents. Thank you for wiping my tears, for caring for me while I was sick. Thank you for sitting up late at night waiting for me to walk through the door after a night out. Thank you for the napkins in my lunch bags that had written "I love you" on them. Thank you for the wonderful aroma's that filled our home, and that I could smell from the front porch coming home from school. Thank you for loving me through hard times and good. Thank you for countless things, more than I could write in this blog. Thank you for letting me be me. I love you.

I love you Mom.

Thank you for waiting so long and enduring years of hard and gut wrenching Mother's days when your arms were empty. Thank you for doing everything you did to raise such a kind, loving and respectful son. Thank you for accepting me into your home, heart and family. Thank you for the long talks and a listening ear. Thank you for loving me as me. I couldn't have asked for a better Mother-in-law. Truly, I was blessed. I love you.

I Love you Lindsay.

Thank you for being a wonderful sister-in-law. Thank you for all your advice and our long distance phone calls. Thank you for treating my children like your own. Thank you for putting up with my faults, and mishaps. Thank you for caring about me from the first time you met me. For loving me just because I loved your brother. For standing by my side when I went down the mountain. I don't remember it, but Aaron said you wouldn't leave my side, and that means so much to me. Thank you for being my friend. I love you.

I love you Dawn.

To the person who I shared a room with my whole childhood, who put up with me stealing her clothes, who wasn't afraid to walk in on me in the bathroom or shower together when time was short. Thank you for all the long nights we stayed up talking when Dad and Mom thought we were sleeping. Thank you for understanding me when I felt that no one else could. Thank you for the advice, the laughter, the fighting. You had a great deal of influence on me, and I am so grateful for you. Heavenly Father knew that I needed you. I love you.

There is so much more that I could write, but it would just take too long. The moments that I have shared with these beautiful women have shaped who I am today. I just needed to say how much I love them. We should all take the time to wish those special women in our lives a wonderful day. Mother's Day only happens once a year, but our moms will be our moms forever, and our sisters our friends forever.

Happy Mother's Day!

Play Ball!!!

So after a week of rain and more rain, snow and freezing temps, we finally get a few good days to actually get on the field. The boys were so excited and I was pretty relieved myself. Aaron and I thought it was ironic though, that the week that he has off of school, where he could actually go to the games, we didn't play one game. NOT ONE! They all got cancelled.

It was alright though. We were able to spend time together as a family and actually sit down at the dinner table together for the whole week. That is something that we really haven't had to opportunity to do in quite a while. I guess the rain was a blessing in disguise. Yes, the boys missed their games, but they were able to see their dad in exchange.

Now if the weather would just get warmer, everything would be perfect. Some of the kids games don't start until 7:30pm, so when we are finally done at 9:30, it is frigid and terrible. We go home with drippy noses, numb legs, wind blown hair, etc. It's fun, oh it's fun. I'm just sayin', it would be nice if it were warm too.

This little man is the one who I thought would lose his mind if one more game got cancelled. This is his first year in baseball, and he was more than excited to get started. Every time a game got rained out he would say "oh, you have got to be kidding me!" It was so funny.

Seth played really well! He hit the ball every time and he threw some fantastic throws. He got the "player of the game" award on the first game. He was so happy.

What a stud! I just have to say, I am so happy that they are having so much fun.

Happy Easter

HAPPY EASTER!!

This year the kids got a little extra surprise. Grandma decided to surprise everyone with the company of a baby turkey, two little duckings, and two little chicks. The kids were beside themselves with excitement. The kids asked if we could keep them, but I just told them that Mae (our dog) would try to eat them. I actually think she would try to play with them, but end up crushing them with her tremendous weight. It was fun though. Baby animals are always so cute.

We were also blessed to have the company of family on Easter Sunday. Shane and Dawn (my sister) and their children came over, Grandpa and Grandma Lund, and Grandma Adrianne.

I have decided that Easter is almost as big as Christmas when it comes to actually celebrating the holiday. We don't put up many decorations because we don't have any, but the spirit of the holiday remains. It is something that we constantly talk to our children about because of it's importance. We do like to have fun though. The kids are all about Easter egg hunts and searching for their Easter baskets on Sunday morning. I have decided though, I really don't enjoy decorating easter eggs. Every year I remind myself why it is not fun. Ya know, the screaming over how many eggs each child gets, the one child (or two in our case) that insist on climbing on the counter and knocking over cups of dye, the stained clothes, not to mention the egg shells and smashed boiled eggs all over the kitchen and living room floor. Need I say more?

Anyway, it was so nice to reflect on the resurrection of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. So nice to be able to spend time together as a family, and to spend time with extended family as well. It was also pretty nice to have some sweets. Not that I need it or anything, but it's so yummy. Hope everyone had a nice weekend remembering the things in our lives that are most important. The Savior and those who love us. Happy Easter.

Fast Pace Life!!!

I have reached a point where I feel like my plate is overflowing. Life has just been crazy, and there is just one to few of me to go around. At the beginning of this month, Aaron and Jake started baseball, Seth started T-ball, Mary is doing Tumbling and Soccer, and Jake is doing soccer. The kiddo's have school activities that I wish I could volunteer for, Seth has preschool, and Micah and Gideon just get pulled whichever way I might be going at one particular moment. Poor guys. I feel like a single parent of 6 very active and wonderful young people, only I am not single. Aaron (the husband) is doing his very best to get through school. He starts work early and then heads to school, sometimes without stopping by home beforehand. When he finally does come home late at night, I still don't see him because he is doing homework all night. It's been challenging, but hopefully he will graduate Spring 2012.




I know some of you know what this is like, so if you have any pointers at all, please give them to me. I guess you could say that we have been blessed so much that there is not room enough to receive it.

Not Much

So, I have decided that I am either too busy or too lazy to keep up on this blogging stuff all the time. As of late, I have been busy with my family and 8 dogs. Our bulldog had 7 puppies on December 5th 2010. They are all really cute, and it has been quite the experience. This last month we were blessed enough to get 4 of them adopted. Now we are stuck with 3 feisty little females, that wish it was warm enough to go outside as much as I do. All I can say is "GET THESE LITTLE BITCHES OUT OF MY HOUSE!!" I'm not swearing, I am just saying what they are. But really, it is time for them to go. They are getting too big, eating too much and making too much noise. It is going to put me over the edge. So, if you come over to my home and my hair is crazy, I have bags under my eyes, and I am twitching slightly... just know that it has been one of those days. Oh, and if my house stinks, I am sorry. It is the puppies. Like I said, it's been fun, but the party is over.
Okay, so now that I have said that, life is pretty normal here in the Libby home. Kids are happy, back in school, and being kids. Aaron is really not here much because of school and work, but somehow we manage to see him sometimes. Nothing really eventful though. Just living day to day, and on a prayer.