First day of School

Aleah started the 3rd grade & Cameron started 1st. I can't believe how big they are. Both were very excited about starting school again and seem to like their teachers so far. For a few weeks before school started, I was very sad that summer was ending because we have had such a fun time and have done so much. Then, after about 10 minutes after dropping them off at school and realizing how quiet my house was, I was so happy to hear myself think. And then after about 2 hours when I realized how much I had accomplished without 4 children constantly underfoot, I couldn't believe I had been dreading school starting again.

This week has been fabulous. I didn't realize how much our house had suffered from our
constantly being other places. Basically, I only did enough around the house for us to survive - dishes & laundry. I'm not saying my house is spotless now, but at least I won't fear people cringing when they come through my door. And you can now see the floors on my kid's bedrooms.

I the down side, Charlie is very lonely. At the beginning of each day, he is very excited to play in Cam's room with all the trains without the worry of being screamed at or kicked out by is big brother. But within a few hours, he is repeating over and over again, "Pick up Aleah from school? Pick up Aleah from school?" It has to be the longest 7 hours in his little life to wait until we go get Ali at 3 p.m.

Raging Waters

Pic 1 - Char coming down the slide into the arms of Cam. Pic 2 - Cameron doing his ever-present spider-man-pose. Pic 3 - Jade and Ali in mid-air. Pic 4 - Char & Mom.



We had so much fun at Raging Waters. I definitely think we will be getting a season pass there next year instead of Murray Pool. Murray is fun, but my kids are getting too old to enjoy it for very long. We were at Raging Waters for 9 hours straight and we could have stayed longer.


As for my boys - Aaron is still feeling some soreness in his back, but he's doing much better. He won't be doing any running anytime soon, but he is going to try to do his triathlon with walking. I think he'll do great. As for Cam, he is bouncing off the walls. I was able to keep him off his foot for almost 2 days, but now I have to threaten spankings just to keep him from running all the time. Aaron gets mad at me for not making him sit still and 'take it easy', but unless I sit on top of the boy all day long, that just isn't going to happen. I double wrap his foot and let him watch as much TV as he wants, but it's summer and he wants to be outside. School starts next Tuesday, so hopefully that will keep him busy for most of the day and it can heal a little faster.

Thanks for all your comments; I love hearing for everyone! I know most of you have kids and school starts soon, so enjoy your last few days of summer.

One of the crappiest days ever!

Picture 1: Charlie man decided he was an art project and colored every available space with black marker; I got what I could off, but there are still dark shadows, so he just looks like a dirty kid that has a mother that doesn't care about him. Picture 2: Cameron and his boot.

I think that if I could just skip over Monday, August 11th I would have. First thing that morning, we were at the gym and Aaron hurt his back. He came home to "sleep it off" but the pain only got worse, so we headed to the doctor. He tore muscles in his back and we aren't sure if he will be healed soon enough to do his triathlon. He couldn't do anything by himself - walk, move in bed, go to the bathroom - so I was trying to get our house out of disaster mode from the weekend and play nursemaid and mother. We did pretty well until about 6:30 p.m. when Charlie came to me to show me how 'pretty' he was. Aaron said to take pictures because after I calmed down and got the floors, walls, & child clean; I would think it was funny and would want pictures. I finished up dinner while Char was the bath. I got the kid's their food and then sent them outside with Popsicles so that I could have 2 minutes of peace while I ate my dinner and gave Aaron his - in bed of course. Well, it was not to be; within 2 minutes there was insane screaming outside. When I went to check, Aleah told me that Cam had jumped out of the back of Aaron's old pick-up and hurt his foot. Meanwhile, Cam was yelling like there should be blood everywhere and bones sticking out. I could see no swelling or bruising, so I thought a warm bath would help him relax and take some of the pain away; I thought he had just hit his foot hard and it hurt. But by 7:45 p.m., when he hadn't stopped screaming and I could tell his foot had some swelling, we decided it was time for the UrgentCare. Aaron insisted on going with me. Even though with his back pain he was not going to be a lot of help, he said Cam 'needed' him. So, we called Clay and Jessie to come get the other two because there was no way I could deal with 2 invalids and 2 others that would be little help all at the UrgentCare. Sure enough, Cam broke 3 bones on the top of his foot. They wrapped it up, put him in a boot, and said to stay off of it for a week and stay in the boot for 4 weeks. We have 2 weeks of Summer left! How am I suppose to keep this kid still? Yesterday was interesting with Aaron upstairs in our bedroom watching the Olympics and Cam downstairs watching cartoons. Both were bored out of their minds and calling for me every 5 seconds - "something to eat", "ice please", "need to go to the bathroom". I must have carried Cam up and down the stairs at least 12 times because he can have no pressure on his foot for atleast 2 days - and a 50+ eight-year-old is no easy task. I would ask that you all pray that my sanity make it through the week.

Picture 1: Ali, Jadey, Char, & Cam on July 24th - Pioneer Day in Utah; Picture 2: Colton & Kara on their wedding day in front of the their cake that our oldest sister Sharee made; Picture 3: Aaron & I in front of the Washington Temple after Colton's Wedding; Picture 4: The whole Akes family (or most of it) 8 kids, plus significant others and children.

Can you believe I haven't posted in so long? I actually forgot all about my blog for a while. I've been crazy busy with life in general. Well, the wedding went off wonderfully. Colton and Kara seem completely blissful. I enjoyed spending so much time with my family. The kids had the best time.

Charlie man Loved every moment in Oregon. The 10 hour drive there and back were not very agreeable with him, but the time there was a wonder and joy. He most loved riding Aunt Sharee's horse and torchuring Grandma Akes' dog Sassy.

Cam enjoyed getting dirty at Grandma Akes and playing with all the dogs. Grandma Akes has 3 dogs at her house and then Trisha (my friend's house that we stayed at) has a huge Rottweiler named Chopper that he became fast friends with.

Ali stayed with Aunt Sharee for Cowgirl Camp and didn't want to ever leave. However, she and her cousin Patton did get lost in the woods by Sharee's house and had the Sheriff's department and about 30 other searchers looking for them. They, however, never knew they were 'lost'; they had just decided to go over to the river to look at the car wrecks, but obviously forgot to let Sharee know where they were going. We got called out of Church to help with the search. It's a good thing because eventhough Sharee had called up and down in the same area for over an hour, when Ali heard her Dad calling, she knew she was in BIG trouble and headed straight back to the house.

Aaron did exceptionally well on the trip. Not only did he not complain much about the long drive, but he also reconciled with Sharee after 8 years of not speaking to eachother . After the trama/drama of our missing children, I guess one has to realize what is important in life and having differences with people just isn't as important as knowing who you can count on in a time of crisis. I'm sure he won't want me writing that down, but the truth is the truth. He also had fun with Trisha's husband Dave, and my brothers Ken, Clay, & Colton.

I loved every minute of it and could have stayed another week. I loved spending time with Trisha, my siblings, and my mom. I'm determined to go for a longer time next year.

Going to Oregon

(Colton, Clay, & Charlie)

My baby brother, Colton, the youngest of 8 is getting married this Saturday; so, we are all piling in the van for an 8 hour drive to Milton-Freewater. I'm very much so looking forward to the visit, but Aaron would rather be doing about anything else in the world. He's avoided going to my house for 4 years now - I just take the kids and go with my sister or brother - but a wedding requires the he make the trek. He likes my brothers and is looking forward to some golf with my friend Tricia's husband, so hopefully it won't be too painful of an experience.

We are squeezing 8 people into the van - max capacity. The 5 in our family and then Clay, Jessie, & Jade. I don't think we will be too stir crazy since the kids will have DVD players and Jessie and I are planning on sleeping most of the time. I am worried about Charlieman though. With all his perfection, I have found 1 flaw - he is not a travler. The 10 minutes to the gym is hard on him, so I'm dreading 500 miles; I'm thinking Benadryl might be needed.

Friends

(1: Wheeler Farm: Anna, Cami, Candace, & Kristine 2 Coco Cafe: Cami, Anna, Charity, & Candace) - I've come to realize as a mom and a wife that there aren't many peaceful moments in each day; so on the rare occasions (every 6 months or so) that I get to go out and be just a girl and a friend, I cherish the pure enjoyment I get from just being me. My friend Anna came from Seatle to SLC for a month this summer. Whenever she is here, it gives Cami & I an excuse to get the rest of our friends together (about 8 women that worked at the Apple Fitness Kid's Club together and became really close). We do a few things with all of our kids, but then try to have 1 girls-night-out with just the moms. Coco cafe had to kick us out when it closed and then we just stood in the parking lot for another hour chatting away. It is so wonderful to hear that others are going through the same stresses with their kids, husbands, lives and everything in general. And it makes you feel more human, more acceptable, less lacking than you believed before. Thank you to all the women in my life that bring a smile to my face, encouragement to my soul, and have love for my family and me.

my new thing - hiking

(Sunday, 7/13/08, Millcreek; Salt Lake City, UT)

I admit it - I'm addicted. It's just so easy, fun, and something everyone can do no matter what age or ability. The kids love it because they can get dirty and see bugs; I love it because we can be active while spending time with the whole family; and Aaron loves it because...well, that's just a lie, Aaron doesn't love it, but he complains a lot less than I thought he would and he did say he was glad he went after it was all said and done. I encourage you all to pack a sack lunch (we made the kids pack their own) and just get out of town for a few hours. Fun, Fun, Fun!