When it rains, it pours!

I was talking to my mom this week about all the different trials our extended family has been experiencing lately, and she said, "You know Cath, it seems like when it rains, it pours!" It's true. Besides a few bumps in the road, things have been going smoothly for our little family, and then BAM, life happens. Someone crashed into Wade's car, and totaled it. We're just grateful he was safe. But in order for the insurance company to give us any money, he had to give up the car and begin the LONG, grueling search for a new car...that we could actually afford.That same morning, he found out he did NOT get chosen for a career as a Seminary Teacher. They only chose 10 out of 50 to student teach for a year, and from that 10, they'll choose about 4 to teach full time (usually more, but not with the economy how it is). Wade was a little relieved to at least know NOW, rather than a year from now, but I was crushed because I knew how much he wanted it, and what a good seminary teacher he would have been.
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Then my sister-in-law's dad died suddenly, and I was overcome with grief for her and my brother. And everytime I thought about it, I ached inside, wishing I had a better relationship with my own dad.
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Then I was yelled at for 15 minutes by the person who rents our basement apartment.
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Then we received their 30-day notice, and I was stressed out night and day, trying to find new renters, but secretly relieved the mean ones are moving.
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Then our camera broke, and everytime my kids did something cute and funny, I was so disappointed that I couldn't capture it on camera.
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Then we found out we had to custom order the gate for our backyard, since a normal gate size won't fit our driveway. So it will take weeks longer and cost hundreds more.

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Then I started my Summer Camp, which is so fun but also so stressful when I DON'T have the time and energy to plan and prepare adequately with these other things going on.
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And Wade continues the job hunt.
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And with all the stress we've been feeling plus the lack of sleep, of course there's more tension in our marriage.
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And I KNOW the kids have felt the tension, because they've been more ornery and defiant.

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Then there was a turn-around. After my Institute class on Thursday, I decided to choose to be positive because I knew, "This too shall pass." It hit me. And it hit me hard. Heavenly Father gives us trials to strengthen our faith and character. I really have SO MUCH to be grateful for. I've spent a summer in a 3rd world country. Remembering the poverty in Ecuador, alone, is enough to humble me to tears.

That night, Wade and I prayed as a couple as we usually do, but this time, with more sincere gratitude, even for the hard times. After we prayed, he went to the computer to continue searching for a car that would replace the one that got totaled. He found the perfect vehicle and we both knew it! It was a red '92 Toyota Previa, which I would drive, and then he could drive my '97 Honda Accord.

So Friday morning, we bought it for only $2700, and with only 117,000 miles on it, we have hopes it will run for a long time. And guess whose camera we took this picture with? Ours! It finally started working again. Crazy, huh? Then this morning, after showing the apartment to a ga zillion people, we found someone we have such a good feeling about to rent from us. I can't begin to express how thankful I am that everything is working out, but even more importantly, that we decided to be happy, even when it wasn't.

Kids in the Kitchen: Food Week

Week 1 of Summer Camp was a success! The kids loved being little cooks, and I loved teaching them how to make the Fruit Popsicles and Banana Muffins that are so healthy and yummy, too! I was originally going to make real cupcakes with the kids, but because I wanted to teach them about the importance of eating healthy, I pulled out my Banana Bread recipe and made muffins with it. I even use unsweetened applesause instead of butter, and they are still just as moist! So here are my recipes, if you want to make them at home with your kids...or with your husband, who's really just a big kid and needs simple directions. ;)

Fruit Popsicles
2 cup strawberries (stems removed)
2 cups bananas
1 cup fresh spinach
½ cup apple juice

Combine in a blender or food processor and process until smooth. Pour into ice cube trays and stick a toothpick in each. Freeze and Enjoy!


Mini Pizzas
Package of English muffins
Pasta sauce
Shredded mozzarella cheese
Toppings of your choice (ham and pineapple, pepperoni, sausage, etc)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Spread pasta sauce on English muffins, top with shredded mozzarella cheese and your favorite toppings. Set mini pizzas on a cookie sheet. Bake 8 minutes or until cheese is melted.


Banana Muffins
1 cup whole wheat flour
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 t. baking soda
½ t. salt
½ t. cinnamon
1 cup sugar
½ cup applesauce
2 eggs
3 ripe bananas
½ cup milk
1 t. vanilla

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Coat a 12-cup muffin pan with cooking spray or line with paper baking cups (I use a muffin pan that makes mini muffins because the kids love it!) In a bowl, mix the flours, with the baking soda, salt, and cinnamon. Set aside. In a large mixing bowl, mix the sugar and applesauce until well combined. Mix in the eggs, mashed banana, and vanilla. Add the flour mixture and mix until just combined. Divide the batter among the muffins cups and bake until the muffins are lightly browned and a toothpick comes out clean when inserted into the center, 15-20 minutes. Turn the muffins out onto a rack to cool.

Summer Camp

Some of the moms whose kids will be in my preschool classes in the fall suggested I hold a Summer Camp. I decided to do it, and once I started planning, I had so many fun ideas and interested parents, that things have just fallen into place. It's every Tuesday and Thursday from June through July with a morning class for 2-3 year olds and an afternoon class for 3-4 year olds. Yesterday was my first day, and it was a blast! But of course I was worn out and took a nap after both classes were over. ;) Here's a glance into our Summer Camp activities:

June 2 & 4 “Kids in the Kitchen”: Food Week Your child becomes the cook! We’ll learn about the food groups and then experience food hands-on by making our own pizza, fruit popsicles, cupcakes, and more.

June 9 & 11 “Creepy Crawlies”: Bug Week What child doesn’t LOVE digging in the dirt searching for little creepy crawlies? Well, that’s exactly what we’ll do after learning about a variety of BUGS.

June 16 & 18 “Ready, Set, Race”: Car Week After discovering the different types of transportation, your child will feel like a real race-car driver as we hold our own races!

June 23 & 25 “The Music in Me”: Music Week Every week, we’ll sing songs to help us learn about the different themes, but this week we’ll especially focus on the different ways we can create music, including making our own instruments to take home. I’ll also record the children singing on a tape recorder so they can feel like a real “star!”

June 30 & July 2 “Create it”: Art Week Your child may just find the Picasso within him/herself as we learn about different art forms and create our own masterpieces, including a patriotic-themed one just in time to help us celebrate the 4th of July.

July 7 & 9 “Let’s Get Movin”: Dance Week We’ll have a lot of fun as we explore creative movement and dance. Then your child will even learn a dance to go home and teach the family.

July 14 & 16 “Scientists Explore”: Science Week With a dozen experiments to help us learn what, why, where, and how things work, your child will feel like a real scientist.

July 21 & 23 “Splash Time”: Water Week As we find different ways to explore with water, we’ll definitely get WET :) so send your child in his/her swimsuit both days.

Call me crazy, but I love being a preschool teacher! It feels so good to be able to bring in a little income for our family while playing with kids all day. Babysitting can wear me out, but with preschool, I have dozens of planned activities to keep the kids happy and engaged. It's awesome!

Fathers and Sons

Two weeks ago, Jonathan went to his first Fathers and Sons Campout and was lucky enough to go with his dad and Grandpa. When Jon saw Wade wearing his camouflage hat, he ran to get his red fireman hat so he could be just like daddy. It was so cute!

FYI: That's the same camouflage hat that Wade has had since he was 17 years old. I thought it was the ugliest thing when we were first married because he wore it with his camouflage shirt, and believe it or not they just clashed together! But he insisted on wearing both to all the family reunions and other camping trips. It drove me crazy! But now that he wears the hat with this shirt, I think he looks great. How ironic that all along, he just needed to change the shirt! haha

Jon was pretty excited to see all kinds of wildlife.

(These are Buffalo, NOT cows...pretty cool.)

Grandpa Reed with Jonny, who's roaring at some deer. He roars at everything these days, animal or not. :)

Jon's favorite part of the trip was throwing rocks in the stream. It kept him entertained for hours. I wish I could keep him entertained that long at home! I'm so happy that the boys could have some bonding time. While they were camping, Emily and I slept over at Wade's mom's house for a fun girls night out. Yes, it's true, my mother-in-law is so cool that we were excited to hang out with her. :) We ate a delicious Mexican dinner and home-made apple pie, and then talked, laughed, ate chocolate, and painted our nails. In the morning, we enjoyed Mickey Mouse shaped pancakes. Yum! Thanks again Mom!





*Some sad news is that our digital camera is broken thanks to a sippy cup leaking all over it while they shared space in the diaper bag. So we may not have new pictures to post for a while unless I can find a steal on Craigslist or KSL.com, OR if any of you want to sell us yours. ;)

Life is Precious

I've been really emotional the last couple of days. My sister-in-law's father died suddenly, and it breaks my heart. For those of you who know him, you know that Jeff Williams is an AMAZING man. He exudes love for everyone he meets and usually greets them with a big hug and a sloppy kiss on the cheek. He's a big tease and just makes you smile. Because Summer and Nick have been best friends since middle school, long before they were married, our family has always been really close to their family.

I am so torn. It just doesn't make sense. When my mom called me yesterday morning and told me Jeff had been in a terrible accident at work and that he was being life-flighted to Las Vegas, I was shocked. She asked me to call the temple and have his name put on the prayer roll and to pray for their whole family. A few hours later, she called again and told me he didn't make it. He was gone. I wept with her for several minutes and then said goodbye. I was stunned and just couldn't believe it as I kept replaying our phone conversation over and over in my head. I couldn't stop thinking about my sweet sister-in-law and the hell she must be going through knowing she'll never see her father again...in this life. I called my own father right away just to tell him that I love him.

My 6 year-old nephew Jace wanted to know WHY Jesus doesn't resurrect "Papa Jeff" now? How can you explain something to a child when we, as adults, don't even have all the answers? I'm just grateful we have some answers that can comfort us when we've lost someone we love, thanks to our Heavenly Father's plan of happiness. We don't have to wonder anymore if we will see them again. I know that we WILL see Jeff again, that Summer WILL have her dad back, and we will all get hugs and kisses from him someday.

answers?

A few questions I wish I had the answer to...but just don't...



When am I going to be able to have another baby and when I do, will I go crazy with 3?

What's going to happen with my husband's career?

When are we going to be able to pay off this school debt?

When are we going to own our own home?

When am I going to receive the phone call from my mom that my Grandpa's gone?

Will I really be able to handle having my own preschool and can I really make a difference in the lives of my students?

How can I mend certain relationships?

When will I learn to talk less and allow others to share more?

When will I (if ever) be able to catch up on all my scrapbooking?

When will I learn to play the piano?

Where can I go where there will be no whining, throwing cheerios, playdoe mashed into my carpet, stinky hot dogs, tackling/wrestling/body-slamming siblings...and just NO NOISE AT ALL?

When will I be able to understand why my children do what they do and why it drives me crazy sometimes?

When will I be able to love me for me and stop tearing myself down?

The day we've been waiting for!

This is the day we've been waiting for!

First of all because Wade graduated! Wahoo! He received a Bachelor's Degree in Entrepreneurship from the University of Utah. He actually finished his classes last December and then walked in commencement this weekend. We're proud of him and excited to see where his career takes us.
The second reason this is the day we've been waiting for is because we have a new niece to adore, and she was a complete surprise for all of us! Wade's brother, Jeff, and his wife, Elizabeth, adopted a beautiful baby girl and they only had a few hours to prepare. They received a phone call that they were chosen and that the baby was already born! So off to the hospital they went to pick up their new bundle. Adoption is such a miracle and we're grateful all of our prayers were answered and that we can share in their joy with them.