Back-to-School

 September positively flew by!

Brian started 1st grade!

Mom: How was your day?
Brian: A little frustrating.
Mom: Really, What happened?
Brian:  It just took so loooong!

I guess 1st grade took a little getting used to but he's doing well despite having to go to the principal's office already (He pushed a boy for wrecking his sandcastle at recess)!  We're working on communicating feelings instead of being physical when things don't go our way.  I'm pretty sure being physical as a 6-year old boy is "normal" and that Brian's communication will improve with age and practice but it's a little stressful getting phone calls from the principal and teacher about your child's behavior.  While the whole situation has made me look really hard at the way Dusty and I parent, I have to keep telling myself that we really are doing what we believe is right for our children.

Samantha started pre-school!

I'm doing an at-home preschool group with 2 other moms.  We picked our own curriculum and we've been having fun.  She's been so excited to go each week and she's done much better with getting dressed and doing hair and going potty and all that grown up stuff.  The first week, her teacher did a little interview with her.  These are her answers:

Name: Samantha Jane Allen
Age: (holds up 4 fingers)
Mom's name: Melanie
What does your mom do during the day?  Works
Dad's Name: Dusty
What does your dad do during the day? Goes to drill
Favorite color: Blue
Favorite food: Macaroni & Cheese
Favorite song:  Ring Around the Roses
Who's in your family?  Little sister, and little brother, and big brother.
Favorite place to go:  ummm..... to the store
Favorite thing to do:  Play games
What do you like about your mommy?  She let's me have a piece of candy.
What do you like about your daddy?  That he lets me go with him.
Favorite book: Horton hears a Who.
What do you want to be when you grow up?  A fire fighter!

Nathan is definitely in the thick of his terrible twos.  He can throw a tantrum!  However, he is learning more and more each day.  He can pick out a shirt and some pants (they usually don't match) and bring them to me to help him put them on.  He is also learning how to jump up things.  He tries to both-feet jump up the curb but it's just a little too high so he ends up doing a little step/hop one foot at a time.  Then he'll look up at me and wait for me to applaud.  (I found these pictures from his birthday back in July.)

Dusty started his 2nd to last semester at BYU-I and he is busy busy busy.  He is doing his internship this semester.  His 12 credits (which feels more like 18 because of his auto class and lab) his 20-hour/week internship, scout calling,  splitting firewood and the million projects he has going in the garage keep him hopping from one thing to the next and not having quite enough time to finish anything.  He did however, build some shelves in our shed for me so I was able to organize all of that stuff!

I am loving being home with my kids during the day.  I really missed Brian that first day of school!  I really enjoy being such a big part of Samantha's pre-school experience and even though Nathan drives me crazy with his repetitious mom, mom, mom, mom, or snack please, or look big tractor repeated 10 times, his innocence and joy in life bring smiles to my heart daily.  He is so quick to laugh, forgive and love.  I am enjoying being pregnant but just starting to get to that stage where some moving around is getting a little difficult.  The other day, I walked through the kitchen 4-5 times before I convinced myself to bend over and pick up the toy car that was on the floor.  hehe.  I have felt very close to the little spirit growing inside me and I just can't wait to meet her.  She is one STRONG baby and especially likes to kick and tumble about at night (right when I'm settling in to go to sleep).  She and Dusty have poking contests.  She'll kick and he'll poke her and she'll kick back and on it goes until I put a stop to it.  I have moment when I wish the end of November here right now and then remind myself that it will probably be here all too soon and I try to just enjoy the ride.

At Summer's End

Here is a recap of our amazing summer:

We survived Dusty being gone at LDAC for one month!

Samantha turned 4!

Nathan turned 2!

We found out our new little baby (due Nov. 30th) is a girl!

We had several wonderful family reunions- Junction, UT (Tolman), Midway, UT (Fillmore), Lake George, CO (Allen)  Am I forgetting any trips?

Would you believe that we didn't take a single picture while we were in Colorado?!?!  We're terrible!!!

 Nate swinging at a pinata at Samantha's birthday.

 Samantha's new cabbage patch doll and stroller.

The awesome pinata I made for the Tolman reunion with Brian swinging his heart out!

Here's a Preview of what is to come:

Dusty starts his Last year of College!  Whoot Whoot!  He's doing his internship this fall so it will be pretty busy.  He's been working on all kinds of projects in the garage including a sandrail and don't forget the many trips to the woods to cut firewood.  I keep telling him it's really okay for us to use the furnace once in a while but he really enjoys having a fire and I think he enjoys going to get the wood too.

Melanie is getting more and more pregnant every day.  I am so excited to welcome this little girl into our family!  If all goes well, I will also have gall bladder surgery soon after she's born.   Oh, how I have missed chocolate, butter, and 2% milk!  I'm still absolutely loving being at home full-time and I have been able to do so much sewing and crafting.  The other day, I made Brian a pair of pajama shorts which he though were the coolest thing ever!  (Confession:  I'm already thinking about starting on Halloween costumes for this year)

Brian is starting 1st grade!  He is excited to be able to eat lunch at school and use his new school supplies.  He is getting more and more independent and just loves to go go go!  We just got a little motorbike that Dusty is teaching him to ride.  He's not quite tall enough to straddle it yet which I'm grateful for- I'm not quite ready for him to be that grown up yet.  

Samantha is also starting preschool.  We're just doing at-home preschool on a rotation with a few other moms/kids.  She's excited and keeps asking when she gets to go to preschool.  She is still super imaginative and I find her playing all sorts of games with all sorts of things.  Did you know that colored pencils make great characters?

Nathan is growing up SO fast.  He is talking up a storm and running and jumping even more.  I have never seen a 2-year old with his muscle control and balance.  He teaches all his friends who come over how to go down the stairs on their bellies face first.  He still loves tractors and cars. He also loves going for rides with Daddy.  I've had to literally run after him a couple of times when dad had to leave him behind and he tries to run after him anyway.  

A Busy Summer

 Nathan with his new Mouse (won at the fish pond at the Menan festivities 4th of July)

 Samantha posing! (Also 4th of July)

 The fish pond (4th of July)

 Bear in Yellowstone!!!

 All the cousins in Yellowstone.

 Gigantic Elk in Yellowstone!

 Yellowstone

Brian riding the train at the Fillmore reunion in Midway.

We've been busy!  We took a trip to Junction, UT for my mom's Tolman reunion.  Then Dusty left for LDAC.  Then we went camping and to Yellowstone with Mom and Dad, and Jen's family.  Then we left for the big Fillmore reunion in Midway, UT!  Whew!  The kids did awesome on all the outings except for a hysterical Nathan who woke up in a dark tent and couldn't find mom (I had to go potty!) but dad took us for a drive to calm him down.  I'm so grateful for such wonderful family and extended family and all the help I get when Dusty's away.  A couple of the pictures are from 4th of July festivities too!  It's the first year, we skipped the big fireworks but I don't think the kids missed them too much and I definitely did great without any tantrums or meltdowns that would have come from over tired kids.  Overall, it has been a fantastic summer with many more great memories to come.  I love our family!!!

Project Project Project

After losing my job in March and with Dusty being gone for part of the summer, I have immersed myself in sewing and craft projects.  Here are some of them.  Chore charts mostly to help me remember to have the kids help with stuff.  Yes, I did one for me too to help me track what I've done and still need to do.   

 We took this great picture to send to Dusty for Father's Day.  (It supposed to read We Love Dad but it was hard to get Nathan to keep his feet up.)

Mom and Lacie helped me scrap, sand, clean and paint the bathroom.  It's so amazing how great a facelift can help you feel.  A happy house is a happy mama!

I made this dress by re-purposing an old, battered, stained prom dress (the picture of me at my Senior prom is before the dress got old, battered and stained).  Samantha absolutely LOVED her new princess dress which I was able to finish in time for her to wear for her birthday party.  

A few other things I've done:  The headband to go with the dress.  Ribbon wands to go with the dress for the party.  A set of doll clothes for a second hand Cabbage Patch doll for Samantha's main Bday gift (I really should take a picture of it).  A cover for our camping pad.  And a pinata for a family reunion.  I've gotten a lot of ideas from pinterest and I have a ton more I want to try!  Maybe I need to start a craft blog.  haha!

Memorial Day Enlightenment

I started this Memorial Day Weekend by shopping.  I was thrilled at the great sales and the additional discount I would receive with my Military ID card.  Even as I drove home Saturday and saw all the beautiful flags lining the streets, I was just excited about my incredible bargains.  Sunday, after a short discussion about our country and the reason for Memorial Day in Sunday School, I was ashamed I had been so shallow.  I take so many things for granted.  My husband serves as a member of the Army National Guard.  No, he is not in Iraq, nor has he been there… yet.  But he has made a commitment to go if he is called on to do so.  He spends many hours each week and at least one weekend each month training so that will be prepared to go.  He does this on top of his other responsibilities to finish school, provide for his family, and be an active husband and father. 

We truly live in a chosen land that has been miraculously preserved and blessed by the hand of the Lord for centuries, even millennia.  But we will not continue to be so blessed unless we live our lives in accordance with the will of the God of this land-even God, in whom we Trust.  As I see flags while driving down the street on our way to enjoy our “holiday”, I chose from now on to take a moment and really appreciate what all the men and women in our military have done for us.  I chose to take a moment and think about what small part I can play in keeping our freedom.  All the fighting and sacrifices of the thousands of soldiers and families doesn’t do us any good if we neglect the freedom they have fought for.  I chose to SHOW my gratitude for our freedom, not only by flying our country’s flag, but by being a responsible citizen, by choosing to be an active parent, by obeying the speed limit, by picking up trash, by going to vote!  Instead of grumbling about how our government has gone to the dogs, I chose to get up and do something about it.  “Of the People… By the People…For the People…”  This is our Nation and if we stop caring about its history and its future, God will stop caring too.

I honor the Soldiers today, from the Revolutionary War to the present War in Iraq.  I honor those soldiers and their families who have made innumerable sacrifices; sacrifices of time, energy, sweat, tears and even their very lives.  I honor my husband.  I honor their service and their sacrifice for my freedom.

Life at Home

These are a few of the things I have been doing since losing my job the first of March.  While our financial situation isn't the best, I have to admit that it has been such a blessing to be home with my children and husband.  I've noticed an improvement in the kids' behavior.  I've been able to start working on some little pre-school things with Samantha and we are s-l-o-w-l-y limiting our dependence on screen time (movies, Wii, Ipad etc.).  Thank goodness we never had cable TV to combat with!
While I am still having issues with my gall bladder and the normal morning sickness that comes with being pregnant, I have to say that most days are pretty good.  I definitely have days when all I want to do is go back to bed, and other days when I'm down right depressed about food and my seemingly un-working body, most of the time I am able to see very clearly just how blessed I am.

I have been able to spend a lot of time outside weeding flower beds and mowing lawns.
I have been able to spend a lot of time sewing which is something I have always really enjoyed doing but never found the time.
I have been able to spend time researching foods that are healthy for me and experiment with new recipes (like fat-free cookies!) in order to eat to keep my gall bladder from acting up and keep my insulin resistance under control.  This is probably the biggest blessing I see from losing my job.  I would have never been able to focus so much if I had still been running from appointment to appointment.

Some of the projects on my list of things to do:
Paint the bathroom
Weed the "hill" under our pine tree on the corner.  I have tried and failed multiple times to landscape the area... any ideas?
Sew!!!  I have so many more sewing projects i want to do including some re-purposing and a baby quilt.
Play with my kids!!!  It has been so nice to feel like I have the time to sit and build legos with Brian, drive cars with Nathan, pretend with Samantha and who knows... I may even get brave enough to get on the trampoline with them this summer!
Here are a few pictures of some of my recent projects. A silly picture of the kids during family night (they were all lined up an my feet) and our new dog Rusty.

Samantha and I got our haircuts Saturday!!!  I donated mine to locks of love.  Here are before and after shots. Oh, and a new family picture snapped right after church.