Sick of...Sickness

Well it's been about two weeks since my mom and sister came to visit. Since then we've cleaned out the backyard and had a barbecue with Trav's friends from school, celebrated Labor Day, celebrated a "fried-day," indulged in BYU Football Madness (even though it means not starting the game until 10:30pm here on the East Coast), played our own football out back. Maddix started his 2nd round of soccer and he's with the older kids which I think he enjoys more, started homeschool, I'm doing school, we celebrated "International Talk like a Pirate Day" with our own Pirate party and movie. All our applications are in and over the next few weeks interviews will start being scheduled and to say we're excited for these to begin would be an understatement; I think it's all Travis thinks about! We're getting excited for Halloween for sure! I have a bunch of crafts I want to try next year. 

We've also been having a LOT of down time :(

Maddix had a cough for a couple of weeks that made him tired a lot, and then he gave it to me. Although he bounced back fast I'm on my 2nd week of feeling down and the poor boys are a little stir crazy. Thankfully Travis is in easy rotations and has been around to really pick up the slack. I love him! This morning when I tried to get up at 6:30am to do homework I ended up back in bed at 7:00 because I just couldn't stay up and he took care of everything and set the boys up with a movie so I could sleep in a little; I'm so lucky. Yesterday we stayed home from church and we laid puzzles out for Aaron and Travis set up the board game Axis and Allies. Maddix and I had never played but Maddix was HOOKED as soon as started playing at 11:00am... and at 6:30pm when Travis's troops destroyed the last of Maddix's American soldiers (I'd been out of the game for almost an hour) and Germany/Japan took over the world there were MANY tears shed. He complained that he'd wasted all though hours of his life ha ha. I just can't believe the three of us basically sat in one spot for 7-ish hrs. Aaron was such a champ to just play next to us, nap, and be my partner; this was a moment I really could picture what Sunday's might be like with older children who can focus and participate on their own:D 

And today... after sleeping in sick, muddling through homeschool with the boys from the couch, I took them to the back alley where they scootered, the dog chased them, and I sat on a folding chair glued to my roll of toilet paper ha ha. As I was just about to take them in for lunch Maddix crashed on his scooter and scraped up his arms and hands... life might as well have been over for him! In the bathroom as he wailed and thrashed his legs around he asked through tears, "Why?? Why would God and Jesus let his happen to me?" Hahahahahaha.... I about died myself. Now he's put up on the couch with bandages and ice pack and Im on the couch with cough drops and toilet paper; we're a pathetic pair. Once again, Aaron is basically left to run amuck and unfortunately torture the dog with almost no jurisdiction enforcement; poor dog. If we can ever get better just you wait, we have plans for some fun days at the park, a trip over to Central Park, and some deep cleaning on this neglected house!!

Before Labor Day Feast

After the Feast

First day of Homeschool

Barbecue crew 

"Hike"

Learning to use deodorant like daddy

First Soccer class

Here's to Healthier weeks to come!! 

A Week With My Mom and Sister

Well we were lucky enough to have visitors come out and stay with us, and even more than that, I was lucky enough to have those visitors be my Mother and Sister Brenna! We had a week of fun planned out for them, and I think it's safe to say we WALKED the fun right out of them;) I guess we've become more like New Yorkers than we actually thought... or maybe my mom and sister just need to kick it up a gear ha ha;) Either way, we all enjoyed the sites and time together, and the 

boys have been BUMMED to have their grandma and Aunt B leave. Now Maddix

and I are sick and bunkered down on the couch...

... So I guess all the activities got to us as well! 

Thanks for the fun week you guys! 

Saturday: They flew in and in the evening Travis took everyone over to Atlas Park Where they walked around the old fair grounds and played in the water! 

Sunday: We started with a walk to church where we showed my family around our neighborhoods and through Juniper Park. They met our ward, and then we just relaxed around the house. 

Monday: Ha, this day we walked everyone around on a 6mile loop. We started down at Battery Park, walked to Ground zero, ate blue marble ice-cream along the Hudson river. We hit the highline, ate lunch from the street venders on the steps of Madison Square Garden, explored Time Square, Visited the Cathedral, window shopped on 5th avenue, made our way Rockefeller Plaza, Radio City, a quick trip to Magnolia Bakery and then a long, very crowded subway ride home. 

Tuesday: I sucked it up, put on my big girl pants and drove my mom, sister, and I through the heart of New York and over into Pennsylvania, by myself. Ha, sounds so trivial I'm sure, but this took major guts for me because I don't like to drive... not even in Utah. But I did, and it wasn't bad. We spent Tuesday we had lunch at this little 50's diner in a remote PA town an then toured through this SUPER old pottery and tile place (well my mom and sister toured while I studied out in the beautiful fields.. and then my trunk when I couldn't take the bugs anymore). We night at some family's house (whom I met that night) and if anyone thought I was going to have a break from the boys (I did), well I spent those next hours becoming best friends with my new 4yr friend/cousin Elsa, who was very cute, and a proficient in being a shadow. Wednesday, the next day we visited my Grandpa in Philadelphia then headed home and beat the traffic! And we were out of food... so we treated everyone to chinese take-out; everyone has to do that while in New York. 

 Meanwhile the boys had a ninja night where they ate asian food and watched Ninja turtles

Little Elsa, four years ahead of the movie

Thursday: Beach Day. We went to Jones Beach and it was Brenna's first time to the beach anywhere and they all had a great time. 

Friday: This was our last day going out and about. We were also lucky enough to have our friend and her kids come along. We started out going through Central park where we snagged some lunch and watched some street performers. Then we toured through the Museum of Natural History before heading over to China town and little Italy. Despite watching a bright blue crab escape from the barrel and scurry down the sidewalk, or walking through a beautiful Italian Christmas store, the boys still tuckered out and poor Aaron had no where to rest his head for the first little bit. Once again, we missed the subway traffic boy going home late. We ate our treats from Little Italy treats for dinner... since we were still full from our Gelato we ate walking around... twice.

 Then that night I had a moment. It just all piled up until I couldn't take it. School had started while we were in Washington D.C. and although I had completed my reading, I didn't understand what what  was going on. I was starting to feel the pressure of homework and touring around, and dealing with the boys and I couldn't take it; thankfully, my mom and B were down stairs so Travis took me for a walk around the block and we stumbled upon a street fair. We later found out it was called Italian Fest. While we were there Travis bought.... I kid you not... a deep fried Twinky because he had to try one. I purchased an empanada and because it was almost closing the guy gave me another one for free; that 20mins out really helped cheer me up. 

Saturday: Well this was farewells. We said our goodbyes, thanked the high heavens that for once it was none of us having to get on the plane and fly, then took our car to the carwash because it was NEEDED after two weeks of touring around!