Well my stint out West is over and I'm already in Florida....quite the change! All the return travels went fairly well, however I got picked for the complete security search (quite ridiculous!)It was an odd feeling leaving the Mortensen's and I don't think it's quite hit me yet, but I'm going to really miss them. The kids made pictures for me to rememer them by and as a thank you :) Even during the 2.5 hour drive to Casper I kept thinking about houselhold stuff that needed to be taken care of, etc! It's going to be a major transition to non-mom mode again. Overall, I learned so much and will never forget this whole experience. It truly was a gift in many ways and I ask that all of you continue to pray for the Mortensen family. They still have some trying times ahead. And for me too please!!! that whatever is next for me falls into place. For now I'm going to enjoy the breather and the beautiful sunshine =)
I hope you enjoyed all the blogging....CHEERS!
Monday, November 10, 2008
Wednesday, November 5, 2008
Kids say the darndest things
I walked into the room today just in time to hear Magdelena say... "and then she tore him to pieces!" as she was playing imaginary something with a water bottle. This child's imagination is CRAZY! Oh and over lunch she told me that only women married to men have babies and that women married to women, and men married to men cannot. Smart cookie, but where did she hear of such things?!?! This is the same girl who somehow overheard her mama say that McDonald's supports gay rights, translated in her lingo to "bad things," and that is why they don't go there. So while Grandma was in town before my arrival and decided to just take the kids to McD's to give herself a breather, Mags said that's ok Grandma and walked up to the counter and told the cashier to "please stop giving your money to bad things." In her mind this solved the whole problem and she still hasn't forgotten. In the car this morning I heard her say, "our McDonald's doesn't give money to bad things because I asked them to stop, while the other McDonald's do."
Tuesday, November 4, 2008
Dear Santa,
Magdelena would like a different big sister...Thank you. Oh and to be a witch for Halloween next year. So whatever you could do that would be great! (We are currently under a flood of tears)
Halloween!
I sort of skipped over Halloween, so figured I could just revisit now. During the day it didn't feel any different and I wasn't really feeling the Halloween spirit. But once evening hit I guess the magic kicked in! We had kids running all over the house digging through the dress up bin of clothes and trick or treaters ringing the doorbell. They live in a small little neighborhood so we actually did have kids come through. It's sort of like a mini-suburbia out in the middle of the mountains. But anyway, I had a great time passing out the candy for once. Above is a picture of the kids (admittedly a bit blurry, but the best one of the bunch)...Marietta was a Japanese princess, which took some convincing. The poor thing desperately wanted to be a princess and her grandma had sent dresses for the girls that looked liked Belle's from Beauty and the Beast, but both were too small for her. Beth just happened to have this vintage Japanese ensemble that is at least 50 years old and hand made by her grandmother. Marietta was not so convinced (if this thing would have been any bigger I would have worn it!) but after some coaxing and my agreement to don a silk bathrobe and do my best Japanese princess imitation possible, she said yes :) Magdelena was a ballerina (well first a butterfly but the wings just kept getting in the way, so minus the wings what do you have? a Ballerina of course!) and Joseph, well this year he decided to be a baby ready for bed....PJ's and all! The college had a dance/party that night so I took the girls. They hosted a great party full of skits, musical performances, a costume contest and lots of great dancing! By the time we left it was already 11:30 and the girls passed out in the car.
Back to the present....I put Joseph down for his afternoon nap about 45 minutes ago. He went down so easily this morning after I held him and sang to him a bit. So we tried the same this afternoon, however the crying and screaming still has not ceased. Fantastic...And the middle child (Mags) who still has issues at meal time and never takes naps is currently passed out on two kitchen chairs......cheese and crackers still unfinished. ha, I love it.
(sorry for the wierd word layout at the top but it won't let me change it!!)
Monday, November 3, 2008
A Small Miracle
I witnessed a minor miracle today...after naps all the kids were running around on the first floor and the two girls decided to go outside to see if the neighbor girl could play with them. Once shoes were on they were both running out the door. Joseph caught on just in time to see dresses flying and the sliding door slam shut. He immediately stopped what he was doing (taking all the pots and pans in the kitchen drawers out and spreading them all over the place - his favorite thing of all time!) and ran over to the door. He started hitting it and pointing and sort of grunted at me, all of which I needed to translate into "I want to go too!" Before I could even say anything he was running around the house and actually picked up every pot and kitchen item and put them back in the correct drawers!!!! Unbelievable! I applauded his valiant efforts and told him he still needed shoes. He immediately took off into the other room and I found him sitting on the floor trying desparately to get them on. This kid is quite smart when he wants to be!!
Unfortunately, with this whole daylight savings business it gets dark way too early. And out here it has been gorgeous during the day while the sun is out, but the second it starts to set the temperature drastically changes! But we enjoyed the last bit of daylight outside playing some pretend game in which Joseph was Prince Charming (hilarious! he really could be). However gentlemanly he was supposed to act he still laughed his head off at hitting his sisters with a stick he found and was again intrigued by the various piles of deer droppings that seem to be everywhere!
Today, I also had my first real scare of losing a child.....Mags just walked away at point and before I knew it she was gone!! I started yelling her name and took off running to find her....all said and done I noticed the kitchen door to the house was open so went inside. She was lying down on the couch "for a rest." While trying to catch my breath I tried to calmly tell her never to do that kind of thing again. The little stinker had a smile on her face! I really think she did it for the attention because she was more clingy for the rest of the afternoon and usually she is Miss Independent. Hmmm....I could really use that extra set of eyes mothers have on the back of their heads!
Unfortunately, with this whole daylight savings business it gets dark way too early. And out here it has been gorgeous during the day while the sun is out, but the second it starts to set the temperature drastically changes! But we enjoyed the last bit of daylight outside playing some pretend game in which Joseph was Prince Charming (hilarious! he really could be). However gentlemanly he was supposed to act he still laughed his head off at hitting his sisters with a stick he found and was again intrigued by the various piles of deer droppings that seem to be everywhere!
Today, I also had my first real scare of losing a child.....Mags just walked away at point and before I knew it she was gone!! I started yelling her name and took off running to find her....all said and done I noticed the kitchen door to the house was open so went inside. She was lying down on the couch "for a rest." While trying to catch my breath I tried to calmly tell her never to do that kind of thing again. The little stinker had a smile on her face! I really think she did it for the attention because she was more clingy for the rest of the afternoon and usually she is Miss Independent. Hmmm....I could really use that extra set of eyes mothers have on the back of their heads!
Wednesday, October 29, 2008
It's amazing how much one day can be totally different from the next. I guess that's what keeps life interesting!
Monday proved to be a typical Monday, hard to get back into the swing of things after the weekend and a little chaotic. 7am came as a rude awakening and all day seemed to be a struggle to snap back into gear. It didn't help that right before Joseph's nap time the irrigation people showed up to blow out the sprinkler system. Trying to figure all those logistics in a house that I'm not familiar with proved a bit of a challenge but it all worked and the people were super nice. All said and done I learned a few things as well!! So much so that the guy offered me a job with his company after finishing up my current nannying stint...right! Ha. All that said and done Joseph's nap time was not the usual and I was left with a grumpy baby on my hands :( I decided that taking all the chillins outside for a bit would put everyone in a good mood. It worked and Joseph even found some deer poop casually mistaken for rocks, great.
Tuesday, however turned out to be a complete 180! The kids were in a good mood for most of the day, naps were restored to their proper time and order, the house underwent a massive clean and I even managed to do laundry, bake bread and make applesauce!! I felt like quite the Suzi homemaker and was a bit proud of myself. By the end of the day, all my efforts were taking their toll however and I was pretty worn out. Unfortunately, the day did not end so well and I felt sick to my stomach after dinner :/
Today, I thought that getting a fair amount of sleep last night would restore good spirits, but no such luck. I still feel really sluggish and queasy. I'm getting pretty sick of what this altitude and change in food is doing to me, but then again hopefully it's not something more. The kids are all reading books right now (even Jospeh!) and the peace and quiet is very much appreciated. Pretty soon the little ones will go down for naps, Marietta will be off to dance lessons and I'll be able to rest a bit too. Oh on top of all this, while backing out of the library today I bumped the stop sign behind me....nothing major at all. I probably should have gotten out and just pushed the sign back upright but didn't and apparently some one else thought that's what I should have done as well! So when I got home the phone rang and it was the Lander Police Dept saying that someone had reported me, blah blah blah. So I've got that going for me, and the officer called back a minute ago saying that he couldn't find me in the system, again fantastic....I'm about to drive back over and fix the sign myself......oh and Mags is about on her 50th time of telling me that her arms can't lift up anymore to finish her lunch. Normally I would laugh but am just trying the old ignoring approach. I'm afraid that if I do say something it won't be nice, so i'll just follow Thumper's mother's advice.
Monday proved to be a typical Monday, hard to get back into the swing of things after the weekend and a little chaotic. 7am came as a rude awakening and all day seemed to be a struggle to snap back into gear. It didn't help that right before Joseph's nap time the irrigation people showed up to blow out the sprinkler system. Trying to figure all those logistics in a house that I'm not familiar with proved a bit of a challenge but it all worked and the people were super nice. All said and done I learned a few things as well!! So much so that the guy offered me a job with his company after finishing up my current nannying stint...right! Ha. All that said and done Joseph's nap time was not the usual and I was left with a grumpy baby on my hands :( I decided that taking all the chillins outside for a bit would put everyone in a good mood. It worked and Joseph even found some deer poop casually mistaken for rocks, great.
Tuesday, however turned out to be a complete 180! The kids were in a good mood for most of the day, naps were restored to their proper time and order, the house underwent a massive clean and I even managed to do laundry, bake bread and make applesauce!! I felt like quite the Suzi homemaker and was a bit proud of myself. By the end of the day, all my efforts were taking their toll however and I was pretty worn out. Unfortunately, the day did not end so well and I felt sick to my stomach after dinner :/
Today, I thought that getting a fair amount of sleep last night would restore good spirits, but no such luck. I still feel really sluggish and queasy. I'm getting pretty sick of what this altitude and change in food is doing to me, but then again hopefully it's not something more. The kids are all reading books right now (even Jospeh!) and the peace and quiet is very much appreciated. Pretty soon the little ones will go down for naps, Marietta will be off to dance lessons and I'll be able to rest a bit too. Oh on top of all this, while backing out of the library today I bumped the stop sign behind me....nothing major at all. I probably should have gotten out and just pushed the sign back upright but didn't and apparently some one else thought that's what I should have done as well! So when I got home the phone rang and it was the Lander Police Dept saying that someone had reported me, blah blah blah. So I've got that going for me, and the officer called back a minute ago saying that he couldn't find me in the system, again fantastic....I'm about to drive back over and fix the sign myself......oh and Mags is about on her 50th time of telling me that her arms can't lift up anymore to finish her lunch. Normally I would laugh but am just trying the old ignoring approach. I'm afraid that if I do say something it won't be nice, so i'll just follow Thumper's mother's advice.
Sunday, October 26, 2008
A little R & R
This weekend was such a great time. John's younger brother came in town, so I was off the hook a bit as far as watching the kids. And we did a few more things out and about which was nice. Friday night we bundled up and walked to Lander Valley High School which is right down the road and I went to my first high school football game since actually being in high school!! Crazy I know, seems how I'm a Cincinnati girl and that's just what you do in the fall at home, but in Florida it's much different. So, it was a bit of a blast from the past and I loved every minute! It's funny how small and young all the kids look. It was a big rivalry game too, so the stadium was packed. Lander was playing Riverton, which is the next big town over. At one point we went to go sit on the Riverton side just because there were open seats, but soon the hostility was just a bit too much to handle. The girls were a bit nervous I think being in "enemy territory" and I am pretty sure the gray butch haired grandma yelling at the refs to read the rule book just tipped the scales. haha. So we trecked back over to be with other fellow Tigers and had a much more pleasant experience. It was fun just people watching...only in Wyoming have I seen a boy standing with the football team on the sidelines in work boots, Levi's and a 10 gallon cowboy hat. Awesome! The Lander Valley Tigers won and we headed home, I with Mags passed out in my arms. My arms were completely numb and strained from carrying all that dead weight but it was one of those precious moments that you don't even care. :) It was just too cute.
Saturday I got to sleep in a bit which was like a piece of heaven! That afternoon we took a little road trip to Sinks Canyon State Park which is gorgeous. The Popo Agie river runs through it and at one point spirals down into the ground and disappears only to reemerge on the opposite side of the road! Pretty cool. I took some pictures so enjoy......
from the inside of the cave looking out...
perched on the wall
Making the climb back out...and below is where we came from - the point where the river disappears into the rock wall!
This is where the river comes back up. As you can see, it's beautiful here.
Today I realized how much of an outdoors adventurous person I am. I was climbing everything in sight...
even the playground buffalo as you can see!
And it was so good for the kids to get out too. I came to the conclusion that when my own mom days come I'm going to be big on the outdoors stuff. Kids loving doing and seeing new things and I do much better with them with a certain task in mind. I love helping them accomplish a new feat and my patience doesn't seem to wear as quickly!
And it was so good for the kids to get out too. I came to the conclusion that when my own mom days come I'm going to be big on the outdoors stuff. Kids loving doing and seeing new things and I do much better with them with a certain task in mind. I love helping them accomplish a new feat and my patience doesn't seem to wear as quickly! Today the girls and I colored during Joseph's naps. It's been awhile since I've done anything of the sort and I was having a great time. Even after an hour, I'm still not done with my page which I think the girls find a bit odd, but yeah I guess I'm a bit of a perfectionist. It will be worth it though I promise! Amidst all such colorful activity, Marietta was constantly singing or humming, telling Mags to be quiet, you know the usual...and all of a sudden she stops and goes AHHH! Dammit! Oh what was I thinking, if only I wasn't so drunk! Hmmffff...then proceeds to keep coloring. I think I was in total shock and then decided to pretend not to notice guessing that it's probably one of those instances where she has no idea what she just said....but I really wonder where she picked that one up! :/
Some random facts that I learned today to give you a better idea of what kind of town I'm in: Lander has a population of about 6800 and is at an elevation of about 5300. The next "town" over which is about 10 miles or so is Hudson which has about 400 people. And apparently is the home of the "Finest Food", which equals apparently the best steak you've ever had. Hmmm, I might have to try that one out....
Friday, October 24, 2008
Wednesday, October 22, 2008
Veggie Tales
So Mags HATES vegetables and refuses to eat even the slightest hint of them, whether disguised or not. She is a total meat, cheese and bread girl. Every weeknight someone from the Parish brings dinner (which is sooo wonderful) and tonight's dish was perfect for her....a huge scalloped potato, ham and cheese casserole. I was really happy at this because in my mind that translated into her eating all her food and an overall peaceful dinner experience. Well with this particular little one I should have known better. Half way through, the usual excuses started coming out as to why she could not eat...I'm too tired, I can't lift my arms up I'm so tired, I'm full etc. And then came the outcry, "I don't like vegetables and I'm not going to eat this!" Ha, I was already smelling victory because she didn't have any veggies as John proceeded to point out. However, she fooled us both as she picked up her fork, thrust her arm straight up into the air and proclaimed, "I have two huge potatoes right here on my fork!" 
Tuesday, October 21, 2008
Monday October 20
One of the many lessons I've learned so far: If you are going anywhere with kids (especially more than one) 5 minutes is definitely not enough time to get them ready and out the door. I would say 20 minutes is the absolute minimum for the entire process. So far we have only made it on time to various things about twice...I know, I know those of you who are familiar with my own punctuality are probably not surprised by this. But I'm learning!! The last few outings have been a success :)
Today while driving in the car, Magdalena asked what the different colors in the traffic lights meant. I think the whole question was more of a test of my knowledge compared to her own, because after explaining each color's meaning she says, "Yea and if you go through a yellow light you go to the dungeon for disobeying!" I simply said yes, you're right but wow, if that were really the case my days out here in the free world would be long gone! :/ Thank goodness the medieval days are over and there such things called moving violations which generally are far less painful than the dungeon.
Beth and John have season tickets to performing arts series hosted at the nearby high school and tonight was the first gig of this year. Marietta and I went to go see Tminus5, an all male acapella group that were quite good. The harmonies were beautiful and the range of songs was impressive. Country, oldies, soft and hard rock, theme songs and hymns; they covered them all!My favorite of the night was their rendition of "American Woman" followed by "Shenandoah" (one of my absolute favorites I think). For the latter they went off the mics and did it au natural, it was beautiful. The concert was a great end to the day. I'll admit I was having a case of the Monday's, but concerts seem to always cheer me up :)
Today while driving in the car, Magdalena asked what the different colors in the traffic lights meant. I think the whole question was more of a test of my knowledge compared to her own, because after explaining each color's meaning she says, "Yea and if you go through a yellow light you go to the dungeon for disobeying!" I simply said yes, you're right but wow, if that were really the case my days out here in the free world would be long gone! :/ Thank goodness the medieval days are over and there such things called moving violations which generally are far less painful than the dungeon.
Beth and John have season tickets to performing arts series hosted at the nearby high school and tonight was the first gig of this year. Marietta and I went to go see Tminus5, an all male acapella group that were quite good. The harmonies were beautiful and the range of songs was impressive. Country, oldies, soft and hard rock, theme songs and hymns; they covered them all!My favorite of the night was their rendition of "American Woman" followed by "Shenandoah" (one of my absolute favorites I think). For the latter they went off the mics and did it au natural, it was beautiful. The concert was a great end to the day. I'll admit I was having a case of the Monday's, but concerts seem to always cheer me up :)
Happy Birthday Cinderella! (~Gus Gus)
Sunday October 19
Today was Magdalena's 4th birthday! She has been talking about this day, all the presents she wanted and what kind of cake too for weeks now and the glorious day finally arrived!! The festivities started at lunch. John spread out a giant blanket on the floor in their bedroom and set up a small kids table so that the whole family could be together. Hamburgers and fries were the gourmet menu of the day :) And the chocolate cake with white and pink frosting, complete with roses too was of course a big hit. Mags performed so well and with such speed on the candles that unfortunately there are no pictures of that event. Haha. I think she just really wanted those wishes and to eat that cake! Speaking of wishes, her array of presents were enough to make a princess' dreams come true. That was kind of the theme of the day as I'm sure you can tell from the picture of all 3 kids wearing crowns that she had received.
We wrapped up the day with a bike ride to the City Park, which is one of the coolest parks I've ever been too! The playground entrance is decorated like an old western town, saloon and all. Just biking along the trails was beautiful too. We crossed this really neat wooden bridge that recalled memories of the Legend of Sleepy Hollow...perfect for Halloween. My synopsis of Wyoming so far has been that it is a lovely place but that I would never live here.....today swayed me a little more I think. The more I become acquainted with this town the more I'm enjoying it :) Again though, I don't really see myself being back here to live, however I am taking full advantage and enjoying God's country so far.
Today was Magdalena's 4th birthday! She has been talking about this day, all the presents she wanted and what kind of cake too for weeks now and the glorious day finally arrived!! The festivities started at lunch. John spread out a giant blanket on the floor in their bedroom and set up a small kids table so that the whole family could be together. Hamburgers and fries were the gourmet menu of the day :) And the chocolate cake with white and pink frosting, complete with roses too was of course a big hit. Mags performed so well and with such speed on the candles that unfortunately there are no pictures of that event. Haha. I think she just really wanted those wishes and to eat that cake! Speaking of wishes, her array of presents were enough to make a princess' dreams come true. That was kind of the theme of the day as I'm sure you can tell from the picture of all 3 kids wearing crowns that she had received.
We wrapped up the day with a bike ride to the City Park, which is one of the coolest parks I've ever been too! The playground entrance is decorated like an old western town, saloon and all. Just biking along the trails was beautiful too. We crossed this really neat wooden bridge that recalled memories of the Legend of Sleepy Hollow...perfect for Halloween. My synopsis of Wyoming so far has been that it is a lovely place but that I would never live here.....today swayed me a little more I think. The more I become acquainted with this town the more I'm enjoying it :) Again though, I don't really see myself being back here to live, however I am taking full advantage and enjoying God's country so far.
Saturday, October 18, 2008
Happy Trails
So today I got to embark on an expedition to Red Canyon National Park. This is one of the adventure weekends for the college kids, so they plan different trips they can go on and I was able to go as well. As all of you know horseback riding is something that I think runs in my veins, but I have never ridden in the mountains before. The views were gorgeous!
And I had quite the trusty steed Comanche to help navigate the way. 
The goal was to ride up to the top (the red cliffs in the pictures) but the ascent was too steep, so we ended tied the horses up and went up a bit on foot. Yes I was mountain/rock climbing in cowboy boots! Probably not the safest or most comfortable but well worth the effort. 
Here are some pictures of me on top and of the view. There was one more level you could climb up to the very top and 3 of the kids went halfway. The wind was pretty intense as evidenced by my hair in one of the pictures. I just sat on the edge and hung out for a bit (quite literally as shown with the boots :)
Another cool thing that you'll notice in the pictures is that on the mountains on the right side are all covered in snow while those on the left are just dirt. The day was perfect and I even got some rosy cheeks from the sun :) The terrain was a bit rough though and I must admit that my bum is a bit sore...
The range right in the middle of this picture was one of my favorites...this is the view on the way back. The mountains were snow capped and had different layers of colored rock. The top layer was a dark peach and the bottom layer more red. It was absolutely beautiful.
This rattler crossed our path on the way home...it was one of three we saw during the ride :/ Luckily the horses did not get close enough to freak out!Our watering hole, a.k.a. a big huge tire with a pump installed in the middle...
Friday, October 17, 2008
Pictures
Here are some pictures of town as you drive through, the entrance to Indian Lookout Subdivision, which is where I am living, some deer that are living in the near vacinity and have visited us quite often, and sunset with the full moon we are enjoying.....
Things turn a bit bloody
Friday October 17
Not to worry, I'm not talking about the kids....On my first leg of the journey out here, I sat next to this super friendly and very talkative guy. Upon telling him where I was traveling to and from where I was coming he remarked on the difference in the air humidity. And said that a lot of people have nose bleeds because of the drastic change of humid to super dry and that a friend of his suffered for 2 weeks with such nonsense! I thought it sounded horrible and just thought, well that of course won’t happen to me. Ha! Well it is extremely dry and it turns out that my sinuses are not appreciating that fact. Nothing too drastic but I’m contemplating sticking my head over a steaming bowl of water for awhile…..
Not to worry, I'm not talking about the kids....On my first leg of the journey out here, I sat next to this super friendly and very talkative guy. Upon telling him where I was traveling to and from where I was coming he remarked on the difference in the air humidity. And said that a lot of people have nose bleeds because of the drastic change of humid to super dry and that a friend of his suffered for 2 weeks with such nonsense! I thought it sounded horrible and just thought, well that of course won’t happen to me. Ha! Well it is extremely dry and it turns out that my sinuses are not appreciating that fact. Nothing too drastic but I’m contemplating sticking my head over a steaming bowl of water for awhile…..
Thursday October 16
After the drama filled evening of the night before everyone was chipper in the morning! Joseph’s fever is gone, Mags had cake for breakfast and therefore the whole world is right once again!
Joseph has proven himself yet again to be quite the ham….during bedtime prayers he came over to me did his biggest smile while holding his hands together and then went to kneel down next to Marietta by Mama’s bed. And no one else was kneeling, he thought of it all himself! That lasted maybe 10 seconds but it was beautiful.
After the drama filled evening of the night before everyone was chipper in the morning! Joseph’s fever is gone, Mags had cake for breakfast and therefore the whole world is right once again!
Joseph has proven himself yet again to be quite the ham….during bedtime prayers he came over to me did his biggest smile while holding his hands together and then went to kneel down next to Marietta by Mama’s bed. And no one else was kneeling, he thought of it all himself! That lasted maybe 10 seconds but it was beautiful.
Out of the mouths of babes
Wednesday October 15
The girls and I went to church this morning while daddy stayed home with Joseph who is running a fever from his shots yesterday :( The girls were absolute angels though! So a great start to the day….Mags even asked me to tap a nap with her on the couch! However a few eating battles later and thus a certain young child not having any dessert landed me the honor of being mentioned in bedtime prayers….that I have a safe trip back home….
The girls and I went to church this morning while daddy stayed home with Joseph who is running a fever from his shots yesterday :( The girls were absolute angels though! So a great start to the day….Mags even asked me to tap a nap with her on the couch! However a few eating battles later and thus a certain young child not having any dessert landed me the honor of being mentioned in bedtime prayers….that I have a safe trip back home….
Tuesday October 14, 2008
Eating with Mags proves to still be a challenge but we are forging ahead, bribes and all!!
This morning I had to take Magdalena and Joseph to get booster shots at the county nurse’s office…I did not tell them that’s where we were going but let John break the news after I picked him up on the way. Mags guessed what was going on even though we tried to make it sound not so bad. I even read her this crazy story in the waiting room about how shots are so good for you (it really was nuts, they had Grandma jet-propelling herself off the ground into the Trudy’s play house…I laughed out loud at that one. Oh and super Nurse who came parachuting in as well! Ha. Who knew?!?) but it didn’t really do the trick. All said and done the whole process was relatively painless, although I think John was more traumatized than the kids and hated holding them down. But at the end as we are leaving, new stuffed toys in hand Magdelena declares that shots are “the best thing in the world!” I asked John if he heard her and he said “yes, I really worry about her sometimes.”
Afterwards we made a trip to Safeway. My stomach has not been feeling right with all this “strange food” and high altitudes probably so I wanted to pick up some stuff. It was my first shopping experience with wee little ones to look after….thus I made it quick, especially when Mags declared she needed to go potty and there was no way I was doing that in the grocery store! So off we went but not before getting stickers at the checkout and the lady calling me “mom.” Really?!? Ah well I guess we do all have blonde hair and baby blues :)
This morning I had to take Magdalena and Joseph to get booster shots at the county nurse’s office…I did not tell them that’s where we were going but let John break the news after I picked him up on the way. Mags guessed what was going on even though we tried to make it sound not so bad. I even read her this crazy story in the waiting room about how shots are so good for you (it really was nuts, they had Grandma jet-propelling herself off the ground into the Trudy’s play house…I laughed out loud at that one. Oh and super Nurse who came parachuting in as well! Ha. Who knew?!?) but it didn’t really do the trick. All said and done the whole process was relatively painless, although I think John was more traumatized than the kids and hated holding them down. But at the end as we are leaving, new stuffed toys in hand Magdelena declares that shots are “the best thing in the world!” I asked John if he heard her and he said “yes, I really worry about her sometimes.”
Afterwards we made a trip to Safeway. My stomach has not been feeling right with all this “strange food” and high altitudes probably so I wanted to pick up some stuff. It was my first shopping experience with wee little ones to look after….thus I made it quick, especially when Mags declared she needed to go potty and there was no way I was doing that in the grocery store! So off we went but not before getting stickers at the checkout and the lady calling me “mom.” Really?!? Ah well I guess we do all have blonde hair and baby blues :)
Monday October 13
Breakfast….Marietta touched the spoon in Magdalena’s tea cup after I poured milk into it and judging by the flood of tears that ensued you would have thought it was Christmas and Santa had forgotten all about it…..
Afternoon….I discovered black pen all over the back seat cushion of a living room chair and asked Magdalena what happened…"some creature drew it, which then turned into Joseph doing it and I’m not lying!!"
This was all while she declared that she was going to be my obedient little helper….hmmm
I'm going to let John handle this one.
Meanwhile Joseph was just one cool cat....
Breakfast….Marietta touched the spoon in Magdalena’s tea cup after I poured milk into it and judging by the flood of tears that ensued you would have thought it was Christmas and Santa had forgotten all about it…..
Afternoon….I discovered black pen all over the back seat cushion of a living room chair and asked Magdalena what happened…"some creature drew it, which then turned into Joseph doing it and I’m not lying!!"
This was all while she declared that she was going to be my obedient little helper….hmmm
I'm going to let John handle this one.
Meanwhile Joseph was just one cool cat....
Also, some good news today! Beth had a doctors appointment and things are looking better. The blood clot endangering her baby's life has shrunk, so the doc says just keep up the bedrest and hopefully the whole clot will be absorbed back into her system. Please pray for the entire Mortensen family! They have been such a beautiful example to me and are accepting this burden with such grace. May God continue to give them strength and if it be His will, may their child continue to have the gift of life, especially as part of such a loving family.
SNOW DAY!
Sunday October 12
Ahhhh my first day "off." I slept until 9 or so ('sigh' that this is now late) and had a pretty lazy day. John and I took the kids outside for a bit to play in the snow....I made a snowman with Marietta. And all of us made lots of snowangels! And ate lots of snow too :) Here are some pics....
Ahhhh my first day "off." I slept until 9 or so ('sigh' that this is now late) and had a pretty lazy day. John and I took the kids outside for a bit to play in the snow....I made a snowman with Marietta. And all of us made lots of snowangels! And ate lots of snow too :) Here are some pics....
The early bird gets the worm...but who wants worms anyways?
Day 3 – Friday Oct 10
“Early to rise makes a man healthy, wealthy and wise”….is I believe how the saying goes but I have yet to become a believer. Nevertheless, duty called at about 6 am (sigh). And another thing that made this particular rising a bit more painful than any other early morning was that at about 2am the night before I heard a knocking at my door which I mistook for part of a dream for awhile, then realized it was real but wondered if it was one of the kids and I should just ignore it and then realized no, whoever was knocking had a mission and he/she was not leaving. Turns out it was John and a water pipe had broken outside somewhere and he needed to shut the water off via the pump in my closet. Apparently it was flooding somewhere outside but by the time morning came around the ground was covered in snow. Just before lunch time we all attempted to go out and play in the new snow but the attempt was not so successful. First 30 minutes or so of trying to locate coats, gloves, boots etc and I sent the 2 girls on their way. Joseph took a bit longer to get ready and by the time he and I were out the door, Magdalena was hungry and on her way back in. So I entrusted Joseph to Marietta and helped Mags get undressed without making too much of a mess, got some food for her and headed back outside just in time for Joseph to fall down the steps bust his lip….and that was the end of that! It was nothing a chocolate chip cookie couldn’t fix :)
During lunch Marietta asked me why I always smiling which of course made me smile. I thought it was super sweet of her and said that it was good to smile. The kids are all really sweet.
That night we all played a bit in the basement, John was a big scary monster and the girls kept running to me to save them. In the end it was piggy back rides upstairs for night prayer and bed. Again I was pooped.
“Early to rise makes a man healthy, wealthy and wise”….is I believe how the saying goes but I have yet to become a believer. Nevertheless, duty called at about 6 am (sigh). And another thing that made this particular rising a bit more painful than any other early morning was that at about 2am the night before I heard a knocking at my door which I mistook for part of a dream for awhile, then realized it was real but wondered if it was one of the kids and I should just ignore it and then realized no, whoever was knocking had a mission and he/she was not leaving. Turns out it was John and a water pipe had broken outside somewhere and he needed to shut the water off via the pump in my closet. Apparently it was flooding somewhere outside but by the time morning came around the ground was covered in snow. Just before lunch time we all attempted to go out and play in the new snow but the attempt was not so successful. First 30 minutes or so of trying to locate coats, gloves, boots etc and I sent the 2 girls on their way. Joseph took a bit longer to get ready and by the time he and I were out the door, Magdalena was hungry and on her way back in. So I entrusted Joseph to Marietta and helped Mags get undressed without making too much of a mess, got some food for her and headed back outside just in time for Joseph to fall down the steps bust his lip….and that was the end of that! It was nothing a chocolate chip cookie couldn’t fix :)
During lunch Marietta asked me why I always smiling which of course made me smile. I thought it was super sweet of her and said that it was good to smile. The kids are all really sweet.
That night we all played a bit in the basement, John was a big scary monster and the girls kept running to me to save them. In the end it was piggy back rides upstairs for night prayer and bed. Again I was pooped.
Getting acquainted
Day 2 – Wednesday Oct 8
I was greeted in the morning by lovely voices “Good morning Suzanne”…clearly had been coached and it was lovely. Today involved lots of getting to know the house and the kids but we had lots of quality time b/c John had to teach a night class in addition to being gone during the day. Fortunately the afternoon was 80 and sunny so we spent some time outside burning off energy. :) The mountains are right out our backyard and are a lovely sight to behold. We went to mass at 5:10 and afterwards, upon exiting the church doors I was welcomed to the west by a beautiful Wyoming sunset into the mountainside. I could have just stood there awhile and taken in the majestic view if it weren’t for the demands of a 6 and 3 (soon to be 4) year old. So it was back home, dinner for all and then I was left alone once again to manage bedtime. Thank goodness it happened to be movie night so while the Marietta and Magdalena became glued to “Heidi” I put Joseph down. By 9 or so (an hour past “normal bedtime” haha) all were tucked in and sleeping. And I was ready to pass out myself.
I was greeted in the morning by lovely voices “Good morning Suzanne”…clearly had been coached and it was lovely. Today involved lots of getting to know the house and the kids but we had lots of quality time b/c John had to teach a night class in addition to being gone during the day. Fortunately the afternoon was 80 and sunny so we spent some time outside burning off energy. :) The mountains are right out our backyard and are a lovely sight to behold. We went to mass at 5:10 and afterwards, upon exiting the church doors I was welcomed to the west by a beautiful Wyoming sunset into the mountainside. I could have just stood there awhile and taken in the majestic view if it weren’t for the demands of a 6 and 3 (soon to be 4) year old. So it was back home, dinner for all and then I was left alone once again to manage bedtime. Thank goodness it happened to be movie night so while the Marietta and Magdalena became glued to “Heidi” I put Joseph down. By 9 or so (an hour past “normal bedtime” haha) all were tucked in and sleeping. And I was ready to pass out myself.
The best laid plans...I promise to never hit the snooze again
This blog is for all those loved ones who wish to know the goings on out here in Lander...and all of you who enjoy can thank Grandma for putting the little bug in my ear to keep account of this latest adventure!
Day 1 - Tuesday October 7
So I was supposed to be on an 8:30 flight out of Atlanta but managed to sleep until 5 til 7 (and of course was not finished packing) thus missed the cut off for checked bags by about 5 minutes. Apparently TSA regulations govern that time rule and cannot be overridden so….a kind Delta associate named Dennis searched for the next 30 minutes trying to reroute me.
All throughout this process I realized time and time again that I was flying out to the middle of nowhere!! The guy even had to leave the front counter to look at a bigger computer screen in the back office that would show enough of a map of the west :/ In the meantime I sat on the scale at the check-in counter while every one else in line glared…..turns out there are only 2 flights a day that go into Casper (the closest Delta operating airport to Lander, my destination) which meant I was now leaving at 2 from Atlanta getting in to Salt Lake (the airport in the picture below) just in time to wait around for 4 hours and than hop on a short flight to Casper circa 8:15. 
All went well and my day ended at midnight pulling into the Mortensen’s house.
Day 1 - Tuesday October 7
So I was supposed to be on an 8:30 flight out of Atlanta but managed to sleep until 5 til 7 (and of course was not finished packing) thus missed the cut off for checked bags by about 5 minutes. Apparently TSA regulations govern that time rule and cannot be overridden so….a kind Delta associate named Dennis searched for the next 30 minutes trying to reroute me.
All throughout this process I realized time and time again that I was flying out to the middle of nowhere!! The guy even had to leave the front counter to look at a bigger computer screen in the back office that would show enough of a map of the west :/ In the meantime I sat on the scale at the check-in counter while every one else in line glared…..turns out there are only 2 flights a day that go into Casper (the closest Delta operating airport to Lander, my destination) which meant I was now leaving at 2 from Atlanta getting in to Salt Lake (the airport in the picture below) just in time to wait around for 4 hours and than hop on a short flight to Casper circa 8:15. 
All went well and my day ended at midnight pulling into the Mortensen’s house.
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