September morn, we danced until the...never mind.

Guess what?  They called me to help the girls in activity days!  I warned you that if I didn't post for a while it was because they had asked me to help with scouts.  Well, activity days is similar to den mom duties except that instead of pocket knives we are playing with frosting and butter knives.  I have been teaching aerobics two days a week as well so between that and the overwhelming responsibility of keeping three little people alive it has been busy.  Hope you are well.  It was awfully cold today in Colorado.  I do like fall weather though, and the scenery here has not disappointed in the least.  My squirrel friend (my niece Maggie named him "Jumper") has not been coming around as often.  I think it is because all the fruit is gone from the trees in my yard.  It never occurred to me that the squirrels were using me for fruit.  I thought we had something.  We have encountered a fox and several snakes in the area, so don't worry we are not getting lonely!

September was spent trying to adjust to our new school schedule.  I don't know how I would have made this move without T's constant help.  Here is a quick letter to all single moms:

Dear Single Moms,

You are amazing.  I don't know how you do it.

Love, Jill

I remember asking mothers if parenting became easier as the child got older.  Their answer was always that it didn't get easier but the job description changes.  I get it now.  I am not wiping down high chairs anymore, but I am working equally as hard on Halloween costumes, lunches, classroom help, callings, bills...you get the point.  T stays busy with his responsibilities as well.  Ash seems to be doing well in school.  He enjoys chess club and serving on student government.  He is all about magic tricks these days.  He is constantly pulling a quarter out of my ear and asking me to pick a card.  I've done enough card tricks with him in the last few days that I can't remember the card I have picked out of his deck.  He will just say, "Was that your card?" and I will answer, "You bet it is buddy" even though I don't have the foggiest idea if it was my card.  He spent a few days at an outdoor education program with kids from his school class.  They even spent the night there.  T was able to chaperon.  T's pictures and texts about how the events were unfolding was priceless.  My favorite texts were the ones about his snoring roommates or trying to find a seat at the breakfast table because he knew that sitting by his son would be totally uncool.

Troy's Bunk Bed! He shared that room with two other men.

Ash on his way down the mountain.  Pretty long night I guess.

Shortly after Ash and T arrived home from camp we headed to Salt Lake.  My sweet niece was having a birthday and there was no way we were missing that.  As we drove into the valley late Thursday night I couldn't hold back a tear or two.  Those mountains are like my old friends.  There was Mt. Olympus, just patiently waiting for my return.  We filled every moment with sweet reunions.  Mom and Dad had the house all dolled up.  We felt like we were at the Ritz.  They even had a mini-bar for us!  Of course they didn't have a mini-bar guys. Dad always has pumpkin chocolate chip cookies on hand so we were well taken care of.

Love you guys.

At the Station Park fountain, dancing to Michael Buble.

I think this picture is especially flattering of me. We saw some missionaries in the store and I asked T to give them a little cash.  He obliged, but he was probable thinking, "They are on a mission Jill, they are not homeless".

A view from the car window.

We were sad to go.  The kiddos took turns crying on the way home.  The good news is that Wyoming provided bathrooms every 30 minutes.  Once again, thank you Wyoming for your hospitality.  One of these days I am going to shower at one of the trucker stops we always end up at just to say I did it.  They seem quite private and well priced. Ha! Beef jerky and a shower?  Yes, please.

We have a chalk board in our kitchen that reads "52 days until Christmas".  I have found listening to Christmas music or counting down to Christmas before Thanksgiving can be offensive to some people.  I apologize if my Christmas cheer is to much for you to hear.  Please don't worry about Thanksgiving though.  It doesn't feel bad.  In fact, I'm pretty sure Tom Turkey is more than happy to skip right over Thanksgiving because it means he gets to keep his gizzard.  Anyway, my wish list is not to extensive so feel free to call me for my sizing or whatever.  Just teasing!  I would love a pet beaver though.  Oh wait, send me a beaver and your dead to me.  Love you.

Red Rocks = Dirty Socks

Have you ever been so tired that even putting the kids to bed sounds like to much work?  That's me right now.  It is late in Colorado, but I am pretending that I am paying important bills.  If I stare at the computer and make intense faces then T will take care of the bedtime madness.  Rude?  Yes.  The cold has set in a bit.  The days are still beautiful, but the nights are crisp.  Our bedroom must have no insulation, because it is about 10 degrees colder than the rest of the house.  Can you say flannel?  Poor T gets to cuddle up to a cozy lumber jack every night.

The weeks are flying by, but all is well.  At the beginning of September our dear friends from Salt Lake came to see us.  E and Jay both work extremely hard, but they took time out of their crazy schedule to stay at the Dutch Manor.  We were incredibly excited to see them.  E is gorgeous, and Jay is a handsome cat, but that is not why were are friends with them, although it is fun to have amigos that look like J-Crew models.  They are unbelievably sweet with our kiddos, generous in every way, and fun!  They arrived with a dozen cookies ready for the taking.  Um...now we are speaking my language.  Cookies are the language of love.  We ate sugar until we shook and then sent our friends to bed.

The next day included some shopping, dinner, and an evening at the Rockies game.  It was "Mormon Night" you know.  What in the blazing saddles does that mean?  I don't have the foggiest idea, but we were surrounded by people spilling beer.  Why do they fill those cups so full? It was more like Jack mormon night.  Just teasing.  I felt strongly that I should meet the people sitting in front of us though.  I fought with the prompting for a while, and then finally I just leaned my big head over the side of them and introduced myself.  Well the woman happened to be my stake relief society president.  They were the kindest people. The couple next to them asked Jay for his number so that he could bid a job for them in Salt Lake.  Dear Rockies, Thank you for sticking some mormons together in your huge stadium. By the way, your cheesecake on a stick helped us tolerate a long sixth inning.  Love, Jill

E and Jay came to church with us.  When we separated them for different classes our ward tried to marry them off to other people.   E had to explain several times that she was happily married, because simply saying she was married didn't deter a few.  We had lunch that afternoon and them drove our friends to a place called "Red Rocks".  The area is actually an outdoor concert venue, but the sights are amazing.  We drove in the parking lot only to find that a comedy festival was going to take place at the theatre that night.  Needless to say it probably wasn't the most family friendly environment, therefore we left the crowd and headed up a trail in the opposite direction.  The smell of weed only followed us for a second which made the walk a peaceful excursion.

The following day we were able to get a little shopping and lunch in before our friends headed back home.  Thank you for coming E and Jay.  We love you to the moon and back.

One of my favorite quotes from the film "Ferris Bueller" (the TV edited version I watched 824 times as a kid) is, "Life moves pretty fast.  If you don't stop and look around a little you might miss it."  I could not agree more Ferris.  Let's be honest, moving can be hard.  You spend the first month unpacking, the second month adjusting, and the third month missing those you left behind.  I realize that it is time for me to stop and smell the roses, well more like reeds in these parts.  I am thinking of you though.  You are loved more than you could ever imagine.  Not you Mr. Beaver.  You are simply being tolerated.  Until next time America.

A September to Remember

Hola from Mexico! Just kidding, still in Colorado.  Hope this post finds you happy and with chocolate.  As I type I am watching a kamikaze squirrel climb my tree.  It is the same squirrel that watches me sometimes.  The guy is totally crazy, certifiably nuts I think.  We have a tree full of red berries, but this guy always chooses the berries on the end of the tree limbs.  The whole branch bends as if it might snap, but just in the nick of time the little squirrel runs up the branch to safety.  It is like a metaphor for my life, out on a limb and almost dying and then...yep, that has nothing to do with my life.  The squirrel might be schizophrenic though.

Colorado is beautiful in September.  The weather is reminiscent of Salt Lake in the fact that it rains one moment, and twenty minutes later the sun comes out and I am ready to set up the slip n' slide.  The kids seem to be adjusting to school.  We spend hours doing homework, but that is just the way it goes.  I am an expert at identifying quadrilaterals.  Feel free to call me if you questions about 4th grade geometry.  I also happen to be pretty good at 1st grade sight words.  It is just a gift, try not to make a bid deal about it.  A-hizzle is a renaissance man through and through.  One moment he is shooting things with his sling shot and the next second he is doing card tricks for the kids in the cafeteria.  Izzy is a trooper.  She keeps us on our toes with her quick wit and silly personality.  Every day seems to get a little easier for her.   Miss A-cakes is a doll.  She has been the most flexible with the move.  She also has two boys in her school class that are as small as she is which is an added bonus.

Troy and I went downtown with some friends.  This is the 16th Street Mall.

A-cakes posed for this while explaining that a boy at school said his playground ball was bigger than his bum.  Maybe not my bum A, but certainly yours.

A night with the girls.

Our very own fishing spot.

Izzy fell asleep in a praying position.  That tells you what kind of a transition this move has been for her.

I could eat this one for lunch.

This was taken about three houses down from where we live.  Please don't poke my eyes out when I go running Mr. Three Point.

He looks old huh?  Ladies, please give me a few years before you start texting him.  I am going to finish this post and make his watch Sesame Street with me.

My friends may I tell you how proud I am of Izzy? I would guess that this move has been the hardest thing she has done in her young life, and she has handled it with as much dignity and grace as she has in her cute little body  Prayers are heard and answered. Call me if you ever want a story about a miracle, because I witnessed one. We are not alone in this universe.  We have a loving Creator that not only commands the ocean, but takes the time to listen to a desperate mother's cries and brings immediate comfort and peace.  Do you know what that means for us?  We are never alone.  When I send those kiddos to a new school, in a brand new city, they are never alone.  He is with them.  He is there when I can't be, and that means everything to me right now.  Everything.  

Have a great week my sweet ones.  Only 99 more days until Christmas!  I cannot wait.  I think I will bake something to celebrate.  Everyone can have a treat, except for the beaver of course.  There will be no celebrating with that guy.

Summer Lovin' and School Dreadin'

Hi cuties!  Sending love from Colorado.  It is cold and rainy in the "Mile High" state today.  The running trail was practically deserted.  I stopped for a few minutes to stare at the river and the park ranger stopped to check if I was okay?  Um...do they have acid rain in Colorado? I will let you know if any of my extremities have melted. Weird.

Early August brought our annual trip to Bear Lake with the Ludlow posse. We were ready to see our sweet family again.  It was an eight hour drive for us, but it was worth every second.  The week was filled with swimming, lake trampolines, wave runners, Bandito (Picklevile Playhouse), and delicious food.

My cute sister Annette had planned some fun service and family activities.  Our family was in charge of the "Iron Chef" night.  The boys and girls competed against each other in a baking competition.  It was a hoot.  The girls made Nutella cookies and the boys made popcorn with M&M treats.  My parents were the judges.  You entered one condo and you would see little girls talking quietly, and taking turns stirring.  You entered the other condo and it sounded like all the boys were trying to get the last chopper out of Vietnam.  Here are some fun pictures of the action.

Here is one condo...

Here is condo two.  Sorry about the picture of your bums.

Addie looks exhausted from the competition!

Shan was the adult helper for the girlies, and Uncle "B" was the adult helper for the boys.  Aren't they cute (especially Shan and Weezie's bum)? You know what was crazy?  The bats could smell the baking from the open sliding glass window, so when I would leave one condo to enter another they would swoop around my head!  I could seriously be on the Discovery Channel with a little adventure show called, "Jill the Wilderness Woman". We had to leave a day early to get home to school.  You think that was the longest drive home ever?  Yes, yes it was.  A trip to Arby's didn't even take the edge off of our grouchiness.  I love those curly fries though.

We started school the next day.  The kids were such brave little Chihuahuas.  The schools are amazing, and they have gone out of their way to make us feel welcome.  We even went to help with a service project on the playground.  We have met some wonderful people, which has helped immensely with the transition.

We helped paint that!  Look out Bob Ross.

A little school project.

Allow me to show you what our weekends look like.  There are not a ton of kids on our street, so we spend all of our free time together.   T has taught the kiddos how to fish.  There is nothing like attaching a smelly play dough like substance (power bait I'm told) to the bottom of a pole and tossing it in a river!  Those crazy fish fall for it every time.  I cannot figure out why those fish don't tell each other that the humans are out with their sparkly, garlic smelling goop.  They are such suckers for glitter, but I can't say I blame them.  Skateboarding is a big deal around this house as well.  Ash loves his "Penny" board.  He is pretty adorable on it.  Izzy is an outdoor girl through and through.  She gets it from her mom.  What? Don't laugh.

I am making that face because the fish was bleeding from taking the hook out of it.  I just felt sorry for it.   I'm sure it went to the fish urgent care and the fish doctor stitched it up.  This is the reason I don't go to rodeos, just too sad.

Mr. T has been my rock through this move.  He lets me cry and complain and never holds it against me.  He continues to make me laugh everyday, and brings me chocolate when I need it.  I find it amazing that after all these years of being together, I am still learning about him.  His resilience is unbelievable, his courage is inspiring, but his loyalty is absolutely remarkable.  Elder Jeffrey R. Holland once said, "The crowning characteristic of love is always loyalty".  That my friends makes T the most loving man in the world.  Love to each of you, except of course, the beaver.