If I have learned 1 thing . . .

from going back to school to get my bachelors in marriage and family studies, it would be that Dr. John Gottman is a freaking genius.  I think that everyone of my classes, even my communications class, mentions his book "Seven Principles for Making Marriage Work."  In my Family 300 class, it is one of my text books.  

If your marriage needs any kind of help, even if you think it is strong, get this book.  It has some great activities that will strengthen your marriage.  If you know anyone getting married, this would be a great gift.  This man is brilliant.  He has done so much research, it is so interesting.  You should Google some of his experiments.  It is super interesting. Anyway, I guess that is my spiel for now.
You really should get this book.  It is the best $15 you can spend. 



 

Yet another post explaining why I have been MIA

Every once in a while, I go blogging MIA.  This time I have a good excuse.  I have gone back to college.  When I was 20 and my first baby was 3 weeks old,  I graduated from Ricks College with an Associates in Social Work.  My husband was accepted to BYU but I was not.  So I never completed my bachelors, I always knew I wanted to go back, just not when.  Now fast-forward 16 years and I am going back to school.  I am going to BYU-Idaho online.  It has been challenging.  I am taking 13 credits and still attempting to handle my life with 9 kids.  I am trying my hardest to not let my school affect them so I am having a lot of late nights.  The babies are in 2 pre-schools, so that helps me with some free time, but they have been recently diagonsed with autism so we put them in occupational therapy, normal therapy and speech therapy for them on top of running all the other kids to their things, such as soccer, 8 dance classes, music and writing club, youth symphony, choir, mutual, scouts, cub scouts, drill team, and they are in piano lessons.  I have probably missed something, but needless to say we are pretty busy right now.  

     So, why am I starting to blog again?  It is an assignment for a class.  But I guess what ever gets me blogging, right?  My major is Marriage and Family studies.  I am still not sure what I want to be when I grow up, but if I am going to work again, (I have been a stay-at-home mom for 16 years) I want to do what I want to do. So I am getting a degree now.  I am leaning towards being a counselor but I also would love to help post-adoptive families.  So, what is my assignment?  I am writing a blog on Marriage and Family.  Fun, huh?  I am actually pretty excited.  I have been putting if off for a little while because I am barely getting my work done as it is, but here I go.  


This semester has me like . . .

Can I check color run off my bucket list because I walked with my kids when they did it?

I hope so. I have always wanted to do a color run. I have ran 2 5k's. Sadly, I hate running. I don't understand people that enjoy it. It is complete and utter torture. So when a mom in the neighborhood told me about one for kids, I threw my kids into it. It was on Annie's birthday so we forced (ok, not forced, but kind of mandatory) a few of her friends to join us.

(Super sorry for the highlighted ad words.  I have got to figure out how to get rid of those. . . sorry.  I hope you can read it with them there :0)

Now, I have a fun video that John filmed.  But I still have to get it uploaded before I share it.  So here are the after photos.  Are you ready?  

This was just a 1 mile run.  I walked with Jonah.  The funny thing was that we had to walk around the park before we walked around the neighborhood.  Josh took off with other kids and just ran it by himself.  I had to walk with Jonah to help him stay focused and not stop to examine every . . . little . . . thing.  After Jonah and I finished the park and went to keep going, he told me it was too hard and he wanted to go with Braden.  Funny thing is, Braden was done with the whole dang race by that point.  Ugggg.  

Yep, the 6 foot 7 baseball star won.  He beat all the kids.  (Seeing how all the kids except mine were probably 11 or younger, but who cares.  He won dang it!!!)

Wait, I thought this race was for kids?  

Beyonce's hair was my favorite thing of the entire race.  Isn't it fantastic?

Jonah just kept throwing it in is own face.  ha ha Why he thought this in his eyes was a good idea, I will never know.  

I will end on grumpy Josh.  He didn't want to hold still long enough to get his photo taken.

I know the next thing on your mind.  What was that laundry like.  I have one word for you. . . 

PINK.  

I think I need a reality show.

Even if it's just to show the reaction on peoples faces when they find out how many kids I have. The comment I used to get the most was "who helps you?" But sad to say, John and I are raising them on our own. We don't have a grandma, aunt, nanny or neighborhood teenager that helps out. Only my own teenagers. A mom at my kids dance class hires someone to drive her kids to their activities. Sad to say, it is all us. But really it's OK with us. We signed up for this many kids. No complaints here. And we are in the homestretch to have our own drivers. (I am not judging anyone who is lucky enough to have these immenities. I am just describing my life, as boring as it is.)

Now that the babies are getting older, a whooping 4 next month, it is mostly the awkward look of shock that overcomes peoples faces.

Here is an example. We took our family. Yep, all 9 kids plus 1 boyfriend to a local play area. John was off mini golfing with a few of the kids . I had the younger ones in a slide area when my most energetic 3 year old wanted to join them. So I stalled as long as I could to give the others a head start. There is no way the littles can last long on an activity like that. Anyways, so I brought the little kids over as they were nearing the end.

And the man on the hole before them asked me the age old question "Are they all yours?" And as I was answering with my so not clever answer of "yes, I have 9 kids". He was saying "all 6 of them?" I thought his eyes were going to pop out of his head. Then there is the awkward silence because of the fact he thought 6 was a lot.

I wish I was a comedienne so I could think of funnier things to say. But I am not, so oh well. Years ago while I was knee deep in foster kids, I asked my dad for something funny to say and his responses for me were A. This is one of the benefits of being a polygamous wife or B. But I left the twins at home.
I haven't used those in a while. B. Is funnier to me now that I basically have 2 sets of twins.

So then we are out to dinner at the local buffet for James birthday. It is always a kids birthday favorite because they will eat a plate full of canned mandarin oranges or olives and try to convince me that it fulfills all the requirements for nutrients as they head off to choclate fondue anything and everything in sight. Then they think if they bring me something covered in chocolate it makes it all OK. Sad to say, it usually works.
OK,  back on topic. So Braden aka the boyfriend decided that we should have our own t.v. show since we are so entertaining. But to him. I am sure we look like a 9 ring circus. He is the youngest of 3 kids.

I think I need an award for worlds worst blogger.

I have not been doing my job lately and frankly, I don't think anyone really cares. But, in case there is one person that does, I have been doing a fun thing on instagram. It is from the site 100happydays.com and I post a photo about something that made me happy that day. It has been really fun to do but sad to say I think my social media is tired of me. Daily photos are getting to be a bit much. Especially since most of them are Cafe Rio.  So, anyways, if you instagram, I would love to follow you.  I am mom288 on there too. (Yes, I use mom288 for most things, because I have 6 bio kids + 3 adopted + 79 foster kids = mom 2 88. However, that is my count. I am worried if I ask how many I had, I will be wrong. Maybe I missed one. Or added an extra. So, I just live in innocent bliss.)

Do you instagram?

This is a hard part about having girls 13 months apart. . .

I remember sitting in the hospital after I changed into a gown to give birth to my second baby girl, more than 15 years ago. I started bawling "I just did this. I can not do this again. I was just here!!".  Potty training was the same. Some milestones are fun to get to do again a year or so later. Like now we are teaching the girls to drive. Basically at the same time since drill has been to busy to add a drivers class in there.

Speaking of drill, Holy drill batman!!! I never knew how all consuming drill is. It has been a blast to watch and be a part of. Becca had so much worry and stress about wanting to be on this team last year. Yet it seems like yesterday. Now we get to do it again. Cassi is going to try out. I do worry, only because the coach is leaving and I am not sure what direction she wants to go. Cassie is a beautiful dancer. I am super excited for her.

Now, on to last night. It was the drill showcase. It was such a fun night. For the past 2 nights, the drill girls had mini clinics for kids. All the kids except James and Jason did it. I wish I took more photos. For some reason, I have been getting caught up in the moment and not recording them. Cause, ya know, if it's not in a scrapbook, it didn't happen  :0)

So here are some photos and videos I did take. Woot woot

 The girls were presented.  In their fancy, shmancy dresses.  How georgous is Becca boo boo face?

Here's the cute team.  What a fun bunch of girls.  

 Here is her cute little buddy that did the partner dance with her.  Crazy kid to get up and go to school by 6am.  Friends are awesome.

Words of advice before her coach is no longer her coach.  

Wow, what amazing drill faces.  Beautiful, just beautiful.  

 Coach Dannie.  She is a great coach.