Go Hop On Pop

Fear not, I am with thee; oh, be not dismayed,

For I am thy God and will still give thee aid.

I’ll strengthen thee, help thee, and cause thee to stand… (How Firm a Foundation; Hymn 85)

I love hearing the children in the ward sing this song.  When I found out that I had to teach this song to young children, I knew it would be awesome, but I didn’t know how it would affect me.  I find that anytime that I am feeling overwhelmed, or struggling with things in life that this song especially this verse (3) comes to my mind and I find great comfort in it.

Sunday we had the primary program in sacrament meeting.  It was a year’s worth of work from everyone, and I know the primary presidency put a lot of work into it.  I am the primary chorister, and I have never struggled with a calling as I have with this one.  I have  had this calling for almost 2 years now, and only now do I feel confident with what I am doing.  I have no music training AT ALL!  No note reading, no knowledge of how to lead, no ability to follow a tune.  The first weeks would make me sweat just thinking about it.  I have never wanted to quit something so badly in my life.  The game part was not a problem for me, I enjoy having fun and you throw children into that equation and it was easy.  I probably spent the first 6 months not sleeping the Saturday night before church.  It was awful.  Finally I started praying to just get through my Sunday, gradually my prayers changed to help me learn what needed to be learned so that I can feel confident in my calling.  It wasn’t an over night success, it still took another 6 months to be able to laugh at my inadequacies and eventually I started to sleep again.  I feel like I have learned more with this calling then I have learned in any other calling.  It stretched me to a point that I thought I’d break, but I didn’t!  I enjoy my time with the children, I love how brilliant they are, and I love listening to them sing songs like How Firm a Foundation.  It made me look at songs in a different way, listen to the words, and feel the spirit through the music.  Funny how the Lord knows the path you need to take even if you are reluctant and think you know better.

Now for an update on the last month or so!

Let’s see Emma turned 11!  Yeah, you read that right, 11, which is impossible because I never turned 30, and those laugh lines around my eyes don’t exist, it’s just bad lighting in the bathroom (leave me alone, I can live in a little denial can’t I?)  What a beautiful young girl she has become.  She’s so intense and passionate about things.  I envy her love for life and her excitement for new things.  She is playing the flute this year in school and is loving math this year.  I know this next year will be full of changes for her, and I can’t wait to see how she grows and changes.

Grandma T was able to come for Emma’s birthday, she took us out to Johnny Rockets for dinner.  Grandma is great to have around, thanks for all you do.  She gave Emma some cash for her birthday, Emma hasn’t decided what to spend it on yet, I think she is saving for a Nano.  Grandma and Grandpa O sent Emma a camera which she is loving and using all the time.  Danny and I gave Emma a gift card to Borders and a new back pack and she got a bag of her favorite candy, candy corn, from her little sisters.  We took her friend out with her to dinner and a movie.

We recently spent some time with our friends the Clarks up at Lake Tahoe to see the Salmon Run at Taylor Creek.

My little Hallie has gone from sleeping for 6 or 7 hours at night down to sleeping for only 2, WHY? When I figure it out I’ll let you know.

Danny has moved my blog so that I can put on as many pictures as I want, but now I’m having to learn a new way to blog and put pictures on, hopefully things will get smoother as I practice.  To get to my blog now you can drop the blogspot on the end: gohoponpop.com

We went camping with the Hamblin family.  We love being with the Hamblins and we are so happy that Devree is home and that they are  together again as a family.

I have a lot more to tell, it’s been a busy month, but this is long enough for one post.

It’s been more then a month since I posted last. What is wrong with me? Oh I remember, I can’t post pictures, I have reached my limit, and I need to find a solution, better yet my husband needs to find a solution. We’ll work on that!
Last night while I was feeding Hallie I had a chat with her about this 1am feeding she has added lately, I told her it wasn’t my favorite time to get up with her, so she got me up at 12:58 instead, that was kind of her. I’m lacking sleep we’ll leave it at that. A lot has happened in the last month and I feel badly about skipping it and not recording the happenings. So when I can post pictures I will get all caught up.

Yep it’s true, my little Aubrey is 5! Some high lights of last night when we had a few friends over and today. Aubrey is a little light in this sometimes dim world, and I can’t wait to see what her future holds.

Aubrey has wanted a pink scooter for a long time. Now she can keep up with Emma and Tanner

I sewed an apron and chef hat for Aubrey and gave it to her with a kid cookbook. Aubrey often cooks with me as an earned privilege now she is all set.

Happy Birthday Baby!

I love three day weekends! Yesterday we woke early, packed lunches and headed out to the Desolation Wilderness for a 5.4 mile hike to Grass Lake. The road out there was the scariest thing I’ve seen recently, one lane in some spots, half lane in others, with a cliff drop off into a lake on one side and granite boulders protruding into the road on the other. If a car was coming toward you, you had to back up to a wide spot and hope that they could fit past you. It was 6 miles of terror. We finally made it to the trail head and started out. It was much more hill and granite steps then I was expecting, but I did fine, and the kids did better than me. We of course got the typical gawking, and comments about us taking all of these kids out hiking, but we’ve become used to it and laugh a little when we see their mouths counting how many kids we have with us. As a couple passed us the other direction Alyssa had to ask them why they were hiking naked, the lady was wearing a sport bra, and the man wasn’t wearing a shirt. We had a lunch picnic at the lake, and a large Husky dog came bounding through the end of the lake where we were playing, and the kids thought it was a wolf. It freaked them out until I pointed out that the wolf was wearing a collar, and was soon followed by its hiking buddy. In the spring this hike would be a lot more challenging. We had to cross one river over a log, but there were other creeks that would need crossing, but since it is late summer, they are pretty much dry right now. I find with Hallie on the front I have a hard time seeing where to place my feet and slip more then usual. My ankles are sore today from multiple twists because I stepped on loose rocks. Danny and I were talking about how much easier this will get when the kids get a little older and can hike on their own. Aubrey does just fine on her own, but Alyssa still needs some help with this length of a hike and of course Hallie needs to be carried the entire time. I love fall hiking, the temperatures are perfect!

I get a little sad this time of year. Summer is coming to an end, and I can feel the chill in the air when I walk the kids to the school bus in the morning. It’s back to school time, and with it has come much change in my life. Emma is now in middle school, and as much as this saddens me it excites me too. As long as I don’t let my mind wander and start thinking about how little time I have left with her. Emma has been riding her scooter after school on Wednesdays to her piano teachers house and then over to the church to Activity Days. I know that she needs to do this in order to gain more independence, but I can’t help but worry. I’m at least a 15 minute drive from her if for some reason she needed me, and I have two other kids getting off the bus and I just can’t be two places at once. She does this ride with her sweet friend, and I’m so thankful to her mother for letting her come with Emma and being there in case of an emergency. Emma is growing up so quickly and I’m trying to help her cross the line of being a little girl into young womanhood gracefully. We are learning together. What a wonderful time this is.
Aubrey has started kindergarten, and is so mature. Wow what a difference a year makes. Last year if you’d asked me if Aubrey was ready for school I would have said NO WAY. She is so independent and stubborn, but has grown into a sweet and delightful little girl. I can count on her to make me laugh daily, and what a little mama she has become to Hallie. Today, Danny had some work issues so I found myself in Sacrament Meeting by myself with my kids. Aubrey held Hallie the entire time, and is so comfortable putting her binki in bouncing her back to sleep. She is usually the first one to get to Hallie when she fusses at home and sings Love at Home to quiet her down. What would I do without my stubborn little 4 year old.
Tanner started 4th grade, and I’ve seen some major change in is organization skills. He is taking school very seriously, and is happy and helpful around the house. I love that kid so much. He was practicing piano this afternoon, and I thought for sure it was Emma. It’s good to see him take it seriously. Tanner is having a little problem with seeing things backward/upside down. Even his piano teacher noticed, which helped to make it more real and I’m talking with his teacher to see what we can do to help him. He’s always written everything upside down as I call it, it looks the right way when you look at it, but he physically writes it backward he’s just figured out how to get it to look the right way. I’m not explaining this very well. Maybe I’m a little backward. His reading is so beyond where it should be, so he doesn’t fit the exact profile for dyslexia, and he’s pretty good at recognizing when he’s seen things wrong and fixing it. I’ll keep you posted.
Alyssa is finally getting the one on one time she deserves. She’s had a hard time since Hallie’s birth. When Aubrey goes to school Alyssa and I sing songs, read stories, play with rice, playdoh, and do cooking projects. She’s going to be ok, it’s just going to take some extra time and attention from me.
Last month our visiting teaching lesson was about learning. I think that I am getting less smart with every kid I have and that my learning has come to a halt, I’m more in survival mode. I want to enjoy my kids, and not just survive them. I often ask myself am I enjoying them, and if not how come? If I’m not enjoying them it is me that needs to change. I’m trying to find joy in the simple things that they do. The giggles at the dinner table because Tanner burped. The silly banter between Emma and Tanner. When Tanner tries to pin Emma to the ground, and gets frustrated that his smaller (not younger) sister can still pin him. Hallie’s smiles, and first giggles. Aubrey’s strange songs that she sings non stop. Alyssa’s love for Care Bears even though we’ve seen it a dozen times. These are the things that I’m trying to imprint on my brain, and find joy in instead of frustration. I’m also working on not saying no so quickly. I ask my self why not before I say no. If Alyssa wants a story, and I’m really not in the mood to read one, I try and slow down my response and ask myself why not read her a story? I find we usually end up enjoying our time together, and I’m almost always grateful that I stopped and spent that time with her.
I’m also taking time to teach myself some new skills. I would love to sew, but my skill level is not where it needs to be to sew the things I’d like to sew. So instead of giving up I’m working on little things, building my confidence and working toward where I want to be.
So I guess we’ve all been changing a lot lately. I know that through much prayer and hard work we will continue to grow and change. Bring on the fall weather, change is fun!

Little Robeez type shoes. I used some scrap fabric just to see if I could replicate them. They turned out pretty cute, next time I’ll buy some leather for the bottoms. The possibilities are endless and they were simple to make.

I made this apron for Aubrey’s birthday. I also made a chef hat and bought a cooking for kids cookbook. I bought the wrong size of D rings but wanted to finish it, next time will be better.

I’ve been teaching Emma to sew. She made a pillow case for Aubrey and then chose out a book and included a coupon to read her a bedtime story. This is what Emma is giving Aubrey for her birthday.

Doctrine and Covenants 88:118-119:

Last night for F.H.E. we joined some friends up at Lake Tahoe. There are so many reason I enjoy going to Tahoe in the late afternoon over the morning and day time. -There are no crowds at all up there after 4:00 -I don’t have to use sunscreen -The temperature is perfect
-The sunset is a reminder to me that the world is beautiful and for our enjoyment. The only down side is the kids like to play with their friends when they go to the beach, so we invited some friends up with us last night and renewed our friendship, and our spirits. I got so many pictures last night, the lighting is perfect for photos when the sun is about to go down. Hallie enjoyed her toe dips and she didn’t seem to mind the fresh air on her naked skin. I’m thinking that FHE needs to be on the beach from now until October. I made a collage of some pictures from last night because I’m too lazy to upload all of the pictures I wanted to post, so if you click on it you can look at the pictures better.

Aubrey has eczema all over her body. She feels like sandpaper on her torso, legs, arms, and it often bleeds behind her knees. She has suffered from this condition since she was a newborn, and it makes her so uncomfortable. I have tried every lotion out there, so when a friend of mine suggested a lotion she used I was skeptical, but took it anyway. After Aubrey’s bath on Saturday I lotioned her down like always, and sent her to bed and in the morning she felt smoother then I have ever felt her. She was pleased also, and allowed me to put on a second coat of it in the morning. I don’t know what the difference is with this lotion, but I’ll take it. It doesn’t cure the problem, but it has calmed her skin, maybe, just maybe I’ll get that kid out of a skirt and into a pair of jeans now.

We’re getting ready for the beginning of school. The school isn’t buying school supplies this year. Don’t ask my opinion about all of this, but off we went to the store, and bought the required supplies. I showed a little rebellion though, the teacher for Aubrey’s class is wanting 2 blue bullet tipped dry erase markers. Really! To get two of those I’d have to buy 2 multi colored packs and then remove the blue ones at a cost of $12 for the 2 packs. Not happening, she gets whatever colors Tanner doesn’t choose from the multi colored pack because he needs 4 markers. Then I got a little carried away, they wanted Lysol brand disinfecting wipes, so I bought Target brand. They wanted 16 count crayons, couldn’t find them anywhere, really I looked, so I bought 24 count. With 3 kids in school and two other kids with me I just couldn’t run around to lots of stores looking for this kind of detailed list, so I’m telling the school what I tell my kids, “you get what you get and you don’t throw a fit”.

Aubrey is so stinking excited to go to school, she wakes every morning asking how many more days. I can’t wait I’m excited for her. I guess I should be a little sad, but I love that she is growing and changing and experiencing life with such enthusiasm. I hope kindergarten is ready for Aubrey.
I’ve been on a sewing kick. While I was pregnant, I was desperate for things to keep me occupied so I bought some fabric to make Aubrey a pillowcase. I never could get it made so I finished it last week and sewed a second one for Alyssa because I had hurt her feelings by not making one for her in the first place.

We’re off to Lake Tahoe tonight for F.H.E. Once school starts we have scouts, piano lessons, activity days and we might not make it back up again this summer.

Aubrey is sick today, stomach bug, enough said right? So with her bathed and settled on the couch and Alyssa being amused by Emma, and Hallie sleeping I started in on my first Christmas project of the year. This was so fun and easy, I can’t wait to do another one. Maybe an hour and a half start to finish. I can see though that I have reached Hallie’s limits for today she is screaming and things are starting to break down, so I will quickly post some pictures and go take care of my family.

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Just a cute picture of Hallie’s sweet baby lips

Alyssa giving me an attitude, once cute baby lips are now used to demand to see the kitty before we finish our walk. She loves to wear leotards anytime I’ll let her.