Any time is Family Time!

Since our meetings were canceled on Sunday, by about 5:00 in the afternoon we were going stir crazy. Family time is totally Sunday appropriate, especially going for a nice walk to appreciate nature. So we picked a trail that went along the Snake River and off we went!

When we got to the end of the leg that went as far as some railroad tracks, we found some fun rocks where the river had dragged stones across it's bed and left neat formations. The boys enjoyed running and climbing around for a while.

Mark found a trail, not a nice paved one, but one worn by many feet walking it. It looked like it headed up river a ways to where a map showed a smaller set of falls than the ones by the temple in Idaho Falls. So off we went! We stopped by a tree to take a picture.

You can see the trail off to the left. The "stripes and solids" pattern here was not planned at all. :-)

We hiked for a good 30 minutes from the car to the falls. In sand. And thistles. Even over this rickety bridge! Mark tested it out first, the water was shallow. It held him, so the boys carefully crossed over. I was last, holding Daniel's hand, and was very glad that my weight is less and my balance is so much better- because otherwise he and I would have walked back to the car!

After watching some rapids and talking about waterfalls for a while, we decided to head back before the sun started seriously setting, since it was another 30 minute walk back to the car. And the bees. There were a lot of bees by the water thanks to a farmer's stash of beehives at the close-by corner of his field.

On the way back, we stopped at the log again so Mommy could be in a picture. I'm always behind the camera, and I worry that when the kids are older and they look back, they'll think I simply didn't exist or something!

Daddy found some cockleburrs on the way back, and showed the boys how they stuck to shirts. I politely declined to be decorated. Actually, I believe it was something like "Don't you dare stick those things on me! I don't want to itch the rest of the night!"

It's so funny when Mommy gives advice, and nobody listens. By the time we got back to the car, the older 2 were complaining of itching and then burning, as well as the biggest kid of them all... Daddy. Who swore he played with them as a kid and they were perfectly harmless. Based on the redness, we went for an emergency run to Walmart for some Calydryl. Everyone had to strip when we got home and shower off and then get all "pinked up". Poor kiddos. 

Musings of my moments...

This has been a rough week in terms of staying motivated. Motivated to work out, motivated to eat right, motivated to clean... motivated in general. There are times when I feel very normal, and there are times when my bipolar rears up and tries to bite me in the tush. Just to see if I'm still here? Or because it's bored?

I don't know.

But this week was one of the "not so good" weeks. I knew it was coming, I could feel it. And there wasn't a thing I could do about it.

I've lost a little.

I've sat a lot.

I even made cookies, and was somehow strong enough to only eat one.

But this means that next week will be a good week. Because that's how things go for me. Next week I'll remember to plan menus in advance, because it's so much easier. Next week I'll push myself a little harder to get to the track, because soon enough it will be far too cold to make the kids play on the bleachers.

But it hasn't been all bad this week.

I played with Daniel on the playground today after dropping William off at school. And I don't mean that I sat and watched him run around on the rocks or go down the slide.

No.

I played with Daniel. I sat on the swing, with him on my lap holding the chain, and I swung. "Higher, Mommy!" while he laughed with glee.

I watched him climb the spinning thing and hold on, while I ran around to make him spin.

And together, we explored the huge rocks. With rock stairs to climb, and tunnels to go through, and slides to go down. And as we were sitting on the side-by-side slide, and he reached over and took my hand to go down, I realized how this journey has brought me so much more than smaller clothes and compliments. It's brought me a childhood. It's brought me the chance to be the mom I had wanted to be.

So I'll take the bad weeks, because they'll come no matter what. But I won't lose sight of why I started this whole thing in the first place. For me. For my family. For the chance to see my kids grow and then get to play at the playground with their kids.

Weight loss since June 8: 44.4 lbs. Nearly halfway to my goal.

Hike! 2...3...4...5...6....Up the Hill!

We've been wanting to do something as a family all summer. Yellowstone? Maybe. If we could remember to pack food the night before and leave early to make the drive up there. The local "lake"? Nah. It's always crowded in the summer. But about 20 minutes away is a gorgeous little hiking spot called "Cress Creek". So off we took last Saturday, lunch in hand, and drove up in the hills a bit.

Look at that view! Cress Creek got the name because the water is naturally warmed and as it flows down the side of the mountain/hill, it congregates in little pools allowing watercress to grow. I suppose you could harvest it, but we didn't let the kids. Nature isn't as clean as it used to be, which is a shame because it would have been fantastic on my sandwhich!

We got there and had our lunch before starting our climb. I strapped Daniel on my back, partly because his little legs are pretty short to hike up, and partly because I was curious to see how much harder my body had to work over 30 lbs ago. No wonder I was always tired! These pictures were taken at the top of our climb, which was not quite the top of the trail. But we had some tired little boys, with tired little legs by this point, and so chose to head back. The whole hike took us a little over an hour, with a nervous mommy on some of the downhill parts!

But it was fun and I'm glad we were able to go and enjoy some time as a family.

First Day of School!

I'm getting these up a good week and a half late, but better late than never! The boys started school last Wednesday, and it's iffy who was more excited. Me, or them. Oren and Nathan get on the bus in the morning, so I had to snap their pictures then. But William doesn't go until nearly noon and I was running behind, so his got taken when he got home.

 They all had a great first day, even if William was a little nervous. The other 2 both went to preschool for speech therapy and things, and were bussed there and back every day. So the classroom setting, all the kids, school routine... and the bus... were nothing majorly new for them when they started kindergarten. But poor William? All he's had is Primary as far as class time away from Mom and Dad. And buses? He's never been on one in his life!

He did great though, and Oren was an awesome big brother on the way home. I should have had my camera, because it was the sweetest thing when he stepped off the bus, waited for William, and held his hand all the way home. And now when I tell him "Shoes on, time for school!" his response is "Yay! I wonder what we'll learn today!"

And I love that he loves it already.

Daniel just had to sneak in there for one, but the other boys had about had it. I can't believe how fast they are growing up! Oren is in 5th grade now, his last year in elementary school. Next year he'll start middle school and may ride a different bus home than his brothers. Nathan is in 3rd grade this year, and is excited to start learning cursive.

And Daniel is adjusting to life at home with just Mommy in the afternoons. How? By causing as many messes as he can before they get home. :-)