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An Exhausting Week

Life is exhausting.

Nothing out of the ordinary this week, just life being life.  But I’m beat!

We do have internet now at my parents place, so that’s good.  We now have access to the outside world.

The kids are all in school and doing fine.  We are getting into the swing of things here and are making adjustments to make things easier.

We still only have one shower for the 12 people living here.  That will be a construction priority as soon as we find time to do some construction again.

After the kids left for school, Julie and I worked today on the parking situation.  We got the pile of green waste picked up off of the driveway, moved the swamp cooler, pulled the tractor out into the field, moved a pile of pallets, moved 2 boats away, loaded up a trailer full of trash, and swept the entire parking area.  5 hours of work later and we can now park by the garages again!  Hopefully the motorhome will be moved soon to make it even easier.

I’m toying with the idea that Julie is a futuristic cyborg with a limitless energy supply.   That woman never stops and I don’t feel like I get to either.   She can go forever, but I desperately need some down time!  Life is exhausting!

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Changing Schools – Again!

One of my favorite persons that I’ve met since coming back to Utah has got to be Les Hamilton.  We were in the same ward for a few months before a split, and have only talked a dozen or so times.   But every time I talk to him I like him even more than before.  He happens to be the AD at Summit Academy High School.

Good To Know

A few weeks ago I wrote about how we had gotten the kids all ready for school.  Well, last week Les shared a post on Facebook that Summit Academy High School was still accepting applications.   I had known that Summit was the closest school to my parents house, but I thought there was no way we could afford it.

When Les shared his post, I contacted him and told him I would like to consider it but that I was worried about cost since I’m a disabled vet who just lost everything.

Turns out I’m an idiot (no shock to the rest of you, I know).   Summit isn’t a private school…  it is a charter school.   No tuition!!  There is no reason my kids couldn’t attend.

Changing Again!

So I got online ASAP and put in applications for all of my kiddos.  They had room for all of them but Andrew, the one going into kindergarten.  They were reasonable enough to tell me that if I registered the others that they would “make room” for him.

So now the kids are all changing schools again.   It’s been a pain in the “lower torso” to take care of the withdrawals, fees, new schedules, and uniforms.   But I think the change will be a good one.   My kids are now attending Summit Academy schools in Bluffdale.

First Day

And this morning, despite the headaches and current life turmoil, we were able to successfully get the children off to school.  I think they were all even wearing clean clothes!

Nikki was nervous about the new school.  She really thrived at Central Elementary in PG.  She’s a bright little girl and I’m sure she’ll thrive here too.   Josh wasn’t interested in classes but more excited about Cross Country and Volleyball that both start after school today.

Caitlin just wants to find people she knows.  Kris and Charlee and excited to find friends too.  They all are looking forward to a great school year!

And so are we!!

Funny side note.   I called and withdrew the kids from the public schools.  The people who answered were all nice and polite and said it was no problem.

They all said they needed to note where the kids would be attending.  When I told them Summit, they ALL became much less polite, and borderline rude.   One of them asked the new school, and when I replied with “Summit Academy” I got back, “Summit?!  OK, got it” and she hung up on me.

I know there is political tension between public school advocates and advocates of other options.  But this was my first taste of it on a personal level.  I was a bit surprised at first.

I understand that public schools don’t want to lose the money that comes with each kid, but apparently they don’t understand that they are also losing the COST of the kid and the needed effort/energy to care for him/her.   But since they (and almost everyone else) focus on money…

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Death and Divorce: Viable Options

When I was a Realtor I always considered it my primary task to remove as much stress from my clients as I possibly could.  Why?  Because studies showed that moving created stress near the levels of having a loved one die, or going through a divorce.

I think Julie would have happily taken either of those options yesterday.  Instead, she got to move into her “In-Laws” house (cue creepy horror music).

Stressed Out

It was not nearly as hard for her to move into her parents house.  It was a house she was familiar with, it was her parents instead of mine, and mostly because she knew it was a temporary home.

This time things are different.  This time the house is new to her.  She hasn’t lived here before, she doesn’t have a history of where things have been located in the house, she doesn’t have childhood memories there, there isn’t as much finished space, and other such reasons make this much harder emotionally for her.

And the owners of the house are new.  The household ‘norms’ are different.  She is trying to be more cautious about ‘stepping on toes’ since she hasn’t lived with my parents before.  She’s feeling very self-conscious about changing the way things have been done before, in a house she doesn’t feel is “hers” yet.  She doesn’t want to hurt feelings and has to think about more than she did while living with her parents.

And this is a permanent move.  Rather than going to her parents just temporarily and knowing she’ll get out of there again, she knows this move is not. That she won’t be leaving here anytime soon.   That is hard.  This isn’t where we ‘want’ to be.  If we had a magic wand to wave and choose where to live, it wouldn’t be here.   We’re here because of circumstances; not because it is our lifelong dream to move in with my parents (Sorry Mom).

The knowledge that this is a permanent (or at least very long term) is stressful, especially for Julie.  It’s not easy on me, but I feel really terribly bad for my sweetheart.

“It’s Fine”

We have a running joke where when we aren’t really happy about something we just tell each other “It’s fine! It’s fine!” with a  certain emphasis that tells the other that we’re jokingly not thrilled.   Julie keeps telling me that “It’s fine’ but without that emphasis.

She says it’s fine, but she is lying.  I caught her crying yesterday while trying to move in.  The stress of trying to organize ourselves into a house with people already living in it was winning the day.   I held her and told her things would get better.  That little by little it will feel more like home, and that she is welcome to make it her home.

And today is a better day.  She is more carefree and happy.  It’s will be a roller coaster of ups and downs, but I’m sure it will trend toward happiness.

She really will be fine.  She is amazingly strong and resilient.  And she’s been through worse.   Afterall, she did move me into an unfinished home, in December, with no insulation, no internal plumbing, no walls, no electricity, and no flooring (concrete and plywood was all), and she considers it a great memory.

We’ll be fine and things will work out.  Hopefully without the Death and Divorce involved.

But if you see Julie, and feel inclined, please pass on your encouragement and love.   She might need them more than usual over the next few weeks.

And please forgive her if I’m wrong and she strangles me in my sleep.  Even I would understand!   🙂

 

 

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Rock Climbing

I was feeling pretty good on Monday evening, and we wanted a break from housework, so we went rock climbing.

Unfortunately I can’t climb AT ALL! Julie can climb pretty well, though hasn’t done so since we got here to UT. Our climbing time is all about the kids.  They love it.  They feel accomplished and strong and love to tackle new challenges.  Like all siblings, they especially love trying to outperform each other by making a climb faster or by accomplishing a harder route.   It is an individual event, but great for the whole family.

The Quarry

There is an indoor rock climbing wall in Provo called The Quarry that is just right for us on Monday nights.   On Mondays, the cost is only $6 per person from 6pm-10pm.  This is a serious discount that we would like to take advantage of far more than we do (this was only our second time).

They have more climbs than I have been able to count.   I haven’t asked, but I’d guess the walls are up to 45-50ft tall.   They have many, many options.  even the youngest enjoy “climbing the alphabet” (alphabet handholds that ascend the wall).  The staff is polite and helpful as well as the other patrons!

Most of the wall space is set up with ropes in place waiting for climber and belayer to connect and climb.   These range from a beginner/youth level to advanced difficulties.

They also have a significant amount of space for lead climbers as well.  This section has carabiners in the wall waiting for a climber to ascend with rope in tow.  This section is all advanced climbing.

Not only do they have traditional climbing walls where harnesses and a belay are necessary.  They also have an awesome “bouldering” room.  This area has shorter walls but requires some high-skilled technique to complete the “routes”.  My kids don’t follow those, but just climb using anything available.  This is great fun because they can each climb at the same time rather than waiting for Mom or Dad to be available to belay them on the traditional walls.

 

Rock Climbing Monkeys

I admit I can be a braggart about my kids, and this is no exception.  They are awesome!!  None of them are afraid to try even the hardest walls, yet they still succeed more often than they fail.  When they have shown mastery over an entire section of wall then they attempt to just do one route on that section (doing a route limits your hand and foots holds to only a certain color rather than simply using anything within reach, this makes it much more difficult and requires more skill AND strength).

Steven, our littlest monkey who can climb, has yet to make it up an entire section of wall.  His short arms and small hands make it very hard.  But he still gives his best and is getting better.  He likes to show off when he finds an overhang with a hold he can hang from.

Andrew can make it to the top of certain portions of the easier sections (like the alphabet) and finds a way to scamper up many portions of the bouldering room.   His arm/leg length is the only thing holding him back from the most difficult sections.  Kid is a great climber.

Nikki, only slightly taller/longer than Andrew, has the same issues he has.   That little bit of difference though shows up in what she can do.  She can scamper up most walls that her older siblings can do.

Charlee is soooo strong at this!  On Monday she was about 1/3 of the way up one of the harder sections when one of the college kids next to us started up near her.   In short order their heads were at the same height.  I jokingly told her she’d get $2 from me if she beat him up the remaining 30ft.  I just paid out the money!! (Poor kid really heard it from his friends for losing to a little girl!)

Kristie is a whole ton of strength wrapped up in her petite frame.  Her light stature and strong grip make her a machine on those walls.  She is able to get anywhere she decides to get to!   Any time I give them a new goal (“climb this route and touch that hold”) she is likely to be the first to accomplish it!

Joshua, well, being the biggest and strongest tends to make him the best at our sporting activities.   This isn’t any different.  In terms of pure ability, he is our best.  The others are more impressive because of their size, but he is our strongest climber and most skilled.  He tries harder routes than the others, and so he fails more often.  But he keeps at it and gets better quickly.

Caitlin didn’t make the trip this time.  She was sick and stayed at home with the little one.

Wanting More!

As with all such activities, I’m always left wanting more.  Mostly I want to be able to participate myself, I admit.  But the kids have so much fun and do so well that I want more for them too.   I love their smiles, laughs, and effort to do well.

Unfortunately time is scarce, and money is even more so.  So this isn’t a regular event for us.   But it is one that we will try to repeat as often as occasion and finances will allow.  If you are looking for a fun activity to try as a family, then I highly recommend you give this a try!

I should add a shout out to Paul Murray and his great rock wall at the Family Cinema in West Plains, MO.   His wall was the first one to which we took the kids.  It is also an awesome location and we have had a ton of fun as a family there as well.   If not for Paul’s friendship and suggestion we might not have tried rock climbing as a family, and we would have missed out on something awesome if we had.   Thanks Paul!  Hope all is well!!

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Goodbye PG 4th Ward

It is time to say “goodbye.”

Goodbye

Julie and I will be moving this week from her parents house in Pleasant Grove (PG) into my parents house in Bluffdale.  That means that today was our last Sunday attending as members of the PG 4th ward.

We haven’t been here particularly long (9 months) but you have been good to us.  You weren’t even our “home ward” for our house fire, but you took us in and tried to care for us.

Thank you!  It has been nice to get to know so many new people.  It was also nice to reconnect with old friends.  You have been kind and welcoming to us and we appreciate it.  You have been a blessing in our lives, and especially in the lives of our kids.  Again, thank you!

Hello

We are eagerly looking forward to getting into the new ward.  There are many faces there that I have known for many years.  It will be nice to get reacquainted with so many of them again as well.   Since this is going to be a long-term/permanent location for us we hope the kids will find and make wonderful friends in Bluffdale.

We should be moving in sometime this week.  SO… if you are reading this as a Bluffdalian (?) (Bluffdalite, Bluffer, Bluffdalasoraus??) you can count on seeing us or our kids around the neighborhood.

YOU’VE BEEN WARNED!

🙂