Rebecca – Page 160 – Andelin Adventures

Ward Swap Meet

Yay! Another opportunity to get rid of some of this stuff that is just taking up space in our house. I was able to unload a couple of boxes of random stuff and clothing and Kyle’s grandmother’s dining table that has just been sitting in the garage since she moved in with us back in 2005. It was too small for our family to sit at and we had nowhere else to put it, so we really don’t need it. It feels so good to be able to pass on the stuff that we just can’t use. Hopefully I’ll eventually be able to get rid of enough stuff that I’ll be able to feel like I can breathe (yes our house is REALLY bad).

The kids were excited when I told them there was another ‘treasure hunt’ at the church today, and so getting them out the door was no problem. Ethan, Tyra and Jeremy rode their bikes to the church since the table was in the van. Dinah’s seat in the van was still available so she went in the van with Kyle. Jeremy was really slow on his trike and eventually gave up riding and wanted me to carry him for awhile, then he was ok walking (he walks faster than he rides the trike and that’s not saying much).

While we were at the church the kids enjoyed checking out the table of donated toys, while Kyle unloaded the van and I just sat down to rest after all that exercise walking to the church (and carrying Jeremy 😛 ). Ethan’s school teacher Mrs Davis actually showed up which was a big surprise. She doesn’t live in this area, but a sister from our ward who has kind of been in charge of making these swap meets work is the secretary at the school and thought she would call Mrs Davis so she could come pick out some baby clothes. She is expecting twins (a boy and a girl) in the fall. I think she kind of felt out of place, or just didn’t know what to expect. She seemed to be afraid to look at anything at first and asked, “so how much is this stuff” we told her “it’s all free, take as much as you want”. She was just shocked. And I made the comment that this is all just stuff that we don’t need or want anymore. To which she thought everything there had come from my house, and I had to explain I brought some and the other people there brought other stuff too. But she seemed really greatful to be getting some nice gently used things for her babies to use when they arrive.

Dinner at Granny’s

We went to Granny’s house for dinner tonight. The kids enjoyed playing with cousins (they always seem to play more than they eat when we all get together). Karen made a pot of chili, and we brought corn bread and watermelon, and Laurel and Roine brought cole slaw, and some banana lemon muffins. It was a good get-together. I heard Karen in the other room, comment on nobody giving her a mother’s day card. I didn’t get any cards either, so join the club.

After dinner the kids all wanted to go outside and look for bugs (that’s Ethan’s big thing right now). So most of us went outside for awhile. I LOVE smelling the mint patch by Karen’s back door. I need to make a mint patch of my own, so that I can smell it all the time. 😛

Before we left we put our kids in pjs (we always take pjs with to family dinners so that if the kids fall asleep on the way home, we can just put them in bed) And Dinah was just so cute ‘playing’ the piano that I had to take this picture:

Mother’s Day feelings

Well today is Mother’s day, and I have spent most of the day wondering if this holiday was invented by some naughty children that just wanted a specific day to torture their mothers???? My kids just don’t seem to like me at all. I’m mean, remember? I make them do all kinds of things they don’t want to. And Kyle is gone ALL the time working the two jobs, so they only get me. But they only want ‘daddy’. I hear a lot of “I don’t like you” “I don’t ever want to see you again” “I never want you to talk to me again” “Just leave me alone” and the one I LOVE “I’m not allowed to do what you say” Where do they get that idea? I’m the one that makes most of the rules around here, and it’s not like I’m asking them to do something naughty! That one totally confuses me.

I feel as though Kyle doesn’t teach the kids about respecting me, or doing something special for mother’s day. How are the kids supposed to make, or buy cards if he doesn’t help them? I guess I could say “well mother’s day is coming up, let’s go shopping and you guys can pick out cards to buy me” But I personally feel that sounds selfish. I don’t want them to just love me and honor me on mother’s day. I want them to respect me and love me all the time.

Today for the most part has been like any other day. I woke up at my usual time, read my scriptures, got up and got dressed. Then I had to wake up Kyle and tell him to get out of bed and get ready for church so we wouldn’t be late. Then I moved onto waking up the kids and getting them dressed so we wouldn’t be late. We weren’t late for church, thank goodness. But we had to leave without eating breakfast, so the kids all grabbed a roll on the way out the door and I grabbed a banana. I got chocolate covered strawberries from the kids, because that’s what they made for the mommies in primary. (Kyle gave me a box of See’s yesterday.) We got home and the bed hadn’t been made, because I didn’t have time to make it before leaving. The dishes from the past couple of days were still piled high, because I got tired last night and didn’t have the energy to do them. I was hungry because we didn’t have time to eat before leaving. Nothing has been done because I personally have not done it. Kyle did a few dishes, because I asked him to. I went to lay down for awhile today, because I insisted. So today has been like any other day, not a special day. And just being told that it’s mother’s day, the day we honor our mother’s has just made this ordinary day a torture filled day. I love my family, and it hurts to feel that my kids don’t love me.

Sorry if this post seems selfish or depressing, I just needed to vent.

FHE #17

Tithing Short & Sweet with a Treat Lesson 19

Opening Song: Children’s Songbook pg 150 “I Want to Give the Lord My Tenth”

Opening Prayer: Tyra

Scripture: Malachi 3:10-11 “Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in mine house, and prove me now herewith, saith the Lord of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it.

And I will rebuke the devourer for your sakes, and he shall not destroy the fruits of your ground; neither shall your vine cast her fruit before the time in the field, saith the Lord of hosts.”

Lesson: What is tithing? Tithing is one tenth of the money that we receive. The simple fact that Kyle has a job, and that he makes money is a blessing given by our Heavenly Father, and all he asks in return is that we give back one tenth.

Elder Dallin H Oaks (Quorum of the 12 Apostles) said that his mother, a widow, paid her tithing even on a schoolteacher’s small income. She told him that they could not get along without paying tithing. She explained that she could not raise her children as a single parent without the blessings of the Lord she received by paying an honest tithe. The Lord has promised to bless us when we pay our tithing (see “Tithing”, Ensign, May 1994).

Activity: Tithing Helps matching game. The book Short & Sweet with a treat, comes with a cd rom to print off activities to go with the lesson, and that’s where we got these pieces to play the matching game. 🙂

Closing Song: Children’s Songbook pg 150 “I’m Glad to Pay a Tithing”

Closing Prayer: Ethan

FHE Treat: Tithing toast

Tyra’s Birthday

Well Tyra is now 5 years old, and she is just thrilled. She keeps saying that ‘next week’ she gets to go to kindergarten, when actually it’s next fall. 😛 We had her birthday party tonight since Kyle has Wednesday nights off, and we just had a simple dinner of ravioli (because that’s what Tyra asked for). It was just our family and Aunt Wendy, so nothing big or fancy. And we had strawberry shortcake for the dessert, at Tyra’s request.

Kyle spent part of the afternoon working on fixing up the bike that was handed down from cousin Sylvia as a birthday present (Tyra totally freaked out when we put her on the bike, just to see if the seat needed to be adjusted). And she is SO excited that she got a ‘Cinderella dress’ for a birthday present. She has been asking for one for months, and Kyle just happened to see these Cinderella pjs at the Disney store in the mall and picked it up.