A Mid-Summer Update

A Mid-Summer Update

• 8.04.2020

^^Hammock hangs in the backyard at bedtime.^^

What's been happening around here...

AT HOME:

Overall, we're having fun and doing well!

As a mother, I feel like I'm beginning to get my feet back under me... just in time to start a strange school year. 😜 Adding a fourth child has been simply just that: adding one more -- except it's harder to feed myself actual meals, but that's just the new baby stage. The chaos isn't any worse than it was. And we'd still be dealing the same problems/meltdowns with or without a baby, so bring on the snuggles!

This summer has been strangely slow with nowhere to be or go! Jed has become a bookworm, devouring hundreds of (if not a thousand) pages in just a week! Then when he gets bored, he bothers his brothers just to get a rise. Levi has no interest in reading and struggles to entertain himself without a screen or friends BUT he is a hard worker and a huge helper. Conrad? Well, he pretty much claims any random item or piece of trash and turns it into a toy. He rearranges my house on the daily, but he's a hoot! So much personality and imagination. I'm really trying to just soak him in and enjoy him at this sweet age.

I've been doing my best to keep the boys busy. We've been occasionally grabbing free lunch from the school and playing at the park. Other days, we play in the creek, either in our new neighborhood or in the South Hills. We've gone to the library and visited the splash pad. And of course, the best entertainment: inviting friends over to play all afternoon!

Jed and Levi got to spend a week at Grandma and Grandpa Nelson's house.  They had so much fun assembling calf hutches, playing with cousins, and going out on the boat!

I've been keeping a "secret" stash of cinnamon bears in the car. One day, I told Conrad that I could hear some tiny voices. They said, "Eat me! Eat me!" It's no surprise that Conrad has been hearing voices in the car ever since. 😂

Hands down my favorite part of the day is hanging out in the backyard after dinner. Sometimes it's just the baby and me soaking in the last of the sunshine, rocking away in the swing. Other times, the whole family is out there playing. I've noticed Levi enjoys coming out to sit next to me and chat. That simple act reminds me that I need to stay off my phone so that I am emotionally available to my children. Opportunities to talk are a beautiful consequence of living a slow and simple life! *Goals*

^^Just chillin' in the backyard under a shady tree.^^

^^Baby showing off his new found muscles, I mean, rolls.^^

^^Levi and Conrad having a rare moment playing together in the backyard.^^

^^Eating ice cream in his underwear.  I can't keep this kid dressed. Lol.^^

THE NEW HOUSE:

We have walls, a roof, and windows installed! The electric passed inspection and my plumbing is going in. Bron and I spent an entire Saturday trying to decide on plumbing fixtures for our shower and didn't get anywhere. I finally handed the baton over to him and said, "You know what I want." He came through with his pick and it's within budget. Yay! Now I'm working through a front door/where to put the outlet problem. (My most amazing front door came with the wrong glass.) And I need to pick out cabinets (that will probably push us OVER budget), flooring, and lighting fixtures. 

You guys, it's getting real! I cannot believe this will be my home! I am so excited and simultaneously overwhelmed. It's like one huge art project that I can only put together bit by bit. It's a good thing I have a definite direction in mind!    

^^My view from where I nursed the baby.  We went on an afternoon hike to Ross Falls and then played in the creek. I love capturing those three together!^^

^^If this photo is any indication, these two brothers are off to a great start of a legendary friendship.^^

IN THE WORLD:

I'm only documenting this for posterity's sake because the outside world is getting crazier by the minute!

The media, both Left and Right leaning, is literally unbelievable right now. I cannot bring myself to believe what I read anymore. Each side has an agenda and are fueling anger and division among the American people. What's worse is that all the major media outlets, from TV to social media, are owned by Left leaning leaders. It means that FREE SPEECH IS BEING CENSORED, entire videos and posts scrubbed from every person's page because the opinion, or opposition, has been "fact checked" and found to be false. In reality, these fact checks are simply shutting down an alternative narrative to what is occurring. There are a few true false narratives, but it's mostly opinion against opinion, or half truth against half truth... or simply someone's agenda. 

Social media has grasped on to a new movement: to raise awareness to end human trafficking, especially the trafficking of children. Learning more about it is absolutely horrific and leaves me with a knot in my stomach. For example, Jeffrey Epstein and his private island. I have a feeling we will be seeing more of this evil exposed in the coming months and years.  

And by the way, if you stay silent on any big issue, you're against it! At least that's how people on social media are bullying people in to joining their cause. I don't need any one or any thing to propel my speech, thank you. 

Riots are still occurring in cities like Portland and Seattle. President Trump sent out federal agents to keep the peace since local governments seemed to be doing nothing about keeping their buildings from being burnt to the ground. Trump's actions have actually fueled their anger. The Left is accusing Trump of being a fascist dictator while the Right is accusing BLM of Marxism. Oh!  And there's also a "defund the police" movement going on. Seriously? It's such a mess.

The Covid-19 pandemic is still a big sore in our every day lives. Infection rates are up everywhere, though I am not personally seeing or hearing any horror stories from friends and neighbors who have contracted the disease. They all seem to have mild symptoms that last about a week. No doubt the disease can be serious and dangerous, but it's becoming increasingly hard for me to believe Covid is as horrible and scary as it's being made out to be. On top of that, the testing for Covid doesn't seem to be accurate. 

Most of the stores in town require everyone to wear a mask while shopping now. It's so strange! But necessary? I think. I mean, is this a public health crisis or a government control issue? Riddle me that.

The kids' pediatrician thinks that the benefits of school outweighs the risks of Covid-19, but so far, it looks as if the boys will be doing a lot of their learning online again this year. The thought stresses me out! It was a miserable experience being cooped up at home and in charge of their education this Spring. I don't want to do it again.

In a nutshell: the world is a frustrating place right now. Can we please just have the presidential election next week and get it over with? I'm betting a lot of our problems would magically disappear. Either that, or the country will enter a state of civil unrest. One or the other, but I'm trying to be optimistic. 

^^The sweetest little face and cheeks I ever did see! This cutie rolled from his stomach to back for the first time on Friday at exactly 10 weeks old.^^

^^Conrad totally living his best life during this 100* heat wave.^^