Mr. MeanyPants

Seth jokingly told Ryan "OK, Mr. MeanyPants".
To which she replied, "First, I am not mean.  I do not have pants on and I am not a mister."

I broke my board, yeahhhh!

The Lord answers prayers...

even when, or especially when, they are about serving him.  Now that the kids are back in school, I have been thinking of what I want to do with my time and how I could provide some service.  I don't want something that will become a full time job, but things that are flexible and kinda interesting.  Well, I finally settled it in my mind and that night prayed and asked Heavenly Father to help me find service.  The next day Adam and I went to the DMV for our licenses and when I was doing my voter registration, I asked how if I could be one of those nice old ladies on voting day.  I love those ladies!  I love them at Enrichment, I like being around Grandmas anywhere.  She grabbed the application and said they were in great need of volunteers.  (Answer to prayer!)  I even found out I will get paid.  I told her I was glad I decided to serve before I knew about the paycheck.
Well this week, I knelt to pray again because that wasn't really enough service- a day once in awhile.  The next day, yesterday, I went to Tae Kwon Do and Master Park asked if I worked.  When I told him I didn't, he asked if I would help teach his wife English.  She needs practice speaking.  He had been thinking of me and when I told him I was even an English teacher, he looked just so happy.  (Another answer to prayer!)  And what awesome answers.  I really was expecting some sister in the ward to need meals or a ride to a doctors appointment (that was the answer last time).   I couldn't have picked better service projects had a chosen them myself.  But then that's why he's the Lord.  I love him and I'm grateful.

Happy Birthday Eve, Ryan!

We have been joking about Ryan's birthday all day and singing birthday eve songs.  I told her that she would never be 5 again.  She said, "Yeah, I am a little sad about that."  That is very me.  I was/am always super excited about whatever is coming up, but always a little sad about what I am leaving behind.  I will just have to teach her the balance so you're not too miserable about the change (I'm still working on it.)

Off to "Heart Attack" (50 paper hearts with 6 on them) the playroom (Seth and Ryan are having a sleepover in there with all three mattresses laid out).  Hearts instead of balloons this birthday... we still have plenty of balloons around from Seth's birthday!

Ryan is still such a little mommy

She has been, is and will always be a great little mommy.  She loves babies, taking care of people, helping Daddy and I, just doing "woman"stuff.  Seth and her were cleaning bathrooms today and no matter how many times Seth had to redo it (he really was doing it, not just trying to get done), it was soooo not clean.  Ryan, however, even with spilling the cleaner all over the floor, had it spic and span.  Being the girl, she had to show me how good it was three times along the way.  She was just so proud to have been such a good helper.  She is really going to be a wonderful women.  I can already see the good she will do in the world.

Our son is getting Baptized...

WHAT!?!

Seth's Great Birthday Eve

Colored hair, laser tag, opening birthday presents, playing with birthday presents while listening to "Ice, Ice, Baby" (He has the original Queen version on his CD and I couldn't wait to give him a taste of the Vanilla Ice Version), laughing hysterically while Ryan slips on soapy feet in the shower, on purpose a lot of times in a row, watching "Shark Week's Dirty Jobs" with Daddy until late, what's left for his actual birthday!?!  Well, Ryan is off to spend the night with cousins (and Misty and Grandma and Papa) so we had to start the party off early.  But tomorrow there will be LOTS of balloons in his bedroom, lunch and more playing and more presents (with the cousins) and a sleep over tomorrow night with pizza and a movie and, I am sure, very loud music in his bedroom.  What a great 8 years!

The BIG Finger

We were reading about the Jaredites the other night when the brother of Jared saw the Lord's finger.  I stopped and asked the kids what that looked like.  Ryan said, "Jesus' big finger came down and the brother of Jared was scared because he thought Jesus was going to smoosh him."   Bingo!! That is what I always saw in my head... a BIG finger (not the smooshing part).  We talked about how the Lord's finger would be a normal size and that the brother of Jared was afraid that he would be destroyed for seeing His finger, not that Christ would smoosh him.  Seth just laughed at both of us!

Virginia Beach

We're in and it's great.  We love the house, we love the neighborhood and the kids love their friends.  There are five boys uspstairs with Seth blaring the CD player, as always.  The just came in from making a 12 box fort in the common area.  Ryan is swimming with her two friends down the street after they gave me a great fashion show.  Mom and Dad just drove the 3 1/2 hours back home after painting, pruning, and digging up a BIG ugly tree bush (and, of course, playing with the kids and we went to the movies- can the Preciados ever do anything without going out to eat and to the movies?!?  No!)

Ah there it is... "Shot through the heart and you're to late, you give lo-o-ove a bad name"

Life is good, as always!

Off to bake some bread for my 14 bean soup dinner.  Had to put that in there because we all know that doesn't happen often.

Tragedy

There was a helicopter crash in Sitka and three of our friends were killed.  I was devastated when Adam called me while I was painting.  My heart broke for my friends.  To never have their husbands home again, to have their entire lives turned upside down...  I couldn't stop crying each time I thought of their hurt.  As I prayed, I realized their was not much "I" could do to, but I knew the Lord was the only one that could bring a measure of comfort.  I am grateful that he loves us and I know that he will mend their hearts and bring them peace for as long as it takes.  I will continue to pray for them.  I am grateful for those who sacrifice, in his case their lives, for the benefit of others.  We are surrounded by great people- Coasties, soldiers, police, firemen,... and their families.

I don't know what else to write except that I am sad!  and I am grateful that Christ knows our hurts and can soothe our sorrows.  I have faith that he will do that for my friends as well.

Painting with Daddy

Daddy came down with me to Virginia Beach to help paint our new house before we move in.  We had such a good time.  We drove down on Tuesday, unloaded mattresses, went to buy paint and then instead of painting, we went to dinner and a movie.  The next day we painted, made trips for food and watched a movie on my laptop.  Wow, Daddy laying there with his first laptop ever!  We finished painting the next day, loaded up, stopped at Costco to browse for waterfalls and planter boxes and eat lunch by a nice old guy, and headed home.  I had so much fun with Daddy.  It was like that great house hunting trip with Mom in Astoria.  I will always remember theses few days.  They were great!  I have such a wonderful father.  I am very lucky that he will do anything for me and do it happily!

On a side note, Seth's room is soooo dark and bright turqouise!   We finished two coats (except we didn't do two coats evenly everywhere because we thought it was covering) and thought we were done.  I went in to check on it in the middle of painting my room and, BAM!, there was a light border around every edge of the room (where I had only cut in once).  Well, to our disappointment, we did a third coat the next morning... and his soon to be alien room looks awesome!  My doesn't look to shabby either.  As for the living/dining, I am glad I held off on the daffodil yellow.  I have switched gears to a celery green, it will blend much better with the rest of the house.  I can't wait to see if Mom thinks it holds a candle to her old house (lime green carpet and green fern wallpaper).  Everyone loved it and I hope they think the same about mine!

Excuse Me

Ryan, Seth, Dayton and I were watching a movie on Ryan's floor and she whispered, "Excuse me."  Then, she whispered, "I think you should plug your nose," giggle, giggle, giggle!

New Scriptures

I ordered Seth's new scriptures for his baptism.  AHHHH, can he be turning 8 already?

YEAHHH! Last Day of School!

The kids just finished their last day of school and walked in for summer vacation to a very happy Mom and Dad.  Life has just been very busy and we were ready to have some free time.  (I remember Mom was always waiting for summer vacation to start, too)  The kids walked in with their friends and I took them all to the pool for four hours.  It was killer hot and the community pool was packed and soooo, oh, I don't know, classic 50s, Pleasantville...  All the moms in sunglassas and hats, the highschool band in the corner with all the kids listening on benches during pool breaks, free ice cream bars, vending machine snacks, and the buzz of yelling, laughing kids.  It was just picturesque.  Everything summer should be.  Seth and Ryan had so much fun with their friends and I loved watching them just seem so grown up.  I didn't need to help them with the vending machine or sit with them to watch the band.  It's fun watching your kids get older, and a little scary, too.  And I got to sit and read my book and take random dips in the pool to cool off.
After the pool, their friends stayed for dinner, movie and a sleepover.  I think by midnight, they were finally all asleep.  I ask them all the time, "What, do you think you're 18 or something?"  Their last day of school finally just ended.   We said goodbye to Ryan's and Aubrey's tap-dancing and Seth came back from playing in the water with his friends.  He's now sitting with me sharing a drumstick, Adam is jumping in the shower and we are all getting ready to head off to the temple.  Yeah for summer!

Sick boy gets a trophy

Seth was sick for his end-of-the-year soccer party, so Ryan, her friend, Sarah and I went in his stead.  We got his trophy, ate some pizza and I cut up the banner to give to each of the players.  Seth chose the bullet.  He really loved this season again.  He still runs around the field laughing with a big smile on his face.  As of right now, he wants to keep paying soccer and I can't convince him to try anything else yet.  He's got quite a good throwing arm (and he's not a great runner, just like his mom), so I told him I might make him try baseball.  He remined me that I said he only "had" to do swim (so he doesn't drown) and piano (so he can serve others), everything else is a choice.  He's right!  I will either have to get very creative in my convincing, or I have been teaching them that plans sometimes change and we have to learn to deal with it.  Ahhh, all the things that go into being a good parent (good thing I have Adam)!   Let's hope they forget when we mess up!