Week 42

On Monday afternoon, Rob left to go to Utah to hunt.  It was a crazy and busy week with the kids, but I wouldn't have it any other way.  I had to have a little help from amazing friends in order to get my kids to all of their different activities; I consider myself lucky to have a network of support. 

Rob actually shot a deer on Tuesday, his first day out.  They never ended up seeing much the whole rest of the week, so they ended up with just one deer.  I'm glad he had a chance to go hunting and the kids were really excited to see the meat and the antlers that he brought back.

My parents actually came into town on Wednesday night.  Earlier in the day it had actually snowed and we were even able to make our first snowman of the season.  On Thursday, we took Kaiton to the library and then we went and picked the kids up from school to take them out to lunch.  In the afternoon, my parents helped me make dinner, prepare treats for gymnastics, and get games and crafts ready for the school parties.  They were such a BIG help!  On Thursday evening, Hurley had gymnastics and my parents went to watch her.

On Friday, we hung out a home in the morning and then after lunch, my parents took Kaiton to Bronner while I went to the school for the parade and Halloween parties.  After school, my Dad and I took Brooklen to hockey and then we came home and made pizza for lunch.  At 7:00pm, we went to open gym. Brooklen, Hurley, and Zaya played in the gym for 2 hours.

On Saturday morning, Brooklen had a hockey game at 8:45am in Saginaw.  We left around 7:15 and stopped to pick up breakfast at Panera on the way.  The boys won their game and Brooklen scored a goal.  He played awesome!  After the game, we went to Skyzone, the new trampoline park in Saginaw.  The kids loved it.  Hurley loved doing roundoff back handsprings, backpacks and back layouts.  Before we left, my dad did a claw machine.  He won 5 balls for the kids.  The kids thought it was SO COOL!!!    After the trampoline park, we went to Lehman's Green Apple Barn.  It was a gorgeous day and the kids loved playing outside.  Later, we came back and mowed the lawn and raked leaves.  My parents and the kids were such a big help!  

Today, we went to church and then played board games and carved pumpkins.  Rob came back tonight and while it has a long, tiring week, we survived and made great memories.

Weeks 40 and 41

Last week, I didn't record anything.  I photographed another wedding last Saturday that was beautiful, but I was so tired the next day.  Liz was still here and she helped me up until the reception.  It went well, but between two weddings worth of photos to edit and the TONS of family and senior photos that I also have to edit, I feel stressed and busy.  I am so grateful for all of the business that I've had this year, but it is really difficult for me to balance family and work when I still have a little one at home during the day and our life running our kids around is so busy.

I got home from the wedding at about 9:30pm.  When I got home, the kids were hiding behind the couch.  They had made me a late birthday cake.  They sang to me and we enjoyed yummy chocolate cake before bedtime.  It was so sweet.  I am so glad that Rob and the kids thought about me.  It was such a perfect ending to a very long, draining day.

This week I've been trying to find time to do normal life things, while editing a crazy amount of photos.  I also had 3 more photo sessions this week.  Friday night, Brooklen got to go to a haunted house and haunted train ride with the Nymans.  The girls and Kaiton and I made pizza for dinner and then we watched the movie, Enchanted in our bed.

On Saturday, Brooklen had hockey in the morning and I took Hurley, Maddy, and Zaya around both of our neighborhoods to collect cans.  The girls are collecting cans to raise money for MGTC to donate to the Pardee Cancer Research Center.  I love that the girls are motivated.

In the afternoon, I went to do some pictures and Brooklen went over to Ashton Reinke's house.  Ashton's grandpa (who is Brooklen's hockey coach) took Ashton and 3 of the boys to the Saginaw Spirit game.  It was especially cool because Ethan Menzies, one of Brooklen's best buddies was playing goalie in a halftime event.  Ethan's sister came over to our house while they were at the game.  We ate Little Caesars and then Rob, Hurley, Zaya, Kaiton, Kaitlyn, and Hannah Parks, and I went to a Haunted Forest Walk at my friend, Deb Forshee's house.  It was fun and I think the kids really enjoyed it.  Afterwards, we dropped Hannah off at her house and then Kaitlyn, Hurley, Zaya, and Kaiton watched the Movie, Elf, downstairs.

Today was a gorgeous fall day.  After church, we played outside in the leaves, I took a few photos for the Menzies, and we did a craft outside.  It was a perfect family afternoon!

Week 39

Yesterday, I photographed a wedding for 8 hours.  It was a really long day and the result is that I am so tired today.  My good friend Liz Glenn is in town from California and was able to second shoot with me.  She is also second shooting next weekend with me.  I am so grateful to have her here.  It really puts me at ease.

Anyway, the wedding went pretty good.  I still feel so unqualified and I really struggle with thinking fast for weddings, but I felt a little more confident this time, especially at the reception.  I am always  nervous about using off-camera lights, but I made it through yesterday without any big problems.

While I was at the wedding, Rob and Brooklen went to Lansing for the BYU vs. Michigan State game.  Rob had a banker client take them to the game.  I think they had a great time.  The banker bought Brooklen a BYU shirt and made him wear it once BYU was winning!  BYU won the game (Brooklen wanted MSU to win), but they had a fun time and they also got a PF Changs lunch out of it.

Meanwhile, the three younger kids stayed at home with babysitters.  First, Abby Carn babysat them.  She is so fun and brings tons of games and crafts to do with them.  Abby had to leave in the evening to go to a stake dance, so Emmy Avery, one of our neighbors, came for the last three hours.  I felt guilty for leaving the kids with sitters for so long, but I think they did have a good time.  We don't get babysitters very often, so I think the kids actually enjoy it when they do have a sitter.

I wish I had a lot of exciting things to write about the week.  I know it was a great week, but I am so tired and I think I just will end my post here.

Week 38

On Monday, Kaiton and I spent the day cleaning and running errands.  After school, I taught a piano lesson and then I got to take Brooklen to hockey practice while Rob took Zaya, Hurley, and Kaiton to Zaya's dance class.  It was really fun for me to get to take Brooklen to hockey alone.  I feel like I am always with the girls, which is great, but it is nice to have some alone time to support Brooklen too.

On Tuesday, we picked the kids up from school and then took Zaya to gymnastics.  Hurley had a bit of a breakdown before her gymnastics class.  I'm not sure if she is tired, sick (she has allergies), or if she is getting a bit burnt out.  I ended up leaving mutual early to go watch and support her at gymnastics because I knew she was having a tough time.  Luckily, she had a pretty good day.  Thursday, she was also a bit hesitant and I was worried about her.  I ended up watching her for a couple of hours.  I think her coaches saw that she needed a "light" day.  They had a crazy hair day and at the end they awarded her the weekly trophy (for the third time since the summer started).  She came home so happy!  I will be much more aware of preventing burn-out for her going forward.  I also got some new allergy meds for her; I definitely think we need to get that under control!

On Friday, Kaiton and I met Natalie Hill at a new crepe restaurant for lunch.  I wanted to take Natalie out to lunch for her birthday.  It was so fun.  We spent over an hour and a half just talking.  I don't have many close friends here in Midland, so it is so nice to be reminded that I do have a few people that I really love and can be "real" with.  On Friday night, it was raining, so we made pizza and then we watched a really cute movie, "Descendants."

On Saturday, we went to Brooklen's hockey game in the morning and then we went over to the Festifall downtown.  The kids had a good time playing fall games and doing some crafts.