Is It Naptime Yet

Yesterday we added some curb appeal to our house. Well, I don’t know if it will make it any more appealing since my car parks right in front of it, but we hope to make it look a little nicer by our front door.

We had this lovely dirt spot.

Isn’t it beautiful.

The cats also loved to poop in it and not only in it but right by the front door, which was always such a nice welcome gift for our few guests that came by. (I admit we weren’t on top of cleaning the cat poop out either.)
So last night we planted some stuff in it to make it more appealing.

We hope they grow and cover the dirt. One is an ivy one is a jasmine (I think.) both are for ground coverings, two are dwarf orange trees and one is a bush that is only suppose to grow 1 foot high and two feet wide. (We wanted things that would cover the ground but not grow high so an intruder couldn’t hide behind them since we have a window right there. ) It was pretty rocky in the dirt, so we’ll have to see how they grow.

It started out as a family project, but after the first bush I was needing to watch the neighbor girls that were playing in our backyard, so Jon did most of the work.

OK, this photo didn’t need to be posted because I have the next one, but I looked skinnier in this one…

…and in this one I look like I’m working hard, though I’m sure I’m not using that shovel correctly, and I probably shouldn’t be wearing sandals.

Lilah putting the special dirt in.

Lilah mixing the dirt and water.

Our first bush is planted. Notice the neighbor girls. After this they we’re playing and Jon was left to plant alone.

Hard working husband.

He’s a great Daddy and husband.

I’m waiting for Eden to fall asleep so I can get in the shower. I don’t want her coming out while I’m in the shower, so I’m waiting.
We’re having our date night tonight, so I really need her to take a nap so she’s not too grumpy for the sitter, but I guess she’s just too excited to go to sleep knowing she’s going to Britta’s house to be babysat.

Anyways yesterday I had an awkward experience.

One of the missionaries and a high priest from our ward came to just ‘visit’ with Jon.

I heard the doorbell and saw it was an elder so I told Jon and he went back to our bedroom.

I opened the door to say hello and pardon myself from not inviting them in because my husband was in the back and is not a participating member of the church .( I also wanted to see why they were there before I invited them in. ) They didn’t seem to have any purpose for the visit so I was a little stand offish.

The elder said he had heard that he, meaning Jon, had gone on a mission and asked where. I told him and then he asked if he had any interesting stories. I couldn’t remember any off the top of my head, after all they are not my stories and we don’t reminisce on Jon’s mission very much, even before he left the church.

So the Elder asked if he could talk with Jon just to speak with someone who had been back East.  (I’m guessing he might be from back East, though I didn’t ask.)

I had to decline and tell him that my husband doesn’t speak with the elders.
And he persisted.
And I declined.
So he gave up.

I felt kinda bad, but not really. Jon supports me in letting the home teachers come by, but they’re here to talk to me, so it doesn’t matter that he’s in the back.

Plus as Jon put it, if a person is representing the church he’s not wanting to talk to them. He’s not wanting to “befriended” by those who see a duty in bringing him back to the church or who would have a duty to bring him back to church.

Part of me is slightly annoyed at who decided to have the elder come by because I know that it’s no use and it put me in an awkward situation. Granted it is Jon putting me in an awkward situation because he’s not the one turning the elders down, but we didn’t know the purpose of the visit.
(I  wasn’t sure if they were tracking, until I opened the door and saw his companion was an high priest, and I didn’t know if they were just in the neighborhood and wanting to remind me to me a good member missionary and wondering if there was anyone they could contact etc.)

I suppose this is bound to happen, but it’s just awkward trying to have a husband distance himself from a religion you’re actively participating in.

It makes me feel isolated, though I know he also feels isolated.

Anyways, Eden’s obviously not going to take a nap, especially since she’s on the couch watching PBS so I should go shower to be pretty for our date. After all a night at home watching Chicago is something to dress up for.
(We spent a lot last month on our anniversary so we’re being cheap so we can even out the budget.)

Friday the 21st.

The girls loved dying eggs at Grandma Harvey’s house. Unfortunately I was the only one there so I only got the following two pictures.

Eden patiently waiting to begin dying eggs.

I was patient and let Lilah handle getting eggs out of the cups.

After dying eggs we were off to Aunt Carolyn’s work for their Easter Party.

They decorated cupcakes and made bunny ears plus had an egg hunt.

Eden

Lilah

Sunday the 23rd- Easter Morning

I had the gate up so the girls would come into our room to get us up and so I could get pictures.

Coming out Easter morning.

Yes that is Eden’s hair sticking up in the back. I think she could be a who from Dr. Suess.

Checking out the merchandise.

What they saw. (Hello Kitty was my accidental theme.)

Here’s a short video of their reactions.

The sunglasses.

Jon took some pictures before church, but while they were watching TV.

They turned and gave him the same smile at the exact moment.

After Church

Waiting to get started on our backyard egg hunt.

Let the fun begin!

(Please ignore the messy backyard in the following pictures and video.)

I told them they could find 8 eggs each, in which I had miss counted and they could find 9 eggs each.

Another video.

The final kill.

Later that day.

We went to Grandma and Grandpa Harvey’s for another egg hunt with some of the cousins and to have dinner.

Eden finding a real egg.

Katy and Lilah hunting for eggs.

Katy, Eden, Lilah, Adrienne, and Howie.

Well, we’ve been a little busy here at the Blake house.

Friday we dyed eggs with my mother. Then we went to an Easter party/ egg hunt at Carolyn’s work, then we went to Kohl’s.

Saturday Lilah had a stake primary activity from 10-11. Then we went to Rawlin’s house to finish dry walling the hall closet. Jon did all the work and I sat around taking short naps and keeping the girls happy.

Sunday was Easter. Easter Sunday is always so busy.

Monday…um…I don’t remember Monday at this moment, but I’m pretty sure I was gone for the morning doing something.

Tuesday we had a park activity to plan the next few months for Lilah’s preschool class. I went to the temple to pick up garments, then to the park, then to Target to spend too much money, then  to Payless.  ( Two stores and I still couldn’t find shoes I liked for Eden in her size, or at a reasonable price in her size.) Then I had an enrichment that evening, in which I was on the committee and had to be there early.

Today. Ick, I want a nap.

I had my oil changed in my car this morning, then to my moms where I vacuumed the car out and let the girls play, but mostly to pick up ingredients so I can make 350 truffles for my cousin’s wedding which is coming up.
Then we picked up birth control at my doctor’s office.

Lilah asked why I don’t want to have a baby. I told her they’re too expensive. (Especially after my day of shopping yesterday.)

Now I’m home and I’m just so tired.

I have some cute pictures from Easter, but I’ve just been to busy to get them ready to post.

So there you go Shauntae. I’ll try to get some pictures up tomorrow afternoon. I have to go take a nap, then dishes, laundry, dinner, more dishes…. The chores are never done.

I had the girls wear their green shirts today.

Take one.

Take two.

Take three.

I’ve been at my BIL Rawlin’s house helping him organize and put up dry wall so I am exhausted and have basically been gone all day.

Day Light Savings is kicking my butt. I’m so tired all the time. I could really use a nap right now, but I’m afraid if I go to sleep I’m not going to wake up till Jon gets home and then I’ll have nothing made for dinner and the sink will still be full of dishes.

Jon made this video of Eden and me with the two pictures.

He’s pretty strange like that, and he worked so hard, though he said it was snap, and it only took him about 2 hours of interrupted time for dinner and taking care of girls while I ran an errand.

While looking for the pictures I just posted I ran across these other home photo’s.

Halloween 1985- Andrea’s a robot Scott, I’m not sure what he is, Glenn is some masked cowboy, I am a scarecrow, Carolyn is a pumpkin with cool orange hair, and Kristi is a butterfly or a fairy.
We used old coffee cans that were painted with a rope for a handle. I remember my handle breaking one year and being so sad.

I’m grumpy in the above photo- I believe there was one of me just like this on a Christmas ornament that has since lost the picture, I should replace that lost photo with this one

All of the following were taken in 1986.

Our backyard on Nellis AFB.
We would walk around on the fence and loved our back yard. There was a mulberry tree that we would pick mulberries from and a pine tree that had ant hills next to it. We’d sit in the wheelbarrow watching them and my brothers would catch them in jars.

This is Kristi’s 7th birthday. My mom made the cake and we still have the Wonderwoman cake pan and face thing, I’m pretty sure anyways. I’m in the green clover/flower dress.

 
Andrea’s 9th birthday.

Me sitting at the table being cute.

The bed my father made for me.

It was from a crib mattress and there was a dresser that went with it that lasted until the Edison house, or maybe 5-8 years, since I eventually outgrew the blue dresser with ducks and hearts on it.

Thus concludes the photo’s from my childhood. I mainly have class photos and then ones I take as I get older.

As I keep looking at this picture of the girls I keep thinking about this other picture of me as a child with my older brother Scott.

I was just over 2 when it was taken, or October 1985, but you can definitely see the family resemblance.

Here’s a closer look.

And just for fun here’s another picture of me as a kid taking a bath. I was just too cute.

I had a couple experiences with our new life insurance agent, who is really a financial planner, about the whole worth of a stay at home mother thing.

While talking on the phone to set up the appointment he asked if I was a stay at home mom, since he was calling me back in the middle of the week, in the middle of the day, and I said yes and he replied how it’s a great thing and how he was single parent for 11 years. Then he eventually said how I should probably ask for a raise because of all I do. I replied along the lines that I was fine and I felt that no raise was needed.

Then in the meeting with him he mentioned the sacrifice we’re making to have me at home, he did have a sheet of paper which told him how much Jon made, and how the worth of a stay at home mother in studies is around 100k. I replied that I think those studies just  try to make us feel better as stay at home mothers.

It was just funny to me. I am staying and taking care of my daughters, but Jon often tries to help once home. He needs down time too, and more on some days than others, but he’s always willing to help out with the girls or chores if I’ve fallen behind. I don’t often feel under appreciated by him, though there are times, for both of us when we feel under appreciated, but I don’t feel like I need a raise, just because I stay home. In reality we both have our set allowance that we try to follow so if I get a raise, he does also.

I also feel like Jon does a lot to help around the house and I’m not doing everything all the time, though I do have those days.

I mean a father who works  outside the home is ‘off duty’ for 9 hours of the day, but once at home he has to deal with kids and messes and whatever the mom does too, if he is an active husband and father. I have it 24 hours, he has it 15 hours.

So does a father who helps at home get a study done on him on how much he contributes? No.
Does a mom do everything for the house and kids, I hope not.

A few months ago I would have agreed that I need a raise or a stay at home mother is worth 100k, blah blah blah, but right now I feel that those statements are the world trying to make up for the time they gave little thought and appreciation to stay at home moms, or the world trying to give confirmation that what a mom does is important, because so often it is overlooked.

I don’t need the world to give me that confirmation because I get it from my husband and children, and that is enough for me… At least for the moment, ask me in a few months when I’m teaching Lilah more and I decide how much a teacher is worth. 😉

My eldest sister Andrea has been in town, since her husband went away for a dirt eating conference, and I’ve gotten to see her and my beautiful niece Zarina. ( Her husband is a geologist who test dirt, so we call him a dirt eater, even though he doesn’t eat dirt, though I think he has tasted my fathers dirt and that’s why we say he eats dirt.)

We visited Saturday at my niece Adrienne’s birthday party and then Monday I went over to my parents after having Britta for Sam that morning.

Lilah and Eden think Zarina is wonderful, but they had a ball playing with Mary’s kids, who were also over to visit Andrea on Monday.

Tuesday is when my girls got to dote on Zarina because we watched her while Andrea went to the temple. They were getting down the baby toys and if had I let them they would have covered her in all the toys. Eden was worried that Andrea would come take Zarina while she took her nap, but luckily she woke up right before Andrea left and she was able to say goodbye.

I took some pictures of the girls with Zarina, who looks like her daddy, but you can tell she’s related to my girls, if nothing they all have chubby cheeks, though mine are losing theirs.

Wednesday, or today, we went to Chuck E’ Cheese with Andrea, Zarina, Carolyn, Kristi and her daughters, Katy and Adrienne, poor Howie was still in school.
I let Andrea go and play with the girls or do whatever for a while and I stayed at the table to guard the purses and watch Zarina.
She is such a happy baby and really cute. She smiles pretty easily and on Tuesday I got a good giggle out of her.
I can’t wait to see her again!

Here are our “drawn portraits” from Chuck E’ Cheese.

I also took one with Zarina, but Andrea took that one.

We went to Chuck E’ Cheese because the girls have been dying to go and today Jon had the day off so we could meet with our life insurance agent. I thought lunch at Chuck E’ Cheese would be fun for the girls, since we promised we’d go, and I invited my sisters along for the fun of it. ( Also so there were more people to help with the watching of the table. 😉 )

Also, here are the girls enjoying some of their prizes they redeemed at Chuck E’ Cheese.

Eden put the stickers on her arm on the trip home.

Lilah loves fake tattoos.