Day 1 - "Single Mom"

Today is day Numero Uno of being a "single mom". We have prayed so feverently for work for Jestin, and now it has come. Much to my chagrin, it came in the form of out of town work... as in I won't see Jestin for 2 weeks at a time for at least 2 months if not longer. :( Grateful for the work/income. Disappointed about the location and separation.

Last night was torture! We all had the "impeding doom" sense going on and it was quiet and a little moddy around here. Jestin gave us all Priesthood blessings. They were short and sweet...but full of love and comfort. We got him mostly all packed and were in bed by midnight. He quickly fell asleep, but I laid there for hours listening to him breathe and just "feeling" him near me. I was upbeat and ok with it all, which made Jestin feel very happy about it all... until last night. The reality had set in and I started to feel nervous to be on my own all time... on so many levels! LOL

Today was ok. I got him out the door, kissed goodbye and on the road by 6am. I fell back asleep (unfortunately) and so when trying to help get kids out the door it was all I could do to keep my eyes open. I must have been in limbo between an REM cycle! My eyelids were like lead! LOL! After the kids left, I fell back asleep. Caleb joined me and we curled up together...I slept, he watched PBS and drank a Carnation Instant Breakfast.

We did good as a family without a Dad this evening too. I used my birthday money from MJ and Dad to get two new bookshelves for our office (they were on sale at ShopKo for half off! Someone "upstairs" loves me!). The boys and I raided Jestin's tools and put them together...

...while Emmalee made us dinner. (Taco Pizza). It was lovely. Cody asked if he could sit in Dad's seat for dinner. I replied that yes, he could since he was the "acting man-of-the-house". Cameron quickly piped up, "But am the 2nd acting man-of-the-house!"... to which Caleb promptly replied, "But I am the tiniest man-of-the-house"!!" We all had a great giggle and called to tell Dad what he had said! Dad laughed and laughed. It was Caleb's turn for dinner prayer tonight. Normally he repeats the same wording, and often needs prompting to continue on, but tonight, being the "tiniest man of the house" he took the whole prayer into his own hands. We were in stitches again when he forgot what he was suppose to ask for regarding the food and quickly thanked Heavenly Father for it, and then asked that it be "warm to eat". He also prayed with a sweet tenderness over the safety of his Daddy.

We decided to go splurge and used the rest of my birthday $ on ColdStone for Family Home Evening. I had a coupon for a free icecream for my birthday (if you haven't done it... go to their website and sign up! We all get a free icecream coupon emailed to us for our birthdays! It's sweet! Literally! LOL) and then with our local store's Monday night special of buy one adult icecream get a kid one free, we made off with icecream for everyone at almost the same cost as a date night for Jestin and I! (whisperings of affection from above I tell ya! I feel so blessed!)

We came home, ate our treat and then played a couple of rounds of Uno...teaching Caleb to play for the first time. It was hoot! He was happy regardless of whether he was loosing cards or picking cards up and LOVED shouting UNO! We had just turned on the 10 o'clock news to see the weather when Jestin called us. He visited with each of the kids, asking about their days, and then we put him on speaker phone and he offered our family prayer. The Spirit was strong and we could feel how much we are loved by this great man in our lives. The kids all wished him goodnight and I told them to go up to their rooms, that I wanted to talk to Daddy for a minute and then would be up. Caleb got a displeasured look on his face and asked "am I suppose to pretend it is Daddy tonight?" He thought I was not going to tuck him in...that he was going to have to imagine it was Dad doing it! It was really super cute! LOL

And now here it is... almost 2:30 am. I have read emails, read Facebook, read blogs, cleaned up the entire downstairs, double checked all windows and doors, rotated laundry, etc...but now I really am missing Jestin tonight. I know this is temporary. I know it is not as bad as it could be. I know others have been through this and that it is ok. WE have been through it before. It is just a bummer...and a blessing... and I think it unfair to myself if I deny either one of those emotions! LOL

I know this will pass quickly and it will greatly bless our family.... THAT I KNOW ... it's just not much comfort to cuddle up to in the middle of a cold dark rainy night...

Palisades - Spring Break 2010

The first camping trip of the year!

My friend Maria and I have been planning this trip ever since we went last year really! It was SUCH a good time last year, we KNEW this was where we wanted to break out the trailers and run away to for Spring Break 2010! We invited another neighbor family, the Burningham's, to join us and they brought their parents and sister (whom Jestin is related to... but it's complicated to explain! LOL), and we also invited some friends of Wilkey's (and our recent clients), Dale & Andra and their kids to come 4 wheeling with us on Saturday!

It was a great get-away from life! 

We love the improved campsites with full water, power and sewer hookups! Oh yeah!

(Jesse, Sophie & Caleb)

The kids love that they can bring their bikes and ride on the black top until their hearts are content!

(Caleb's Sock!)

Or until they wear holes in their shoes and shred their socks! LOL

(Cameron & Bryn)

We played games with our friends...

(Dale, Caleb & Jesse)

Begged to go on 4 wheeler rides!

Dale was a sport and made the wheeler bounce and sway so "Kick and Side Kick" could pretend they were driving! LOL

(Kaitlyn, Kelby, Jestin, Cameron, Jesse & Caleb)

Then Dad was talked into it! YEA!!!!

(Kaitlyn & Kelby)

Even the teenagers joined the caravan... and off they went!

(Coye's fish that didn't make it!)

Meanwhile the other kids went "fishing"... not much luck though!

Cam hangin out after his ride!

(Jill, Bryn & Sophie)

Our cute little neighbor girl toted Sophia everywhere! Sophie had to "take naps" to find a little relief ... but they both had a good time! And it was nice to know I could always find Sophie if she "wandered off" LOL

(Heather & Jestin and Maria & Bishop Curtis)

The adults got the teenagers to watch the kidlets... and off we went on a twilight ride of our own!

The RV trails were so much fun! And the views were amazing!

Manti Temple

As the sun went down it did start to get a bit chilly in the mountains in mid April, but we were having a blast so no one cared!

(Jill, Heather, Brett's Mom and Maria)

The women folk!

(Brett and Mallory, Brett's Dad, Bishop Curtis, Jesse and Jestin)

The men folk with the littlests

Our view on the way down! Oh how I wished I could hold still well enough to give it justice!

The temple looked SO pretty!

Once we got back down it was time for Bag Fudge, S'mores & Roasted Starbursts! Caleb couldn't wait!

(Caleb & Jesse)

Good Mornin'! We are clean and ready to get dirty! *grin*

And race our "Man Cars" down the hill!

Jesse and Caleb did this over and over and over again!

Cody!!

 The kids loved the hills to the side of our camping spot and they went on many explores!

Caleb is "King of da Mountain!"

Jesse and Jes on their way back down

We headed down the hill to the reservoir... and there was way too much fun to be had there! *grin*

My kids LOVED having such a great time with their dad!

(Cody, a Burningham cousin, Aubrey, Rachel & Maria)

Brett's Parents rented a paddle boat for the day and all the kids took their turns on them!

Our two little men! They couldn't wait for their turn!

(Jestin, Maria and Cameron, Caleb & Jesse)

YEA!!! It's our turn!!!

Maria is my hero! She took all three of these busy boys out on the water by herself! And she is terrified of water! I was so impressed! I wished so much that I wasn't newly recovered from that stupid cold in my heart! I so wanted to go with them! :(

Squeals of delight! Off they go!

Cameron, my eight year old boy!

Another fun pastime to be found... Rock throwing you don't get in trouble for!! They wanted Jes to stay with them all afternoon throwing rocks! Until the playground was offered of course! LOL

Just sittin' on the dock telling jokes and stories was a blast too!

(Our campsites: 1st trailer was Brett's parents, then ours, then Wilkey's and then Burningham's)

Cody took his camera and really got some great shots~ makes a momma proud! :)

The sun going down on the lake...

Mom and Caleb... down the hill we go! WHEEEEEEEE

Hee hee hee! We made it! And we didn't crash!

Off they go again!

Bryn and Sophia again!

Breakfast time again! Back to the dirt! It sure was nice of them to make "sand boxes" for these boys!

(They were tent sites! LOL)

Sophia hiding out! LOL

MMMMM... we love camping meals! Especially bacon, pancakes and hot cocoa!

Can't get enough of you baby!

Coverin' up to keep the burn to a minimum. I have to say, even though my heart meds make me burn super fast, I really did pretty good up there! :) We all were a little lobsterish... but that's ok! It was SOOO worth it!

Mally and her sweetheart! When we first got to camp I greeted her and asked her, "Whatcha doing Mally?" To which she replied, "Campin' wif Kelby". She LOVES Kelby. It is so dang cute!!

We are going to miss Jestin so very much while he is away!! He was such a good sport this camping trip though! With my need for careful monitoring of my activities, he really stepped up! He took the kids fishing, 4 wheeling, hiking, to the playground, played games, cooked food and just all around spent quality time with all of us! We are so blessed to have this wonderful man in our lives! As well as great friends with whom we can escape the real world's view of us and our responsibilities and just be friends! It was LOVELY!!!

I love my boys!!

What my sweetheart did for me...

For my birthday I asked for a windowsill. Jestin thought it was a very strange gift... but did it anyway! It makes me SO happy to look at it!! It is so pretty!

While he was working on this project (as any Fieldstone homeowner knows), the caulk needed replaced along my back splash... it had pulled off from the wall and looked terrible! I scrapped off all the old yucky caulk and we re-caulked and painted it! It looks like a new kitchen again! :)

This kept us busy Conference weekend... but MAN! I sure love how it turned out!