Good-bye to Dear Friends

Here we are playing with water at the park.  It was good to have as much time with our friends as possible and, like I said before, staying in the house was no longer feasible if I wanted to remain sane.







 Master I had a field trip at the Hogle Zoo that went on together.











Master I dreamed of having a party where him and his two buddies road their razors on the University of Utah campus and then came back to our house for pizza and popsicles.  These boys got really close over the school year.  We were all medical families living on campus.  They carpooled together in the morning.  In the afternoon they would either ride the bus or walk home with me.  They loved to walk home.  It was a two mile walk up hill, but I promised them a popsicle when they got to my house.  I loved watching them get in a great work out and then savor that cool treat.  I was training him to love exercise and work hard. I was giving him an opportunity to exercise hard in the day.  Doing it in a group is so much more fun than Master I doing it with just me.  He could talk with his buddies, plan future parties, and imagine that they were in Star Wars having light saber fights, unaware of how hard he was working his body.  Why was I willing to do that with my day?  I am fighting childhood obesity one child at a time.  Is there any other way this battle can be fought?  I am so grateful for a life where I have been able to devote myself to these vital causes on such a micro level.  And I am grateful for the man that provides and allows me to be living my dream.

 And here is Master I living his dream of having his razor party with his buddies.

 When life got too crazy to maintain at home, we went to stay with our family in Utah County. We filled the days with playing with our cousins and going bowling with Granny.

The End of a Utah Chapter

 

 These were our last days in Utah.  It was a challenging move.  It began by looking at every thing we owned, one piece at a time, and then determining if we were going to take it with us.  To meet the criteria it had to fit in the back of our mini van and be to difficult to replace.  What would fit?  What could I live without? What did I really need in order to meet my goal of making a happy family and giving my children a happy childhood?  It was a tedious process, but was a process that taught me about myself and what was most important to me.  And I have to say it is so liberating to own less stuff and lead a simpler life.

That was just the first step and it totally overwhelmed me.  I think the hardest part was figuring out how to pack the car in the most efficient way.  Mark was working a lot so it was me and the kids.  That is when Annie and Allen came to save me.  They helped me pack the car and they helped me with the kids so that I could do it.  I will love them forever for that.

 It was fun to see the kids after all the furniture was gone to make play houses with the couch cushions that we would be throwing away.  They had fun with what little we had.  I was going crazy.  A kitchen table,  toys, and couches make living at home much easier.  My strategy was to leave the house.