My paper is done and submitted and maybe I can get back to the blog at least until my classes for next semester start.  I did a little better getting pictures of the kids this week.

Ben was home with an ear infection and wanted to play with playdoh.  His ear was hurting him a great deal and a hot pack was very helpful but difficult to manage while playing.  This was our solution for a little while.

You can tell in his eyes that he is in pain.

And sick of me taking pictures.

Eventually the ibuprofen kicked in and his sleeves got in the way so naturally the solution is to remove all offending parties.

Don't cry over spilled milk or wheat berries.  When life gives you lemons make lemonade...

I was processing some wheat and Noah kept throwing handfuls of it so I turned quickly to get it away from him and hit the bad and it fell dumping copious amounts of wheat on the floor.

All four of them still making lemonade

No tears here

Come on, say it, they have the coolest mom and dad ever.

I think I am starting to figure out my camera.  I like how the pictures look in manual more than in auto.  These amazing photos are courtesy of God and a drive home from Island Pond.

The tree I love at the Boston Temple

Flowers I loved at the temple.  My camera is awesome.  It was windy and these were bobbing all over and the camera was still able to capture them.

I keep looking at this picture and I can't believe I took it

This is what a research paper in progress looks like.

This is what our house looks like without a porch.

And that was our week in a nutshell.  Hopefully I'll have more to say next week!

L.S.N.E.D.:Procrastination

Today I learned that one should not wait until 4 days before a research paper is due to get started.  If you do it is almost certain that you will run out of toilet paper and have to run into town, a child will get sick and need to picked up early from school and need a DR's appt, you will discover a tick in another child's armpit and another child will NEEEEED to show you his Lego creation every time he adds a new brick or weapon.  Oh and of course I will NEEEEEEED to create a blog post instead of writing said paper.

I also just remembered that I told my online class about this blog and provided a link, so my professor and classmates could now know that I am a procrastinator.  In case anyone is worried, I have all my research done, I have my interviews done and I have my reference list done.  I just have to actually write the paper.

Family Friday But on Saturday

We had a busy week as we were on vacation.  Mostly we worked on the garden and construction projects.  

We no longer have a front porch.  When Aaron dismantled the last part of it we discovered the reason why the porch was sinking.  We thought the porch was resting on cedar stumps but they were actually on cedar posts buried in the ground and the wood underground had rotted away so the posts were sinking into their own holes.  Next comes excavating.  Should be exciting.  

Aaron and I went to the Boston Temple yesterday.  We left at 7:30, dropped the kids at my parents, drove to the temple in time for a 1:00 session, drove back to my parents in Friday afternoon rush hour traffic with the van engine overheating so we kept having to pull over for it to cool off, we finally made it back to my parents around 9:00 and then arrived at our house at 10:45.  What a day, but SOOOOOO worth it.  I feel so centered and peaceful.  We need to do this whirlwind more often.

I think I officially need to be punished for playing favorites with my kids.  Noah is just so photogenic and so stinkin' cute. 

We had an Easter egg hunt and Aaron was asleep so they hid one on his chest.  He is awake here but for awhile he was oblivious to the fact.

He isn't fully coherent yet.

We went down to the river and tradition carries on.  We go to the river in the spring when the air is warm and the water is icy, fully clothed because of course we aren't going in the water but we always ended up in the water.

I love this tree at the temple

Also at the temple

This is where Aaron and I were married almost 11 years ago.  There was a young couple getting married while we were there and it brought back so many memories.