Happy P Day

Big P little p what begins with p? Pajamas, projects and productivity all begin with p! Tree trimming, garden box making, trash dumping, folding laundry, and sweeping, don't really begin with P but they fall under the categories of productivity and projects and those begin with P. Paying bills, Planning vacations, and watering Plants, these are more P activities happening today with happy pajama wearing me!

Let the Games Begin!

Saturday marked the beginning of game season for us. It was the annual Football Carnival for all the elementary schools in our high school district. Garrett is finally old enough to play. He was pumped!
Football season started about a month ago for Wes. They started 2 weeks before school did. Garrett started football practice on the first day of school. BYU has had games on TV for the last 2 weeks. Garrett and Drew are both playing soccer as well.

Through November I will make 13 trips to various sports practices a week and watch a football game after school every Friday. Saturdays will be spent watching Drew play soccer sometime in the morning, Garrett playing soccer sometime before 3pm and Wes playing a football game sometime in between or possibly at the same time as one or both of the previous games.

When all of the games the boys are participating in are over, there will be a gathering, likely at my house, to watch the BYU game that will be recorded and ready to skip through commercials or watch a play over and over in slow motion. All of my boys will be glued to the screen. Welcome to the fall game season at the Bohn house!

Bring it on!

Battle of Wills

My sweet sassy Brynne has had me cracking up lately! Just last night she ran up to me saying,"Mom I have something to tell you! There is something very mysterious going on, my dads new car is right in the garage, but my dad is not here. It just doesn't make sense! Very mysterious isn't it mom?"

A few days ago, she came in and asked me to take a picture of her because she couldn't believe how fancy she looked. Earlier in the week helping her to get dressed as I suggested different shirts for her to wear she answered "Oh no mom, that just won't do!"

Today was no laughing matter, today it was a battle of wills. Brynne was wearing this pink dress with brown polka dots. She was insisting she needed to wear her "pink and polka dot shoes" with her dress. The only problem is that the "pink and polka dot shoes" are tennis shoes and definitely not suitable for church. She would hear of wearing nothing but these shoes. She cried and took off anything else I put on. As I was curling her hair she had this stubborn look on her face as she gazed into the mirror. I could see the resolve in her eyes and that the wheels were turning. She looked defiantly up at me and said, "Well mom thats just fine, if you don't let me wear the pink and polka dot shoes, then I am just going to wear no shoes." She was calm and oh so defiant.

I tried explaining to her how inappropriate it would be to go to church barefoot. I told her they might not let her practice her part for the primary program in the chapel without shoes. I told her she wouldn't get to have a snack or the church bag with books and coloring pages in it if she didn't wear her shoes. She continued calmly gazing ahead and said well Im just not going to wear anything except for my pink and polka dot ones.

Jeff had to go to church early and I had spent all morning getting the kids ready and wasn't done myself. As he was leaving and taking all the kids with him, I told him where he could find Brynnes shoes. I thought we would bring the 2 pair that matched and she could choose while driving over in the car. When I joined my family in the pew I looked over at my daughter. She looked like a mess. "Where is her bow?" I asked Jeff. He passed it down to me. "Where are her shoes?" "She didn't wear any", he mouths down to me. I couldn't believe it! No shoes and church had started.

I thought about my options and decided it was better to stay at church than leave to get shoes. I wondered what sense Brynne would make of this little incident, and what the ramifications would be. As we arrived at my moms for our Sunday dinner I found out. "Hello grandma! Guess what I went to church barefoot today! They didn't even kick me out!" "Why did you do that?" my mom asked. "I just felt like it" she answered.

I'm toast. This was a battle I clearly had not won!

Humble Pie

Humble Pie, had any lately? Don't worry I've had enough for you too! Sometimes you think you know right where you stand, exactly what you're doing. And then BAM you get socked with a little dose of reality. Suddenly it all becomes quite clear where you really are and it is NOWHERE near where you thought. Humble Pie, it's not so sweet!

Under the Boardwalk

As Labor Day approached and I thought about the coming weeks of soccer and football games every Saturday, daily practices followed by Monday and Wednesday night practices, piles of homework, and the student government speech waiting to be written, I got that urge! You know the one I'm talking about, it says RUN!

So on Thursday when we went to lunch with the Poulsens it was decided we should all head for the coast. I found us a house to rent just a few doors down from the beach. It was a perfect place for the rowdy bunch of kids occupying the space, we weren't worried about ruining anything and if you ask me thats exactly as a beach house should be!

Talli and I tried making a quick dash to the store in hopes of some fresh sheets, only to find that everything was closed! And while we didn't find sheets we did get stopped at a sobriety check point, found the most hilarious things sold at the local Rite Aid, and saw some pretty interesting folks! Here is a picture from my phone of one of our favorite local crazies.

Saturday was spent playing in the sand and waves

Badminton

Smash-ball

Boogie Boarding

Reading and Napping

At 4pm everyone headed back to watch BYU whoop Oklahoma, and rinse the sand off. I opted for another hour on the beach of reading and then a gorgeous run along the coastline! That night we bundled everyone up and went to the boardwalk. It was the Poulsens first time!

The boys loved the roller coasters, and that they all had matching sweatshirts!

Good friends, fun rides, and warm sun made for some GREAT memories! Now its back to reality!

The Joys of Boys

One of the great joys of little boys is that they can turn something as simple as soccer practice into mischievous fun!

These two stumbled upon the perfect mud bath "slip 'n slide" conveniently next to the girls soccer practice.

Boys will be boys!

The Small Things

Isn't it interesting how the small things make the BIGGEST difference? Today I got these beautiful flowers and prefectly stated card.

Inside were some fun treats, and the sweetest note.

I started thinking about how sometimes there are things we can do for ourselves that are sure to put a smile on our faces. A good run does this for me. In fact since my knee has been feeling better and I have been out running again, I will catch myself smiling from ear to ear for no reason. Today as I was running, I did a quick turn around to be sure I couldn't see anyone else on the trail with me, and then in the middle of my run, I did a cartwheeel! Ah, it felt so good!

Texas sheetcake, homemade fudge, brownies , York Peppermint Patties, a plain Hershey's bar, Golden Hostess Cupcakes, the ones that are yellow with chocolate frosting, and Red Vines can each soften the blow of a bad day.

Driving fast with my music blaring, I can't help but smile and usually start to dance at least a little in my seat.

A little retail therapy never hurts!

But usually the things that make us smile the biggest and the longest are the things that someone else does for us. Flowers in a pot, a gorgeous vase, or just picked from the side of the road, a simple note or a text, a long hug, an understanding smile, an unexpected phone call, or a sweet act of service, the message is usually the same. I was thinking about you and I stopped whatever I was doing to let you know it.

I have recieved all of these and more just recently. A BIG THANKS to all of you who have sent your messages to me in your own little ways. I am grateful for all the big and small things, the kind words and the dear frienships I am so lucky to have. They have made all the difference!

So I want to know, really I do, what small things make all the difference to you?