Mindless Drivel?

Mindless drivel?...Yet so entertaining!! During the school year I don't have much time to watch TV. I usually try to squeeze in my usual favorites The Middle, Modern Family, and Downton Abbey and that's about it. This summer and with it's easy free-stylin' no schedules aire has allowed me to expand my television horizons beyond So You Think You Can Dance. I share with you my current obsessions.

#1 Duck Dynasty

For months I saw this odd bunch quoted on Facebook/Pinterest etc. but never has any show had less of an appeal to me. A bunch of redneck, camo wearing, hunters? I think not. But over our family reunion at the lake and MUCH forceful persuasion by my brother Kirk (who shares my sense of humor) he assured me that I would love this show. He forced me to watch clips of it at 1am around the bonfire. He quoted it incessantly. I promised him that I would watch it and watch I did. I LOVED IT!! Who knew I had it in me? This is how far the sickness has progressed. When I watched the season premiere last week where Phil and Miss Kay renewed their vows. I CRIED... I CRIED!! Heaven help me but I love this band of oddballs and the message they put out there. My favorite person...hands down...is Phil. #2 Jase. Love them!! Jump on the Duck Dynasty Bandwagon Jack and that is from a true blue Yuppie Girl!!


#2 The Mindy Project

I watched this whole season in a two day stretch and laughed my guts out!! (The episode where her boyfriend accidentally put her jeans on had me on the floor in full on asthma attack hysteria.) I love this show and can't wait for season 2.

#3 Monarch of the Glen

I love this series so much that I give you two pictures. This was a little gem I found on Netflix. This is exactly my kind of TV show...BBC production and all...set in Scotland (watch it for the scenery alone.) It is funny and romantic and all kinds of good. Unfortunately it is also all over so I am trying to delay gratification by holding off watching the final season for a couple of weeks.

My favorite character on the show (besides Archie and Lexie...obviously) is Kilwillie played by none other than Julian Fellows the creator and writer of Downton Abbey. He is an absolute scream!! Anytime he comes on screen he steals the show. Who knew?

There you go... Do with it what you will. ;)

In Case You Were Wondering...

In case you were wondering...How did Reilly's Mini-Mission go? Fantastically. SHE LOVED IT!! I am not going to lie...I was a little concerned about what state we would find her in when we went to the stake center to attend the special fireside for the returning mini-missionaries. Tyler...returned missionary that he is...assured me that she would love it. He was right!! We found her happy, joyful, and bubbling over with excitement. I hugged her and said "So...how did it go?" She said "It was amazing!! Let's put it this way... I am counting down the days until I can turn in my papers." Wow. Wow. Wow.

Reilly was called to serve in the Post Falls, Idaho area. The mission president had pictures of and information about each of the youth that wanted to go and each individual was prayed about to figure out where would be the best place for them to serve. Reilly loved her area. She adored the sister missionaries that she served with...she loved the people she came in contact with...and her testimony grew by leaps and bounds.

One of the things I love most about Reilly is that no matter what situation she finds herself in...she jumps right in and gives it her all. She likes to say that she can make anything fun and she really can. She is never one of those kids that sits on the sidelines talking about how boring or lame something is. If she is going to participate in something she dives right in and makes it fun. She jumped right in to her mini-mission as well and gave it 100% from day one. The very first day she was talking to peopleand sharing her testimony right along with the sister missionaries. She had so many special experiences that week.

She got to teach a family with a bunch of little girls who are all going to be baptized soon. She got to meet less active families and individuals who are really struggling. She got to provide service for individuals in need. She got to be rejected. She got to be persecuted and then stood up and bore an amazing testimony to a very unhappy man who ended up letting her pray with him, shook her hand, and said how much he admired her faith. This mini-mission really put her in position to truly examine her faith...what she really believes...what she has a personal testimony of...what her faith and relationship to her Father in Heaven really means to her.

She also got to see what life is like for so many in this world. She got a first hand and up close look at poverty. She grew to love and admire individuals who the world would classify as "nobodies"...no one of importance according to the world's standards and see beautiful hearts and beautiful people. Individuals of great worth. Children of our Father in Heaven who have inherent value no matter their social status. Her heart opened wide and she was filled with so much love for all those with whom she came in contact. She was filled with compassion. That is a remarkable experience that all these mini-missionaries came away with...as they shared in their sweet testimonies. They were taken from their sheltered and selfish all-about-me teenageriness and had their hearts broken wide open and filled with love. That alone is worth it's weight in gold. Add that to the spiritual experiences of actually seeing the Holy Ghost in action, learning to pray with true purpose, gaining an even stronger testimony of who they are, and of the gospel...priceless.

Our stake sent out about 20 of these mini-missionaries and every single one of them had an amazing experience, shared incredible testimonies, and said that it had been a life changing experience for them. One of the counselors in our stake presidency who spoke at the end of the fireside said, "I am glad Reilly Johnson is on my team!!" I am glad that she is on my team as well. She is an incredible young woman and I am so blessed to be her mother.

In Case You Missed It

In Case You Missed It...

 
Which, of course you have, since I haven't been posting much. So here's a little...or a long...catch up.

Ailey's best friend, Audrey, moved to Helena, MT. Here they are at Audrey's going-away party. Ailey was sad but I think it will really kick in when school starts in September. On another note, I have been on a playdate ban. It has been wonderful. The school year is so busy with playdates, activities, obligations etc. I just haven't wanted to deal with any of it this summer. My mantra has been "You have siblings...play with them!!" It has been fabuloso. Of course...several mothers (one in particular...one of Kameron's friend's mother) are a tad bit irritated that my darling children have been unable to entertain their darling children all summer. So what. I held out from mid-June all through August 1st and then I caved. It was nice while it lasted.

Reilly tried to kill herself showing off on a scooter. This girl is very athletic and very coordinated but do not put wheels on her feet!! Case in point...major rollerblade cream out in the park (while showing off), broken arm in 6th grade at Roller Valley (while showing off), this damage on a razor scooter (while showing off). I sense a pattern. Hold onto your lunch for the next photos.

 This injury required a trip to Urgent Care to get taken care of and some serious antibiotics...just in case we hadn't already had our share of hospital fun.

Reilly eventually healed and went to Girls Camp this year as a YCL (Youth Camp Leader). She loved it. A friend of mine sent me this picture from a girls camp activity that caused me to have heart palpitations.

Yes, that little speck is her clinging to a cliff. Then she was tagged on FB in my friend Misty's photo from girls camp that let me know that she was still alive and having fun.

I've sat and watched A LOT of swimming lessons this summer. Both Ailey and Bryn are doing well. Only one near drowning of Bryn AT SWIMMING LESSONS. She shook it off pretty quickly and jumped back in. Tyler not so much.

Kameron lost his final baby tooth. Hallelujah. The tooth fairy is not my favorite person. Two more kids to go. On another note...his kidney hasn't been giving him any issues which is great. We go back in right before Labor Day to have his kidney checked out again. Hopefully everything has resolved itself and there isn't something anatomically wrong with his kidney that would require major surgery.

Finally all our years of parenting are giving us a little kick back. All the kids can do all kinds of chores...indoor and out. Pure delight. This particular day the kids washed two cars, mowed and weed whacked the yard, and weeded the garden. Finally these kids are earning their keep!! :)

 Tyler instructing them on how to do things properly. Ha ha.

Kameron slammed the bathroom door into the wall and produced this little beauty. He is definitely a preteen. He is stronger than he used to be (see above), more moody (luckily his is a silent sulk rather than a screaming rant and we are enjoying that) and the eating thing is really kicking in. He pretty much eats two full dinners every night. Wow. But due to the above damage my bathroom is getting a new paint job this weekend. Hurray. Lemonade out of lemons. We also repainted our deck for the umpteenth time. Paint oddly lasts longer than stain and we keep saying that we don't really care because how much longer are we going to be in this house anyway...we have now gone through 3 paint cycles. Oh well. It looks good now.

Bryn and Ailey have been having a great time together this summer. They play and play. Ailey took it upon herself to start up her own "Joy School" with Bryn every morning. She plans all kinds of activities and Bryn loves it. They spend hours in the backyard making "habitats" for rolly polly bugs (aka potato bugs as they were called in my day), pretending they are cheerleaders and making up cheers, and putting on countless "plays" for all of us to watch. Childhood is a beautiful thing.

Here they are reading in one of their many "forts" that they've made this summer.

Bryn playing Mommy

I brought back the playdate to help out a friend and opened the floodgates for all the kids. I guess I am lucky that my kids are highly sought after for playdates rather than the other way around.  :)

Tyler and I have tried hard this summer to plan some one-on-one activities with each of the kids and it has been really fun. Ailey wanted a mother-daughter date to get pedicures and a treat. Done!!

Tyler's company party was a hit!! More pony rides for these two. This may be Ailey's last year on the ponies. She is looking so long-legged on that thing.

All the kids are finally to the age that we can go to things and attend events...movies, ball games...it's great!!

We love going to Indians Games!!

This game was the most exciting one we have seen in 12 years...sadly the Indians lost...as usual.

These kids are getting so darn big. I remember bringing Ailey to her first Indians game at one week old. Look at her now...and check out those two? Not little kids anymore.

Reilly got her name announced during the game and won two free tickets to a future game for having the fastest pitch at the pitching booth in her age group. There was a time not so long ago that she would've wanted to go with her Daddy...now she's bringing a date.

Kameron has basically already started middle school. He goes all day. He is in a three week long Math Camp for the Advanced Math students in the morning, has lunch there, and then has Leadership camp in the afternoon. I drop him off at  8:30 and pick him up at 3pm. Hello carpool. I have not missed you. Kameron is really enjoying it all and I think it has already made a world of difference in his transition from elementary to middle school.

Reilly unbeknownst to us signed herself up to serve a mini-mission. We found out the day before she was to go. We were scrambling to rearrange things and put together some missionary appropriate clothing. She was called to serve a mini-mission in Idaho. She will live and serve with the sister missionaries for one week. She was required to bring a bike. Reilly was really excited to go. I have no idea how this whole thing will play out. She will either 100% love it or 100% hate it. There is really no middle ground with this girl. I am hoping she is loving it as I haven't received a call to come pick her up yet. Five days down and two to go. She was the only girl from our ward who signed up to go. This is the first year that girls have been able to do this. Pretty exciting. Last year was the first year that the boys from our stake did this and it went really well. I think it is a great idea for the youth so they get a real idea of what serving a mission would entail.

With both Kameron and Reilly so busy this summer I have had a bunch of time with these two cute girls!! They are both so much fun and good to take places so it has been great.

 Going out for milkshakes and fries

 Going to the movies

So that's the latest. Now it is crunch time to squeeze in all the fun we can before school starts in September.