The Emery Family

November 1. Wait, WHAT! How did that happen?

2011-11-01T10:03:00.000-07:00

It is November. The leaves are falling. The rain has come along with a peek of sunshine occasionally. We had a summer and now the fall has arrived. We even had Halloween yesterday. It' s so strange. Sometimes I feel like I am walking through life and other times it is as if I am being chased so I must run with all my might. I run and I catch glimpses of my life and I want to stop and view it slowly but I am unable because of the monster chasing me.

Today I have decided it is time to stop running. I must turn around, face the monster chasing me, and refuse to play tag anymore. No more running. It's time to live life deliberately.

I will sit and be in each moment instead of allowing my mind to have already raced ahead to the next moment and the one after that.

Just thought I should document that at one time I had good intentions.

School Started and Life has begun

2011-09-23T16:01:00.000-07:00

The kiddos are in a new grade of school, their Mom has job, and their Dad is busy with his job. Life is in full-swing. I came across a quote the other day that really struck a chord. Maybe its because chaos reigns in the house.

It said:

"Peace. It does not mean to be in a place where there is no noise, trouble, or hard work. It means to be in the midst of those things and still be calm in your heart."

I guess to me that means you must produce peace from within you, not gather it from around you. This is why I rely on God so much. Because I can have him with me no matter where I am or what I am faced with. Therefore, the scripture in Luke 1:37 becomes reality. It says, "With God, nothing shall be impossible."

Hope everyone has a marvelous day!

Dinners Out in My Future

2011-08-04T22:24:00.000-07:00

Things you don't want to hear on a voice mail from your 9 year old son, "Uh mom, sorry but I sort-of cut the hose with a pick-ax." Of course that's much better than last week when he cut a foot long hole in someone else's trampoline. Sigh. When he grows up, he is taking me out to eat once a week. To somewhere really nice.

Growing and Growing Up

2011-06-12T21:09:00.000-07:00

Allison and her friends have a band called The Pockets. They are getting good and have played several "gigs." This one was at an open house for a new place in town called Ant Farm. Allison isn't fond of the group name but I know she enjoys performing and playing the guitar. I often tell her I want her to follow me around and be my music. Who needs an mP3 player right?
These flowers actually grew in my yard. Mostly, I think my growing thumb is black so when something grew and was beautiful, I had to document it. The kids pointed them out saying, "Look Mom, something grew in our yard."
Apparently the speakers were a little dry for Rylee's taste. He slept like that through most of Sacrament meeting. Isn't he the cutest thing! I must remember this when he is screaming and kicking.
Cameron and his friends Josh and Noah went to the 8th grade dance and came home with this picture. I think they all "went" with girls to the dance but I am so glad the picture was with the boys. I think we might be in trouble though. That boy is handsome. "Cameron, no dating until 25 right?"

History Repeats Itself

2011-04-29T13:06:00.000-07:00

"Those who do not learn from history are doomed to repeat it." Whoever said this must have known the Emery family really well.

The scene: Two teenagers are fighting over whose turn it is to download music onto their mp3 players. The teen boy has his music nearly completed. The teen girl cannot wait. As she rips the USB from its port< the teen boy cannot believe his bad fortune. With only seconds to go and its all ruined.

The Problem reveals the "not so kind" part of both teens. As they yell and the argument escalates, the teen boy removes himself to his bedroom. But not before kicking a hard object, badly damaging his toe, and pounding the side of his fist into an even harder wall, even more badly damaging his hand.

The Mother comes home. The teen boy shows the damaged limbs to his mother. The mother then spends two of her once free days at doctor offices throughout Portland to determine the extent of the damage.

Toe: Not broken, just badly hurt. Hand: Mildly Angulated Boxer's Fracture=black cast for 4 weeks and prayers that the damaged growth plate will not cause problems in the future.

How is this history repeating itself, you ask? The teen boy's older brother broke his hand in the exact same way at a similar age out of anger for something pretty similar on the scale of "no big deal."

No boring days at the Emery house. And this only describes one fiasco out of four or five in the last week. But my fingers are tired and I must go pick up children. I guess the other stories will wait in my head. Have a great day everyone!

Pictures from Taylor in Okinawa

2011-04-14T08:08:00.000-07:00

Taylor doesn't send much info with the pictures but I thought this one was a great shot of all the trucks.
This is a picture of Taylor when he first arrived there. I think he probably looks similar now. We get to see him and talk to him through the computer sometimes. What a handsome guy!
Here is a truck and dive boat they used while recently training. Taylor was the security detail for the officers doing the training.
What a beautiful beach.
Just another beach shot. Taylor enjoys the beach and the water. I hope he gets to dive and swim while he is there.

Surrender, Simplify, and Smile

2011-04-04T18:04:00.000-07:00

Ever feel like walking out into the street and holding a white flag towards the sky? The words escaping my lips would be something like, "Alright, you win. I really need some help here. I surrender!"

I guess that's what happens when you hand me six children, three jobs, three pets, and a menopausal body. But I am the one who signed up for all of it, now, aren't I? Well, some simplifying is in order at the Emery house. First, I went to the doctor with a list of symptoms that made me want to cry. Low and behold, he gave me Estrogen and I have returned to a pleasant person with energy and a happy smile! And lest you think I was the only one who could tell, I asked Scott if he noticed a difference. His words were," Oh, you mean the return to sanity?" And showing that I truly had returned to sanity, I laughed instead of bursting into tears and retreating to my closet to fall apart. Small victory for Michelle.

Second, I have decided to quit the newspaper job for now. The editor I love has moved on and the new editor is demanding certain deadlines. That will not work with the lifestyle here at this house. My job at the school pays better and has great benefits like getting to hang out with my cool kids and other kids who think I am funny and smart. Yes!

Next, we have much more simple meals around here. In fact, tonight is breakfast for dinner. Nope, not eggs, pancakes, and bacon. Cold cereal. The kids think I am awesome. And I guess that means that I can think I am awesome too.

Ta Ta For Now World:)

Life

2011-03-19T23:54:00.000-07:00

This is my first attempt at making laundry detergent. Guess what? IT WORKS! It only cost about $5 for four gallons of detergent. It smells good and gets the clothes clean. I am so happy I can't stand it. What a great money saving venture. The kids love it too. I hear "When do we get to make more soap?"
Allison and I in Leesburg, Virginia. Just love this picture. Might be because I just love her:)
Peanut Butter Play-doh at Activity Days. I am the Activity Days leader for our ward. What do you get when you mix six eight and nine year olds with peanut butter play-doh. An automatic bunch of smiles and happy tummies. That was so fun! (Rylee must be our mascot.)
This is what Rylee looks like when he falls asleep next to me. I always think kids look so innocent when they are sleeping. Perhaps adults look this way too. I might have to watch Scott the next time he sleeps. Just kidding.
Today Sarah and I spent some time together. This was a stop at a feed store to "play" with the chickens, ducks, etc. I just love spring when we can hold chicks. The duck wasn't so sure he agreed. Sarah and I giggled when we put him down and he hid behind the food dish. We were sure he wanted nothing to do with people for a while.

Our Awesome Hosts while on our trip to Washington DC

2011-03-19T23:42:00.000-07:00

Elicia and Kevin were wonderful to us while we stayed and toured around. This is Kevin and Allison in front of Kevin;s building where he works. He gave us a ride into the district on the first day and helped us figure out the subway so we didn't get lost. Elicia was sure to stock us with snacks so we didn't starve to death. Thanks guys!
Here is Elicia, Allison, and Sadie. We took a little trip to a town called Leesburg. We shopped and generally had a great time. We loved our trip and the time we got to spend with my sister and her family.
Not such a great pic of me but isn't Ian cute!
Sophie loves the cupboards. Maybe she wants to find a place to call her own. She took to me right away and I got hugs, conversation, and a little pal to share all my food with. She is always hungry (she must take after her aunt Michelle).
The Angell Family Tree. Haha They love to climb and this is a happy tree in the front yard. Everyone but Sophie got in on the fun. I think she would have climbed too if she was given a boost. What great kids! We miss them!

2011-03-19T23:27:00.000-07:00

We took a tour of the monuments called "Monuments at Moonlight." It was so fun because we dragged Kevin, Elicia, and Melanie with us. This was a cute picture we took before heading off the start the tour. I only wish we had Kevin and Elicia with us at the time. They were racing to park the car so the tour didn't leave without us. Thanks, guys:)
This is a view of the white House. As we walked from Kevin's work at the FDIC down Pennsylvania Avenue towards the Capitol, we took a stroll around the White House. If we couldn't get close or inside, then we figured we would at least see it from all sides. Note to visitors, if you want a tour of the White House, call your House of Representatives delegate two to three months ahead of time. We did, however, get a great tour of the Capitol and the Library of Congress. Both of those were great and really fun, too.
The one picture of us in front of the White House. It was so cold that morning. Thanks Kevin for taking our picture.
This is the Capitol Building. Isn't it spectacular. We learned so much about history on this trip. I want to take all the other kids back to let them see all the great things we saw. I sure hope our great hosts stay living there for a while. haha
The Washington Monument at night. Pretty, huh?

Washington DC

2011-03-19T23:10:00.000-07:00

We had such a great time in Washington DC. Among other things, Allison found this hat and it looks so cute on her. I don't think she has named the kitty but she sure got some smiles and comments from people wherever we went afterward. And she stayed warm, too.
This is a view from the Old Post Office Building in the district. The top floor was open air (cold air, I might add) and we scaled many stairs to get to the top. We decided elevators were for wimps. It was breathtaking and we looked out from all four sides. It really is a pretty place.
We went on a tour of the monuments and this is the Marine Memorial. I was so happy to get a chance to see this memorial, especially with Taylor being in the Marines now. It was awesome and very inspiring.
The Lincoln Memorial was so indescribable. Seeing pictures doesn't even come close to the thrill of being there. The memorial is huge and I didn't even come to his feet because he is 19 feet high. As you come up the stairs of the memorial and get a glimpse of his sitting in the chair, it is enough to bring tears. The feeling was reverent and I probably stood in silence for 10 minutes. What an amazing opportunity to be there. Allison stood in the place Martin Luther King Jr stood when he gave his famous "I have a Dream" speech. Her awe was greater than mine even. It was remarkable.
This is a shot of the rotunda in the capitol of the United States of America. The architecture of the building is really great. Also, as you come from the room before into the rotunda, the roof is very short and then it opens into this great huge room with enormous ceilings. I took this picture standing with the camera outstretched over my head. Beautiful, huh?

Is it spring yet?

2011-02-11T16:34:00.000-08:00

Ok. The Emerys are ready to be outside. I am quite sure we are not the only humans who feel this way. Lately, we have had fifty degree weather and the kids go out to play with no coats on. I wish I had their thick skin. I need at least sixty degrees to play outside.

The kids are downstairs finishing their Valentine cards for their classes on Monday. It is best for me to stay upstairs while they do this or I helicopter parent, trying to "help" them when they obviously are capable of doing it themselves. This is one of my downfalls as a parent, always trying to help too much. If they can do it themselves, why would I interfere and teach them that they cannot do things?

Taylor is doing well in Okinawa. I think he is bored with the jobs they give him sometimes. A week or two ago, he was sent to another base to help run security for recon and intel war games. Although this sounds exciting, his job consisted of 14 hour shifts of data entry in front of a computer. Not exactly the excitement he was hoping for. His spirits are good, though, and he is looking forward to great weather there so he can do some water sports and some more outdoor exploring. We get to see him on Google chat and on Skype occasionally and it is fun to see his smile and hear his voice.

Scott is working on a grant proposal at work and seems to be enjoying himself. We are praying that he gets hired on as permanent as of June 2011. He has been working for the company for 1 1/2 years and in June the state decides whether to keep the position. The insurance is awesome and the people are really great. Pray for us.

The kids here are doing well. We have the normal day to day struggles but overall we are very blessed. I have been reminded lately that just a roof over our heads, a job for Scott, cars that run, and great family and friends are amazing things that we take for granted everyday.

The Rylee Saga

2011-01-15T22:39:00.000-08:00

You might find it funny (although I was mortified) that Rylee (almost 6) spent last Sunday at church pretty much torturing everyone. He called his teacher an idiot many times, ask to see his "frickin" mother (said loudly in front of the whole primary), and then turned to the cute little girl next to him in sharing time and told her that her mother had just died.Which news caused her to she burst into tears and the primary presidency had to get the girl's mother to come see her in order to assure her that it wasn't true. Aaahh, the joys of parenthood.

But one redeeming thing is the joy of hugs and kisses that smooth a lot of the trials. And Rylee really can give the best hugs. He wraps his arms around me and whispers into my ear "You really are my favorite Mommy." Does he know this melts a mommy's heart?

When Taylor was little and he did these kinds of things, I sometimes took it personally and found it hard not to feel so guilty. Now, I try to realize that although I can teach them right, they have free agency to choose whether to listen. (Sigh) Luckily for me, he loves toys and when given a chance to earn one by using good words, he has only had one bad day in six. I sure hope tomorrow isn't another repeat performance at church. He has a talk in primary. He could do some serious damage while at the microphone in front of the whole group of kids. Heaven help us!

The Power of Prayer

2011-01-15T22:25:00.000-08:00

So my dad Ted Watkins had surgery right after Christmas to correct a nerve problem in his back that has had him incapacitated since summer time. We were excited to go be with him and Mom Pam for the days surrounding this event. Although they were convinced that we should not come, we were so happy to be there and they ultimately were grateful we came. This is a picture right before they wheeled Dad in to surgery.

The nurses were convinced that he must be a star or a celebrity because of the entourage that accompanied him to the hospital. Three of the four daughters and most of their children were there. We missed our sister Wendi but the cousins that were there had fun catching up with each other.

Jeannine and I also got a chance to talk with a wonderful cousin Amy who we hadn't seen for ten years. Wow! It was an awesome trip.

We had a prayer and Dad got a blessing from Corey Hokanson before the surgery. There was a great feeling of peace and power in the room. When we pulled back the curtain, Dad's doctor sat waiting for us. He later told Dad, "You started this out right. There is great power in prayer." I believe there is and his surgery was a great success. We got to see Dad walking without pain less than 24 hours later.

Life at the Emerys and Big News: Tay is going to Japan

2010-12-07T10:43:00.001-08:00

When it gets cold, the fireplace is the best spot in the house. Apparently if your a dog, you just climb over whoever else got to the warm spot first. Orie and Cameron are so cute together. Orie woke Cameron up this morning by climbing on top of him and putting her head on his chest. She thinks she is a person and I think Cameron thinks so too.
Allison and I were in the car together and she leaned over with her cell phone and said, "Smile!" She is so busy with school. She has AP classes and she also is an editor on the school newspaper. It seems like yesterday that the kids were all so small.
Miss Sarah has the same teeth problems as Allison. The orthodontist said they must get it genetically. He didn't know Sarah was adopted. She told me that she used to be adopted but now she is just an Emery. We laughed and said we always knew Sarah was an Emery. Anyway, this is her after the retainer got put in the bottom of her mouth. Now she gets to have two teeth pulled after Christmas. Happy New Year to her!
For our 22nd Wedding anniversary, Scott and I went to a resort in Washington. This is us at a place called Panorama Point. It was so fun to go exploring together and to enjoy being alone. We sure are lucky to be married and to have such great kids. We love them all so much.
Speaking of kids, Taylor isn't so much of one anymore. He is currently finishing his training at Ft. Leonard Wood in Missouri. After returning home for a ten day leave and Christmas with the family, he is headed to Okinawa Japan. His leave is only until December 19th so Santa will visit the Emerys early this year. He will be part of the 3rd Recon Battalion stationed in Okinawa Japan. We don't have much more information such as his daily duties or his length of stay. Hopefully he will have more of that when he comes home on Friday. It is the neatest anniversary present ever; our whole family gets to be together on December 10th.

The Beach with Friends

2010-10-28T16:25:00.000-07:00

There is almost nothing better for my spirit than going to spend time at the beach. Just hearing the waves crash and feeling the wind through my hair makes me take a big sigh and forget much of the stress of life. A couple weekends ago, we rented a beach house and took some friends of ours with us to go enjoy a respite. Lucky for us, the friends we took owned a camera and Lacressa, my friend, is a photographer. Yeah! Not only did we have a great weekend, but we have pictures to prove it. Thank you Lacressa!
We took Ross, Rylee, and Sarah with us and left the teenagers at home to hold down the fort. Allison had homework and Cameron had a boy scout camp. Our kids are growing up!
Anyway, here are some of the sights we enjoyed while we were away

This is the beach and I can't tell you how beautiful it is and the sounds the waves make. Ah makes me want to go back right now!
See the Sea Lion? We were so close to them They just slept and ignored us. Combined with the fun of the tide pools, having good friends with us, and meeting up with Jeannine and Don and their kids made for a fantastic trip. Even the weather cooperated. Yeah!
This cliff was right on the beach. See how huge it is and I think the picture only captured half of it.
This is my friend Lacressa and me. We have decided she is a triplet to Jeannine and I. She and I took seperate trips to the beach to walk and upon returning, we found we had collected two items. Each of us brought home a grey rock and a white shell. They were identical. Funny huh?

The Beach

2010-10-28T16:13:00.000-07:00

Jainey and Sarah play in the sand. They were so happy to be there.
Rylee and Mommy look at different sea animals in the tide pools. I love getting close up views of sea life.
All the kids got to bring home sea shells. Yeah! Ross was extremely happy about that.
We got this present at the end of an amazing day at the beach. What a beautiful sunset!
This is called Devil's Punchbowl. It's a popular destination at the coast.

Disney Summer 2010

2010-09-19T19:56:00.000-07:00

Look! Tinkerbell is in our hands! Ah the magic of Disney. Actually, this had meaning to us because Rylee was convinced that he was going to see Tinkerbell so she could give him a magic wand. Then he said we could do "whatever we wanted, whenever we wanted!" Sounds good to me but alas, thanks to Ally's knowledge of "fairy rules" we learned that Tinkerbell cannot make real magic wands for others. Good thing we have Ally for such good information. Thanks, Ally!

Cinderella's Castle was one of the first places the little kids wanted to visit. But then they wanted to do all the cool rides. We have great memories of Splash Mountain, the Tower of Terror, Space Mountain, and all sorts of other great rides. What a fun vacation.
Belle is Ally's favorite princess because she reads books, is very smart, and wants more than the provincial life. Sounds like another 16 year old princess I know. he he

Taylor being in boot camp had us all feeling pretty military, but none more than Rylee. He was so excited to meet the green army guy. Rylee back talked the army guy and the army guy said "Front and center!" Well, Rylee dropped to the group and began push ups right in front of him. The entire line of people gathered began to laugh and Rylee hammed it up. It was probably one of the highlights of the trip. Way to go, Rylee!

Sarah and Cameron were in their element here at Disneyland. They both love fast and fun rides and they couldn't get enough. Sarah's favorite was Tower of Terror and I think Cam's was the California Screamer. Sarah was just barely to short to ride it and one other cool ride. Platform shoes next time, huh Sarah. Ross was a brave guy. He was scared to death on the Tower of Terror but once he'd survived the experience he wanted to do it over and over. We had a wonderful vacation. Even Scott, who dreaded the trip and the long lines, surprised himself and had a great time.

Disneyland Pictures

2010-09-19T19:15:00.000-07:00

Ooh Disneyland is sooo fun! We saw so many fun characters and rode great rides! Thanks to Grandma Charlene for being a kid at heart and enjoying the time with us. I just love her smile. Thanks Mom!

I think Tigger was in love! Cute pic Ally!

Mom and I love Winnie the Pooh. We got to see Pooh Bear and Tigger at the same time. And the lines weren't that long. Score for us.

My cute kids. They were so great at Disneyland. All we had to do is step into the park and their faces lit up. Even if they tried not to smile, they couldn't help it.

It was Ross, Rylee, and Sarah's first visit to Disneyland. They all got first time visitor buttons and they were so happy.

We may not look like much, but we raised a Marine!

2010-09-10T17:10:00.001-07:00

We had so many people come to support Taylor as he graduated from Boot Camp. Here is Grandpa Ted and Grandma Pam. Thanks so much! We have so many people who did so much to help support us and Taylor so THANK YOU!

Here's Grandma Charlene and next to her is Grandpa Art (he is invisible here but his presence was felt and we wished he felt well enough to come). We love you!

Here are Grandpa Bob and Grandma Peggy. It was such a long trip and we appreciate the dedication of all who made the sacrifice to be there.

Here are his parents. I don't think we look at all proud and happy to have arrived at this time in history, do you? Tay is still shell-shocked in this picture as I don't think he had been allowed to smile for three months. We have seen many smiles since the first day we got him back:)

This is Taylor with the other recruits in his platoon who attended church services with him on Sunday. We are so grateful for the LDS service missionaries who loved our boys and fed them contraband brownies and candy bars every Sunday. They also called to say he arrived safely and then took pics of our boys.

Thanks to all who support us and love our kids! Another post will be coming with more pics and also pics from our Disneyland vacation. Yeah!

Sarah's baptism

2010-08-02T14:48:00.000-07:00

Isn't she lovely. She was so happy to be baptised. I just wanted to document the pic and she is so happy. I love you Sarah and I am so proud of your decision to follow Jesus Christ.

2010-08-02T14:29:00.000-07:00

Sometimes you've just got to be silly. We were at Target the other day and the kids were being so cute. I took pics. We called this one Rylee in danger.

This one was where Ross and Sarah kept falling off as they tried to share the top of the ball.

And this one we labeled, "These kids are really on the ball." I know it's silly but I think humor is what gets you through life. Have a great day everyone!

Finally Getting Around To It

2010-07-28T11:25:00.000-07:00

Saw these geese while driving in Milwaukie Oregon the other day. Aren't they cute!

Okay, I should never say "Things will be easier when..." I thought that surely in the summer I would find more time to keep the blog up to date, take more pics, etc, etc, etc. Uh no!

Just to catch everyone up to date, things are going well here. Taylor only has six weeks left of boot camp and is doing awesome. He sends letters pretty frequently and says it's not too bad. The only thing he hates is the food (They don't eat healthy enough for him). I would have never guessed that when he was a kid. He marches a lot and they are now on to several mile hikes with 60 pound backpacks. He is also having Rifle training. We are looking forward to going to San Diego and watching him graduate on September 3rd.

Ally wishes she were older and more independent. We, as parents, are stifling to her independent streak by worrying about safety and her going places alone. We blame it on her great looks and our parental responsibility. Hopefully she makes it through this frustrating time for her. She is really an awesome person and I personally hope she lets me travel the world with her when she gets older!

Cameron is really into exercise right now. He can bench press and leg lift so much more than I ever could. He is also a great big brother to the little boys. He will be in eighth grade. Unbelievable.

Sarah is eight now and was baptized in Utah by her dad. It was really great to be with so many family members and Sarah loved having a cousin to share the excitement. Thanks Jonah for waiting so that you and Sarah could be baptised together. She then finally got her ears pierced. She looks so cute. Her life is about playing with friends and being outside. Her smile lights up my world. The drama is beginning though and I don't have to like that, right?

Rylee is five and a half. He starts kindergarten this fall and he is either so cute or so terrible. Just depends on the day. Although the terrible side of him is sometimes fun to watch, I prefer the sweet boy who tells me he loves me better than anyone.

Ross is eight and I really enjoy having him here in our home but he and Rylee butt heads (several times a day). My newest strategy is that they must hold hands whenever they fight. I think I just enjoy the physical humor that it brings along with it. :)

Scott and I just plug along doing all that is required to raise six kids and keep a marriage and a home going strong. It sounds boring when I type it but we actually really enjoy it. It must be the details that make it fun: the wonderful personalities of the kids and wonderful friends and family that turn our actions into a life. We love you all!

Random Pics

2010-07-06T17:44:00.000-07:00

Sarah is a fish. Since the moment she was put into a swimming pool, she had taken to it naturally. She was two or so when she fell into the pool and when we fished her out, she took a huge breath! She held her breath instinctively and has never looked back. This is a cute pic of her at Cherry Hill in Utah.

Ally got her artistic talent from someone other than me. This is a portrait she made for her art class at school. I love it!

Ry makes funny faces. Just thought this one was pretty cute.

Random Pics from Utah

2010-07-04T20:59:00.000-07:00

I got to see my brother in his true character while on vacation. Here he is on his motorcycle, complete with leather chaps, cool hat, and goggles. Wish I could look this cool on a bike:)

This is a tree at Mueller Park in Bountiful. Trees call Cameron's name and this one was no exception. He scaled it in no time much to the dismay of my friend who was sure he would fall. Lucky for us he was perfectly fine. I pray when he climbs trees. He must have been two stories off the ground.

While at Mueller park, we buried the ashes of our beloved dog Carmel. In the pic, you can see a rock currounded by pinecones by Sarah's feet. That is her final resting place. I still miss her.

We also went to see Shannon's gravesite. Jeannine and Don's oldest daughter would be 20 this August. It is hard to believe she has been gone so long. I layed in the grass at the cemetary and soon my two kids were laying by me. It took six times to get the pic right.

Sarah"s 8th Birthday

2010-07-04T15:20:00.000-07:00

For Sarah's birthday we took her to Multnomah Falls and Crown Point. She loves Crown Point especially when it is very windy. Although we didn't have wind, we did get to share her cupcakes with the Hokanson family and another family we met at the outlook point for the Gorge. What fun we had!

Sarah loves her dad and by the picture you can tell the feeling is mutual. She climbed onto his shoulders and I knew it was a Kodak moment.

Also for her birthday, she got her own room. When Taylor left for Boot Camp, Cameron moved into Taylor's room and then he helped Sarah move into his old room. She said to me as she fell asleep in her bed the first night, "I have waited so long to be able to say Get out of my room."
Happy Birthday Sarah!

A New family picture

2010-05-27T09:03:00.001-07:00

So here is a new family picture. It feels so awesome to have a recent photo before our family sends Taylor out into the world next week. We don't have our Ross in the photo because of restrictions by the state but we love him just the same. I will post more photos later but I was excited to get this one up for all the world to see. Love you all!

Hi Everyone

2010-05-07T08:56:00.000-07:00

Well, they say time heals all wounds. We have found that the loss of our dog Carmel has left us wanting to shower that doggy love on another pet that needs us too. This is Orie. We have other pics but this is the one most accessible on the computer. It is her pic from the shelter. Above it, the words were "I am adoptable." Who wouldn't fall for that? She came from the Dog shelter in our county. So far, we have really enjoyed having another dog. Although we miss Carmel, some of the things Orie does remind us of her. Other things teach us how much we have to learn as dog owners. Wish us luck in our new Doggie adventures! Sarah loves to cook, decorate, etc. The other day she asked if she could make a fruit plate. What a great job she did, all by herself. It seemed that she looked so cute and the fruit plate so beautiful that we needed a picture. By the way, the fruit was delicious. Great job, Sarah!

Mantras

2010-04-18T22:10:00.000-07:00

There are many mantras I have adopted in my marriage and in raising children. The most used one at this stage of the game is, "If it ain't broke, it ain't ours." This is usually repeated by me and my husband in unison as yet another household item becomes junk or at least maimed by the household chaos we live in. That being said, I give you an episode that occurred at our house this weekend.
We were working in the yard and had just discovered that another household item was broken. This time it was the weed trimmer which had bit the dust (someone ran over it or otherwise caused it to become less than the once solid piece of machinery it was. So Scott and I started to repeat the above stated mantra, more to each other than to anyone else. The next thing I knew, Sarah was standing by me and looking up at me with a smile on her face, she said, "But Mom, I'm not broken and I am yours."
In that one short statement, my mind snapped into recognition of what was important and what was not. I t is easy to replace items but not to replace people. Thanks Sarah for the perspective shift I was in need of that day.

Scared Sarah

2010-03-24T12:52:00.000-07:00

So we watched Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets last night. Turns out there are parts that even if you are sitting in your mom's lap are too scary for a seven year old girl. At two a.m., Sarah was in my room trying to pretend she wasn't scared but I could tell that she was. We talked about how movies aren't real, etc. All that talk wasn't working. "I can't stop thinking about it," she said. "Well," I said, "whenever the movie comes into your head, replace it with something that makes you feel warm and safe. What might that be?" With the sweetest look, she stares at me and says, "You." Oh, my little mommy heart melted. I sat for a moment, pleased that my daughter knew her mommy loved her and would try to keep her safe. Then out of her mouth comes this after thought. "And Dogs!" Well, there goes my warm mommy bubble:)

Funny Things

2010-03-17T09:58:00.000-07:00

So kids make life so interesting. The kids at school use the Lord's name in vain so frequently that Sarah slipped the other day and said it too. What ensued was a long conversation about what it means to take His name in vain and why we shouldn't do that. Since then, we have been relatively vain free.
Well, yesterday while getting dinner ready, Ross came to me and said,"Mom, Rylee is taking MY name in vain!" He then proceeded to show me with tone and voice inflection how it sounded when he said it. "Ross Hawley!" I know that he was truly serious about the grievous offense. I , on the other hand, could only stifle a giggle. he he

Tribute To Carmel

2010-03-06T20:27:00.000-08:00

Our beautiful Carmel :)

Kyle and Cameron with Carmel

Looking out the backyard

She LOVED going in the car:) Look at that smile! She must have that smile as she chases everything up in heaven.

2010-02-18T07:59:00.000-08:00

Rylee turned five on February 1st! He picked his own cake and frosting and the car to decorate it with. In this picture he has blown out one candle and is working on the others. He was thrilled to finally turn five. We love you Rylee.

While visiting Jeannine and Don's house one day, these two apparently couldn't handle one more minute without sleep. I thought it was a great picture so I wanted to share it.

Things here are going well. The kids are growing like weeds and getting excited for spring and summer. We have had some nice sunny warm weather lately and all the neighborhoods are just filled with kids outside enjoying the sunshine.

I wanted to share a funny thing that happened the other day. Rylee and Ross were sitting at the table. Ross said something to Rylee and he started giggling. Ross said,"It's not funny." So Rylee looked at Ross and said,"Oh it is. And I know funny. I'm a clown fish!" A line from Finding Nemo and used in a perfect spot in the conversation. That's one smart five year old.

Sarah and Ross are taking basketball lessons and they are both getting good. I enjoy watching them play and learn.

Cameron and Ally are both working hard to stay on top of things at school. I think they both appreciate a day off and the weekends too.

Taylor is on the countdown for leaving for boot camp. He leaves March 17th and I am really excited for him but truly mourning the phase of life where all my children are safely under our roof at night. It is so hard to let go even though that is what we as parents aim for. In the meantime, we try to spend time together and give him as many hugs as possible.

Have a great day everyone!

Hi Everybody!

2010-01-31T19:18:00.000-08:00

So another year is rolling by so fast. I am trying to stay up on things like my journal entries and the blog with limited success. We have a new face at our house. Ross came to be with us a couple weeks ago and it seems he will be with us for several months. He is eight years old and a fun boy. He and Sarah seem to get along fairly well. He and Rylee are either playing well or fighting like cats and dogs. I prefer the playing well in case you are interested.

They all say funny things. Today at church Sarah's leg fell asleep but instead, she said, "My leg is dead."

Then Ross was referring to a story about the consequences of not telling the truth. He said,"Remember the story about the boy who cried Fox?" I have to admit I giggled.

The one with Rylee I don't find so amusing though. After I asked him to do something for me, he answered flippantly, Fine, ya old lady!" When I told Scott, he asked how much roof repair he had as a result. I am happy to report that I did not blow my top. But Rylee did spend some time in time-out.

So my Mom came for a visit and thanks to a very generous friend (thanks Marg!) she went home with an adorable new pet. He is a miniature Daschund and my Dad named him Oscar (as in I wish I were an . . .) Isn't he cute. Their cat Rusty doesn't think so but they seem happy with their new baby:) Also, they are now in the throes of potty training and teaching him not to bite everything.

While visiting, my Mom also made a blanket and burp cloth for Sarah's bitty baby, Sidney. I took a pic with Sarah and Grandma and the baby in her blanket
so Rylee had to have a picture too. Doesn't he look like a great Dad?

Here is Sarah, Grandma, and bitty baby in her blanket. I love the great smiles on both of their faces. We are so lucky to have parents who love us and our children.

This is a close-up shot of the snowman Sarah and Rylee made with the ONLY snow we have seen all winter. Not long after Christmas, we had one snowstorm. Sarah and Rylee were out of bed, outside, and building the snowman before my feet even hit the floor from the night before. They were SO excited to build him. When they came in to get things to use for a face, etc. the legos came in really handy. Pretty good job for a four year old and a seven year old.

Here is Sarah and Rylee with snowman. Notice she cares about what she wears outside. He, on the other hand, thinks a sleeper jammie is a great choice. It's warm and you don't have to find socks either. Score!!

2009-12-27T15:00:00.000-08:00

We just want to say thanks to all our friends and family. This was a great Christmas with all our children around us (we thought Tay would be at boot camp by now.) Ally wrote a song this season called Preoccupied and it tells all about how easy it is to see problems and not do anything to make a difference. But all around me, I see people who are constantly looking out for one another. People who take care of those around them and who have taught us to do the same. Thank you for being such a good example to us and to our children. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year from the Emerys.

p.s. This year we mainly fall under the category of "Live life and record it when you can." Our cat fed the camera to the dog's water bowl." Animals keep life interesting:) My kids would probably say the same for their parents. he he

Christmas 2009

2009-12-27T14:50:00.000-08:00

Here are the littles (Sarah and Rylee) in their jammies on Christmas Eve. They look forward every Christmas to opening the gift from Grandma Charlene and Grandpa Art on Christmas Eve. A friend even heard Sarah say, "And mine will be pink. They always get me pink." The kids all love their jammies. Thanks Grandma and Grandpa.

Surprise! My twin and I showed up to Christmas Day dinner with the same sweater. Neither even knew the other got a new sweater. They are the same material only hers is a pull-over and mine is a cardigan. Guess it's true what they say. Great minds do think alike.

The end of another year

2009-12-07T14:06:00.000-08:00

It is already time to get ready for Christmas and again I am stunned at how fast this time of year arrives. The kids have decorated the tree and the house. Sarah was relentless in her enthusiasm (read nagging) to decorate. Her favorite thing to do. So the house is ready at least. For me to be ready requires music. I must attend one musical program themed around Christmas or else the season seems incomplete.

Last night, my wonderful husband stayed at home with the littles so Ally and I could go to a stake musical production and then the First Presidency Christmas Devotional. I had the most glorious time. Not only was the music wonderful but the talks were just what I needed to hear to get my priorities straight and my heart in the right place. I also thoroughly enjoyed having Ally to myself for a couple hours. She is such fun to be with and one of my good friends. I got to put my arm around her and simply enjoy her company. Thanks Ally.

Scott and I also got the great opportunity of going to the temple with Ally and Cameron and other youth in the ward to do baptisms for the dead. It was neat to see my two teenagers in the temple doing work for others who need it. I am constantly amazed that these great kids part of my family.

Rylee said something funny the other day. (It happens frequently) He called me on my cell phone and then went downstairs. As I was listening to him talk, he suddenly said, "OK Mom, I put you on speaker phone so don't say anything rude about Socks." (our cat and the only living thing downstairs with him) I laughed hard at that.

Sarah is becoming quite the big kid. Although I think she will still be singing "All I Want for Christmas Is My Two Front Teeth." Silly girl.
After a few interviews and terrible job opportunities, Taylor has a job. Yeah! He is working for a friend who owns a Sprint Cell Phone Store. I think he will work almost full time until he goes off to boot camp which looks like sometime in March. We are happy for him to be busy and still be home for the holidays.

Cam is the coolest kid. The other day I felt terrible emotionally. The kind of day where there is no reason to be grumpy but you are? Well, Mom called and I told her I just needed her to come hold me. As I turned around from talking to her, I saw Cameron sit down on a kitchen chair and hold out his arms. He gave me the holding and hug I was so in need of. What a humble experience it was to see him respond to a need he heard me express to my Mom. His friend came in just after that and upon seeing me on Cam's lap said, "Dude, what are you doing?" Cam said," Dude, my Mom is sad and she needs a hug." I was impressed. I am sure it is his dad who taught him to be so compassionate.

As for Scott, he is simply getting through everyday. Work is tiring but he loves our family so much that he does it all for us. He also recorded songs with Ally so thanks to him we have four of her songs down for posterity. Thanks Scott!

Oh, we got an opportunity to love another child in our home for two weeks. Logan is five and he lived with us from November 11th until the 23rd. He taught us to be happy in bad circumstances, to be accepting of others, and he gave our hearts a reason to be bigger as we loved him from the very start. He lives with his grandma now and she is a constant in his life. Logan, our five year old, we are glad you are safe and we love you.
Merry Christmas to everyone! We love you and hope your holiday season is filled with God's Love all around you!

Halloween 2009

2009-11-06T12:27:00.000-08:00

My creative girl wanted to go trick or treating to raise money for Unicef. So she came up with the idea of a "One-Eyed, One-Horned, Flying Purple People Eater." I think the coolest thing I ever pretended to be was Raggedy Ann.

Sarah was a witch and was so happy to get cat's face painted on her cheeks. Love the cute grin she has on.

Rylee was a wolf. Later in the day he lost his ears as we trick or treated. We then told people he was a robber with a tail. He he

My good friend Melissa is getting baptized at the end of the month. It has been a great and sometimes frustrating adventure for her as she explores which church she wants to join. I have been so happy to be a part of the adventure. I thought it was especially fitting that she chose to be a missionary for halloween. She looks so happy. The gospel is a great gift:)

The last picture is the silliest. They hold a Boo Bash at the high school with games, treats, activities, and a haunted house. This is a game where you eat a doughnut off a string. Rylee, Jainey, and Sarah had a blast. Maybe I should feed them vegetables with this method?

2009-11-06T11:44:00.000-08:00

Scott and Cameron celebrated birthdays in October. Scott is now 47 and Cameron is 13. Three teenagers at the Emery house. AAAHHH!

All I want for Christmas is my FOUR front teeth. And while your at it, can you get me the two missing on the bottom also. She is so cute!

Here are the teen-agers. Can't you just feel their personalities coming off the screen at you. They are so great. I love being their mom:)

Sarah and Rylee love to share this chair to watch movies. I like it when they collaborate to do fun things instead of clobbering each other.

We Survived The Swine Flu

2009-11-03T08:17:00.000-08:00

I guess there's nothing that clears your schedule quite as fast as the whole family getting sick. Our family had the swine flu and it took weeks to get everyone through the worst of the symptoms. We are on the mend now and I am determined that we will get the flu vaccine so we don't have to do another month or two of sickness this winter.
I was surprised, though, that it wasn't as dire as I thought it would be. We had lots of headaches, fevers, aches and pains, congestion and severe exhaustion but then things would get better. As I look back at the whole episode, I realize the wisdom of the statement "The absence of pain is bliss." How very true that is. When everyone was finally well and we could go to church, go out in the sunshine, play with neighbor kids, etc it felt so wonderful.
I guess the bottom line of this post is to remind myself and others to appreciate health and happiness. It is such a tender mercy and a blessing from God.

2009-09-16T08:23:00.000-07:00

Cameron posed and took this great picture of Sarah at Multnomah Falls. Good job Cameron!

After seeing the falls with Scott's parents, I took this photo of them running out the rest of their energy. I just thought the sun looked cool as the evening was coming on.

We were so happy when Scott's parents came to visit. This was a photo of the kids with them before they left to go back to Utah.

The kids are taking Horseback riding lessons. Just thought it was funny that Sarah is still shorter than a small pony. he he

Ok, we have given up on the theory of the perfect family picture. I sprung it on them right before dinner. "Nobody eats until we have a halfway decent family picture!" Those annoying mothers (and wives). Thanks everyone for putting up with your crazy picture happy mother. I love my family!

2009-08-23T00:15:00.000-07:00

Here are the crazy fun twins with their videographers before we go over to wait on the runway for the "perfectly good airplane" that we are going to jump out of.
Here is the airplane with Jeannine, Michelle, their tandem jumpers, and four or five experienced divers as we take off to climb to 13,000 feet. (that's over two miles as pointed out by Scott's dad, Bob.)
"Here Sarah, look up here for them." I love this picture. I love it even more when I think that Cameron took it. He's great!
Landed safely, still alive, and still walking. Yeah for Sky Diving. Wanna go?

Chelle Sky Dives and Lives to tell about it

2009-08-22T23:38:00.000-07:00

Cameron was on the ground recording my screaming for all of my posterity. Love you Cam!

Today I was a bird

2009-08-22T23:09:00.000-07:00

Sky diving is an amazing thing to do. It was exhilarating and lovely and so cool. It took a long time until we finally got a 5 minute training and then got up in the air. We got there at 3:30 and filled out seven or eight pages of "you will not sue even if you are maimed" and "oh by the way, you could die" paperwork. Then we sat around for hours watching other people get suited up, take videos and pictures, get in planes, jump and float back down to us.

But when we were in the plane, I was so amazed at how fast we climbed to 13,000 feet. It seemed like it only took a minute. Then they opened the door and the experienced divers went out. After them, we scooted to the opening of the plane where I sat on the floor and dangled my feet over the edge of the plane. My tandem jumper, Dane, was right behind me (well, how could he not be as we were strapped closely together.) Then I arched my back and crossed my arms, looked up at the sky and we jumped. It was a feeling I have never experienced. It only took a few seconds for us to be traveling at 120 miles per hour. Imagine all the air rushing past you as you struggle to breathe, enjoy, and smile.

I had a videographer named Ted who was such a cool guy. He told me to scream a lot as it looked cool on the video. Turned out that wasn't a hard request. Also, I had an interesting time keeping my lips together as wind rushing past at such a fast rate of speed produces dry yet sticky lips in 2 seconds flat. Not flattering though I was too happy to care.

The coolest part was looking around and seeing all the earth and the horizon from so high up off the earth. The farms look like the computer boards that Cameron got out of an old computer. The clouds look pillowy and the sky was so blue. As we were falling, I thought about what it must look like from below and I realized that seeing something and doing it are just so different. Seeing it is cool but doing it produces a perspective that you just cannot imagine from down on the ground.

After a minute, Dane pulled the ripcord and out came the parachute. This begins a different phase of the experience. No longer are you barreling through space toward the earth. Now you are floating and looking round. Dane let me guide the parachute and I turned and tried to twist around to experience the cool feelings and get the full spectrum of what the ground looked like from up there. It is cool to watch other parachutes flying around too and I got a great view of my sister as she spun over and over while headed to the ground. What a great perspective!

As we got close to the ground, Dane had me practice pulling my legs up and basically not getting in his way as he landed us on the ground. Good idea considering I have trouble standing on still ground, let alone ground that is coming up way faster than an escalator. It was great to land and then stand on solid ground. Not that I missed it exactly, just that it was a new sensation after having fallen from so high.

He did a great job getting us to the ground and unhooked me almost immediately. I ran to Jeannine and we hugged and screamed that "We did it!" I could hear Rylee screaming my name and people cheering. My Dad even got teary-eyed watching his girls come down out of the plane. Ted Dad has made hundreds of jumps and was the instigation of such a wild and crazy adventure.

Hopefully, that was not the last time I will embark upon an experience which gives me the opportunity to change my perspective for the better. What a great and amazing day. I will have a video and a roll of film so I can recall this day over and over in the future. Yeah for Sky Diving!

Summer Fun

2009-08-07T11:31:00.000-07:00

Ally formed her own team for Relay for Life which raises money for cancer research. She worked so hard and raised almost $200 for the cause. This is a pic I took at the night of the event with two friends who joined her team. Ally is such a great girl and she is so cuncerned about helping the community. Go Ally!
At the Wild Life Safari in Winston, Oregon you can get an Elephant to wash your car. The kids LOVED it. This is a picture of Alice the elephant spraying our window with water. See her trunk in the far right corner. It was great to hear Sarah belly laugh as Alice kept squirting all the windows. What fun!

Crater Lake 2009

2009-07-28T11:31:00.000-07:00

So Crater Lake is so amazing. We just got back from a vacation there. We went to the Wildlife Safari in Roseburg, Oregon on the way down to Crater Lake. Paid big bucks to get in but my it was so worth it. A giraffe stood 5 feet from our car; an elephant named Alice washed our car by squirting us with her trunk and then wiping the windows with a sponge; a bear showed us a new sleeping position: the kids got a birds and the bees lesson from a black and brown bear; an ostrich followed us in our car, etc. What fun!
At Crater Lake we got to see the lake, swim in a fabulous lake called Lake of the Woods, spend time with our cousins (Scott's brother and his family), etc. We met some new friends because of a conversation I had at the time I made the reservations. It seemed that Heidi, one of the owners of the resort where we stayed was going to have a birthday while we were there. I told her that since it was on the 24Th of July that if she was in Utah, she could have a parade in honor of her birthday. They have a parade then to celebrate the pioneers entering the Salt Lake valley. She told me her "parade story" which was a great adventure where she ended up in a parade in her car by turning onto a street during a fiesta days parade in Colorado. We talked about having our own parade in our cars while I was there and how silly that would be.
Well, we got to Union Creek Resort and later in the evening, I was asking for advice on where to take the kids for a hike. A lady at the resort took me outside to show me which direction to go, etc. At the end of the conversation, I thanked her for her help and asked her what her name was. It was Heidi! I squealed and said "Heidi, it's Michelle, the parade lady!" She squealed back and we hugged each other and laughed. I am sure everyone around us thought we had lost our minds. It was as if we were old friends.
Well, we ended up at the ice cream shop to have her husband go check out a few issues in the cabin (light bulbs, etc) and while there, she gave me ice cream for the kids and then we "toasted" with spoonfuls of birthday cake ice cream for her birthday. Then these two older gentlemen entered the store and I asked them to sing happy birthday to Heidi with me. She cried, probably because the song was so bad. he he
The next day,we invited Heidi and her family to join us and Dale and Lisa's family for lunch. We had made Curry and we had enough to feed an army. The kids had so much fun together. Then later that evening, we were starting a fire to have smores, sing campfire songs, etc. Up the dirt road comes Heidi honking in her car, all her kids in their wagons, bikes, etc. They started throwing candy and laughing. It was a parade just for us! What fun! The kids ended up playing, having smores, etc. until late into the night. It ended with Lisa leading us in a camp song about not wanting the good time to be over. Something about "Ooo hoo, I want to linger."
The next day we had ice cream for lunch and spent the afternoon helping Laurel, a great girl who was offering horseback rides. All the kids got to brush horses, help get them saddled up, and then each of the kids, Katie, Ally, Rylee, Sarah, and I got to ride a horse for a half hour ride through the forest. A memory for sure. Especially for the two littles who had never ridden a horse before.
We are now home and awaiting the arrival of Dale and Lisa to our home from their adventures on the coast this week. They have never been to our home so hopefully we will be good hosts and they will enjoy their stay. With the heat this week at 102 and climbing, I think all of us are glad we have air conditioning. I know several friends who are hanging out at our house for the week! We love company and wish more friends and family would come visit.

Taylor enlisted in the Marines

2009-06-28T19:57:00.001-07:00

So after graduating, I am finding that Taylor isn't the sit around type. He took the tests and joined the Marines on his 18th birthday. The ASVAB (Armed Forces Vocation Apptitude Battery) has an average score of 42 (out of 99). Taylor got 82! He will be going to bootcamp in San Diego in October for 13 weeks. We as parents have mixed feelings about this but overall, we are proud that Taylor has a plan and that he seems to know what he wants. We have always known that once Taylor decides something, he means it. He will be training for MP (military police) and then be stationed at a base somewhere (which we won't know for a while). I am shooting for Hawaii. A mother must visit her son afterall. he he

2009-06-28T18:59:00.000-07:00

Well, Taylor graduated from high school. I gotta say I was pleased that this day arrived. There were some moments along the way (think 12 years old to 15, 16, 17 etc.) where I wasn't sure it would happen. This is a picture with Taylor and his proud parents, his girlfriend Sara and her proud parents and Taylor's proud Grandma Charlene. I think there was a lot of proud going around that day. Maybe a little relief too. One down, several more still to go.

Grandma Charlene, Taylor, Chelle, and Scott. Thanks Grandma for flying up to help celebrate the big day.

Sara and Taylor with the well-earned diplomas in hand! After this picture was taken, they were off to a great big all night party to celebrate! The school rented a cool place in Vancouver with rock climbing, swimming, food, fun, more food, etc. They even took the kids there and back by bus.

Are we really old enough to have three teen-agers including a child graduated from high school?

I think I look shell (Chelle) shocked in this photo. Maybe the same look I got every time a child was born. The "am I really doing this?" look. This photo was before the graduation ceremony. I think I mellowed as the evening went on.

2009-05-26T20:21:00.000-07:00

Silly Taylor and Sara at prom.

Taylor, Sara, Corey, and Charlie before they left for prom.

I made Tay and Sara stand for "way" too many pictures before they went to Prom. But come on, I am the Mom! Don't they look great together. I love these kids.

2009-05-02T20:19:00.000-07:00

Ally took our picture. I love being married to Scott. He built garden boxes for me this weekend! Now we can grow a garden! Rascal loves to lick water from the faucet. Cameron took this picture and I thought the angle was cute.

My friend and I took our kids for a treat after running through the dandelions. They look so cute on the curb together. I miss Nathan.

Only preschoolers can get this excited about dandelions. Wish they'd pick them all from my yard. (luckily this is NOT my yard)

2009-04-21T10:56:00.000-07:00

So Nathan, who has become such an integral part of our family, is going home to live with his Mom again in just a few days. It feels so weird to pack up his toys and clothes. I have been doing it slowly as he goes to stay with his mom overnight twice a week. Somehow it feels better to lose him a bit at a time than all at once. I once thought the transition period was only for the foster child but now I know that it is for all the people involved. He is so happy with his mom and she is really trying hard to get it back together. But I will miss his cute smile, his big bear hugs, his laugh when he is tickled.

There are so many good experiences we have had with him. I guess that if we have memories, we won't really lose him at all. Today he goes to stay overnight with his mom. Tomorrow, Wednesday, we have him back at 8 a.m. and then we have him until he goes home for good on Friday afternoon. His mom says she will have our family as part of her support system. That's good because that means we would get to see him sometimes. I am interested to see how that goes. We love you Nathan!

2009-04-12T14:52:00.000-07:00

I learned how to make bread here in Oregon! The kids favorite part is to "play" with dough and have flour fights. Aren't they cute!

Sarah in her Easter outfit. She is getting so grown up.

Nathan was happy to pose for a picture.(As long as he had the candy bribe in place)

Rylee has such a cute smile. He looks grown up in his new Easter shirt.

All six kids holding still in one place. I had to beg and take 8 pictures to finally get this one. I love my kids.

Left to right in the back is Ally, 15, Taylor, 17, Cameron, 12. Left to right in front is Rylee, 4, Sarah, 6, and Nathan, 2.

Spring Break at the Emery's

2009-03-27T09:11:00.000-07:00

So the kids are out of school this week and it's obvious that it's the teachers that get the break and not the parents. I am having a good week, though, and I think we are learning good things as a family.
Monday we spent the day getting the house chean so that we could kind of forget it for the rest of the week. We also talked in depth with the three little kids about what it meant to clean up your own messes. They are learning slowly and I am so happy about that.
Tuesday was a fun day. We dropped Nathan off for his visit with his parents and then I took the other kids to Oregon city. What fun we had. We rode the outdoor elevator and then we walked around and ended up walking through a cool church built by the Mothodists. It was beautiful outside and kind of cool inside. Although Allison put it best when she said the outside was more beautiful than the inside. There was a gift shop and a coffee shop inside which seems odd to us mormons.
Wednesday I took Rylee and Sarah to Portland to see a play based off the book "Goodnight Moon." It was silly and the kids laughed and giggled. That's a fun sound. Jeannine brought Jainey and Katie and my friend Breezy brought her girls Destiny and Kaytlin. Rylee was the odd man out. he he
Thursday was another chance for a book to come into play at our house. All the little kids (and the Mommy) were grumpy so after lunch we became "The Napping House." We all napped in the loft where the little kids sleep. Sometimes sleep is more glorious than anything else.
They all slept so long that I was able to make dinner and homemade apple pie in peace and quiet. It was amazing.
Today we are simply being. No agenda, no plans. It will hopefully be a good day. Tonight Ally and I are going to see Wicked (a play) for her birthday. My Aunt Claudia, Uncle Lee, and cousin Rebecca are here visiting from Utah and they are going to the play, too. I am really excited.
This weekend we are having a party for Ally, Lee and Rebecca. A party! Mom Charlene and Dad Art are coming and my mom is making lasagna, peach jello salad and chocolate roll. Jackpot! I miss living by family and both Scott's Mom and my Mom's good food.

2009-03-16T09:41:00.000-07:00

So Time Out For Women in Seattle was so great. We were gone from Thursday night until Saturday night. I had all kinds of people who helped so I could go fill my bucket. Now I feel that I can give back to others again. Yeah! We took all of Friday to shop, eat, and just truly enjoy ourselves. I was in a hotel room with Dayna Brown(a good friend and the person responsible for this great adventure), Stacy Brown (the bishop's wife and good friend), Jeannine Hokanson (twin and one great woman), and me. We seemed to get along really well and enjoyed each other's company and the talks etc that went on during the weekend.

There were so many talks that inspired me to do better, but also ones that helped me not to expect too much of myself.My favorite talk asked each of us to watch the way we talked to ourselves and then imagine that we were watching an interaction between a mother and her daughter. If we did this, the speaker asked, what would our impression be of how good a mother this person was? I think this is a small way for us to rethink the expectations we have of ourselves and the negative ways we talk to ourselves.

Another comment that had a good impression on me was one where the speaker asked us when we are looking at a problem in our lives to think what we would tell a best friend in the same situation. He said that then if we took that advice for ourselves, we would do great. I guess it's funny how we always think our problems are unsolveable and everyone else's problems are so easily fixed. I laughed so hard during the week end at funny anecdotes told by speakers and friends.

Friday afternoon, we were walking into a French Bakery when a phone call came from Nick Wise, Nathan's caseworker. It was the phone call I dreaded. He will be returning to be with his mom within the next 30 days. I know it is the best. I know that I have done the very best I could with him everyday. I know that he has enlarged my heart and my capacity to love. I know that he is a child of God not a child of mine and that no matter where he goes, God will be watching over him. But all this knowledge does not stop the tears and sadness at having him leave our home and the empty spot it will bring. On a silly note, I will not miss the tears or the diapers. Friday night Jenny Oaks Baker played the violin in a beautiful rendition of Somewhere over the Rainbow. Oddly, I sobbed through the entire thing and when it was over, I felt as if all the emotion I couldn't handle had washed away with the tears. I came home ready to "do what needs to be done" and get this sweet boy ready to transition back to his Mother. God is amazing and answers prayers, even pleadings, with exactly what I need even when I don't know I need it.

Never Boring

2009-02-28T23:48:00.001-08:00

So I sat down on the couch to read a story to the little kids and Suddenly felt something odd on the couch next to me. Upon closer examination, I was holding a raw egg from the refridgerator. I asked the kids why there was an egg on the couch and this is the answer I got. Sarah said, "Well, me and Rylee wanted a chick." Huh. So the next few minutes at the Emery house were filled with a discussion about fertilization, chickens, and how I would love to take them to the feed store to see a chick. He he he. Silly kids and never a dull moment.
p.s. Tender mercies: no broken eggs on my couch as the kids tried to hatch a chick with a raw egg.

The Best Gift

2009-02-18T09:24:00.000-08:00

Yesterday Ally gave me the best gift I have been given in a long time. Many things have been being broken, drawn on, ruined, and lost so yesterday I was feeling blue and overwhelmed. I sat on my bed to fold laundry and simply get away from the messes in the house. Ally came in and saw me. She said, "I should bring you a new CD I have so you can listen while you fold." I was happy to listen because I LOVE music.

Then, she said she would cook dinner. I was so happy because it was a chore I was not looking forward to. Not long after that, she took Nathan and Rylee downstairs with her and told me to relax in my room. I cannot remember the last time I sat in my room and listened to music, while not worrying about the children or what they were ruining, etc. When Ally came up to tell me dinner was ready, I expressed to her my love and appreciation for what she had given me the chance to do. She was so amazed at my emotion over "such a small thing" that she said, "Do you want me to bring you dinner in your room. Really, the kids are fine. Then you can enjoy music and dinner in your room." She did bring me dinner and I ate in peace.

After that, I felt great. I have made a decision. As long as I have a clean place to go (ie. my room), I can handle the mess, chaos, and ruined state of many things. As our motto states, "If it aint broke, it aint ours." I still plan to continue teaching the children that "Cleanliness is next to Godliness", but with a peaceful place to go, I feel more competent to do so.

Now if I could just figure out a way to get permanent marker off the seats in my car!

Hi!

2009-02-12T16:01:00.000-08:00

So I hurt my shoulder a month or two ago and I have been patiently waiting for the pain to go away. It hasn't. Finally, I went to the doctor today and found out that I have rotator cuff tendonitis. Although I don't know what this means, I do know where it came from. There is a reason people have their children when they are young. The combination of lifting Nathan, Rylee, and a purse big enough to hold all their stuff means I get meet a physical therapist on Monday and have anti-imflamatory drugs, muscle relaxers, and strong pain killers for a while. The doctor wrote me instructions which say NO LIFTING. I laughed at her. "And what should I do when the two year old throws a fit, " I said. "Tell him no fit throwing," she said. I love my doctor. She is hilarious.

In other news, I just edited a paper for Taylor. It was a great paper. Now he needs to write several more and do a senoir projact. Cross your fingers that we get to use those graduation announcements we bought. he he he

The kids are all doing well. I laughed at Rylee the other day. We watched Enchanted and the next day, as he tried to get into his carseat, he copied a line from a chipmunk in the movie. Patting his tummy he said proudly, "Man, I gotta lay off the nuts!" I had a good laugh.

Sarah is doing well with her hard cast off. She is in a splint now and only wears it to school. She is at a birthday party for a friend at Skate World today. I am praying she comes home with no incident. The last birthday party didn't work out so well.

February begins

2009-02-02T10:31:00.000-08:00

Life goes on in the Emery house. My most exciting news is that Ally got a 4.0! Straight A's because she wanted to. I have determined that I am not in charge of the children's grades. They decide where they want to be.

I got a mothering payday on Saturday. I went to Tay's work to get my W-2 from last year when I worked there. The new owners told me that Tay is one of the best employees and that even though he is only 17, he sees the big picture and is so responsible. They said I should be proud because I did a good job at raising him. So what I want to know is, how come I never see any of that big picture responsibility at home? he he he!

Cam got to go to a blazers game with the Bishop on Saturday. He loves basketball games and since they won with a score over 100, he got a Taco Bell Chalupa on the way home! Life is good.

Sarah is getting very adept at one-handed living. I think she only has a few days left before she gets the long cast off. Then baths, etc will be so much easier and she can begin trying to move the elbow. Hopefully, no physical therapy will be needed.

Scott is doing great at work and making people so happy with his work. He is so great and I really enjoy spending time with him. We had a great date last weekend with dinner in Portland. Fun and a good reminder of why we got married in the first place. We really are good friends.

Sarah's New Excitement

2009-01-15T11:04:00.000-08:00

Birthday parties are expensive. Sarah went to a friend's party on Saturday, was there for five minutes, and now we have a broken arm from flipping off a bed. Note to six year olds. If you do a cool trick and your friend says, "Do it again!." DON'T DO IT!

So we went to the doctor Monday to have Sarah's arm x-rayed. The results were that she broke her elbow. I thought they would cast it and send us on our merry way. No way! She broke it but they were concerned that she may have broken her growth plate so they sent us to a pediatric orthopedic surgeon. That appointment was Wednesday.

Again I thought they would take a few x-rays, tell us everything was fine with the growth plate, cast it, and send us on our merry way. No way!After the x-rays, the surgeon told us that she had broken the right radial head of her elbow. Also, it had moved so far away from the bone that surgery was required in order to reattach it. So instead of the quick visit I was expecting, we went from the doctor's office over to the children's hospital to check-in and have surgery that evening.

God has a sense of humor since we ended up being in a room just three doors down from the room I spent 3 days in in the hospital with Nathan last month. I even wore the same shirt that I got to spend 3 days in. I think that's hilarious. The nurses joked that I didn't need a wrist band to let me into the unit. My shirt alone should work. he he he.Sarah and I spent the afternoon playing hospital bingo, reading the rest of A Tale of Despereaux, and hanging out. Sarah's favorite part was Disney Channel. We have only movies at our house so she was glued to Hannah Montana, The Suite Life of Zach and Cody, etc. As for me, I took that time to wander or read a magazine. I knew there was a reason why we didn't have tv anymore. I think I lost many brain cells watching just the little bit I did.

Legacy Immanuel Children's Hospital is the best. Sarah says that her stufties (stuffed bear and dog who went into surgery with her) got the sleeping gas first and the doctor pushed them over so that they were sleeping. These same stufties also came out of the operation with matching casts to Sarah's on the same arm. So cute.Scott came to be with us after work and was so wonderful. He is a great dad and a fabulous husbamd. His brain cells are in question, too, though because he came after the surgery when Disney watching was at it's peak. I think we will all live but yuck. Scott says the best of Disney Channel is an oxymoron.

We were discharged at midnight so we wouldn't have to pay for another day. A blessing but what a long day. Now we are home and Sarah, my brave humpty dumpty is on Tylenol with Codeine wanting to do everything but sit still. She is the coolest kid. She was so calm in the pre-op room that the nurses thought the nurses upstairs had given her valium before she came down. That's my Sarah, calm and fabulous (most of the time!).

Monday Sarah gets to go back to the surgeon's office to get a real cast and she says she's choosing the Glow in the Dark color. That should be fun. Anyone want to come sit in the bathroom to see a cast glow in the dark?

Well, we are home and I have a shirt available for anyone who wants it.

Seattle As A Family

2009-01-04T18:27:00.001-08:00

We went to Seattle for a few days as a christmas trip with all the children. Some highlights were the space needle and getting to see all of seattle from above. The Seattle Aquarium is fantastic. We saw octopus, starfish, otters, etc. I love touching sea life. I want to go back all by myself and play for hours in the pools where you can touch the animals. A cool one is called a feather duster. When you touch it, it pulls itself inside a tube. Cool looking and fun! We also enjoyed Pike's market although the smell of fish was a strong deterent for Taylor who wouldn't eat anything there. Taylor and Ally went on a shuttle to Westlake Mall and truly enjoyed being off on their own. I can't believe my kids are so grown-up that they can do that even in a new city. Cameron and I had a fun walk in downtown Seattle and got crepes and talked. I really love my husband and kids.

Of course there were the rough times like stuffing six kids and two tired adults into a small hotel room. Or Rylee pooping his underwear at the top of the space needle. Ugh! Or a screaming two year old in a backpack. Or losing Tay and Ally in downtown Seattle and having to pray to find them. Or . . . I think I should remember the good times and stop documenting the yucky ones, huh? We really did have so many good memories that I am truly glad we went. Afterall, if you get back from a trip and even the teenagers say that it was a great trip, I think it was successful. Now Scott and I need a vacation. He He He.

Finally some pictures!

2008-12-23T17:20:00.000-08:00

The two year old discovered oatmeal the other day. Wish I could get him to eat it instead of play with it.

This is our zoo. Carmel is the dog. Socks is the big black cat and Rascal is the small orange playful thing.

This is the usual picture of Ally. She is wonderful and always talking to her friends. Maybe I should try calling her myself.

Cameron and Sarah are good buddies. Cameron is very strong and Sarah loves to be carried.

In September we added Rylee to our family. This is a pic of some of our family with Rylee and his dad. Chad, Rylee's dad, drives this truck for his job. We love having Rylee at our house!

Steroids, Hospitals, and Snow

2008-12-20T12:18:00.001-08:00

Our foster boy and I just spent the last three days at Emmanuel Children's Hospital. He has RSV and compounded with his asthma it created a bad situation. The good news is that if we had to be at a hospital, that one is amazing. They have toys, games, a great lady that comes around to sooth the children by singing and playing her guitar and harp, Santa with presents, etc. Make a Wish foundation came the day we were discharged to help Nate pick out presents for everyone living at his house with him. It was incredible.

The bad news is that he is on his asthma meds every four hours for a week or two. And he is on prednisone, a steroid, until March. The energizer bunny now lives at our house. Like a two year old needs any help in the energy departmen! That being said, we are so glad to be back home. I gained a great appreciation for people who have to spend weeks or months in the hospital. I will be much more compassionate in the future.

The other children were happy to have Dad in charge at home. They had sleepovers, pizza, and other things because he is a cool dad. I was just glad to have something to clean. I actually asked the nurse at the hospital if I could empty garbages or something. It was boring to just sit in the hospital room.

Hope you are all getting ready for a great CHristmas. We here in Portland have a TON of snow. They cancelled school almost all this last week and they may even cancel church tomorrow. Our city just doesn't know what to do with so much white wet stuff. Sarah is thrilled and can't wait for our family to go build a snowman. (Ever tried to motivate teenagers to go out in snow on purpose?)

Well, prednisone boy is on the run so I will go chase him and write another post later.

HAPPY HOLIDAYS!

Blogspot, here I come!

2008-12-15T10:33:00.000-08:00

So thanks to my sisters Elicia and Heather, and my cousin Alison, I am trying to blog. I don't really get it but with six kids and no time, maybe this is the best way to keep a journal and family and friends updated.
We have a lot going on at the Emery house but we seem to be able to roll with the punches so far. The end of 2008 has been a growing year for our family. We have four children, Taylor, 17, Allison, 14, Cameron, 12, and Sarah, 6. In September we added a three year old boy to our mix. He is a great kid and seems to fit in so well. Then, in November, we had the chance to take a foster boy to live with us. He turned two last week and we had fun throwing a birthday party for him. My niece, Katie, made the cake all by herself. She is nine and has more creativity than I will ever have. She made the cake a "Cars" theme. She decorated with hershey bars for the road, tootsie rolls and smarties for the cars, oreos for the stack of tires, and a small flashlight suspended in midair as the street lamp. It was amazing and he loved it.
Right now, our family is looking forward to an after Christmas trip to Seattle. The kids are excited to see the space needle and the aquarium. I am excited to be all together as a family with no distractions. I think Scott just hopes he survives this trip. Six kids in a hotel room. Aaaagggg!