Journal for a Sunday

 Today Ryan had the idea that we should spend some time journaling. We are living in unprecedented times though it feels like that phrase is very precedented now. We all can go on and on about how bad this year has gone. Australian wildfires, COVID, shutdowns, online school, online church, no outings, and lately the California wildfires and Smokey air. It’s hard not to get down about how horrible life is, and how we didn’t even know how good our life used to be. I think I’m learning to recognize the good now, because tomorrow might be worse! 

Ryan and I have date night again.

Ping pong is fun.

Pickle ball is really fun too. I like learning a new way to be active.

Hal looks super cute in his Superwings Jammies. No need to get dressed when you are already comfy and looking good!

Watching TikTok with four giggling kids while Ryan makes dinner is kinda awesome.

We have the technology available to continue work and school without getting getting sick.

Our Bishop cares and loves his ward family—even on Zoom.

Our kitchen table is long, large, and sturdy. Practically kid proof!

I love how the kids play the piano all the time now.  I love that it also has a volume button for noisy songs.

Our kids bathroom turned out  adorable. I just love the leaves and the colors.

Hal is potty trained!!!!!!!!! Can I get a hallelujah? 

I share a house with six book lovers. We have strong ties to the library.

We are eating ice cream RIGHT NOW!!!

Ryan now is a full time, bonafide, staff scientist. It feels so good to have a nice straight path ahead of us. And some extra cash to go along with it!

We own a house. 

We have five healthy, mostly happy, kids.

Air conditioning , fans, and beaches make even 112 degree days manageable.

Someday my kids will go to school with glee. 

And I think someday I will look back on this quiet, slow time with a bit of nostalgia.  Remember the good old days? When life was simple?

Live and love today!

100 Blessings of Livermore

1. Big bath tub
2. Trip to Greece
3. Nettie and Piper
4. Bishop Bills
5. Maggie and Family
6. Awesome TK
7. Kung Fu
8. Weekend trip to Gainers
9. Family Portraits
10. Grandpa's trip to San Francisco
11. Awesome first week
12. Ward Campouts
13. Mardens
14. Bike to work
15. Beautiful green hills
16. Nettie's Preschool
17. Ellie
18. Yuna
19. Autumn
20. Studio C birthday party
21. Our huge LOVE Sac
22. More piano students
23. Ladies game night
24. Book club
25. Breakfast club
26. Music club
27. Walk Up Choir
28. Christmas Play
29. Shepherd's Gate
30. Valentine's Party
31. Family dinners
32. Spelling Bee
33. AR champ
34. Ice Skating
35. Nettie's Gymnastics
36. Awesome neighbors
37. Temple Open House
38. Seeing Kelli
39. Science Olympiad
40. Dance lessons
41. Cul-de-Sac
42. Patio Table
43. 5 Alive lists
44. Trip to Grandpas Birthday
45. Trip to Oregon
46. Attached Garage
47. Saturday library trips
48. Gospel Doctrine
49. Exercise at Church
50. Best Ministring Sisters
51. Learning to teach Zumba
52. Bubble Run with Marielle
53. Christmas Scavenger Hunt
54. Not traveling at Christmas
55. Beach in Santa Barbara
56. Hosting 10 kids!
57. Near Park
58. Summit Park
59. Our House
60. Brushy Peak
61. Amazing Cub Scouts
62. Activity Days
63. Nettie Nutcracker
64. "Camping" at Del Valle
65. Thanksgiving at Knotts
66. Visiting San Francisco
67. Kids Museum Pass
68. Bike path to Marlin Park
69. Bike to school
70. Easy backyard
71. Bonners
72. Ellsworths
73. Georges
74. Harrs
75. Browns
76. Woodlands
77. Jenna singing at church
78. Sister Adam's cookies
79. Mother's Day Song
80. Rex Science Party
81. Nettie's Frozen Party
82. Six Flags Trips
83. Fun with Science
84. Wednesday Ice Cream
85. Clara
86. James
87. Ms. Woods
88. Mrs. Day
89. Ms. Santin
90. Mrs. Weber
91. Leeks
92. Science Night
93. Grocery Outlet
94. Hal turned one here
95. Croce artwork
96. Day of Caring
97. Nice landlord
98. Washer and Dryer upstairs
99. Nettie's plants
100. Our family has grown! 

Playground Rodeo

Every June we see posters for the Livermore Rodeo, but we've never been.  But now the school brings the rodeo to us -- presenting "The Playground Rodeo!" Before you start feeling jealous that your PTA isn't so clever, this rodeo is far from exciting. It's actually the euphemism for "long presentation about all things you can't do on the playground." I won't even start on how strict the rules are, but you get the idea: no running, no flipping, no having fun.  Nettie mentioned during dinner last night the low point of her day was standing in the hot sun for "hours" at the Playground Rodeo. Jenna declared with a smirk that Fifth graders don't have do the Rodeo, because they already know the rules.

This morning around noon, I biked to a friends house to pick up Hal from a playdate. Just as we started out Ryan pulled up with a frantic honk or two. "Hurry! Get in the car! Jenna's at the hospital!"
I couldn't have been more shocked. How could Jenna be in the hospital? After ditching my bike and climbing in, he handed me the phone and I listened to a voice mail from the school principal. In short the principal said she was riding alongside Jenna in an ambulance to the hospital. I called the principal back and she relayed to me that Jenna had been sent to the office when she looked pale and weak. Once there, she seemed to get worse and complained of blurred vision. The nurse and principal tried calling both Ryan and I, but neither of us picked up. Since we got the whole scenario second hand it's hard to piece together how it all happened but in short, they called 911. The dispatchers came and thought Jenna needed further testing, and so it was off the emergency room.

Once Ryan and I arrived at the hospital, we found Jenna in the ER and to our relief, she was ok! All her vital signs came back clear and she actually seemed a little pleased with all the attention.  It's certainly not every day you get whisked away from school in an ambulance! Turns out Jenna had been outside in the sun at the Playground Rodeo listening to yard duty's wax on about each item of equipment. Jenna's condition was really nothing more than heat exhaustion. Some juice, crackers, and a little down time had her back in good spirits. As we waited in the ER I'll admit I was a little miffed at all fuss and expense over pretty harmless symptoms. But then again, I was the one who failed to respond when they called me. (Cell phones! Why does it seem harder and harder to reach someone by phone when we are on them all the time??) I'm grateful the school was looking out today for my Jenna.

Later this afternoon I was telling Marielle about all the "drama" she missed out on while she was at school and she summed it up pretty good. "Well, at least now they'll know to shorten that Playground Rodeo! I mean if you have ambulances showing up to take kids away, that's gotta be a bad program!" Now let's see if we can get the school to take the hint...

Sunrise, Sunset

I remember when I first heard the word "blog". It was nine years ago around the time when Marielle was born. What? Blog? What a weird word. People "blog"? Couldn't they have picked a better word that sounds bless like bog or bugger? When I realized I could have my own blog and have an outlet for showing off how cute my new baby was, I jumped onboard.  Maybe some of you remember when this blog was "THE MARIELLE SHOW"? Ok, so I never got around to changing the url, but this blog moved on to feature not just infant Marielle, but all four of our kids as they arrived.  I did have the decency to change the header.  Ha!

Me, as a first time mom. 

Over the years I have loved blogging.  I've loved sharing pictures, funny stories and sweet moments. I've loved your comments and following your family blogs too. I've loved having this space to practice my creative writing and share my thoughts. But as our family grew, life got busier and I found myself with less time to compose witty blog posts. A fancy new app called Instagram came along and I wanted in. I could share pics right away without having to find time to write an accompanying post. I liked how quick I could share our life, but I did miss writing. I also missed the somewhat polished record of our life. Every once in awhile I'd try to get back into it, but it felt like I was throwing a bottle into the sea. Was anyone reading my words? I could tell myself that I was "journaling" and I didn't care if anyone read my blog but me, but it simply wasn't true. I loved the comments on posts from friends and family. After I would publish a post, I'd crave feedback and be watching for comments. But blogs were dying, and I conceded that the quick and convenient won out.

This is what you would see if Nettie had her own Instagram account

Lately I've been feeling that hankering to blog again. To share my life and ideas. I've been a mom for nine years now and I think I have a few good ideas worth sharing.  So I'm back baby! I'd like to introduce you to my new blog I've entitled, "Sprinkles On My Oatmeal." I've been working hard to get it ready to launch and I'm excited to share it with my previous blogging friends first!  (If you are reading this than you have proven yourself as a tried and true friend!!) I'm going to write to a wider audience than family and friends this time around which feels a little scary at times. (AHHHH!) I want to share ideas like the cleaning games we play, funny kid quotes, and the tricks and tips I've picked up over the years.  It will have lots of pictures and stories about my kids, though you won't find posts about talent shows or vacations anymore. You'll see a whole lot of our life since all these ideas have been created and tested by my family. So come on over, and check it out.  Follow along and help me launch this into the blogosphere!!

Hopefully I won't be too annoying if you keep seeing other shameless plugs on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, and Twitter (oh wait, I don't tweet!).  I'd love to hear from you as I get this going. Feedback means everything to me and I want lots of input on how to make the blog better.  Am I'm sharing things that you find helpful? Am I being too bossy? Do the ideas work on other families other than mine? So with that, I'm closing the door on this little family blog.  It's been a good trip, a fun ride, but it looks like we other horizons to visit.

I write all my most important messages in cookies. 

Still Rockin the Nightgown

Jenna has always loved this Ariel nightgown.  We can't convince her to retire it.

Long live the Ariel nightgown.  It might turn out to be a nice shirt someday.