Happy Halloween!

From my....

Nerd,

Pocahontas,

Zombie,

Fairy,

Zombie Doctor.

Happy haunting!

House update

In case you were wondering, YES!  We are still trying to build a house.  It has been a LONG road to get everything in place.  There are still more hurdles to overcome.  Progress is painfully slow.  Luckily, I'm busy raising a family which keeps me pretty distracted from the drawn-out timeline.

There are many, many pieces to the puzzle when it comes to putting a house project together.  We are using Adair Homes, which is a company that asks the homeowners to take responsibility for many pieces of the puzzle.  We are in charge of:  excavation, septic/well systems, painting, concrete flatwork, clean-up, and a few other smaller items.  These things, along with our responsibility to get the financing in place, add up to a lot of work--especially when you're a mom, not a contractor.  I'm always up for new tasks and projects, so I'm enjoying the learning process that comes with this project, but I have been frustrated at times.  Most of the difficulties are caused by my own ignorance and inability to know the right questions to ask.  It's a learning process.  

So, where are we with our project now?

1)  We're collecting our final bids on concrete and utility work.  Translation:  I'm hounding, begging, pleading,  and stalking contractors to call me back regarding their bids.  I'm also regularly giving out the stink-eye as contractors tell me they'll be out of town on vacation and I'll have to wait for their bids.  Disneyworld?  Elk hunting?  What?!?  You people have lives?!?!

2)  We're nailing down the final price of the home with Adair.  Translation:  Do we really need granite countertops throughout the entire house?  Should we spend the extra money to install fireplaces now?  To finish or not to finish the basement.... and lamenting to myself, "Why, oh why, do I have such expensive taste?"

3)  We're working with the bank to get our financing in place and our overall budget approved.  Translation:  The bank is asking "Why, oh why, do the Richards have such expensive taste?"  Just kidding.  But the bank does want to know where every penny is going.

Anyway, right now I feel like I have all these giant floating balloons up in the air that I'm tending to, and it's my job to grab all the strings and get them to join into one, cohesive bunch so we can move along together.  The balloons are moving but it's a lot of work to get them all synchronized and ready to go.

Wish me luck as I continue prodding and pulling everyone along.  It's work to realize a dream, but we'll make it happen!

The spice of life

Spice.  Heat.  Burn.

Lately I can't seem to get enough of it.

Seriously. 

I want everything I eat to be spicy.

And not just a little spicy, but A LOT spicy.

I've discovered Tabasco chocolate (not quite hot enough), spicy habanero cheese (just right!), and even spicy mexican hot chocolate (yum!).

I'm adding crushed red peppers, cayenne powder, Tabasco sauce, etc. to nearly all of my food.  

What's up with that?

Is it a metaphor for my life?

Probably.

My life lacks in the "spicy" department.  

Not that I don't do fun things, but sometimes I get bogged down mentally and have 

a hard time transitioning into fun activities.  

Lame, huh?

I need to lighten up.

So, I guess I'll try being more spontaneous and exciting.

Until I get a handle on it, though, bring on the heat!

I Belong to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

Kyle was baptized this weekend into our church.

It was a special day for him and our family.

He was excited and I enjoyed watching the solemn, reverent, manner by which he carries 

himself during important, sacred moments.  

This boy is truly a mature spirit.

I'm pleased with the good choices he makes every day to be an example to those around him.
He makes my life easy and full of joy, and I'm honored to be his mother.

Congratulations, Kyle!

Superhero update: Grunty Grant

Superhero Grunty is a-growin'.  It's true.  His superpower physique is sharpening--his shoulders are broadening, his muscles are strengthening, his appetite is endless.  How will I keep this boy satiated?  It's a constant question for this mother of superheroes, but one that applies especially to Grunty Grant.

Grunty's training schedule is filled with various activities, as illustrated below.  Scooters, trampolines, lawn mowers--they're all a part of the grand plan to make Grunt into a top-skilled, elite superhero.

He's recently had a few sessions of specialty training in skills such as:

Dodging random shooting enemies from the ground...

... prisoner escape tactics....

... and giving speeches to rally a rebel crowd.  

He's got a few inches to grow before his speech capabilities will be fully realized.

The road to becoming a superhero is hard.  Some days Grunty feels discouraged, but in the end, I'm confident he'll overcome any obstacles that are in his way.  He's currently being schooled on learning to push through the hard times in order to truly enjoy the good times.  It's a challenging course.

I'm certain Grunty Grant's superhero training will make him successful in whatever he chooses in life.  And in the end, his beautiful blue eyes and dashing smile will certainly make up any difference!

Superhero update: Double D

Remember when I started this blog?  I highlighted my superhero children in several posts.
Well, their superhero training hasn't stopped over the years and I thought it time for some updates on their superhero progress.  Up first, Double D!

*********************************

This boy. 

This boy is metamorphosing.

He is shedding his childhood skin and emerging a new creature.

He is developing into something wonderful.

This boy is amazing.

The above two pics were taken by my AWESOME cousin, Nicole Kraus.
Find her on Facebook at Nicole Kraus Photography.

Four and a half years ago, Dallin-dude, or Double D, or Dub for short, was introduced to the world as a superhero (follow this link to read all about it--sorry the pics are gone).  He was young, inexperienced, and still discovering his superhero powers.  While he still has more learning and training to undergo, Dub's superpowers are really beginning to develop and shine through.  It's an exciting process to see.

Skills currently being mastered:

Responsibility

Dub is truly learning to be a responsible human being.  He worked hard last school year to get all his work turned in on time and thereby be rewarded with a "Happy-gram" every week by his teacher for being a responsible student.  He attained his goal and earned a Happy-gram nearly every week.  This year, his 6th grade year, he has the same goal.  His work load has increased significantly and he is already being challenged academically, but he is not deterred by the challenge and he has shown day after day his willingness to persevere and attain his goal.  I'm so proud of him for that.

Dub's Superhero Masterina (Mom) has also noticed an increased willingness in him to help around the house and be responsible for taking care of his siblings, helping with dinner, having a good attitude when asked to help, etc.  The other day, we were talking about being responsible and Dub said something truly profound.  He said, "A lot of people are counting on me to get things done lately.  I've been feeling pressure to be responsible for a lot of things.  And I like it!"

Work

Dub has entered into work training at his Superhero Master's (Dad's) business.  His work duties include mopping and sweeping the floors, cleaning grease spots from the floor tiles, scrubbing the bathrooms, and dusting the showroom.  He is learning to work hard and to enjoy the reward of a small paycheck when it's all finished.

Encouragement/Support Skills

Recently, Dub has illustrated his ability to help others and be a cheerleader and a mentor for them when they are feeling unsure of themselves or need extra support.  This summer, Karina wanted terribly to jump off the diving board at Grandma's pool, but she was having difficulty finding the courage to do so.  After much prodding, coaxing, helping from Mom, Grandma, brothers, and sisters, she still couldn't find strength to do it.  Long after everyone else had moved on, Dallin remained with Karina--encouraging her and using kindness and patience to help her find confidence.  After a long while, Karina was finally able to jump!  I credit Dallin for having the patience to stay with her and help her achieve success.

I've also witnessed Dallin step up and help his brother Kyle with his math homework--explaining how to do certain problems and helping him finish the task.  I appreciate seeing Dallin use his skills of patience and kindness to help others.  These are most definitely superhero qualities!

And........ lest you begin to worry that Dub's more mature traits are edging out his supernatural abilities to be silly and have fun--worry no more!  Dub still has his goofy, silly, fun powers which enable him to make us laugh and roll our eyes at his silliness.  May he never lose his ability to have fun no matter where he is in life!