We're here!

We made it. A bit crazy, dog tired, but in one piece:) The house is mainly unpacked. Md house is almost finished. Crazy carpet cleaning fiasco - hopefully will wrap up soon and not cost and arm and a leg! Elek started school(on time) and only had two "problems." Elek is loving being in the same class as his cousin! (Totally a random thing.)
The country is fun! I forget how calm it is here. The kids love playing in their own yard. We are the only ones parking in our "space" :) The kids have gone to the frog pond several times and we currently have four frogs upstairs plus one Shaun just found in the laundry room. Still trying to figure that one out?!! I'm getting used to driving in no traffic and have to remember to leave space between me and the car I'm passing. (They actually want to let me in!!)
For those that don't know - we moved into our old house. The tenants moved out the end of July and it was empty so we moved back in until it sells. Our tenants were good and they just moved down the street. Good and bad. We really like them, but the house was a little dirty. Many thanks to my mother in law who scrubbed a black shower for me when I was so tired of cleaning and unpacking that it was moved way down the priority list. So far we have installed a microwave, oiled all the wood work(kitchen cabinets, trim and bathrooms), scrubbed floors, replaced two shower heads and installed closet doors. Currently working on re caulking the kitchen sink and two toilets, replacing shower drain that was cracked, replacing ripped out dry wall from said leak, and finding places for all those pesky "things" we have. Man I just "love" owning a house!!! Ha ha:) really we do - it's nice to fix, replace things whenever we want -just wish someone else was paying for it though!!!
I wanted to write about Elek's school. *warning this does get a bit long, but I wanted to remember it. feel free to skim past* The first day He was so excited! I worried about him all day! Shaun the boys and I waited for him at the bus stop. We chatted with old neighbors and were caught up on all the neighborhood gossip. So silly! The bus came the kids got off and no Elek. I asked the driver if she had one more. Wow! She got nervous fast! She checked the bus - no kids. Looking back I am shocked I was so calm. I just knew He was with his cousins. Shaun and I were actually thinking this was very funny. We were so confident we drove to the next subdivision without calling to pick him up. If we were anywhere else I know I would have Just freaked out! We ended up at my sister in laws(inside) with no one there. Mean while my sister in law was inside my house with her kids and elek. Ironic no doors were locked? Anyways, it ended up I told elek to make sure he got on the bus with his cousins and He heard go home with your cousins! Elek said he had a good day. That night after tucking him in - he came out with huge tears. Apparently he had to have a "chat" with his teacher because he wasn't keeping his hands to himself. No surprise. I've been telling him to do that for years. But coming from this new person then having minutes taken away during recess really through him. During the middle of this sadness he says, "and I'm not riding the bus any more either!" I asked him why and Elek says in his most serious voice, "because it STINKS!" I couldn't help but laugh! I told him yes the bus probably does stink because it is hot and kids get sweaty and that makes things smell bad. So funny! The next morning Elek gets into his I'm not going to school thing. I'm thinking of options. 1. elek is strong. He is more than half my size and can knock a grown man down. Like completely to the ground - there is no way I can pick him up and squeeze him through that small bus door with out problems. 2. I don't want to start a pattern of fighting him every morning about going to school. I remembered I had to take his birth certificate to school and told him he could ride along with me. Elek was very concerned his teacher would still be mad at him and would think he wasn't trying to be good and learn all the rules. I told him I would tell his teacher with him there he was trying. We dropped off his certificate then planned the timing so I could talk with the teacher, but be forced to leave with school starting. When I first walked in the teacher was defensive. I think she thought I was going to tell her she should be nice to my kid. However, she lightened up when I told her it would be hard for her and elek. I was sorry and good luck, but Elek was going to try really hard to keep his hand to himself. My poor boy. His eyes were all glossy and his face was red. He was trying so hard to be brave and not cry. It was so hard for me to look at him and not scoop him up and tell him he never had to do this and could come home with me. While he put his backpack away I controlled myself and was able to give him a big hug. Elek did jump into my arms so I ended up holding him, but it was hard to treat him like the school kid he now is. As I walked out of the class kids were in the hall excitedly going to their classes and lockers and I could hardly see them through my tears. My little guy was learning a very important lesson that is so hard for him and I could feel how much he was hurting and struggling. I know it's silly "keep your hands to yourself," common sense. But Elek has such a hard time controlling this and He is really trying. I ask him every day how he did and He is so excited when he can report back that he did good and didn't have to have any "chats." Thankfully there has been no more problems and Elek really enjoys school and the bus:)
Meanwhile Keenan Myster has been all over the place. He was really being...well... rotten. Keenan has the sweetest, silliest, content personality. But during this move "stuff" He has had major mood swings and screaming fits. Completely different kid. Thankfully he is doing better this week. Today Keenan was quite enjoyable! He had all his silliness back. I told him that while Elek was at school he was the biggest boy here! Keenan rised to the occasion and really made good choices. Today we stopped by grandma Haney's. I was fixing a hole in the table outside and Keenan and Camden came out with me. There was a big storm the night before. It broke the umbrella off the patio set! Well several unfortunate bugs were caught in the storm and landed(dead) on the deck. Keenan and I went on a bug find! We found a beautiful green and yellow dragonfly, Shiny green beetle, assassin bug, cicada, and a whole pile(not kidding) like 20 cicada shells! These things were huge all the bugs were huge! Keenan put them all on a paper and we labeled them "Keenan's bug find!" The love this boy had pouring out of him was priceless. The twinkle in his eyes was back and stayed all day. All day! It was so nice to have him back. Shaun and I are downstairs and we heard Keenan yelling. Shaun went up. Apparently Keenan went poop and wanted someone to wipe his bum(still working on him do that one). Shaun asked him if he was calling us a long time. Keenan said, "Yeah, I've been yelling because I've been sitting on this potty a hundred years!" Yes, back to his silliness:)
That leaves Camden boy. He has decided to go into his second year of life the traditional way...oh those two's! Something funny though - When something just exasperates him. He will slump his shoulders and get those frumpy eyebrows I love, then purses his lips. Quite humorous:) I'll have to try and get a picture. The other day Camden and I ran errands together. No we didn't pick up Erin or go to her house:) The two of us went to 8 yes eight different places in and hour and a half! It was great - Camden was so good too and even fell asleep on the way home and transferred to bed without waking! Some of my favorite things he's saying are; guuys!, frys and I uv you!

I guess you should know....

Well, all the people that know us really well, know we are slow about making a decision. And fast to act on it! Everything will fall into place at the last possible moment and we get thrown into a whirlwind!
We are going to move back to Kansas city. It seems like everyone we know that has moved away is moving back at the same time. We are excited and crazy all at the same time. We decided it was time to go back yesterday(Thursday) and elek has to start school on Wednesday. So here we are is a flurry of activity renting a truck, packing, closing up one house and opening up another - all in one weekend! Shockingly all the utility companies are working in our time frame-one day!
Maryland has been a wonderful home. Our one year stay turned into two and a half years. We've learned a lot about ourselves, grown up in some areas, grown our family(Camden will always have a little Baltimore history to follow him). =) We've made fantastic friends. Had lots of weekend trips to Ohio to visit family. I've loved getting to see our nations history first hand. I never was interested in history until we moved here. I'm grateful for all our history lessons and the memories that our children have here.
We are sad this has happend so fast that we really don't have a chance to say good buy to anyone. But we will miss everyone in Maryland. Savage Mill has been my favorite family ward. It will be hard to be away. 'Till we meet again!
On the other hand - elek is jumping out of his skin to start school! He is so happy to finally start school. Today I was outside and noticed a kid running down the sidewalk. I looked up to see who it was and I was startled to realize it was Elek. He somehow grew when I was looking right at him and never noticed. I still think of him as my "baby boy." Which he will still answer to... and now he's going to be in school!
Well this is us - signing out till we get settled.

D.C. Temple 2009

While Shaun had some time off we decided to take the kids to the D.C. temple. The boys love going on the nature walk behind the temple. So here is a photo journal of the trip =)


They were really interested in some small bug on the sidewalk.


Shaun thinks this is the funniest picture! He loves the boys taking off behind me. He thinks its a glimpse of life to come. (Me trying to coral three boys!)

Camden being super sweet giving daddy loves ;)

You can't see it, but there is a baby deer in the middle. We have never actually seen live "nature" on the ten billion times we've walked this trail, but this time there were five deer. Shaun thought he should walk up to the deer and take their pictures. The only big animals I've had experience with (bears and moose) you don't walk up too! Shaun insisted it would be fine. I, however, was not convinced.

Cool picture of the glowing spire.

I didn't realize the kids are all wearing blue... They were being so sweet - holding hands and looking for animal prints in the mud. Fun times!

There are two places along the trail were these tree pieces are layed out. The boys love them. They line up on them, jump on them, and are basically just silly!

Looking for nuts and paw prints.

Shaun in charge of the camera...

Anyways, fun times! We love that our children already love to go to the temple. We love that we live close enough to drop by the temple just to walk around the outside or take a quick look at a new exhibit in the visitor center.

Bethany Beach

This is the first time we've gone to the "big beach" (the ocean) as a family. We had lots of fun together! The boys loves wading out into the water with their Dad! Shaun would hold them firmly by the arm(someone looking at them would think they were in big trouble by the way Shaun was holding them!) so they wouldn't wash away when the wave came in. One wave came in a bit higher than Shaun was expecting. It completely took Shaun and Keenan out! Shaun and Keenan went from feet just barley wet to drenched with sand in their hair in about a minute! It took Keenan a few minutes before he went in again =) Camden mainly hung out on the towel. The boys would bring Camden a bucket of water then Camden would fill up a water shooter and spray everyone within shooting distance with a twinkle in his eye ;)

All in all it was a great relaxed day. Snacks on the beach, family time, sand castles and water fun!

Boys playing with water shooters!

Ha Ha! love the way this pict looks. The boys running to shaun. Shaun looking at a huge wave coming in!

Keenan getting sandy.

Elek being a turtle.

Raspberries!

My sister and I went to Larriland to pick strawberries, but the pickins were slim :( Someone mentioned the raspberries had opened up that day to pick. My sister and I went down to check them out. The berries were so plentiful they begged us to pick them! All we had to do was walk up to the bushes and pick them off. There was no searching just taking the ones on top. The raspberries were bigger than the strawberries we came to pick! They were so yummy! We ended up with 13pounds!!! Four batches of jam and still about five pounds for eating!

Raspberries?!?! What raspberries? =)

Keenan funnies:)

Starting a movie the other night, the "dream works" moon comes up. Elek says, "there's the man in the moon." Keenan says, "That's not the man in the moon. That's Heavenly Father fishing!!"

Driving home at night. The kids are tiered and quiet. Suddenly Keenan SHOUTS "ARE YOU CRAZY!?!!" It was the funniest thing! Shaun and I burst out laughing! Then Keenan says, "it's not day time it's night." Apparently there was a song on talking about day time and keenan had something to say about that!

Happy Birthday Keenan

Keenan has been a lucky boy this year! In years past he hasn't had birthday parties. He has never been "into" anything to build a party theme around. But this year he is so "into" dirt, worms, outside stuff and bubbles that a theme started coming out. I had an idea of having dirt delivered to our backyard and having a dirt cake with worms in it that we decided to through a party for him! The lucky part for him is that we were traveling on his birthday and so he had little parties everywhere.

It started out in Missouri. Keenan had a brownie cake with his Haney cousins.

Then dinner at Red Robins with Grandma and Grandpa and Aunt Alaina. The waiter made him a balloon hat that hung around his ears and floated up. When the waiter brought out Keenan's birthday ice cream he was so excited his mouth went into a big "O" shape with his eye brows at the top of his head. At the same time he couldn't stop smiling so the "O" shape turned into a oval shape:-)

Then on our way home we stopped in Ohio. We stayed an extra day to visit. My sister made Keenan a reverse lady bug cake(brown instead of red). Thanks Aunt Rissa! The boys had a great time having another party and more cousins to play with! Even Camden had figured out how to blow out Keenan candles! hehe:)

So that brings us to Keenan's final birthday party at home. Many, many Thanks to Aunt Lisa for saving the day and coming over early and staying the whole time to help me(shaun had to work last minute)!! I let Keenan open one of his presents-a bubble machine - before the party so we could use it. Keenan opened it and in a voice of awe says, "Mom, I just love you so much!!!" What a sweet heart! He is *crazy* about bubbles and to have a bubble machine was a dream come true! We also made a sand box (big tupperware) and put regular sand with purple sand in it. Oh the joy of colored sand for a kid! Then I made a "dirt cake" out of chocolate pudding and oreos and put gummy worms in it. Keenan was in heaven! On a funny note: one of keenan' s little friends doesn't like getting dirty and when I mentioned a dirt cake with worms - he wanted NOTHING to do with it. Not one taste not a gummy worm nothing! No amount of children asking for more would get that boy to try it!! So funny:)

The kids were so good at opening presents. I was surprised at how giving a bunch of four year old were. They were so excited to give their gift and to see what someone elts had brought. They were so sweet! Thanks to all the friends that came to celebrate with us!

Well, Happy Birthday Keenan Myster:)