The Sullivan Sisters 1984

I think we had just finished having a water fight in the back yard. Castlerock, Colorado - 1984.

Snowshoes for everyone!

For a Valentine's Day / birthday gift Mike surprized us all with new snowshoes...very cool (MUCH better than last year's birthday gift - the Wii - which I had on my list of things NOT to get). So, President's Day we spent up by Donut Falls with some friends trying them out.

Outhouse Jumping!

Woo Hoo!

Also - we did a modesty fashion design activity with the Beehives with newspaper. My favorite was the Obituary page bermuda shorts (no disrespect intended). It was awesome.

Gratitude

SUNSHINE

I taught the Young Women's lesson on Sunday entitled "Finding Joy Now" - could not have been more timely for me. One of the suggestions for the girls was to keep a gratitude journal... and I thought "I'm sure that will help..." So I made an entry that night - included such things as: watching the boys ride bikes together in the sleet of spring, my parents stopping by just because - and staying to chat, Mike did NOT get layed off last week, Grace determined to do most of the crafts in our family craft ideas book, Grace's Mr. T impersonations ("Suckah"), cooking dinner with Jessie, Sully reaching his arms up in the air and squeeling, the bond Mike and I have, the fortress of the gospel.

Gratitude is such amazing medicine.

"Suckah"

(only Grace would juxtapose A-Team and American Girl)

The odd moment of silence

I don't know where all the kids are --- but I'm not going to find out (for at least the next 30 minutes). This has been sort of a tough week. Do you ever feel like no matter how hard you work you just can't avoid critical mass-pressure, the point where you explode? It seems to happen all too often to me.
Added to the usual nightly stress of homework, baby, dinner and bedtime without Mike, there's been way too much on the plate. Plus Mike's had lay-offs this week at work, keeping him occupied and both of us a little nervous. Add in too little sleep... & you have a recipe for an epoch melt-down. I just got worn out. SO - last night I spent some time crying ... more accurately: having a tantrum. Sometimes something has to give. I feel like Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde - calm, happy & everything under control one minute, and several hours later (after the kids have come home from school - and I'm in the middle of pandemonium,) some crazy lady, yelling at everyone, occasionally in tears.
I'm not sure what the answer is. But I think finding it is what being a parent is all about. Once we've learned that secret we win. In the mean time we work at keeping our heads above water - and with any luck not scar (or scare) our children permanently.
Last night after the storm subsided I sat down with Jessie to talk and reminded her (and me) that there are no perfect families. Hopefully we're improving - (drama like that is too tiring).