Alive? Barely

Happy Halloween!  Yep it's Halloween and I'm blogging, but unfortunately not pictures of my kids in their costumes because I won't be posting again for another few years.  I went on a late jog this morning.  Why so late?  Well I let my kids stay home from school today.  We're heading up to St. Johns later today for Nana's funeral and we haven't had a weekend to get anything done, so today, Friday, is my Saturday for the week.  We've been busy, really busy.  In fact I feel like my life is starting to spin out of control.  We're overloaded with activities.  I like that my kids are active and don't sit around and veg all day (but when they do watch tv it's the Middle, so that's a win).  But honestly, we are too over scheduled.  I'm currently the Relief Society president in my ward (I've hit my 2 year anniversary), the PTO president at my kids' school and on the little league board.  Jeremy is first counselor in YM, the girls' soccer coach and on the soccer board.  We have a lot going on.  Not to mention, Jake has been playing travel baseball, Annie is in dance once a week, Hannah takes piano, Abby violin, Abby and Hannah are on the same soccer team - which is another source of stress.  We put Hannah up on Abby's team because it makes our schedule easier when Dad is coaching the girls together and there is just one set of practices to go to each week.  But are we doing a disservice to Hannah by not letting her excel on her own level?  One of my many doubts as a mom! Plus there is the Cultural Celebration that Jake is involved in, he is a soccer ref when he has time - which is mostly never, activity days, Wednesday babysitting....  Also, I've been asked to coach club volleyball this year, to be Abby's coach.  I've had a feeling like this is going to be too much!  It's the sport I love and I love that Ab wants to play, but how do I balance one more thing when I'm already too overwhelmed?
I feel like all this has come at a major cost.  I've become a drill sargent.  I bark orders at everyone.  I have my schedule figured out sometimes down to the minute and freak when I hit all lights red, or heaven forbid Claire needs to go to the bathroom.  I just don't have time for that!  Annie is an emotional mess and I get impatient with her.  I know she's reaching out for attention and just needs Mom to love her and make time for her, but sometimes I'm too busy to.  Claire has learned to work the candy angle.  If she know's I'm busy, she'll whine until I get her a piece of candy.  I keep smarties and starburst in my purse to keep the beast calm.
So what's the answer?  I don't know.  I've heard a few people post or talk about how they've taken a break or a radical sabbatical.  I'm feeling like I'm to that point. I'm honestly considering taking a leave from all extra curricular activities.  But maybe not piano and violin, and what about little league season coming up, and maybe not after school sports for the kids.  See? how do I stop?  These are all good things, but what do I eliminate without making a kid think I'm picking on him or her?  Can I say, Annie no more dance, but Jake gets to play school basketball?  It's wholly unfair and too complicated in my brain.  Probably not to others, but to me it is.  My kids are talented and I love that they use their talents and not waste them away even though it would be so much easier (and cheaper) to just let them watch tv all afternoon long.
I'm sure I'm screwing up my kids every day.  I suppose most parents feel that same way.  I pray everyday for guidance and help to keep my kids from going crazy as adults and to raise them to be responsible and contributors to society. Yep those are some of my prayers.  I love my clan to pieces and worry about them like crazy.  Will I ever figure this mothering thing out?  Probably not, but when I do, believe me there will be a blog post celebrating!
So that was my vent.  A crappy last blog post, but who knows, maybe I'll wake up one day and be ready to jump back on the blogger wagon, when I have time that is.

Our Hike up Glassford Hill

(This post is out of order.  It should be before my Fossil Creek post.)
On Labor Day, Jeremy wanted to take the kids to Fossil Creek, but it was closed due to overcrowding, so we came up with an alternative plan.  We decided to hike up Glassford Hill.  It is our view out our front door and we love looking at it.  It isn't too high or steep, so we thought we'd give it a shot.
So we loaded up our camelpacks and headed out.  We parked by Hobby Lobby and started out.  We weren't sure where to go, we had heard there weren't any trails.
After a few minutes, the path ended so we started hiking straight up the hill.  It wasn't too bad, but I had the total fear of rattlers on my brain.  Luckily all we saw were a few pronghorn, one had a broken leg, and a gigantic tarantula.  It was pretty hairy and gross looking.  We didn't quite make it to the top as we ran out of light, but we went pretty far.  As we ended, we had our little family home evening.  Hannah taught us about the creation and we sang a song.
I am always so impressed at how tough my kids are.  I am so grateful for the blessing of my health and the health of my family. They all hiked so well without ever complaining.  Studs!  All of them!

We ended our hike with a trip to Sonic to get half price milkshakes.

 hairy little critter

 the kiddos

The ones I love the most!  What a view in the background!

Fossil Creek

Every once in a while Jeremy gets one of his ideas that our family needs to go on an adventure.  This time I hesitantly complied.  I see the stress in getting things ready, the time it takes to get there, the amount of day light left when we get there, feeding the kids, packing a diaper bag, gassing up the van,  you get the idea.  I was pretty stressed with this adventure.  It was to be a half hour drive just to get to the dirt road that would take us another hour to finally get to Fossil Creek.  I know I can speak for all of us, except maybe Jeremy, when I say I was sick of being in the car going 10 mph on the worst dirt road ever.  I was ready to get out and walk or just make Jeremy turn around and go home.
But Jeremy's patience with all the murmuring paid off when we finally got there.  I think we only saw 3 other groups of people the whole time.  The water was gorgeous, green, blue and cool.  We played for a while by the bridge.  We jumped off the rocks and swam around.
Then we decided to hike to the big falls.  We had heard about the 40 foot water falls and cliffs for cliff jumping, but we didn't know where to go.  So we found one of the few people there and they directed us as to where to go.  It was a mile long hike and it ended in a gorgeous waterfall.  The only other group there was just leaving so we had the paradise all to ourselves.   We swam, looked for treasures and cliff jumped.  Jeremy, Jake and I all braved the heights and jumped off the highest spot.  Abby with a lot of prodding jumped off the lower one holding my hand.  I'm proud of her for trying to overcome her fear of heights.
The hike out was fun too.  We saw a ton of spiders and finally had to just carry Claire (she was such a lollygagger and kept trying to pick up the daddy long-legs, and it was getting dark).
Then it was back in the car for the drive out.  Thank goodness our DVD player was working and the kids could be distracted from the bumpy dirt road.
Thank you Jeremy for taking us out of our comfort zone.  It was a great trip that will never be forgotten.

 Jer and the kids at the big waterfall.

 Hannah jumping at the first water hole.

Jake front flipping 

Jeremy back flipping 

 Jeremy jumping off the high cliff

 Jake cliff jumping

 Karrie cliff jumping

 Abby and Karrie after our successful jump.  The actual jump got missed on camera.

Baby Ruthie Bell got sealed

Saturday, August 24, 2013, Sweet Ruth Mirabelle McBride was sealed to her family.  Earlier in the year, Kachelle and Bryan were chosen by her birth parents to adopt her when she was born, so in April, Ruthie was born and Kachelle and Bryan were blessed to get to take the sweetie home (by home, I mean a place they had to rent for a few weeks in NM where she was born because they couldn't legally bring her back to AZ yet).
  They live in Safford so we hadn't gotten a chance to meet the new babe, so we were super excited to see the cutie pie.  The sealing was beautiful.  It brought a tear to my eye to see their family bound for time and all eternity.
We were so happy to get to go back to our old stompin' grounds, where Jeremy and I first met.
Congratulations to the happy, eternal family.  I'm so genuinely overjoyed for you guys!

The Eternal Family - Kachelle, Bryan, Brakelle, Drew and Ruth 

Look at that smile 

Cousins getting to play again after tooo long!  Hannah and Brakelle

The First Day of School 2013

Granville Elementary, watch out!!!  Here come the Platt kids!  I can't believe I have 4 kids in school this year.  I'm excited to get back into a routine.  Our lofty summer schedule and routine disappeared pretty quickly.  So here are the stats - they are all at Granville Elementary (which I love!).  

Jake - 6th Grade - Mrs. Kreutter

 Abby - 4th Grade - Ms. Mesarosh

 Hannah - 2nd Grade - Ms. Sandum

 Annie - kindergarten - Mrs. Swanson

Yesterday, the kids did a fashion show showing off all their new school clothes.  Later that evening Jeremy gave father's blessings to each of the kids and the spirit really filled the room.  (He gave me one later and it was just what I needed.  I'm grateful for a great man to be married to and that he honors his priesthood!)  Then it was the traditional reading of the Kissing Hand.  We've been doing that since Jake started kindergarten and it is a favorite.  They were all giddy.  Jake slept in his clothes, Hannah and Annie slept together and woke up super early got dressed and I made them go back to bed.  They spent the morning jabbering on about past first days and what to expect.  They imparted their wisdom on Annie and then it was pictures that they hated and off to the bus.

Here's to a great year and a much needed routine!

The Goodman's Come to PV

Joe and Cassie and their girls came up to PV for the night on July 26th.  It was a fun day with them.  We went to the Prescott Town Square.  Walked around a bit, ate some delicious ice cream and went to check out the haunted Hassayampa Hotel.

 Here's Claire enjoying her ice cream.  It really was some of the best ice cream ever!

 Then we headed to Lynx Lake.  The kids played in the water.

The adults skipped rocks while Jeremy showed off his amazing skills.  He can literally skip a rock about 15 times sometimes.  It is cool to watch.  

But the rock skipping was quickly trumped by this little critter.  Jeremy spied a snake in the water.  It teased us forever while we followed it around.  Finally Joe was able to catch it.  It was hilarious watching him try to go after it.

We ended the night with a trip to a grave of a 2 year old, Angeline.  Apparently she was killed by Indians and left behind, or else just killed by malaria or something like that.  I like the Indian story better.  She supposedly haunts Prescott as she wanders around looking for her mom.  Another great ghost story to scare the crud out of Hannah.  I guess the words on her gravestone are lit at night, making for a scarier affect.  I didn't get to go, I stayed behind with the little kids.

Thanks Goodman's for coming up to see us.  You're welcome anytime!

Gillespie Family Reunion`

After Christopher Creek (after a night's stay at Mark and Kristin's house), I took the kids over to the Gillespie Family Reunion in Heber.  Cyndi was in charge of it this year and I felt like I should go support her even though Jeremy couldn't be there.  I love family reunions.  I think it's important for kids to get to know their relatives and to keep those family connections alive.  So even though  it was hard to be there without Jeremy, I would do it again.  It was fun and the kids had a ball!  

This picture was the only one I took.  But it sums up the reunion perfectly.  Millie McAdams and Annie hitting it off and becoming best friends.  They are a year apart and only really see each other once a year, but when they do see each other, they are great friends.  These two girls sang songs for the talent show, with Claire piping up with her loud voice.  I didn't have to worry about my kids at all.  They just ran off and played the whole time.  They served themselves dinner and were so independent.  They had a great time with their cousins.  I only wish more of their second cousins could have come for them to get to know.  They mostly had their first cousins to play with who they already are friends with, but it was nice for those bonds to strengthen even more.