Chlo is currently walking around the house in a night shirt, and a lei.  Jams and Sags went to girls camp this week bringing home a bunch of lei's and I can guarantee they are not going to be happy with Chlo for messing with them.  The girls said that they had a wonderful time at girls camp and I was so glad.  Sage needed a good experience her first year and I am so happy that she enjoyed herself.  I was really worried that she and Jams were going to have a huge blow-up with each other.  I am glad they are back.
     Actually, all four of my older girls are at Sager's friend Miranda's house decorating for a princess party for a girl named Meisyn.  Meisyn is in Jerusha's age group and is dying.  She has some kind of a disease that ruins her nerves and the doctor's have told her that this is her last summer to live.  Jerusha especially has had a rough time with this news.  Anyhow, the school took all of the sad energy and turned it into a bunch of action.  They created Meisyn's bucket list.  She made a list of things she would like to do for her last summer.  The kids all got involved and did some fund raisers.  I know that they raised a bunch of funds for her family to take her to Disneyland, and she wanted a princess sleep-over party which my girls have been helping plan for weeks.  I feel horrible for her, but she has stayed positive and is trying to make every minute count.  Meisyn was found on the streets of China when she was just a few months old.  She had been abandoned in a stroller that contained $6.00 and some formula.  She bounced around orphanages until a nice family in Cedar adopted her.  They have given her a great life.  I hope the party goes really well.  She deserves it.
     We have had a great week.  Kristiann came up with Valerie, Ivy, and Julia and it was great to see them again!  Kristiann is one of those rare people who is so good at sensing people's needs and seeing to them.  I am always inspired around her.  They came over Monday, and we went to the park.  The girls and Oak played in Coal Creek, and Mo head-butted me so hard that it about knocked both of us out cold.  I was seeing stars, and he was bawling to high heaven and so Kristiann took him and put him in the swing until he calmed down.  He has been throwing his body around in little fits lately.  Yep, he is spoiled.  He was upset that I wouldn't let him down in the river with the bigger kids and so he threw his head into mine.  We will have to slowly start unspoiling him, but he definitely knows he is loved and wanted, and that is what counts at first.  Anyhow, we hung out with them for most of the day, and while I went with Ryan to a meeting, Kristiann cleaned my house and washed walls...what a gal!  Chlo was silently on one end of the table playing with a group of nail polish, while Ivy was on the other end painting everyone's nails.  I instructed Jazz to clean up when they were done, and I was a little ticked off to see a group of nail polishes still out.  I can't have Mo throwing one and breaking it.  I started to get after Jazz, but she explained that Chlo begged and begged for her to keep 5 of them out.  I tried to put them away several times and Chlo would come unglued across the room.  Finally I watched her.  She would come over and play some little game with the polish.  I finally sat down and asked after her nail polish family.  She pointed out the mom and dad and kids.  I hope her polish kids were getting along nicely.
     On Wednesday Kristiann and I loaded up all the kids and went to St. George to visit all of the Church History sights. I about panicked because I wanted to go with them so badly, but the van was having issues.  Thank goodness for my husband.  He got up early, and tore it apart and got it fixed so that I could go.  He then went and faced a full day of work.   I am grateful because it was fun.  Except for the fact that Moroni could not be easily or happily contained.  I finally gave up completely at the Jacob Hamblin home.  At the St. George tabernacle Chlo thought that the pipes coming out of the wall were just big bullets.  She was also walking around with Julia's hat over her eyes and bumping into stuff.  I had to stop Oak from diving over the bannisters and plummeting to his death, and Moroni was all over the place.  In spite of all of that I learned a lot and felt the spirit.  We also went to the mall, and Kristiann and her girls were a huge help.  Julia was even able to contain Mo which is no small feat in a store.  I had missed my family and was glad to spend the day with them.
     Since then, we have been concerned about my mom, who has had kidney stone trouble.  My kids have been praying hard for her. 
     I had to get after Ryan the other day.  He had ordered some tool from Hilti, and what do I see standing by the garbage can on pick-up day?  A huge box.  I lectured him on tossing such a treasure.  The kids have played with that dumb thing all week.  It has been a tunnel, a hut, a bed... Oak tried to sleep in it, but didn't quite make it until morning, and Chlo and Rooshkie slept in it last night.  In fact I was not happy with them when I got up this morning.  They had gotten into some peas late last night, and some banana bars that I had made.  There were pea pods and banana bars scattered and smashed everywhere.  I woke up to see Rooshkie, and Chloee's legs sticking out of the Hilti box, and pea pods and banana bar crumbs on every floor and surface.  That sounds like quite the party they had when they were supposed to be sleeping. 
    

     The one picture is of Chlo on the warm laundry.  Yes, we are still working on getting her to get dressed, but she loves to lay on the warm laundry...the next one up is of Super Mo, and Little Red Riding Chlo...then you have Moroni climbing the steep stairs in the Brigham Young home.  The next one is of Jerusha showing her cousins the steers.  There are a few pictures of Valerie and Chlo...their baby pictures are identical and I hope that Chlo turns out just like her.  She is an incredible girl, as is all of Gary's girls.  I am grateful for their good examples to my kids.
     In conclusion I would just like to quote Dr. Suess..."Thank goodness you're not something someone forgot, and left all alone in some punkerish place like a rusty tin coat hanger hanging in space."  I am glad and grateful for family this summer.  Punkerish is my new word.  I am glad that I am not alone in some punkerish place!