Finding Dinosaurs!

 One of Tim's best childhood memories is going out to the desert with his dad and rockhounding. He was taken all over Utah to find different minerals and rocks that he could keep as souveniers. He was really excited to bring his kids along for the ride. Most of our kids are huge rockhounders like their daddy. They love the desert and get excited when we take them out on adventures.

 In June of 2013, Tim and I decided to recreate this experience for our nieces and nephews. We organized a rockhounding excursion and invited all of our brothers and sisters to bring their families. We got a really good response and was able to plan an epic trip!

We chose the place and the rocks we were going to look for. Tim thought it would be fun to show everyone where they could find dinosaur bones. He found a dinosaur when he was younger, and thought the kids would find this absolutely amazing! We set up the camp, let everyone know where we were, and thus the adventure began.

It was a great family reunion! The kids were excited to see their cousins. They helped set up camp, explored the area and got everyone settled in. After the first night of camp songs and smores, everyone had a difficult time sleeping because of the excitement of looking for dinosaur bones.

The first morning, Tim loaded most of the kids in our Suburban, Zina (my best friend) loaded a group in her truck and off they went into the desert to find themselves a dinosaur. Now, if you know anything about Tim, you know that the desert speaks to him. He drives until it says stop and digs where the desert tells him to dig. He drove to an area and told everyone that this is where they would find something. He explained that dinosaur bones are not white, like you would think, but more purplish red or black.

Everyone started searching. It wasn't very long until my nephew Justin and my sister Aimee thought they might have stumbled onto something. Tim came over to verify...sure enough! They had found a dinosaur bone. Tim asked all the kids to back up, because he didn't want them to ruin the site. He carefully started digging around it. What we soon discovered, is that this was a full blown dinosaur vertebre! They hadn't just found bones, they found a full dinosaur!!!!

Everyone was so excited! Tim taught the older kids how to carefully dig around the bones to prevent damage. He dug far enough to verify the dinosaur, then he called the state paleontologist to find out what to do next.

The story got picked up by the local news station and everyone got to be on TV. (Click here to watch the news cast) The dinosaur that we found, was a juvenile cephelapod. I can't remember what the full name of it was, but I know it was a long neck. I took the kids to the Museum of Natural History shortly afterwards to show them which dinosaur it was. (Not that ours got put there, just that they had the type on display.)

Now, unfortunately, being on the news and having all this excitement, put Tim in a sad predicament. He had federal officers come and arrest him. Apparently, it is illegal to gather dinosaur bones and a fragment of one was shown on TV, so they suspected that we gathered a lot of them. They confiscated all the small fragments that were found in the wash, and Tim had to go to court.

Fortunately, the judge decided that there was no malice and dismissed the case. It was really scary to think that Tim would have to go to jail because of our desire to share our adventure with the world. Thankfully, everything turned out okay.

We still rockhound, and have found several more dinosaurs with our little family, including a T-rex. Ara has found a raptor tooth and Tim has found a T-rex claw. We don't gather anymore, just take pictures, but it's sad that the kids can't keep their little momentums. Rockhounding is a dying art, but if you're ever in the area or interested to see what we found, let me know. We might be able to arrange a rockhounding excursion for you!

Life Update!

 Here I am after 8 long years of ditching my blog. I have decided to start anew. Our family moved again to a tiny little town in central Utah. I have 4 children that have graduated high school, and one left to graduate this year.

Orion lives on his own now. He has bought and sold his first house and is working at Peppertree with his dad. He builds the cabinets, and then Tim installs them. He isn't really dating right now, and is still trying to figure out where he fits in this world. I'm very proud of him! He is a talented musician and he has been working on an animated show that is music themed. He is a wonderful example to his younger siblings.

Vega is living in her own apartment. It is upstairs from our home, but it has everything she needs to live on her own. It's nice that I can give her the space she wants and needs, but I can still have her close by if she needs me. She does janitorial stuff for the company I work for. Vega works 2 days a week and really enjoys her job and the people she works for. She loves being independent, even though she has her sisters as roommates.

Centauri has been working from her computer. She designs different things for Minecraft and sells her designs online. She doesn't make a ton of money doing it, but she loves it. This also seems to be a lot of people's dream job, because she gets jealous comments from everyone it seems. She is living in the upstairs apartment with her sisters too. She remains a very talented artist and wants to do more with her talent.

Ara has been working at an animal rescue in Salina. She was recently promoted to afternoon manager and does a lot for the company. She designs their website, Fullmer Menagerie Animal Rescue, and creates the schedules. She is so good with animals and loves them a lot. Ara has been coming into her own, showing people her strong work ethic and making herself valuable. She lives with her sisters in the upstairs apartment and acts like the manager there too. She tries to make sure that her sisters clean up after themselves and do their fair share. She will still give you the shirt off her back, but she's a little more jaded now.

Rigel is being homeschooled right now. He is teaching himself German and enjoys learning new things. He has really changed a lot since he was a child. He's mellowed out and has become really laid back. He still doesn't like to be around people much, and he's still a home body. He surprised us recently by showing us some of the drawings he's done. He went from drawing stick figures to full blown characters with movement and shading. I was absolutely amazed at his talent! If he wants to figure out how to do something, he just does it. He's a lot like his dad in this manner.

Tim and I have been doing amazing! Tim works up north and stays there during the week, which makes me love and appreciate him even more on the weekends. We have been remodeling our house and he has made some amazing progress. He built the apartment space that the girls live in, he created a master bathroom for me, he remodeled my bedroom, remodeled Rigel's bedroom, and is now working on the Butler's pantry and kitchen. He works so hard for me and the kids, I just can't help but love and adore him.

I have a job working with people with disabilities. It's pretty much the best job in the world. I get to hang out with some of the funnest, happiest, and wonderful people in the world. They make their choices and live their lives, and I am allowed to be a part of that. I tell people that it's the funnest, most easy job you'll ever do, with some of the absolute most difficult moments of your life. It is pretty much the toughest job I'll ever love! 

Our family dynamic is a lot different now. My children are now mostly adults. They make their own choices and do their own thing. It's been very different for me to have the space and freedom to do what I want to do. This is the reason I now have time for a blog again. Hopefully, I can still have good adventures with my family and be able to write about them. I'll delve into some memories of past adventures, and I will create my own adventures without the kids. I hope I can maintain my audience and you all will enjoy my writing.

Baby's First...

When you have a child one of the most wonderful things to experience are baby's firsts. His first smile, his first steps, his first birthday. It seems as if there are a million firsts that baby goes through in that first year of life!

This is Orion at 3 weeks old. My very first baby and his first photo shoot!

 

 

Here he is at 6 months old roasting his first marshmallow on his first camping trip

This is his first birthday

Here is his first outfit that he loved to wear, he would pick out that vest everyday!

As Orion grew, his firsts changed. Once he hit his first birthday they were fewer and farther between. He had his first day of school, his first overnight with a friend. It was bittersweet as he was hitting his firsts, he was also doing some of his lasts. Like the last time he needed me to brush his teeth. The last time he cried in the night for his mama. The last time he needed to hold my hand to cross the street. He grew so quickly it was hard for me to keep up.

This was Centauri and Orion getting ready to go to the park for the first time without mama there to keep them safe.

 Once again, at 16, Orion is doing some firsts! Today, December 4th, 2014, he is going on his first airplane ride! He is going to Hawaii for the first time and going to get to see the ocean the first time in his life!

His first airplane ride!

 It was so difficult to drop him off this morning. It felt like I was letting go of so much. It felt like it was the last time he would really be a kid. My baby was all grown up. He didn't need me to walk him in (although I am happy to say that he wanted me to), he didn't need me to hold his hand.

Parenting is about raising a child to become an adult. It is about helping a child to tell right from wrong and give them that moral compass they can rely on. It is about letting your child practice becoming a grown up over and over in safety, knowing that you have their back. It is about letting go when they are ready and allowing them to do their firsts on their own.

As I let go this morning, I realized that my first baby was now going to be my first adult. He still has some practice to do, he still needs the safety of my home, but soon he will be doing some of his lasts again. I can only pray that God has guided mine and Tim's hands enough to have brought him up on the right path. I pray that God will now guide Orion to make the right choices and to be the amazing adult I know he can be.

Being punished for being bullied

It's been awhile since I've written in my blog. We've had a million adventures, including finding a dinosaur! I've found that I just don't write as well when I'm having a good time. Recently, Rigel has been experiencing some bully issues in school. There is a group of boys that likes to play soccer in his school that have decided they are better than everyone else. Rigel is an independent kind of guy. He isn't afraid to say what is on his mind. This group of boys decided a certain table belonged to them at lunch time. Rigel's friend (with Aspberger's Syndrome) didn't understand about the territorial issues that can arise from sitting on this table, so he sat. Rigel sat next to him. This is what started the bullying.
     Rigel is a fierce protector of the people he loves. He and his friend were told to move, in a not so polite way. Rigel told them they had a right to sit where they wanted. He was then pushed, threatened with his life, and physically forced to get off the table. They picked up his lunch, told him they would kill him if he didn't get out of here. The same was done to his friend. Rigel came to me (I was working in the lunch room at the time) I went over to diffuse the situation. After I had everyone sitting and eating their lunch I went to my supervisor, Mr. S. I was told by him to let him deal with it in the future so that I could remain unbiased. I agreed. I wish I hadn't.

     Over the next several weeks Rigel was tormented. They started by name calling, moved on to cursing and spitting, then started in on Ara. These boys were the most rude disrespectful kids in the school. Every single time they did something I informed Mr. S. Every time I was told something was being done about it. I trusted the school, I had no reason not too.
     When they started getting physical is when I started getting concerned. One boy pushed Rigel down, so Rigel got up and hit him. Guess who was punished? It wasn't the boy that pushed, that's right, it was Rigel! There were many instances similar to this, except Rigel would just walk away. I reported every one. Why wasn't anyone stopping these boys? At parent/teacher conference I learned what some of the problem was. I was told by the teacher that she didn't believe any bullying was going on. She said that boys will be boys and they needed to learn to figure it out on there own. She told me that Rigel was just as much an instigator as the other boys. Okay, Rigel isn't an angel, he's got a big mouth, maybe she was right? WRONG!!!! I should have gone with what I know was right.
     Yesterday, according to these five boys that have been tormenting Rigel and Ara, Rigel threatened to bring a gun to school and "shoot every one of them one by one". Rigel told me he didn't say it, I believe him. The police were called, interviews happened and charges were pressed. Rigel was suspended for three days. I told the police about all the bullying instances. Not a single one had been recorded by administration. Three of these 5 kids were teachers own children.
     Rigel is being punished for being bullied. He had a trumpet blown in his ear. He's been spat upon numerous times. He's had balls thrown at him. He's been pushed, he's been kicked in the behind, he's been reported for doing things that he didn't do just to get him in trouble. The only person that stood up for him was his sister. My hands were tied. He's been suspended. Spread his message, stop the bullying, stand up for some one! Call Canyon Grove Academy in Pleasant grove, Utah. Tell them to stop the bullying, don't let this happen to another child. You can email them too at office@canyongrove.com.
   

 

All New Adventures

This is a tale of happiness and sorrow and of healed hearts.

In October of 2012, we found the perfect dog for us. He was a beautiful Boxer named Rocky. He was smart and funny and fit our family perfectly. For two whole months we loved our Rocky boy. Sadly, over Christmas break, Rocky got sick. At first he just seemed a little slower and tired. Soon, he was having a difficult time with the stairs and he stopped eating. It was this time that I knew some thing was terribly wrong. If we could have afforded to take him to the vet we would have. The next day Rocky was peeing blood and we knew that it was kidney failure.

The pain of knowing that we could do nothing was too much to bear. We set up a bed for him in our kitchen and Tim would carry him out to the yard to use the bathroom. That tells you how wonderful Rocky was. He couldn't even walk, yet he would still whine to be let out.

The kids and I were gathered around trying to make him as comfortable as possible. Ara asked if we could pray to make him better. She has always been my spiritual kid, reaching out to God when her life has struggles. I told her that Rocky's sickness couldn't be healed. It was already to a point where his body was shutting down. In tears, she asked if we could pray that Rocky died quickly so he would stop hurting. My heart was broken. My sweet 9 year old daughter has so much wisdom inside of her.

After we prayed, I sent the kids to bed having them say goodby to Rocky one last time. A half hour later he stopped moaning in pain. I could see the life had left his eyes and I knew his body was still alive, but he wasn't there anymore. Soon after that he passed away. It was so difficult for my babies! All of the kids were crying and sobbing in the morning. Even Tim cried when he saw how sad the kids were. It was the middle of winter with more than a foot of snow on the ground when Tim dug a grave for Rocky in the backyard.

This isn't just a story of sorrow. This is also the story of our how we got our new dog. After Rocky died, Rigel still wanted a dog to play with. He was so sad without his buddy, Tim and I decided we could search for a new dog. Tim thought it might be fun to have a Border Collie. We searched on KSL.com again and found a 7 month old Border Collie puppy. I called the owner that day and told him we'd like to see the puppy that night. sadly, Tim had to work late and the car was acting up. I called the owner again and told him that we couldn't come tonight.

He sounded like he was in a slight panic. He asked me where I lived and I told him. He said he was willing to bring the dog to us. He was kicked out of his home and had to give her up. If he didn't give her to someone that night he would have to take her to the pound. We agreed. I had the kids find all the money we could to pay him for his drive out here in boony land.

It was worth it! She was such a sweet puppy!
Harley Quinn was her name and we thought it suited her, so we kept it. She is so funny! She has more energy than Rocky, but she is smaller and easier to handle. Rigel had a hard time warming up to her, but he quickly became her best friend. They even play Hide and Seek together. She has been trained well enough, but it is fun to teach her new things. I'm glad we have a new member of our family to help fill the hole that Rocky left behind.

Meet Rocky

Rocky is the newest member of our family. He is a 5 year old boxer with an awesome personality. To tell about the adventure of how we came to have Rocky join our family, you need to understand one thing... Tim hates dogs. There, I said it. He hates dogs so badly that I sometimes wonder if he was attacked or something as a child and repressed that memory or something. As it is, I was resigned to the fact that we would never own a dog.

The kids on the other hand...
     They would ask for animals all the time. We've had cats, guinea pigs, rats, frogs, and a mouse. There were even times we had a dog, but as quickly as we got the dogs, they would have to be given away because of some reason or another that Tim would think of. Usually it involved the dog poop or the barking. He can't stand neither. He kept saying he wanted a useful dog if we were going to have one.

Sadly, when we moved, we had some unfortunate deaths in the family. Our sweet rats, Salt and Pepper, passed away. It was so sad! All of the kids had a really hard time with their deaths. I think it was because we had just moved and they felt like everything was already falling a part. In the aftermath of this great sadness, Rigel decided he couldn't live without a pet of his own. Of course, he wanted a dog. He kept wearing his dad down with things like, "I will clean up the poop" , and "he will be trained to do fun and cool things." Tim kept saying no.

I got Rigel a little mouse named Strike. Rigel loved her and would give her treats and play with her a lot! Sadly, Ara's cat Midnight loved her as well. He caught her one night. Ara saved her before there was damage done...or so we thought. Two days later, she died.

Rigel was heart broken once again! He cried for a long time, but all the tears paid off. He convinced his daddy that he needed a dog.

The search for the perfect dog was on. He couldn't be too little or too big for that matter. He needed to be older and already trained. But not an old dog, we had one of those once and it didn't last for too long. He needed to have the energy and strength to keep up with Rigel, but not so much energy that he couldn't calm down easily. We searched for a long time.

Finally, on KSL.com we found a dog that had all of our qualifications. He was fully trained and had been a wonderful companion to a boy that had now become a man. His boy decided to join the Army reserves and could no longer take care of the dog. That is where we stepped in. I made all the phone calls and made sure that he would be perfect for Tim's specifications. The best part...they were only asking $100 for this fine dog. The down side...he was in North Logan.

We made the drive and it was worth every penny. Rocky is a wonderful dog! He is obedient and clean. Weird enough, he even pushes his dog food that spills on the floor into a pile. He plays with the kids and calms quickly when they calm. It's like he was made for our family! Even Tim is in love with Rocky. I never thought it was possible for Tim to enjoy a dog so much, but he really does love him. Rocky loves and respects Tim too. The new member of our family will surely be loved and appreciated for a long time.

Welcome, Rocky, to our adventures. I'm sure you will fit right in and enjoy every minute of it!

The Great Indiana Jones Adventure

Indiana Jones is the most epic adventurer I know of. He is quick on his feet, good at solving problems, and always has another adventure he's ready to go on. The closest adventurer to Indiana Jones would be my husband, Tim Watt. He always has a new place to explore, another treasure to find, or just some Spanish symbols to investigate. Another thing they both have in common... The Hat.

Indiana Jones

Tim's hat has been a part of him for so long, that my children can't draw a picture of Daddy unless it has a hat on. He wears it everywhere he goes and it has enough wear and tear to show the adventurer that he is.

Tim Watt

This weekend we took the kids to the local amusement park, Lagoon. If you are a native Utahn, then you know exactly what I'm talking about. The roller coasters and thrill rides, all the stuff for the adrenaline junkie to get their fix for the year. My kids included. The first ride you go on when you get there is always The White Roller coaster. We stepped on the ride strapped ourselves in and got ready to go. As we slowly made our ascent, I reminded Tim to watch his hat. "I got it" he says. Halfway through the ride, it flew off his head, hit Centauri's arm, and fell overboard! I could have cried!

The exact spot he lost it is covered by the tree in the left hand corner.

There was no way he could just walk away. My brother Christian and I took the kids on a few more rides and Tim became more and more obsessed with getting his hat back. He walked the perimeter of the coaster, going back and forth trying to find it. It was nowhere. It had disappeared and was lost forever. He was feeling so sick and thinking "Not like this, a cliff or a river, not like this!" We went to the security office and checked the lost and found. In a last ditch attempt to find it, we rode the White coaster once again, this time to see if we could see the hat.

Tim with no hat is NO BUENO!!

When we came to the place that he lost it at, I looked around and saw it. It was between the tracks! I yelled "I found it" and everyone cheered in excitement. The problem now, was how in the world could we retrieve it? There was talk of breaking in after hours and all manner of silliness going around the kids. Tim was willing to do anything. It felt like the moment on The Last Crusade when Indy had just climbed up the cliff and everyone was so happy to see him, but he still didn't have his hat. He sits down to take a rest and his hat flies in front of him.

I knew we would get it back somehow. Tim went to security again and told them exactly where it was. He was told they were doing a track sweep at seven and he should come back then. We did a few more rides and had some more fun. Seven o'clock came around and Tim went to see if they got his hat. The kids and I decided to head back to the picnic tables with my brother and his young-un. We were eating a snack and praying that God would let Daddy get his hat back.

He's just so cute and sexy!!!

Sure enough, he comes strolling in with his sexy hat on his head and a grin on his face. "I'm back, Baby!" he says as everyone cheered so loud I'm sure the whole park could hear it! So, just like Indiana Jones, my adventurer lives to go on another adventure with his amazing hat intact and on his head, where it should be!

My Best Friend's Wedding

One of the greatest adventures I've had recently has been the excitement and fun of helping my best friend plan and execute her wedding in 24 hours. That's right, it took a little over 24 hours for her to decide the date of her wedding (which would be the next day) and us to execute it flawlessly. Everyone should plan weddings this way!

I'll give you a little background: She has been engaged for 6-7 months now. They were planning on September 21st. Both her and her now husband have come from other marriages and both of them have children. She wanted her children to be a part of her wedding which she had sole custody of. The problem? It was only temporary sole custody. To tell that story is her adventure, not mine. Although, I was extremely emotionally involved, it isn't my story to tell. Monday morning it was decreed in court that the kids go to their dad. She was devastated and worried they wouldn't be allowed to come to her wedding. She had them for the next 48 hours, so it was decided her wedding would take place within 24.

It started with the perfect dress. We went to a little Bridal Center in Lehi to see if there could be something there. When we walked in, it was a little overwhelming! There were wedding dresses everywhere and it was difficult to find a place to start. The lady there was so helpful. She asked a few questions had Zina, (my best friend) look at some pictures so she could figure out what she liked, then she stuck us in a room and told us to "look at these, try some on and decide what you like." Then she held one out and said that she thought this one would be perfect and offered it to us at 50% off. So Zina looked and found the same result. The "perfect" one turned out to be THE PERFECT ONE!!! It fit her like a glove and she sparkled in it!

This is her getting ready in the perfect dress.

She went home, showed her kids, and told her fiance' of her plan. He was all for it! The next part was a made dash for a license, an official, and a wedding cake. Not to mention inviting family. We started making phone calls and sending out texts. I was looking for someone to officiate, but it seemed like everyone was too busy to make it. I finally went online and began a Google search. There were a lot out there, but some were very expensive, some didn't look that wholesome, and some just seemed too snooty. I finally found the perfect one! Her name was Anita Gordon. When I called her on the phone she seemed so nice! She said she was busy meeting with another couple at 6:00, but she was sure her meeting would last only about 45 minutes at the most. She told me that she would be willing to do it at half the price if I accepted her coming late. I quickly agreed, told her a little background info and wrapped things up. That was at 3:00 pm. The wedding was scheduled for 7:00.

 Some last minute prep on my part.

 Her girls gave her away

 Her son in the background with the responsibilities of the best man! He has the rings.

 The great Anita! She saved the day! She wasn't long winded, she incorporated God into the nuptials, and she made the wedding come together perfectly. I loved the way she spoke and I know she was sent to us by God to make Zina's wedding perfect!

 Ladies and Gentlemen: Mr. and Mrs. JJ Trimble!!!

 My child seemed to think it would be fun to climb the wall while pictures were being taken.

Here is one with me and the bride. It also has a wonderful addition of Ara, and we can't forget the little devil in the background! 

The place? Riverton Park. The time? Roughly 7, but we were very flexible with that time. The total number of patrons? About 20, including my kids. The result? One of the most beautiful weddings I had ever seen!

There is a difference between true love and God's love, but when they are combined, you know you have something amazing. In this wedding, there was true love, and there was a love for God so strong that it exuded from this couple like you wouldn't believe. It was an honor for me to be there to help my best friend execute the perfect 24 hour wedding! She was strong, beautiful, full of love and happy that her wonderful children were allowed the chance to be a very integral part of her wedding! 

Congratulations Zina and JJ!!! I love you both with all my heart and I know you will be together for a very long time!! If you can make it through this heartache and love situation, you can make it through anything! Having said that...JJ if you hurt her in anyway I will hunt you down and I will cut you!

The Great Move

It is very embarrassing for me to talk about my financial circumstances. One of the most difficult things about having a lot of children is being able to provide for them. Unfortunately our family ran into some hard times recently. We lost our home of seven years and have seen too many good cabinet companies go under. The hard part was the cabinet companies were those that employed Tim and gave us our income.

This past month we experienced the most crazy adventure that any family can go through... The big move! Our kids have only really known our one home, they weren't sure what a new place would have in store for them. Luckily, the move we made was actually a step up. We went from a three bedroom home, to a seven bedroom home. Which meant the kids all got their own rooms! We live further out into the desert, but that is where our family prefers to be. We are so blessed by God to be able to have a scary, traumatic experience turn into one of the happiest things we've done in a long time.

Our old house was full of memories and good times, but it was also full of junk and an accumulation of unwanted stuff. It felt so good to finally go through all of my storage and kids' toys and clothes and just get rid of everything. If you know me, you know I thrive on being a minimalist. The less stuff the better. It seemed as if we made more trips to the dump with our old stuff then we did moving our wanted stuff to the new house. I am finally able to relax in a clean and comfortable home.

The kids love their new schools. Orion started high school this year at West Lake High. He was really scared at first, but he has found his niche and is doing well. He joined the Jazz band and has really started to flourish on his saxophone. He is taller than me now and his dad realized how useful it is to have another "man" around the house. My baby boy is growing up so quickly now. He is getting out of the awkward stage and making a good transition into the responsible stage. I know I still have the dating years in front of me, but I know I am planting good seeds inside of him.

Vega is going to middle school this year. She recently turned 13 and wants everything in her life to be "teenager". If I want her to do anything I just have to tell her that teenagers do it. She is so funny that way. I do want to be careful not to push her to follow her peers too much, we all know how teenagers can be!

The other kids are still in elementary school and they are all loving their classroom sizes. We moved out to the middle of nowhere and the school doesn't have very many kids. Each grade only has one teacher and the biggest class in the school only has 20 kids. It is a perfect fit for my kids that like to spread their wings.

I know God lead us up to this place. He allowed for us to see hardship and pain, to go through our ups and downs, and to finally lead us to where we need to be. If there is one thing that I have learned about life this past year, is that you need to just let God take care of you. In the Lord's prayer it states "give us this day our daily bread" and there were days I was praying for exactly that. I was never sure if we would have something to eat or if we would be able to keep our heat and gas turned on. But our prayers were always answered through one angel or another.

It is so wonderful to have a home over our heads and our life coming back together slowly, but surely. We still have a long journey to walk, but we choose to walk the next path with happiness. This part of my blog has been a tough one to write. I am usually more upbeat and funny, I've just been in a super grateful mood, there isn't as much room for my sense of humor to shine through. I promise I'll have a super amazing adventure for everyone next time I post, it just feels like I haven't been able to have as many of those that I used to.

Owchie, Wah, Wah!!!

We started Ara's special day asking her what she wanted to do. When our kids have a birthday, we make sure they are treated like royalty. They get to sit in the prime seat in the car, they get to choose the activities for the day, and they get to do everything first. When you have a large family, it is difficult to make sure that everyone gets noticed and appreciated, so it is guaranteed that they do on their birthday.

Ara's activity of choice this fine 24th of June, was to go swimming. Where we live, everything is closed on Sunday, so it is difficult to find a quality place to swim on a Sunday. After searching the internet and deciding that Sandy is the place to be, we packed everyone up and headed to an indoor swimming pool. I put "indoor" because we didn't put any sunscreen on the kids for this very reason. We thought we would be indoors.

Apparently, in our area, places like to close early on Sunday too. When we got there it was still open, but we would only get to swim for a short amount of time. Out of desperation, we asked the desk clerk if they knew of another place that we could swim. HOORAY!!!!! They knew of a place that was just now opening and we could swim for the rest of the day. Sadly, when we got there we discovered it was an outdoor pool.

Tim and I looked around...it was overcast, the sun looked like it wanted to hide all day, so we took a risk and let the kids swim. Oh, it was so much fun!!!! The lessons the girls had were obviously showing and they were swimming around the pool like fish. Daddy was picking kids up and chucking them in the water and we were enjoying ourselves ever so much!!! Even Vega started to get in on the water play (she has an extreme fear of being in the deeper water and usually won't go much further than 2 feet in)! It was one of the best days ever!

Then we went home. That is when the burns started to appear. Shoulders, backs, chests and faces all red and swollen, as if we were lobsters just emerging from our boiling pot status and getting prepared to be eaten! It is so sad to witness the damage that could have easily been avoided if we only thought ahead just that one little bit further. My poor babies!! They were crying and moaning with every move they made. I felt so bad, at the same time I was suffering from burns of my own. Children wanted sympathy, but mama wanted space.

Luckily, this mama has a miracle cure for the sunburn blues! First I break out the after-sun gel. A soothing mixture of aloe and lidocaine that works miracles on a child's hot sunburn. Then, a delicious banana split! Not only does it take your mind off the pain, but it cools you down and puts you in a good mood, no matter who you are!!! Ara had an amazing birthday and the kids all ended up with some beautiful tans instead of burns. Thank you, my sunburn cure all, if it wasn't for you my kids would have woken up crying in pain, but instead...they woke up with smiles and anticipation for the next adventure we will be going on!!!

My Thoughts on Forgive and Forget

One of the things I teach my children is the capability and the importance of forgiveness. When I was five or six years old, I was sexually molested by a man that lived next door.  It stopped when we moved away from that home when I was seven. When I was eight years old, I was a product of sexual curiosity from someone that will forever remain nameless. When we were about nine my brother and I were mutual investigators of each other. When we were caught, my own father decided to join the club and treat my body like his personal piece of meat. I told school counsellors when I was 13 and it came to a stop.

 

I'm not telling you any of these things for you to feel sorry for me, only so you can understand where I am coming from. I have walked a long road of twisted thinking, low-self esteem and a seemingly lifetime full of turmoil and being scared. Imagining that any other child should have to endure any of the things that I experienced or did would tear me to pieces. My husband and I made a conscience decision to keep our children safe from predators. When our babies were born and our children began growing, we knew there would be a stand that we would have to take.

I don't have any problems with forgiveness. I can forgive every person in my life that ever hurt me. I can actually say that I am glad I went through every experience that I went through. It has made me the person that I am today. I am a strong mother of five-wonderfully strong, and independent-children. I am a student of psychology and my only desire is to help children learn how to accept what has happened to them and to turn it into strength. I love my husband, my family and my life, and I love my God that I believe has brought me to this point.

I can forgive a snake for being a snake, but that doesn't mean he will ever change, or that I should allow my children to play around him. When I don't want to come to family functions because my father is there it is not because of forgiveness or the lack thereof. It is because no matter how much I would love to forget, I can't. I can't forget about how scared I was that he would trap me in the bathroom after a shower. I can't forget about the way he would touch me or the smell of his breath. I will still to this very day fight off panic attacks because of some innocent way that my husband puts his hands on me that reminds me of some of the things that I had to endure when I was just a child. I cannot not now, nor will I ever forget how dirty and ugly I felt when my husband (then boyfriend) told me how perfect that I was. How much I felt like I was a big lie that he would one day discover and hate.

When Tim and I made the choice to keep our children safe, we knew people would be offended. We knew people would think it was because of hatred and the inability to forgive. You are wrong. It is the inability to forget. I don't want another child to ever go through what I have been through. I want predators past, present and future, to see that this will not be tolerated by me and my family. That we will not allow them to get near our children. Taking a stand is the message I give my children, both my boys and my girls, that I will do what it takes to protect them and they should do what it takes to stand up for what they believe in.

I don't expect to change the world, but if I can make a difference in just one person at a time then I know what I went through was for a cause. So if my family and I discreetly get up and leave a family function, or a BBQ at the park, you know it is because of the stand we have chosen to take to keep our children safe and to send a message out there that this is not tolerated by the Watt family. Out of respect for us, you can choose not to invite them, or you can tell us they will be there. Out of respect for you, we will never make a scene. Just know this... It will never be forgotten. The predator has a choice to make. He can choose to take the innocence away from a child and forever be known as a sex offender. The child doesn't get this same choice. The child is unable to choose to keep their innocence safe from the predator. They don't get the choice of staying clean and happy their whole life. Why forget, when you can make a stand.

Real Adventurers!

One of the best things about being a parent is finding the right time to teach your kids some of the things that you love to do. Saturday was the first time that we ever attempted to teach any of our children how to rappel. Rappelling has always been an activity that Tim and I have really enjoyed doing (even with my severe fear of heights). Tim usually does some crazy stuff when he goes, and it never really occurred to us to take the kids. They were always too little.

All that has changed! We strapped Orion into a harness, showed him the basics, and then there was no stopping him! He is a natural! There are some things that Orion takes too without hesitation and rappelling is one of them. Rigel was the next one to try, and it was the same for him. He watched Orion and his dad enough that he knew he was an expert. The thing that worries me the most, is that he has no caution. He steps off the cliff like it wasn't even there and glides down the rope like a pro. Being a mom, my heart jumps every time he even gets near the cliff. Watching the kids learn is harder on my adrenaline than doing it myself.

The girls haven't given it a try yet. Not because they don't want to, but because they were busy with birthday parties and friends when we decided to go. Vega is the only one that has no desire to participate. I can't even get her to put on the harness. This actually makes me happy, because I don't think my heart could handle Vega going over the edge of a cliff!

After teaching some of the kids to do something he loves, Tim decided to do some more fun stuff that we love doing together. So, on Sunday we went rockhounding! This is something we have taken the kids to do since birth. All of our children love to hunt out the most precious of rocks, whether it is pretty rocks in the neighborhood, or fragile crystals out in the desert. The kids are constantly rockhounding. This time we went to find us some geodes.

Geodes are those rocks that are the ugliest things on the outside, but have the most beautiful array of colors and crystals on the inside. They are pretty easy to find if you know where to look. The kids started out picking up the ones on top that were so pretty, but they were soon passing those up when we taught them how to dig for the good ones. In the end, Tim walked away with one the size of a basketball! Each of the kids found their own personal treasures, and I had some of the most petite ones with the most complicated structures inside. For me, it is all about the fractals.

Knowing you can really enjoy some of your favorite activities with your kiddos is one of the greatest things that parenting has to offer. Having them finally come of age where they enjoy what your teaching them is a lifetime of reward! Remember to have fun with your kids! They aren't just there for you to worry over and boss around, they are here for the love and fulfillment that you can only receive from God. Through Him, we learn how to love our own kids and through Him they learn to love us back!

Never Forgotten

Having today be the tenth anniversary of September 11, 2001, I have decided to tell a little about my adventures and emotions that I had throughout the day.

We started the morning with a little bit of a talk with all the kids. Tim and I wanted to make sure that they understood what would be going on today. We told them about what happened on that day, ten years ago, and we told them about what we did. About how Tim had to continue working even though he wanted to come home and be with us. We told them how I called up Aunt Jeni and we just spent the whole day in shock and confusion together at my house because neither of us wanted to be alone. We explained that all there was on TV for three days was news, and for some reason we couldn't turn off the TV the whole time.

Tim and I have a deep respect for our country. We are both very patriotic individuals. We believe that liberty is more important than security and that freedom isn't free. Talking to our children about some of these ideals can be a little overwhelming for the smaller ones, but I think the older ones were very respectful and understanding about what our decisions are when it comes to our country.

We watched some documentaries about the stories of the people that lost their lives that day, including Flight 93. We talked about the heroic things that the people on flight 93 did. After we learned about some of the names and faces of 9/11, we went to the Memorial Field that is located in the Civic Center in Sandy, Utah. They have a flag placed in the field for every individual that had lost their lives in that attack on America. Tim and I took the children and looked on every tag until we found all the names of the people we talked about today. Including a 3 year old girl named Dana that was on AA Flight 77 that had crashed into the Pentagon. It made the day very real for them. Even Rowdy Rigel was calm and respectful as we read the names on the flags.

Passing on your beliefs and instilling patriotic values into your children is one of the most important lessons you can give to a child. None of them could remember that day, and two of them hadn't even been born yet, but allowing them to see the magnitude of this day and that we don't tolerate terrorism was very important to us. It was an emotional and solemn day, so we had to end on a lighter note. We took the kids out for BBQ and ice cream and they all let the blanket of sorrow be thrown off of their shoulders. We explained that the Fourth of July was for celebrating, but this was the day for remembrance.

My mission in this life, like it states in my tattoo, is to serve God, family and country (in that order). I haven't posted in a long time, but I hope to get back into the swing of things now that my schedule is stable and the kids have started school once again. In the meantime, have fun in your adventures!!!!

Amanda

Train Ride

*I apologize in advance for no pictures. My camera is broken*

The day started out pretty much like any other day. I woke up to the kids fighting over the computer and the ever dreaded sound of "mo'om." I was feeling kind of lazy, playing cards with Rigel and Ara, while still lying in my bed and in my jammies, when the phone call came. There was a cancellation at the Dental Clinic up at Primary Children's, they could bump Vega's appointment up if I could get there at 3. It was noon. "No problem," I said. Vega was in serious need of a dental visit and I wasn't going to pass this up. It was then that I came up with my brilliant plan. I was going to take the train! I hadn't taken the kids on the train since they were little and it was high time I took them again. I packed my backpack with treats, drinks, activity books and colored pencils and we were on our way!

When we got to the train station, I was already running late when I noticed the train was getting ready to depart. I grabbed the kids, skipped the ticket booth and jumped on the train a mere 5 seconds before it left. Orion was ready to panic! We got on the train without paying!! I knew I was busted when I did it, but I didn't think I would feel so guilty when my own child pointed it out to me. I fumbled over excuses, but promised him when we stopped at the station to switch trains I would get the tickets and it would be okay. He was soothed for the moment.

When we got settled, Rigel was in the window seat. He hadn't remembered ever riding the train, so he was pretty excited. When the train started to go fast he jumped into my lap, it scared him to death! After I calmed him down and convinced him he was having fun, I turned to look at Ara. She was clinging to the seat. "What is wrong?" I asked. She kind of looked around and then said, "There are no seat belts, I have to stay in my seat somehow!" I gave her a chuckle and helped her to relax.

It was really kind of fun, the kids were asking all sorts of questions about the places we passed. I was able to point out an old house we lived at and we passed right by Daddy's work. When we got to the station to switch trains, you could tell Rigel was nervous again. I bought my tickets without incident and Orion was very relieved. I really love when things go smoothly.

On the next train, there was a man that seemed to think we would drive him nuts. He took one look at me and my brood and turned to sit somewhere else. I think it is so funny when people are shocked that they are "all yours?" Of course they are all mine! I wouldn't be insane enough to go on adventures into downtown Salt Lake City with anyone elses' children, just my own!

When we finally made it to Primary Children's the man told me how well behaved my children were. I love it when people notice my kids for good reasons instead of the usual awkward ones!

I work really hard on having well behaved children in public, it is when they are at home that I want to pull my hair out.

The appointment went well. Mostly because of the super fantastic Forever Young Zone that they let my kids play in while I visit with the doctors. Let me tell you! They have video games, arts and crafts, barbie houses, train sets, even an electric keyboard with head phones for the musicians. But, the best thing of all...SUPERVISION! Someone else took over for a minute, so I could focus on Vega's dental visit.

Apparently, Vega is a "fascinating subject" her bone structure has changed since she was 2 and I get to do all the genetics testing and see all the specialists that she had to see when she was little. I knew this day was going to come soon, but I swear it snuck up on me faster than expected. If you have a child that requires "special care" you will totally understand what I mean. The time between doctor visits and tests is really a scary thing. Getting MRIs and echo cardiograms. Having them treat your child like a subject instead of a kid. It can really get you worried.

The train ride home, I was dealing with exhausted children. They all made dolls at the Forever Young Zone and were quietly playing with them, as I was stuck in my own thoughts about my next journey with Vega. The transition to the next train was a little scary this time. Rigel had left his doll on the seat and Ara tried to go back and get it. I had to jump in front of the doors before they closed and grab Ara before the train took off with just her in it! That got our hearts pumping a little, so I decided to pass out drinks and treats while we waited for the next train. (Rigel was also heart broken that his doll was gone forever. Luckily, he had an older brother that made a doll too. Orion knew he was to old for the doll, and gave him to Rigel. Sometimes he can still be a sweetie).

I am thankful everyday for the kids God has blessed me with. They make it so my wonderful ideas for adventure go off without a hitch! I'm pretty sure life for me would be pretty boring without them to keep me entertained.

First-Month-of-Summer Blues

One of my favorite things about my job is that I get the Summers off to spend with the kids. The first three weeks are so much fun! We go exploring in the hills by our house. We find all the local parks and visit them one by one. We get all of the bikes fixed and functioning to last us for another year. Yep, those first three weeks are amazing.

Slowly, without anyone expecting it, the monotony starts to sink in. The kids are sick of what the outside world has to offer. They want to play the computer, or watch videos. They are starting to say those two most dreaded words in the English language... "I'm bored!"

With boredom, comes fighting. The whiney voices start going, the teasing and altogether obnoxiousness that having five kids in one house for three weeks straight causes. It can't seem to be avoided! (Did I mention I don't have a vehicle this Summer, so I can't really escape like I used to be able to?) To add to this, I have school work that I am behind on, so every little shriek, whether good or bad just grates on me like nails on a chalkboard! How can I think with all this chaos going on around me?

I do what any mother on the brink of insanity would do.... I borrow a car and load the kids up for a trip to the dollar store! Oh wonderful, amazing dollar store! With all your cheep paper and crayons and coloring books. Your little craft kits and dinky toys. Your puzzles and notebooks, bubbles and jump ropes, playdough and cookie cutters! I can spend $20 dollars and come away with a menagerie of things for the kids to do with their time. Did I mention all the candy a child could ask for that even their little piggy banks could afford?

When we finally come back home, the house is silent. AHHHHHHH, I take a sigh of relief and get back to work on my latest research paper. The children are all behaving like angels at the kitchen table with their little projects and other various things from the dollar store. So what is the cure to the-first-month-into-Summer blues? The beautiful, blessed dollar store in all of it's cheep, dinky gloriousness!!!!!

I Scream, You Scream!!!

Remember when your parents would take you to an ice cream parlor and you got to pick whatever flavor you wanted? You ran over to the freezer and stretched up onto your tip toes to see what bountiful colors of ice cream awaited for you to choose them. It would always blow my mind how many different flavors there were. Of course, I would always choose the most colorful ice cream I could see (usually bubble gum) and then I would savor every lick that dripped down my arm. There was always an older brother or sister or my mom and dad to say, "let me help you, before it drips all over." but I would guard that ice cream like a lion on a zebra!


I was so excited when I found out there was an ice cream parlor opening up right here in Eagle Mountain! I finally get the opportunity to let my kids experience the ice cream parlor feeling with out the "Cold Stone" price. We walked in and my kids did the exact same thing that I always did... they ran over to the counter, (they actually had step stools, so no getting on tip toes) and made their eyes pop out of their heads because of the excitement of the various colors!



Vega was the first to choose, she didn't even blink when she said, "mint chocolate chip." The other kids took a little bit more time to decide on which new flavor they wanted to try. Ara didn't take very long to choose the most colorful flavor she could see (she is exactly like me you know). This time it was Playdough. Orion followed closely with cherry chocolate chip and Centauri wanted coffee (leave it to her to test her limits of what she could get away with). Rigel actually pulled out his own money from his pocket (the money he has been saving for a big barrel of cheese puffs) and requested a double scoop. In this amazing double scoop, he had Playdough and pistachio, (a choice he would later regret, he didn't like the nuts). I had Caramel Caribou, yes, I do have actual taste buds now.



We sat outside enjoying our ice cream with grins on our faces and ice cream running down our hands. Of course, I had to do it..."Rigel, let me help you before your ice cream gets all over." As he pulled it away, it toppled off the cone! With my cat like reflexes, I caught it with the hand that was not occupied with my own ice cream cone! He was so relieved, he did let me help him a little, but only after giving him my cone to "hold."




We walked home with sticky fingers and sticky smiles, but it was soooooo worth it!!! Letting my children experience a moment of genuine happiness that I myself got to experience as a child was one of the best feelings I have had in a long time. As a child, I never really thought of sharing that type of thing with my own children, but as a mom, I cherish every second of their sticky, happy grins!