Since Sterling has left for Mississippi we've been trying to get a hold of structure and normalcy. At first Lachoneus and Tiberias were being extra difficult. Throwing fits, whining, fighting and pushing my buttons all day long. Then I created charts. A behavior chart and chore chart so each boy can strive to be good and earn stickers. That way they get extra encouragement to behave well, working (chores) is good for them and helps them behave better. And we are looking at their behavior together daily and talking about it.
It's working. We are doing school daily as well and we do fun things. We have the swimming pool, parks, a McDonald's, my dad just bought a new trampoline. Once we pull out the old ones and throw them away we can set up the new one. That will be fun.
The boys have been wetting their pants all the time so I made it a rule that they cannot play in the swimming pool unless they've kept their underwear dry a whole day. Luke has really done well with that motivation. Ty has been wetting his pants one to two times a day...usually at nap time.
My family, the Borens, went on a camping trip together. We went to Zion's National Park a week ago. David, Tereasa and their family, Nephi, mom & dad and me with my boys. Isaiah lives in St George as of recently...he moved out before I moved in. He didn't go camping with us. Alissa and Justin didn't come. Nicole and her kids didnt make it. And Corinna is in Cali. Moroni stayed home because of work. He watched over the house and Tink...David's dog.
Friday night we got up to Zion's and set up camp. The little boys were so excited they were bouncing off walls..invisible ones.
Saturday we all had breakfast together. We had two camp sites next to each other but all the food was at mom and dad's camp.
We went hiking that morning. We hiked two smaller hikes but it took us most of the day. We got back just before 3pm.
On the hikes we saw beautiful red rock cliffs which are everywhere at Zions. We saw deer, really close to us a few times, and a frog. We went to where the water drips from the mountain and we got a little wet.
The kids played on a big slanted rock...sliding down on their butts. They got to climb up and play on rocks. I didn't let them play in the river at the end of one hike because then they'd get muddy on the dirt hike back and nobody would want to carry them wet or muddy.
Sunday we had a relaxing day. We read scriptures and played a scripture scavenger hunt...mom had us search a scripture that mentioned something you'd find outdoors like stones or clouds and then we had to go get those things or pictures of and get back to camp. We played a real scavenger hunt too...that i prepared. Four teams, one list of items, whoever got back with the most items first won. Autumn and Nephi won 1st place. Jacob and his best friend who came with us won 2nd.
We also played "Stump Grandpa." My dad knows a lot about the scriptures and so everyone tried to think of a question they don't know the answer to.
We also went down to the river to swim. It was Sunday and we don't usually do that on Sundays but it was great family time. The kids played together in the water and the adults sat and talked on the sand.
The water was really muddy because of rain but the kids didn't mind.
It rained a few times while we were camping as well.
Sunday night we packed up and got ready to leave. Then we had a camp fire together before most of us head back to Logandale. David and maybe Jacob and Justin stayed the night at Zions.
I am finding it really hard to stay fit and thin here during this pregnancy. I'm halfway through the pregnancy.
Junk food is just so readily available and looks good so I eat it. And the weather is hot,which makes it harder to work out. Plus, I keep so busy that it would be easy just to push working out off my schedule. I do workout daily but it's probably not enough to keep fit...with the way I'm eating.
Sterling and I text message all day long then we talk once a day too. I miss him so much! The little boys do too. This morning poor Tiberias said "I want to go back to Ceolini" (that's where we lived in Italy) he said "I don't want to be in America anymore." Poor kid misses his dad and our routine and life. December is a long way away for a 3 year old. It's long for me too actually.
We are loving life but missing Sterling. It'll be okay. Time will continue to move along and then December will arrive.
