Stake Conference Weekend

This past weekend was our Stake Conference. For those of you who don't live "in the mission field," (I really don't like that phrase), we live about an hour and a half from our stake center which is in Bloomington. Every six months, we arrange for Mark to ride with some men Saturday afternoon for the leadership session, while I stay home and get the kids fed and bathed and arrange a babysitter, and then I ride with a bunch of ladies to meet up with our spouses for the adult session. We usually get home at about 11pm, and then Sunday morning, we wake our kids up, get them dressed and head on our way by about 8am to make the trek to the general session. It's always worth it, but a little bit nutty to take freshly rested kids in the car for an hour and a half and then arrive to have them sit perfectly still for 2 hours. It usually is a bit too much to ask and we end up in some overflow room listening as much as we can. After conference, we(all the Terre Haute members) pull out our picnic lunches and sit out in the grass and feed our kids, feeling a lot like pioneers.
Well, this time we had the brilliant idea of finding a very cheap motel 5 minutes from the Stake Center and staying in town! We invited our favorite Penwell Abby and another 16 year old in our ward to stay with us. So, during the leadership meeting, I swam at the motel with the kids and then bathed them and ordered pizza. I joined Mark for the very lengthy but amazing adult session, and when we got back to our room, those amazing babysitters had all of our kids asleep! Heaven! Mark layed down to watch some sports highlights (Go BYU!!!!) and I took the professional sitters for a late night ice cream run. Sunday morning the kids slept in till 7:30 and then we had a deluxe continental breakfast in our jammies and got ready for church. We actually arrived 45 minutes early feeling rested and relaxed and almost didn't have to sit in the over flow part of the chapel! Conference was so good. The kids still had to be taken out a couple of times ( they still are 1, 3, 5 and 7), but for the most part, it was well worth the 60 bucks for what we saved on gas, breakfast and that priceless thing known as sanity!
PS... I never took the camera out the entire time we were there, but I'm sure if you just imagine lots of happy kids jumping on beds in a tiny dumpy motel room, you've got the right idea!

Reflections on a new semester

I have often wondered how long I will measure my life in semesters. I've been married to my best pal for over 8 years now and all of that has been measured in semesters. I don't know how else to measure time really. Do people with children in school measure in school years? Do accountants measure in tax seasons? Do others actually measure in months or seasons?

Anyway, each August, January, May and July for almost the whole last 8 years a new semester has begun and new growth has occured. Yesterday we watched a home movie of when Walker was born in Provo over 5 years ago. At the time, our life was very full and demanding. The trials that we experienced that final year of school in provo were so hard and yet so priceless. I remember at the time thinking, "Heavenly Father, I trust you and I know I can do this with your help, but feeling totally overwhelmed and stretched at the time.

Fast forward to the present. Watching that home video yesterday, I kept thinking, "My life was so simple then." It was. Two small children. Almost no debt. A husband working on his undergrad and working full time (a real income!!!). Evenings together with Dad around. Almost no bills. A beautiful rental home to live in. No cell phones. Life was simple.

I am filled with gratitude right now for a loving Father in Heaven that knows how much we can bear and who molds us and stretches us, for the most part, a little bit at a time, so that we don't even notice it unless we look back and reflect. There may be times of more "discomfort" as we're stretched beyond what we feel capable. But He knows. As long as we cling to Him and understand the Atonement of Jesus Christ, we will pull through.

When we moved here to Indiana, we felt like we were moving "home". We really have felt like this is where we are supposed to be at this time. It was wonderful in those first semesters to have life a little bit more simple. Mark had school once a week and spent another day a week doing an internship, but for the most part we were together quite a bit. The whole Master's program was quite bearable in that way. Each semester demanded a bit more time and effort, but it was just a tiny bit of stretching. As we began the PhD program here a year ago, the demands grew a little bit, and Abby started kindergarten and Walker started preschool. I recognized as Mark's schedule became more demanding how I was buoyed up and energized. I don't think it's an accident that I have felt the need to have a very healthy body at this time. His first semester last year demanded him gone one night a week for me to do bed time alone with all four kids. Winter semester came and he was gone even more, and yet our family has grown closer through it all. Summer was a killer for him this year. The kids and I took off to Arizona for a month thinking that would free up his time, but he hated it. In August, he started what will be his FINAL year of course work.....EVER. He will have another year to work on his dissertation after, but no more classes. This semester is demanding 4 days a week of classes, 3 drives to Vincennes per week (3 hours each day) for an internship, teaching a class and 10 piano students. Last week, the kids didn't see him for nearly 3 days because he gets home after they're asleep, and leaves before they wake up.

It is humbling however, to see that we are happier and closer now than ever as a couple and a family. Five years ago, I would have never thought that I could get four little kids to bed each night alone with teeth brushed and prayers said. Heck, even last year it was nearly impossible for me to get Abby to kindergarten on time (she was a pro with the tardy pass!), and this year so far we have never been late! I am grateful for the important family moments now. The prayers, scripture stories, FHE's, bedtime stories, morning breakfast and after school homework times. Our couple prayers and scripture time have become priceless.

I know that this semester will be one of trial and growth in our home. I have felt that over and over. I am grateful for my sweet supportive husband who calls on his long commutes so I feel emotionally supported and who whispers sweet nothings in my ear so I know that he is more in love with me than ever! Life is good in the Green home. We just keep on keepin' on and try to do a little bit better each day. Unfortunately we spend a lot of time stuck in the mud spinnin' our wheels, but not all the time!

Here's to a new tough semester for all of us. Good luck Mark, you are awesome! We'll be here cheering for you at home, with probably a load or two of laundry and dishes piled up! Love you, my Head!

Out of the mouth of Alyssa...

So Alyssa has about the cutest little accent we've ever heard. We wish there were a way to capture it and bottle it forever. It sounds a lot like she is an old lady from Long Island or something. Maybe I'll get out Mark's digital recorder and do a little interview with her for memory's sake. Anyway, today we were on the way to the Terre Haute Family Y for a little workin' out and she and I were playing "I spy with my little eye." Right before we got to the Y, she said, "Mom, my foot is sprinkling!" This has happened once before, and I finally figured out that her foot was asleep and tingling. She was a little worried about her "sprinkling foot" and wanted to know why it was doing that. I told her that sometimes our feet fall asleep and when they wake up they feel funny and "sprinkly." She said, "Yeah, when my foot sprinkles, then it feels vishery and that means hot." I was pretty impressed and amazed at her ability to express a confusing feeling, even for adults to explain. As we got to the Y and I was unloading her, she was nervous to stand on her "sprinkling foot", but she stood there for about 30 seconds while I unloaded Sadie and all of the sudden, she said, "It stopped!" She's awesome.

Also, for about the last 6 months at very VERY random times, Alyssa will stop what she's doing and get an excited look on her face and say, "I grew!" A couple of times it's been during a meal, but other times it's while we're reading a story or she's in the middle of a very fun activity. It's funny because the way she reacts, makes it seem like it catches her off gaurd everytime, and she is so surprised and has to share her exciting news with us. I love kids. 3 year olds are quite extraordinary little human beings.

Saturday in St. Louis!

We spent this last Saturday driving to St. Louis to attend the temple and play with our friends, the Baum's. Besides some little detours because of major freeway construction, the day was so much fun! We took our favorite Abby Penwell along to watch the kids so we wouldn't have to switch off going to the temple. She was such a trooper to watch 6 kids for 2 hours.

After our session at the temple we ate a yummy picnic and headed to the very awesome free St. Louis Zoo. We only had a couple hours left to before it closed, but enjoyed lots of big cats and African animals, along with some silly seals and sea lions. Here are a few pictures. The leopard was pacing back and forth across the top of his cage right along the nets so it was very close to the kids, and Abby Penwell wanted a picture with Melman from Madagascar (we watched it on the way to the zoo). The picture of Sadie and I is one of my favorites. She is still my little girl and I just love her! Anyway, enjoy a glimpse at our wonderful day!

Exciting day at 1st grade!

The little girls and I walked over to the school to pick up the big kids today and Abby walked out of the school beaming with a brand new hole in the front of her mouth! She just looks so darling. She said she went to the nurse's office when it fell out and the nurse wasn't there so she went to the office and one of the secretaries helped her and made her promise that if the tooth fairy gave her $10,000.00 then she had to take the secretary to lunch in Hawaii or China, but if it wasn't that much, then she could just keep it for herself! We'll keep you posted on the tooth fairy's offerings! On another note, Walker had a green light day! Mrs. Halls is learning to appreciate his zest for life and his "perfectly Walker contributions" to every lesson she's giving!