Summertime Rut

I have been completely uninspired the last few days. I even wrote a long post a couple of days ago that I deleted because it wasn't what I wanted to say...I was just trying to post something....anything. But, it wasn't good and hopefully nobody got a glimpse. If you did...forgive me.

I've had a lot of thoughts. Even more feelings and mood swings the last couple of days. It's great having my sister and her kids here, but I don't have a backyard anymore and it really makes a difference. I didn't realize how much having that patch of grass saved our sanity. We're both going a bit batty, I fear, which isn't fun. Sometimes, I get so antsy to be out of this young child stage so that the real fun can begin. But I realize that isn't the right way to be. If anything, this is the real fun and I just need to embrace it. Henry has been sick since Sunday evening. I admit that he is kind of sickly and this is his third fever since we've moved here. He had a severe case of RSV and Pneumonia when he was four weeks old and has always had a weaker immune system (don't know which is the cause and effect though) I don't think this latest is anything serious. In fact, today, the fever is gone and only his whines remain, which I'm sure will die down tonight or tomorrow too. Seth picked up where he left off, though, and has a nasty cough, has completely lost his voice and is tired and feverish too. It's left me out of sorts a bit the last few days and wondering why my summer seems so much less fun than everyone else's.

I'll go back a bit. Church was good on Sunday. We all went together for the first time. Well, we had Jen and her kids too so people probably still didn't know who the new members of their ward actually are. Henry did great in nursery but Sammy had a very hard time going to Sunbeams. I actually had to go and sit with him during opening exercises, something I've never done before. I finally told him he was just fine and left and he ended up being exactly that - just fine.

We got callings. Jay and I are co-activity committee chairs. I don't really know why they want completely new people in charge and not just on the committee. Jay accuses me of being too darn friendly the week I went without him and I'm going to kind of agree with him. I think we'll be able to do it, and I've got the experience ( I was 8th grade dance committee chair. "Welcome to the Jungle" was a smashing success) but it's going to be a lot more work than either of us envisioned doing for being in a place only one year. We have to go to Ward Council and we have to have committee meetings and we have to....go...to all of the activities! I guess it'll be good for us. We'll meet lots of people and gain an appreciation of the activities we are always so critical of.

Monday and Tuesday...it's a blur. I know we tried to do some fun stuff on Monday. We went to a park and poor Owen (Jen's third boy) was completely traumatized by a nasty slide. There was some suspect material along the bottom of it that attracted flies. There was literally a veil of flies that he would have had to go through to get off the slide. He stopped himself and was screaming in terror and ended up finding the strength to walk/climb all the way back up to the top (it was a long, twisty tube slide). We were all disgusted after that and left. We went swimming later that day but by the end of the afternoon, Henry's illness really became apparent and the rest of the evening, I just kind of held him and gave him medicine when it was time to.

There is a 2 ft. wading pool for kids here. It's great because Henry can walk the length of it all by himself. He loves his independence. Unless I need him to actually use it.

This is the mineral sitz bath. It's not as hot as a hot tub but essentially the same thing.

Screaming when I wasn't holding him later that evening.

I feel bad for Jen. This surely isn't the kind of vacation she intended to have. I feel like a crummy hostess and a downer to be around. Yesterday, she got a break and spent the day with three of her old college roommates and their children. I held Henry on my lap and re-read Twilight because Jen brought it with her. It was even better the second time around. I am not a re-reader and especially not something I read only two months ago, but it was my coping mechanism. And it was better the second time around. I picked up several more details that I missed. My friend, Kristin, reviewed it on her blog and made a point about his "bronze-colored" hair. I didn't catch that at all the first time I read it. He definitely had black hair in my imagination. But bronze-hair he does have. The author makes quite a point about it being his distinguishing feature. See...that is when speed reading doesn't really help. So, every time I read that description, my mind had to make an abrupt shift in Edward's physical appearance.

Today, in another attempt to have fun, we drove down to Provo to visit BYU and buy some t-shirts and sweatshirts. We filled all their tummies first with a lunch stop at Brick Oven. Jenny made a comment about it a couple of days ago and her idea stuck.

The boys with their Aunt Sarah at Brick Oven. You wouldn't believe the kind of comments people make when you enter a place with this many young boys. I wouldn't think it would make a scene, especially here, but it still tends to.

After lunch, we drove up to the visitors center parking lot, the one that was always off limits but now is totally legal to use. I know there have been a lot of changes around campus but it was still so much the same. My brain always reminds me that the five years I spent there weren't my favorite but my heart tells me something completely different. I loved every step I took today. It's like going to my childhood home. Every path, every building, even parts of the lawn hold memories. Strong ones. I moved around so much that I think I entered campus from every possible angle during the time I was there and everywhere I turned, I remembered something. We haven't really been back much since we left for medical school nine years ago and it's weird to think that so much time has passed and we really are past that stage of our lives. It's like I blinked and went through a time warp. Everyone there looked so young. How is that possible if I am still supposed to look that age!? I don't want to be one of those nerdy alumni that I remember walking around campus, but I must have been because the moment my foot crossed the threshold, I started telling my kids about the wonders of the Wilk. I'm such a nerd.

Brother Brigham (henry screaming)

The new Gordon B. Hinckley Alumni and Visitor's Center (henry screaming)

The creamery in the Food Court and new BYU caps.

Five boys in their new BYU paraphernalia. We got season tickets to the football games this year and Seth and Sam needed some Cougar Blue to wear. The long blurry black thing is my camera strap. Sometimes, I'm such a rookie.

Seth started to go downhill fast and Henry hadn't been happy the entire time so we left after an ice cream treat and all three of my boys fell asleep on the drive home.

Henry screaming

Henry and Seth remain asleep and Sam is dying of boredom because there is "no one" to play with.

poor sick Seth

I'm dying of boredom reading this post! It just about put me to sleep. Maybe it'll get the juices flowing though.

Is anyone else going through a summertime rut? Am I the only one uninspired?????