Outside

I've been complaining about how stinkin' hot it has been here (nearly 97 degrees). I told Jeremy I didn't move to PV for the heat. Then he reminded me it was about 116 degrees in Mesa. I love perspective.

Well last night, we spent some time outside, and this is what we got to look at.....

The eastern sky at sunset - taken from the balcony

A beautiful rainbow - for a time it was almost a full double rainbow, but the second one was gone by the time I got my camera.

The sunset- looking east from our front porch.

It's beautiful up here and I instantly appreciated the fact that my kids could go outside and play without breaking a sweat.

Then the fun began....

As we were putting the kids to bed, we started to smell something foul. Yep, a skunk. Jeremy had brought Bodgie up to PV and he was on a chain/dog run thing. He had gotten tangled up while a skunk repeatedly sprayed him. He was helpless. I swear it went on for 20 minutes. The kids of course ran outside to get a better view. They all collected rocks for Jeremy who alternated between throwing rocks and shooting at it with a bb gun. He got a few direct hits, but the dang thing hung around forever. It finally lowered its tail and scurried off. Needless to say, our house smelled lovely last night, but no worries, it's all better now (or my nose is finally used to it).

Oh, Dear Hannah

Karrie: "Hannah whatcha doing downstairs?'

Hannah: "Just watching TV"

Karrie: "Ugh! Turn that thing off and go play!"

Hannah: "It's hang out."

Like, Duh! When did my 5 year old become a teenager?

Impressive

Being new to our ward, Jeremy and I had a plan to lay low for a while and try to avoid callings if possible. No luck. After our second Sunday in PV (8 days), we had a visit from our bishop. We thought it was just a get-to-know-you kind of a thing, but ended in him extending callings to both of us. The bishop told us he got our records that first Sunday we were there, the day after we moved. I kind of got a complex that our old ward was so eager to get rid of us :)

Anyway, after the bishop left, Jake commented, "Only our second week here and you guys have callings. Impressive."

We LOLed pretty hard at that one. So happy our son is proud of us:)

Ailing

In the past week here's what we've had:

Jake: Strep throat-he got sick at school and didn't say a thing, just suffered through the day, poor kid.

Hannah: A well visit resulting in 5 shots (I was a little behind on her kindergarten shots) and then the next day home from school with a pounding headache and tummy ache. Quite possibly another UTI, waiting on culture results.

Abby: Strep throat and UTI diagnosed yesterday. I sent her to school and was called before 10:00 to pick her up. She got a penicillin shot because she couldn't keep a single thing down. She spent the entire night barfing and is so miserable and tired now today.

Karrie, Jeremy and Annie: Happy and healthy as can be (knock on wood)

I'm so grateful for antibiotics, ibuprofen and health insurance. Also, that we are all together again and that Jeremy no longer has to work in Mesa, that he can be here to give my kids blessings when they're sick.

School's back! (This is where I do a jig)

Hannah - 1/2 day kindergarten, Jake - 4th grade, Abby - 2nd Grade

Annie was feeling left out - and what better way to show off her sassy yellow shoes than in a timeless picture.

The first day of school was a little hectic, but a relief over here in Prescott Valley. After moving on Saturday, I needed some quiet to get some work done at home.

There was a little confusion about the start time of school - The handbook said kindergartner's started at 8:15 and the rest of the school started at 8:45. So I frantically rushed all the kids to school yelling and scurrying to get them there so Hannah wouldn't be late. We arrived at school promptly at 8:15 just to find out that it was a typo and Hannah didn't start until 8:45 like the rest of the kids. It's one of those things I probably would have figured out if I hadn't registered the kids for school 5 days before it started and 3 days before moving...

Anyway, the kids were excited, they looked great and had a great day. They have looked after one another, especially Hannah. They make sure she gets to the right line every morning, which is a comfort. They love their new school, except for the fact that is is peanut free school, which means ham and cheese sandwiches EVERY day.

Jake - Ms. Mesarosh. He's made so many new friends. Everyday he comes home telling me the new count of friends "I have 6 friends now."

Abby - Ms. Sandum - Abby's also making new friends, she just can't remember any names.

Hannah - Ms. Martinet - She has a new friend named Annie who is her bus buddy, in her primary class and lives around the corner. It's nice to have another kid close by to play with.

I get to enjoy Annie one-on-one every morning. She tags along on all my errands and such. I better live it up now, because in March there will be another one (pray with us for a baby Ben) who will likely zap me.

Recap

A lot has happened in the past few weeks. Actually the past month has been a whirlwind, so here it is lengthily in bullet points...

• 7/20-I took the kids to Heber where I met Cyndi. She took them on to St. Johns while Jeremy and I went to camp. Thanks to all the Platt's who watched our kids for us.
• 7/21-7/23-Girl's camp - Jeremy and I got to go with the 4th years to camp. It was super fun and the girls have amazing testimonies. I was nowhere near their level when I was 15 years old. I feel like I learn so much from those cute girls.
• 7/23-7/24 -After girls camp, we went straight to St. Johns to pick up our kids and see the Arkansas cousins. It was a quick reunion, but a great one for sure. Jeremy spent the entire time at the ranch collecting petrified wood, his and Brad's favorite hobby.
• Back home for a week of packing and cleaning and getting ready for the big move.
• 7/27 - Grandpa Goodman passed away (already blogged about)
• 8/1 - Grandpa's viewing. It was not nearly as sad as I expected. It was more of an enjoyable reunion with all the cousins that I never see. I suppose Grandpa was reunioning in Heaven too. All the kids still rubbed Grandpa's head like they always did. Bless their hearts.
• 8/2 - Grandpa's funeral services. They were great. All his kids gave beautiful tributes, the music and prayers were super too. I was reminded of the importance of spending time with family, the value of hard work and of course, the miracle of the plan of salvation where we can be together again forever as families. Once again, it was a fun reunion with all the cousins we are too busy to ever see.
• 8/4 - Signed papers in North Scottsdale on our home in the AM
• 8/4 - Took the kids up to PV that afternoon to meet their teachers and to go through our home before we got the keys, exhausting!
• 8/5 - Last day of packing, too much to do still and not a lot of time
• 8/6 - Movers showed up at 7:00 am. They got busy working and, with my help, we finished all the packing, said our sad good-byes to Maddix, Bronson and Alex and headed up the mountain to our new home in Prescott Valley. We got there and a few hours later were surprised when the Morris' showed up at our door. They were a treat and the kids loved having someone to play with. Heather saved me as she got my numbed brain working again to get the kitchen unloaded. Thank you!
• 8/7 - Woke up in our new home after a long night. All the neighborhood dogs got to barking in surround sound. Don't worry, it hasn't happened since. We continued unpacking and the got ready and headed to church. It was nice. The ward was so welcoming and warm. Came home and Jeremy gave us all such beautiful blessings. I bawled through them all. Then, Jeremy headed back down to Mesa for one more week of work.
• 8/8 - The kids started school (that will have to be a post all for itself) They did great.
• The rest of the week has been filled with emptying boxes, connecting services, several trips to the store, getting the house sprayed for bugs (I've found a few black widows, a dead centipede, and countless spiders and other harmless bugs)
• Remember I said the ward was warm and welcoming? Well upon learning that I was a single mom this week in a new home with no refrigerator (we have an ice chest until our appliances are delivered on Monday), the Relief Society set up meals for us all week. I kept trying to cancel them, but they kept on coming. It was a real life saver. Also I got invited to do Zumba with the women down at the church. They do it every Wed and Fri. It is a big deal for me to put myself out there being social and dancing, no less, but it has been great and I feel like I know so many more people now.
• Friday 8/12 - Jake came home off the bus crying. Luckily I was there in the van to greet him and Abby at the bus stop. I thought he'd been bullied, but no, he was burning up, had a headache, sore throat and tummy ache - yep, Strep throat. It's been a few years since he's gotten it and it's really kicking his butt right now. Antibiotics were started right away!
• And, finally, today I get my husband back. We've missed him so much while he's been in Mesa.

So that's just about it. I love my new home. It's bigger than our other one, newer and so so beautiful. This is what I get to wake up to each morning in my room:

This picture doesn't do justice to how awesome my fan and molding are in my room, and all over the house for that matter.

Grandpa Goodman

Goodman Reunion - November 10, 2007 - the day before Grandpa's 92nd birthday

It is funny how we realize our blessings in our sadness or trials. Tonight as I stood in Grandma and Grandpa Goodman's room just after Grandpa passed away, my thoughts were full of happiness and gratitude for the amazing family I was born into. Not many people can say they got to grow up next to all their cousins, aunts, uncles and grandparents. I can. And they all are such neat people that I like. I realized that tonight with all the embraces, stories and gentle words of love shared with one another. And Grandpa Goodman was the head of this remarkable Goodman family.

Just look at all those Goodman Grandkids and that's not all of us...

I'm grateful for the life Grandpa Goodman has lived and the example he has been as the patriarch of the Goodman family. Though we're sad and mourning here, I know he's giving his Mom, Dad and all 11 of his siblings huge hugs. It's quite a reunion in heaven right now.

Grandpa has been a good friend and such a support for me in my life. I could always count on him being at every single one of my home volleyball games and even a bunch of distant ones - in high school, college and then as a coach. He traveled to Thatcher, Prescott, New Orleans and Florida to watch me play. He hobbled up those bleachers as I coached at MV. It usually took a few of us to get him to the top, but he was always there. I could always count on him and his support, and sometimes some advice.

We've been lemon buddies. Somehow I got designated the family lemon picker. I've been grateful for the chance to bring my kids to Grandpa and Grandma's to pick lemons, teach them how to work a little, and then in to visit and show off the huge lemons. That visit of course was always followed by one a few days later to bring fresh squeezed lemonade. He sucked the lemonade dry and always had a smile when he was done and asked for more.

I, along with most of my cousins, was lucky enough to be sealed to my honey by Grandpa Goodman in the Mesa Temple. What a blessing to have a grandpa worthy of doing that. (If I could figure out how to fix my scanner, I'd scan the picture of us outside the temple). Thanks for that example of temple service.

Grandpa Goodman was the best toe popper in Mesa. It hurt, but made me laugh all at the same time. Thinking about it, I don't think I'd want nasty toes in my face all the time waiting to be popped, but he was always willing to tug on our toes.

He was the best/worst Chinese Checkers player. He was always a willing competitor, but somehow every game he'd end up shaking or bumping the board and all the marbles would go everywhere. Maybe that was his strategy when he was losing...? Who knows

He loved for us to come visit. I'm grateful that I only lived a mile from him and I was able to take my kids over so often. He'd always smile and try so hard to be alert, even though I know it was torture to stay awake sometimes.

I'm gonna miss you Grandpa, but I know I will see you again. Thanks for the example and the legacy you've left behind.

B. Harry Goodman 11/11/1915-07/27/2011