The Chicken Can Wait

Tuesday, after having 4 extra kids at my house for a good part of the day, the house was a bit of a mess.  Dillon was working late again, so besides the typical gourmet meals I normally cook (yah right:), we had eggs and toast.  It’s always fun watching a big storm, but it was a special treat during dinner since it was a heavy rain from the flash flood warning.  The kids went outside once the rain had died down and I started to clean up the dishes and took out some meat I had bought the day before to bag up and freeze, and honestly was looking forward a bit to bedtime for the kids so I could curl up on the couch reading Gone with the Wind.  Life has been a bit wearing and stressful lately, but I was feeling content that evening, despite a few struggles lately–our own storms of life.   (when it rains, it pours, right?) Carson had been dashing up and down the stairs a bit “secretively” but I didn’t bother to ask why.  He walked into the kitchen holding my winter coat, some socks, and my work-out sneakers.  “Mom, do you want to come play with us?”  I looked around the messy kitchen and at the chicken sitting on the counter.  Those words don’t come as often as they used to from my 7 year old, and I knew I had to take the opportunity this time or I might regret it (because I’m not always good at saying yes).  “The chicken can wait.”  I thought to myself as I stashed it back into the fridge and told Carson how sweet he was for getting all my stuff ready to go outside.  I put the coat on but told him I was ok in my flip-flops.  I went outside into the freshly cleaned world and suggested we take a walk.  I find it easier to really “be” with my kids when we leave the house. Do you? I wasn’t going to grab my camera but I’m so glad I did.   These poses were all their ideas. Letting your kids jump in puddles makes you feel like a better mom.  :) We’re definitely looking like the “neighbor’s kids”, aren’t we?  Stringy hair, pj’s and sandals, swimsuits, snow boots, and holey jeans.  Sometimes that’s just how we roll.  Bailey is never far behind her brothers! The sky was still very cloudy and I thought there might be a great sunset.  So after changing Bailey, we loaded up in the van and bought some churros on our way to the place I wanted to go.  My boys saw the flags at Del Taco and recited the Pledge of Allegiance. We headed to a cool rock by the Great Salt Lake a few minutes from our house.  Churros! What an adorable little Bailey I have. What handsome boys I have. And even though the Great Salt Lake is kind of like a horrible, no good, very bad smelling lake, it’s so beautiful. None of the pictures you see by the lake have been edited—I love my camera! My kids weren’t happy with my choice of hiking shoes that prevented me from taking them up the rock too far, but I was too nervous to be up on top without Dillon to help anyways. They kids contented themselves by throwing rocks. We couldn’t have asked for a prettier sunset.  So beautiful.  (I wish Dillon could have been there!)  A beautiful evening together with my kids that might have been totally different at home and certainly not near as rewarding.  And it all started with a storm.