First Days and "Bes-shoes"

So, have I postponed the inevitable long enough?? Finally a real blog post.
Today was Ella's first day of school and boy, was she excited!! She has been looking forward to this for oh....ever. She has been wanting to go to school with the boys since she understood where they were going. Finally the day came when I signed her up for school. Not only, to her pure delight, was this school somewhere he goes to learn her "abc's" and numbers, but she is going to a dance preschool. That's right folks, a preschool where she gets to take dance (ballet and tap) on the two days she attends. That put right over the moon. The day we went to sign her up we purchased her ballet and tap shoes. Those ballet shoes have already been broken-in in the month plus since the blessed day we bought them. She wears them to "practice her ballet skills" and to play dress-up. Maybe I shouldn't have been so lax in their non-dance use (she never wore them outside, though. I do have some standards ;) but the girl was so darn excited I couldn't say no. I do have to admit, that we did have a "where is the other ballet shoe??" incident that lasted about a week. To say that Phillip might have to buy another pair of leather ballet shoes that would put him back about seventeen dollars put a fire under him a bit was an understatement. ;) Don't fret too much, though. They were recovered and safely snuggled in her backpack today. When Phillip and I dropped her off today she was wearing the ballet shoes (she has ballet Tues. first thing), her knee socks (l.o.v.e. her splurge knee socks) and biting her nails. Some of the over-exuberance of the last few days had worn off when she saw Mom and Dad walking away and I think it hit her Momma's not going to actually stay during school put a bit of a damper on the prospect of school...but not enough for her to not stay. Whew! Also, what Humphrey kid wouldn't be complete with their fingers in their mouth biting their nails on the first day? None of mine.
Onto the goodies...the pictures...
As for the boys, I couldn't leave them out, could I?? Nope. I will at least document their first day with pictures. It's been nearly a month and things seem to be going well. Greyson was pleased that his best friend from church is in his class and Cooper is digging right into school activities. He was chosen to be a member of the student council (by secret ballot; the students vote on the essay they like best and voi-lah a member of student council is born) and also attending choir. Both of those activities are before school, so he is foregoing his free-time for pretty worthwhile actvities. Bravo, Cooper...and, I guess bravo to all my kids who faced their first-day jitters and are digging right in.
Not sure why my pictures outside are looking so over exposed. Hmmm....sorry.
Now,you might have wondered if I have a major spelling problem when I wrote bes-shoes...and well, I might, but not this time. Over the last few days Ella has been sneezing off and on. There are horrible allergens here and it seems all my kiddos have outdoor allergies. Anyway, a few of the times after she sneezes she had been saying, "well, I guess I still have the bes-shoes". Usually I have been busy doing this or that and just absently say, "uh-huh". the last cou0ple of times I stopped and asked, "you have the bes-shoes??" enunciating very clearly to make sure I was hearing her correctly. She would say yes and be on her merry way. Last night just before her bath she said it again. I again asked if she was indeed saying that she, "still has the bes-shoes". Again she said yes. I sat there for a minute and tried to figure out what in the world she was saying. Finally, it dawned on me what she was saying. She was saying, but not correctly, that she has the Bless You's. She had been calling her sneezes "bless you's". I guess she had been told "bless you!" after she had sneezed and thought that's what they were called, as well as sneezes. I know that she knows what sneezes are because right before I figured it out she said she had the sneezes and bes-shoes. I got a kick out of it. Such a silly girl and a true blessing in my life.
Well, that wraps it up...just in time for me to pick up my youngest from school. Hope you enjoyed. :)

Thank You

I wanted to post a public "thank you". I was having a particularly difficult day yesterday and in a fit of frustration I wrote a blog post. I raised some questions that were mostly of a gospel nature. I re-thought about posting the post because I recognized that my questions, although valid, were mostly driven out of frustration and if I went to the scriptures and loved ones I could find answers, or at least feel that things would be alright. During the small time the post was up I had some people comment, through one way or another, to the post. They have helped me feel validated, loved and truly answered some of my questions in ways I hadn't even thought about. Over the last 24 hours I can truly say that I know that my Heavenly Father is aware of me and is watching over me. He has sent his love through special angels on earth to help comfort me and direct me. Thank you to those who have felt compelled to share their love or answer my questions. I can only hope that I can return the favor to someone who is struggling and be our Father's messenger.

Sunburns, Greyson, and my Heavenly Father

First of all for those of you hoping to hear some of my sweet wife's humor and elegant prose you may be disappointed to find out that this is not Stephanie, it is Phillip. I have become a silent partner in the world of blogging. Many of you may not realize but it was me who created and built the original "thehumphrey5" blog. However I do realize that it is Stephanie who has built it into a place where people want to come and hang out.

Much like the prophets of old (not that I am even remotely comparing myself to a prophet) were compelled to write their experiences, I too have felt inclined to post some of my thoughts and experiences the past few days.

Last Saturday, we were fortunate to have been invited to go with some friends to the lake. Thank you Thomas, Tanner, and Sorenson families for such a great time. As can often be the case when you spend the entire day boating, swimming, and tubing many of us returned home with sunburns. Yes, we tried to be responsible parents and each of our kids started with a nice slathering of SPF50 sunblock (except for Steph who is trying to get skin cancer, I mean "Tan"). Needless to say it did not protect us all day and we were too enthralled in fun to remember to reapply. Greyson got the worst of it. By the time we got home he was lobster red and in a lot a pain. We tried everything we could think of to help him feel better including Tylenol and aloe.

Sunday arrived and Greyson could hardly move his arms to get a shirt on so we kept him home from Church. He stayed half naked all day till we had to go back to church for a fireside I was helping with. We got a shirt on him and headed to the church, dropped him off with the babysitter in the primary room and went to the fireside. When we returned an hour later the sitter told us that a blister had popped and that she had put some gauze on. Shortly after another blister popped, then another and another. By the time we got home he had four blisters, three about silver dollar size and a fourth the size of a quarter that had popped and exposed the tender skin underneath. He was in even more pain and there was nothing we could do to help. Everything we did seemed to sting and burn. Only Tylenol seemed to give him any relief. I gave him a priesthood blessing and then he went to bed. Sleep was not easy that night as Steph tried to find a comfortable sleeping spot for him. It was very emotionally hard to see your son in so much pain with nothing you can do to help.

Monday we called the doctor to find out if there was anything we could do to ease his pain and insure that the blisters were correctly treated. Eight hours later it took the doctors office thirty seconds to tell us to treat it with Aloe. Needless to say, I was not very happy with them. Again we were headed for what looked to be a long night. About 11:30 I sent Steph to sleep in Greyson's bed (he was in ours) and I would care for him. He slept till about 12:30 and woke up crying in pain. I found myself ready to cry for him as well. It is very hard to sit next to your child in pain and find yourself helpless to do anything. He again fell asleep, but I did not. I found myself driven to my knees pleading to my Heavenly Father for my son. My heart and mind were opened to a realization that my Heavenly Father understood how I was feeling. He too watched his son suffer pain and agony and there was nothing that he could do. He understood that it was necessary for our salvation to allow our Savior to suffer unimaginable pain so that all his children would be able to return clean and pure to live in his presence. As I cried and pleaded to my Heavenly Father for a small miracle I felt reassured that he too loved Greyson and did not want to see him suffer. I arose from my prayer and noticed Grey sleeping on his shoulder, something he could not do earlier in the evening. We awoke one more time that evening about 3:30 took some more Tylenol, repositioned and fell right to sleep.

I awoke this morning about 8:00 to sound a laughter and playing. I went to the living room to find all three kids making a town for their Build-a-Bears out of boxes. Greyson looked like he was a new boy. Every once in a while you could see that maybe he bumped something that hurt but kept playing with only a wince. Prior to this he would scream and cry in pain at the slightest touch. I know that he was blessed and I am grateful for a Heavenly Father who hears my prayers, loves me, and teaches me. As painful as this sunburn has been for Greyson and emotionally difficult it has been for me and Steph, we only experienced a small portion of what our Savior, Jesus Christ, and our Heavenly Father did. I am grateful to him for the sacrifice of his son, and eternally grateful to my Savior.

To all those that read this whole post, thank you for listening, and I promise that I will have Stephanie post something a little more light hearted and fun next time.

Brownies to Rwanda: Hand Stamped Jewelry Giveaway!!!!!

I found this super-fun giveaway!! Thought I would share! :)
Good luck!

Brownies to Rwanda: Hand Stamped Jewelry Giveaway!!!!!: "well, all you etc jewelry lovers, we are having another giveaway starting today and ending on saturday, june 25th at midnight pst. ."

Greyson

So. Today is my little man's seventh birthday. It seems odd that they keep on growing... I know that it shouldn't, and I suppose logically it doesn't. But, then sometimes I catch a glimpse of them, a moment in time, and it surprises me. I remember when I found out I was pregnant with Grey and I was so excited. I remember the first time I felt his tiny little body move inside of me. It was December 24th. Such a great present for an expectant momma. I remember the weeks leading up to his birth and then when he finally came and joined our family. I remember holding him for the first time and looking, inspecting really, all of his little teeny-tiny baby parts and being in awe that this new little person just entered the world. I remember feeling so excited to get to know this sweet little baby and what personality he would have. I remember wanting to know if he was laid back or a boisterous boy, what his favorite color is or what color of eyes he would have. I remember all of this so clearly, like it was yesterday. But it's not, it was seven years ago. Like I said...surprising. I guess the really fun thing about it is, is that I know all those things now. And, that's fantastic.
I know that Greyson loves, loves, loves orange. I mean everything orange. If he can eat, drink, wear, sleep on, hold, own, look at... you name it, he'll choose orange. He has some of the most beautiful eyes I've ever seen. They are the color of his auburn hair. Who knew that people's eyes could match their hair so perfectly when their hair is such a unique color? I know that Greyson is such a boisterous boy, but he also has a calm side when he's really working at something. He loves to organize and arrange things. This can be helpful... and not so much sometimes. But, as a mom I just realize that's one of the things that are uniquely Greyson. He is an excellant reader and student. He doesn't boast or brag about it. You probably wouldn't even know that he was, unless you were told or heard him read. He tries hard and generally excels at what he puts effort into. I love how Greyson is such a sweet, cuddly boy when he wants to. He still lets his mom give him hugs, and really appreciates them, in front of his friends. He is so kind to his little sister, Ella. He still talks to her in a sing-song voice. It isn't baby talk, he just is trying to be extra gentle with her. It makes my heart grow every time I see or hear him be kind to her. I love how Greyson is so passionate. If he gets something in his head, he is an all or nothing guy. I hope that he can strive for the right and be passionate for righteousness. Greyson is a die-hard Oklahoma State fan. His daddy loves it and couldn 't be prouder. He has the funniest sense of humor. He can make our family's frowns turn right side up. He is such a silly boy and loves, loves to have fun.
I am so grateful that Heavenly Father saw fit to send Greyson to me. My world would be so different without him. I love you, my birthday boy.

Pokemon646cooper

My cute little guy, Cooper, has been begging me to start a blog...you know, let his voice be heard. So, I finally got on the 'ol World Wide Web and helped him create it. If you want to put a smile on his face check it out (it'll only take a few seconds, really) and post a comment. It'll put him over the moon. His blog address is: pokemon646cooper.blogspot.com Thanks for taking the time to indulge us. :)

If your local hangout isn't Facebook...

Normally, I'm a girl who isn't afraid of commitment. I never was one to shy away from a situation where there would be responsibility...and yet, I'm falling prey to a non-committal relationship. It's called Facebook. I can log on at my leisure, stay as long as I'd like, make a comment or status update if I please...or not and get off. Now, my blog on the other hand is a serious committed relationship. It takes time, energy and yes commitment. I need to update the backgrounds, (errr. whit does...but I sooo make the suggestion--does that count??) think up blog-worthy stories, come up with witty titles and if needs be, upload pictures and such. I decided since my husband is out tonight, I would make a date with my blog and give it some of the TLC is desperately needs. I've been hanging out at the other place and uploading pictures there...and if you aren't a frequent visitor there, I thought I'd put them on here.

We decided to visit the much-anticipated Lake Michigan. We'd decided that we would take a trip out there for FHE; Just so you know it's not such an awesome idea. This was a couple of weeks ago and it was only colder than it is now--and darker earlier. We weren't smart enough to have a little forethought. No, for a moment in time we must have thought we were still in Amarillo and it's eighty degrees (that's my only excuse I can think if, because we couldn't be that mind-missing). Anyway, we trekked out there and was slapped with the colder temps and frigid humid air of Lake Michigan. Cooper insisted that he was "fine!" and didn't need his coat and settled with a jacket. You can tell in the pictures how that worked out for him. Albeit the lake was cold and freezing and gray and damp and did I mention cold?? we still had fun. We are seriously looking forward to warmer weather and the chance to take a swim in the lake.Sooo, blogger is underlining everything I write....alrighty. I didn't flip this pic..whoops. Here are my cuties. I think they are pretty adorable.Me and my girlie.Cooper showing off the castle he built. He was very insistent that I include the bridge he built. Yea, it's right...there. I'm about as sure of where it is right now as you are...My sweet Grey-Grey. He is too cute for his own good.Ella is in love with her name written out and was ecstatic when she saw that we could write her name in the sand!! What a cutie-patootie she is.Handome little Coop. He is always so good to pose for a second, or lots of seconds in my case, for a picture.As Phillip captioned...another casualty of the Chicago mob.

So, onto other things... We were able to celebrate Spring Break over the last week. We tried to do some fun things around the area to keep us entertained. We started with quite a bang. We went to the Science and Industry Museum of Chicago. I believe it's the largest Science museum in the western hemisphere. You can only imagine the whines of tired feet from me...errr, my kids. Seriously, it was amazing. It was so, so huge you could never see it all properly in one day. We decided to get season passes, so we look forward to visiting again. In one of the areas there is a large submarine display. Here are the kids showing off the bunks. True to form, they are showing off their personalities to a "t".Seriosuly one of my all-time favorite pictures of Greyson. He is such a riot. The museum has a circus display and Grey is showing off his crazy clown face?? Who knows...he is such a silly boy.Phillip decided to join in on the action...At the U-boat display...They have this really fun display that has incubators that show off the cycle of an egg. Ella wanted to take a picture with the newborn chicks. So adorable!!

Here are the kids catching butterflies on a screen. The butterflies land on your shadow. It really was so much fun. I even had to take a try at it. Ella loved having them land on her and then she would jump and scare them away. Greyson, of course, is having them land on his behind.Afterward, we decided to try some authentic Chicago-style deep-dish pizza. It was like no other pizza I have ever had! It was seriosuly like a pizza upside-down. It was pretty good and so filling. If you ever come to visit, we'll have to take you!!
One last thing I promise!! I finally finished a project. It went from start to finish in one day. I know, I know I could hardly believe it myself!! I did a couple of wordles for the boys' room. My mom has a friend that did some for her home. I haven't seen them myself, but thought that they sounded adorable. I put my own spin on it, I think and I hope that they turned out okay. You can't see all the embelishments very well because of the glare...but you can get the idea.

Anyway, happy blogging everyone. I hope that spring is blooming in your neck of the woods, because that can only mean it will eventually be up here... Until next time! :)

Food for thought...

Tonight while hanging curtains in my sons' room, I was standing on their bed and it fell through the floor vent. Me thinks that maybe Weight Watchers should be on speed-dial...

Home Sweet...Indiana??

I was looking at my blog background considering if I should change it. I took a glance outside at the dripping slush on my porch and was undecided if I should change it to a spring themed one, or not. The jury is still out considering the weather here in Indiana. That's right people. Indiana. Home Sweet Home. I am sure that my huge blog hiatus didn't go totally unnoticed. While the absence our world was turned on it's head. Up on our head, or not, we have truly realized that the Lord is aware of us and has provided. Being in Indiana is a blessing beyond compare. We are so lucky to be employed without skipping a beat. Anyway, we have traded our cowboy boots and hats of our beloved Amarillo, Texas for woolly mittens and fuzzy hats of Valparaiso, Indiana. We'll also be chanting "Go Crusaders" a whole lot more. We have settled into a bit of a routine and I'm slooooowwwly figuring out the odd placement (imo) of streets here. I've made it to the church house by myself a couple of time (huge victory here) and we've made the YMCA into a well visited place by our family. I'm enjoying the babysitting while I get to work out...without kids....Coop's getting the hang of Tae Kwon Do, Greyson's loving wrestling and swimming and Ella has become our little fish during her swimming lessons. We are loving our ward and Phillip's starting to scratch his head at being alone for the third Friday in a row. Sorry, Honey! I gotta fit in my book club, crafting night and GNO. He's okay with it as long as he gets me Sat. I don't have a complaint there. :) We enjoy serving in the ward and both have new callings that seem to be stretching and rewarding. The kids are getting used to their routine at school. it has been a bit of an adjustment, especially for Cooper. They are ahead in some areas and perhaps a bit behind in some. Overall, they are ahead, though. Cooper is a quick study and has picked up the information, but it has taken some adjusting. We are excited the the schools are so good here, though. The particular school the boys are going to has been awarded a blue ribbon for education. So, that is pretty pleasing to us. Overall, we are settling into place but miss our dear friends in Amarillo and the close distance to our families. We are gearing up for new adventures in Indiana and are excited to cherish this place as much as we did our last home. Here is a little pic of the kiddos the day that we moved from Amarillo. Sorry there isn't more...my picture taking has suffered a bit lately. Thanks to all that have sent notes wondering how we are doing and all the help that has been given. Love to you all!!