Fig Syrup and Night Swimming

We just spent the weekend in the Uintah's with good friends, sleeping in, eating really unhealthy food, and teaching our kids the in's and out's of snipe hunting. When we got home, I walked into the kitchen and stared at the sink, trying to figure out where all the splatters of something dark and brown had come from. And then my eyes moved up. Apparently a bottle of fig syrup I had made a few weeks ago, and then left in the sink right before we left, had exploded. Like, EXPLODED.

So naturally, we put the kids to bed and I spent the evening watching the Office. That left a load of work on my plate today. But the kids were great and Eloise and Jane even offered to help for about 15 minutes, and about six hours later I was done! Sometimes I think I'm just so GREAT at cleaning.

Once the house was almost back in order, we convinced Dad to brave Walmart with us to get a few ingredients for some pies I used as a bribe to my young women for them to bear their testimonies last Fast and Testimony meeting. We also needed some Command Strips for our new "Task Charts" that Hazel was hastily finishing for Family Home Evening tonight.

Walmart + Petsmart (for lizard food) in ONE HOUR = cause to celebrate.

After dinner we went over our current family systems, assigning each kid (except Jane) a system to be in charge of and explain to the rest of the family. Besides the two times that Ed stormed off in anger, once because he was shot with Dad's water gun for sucking on his fingers, they seemed to really be into these systems. I hope they work.

After dishes were done and Family Night was over, it was 8:30 and the kids reminded me that I had mentioned "night swimming" earlier in the day when I must have been feeling a bolt of energy and thought it might last past 8 pm. David immediately said that was crazy and he wasn't going. But I wanted to stick to my word, so I told the kids to get their swimsuits on. We stayed for an hour and the water was warm and Jane ended up in my lap, smelling of summer and her own strawberry-shortcake-ness. As I knelt for prayers with my two oldest, they both gave thanks for having the best mom in the world. I know they won't always feel that way, but for now, I'll tuck that memory away in my heart and save it forever.

Good, good day.

Janelle