What's happening at "HOME"

Well, from the looks of this blog, some of us seem to have a moment to post at the same time! I apologize for the lack of input on our part...........we (meaning Dad and Stephen) are working on it. Dad actually wrote down the answers to your questions, Melinda, on a sheet of paper. Silly........I told him that really doesn't count. He has to actually e-mail it to you, so you can do whatever you plan on doing with the information. So........I will see what I can do about getting him to send it to you sometime really soon ( like tonight or tomorrow). As for Stephen replying to the 100 facts about himself........I mean really......who was the wise guy who tagged him? (Shelly!!) It will be a small miracle if he finds time to post 20 facts about himself. This boy works 40 plus hours a week, studies Mondays and Wednesdays for the GED and ACT, gets up early every morning for seminary, hangs out with friends and then, spends his "free time" trying to get this stupid computer to act like it is supposed to!! It likes to just randomly shut down at very inconvenient times. Hopefully I will actually get to post this before it wigs out on me for the 4 th time in the past 1/2 hour!! But, I will nag Stephen about posting his facts, AGAIN!! He said he would do it last Sunday..........ha, ha. This boy is related to his Dad and his brother Samuel. Writing just is not fun for them!! Although Stephen is in the process of composing an essay on his most memorable day for his GED studies. I am anxious to see what day he writes about and how much embellishing he ends up doing!! Hmmmm......could be interesting!!!

I remember when I used to have down time.........when I actually got bored. I am so busy now that sitting at the computer for more than 10 minutes at a time, without doing seminary stuff, is actually a luxury!!! I love my job...........4 to 7 year old kids are very entertaining, as long as you don't have to be with them for 8 hours a day. I get over 600 of them for 2 1/2 hours a day. I am actually getting to know more than half of their names.........they like to test me......"What's my name?" Or--"What's my last name?" They are fun, for the most part........sometimes I have to get mean and send some mis-behaving child to the naughty table. Most of them just like hugs and attention. Anyway, it gives me something to do during the days, and gives me a bit of $ to help out our budget and I don't ever have to worry about working on weekends, holidays and summer. I am spending Thursdays after work in Dad's office, helping him out with whatever needs to be done. There is quite a bit, actually, if he will let me THROW THINGS AWAY!! That is my goal, to clean up and get a bit of a woman's touch to that office. So Scott is only home alone for a couple of hours on Thursday. He spends his time lately with a new friend, named MacGyver.......thanks to Samuel. Dad has finished all the disks............now he can concentrate on something else!!

Scott and Stephen are pretty bummed. They just found out that our Stake Youth Conference is the SAME WEEK AS THE REUNION!! And this was to be Scott's first year to go..........that really stinks!! And Stephen is on the Youth Committee for planning the conference!! Poor Scott.......he turns 14 this summer........actually that week that everything is happening. If I had an extra $400 sitting around, I would send him to EFY with Stephen (if he gets in). I suppose we could always try getting him in later if we do find some mulah for him. Next year's youth conference is the biggy, though. They will be doing another handcart trek and Scott will be able to go to that one. We will just have to make the reunion trip one that is memorable for the boys to make up for missing their activity.

Seminary keeps me studying, which I really like. In fact, I miss the intense study time in the summer. I now have 14 students, all very lively, and very talkative. But they are all good kids and we have a great time. Some mornings, though, I wonder why I even bother. Sometimes I feel like I got nothing through their heads, or their hearts. But then, we have days that are amazing and I am in awe of these teenagers. It makes it all worth it. But all these mornings getting up at 5 am (I think I can relate to Seth and Melinda) are showing up on me, occasionally. Today one of the girls at work told me I look exhausted and that I need to go home and take a nap!!! Well, I took her advise.....and after shopping at Wal-Mart, unloading the car, putting away all the groceries, getting the laundry started and eating lunch (at 4 pm) I did just that............for a half an hour!! Woopie!!

I just want all of you to know how cool it was for Dad and I this past Christmas to have almost all our kids here with us. My favorite thing to do is hang out with my family. Thanks everyone for making the effort and spending the time and money to come "home". Hopefully our newest recruits to the Claybrook family (namely Jake and Adam) will feel like this is another home to them also, and feel comfortable and relaxed as time goes by. Oh how we missed the Schloegels though!! I suppose there will be very few times from now on that we have everyone one of us all together in the same spot at the same time.

Ok.........I think I have rambled on enough. Time to sign off and say "so long".........Oh, by the way, Shelly, I was just giving you a hard time about posting a picture that was NOT my grandson on our FAMILY web site!! I would have been shocked if you actually DID put one of those ugly things in Rylan's mouth!! You didn't REALLY think I was that out of it that I did not recognize the cutest boy in the world did you???

Remember.........Mom loves each of you!!