Mosquito's & Mom's

Alex got back from his week long scout trip covered with mosquito bites!

I think they hiked 35 miles.

He was telling us about camp, catching frogs and swallowing bugs at dinner tonight and Devree announced, "If I was on that hike, I would cry. I would cry that I wanted to go home and be with my mommy." 

Alex confessed. "I did. I cried Wednesday night."  I asked if he cried for home and for his mom?  He nodded yes. Apparently the bugs were so bad he couldn't sleep and around 2 am he started to cry for home and me.

My poor boy.

He told me how great it felt to come home and take a shower and use the toilet! (He actually gave me a vivid verbal account about pooping in the great outdoors, an experience I will not share here on my blog.)

 But he also said he had a great time on his trip!

While he was away I purged his room. I didn't mean too. I was just changing the sheets on his bed and started straightening and made the mistake of opening a drawer to put something away and it was un-open-able due to the junk crammed in there. I started with one drawer and an hour later  I had every drawer, closet, and shelf cleaned and all the furniture vacuumed under and moved around.

I threw out  junk! Bit's and pieces of wire, tape, garbage. I did dedicate one drawer in his desk just to electronic parts and one drawer for tools. 

I was sort of in a huff thinking "I'll show him!, He'll be so sorry!" But when I was through I knew he would never notice what I threw out and exactly what he'd say. I was right. Upon seeing his room he said "Thanks mom for cleaning my room so good." 

It's hard for me to understand his pack-rat mentality. I know he clings to things because he never had things that were his own before and I know that his mechanical inclination makes him see treasure in parts and pieces and what I consider garbage. It's just something I struggle with. I hate clutter. Good thing when I go on a rampage (which I tend to do quarterly) he's just sweet and grateful he has a clean room.

Before Alex left for camp and the day I got back from camp we had a lying issue.....again. About doing his job. (Seriously, he lies about the dumbest things!) After a big, emotional confrontation I tried talking to him. I told him the other children didn't do their jobs but they were not in trouble like he was. Why is that? What didn't they do?

"Lie."

"Right they didn't lie. Why do you think that is?"

His eyes filled with tears, "Because they learned not to lie when they were one!"

"Well, then why haven't you learned not to lie? You've been here for over two years."

That set him back. 

I think he thought he had an out. He wasn't raised by us from birth so he should be excused for all his character flaws? Really?  He sure set himself up this time, claiming his siblings learned not to lie at age one!

The secondary problem when Alex gets in trouble is he takes his consequence quite well, he doesn't complain but he never apologizes and/or acknowledges he did anything wrong. That bugs me. In fact, it hurts me. He just acts like everything is back to normal. He got in trouble, got a punishment and then moves forward like all is well with the world and nothing happened. 

So, I asked how he would feel if I just hauled off one day and punched him in the stomach?
Bad.
What if I got in some trouble but then I just went on like nothing happened. How would he feel?
He admitted he would feel bad.
What if I never said I was sorry? How would you feel?
Bad.
Would you want to be around me?
No.
Would you feel like things were good between us?
No.
Well, that's how I feel when you lie to me and don't apologize or tell me your sorry. 

Oh, he said.

We talked about the steps of repentance (for the umpteenth time)and then he looked me in my eyes (a feat that is so very hard for him to do when he's in trouble) and told me he was sorry.

Yea. I know he was apologizing because "I made him". But like many of the other issues we've tackled, someone has to teach him and tell him bluntly. He does not learn by example or intuition.

I have to confess that it was a relief to see him go off to scout camp this week however, by the end of the week- when all the fruit was going bad (he eats most the fruit in our home) - I started missing him and his daily hugs.

He asked me last week what I thought his Ukraine mom was doing now? I wasn't sure what to say. I told him that maybe she was missing him? Wondering what he looked like? Wishing she had been a better mom? He told me "No. She didn't care about me like that." 

Yep, pretty sure I was the mom he was crying for while being attacked by mosquito's this week.

That my friends makes all the tears, talks, and drama worth it.

Our Family Motto

For Family Night last night I asked everyone to write down our motto. What our family is about. What we believe. What we stand for. Then we voted and here's what made it:

The Richhart Family:

Believes in Christ 

Loves & Prays

Always Forgives

Trust & Comfort’s Each Other

Spends Time Together

Laughs, Jokes & Plays Cards

Seeks for Truth

Improves Everyday

Loves Music

And

In Times of Trial Will Fight For What’s Right

We are also dang good looking

And

We’ll stick together through the Zombie Apocalypse and for eternity......

Oh, and just because it’s funny doesn’t mean Austin said it!

Girls Camp!

Girls camp is one of my favorite things. Really. I love it. After serving in Relief Society for four years, I am so happy to be back with the Young Women.
We left Wednesday, August 3rd for three nights and four days of camp! But  this wasn't ROUGH out camp, in fact it's a little hard to call it camping, it was really more like a retreat! We stayed in a fabulous cabin in Idaho - thanks to my friend and our awesome Young Women's president, Amy. We even brought a cook! She made the girls help with prep and clean up but as for the leaders? We just sat back and relaxed! Thanks so much Elvia! Alexis was our camp director and did a fabulous job and Jan, Ronda & Eileen rounded out the leaders and are some of my favorite people to hang out. Although we missed our Sara who was home with her new baby!)

Disclaimer: I took a lot of pictures but will only be posting pictures that have Devree or myself in them out of respect for privacy of the 22 girls and six other leaders in attendance.

The girls getting ready to leave:

First stop: Lava Hot Springs Water Park

And ALL of the leaders rode the scary step slide. More than once I might add!

Woot for us!

 Next Stop: Cabin

The theme for camp was "Mind, Body, Spirit" and that night we used our minds and listened to a mock debate about the decision we all made before this life to follow Christ.  I played the "bad guy",  trying to convince the girls that no agency would be a better plan and guarantee their return to Heavenly Father. Alexis played the "good guy" part and we got lot's of questions and interaction with the girls. 

 The next day we drove to Grand Teaton National Park for our hike around Jenny Lake.
This is our group shot!
(Notice our fabulous matching shirts?)

 I snapped this while walking. It was just beautiful!

We had given the girls instructions to bring and keep $7 with them at all times. Our car load of girls kept asking what it was for? (Especially every time we stopped for gas or a bathroom break.) They were sure it was for goodies or lunch on the way home. We just said nothing or "I don't know, it was just on the packing list." We didn't remind them or let on that it was for anything special. 

The hike around the lake is about 7 miles. Half way through we stopped for lunch and our devotional. Then Amy told the bible story of the ten virgins and told them if they were prepared and had their seven dollars they could take the FERRY back and skip the last half of the hike!

We were totally prepared to walk back with those that forgot and let those that did ride the ferry but....

EVERY SINGLE GIRL HAD HER MONEY!

It was a great object lesson!

(We did have a couple of leaders and three girls elect to hike but the rest of us enjoyed the ferry!)

Here we are at Hidden Falls, just a little jaunt off the path to the ferry:

Leaders: Amy, Eileen, Alexis, Me, Elvia, Ronda, Jan
(We really should have taken off our hats!)

We stopped for famous "square" ice cream on the way home in Swan Valley:

That night the girls wrote, practiced and performed "bag skits" (compliments of my many, many costumes and props) and then Alexis did a devotional about their bodies, eating healthy, being fit and remaining chaste and clean. 

Later that night I made the mistake of teaching the younger girls to leg wrestle. They got really wound up. I am pleased to declare that I only lost ONE leg wrestle and NO arm wrestles. (Of course I was wrestling with mostly ninety pound Beehives!)

The next morning I introduced them to some stick pulling! 

We spent the day working on camp certification and doing crafts. It was nice to stay at the cabin and chill and relax. (Minus all the wrestling of course!)

Playing Cards:

 That night we had a campfire and s'mores.

 And then prepared for the Snipe hunt.
(Snipes are attracted to mint toothpaste....don't 'cha know?)

 Here's Amy rubbing soot on her face in honor of Kambree - who did that every year! 

The girls after the Snipe hunt.

They even got me to sport some toothpaste.

This is my friend, driving buddy, and roommate, Jan having to do a dance to get her stuff out of lost and found. We made a basket and collected neglected items and made the girls do a funny dance to get their items back. Leaders were not exempt!

That night the Bishop  & Mark gave a devotional and talked about our Spirit and we ended with a testimony meeting.

Saturday we packed up, cleaned up, and drove home.

It was a fabulous camp!

I can't wait for next year.

Except it will be Stake Camp.

And in tents.

In the dirt.

Hum.....

Maybe I can wait?

Alex's Fishing Trip with Dad & Grandpa

Kambree's 19th Birthday!

Kambree's birthday just happened to be the first day of girls camp this year so we celebrated a day early. She had asked for a Jamaba for her birthday breakfast/treat.

Then we went out to sushi for lunch. (The sushi was long gone before I remembered to take pictures and since I also forgot the camera, we're stuck with phone shots!)

Fried Ice Cream

Then we went to the mall where she "blew out her candles"...

And got her face "threaded". I know. I had never heard of it before either.

Then she opened presents later that night:

This was her BIG gift.....what is it you may be asking??

 Hair Extensions!

 That's what she wanted. (Alex told her she looks like Miley Cyrus!)

Happy Birthday my sweet baby. How could it be nineteen years ago when it seems like yesterday?

Summer Rain Storm!

We've had some incredible summer rain storms lately. 

Yesterday James started the "craziness" and everyone home - except yours truly - joined him. (I am the smart one video taping from inside the doorway!)

Crazy Family.....

Church Talks!

Yesterday, Alex & Kambree spoke in Church. 

This is Alex's journal entry today (before corrections):

Yesterday I gave a talk in Sunday everyone liked it. My lovely mom helped me with the talk. I talked and mom tiped. Twenty people said nice job on your talk in Sunday...

He ended with: 

I am grateful that I am there son.

They both did a great job and many people told me so as well. I had sisters who's eye's would water talking about Alex. I got a "Bless you for adopting that boy."  I had people walk up and tell me how confident and "well posed" Kambree was. She talked on agency and wrote the entire talk herself. I am so proud of both of them!
Alex's talk was a little biography of his life - and I even learned a couple new things about his side of the adoption story so I thought I'd record it here:

My mom told me talks are more interesting when they’re about the person that is giving the talk so I’m going to talk today about my experience with prayer. This is MY story but my mom did helped me type it up and with my sentence structure.

I was born in Dniproprotrosk Ukraine. When I was four my birth father died and my birth mother didn’t take good care of me so, around age five I was sent to an orphanage to live.

The first orphanage was the baby orphanage –where children live while they are under the age of seven- and they took good care of me but when I turned seven I moved to an older orphanage and they didn’t take very good care of me. I didn’t like living there but I didn’t know anything different. I just wished I could go back to my first orphanage. I didn’t wish for a family. I didn’t know what having a nice family was like.

When I was nine years old I was chosen to go on a vacation to America to live with a family for a few weeks and learn about America. I didn’t think much about what it would be like, I was just happy to get away from the orphanage for three weeks. I had just turned ten before I arrived in America in October of 2008.

I met my host family at the airport and they didn’t speak Russian and I didn’t speak any English but they seemed nice.

They took me home and I took my first bath  - we only had cold showers in the orphanage - and then they showed me where I would be sleeping. In a pink girly room.

The hosting program had many activities planned for all the orphans like swimming, horseback riding, the bounce house and the zoo but I didn’t really like the activities, I just wanted to go home and be with my American family. Some of the things I loved doing  with my American family were making and flying paper airplanes with Austin, playing Monopoly with Mom & Rylee, having a Nerf gun war with Austin and my sisters, helping Dad with projects around the house, eating corn dogs with lots of ketchup with Kambree, watching TV & playing video games.

My mom made sugar cookies the first day I was there and gave me some dough to try.  I had never had cookie dough before and I thought it tasted terrible, so I spit back in the bowl! 

I had lot’s of firsts during my trip to America, I rode a bike for the first time, I jumped on a trampoline, I went shopping, I tried lot’s of weird foods and I took a bath everyday. I didn’t like that. We only took showers once a week in Ukraine.

My new American parents sat down and talked with me through a translator and asked if I wanted to be adopted and be their son forever and I said YES! Only really, I said “da” because I didn’t speak English yet.

I had to go back to the orphanage while my parents did the paperwork and I was very sad because I wanted to stay here forever.

I was sure they would come get me but no one knew how long it would take and I had no idea how much longer I would have to live in the orphanage.

While I was in the orphanage a Christian lady would come on Sundays and teach us about God and the bible. She told us we could pray and our prayers would be answered. But she also told us that prayers are not always answered as fast as we’d like. She had been coming to the orphanage for years teaching us every Sunday but I had never tried to pray. I didn’t know what to pray for. The first time I prayed was after I got back from America. I prayed that my new family would come get me.  I kept my adoption a secret, I didn’t tell my friends or my teachers but after everyone went to sleep I would get out of my bed and kneel down and pray for my American mom to come get me.

It took four and half very long months for my parents to finish the adoption paper work and come to Ukraine. I was so happy to see them and I knew my prayers had been answered.

When I got home I learned English and after a few months  I was taught the gospel by the missionaries. They asked me if I wanted to be baptized?  And I said “YES!”  Not “da” because now I could speak English. I was baptized in October of 2009 just a year after the hosting program and I was eleven years old.

In March of 2010 I was sealed to my new family in the Salt Lake Temple and I felt that I was no longer an orphan. I knew I had a family forever.

I would like to bear my testimony……

That night Alex laid his head against me and informed me "Real mom's love their children. My first mom was not a real mom because she didn't love me. You are my real mom because you love me." Not really sure where that came from or why? But dang! I loved it!!

Jake's New Baby!

Jake and Lindsay had their baby Sunday, July 31st.

Last I heard they were thinking about naming her Scarlet.

Isn't she just beautiful?

I love this picture of Scarlet with Uncle James.

('Course I love him. He just looks so big holding this little one. Makes me think about him holding our littles)

Misc July Pics....

Ants in Ella's beard....

Just eating cereal...

Extra Parade Photo's....

I love this one....look at the girl on the float, then look at Kambree!

A random Ry photo....

Austin got creative and Googled this recipe. 

Honey Walnut Shrimp.

Kid pile!

Devree and friends sleeping out on trampoline....

Devree and 15 of her closest friends over for night games.....

Devree and friends jumping on the tramp in the rain

Then they went to the park and the rain REALLY started coming down. It even started hailing. Here they are dripping in the tub!

Ella sunbathing....