Every day we walked to the Lindon Park which was a mile away and played on the playground for at least an hour. The hills at the back of the park were great for exploring and in the fall provided piles of acorns and leaves in which to crunch. During each walk I surveyed the different neighborhoods, scoping out each of the houses and daydreaming about the day when we would be able to buy our own house. I critiqued the different lawns and color schemes finding different aspects that I preferred of each.
We took trips to the nearby Deseret Industries Thrift Store, the only place that I could afford to window shop. Nathan was in the last year of his Master's program, and now that I wasn't working we were pretty broke. I savored the great bargains I could find, like a toddler bed for Brandon for only $5. He and I perused the toy and book section and occasionally came home with our little treasures.
I invited Brandon's cousins over to play or went to visit them occasionally. We took trips to the Pleasant Grove library and checked out a stack of books to read together. Craving intellectual stimulation, I spent the afternoon on our front porch, perusing borrowed newspapers while Brandon played around in our front yard with his rescue rider. I followed him around chasing after his wanderings. Sometimes we would sit in the car, and I would let him drive the steering wheel just to get through a long day.
Never will I forget the overwhelming feeling of making it through each day until Nathan arrived from work. Partly, we had absolutely money then, so I had few options, but partly it was just the season that I was in at the time.
Within the past 15 years, life has gotten far busier, and I now find myself figuring out how I can fit everything into the small amount of time that I have. We no longer have a free evening at home, and I can't remember the last time I felt bored, but I am positive that it was years ago. Just last Friday, I was in charge of the Ward Activity, so I left to set up after taking the girls to their homeschool art class. Brandon was at a basketball game in Phoenix, OR, and Nathan took Andrew to his Eagle Board of Review. Multi-tasking has taken on new meaning these days.
I find myself pining for the simpler days. While I don't want to go back to that time, I wouldn't mind just a week or two with nothing to do. With 5 children at different stages of life, thing are hectic, and I don't see it slowing down anytime soon. Somehow, I will muddle through it all. I imagine myself, at times, in the future looking back on this period with a sense of satisfaction that I somehow survived without tripping up too badly.
In the meantime, I just try to stay on top of the waves and enjoy the journey.
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