We had a great visit from my Australian friend, Sonya. Last year she stayed with our friends, the Phillips, for a few months while she was waiting to move to a new place. She loved it so much, she wants to come visit every year! So, she came back---and stayed with our friends again... It was great fun. She came with me on Brennan's field trip. We went to a Pioneer Museum in Provo and then to the aquarium. Brennan is such a lovely kid! We went out to lunch with friends from the neighborhood--really it is all the ladies I visit teach. Sonya would come with me last year, and she became friends with them as well! We also went to the gardens at Thanksgiving Point. The kids loved seeing her and having her attend their sports games, visit, and even make Lammingtons. We are so grateful for her friendship and love.
The kids have all been busy with sports and Brennan tried out Football this season and loved it. Although their team lost every game (none of them had really played before), they all loved it and had so much fun. Brennan was the first to score a touch down and actually made quite a few throughout the season. He played with his friends Luke, Mack, and Tyler. It was so much fun to watch them try and figure out how to play--and then do so with enthusiasm.
Aidan had another successful year in soccer. He loves to play and works hard practicing. I am always impressed with how dedicated he is to things--he puts all his energy into doing his best at things. He is doing great in school and this year gets to be a part of the choir at school. The choir teacher is so good. They are preparing now for the Veteran's assembly and he tried out to do a solo, but unfortunately didn't get the part. But you can bet that won't stop him from still singing his heart out with the choir.
All kids had parent teacher conferences this past month, and of course they are all doing well. I am impressed with how well Weston is keeping up in Middle School, even with all the changes and more work required than elementary. And of course he is loving soccer. They had their last game of the season and he got to be captain and play forward. He has scored several points and is a great defender when he plays midfield. He is making some good friends, Landon and Riley, and is loving Young Men's. He has gone on scout trips and gone to the temple monthly. Now he gets to attend Youth Firesides and we had a very interesting one last month. Tallis was here and was able to go with us, too. It was the producer of Cokeville Miracles talking about the making of the movie and all the miracles he heard about that weren't put in the movie. So cool. If you haven't seen it, you should!
I have a parenting book I love called "Parenting with Love" by Glenn Latham and I was talking with some girlfriends about it and one of them asked me to teach a class about it for a Relief Society activity. So I did, and then we formed a little parenting support group and we meet weekly. We discuss principles in the book and make goals for ourselves and then go the next week and discuss how things went. I am very happy with it and it has been very helpful to me and the other moms.
Scott still suffered from his stomach pains the entire month. But we found some "home remedies" that seem to help. Barley water is one of them. You just boil barley water and then let it sit and then strain off the barley and drink the "juice". He adds honey and cinnamon, so it doesn't taste terrible. It has been one of the best helps. He suggests to everyone to always wash hands and if at all possible, don't take antibiotics!
Elise is having so much fun in tumbling, let's play music and kindergarten. She is such a fun kid. I love how much she shows her love to the family. Always telling us she loves us and wants to cuddle and hug us. Ah, makes you feel good! I am truly missing her while she is gone to kindergarten and will really have a hard time when she is gone all day! She is really into drawing and coloring right now and so many of her pictures are colorful and sweet. And most girls have very very long hair... It is so fun to see her grow and develop. And she is such a girl. She tells me I need to "flip my hair" and that I look beautiful when I do that.
With the summer over and winter approaching, we are busy getting the last of our garden harvested (so much spaghetti sauce!) and prepping for the holiday season. Halloween was great this year, but hard for Weston because he is growing up and giving up kid things is hard! It didn't feel like Halloween because he didn't go out trick or treating, but he did go to a Utah Football game. And although he loved that and loves doing grown up things, change is hard! He did dress up for the ward party though as Calvin (from Calvin and Hobbes). Great costume! Aidan was a phantom and Brennan was a grim reaper. Aidan went with friends trick or treating and brought home TOO much candy!!! Brennan and Elise went with me and also brought home too much! Elise was dressed as a princess and wore a dress Mom Daw made for Scott's sister Shari 35 years ago! It was gorgeous on her and she truly acted like a princess.
Love to you all!
Friday, November 6, 2015
Sunday, November 1, 2015
October Part 1--General Conference
General Conference was especially exciting this year (of course!) because Aidan got to sing in the second session of General Conference. A few kids from each ward were chosen (ok, we may have petitioned a bit...) from the stakes participating. He went to practices every Sunday for about 5 weeks, and then to a practice down in the center the week before. The choir director was Sister Emily Wadley. Though he was placed in a great place (right by the organ!) he wasn't shown much on the camera (though Kim got the best pic of him when he was onscreen).
But, though he wasn't seen, he was heard--the choir did a great job. (you can download the songs here: https://www.lds.org/general-conference/music?lang=eng#d) And it was so special to be part of something to spectacular. Supposedly this was the first time they have done an all primary choir at General Conference.
But, though he wasn't seen, he was heard--the choir did a great job. (you can download the songs here: https://www.lds.org/general-conference/music?lang=eng#d) And it was so special to be part of something to spectacular. Supposedly this was the first time they have done an all primary choir at General Conference.
This pic was on the Mormon Newsroom webpage about the Saturday Session. It said, "Members of the children's choir fidget in their seats during the afternoon session". So glad my son was sitting still (though slumped... but it can be hard to sit in those big seats!). At one of the practices, the General Primary Presidency was there and after Aidan got to meet Sister Wixom and Sister Esplin. He had been sitting in the front row, and both of them said they remember looking down at him and thinking he looked so good singing!
And lucky for he and I, we got our pic snapped by a photographer and it was posted on the church's newsroom facebook page (so famous now...).
This is what he had to say about his experience (which was then put on the Friend's Facebook page)
Sunday, October 4, 2015
September
Aidan completed his second triathlon. He has been training for this for a few months. It was held up in Bountiful. He started with a 150 meter swim, then transitioned to his bike and rode 3 miles, and lastly ran 1.5 miles. He did it in a great time: 36 minutes! We are so proud of his hard work and dedication. It was thrilling to be able to cheer him on. Jon Lear and his family were there, too. It was fun to catch up with them. We then celebrated at an IHOP for breakfast!
Besides triathlon, Aidan has been playing soccer, playing the piano, and playing pokemon. Busy childhood! Weston is also busy with soccer. He practices three times a week. He is playing mid field and does a great job because he has skills as a defender and an offender. We really like the coach and he is making good friends on the team. He and Aidan went to a Real Monarchs Soccer game and were able to walk onto the field and be presented as those who participated in Real Soccer camps. Fun, but not as exciting as we thought it would be. Still...
Weston is also in full swing in Junior High. And he is doing well. There is always a little trepidation going into something unknown and "big", but he has handled it all well. Scott and Weston went camping with the scouts up to Five Mile Pass. Weston is really loving being in Young Men's and enjoys the activities and friends he is making there.
I am still in Young Women (and I love being able to go to activities with Weston at times!). I was in charge of a combined YW activity and it turned out fun. I made the Questival (that activity in the spring that our family did) into a Service Questival. The girls were put into teams and went around performing acts of service and got points according to how difficult the activity was.
Our neighbors joined us going to the gem faire this year. Aidan bought some buffalo nickels and Brennan and Aidan both bought some copper coins. Brennan is doing wonderfully in flag football, scoring the first touchdown for his team and has scored two other times! He is having fun. He is also studying hard and came home with a "caught being good" card!
Elise has had fun in kindergarten this year. Every few weeks they have what is called a "culminating activity" to celebrate what they have been studying. I get to help out (because I signed up to be the room mom...) and have been able to see her as she learns and grows. She studied Native Americans and how they lived.
The highlight of September was when Omi and Opa came to visit (separately though). Opa came for just a few days but was able to attend a soccer game with us--and Adam. I love it when they get together. Then Omi came and she lovingly helped me make my quilt! We invited my friend Norma over to help out as well. I had put the squares together beforehand but I needed the expertise of ladies who know how to quilt professionally! We set it up and quickly finished it up. Then Omi and I did some shopping to find some decorations to go in the basement. We loved having Omi stay with us--in our new basement! Although the finished plumbing wasn't done, she did at least get to stay in our new guest room.
Besides doing more basement finishing this month, we have been making lots of spaghetti sauce. Lots. Scott is a pro at it now. We have had several people ask for the recipe, so I posted it, and because of that, several people have asked to borrow our veggie strainer. I really should get paid commission on all the things I "sell" to people...
Unfortunately, much of this month Scott has been sick. Because of the antibiotics he was on, and just being sick before, he also got something called "C Diff"and it is a nasty one that just doesn't feel good, and is hard to get rid of. Fortunately, he has seen a specialist and is now on the mend.
With the sickness, we have been more vigilant about being clean. We do not want a winter full of sickness. A happy Fall to you all--may you have healthy and happy October!
Besides triathlon, Aidan has been playing soccer, playing the piano, and playing pokemon. Busy childhood! Weston is also busy with soccer. He practices three times a week. He is playing mid field and does a great job because he has skills as a defender and an offender. We really like the coach and he is making good friends on the team. He and Aidan went to a Real Monarchs Soccer game and were able to walk onto the field and be presented as those who participated in Real Soccer camps. Fun, but not as exciting as we thought it would be. Still...
Weston is also in full swing in Junior High. And he is doing well. There is always a little trepidation going into something unknown and "big", but he has handled it all well. Scott and Weston went camping with the scouts up to Five Mile Pass. Weston is really loving being in Young Men's and enjoys the activities and friends he is making there.
I am still in Young Women (and I love being able to go to activities with Weston at times!). I was in charge of a combined YW activity and it turned out fun. I made the Questival (that activity in the spring that our family did) into a Service Questival. The girls were put into teams and went around performing acts of service and got points according to how difficult the activity was.
Our neighbors joined us going to the gem faire this year. Aidan bought some buffalo nickels and Brennan and Aidan both bought some copper coins. Brennan is doing wonderfully in flag football, scoring the first touchdown for his team and has scored two other times! He is having fun. He is also studying hard and came home with a "caught being good" card!
Elise has had fun in kindergarten this year. Every few weeks they have what is called a "culminating activity" to celebrate what they have been studying. I get to help out (because I signed up to be the room mom...) and have been able to see her as she learns and grows. She studied Native Americans and how they lived.
The highlight of September was when Omi and Opa came to visit (separately though). Opa came for just a few days but was able to attend a soccer game with us--and Adam. I love it when they get together. Then Omi came and she lovingly helped me make my quilt! We invited my friend Norma over to help out as well. I had put the squares together beforehand but I needed the expertise of ladies who know how to quilt professionally! We set it up and quickly finished it up. Then Omi and I did some shopping to find some decorations to go in the basement. We loved having Omi stay with us--in our new basement! Although the finished plumbing wasn't done, she did at least get to stay in our new guest room.
Besides doing more basement finishing this month, we have been making lots of spaghetti sauce. Lots. Scott is a pro at it now. We have had several people ask for the recipe, so I posted it, and because of that, several people have asked to borrow our veggie strainer. I really should get paid commission on all the things I "sell" to people...
Unfortunately, much of this month Scott has been sick. Because of the antibiotics he was on, and just being sick before, he also got something called "C Diff"and it is a nasty one that just doesn't feel good, and is hard to get rid of. Fortunately, he has seen a specialist and is now on the mend.
With the sickness, we have been more vigilant about being clean. We do not want a winter full of sickness. A happy Fall to you all--may you have healthy and happy October!
Sunday, September 6, 2015
August
The last month of summer is always busy because we try to shove everything we haven't been able to do into the last days before school. This year was extra busy. But, yes, we did get in some fun family time.
The big event was a day at Boondocks (arcade, games, rides, etc). All summer they have been saving their candy and turning off lights (this is a problem at our house) and received POINTS. Those points went into tokens for the arcade at Boondocks. They love to play those dumb games! Though, I admit, it is addicting, and I can see why people become gamblers. But, that is not all we did. We played laser tag, rode race cars, water boats, and played on the jungle gym. We spent hours and hours there, even went home for lunch, and came back! I am proud of the kids for not eating candy and for learning to turn off their lights--worth it!
We also went to "This is the Place" with my friends from France, Karine and Fred Harvard. It was so fun to see them and the kids had blast. Their daughters are sweet girls. They now live in California and plan on visiting Utah again. Karine was my visiting teacher when I lived in France and I learned a great deal from her. She is the only member in her family. She met Fred when I was there, but he wasn't a member. He joined the church and they got married. Now they are a very faithful couple who are great parents and good people.
It is fun to see friends! I also had a visit from a friend from Ricks and BYU, Trevor Cardno. It was great to see him and talk about the old days. Fun to catch up.
The kids had fun with other kids in the neighborhood. We did a "backyard battle"--kids brought any toys that battle; Pokemon, Beyblades, nerf guns, etc. They had a great time! Brennan and his friend Luke had a Magic Show they put on for neighborhood kids. And Aidan, Brennan, and Elise went to a Carnival held by some of the young girls (they had put together little activities for the kids and charged so parents could have a night out, They were quite the entrepreneurs).
For Weston, big changes are happening. He started Oquirrh Hills Middle School AND he got braces! His orthodontist is a guy from the ward and is very good at what he does. And a good guy. Weston was very good for him, and didn't complain at all. He was wary about showing us his silver smile, but eventually we got a grin from him and now he is used to the braces and they haven't bothered him too much (just wait until he gets them tightened...). He is signed up for some great classes. I am excited to speak Spanish with him (we will have a secret language no one else in the family can understand!). He has his locker combination memorized and has figured out how to get to each class. Easy peasy, right? He is doing great on his soccer team and loves going to Young Men. They did another camp out and he is a trooper. Carrying everything he needs on his back! We are lucky to have such a good, responsible kid for the oldest brother in our family!
Aidan's teacher this year is Mrs. O'Donoghue from Ireland. She is a great teacher and will suit him well. He is already loving school and doing well. His big news is that he will be singing in a Primary Choir during the second session of General Conference (look for him!). He has practices weekly until then, so he is keeping busy with that, homework, piano and soccer. We love his hard work and determination (read in Cuz Chron about his newest goal he has set).
Brennan's teacher is Mrs. Periera from England. She is a strict, but good teacher. Brennan is such a sweet boy and always looking on the bright side. He decided to do Flag Football this year with his friend Luke. He told me, "With sports, I don't really care, I just want to do whatever Luke is doing." Easy to please. But, even without caring to much, he is hard at work trying to learn how to play and practicing with Weston.
Elise is now a Kindergartner! I can't believe it. My baby is in school every day! I will miss her, as she has been such a great buddy for me. I love taking her places and doing things with her. :( But, I am excited for her to be a school girl. She is in Mrs. Martir's class and is already starting to learn cursive and all her sounds. She is also busy with tumbling twice a week and she started Let's Play Music! She loves it and is able to go with her friends Halle and Nathan.
With all that is going on now, I have SIX different carpools to get kids to all their activities. I have a special calendar JUST for carpool! It is crazy, and busy, but I have also had lots of time to try and catch up on things--like finishing up the last things in the basement. My big project right now is taking everything out of the storage room, organizing it, throwing things out, and putting it all back in in a sensible manner. Next project, mom is coming to help me finish my quilt. Scott has been doing little things such as door stops, touch up paint, big furniture in place, etc. It is so nice to have it done and be able to enjoy a cool (nice in the summer) place to hang out!
But, finishing the basement has been interrupted over and over again with other things. Such as Scott's parents moving into their new home. They sold the one in Murray and now they will live just 10 minutes away from us! The house is gorgeous, but much smaller (which is good), and so they have gotten rid of LOTS of stuff. And guess who took lots of it? And where am I going to put it????? Good thing I am going through the storage room and organizing! Maybe I can fit all the the new things in it! We are glad Scott's parents are close, but it has come with something: we are constantly being called to help dad move this, do that, etc... I guess we will put up with it since we get to see them often! :)
Scott got extremely sick. He wasn't feeling well, and stayed in bed for a few days. Finally on a Friday night, he was in so much pain that we took him to the Emergency Room. Luckily, Omi and Opa were on their way down, so they stayed with the kids. It ended up being three different bacteria strains, Salmonella, Campylobacter, and something else I can't pronounce. Poor guy was miserable. He was supposed to run a triathlon, but of course had to miss it. A few weeks later was his Half Iron Man. He felt good enough to do it, but I wonder once he was done if he should have done it... Too soon after being sick. But, I am proud of him because he stretched his limits and did something very difficult!
Weather is cooling down, slightly, and we are ready to harvest and make spaghetti sauce. Our trees didn't produce much unfortunately, but honestly, I don't think I would have had time to take care of it all anyway. The basement is so consuming! Thank goodness things are calming down and we are back to a schedule. Love to you all!
The big event was a day at Boondocks (arcade, games, rides, etc). All summer they have been saving their candy and turning off lights (this is a problem at our house) and received POINTS. Those points went into tokens for the arcade at Boondocks. They love to play those dumb games! Though, I admit, it is addicting, and I can see why people become gamblers. But, that is not all we did. We played laser tag, rode race cars, water boats, and played on the jungle gym. We spent hours and hours there, even went home for lunch, and came back! I am proud of the kids for not eating candy and for learning to turn off their lights--worth it!
We also went to "This is the Place" with my friends from France, Karine and Fred Harvard. It was so fun to see them and the kids had blast. Their daughters are sweet girls. They now live in California and plan on visiting Utah again. Karine was my visiting teacher when I lived in France and I learned a great deal from her. She is the only member in her family. She met Fred when I was there, but he wasn't a member. He joined the church and they got married. Now they are a very faithful couple who are great parents and good people.
It is fun to see friends! I also had a visit from a friend from Ricks and BYU, Trevor Cardno. It was great to see him and talk about the old days. Fun to catch up.
The kids had fun with other kids in the neighborhood. We did a "backyard battle"--kids brought any toys that battle; Pokemon, Beyblades, nerf guns, etc. They had a great time! Brennan and his friend Luke had a Magic Show they put on for neighborhood kids. And Aidan, Brennan, and Elise went to a Carnival held by some of the young girls (they had put together little activities for the kids and charged so parents could have a night out, They were quite the entrepreneurs).
For Weston, big changes are happening. He started Oquirrh Hills Middle School AND he got braces! His orthodontist is a guy from the ward and is very good at what he does. And a good guy. Weston was very good for him, and didn't complain at all. He was wary about showing us his silver smile, but eventually we got a grin from him and now he is used to the braces and they haven't bothered him too much (just wait until he gets them tightened...). He is signed up for some great classes. I am excited to speak Spanish with him (we will have a secret language no one else in the family can understand!). He has his locker combination memorized and has figured out how to get to each class. Easy peasy, right? He is doing great on his soccer team and loves going to Young Men. They did another camp out and he is a trooper. Carrying everything he needs on his back! We are lucky to have such a good, responsible kid for the oldest brother in our family!
Aidan's teacher this year is Mrs. O'Donoghue from Ireland. She is a great teacher and will suit him well. He is already loving school and doing well. His big news is that he will be singing in a Primary Choir during the second session of General Conference (look for him!). He has practices weekly until then, so he is keeping busy with that, homework, piano and soccer. We love his hard work and determination (read in Cuz Chron about his newest goal he has set).
Brennan's teacher is Mrs. Periera from England. She is a strict, but good teacher. Brennan is such a sweet boy and always looking on the bright side. He decided to do Flag Football this year with his friend Luke. He told me, "With sports, I don't really care, I just want to do whatever Luke is doing." Easy to please. But, even without caring to much, he is hard at work trying to learn how to play and practicing with Weston.
Elise is now a Kindergartner! I can't believe it. My baby is in school every day! I will miss her, as she has been such a great buddy for me. I love taking her places and doing things with her. :( But, I am excited for her to be a school girl. She is in Mrs. Martir's class and is already starting to learn cursive and all her sounds. She is also busy with tumbling twice a week and she started Let's Play Music! She loves it and is able to go with her friends Halle and Nathan.
With all that is going on now, I have SIX different carpools to get kids to all their activities. I have a special calendar JUST for carpool! It is crazy, and busy, but I have also had lots of time to try and catch up on things--like finishing up the last things in the basement. My big project right now is taking everything out of the storage room, organizing it, throwing things out, and putting it all back in in a sensible manner. Next project, mom is coming to help me finish my quilt. Scott has been doing little things such as door stops, touch up paint, big furniture in place, etc. It is so nice to have it done and be able to enjoy a cool (nice in the summer) place to hang out!
But, finishing the basement has been interrupted over and over again with other things. Such as Scott's parents moving into their new home. They sold the one in Murray and now they will live just 10 minutes away from us! The house is gorgeous, but much smaller (which is good), and so they have gotten rid of LOTS of stuff. And guess who took lots of it? And where am I going to put it????? Good thing I am going through the storage room and organizing! Maybe I can fit all the the new things in it! We are glad Scott's parents are close, but it has come with something: we are constantly being called to help dad move this, do that, etc... I guess we will put up with it since we get to see them often! :)
Scott got extremely sick. He wasn't feeling well, and stayed in bed for a few days. Finally on a Friday night, he was in so much pain that we took him to the Emergency Room. Luckily, Omi and Opa were on their way down, so they stayed with the kids. It ended up being three different bacteria strains, Salmonella, Campylobacter, and something else I can't pronounce. Poor guy was miserable. He was supposed to run a triathlon, but of course had to miss it. A few weeks later was his Half Iron Man. He felt good enough to do it, but I wonder once he was done if he should have done it... Too soon after being sick. But, I am proud of him because he stretched his limits and did something very difficult!
Weather is cooling down, slightly, and we are ready to harvest and make spaghetti sauce. Our trees didn't produce much unfortunately, but honestly, I don't think I would have had time to take care of it all anyway. The basement is so consuming! Thank goodness things are calming down and we are back to a schedule. Love to you all!
Cuz Chron
Brennan:
I am in my third semester of playing piano. I can play "Song of Joy" and "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star". I made my own piano song about my neighbor's babies, Avery and Asher. It is about them trying to get their toys, but they can't get them. So they start crawling and get them. We are learning about puppet show called, The Royal Problem (Symphony No. 40 in G minor, 3rd Movement, by Mozart). My favorite part is the dragon. I go with my friend Jack to Let's Play Music.
Aidan:
My dad and I have been training for my triathlon. It is on September 7th. I will be swimming 150 yards, bike 2.5 miles, and run 1.5 miles. I took lessons in swimming for a month. It helped me go faster. My dad and I ran and biked a lot together. It's going to be fun.
I started my soccer season playing for South Jordan Rec. We had our first game and we won 5-0. I scored three goals!
Our school class did a really fun thing called "Ambassadors". We learned about being respectful. We did a relay race where someone was blindfolded and another person had to help them through. We went to a class and learned how to meet people properly. We went to another class and learned how to write Thank You notes. We went to a classroom and learned how to go through a refreshment table. We got to eat cake. I had fun at the Ambassadors event!
Elise:
We do arch ups, cartwheels, handstands, and splits. I love tumbling. The end.
Kindergarten is fun. And we had a fun day. We had to cursive and it was fun. And we can be nice. The Kissing Hand is a book about a kid afraid to go to school and the mom put a kiss on her hand. My mommy did that to me. One of my friends is Maren. We have a fun time. My teacher is Mrs. Martir.
I am in my third semester of playing piano. I can play "Song of Joy" and "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star". I made my own piano song about my neighbor's babies, Avery and Asher. It is about them trying to get their toys, but they can't get them. So they start crawling and get them. We are learning about puppet show called, The Royal Problem (Symphony No. 40 in G minor, 3rd Movement, by Mozart). My favorite part is the dragon. I go with my friend Jack to Let's Play Music.
Aidan:
My dad and I have been training for my triathlon. It is on September 7th. I will be swimming 150 yards, bike 2.5 miles, and run 1.5 miles. I took lessons in swimming for a month. It helped me go faster. My dad and I ran and biked a lot together. It's going to be fun.
I started my soccer season playing for South Jordan Rec. We had our first game and we won 5-0. I scored three goals!
Our school class did a really fun thing called "Ambassadors". We learned about being respectful. We did a relay race where someone was blindfolded and another person had to help them through. We went to a class and learned how to meet people properly. We went to another class and learned how to write Thank You notes. We went to a classroom and learned how to go through a refreshment table. We got to eat cake. I had fun at the Ambassadors event!
Elise:
We do arch ups, cartwheels, handstands, and splits. I love tumbling. The end.
Kindergarten is fun. And we had a fun day. We had to cursive and it was fun. And we can be nice. The Kissing Hand is a book about a kid afraid to go to school and the mom put a kiss on her hand. My mommy did that to me. One of my friends is Maren. We have a fun time. My teacher is Mrs. Martir.
Friday, August 14, 2015
Cuz Chron
Weston
This month I went to scout camp with my troop. We had a lot of fun. Our troop staff helper, Zack, aka Poptart, was really nice and funny. We each did five merit badges, I did: rifle, art, archery, wood carving and environmental science. It took me two tries to finish archery. We were supposed to get a score of 160, but the first time, I got 89. The second time I got 162-- Just passing! My favorite merit badge was rifle, I got one of the highest scores out of everyone for the whole week. I got 85, the top was 89. We each had to cook two meals. We had everything from cold cereal, elk meat, to chicken alfredo. We slept in a three walled cabin called an Adirondack. It was really cold the first three nights. There was frost on the benches in the morning. The lake was really cold and we all had to jump in, in the morning (when it was freezing!). I got a new pocket knife with a dragon on it. It also has a seat belt cutter and a glass breaker in case you are in an accident. Scout camp was really fun!
This month I went to scout camp with my troop. We had a lot of fun. Our troop staff helper, Zack, aka Poptart, was really nice and funny. We each did five merit badges, I did: rifle, art, archery, wood carving and environmental science. It took me two tries to finish archery. We were supposed to get a score of 160, but the first time, I got 89. The second time I got 162-- Just passing! My favorite merit badge was rifle, I got one of the highest scores out of everyone for the whole week. I got 85, the top was 89. We each had to cook two meals. We had everything from cold cereal, elk meat, to chicken alfredo. We slept in a three walled cabin called an Adirondack. It was really cold the first three nights. There was frost on the benches in the morning. The lake was really cold and we all had to jump in, in the morning (when it was freezing!). I got a new pocket knife with a dragon on it. It also has a seat belt cutter and a glass breaker in case you are in an accident. Scout camp was really fun!
Monday, August 3, 2015
July
My kids are so creative! Weston held a soccer camp for neighborhood kids to earn money for his soccer team. He had several kids sign up. For three days they met for two hours doing drills, practicing, and playing fun games. He had gatorade and popsicles for them. The kids all loved it, and I loved that it got them out there playing and having fun.
But that wasn't the end of soccer camps. Both Aidan and Weston attended the RSL soccer camp in Herriman. It was every day for a week from 9-12 and then they had a lunch break. Then from 1-3 they had a tournament playing games against each other earning points. They both did great, Aidan ended up with 64 points and Weston with 130, which won him the tournament and he was crowned the King of the Jungle. Supposedly they will announce his name in an RSL Monarchs soccer match some time (though they haven't told us when...). They both learned a lot and had a lot of fun. Weston also had to have his normal team practices, so on average he played about six hours a day.
The Fourth of July was a busy one this year, we crammed a lot into a short amount of time. The night before we attended the annual Cul-de-sac of Fire fireworks show. It was a show stopper this year, probably lasting about 45 minutes. It is a great way to watch the fireworks--front row seats, no need to both with parking, and doesn't cost much (the cost of donating a firework, about 25$). Plus, surrounded by fun people and treats! The next morning Scott woke up nice and early and went on a 30 mile bike ride up and back down Big Cottonwood Canyon. The kids and I met him and the rest of the Daw family at the top of the canyon to go hiking. The big kids went up to Lake Mary, and the little kids/girls walked around Silver Lake. It was beautiful and nice to get out and move. Plus, I walked past a guy that had a Pillsbury Dough Boy on his shirt and it said, "Poke Me." So I reached out and poked his tummy. He was surprised... but thought it was funny. Everyone else laughed and laughed, and I just thought that I should do what his shirt said...
Then we went back down the canyon and stopped at Rita's Ice (YUMMMMMMMY, just ask Ali!) and then onto the Daw's house. Their neighbor has a pool and they were out of town so they allowed us to use it. The kids had a blast and the adults, too. We got to know Uncle Cam's new girlfriend, Abby (hoping she is a keeper...), and had a delicious barbeque. We ended the evening with another fireworks show (not as big, but still nice).
During all this time having fun, we were still diligently working on the basement (getting closer!). One of the biggest chores was tiling the big room floor. We recruited some of the neighbor kids and got everyone handing us tiles, cleaning up mess, ringing out sponges and running them up and down the stairs to us to clean up the grout mess. We just finished the tile in the bathroom as well, so now we are just finishing baseboards and touch up paint. I am so ready to be done!
We took a break from the basement to be "goodly parents" for Stake Youth Conference--Book of Mormon Journey. It started off with us dressed up in BOM gear, living in Jerusalem and then leaving with Lehi and his family to the promised land. Ending up at Hinckley Scout Ranch (which is quite a story--the night before the stake property we were supposed to go to got flooded and was inaccessible, so the Stake was scrambling to find a different place!). We split into families, we had eight kids (different kids from different wards, so mostly people didn't know each other), and got some time to set up camp and get to know one another. Each day they had several different activities that talked about different times in the BOM. Such as "building a boat", we had to cross an area as a team on boards. A lot of the activities were "team building", but they did have a really neat one where we went to the iron rod. We were blind folded and had to hold onto a rope that was tied from tree to tree leading to the "end". We weren't given much instruction except that if we ever needed help, all we needed to do was kneel down and raise our hand. During the "journey" we stumbled over logs, got whacked in the face with tree branches, and some got lost. There were people pulling on us, "tempting" us to go another way. And it was confusing. I would be at a place that I wouldn't know where to go, and they told me they were helping me. It sounded to so nice to go with them and get me out of my mess. But, then I realized what was going on, I knelt down and raised my hand and someone came to help me get on the right track. It was such a GREAT experience for all the kids (and us!). Definitely something that they will remember for a long time. It was fun to be a part of that experience and I love my new "children".
Ali came for a short visit, but productive! We cleaned my pantry (she is an amazing organizer). We also went to lunch at Pizzeria Limone and Rita's Ice (again, yum) for treats. We took some of that to Hil and hung out with her for awhile before taking Ali to the airport. Short, but sweet.
The weekend before pioneer day, our stake was invited to be part of the Youth Parade in downtown SLC, but we were so busy with basement stuff, that we decided to skip it. But, in place of that, we and our neighbors, the Ferguson's, decided to have our own party and parade. The kids dressed up as pioneers and made a parade float--a covered wagon. They took a walk around the neighborhood and then ate a little breakfast of muffins and juice. Then we had "pioneer games" (drop the napkin, tag, etc) and Weston made up a fun little scavenger hunt. Each clue was a fact about the pioneers and told them where to find the next clue. To end, the last clue was "This is the Right Place" and they received a special prize of popsicles. Lindsay (the other mom) had made up cute little booklets of a story of a pioneer and some coloring pages. They read the story and then colored. They had a blast! I love things like that!
We haven't been camping to our "normal" spot for awhile, so we went up to Wasatch Mountain State Park for the 24th weekend. We got there around 5 and set up camp--the kids are finally at a stage where they are really (kind of) helpful. Scott's parents joined us for dinner that night, which was our favorite, tin foil dinners. We had smores (best kind I have found are coconut marshmallows, rolos, and graham crackers) and then watched a movie and went to bed. Friday morning we had a fun breakfast. I cut oranges in half, then scooped out the inside. Then I put cinnamon rolls in some and muffin mix in some, and then put the top on, wrapped them in tin foil and cooked them in the fire. So fun! Definitely a keeper. Our friends have a cabin up there and they let us borrow their ATV to ride around in. Scott took the three boys and Elise and I met them at Cascade Springs, which is a beautiful spring with a little boardwalk hike around it. Then Aidan came back with me, Bren and Elise fell asleep in the back of the ATV (how???) and Weston and dad drove back to camp (yes, Weston took a turn driving!). We had lunch, hamburgers, and then went to get ice cream at Dairy Keen (that is the name of it, no typo). We found a nice park and played bocce and just hung out. Then for dinner we had hot dogs. The boys did quite a bit of wood carving (Weston bought a new knife and has become quite good, and Brennan got to try his first time at it) and rock collecting. That night wasn't the most pleasant. At about 4 in the morning, Bren woke up sick. He threw up a few times, and then spent the next hour and a half in the bathroom (fortunately there is a bathroom!!!). I didn't want him back in the bed with the kids, so he slept in the back of the car, and I "slept" in the front. He felt better in the morning, but didn't go fishing with the other boys. Who didn't catch anything, but still had a good time. We tried to go on a little hike (Bren didn't make it...), and then packed everything up and headed to Provo Canyon. We ended our fun trip with a raft ride down the Provo River. That was quite an experience. I guess I didn't know what to expect, but hundreds and hundreds of 18-50 year old naked people wasn't it. Well, not completely naked, but they couldn't lose much more... And most of them were drinking, etc. At one point a big group of them grabbed onto our raft and floated with us. They were so friendly and fun... Then, later when we were separated from them and we were going through a bit of a rougher patch of the river, they called out, "Save us Mormon family!" So many lessons, parables, etc you can make from that! We all had a great time and were sad to have the trip end.
And just when we thought we were done playing in the mountains for the month (I had been somewhere in the mountains four times this month already), we went back up for Scott's high school reunion, held at a restaurant up Big Cottonwood Canyon. It was fun for him (though he'll never admit it) to catch up with people he hasn't seen for 20 years. I have made friends with several of them, and wives of his friends, so I had a great time, too.
The next day was the day before our anniversary and we decided to keep up with the tradition of having the kids make us dinner. They did great and had a fun time. I especially loved it because they cleaned up after as well! For our anniversary, we didn't do anything since we have been so busy with the basement (and we have been helping move Scott's parents from their old house), but we will plan something later. I hope. I am so ready to have the basement done so we can have our lives back!!
Aidan got to go to Webelos camp and Weston went on his first ever real scout camp. They went to Camp Steiner from Monday until Saturday. We sure missed him, but he had a great time (he will tell about it in Cuz Chron). While he was at that camp, Bren and Aidan did a half day robotics camp. They got to figure out how to make robots and even make battle bots. Aidan's won!
Now the busy part of summer is over and we can... not relax. Because we have to finish this dang basement. And get ready for school to start again! I am not sure if I am ready for Elise to go to Kindergarten, but I am ready for school to begin. I need a routine again!
But that wasn't the end of soccer camps. Both Aidan and Weston attended the RSL soccer camp in Herriman. It was every day for a week from 9-12 and then they had a lunch break. Then from 1-3 they had a tournament playing games against each other earning points. They both did great, Aidan ended up with 64 points and Weston with 130, which won him the tournament and he was crowned the King of the Jungle. Supposedly they will announce his name in an RSL Monarchs soccer match some time (though they haven't told us when...). They both learned a lot and had a lot of fun. Weston also had to have his normal team practices, so on average he played about six hours a day.
The Fourth of July was a busy one this year, we crammed a lot into a short amount of time. The night before we attended the annual Cul-de-sac of Fire fireworks show. It was a show stopper this year, probably lasting about 45 minutes. It is a great way to watch the fireworks--front row seats, no need to both with parking, and doesn't cost much (the cost of donating a firework, about 25$). Plus, surrounded by fun people and treats! The next morning Scott woke up nice and early and went on a 30 mile bike ride up and back down Big Cottonwood Canyon. The kids and I met him and the rest of the Daw family at the top of the canyon to go hiking. The big kids went up to Lake Mary, and the little kids/girls walked around Silver Lake. It was beautiful and nice to get out and move. Plus, I walked past a guy that had a Pillsbury Dough Boy on his shirt and it said, "Poke Me." So I reached out and poked his tummy. He was surprised... but thought it was funny. Everyone else laughed and laughed, and I just thought that I should do what his shirt said...
Then we went back down the canyon and stopped at Rita's Ice (YUMMMMMMMY, just ask Ali!) and then onto the Daw's house. Their neighbor has a pool and they were out of town so they allowed us to use it. The kids had a blast and the adults, too. We got to know Uncle Cam's new girlfriend, Abby (hoping she is a keeper...), and had a delicious barbeque. We ended the evening with another fireworks show (not as big, but still nice).
During all this time having fun, we were still diligently working on the basement (getting closer!). One of the biggest chores was tiling the big room floor. We recruited some of the neighbor kids and got everyone handing us tiles, cleaning up mess, ringing out sponges and running them up and down the stairs to us to clean up the grout mess. We just finished the tile in the bathroom as well, so now we are just finishing baseboards and touch up paint. I am so ready to be done!
We took a break from the basement to be "goodly parents" for Stake Youth Conference--Book of Mormon Journey. It started off with us dressed up in BOM gear, living in Jerusalem and then leaving with Lehi and his family to the promised land. Ending up at Hinckley Scout Ranch (which is quite a story--the night before the stake property we were supposed to go to got flooded and was inaccessible, so the Stake was scrambling to find a different place!). We split into families, we had eight kids (different kids from different wards, so mostly people didn't know each other), and got some time to set up camp and get to know one another. Each day they had several different activities that talked about different times in the BOM. Such as "building a boat", we had to cross an area as a team on boards. A lot of the activities were "team building", but they did have a really neat one where we went to the iron rod. We were blind folded and had to hold onto a rope that was tied from tree to tree leading to the "end". We weren't given much instruction except that if we ever needed help, all we needed to do was kneel down and raise our hand. During the "journey" we stumbled over logs, got whacked in the face with tree branches, and some got lost. There were people pulling on us, "tempting" us to go another way. And it was confusing. I would be at a place that I wouldn't know where to go, and they told me they were helping me. It sounded to so nice to go with them and get me out of my mess. But, then I realized what was going on, I knelt down and raised my hand and someone came to help me get on the right track. It was such a GREAT experience for all the kids (and us!). Definitely something that they will remember for a long time. It was fun to be a part of that experience and I love my new "children".
Ali came for a short visit, but productive! We cleaned my pantry (she is an amazing organizer). We also went to lunch at Pizzeria Limone and Rita's Ice (again, yum) for treats. We took some of that to Hil and hung out with her for awhile before taking Ali to the airport. Short, but sweet.
The weekend before pioneer day, our stake was invited to be part of the Youth Parade in downtown SLC, but we were so busy with basement stuff, that we decided to skip it. But, in place of that, we and our neighbors, the Ferguson's, decided to have our own party and parade. The kids dressed up as pioneers and made a parade float--a covered wagon. They took a walk around the neighborhood and then ate a little breakfast of muffins and juice. Then we had "pioneer games" (drop the napkin, tag, etc) and Weston made up a fun little scavenger hunt. Each clue was a fact about the pioneers and told them where to find the next clue. To end, the last clue was "This is the Right Place" and they received a special prize of popsicles. Lindsay (the other mom) had made up cute little booklets of a story of a pioneer and some coloring pages. They read the story and then colored. They had a blast! I love things like that!
We haven't been camping to our "normal" spot for awhile, so we went up to Wasatch Mountain State Park for the 24th weekend. We got there around 5 and set up camp--the kids are finally at a stage where they are really (kind of) helpful. Scott's parents joined us for dinner that night, which was our favorite, tin foil dinners. We had smores (best kind I have found are coconut marshmallows, rolos, and graham crackers) and then watched a movie and went to bed. Friday morning we had a fun breakfast. I cut oranges in half, then scooped out the inside. Then I put cinnamon rolls in some and muffin mix in some, and then put the top on, wrapped them in tin foil and cooked them in the fire. So fun! Definitely a keeper. Our friends have a cabin up there and they let us borrow their ATV to ride around in. Scott took the three boys and Elise and I met them at Cascade Springs, which is a beautiful spring with a little boardwalk hike around it. Then Aidan came back with me, Bren and Elise fell asleep in the back of the ATV (how???) and Weston and dad drove back to camp (yes, Weston took a turn driving!). We had lunch, hamburgers, and then went to get ice cream at Dairy Keen (that is the name of it, no typo). We found a nice park and played bocce and just hung out. Then for dinner we had hot dogs. The boys did quite a bit of wood carving (Weston bought a new knife and has become quite good, and Brennan got to try his first time at it) and rock collecting. That night wasn't the most pleasant. At about 4 in the morning, Bren woke up sick. He threw up a few times, and then spent the next hour and a half in the bathroom (fortunately there is a bathroom!!!). I didn't want him back in the bed with the kids, so he slept in the back of the car, and I "slept" in the front. He felt better in the morning, but didn't go fishing with the other boys. Who didn't catch anything, but still had a good time. We tried to go on a little hike (Bren didn't make it...), and then packed everything up and headed to Provo Canyon. We ended our fun trip with a raft ride down the Provo River. That was quite an experience. I guess I didn't know what to expect, but hundreds and hundreds of 18-50 year old naked people wasn't it. Well, not completely naked, but they couldn't lose much more... And most of them were drinking, etc. At one point a big group of them grabbed onto our raft and floated with us. They were so friendly and fun... Then, later when we were separated from them and we were going through a bit of a rougher patch of the river, they called out, "Save us Mormon family!" So many lessons, parables, etc you can make from that! We all had a great time and were sad to have the trip end.
And just when we thought we were done playing in the mountains for the month (I had been somewhere in the mountains four times this month already), we went back up for Scott's high school reunion, held at a restaurant up Big Cottonwood Canyon. It was fun for him (though he'll never admit it) to catch up with people he hasn't seen for 20 years. I have made friends with several of them, and wives of his friends, so I had a great time, too.
The next day was the day before our anniversary and we decided to keep up with the tradition of having the kids make us dinner. They did great and had a fun time. I especially loved it because they cleaned up after as well! For our anniversary, we didn't do anything since we have been so busy with the basement (and we have been helping move Scott's parents from their old house), but we will plan something later. I hope. I am so ready to have the basement done so we can have our lives back!!
Aidan got to go to Webelos camp and Weston went on his first ever real scout camp. They went to Camp Steiner from Monday until Saturday. We sure missed him, but he had a great time (he will tell about it in Cuz Chron). While he was at that camp, Bren and Aidan did a half day robotics camp. They got to figure out how to make robots and even make battle bots. Aidan's won!
Now the busy part of summer is over and we can... not relax. Because we have to finish this dang basement. And get ready for school to start again! I am not sure if I am ready for Elise to go to Kindergarten, but I am ready for school to begin. I need a routine again!
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