Growing and Doing

James and Erica were fortunate enough to tag along with Justin and I to dinner one night before going to Henry's game. We made them go to Cupbop because 1. Justin and I like it and 2. We thought they would like it because they like noodles and rice. We were mostly right in that James liked it just fine but Erica was disappointed and sad. So on our way out of the restaurant I ordered her a crazy cheese/sausage dog. 

Disappointment forgotten.

We caught this beautiful double rainbow at the end of the game.

I took this picture because I just really like the row of big maple trees down my side of the street.

We had stake conference and I mostly listened. For a good hour James was teaching himself cursive handwriting and peppering me with questions and coaching. He got pretty good!

That night Justin took the kids up for a night to his dad's elk hunt camp.

A mom of one of James's good friends asked me if I had a daughter in sixth grade. Yes I do. She told me that one of the young women in her ward had recently moved to Mapleton but it was slow going making friends (she has a twin sister with special needs in a wheelchair). That day was their birthday and she was so sad she didn't have anyone coming to her birthday party and if Erica wasn't busy, could she come and bring any friends that might be free. Why yes, yes we can. During school I bought presents for the sisters and texted Erica's friend's moms. I picked up 3 girls and we went to the party. On the way there, Delaney said "it's like a surprise party for everyone!" I thought they would only want to stay for a half hour or so but they shooed me away and ended up staying until way past dark playing night games and drinking way to many sodas.

They are such kind girls. Erica tells me that the new girl was actually in one of her classes so now she talks to her everyday and that she eats lunch with one of the friends that came with us. It has been a sad month and I really really needed to see some kindness and goodness in the world.

Look how cute my zinnias are! After peaches, they are my favorite thing to grow in our garden.

Grinding elk roasts into hamburger meat. You're saying you don't do this on your kitchen counter regularly?

Homecoming! Sarah was so excited for this dance. Her group was pretty much just all the boys in her friend group asking all the girls in her friend group.

My third favorite thing to grow are tiny pumpkins! I didn't know I was growing weirdos this year but I like them.

This is a copyright infringed screenshot of James's school picture.

Erica danced at half time of the JV game as part of the Jr Drill class. She has done this a few years 

Her friend backed out last minute so she didn't know anyone in her group but she still had fun.

James's football season ended. He said he would have played more games until it got too cold to play. His favorite position is safety.  He watches that quarterback like a hawk and does what it takes to pull the flag on the receiver, even dive to the ground or take a cleat to the shin.

Finally tricked Henry into taking care of an ingrown toenail. He had an hour's notice that I was checking him out of school. He was mad then but he's okay (and pain free) now.

The picture on the left is my second attempt at painting my dining room. The paint under the stairs wall was my first paint color but it turned out so pink I couldn't handle it. The picture on the right is how it has ended up. I like the mushroom color (it really is called mushroom by Sherwin Williams) but painted the stairs wall back to white because I didn't like how the stairs zig-zag looked more pronounced.

I've also been buying, trying on, and returning clothes from Amazon like it's my fulltime job. I hate buying summer clothes in fall but our trip to Florida next month requires it. When we get back, I'm trying on all the hoodies and slippers!

I need to document our schedule because I do like reading the ones I've done in the past.

7am Justin goes to work, the biggles and I are up and getting ready

7:25 Henry rides his bike to school

7:30 Sarah drives to school

8:00 Erica rides her bike to school with her friend

8:30 James rides his bike to school with a couple of friends

During that time I help the kids get ready, clean the house, prepare stuff for the day. I kind of like seeing them off one by one. Everyone makes their own lunch but I help where I can.

While everyone is at school I have been doing lots of yard work, painting (and painting again) the dining room, chores, house cleaning, repairing stuff, running errands, etc.

2:45 Sarah and Henry arrive home

3:25 Erica arrives home

3:40 James arrives home

Mondays and Thursdays and Saturdays, Sarah works at Reams

Mondays and Wednesdays James has a football game at 5 or 6

Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Henry has football practice from 5:30-7:30

Wednesdays James has piano lessons at 4:30

Wednesdays Justin and Sarah have ym/yw

Fridays the biggles go to the high school game and Justin and take out to dinner whatever children didn't run off with friends.

Saturdays Justin and I go to Henry's football game. We've gotten lucky this season and all his games but one have been in neighboring towns.

We've eaten dinner together 5 times this month and that has happened either on Fridays before the kids go off with friends or at 5pm on a Tuesday or Wednesday before Henry leaves for practice.

Sarah is quitting her job now that swim team is starting. Henry's season ends in October and then Sarah's swim meets start in November and go until February. James has basketball in December and January and then Erica has hockey January through March. Henry gets to be the one to hang out with me and support his siblings in their sports.

My birthday and solemn days

 Justin surprised me by working from home that day. Before the kids left for school I opened presents. They picked out treats and I had to guess who picked out what. I got the first one right but that was about it!

It was mismatched day in James's class. He came up with this outfit all by himself.

After all the kids left I went for a walk and then worked on my birthday dessert. Then Justin and I went out to lunch at Communal in Provo. He had more work to do so I picked up doughnuts for James's game that afternoon and then basically lounged around until the kids came home.

Henry was excited to see the old man slippers he ordered had arrived. I seriously don't get teen fashion. "Those are the shoes of the unemployed," I said. No one is putting on those lame clogs and and heading out to change the world.

But they make him happy so whatever.

Erica trying out my new walking pad on vibration mode. Seriously no idea what the point of vibration mode is.

Then James had piano lessons so I drove him to and from that. Then he had his football games. That day's outfit sure made it easy to spot him. My parents and Nadine came to the game to see me James so that was nice.

Henry left for practice while we were at James's game so we also ate dinner without him. Justin made steak, squash, and salad. Then we watched my favorite episode of the Goldbergs (S.5 Ep 12) while we waited for Henry to get home.

While he ate dinner at 8:40, we had brownies with the frosting for a German chocolate cake but I didn't feel like making the cake thus brownies. And I wanted to see what the frosting was like sans coconut so that's what I did. 

It tasted great but I think I missed the flavor the coconut adds (even though I don't love the texture of coconut).

Sadly the news of Charlie Kirk overshadowed much of my day. And in these days since it has still affected me more than I would have expected. I didn't follow him on social media but I have seen a lot of his videos and interviews he has done with people that I do follow. I am so sad. Sad for his family, sad for his employees and associates. Sad for us. And I hate that it happened in Utah. I'm so sorry, Charlie.

I hate feeling helpless that bad things like this happen every day all over and there's nothing I can do about it. I am so sick of hate. I can't even handle my kids arguing at all the last few days. My prayers have been full of questions: why did this happen, when will it end, what can I do about it. I've had two distinct impressions. One, to up my kindness, both in depth and frequency. Crowd out the meanness and ill-will in my circle of influence by being inconveniently kind. Two, to go to the temple. What we do within the walls of the temple is more powerful than anything that goes on outside of the temple. Violence and hate are relegated to mortality thus it has an end. What we do in the temple binds in  eternity where evil cannot touch.

To have 9/11 follow that was fitting but also felt like too much. My heart was already broken but I needed to wade right into it. My walk that morning took me past numerous American flags in yards and tears filled my eyes the entire time. I couldn't follow my audiobook at all since my mind was full of so many other thoughts. That evening we took Erica and James and his friend George to the 9/11 Main Street event in Spanish Fork. I am so glad my friend and neighbor told me about it.

 

These boys were so obnoxious in the car ride there I was so afraid they were going to ruin the experience. But they found it very interesting and behaved very well. And then they were super obnoxious on the way home.

Shout out to the Major Brent Taylor Foundation for sponsoring the event. Major Brent Taylor's story is dear to my heart and his wife Jennie is a hero of mine. I heard her speak just months after her husband was killed and I was just blown away. I hope to meet her someday. Watch this video of her and you will love her too.

The next building had lots of tables set up for service organizations but the highlight of this room was a firefighter who was at ground zero that day. I had never seen in person or met anyone that had been there.

And a police officer that was there too. They both shared stories and their experiences on 9/11 and the days and weeks after.  I shook the firefighter's hand. I could barely talk since I was so full of emotion.

May we never forget.

September thus far

I tried a new frosting recipe. It is basically just a buttercream frosting with egg yolks added. It was delicious. If you can get past eating raw egg yolks, you should try it. (I was raised on raw batters so it doesn't phase me.)

One of the nice things about having 4 kids at 4 schools is that they come home one at a time. I get to visit with one for a bit before the next comes home. Sometimes Henry and Sarah even spend time together before the little ones get home and it gets noisy. Here Sarah is helping Henry with an assignment. I like when they get along. 

My nephew Jared had his mission farewell. We are so sad to see him go but he will do great things in Cote d'Ivoire. The mission told us to not even bother sending mail or packages because they don't really have addresses there. How is that possible? Thank goodness for email and cellphones.

This is my great-nephew and I love him so much. He is the cutest little guy. He looks so much like my younger brother and everyone says so upon meeting him.

4-generation photo.

For Labor Day we went boating with our neighbors to Jordanelle Reservoir. Bro C. serves in the bishopric with Justin and Sis C and I did activity days together for a long time. The air was a little chilly and the water was colder than my liking but it was nice to get out with them and their daughter that is Henry's age. 

Henry and Justin swam for the shore.

Swimming in a small bay.

Erica was really cold, actually.

I was so sore and tired the next day. I'm afraid my extreme tubing days are over.

Football season is in full swing. At James's Monday game his friend Jay got hurt and had to sit out for like half of the game. This is James walking him across the field for his gameday snack of goldfish crackers. True friends right there.

Saturdays we have been attending Henry's games. This year's schedule is much better -- only one game faraway in Salt Lake County. The rest of his games have been in neighboring towns instead of the farthest corners of our county. 9th grade team is still with the same league as last year but they model their training and practice schedule after the high school's. It's been a bit more intense but Henry has had a great attitude.

Peach days! My trees seem to come on later than anyone else I know. They are worth the wait. I didn't count but I bet we had 400 peaches on our two trees. Probably more. I gave lots away, froze 10 gallon bags worth of slices, made desserts

And jam. Peach jam, strawberry-peach jam, and strawberry jam. Just about every surface of my kitchen is sticky.

I still have more to give away. I'm taking a tub full to a Relief Society activity tonight to share the wealth. It's a fun week but a little overwhelming amount of fruit!