Ice Skating & Engagement Pictures

Tonight we went ice skating here at Park City! This is my first time skating up here. 

The kids have come before, to the Resort Center Ice Skating Rink. I can't find it recorded here on the blog though. I didn't go skating that time but I do remember seeing videos of it. I searched my youtube but couldn't find videos there, hmm. They are most likely lost on a phone or computer somewhere, so good luck finding them. I was probably at the hotel room with an infant. Thus it was not documented here. But tonight was really fun and great. We had 12 tickets and spent time on Sunday fitting everyone up in the skates. We brought up all the skates we had and were able to fit up most of our group, and save $10 each (tickets were $25 for skating pass plus rental, or $15 for the pass if you brought your own skates). Corey had us all try them on and we were able to bring up all 12 of our pairs of skates. We went to the car to grab skates, then walked over to the rink.

Abi helped K get laced up.

It doesn't get much cuter than a little kid in snow clothes and skates (or skis)

Daniel let his attendants serve him. 

We had fun on the ice. Many of us used these skating aid things (similar to this). I used it for probably half of the time. I enjoyed going fast when I knew I wouldn't fall on my behind. I didn't take a break at all. K wasn't very good. She tried a little bit, but mostly her legs were wet noodles, even if she was able to hold onto the walker thing. Corey tried to help her, but she was still useless.

So then Corey carried her. I wouldn't trust myself to that, but Corey's had more experience skating. He played a little bit of ice hockey back in the day, and did a few stick and puck sessions with Wes. Kids taking a break - Corey brought hot cocoa, so they liked that. 

Everyone warming up. 

Little Alvie Bear is already snuggly and warm. 

After about an hour I felt like I had my legs under me and I was channeling my inner Bonnie Blair. I even crossed my legs over. Corey tried to help me go backwards too. 

Mel and Christian did this thing where she skated underneath his legs, impressive. Christian is taller than Corey, but Corey and I tried it too and we did it too, oh yeah! What other tricks do you got?? We'll have a contest! The girls got some insta worthy pics for "the gram". 

When the kids were done skating, Bella and Ethan got some skates and the girls watched Alvie and Kat. 

So that was a good activity tonight. Good job Corey for making that happen. Other than that, we've been playing around the hotel - doing some Twister - 

... hot tubbing... 

Sophi and Natalie getting ice cream in the Mine...

This morning, Corey and I drove down to SL and went climbing early, and then picked up Joseph, Eliza, and Mary at 9:30 from the airport. It was just a 4 hour direct flight from Columbus. Joseph said it felt like cheating to be able to cross all that land so quickly, when it took the pioneers months! Mary liked the Biscoff cookies served on the Delta flight. She made a yummy mess of herself with it, but she's so cute! So who could be upset?

She really is such a smiley happy baby! After getting them, we went by home to pick up Katharine and Peter's floaties, which we forgot, and my swimsuit, and a few other things, doh - we'll just gone for 3 days, and you'd think with all the junk we loaded up yesterday that we'd be set, but nope, we had to go back to get more (also forgot the salad stuff I needed for one of our contributions to Thanksgiving dinner tomorrow.) The kids took K swimming without floaties but were glad that we brought them up. 

That pic is from when Abi took her. I went to the pool with K after we were back with my swimsuit, but she always wants to move to a different spot. We'll be in one tub, then she'll want to move to another, and she even made me go into the big pool with her, which was not freezing, but cold enough that it took some bravery from me to leave the hot tubs and face the lukewarm temp, brr! The kids all went to the hot tub together, and Mary and Alive had a splash battle (battle 1 and battle 2). I missed that pool session cause I left to go with Mel and Christian to get some engagement photos taken by Nancy. I was the official chauffer, jacket holder, and bag carrier. We left with an hour of daylight and drove over to Deer Valley in search of some pine tree backgrounds.

She took a few hundred pics there, and then we were going to go up to Empire pass, but it was closed. We found a place to pull over close to Mid Mountain and took a few more there before the light was gone. 

With a handsome couple like this we know the pics are gonna turn out great!

Now the boys are all playing a game of Risk but it's been a full day for us so we'll let them stay up late if they want but I'm going to head to bed! 

Venue Searching then Up to Park City

Hello. Today the majority of my time was spent checking out venues for Mel's reception. Abi didn't have a flute lesson today, so I had the car, and she and I left at 10 and drove by Wildflower Event center. I wasn't impressed by my drive by - it's just in a strip mall. Meh, then I drove by the Midvale Cactus and tropicals, didn't love the parking or surroundings there. Then the Ivy House... that looked like it was closed - had a chain link fence around it. Then the Sugarhouse Cactus and Tropicals, I did like that one - easy access from the freeway, easy parking, and then we got back in the car and headed to Red Butte Garden to meet Mel and Aimee for a 12 appointment tour of the Orangerie. 

We really liked that one. It is usually $5000, but Saturdays in January are only $2500, yay. That is doable, the only catch is you have to use one of their caterers... We were able to stay and sit at one of the tables there and we called and emailed a few of them to try and get an idea of what that price would be for light refreshments. Didn't make too much progress with that, but they let us put a hold on the venue for one week for free, yay. So we'll try to do some work and figure out things before next Tuesday.

Katharine making her contribution as we tried to crunch numbers. 

Many decisions to be made, but the venue is one of the priorities, cause we have to have that one figured out so we can put it on the announcements. After Red Butte, Katharine and I went to Costco in SL to get some groceries for the next few days - we are up at Park City for Thanksgiving. Abi drove up with the kids, Corey and I drove together. We brought ice skates, coats, hats, and a bunch of other things that filled up the back of our two cars. It will be a fun week though with plenty of food, SpongeBob...

... and grandbabies!!! Alvie!!!

Joseph and Eliza and Mary are flying out and will be here in the morning, yay!! Fun fun for everyone.

Cute Kat

Cute Kathrine this morning.

I actually look forward to her coming into our bed. It's usually between 2-3 am. She'll come over to my side of the bed, ask to sleep with me, and I help her come up and then we snuggle. I'll tuck her in but after an hour or two, she usually kicks off the blankets, so I am sure to wear socks so my toes don't get cold when that happens. She also does a bit of rotating, so I have to keep her far enough from Corey so she doesn't kick him awake, while also keeping her from going off the side of the bed. I love her. She's three and a half but she's still my baby. 

Lily got creative yesterday and make a soda can choir with all the soda can's that she's been collecting from her friends. Cute, creative, and I'm trying to not be annoyed at her wasting my hot glue for the eyes. 

I took a ride up the canyon today, and got another local legend, yay, this one for Downhill Quarry (17 times in the last 90 days). After that, I got cleaned up and then Corey and I left at 5:30 for our date to meet Christian's parents!

We met up at Aubergine to negotiate the bride price, haha. They are super great, and we willingly give Mel to Christian and are happy to share her with his family. We met at the Aubergine in Sugarhouse, which was a good in between spot (they live in Bountiful) and this Aubergine was the perfect restaurant because it is the one that Mel worked at after her mission, and cause his parents are plant based too! That pic was at the end of our meal while we were talking some wedding plans. We should have taken it with our visually pleasing plates of food before us, oh well. I'm sad to report that the cashew melt is gone, hopefully not forever. Corey got the Aubergine melt instead. I got the Vitality Bowl, I think? Either that or the Good Earth bowl, those are the two I switch in between, though now I can't really tell them apart. Tomorrow Christian's mom, Aimee, is going to come with Mel and I to look at Red Butte Garden as a possible venue for the reception. Ahhh, there is probably a lot to do! Lucky for us, Mel and Christian are both college graduates and very responsible adults. They are doing a good job so far at taking care of the plans, and shared their spreadsheet with us. Lots to do, but we should be able to do it all before Jan 10th, even with holiday festivities and a missionary coming home!! 

Temple with Alvie

Today at 11:30, Ethan and Bella attended a marriage sealing at the Draper Temple, and asked if any of us wanted to come watch Alvie for them while they went inside. Um, YES!

Katharine came along with me and she helped me watch Alvie. I asked her if she wanted to hold him, and she said no. But then she said yes. 

I think she said "no" at first, cause she could see that this baby was not tiny sleepy baby Mary. This was big baby Alvie. But then she got brave and held him for a second. And we walked around the temple lobby, and then I saw the waiting room area and we went in there, and let Alvie practice his push ups and planks - 

and look at a magazine about temples... 

and stare at Aunt Katharine...

...and eat the television remote. 

He liked that the best. There might have been a few germs on it, but honestly I don't think anything is dirty at the temple, so it was good. And I let Ethan and Bella know I let him have at it. It kept him happy. 

And we looked at fake plants. He liked practicing grabbing those, and then Ethan and Bella were back out. Lily and Natalie came to perform baptisms while I watched Alvie, so it was all good for everyone! 

And since I shared pictures of Alvie, here are a few of Mary too. Joseph sent these to us on Wednesday. CUTE MARY!!! 

Aww she's getting so big! We are excited to see them next week!

So they are cute. Yesterday/Friday the church announced that young women can serve missions starting at 18 years old now. That means Abi doesn't have to wait until September and can turn in her papers like in two months (they say to do it 4 months before you anticipate being available to serve), so I think she's going to get started on that soon! She could start right after graduation in May 29th. Wow! Yesterday I'm pleased to report that I finished blogging April 2025! yay, good job me. Today I went over to the church to update the Relief Society board. And as I came out, I saw the updated missionary board! There is our cute Wesley! Center top - 

He is coming home so soon, yay, we're so excited!

Official

Guess who is "officially" engaged???

Yes! It's Mel and Christian! We're glad she finally popped the question tonight

Haha just kidding, he asked her of course. He swept her off her feet. 

They are thinking January 10th, so this is will be coming up fast and things are gonna get busy, but we couldn't be more excited for them! They are an amazing couple. Boy this is going to be busy and fun these next two months!!

40 Days

We got flight plans today! For a certain Elder that we are super excited to see again!! 

Yes, Wesley is coming home on December 30th!!! It would have been January 7, but that is the day that school starts at BYU Idaho, so that would make him miss the first day of school and we wouldn't get to see him hardly at all if he had to head up there right away. But he didn't want to come home in the transfer before Jan, which would be at the end of Nov, cause he wanted to stay for December and have a "white" Christmas with his mission. They have a goal for each companionship to help someone come to Christ through baptism in December, so we're praying for him for that, and his mission President worked to help him be able to stay for December but also get home before school. So so so excited to see that young man, especially excited for Peter! So BYU just lost their game to Texas Tech, which is a college in Lubbock, and Corey's been teasing Peter that BYU lost because Peter was cheering for TTU cause Wesley was there. That pic above was on game day, Wesley was there on campus, and Peter was here wearing his cowboy boots! Peter isn't ashamed his heart was rootin' for Texas. BYU can win it next time. Anyway, yay, next month, we can't believe it's so close! Just counted it out on the calendar, that's just 40 days away!!! We are going to have a party. We are really glad that we get to have a week with him before he goes to school. I'm excited to go climbing with him again! Wes in Dec 2022 when we went with Joseph~

Maybe some of the other kids can come play with us too. Joseph and Eliza will be up in Idaho for Christmas, but they might make it down to see Wes. 

Today I had the van and K and I took it in for an oil change, then we went by Macey's for ice cream and bananas. 

I hope I'm not damaging her with all this ice cream. Yes she's wearing the same outfit as on Monday. Yes, it and she have both been washed since Monday. K had a playdate with Scarlet at 1, and while she was gone I blogged and almost finished April! I just have one more post to do. Then I went to the DI to pick up a Christmas tree for Ethan and Bella, then picked up K, then took Owen to his trumpet lesson at 5. 

We saw a rainbow on our drive there. Rainbows are SO AMAZING. I don't know how God thought of all these over the top things that we see in season and weather. After getting home, I texted a neighbor to ask if I could cut some of their ornamental grass for a Thanksgiving decoration idea at park City next week. Then Corey and I went climbing at 8 and did top rope at Millcreek. Now it's late and time to go to bed, we survived another week of school. Just two days next week before Thanksgiving break. Time is ticking by and I don't mind cause we're SO EXCITED TO SEE WES!!!!

Outing with Grandpa

Wayne and JeNeal had tickets to Hale Center Theater and would go together before she passed. Wayne has kept the tickets, and now takes his grandkids with him to the different shows. Tonight Peter went for his first turn to go on an outing with Grandpa, they went to see Frozen!

When Wayne first asked me which kid would like to go, we were thinking Katharine would like it.  That was two weeks ago. When I asked her about it, she was a little nervous about being alone without her parents or siblings. Then a few days ago Wayne saw that children have to be 5+ so that made it easy for us to swap her date with Peter. Plus it helps that K doesn't remember she had that on her calendar for tonight. Abi took Katharine with her (and SNOD) to go to Churchill on Parade, which was helpful for her to be gone when Wayne came. They had fun there. I can't believe Owen will be going to junior high next year!

So I'm just here with Lily and yay I have a moment to blog. Corey is working late, I took a bike ride earlier today, love these mountains.

Oh, and I was able to get out successfully this morning to the temple (unlike last week). On my drive there I listened to Stick of Joseph, finished this one on the drive there and back (temple covenants found in the Book of Mormon), and started this one while I was bouldering at 6am (the temple, the veil, and the bridegroom). I went to Millcreek, I like the bouldering there the best. Oh and they have the sauna now! In the women's bathroom. I was going to go use it after I climbed but they closed the bathroom for cleaning or something cause it was roped off, darn! Next time. I like the top rope at both Ft Union and Millcreek, Sandy just a little less. 

Also after going to the temple today, I thought I'd record the names of the ladies I did work for. I did initiatories for Alice Bull 1911, Gertrude Fitzpatrick 1903-1971, Alice May Sutton 1903-1998, Olive Sarah Davies 1913-1992, and Elsie Gray 1897-1975. I guess someday I'm hoping to come back and see where we link up and research the lines more. I was listening to a podcast recently (Follow Him for D&C sections 125-128) made me want to keep my own record the names of people I do temple work for, which ordinance, what day, and not just let the church keep the record. So, yeah, I'll just keep this info here for now.