FHE Racquetball

We went to the rec center tonight and played racquetball with the kids for FHE. 

Peter brought along his 3D dragon. Katharine has a tiny person standing on her head. 

We were only allowed to reserve two courts, which didn't really allow us to have a game going because of our numbers, but that's ok. The little kids just played and it was fun. The teens went and checked out other places in the gym - the weight room and looking at the track and swim areas. We played for about 45 minutes. Group pic of almost all of the group... Daniel was already out the door headed back to the car.

Earlier today, I told Corey, after looking at the forecast, that today might be the only day to get in a ride.

Saturday could also work, but with soccer games that might be trickier... hmmm. I didn't really want to give 90 min to a ride today, but since it could be the only option this week, I said ok. We left at 4:30pm and rode to the ruins, and were back for dinner then racquetball. Natalie was in charge of the treat tonight. She rode her bike down to Smiths to get the stuff she needed. She made little chocolate nest cupcakes, or attempted to. I say she nailed it. We ate those after we got back from the rec center. 

Some good things I did today: I scheduled dentist appts for ODPK, oh yeah. I’ve had an alarm going off to schedule those for about three weeks ever since the CHIP insurance sent us their cards for dental. Exciting, you kids get to go to the dentist for the first time in 5 plus years! I'll start praying now for no cavities. Hopefully my prayer will not be in vain, considering I allow treats like that. Seems like one of them is making a dessert everyday.

Early this morning I saw that Lily scheduled a drivers test on April 6 at 3pm. I told her that wouldn't work, cause we'd be heading out on our way to green river by then. Going camping with neighbors. We  texted the older kids about our plans in case they want to come. Our packing list, compiled by our friend Craig, of gear we needed to bring...

- Sleeping bags

- Pads/cots

- Pillows

- Tents

- Water storage: 2.5-3.0 liters/person/day

- Hiking shoes and/or sandals for rocks, sand, and maybe some water puddles

- Sunscreen/sun shirts/hats

- Flashlights

- Camp chairs

- Day packs to carry lunches and water on trail

- Food coordinated by Jill-Tiffany

- Cooking gear coordinated by Jill-Tiffanie

- Firewood coordinated by Jill-Tiffanie

- Paper plates, cups, utensils coordinated by Jill-Tiffanie

Should be fuuuuunn!! Corey's been talking with a friend about staying in their cabin this weekend too, to go skiing. He told the college kids "We might also go spend a couple of days skiing in Brian Head before going to Moab and spend conference weekend at a cabin there. If we buy season passes for next year (cheap) we get free skiing this spring also. Anyone interested?" I am not interested. I'm interested in skiing next year, that's fine, but I do not want to try to pack more into this weekend or next. If we go to Brian Head with all our freaking skiing stuff (skis, poles, coats, boots, helmets etc etc) and then head straight to Moab from there, I am confident that we will NOT have room for the items on the packing list. Skiing stuff and tents, sleeping bags, and food? No, that is not going to happen and is not a good idea. I haven't been to vocal about it, but yeah, that's not going to happen for obvious reasons. I'm excited for camping though!

Palm Sunday

Mel and Christian came up for church today. Melodie and Abi did a flute duet with one of the musical numbers at church - My Shephard Will Supply My Need (one of my favorites!) the flute really added a special touch. It was a special Easter service today for Palm Sunday, and cause we will not be meeting with our congregations next Sunday because it will be General Conference. 

Corey and I went to visit with some neighbors, Jill and Craig, who invited us to join them on a spring break adventure. We're going to go down to Green River area and camp and hike Three Canyon and Moonshine Canyon! It is going to be really great. At first we were thinking we'd just take ALSN and maybe Owen with us, when they were thinking Three Canyon or Dark Canyon (Dark canyon is harder and further away) but we decided on Three Canyon for this first adventure together, and they said they think little kids could do it to so we're going to take all the kids! Should be fun!

Hyrum and Wes and Lauren were on their way back up to Idaho, after spending the weekend in St. George, and they came by for dinner around 4pm. Katharine helped Corey make tapioca pudding, which is one of Corey's favorites to feed a crowd with. 

Such a big helper, Katharine! Owen was a good helper today too and wanted me to teach him how to make sourdough. He was totally good on all the measuring out (he's got a real math brain) and did great when we baked it. Corey made a boatload of potatoes yesterday in preparation for his starving college kids coming over for dinner today. That was nice of him. I made a big Greek salad, and sourdough of course, and Corey also got some beef yesterday. We got it all ready...

Unfortunately, Corey put his soy milk yogurt in the potatoes, which he's done before and it's usually ok. But this time, he heated it up on the stove and it must have cooked the soy or something cause it made the potatoes taste very sour with a hint of cheesy taste to it. It was too much for the kids and no one took second helpings, and most couldn't/wouldn't finish their first, so basically this whole silver Ikea bowl of 12 pounds of potatoes was wasted and thrown out. Kinda sad.

But there was plenty of bread! So good news is that no one went hungry. Ethan and Bella came up and we saved some meat, salad, and roasted veggies for them. After dinner, we all went to JeNeal's graveside. Today is her birthday. It was also very appropriate for the Easter season, because we all firmly believe in the resurrection of Christ. Christ overcame death and hell, and because he did, we all will as well! That is his gift to us - life and salvation. 

Life and death. Little ones born into our families, like our little Alvie...

...and older generations going on ahead. But they will be ready to meet us and welcome us when it is our turn to pass on. 

Oh, and here's how Owen's first baked bread turned out! People already cut into it and are ready to scarf it down.

Racquetball

Ahh, we're at the end of another busy day! We had soccer all morning, and didn't get out to exercise until around 4:30 Corey left for a ride, and I wanted to go for a ride, but I also wanted to swim, cause I think it is really helping my left shoulder! But swimming closed at 6... so Corey left but I went swimming, and I figured if I still wanted to go on a ride after that, that I would still have time before it got dark. Well, then I decided not to go on a ride, and instead I took ODPK to play racquetball! They loved it.

That was also a win-win cause I got the kids out of Corey's hair for a little bit so he could work. I taught Owen the basics of the game and he likes it! So he and I tried to play a game. 

With the interruptions every few minutes by the littles - coming over telling us they wanted to show us something they did with the ball, or telling us so and so hit me in the head, etc etc.

But ya can hardly go wrong with kids with balls in a big room!

It's just the racquet part that is dangerous! So that was fun. The boys got all their sports in today - I took all three of them to their soccer games earlier this morning while Corey had the girls get to work with house chores. How did I do that with one car when kids had games at the same time at two different fields, you might wonder? Well, I dropped off D and O at 10, D's game was at 10:15. Then I drove Peter to Flat iron for his game. I stayed with Peter. The Real Salt Lake mascot, some lion, came and interrupted the end of the game... He just walked on and started playing for the other team, who was already beating us. Kinda funny, kinda weird. Kids were ok with it since they were already losing.

Then after Peter's game, we went straight back to Lone Peak Park to catch the last half plus of Owen's game. And then I was feeling like a softy afterwards and I went and got them ice cream (and myself sushi) at Macey's afterwards. I shared most of the sushi, and they each gave me a tax of ice cream. 

When we got home, I cooked up some of the dough I made last night. I almost figured out the oven. This one was a little over toasted, but it was presentable. I'm back in business.

Yaaayyy. I was pleased to see the girls had done a ton of stuff on the list I left. They cleaned the fridge out and the pantry, filled up the garbage can with pine needles (a little too full unfortunately, I'm not sure I'll be able to take any more to it until it's emptied on Wednesday...) Oh, before that, first thing this morning actually, Katharine came downstairs and asked to go to the store. At the Easter Egg Hunt yesterday, some of the eggs were filled with $2 bills! Katharine got one of those and this morning she asked if she could go to the store to buy a treat with her money. I needed to go get treats for Owen's soccer game, so that worked. We hurried down to Smiths, she got these macaroon looking sucker cookie pops and was very pleased with her purchase.

Good job Kat. You are a smart shopper. It is pink, it's pretty, and it had a $2 in the price ($2.49) so you win.

Here's one more funny thing from today. I'm not sure what inspired this goofing off, but Natalie was dancing in the front room and just happened to have all the items of clothing to wear to make her look like Félicie Milliner from Leap! and then she reenacted the parts she knew from the dance battle scene: "Right here, right now!" Lily was playing the music and directing Natalie and Katharine on their parts, but Natalie had to hold most of the show on her own cause K didn't know what was going on. Natalie is funny, such a character! I uploaded the video they made in 3 parts (cause the music made it a copyright infringement if it was more than 60 seconds), so here is the three minute video they made in one minute installments - part 1, 2, and 3.

Natalie makes me laugh.

New Oven & Easter Egg Hunt

The New oven is here!

And a final goodbye to the old oven that served us so well for these many years. I took a pic to remember it by. 

I'll be honest, that is not an accurate pic (as you probably guessed). This is more what it usually looked like, lol. With a big ol' mess all around it. Yes, I took this pic first - 

Then I cleaned it up and then took that second pic, pretending it lived a respectable life like that. I tried to take care of it, but it did get worked to death. The new oven was scheduled to be delivered between 9-11. I was trying to clean up under the oven drawer when they arrived. He said "Let me get that one out of the way, then it will be easier to clean up under it." He pulled it out, and I guess I never knew that was an option. I have cleaned under the fridge, but never the oven. It was naaaasty. Look at the side of the oven there - yeah. 

Gunk like that all caked on the sides and edges, lots of dust and legos and small toys, dice, mancala pieces, marbles, a baby spoon, beads, dirt, crumbs, etc etc yech. I did a very quick and good sweep, then I scrubbed it down real fast while they were hauling that one out and I had it cleaned before they brought the new one in. We still need to get ride of and replace the non-working vent above it. We haven't used the vent so what if we just don't have one? I can put a magnetic knife thing above it instead? Corey said he and his dad will get that changed out. I'll give them until the end of the school year. If it's still here come summer, I might take a crack at it. Wesley came home last night - he and Hyrum are on their way to St. George with Ethan and Bella & Alvie and Mel and Christian for some fun college kids activity. Wes headed out this afternoon. He drove Hyrum's car and left today after Lauren got to Provo, so he gave her a ride in Hyrum's car, Hyrum went with Mel and Christian. It was fun to have him around for a bit this morning. He rode a bike to school with Peter ~

And then also went to see Daniel's School House Rock performance for the school at 9:30 today. So nice of him to go. Abi had a B day again, so she was around. For her mission, she still needs to get her wisdom teeth out, and since she has all 4 she can get paid to do it via a study (like Joseph and Mel did) and she got a call today to participate in a study with a few conditions: it would involve her staying at their facility to be monitored for 3 days, they would compensate her $2500 freaking dollars, BUT, she'd have to have her blood drawn like 15-20 times in that process, which made Abi be like, uhhhh, no....

$2500 dollars??? That's not worth it? You can't face for fears for over two thousand dollars? I know that when you come home from your mission, you'll really be wishing you had that! But she's leaning towards a hard no. But she said she'll call them back on Monday. We'll see if Corey's able to convince her otherwise. 

After the littles were home, the kids went over to the usual yards for the neighborhood Easter Egg Hunt. Owen is ready for this party to start.

Group pic!

And then they took off. They found their 12 eggs, and smiled for the camera.

Peter had gathered two orange glittery eggs and Katharine thought they were so pretty, but Peter wouldn't trade. That was a little sad. But K had opened her 12 and was ok with it. Then she saw her friend Becca who had two very pretty pink glittery eggs. Katharine told her she liked her pretty egg, and then she grabbed one and gave it to Katharine without a second thought. 

She is a true friend, and I guess Peter is a true sibling! That was at 3, and then at 4 I took K to the school park to play with a girl named Sunny that Abi and Katharine had met on another occasion when Abi took the kids to the park. And then I got a text that there was another Easter Egg Hunt at the community park - Owen's friend invited him to go. So that was at 5 - I hurried home with the car at 4:50 so Abi could take the kids to that. The kids were playing with neighbors, so the neighbors all got in the car to go too. I hadn't heard about a community thing going on with that, but they had my blessing to go, and if there wasn't anything happening, they could just play at the park for a bit or whatever. Abi said there was a hunt, and it actually looked like it was a ward party for some other ward - she saw some neighbors from our ward before the split, so she thinks it was their ward. But they had people there to mingle with, so they stayed and had cupcakes and had fun. 

It was a good candy day for the little people. Corey and I went on a date to Bandits, then played 18 min of racquetball, and that was all I did for exercise today. It was a full and busy day, the end of a full week and a lot of fun. 

Daniel's School House Rock

Today was Daniel's "School House Rock" program. Mel, Abi, Katharine and I get points for going to see it. 

Sophi and Natalie should get points too, cause they wanted to be there. They wanted me to check them out of school to come see it, but I didn't want to go through that effort. So that's on me. (I'm guessing they just wanted to get out of school). Daniel was a great little singer and performer! We got a good view of him when he performed on stage. 

We sat on the opposite side of the room from where he was sitting with his class, but that's ok. He saw us and smiled at us a few times from the across the gym. Cute kid!

Katharine was on a screen but we'll still give her points for coming! Mel gets the most points cause she drove up from Lehi.

Yesterday, when I let the college kids know about Daniel's program in case they wanted to attend, Hyrum brought it to our attention that no one went to his play in 3rd grade. I had to look at the blog for verification. It took me a minute to figure out what year that was. Thankfully I documented his 3rd grade wax museum, which gave us the year 2012. Looks like the record is sparce, aka I didn't blog every detail of every day at that time. I clicked around Mar - May 2012 but found no mention of his School House Rock play. Hmm. Wesley's was mentioned here but no pics - and here are the other kids after that: Abi 2017, Lily 2018, no Sophi (covid), Natalie 2022, Owen 2024, and now Daniel. Joseph and Mel didn't do it. If they did it when Ethan was in 3rd, I was unaware cause we were in Chile. Perhaps Hyrum was the first year that Granite did it? or it was atleast the first time my kids participated in that. So in my defense, if I did miss it, maybe it was our first School House Rock and I didn't know that it was a big deal. I swear I've always gone to those things. If I know about them, I'm there. Maybe I missed the memo. I'm sorry Hyrum, I failed you. Then he jokingly said no one should go to Daniel's, cause it's good for character development, followed with the comment: "Elementary school in general had me like this"

I thought that was hilarious, he's so funny. 

So Daniel's performance was at 2:30 this afternoon. This morning, before all that, Corey and I took advantage of Abi's B day schedule (seminary at 9)went to the gym. I did upper body, then did laps for 30 min, then sauna for 20. We got home to say by to the boys, Corey got ready for work, and then he dropped K and I off at the rec center to swim. It's open 10:30 - 12 on Tuesdays and Thursdays. She basically had the whole place to herself. I got in the water with her, cause kids under 5 years old have to "be within arms reach of an adult at all times"

So I just followed her around and around. I didn't mind her getting my hair wet cause it was still wet from my doing laps this morning. So Corey dropped us off on his way out, and Abi picked us up on her way back and took that pic of K. Then we went to Walmart to get Easter eggs for the neighborhood Easter Egg hunt tomorrow. We have to drop those off today - 12 eggs for each elementary kid and younger, so Owen Daniel Peter and Katharine. Kat and Abi got those ready, and helped themselves to a few of the extra treats in the process. 

Then soccer practices tonight and helping Daniel and Peter finish their homework that is due on Fridays. Went to see a neighbor open his mission call tonight, going to El Salvador! His sister just got back from Argentina yesterday, so lots of mission stuff going on for them. I took over a loaf of sourdough when we went over. Trying to figure it out with the new oven, the loaf look presentable enough that I was ok to gift it. 

Order for New Oven

Our oven is broken. It decided it had enough of 500 degrees this past Friday and it stopped getting hot. Good new though, a new one has been ordered and will be coming on Friday. I ordered it yesterday at RC Willey. Owen and Daniel had activity days but they didn't go, because I wasn't home to make them. I ran my oven purchasing errand by first stopping by Walmart for an eyebrow pencil, cause one of the girls took it and I couldn't find it (Lily fessed up that it was her, but she doesn't know where it is) so I went by Walmart first cause that's a daily must have, then by Lowes cause it was nearby, just to see what they had. Then I went to the Draper RC Willey. A nice guy named Walt helped me. I chose a LG Convection oven. Corey's only request was that it have a grill thingy, so that was easy to check off. And it's stainless steel so now it will match the rest of our kitchen appliances. 

 

6.3 cu. ft. Smart Wi-Fi Enabled Probake Convection® Gas Range with Air Fry & EasyClean®

$1099 with two spring discounts, plus a $100 rebate that I can apply for after it arrives and I get the serial number. It will be delivered on Friday. Haul away is free, appliance connect kit $40, yay, all good to go. Our sad little white oven is old and has fulfilled the measure of it's creation. We have two knobs to turn on the stove. Once was lost, the other is broken, and of the two working ones, one is cracked and I was worried we'd soon be down to one knob. We have a RC Willey account that we opened last year to pay for the transmission. Not sure why Freeway Transmissions has that connection, but yeah we financed the new transmission for Corey's car through RC Willey. With the payments we've made the past year on that, we had enough credit to get the oven put on that minus $28 dollars, which I put on the amex. 12 months no interest. 

Despite our current white oven not staying hot enough, I decided to make small loaves of sourdough today crossing my fingers that putting it on broil every now and then would help it be hot enough. I figured they'd be a bit flat but we'd take what we can get. They turned out ok. Slightly dense and moist, but I know the kids will eat them up when they get home from school. While I was at the store lastnight instead of going to activity days, Abi took the boys and Jerry the pig to the park. 

Abi is a good sister, a generous sitter, and a good guinea pig momma. Peter hasn't let his fall on Monday slow him down at all. He's been out riding his bike everyday.

Natalie and Daniel playing catch, our beautiful canyon behind them. We love where we live.

Lily had the ACT yesterday. She asked me to help make sure she was awake at 5:45 for that. She went to bed early Monday night - skipped out on FHE so she could get to bed early. She had a friend pick her up at 6:45. After I woke her up yesterday morning, I decided to go to the temple, did initiatories, then to CHRC for swimming. Did 40 laps in 27 minutes and then 20 min in the sauna. Abi got the boys out the door and I left CHRC at 9 to be home by 9:15 which is what time she needed to leave. Abi didn't have school cause of the junior's ACT, but Abi went and had a picnic with her friends. 

Yesterday, while I took Katharine with me to do a relief society visit, K fell asleep on my lap. I'm now realizing that should have been my first sign that she wasn't feeling swell. At home yesterday evening she was sad saying her ear hurt. Her eyes were goopy too. Peter's were goopy last week before his week of staying home from school. Abi comforted her as I put some drops in her ear and gave her tylenol. I laid next to her as she fell asleep on our floor. She woke up before I fell asleep and was awake every 5 min squirming and moaning from like 11 - 1:30, pretty horrible night with not great sleep for her or me. When I was too tired to hesitate or question the thought I had at and 11pm and midnight, at 1am I exercised faith to command her healed in Jesus' name. I was relieved when I woke up this morning to find that she had apparently fallen asleep and appeared comfortable. She has been totally fine today. I haven't taken a nap but am fighting to stay upright and to keep going with the hopes that we'll go to bed early tonight. It's 4 pm right now and I'm trying to decide if I should go on a ride or keep catching up on the blog. (50 minutes later) I blogged a bit but now heading out on a ride. Girls have YW so I'll try to be back before then. They have a clothes exchange, fun.

Ride, Concert, & Burgers

Owen, Daniel, and Peter didn't have school today. It was end of the term for the district so it was a teacher work day. Corey wanted to take them biking but they didn't want to go, except Peter. He did want to go on a ride, because he got moved up to a bigger bike on Saturday when they were cleaning up the garage. He is very excited about it. So he was the only one that took up Corey on going for a ride. I drove them to the power plant and they rode down that, and then Peter wanted to ride up! They went up and down 3 times, and when I saw they were still there, I hurried on my bike and rode up there and rode up the hill two times with them.

There are little bumps across the path that direct snow run off the trail, and Peter was sitting on his bike, not standing and coasting, and when he'd hit the bumps they almost threw him off his seat. That had me a little nervous. He decided he was done and we were doing one more time, and then he had a crash. 

Right after a bump, there was this rock sticking up out of the trail and he went to the right of it, but then the rock clipped his left side kick stand. In a flash his front tire went left and the back tire went right and Peter went down to the dirt. He got a good scratch on his left elbow. Then I gave Peter my tip again to always wear long pants and long sleeves (4th to last pic was my first fall and road rash. I've had other falls since, but not another road rash incident). He handled it like a champ and after some crying and gritting his teeth he rode the whole way home. I rode up to the ruins and then back home. All the snow from last Wednesday is gone! Yikes, Utah will likely be hurting for water this year. 

For FHE, we drove downtown to see Abi's Lyceum performance at Abravanel Hall. It was a joint performance with the U of U Philharmonia. It started at 7, the U went first.

Abi said she started at 8, so we left around 8 and were walking in at 8:40. Just to catch the end of it aka for as long as the littles would be able to handle.

We waited in the lobby while we listened to the music, and waited for the piece to finish.

Natalie found Abi.

There's her name in the program.

Family photo by the red glass thing afterwards - approx 9:30 pm. 

And they were soooo well behaved that Corey said we could go to In N Out. They were excited for that! I was not... "Can't we do Wendy's close to home?" But they had already decided on In N Out. We decided their name is misleading... it is not quite so "in and out" - it is so crazy popular and busy. We got in to the restaurant at 10, and then it took 15 min in line and then 15 waiting at our table before we were eating. They each got a cheese burger and we ordered 3 fries to share. Eating burgers and fries at 10:30 pm! Not good... 

I didn't eat anything. Corey shared with Katharine. Why are all these people here eating this late at night?!?!? Y'all are gonna kill yourselves.  

Yes, we are here, but this is a once a year thing for us. Last time we went to In N Out was last year on  a pit stop on our way to Las Vegas.

It was good to go support Abi, and they enjoyed the burgers, but I hope they didn't enjoy them too much and make a habit of it when they are older and independent and off on their own and feeding themselves. (Don't do it! Forks Over Knives) And now we're going to bed late, drat! I also don't recommend late bedtimes. I wish we could get in bed by 10, but we're usually around 10:45. I'll still try to make it to the temple in the morning.