Basketball and Henna

It's been a good and busy weekend. Sophi had a basket ball game today - here she is with her team. 

She was excited that they won 16-6! Melodie came up today and went to the game with me and Katharine. Taking a pic of Katharine for her BeReal. 

I took a pic too - 

Sophi is a good little player. Last night Corey and I went to Jordan Commons to see the last two episodes of Season 3 of the Chosen. Very good, although... (reader discretion if this is possibly spoiler info...) I don't love the whole miscarriage side story. But I get it - they're making a tv show, not a completely accurate biblical movie. But some of the drama is dumb. A little bit the same as when I saw the movie Let It Go, where they were trying to be all dramatic, but in the book, Chris Williams is really solid and his family wasn't there being mad or vengeful on his behalf. Same way - I get it that the apostles had their weaknesses, but the miscommunication between Eve and Peter is a bit stupid, as is Peter's anger over the miscarriage. I've had two miscarriages, and Corey's calmness was a strength at that time. Maybe it's just cause it's not my reality with Corey, but I'm sure they are portraying a reality that some people experience, but that whole side story has been a bit of a disconnect for me. Anyway, I still love the Chosen and I'm excited for my kids to see it. Oh, and Corey pointed out something in the Chosen that made me laugh. He was like "Where are all the kids? It's just not realistic! As if they were just all these "free adults" with no spouses and no children?!?!" But then we agreed that it would be a logisital nightmare to get a bunch of babies and children actors to be extras in the show. So we get it, but just note to self when you're watching it - insert lots of children that are making messes and slowing down whatever it is that all those adults are trying to accomplish! THAT would make it more realistic! haha. 

Wes had his last hockey practice yesterday. He's going to miss it. It was a very happy two seasons for him. What will he do for an outlet now? Yesterday he did some henna on his little brothers. 

The little boys hold sooo still when Wes does henna on them. 

Wes said it makes his thumb sore to push on the henna slowly.

But it was therapeutic for Wes to draw, and Peter was so relaxed. I'm sure it felt nice getting his back rubbed/tickled. Almost done...

And.... Peter wasn't able to hold on and took a little nap.

Cute little kid. When he woke up, he was excited to show it off. Too bad he can't see it himself. So I took a photo to show him how awesome it looked. 

That's really cool, Pete! I had him take a bath to get the hard stuff off and then we were able to see how the dye held. Today Wes was doing a little more henna on his siblings - giving Sophi freckles - 

He had already done some design on her hand - 

And given himself a Maori-like tatoo on his arm.

One other thing from today - Corey got some Frontier flight pass things for him, Mel, Abi, Lily, Sophi, and Natalie. $400 bucks for an all you can fly pass for this summer. His thinking is that it will save Mel and Abi money if they do this flute trip to Vienna in July. He made a spreadsheet with all of our summer plans and it's going to be busy "It's almost over already!" I spent today doing some prepping for our anniversary feast, which will be in three weeks. Should be fun. Life is good. 

Cold Showers

Last night, Lily was taking a shower before bed and was freaking out. She was yelling through the door that it was broken and wouldn't get warm. Abi was sitting by waiting for her turn to shower, and just rolled her eyes and told Lily to stop turning off the water and just hurry and finish. I thought maybe the shower handle was stuck or something. We didn't really pay attention to her wailing. But then Peter misfired in the bathroom and got himself wet, and when I went to draw a bath for him, behold - there was no warm water! Hm, interesting. I went to check the basement and it looked like the water heaters did not have their pilot lights on. So Peter had a baby wipes bath and we learned that Lily wasn't being dramatic. Her shower wasn't tepid or room temperature, it was legit COLD. I laughed and said lucky for me and Wes, we've spent over a week getting used to cold showers! Wes told me about Wim Hof on Saturday Jan 14, on our way to Momentum, and after watching this video with Yes Theory (and several other people on youtube saying all the amazing benefits of cold showers for your brain and body...) I've taken several cold showers, done some snow exposure, like sitting in it, laying it in, taken out the trash barefoot (to the street) and yeah, it's kinda fun to shake things up with a little cold exposure. I tried to increase my time last Thurs and spent 6 minutes laying in the snow, before we went to St. George, and then on the drive down I noticed that the tips of my thumbs were still numb. The tips felt kinda numb/asleep for a few days, and my left one still does a little bit, so maybe I did some nerve damage. Sorry, thumbs. No more 6 minutes in the snow. I'll keep it quick. Maybe I got a bit of frostnip? So I'm not doing it that long again. Just 11 min a week. I know, I know - the disclaimer in the Yes Theory said to not attempt, and I didn't do a 4 hour hike, I was just feeling ambitious/crazy by choice. Looks like everyone else gets to be forced into it now for a day. Abi took a shower after, and she was washing her hair (I told her that's a bad idea) but she did it, cleanliness must prevail, and Abi afterwards let us know that it was a horrible experience, and that she "was screaming like an opera singer the whole time!" 

"I don't think opera singers would say that they 'scream'..." "I was like the bad lady on Phantom of the Opera" and I was laughing again thinking of Abi in the shower singing like Carlotta. We didn't hear her case we were downstairs playing around with the pilot lights. 

Corey got it lit on one tank briefly (Dec 2013 tank on left), but then it didn't seem to be on again, and the other tank looked like it was having problems (water at the bottom, Feb 2018 tank on right). Good news: we didn't cause an explosion. Bad news: we didn't fix anything. Water was still cold. So this morning it was a VERY cold shower for Wes, Corey showered at the gym, and I haven't showered today. I could have done cold, but I didn't feel like it today. Hmm, maybe that's why I've been in a kinda bad mood today. Note to self, go take a cold shower in the morning, don't skip it. 

I texted our landlord and she gave me the plumbers that we used last time (Neerings) and they were able to come out within an hour and had a new tank in by noon. It was under warranty, only a $49 service fee and yay, I thought we were back up and running. They said to give it 30 minutes, so I started laundry and then I had carpool and was busy until 4. Back at home, I went to wash dishes and hmm, it still felt kinda cold. I checked another sink, then went to the basement again. Seemed like it still wasn't working. I called Neerings again, they sent out another technician, I actually wasn't sure which tank was the 2013 or 2018, but he said the 2018 was the one that was under warranty and was replaced, and that the 2013 one on the left wasn't working either. It was an old brand that they don't use anymore. The pilot lighter needs to be replaced, but he said it's such an old tank, and would be $700 to fix, but he didn't think it was worth it to fix on an old tank, we should replace that one too. Doh. That one's warranty is expired. Sooo. we'll still be having cold showers tonight and tomorrow morning, and they will be back here at 9 to take a look again and then we'll see if we will be having warm baths tomorrow.

But I like the Yes Theory's idea of "Seek Discomfort". Maybe all these warm baths and comfortable homes have turned us all into pansies. A little bit of cold discomfort might make my body toughen up a bit. It's been making Katharine all the more lovely though. We discovered how soft she really is after we got calloused hands from bouldering, and now I'm really seeing how warm she is from getting myself a little cold. We'd never give her a cold bath, that would be so sad, she'd cry like a baby. She's  everything we want to be if we're just hanging out in our comfort zones, but we need to seek discomfort. It's good for us. We're not babies anymore, time to grow up and enjoy the dignity in calloused hands. 

Wes' Weekend

We had a really great visit with the kids tonight. The kids at home - not the college kids. After dinner, we just stayed around visiting and talking and it continued the rest of the night. The highlight for me was Wesley talking about how he's been putting the gospel to the test a little bit more - he's tried to go to the temple, he's been reading his scriptures and praying more consistently, and today he was up and about doing lots of church stuff: after preparing and serving the sacrament in our ward's sacrament meeting, he went on to go be in a discussion panel for two other wards in their ward conference (he's on the Stake Youth Commitee) and they talked about the new For The Strength of Youth pamphlet and answered questions, some of which would have never been brought up back when I used to be in YW (one example that one of the youth in our stake asked: If I'm a girl and I kiss a girl, am I going to hell? Wesley helped answer that one (No, but you should go talk to your bishop)). He also got back late last night from being a 11th wheel to a school dance (There were 5 couples and Wes) and he said he had so much fun and danced with more girls than the guys, cause at the dance, the guys all get together in a circle and dance and the girls did the same, and Wes was like "forget that" and went to the girls group and was just being super brave and putting himself out there. As Debbie W. said today in Relief Society as we discussed the Doctrine of Belonging: "Sometimes all it takes in 20 seconds of courage."

Anyway, so Wes had so much fun there, and he got home sometime after 2 am (we went to bed but he told us in the morning) cause they were watching Cars 2. "That movie is hilarious! It was so funny! But it was 1 am..." and then he was depressed around 2, true to sleep deprivation form. (See one of the quotes here) So Wes had come back early from St. George with his aunt and cousins so that he could get to hockey practice at 10:15. He said that he did an amazing shot and scored on a 3 players vs. 2 coaches drill, and his coach was amazed "WES! Have you been practicing?!?!" He said yeah even though he really hasn't been practicing hockey much, but he has been putting the gospel to the test and he said that is the only thing he's really been doing differently. His coach also said "Whatever you're doing, keep doing it!" and Wesley sent Corey this pic to share how he felt:

Anyway, it was so great talking to him tonight and he shared some of the things he's been feeling and learning with his younger siblings during scriptures. It was really fun. My heart was full of gratitude. We also talked about dating with Wes and Abi, and some of the things their older siblings have learned so far from their dating experiences. Abi said "I'm so glad that we have older siblings so that we don't mess up like they did". Ha. I'm sure you'll mess up in whole new ways. We all mess up and that's how we learn.

After we got home, I put my hand in ice water as I looked at a cold photo and a warm photo for Sophi's science fair project. Gotta love science. I could have gone all night, but I stopped after 2 and a half minutes and easily won the family endurance challenge.

I did a good on Sophi's hair for church! The youtube algorithm gives me a lot of hair videos, I usually share them with Mel, this is one I tried on Mel that didn't work great, but today on Sophi I did good and it was so pretty. 

Owen had a baptism preview. He's going to be baptized in August. Pretty exciting. These kids keep growing up. Nice bow tie, Owen! He's a sweet and innocent little kid. He tries hard to be good and is doing a great job following Jesus.

Owen accidentally broke an ornament on my wood board thingy (2nd to last pic). It was a new one I just got this past Christmas to represent Peter and his love for dinosaurs, especially brachiosaurus's. This is an ornament like "Tiny". It had a fragile glass body and resin feet and head. Well, lately Owen's been playing with a ball throwing it up the stairs. I told him not to, cause might hit the glass ornaments. He did after church today, and I tried to glue it back together. It didn't all line up perfectly, but pretty good. There's a crack in everything, that's how the light gets in.

The kids haven't been keeping up Katharine's Instagram - they're following my example of being behind. I did a little post with these pics I took - It's never too early to begin dental hygiene! 

(But if it could be too early, "before teeth" might qualify.) Katharine is flossing her gums. And with the wrong side of the floss pick.

Such a silly baby. She's soft and warm and smooth and squishy and little and fun, babies are perfectly made to be irresistible.

Melodie is 22!

Happy Birthday to Melodie! It was fun having her here to celebrate her special day. We toyed around a bit with the idea of going swimming, but when it was 11 and we still hadn't decided, we figured it was a bit late to get in a full day, so we're saving it for another time. So we decided to go out to lunch. Corey stayed home with the boys, Katharine joined us. Her sweet little baby face!

We went to Bandits. I like Bandits. I got my usual Farmer's Harvest Salad with shrimp. Mel got that too. Good stuff. 

They brought Katharine a high chair - Katharine killed time by tasting the chair. 

She also tried slapping the table to call the waiter to serve us. That didn't work, so then she played with the little black papers from around our napkins. She found that to be pretty entertaining.

Mel and I were both just adoring her the whole time. Babies are so beautiful. It's so fun. Mel adoring Katharine again this evening after she got her to sleep in a chair in the front room.

Mel was painting her fingernails! Haha, Katharine holding the little nail file - so fun. She's our favorite!

So, my mom didn't come by today, and that was ok - she thought Mel was down at school. But I didn't get a cake, cause I kinda don't like cake, and Mel didn't mind cause we had already had a nice meal together. But the little kids said we needed cake. Daniel took matters into his own hands with some playdoh. Presenting Mel's birthday cake!

We sang Melodie a song - 

And she posed with the cake - 

Daniel was so pleased with himself and that his cake offering was so graciously received. 

And Melodie was getting a big kick out of  it. Such a sad little cake!

Sorry Mel, I guess I could have/should have gotten you a birthday dessert. 

Happy Birthday Mel! I think taking college kids out to eat for their birthday might be a good "gift". Corey already got Joseph something for his birthday (a bike rack) so we'll let him have that as a gift but then it might just be dinner date gifts. Corey also wants Joseph to forgive us/never mention again that we gave him our old piano as a birthday present. ...that was my fault. We were ready to get rid of it, he said he'd like it, then I said "hey, can that count as your b-day present?" so that was tacky, and he's never let us forget it. But honestly, we do and have done so much for them anyway, do we really "owe" them a gift every year? We don't expect or demand anything from them, we're still raising 8 more kids at home... go easy on us. We're hoping to have enough money to retire someday! Ok, we'll Mel, thanks for being so chill and mellow for us, we appreciate it! You're the best.

Henna and Cute K

Wesley brought back some Henna stuff from India. He's been making art on his siblings. Little boys like little boy designs - 

It's a great way to get them to all hold still and be quiet - they are still during the procedure so Wes can draw, and we tell them to stay still after so it can dry. Peter with spiderman on his chest and a dinosaur on his arm.

Daniel wanted a dinosaur too. Wes is a good artist.

Corey said that this trip to India that Wes just had was all fun and some work, but not the work that the adults put in who are helping out the kids. So in that way this was good but was different than what an LDS mission experience would be. Wes was enjoying free oj that someone else did most of the work for - someone else did the work planning and organizing and even paying for - Wes trip was mostly paid for by the money Hyrum earned before his trip got cancelled in 2020 with covid. So, Corey wanted Wes to learn that "In life, you want to make sure that the juice is worth the squeeze" by having Wes make some fresh orange juice.

It took 4 oranges to get Corey an 8 oz cup of juice. Usually it's us parents that do all the squeeze in life, so this was a nice way to have Wes do a little bit of the work. It's nice having him back home! He said he doesn't need anything for Christmas! "We already have so much..." "The girls there didn't have anything, yet they were so sweet and so happy, you don't need stuff to be happy" Yay, mission accomplished. I agree. Happiness doesn't come from things. It comes from gratitude for what we do have - for our relationships and for the beautiful things in this world, like cute babies! 

Haha, lately, Katharine has been cracking us up with her overactive tongue. Little video of her here. This morning she got a little taste of Wesley's oranges, she likes it!

Silly baby.

Natalie and Sophi were watching Katharine this morning while I was climbing at Momentum. I went yesterday by myself and got my first flapper (ripped off callous). I went with Lily this morning before school and I was able to climb carefully with a bandaid, and I super glued it back on. When I came in, I saw her up on Natalie's head with Sophi keeping the Cocomelon video in front of Katharine's face. "Natalie, don't carry her like that!" "It's ok mom! I've never dropped her!" 

They make me nervous! Katharine also always make me laugh when she puts her binky in upside down. 

Well find her in her supersaucer like this - 

So silly! 

Katharine practicing piano - She's our favorite.

And a cute little smile. 

She's our favorite. A few other things from today - I made a "Oh What Fun It Is To Wride" banner that I put in the kitchen - one piece of our party prep (before the cookie exchange on Saturday). And Lily had her Christmas concert at school. 

Autumn Activities

We're all doing well here. It's been the usual busy life with kids having music lessons, practicing, homework, etc. Other activites too - yesterday Sophi and Natalie went to a Trunk or Treat with a friend.  Dressed as Candy Corn and Cleaopatra. 

And P as a dinosaur. Corey and Wes are having fun in Boston, and as for us, I've actually gone and cleaned up in the basement a little bit, so that's been good. AND I cleaned the kids shower, which was super bad. So I've done cleaning, but also playing with the kids too - Peter and I colored dinosaurs and sharks - 

Here are the kids walking to the kindergarten bus yesterday - Daniel rollerblading and Peter riding his "dinosaur bike ride"

And no blog post would be complete without cute pictures of Katharine... 

That was from yesterday morning, Natalie should have been getting dressed and ready for school, but instead she was getting Katharine dressed. She just can't help playing with her doll! Katharine in a little snow jumper thing that also I got for her yesterday, in addition to the three Halloween costumes... And today they dressed her in another winter outfit I got (like I said, I might already be spoiling her like a grandma!) 

Look at you sitting up!!

I sent that pic above to Corey, and he texted back asking "Is she always that happy and smiley?" I replied "Almost always!" followed by this pic of her that I just took of her being impatient for food. 

So I guess she's not perfect all the time, but even when she's crying, we all just think it's adorable and we laugh at her. (and jokingly quote Lotso Bear "Don't be such a BABY!!!") Another pic of her adorable face! 

We love how she sucks on her lower lip. That is so cute when babies do that. And we also laughed at her when she fell asleep sticking out her tongue - haha!

Yeah, we pretty much love everything about this little girl.