Caterpillar Drama

We have three chrysalis left. One is dark and should be emerging tonight or tomorrow.

It is really cool seeing them emerge from the chrysalis, makes it worth it. This one from yesterday is one of two that j-hooked and changed into chrysalis at the same time while we were at church last week. We thought they'd come out at the same time, but one of them emerged yesterday and the other one is taking it's sweet time and seems to be 48 hours behind which I think is a little weird. But what do you do? Not much to do for caterpillars except watch them do their thing. 

We had two more baby caterpillars but they dried up. We feel like their mortality has been a little worse than normal this year. Over the weekend, we had 6 caterpillar die - two little ones just appeared to stop eating and dried up, and 4 of the big ones were oozing green stuff and we did research and appears they were throwing up or had diarrhea - don't know if our milkweed was bad or if one of them was sick and got the others sick?

The stress of it was too much for Ethan, and he started to take it out a bit on us. The drama was just too intense. Corey was able to make the mood lighter when, after hearing this exchange between Ethan and Mel, he said we should do a new reality show for Animal planet called "Caterpillar Farmers". The confrontation sounded like a perfect clip...as they watched this guy hang his head back and ooze from the front and back...

Ethan - "He's gonna die!"
Mel - "You don't know that!"
Ethan - "Just get rid of them!! I can't take it!"

Ethan wanted us to just go put them all in the neighbor's yard where there's lots of milkweek. And be done with them. I was ready to send them off too. But Mel rinsed him off and nursed him back to health. He turned into a chrysalis yesterday, although he is a very small chrysalis compared to the others. We'll see what happens. The thought of a reality show made us laugh as we imagined the advertisements, featuring a pull away shot of the kids, arms folded across their chests, as the announcer says "This week, on Caterpillar Farmers!" Mel found another egg last night, so we'll see if that little guy emerges from the egg and can survive the first instar or not. We've had two butterflies and are hoping 3 more emerge. 5 out of 35 or so eggs? Gives us about a 14% mortality rate. I plan on asking my more experienced neighbor for tips of the trade to help us out if we do it next year.

Pretty, Party, 'Pillars

Here's my favorite photo of the day - and of course it's of KATHARINE!

Eating her fist!!! SO CUTE! I sent it on the family group text, Ethan replied "She's bald". She may be bald, but but she's the cutest and chubbiest and sweetest thing ever. School starts on Monday for Sophi, Natlaie, and Owen. Today I took them shopping and they got some school supplies and waterbottles. No clothes though. Our house is overflowing with clothing, and we're not getting any more until we get rid of some (a lot). Corey took Daniel and Peter to a birthday part for a neighbor, which was pretty cool because SPIDER-MAN was there!

I told Corey to get a pic of Peter with him so that we'd have a match from when Peter and Wes were being the webslinger (pic 2), but he didn't get one. He did get one of Daniel with Spiderman, I need him to send it to me. They had a great time at the party. It was at Luv2Play at Southtowne Mall. Corey and I don't do parties like that, and that is ok. We just hope it doesn't give Daniel false hopes or visions for what his birthday will be like next month! 

The caterpillars and chrysalides are doing well. We've got 30 chrysalides which should start coming out next week, and still 20+ caterpillars. It's fun. I've got a pretty good set up now in the laundry room. 

And I got in a fender bender today as I was on my way to pick up Ethan from Front Runner. The road I usually take was closed for a drone show near Sandy City Hall, so then I turned around and as I was turning on 106th and State street, a guy was riding his bike across the cross walk towards me and I didn't see him and slammed on my brakes kinda and then I got hit. At 6:45 for documentation's sake. So that was too bad. The lady was very nice though, and I felt bad that her car got it worse. I was a few min late picking up Ethan. We have another 2 weeks with him and Mel here before they start BYU. The elementary kids start on Monday. Exciting. 

First Monarch of the Season

This morning our first monarch emerged from it's chrysalis. This is the one I found on a morning walk. It is amazing! 21 days to go from hatching from a tiny egg to flying off into the world on their own.

All the big kids are up at Park City, so I didn't have anyone to share the miracle with. I tried to share with Natalie, but she's kinda wary of "bugs".

Natalie, this isn't a bug! It's a BUTTERFLY!!! Totally different! But she still ran away.

Oh well, we'll all be back when two more emerge on Sunday, so that will be fun. I came home from Park City yesterday and spent the day here with Owen and Natalie. But we're going to head back up now, so we'll leave Mr. Butterfly out on a tree branch. Good luck with your new life!

I'm still finding monarch eggs.  Right now we've got 2 in the chrysalis, 6 eggs, 2 tiny tiny baby caterpillars, 3 small ones, and 5 that are big and looking like they've survived the larva stage. Four in this picture~

It's a pretty fragile process. I'd say we've had over 30 eggs, about 75% of those hatched, and we've had atleast 10 die in the tiny baby stage, aka 1st "instar". I think 1st instar for us has just had a 50% survival rate. Still, better than the average... some say only 1 or 2 of 100 eggs will make it to an adult butterfly. Another site says out of hundreds of eggs only 3-5, which I guess means we've had a pretty good average for our yard. We're at about 25%, not bad.

(I've been reading up on caterpillars more this time, that image above is from this website) Pretty fun, I like begin a "caterpillar farmer" as Corey has started to call me. But I don't like worrying about them or having them invade my dreams. Guess it's part of the job though.

Brazil '07 - Week 2

Here's some news from our second week in Brazil:

We finally got the internet here at home. It is a very slow connection, but the man told us it was better than dial up (that made Corey roll his eyes). But it is better than nothing, so we are grateful. We are glad to not be cut off from the world.

This past week we celebrated our anniversary - we're only 8 years :), but it feels like it could be 9, but I also feel like we haven't gone very far... after this stint in Brazil is over we'll be starting from scratch again like a couple of newly weds. I'm glad we sold our furniture cause it does lessen the worry for now about storage and transporting, but when we get back to the US I know I will wish we had it (since I know we won't have money to buy anything.) So last year for our anniversary we were in Mexico City at the JW Marriott. Corey admitted this year he did not treat me to the same standard of excellence, but no worries. My emotions change from morning to night, right now I'm wishing we had a car, and if we don't get one soon I might as well just take the kids back to the US and let Corey stay here - then he can get his work done and I can cook like a pampered American and not try to feed our family working in this very simple kitchen. (I'm sure it's not quite 3rd world, but kinda feels like it...) Although if I can endure I'm sure we'll look back on this time as a great experience. But I don't want to just endure, I want to endure it well. Right now I'm just on endure mode. I hope it changes.

So I think the isolation we have is good for the kids, (free from TV, video games, school, and other influences and distractions - they have no choice but to read, work, or play with each other). I am having fun homeschooling them. Right now our school is not very scheduled, it's kind of random depending on what each kids wants to do - Ethan and Mel are doing lots in their workbooks and drawing. Melodie is really creative, she made he own paper doll in a kitchen that was really cute, and she's also drawn a picture of a princess with a Brazilian flag flying behind her that Corey really liked and wants to keep for our Brazil scrapbook.

Joseph is reading all up about the Presidents of the United States, and he is always proclaiming how much he loves history and he is really good at history. This morning he quized me using the table of contents, going down the list of Presidents and asking me how long each president served. I didn't know I was having a quiz today, so I didn't get them right. He knew it better than I did. He thinks it's totally unfair that FDR got to be president for more than 8 years. He's also trying to learn each President's nick name. Kinda funny how he's turned into a little scholar. We have to pull him away from it and make him do something else - "No more history - go play or do something else!"

We go swimming everyday. The other day we waited until evening, and since the sun was going down behind the trees and I wasn't worried about prolonged exposure to the sun, I stayed out with them for 4 hours. I said I'd let them swim until they were done (I was positive I could endure longer than they could) but I was the one who quit and said we needed to be done.

Hyrum seems to be the kid that misses the US the most. He keeps saying "I want to go home." And we'll say either "We don't have a home" or will point to our little rental here and say "That's home" and he'll say "Not that one!!" It's kinda funny, he knows what he wants, (and I do too) but he doesn't know how to explain himself, it's funny, he's a cute little boy.

It is very hot here, it reminds me of my mission where I just had to get used to being sweaty and feeling clammy all the time. We all have a ton of mosquito bites, but Wesley's look the worst. He has little scars on his hands from the ant bites last week - I hope they go away, it looks like what I imagine small pox scars to have looked like.

The kids have been very entertained outside with hundreds of caterpillars, trying to protect them from Wesley, a.k.a. the "Caterpiller Killer". Here he is on the hunt. 

Then Fabio told us yesterday that they are poisonous, so now the caterpillars have turned into the enemy and their corpses are all over the patio. One night we saw a little lizard, like a gecko. Ethan said "Let's kill him", Corey said "No, Lizards are good, they eat bugs." Ethan very matter of factly said "Oh, ok. First we'll let him eat all the bugs in the world... then we'll kill him." Corey and I thought that was pretty funny. Yesterday I was picking up a watermelon off the floor and got very startled by a little frog behind it. I knew it wasn't a mouse, but I gave an equal reaction. We had to catch him from behind the fridge, then the kids were busy for a while laughing as they watched him hop around outside.

As for other things, we are still getting settled. We need to get a car - people here don't stock pile on food, they just go to the market everyday, so I'm having a hard time getting used to that - plus it's tricky cause we are so far out that we can only go to the market or store when Corey takes the bus in or when we have a friend come get us.

Last night we went to the Campinas temple with Fabio. His wife watched our kids and her 2 kids. We came home and she had made a delicious dinner for us, they didn't stay cause they had a ward activity. That was a nice surprise.

Church on Sunday was good, it was nice to meet the members. The kids are all in the same primary class - it's a pretty small ward, but also might be because everyone was out of town for Carnival which was this this past week. (Trying to escape the sin). The kids were lost during the lesson which was in Portuguese, but the teacher told me all the other kids had a great time in Primary, it was so exciting to have a bunch of Americans in the class! I wish we lived closer to the ward. A few members expressed their concern about us being out so far (I don't know why they all say that though, it's only like a 10 minute drive) The temple is close too, it was just like 20 minutes away, so it doesn't feel like we're out in the wilderness, but we're used to commuting from living in DC. Also everyone says how dangerous it is - so I'm nervous to meet our neighbors or to go out and meet people alone (thus I'm not learning any Portuguese) and if we lived closer to members it would be better, but hopefully we'll get a car soon and that will give us more freedom while still being safe.
Well, it's taken me about 2 hours and a dozen interruptions to write type all this. The kids are used to us not having distractions too, so everytime I come sit down at the computer to use the internet, some silent alarm goes off in all of them and they know they need to come bug me for something.

I got an email from Neil's wife Amy tonight, she said that in the south the ants that bite are called fire ants, and they leave little puss filled pimples all over you, so it sounds like those are Wesley's attackers, cause he did have little pimple looking things all over on his hands, wrists and arms. I scratched some of them off, thinking it would help to clear up what looked like an infections. Wes is good at not itching himself though, with fire ants or mosquitos, he just goes on with his business. As for me, I wake up at night itching my feet and legs and arms. I want to wear long clothes to keep the bugs off, but I also want to walk around in my swimsuit cause it's so hot! I'm not a huge fan of the snow, but don't like this tropical humidity either... I wish there were a happy medium. Isn't there a place in the world with ideal weather all the time? I need to find it so we can settle down and retire there.

So sometimes (like today) I'm not feeling up to this lifestyle and wish I was back in the states. I think I'm mostly stressed about domestic stuff - how to cook for the family and keep us in clean clothes. As for washing clothes (I'm doing it by hand again today, but can't keep up...) We have found someone who has a machine who will wash it for us, but haven't arrange a drop off and pick up time so I have been cleaning clothes cause we are all out. As for food and how to cook the food (I think this kitchen is pretty primitive, like probably 1930's?) here meals seem to happen day by day, with small boxes of food and going to the market everyday for fresh fruits and veggies, where as I'm used to thinking month to month and buying bulk at Costco. That worked good for our family, so I'm having a hard time adjusting to that. Plus we don't have a car yet, and we are kinda far out of town, so we aren't able to go to town and don't have a local market to buy food from. So we are still figuring that out. So that is life here! Sounds fun huh. It's not that fun yet, but makes a good story I guess, and I'm sure this will prove to be a good experience for all of us, someday down the road when we can look back at it... :)

Tonight Corey is in Sao Paulo teaching a GMAT class. He was going to stay over there somewhere, but then found out he could come home tonight with Flavio, a guy in the ward who is taking the class. He is giving him a ride home tonight and a ride back in and back tomorrow for day 2 of the class. The kids knocked the fan off the bed today and it broke. It still works, but it rattles and is noisy, I don't think I want to sleep with it, so that's been the straw that broke my back today, I'm going to be hot and sticky and uncomfortable tonight cause the fan got broken. I've got mosquitos attacking me here, Corey doesn't have a job and I feel like we have no money, I don't know how to handle feeding our family on a 0 income budget. When Corey gets home tonight I need him to tell me about our state of finances cause I just don't know what's going on. Maybe we are okay, I so we need to talk about that.

Tonight Joe and I talked about the pros and cons of living here in Brazil. I am currently wishing we could bail early, but know that would be bad for Corey's friends here in Brazil, that they and their wives would think we don't like Brazil, cause they've tried so hard to make us comfortable and to try and help us. Both Favio and Luis are planning on coming to BYU for 2 years for school, 2 years is longer than 4 months, and they are going to feel homesick too, I need to set a good example for them by not bailing out early. So I want to leave but feel like we can't. Maybe things will change when we get a car.

Quote Wall 2

We all know that our house is full of cute kids, as demonstrated by this pic below of cute cute Katharine.

We also have very funny children, the little ones and the big ones. I'd say they mostly get it from their father, although I'm kinda witty too sometimes. I always feel very proud of myself if I can surprise Corey with a clever comment and make him laugh. He's always making me laugh. 

On Saturday morning, as we were in St. George packing up to go home, Corey had me laughing as he mulled over in his head some thoughts about bowling. So Ethan's bowling ball is missing and he's made some "Have you seen me" posters with a photo of it that he's thinking of putting up around campus to try and find his ball. I told him not to do it, cause I seriously doubt it will bear any fruit. I don't think any fellow student took his ball. I think he just misplaced it or lost it somewhere. Corey told him not to and then confided "I do feel like a failure of a parent because he likes bowling... at a key moment in his development he needed a sport, a challenge, and we missed it, so that's what's left for him. ...and then he BRAGS about it so unabashedly, he's not even aware of the shame..."

I sent that to Mel in a text, but told her that dad did not want to be quoted on it. And I'm catching up here on the blog (today is actually April 24) so I'm hoping that I can put that here and not be found out. Cause it was a funny quote. Melodie captures funny quotes from the family. I put the first installment of family quotes here on the blog in November. Mel sends out her collection of quotes on Wride Nation every month or so. Here are all the ones I've gotten since November (I think)... 

• Mom to Eth at cabin “how you doing?” Eth as he strikes a superman pose “feeling completely normal and healthy!”
• “In Wesley’s defense, I’m super good.” - Joe, paraphrased by eth (playing foosball)
•  Eth (i think): “As Jim always says, put enough sauce on it and it’ll go in.” Joe: “I’ve never heard him say that.”
• Mom: "I don't think we're going to buy eggs, they're expensive right now." Sophie: "Well we can just get some milk and let it molt"
• Wes: "Abi, have I ever told you that you have an amazing voice?" Abi, flattered: "No!" Wes: "Yeah... So stop singing."
• “Each time he screams his teeth get one shade whiter” - Joseph as Ethan wails because his whitening strips sting
• “Look at all these humans that Mom and Dad made!” - Ethan
• Mel: “tomorrow is Christmas Adam because Adam came before Eve” Ethan: ”If tomorrow is Christmas Adam that means today is Christmas GOD. Does that make the day after Christmas Christmas Cain?”
• Mom: “Everyone say thanks to Mel for making dinner” Everyone: “thanksss mellll” Owen: “thanks for the ONE piece of chicken!” Ethan: “That was the most passive-aggressive comment I’ve ever heard.”
• Mel, trying to encourage Ethan before his date “Don’t stress it, just be yourself!” Ethan: “That’s what I’m afraid of!”
• “This is a priesthood obligation! I need to go on this date so I can find a wife to financially support… And love.” - Ethan
• Mel singing Peter: “that hurts my ears! It’s making me have nightmares.”
• "How was your first day of classes? I can see that you haven't left your bed yet, that's a good sign... Doing homework in your bed? That's the most self-deceptive thing I've ever heard." - Dad
• On a video call with Hyrum "The worst part of these calls is that I have to see my own face." - Dad
• Mels queue: "Would you like to restate that?"
• Our ancestors in heaven: "So what was your great trial in life?" Mom and Dad "Well, we had 13 kids!" Ancestors: "Yeah, everyone did..." Mom and Dad: "Well, we didn't have to wash our clothes by hand, and we had refrigerators... But we did have to make the hard decision of choosing entertainment that wouldn't degrade us."
• At Pie pizza for joes bday Ethan: “Next time we should go to Chuck E. Cheese!!” 

•  Listening to Fiddler on the roof If I were a rich man Ethan: “Tevya thinking about that double chin on his wife like (flutter tongue) rrrrrrr”
• Ethan singing fiddler on the roof: “Do you love me?“ Daniel: “No.”
“It’s a critical defect of the Y chromosome. If there isn’t a battle to be fought, a male becomes dormant.” - Dad
• Mom: “If you’re righteous, you won’t die before you’ve fulfilled your calling.” Dad: Even if you eat eggs and sausage? Mom: Well, we’re all here to change…
“What’s wrong with Youth in Asia?” - Joseph “Everyone’s talking about how Euthanasia is bad, but whats up with them? What about the youth in America? They’re pretty bad too.” Mom: “I had to euthanize a few caterpillars..” *flashback to mom freezing caterpillars and squishing with a rock • “Mom, am I an orphan?” -Natalie
• “I will spank you on the eyeballs until you die.” - Peter

• “I just want someone to be obsessed with me!” - Abi
• Peter, touching his nipples: “Dad, look at these tiny things!”
• “I did not fart! I always own up to it! Wes, don’t let them accuse me” - Ethan
• Joseph and Ethan thinking that the woman with an issue of blood had a cut in her arm
• Dad: “What guy here has ever felt tempted by impure thoughts about women?” *Daniel raises his hand Dad: “If Sophie was with me all the time, I would never make a mistake again. The other day at church after after talking with Sister Eakins, Sophie came up and asked “Who was that woman you were talking to??” 

• “Dad would pay us to keep an eye on Ethan and Ella” Sophie: “I remember that! We would watch you all day.”
• Ethan: “When I was running for SBO in 8th grade, I just finished my presentation and I got up in front of the entire school, and the best thing I could come up with to say was: “I really have to pee right now.” Dad: “You know, the guy you were running against told you yo say that.” Ethan: “He did??” •Mom: “I think it’s a little harsh to say that all men are naturally pigs” Joseph and Ethan and Wes: “I disagree.”
• “Die for your own honor!” - Owne
• Dad: “Who left their food here on the table?” Daniel, with his plate right next to it: “I saw Owen do it…”
• Abi: “Why did we buy so much oatmeal? Mel: “Because we eat oatmeal every day!” Abi: “No, we COOK oatmeal every day.”
• Mel: “Everything is funny at 1am” Ethan “Then 2am hits and everything is super depressing” Joe: “I had a midlife crisis at 3am waiting for Zeb at the airport.”
• Eth: “It was so weird, she held my hand and said ‘we could pretend that we’re dating!’” Mel: “You do that do me all the time” Eth: “Yeah, but we’re related!” Wes: “that doesn’t make it better”

Park City

We'll be spending next week up in Park City for the annual Wride getaway.

I'm pretty sure the caterpillars will change into their chrysalis next week, so do we bring them with us or lend them to a friend to see the miracle? Hmm.

Here are a few posts of Park City in years past~

2001 - the first year we went, Joe loved the merry-go-round
Can't find pics from 2002 or 2003

2004 - Ready to go swimming
2005 - Corey and 3 year old Ethan going down the Alpine slide
2006 - We had moved to Virginia and so all the Hibberts came up to see us, have dinner, and to play - my kids were totally loving that picture of their cousin Sam as a cute chubby baby2007 - That year we rented jetskis and went to Jordanelle
2008 - Grandma got all the grandkids new PJs that year...
2009 - I thought Hyrum looked so cute and funny, all set to go snorkeling and with his little crossed eyes looking at the camera.How we all look after a week of partying...
And here's how we all look on the drive home after a week of partying
2010 - I think Corey looks so cute in this picture below ~
That year we went to Jordanelle again and got a boat with a tube to pull and rented a water trampoline, very fun!

2011 - Did lots of crafts are on the books again this year
and last year Wesley got stitches after a foosball table pole got him on the forehead, ouch!
So, we'll see you on August 6th, I might try and sneak in some pics sometime during the week. Hope you're enjoying your last month of summertime!

No School Butterfly

The kids have missed seeing the monarchs emerge this year. We've only had late season butterflies and so the kids have been in school. Luckily it was parent teacher conferences this week, so that means today is a teacher work day, so the kiddos are out of school today, and today one of the monarchs emerged! And we're gonna be lucky again tomorrow, which is when the other one will emerge (judging by the timing of when they turned into chrysalis') So, hooray! They were able to see the butterfly today! So pretty.

It made a nice addition the vase of flowers on the kitchen table.

Sophi, who had been the most tearful to have not held the caterpillars, was the first to hold the butterfly.

And then we put it on the kitchen table for kids to watch.

Eventually we took it outside. This pretty butterfly is a boy!!

(Can you see the dark spots on the two bottom wings?) We put it out on the tree in the backyard before noon, and it was there through out the afternoon when we checked on it. I let a few neighbor kids hold it as I was out checking on it and they were passing through the yard. And as we switched it fingers between kids on our front porch, it flew away and into the tree farm. I didn't have shoes on so I didn't follow it, and so it was soon out of sight and probably impossible to find. So with that we bid this young fellow adieu. I did just check the weather, and today it was fine, but the forecast tomorrow and into the next week don't look good for butterflies...

I have just been doing more butterfly research and google tells me via butterfly fun facts that they can't fly if it's below 60 - and the high temperatures next week are lower than that. And if they are wet in freezing temperatures they will die. We're getting down to freezing on Monday... I hope that little guy makes it! I might put out a request on facebook tomorrow (like I did in 2017) to see if anyone can take our last butterfly down to south to warmer weather.

Tonight Corey and I went on a date to the Church Museum. It was raining, so Corey parked the car. While I waited, I looked around the gift shop where I saw some beautiful cards, which I have since learned are called Quilling Cards. Holy amazing, wow-wow-wow-wow. They were just on white paper - but then there was small paper scrolls shaped into beautiful pictures and images - I loved the colors, love the detail, love love love them! I started to pick out ones I wanted - they had a monarch butterfly ~

Gotta have that one, and I wanted the violin too, and the other violin... cause I couldn't decide which one I liked more. And they had a pretty piano card too, and an Eagle (for Skyline, so that's part of our family history, or could be for the USA). As I've looked online they have more that they didn't have at the store - a saxophone and trumpet, cool! Looks like we got most of our musical instruments covered. Sorry Mel, no flute. Anyway, at the museum I soon had a pile of 10. I put most of them back, but did get a few that I hope to put on the walls soon! I still hardly have anything decorating the walls here. it was nice to be there and to get a little more inspired and to see a little more of the art from the International Art Competition. This time I was most impressed by the piece "What is a Seed but Sunlight Sent into the Future" Looking at that one up close, I still could not tell that they were photographs of seeds, but I loved the idea, the title, and the work that went into recreating the Palmyra night sky in March 1820. I have a goal to someday make something to enter, I hope it's something with symbolism and meaning behind it. After Corey and I looked around we sat in a pioneer exhibit to see info about how people traveled to Utah/Zion. Our yoga baby used the opportunity at the museum to get in more downward dog practice.

Peek a boo Peter!!! You are the cutest!

It was a nice date, I think I'd like for us to go there more often and bring the kids too.

Playing Family

This morning I ran out to IKEA to drop off a package for Joseph. It was just a small package, less than 3 pounds. He requested a foot file, so we sent that, Valentine letters the kids wrote, and I also printed this talk by Lawrence Corbridge called "Stand Forever". Corey shared it with me last week. I listened to it a few times in the early morning nursing hours, but I'd doze off or it just wouldn't really be hitting me, but then I listened to it as I cleaned the basement this past week and it finally spoke to me. The climax of the message for me, especially as I thought of the wonder of our new infant -

We may all be taken back from time to time by the extraordinary—such as walking on water, multiplying bread and fish, raising the dead, translating gold plates with special lenses or a stone and hat, and the visitation of angels. Some people are hard-pressed to believe extraordinary things. While it is understandable that we may be challenged by the extraordinary, we shouldn’t be, because ordinary things are actually far more phenomenal.

The most phenomenal occurrences of all time and eternity—the most amazing wonders, the most astounding, awesome developments—are the most common and widely recognized. They include: I am; you are; we are; and all that we perceive exists as well, from subatomic particles to the farthest reaches of the cosmos and everything in between, including all of the wonders of life. Is there anything greater than those ordinary realities? No. Nothing else even comes close. You can’t begin to imagine, much less describe, anything greater than what already is.

In light of what is, nothing else should surprise us. It should be easy to believe that with God all things are possible.

The healing of the withered hand is not nearly as amazing as the existence of the hand in the first place. If it exists, it follows that it can certainly be fixed when it is broken. The greater event is not in its healing but in its creation.

I loved it. It is all amazing. With all the things that could possibly go wrong in child bearing and birth, it's a wonder anyone is born at all - but look around at all the people that beat the odds! Each one with a beating heart and lungs that breath, blood that carries the oxygen to the brain, letting us think and reason, work and do... What a miracle life is. Caterpillars and plants (Romanesco broccoli!), and the culmination of creation - you and me. Not to mention that the circumstances are just right for life to exist on this floating marble in the first place - I totally agree with him, that "in light of what already exists, nothing else should surprise us." Amen. Anyway, awesome talk, go give it a listen. We also thought it went along with some things Joseph asked Corey last week, and also just cause it's awesome. So, we sent off a package, and when I came home, I saw these two cuties in a game. I used to call it "House" when I was a kid - we'd play house. But Natalie said "We are playing 'Family!'"

Daniel was being so sweet with his baby doll.

He is careful with Peter too, but I just don't let him get that close or spend much time with him. But Daniel asks to hold Peter, by saying "Hold it! Hold it!" I try to let them hold him if I can, but it's hard - cause if Peter is awake, he's usually wants to eat and will cry if I make him wait so his siblings can pass him around. He was accommodating to Owen this afternoon, and Owen was delighted.

You're holding Baby Peter! What a good brother.

Cute boys.

One last bit about Peter - he has little dark hairs on his ears that we think are adorable. You might need to zoom in, but it's cute/funny, our little hairy man.

I was focusing on his ear as I nursed him today - he was holding my fingers, I love it.

Bike Week

We are up in Park City for "biking week"! Actually it's for our Wride reunion, but last year it was a biking week, and this year we're going for that again. I went on a ride yesterday morning, Armstrong to Dawns, and then did it again last night with Joseph and Corey!

And then again tonight with Corey, Joseph, and Ethan! We left a little too late to do Hamm, but I hope we'll be able to do that sometime this week. 

Tonight was the annual Jazz band Blue, Brews, and Brats. I watched from the window...

I think one of the kids played (Lily?) I'll check when they get back from the pool. Our early to bed early to rise hours are suffering a little bit, but not too bad. We go to talk to Hyrum today. I showed him kids swimming - Daniel was doing tricks jumping into the water for him. 

Next year Hyrum might get home the week of Park City, so that will be fun. We told him we're going to make him go biking. He's not sad that he's missing out on that part (see pics 11 and 12, ha!)

We enjoy having shared dinner time with everyone. We have dinner on Wednesday (I'm doing some Costco Lemongrass Chicken and Thai Curry)

This year we are in room 7322, which is on the 3rd floor and has a view to the south of the hill, and it's also ground level behind us, so we have a little zoo with ground hogs out of our window. 

Peter saying good morning to the prairie dogs - 

Are prairie dogs and groundhogs the same thing? I googled around trying to figure out what these animals are but I'm not sure. They are some species of Utah rodent. So that's been fun. Today I went down to the valley to take Katharine to the dr for her two month appointment. She is two months old!!! When I was doing something on immunizations for Daniel for kindergarten a few weeks ago, I realized that Peter was not current on his shots, so I was able to schedule for him to come too for a check up and get current. He got his shots first, and he was very trusting and sweet. The first few shots came and he looked at me like "what was that..." and then on the last one he kinda winced and said "That tickles!" and then I sat him up and he was done. Katharine was a baby and she cried for hers. Just a few little pokes, baby K, you'll be alright. Here she is smiling at Wes in Park City before we came down. Soo adorable.

Smiles, smiles, baby smiles!

So chubby and so cute! Baby smiles are the best!

She is a little slice of heaven. Wesley came down to SL with us, cause he had a date in Provo and we thought we could go to Provo to pick up the fiesta, but then his date got cancelled so we're going to ick up the car later. I didn't mind going down to K's appointment and stuff cause was I knew I was going to need to go feed our caterpillars. We've got a lot... they're taking over our laundry room! Now they've got plenty of milkweed and they should be good until I come back to feed them on Thursday.

My mom took our 4 chrysalides on Sunday to watch them, and they emerged today - She polo'd it for the family on the Hibbert channel ~

She sent a few polos - it really is fun to foster butterflies. :) Wes and Peter both fell asleep in the car on the drive up, and kept sleeping once we got back into the room. 

I'm calling these "Naptime - A Composition"

Changing positions, but still sleeping. 

I'm not sure how Wes is able to sleep like that - half off the couch and his legs holding him up?!? Funny. I went swimming with the kids tonight and I took Katharine down, and they all loved that. She is precious. 

Mel has made it to Vienna. Here's a pic of her yesterday in Chicago. 

She might be missing out on Park City fun, but the only thing she's really missing is Katharine. We're having fun and are glad to be making memories. More fun biking tomorrow!