Biosphere and Cold Pool

It's spring break for the Elementary kids. We did the Moab trip last week as our family spring break activity, so I was thinking I'd take it easy a little bit this week and we'd try to just go to Thanksgiving Point a few times. Today I delivered on that by taking them to the Butterfly Biosphere. Look at my bugs in a jar!

Over in the biosphere - 

This was as close as we got to a butterfly today - 

There were quite a few of these big blue ones. We didn't see any monarchs, sniff! I hope the Monarch butterfly population is ok. That would be so sad if they went extinct. I remember when I was a caterpillar farmer of those cute caterpillars!

And amazing chrysalis'...

Monarchs are beautiful. I hope we get some this year. 

Peter's favorite place at the Biosphere today was the Costa Rica Climber. The bigger kids liked that too and they explored up the stairs in the activities up in the canopy. Peter was content on the baby slide on the ground level.

After a fun day at the Butterfly Biosphere, we went to Federation rehearsal. Sophi and Natalie both practiced their songs with the pianist that they will be playing on Saturday. They took turns rehearsing and watching over their younger siblings who were coloring. 

They each did their songs 3 times. 

Here's Natalie's 

And Sophi's - 

That rehearsal was at the pianist's house, which was kinda half way downtown, so after that was done, we drove out to a store to look at a few machines that I had seen on the classifieds. The kids had fun exploring through the isles of appliances. 

It was almost as good as a corn maze! I decided to buy a set that was there, new in the box, a large capacity Samsung washer and dryer. 

I had looked and looked for good price but wasn't set on a particular brand. But after buying this, I found it at Home Depot for less expensive than what I had just paid. Oh well. Part of the selling point for me was that I could get it delivered tomorrow. So I called and am working on arranging that delivery and installation. It will be great to have a new washer and dryer! $1450 plus $110 for the delivery and installation and haul away of the old ones (goodbye and good riddance!) 

And final story from today. After we got home from the rehearsal and buying the washer and dryer, the kids went on a bike ride with Corey. It was really cold outside and their hands were freezing. Daniel came in and showed me his poor frozen hands, and to help him recover I held them against my warm torso. It made me gasp briefly at how frozen his fingers were. I just did one hand. And then he held up his other hand and let me know that that one was cold too. Yikes, ok!! Here we go - brace myself as I hold it next to my skin - brr! It was a sacrifice I was willing to make for my little boy. The kids were laughing that I was breathing hard. I said "I dare you to go jump in that pool in the backyard!" I had bought this blow up pool when I took Daniel with me to Costco. They wanted to put it up on Monday. Sure the sun was shining, but it was still freezing cold outside and I knew it was too cold for a pool, but I filled it up for them anyway. Well, this is what it looked like this morning:

So as I was gritting my teeth at Daniel's cold hands, I dared them to go jump in the pool so they could feel what cold is like too. Lily was like "I will!!!" and just like that we were all laughing and she ran over to the pool and with a 1 - 2 - 3 she jumped in!

Way to go Lil! I'm impressed! She's a little dare devil just like Ethan! I love it. Then she dared me or the kids did and I was like Allright, but I went and changed into my swimsuit, and Abi got wet with me (twice)...

It was very cold and refreshing, like the cool river in Costa Rica.

...then Sophi and Natalie did...

...and we spent the rest of the evening being crazy like that. 

Poor Natalie got pushed back head over heels by Abi, which was sad, which is why this video above ends abruptly, so that I could comfort Natalie as I scolded Abi. 

But Natalie took it well and she won the master prize for her being dunked twice. 

So it was fun and I'm sure will be something that the kids remember. Owen toying with the idea of jumping in... then he opted not to, funny kid. 

I was ok with getting wet and soaking up towels, because I knew that I had a new washer and dryer coming tomorrow so I'll be able to take care of all these dirty towels, yay!

Pearl Harbor

Corey got tickets for us to visit the USS Arizona Memorial at 8:30 this morning. We woke up and got ready and were running late and there was traffic on the freeway that made us more late and it was a bit frazzling and Mel called but I couldn't do a video call with her cause then I couldn't see the map and Corey dropped us off so we could check in while he parked and we barely made it to Pearl Harbor (with 1 minute to spare for Joseph to run our bags back to the car since no luggage was allowed and he ran and he quickly caught up to us) and we walked right on to the ferry as it was ready to depart. Phew! We need to stop cutting things so close and needing "It's a miracle we made it" stories (like Natalie's visa, see last pic).

Face masks on everyone except Peter. I'm impressed Daniel can see over his...

Wonderful service men

Hyrum's silhouette as we come to the Memorial.

Lily looking at the map showing how the Arizona looked originally, and how it looks now in the water below us.

Abi and Joseph looking at a display that wasn't there when Corey and I came in 2016 - it shows when divers placed the final urn of one of the Arizona's survivors with the ship after he passed away in December last year.

We saw a turtle and lots of fish in the water below. To me that seemed like a sign of hope for the world. After all the mess we make along the way life goes on - ours and that of this planet.

Sweet Peter was making noise. He is adorable. 

I appreciated Wesley holding him.

Inside the temple of names with the tree of life sculpture letting light shine in. 

Corey sharing a teaching moment with the kids. 

Wes and Peter in the quiet space. 

There is a very sacred feeling at the memorial, similar to the temple, where we think of sacrifice, of life, death, and where we gain an Eternal Perspective of the life we want to live, and the legacy we will leave. Corey showing the kids the oil that is still leaking into the harbor.

The Seal - "Heraldry!" Stephen Spykerman (see the Pilgrim Hypothesis)

More insights from Corey - 

"MAY GOD MAKE HIS FACE TO SHINE UPON THEM AND GRANT THEM PEACE"

After 30 minutes, Daniel was done, so lucky for him it was time to go.

We got to go on another boat ride, the little boys liked that. Then we walked along the walk of remembrance, I really liked that this time again.

Corey and the little boys got ahead of us, but we caught up to them at the museum.

It was great to be there with the kids. (You have a lot of kids, Corey!)

Then we went to Wendy's for some survival food, fries for everyone. Inside the party bus - Wes and Hyrum are kinda hiding.

We counted incorrectly by accident and forgot to get a burger for Joseph. He was very nice about it and we're making it up to him with food later. We went by Costco and stocked up big time, we called Mel back, oh, and I saw a MONARCH BUTTERFLY at the Wendy's drive through! I tried to get a photo, I was really thinking it would come land on me or that I'd be able to grab it, but no, it flew away. But I'm so happy I saw one. I didn't know Hawaii had Monarchs! So that is great, gives me hope for their species after a monarch-less summer at home and especially after all the California fires, so that was a happy moment. We should have food to last us until Monday. I need to make lots of fruit smoothies. 

So it's just been lots of pool time today - at the Lagoon pool and the Nai'a pool. We go from a reservation at one pool, then take a 30 min break, and head to the next pool. Daniel was very patiently holding up his arm for his wristband, reaching up so high, cute boy.

At the Lagoon pool tonight, Peter overcame his fear of the bubbling fountain. Here he is pointing at it, saying "Scare..."

And Lily helping him learn he has power over the water - 

And just like that, he overcame his fear. He can now go up to it and touch it and step on it.

But when he's back on the beach, he'll still look over at it from a distance and says "Scare..." We buried Peter in the sand today. He liked that.

Owen and Daniel did their usual jumping. Daniel is so cute and friendly too, he'll go up to kids and strike up conversations. He swam over to a little girl "Hi! I like your hair!"

Hyrum/Sophi and Abi/Natalie had a chicken fight in the Lagoon Pool that was paused and then resumed when we went to our 5pm pool reservation back at Naia.

Fight fight fight!

Chicken fight all night. 

Lily holding Peter.

After our night of fun, walking back to the room... Daniel, can you see over that mask?

Time for bed, and then another day of swimming tomorrow.