School is Out!

Today is the last day of school for our family - glorious day. It was a lovely morning - a little moment that reminded me of of the lovely skies of Brazil. I miss my mornings there.

A good thing about our home here - the mountains! I invited Iveth so I could show her the loveliness that is just minutes from our home. We went on a little hike and now it is another location on her list of happly places too.

I haven't been up there until today, but it isn't not cause I don't like it. I do and it's still a happy place but it cant compete with Peter, so I haven't been up much this year except for today, I have to stay home and snuggle my Peter, cause this time is flying by before my eyes.

Yes, babyhood is fleeting. This past week he's been discovering his hands more!!

Eat 'em up, Peter! You are so yummy.

And we'll end the Peter pics with a smile of our favorite little man!

So after school, I was up feeling Peter and the girls came and informed me that they were having a swimming party to celebrate school being out for them. We don't have a pool to actually swim in, but they didn't let that stop them. They invited all the neighborhood kids over. Luckily not everyone came, but they had a pretty good turn out. I was glad that they didn't need my help throwing their party. Kids came, they jumped on the trampoline with the sprinkler on under neath it, and I think that was about it. Most of the kids had left by the time I was done feeding Peter and was able to come take a picture.

I think Abi was the kid in charge of the party. She is all done with elementary school!

My little Abi is growing up, and now it's of to junior high, and life is gonna pick up speed. Cause we know how fast the jr. high and high school part of life goes by - blink and its gone and they've been on their mission for a year! Wes is on his way to high school. Crazy crazy. He got home today at noon from his ballroom trip to California.

He basically walked in the house and crashed out on the couch. Dinner time and he was still out hard.

Maybe we'll talk to him later. They "slept" on the bus to and from. And I'm sure they were too busy having fun to get much sleep during the trip. So yeah, I bet he'll sleep until tomorrow morning.

Mom's School Year is Done!

The older kids finished school a week ago. The little kids have one more week, but we are going to go on a little vacation on Sunday, so tomorrow is the last day for our elementary girls. That means that the programs I went to today are the last ones of this school year. So, after a busy day, I am done!

I have been missing the morning walks I did in the mountains last year. So this morning, woke up early and Iveth and I went on a hike together, yay! Our first of the year! We've got ambitious plans to get ourselves and our kiddos into nature this summer. It was a good morning. I got home, got kids up, and after they were out the door, I woke up Mel so she could babysit Owen and Daniel while I went to Abi and Lily's combined America and Utah Program. Hooray only one little one with me. I still barely made it though the program. But I always like this program. The part where they sing the songs to each of the branches of the military is really cool, cause veterans in the audience stand when their song is sung. It's pretty powerful. There was someone from each branch of the armed forces.

It was a big group with both grades....which means there was not a lot of parking stalls available, which I knew would be the case, which is one reason why I walked. I didn't have a great view of my kids, but I was there.

They saw me too, so yay it counts.

The program started at 9:15, and right after there was a brief awards ceremony and then a US States Float Parade. And there was also a 1st grade Bike Rodeo at 10:15. I didn't know if Abi or Lily were getting any awards (they didn't) but I stuck around for that. Peter was getting impatient though. After taking a picture with Lily...

I hurried out to the bike Rodeo. Another reason why I walked was to bring Peter in a stroller, so that Sophi could push Peter around the bike course for the rodeo. It was the option Sophi chose cause she wasn't able to learn how to ride her bike yesterday and cause she didn't want to be a baby riding Owen's bike with training wheels. I hurried outside to deliver Peter, who I was sure would be fussing during the event. Lucky for him and me, another kind parent had let Sophia borrow their scooter and helmet. 

Riding around the course... (No one stopped at the intersection)

Ok, almost done here! We waited for Abi to come by with her float for Washington State. She made it all by herself. Well, I helped a little bit writing the letters for Washington on the side. 

She got this wagon during the bulk clean up from a neighbor's pile. It's wheels were pretty much falling off. 

After she did her 3 laps around the school, I prompty walked it over to the dumpster and threw it in. I didn't want to walk home with it, and I've been waiting to throw it away for 3 weeks, so yay, another year of the state parade completed. The parade has come full circle - Abi was in Joseph's parade 8 years ago, and now she was the big kid in the parade. Here was Hyrum's float and Wesley's program and parade. The years are tickin' by fast now. I went back to the school again to see the beginning of the program at 2:30, where they performed for the school. Abi sang the national anthem by herself, acapella. She was crying on Tuesday after they had done a rehearsal at school. She said she was so nervous. I told her to just practice and practice and she did, and today she did great. She started off pretty high, and so the later notes were super high, but she was able to hit them and was in tune, so I thought it was pretty good for a kid with no experience singing. I was really surprised she was brave enough to try out and even more impressed that she made it. Good job Abi, way to get outside your comfort zone and try something hard!

Good job sweetie. It was a busy day. After going to see the anthem, I took Mel to Corey's parent's house so she could borrow his car for flute, and then back home, took Abi to flute lesson, then to the store to try and find little gifts the girls can give their teachers tomorrow, and then a throw together of dinner (Corey and I both got home at at the same time) and it was a kinda not great evening, but I'm glad the school year is almost over. One day more!

Being Present

Owen and Daniel were playing so sweetly together this morning. They were just sitting out on the driveway with their little hot wheel cars...

Yeah, the middle of the driveway might not be the safest place for little toddlers, but I was watching them. 

I went outside to get closer to them. I squatted down next to them and it was fun to be down at their level and see what they were looking at. I was like "So this is what our driveway looks like!"

We saw roley polies and ants and box elder bugs. Their cars drove up and down the sidewalk. Iveth came over today and helped me clean and her kids played with mine. It's nice having the house clean, and I'd like us to create a system that helps it stay clean, rather than getting it clean being a goal that we have to keep setting. As I've learned recently "Focus on the systems, and the goals will take care of themselves." That's a quote from a new book I'm reading. So I'm becoming a bit more aware and am doing a slightly better job at being present. I've been surprised at what a good mood I've been in lately. I have not had any sugar since Friday nigh date night. Holly at the EJC is doing a Sugar Free Me 21 day challenge. I really wanted to do a solid 21 straight days, so I started over after Mel's graduation, cause I had some treats that day. Holly has based a lot of the challenge on looking at our habits and cravings and why we do what we do. I think she's based a lot of it off of the book Atomic Habits by James Clear, which she shared and recommended. I started reading that today and oooh, this is going to be good! I'm feeling proud and in control of myself and I'm going to make it 21 days. And who knows, maybe I'll keep going after that. I went to a BBQ with Corey's family last night (he stayed home to work and try to get some Youth Conference stuff done, which he has been in charge of this year as the Young Men's president for our ward.) But I went and I stuffed myself with cauliflower on the drive up, then ate sugar snap peas and veggie while we were there, and finished off with pineapple for dessert. I was not tempted by the cake or ice cream or chips. I'm not even looking at them. I'm excited for what I'm going to learn as I go back and revisit the Sugar Free Me lessons Holly has sent and learn more about myself and what I'm really craving when I'm stressed and want to eat cookies. I'm hoping to be more present and happier as I learn about my habits.

If you get this book, read it and let me know what you think! I'm only 2 chapters in, but it's really really good. Focus on small changes, just the 1%!

Happy Tuesday

After a day off yesterday for Memorial Day, today we are back at it one more time for this last week of school. We are going on a trip next Sunday, so the girls will be missing the last week of school which is next week, and instead this is the last week for them. The older kids are enjoying some freedom. Ethan has started a job working for my parents, which works out well cause they are able to be flexible with his schedule. Mel is trying to finish up Personal Progress stuff and made a 10 hour organizing project for herself that our family gets to be the lucky recipients of! So we spent the day organizing pantries and fridge, cleaning out the drawers and cupboards. We did the fridge again cause the ice noise stopped and it had frozen over the fan, so the fridge wasn't even cool. It hasn't even been 2 months since I had to thaw it last, darn fridge. I threw out a lot of food again. That's not entirely the stupid fridge's fault, most of the food was old and forgotten ...but the warmer fridge temp didn't help. What else, this morning Daniel woke up rather early for him. I could hear him talking to himself and playing in his crib. When I went to check on him, he was looking toward the door at me.

I smiled at him, and did a little finger wave to say hello. He didn't move to get up or call me to lift him out of the crib, he just held still as he turned his hand and waved his fingers at me too. It was super cute. Come here, cute boy!

It's been a great day. I've felt in a surprisingly good mood, I think it's cause I've given up sugar for a few days (doing a 21 day challenge with Holly). I think I would have said that sugar doesn't affect me much, but if this good mood continues, I guess I will have proven myself wrong and it might be an official farewell to sugar. What else. After school today, Lily was working hard on her paper Palace Pets.

I don't really know what she has been doing, but she has been working hard for weeks making these every available minute. She does tracing on the computer and drawing and coloring and cutting... 

Pretty good Lil! We've got another little artist on our hands.  And we'll finish off with a few cute pics of Peter tonight.

Ethan said that Peter is depressed.

It was pretty cute how chill and relaxed he was being.

Oh, and a picture of Daniel being a funny weirdo.

I took a video of him, may upload it later. He was making us all laugh and then he would laugh. Chocolate cake courtesy of Uncle Mark, from a BBQ at his house yesterday. We brought some home for Ethan and he was nice to share some of it with Daniel.

Music Stuff and Ballroom Trip

Just a few pictures from this weekend - Ethan on Saturday giving Peter his first music lesson.

He's giving us a look to tell us not to laugh at him.. this is serious stuff!

"Cyborg with no big boy words to say... It's Not the Future..." (we love those songs, we listen to that one and we still love Seagulls and Bushes of Love regularly. Also "It's Not a Moon" has become a new favorite, not sure how we missed seeing it a year ago)

Peter was intently focused on the music. That was Saturday. Here is Owen down for his nap on Sunday...

Yeah, we're lacking in the nap routine so far this summer. And summer hasn't even officially started yet, already we're struggling.

Peter being adorable as always. He likes sitting in the super saucer!

We're gonna share all 6 pics cause he's adorable.

Adorable in every single one.

We need to change the lyrics to Bye Bye Love to a new song we'll sing when we see Peter -

"Hello love! Hello happiness! Hello loveliness! I think I'm gonna die..." Yes we're gonna die cause he's so cute! 4 months old - 3-6 is my favorite stage, so freakin' cute.

Today we drove up to Mark's house for a bbq. I stuffed myself full of veggies on the way up and was thus able to resist any sugar and treats and processed food - I did enjoy some pineapple for my dessert, delicious. Go me! I'm going a little challenge in the EJC and I'm really gonna do it - no sugar for 3 weeks. 3 days done and I'm 100%!

And we got back in time to drop of Wesley at Churchill.

He's going to be in California this week and Disneyland for a tour with Ballroom. It wasn't required or anything, but he really wanted to go, and he's been such a long suffering kid that I wanted to loan him the money for the trip. He's going to work it off this summer. Two examples of his long suffering are:

1) during the school year he'd always wait for Mel after they go down for Lyceum and Little Big Band - usually he goes a little early and Mel waits a little to pick him up, but sometimes she'd have a double rehearsal and so we'd just tell him to wait for her, which meant he was waiting for like 3 extra hours and didn't get home until 9pm after an early morning at school for SBO, going early for that with Ethan to jazz band (leaving at 6:15 instead of 6:45 - he didn't have to be there until 7. But to save us a trip we made him go early. He never complained about it, thank you Wesley!

2) another example of his long suffering was when he was stuck as a tag along in the car when Ethan was filing his taxes until almost 1 am. He just suffers through it, which is helpful for our large family. Thank you Wesley, you're a great kid. Hope you have a fun time!

First Grade Magic

Sophia had her "First Grade Magic" performance at school today. They were told to dress fancy, so she wore a dress and I helped her curl her hair this morning.

I had all the little kids in tow with me, and Wes along to help.

I wouldn't have survived with out Wesley there. Owen and Daniel were not very good. I'm glad Wes got out of school yesterday, it was just in time. The past few week I've been on the verge of breaking from the stress of this past month! I have felt a bit of a burden lifted with graduation and school ending yesterday for the older kids - yay, I get my mornings back! And also our last guest left yesterday, we dropped him off on the way to Mel's graduation. We got to her graduation late, but like 1 minute after the procession ended, so it was probably about perfect. Anyway, where was I... Sophi's program. Corey's mom brought a treat for her to tell her good job. I plan on doing that when I'm a grandmother too.

Sophi was surprised (you can't really see it here, but she's go a big smile)

And then the hug. Thanks Grandma!

Group photo! (Daniel, you look great!)

JeNeal wanted a picture of Sophi - so she struck a pose.

Then on our way out, I snapped a picture of Natalie and her kindergarten class with their 4th grade buddies - teaching them how to do school lunch next year. My cute girls.

Older kids are done, but we're still in the thick of it though - Ethan had a Crescent recording today, one more week of music lessons, a few more school programs next week and a bike rodeo. I know summer will go by quickly but I plan to make it a good one. Next year I won't have a kindergartener to give my day a half way break, so the kids will all be gone all day and I'll be home with my 3 little boys. And life goes on.