Sick Pic

We went to Waterford tonight. I was excited to get a group pic of the kids at home, which is currently kids #5 through #13. And speaking of Wes and Baby K, look at this great photo I got!

K flying high looking like a baby ballerina with the moon above her head. I immediately shared it on Wride Nataion, and Mel said "This photo is sick" - which currently in 2023 means very cool or excellent! We took a slow mo video and then got that still shot. After Wesley's first two tosses in the air, Abi and Lily and I were coaching him: "HIGHER!!!" and then voilà, my pic of the year. The kids all promptly told me to text it to them and it is now on their cell phone lockscreens. Here are two of my favorites of the kid group pic - Lily and Wes holding Katharine's hands - 

And everyone standing on their own two feet.

We got there with sunlight to spare. We set up on the hill, and right after I took this pic....

The sprinklers came on ON us! So we ran for the field, and were listening carefully for the sputters of the next system turning on. Thankfully it went westward next and did the parking strip. Enjoying time on the field. Kids played pass and catch with balls and frisbees.

Katharine liked the little yellow balls - she was holding all three of them and that was super cute. I missed getting a pic of it.

Today Katharine also got her daily fruit intake by finishing off one of my apples. 

I get off the skin, and then she takes it from there. Showing the two little teeth that she works with.

She's actually got four on top too. They all practically came in at the same time in April. I liked how she was eating the apple like a cob of corn.

An apple a day keeps my kids regular. The only other exciting thing I did today was go to Costco. I had to go to get frozen berries. Natalie used the last of my berries at home, so I had to go. One of my daily meals is a big bowl of berries with rice milk and sometimes topped with a spoonful of chocolate plant protein powder. Berries and apples, I eat fruit everyday, not doing great on vegetables. Oh well. I'm keeping my eye on the flats of peaches. They are at Costco but they are still too hard, but they should be nice and juicy soon!

Highlights of 2021

Happy New Year's Eve! Corey and some kids are out celebrating with friends, and I'm home with a cough with a few sick kids. But it's ok - it's giving me a chance to review this past year, and it's been great. Here's some of the highlights for our family in 2021 - vacations and trips, ski and bike outings, kids birthdays, and lots of other family fun:

Family trip to Moab in April 

January - Skiing on New Years Day, Joseph is 21, Peter is 2

February - Family ski trip to Jackson Hole... and Grand Targhee, 22 Years of wedded bliss, Anniversary feast

March - Skiing at Park City, Ethan turns 19, last ski day with kids, First family bike ride

April - Family trip to Moab, Waterford, Casual family pictures, J&H head to Philadelphia for the summer, My birthday

May - Daniel gets 10 stitches, Hyrum receives his mission call, Last day of school

June - Hyrum Graduates! Corey's birthday, Lily is 12, Natalie ballet performance, Wesley is 16, A&L at Zions National Park

July - 4th of July, Family Trip to Lake Tahoe, Natalie's 8th birthday and baptism, Elder Ethan Wride goes to the Dominican Republic, Owen is 6, Park City, mountain biking is my new most favorite thing ever!

August - Sister Melodie Wride arrives in Brazil, C&W in Guatemala, School starts, Hyrum turns 18, J&H Church History Tour

September - Abi is 14, Sophi is 10, Lots of Aquarium visits, Hyrum enters the MTC, Daniel is 5, Hyrum to San Diego

October - Family Bike Ride, Wesley's first hockey game, Suzuki Celebration, CTA&L trip to New York, Halloween

November - Thanksgiving

December - Melodie is 21, First ski day, Christmas

 

Kid group photo in April before Joseph and Hyrum left for Philly 

...and the most exciting news of 2021 that we shared with the kids on Christmas Eve is that they are getting a little sister in May! We are looking forward to meeting her in 2022! We are also excited for 2022 because Melodie will be returning from her mission in March, and Ethan will come home from his mission at the end of June. We are looking forward to all the memories we will make together in this new year!

Delightful Sabbath

This Sunday, Corey and I kinda had a plan! We didn't coordinate our plans, but since we both had planned something, it made for a very nice Sunday. It was Stake Conference, so it started off with us watching church over zoom. We could have gone in person, and in past days when I was a stronger woman, I might have made us all get up and get ready and then gone to church for those 2 hours with 8 kids in tow, but today, we stayed home and it is ok. The kids watched in their pajamas...

Or napped as they "listened"...

Just kidding, two year olds don't listen. So it was ok to just snuggle up with my Peter baby. Corey had told Daniel that he could have a ring pop after "church" and Daniel didn't nag, so he got a ring pop. Corey destroyed the one bag yesterday, but we had been gifted two. 

So no hard feelings after yesterday morning's face off. Corey and Daniel are still friends. 

Corey and the kids played pictionary after lunch. I was upstairs reading and slept a little too, but I could hear them all laughing. Later Abi said she wanted to have a fancy tea party, and I gave my blessing. She made a lemon cake, I opened the pantry so that they could get other goodies, and they all dressed up for their meal. Owen! Looking sharp!

Abi gave them a lesson in proper dining etiquette. 

"Hold up your pinky!"

A video as their fine dining event began.

And then the thing I had planned yesterday to do, with Abi's support, was to go to Waterford. The kids were just barely wrapping up their party, but we were losing sunlight, so I told them to hurry and let's go and we made it out. Corey and Wes stayed home. I think Corey was reading and writing a letter to our missionaries. We live in a beautiful area.

We didn't have any game going on, just monkey in the middle with the soccer ball, and we passed it around.

Natalie tried hitting the tennis ball, which didn't work that great, but that's ok. Owen and Daniel spent most of their time playing on the hill and collecting acorns.

The sunset was AMAZING...

and it just kept going and going. Usually it's bright and vibrant and then one glance later it's over, but this one lasted a long time and we all noticed it over and over again. Then I was like "Oh... duh!! A silhouette picture!!"

God was holding out the sunset for me to get a photo. Thanks Heavenly Father! Lily, Abi, Sophi, Peter, Natalie, Owen, and Daniel was wearing Abi's jacket. Back at home we played another round of pictionary. 

Teams were Wes and Lily, Abi/Sophi/Owen, and Me and Natalie with Daniel guessing too. 

Owen wanted to draw, so Abi and Sophi were playing at a disadvantage. But Corey thought it was so funny how Abi gave rapt attention to Owen's sketches. It was always funny to learn what the word was and see what he attempted to draw. 

It usually wasn't very close to reality, but I'm glad she tried. I'm sure Owen would have felt sad if she hadn't watched him and guessed. Although she could have subtly glanced over at Wes and Lily's drawings. It was also funny how Abi/Sophi/Owen, who were already at a disadvantage, kept rolling a 1 with the dice. We all felt like we were cursed, but I think they rolled 1 the most. Wes and Lily ended up winning. It was fun to play a game together. I have a ton of games, which I think I buy to recreate that part of my childhood - my siblings and I played a lot of board games. But we don't get them out hardly at all, so I'm glad we did it today and I think it would be a great if we did it atleast once a week. We'll try for that! Good job Corey for making it happen today. So today was successful I think for all of us  because we had a good time together and also Corey and I both had a little bit of personal time to read and rest. And now we're heading to bed. We are seriously doing so great and going to bed early, like we've been wrapping things up consistently around 9pm, and are usually all in bed by 10! It's pretty amazing. I think Wesley having early morning hockey and seminary and Lily having early morning jazz band helps us all be like "yeah, we have to get up early, so let's go to bed" and most of the battle is gone. Good stuff. It was a good day. 

Lasts With Hyrum

My top priority today was going to Waterford to get a silhouette picture with Hyrum before he leaves tomorrow. ✔Check! And I planned it out to have Hyrum holding up a Book of Mormon!

It looks pretty good! But truth be told: the sun was setting and we were losing daylight, and in our rush to get everyone out of the house, I didn't grab a Book of Mormon, so Hyrum is actually holding a DVD case, haha. But it's supposed to be a Book of Mormon, and you can't tell anyway, so there is an example of our ideal vs. our reality but it's ok, cause it looks the same!

We got kids left to right: Owen, Abi, Daniel, Sophi, Lily, Natalie, Hyrum, Wes, and Peter.

I thought tonight would be the last of our last few moments with Hyrum. I was pleasantly surprised yesterday to learn that we were going to have Monday night and all of today. When he came home yesterday with Corey, I was like "A free day with Hyrum! Let's go to the temple!" I logged onto the Jordan River Temple website and there were plenty of openings. I called Corey's parents to see if they wanted to go with him, but JeNeal offered to watch Daniel and Peter so that I could go with Hyrum and Wayne, so that was a gift. This was Hyrum's second time, and now he's been to the temple more times than Ethan! 

Poor Eth is jealous. He and a lot of other covid missionaries only got to go one time when they were endowed. I didn't realize he had only gone that one time until he mentioned that yesterday. I think Mel only went that one time too! For Ethan, there is a temple in the Dominican Republic and in Santo Domingo but alas, it's not in his mission area. I don't know about Mel. So sad. Hyrum's going to have a beautiful temple in his mission, so he'll probably be able to go often. He'll also be able to go to the Provo Temple while he's at the MTC. I was able to go every p-day during my mission if I wanted, and usually we did. Speaking of my mission, I served in Tempe Arizona, but Mesa was part of our mission at that time (1997-98). The Mesa Arizona Temple has been remodeled and will soon be rededicated... My former mission comp and current bff Nicole is going down and has tickets for the last day... I want to try and go to.

What else - Sophi and Natalie had orchestra today. After picking them up and dropping them off at school this morning, I drove by the bus stop where Corey was with Owen. Corey was holding Peter.  They had walked down, and I asked if they wanted a ride home. Corey and I smiled at Owen's tussled hair, and then Corey pointed out Owen's socks to me. Cute little first graders -

Corey left for work, Peter started on his "work" - the dinosaur puzzles. 

He likes these and does them everyday. He can do them by himself too!

Such a smarty pants! He likes cars and dinosaurs. Doing the dinosaur puzzle in his dinosaur pajamas.

Here's a summary of my run around today - We went to the temple for the 11:40 session. We left to go pick up Wayne and drop off D&P at 10:30, were on our way to the temple at 10:50. Hyrum forgot his recommend at home and we were going to go back to get it, but then we thought we'd just risk it and see if they could just look it up at the temple desk, and they were able to do that just fine. So Hyrum got in without a problem. It was a nice session. I struggled staying awake which I hated, but I also expected since I got up at 5:15 to take Wes to seminary and hadn't had a cat nap. We were done at the temple and on our way back at 1:40. The little boys were good for JeNeal, yay. D&P had plenty of graham crackers and ritz crackers while we were gone, and watched the Pink Panther cartoons. We had some veggie pizza and were on our way back home around 2:30. Peter fell asleep in the car. Wes was home, I took Abi to soccer practice at 4:30, then went back home to get Wes for hockey practice. We got there late at 5:30, at which time he's supposed to be dressed and ready to get on the ice. Lucky for me Abi's soccer was at the Butler fields, close to where Wes was just dropped off for hockey. I read while I waited for Abi to finish her soccer practice, then I took her straight to her flute lesson, which has been moved to 6:30 for this month and October to accommodate Abi's soccer practices, which go from 4:30-6 on Tuesdays. After dropping off Abi at her lesson, I headed back to get Wes, and Corey went to pick up Abi at 7:15 for me. Then we hurried home, ate some chicken alfredo dinner, per Hyrum's last supper request, then we ran out the door to Waterford for some quick pictures. It was really dark, but the kids ran around on the field and played soccer in the dark for 20 minutes. Peter ready to take on Hyrum.

Corey and Wes headed back home to get more work done. 

Back at home we read scriptures, let Hyrum say his final family prayer for 2 years, then brush teeth and get ready for bed. Well, that would have been ideal, but instead the little boys decided to give their big brother a proper send off by harassing him for 15 mintues.

Wrestle! Get him! Hyrum threw pillows at them. 

Peter still thinks he's pretty tough, it's cute. Good night Hyrum, it's been nice knowing you!! Tomorrow's the big day and he goes to the MTC. He needs to be dropped off between 12-2, so it'll be good. We are maybe going to take all the kids out of school to come down, although that will be a bit of a hassle. But it's ok - it's a one of 12 "once in a lifetime" opportunities for our kids. It'll be good. Goodnight. 

Drivers Education

Yesterday the kids were downstairs watching the Taming of the Shrew with Corey, and while they did that, I was upstairs blogging. I finished a few entries for last week and with that, now I am ALL caught upon the blog. I don't think I've been completely caught up since Nov 2017. I'm going to do my best to write notes and upload the pictures from each day so that I don't get overwhelmingly behind anymore, EVER EVER AGAIN, ha. I probably shouldn't say that. This past week was great though. I read my scriptures, I exercised every day, I got out in nature, I read to the kids and helped them with school work, we worked and cleaned...  it was just a really a good week. I didn't practice the violin as much as I would have liked, so I'll figure out how to fit that next week and will try to keep doing all the other things. After I was done blogging, I joined Corey and the kids downstairs watching the Scarlet Pimpernel (1982 version with Anthony Andrews, which I first watched in 6th grade in Mr. Cooks class on Valentines day before our valentine's dance and I've loved it ever since) so we did that for a little French History lesson ...and cause Wes needed to watch it as part of his attempt to finish English assignments and pass that class. It was fun cause the kids were all really into it, so even though it was getting late, we stayed up and finished it and it was good family bonding. I knew I was going to regret it though cause I had a super early morning today. 

I got up at 5:45 to wake up Wes, but he didn't get up, so I tried again and 6:15 and he got ready and we left at 6:30 for his 7:00 appointment to get his driver's permit. We made this appointment two weeks ago, hoping it would give him time to take the test and pass it and then get to his 8:00 am driver's ed class on time. We had gathered the information he needed last week before he left for high adventure, so it was all ready and in a folder, ready to go. Last night I asked him where the folder was. It took him a few seconds but he found it. Ok, good, we're ready to go. We got up and left this morning, and then when we arrived at the DMV and were opening the car doors I said "You got the folder?" and then he clued in with a look of "uh oh" on his face and I was a bit dumbfounded. HE FORGOT THE FOLDER! He felt bad, but I was at a loss for words and how he could have possibly forgotten it. Like Wes... you knew where we were going, right? We're going to the DMV... and why we were going there... and you knew what you needed, and I reminded you last night... deep breath. SO, what do we do. It's a 25 minute drive back home, so now the whole point of doing this early is messed up. I told him to get in line and see if he could maybe take the test while I ran home to get the papers. I called Corey to ask him if he could meet me half way. I got like 3/4 of the way home before he was able to meet me, cause he was slower getting into the car, because Peter was awake and was tagging along, but it was helpful. We met at Waterford and I was able to turn right around and get back there by 7:30. So then we got in line, turned in his application and showed his birth certificate and stuff and he was taking the test by 7:40. This was the time we should have been done and headed to the car if he was going to arrive at his class on time, so that's not going to happen, but that's ok. He didn't pass the first written test. He took it again right away and we were both praying for him to pass, and he did. I gave him a small lecture on our way out - like forgetting stupid and simple stuff like this... that will get you an F in life! But if you remember the stupid and easy stuff, then you don't have to waste time scrambling back home and you can just get stuff done. Dad and I want you to succeed and will help you as best we can, like we did this morning, but let's just make things easier on all of us and let's remember things and show up prepared! 

After that I took him straight to Skyline. He got to class at 8:40. He missed the whole class last week though, so I'm assuming it's ok he was late cause he's catching up anyway. I had sent the teacher an email though as I sat at the DMV while he took his test. He replied that since there are two class sessions - from 8-10 and 10-12, Wesley could just come to the 10-12 class. He stayed after and worked during that class time, so he was able to catch up a little on the stuff from last week. And then he went on a drive from 12 - 1. He hadn't eaten breakfast this morning before we left, so he was tuckered out and hungry when I picked him up at 1:30. 

So it wasn't a great start to the day today with the DMV appointment, but tomorrow I should be able to get up and exercise before I take him to drivers ed. He has class through the 30th, so that is what my mornings this month will look like. 

Oh, and here's a funny picture from yesterday. After church Peter was ready for lunch, but I didn't want him to get his Sunday clothes dirty, so I stripped him down. (A funny story here where I stripped Lily down, Corey is hilarious!) And I pointed out to the kids how perfectly circle his belly button is. He was standing on the stool waiting for me to get him some more clothes, but he was standing like a perfect little David, so instead we posed him. Corey noticed what I was doing and gave P a usb cord as his sling...

I just realized that I posed him in the mirror image of David. 

Let's fix that...

There we go! haha, Peter is a masterpiece! Here are a few more masterpieces of nature from yeseterday after church. I'll limit my flower pic today to just one - look, it's so yellow!!

Ok, two... so pink!!

Ok, I mean three, I'll stop at three... but there could have been ten!)

So lovely. What else - our violin teacher is out of town today so we didn't have lessons, but did talk with our Mel and Hyrum. Ethan's p-day is tomorrow. 

We went on a bike ride tonight up at Snowbird. We went to explore a bit and see what Snowbird has (we're still newbies to mountain biking)

We parked and rode down and went around, most of it was too tricky for Sophi so we were pretty slow. Then before we had too far to backtrack, I stopped and biked back up to the car and was going to pick them up. But Corey texted that they were going to start heading down the canyon. Sophi was riding down with them but once I caught up to them with the car, Sophi came with me and Corey continued ahead with Abi and they rode all the way home from Snowbird. Impressive! I do think, though, Corey and children, that we need to learn how to had endurance to bike uphill too. We don't need to be able to go all 8+ miles up the canyon, but maybe a few... we shouldn't always be driving up and then coasting home, imho. I didn't get in my ride this morning so I was still itching for more so I biked up a little bit after taking Sophi home, I'll try to get a short ride in tomorrow morning. I'm liking biking more than walks or hiking at the moment, mostly cause it's faster to get back home after biking up. 

Trailing 6 Kids and Stitches Out

I spent a good chunk of my day with 6 kids in tow. First we went to soccer. Sophi and Natalie had their games at the same park and within 15 minutes of each other, so that was convenient. There is a good park there, so I let Natalie, Owen, Daniel, and Peter tag along. 6 kids in the car, here we go! 

When we first got there, I lost Natalie and Owen - I thought they had gone to the park. I was slow cause I was getting Peter out of the car, and then I first went to go see what fields the girls were playing on. Then I went to the park to find the other kids, and I saw Daniel, but no Natalie or Owen. So I kinda panicked and thought I should have brought an older kid to help me cause I was outnumbered, and it's harder when there are so many other people, too, like at soccer games. I looked around, it was just a few minutes until I saw them standing on a sidewalk together, looking around like they were lost. I called to them and they came to the park. Natalie was a little shook up, she doesn't like being lost or feeling forgotten (see pic 2). Sorry about that sweetie! Then they played. I took Peter and told NOD that I was going to go watch the games for a minute and I would be back. Sophi was at half time, score 0-0. Lily's team was getting whooped. Back to check on kids at the park. Counting kids - 1, 2, 3, 4. Natalie said she wanted to watch Peter, so I left him with her. They played on the slide and she pushed a group of little kids on this small circle coaster - 

She is a good big sister.

Looking around, time to count kids again - 

1, 2, 3... Where's Daniel? I looked around for him for a minute and then saw that he had joined a pack of kids playing tag on the grass. They moved to climb on a trailer.

Daniel's read headband protecting made him a little easier to spot, so that was helpful. Natalie playing with Peter on the swing. 

This little double swing is a brilliant invention!! 

Ok, I'll be back! I went to the last few minutes of each game. Sophi's game ended 0-0. Then she joined the kids at the park. Sophi swinging with Peter.

I came back with Lily. We think the score was 7-0, but they kinda lost track.  

Then we stayed and played at the park more. Lily's turn on the swing with Peter

Time to sing while we swing - Peter took the cookie from the cookie jar!

Phew! So the kids eventually decided to come back home, yay. Back at home, it was time to take out Daniel's stitches. I told him that he could go see Dr. Schmidt like we did last time, who is our neighbor and pediatrician down the street, or I could do it. Either way buddy, it's your choice. I showed him my credentials by sharing this post of when I took out Sophi's stitches. He was sold and said he wanted me to do it. I invited him to my examination room (aka the kids bathroom)

He watched Disney Plus while I did my careful work... I was nice and slow and didn't hurt him at all. All 7 out!!

And then when he had his guard down, I slapped a sticky bandaid on his head. He doesn't like them cause they hurt when you take them off, but if he were to protest by taking it off, it would hurt, so he was in a tough situation and decided to leave it on.

After that was done, I was in my room with Corey and Abi and we were all working on our respective computers... Abi doing science, Corey working, I was looking for pinnies to maybe have on hand for our future Waterford soccer games. Then Sophi came in... "Mom, when are you taking Daniel's stitches out?" I just did! "How do you take stitches out?" she asked. Corey chimed in "You go to medical school... and then take classes and get instructed..." HA! So says the man who took of Abi's CAST!! Stitches are easy, but I would have taken Daniel in if it was to get a cast off! (well, maybe that's not true...) Anyway, I thought that was a funny comment. 

Other things to do today - Costco run. I wanted to go, Corey did too, he also wanted to help Abi with homework and flute. They decided to go on a bike ride before they got to work, so I loaded my errands helpers into the car, then took Corey and Abi up the canyon before we headed to the Murray Costco. I don't love shopping with  kids, but they did pretty good. 

We took Corey's car with the bike rack, since I was dropping him off first, so we didn't have as much trunk room for food, which helped me not over purchase. Back at home for dinner. We went back and forth on whether or not we should go swimming. At 7:00 we decided to go. It closed at 8, but the older kids still got a good 45 minutes in. The little boys got less time, since I forgot D's swimsuit so he had to wear his shorts and was mad about it and protesting in the locker room. But then he decided it was ok and we had fun. Then we went to play racquetball after the pool closed.

6 kids in a court with 6 racquets swinging and 6 balls flying every direction. It can be a little dangerous!

Group picture! 

That was a busy day for me. I want to sleep in tomorrow, so I curled my hair tonight. Abi and Wes took pictures of themselves with my phone while my hands were occupied -

Instagram worthy for sure!

It's nice when these two are getting along.

Well that was my busy day. I had the little kids and felt like I gave Corey a break. He was still busy with work and helping the big kids, but it shouldn't have been as crazy for him as my day was for me. Well, teenagers are a different kind of crazy.

I plan on taking my break tomorrow for Mother's day. I've been doing a lot lately, but it's good. He does a lot too. Yesterday he came and rescued me when my car battery died (cause I left it on to have the AC after Sophi's soccer practice was over, but then they kept playing at the park, and then the door wouldn't open and the car wouldn't start, doh)

Thanks for saving me sweetheart. We make a good team.