Heads Visit, Christmas Break, Pt. 1

Well, I'm up way too early. I didn't do it on purpose, but I couldn't sleep past 4:30 for some reason and decided to quit trying at 5:30. Thankfully, I don't remember the last time I had such insomnia, and I have a lot of cooking to do, so I may as well get started after I finish updating this blog.

James's parents, Anna, and Joseph arrived last Thursday night after an eventful day. They were in a wreck on the way but were not injured. It did make them later than expected. We had pizza and opened presents together. Friday, Anna and Rex worked while Melodie and Joseph came over. During Samantha's nap, we put together an Oreo house (rather than gingerbread). It turned out cute and lasted till the next day or so before the kids destroyed it and ate it. I'm going to use the actual cookies as my crust for French silk pie.

Saturday, I had a Zoom meeting with my Schillemat cousins. It was really fun. Though not everyone comes, it's nice to see a pretty good group.

Monday, we went out to look at the Christmas star. With a telescope we recently got, we were able to see rings on Saturn and 4 of Jupiter's moons. So cool.

The kids had their last day of school on Tuesday. James worked from home that day since his school just barely reached outbreak status with 19 cases. We did a date in the cabin with yummy lunch, then played a game that he got for Christmas from his mom. He beat me again. Hmph. (7 Wonders Duels)

I'm only waiting on 2 packages now. One is really late, but it doesn't matter now since I bought something to replace it.

Lewis decided to be a stinker and hid a carton of ice cream in his room. Melodie had just bought it for me so I could make snowballs, but after an hour, it was completely melted. I stuck it back in the freezer to use for milkshakes and made "mudballs" instead by rolling burnt almond fudge ice cream in coconut and topping with cherries. I think they will taste divine. We are going to have a lot of delicious food.

Merry Christmas!

More of the Same, Waiting, Vaccine, Advent

My days have been pretty low-key. I finished getting presents for the Angel Tree and delivered those to the lady in charge. One of them didn't come in the mail yet, but I couldn't wait another 3 weeks for it, either, so I had James pick up the last things I needed while he was finishing up Christmas shopping on Monday. We also did our date then, since James has an activity with the young men tonight. He just got called as an advisor for the older boys.

I have been increasingly frustrated with waiting for packages to come. They are really inconsistent on when they show up. Some are here in 2 days (as promised), but a few are taking weeks to show up. Some are early, while others are ridiculously late and don't have any useful tracking information. I realize this is a first-world problem, but I can't help how anxious it makes me feel when things don't arrive when they said they would. None of the things in transit absolutely have to be here in time, but it's really frustrating not to know what's going on. It's just another small, annoying thing to add to a pretty annoying year.

I am really grateful that healthcare workers are starting to get the vaccine. Utah has said that teachers might get it before the end of the year. Though I'm glad for that, I worry every day that this is never really going to end. I'm also at the bottom of the list, pretty much, which means it could be summer before I can really relax. Just like with the packages, it's something I can't predict fully, and that bothers me. I have no control over this situation.

I felt inspired to make my own Christmas advent binder. I wanted one that would include all these things:

• specific prophecies about Jesus's birth (and when they happened)
• relevant verses from the Bible and Book of Mormon about the Christmas story
• everything in chronological order
• all of my favorite religious Christmas songs, not limited to the hymnal and Children's Songbook, including all of their verses
• everything in one place: the scriptures and songs all printed so I don't have to get out any additional books
• music pages facing each other so it's easier for the pianist. (Only songs with more than 2 pages will require a page flip!)

I am happy to say that after many hours of work, I have a mostly-complete product. I'm not going to share it this year because I want to go through all the scriptures and songs with my own family. I also would like to add cute pictures to the pages to make it more colorful. Next year, though, I plan on giving it as a gift for some family members and making the Drive files available to anyone who wants a copy. It's really nice to have family scriptures planned out for most of the month. It's also helped me study the Christmas story more in depth and appreciate all the wonderful music out there.

Christmas Movies, Plans, Reflection

Since I don't have a big project to work on right now, I've been watching Christmas movies every day with Lewis. I'm not one to start them in October, but I'm happy to watch one about every day in December. I like the cheesy Hallmark-ish romcoms in moderation. They make me happy, and they're clean. I do wish we had some snow since it's been so cold, but it's nice not to have to scrape off the car before going anywhere, not that I do that often. (I did replace the struts that hold the back door  of the Yukon open. It was terribly awkward to hold the door up during my last grocery pickup. They only cost me $35 on Amazon!)

We are officially spending Christmas here. I've received 3/4 of my online orders. One surprising thing about this year is that 100% of the things I ordered online FIT, even the bras. That's a tender mercy if I ever saw one. For each day of Christmas break, we will watch a Christmas movie together, play games in the cabin, have 2 fun snacks (a sweet and a savory), and do some kind of adventure if we're feeling up to it. Outside things are limited when it's so cold, but I could see doing some short hikes or fossil hunting.

In updating our personal history this week, I remembered all the good things that've happened this year. Hopefully, I can put together a funny Christmas card soon. I have an idea...

Catan, Online Shopping, Haircuts, Anxiety

We had a great Thanksgiving break. Every morning at 10:30, James, Joseph, Kenny, and I played a round of Catan: Explorers and Pirates. By Sunday, we learned the entire expansion and had the entire, expanded board set up. It was really fun, but it took a long time to play that last game: 3 hours! I love that we have a place to leave a big game out without the little kids messing it up.

I finished Christmas shopping for my family, the angel tree, and a service project at the kids' school. I even got something for James's birthday on Black Friday. Over the next 2 weeks, I'll be getting a ton of boxes. It's kind of fun to get things in the mail that aren't bills.

I went to the cabin for 10 minutes yesterday and came back to 2 children covered in markers (washable, thankfully) and who had cut each other's hair. I gave them baths but haven't fixed their haircuts yet. Lewis is going to get shaved nearly bald, but Samantha is going to need something more drastic. Basically, her hair looks like a "Karen" haircut instead of a mullet now, but I need to cut it more in the back so it blends together. Ugh. I was just thinking about how they were doing a little better and not destroying as many things, but they proved me wrong. We also had to take all the ornaments off the tree since they would not stop touching it. (We put it up last Friday and took all the ornaments off less than 24 hours later.) I don't regret decorating for Christmas a little early. The sparkly lights make me happy.

This year has been such a test of my patience. I think it's starting to wear Katie down, too. She broke into tears before school this morning. Recently, she's been hugging me like 12 times before she'll leave. She's one tough girl on the outside, but I think she worries a lot about the pandemic. If the boys do, they don't let on. I'm really looking forward to Christmas break. I think it will be a good distraction from this crap. I've been under so much stress this year that I don't really remember what it feels like to be completely calm.

Give Thanks, Stitches, Thanksgiving

We didn't do much this past week. James played DnD with his cousins online. I started reading the newest book by Brandon Sanderson. It will take me till next week since I only read about 100 pages a day and it has 1200. I love his books because he's a great worldbuilder. I definitely can't keep all the details straight since they are so long, so I use the Internet sometimes to explain or help me remember stuff.

After listening to a message from Pres. Nelson last week, we've been doing his challenge to make social media a place of gratitude. I really appreciate how much it's changed for the better. I am definitely grateful for a lot of things and have had a hard time narrowing it down to only 7 days. I guess that's the point, though.

Poor Lewis got hit in the face by one of our big barrels outside, so he's currently at the urgent care getting stitched up. I will admit, I could never be a nurse. I really don't like dealing with body fluids. There was a LOT of blood to clean up, and I had to have him lie down so it would stop running down his face. I have no doubt that it was painful, but it made it a lot worse when he cried because the blood would get into his eyes. Yuck. Hopefully, his blankie and daddy will give enough comfort so he's not too nervous about the stitches. It threw a wrench in our afternoon plans. I was going to read, and James had just left to to hunt for fossils/shoot with a friend. I'm so glad he had cell service still.

I made 2 pies so far, a key lime and a pecan. For Thanksgiving Day, we'll also have turkey, mashed potatoes, gravy, rolls, and green beans, plus whipped cream for the pies. I am making everything from scratch, which is why we're not having anything else. Not enough people eat leftover stuffing and the green bean casserole isn't as good the 2nd day. Though we will be at home, I'm grateful that we can do our own thing with the leftovers. We'll have turkey pot pie on Friday and more rolls and turkey soup on Saturday. Those were my family's traditions with leftovers. I just don't like sandwiches as much.

Though the pandemic has gotten SUPER old, I'm glad to spend the holidays with my family, and that I have one. Coming up with our own traditions (while keeping some of the old) is super fun. I wish I knew what was happening for Christmas, but I'm going to take it one holiday at a time.

To anyone reading this, I hope you have a wonderful Thanksgiving and stay safe and healthy.

The Light at the End of the Tunnel

I am really happy to hear the good news about vaccines this week. 2 that are 95% effective? Sign me up! James will probably get his before the rest of us since he teaches high school, but you can bet I'm going to get one as soon as it's available to the general public. I'm not high on the list since I don't leave the house very much.

I'm excited about Thanksgiving coming up. I already have plans for a yummy meal and leftovers on the days after. The turkey is thawing in the fridge a few days early so it will actually be ready in time.

My main project this week has been wrapping some Christmas presents and making some decorations out of old Catan pieces. We had an old game with lots of missing pieces, so we used some of them with our new game to create a 6-person expansion. I painted a whole bunch of roads, settlements, and cities green and purple. I think the purple's lucky because I actually won when I played with them.

TV is keeping us all sane right now. We really love watching the Mandalorian every Friday. I just finished the 4th season of the Crown, and I'm doing a Harry Potter movie marathon with the boys every Saturday. I'm still enjoying making candy as well. I just need to go get my groceries so I have the ingredients to make more.

This year isn't what anyone expected. We might not even get to travel for Christmas, but I have plans for some fun things if we don't. I'm really grateful that we got to see people when we did. The numbers are terrible here right now and going up quickly. We've now been protected from getting Covid at least 4 times because of wearing masks, and I'm so grateful. My careful sacrifices have paid off, even though I feel like I'm losing my mind. I'm glad that the holidays give me something to look forward to. Hopefully, we'll be able to do lots of service between now and the end of the year. I may not be able to socialize, but I can cook, and that makes most people happy. :)

Too Much Covid

I'm having a hard time remembering what we did this past week. There isn't anything written on the calendar. I've done a few small projects and made a few types of candy: fudge, caramels, and Tootsie Rolls. The small projects included a shelf and coat hooks in the cabin, plus a little sewing.

I've still been pretty worried about Covid. One of James's close co-workers is in quarantine because his wife got it. Another friend's kids' babysitter got it. Our stake president just got over it, as did our old bishop who lives just down the street. I'd be stupid not to be worried. Our governor asked us to not mix households for 2 weeks, which won't be hard. We'd been considering having kids not play with friends because of the rising numbers. Maybe things are slowing down a bit now, but it's hard to tell. I really hope we've reached our "fall peak". I still hope that school shuts down before Christmas. I'd like for at least a few weeks off so we can quarantine before visiting Rexburg at Christmas.

We got some real snow on Saturday. The kids had so much fun playing in it. I'm glad that 4/5 of them can dress themselves warmly enough to go outside. Samantha might get it by next year, I hope. She currently refuses to wear a coat or snow pants.

James and I got Chinese food and watched Knives Out last night. We really enjoyed both!

Projects and Failures, Halloween, Election

One of my best projects so far was closing off the area behind our storage shed. Before, we were using pallets leaning sideways, but they were annoying to move, and the little kids could still escape pretty easily. I put hinges on half of a pallet and attached it securely into the corner of the shed (into the studs, too). It closes snugly against the house so little kids can't open it, but the older ones can. I'm really happy with how it turned out. I also made a box from some leftover squares of OSB for outdoor toys. It's heavy enough that it can't be moved and destroyed like the plastic one was. I also set up a few pallets as a bike rack of sorts (no real work required, but it keeps the bikes from falling over.) I tried making a cube organizer into something better, but I was working with too many subpar materials to actually make any improvement. I messed it up enough that it's going in the garbage. 

The kids and I really cleaned up the woodpile last Friday. All that remains are a few scraps that will probably get used in the spring. There isn't enough to make more than 2-3 small projects that I don't have ideas for yet. :) Today, I'm adding knobs to Samantha's dresser, building a shelf in my room, and installing a hook to hang up James's headphones near the computer. Our good weather is ending (at least temporarily) this weekend, so I'm glad to have the outdoor stuff pretty much done. It's been a lot of fun to learn a little bit of woodworking, especially since I have nothing to lose by using scraps.

Halloween was really fun. We had the Boyles over to catapult candy in the morning. I ran some errands after lunch and got home in time to make dinner. We just set out a bowl of candy for neighbors while we enjoyed the first Harry Potter movie. Some kids were showing up at 4 P.M., which I think was pretty rude of them. We had to put up a sign to come back at 6 (which is the real time to get started) so we'd have a chance to eat dinner. Not many came, but that's typical.

I want the election results to be final, as I'm sure everyone does. It's causing me quite a bit of stress right now since it's taking longer than I thought it would. I think I'll minimize social media for a while, though, because the political climate is really awful sometimes. My kids have even come home asking me questions about if Democrats are actually evil and want to kill all the babies. I'll never make political statements on social media, but I'll say here that I think the whole system is somewhat corrupt and needs change. Also, I've never voted for the same party twice in a presidential election. There is good and evil in every political party.

Head Visit, Katie's 7th Birthday, Projects, Outbreak

Last Thursday evening, James's parents, Anna, and Joseph arrived. They brought Papa Murphy's, which we enjoyed. I attended parent/teacher conferences in person since I suspect school will shut down by Thanksgiving. More on that later. It was really great to talk to the kids' teachers. They are all doing really well, except for Katie's Friday computer stuff. I already knew that, though, and we're going to keep working on getting her to do a good job instead of complaining and thrashing around the whole time. She is progressing in her reading, and sometimes we even get it done before school!

We celebrated Katie's birthday on Friday night with Swedish pancakes (made by Grandpa) and ice cream roll cake. I also checked our covid numbers earlier, saw how much they jumped, and made fudge. Needless to say, we had tons of sugar that day. We played Betrayal at House on the Hill. Our scenario was all about an alien virus - no fair! We lost horribly, too. It was a little bit close to home.

I turned a large cabinet into a coat closet by installing hooks, cleaned out all the winter stuff, built a shelf for James's wire trees, and made Katie some leggings from some of my old ones that don't fit me anymore. Yes, I sized up again. It turns out that once I quit dieting, which was around the start of the pandemic, I didn't stay the size I was in high school. Oh well. I mostly quit caring or stepping on the scale at all. Though it's freeing to eat whenever I'm hungry, I don't always like how I look. That was true before, though. My mother-in-law says that if you don't like how you look, just wait 20 years. ;)

My county is not doing well with the coronavirus. Since the beginning of October, we've been heading toward an outbreak, and the rising numbers suggest we've reached it. It stresses me out A LOT. I had reached a point where I mostly felt "okay", but that has changed yet again. There haven't been a lot of cases in the schools, not enough to close them down, but I see that happening within the next few weeks if the trend continues. I just really hope the district makes the right decision on when to shut things down. I feel like they've done a good job so far, but I'm getting a little nervous.

Fall Break, Dentist, Darkness, God's Plan

James went hunting all day Saturday, so I got a little bored and decided to experiment with making candy. I perfected my pralines recipe and tried out some old-fashioned fudge. Despite what everyone says about it being so hard (and costing like $15 a pound), it really wasn't. I just followed the instructions and made sure to adjust for altitude. Next time, I will make a few tiny tweaks like using a smaller pot so not as much gets wasted on the bottom/sides, stop stirring it a few seconds sooner, and try adding peanut butter. (I made peanut butter fudge yesterday with chocolate on top, but I think I'll like chocolate fudge with peanut butter better.) One thing about buying candy is that I don't see how bad it is for me. A pan of candy takes a TON of sugar, more than an equivalent amount of cookies or cake.

I had the kids stay home on Monday since they all had dental appointments. Everything went really smoothly! I got a babysitter for the younger 2 so I didn't have to wrestle them in the waiting room. Miraculously, no one had any cavities either! I told them they could choose $5 of candy each if none of them had any. (I know, I know.) We will not be trick-or-treating since Covid cases have now surpassed their first peak back in early August. Our county is still doing relatively well, but I could also see school getting shut down in the next few weeks. There are still no official outbreaks, but I worry. I've had 10 headaches this month so far. :(

Getting up in the dark is terrible. The boys don't seem to mind much, but it has affected all of the girls. We all wake up kind of grouchy and just don't want to start the day. I wish there existed a place with sunrise at 6 and sunset at 9, but I'll just have to keep on dreaming. At least the winter makes me appreciate the summer.

Overall, I still feel somewhat happy. I was inspired to write down how James and I met. The story took quite a while since I covered from when we first met (September 2006) to when we actually got married. It's a complicated and sometimes painful story. For many years, I felt terrible about some of my dating history, but I realized through writing the whole story that God's hand has been in my life the entire time. I didn't mess it all up by making some poor decisions. He already knew what mistakes I'd make and provided for me through all of it. He also never abandoned me, even through the darkest of times. That gives me so much hope for the future. James's health problems are so unusual that we don't have any idea how long he'll live. I don't need to worry about any of it because God will provide for me, no matter what happens. I'm trying to do what's right, but even if I do mess up, things are going to work out. Knowing this gives me more peace than anything right now.

Projects, Play, Fall Break

I got a few really big projects done this past week, which made me feel great. I built the shelf for the boys' Legos, and most of their creations fit! We then took apart the entire room: closet, under the bed, the Lego table, and cleaned everything thoroughly. I did the same kind of thing for the girls' room a day or two before. Needless to say, I love the results and wish they'd last.

Saturday, James put in our new (to us) dishwasher. I'd gone to Lowe's last week, but I felt that I should wait on a dishwasher. James saw on FB yard sale that our neighbors were getting rid of theirs since they didn't need it, so we paid them only $50. We ended up having to fix a few small parts in it (like the spray arm), but it's the same model as the old one, so it worked out. While James was installing that, I went under the house to put insulation where it had fallen down. Those 2 jobs are the worst part of owning a house. Both are smelly and really gross. I wore my mask under the house because I couldn't breathe well without it. Insulation is icky to work with, and it was muddy and yucky down there, too. I'm glad we had some extra insulation from our cabin. I used all of it! Hopefully, none of our pipes will freeze this winter. I also made a real cover for the crawl space out of some scrap plywood and random brackets we had sitting around. It took under an hour and was really simple. I love projects like that. I also love using the jigsaw. It's just my size and doesn't scare me like a circular saw.

We got a new (to us) dresser for the boys' room. I had just been thinking about getting one and upgrading Lewis, and then our neighbors who just moved posted about it on Facebook. After an hour of cleaning it, fixing the tracks, and adding some new knobs, it looks better than any dresser in our house except for mine (which was new). I'm really pleased with the result. While I was getting the dresser, my friend Claire invited me to come to her play. I wasn't sure about the social distancing thing, but James and I went Monday night. Most people weren't wearing masks, but we tried to keep our distance (sitting in the back away from others) and wore ours. I still feel kind of paranoid since then, even though we weren't around any sick people. I thought people were going to be more careful, but I was wrong. It's the riskiest thing I've done during the pandemic, and things are starting to get worse again in my county, even though they're still not terrible (no school outbreaks so far). We did really enjoy the play, The Dastardly Doctor Devereaux, and Claire was amazing.

We've had a good fall break so far. The kids decorated and carved pumpkins yesterday. I ran some errands and did a lunch date with James. Today, he is shooting with Devin while I do my normal stuff around the house.

This week really has been full of tender mercies, namely the cheap dishwasher, the free dresser, and finding a Harry Potter shirt at D.I. I had been thinking about all of these things beforehand and was able to find them easily and cheaply. I'm really grateful when those little things happen. They show that God is really looking out for me.

Conference, Broken, Happy, Fall Break Plans

We really enjoyed watching General Conference as a family. I especially enjoyed the women's session. It gave me a lot of peace and clarity that I'd been looking for. I made the first set of curtains for the cabin, but they'll be temporary since they're made from an old sheet and don't look super great. They do keep the glare off the TV, though.

I kept Kenny home this week since he's been coughing. He got what Joseph had, so it's not anything serious, but we're trying to be extra careful not to spread anything at school. So far, there have been no cases at the kids' elementary school but 1 at the high school, not in James's class that we know of. Cases are starting to go up overall, though. I'm getting a little nervous, even though there's nothing resembling an outbreak in the schools (15 in a school or 3 in one class).

Our dishwasher is broken. The motor burned out. That's our 3rd one in 7 years. Each one seems to last half as long as the previous, with this one only making it 14 months. Ugh. I'm going to go look at new ones today, and hopefully we can install a new one this weekend. I'm so sick of replacing them. I suppose they aren't cut out for being run twice a day anymore. You'd think I'd been washing glass shards, but the only glass things I really own are Mason jars, and those things are super sturdy.

Despite having to wash dishes by hand, I feel happy this week. I finished all my sewing projects, deep cleaned the girls' room, and did some baking, even delivering some goodies to new neighbors and ones who are moving away. I even started exercising most days. I can't usually make it past 30 minutes, but I can tell it's making a difference with my mood. Surgery really threw off my groove, but I'm slowly getting it back.

I don't completely know what we'll do for fall break since we won't be traveling, but I do know that I'm going to build a long shelf in the boys' room for their Lego creations. We'll also deep clean their room. I'm getting some pumpkins today, so we should be able to carve those next week too.

It's funny, but I know I'm feeling semi-normal because of what I've been able to do. Getting out of bed and cooking breakfast doesn't guarantee that I'm feeling happy, but a big organizing project or baking multiple items probably does. I hope it lasts. It's been a tough year.

Finished, Projects

We finished the cabin! We've been starting to decorate it, but that will likely take more time. We're trying to do that cheaply and with a fantasy theme, it's pretty easy to make or track things down if you're patient. I'm thinking we'll have elements from Lord of the Rings (of course), Harry Potter, and comic book superheroes.

We hosted our first game night with a few friends on Friday, and it was really fun. Saturday, I mowed the lawn; disconnected all the hoses; and spray painted the chairs, the stools, and the bottom of the bench black. I also helped James install a giant TV he found at a yard sale. Both projects took longer than expected, and I'd been hoping for a lazy Saturday. I wasn't too happy that I didn't get a break until 2 P.M.

This week was a lot less busy. I did a few errands yesterday to escape, so that was really nice. I also worked on a few sewing projects and fixed a few things that needed it inside the house. I really don't like fixing things most of the time, but I like the final result. The toddlers are still driving me crazy and make me wish I had a job outside the home.

I have a few small sewing projects left, but I'm not sure what I'll do next. It's nice not to have a huge, time-consuming project looming over my head, but I miss it at the same time. I know that's totally crazy, but it gave me purpose.

Sheds, Shots, Dentist

Saturday, James's friend Devin came over and helped us all day on the shed (cabin). James and I also worked really hard all of Monday afternoon and evening. We finished everything except for the transition! I'm doing that today after James buys some screws.

I had a really busy week finishing up the small details in the cabin. I also built shelves for our storage shed, cleaned it thoroughly, and painstakingly put everything away. I hated that it started raining because that meant I felt rushed, even though Utah rain is usually a 10-minute sprinkle. In the afternoons, we started putting things away in the cabin. We have a reading nook, game area (with a cabinet we got for free), and an office area. It looks really cozy and awesome. I'll put pictures of everything up on Sunday when I finish the last tiny details. I have to finish that transition and spray paint our old chairs. I am really excited to move on to something different next week. It's been really intense getting the cabin done these past 7 weeks.

We all got our flu shots on Tuesday. It was relatively painless, and we even ran into both people that we needed to return tools to! I'd call that a tender mercy. One of them is a fairly long drive from our house.

I went to the dentist yesterday, which was amazing. I know that sounds weird, but I hadn't been since May of last year. The dentist filed down a chip on my front tooth, so I feel a lot less self-conscious about my smile. I'm also really happy to have a new toothbrush. It's the little things, right?

Baby Shower, Colds, Organizing, Shed Update

Friday and Saturday, I helped with the shed. I painted all the trim, the ceiling, and the walls. I guess I've had a fair amount of practice with it. I'm definitely no expert in any of the other stuff we've done so far! It was pretty stressful to come in and have to cook, finish the laundry, and clean the house, but I'm really glad I spent the time helping. I went to a surprise baby shower for a friend in my ward, and it was really fun. I then brought home dinner for everyone from KFC. It's tradition for when Grandpa visits.

We had a very restful Sunday and watched Coco as part of church. Dad left Sunday afternoon, so we put the house back together.

Monday morning, Joseph woke up with a sore throat and cough. That made me really nervous, needless to say, so we got him tested for Covid-19. Thankfully, it was negative. He hasn't been terribly sick, but I kept him home from school all week. It's easy to do that now that everything is also online. Last I checked, our county only has 13 active cases, and they've been going down since school started. I did cancel the dentist, which I hate to do, but we're rescheduled for next month.

I've been organizing a ton of stuff this week. Since we're getting so close to finishing the shed, I cleaned out the trailer (which was James's office March-May) and moved everything over there that isn't a tool or related to lawn care or home improvement. Mostly, that means outdoor sports stuff, holiday stuff, and suitcases. Then, I took everything out of the storage shed and sorted it by category.

As for Rivendell (A.K.A. "the cabin"), here's what we worked on this week:

-finished painting the ceiling and walls

-finished trimming all the windows, including caulk and paint

-deep cleaned all the windows and tracks

-added foam insulation and another layer of subfloor to the entryway

What we have left:

-ceiling trim

-door trim

-apex trim

-flooring

-baseboards

There are some other odds and ends, and I'll need to add caulk and touch up the paint. Hopefully, only 1 more trip to Lowe's will suffice! (Well, maybe in a perfect world.) It's starting to stress me out because of how close we're getting. I'm anxious to return the big tools we're borrowing so I can build shelves in the storage shed and actually be able to find things.

Phenix/Calderon Visit, Shed Update

 James and I finished putting in the insulation last Saturday. It was hot and itchy work, but we finished after 5 hours. We relaxed the rest of the day.

Monday, Lars and his friend/roommate Josh arrived in the morning. The guys went shooting and then played some video games. Once I picked up Dad at the airport, the work began. Today is day 4 of their visit. My awesome guests have so far cut and installed all the drywall and are now working on finishing it. The past few days have been pretty long work days for everyone. The drywall should be ready to paint by Saturday. I'm so excited! After that, we'll need to do the trim and flooring. What they say about projects is true. It takes twice as long and costs twice as much as you think it will.

We've had time to enjoy some good meals together and hang out a little bit. I think the boys are disappointed that the guys aren't available for more video games, but they'll get over it. I'm glad the kids will be home for school tomorrow. They haven't been the best at sharing their room.

Samantha had her well check yesterday. It was tough. She cried if the doctor or nurse came anywhere near her. The long wait and the shot were no help, either. She has grown a lot in the past year, though, and is a bit bigger than average. I think she'll catch up to Lewis within the next year, not that it would take much!

A New Groove, Samantha's 2nd Birthday

I got a pressure canner and processed 22 pints of green beans!!! It was really easy to use, but I'm not sure I would have been confident enough to use it if I hadn't done water bath canning and used a pressure cooker before. I look forward to trying other recipes, especially soups. It is really fulfilling to see those neat rows of jars.

James and I went out on Friday night. For some reason, I was feeling extremely anxious beforehand, so we changed our plans to stay close to home. (We had planned on taking pictures in the refuge.) We found some silly things and had fun browsing a few stores after enjoying a simple dinner from Arby's.

It's really hard to be home with a 3-year-old and 2-year-old. They're terrible about getting along, and they make so many messes. It's not that I'm particularly inattentive, but I do shower every day or otherwise leave the room for a few minutes at a time, usually to use the bathroom or fold laundry. So far, I've dealt with flooded toilets (done completely on purpose, of course), trails of butter, smashed crackers on the carpet, and smears of peanut butter and chocolate. Let's not forget when Samantha drew all over herself with markers and smeared glitter glue on the kitchen table after I'd moved those craft supplies twice. Ugh. I'm so glad they both nap. Thank goodness for auto save because she just turned the computer off in the middle of this post!

The older kids are doing fine with school. They don't complain too much except for Katie saying that school is boring. I also can't get her to sit and read with me. She hates it because she's in 1st grade, when reading is tedious and boring for both of us. When she doesn't know a word, she guesses and flops around on the couch, complaining. It would work better to read in the morning, but she doesn't get out of bed easily and takes too long to get ready, so we run out of time. We'll figure it out. Either way, I can't wait till she can read independently.

Samantha turned 2 on Monday! I made her a strawberry cake, which was delicious, and she opened presents. Her favorite was a little cat that meows and walks.

It's been a pretty normal (well, new normal) week otherwise. I'm trying to keep enough things going so I'm not bored. I wish that I could have a normal workday, like James, but I never really get to leave work. Also, I don't like the naptime break in the middle, then huge amounts of stress from 4-7:30. I'm done by then and don't want to deal with people, but I have to.

We will get through this. I'm excited to put in insulation this week for the shed, which we've decided to name Rivendell. My dad arrives on Monday, which means the drywall goes up next week! Hurray! I can't wait till we can finish and decorate it. I also have lots of ideas for how to repurpose and reorganize the storage shed and trailer (the current office). It's going to be awesome. And expensive.

James's car has been expensive to fix, and it's still having problems. I really hope the mechanic can figure it out.

First Days of School

This week on the shed, we finished insulating the gables and filling in all the cracks with caulk and/or Great Stuff. I also cleaned everything up today and organized the tools - again. Our next step is to measure for insulation batts and get those in before Dad arrives on Labor Day. He had so much fun, he wanted to come and do drywall for us while he drops off Lars at college. I'm not complaining.

I took the kids to meet their teachers on Monday. Thankfully, I was able to get a babysitter! School officially started on Tuesday, and I think it's been a bit overwhelming for everyone. They are required to wear masks, which can get uncomfortable, but I think they are adjusting. It's been hard to get up early again. I haven't had to worry about it for 5 months.

I'm starting to get into a routine again. I've missed cuddling up and reading to just the 2 little ones. I've also started playing the piano again and will resume Kenny's lessons. I picked green beans at Sis. Smith's house the other day, so I'm going to learn to use my new pressure canner that I'll hopefully get today. I also have yard work to do through October. Basically, I have enough things to keep me busy - for now. I enjoy having a big project (like the shed) that I can split into a bunch of small things. The little kids will survive about an hour of me working outside before they get bored or try to run off.

I still wish that the pandemic would end. It makes me feel a little on edge. I don't even know what "normal" feels like anymore. I don't feel like I can operate at 100% until things are more certain. I really hope that's soon.

Phenixes Visit, Heads Visit

 We had a really busy week, but it was great. James and Dad got the shed completely wired. It has a fan/ light with separate switches for each, several outlets, and a separate window and outlet (with its own circuit) for an air conditioner or heater. They also squared and leveled it on blocks. Nash and Ricky helped with insulating the floor, which was done with strips of wood and foam board in a grid pattern. I think Dad and James put in at least 50 hours!

My main contribution was cleaning up all the tools, trash, sawdust, and foam pieces. I also filled in the trench when the electrical was done and made the rocks look relatively nice again. I even organized all the tools and leftover parts. It was a ton of work, but worth it.

Mom baked us lots of goodies: bread, cookies, cinnamon rolls. I cooked keto for my parents while still including carbs for everyone else. We watched a cute show together in the afternoon called "Austentatious" and kept everything clean and "together" while the men were working outside. Sunday was especially nice since we'd all been working so hard.

We got James's car back from the shop on Friday! It was really expensive, but it finally runs again.

Everyone left on Wednesday. Dad, Nash, and Ricky drove, though not together. I dropped off Mom at the Vernal airport, and she flew home with Dad from Denver. They made it safely late last night. Nash and Ricky should make it back on Friday. I don't know if I mentioned that Ricky officially got a job in Sanford (30 mins. from Apex), so he and Mara are officially going to live in NC now. I'm so sad about that.

The Heads arrived at 5:45 last night, so we ate dinner and then played some games. Today is Melodie's birthday, so we're planning on going to Steinaker reservoir to hang out with the kids. I'll make Thai yellow curry for dinner and fudge sauce to put on the ice cream roll cake that I made yesterday. It should be a pretty good day.

James worked yesterday and has his first official day tomorrow. I'm definitely not ready. We'll have to work on the shed on weekends only now (probably), and that's kind of a bummer since it's going to seem to take forever from here on out. Next up, we'll finish insulating the entryway and gables, plus filling in any more cracks we can find with caulk and Great Stuff. I can't wait for the final product, but I think it will take till October to get there, and that's okay.

Shed, Car Repairs, Phenixes Visit

 It's been quite the week. On his way back from Rexburg last Friday, James found a shed! It was on the side of the road, so he stopped and got the information so he could call the guy. We worked all day Monday clearing and leveling the ground and putting down blocks to set it on. Unfortunately, the process of setting the shed down wasn't as precise as we thought, so we'll need to straighten it out a little and level it. Thankfully, that can be done with some boards and a jack. I think it's going to be an all-day process, though. It's a really nice-looking shed - like a little cabin, and the outside is already stained. Yay! We're hoping to finish the inside by October-ish when it starts snowing.

To make a long story short, both of our cars ended up in the shop yesterday, though it was only maintenance for the Yukon. James ended up having to walk to the dentist and back to the shop. It was 95 degrees outside, so it was an unpleasant day. It also meant we didn't get anything done on the shed. My parents and Nash arrived around 7, so they ate dinner and hung out with us for a few hours. Nash leaves for Provo and I'll pick up Mom and Dad after I do my grocery pickup today.

The stress of preparing for and getting the shed, plus having no cars for a day, has really messed up my sleep this week. I hope I can start feeling better. That, or I'll just be prepared for when school starts. I don't want to be awake this early!

Summerween, A Week Without James, School Decisions

We decided to celebrate Summerween (like in the show Gravity Falls), so the kids dressed up, we catapulted candy, and the boys carved a jack-o-melon. It was silly, but fun.

I went to church on Sunday, and it was great. I think there were only 35 people this time, so I was at least 10 feet away from everyone else. I got to talk to a few people afterward that I hadn't seen in a while. James and Joseph left right after to go to Rexburg. James wanted to help his brother Sam on his new house, so it seemed like the perfect opportunity before our visitors come and we start school. Speaking of which, I made my fast on Sunday about whether they should go back or not. I feel good about sending them, so I've registered them and purchased school supplies. I'll need to figure out the "meet the teacher" part since it's during the day, James will be at work, and I can't take the little kids.

It's been a tough week without James. I have accomplished some good things, like reading 2 books, spraying all the weeds, baking cookies for neighbors, and keeping all the children alive. I don't have James's magic touch, so Lewis refuses to nap and then falls asleep much too late in a random place: on the floor, sitting at the computer, while reading a book. It's really frustrating. I was hoping to meet up with a friend to go walking, but she never texted me back even though she invited me in the first place. I was really upset at first and took it personally, but I'm sure she's just busy. Really, if I look at all the friendships I've ever had, they have all let me down at some point. I can forgive a certain number of times, but there is eventually a point where the relationship fades away. Social media is no help this year. I hate almost everyone.

I can't wait for James and Joseph to get home tomorrow. I think we will still be alive by then.

Pioneer Day, Adventures, Slower Pace

Friday, we celebrated Pioneer Day with fireworks and the new Jim Gaffigan special. Samantha hated the noisy ones but was fascinated by the lights.

Saturday, we had a pretty good day working in the yard together. I've actually really missed mowing the lawn, but James did that while we all cleaned up and swept everything. I really like our backyard. It's fun, so the neighbor kids love coming over. We are the only house with a pirate ship and giant sandbox. That night, we walked on the nature trail near our house and got some food.

Monday, we went to the Ouray Wildlife Refuge and Pelican Lake to look around and take pictures. We didn't see a ton of wildlife, but the kids had a really good time getting in the water in just their underwear.

Tuesday, James and I got lunch and went shooting for a date. It was a lot of fun, especially because we shot lots of different types of guns (rifle, shotgun, handgun). My favorite is still my "cowboy gun". It's really easy to load, and I'm a pretty good shot with it.

We were supposed to leave for NC yesterday. Instead, my parents contacted me about coming to visit us in August! That's not too far away, and it will be before school starts, which will be the most risky thing we do this year. Having 2 people come here will be a lot safer than the 7 of us going cross-country and then being in the same house as 13 other people (20 people with only 2 bathrooms is tricky, too). I'm excited for them to visit, but I feel guilty too. I don't think I'll ever quit feeling guilty until the pandemic is over.

There are things I've enjoyed about this summer. Thanks to the pandemic and James not working (since he doesn't need to), I can sleep when I want. My natural bedtime gravitates toward 11 when I'm given the choice, and I sleep until 7-7:30ish. Going back to school will require a shift from all of us, and it's going to kick our butts at first. Having a slower summer has been nice for my recovery from surgery too. Being able to lift up to 20 lbs. is a nice change, but I can't wait till I can lift my toddlers again. Hugs aren't the same when they have to climb to me.

Rexburg, Changing Plans, Masks

We had a good time in Rexburg. I still needed to recover, so I spent a lot of time on the couch resting.

Thursday, we hung out with Sam and Jesse and their kids. It had been a year, so it was really great to see them again. They came over every day we were there. They just bought a house in Rexburg, and I'm so excited for them! Sam is now a professor at BYU-I.

Friday, everyone went up to the property in Victor to go kayaking. I stayed home and drove with Anna to eat dinner with the grandparents in their yard.

Saturday, I participated in a Schillemat cousins Zoom chat. We did a date with Kenneth and Myra and Sam and Jesse. We got froyo from Millhollow and hung out in camp chairs at Smith Park. We talked till 10:30 before finally going home.

Sunday was peaceful and relaxing. I even played the piano for Primary. I really don't mind doing church at home, even though it's not the same. 

We traveled home on Monday and unpacked everything. Tuesday was my catchup day.

I had a doctor's appointment (followup) on Wednesday, and it went well. I feel 95% back to normal, finally. It really took 2 weeks before I could say that. I can't lift more than 20 lbs. for the next 4 weeks, but I think I'll be okay.

We were all set to travel to NC in a few weeks, but we decided against it. After talking to my parents on Sunday, I felt especially uneasy about it. The pandemic hasn't slowed down at all liked we'd hoped it would by now. After more prayer and some tears, we decided to postpone the trip until the pandemic is over. It was a tough decision, but it was the right one. I know I'm going to feel especially sad in a week on the day we were supposed to leave.

Since the kids will need masks when school starts, I've started sewing some for them. I have enough supplies to make 2 for each person in the family, and my mom is sending me more. My goal is to have 2 for Lewis, maybe Samantha, and me, and 6 for everyone else since they'll all be at school. That's 30 masks, but I already have 11 done. Last week, I thought I'd never feel well enough to do any sewing. I'm glad I was wrong.

Please go away, corona. You're really throwing off my groove.

Recovery, Rexburg

It's been a week now since I had surgery. The grandparents took the older 3 kids with them to Rexburg so I could recover a bit better. It did help cut down on the noise and mess, but Lewis and Samantha started fighting with each other after a few days due to boredom. We relied on fast food a few times since I'm not back to 100% yet. I want to remember what this is like in case I go through something like it again. The hardest thing is not being able to lift anything. Samantha gets offended when I don't pick her up, and it makes me feel like a terrible mom. How recovery has been:

Days 1-3, I took ibuprofen for the pain. I had to be careful when I switched positions, especially while sleeping, because the incision hurt. By day 3, I started experiencing some weird side effects from the anti-nausea patch, so I removed it a day early. I had an extremely dry mouth and blurred vision up close. As long as I took my glasses off, I could still read. Thank goodness for Google, or I would have been really worried about what was happening. I also had some pretty bad heartburn, which I'm guessing was from the ibuprofen. It went away when I stopped taking the pain meds.

Days 4-7, my main complaint has been fatigue and lightheadedness. Thankfully, there is no more pain, just slight itching, and I can sleep however I want. My vision seems to be back to normal, but the lightheadedness makes me feel like I'm wearing a slightly wrong glasses prescription. I've had no nausea at all, but at this point, I wonder if it would have been better than dealing with the withdrawals from the patch. Seriously, I hate the slightly dizzy feeling. Otherwise, I feel fine. I didn't even get sick on the drive to Rexburg.

We left yesterday from Vernal and stopped by Mara and Ricky's for pizza and ice cream for Ricky's birthday. It was great to see them at that house one more time. We then picked up a range for Sam and made it to Rexburg around 6.

The school district released a plan for the kids to go back to school. I feel pretty good about sending them, but of course I worry. I did the numbers for our area, and the infection rate is really low, just a fraction of the nation's overall average. That made me feel a little better. As we were driving yesterday, I had a feeling that the NC trip will work out just fine, but I'm still so nervous about it. I want to do what's best for my family, so driving does mean less risk than flying. I'm just not excited about how long and exhausting it will be when I still don't feel normal. I want to feel 100% right now, but I need to have patience. It's only been a week.

In my mind, if we can make it to August 31st (Samantha's 2nd birthday), we are going to make it through this year just fine. I just wish I could go back to planning things ahead and not worrying that they'd get cancelled. The anxiety I get about travelling has been kicked into overdrive. I never had any intention of making a cross country trip, but here we are, getting ready to leave in less than 2 weeks now. If there's anything I've learned from my surgery recovery, it's to just focus on what's right ahead of me. When I try to look all around, I get a little dizzy. 

11th Anniversary, Surgery

We had a really good 11th anniversary, but it didn't end up exactly as planned. Well, it was already Plan C anyway thanks to pandemic. We ate some smoked pork that James's friend killed, butchered, and cooked. It was delicious, but that meant we were too full for Chinese takeout. We then went to see Lord of the Rings: the Two Towers and realized about halfway through that it was the extended version! I really enjoyed it, even though it was 3 hours and 45 minutes long.

We did our first FHE with Cherissa and Tayson in a while. It was really great to see them.

James finally passed his kidney stone on Tuesday!!!

We went on a little hike yesterday (the Dry Fork Flume trail) to keep my mind off of surgery.

James's parents and Anna and Jacob arrived yesterday afternoon. James took me to the hospital this morning for surgery. I had a terrible night of sleep, and I'm still tired, but I was home by 10 A.M. I feel a bit sore and tired, but not bad. Everyone else is doing the cooking, cleaning, and laundry today, for which I am very grateful. In 6 weeks, I will be fully recovered in time for school to start, but I'll feel pretty normal within a few days. Life is good, and I no longer have a hernia!

Kidney Stone, Friends

It's been a difficult few days for James. I took him in to the ER on Tuesday for kidney stone pain. He's all too familiar with it since he gets one every few years. Naturally, I was worried sick while he was there, but they ended up sending him home after about 2 hours. He looked really pale but started feeling a bit better later on in the day. The stupid thing still hasn't come out, but the most painful part is over, thankfully. I just hope it's over by tomorrow since it will be our 11th anniversary. I'd really rather not cancel it! It's the first date we've planned in 3 months that takes us outside our house.

Also on Tuesday, I had a strong feeling that I needed to bake bread and take a loaf to my friend Claire. I'd had a dream that she moved away, and I didn't get to say goodbye. With this stupid pandemic, it's not so far fetched. One of my other friends really did move away, and I didn't get to see her before then. Claire and I just talked for about 45 minutes, and it was wonderful. I know that my feelings about everything this year are not unique to me, but it was so nice to talk to someone about them in person. We were both tearing up by the end of the conversation.

I have 1 week until my surgery. Getting tested for Covid-19 was pretty unpleasant, but I have no reason to believe that it'll be positive. Hopefully, I'll get the result soon so I can quit worrying and James can pass this stone so we can have a fun weekend. It's already different than planned since we were supposed to go to Idaho.

Ugh. 2020 really sucks.

Church, Camping

I went to Church on Sunday! It was so nice to be there. I think there were probably about 50 people out of the A-L crowd. We decided not to bring the kids yet since they probably wouldn't be very good at social distancing. It felt so good to worship with everyone else and feel the Spirit. James will go next time our ward meets, which is in a few weeks.

Our big adventure this week was camping. We took a drive on Monday to look for a good spot and found one we liked at East Park, a nice reservoir up in the mountains. Overall, it was fun but challenging.

Dislikes: packing for the trip since it filled up the whole car just for one night, trying to get any sleep with everyone together in the tent, trying to stay warm, setting up the tent and fire and having to take everything down today. (Why can't sleeping bags roll up nicely?!)

Likes: sitting by the fire, silly jokes, kids playing in the water, exploring a cave and the creek nearby (with lots of beautiful flowers and butterflies), talking with James and looking at the stars till the kids finally fell asleep, getting a little bit more tan, being away from social media, almost forgetting about the pandemic for a minute.

I think we won't do it again this year, but maybe next summer. Today, I get to do a mountain of laundry. :)

Adventures, Appointments, Cancellations, and Traditions

I don't think I mentioned before that we're trying to do "adventures" on MWF. Last Friday, we went to a birthday party at the Boyles' house. We actually go every year, and it's always amazing: tons of food, water slides, and great company. I've really been trying to take one day at a time with social distancing, and since this was an outside party, it felt like a good idea. Things with Covid-19 are picking up in my county, though, so that makes me a little nervous. It's good that there are so many outdoor things available. We went on a hike in the Monument on Monday. It was called Desert Voices and ended up being much longer than expected, but still fun. I'm amazed at the beauty of where I live. It's completely different than where I grew up.

I had an appointment with the general surgeon, so I'm scheduled for surgery on July 9th. I have to get tested for Covid-19 first, about 10 days before, and I can't travel afterward. That means no trip to Rexburg for the 4th of July and no celebrating our anniversary. I'm really upset about that. I'm not sure when we'll be able to go. If I feel okay, mid-July. NC is going to take up the first 2 weeks of August. Assuming I don't get the stupid coronavirus beforehand, I'll be fully recovered the day before school starts for James.

I had an appointment with the eye doctor yesterday, and it looks like my prescription has changed a bit. Though I never had it before, I've got a little bit of astigmatism. I hope that minor change, combined with a different kind of lenses, will solve my problems with my right eye bugging me. (I've had to take a break from contacts a lately.) Just in case, I bought a pair of sunglasses that can go over regular glasses. I had no idea these existed before, but they're a genius idea!

We're trying to come up with some fun summer traditions, but it's hard. It feels like we can't plan anything (still) since it just might get cancelled. I know that social distancing is a small sacrifice, really, but sometimes I feel trapped even though I still have a lot of options.

Heavy Things

I've had a lot of things weighing on my mind since we got back from our trip to Rexburg. I am glad we went because it was a nice break from regular life. I feel like I've gotten hit by a lot of things, many of them heavy, so this post will be a little depressing. Writing it all out helps me feel better. These issues are in no particular order, and I worry about all of them intermittently.

I made an appointment with the general surgeon for next week. I will most likely be able to have surgery on July 9th to get my hernia fixed. (Thanks, Samantha.) Though I'm not particularly scared about it, it's stressful to think about going under the knife again and having 6 weeks of recovery. I also don't know how much it will hurt, but I'm hopeful that it will be minor since my other 3 surgeries were really easy. I have to do it around all of our travel since I'll need help. I won't be able to lift Lewis or Samantha during recovery, which is a big deal. It can't wait until school starts.

Myles and Skyla are planning their sealing for August 8th. I'm really excited about it, but I feel that driving it the best way to make sure we don't lose tons of money or get infected with the Coronavirus. I think everyone knows how much travel stresses me out. Just yesterday, we had to add some oil to the car while we were at 10,000 feet. It's a good thing we had some in the car already. I hate old cars sometimes. Ours has needed some age-related repairs, but I'm still afraid to drive 2,000 miles there and back. Plus, whiny kids.

An old friend I hadn't seen in a while died from cancer. He was only 35. Cancer sucks.

My yoga class has to change venues after June. I've loved the studio where it happens right now. I'm annoyed that the studio would just discontinue classes like that. On top of everything else, it's really frustrating. I probably can't go in July anyway due to recovery, but I'm still worried that it will all end.

I'm struggling with a lot of anxiety still, especially about my appearance. Though I got rid of the scale, I'm noticing that some of my clothes feel a little tighter. Thanks to the stupid virus, I can't get any new ones unless I get lucky and have them fit without trying them on. Ugh. I know this will change eventually, but I really need to try a different style of pants. Weight gain or not, everything digs into my squishy belly unless it's got a stretchy waistband. Wearing uncomfortable stuff is making me feel grouchy.

My contact lenses are starting to bother me, but if I wear glasses, I can't wear sunglasses. I really need to get clipons or something, but I haven't done that yet, so I either have scratchy eyes or squint and get a headache. Another small thing that's making me grouchy. I have an eye appointment next week to hopefully get some answers.

If you made it this far, thanks for bearing with me! I don't know who reads this anymore, but I'm glad for you.

Rexburg Trip

We left on Saturday and had a pretty uneventful drive. We only took short stops since everything is still kind of closed, so we arrived by mid-afternoon. Joseph got a second birthday celebration with Hawaiian haystacks and chocolate peanut butter cake. I'll never say no to more cake and ice cream! (Though I prefer those two separate, that's another post on its own.)

Sunday was nice. It was a lot like doing Church at our house, but with more family. They used their Duplo table for the sacrament. :) We relaxed, ate, and played games for the rest of the day.

Monday, I went to book group with Melodie. Even though I hadn't read the book, it was fun to sit in the park and eat pizza. I don't remember the last time I hung out with anyone not related to me. I already knew most of the ladies since I used to be in their ward...like 8 years ago now!

We went to the Lees' for dinner and enjoyed hot dogs and s'mores, eating outside so we could still practice social distancing. (Go away Corona! I miss hugs!)

Tuesday, James and the older kids went up to Victor while the rest of us stayed here. I made bread and dinner: Hawaiian chicken (on the grill). It turned out really good, but everyone was late getting back from Victor and a neighbor stopped by, so it all got cold and we had dinner an hour late. Needless to say, I wasn't happy about that, but I'm over it now.

Wednesday, we got a little treat after lunch and made grilled pizza for dinner. James and I have a pretty good system going. We cranked out 5 pizzas and still got to see most of the movie.

I made bread again today and some peanut butter cookies for tomorrow, Grandpa's favorites. The plan for today is to visit Bear World with Grandma Lee. Tomorrow, we'll go up to the property and kayak.

I've been reading a lot and even had a few naps. I still can't get into exercising, even with a buddy, but I attempted it a few times this week. I'm not sure how things will be when we get home since we've had plenty of things to keep us busy the past few weeks. I really hope we can settle into a routine where can balance fun, work, and pure laziness. Boredom is my enemy right now, though. When left with nothing to do, I feel really negative about my life. We'll get through this. When we do, I'm going to hug everyone.

The Blomquists Visit

As I mentioned before, the Blomquists (Mara, Ricky, and Emma) arrived Saturday night. They are the first family members to visit us since February. We stayed up late talking and were all super tired on Sunday, but it was worth it. Sunday was a good day to rest and relax.

Monday, we went to McConkie Ranch to see the petroglyphs. I hadn't been in 8 years! It was fun to compare pictures from 8 years ago. I look a little older, but not much has changed. We hung out in the afternoon and then celebrated Mara's 25th birthday with grilled sausages, potatoes, grilled zucchini, and devil's food cake. After the kids went to bed, we played the new game Mara got, Robinson Crusoe. It's really involved the first time, but fun.

Tuesday, Ricky had homework, so we got a takeout lunch for a double date when he had a break. After dinner, Mara and I went to yoga, which was relaxing. We played another round of Robinson Crusoe but lost this time.

Wednesday, we hiked to Cassidy Crack and had a picnic lunch afterward at Josie Bassett's old cabin. I then made Joseph and Emma's cheesecake for today since it needed to chill. We made grilled pizza for dinner, bathed kids while the men went hunting, and finished the day with another round of Robinson Crusoe. I really like cooperative games since I'm not a very competitive person.

Today, we celebrate Joseph's 10th and Emma's 1st birthdays. Hers is today, and his is on the 30th. I can't believe I've been a mom for almost 10 years now. We're having fajitas for dinner (grilled, of course) and will then open presents and enjoy a chocolate peanut butter cheesecake. I can't wait! The other adults are out shooting right now, hence the blogging. It will be sad for everyone to leave after dinner today, but it's been a really fun visit. We will have just enough time to get ready for our trip to Rexburg on Saturday.

Fossil Hunting, The End of School, Garden

James went fossil hunting with his friend Devin last Saturday. They found a lot of cool and interesting things. Devin came for dinner Sunday since his family was out of town. He's the first non-family member to be in our house since March.

I didn't take pictures this past week because I didn't feel like there was much going on. The kids did their last school assignments on Tuesday. Yesterday, we drove through the school parking lot to say goodbye to all the teachers and pick up the last of the kids' stuff. I made some bread for them, and they seemed happy about it.

I finished my class on grilling. I still need to do the assignments for the photography one, but I haven't been in the mood. I made my first solo grilled thing the other day: yellow squash. It was absolutely delicious. If you ever feel like you're tired of cooking, try getting a new appliance. Cooking familiar foods in a new way is really exciting.

Though the nursery didn't have as much to offer as normal, I got plenty of things to grow for our garden. I unfortunately killed the tomatoes by forgetting to water them. Oops. While I was at yoga, James fenced in the garden for me! That means we can plant today or tomorrow, as soon as I feel not so lazy. Sometimes, it's hard to want to be outside, but once I've been in the yard for a while, I feel pretty good.

Next up: the Blomquists are coming to visit! They arrive Saturday night, and I can hardly wait. Until then, we're going to party through the last official day of school (tomorrow) by stuffing our faces with all the delicious foods we can. We'll start off the day with some treat cereals and probably finish with a movie. :)

Kenny's Baptism, Ice Cream Truck, Jones Hole, Mother's Day, Burned Out

(This is the quarantine, weeks 8 and 9. I am really tired of using that as my title because who knows how long this is going to drag on?!)

Though we weren't able to stick to the original plan with Kenny's baptism (inviting all the family), it was a really special experience. We got to the church in 2 trips since the big car was in the shop. Every family member got to participate in the program in multiple roles since it was just us, the bishop, and his wife, who is part of the Primary presidency. Kenny came up out of the water with a big smile on his face. I was really excited to be a witness with Joseph. I know we'll always remember this day. It was really special to sit in a little semicircle right next to the font.

The Primary presidency came around with an ice cream truck, and it was so fun to see everyone from a distance. They gave out ice cream bars to the kids and adults. The kids were so excited, they waited outside the whole time until it got to our house. I think we were the last stop because of where we live.

We took a trip to Jones Hole fish hatchery with a picnic lunch from Subway. The kids really loved it, and I even made a fun playlist for the drive.

Mother's Day was all right. I got some fun presents and tried to relax, but it was hard. I didn't do any dishes or change diapers, though.

James has still been using the grill a lot. I love trying new things, and grilled foods are usually a level up on deliciousness. I've been listening to a Great Courses class on grilling along with the photography one. I'm way behind on the assignments, but I'm keeping track so I can do them when I'm in the mood.

Everyone is sick of school, especially me. I'm trying to do the bare minimum to get us through next Friday, which is officially the last day!!! It's really hard to manage the burnout. Some things are completely back to normal, like grocery shopping. I can get everything without substitutions. Some are on the way, like yoga in person or going to the library (mask: mandatory). Spots for yoga are limited, though, so I have to remember to message the teacher beforehand, and I'm not always good at that. Though Utah is at "orange" for risk level, that still means no church, travel to NC, or playing with friends. James and I both have masks for the rare occasion we have to go inside a store.

I just want this to be over.

The Quarantine, Weeks 6 and 7

I guess I forgot to write last week since not much has changed. The weather has been nice, so the kids have spent lots of time outside and in the sandbox. School is about the same.

Katie asked for a haircut. I've been suggesting one for a few years now, but she always said no. I'm really glad she let me cut it short. She likes to do her own hair, so less of it means less of a mess. Plus, it looks really cute and the bangs will catch up sooner.

We did an FHE outside with a tent that James's grandpa gave us. James pretended to be King Benjamin from the pirate ship while we listened. Maybe one day we'll use it for camping, but not anytime soon.

Vernal hosted a "cruisin' for Covid" thing on Friday where we decorated our car as a tank and "dragged Main" for some good deals on food. We decided on Sonic 1/2 price shakes. It was great until Samantha threw up since she tried to eat the styrofoam cup.

Myles and Skyla got married on Saturday! We participated via Zoom, and it was nice. I do wish we could have been there. The ceremony was short, sweet, and to the point.

I finally started listening to a gardening class on Great Courses. I have a goal to finish it and the photography class by the time the kids get out of school for the summer. I'm not as clueless about gardening as I thought, but I know absolutely nothing about photography. It's been really fun to learn. I've been working on family history while I have the time since I finished up my sewing projects. It sounds like a lot of things going on, but most of these are getting done in 15-30 minute chunks here and there while I'm not helping kids with school or while they're in bed.

We got new gutters yesterday, and James's car is in the shop getting some work done. Next up, the big car. Everything else has to wait until this is over.

The Quarantine, Week 5

We finished up spring break without too many problems. It was pretty nice to finish the fence and celebrate Easter. We did a little egg hunt with candy in the house and dyed eggs while Samantha was asleep. On Easter, we watched The Testaments movie and enjoyed a delicious meal of ham, deviled eggs, and cheesy potatoes.

Monday was our last day of spring break, so I finished a couple of books I'd been reading and worked on some projects. Since I'm out of sewing to do for now, I think I'll work on my family tree, even though the temple isn't open yet.

The weather has been cold and snowy/rainy this week, but we had just enough nice weather to go play tunnel soccer and get ice cream last night. It's crazy to think how long it's been since the kids set foot in a public place. I've only been inside Walmart 1 time in the last 8 weeks, which is totally crazy.

School is officially from home for the rest of the school year, so it doesn't look like things are going to change any time soon. I hope my overall anxiety can calm down a bit, but it seems like every time one thing gets better, somethings else happens that brings it back all over again. I'm still experiencing headaches and stomachaches, but they're not as constant as they were a few weeks ago. It probably helps that I'm able to shop normally through Walmart's Grocery Pickup, and they actually have stuff now. We also got a giant box of toilet paper from a local janitorial store since it's still hard to hunt down.

Though I really want things to go back to normal, I'm still trying to find the good in all of this.

The Quarantine, Week 4

How has it been another week already?

Thankfully, we've got spring break, which is much needed after doing homeschool for 3 weeks. So far, we've had absolutely beautiful weather. We started our weekend by watching General Conference, which was great and very uplifting in this uncertain time. James took the kids for walks during most of the sessions, so I actually got to listen for part of the time.

Kenny turned 8 on Sunday, so we celebrated with a kitty litter cake, which tasted a lot better than it looked. (He insisted!)

Monday, we went on a hike up the canyon near our house. It was great to be outside, and I felt a lot better that day than I had all weekend. (Basically, I've been going back and forth between headaches and stomachaches due to all the stress of the situation. I am managing the best I can. Being outside in the sunshine has really helped.)

Tuesday, we worked in the yard for several hours raking after James aerated it. I'm still a bit sore from it!

Yesterday, I set foot in Walmart for the first time in a month. I wore a mask I made the day before. It wasn't crowded, and I was able to put my anxiety to rest about the shelves being empty. Only the baking aisle is looking bare right now, but I have more than enough for the next month, at least. I also did a pickup order from Lowe's. James spent the afternoon building a target holder and installing a gate. (Hopefully, we finish the fence this week!) I spent some time fertilizing the lawn and cleaning out the shed.

Today, we're doing another little hike, hopefully to find a slot canyon south of town. I'm looking forward to Easter coming up this weekend.

Though lots of things are still cancelled, I'm grateful for all the time I've gotten to spend with my family. I've even had time to read and work on sewing projects this week, too, which has helped my mind stay busy. That, I've found is the key to not feeling quite for anxious.

The Quarantine, Week 3

Things are decently good around here. We've had a few days of good weather, which was great, but today it's snowing and really cold.

We're still doing pretty well with our schedule and routines. Things have actually been going pretty smoothly. I still get pretty stressed out when I have time to think about what's going on in the world, but I usually calm down again after taking a few deep breaths.

Grocery shopping was even better this time. I got almost everything this time and didn't have as many substitutions. I don't remember the last time I went inside of any public place.

I miss being around people outside of my family. I hope this thing peaks when they say it will so we can get to back to "normal" life.

The Quarantine, Week 2

Well, we haven't gone out much this week. We're trying really hard to keep with the social distancing protocol. Things are settling somewhat into a predictable routine. I still feel like my brain is fried by the end of the day, but I think that won't change as long as my kids are doing school at home.

Some great things about this week:

We started building a fence! If the weather ever cooperates, we might finish it one day.

We took a walk for FHE on a nature trail. It felt SO GOOD to be outside.

I participated in my normal yoga class via Zoom. It was almost as good as being there in person.

I celebrated my birthday! We all loved eating Reese's Puffs for breakfast and Black Forest cake after dinner. Though I didn't get sushi since the place was closed, the Taco Bell we got was still pretty tasty. I really love chalupas.

We got new books from the library in a surprise bag that James picked up outside. I'm so glad not to be reading the same 10 books over and over. I'm really glad our library is taking the precautions needed while still providing us with new reading material.

I'm trying to stay busy in my free time with good reading and sewing. Once in a while, I still listen to some classes from the Great Courses, but my brain is too dang tired to care as much as I did 2 weeks ago.

School is for certain at home until May 1. We can do this!

The Quarantine, Week 1

Things have been so crazy recently that I don't even know how to make sense of all of it. At first, when I got home from my trip, things were still okay-ish. By Friday, things had escalated a lot. We found out after the kids got home that there'd be no school for the next 2 weeks, as ordered by the governor.

Sunday was really different than normal, but nice. We had Primary in the morning and then played board games. Cherissa, her mom, and Tayson came over for the sacrament, dinner, and family home evening. We're going to have them over every week until this thing is over.

Wednesday, I went to the school to pick up schoolwork for the kids. We have since settled into some kind of routine for school. My days are extra busy because I have to manage which kid uses which device, and their teachers have different expectations for what they need to do. Katie needs help with a lot of her work, so I've had to shuffle my schedule around so I can help her without completely ignoring the little kids. All things considered, we're making it work pretty well. Sometimes, we have 4 timers going at once.

James and I got Chinese takeout and went shooting for our date. It was especially nice to get a break from the house while still obeying the rules of social distancing.

Being at home is not so bad. The weather was nice until yesterday, when it started raining/snowing. Because of that, it made things a lot harder for everyone. The kids got bored after their schoolwork was done and complained a lot. I did manage to do grocery pickup. I didn't get about 15% of my items, which is a bummer, but they can all wait till at least next week.

I've been trying to use my free time (what's left of it) for sewing projects. So far, I've been able to do about 1-2 small projects a day. I've been busy enough that I haven't had much time to panic. The quarantine isn't bad in itself, but all the panic on social media is. Still, I don't feel that I can stay away from it all, so I'm trying to stay positive.

I feel especially grateful right now for a couple of things:

1. I got home from my trip to NC safely, and so did my sister Mara. There was an earthquake the day after she got home, so the airport shut down!
2. I bought groceries before my trip, and extras, too. Yesterday's trip didn't have to be as big as normal.
3. I have lots of food storage. Even if the store had nothing at all, I'd still be able to feed my family for a long time. I even have a huge supply of my favorite chocolate!
4. I'm a flexible cook. Making substitutions is nothing new to me because we used to struggle to make ends meet and ran out of things all the time.
5. I went to school for elementary education. Of course that's not a requirement for teaching my kids at home, but it gives me a little bit of peace.
6. There are a billion memes to read online. Being able to laugh is a great thing during these uncertain times.

I know that God is watching out for my family and the whole world. I have my moments of anxiety, but so far, things have really been okay.

NC Trip, Spring

I had a great time in NC!

Thursday, my flights went without a hitch. I do not regret flying from Vernal, even though it meant a 6-hour layover in Denver. I explored the airport, read a book, and had some delicious food. My flight offered movies, so it went by quickly despite my being crammed in a middle, last row seat.

Friday, I met with Brinson, Ceci, Myles, Colbey, Mara, and Carmel for lunch at Cookout. It's kind of a tradition. I really love their hush puppies. We then went to the Craft Exchange with Rachel. It might become another tradition, because it's just like a thrift store, but just for craft materials, like wood, cloth, thread, beads, paper, etc. I got a whole bunch of fabric and some misc. stuff for only $14. Next, we went to Bennett Place, a Civil War historical site. It was pretty interesting. After a quick dinner at home, the whole family met up with Myles's fiancee at the Videri Chocolate Factory in Raleigh. It was so interesting to see the process of making chocolate. Of course I didn't leave empty-handed either.

Saturday, Mom, Mara, and I went on a walk. It felt good to be out in the crisp, spring air. Things in NC are much greener than where I live. I went with Mara to lunch at Panera since she was meeting a friend, and then we went to the church to set up for Colbey and Micheal's wedding reception. Several hours later, we had it all set up. It was actually pretty fun to be involved in the process. Usually I'm at home with kids. The reception itself was great. We ended up with the perfect amount of tables and food. It was nice to relax and socialize a bit. I helped with the taking down part, thankfully much shorter than the setup.

Sunday, we went to church and then took naps afterward. I had a lot of trouble sleeping in, mostly due to the sunshine. The time change on Sunday was no help either. We had a yummy dinner followed by Frozen 2 (since most of the family hadn't seen it) and Myles's birthday cake.

Monday was just like Thursday: lots of walking in the Denver airport and some yummy food. I got home by 5:40. James and the kids had a good time while I was gone. Everything was clean, and James had a yummy dinner waiting. I was exhausted by this point because I hadn't gotten enough sleep and had to get up at 3:30 A.M. (my time) in order to get on the early flight. Yuck.

I'm mostly recovered now. The snow is all but gone, so I've been washing all the winter stuff to store away. I don't mind the extra laundry. It's one of my favorite days of the year: putting away all the boots and coats till at least 6 months from now!

On a random note, I had a headache the other day and bought Excedrin on a whim. It actually WORKS!!! Since having kids, the regular meds (ibuprofen, acetaminophen) don't do anything for my headaches. I don't get them too often, thankfully, but I'm really grateful to finally have something for when I do.

The Flu, Blah, Curly

Poor Lewis ended up getting the flu. His fever started last Tuesday night, and it wasn't terribly high, but it wouldn't stay away and spiked to 103 by Thursday morning. James took him in in the afternoon and was able to get some medicine. Though Tamiflu isn't cheap, it definitely works.

I've been feeling grouchy and tired all week. I'm kind of in between projects, and I hate that. I'm also ready for my family members to stop coughing their guts out all the time. It's not everyone, but some people have been keeping me up at night with the coughing.

I'm just ready for winter to be over. Things are melting, but still really cold. I'm tired of cleaning up the same junk over and over, especially from kids who should know better. The house stays a lot cleaner when they play outside!

I started the Curl Girl Method but haven't been super successful yet. I hate inconsistency. I'm going to get my hair cut in NC so I have less to work with. Hopefully, that helps. I leave for NC in only 1 week! So excited!

Salt Lake-cation, Sickness, Science Fair, Serger

We had a great trip to Salt Lake for our midwinter "we're sick of all the snow and cold" trip. Travel went without too much trouble. Only one kid threw up. We put the kids the bed once we arrived at the Air B'n'B and then just relaxed. Friday, we went to the Aquarium, ate lunch, and then went to the children's exhibit at the Church History Museum. It had just barely opened! We also went to Temple Square to see the Christus. Afterward, we went to Mara's for heart-shaped pizza. Everyone was so tired by the time we got them to bed, we didn't hear a single word out of anyone.

Saturday, we went to the Natural History Museum, ate lunch, and then traveled home. Mara, Ricky, and Emma joined us for most of the activities, and I think the kids had a great time. The trip was just long enough to be fun, but totally exhausting. James even found 5 minutes to buy me a rose and funny card. I stuck to my diet and brought all my own food, even though it was hard. Rice and beans just aren't as appealing as fast food when they're right next to each other.

Saturday, people started getting sick. All but Samantha have had some combination of headache, fatigue, cough, sore throat, muscle aches, and fever. Since Lewis isn't feeling better yet and his fever was pretty high this morning, James is taking him in to the doctor this afternoon. I hope it's not influenza, but I have my suspicions. Poor little guy just curls up on the couch all day. When he's not feverish (thanks to ibuprofen), he still isn't himself. As much as I hate all the messes he creates, I at least know he's feeling okay when he gets into mischief.

We finished the science project yesterday! All in all, it took 6 hours of work. I need to remember in the future not to leave things like that to the last minute.

I've been learning how to use the serger that I got for Christmas. At first, I was totally intimidated, but now, I love it! Between a Great Courses class and the manual, I have a pretty good idea of how to use it and what to use it for. I've already made a few drawstring bags and have a couple of doll dresses to work on in the next week or so.

Hopefully everyone feels better soon. The fighting and whining were so much worse this week, and I don't think I can take it anymore!

Heads Visit, Melty, Hernia, Science Fair

The Heads came to visit last weekend. I worked with Rex on Friday doing intake. We had a pretty busy day. Everyone showed up and took a long time on their paperwork. It reminded me that my own health is very good. Some people have some horrible problems that they have to live with every single day. We had dinner at home and then played some games. I wish I had one I could win at consistently. Scrabble isn't it. Saturday, we hung out and had pizza for dinner. Well, not me, so I had my biggest case of FOMO since I don't know when. The sacrifice has been worth it, though. Our guests left on Sunday after sacrament meeting. It was nice to go to the adult class. The stake took over Primary due to ward conference.

I love it when things start melting! It's usually around Valentine's Day (tomorrow) that we can see the whole road in front of our house. So far, that's holding true.

Rex recommended that I get seen for my hernia that I've had since I was pregnant with Samantha. It bugs me a little bit if I've been lifting weights heavier than 20 lbs. Not only was the appointment short, I found out that I can wait until the second half of summer to get the surgery done, and it will only take 30 minutes. I figured it would need to happen eventually, but I haven't really had the time to do so since it means 6 weeks of no lifting anything. James was working last summer, and I still had a nursing baby. We have a lot of travel the first part of summer, but once we're back, I can get the surgery and recover with James to help me before school starts again. I'm really not nervous about it. I'll get to be asleep this time. It was pretty nerve-wracking to be awake for my hand surgery a few years ago.

Joseph is working on a science fair project, and he chose slime. It's kind of fun to do experiments, so that's what we're going to do all of Monday. We'll be in Salt Lake today through Saturday for a fun trip with the kids. I hope everything goes smoothly!

Too Busy, Lewis and the Potty

I kind of hate it when every day after school has stuff going on. I like having at least a day or two where we get to stay put, but that hasn't been the case this week. Most of the things haven't been so bad: soccer and Primary for the boys, grocery shopping, going to the temple, parent teacher conferences...they just all take up time. We do have a ward Valentine's dinner tonight, so I'm excited for that. I really hope people like the games, and if not, that they don't tell me. ;)

Lewis turned 3 on Sunday! We had his cake and dinner on Saturday: German chocolate, dinosaur nuggets, and tater tots. Though I'd like to say he's potty trained now, that didn't happen. We gave it a really good try for a couple of days, and though he had some successes, he's not willing to continue wearing underwear. I'm going to wait 3 months and try again. I am confident that he will train within the next 6 months. He's mostly ready, but mostly isn't quite good enough if I don't want to hire a carpet cleaner to come in every day. I'm really not upset about it. The other boys were 3 1/2 before I even attempted training. It would've been nice to do it earlier, but oh well.

Winter Blues, Classes, Strict

I've had a hard time sleeping recently. Some of the snow started melting off the road, but now it's snowing again. I'm at that point in winter where I just want it to be over. Nothing in the second half comes even close to the magic of Christmas. I'm trying to find little things to be excited about, but it's hard when everything outside looks so gloomy.

For James's birthday, I got him a subscription to the Great Courses, online lectures by actual, qualified professors. So far, I'm doing classes on yoga nidra, human personality, body composition, and photography with James. It's a great way to help me feel useful.

For February, I'm going to make my diet a bit stricter so I can get quicker results. I've been slacking on eating beans and whole grains, and recently I've let things slide a bit when it comes to treats. Being stuck at a plateau is the worst, even though I've made it through several already. I'll re-evaluate at the end of February and see where I want to go from there. I should be at my goal or at least very close. Even if I continue, I'm not going to eat with a calorie deficit past April 10th.

3-Day Weekend, Light

I had Relief Society planning meeting last Thursday. Our first activity is a Valentine's dinner, and I'm in charge of the games. I'm pretty excited to be involved with activities this year. It was really fun last year.

Friday, we had pizza and movie night. I'm really loving Disney+. Our movies nights are so easy to figure out now. It's nice that the boys are old enough to enjoy non-cartoon movies, too.

Saturday, we hung out as a family. That night, I went to see Little Women and LOVED it! It was funny that James joked I could go alone Saturday or take friends on Monday. I chose Saturday, of course, and then I ran into my friends Jade and Claire. They invited me to sit with them, so I wasn't alone after all.

Monday, we woke up to no water. After James went hunting, he went under the house and thawed out the main pipe. I was pretty grouchy by then because it was afternoon and I hadn't been able to clean anything, including myself. I am definitely a shower every day kind of person because I feel nasty if I don't. On the bright side, I finished my memory quilt. It looks pretty awesome on our bed and is the right thickness for winter when combined with our fuzzy blanket underneath. I still have 13 squares left for my next one. Haha. It will probably be a few years. The process was a bit frustrating, but I'm happy to have finished it.

James went to the temple yesterday, then decided to bring home some lamps to brighten up our house to be more like the temple. I can honestly say that the lack of light bothers me the most about winter. I haven't had any bad experiences driving in snow this year and haven't fallen down on any ice. I'm even starting to think of winter as beautiful. James has captured some amazing pictures of the snow and ice. The cold doesn't bother me much either since I have warm and/or fuzzy things to wear. I can't wait for the days to get longer again, but for now, I'm not going to try to save on electricity because I really need the light to be happy.

James's Birthday, Grouchy, Projects

We celebrated James's birthday in style all weekend. I made his German chocolate cake on Friday, and he also opened his presents. One was a game that he wanted to be able to play all weekend. Saturday, we went shooting. Sunday, we enjoyed steak and potatoes with Cherissa and Tayson, along with FHE. I've really loved studying the Book of Mormon this year with the family. The new videos are excellent, too.

I'm not sure why, but I've been waking up grouchy all week. I think winter blues have set in, which means I need a big project. It just so happens that I just accumulated enough squares for my memory quilt, so I think it's time to get started on it. Figuring out how to arrange all the squares will be the hardest part, but once I get that part figured out, it shouldn't take long to sew it all together!

Everything else has been pretty normal. I can't wait for spring and sunshine, but for now, I'll do my best to stay busy.

Soccer, Goals, Model, 6 Week Challenge

James and I went to see a movie last Saturday, so that was pretty fun. Overall, once I got through a grumpy day or 2, we had a really good break from school and the normal schedule. This week, though, it's back to normal.

The boys have made their goals for the Children and Youth program, and I'm really excited to help them achieve them. I've set my own goals to help them reach theirs. My responsibilities will include reminding them to read the Book of Mormon, taking Joseph to soccer, teaching Kenny piano, and teaching them additional math outside of school.

Kenny and I started building a model of an engine that the boys got for Christmas. I had no idea how fun it would be. Based on how many times our cars have broken and my enjoyment of this project, I think I should have become a mechanic. Just kidding. I think I'd hate the grease and being in a heavily male-dominated field. I do like seeing how things work, though. We will finish our model tomorrow.

I recently finished a 6-week challenge from my yoga teacher to love my body. Though I've made a lot of progress in the past 16 months, I've still got work to do. This year, I'll reach a healthy weight, and I need to learn to be happy with it because I'll still be considered overweight by BMI unless I can weigh less than what I did at 14 years old. (Not happening!) It will always bug me not to check that box, but as of right now, I feel happy and healthy, and all my other numbers check out. I'm also starting to enjoy working out - almost. I'm never going to love it, and I'm okay with that too.

2020 is going to be a great year! 2019 already was, so I'm really hoping to continue that trend. I'm actually enjoying some things about winter this year and not just feeling stuck inside. I suppose having extra fuzzy pajamas and good books doesn't hurt, either.

Christmas Break, New Year's

We had a great Friday. We went to Green Canyon and enjoyed a nice, relaxing time in the warm and hot pools.

Saturday, we went to Star Wars. Wow. A LOT happened in 2 hours and 22 minutes, but I really enjoyed it. We then celebrated Jacob's birthday with pizza and cheesecake. Samantha had a terrible night and kept waking up and crying. We determined that she missed Katie, so we moved them together the next night and had no problems. I love that my girls are such good friends despite their age difference.

Sunday, we had church and even made it on time for 9:00. We relaxed afterward with food and games. I had a pretty rough time because of the night before.

Monday, we drove home. We stopped once to meet Mara and Ricky for lunch at Dairy Queen. Some really nice people gave us their leftover ice cream cake, and it was delicious! The ride home was long and full of fighting, but at least the car didn't break down this time.

It's been catch up time for the past few days. I stayed up on New Year's Eve and regret it. Somehow, the boys weren't affected at all despite it being hours past their bedtime. Here I am, two days later, and still tired. Go figure. We had our traditional black-eyed peas, ham, rice, and cornbread for New Year's Day.

Samantha is walking more than crawling!

Other than that, we've got through the weekend to just "chill". Then, it's back to the daily grind.