Christmas Break

Christmas Eve was fun. The granddaughters went out to breakfast with Grandpa. We watched Encanto together as a family and fell in love with the music. I made a pecan pie for Christmas and rolls for the night's dinner. We had clam chowder and bread bowls, plus other yummy stuff at Sam and Jesse's house. The kids acted out the Nativity story.

Christmas Day was a bit chaotic. I missed seeing some of the presents opened, but that happens when everyone opens everything all at once. We had scrapple for breakfast and plenty of candy, then a nice ham dinner with pie.

Sunday, we went to church at noon. After dinner, we had dessert with the Lees, plus some snacks. I'll never turn down a cheeseball and crackers!

Monday, we had to cancel visiting the great grandparents in Victor due to snowy (and closed) roads. That also meant no hot springs. :( James and I went out for dinner at Applebee's and got away for the night in a medieval theme room. It was so nice to eat a meal and spend a night without any kids in the room. We enjoyed a nice breakfast, then brought the kids to see the room before heading back to Grandma's.

Tuesday, we celebrated Jacob's birthday by going to Spiderman, then eating pizza and cheesecake.

Wednesday, James and I took a little trip to D.I., and the boys went out the lunch with Grandpa. James got together with his friends Kenneth and Nick at Sam's house during the evening.

We played lots of board games throughout the week, including Catan, 7 Wonders, Scrabble, Marrying Mr. Darcy, and several others that I wasn't part of.

Thursday, we left for home, making stops at Smith and Edwards and Bed, Bath, and Beyond so I could use the gift card I got for Christmas. I'd been really stressed about the weather since it snowed almost constantly and was cloudy and gloomy in Rexburg. However, the roads were mostly okay with the worst around Strawberry Reservoir because of the drifting. We were never in any real danger. When we got home, the Purcells had shoveled our driveway, and we had several treats waiting on the doorstep.

Everything at home has been fine, but stressful. During the trip, I experienced a lot of anxiety over the weather, plus poor sleep in a single bed across the room from James, tailbone pain/stiffness that took almost a week to work through, and now a cold that's making me tired when I have a ton to do. Honestly, I'm glad Christmas is over. Tomorrow, we're putting it away, and I won't feel sad at all. I'll have my living room back.

I'd say that I'm looking forward to a new year, but I'm not as excited about it as in years past. Can't imagine why, either. ;)

Deliveries, Travel, Temple

James and I had a really fun time last Thursday. For our date, we delivered all the neighbor gifts, went shopping with the gift certificate from the school, and got a little dessert. It was really great to see people, even if just for a minute.

Monday, we drove around to see lights for family home evening. We were going to get frosties, but Lewis had thrown up that night before, so we got stuff from the grocery store to take home. My favorite lights were the ones synchronized with music.

Tuesday, I tried not to get too stressed out from packing for the trip. I had the kids do most of the cleaning, and I went out to lunch with James to get sushi. I also made sure to go to yoga. Despite that, I still have a sore tailbone after a night in Rexburg and a day in the car.

Our travel wasn't too bad. We stopped at Del Taco for lunch and made really good time. After a yummy dinner, we went over to Sam and Jesse's to watch the Hawkeye finale.

Today, James went shopping with his mom and the little kids. After lunch, we went to the temple to do sealings (all the adults). It was really peaceful, even though my tailbone kept bothering me and I had to sit in a chair instead of kneeling. Getting older is no joke. Thanks, Samantha, for the tailbone that's never been the same.

I can't believe that tomorrow is Christmas Eve and that the year is almost over. I'm not even sure what kind of goals I'll make for the new year.

Christmas Party, Wintry Days, Candy

Friday night, we were invited to the one and only Christmas party we went to this year, and it wasn't originally ours. (Our ward didn't do one, and neither did the high school). It was the Spanish branch, where Devin attends. It started late, but it was awesome. The food was a wonderful mix of Mexican and American comfort foods, and there was even a pinata at the end. We were there for 3 hours, but we didn't notice because it was so much fun.

It got really cold after the snowstorm last week, which dumped 7 inches. We've gotten another 2 since then. Joseph hasn't been thrilled about the shoveling, but he does earn money for it. I helped for a while with the original 7 inches because it took forever to get all of that off the driveway. I hate that everything is icy now. I need to get some salt so we can get the driveway and walkways completely clear.

This week, I made 3 batches of fudge and a big pan of caramels to give out to neighbors. I made Andes mint, rocky road, and peanut butter fudge. The rocky road got stirred a little too long, so it was ugly but still tastes good. James and I will deliver the goodies to our neighbors tonight. I hope I don't freeze.

I'm really looking forward to Christmas, but at the same time, I want it to be over. December comes with a lot of expectations. One thing I'm really glad I made last year is the Advent calendar. Really, it's the easiest way to do scriptures during the month.

Snow

We've had a pretty busy week, but nothing like last week. Last night, we took the kids shopping to get presents for each other and the angel tree. It went pretty well, I think, but Katie and Kenny argued about Greek myths the whole time we were at Walmart.

It's snowing! Finally! Okay, I'm trying to be excited about it. I prepared for it yesterday by getting all the grocery shopping out of the way. I also got out all the snow shovels and sleds. I'm always nervous about driving in the snow for the first time, but that won't be till tomorrow after everything's been plowed. Once I've done that, I remember that it isn't so bad. We have over an inch, and it's not supposed to stop till tomorrow morning. My plan for today is to take it easy, read, and watch a silly Christmas movie with the 2 little kids.

Thanksgiving Break, Heads Visit, Katie's Baptism

We did have an excellent Thanksgiving meal. Everything tasted amazing! The company was good too, and we got to see Sam and Jesse's family at dinner and for Angie's birthday celebration.

Friday, I went shopping with Anna and her cousin Hillary. We went to a lot of places, but I bought things at Barnes and Noble, Bath and Body Works, and Ross. We met up with Grandma Lee, Michelle, and Melodie for lunch. We had a little time at home to relax before going to the Lees' for a chili dinner. It was nice to leave the kids at home.

Saturday, the older kids and James went up to Victor to ice skate and briefly visit Grandma and Grandpa Head. I made soup and rolls for dinner, and everyone plus the Lees came over. I had a little time to read my book in the afternoon, which was really great.

Sunday, we watched church online and drove home. It was really smooth and uneventful, for which I'm really grateful.

Monday, the kids got their second shots. Hurray! We went out to Wendy's for dinner.

Wednesday, the Heads arrived right around bedtime. I worked with Rex on Thursday and Friday. I had plenty of time to read, prepare for the baptism, and relax, sort of. It was still kind of stressful, and I came home pretty tired by the end of the day. Melodie made dinner on Thursday. We got KFC on Friday after swimming in the hotel pool.

Nash arrived Friday night, and we got the living room ready for the baptism and prepped the food. I was pretty stressed by this point, but things worked out well.

We got to the church around 10 and got everything set up with programs, Zoom, etc. I think everyone could hear okay, and I tried to keep the camera so everyone could see. The program was the perfect length, and most importantly, I think everyone felt the Spirit. Katie was starting to tear up during the opening song.

We had lunch at our house afterward with the Heads, Boyles, Cherissa and Tayson, Nash, and Ishmael (since Ember and Becca had to be somewhere else.) I think everything turned out really well. I had plenty of help with both setup and cleanup. We had a good time hanging out with everyone.

Now that everyone's gone home, I'm feeling pretty tired. The plan for the rest of the day is to go on a date with James and watch Harry Potter 5. I wish the house would stay clean, but that's doubtful.

Fakesgiving, Couch, Thanksgiving

Though I was still struggling with a cold, I successfully cooked turkey, mashed potatoes, gravy, and cranberry apple pie on Saturday. They were all delicious! I ran into the same problem I do every time: the turkey was still frozen on the bottom and didn't cook as quickly, so I ended up flipping it over and slightly overcooking the top. It was still really good, though, but I don't think I'll use a bag again. It makes the skin not crispy. We had our leftovers the next few days: turkey pot pie, turkey soup with dumplings, and taquitos, which were all delicious.

Sunday was the Primary program and my last emotional resilience class. The kids did a great job in the program. I'm sad the class is over. I think it's really helped me, and I made some new friends in the process.

On Monday, we bought a couch for the cabin! It's black leather and looks great. We can sit up to the table for games or lean back and relax to watch movies. It was a pretty good Black Friday deal. They delivered it on Tuesday, so I cleaned up the cabin while the kids played with the giant box. It delayed packing for the trip, but it was worth it.

We left for Rexburg yesterday and got here without incident. We stopped at the Layton Hills Mall for lunch and got peppermint chip milkshakes from Chick-fil-A. I hate to say it, but I think I like the KFC chicken sandwich better now. (I know, breaking tradition.) I definitely want to keep the milkshake tradition, though. I made cranberry apple pie once we got here and even finished in time for dinner. Nash came over for a while and then went to Sam and Jesse's to sleep.

It's Thanksgiving! So far, I've cut up a ton of potatoes for mashed potatoes and veggie chowder (for Angie's birthday, which we'll celebrate at dinner.) Later, I'm going to make her a chocolate cake. I'm thrilled to eat chocolate along with all the pies. :) I took an hour to read, which has made a huge difference in my day already. I feel pretty happy despite a really terrible night of sleep.

I was worried at how Samantha would do with the toilet, but she's been great so far. It should be an awesome day. Nash and Angie will be over soon, and then it will be time to eat!!!

A Cold, More Car Stuff, Traditions

We had a pretty busy Saturday. In the morning, we took the kids to the dollar store because they had some money they wanted to spend. We also redeemed some Book It coupons. Unfortunately, Joseph ate too much of the junk food he bought and threw up later that night. It was during game night, but he cleaned up most of it and stayed home from church the next day even though he technically wasn't sick.

Sunday night, I started getting a sore throat after my class. It came on very suddenly and hurt a lot. Joseph, Kenny, Lewis, Samantha and I all have that same cold, and it's not the same one that the kids missed a bunch of school for a few weeks ago. I really need my family to be healthy for Thanksgiving! We had so few illnesses in 2020, and it was awesome. Now it seems that we're making up for it by getting sick one after another, then starting over with something new. I'm getting pretty fed up with it. I think since early September, someone has always been at least mildly ill.

Since Joseph was home on Monday, I took James's car to Walmart to get a new blinker bulb, then switched cars and got the winter tires put on. It took forever, and I ended up being at Walmart for over 3 hours. Good thing I had a book with me! Still, the waiting room was freezing, and I didn't have any shopping to do. Unfortunately, wandering around didn't help me come up with any ideas for Christmas presents either.

I struggle with Thanksgiving. I like traditions that stay around for a long time, but things always change after a while. The only thing that hasn't changed, really, is the food. No one in James's family cares about making turkey pot pie, so I'm going to cook a turkey dinner this Sunday so I can keep that tradition for my own family. It doesn't work out in Idaho because we already have plans for the day after Thanksgiving. I'm completely happy to eat turkey all week, and I'll have a chance to try out a cranberry apple pie recipe that I've been looking forward to all year.

Shots, Time Change

Saturday morning was frustrating. I took James's car in for a new battery, but the people at Walmart didn't believe me at first that it needed one. Batteries only last 2-3 years since we have a harsh climate and no garage. They said the battery was okay, but I told them to change it anyway. This isn't the first time I've had to insist on a new battery. It solved all the car's problems, though, so I know I made the right choice. I just don't like to argue with people when I already know I'm right.

We played DnD on Saturday night, and it was really fun. I've figured out how much caffeine I can tolerate to keep me alert, but not awake too late. It's half of a soda. I've never been able to finish a whole 12 oz. anyway. It was really nice of Devin to find Cheerwine (a cherry soda from NC). I gave him the rest of Samantha's diapers.

Monday, we were able to get Covid shots in a drive-through clinic. I stressed a lot about it beforehand, worrying that it would take forever or that they'd run out. We were there for 50 minutes total, but I'm glad because it means there were lots of kids getting their shots. Joseph, Kenny, and Katie got their first shot and James and I got booster shots. Aside from sore arms and some swelling and redness, we've haven't had any other symptoms. We treated the kids to Denny's afterward, and it was pretty fun.

The time change has been tough. I keep thinking I'm used to it, but then I start feeling sad when it's dark so early and grumpy when I get up, even if I get enough sleep. It usually takes me a week, so we're getting there! For some reason, Lewis and Samantha have had extra energy during the day and have been driving me absolutely crazy. 

James and I have been looking for the perfect couch/settee for the cabin, but no luck yet. We were considering a sleeper, but no one has one. Everything is so expensive, too. I definitely want to love something before I pay hundreds of dollars for it.

Tricks and Treats, Getting Better, Potty Training

Thursday, I took the kids to a Harry Potter library activity. It was kind of crowded, but we survived and came home with potions and wands.

Lewis played a horrible trick on me last Friday. I was just starting to cut up ingredients for salsa when I heard an awful buzzing/humming sound from the wall in the laundry room. It was even worse on the other side of the wall in the master bathroom. I called Dad, and he recommended turning off the water and electricity to see if it was either of those things. It wasn't, so I called the gas company to see if they had any answers.

It was toothbrushes. Lewis laughed at me once I figured that out and said he'd left them on in the bathroom on purpose. They don't look like electric toothbrushes; they only vibrate instead of spinning, so I couldn't see that they were on (and didn't think 2 electric toothbrushes could make such a horrible sound!). I wasn't too happy with Lewis. I wasted over an hour on that terrifying mystery. It didn't help that I'd already been in the crawl space adding insulation to where a pipe had broken a week earlier. UGH.

Despite that, I finished my salsa - the last of the tomatoes that Taylor gave me a month ago! I took the older 4 kids to the trunk or treat and let them go around twice. We didn't get too many trick or treaters on Saturday and none on Sunday, but I was fine with that. We had enough candy to eat through Sunday, and then it was gone. I consider that perfect. I really despise picking up candy wrappers, and the kids are a little grouchy the day after Halloween.

It was Samantha's turn to get sick. She threw up on Thursday and Friday morning. Katie threw up on Sunday night but was fine by the next day. I kept her home from school, which made it more convenient for her doctor's appointment (a well check). Kenny's been home all week with a bad cold. I'm so tired of this! Even with masks last year, he missed 12 days, Joseph 8, and Katie only 2. They are going to miss a lot more this year if this trend continues. We've only taken 1 day for vacation purposes. I'm glad that no one is falling behind, but it stresses me out and disrupts my regular schedule.

On the bright side, Samantha is fully potty trained both night and day! She would only pee in the toilet for a week before she decided she'd poop in it too. She uses the big toilet now and doesn't want M&M's all the time either, so I'm 99% sure it's going to stick. I got her an Elena of Avalor scepter, tiara, and underwear. I'm going to give the diapers away ASAP.

I really hope my family can return to full health. At least it's not Covid, and the older 3 should be able to get shots soon.

Katie's 8th Birthday, Halloween Festivities, Potty Training, More Sick

This week has been hard to deal with. Last Friday, James stayed home because he had a sore throat. He ended up not feeling too bad, but he found a broken pipe under the house and spent the day fixing that instead of relaxing.

Saturday morning, Lewis threw up. He felt completely fine by midmorning, thankfully. I made Katie's birthday cupcakes. She wanted white cake with purple frosting and candy pearls, so that's what she got. She loved opening her presents after breakfast and playing with them the rest of the day. We'd considered going to the corn maze, but it was too expensive, so we went to the Jensen Pumpkin Festival instead. It was really fun after a stressful, rainy day. The weather cleared up and wasn't too cold, and Lewis was feeling completely better by then. We had him mask up, even though the event was outside, and he never showed a sign of illness. Phew.

Sunday, James, Kenny, and I all had talks (Kenny in Primary). I think they went really well. People were very complimentary whether we deserved it or not.

Tuesday, James took Katie to see the Addams Family at the high school. I think they had a lot of fun.

We did our date on Wednesday and included some shopping in it. I got fabric so I can make everyone rice bags for Christmas. The 2 I've made for James and Katie have been extremely popular so far, and they're so easy to make. The highlight of my week was coming home to a dark house. The kids were dressed in Halloween costumes and dancing to "The Monster Mash."

Samantha has been using the toilet since Monday! I would be even more excited if she'd consistently poop in it. Her potty chart is all filled up, but she's only pooped in the toilet once and insists on having a diaper for other times. Sometimes, she insists on wearing a diaper but takes it off 10 minutes later to use the toilet. Actual accidents have been rare, but she insists on wearing new clothes after using the toilet, so she keeps running out and then complaining about it.

Samantha also woke up this morning (Thursday) having thrown up in her hair and on her bed, so it's more laundry for me. Though she can't keep anything down yet, she doesn't appear to feel too bad, and she smells a lot better after having a bath. I don't know what that means for potty training today, but I hope it doesn't ruin everything. I also hope she doesn't throw up in the car when we go get our grocery pickup order.

Now that I've written it down, I can see why I've been feeling stressed. This week really sucks. I absolutely hate dealing with body fluids, and I've had to clean up an abundance of them recently. Someone will need to stay home with Samantha instead of going to the Harry Potter Halloween activity at the library. I'm crossing my fingers that the sickness ends with her and very quickly.

Fall Break, Canning

We had a pretty good time during fall break in Rexburg. Thursday, we got lunch at Del Taco and dessert at Millhollow. The Relief Society progressive dinner that night was fun and delicious. I still know some of the people in the ward, so it was fun to catch up.

Friday, we went to Idaho Falls to go shopping at Costco, Big Deal, and Lowe's. We came back with stuff from all of them, but especially Costco. I got a new winter coat and some good gloves. We then got lunch at the taco truck down the road. It was delicious!

Saturday, we went to a thrift store in Rigby and found some treasures there as well. James, Rex, and the older kids went up to Victor to go kayaking. We watched a movie that night, but I fell asleep. Oops.

Sunday, we went to church and did dinner afterward. (I missed my 9:00 church since it doesn't mess with meal times!) We then went over to the Lees' in Rigby for dessert: apple pie and ice cream.

We played a couple of board games in there, but I can't remember exactly when: Turbo Cranium, 7 Wonders, and our newest expansion on Catan, called Traders and Barbarians. All were really fun.

Monday, we left in time to go to the Pocatello temple open house. The flower theme is absolutely beautiful, and I think the kids really enjoyed it too. We made it home around 7:15 after a long drive through some snow and fog.

I've been catching up on regular stuff like laundry, shopping, parent teacher conferences for the older kids, and checkups for the 2 younger kids, so I didn't do any canning until today. I've been dehydrating 5 trays of apples each day and should finish those up with another 10 trays and a batch of applesauce. (Melodie gave me a whole box, and I still have a drawer full in the fridge.) I just finished a a batch of spaghetti sauce with meat, my first time ever making it. I think it'll be especially yummy as pizza sauce since it has Italian sausage and mushrooms in it.

I broke my cardinal rules of happiness while I was in Rexburg. To have a good day, I need to work on some kind of creative project, spend an hour reading a book, and have a clean place to retreat to. Though I helped with the cooking some, I never took the time to get AWAY from everyone and read. I regret that. It made my days more difficult than they needed to be. I'll do it right next time.

Better, Leaving for Rexburg

We had a pretty relaxing weekend. Well, I did because I went to a baby shower after spending the morning in the kitchen. James worked on winterizing the sprinkler system. It took a while since he was using his friend's air compressor. Basin Rental was all out of the big ones.

We had a pretty normal week. There were no big meltdowns, only a small one or two. I spent Wednesday getting ready for it and got pretty stressed out, as always. I hate that I do that. I tried to have some fun with the littlest kids by getting tacos for lunch, but they fought over the soda and spilled lettuce and cheese all over our clean dining room.

We left around 4:30 and made it to Rexburg just after 11 p.m. I don't want to do that again. I took over driving in Park City, so I had to drive in the city and then through some snow around Pocatello. It was not fun, but I got used to the night driving by the time the snow went away and was able to relax a little. (There were definitely some white knuckle moments before that.) Thank goodness we were never in any danger.

We've had a good day so far. I feel weirdly anxious still, but staying here is not the same as it's been for many years now. Someone lives in our old apartment, so we don't have as much space or our own bathroom. I got 12 trays of apples ready for dehydrating and will probably take apples home for applesauce next week. I also chopped a bunch of veggies for chicken pot pie. Everyone is at Bear World, so it's nice and quiet. Tonight, James is going to play DnD with his cousins in person after dinner together. Melodie and I are going to a Relief Society dinner that starts at 7. We'll see if I can hold off eating until then. Probably not. Haha.

Conference, Tantrums, Canning

We had a pretty good conference weekend. I made some toffee as a treat, and it was gone pretty quickly. James listened while he was driving "into the wild" to take pictures of sandhill cranes, and I tried to pay attention at home with the kids. It wasn't the easiest.

Saturday night, we ate dinner with the Murrays. It was really fun to hang out with them. I worried a lot the next morning that I said something offensive to Taylor, but nothing specific came to mind. It's just been so long since I talked to anyone for that long.

Amy and Katie came over for the Sunday morning session of conference with lunch afterward. That was really fun. James and I did a short DnD game with Devin and Samantha (who was virtual since she was sick) after my emotional resilience class.

It's been a tough week with Katie again. She's been having a hard time getting ready for school in the morning, so I've had to be really patient and talk her through getting dressed. Every tiny bit of fuzz or supposed stain bothers her. She thinks there's "gross spot" in her dresser, so if anything touches that, she won't wear it. She also won't wear anything that has touched anything that touched the spot. I did find the spot. It's a TINY sticky spot in the drawer, so I'm going to wash everything in there, clean it, and put it back. She's skipped breakfast a few times but said her teacher gives out lots of snacks. I'm not so worried about her food intake, but the clothing issues are driving me absolutely crazy. No worry ever seems to last more than a week or two, so I'm hoping this goes away soon. Then, I'll have to figure out something else.

The Murrays gave us about 70 lbs. of tomatoes and 30 lbs. of apples. I've been making dried apples every day this week and plan on an apple pie on Sunday. I made one batch of salsa and one batch of tomato sauce. Now, I'm waiting for the rest of the tomatoes to get ripe so I can make a batch of tomato sauce with meat. I've been using the pressure canner for everything, and it's great. I can't believe I was every scared of it. I find it a lot less cumbersome that using a water bath canner.

Carpet Cleaning, Sickness

Friday night and Saturday, I worked on cleaning the carpets in the main room. I did half at a time, and it took about 1 1/2 hours for each half. I also cleaned the chair that was looking pretty gross. Everything looks and feels a lot better now. It's a pretty intense job. By the time I cleaned and rinsed everything, I went over every section about 12 times.

I sewed a ghillie suit for James during the afternoon. It ended up taking a ton of time and being really frustrating, but he's happy with the result. At that point, I was mentally exhausted and wanted nothing to do with people, but I had a fun time playing 7 Wonders with some teacher friends.

Sunday morning, Lewis threw up, so James stayed home with him and Samantha. After my evening class, Samantha threw up. Thankfully, no one has thrown up since then. Joseph, Kenny, and Katie have missed some days of school for scratchy throats, and I had a headache for a few days, but it was nothing serious. We masked up to go get our flu shots on Tuesday, and everyone did really well. Only Samantha cried, and it was just for a second.

James and I switched our date to last night (movie at home and Snickers ice cream bars) so the kids can go to the carnival today. Well, except for Kenny and me. We will stay home and get dinner ready. Kenny still has a cough and has stayed home all week, but I'm hoping he'll be back on Monday. Everyone else is completely fine. I'm still really looking forward to when the kids can get their Covid shots. I hear Halloween. Lewis won't be eligible till February when he turns 5, and who knows about 3-year-olds. The pandemic has dragged on long enough. I'm SO ready for this headache to be over.

Comicon, Hunt, Heads Visit

It's been a really busy week. Friday, we went to Comicon and back. The older 3 did great, but the younger 2 were harder to handle and got tired and bored more quickly. I slept very poorly the night before, so it made my day more difficult than it should have been. However, we had a great time, took lots of pictures, and even met up with Uncle Joseph.

Saturday, James got up early to go hunting with his friend Devin. They both shot pronghorns by afternoon and gutted them. They did the butchering at Devin's house with a short break to take both of the girls to Homecoming. It was Katie's 6th year and Samantha's 1st.

Monday, we worked on processing the meat, mostly trimming the silver skin and dividing it into more manageable pieces. I made a batch of jerky. We even had time for a lunch date to get Chinese with the little kids.

Tuesday night, the Heads arrived. James cooked up some of the pronghorn, and it's SO GOOD! I worked with Rex all day on Wednesday and half of today. Though the job wasn't especially hard (taking vitals and checking people in for disability exams), I'm still behind on things at home. I'd made dinner for last night the day before, but I'm definitely not making anything today. I'm way too tired. I'm definitely not ready to go work outside my home, even for short periods of time.

Katie had her baptism interview last night and was exceptionally silly. She will get baptized on December 4th.

This weekend, we should be able to to get some small projects done. I don't want to do much of anything or go anywhere!

Reflux, Normal Life

Since the beginning of September, I've been dealing with a lot of acid reflux. I've probably mentioned before that it's a been a plague on my life since childhood, and I'm pretty sure Kenny has inherited that from me. (Poor kid.) I don't know why it suddenly got worse, but it got to a point where my throat was so sore and dry, it was almost unbearable. I took the maximum dosage of a couple of different medications until I felt better (OTC stuff I've taken before), and I'm down to 1 a day for nighttime, which I hope I can quit in a few weeks. I've also made some changes to my eating (more fruits, veggies, etc. and not eating after dinner) so I can wake up feeling good and not with a scratchy throat. Despite the fact that the world is ending, I still need to manage this annoying health condition. Taking care of the reflux will also help me be healthier overall, which is something I've struggled with during the pandemic. Honestly, I still blame myself a lot for not doing a better job, but I'm doing the best I can, and that looks different at different points in my life.

Things have gone much better this week with all of the kids. Lewis and Samantha haven't destroyed anything (knock on wood) and are doing better at sitting still during story time at the library. Katie has eaten all of her meals and hasn't complained about her bed being poison. (I did have to stick my face in the shower water once so she'd take one, but I'm willing to do a small thing like that as long as I don't have to do it every time.) I've even had a little time to read. We're going to Comicon in Salt Lake tomorrow! I hope it seems like a short drive after the very long days we spent on the way to and back from NC.

Toilet, Days Off and Off Days

James and I went to see a movie last Saturday. I don't remember the last time we went to a movie theater! I helped the boys put a new Lego table in their room, one that's not made of old pesticide barrels and scrap wood.

Thanks to Lewis, we had to take up the toilet for our Labor Day holiday. It was about as annoying as expected. The little wooden hammer he flushed was really stuck, and it took a lot of snaking, praying, and help from Kenny to finally grab the thing through the bottom of the toilet. We then reinstalled it without any problems, and I scrubbed the bathroom with disinfectant. On the bright side, it was nice and clean for a day. ;) We didn't do much for the rest of the day and got some Chinese for dinner as a reward for making it through such a yucky task.

The kids didn't have school on Tuesday, so we hung out and actually had a pretty good day. I'd been really worried about Katie on Monday. She wouldn't eat much, claiming her hands were poison, and had a big meltdown when it was time to go to bed because she thought her pillow and blanket were poisoned. I assured her that they were not and led her through some deep breathing exercises to help her calm down. Anxiety is no fun as an adult, but it's even worse when your child has to go through it. She was much calmer the next day, and I realized that getting enough sleep and food are essential for her, even if it takes some mild bribery. She has eaten mostly normally since Tuesday but sometimes washes her hands more than I think is necessary and eats finger foods with a fork. (Not a huge deal, but it's a little weird.) For the past two nights, James and I have assured her that there's no poison on her pillow. He dramatically vacuumed off her pillow before bed to "suck out the poison" and I had to lick it to prove it was okay last night. She laughed and settled down pretty quickly for both nights. I know kids go through stages where they're more nervous about germs, and I'm sure the pandemic while being in school hasn't helped.

Since Tuesday night (and yoga!), I've been feeling much better about my parenting skills. It's hard for me to stay calm sometimes when it feels like my younger 3 deliberately push my buttons, but I'm trying, and it's made a big difference. I've realized more and more over time that my older 2 are just easy kids who gave me unrealistic expectations for the others.

Now that we've been in school for 2 weeks, I feel that I've gotten used to the new schedule. Lewis and Samantha are still trouble when left alone, but they're doing a lot better than last year. I wish Samantha had more interest in potty training, but I know that will come with time. Lewis is doing really well with his online preschool, so I'm glad for that too.

Fixed, Samantha's 3rd Birthday, Routine, New Hobby?

Nash came Saturday night for a few hours and fixed my washing machine. I'm so excited! Going to the laundromat is both inconvenient and expensive. We cooked some steak for him as a thank you. He left right as people showed up for DnD, so it worked out.

We celebrated Samantha's birthday on Sunday because I really wanted some cake. I made a white cake with strawberry ermine frosting, and it turned out really yummy. She was really excited about opening her presents. Now that she's officially 3 (as of Tuesday), I got out the little potty in hopes that she'd want to use it. So far, she only used it once and then decided she didn't want to. Oh well. I'm not really in a rush. I'm hoping that she will be trained by Christmas, and that's still a few months away.

Now that school has been in session for a week, I think I'm getting used to getting up early. So far, there have only been a few small meltdowns and one toy flushed down the toilet. (I think I resolved it with a snake, but I'm not completely sure. Time will tell.) Lewis has been doing really well with his preschool on the computer, and he eventually calmed down for story time at the library yesterday. I'm hoping to go every week with Samantha and him and that he'll learned to follow directions from someone other than me. He struggles sometimes.

I've started fixing up our bikes. I replaced 2 innertubes, removed some broken brakes, and possibly fixed the back brakes on another bike. I don't know if this is a hobby that will stick, but I feel pretty good about what I've done so far. It's been frustrating to figure things out so far, but I'm starting to get the hang of it. We found a little bike for Lewis at D.I. My goal is to teach him to ride next summer, but we could start sooner if we wanted to.

I'm excited for Labor Day weekend. I have a few projects to do that involve deep cleaning and organization. :)

Broken Stuff, Starting School

I don't remember if I said that James installed a new dishwasher last Tuesday. On Thursday, the washing machine broke. Thankfully, I was finished with 2/3 of the laundry, so I took the last load to the laundromat on Saturday. I took the older boys with me, and we also got some breakfast as a reward for them keeping up on their chores. (I still need to work on motivating Katie, but we'll get there.) I also bought them new shoes for school.

We played games with some friends on Saturday night. I really love hanging out with other teachers. We played Betrayal at House on the Hill. Everyone won but me because I was the traitor.

Monday was Back to School night. I took Katie and Kenny to the elementary school, and James took Joseph to the middle school. I think everyone was kind of nervous, but it worked out.

I went to yoga on Tuesday for the first time in a while. It was really nice. The thought I came away with was that I really don't want to hate anyone. It takes way too much energy. I have to keep unfollowing people on social media, but it's completely worth it so I can maintain my boundaries.

School officially started on Wednesday. So far, the biggest challenge is getting up earlier to cook breakfast for Joseph. His bus comes at 6:55 while the elementary bus comes at 8:00. That means everyone wakes up earlier, and that's led to some grouchiness and fighting. 

Kenny didn't feel well yesterday, which is a common morning thing but is usually resolved with food. He made a miraculous recovery after I gave him an antacid. I still kept him home to be safe, but I think he's inherited my acid reflux. I used to throw up pretty often in the mornings before school (sometimes on the bus) because of acid reflux, but no one knew that's what it was at the time. I didn't make the connection until I started suffering from it during pregnancy. (It went away by 5th grade and didn't reappear until pregnancy.) It's a bit frustrating to think about now because I suffered a whole lot, and it's a pretty easy problem to treat.

Lewis is doing Upstart, the same online preschool that Katie did a few years ago. He seems to like it so far. I hope by next week we can settle into a good schedule, just the little kids and me. This week has been weird so far. The kids do have school at home on Fridays again this year, which I like.

Nash should arrive tomorrow night, and he's going to fix my washing machine. Yay! It's one more trip to the laundromat till then.

Last Days of Summer, A Small Rant

We went to a couple of fun things this past week. The kids had been asking to go to the splash park in Naples, so we took them and hung out for an hour. I had a new book from the library to enjoy while the kids were playing. Even Samantha got a little bit wet.

Our ward/neighborhood had a party down at the Allreds' house, and that was fun too. I managed to be polite to everyone, even those I've had to unfollow on social media for being contentious. Though there aren't many, their online voices are very loud and grating. I just use social media so I can know how people and their families are doing.

I went to the temple on Tuesday, and I had mixed feelings about it. The email for the appointment confirmation clearly stated that we should wear masks. All the temple workers did, but only 1/4 of the patrons had masks. Not for the first time, I'm disappointed in my town's lack of belief in the pandemic, especially members of the church. They've ignored counsel from every layer of church authority, claiming that they know best. Suddenly, the prophet's counsel is "only a suggestion." I could go on, but I don't want to keep being angry over it. The best I can do is keep taking care of family. It's not like this is the first time that others' stupid decisions have affected me, and it won't be the last.

A Boring Week at Home

It's been an okay week, but almost too boring after so much excitement. We still have a broken dishwasher, but I at least got a new sink aerator so the water wouldn't spray all over the kitchen. I've done a few small projects like sorting through the kids' clothes and buying a few new things for school, getting school supplies, and fixing an armchair in the cabin. I've also got a good book series to read. Other than that, everything is good.

Cross Country Trip Part 3: From Apex to Vernal

It was bittersweet to say goodbye to everyone on Sunday, but it was time. We left Monday morning and headed to Indianapolis that day, stopping a few times at some random places like Pilot Mountain State Park and a little park in Jamestown, OH, around dinnertime. We told the older 4 kids they'd get to choose the food each day, so Katie chose to eat pancakes. The IHOP we stopped at was really understaffed, but they took care of us anyway. We went through 5 states that day: NC, VA, WV, OH, and IN. It was amazing to finally reach the hotel.

Tuesday, we left after a bagged breakfast at the hotel and drove to Carthage, IL. The tour of Carthage Jail was really good, especially when the guy played "A Poor Wayfaring Man of Grief" on the harmonica in the room where Joseph Smith died. The kids were mostly good, but Samantha and Lewis got antsy toward the end. It just so happened that the rest of our tour group was also from Vernal! The odds of that are 1 in a million! It's also one of those tender mercies: a gentle reminder that I am going to survive the next few days and make it home. Kenny chose McDonald's for lunch, and it felt like a miracle to even find one. We drove through a lot of fields in IL, but not many towns. We then headed to Nauvoo to look around. The kids loved playing old pioneer games while a group of missionaries serenaded us with hymns and fun songs. We walked around a little, but the kids got grouchy, so we went inside the visitor's center instead. They all got Nauvoo bricks for doing the scavenger hunt. We decided to get back to the hotel early to eat dinner and gets kids to bed on time. It was worth it. After most of the kids were in bed, James took Joseph to get some drone shots of the temple while I sat and did nothing! (It's really nice to get a break sometimes, even if the kids are still technically yelling in the other room.) James also brought back some fun snacks for a mini date, something we hadn't done in a few weeks.

Wednesday, we went back to see the Nauvoo temple in the morning. It was beautiful and not too hot outside. We then headed toward our Air BnB in Nebraska, but everything changed when we got a text from a family member saying she tested positive for Covid. Ack! James and I had some very mild cold symptoms, but Joseph had been coughing a lot, so we got him tested at an urgent care in Lincoln, NE. It was negative! Despite that, we made sure to be extra careful about doing outdoor activities and switched from an AirBnb to a hotel. (The AirBnb was in someone's house with some shared space, so it didn't seem like a good idea.) God was with us, and we easily found pizza with a park next door, plus a cheap hotel where we could sneak in and out with almost no contact with people. Our phones weren't working super well at this point, so it really was a miracle to find all these places "by chance."

After a quick breakfast in our hotel room, we left to go to Vernal on Thursday. It was a really long day, and Katie had a really big meltdown during the afternoon. It was a bummer not being able to stop anywhere to see attractions because there were a lot of things along the way that looked pretty interesting. We settled on pictures instead and only went inside, masked, for bathrooms. We finally made it home around 9 P.M., clocking in at almost exactly 5,000 miles on the the trip odometer. We traveled through 15 states on the way and went as high at 11,158 feet!

It was a really fun trip, but it's amazing to be home.

Cross Country Trip Part 2: The Triangle Area and the Beach

We had a lot of fun during our week in Apex. Saturday was a relaxing day, and it helped a lot when we were recovering from all the travel. A few kids didn't feel well at first, but with some proper hydration and rest, they were as good as new by Sunday lunch. I got to hang out with Mara and her girls for most of Saturday, which was great! Kaya let me hold her for an entire 10 minutes. The Clipp family and Myles and Skyla also came over for dinner. I hadn't seen the Clipps since I was a teen. I used to babysit for them in Florida.

James did at-home church with Kenny and Samantha so she could get a nap (an essential part of keeping everyone happy). I really enjoyed church. I don't know many people there since the ward has split so many times, but it's comforting to see that the format is the same wherever I go. The Relief Society lesson really touched me and helped me feel peaceful about our trip overall. We had a nice Sunday dinner, studied the scriptures as a family, and then played some games with Christian and Rachel. (Myles and Skyla had already left at this point.)

Monday, we headed over to Pullen Park in Raleigh with the Blomquists and Christian and Rachel. Not only is the park gorgeous, it has an indoor carousel, train, and pedal boats. Though we couldn't do the boats (closed down), the other 2 rides were really fun and not too expensive. We enjoyed a picnic lunch under the pavilion and then headed to Target to replace 2 lost pairs of shoes (Kenny's broken flip flops and Lewis's shoes he left in Kansas). After a couple of hours of rest at Grandma's house, we headed to Sanford to eat dinner and swim with the Blomquists. Samantha was a little whiney in the pool, but it was a really fun, refreshing experience once James got in. I couldn't believe how warm the water was!

Tuesday, we went over to the JC Raulston Arboretum at NC State. Christian and Rachel came, along with Brinson and Ceci. It was really fun to see all the beautiful plants. Rachel took some pictures of our family which will hopefully make me not look too sweaty. :) We got some lunch at Cookout with Brinson and Ceci and ate it at a nearby park. Then, we came back to rest for a few hours before going over to Christian and Rachel's house. We enjoyed a yummy meal of grilled shish kebabs while the kids played on the slip and slide. I even played a little badminton and wasn't terrible at it. We drove home without James since he was staying to play video games with the other guys till late. I hung out with my mom and sisters and watched a little TV before going to bed.

Wednesday, we went to the art museum in Raleigh. It wasn't the most engaging activity for the kids, but I enjoyed it. There were lots of things to look at. We returned home for lunch and a rest, except for James, who went out with Dad again for service calls (like they did on Mon. and Tue.). It was this day that Samantha and Lewis had their first big meltdowns. The rest really helped, though, and I was able to get the laundry done. We went over to Myles and Skyla's for dinner, and Myles kindly installed a new alternator in the car. Unfortunately, it still had a tiny misfire, but Dad cleaned out a dirty air filter and gave us fuel injector cleaner and Heet to hopefully get things running perfectly smooth again.

Thursday, James went to Walmart to get stuff for our trip home while I packed up for the beach. We met up with Brinson and Ceci at Myles and Skyla's for some leftovers for lunch and then headed to the battleship North Carolina for a tour. I'm not sure I've ever been so hot and sweaty, but it was a really interesting tour. The kids made it through 75% of it before starting to complain, which was a miracle. We then drove to Southport to the beach house we'd be staying in. We all unpacked while I was cooking dinner and then ate, relaxed, and played some games after the kids went to bed. James and I were lucky enough to claim the master bedroom, which has a king bed and a huge shower/sauna that would fit the whole family! It was also nice to get a break from the double at Mom and Dad's house. A shower and a good night of sleep were especially welcome after such a sweaty day.

Friday, I woke up a little early, but not on purpose. After a delicious breakfast made by Mara, we headed over to Oak Island (Caswell Beach). It took a little while to find the beach access with a shower, but we got settled in by 10 and stayed till 2. It was a perfect day. The kids all loved the sand and waves. No one came close to drowning, and no one got bored. Ceci brought a yummy lunch for us to enjoy, and we even managed to keep most of the sand out of the food. It was breezy and not too sunny. The kids made a couple of sand castles and collected lots of shells, too. Unfortunately, I got some sunburn. I didn't do as good of a job with sunscreen since I needed to reapply but forgot. I should've worn a shirt, too, but I'll survive. (Everyone else is fine, of course.) We headed back to the beach house (aka Crazy Birds) to shower and relax before dinner. We all walked down to the pier to eat seafood, and I now feel like I've fulfilled a life dream to eat dinner right on the water. Seriously, it was so cool to look out and see the lighthouse on Oak Island. If the kids had been less whiny/picky, it would've been even better.

Saturday, we enjoyed a breakfast from Skyla and packed up to get ready for the ferry. Everything worked out really well. The ferry ride over to Ft. Fisher was nice, and we then enjoyed the aquarium. It was small enough that the kids weren't too bored/tired by the time we needed to leave. We drove back to Apex and had a quiet(ish) dinner while I got laundry and grocery shopping done (to pick up on Friday). I got the kids registered for school and even shopped for their supplies!

Now it's Sunday, our last day in NC. My sunburn is starting to feel a bit better, and our folder full of tickets has now been replaced with memorabilia. Today, most of the family (except Carmel and Lars) will gather for a family dinner and picture at the temple afterward. It should be a relaxing day, the perfect ending to a very busy week. Tomorrow, we start our journey back to Vernal.

Cross Country Trip Part 1: From Vernal to Apex

After a nice restful week, it was time to start getting ready for the big trip. Despite preparing on and off for the past year, I still worried a lot about if I'd planned well enough. We had a small game night on Friday and a regular, restful Sunday before the frenzy of Monday. Somehow, I made it through the day without crying, but I came close a few times. James and I did a lunch date at home and had some time to relax once all the packing was done. He even took the kids with him to run errands so I could have a little peace. That made all the difference. Too bad neither of us slept well by the end of the day.

Tuesday, we got up at 5 and left exactly at 6, as planned, reaching Manhattan, KS, at 10:40 local time. It was a really long day with several short stops at random places, plus a longer one at the mall in Denver for lunch. It was great to stretch our legs and settle Kenny's stomach. Poor guy threw up at the mall despite his anti-nausea medication. The drive between my house and Denver is brutal, honestly, if you're someone who gets carsick. It goes all the way up to 11,158 feet and then back down again afterward. I really appreciated the nice, flat roads in Kansas, even if they are "boring". The kids were surprisingly happy for most of the time. I felt that the last 2 hours were torturously long, but just as I felt the most discouraged, I saw the twinkle of fireflies for several miles in a row. I feel that it was a tender mercy to help me be happy and keep going. Everyone went to bed easily.

Wednesday, I woke up earlier than I wanted, but I worked on this blog and enjoyed the peace and quiet while I got ready for the day. We drove from Manhattan, KS, to Kansas City, MO, and checked out Lego Land. The kids had a great time, of course, and I'll admit that the rides were pretty fun. It's not a huge place, so we were able to see and do everything within 3 hours. After that, we walked around Crown Center and got some delicious food at Burnt Ends BBQ. We also walked to see the WWI memorial down the street. It got pretty hot and we were all tired, but we made it to our next stop St. Louis in a decent amount of time. Since we had 2 non-adjoining rooms in St. Louis, we separated boys and girls. It was a little lonely and Katie yells in her sleep, so I didn't get enough sleep for the 3rd day in a row. The hotel also smelled kind of like weed/tobacco mixed in the halls.

Thursday, we went to the St. Louis zoo. The kids whined almost the whole time, but we saw about 80% of the animals anyway. It's a pretty amazing zoo for being free. We were going to see the Gateway Arch, but kids were asleep by then, so we got as close as we could and drove on. The drive from St. Louis to Nashville was a little miserable. It was supposed to take 4.5 hours but took more like 6 thanks to several slowdowns. I had a feeling that our car would need oil, and it did, but I started crying when I couldn't find the oil jug at first in the mess in the back of the car. The lack of sleep really caught up to me in that moment. The car is fine, just old, so it needs oil once in a while. We stopped in a cute little town called Metropolis in Illinois. It has a giant Superman statue and museum, so we took some pictures there. 

After finally getting to Nashville, we went to see the Parthenon. It's an exact replica of the one in Greece, and it's amazing! The kids ran around the park for a while, and James even got some drone shots. I was really blown away at what a cool building it is. We walked over to a little pizza place (Bellagio) and ate outside. It was so delicious. Then, we finally went back to the hotel and got everyone to bed. This time, we had a big room with a couch bed. James and I watched some TV on the laptop to calm down after a long, stressful day. It's amazing what a funny show can do for morale.

Friday, I woke up early, but not as early, so I worked on the blog some more while everyone else was asleep. We got ready and went to Cracker Barrel for breakfast, and it was delicious! The driving was exhausting for the rest of the day, and we had to stop what felt like a million times. We made one longer stop at Smoky Mountain Knife Works, which was really cool. We finally arrived in Apex at 9:35!!!

Today's been nice. I even felt grateful to be doing laundry because it meant not being in the car! I've seen my parents, Colbey, Mara and her kids (Emma and Kaya), Carmel, and Nash. We should be seeing Christian, Myles, and Skyla later on. The kids have had time to clean out the car, watch some TV, and play board games. Though no one is caught up on sleep yet, it's been really nice to eat meals together and not be rushing off to the next thing.

It's going to be a great week!

A Restful Week

Since we got back from Rexburg, it's been nice to have a "normal" summer week. There wasn't as much laundry as I thought, which was really nice! 

We did a last DnD session with Chelsea, who's now moved to SL. It's a bummer to lose people, but hopefully our group can continue. It's been hard to set up with people's crazy summer schedules. We are still enjoying Quests of Yore as well and will squeeze in 2-3 quests this week.

James is still working on teaching the older 3 kids to swim. Kenny is doing well with riding his bike, and I no longer have to help him. I told him I'd remind him to practice before we go to NC. Katie is doing better about reading, too. Though she hasn't read every day, it's been about every other, which is much better than she was doing during the end of the school year.

Oh yeah, our car did need new brakes. I don't know how Grease Monkey didn't figure that out, but we had our tire place in Vernal do it. It wasn't very expensive, either, and I feel completely confident that we will have no car troubles now.

As of today, I've bought/reserved all the tickets we need for our trip and even bought all the food we'll need (I think). All we need to do it pack up and leave! When I write next, we will be in NC! (It will likely be Saturday since we'll be on the road till Friday night late.)

Rexburg, the 4th, Anniversary Trip

Well, things changed a bit on Friday morning when James went to start up the car and it made a horrible grinding noise. I was really upset about that because we just spent a TON of money getting the car fixed up to go cross country. I also felt that it was important to take it on a test trip, so to speak. Well, it failed its stress test and needed a new starter. Thankfully, my in-laws have a guy about a mile away who got it fixed and back to us on Friday. Whew. I'm fairly certain that it will make it across the country now, but I've stressed so much about that trip that I'm not sure I ever want to do it again, and we haven't even left yet.

We had a very busy time in Rexburg. We met at Big Jud's for lunch on Friday with all 4 grandparents. We then went to the Renaissance Fair, which was really cool, and to Sam and Jesse's for a medieval dinner. After putting the kids to bed, we played a game of Cranium Turbo, which was great. (Nobody has the cards memorized for this one!)

Saturday, we woke up early to go to Firth for Anna and Grandpa Lee's concert in the park. There was also a delicious pancake breakfast. We left to get a micro SD card at Best Buy for James's drone and then took a short break at Grandma's house. We then went to another concert (for Joseph R.) in another park (in Rexburg). Our timing was perfect, and the kids got to ride a mechanical bull. We skipped the parade this time since it was more than 2 hours long.

After a few short hours at home, during which I had to make a potato salad, we went to the Lees' house for dinner. It was delicious and fun. We put the two little kids to bed and went to watch the fireworks in Rexburg, not Idaho Falls like we maybe thought. The show was actually pretty good. I think it was a great decision to skip the big ones. We were home and in bed by 11, and all the kids got enough sleep. Katie was still asleep at almost 9, which is very important for everyone's happiness.

Sunday was a bit more relaxing. I slept in a little and then got everyone ready for church. We all gathered to hear the story of how Rex and Melodie met and then went to church at noon with naps afterward. James and I were in charge of dinner, so we made our Sunday tradition of breakfast for dinner with grits, eggs, and bacon for everyone. There were no leftovers!

Monday, we were supposed to go to Victor, but we ended up staying home for multiple reasons. I got caught up on some things and even got some reading done. We took the kids to Emily and Rodolfo's house to play on the slip and slide.

Tuesday after lunch, James and I left for our anniversary trip. We had a great time at the Museum of Idaho (inside out animals exhibit), getting gelato at Manwaring Cheese, a nice dinner at Jaker's, a little shopping, walking along the Snake River and flying the drone, relaxing in the hot tub, and watching some TV before sleeping. The next morning, we had a leisurely breakfast and left for the mall. The car starting making a weird noise (grinding when braking, a different sound than the starter that just got replaced), but a quick inspection at Grease Monkey revealed nothing wrong with the brakes. We met up with Sam, Jesse, and Anna for lunch at an Indian place, which was delicious. After a little more shopping and a visit to the art museum, we headed back to Rexburg to go to D.I. and get ice cream at G's Dairy. By this point, I felt really anxious about our stupid car, so it really put a damper on my mood for the rest of the day.

We made it home safely by 4:30 yesterday, so today's been a catchup day. It hasn't been too bad, except that our next trip is monstrously long, coming up really soon, and our car is still making a grinding noise. I felt okay about driving the car home yesterday (well, James was driving), but the grinding never did go away. When I drove the car to get groceries today, I knew that we'd probably need to take it in to the shop. I hate that I don't know what's wrong with it. We have to wait till Monday to take it in. This trip has been SO stressful to plan (lodging, food, etc.) for months now. I wish I could fast forward to August when it's over and just enjoy looking at the pictures. Until then, I'm going to spend as much time as possible reading, relaxing, and trying to keep everyone clean, happy, and entertained. That's hard enough to do at home, much less in a cramped car for 60+ hours and across the country.

Party, Games, Dentist, Swimming and Biking, Chores, Heads Visit

We went to a ward party on Friday. It actually worked out well that Lewis had been sick that morning. James stayed home with him and was able to join in for DnD with his cousins. Not a lot of people were at the party, but we still had a good time. The kids helped me make a delicious cake: white cake with peach and raspberry curd and whipped cream on top. Who knew that fruit curds were so delicious? (Thanks, GBBO!)

We played a round of DnD with a couple of friends Saturday night. Samantha set it up like a murder mystery, and it was so much fun! We've also been playing Quests of Yore with Joseph and Kenny. It's a game based on the one in Onward and is like an intro to DnD with some different rules. I'm the "quest master", which is pretty fun.

I took Lewis to the dentist today to get 3 cavities filled, and he did great! As a bonus, I finished my book while I was waiting.

We've been working on teaching the older 3 kids to swim. We went together to the Rec Center on Thursday, then James took the older ones Friday and Monday. Hopefully, the older 3 will be decently good swimmers by the end of summer. The pandemic ruined our plan to teach them last year.

Joseph learned to ride a bide a few years ago when he was 8, and Katie learned last summer at the age of 6. Kenny, on the other hand, hasn't wanted to, but he's 9 now, so it's time. I've worked with him over the past week for probably at least 5 hours. He's pretty wobbly and has gotten a few scrapes, but he's well on his way to being able to ride for fun and without any more coaching. We just need to work on his steering. The other kids pretty much hopped on and rode off into the sunset, but that hasn't been the case for Kenny. I wonder if being older makes him overthink it too much. I'm not sure, but I think I'll work with Lewis much sooner, like when he's 5. :)

James and I came up with a chore chart for the older 3 kids. I can't believe what a difference it's made! I still have plenty to do, but I don't feel so overwhelmed with all the housework from all the extra people at home. I wish I'd made it a lot sooner.

After a busy morning on Tuesday, the Heads arrived around dinner time and brought pizza. We hung out during the evening while James and the older boys did mutual.

Wednesday, I played Quests of Yore with the boys while James went shopping with his mom and the littles. It was nice to catch up on some things too. I cooked dinner on the grill and we all went swimming at the rec center afterward. It was pretty much the perfect summer day.

We left Thursday to drive to Rexburg and split kids among different cars. It made the ride a bit easier, but not any shorter. Everyone went to bed late, but we were safe and happy.

Party, Haircut, Plans, Amazon

We had a great time at Alex's birthday party on Saturday. There was a water slide, 3 piñatas, lots of delicious food, and good company. The kids brought home tons of candy and party favors. James and I left the older 3 till past 7 even though the party ended at 5 (after 3 hours!) Ana always throws amazing parties, and this is one we go to every year.

This week has been a lot less busy, thank goodness. We've been doing some small projects around the house. I've read a few books and worked on some sewing. I got my hair chopped off yesterday! It's a little above my shoulders, nothing fancy. After a week of temps in the low 100's, it was time.

We have all of our lodging planned out for the NC trip. That gives me peace of mind. I'm starting to get excited for the trip, even though I'm also quite nervous. I know for sure that it'll be grueling, but fun.

We got Amazon Prime recently and have been ordering lots of things. I needed some new clothes since mine have gotten worn out or don't fit. So far, my success rate with online clothes shopping is 100%. I can't believe that I have better luck online than in person. It makes no sense, but I'll take it.

Too Early, Camp, Closing Time

I like summertime. It's frustrating that I can't sleep in, though. I've woken up around 5 or 5:30 all week, and I blame sunrise. I then start falling asleep around 9:30. James, on the other hand, can't sleep when it's too hot and has no problem sleeping in. I guess I should be grateful that I have some time alone in the morning when it's completely silent. It's also not over 100 degrees yet like it's been in the afternoons.

The kids have been going to summer camp all week. It's a pretty long drive to Davis Elem., but James and I have been switching off. I took them Monday and did some errands, then hung out at the library until it was time to pick them up. James did Tuesday and Wednesday while I got stuff done at home with the little kids. I think the older 3 been having fun, but I'm not sure how much I want to do all this driving next year.

We finally closed on our refinance!!! It was a long 2 months waiting for everything to get processed. I feel like a huge weight has been taken off my chest, though.

We also got our car back from the shop. It wasn't cheap to do all the maintenance stuff, but it should have no problem going all the way to NC. Anything that could potentially fail has been replaced.

I thought this week would be a bit less busy, but that hasn't been the case. I missed yoga again because I had to get my temple recommend renewed. I also have to take Katie to the dentist today to get her cavity filled. James and I are going to go out to eat to celebrate our closing, so that'll be fun. It's really nice to have an official babysitter!

Hopefully, next week can be more relaxing. So far, there is nothing on the calendar, and I want it to stay that way!

Family Reunion, Lots of Appointments

It was really great to be back in Albion this year. There was a pretty good turnout, too. We had lots of fun eating meals together, hanging out and talking, swimming, sharing family stories, playing games, and doing an auction. Aunt Ruth (who was in charge) made it really good experience. In times past, we had activities away from Albion, but we stayed put this time, and I liked that. The kids mostly got enough sleep, but they were pretty grouchy by the end.

On the way home, we had to get a flat tired fixed. It held enough air to make it to Heber without damaging the tire. Thank goodness for air at gas stations. We made it home without further incident around 5 and got to work putting things away.

Why this week's been so crazy:

-6 loads of laundry (so far)

-5 dental appointments

-temple recommend interviews

-2 doctor's appointments

-2 other appointments

-at least 4 trips to Walmart for groceries, prescriptions, an oil change, etc.

-library activity

-2 department meetings for James at school

-cleaning the church

-putting up blinds

-aerating the yard

That's not to mention all the extra stuff I need to do since I have everyone home now. We haven't had time to go to the park, go on a date, or even have a day where we do NOTHING. We did play DnD last night, and that was fun. We also watched a movie together as a family, but we had to schedule it in.

I really want things to slow down, but I kind of doubt that will happen after such a low-key summer last year.

Rexburg

We left last Saturday morning to come to Rexburg. It's been a very eventful trip so far! Thankfully, the drive went very smoothly, and we had a fun stop at Del Taco and Smith and Edwards. That night, we unpacked everything. I briefly went to a wedding reception just to get out of the house for a bit.

Sunday, we made it to church with clean children. We had biscuits and gravy, plus chocolate PB cheesecake to celebrate Joseph's 11th birthday. He was really excited to get Mario Kart, the main present he asked for.

Monday, we went to Charlotte's baptism. There was a luncheon afterward at the Kugaths' house. We then went over to Sam and Jesse's to help with the chicken coop and hang out. We then had s'mores at the Lees' house.

Tuesday, I had a rough morning. I just wanted some scrambled eggs, but they stuck really badly to the pan. I also burned 6 pieces of toast. I blame the equipment. Crappy old cast iron pans and broken toasters don't make for a delicious breakfast. I also hate cooking in someone else's kitchen. I ran a few errands with James, including D.I., and we stopped for lunch at the Red Rabbit Grill. (We had a gift card from before the pandemic that we used up.) Meanwhile, Grandma and Anna and Joseph took our kids to Bear World. I think they had a great time. After dinner, we relaxed and watched Jurassic Park.

Wednesday, we went to Victor to plant trees, eat lunch with Grandma and Grandpa, and go kayaking. On the way back, we stopped by to see Anna's school in St. Anthony. We had pizza for dinner and then went to Millhollow and the Spori art gallery with Sam and Jesse.

Today, I've been packing up our stuff to go to the Head reunion. I made some peanut butter cookies to take to Grandpa since they're his favorite.

It's really hot today, and it's been so busy that I'm completely drained and just want to go home. Sure, I like people, but it's been almost nonstop the past few days already. Getting to read for 30 minutes here and there isn't enough, especially when my sleep schedule has been messed up. I'm sure the reunion will be fun, but I can't wait to go home on Sunday!

Great news about our refi: we just locked in our rate at 2.375%! The rate has dropped .375% since we filled out the application. It doesn't sound like much, but it makes a difference of over $100 on the mortgage payment. Our payment will go up by maybe $30. I think we'll get to sign everything next week. I'm so excited!

Party and DnD, First Date, Last Week of School

The kids' friends invited them to a birthday party on Friday, so we skipped Samantha's nap to go. It was really fun. Lewis loved the magic show, and they all got their faces painted and decorated cookies. At dinner, we went to Devin's for smoked pizza and DnD. I took the kids home and got them in bed by 10. They were SO grouchy by then.

Saturday was a big deal. James and I went out to eat in a restaurant!!! We had the place to ourselves, and it was really nice to eat things off nice plates instead of Styrofoam containers. The kids were at Devin's house after a morning of successful yard saling together and a trip to the park. We hosted a small game night. Only 2 people came, so we played 7 Wonders.

We hunted for fossils for FHE on Monday, and I found a really good one. I should probably re-find my enthusiasm for the outdoors, but being pregnant or having to carry a little baby made things difficult for many years. Then there was last year with my surgery, which got me out of the habit of doing much "active" stuff.

Today is the LAST day of school for the kids. James has his last day tomorrow. I bought fun cereals for everyone to eat this morning. I should've just had toast. I'm too old for a big bowl of sugary cereal.

I'm so grateful that the kids had school in person all year long, and with masks. Joseph and Kenny missed quite a few days from 2 different colds and 1 stomach bug, but no one got any serious illnesses.

We leave for Rexburg on Saturday and will be gone for 9 days total. I really hope it's a good trip. Sometimes, our days feel overplanned when we get there, and I never like the driving part. I love my children, but they are not fun travel companions. One of these days, I'm going to take another trip by myself. :)

Oven Probs, Yoga, Appraisal, No More Masks?

The new oven got installed Saturday morning. I thought it smelled a little off, but I read online that there's such a thing as "new oven smell" (which is not pleasant, by the way). I tried to forget about it, but we pulled the oven out and could smell gas, though faintly. I has a small freak-out on Sunday morning, which means we did church at home while I called the gas company. Sure enough, there was a tiny leak where the gas line was connected up to the new oven. Thankfully, it was never anything dangerous, and the guy who came to tighten it said he does that kind of thing all the time. I hate that I was the only one who could really smell it. It made me feel kind of paranoid and like I was overreacting. Maybe I did a little bit, but it's all fixed now, and my house was never in any danger of blowing up.

I went to my first yoga class in 11 months. It was really nice to be back, but I also felt out of place and didn't recognize anyone but the teacher. I won't be able to go every single week due to travel and Young Men meetings, but I'll try. If I keep feeling out of place, I can make a decision by the time my pass runs out.

I found out on Tuesday that the appraiser was coming yesterday at 2:30. Thankfully, I didn't have to work myself too hard to get the house looking nice. I did all the basic things I do over a week, mowed the lawn, and scrubbed some drawings off of walls just in time for him to come an hour early. I think it went well. I'm really glad I spent time both inside and out, even making the kids' beds (which I never do, since bunks are annoying for that) because he took pictures of every room. Hopefully, he will get the report back soon so we can get this loan approved and signed off! I'd love for it to happen by next Friday (before we leave for Rexburg), but that might be overly optimistic.

So, my family and I have been pretty faithful in following the CDC's guidelines. It seems too good to be true that masks are no longer required (except in a few situations) for vaccinated people. I'm not sure how I feel about the last week of school without masks, either. It doesn't really make sense to change things with only a few days left, but when I think back to last summer, I know my kids will be safe. I prayed for what felt like forever to know if sending them back to school was the right thing, and it was. The plague is almost gone from Vernal, too, and I feel happy knowing that I've done everything I can to make that happen.

Now, I need a year to forgive my friends who became antagonistic and/or abandoned all reason in the past year. If you're reading this, it's probably not you. I just can't stand it when social media gets political. I put up with enough whining and complaining from my children. Just sayin'.

Getting Better, New Oven, Marvel

Well, we weren't better by Sunday. I arranged for the other RS teacher to switch with me since we didn't go to church. Somehow, the 3 youngest kids escaped getting sick at all, and James recovered a lot more quickly than the rest of us. The boys missed school all week, though, because this nasty cold has a lot of coughing involved. They've been doing school at home with no problems. We're almost all better now, just a few lingering sniffles.

An appliance repair guy came Monday to see if the oven was fixable. One of the parts would cost $400, so we decided to get a new one instead. I picked one out at Lowe's last night and brought home food for a date. I can't wait for the new one to get installed on Saturday. I'm going to celebrate by baking something. :)

I've been catching up on Marvel movies that I missed from a few years back. I was either pregnant or nursing (and therefore extremely tired), so I'm rewatching the ones I fell asleep during. What surprised me is that there were only 4.

Head Visit, Phone Calls, Projects, a Cold

We had a good time with James's family. Melodie and I watched Women's Conference on Friday as I got my daily chores done. We got pizza that night for dinner.

The kids went swimming the next morning at the hotel. I stayed here with Samantha so I could have some peace and quiet. Sometimes, it's nice to clean the kitchen when it's quiet. After grilled hotdogs for lunch, everyone left to go home. We sat at the new picnic table that James sanded and I stained. It looks pretty nice.

James and I worked on getting our sprinklers set up for the yard. Things were leaking, but the water company assured us that the stop and waste valve just wasn't on all the way. After they adjusted it, there was no more leaking! I was worried that we'd have to get something expensive fixed.

Aside from calling them on Monday, I also had to call the power company to fix a broken box by our house, the dentist to schedule appointments for everyone, and a couple of appliance repair places to see who can fix my oven. (It heats extremely slowly, so it's probably the igniter. The stove needs a new one as well.) I haven't gotten a quote back from one guy yet, so I'll probably have to call tomorrow.

We're working on putting in the new air conditioner in the cabin. So far, it's in place, caulked, and painted inside and out. We'll do the trim tomorrow or Saturday. Yay! That spot of the wall has been a huge eyesore all these months.

I also made a little footstool out of the last of the straight furring strips. It was a bit harder than I expected, but it looks decently good after staining it today.

Somehow, we've made it though despite having a cold. I don't feel terrible, just some sneezing and brain fog. The boys are home from school today, but I think we'll all be okay by Sunday for sure.

I hope our loan gets finished soon for the refinance on the house. It'll be 3 weeks tomorrow, but I know they're really busy. Once it's done, it will be one less thing hanging over my head.

Break, DnD, Dinner, Nash, Picnic Table

Saturday morning, James took a load of stuff to the dump and took all the kids to give me a break. It's been a while since they did that for me, and I loved it. I read a book and got some cooking done without any little kids fighting next to me.

DnD was really long on Saturday night. By 11, I was ready to go bed, but Devin (the DM) kept going till 12:30. Somehow, James and I got everyone ready in time for church in person. It was a miracle! Samantha kept her mask on the whole time but was really loud during the Sacrament. Oops. She's out of practice. Next Sunday, we start going for almost 2 hours again. I'm really excited to teach my next RS lesson in person.

We ate dinner with the Boyles on Sunday night. It was really nice. The smoked brisket (bought by us, cooked by Devin) turned out amazing, and we had a good time.

Nash stopped by on Monday on his way back to NC. We had planned to meet up a few weeks ago, but it didn't work out. We had a really good visit and lunch. He even brought me some Marmite to taste. I think it's yummy on buttered toast.

James surprised me with a picnic table! We'd been looking at them a month ago but didn't get one till yesterday. James sanded it down after our date, and I spent 3 hours staining it. It made for a stressful morning, but it's done now. I can't wait to put it on the patio when it's dry.

Meh, Sucesses, Vax, Refi

A lot of last week felt like a big slump. I can't even remember why, but it seems like a lot of small things were either especially annoying or just didn't work out. It extended into this week as well, but things got better starting on Tuesday. Sunday was the worst because Lewis threw up, and I assumed that everyone else would get sick too. That didn't happen, but Katie and I both freaked out for a while on Sunday night. Her class is hatching baby chicks at school, and she was sure she was going to get sick and miss it.

We had a lot going on this week, but it worked out pretty well. I managed to get all the picky little things done on my list, like fixing Katie's bike, changing the oil in the lawnmower, and cleaning out the shed. I also finished my sewing projects  (like turning the queen memory quilt into a king) and put my machines away for awhile. I like to do sewing projects in chunks, and it seems like a good time to take a break since I'm out of fabric and want to focus on cooking right now.

Two days from now, I will be considered fully vaccinated. I don't know what I'm going to do differently. I'll probably still be at home most of the time and wear a mask in public places till the pandemic is actually over (whatever that means).

We started an application to refinance our house (so we can pay off the mortgage sooner). I'm really happy about that. Hopefully, the process won't take too long. The actual application process was terrible because I had to hunt down a whole bunch of documents, but I got through it. I like that everything is through email. I hate talking to people on the phone. :)

Shot, Food Storage Bed, Other Projects

I got my second shot Friday morning, and I felt fine for about 3 hours. That gave me enough time to put away all the groceries, fold the laundry, and eat lunch before I crashed. I was really tired and my arm hurt for the rest of the day. Saturday was less intense, but I ended up taking a few doses of ibuprofen to help get me through. By Sunday morning, I felt completely normal. April 24th, I'll be fully vaccinated. (Yay!)

Saturday, James bought a new mattress and bedding set. We upgraded to a king size hybrid (springs and memory foam) since memory foam on its own is too soft. I took apart the old bed, cleaned the room, and washed the new bedding. Too bad the food storage didn't arrive till Monday. We had to stick the mattress directly on the floor. That's okay, though because it gave me time to rest. I finished putting the bed together on Monday with a layer of food storage, the bed skirt, and then everything else. It looks nice and is pretty comfortable so far.

I'm almost finished with the fabric I got for Christmas. I have everything cut out for about 15 small projects. Then, I'm going to make my memory quilt bigger (which is easy since it's rag style) so it fits on the king bed. I've determined that I need to simplify my collection of patterns, but I'll wait to do that when I'm done with all the little projects. I don't like sewing doll stuff quite as much as I used to, and I've determined that I don't ever want to sew lots of human clothes outside of pajama pants. It just doesn't make sense to stress out about making complicated things that aren't cheaper and might not fit.

James got the regular tires put on the car yesterday. Both cars need some maintenance stuff since they're old, especially since we plan on driving to NC later this year. I hate having to set all that up, but it'll be nice (and reassuring) when it's done.

Spring Break, Rexburg

We had a really good time in Rexburg. The kids and James finished up school on Friday before we left at 1:15. We made pretty good time and got there by 8:30, but no one went to bed early. Being in the car with all the kids is tough. Samantha got carsick and threw up, so that was no fun either.

Saturday, we watched Conference, dyed eggs, and did an egg hunt. Everyone had a lot of fun, and the kids got to see their cousins for the first time since July (the last time we went there).

Sunday, we watched Conference again and had a delicious Easter dinner. Afterward, we went to the Lees' for dessert: strawberry shortcake. It was a little cold outside, but it was really nice to hang out.

Monday, we visited the Head grandparents in Victor and ate lunch. It was too cold to go kayaking or plant trees. We celebrated Kenny's 9th birthday when we got back. I made molten lava cakes and he opened presents, which included more Minecraft Legos, of course.

I had a busy day Tuesday thanks to laundry, bills, and shopping for my grocery pickup order. My brother Lars and his girlfriend Emily came over to shoot the BB guns in the yard. I made some hot chocolate while everyone else played airsoft (not my thing). It was really great to meet Emily. Both Lars and Emily leave for missions in May. James and I went to Sam and Jesse's house for a delicious, Middle Eastern dinner and a grand tour (in person). It was really fun to hang out while all the kids were at Grandma and Grandpa's house.

Wednesday, I went shopping with Melodie, Anna, and Jesse. We went to D.I., Goodwill, and Big Deal, a salvage store. I got treasure at all of them with some birthday money to spare. We met Grandma Lee for lunch at Jaker's. I loved my Thai noodle salad. Meanwhile, the kids all went to play at Sam and Jesse's house with their cousins. We celebrated Anna's graduation with a steak dinner and coconut cake that I made. (So yummy!) Aunt Ruth and Uncle Corey came over as well.

We arrived safely home (with no throwing up thanks to medication) at 4:30 yesterday. One stop at the Hill Aerospace Museum didn't take up too much time, thankfully, and the kids really enjoyed it. It was stressful to unpack, but watching some of Anna's graduation and then TV helped me feel a bit more calm.

Our trip was made possible by vaccines. Almost all the adults are fully vaccinated, and those who aren't have had at least 1 shot. I get my second one today! I'm glad I woke up early so I could plan my Relief Society lesson and catch up on this blog. I have a lot to do around the house, but I'm sure I'll get it done eventually. :)

DnD, New Recipes, Sewing

We finished our Star Wars marathon on Friday. Saturday, we ran some errands and got sushi and Chinese for my official birthday meal. (It's my tradition to get sushi since it's expensive.)

James and I have started playing DnD with a couple of teacher friends. He even bought me a set of dice. I guess I can't officially get any any nerdier?  I don't know; I think I've said that before...

I got two amazing things for my birthday that will help me try new recipes. One is a sous vide stick, and the other is a poster called "100 Heavenly Dishes in the World". So far, we've cooked steak sous vide and loved it. Today, we're trying tuna steaks. I scratched off the dishes I've tried so far, and I have 49 left to go. I've already several planned in the upcoming weeks and will need to buy about 12 ingredients on Amazon that I can't find here. Almost everything on the list looks heavenly, and I'm so excited to travel the world through delicious food.

I've been cutting out lots of fabric this week. I really like to have a bunch of projects ready to go in page protectors. Then, it's easy to pull one out when I have a spare hour. I have only 1 piece of cloth left from Christmas, and I'm not sure what I'll do with it.

Spring break starts tomorrow! We are so excited to travel to Rexburg to see family. We haven't been since July, but everyone has been very cautious and all of the adults have been at least partially vaccinated. I really hope things work in our favor for a tentative NC trip in July/August. So far, none of my family members are fully vaccinated. It's just harder to get appointments when you live in a more populated area. I can't wait for this stupid pandemic to be over.

Bug, Sewing, My 33rd Birthday

Well, that stomach bug ended up getting me after all. I felt absolutely horrible on Thursday night and Friday, then 90% better on Saturday. Katie also got sick on Friday/Saturday. By Sunday, everyone was better, and Samantha never got it. She must have an amazing immune system. She's never been sick and has only thrown up 3 times in her life, all because of motion sickness.

I made myself a shirt yesterday. It was actually a pretty horrible day, but I feel accomplished that I made something that fits and looks cute. It blue with black lace on the front and just black lace on the back, a sleeveless swing tunic that obviously requires a shirt underneath.

Being sick really took up our whole weekend. This week has been pretty busy with normal stuff. Today is my 33rd birthday. I've made a flourless chocolate cake with ganache - my new favorite since last year. It tastes like eating a giant truffle, super rich and chocolaty. I'll open presents after dinner. James and I plan on getting sushi and Chinese on Saturday for lunch. I certainly wish that we could eat somewhere in person, but I'm not going to do that until I'm fully vaccinated. April 24th can't come soon enough!

Kaya, Trips, Bug

My sister Mara had a baby on Friday! Her name is Kaya Alise, and she looks perfectly chubby. I wish I could be there to see her, but hopefully that will happen later in the summer. I keep seeing things in the news about people refusing to get the vaccination, and it makes me sad. I know there are cases where people can't because of health problems, but I'm mad at the ones who do internet "research" and put everyone else at risk.

James really wants to drive to NC this summer. I have mixed feelings about it. I also broke my cardinal rule of not planning ahead by too much (since it gives me anxiety) and made maps of a bunch of possible future road trips. I actually planned so we could visit every state in the lower 48 over 6 years or so. I haven't been to 10, and it would be cool to say I've been to all 50. I have no idea if that will ever happen, especially Hawaii. We have to start with the shortest route to NC, which is 30 hours long one way. Eek.

Starting Saturday, everyone started getting sick. I didn't feel horrible, so I didn't realize that I was actually sick. I thought it was just severe indigestion. The older 3 kids are home from school today, and James took half of a day off yesterday. I'm hoping that everyone will be fine by Monday. Katie and Samantha have been unaffected so far. Katie might avoid it because she's a germaphobe and has been wearing a mask all day.

Thanks to the stupid sickness, I've had extra laundry and didn't get to do a date with James. Also, people won't stop banging on my bedroom door. I feel a little smothered. I need a vacation, but I'm not so sure that I want anyone else to come with me.

Calling, Shot

We hosted another game night and had even more people come. It was a lot of fun, but a little crowded. I'm really glad now that all the teachers have been vaccinated. It's a small preview of what normal life will be in a few months, hopefully.

I got a new calling as Relief Society teacher, which means no more music leader. It's been a lot of fun, but I'm glad to be moving on to something new.

I got my first shot yesterday. Living in a rural county (with a bunch of conspiracy theorists) is paying off right now. My arm is a little sore, but not too bad. When I got back with Chinese food for dinner, James had put up a bunch of Hamilton pictures and was playing "My Shot" in the background. :) I'm praying every day that the rest of my family will be able to get vaccinated soon so we can safely visit later in the summer. One day at a time, though.

Game Night, Spring, Shelf, Class

We hosted a game night on Saturday. James is lucky that all his coworkers are vaccinated now, so I got to benefit from herd immunity. We had 5 people come, so we played Secret Hitler and ate snacks. It almost felt like normal life. I wasn't so happy when James went to lunch with some coworkers on Monday. I haven't eaten in a restaurant in a year, and I thought he'd go with me first. I'm sick of doing dates at home. It's just not the same. By the time we go out again, Joseph will be old enough to babysit.

I'm so excited for the beginning of spring. I'd normally think of it as not starting till the equinox, but the weather says otherwise. I read an article recently that says meteorological spring does start on March 1st. I'll take it. The cows are back, so it must be true. Of course it snowed today, but it's almost completely melted already.

James and I built a shelf for our board games in the cabin, which means some more organizing to do today. It took longer to do and was more annoying than expected, so we didn't finish cleaning everything up. The old shelf/desk will going in the girls' room to hopefully give Katie a safe place for her art stuff. If I have to clean up markers one more time, I'm going to scream. I did clean up her room since the little kids trashed it again.

I'm starting a 4-part Zoom class today about exceptional students. It's free and was offered to me because of Joseph being in the gifted program. I'm excited to learn more.

Heads Visit, Doctor

James's family arrived last Thursday very late, so we didn't see them till Friday. This time, it was his mom and dad, Joseph, Angie, and Anna, who arrived later since she was driving from Ogden. They wore masks while in our house even though all the adults are vaccinated (except for me since I don't qualify yet).

We had a great day on Friday just hanging out, eating pizza, and playing games. My brother Christian gave us a new game called Villainous, and we love it so far.

Saturday, a group went exploring in the morning and got back in time for lunch. Melodie, Anna, Katie, and I went shopping during the afternoon, but I didn't find anything good this time. It was still fun to browse. After dinner, another group went ice skating. (Not me. I'm terrible.)

Sunday, everyone left really early except for Anna, who stayed till after lunch. We did church at home this time. Last week in person was more of a trial than we'd remembered. I can't say for sure what we'll do next time, but at least I know my kids all have church clothes and shoes that fit.

I had a doctor's appointment that ended up being for nothing. I had just needed a refill, but the receptionist asked me to come in since it had been 2 1/2 years. Dr. B. apologized and said I didn't really need to come back until I turned 40 since I don't have any health problems. I guess that's not a bad thing to hear! I just hope the pandemic is over by them time I get that old.

Anna's Visit, Oldies

We had a great time with Anna. She got here last Thursday night right before the kids were going to go to bed. Friday, James had school, but we had a great, 3-day weekend as soon as he was home.

We got heart-shaped pizza for lunch on Saturday, and I replaced Anna's headlight as soon as they got back from the store with the right one. I also attempted macarons for the first time. The vanilla ones turned out pretty good, but the chocolate ones didn't look so pretty. I know what I did wrong, though! They are a bit finicky, but not as bad as I thought. Since I'm not going to be selling them, they don't HAVE to look perfect. Honestly, I'm just not good at getting them to all be the same size! They don't taste exactly as I expected, but I do like them. I'm thinking that a vanilla/ganache combo will be just perfect for next time.

I finally stopped chickening out and went to deliver goodies to my ministering sisters. I'd been praying to know when to go, and I felt that after dinner was a good time. Everyone was home! I had never met the one lady who lives down the street from me, but she was super nice. In the short conversation I had with her on the doorstep, I learned that we have a lot in common.

Sunday, we actually went to church in person. It was a huge struggle to get everyone ready in time, but we were miraculously early. James ended up taking Samantha out for at least half of the meeting, but she kept her mask on for most of it. I taught Relief Society on Zoom.

Monday, James went with Anna and the 3 older kids to the sledding hill. It's new to Vernal this year, and they even pull you back up the hill. I wish I could've gone. I stay home with the little kids all the time anyway, so I felt kind of resentful since everyone obviously had a great time while I was cleaning up messes and breaking up fights.

I've been listening to my old Spotify playlists, and it's been interesting. My parents love 70's and 80's music, so I know quite a bit of it. Listening to those decades makes me think of them. My county is no longer in an outbreak, so I hope the rest of the country will follow suit, even though I personally can't get the vaccine for a while. I really want to travel to see them in the summer, and I don't really want to drive.

I took Joseph and Lewis in to the doctor yesterday. Joseph needed a wart on his foot frozen off and Lewis a well check. Lewis finally weighs 30 lbs! His percentiles have also gone up to 7 and 10% for weight and height.

James and I had a date in the cabin with Taco Bell and a new game that Christian sent me. It's called Villainous (based on Disney villains), and it's really fun! I like board games a lot more than I used to simply because I have the brain power for it now. When I was pregnant and/or nursing, it was just too hard to guarantee uninterrupted time.

Baby Shower, Outbreak, Starting Again

My sister Mara had a baby shower on Saturday, so I attended via Zoom. It was really fun to participate in the games. I even made my own cupcakes with pink sprinkles to feel like I was part of the party. Her baby is due in less than a month now! I'm so excited to be an auntie again.

Due to the outbreak in Katie's class, I spent the whole weekend feeling really stressed and grouchy. Thankfully, she tested negative on Monday morning and happily went to school afterward. Everyone has been perfectly healthy, which is great. Anna's coming to visit for the long weekend! I'm so glad I listened to the prompting to go to the zoo 2 weekends ago. If we'd planned it for last weekend, we would've had to cancel.

We plan on going to church this Sunday. Our FHE was spent gathering clothes and shoes to make sure everyone has things that fit. Surprisingly, we only had to buy a shirt for Lewis. I'll also have to take his pants in a bit since he's so skinny, but that's a 5-minute job. I'll be teaching Relief Society on Sunday again. The lesson has been harder to prepare than the last one, and I'm not sure why.

I'm also starting to exercise again for the first time since...I don't even know. The last time I really had the habit was probably in May of last year. Once school was out for the summer, I felt completely burned out and then had surgery in July. Maybe I can stick to it this time. It's so hard to start over.

Salt-Lake-Cation, School Outbreaks, Curd

We had a wonderful trip to Salt Lake last weekend. The getting ready part was definitely stressful, but I didn't forget anything! We had no problems on our drive and didn't even have to stop on the way - a miracle. Samantha threw up right as we arrived, but we got her cleaned up and she was perfectly fine the rest of the trip. She gets carsick sometimes, but Kenny had no problems, thanks to anti-nausea meds. Our first stop was at Cabela's to look around at the animals. It was a huge hit with the kids, even though only the fish are alive. After getting dinner at Chick-fil-a, we checked in to our Air BnB and enjoyed some time in the hot tub. James and I hung out the rest of the evening and watched TV.

The next morning, we ate breakfast and spent more time in the hot tub. We then went to the zoo. Everyone had fun and kept their masks on. Since it was a random weekend in January and the zoo requires staggered entry and prepaying, it wasn't crowded at all. Samantha struggled a little to keep her mask on after an hour, but it was easy to stay 6+ feet away from other groups. We got a lot of good pictures and saw all the animals but one, I think. Basically, it was a great success. We went home after lunch and spent the rest of the day resting. No one got quite enough sleep the night before, so bedtime was especially welcome on Saturday night. I'm really glad we took the trip when we did.

The high school technically had an outbreak last week (more than 15 cases in the school). They shut down school for Wednesday and Thursday and required all students to get tested before coming back. I just got a call last night from Katie's principal saying that Katie's class has an outbreak (3 students), so Katie is home today and will have to get tested before going back on Monday. All the kids at school wear masks, and she said she doesn't sit near the kids who were quarantined. I'm crossing my fingers, but I'm 99% sure that she doesn't have it.

I made lemon curd for the first time yesterday since I had some random lemons and leftover egg yolks from making Lewis's birthday cake. This morning, we put it on pancakes with Nutella, and it was divine. I want to try it on waffles next! It's just one of those small things that's keeping me sane right now. I bet it won't be the last thing I make that's inspired by the Great British Baking Show.