Christmas in Rexburg

Things over Christmas went better than expected (for the most part). We had an uneventful drive there with a stop at Del Taco and the Army surplus store in Shelley. We then had a yummy dinner and hung out with everyone. My biggest complaint that day was the lingering cold from traveling in subzero temps. I couldn't get warm to go to sleep for quite a while.

Friday, we did sealings at the temple. James got to be sealed for his 9th great grandfather, also named James Head. The Rammells came over for dinner that night, and it was noisy, but fun.

Saturday,  I did some baking/cooking in the morning. We had Christmas Eve dinner with the Lees. It was really nice, the usual stuff, so I had a stomachache afterward. We exchanged presents with the cousins. (Our kids and their cousins drew names for each other.)

Sunday was Christmas morning! We opened at many things as we could, went to a lovely Christmas program at church, and opened the rest and ate scrapple afterward. We then headed to Victor for Christmas dinner: ham, cheesy potatoes, rolls, etc. I made the dessert for it, something called peppermint fluff. I had my doubts, but it turned out really good. The kids did the Nativity story again for Grandpa Head. I noticed the candles were missing that he and Grandma used to light every year, so I asked him about them. At first he said they didn't matter because she was gone, but I got a text 30 minutes after we left saying that they'd found the candles and lit them, just as they had for the past 60+ years. I really missed Grandma Head on Christmas, and I know Grandpa was too. I'm glad I was inspired to remind him of the candles.

Sunday night, James and I escaped for a night to relax at a hotel. It was wonderful to have some peace and quiet, plus sleep in and eat a nice breakfast. We even sat there and read our books for a while and then went to D.I. to hunt for treasures Monday morning. Emily Vergara came over with her kids in the afternoon. The adults (minus Rex, who was watching the grands) went to Righteous Slice for dinner, which was absolutely delicious.

Tuesday, we went over to Sam and Jesse's house. That evening, James went to hang out with Sam, Kenneth, and Nick for a "guys' night" thing. I made mini cheesecakes for Jacob's birthday.

Wednesday, I went to Costco with Melodie and stocked up on nuts and a few other things. We did homemade pizza for dinner on Melodie's new pizza stone, and that was delicious as well. The cheesecakes were yummy too, and just the right size. Since it was Jacob's birthday, a couple cousins came over to play DnD while I watched a Christmas movie with my in-laws.

Thursday morning did not start out well. Kenny threw up 4x during the night and Lewis once. Joseph was also in a grumpy mood for some reason. Things got better once we started driving, and we got home around 6:30 P.M. We unloaded the car, started shoveling the foot of snow we got while we were gone, and opened a couple more presents and treats. By bedtime, I had everything clean and unpacked.

It's been a busy Friday. Kenny has mostly recovered, I'm almost done with laundry, and I'm about to help with the shoveling. Joseph and James went to the temple to do baptisms and will come home with groceries and library holds. I got an excellent night of sleep as well. Though I have some Primary stuff to work on, I have it all written down and don't feel terribly stressed about it. I should be able to have a pretty lazy New Year's Eve before the crazy Sunday in Primary that will be coming after.

It was a really good trip. Everyone got a lot of sleep. We had awesome food, presents, and lot of fun playing board games and hanging out with family members. I am still glad Christmas is over and can't wait for a new year!

Primary, Feeling Grinchy

We had our Temple and Priesthood Prep meeting on Sunday during class time. Though I had a nightmare that everything would go wrong, it actually went perfectly. I did a Kahoot and talked a little about the temple and family history, then my part was done. Everyone seemed to enjoy it. My secretary Kaila made temple-shaped cookies, and they were both beautiful and delicious. We only had 25 minutes, but we pulled it off. It was a huge relief.

I held a presidency meeting last night, and I felt even better about this calling. We put together presidency binders and discussed some important things. I'd gotten bored last week and put together all the other binders (teachers, nursery, and activities) already, but I showed them the progress so far. We have to wait till the 1st to finish everything since classes don't shift until then, but everything is mostly done. I feel like I know what I'm doing now. My presidency is awesome because they are always bringing great ideas and willing to do everything I ask. We definitely have different strengths that complement one another. We all get along as well. I feel really blessed.

Though I'm feeling pretty awesome about Primary, I've been struggling with winter and Christmas this week. I felt some actual anxiety on Monday over something stupid (the heater, which just needed a new filter when it had an error code, but I assumed the worst.) It took me a little while to really feel better, but it was a matter of hours, not days. What helped was reading over my old journal, exercising with Katie at the school, and then cleaning the church. That sounds strange, but it was really good to vacuum for 45 minutes. It's mindless and comforting at the same time.

It's been such a crummy December, weather-wise. Rather than our normal occasional snow, we've gotten a whole bunch of snow followed by subzero temps for the past week and a half. Naturally, Rexburg won't be any better, and it looks like it'll be cloudy the whole time. I just really hate winter right now. It hurts my face to go outside, and I'm worried at how cold it'll be in January if it's already this cold right now. The last few packages came, so at least I'm not worried about that anymore. I'm just ready for Christmas to be over. If you love Christmas, stop reading now.

Why Christmas is the Worst Holiday (Or At Least Not the Best)

1. The weather is often terrible (though more so in Rexburg.) At best, it's a sunny day with beautiful, glittering snow. Often, it's frigid, cloudy, and windy, sometimes too cold for the kids to play outside.

2. I prefer being at home, but I'm never at home on Christmas unless there's a pandemic.

3. Everyone expects me to be happy about it, but I think it's just okay, so I feel guilty for not liking it more.

4. I get tired of Christmas music before Christmas starts, and that's even with waiting till December 1st to listen to it.

5. Buying presents is stressful. In person, there are way too many people. Online, I get stressed about waiting for everything to show up on time, even when I shop super early. I also feel guilty when people get me nicer stuff than what I can afford in return.

6. I can't spend Christmas with both my family and in-laws, so I end up feeling depressed no matter what.

7. I hate the pile of trash and presents that clutter the living room after everyone opens presents. And it sits there for what feels like eons.

8. It's tiring. I never get a good night of sleep when I'm not at home.

9. Someone in my house is sick at any given time. Or, we bring home a new, crappy illness after visiting family.

10. It starts way too early. I HATE seeing Christmas stuff in the store in September.

11. I'm not allowed to complain. The few times I have, I was accused of "not caring about families who have to shop early to afford it" or "not caring about farmers because they really need the snow so they can water their crops next year." I feel like Christmas gets shoved in my face for months at a time, and I don't like that at all.

I guess what it comes down to is this: as an introvert who grew up in the South and doesn't like shopping, large crowds, or clutter, it's everything that I am not. I'm also a mom who wants healthy, happy kids and that feels like an impossible thing to pull off this time of year. I've done everything I can to simplify this season and make it more meaningful, but it's never going to be my favorite.

I suppose I should stop complaining and go get ready for our trip tomorrow. :)

Bring on January! It's one month closer to summer and I get to declutter the whole house. I can't wait!

Cabinet, Parties, Neighbor Gifts

It was actually pretty fun to clean out the Primary closet. Or cabinet. I'm not really sure which it is. We spent 2 hours on it and threw away 1/2 of the stuff in there: crummy old binders, pictures that no one will ever use again, grody old balloons that disintegrated when I touched them, etc. I have a box of stuff that I'm dropping off at D.I. today and a box full of the best binders to give to all the teachers and activities leaders. We found out that we have plenty of rings, too! The green ones were in several different places.

I brought home a huge stack of page protectors. The boys helped me sort through them and keep the best 50% of them. We still have about 600 of them, but now they're sorted and put into some of the crummy binders since they're slippery and don't stack well. I printed a whole bunch of papers for the binders and have a list for what I still need to print on January 1st.

Our ward party was Thursday night, and the Spanish ward had one on Friday night. Both were fun for different reasons and had excellent food. It was also nice not to have to cook. I had a hard time sleeping for a few days thanks to coughing and random insomnia, but I caught up by the weekend. I was even able to sing some of the Christmas songs without coughing. Honestly, that cold was strange. I had some days where the coughing was bad, but it was over in only a week, a huge blessing.

Saturday, I delivered the rest of the Christmas presents for Primary. It's so good to have that done.

Monday, we finished our Christmas shopping for white elephant gift exchanges, the angel tree, and a couple of presents the kids needed to get for each other. The rest of my Amazon stuff will come today or tomorrow. I forgot how stressful it is to be tracking so many things at once. We got a ton of snow on Monday day/night and a 2 hour delay on Tuesday. It was really nice to sleep in and have a big breakfast but extra hard to get up on Wednesday.

I made two batches of fudge, one plain and one with walnuts, to give away to a few friends and neighbors. I scaled things down a lot this year and only did 10 families (not 25-30). Kenny and Katie are going to help me deliver them today.

I'm cautiously excited about Christmas break. I shouldn't have any Primary stuff to worry about between the 22nd and 31st because there won't be any Primary at church, gifts will have been delivered, and I'll be out of town till the 29th. Everyone is currently healthy with very few lingering symptoms of cold #3. All the shopping is done, and I've even finished 2 books in the past week. Now, if I can just stay warm through the subzero temps and sane while I'm around a ton of family members...

Getting Better

Well, I got the cold too, but it's not anything worse than that, so I wore a mask to my meeting with the Stake Primary and to church on Sunday. I'm feeling MUCH better today after a few sleepless nights due to coughing. I'm really hoping to catch up on sleep tonight because 5 hours just isn't enough!

I feel much better about everything. I spent Saturday morning completely redoing the binder for Primary. I retyped everything that needed updating or assigned it to my counselors. I have to wait till the new year for new class lists, but I have most of the other stuff figured out. I bought the Friend magazines (with no help from Distribution) and sent little notes to all the families. For those who don't want one or didn't get back to me, I'm going to get some cute gloves and print a quote to go with them. I'll finish that by Saturday.

We really enjoyed watching the Christmas Devotional on Sunday and eating Muddy Buddies. It's one of my favorite Christmas traditions.

We got a lot of snow this week, so the kids built a giant snowman with James. I supplied the carrot and took the picture since I still wasn't feeling amazing.

I've decided to scale back on Christmas a bit. Primary has consumed my life for the time being, and having sick people in the house since October hasn't helped my energy level or mood. I've really missed being able to SING! It's not the same to passively listen to Christmas music. I'm planning on doing half as many neighbor gifts (probably just my presidency, ministering people, and DND group) and no Christmas cards. I'm just not in the mood. :) I finished a book yesterday after working on it for 2 weeks, and it felt amazing. I need more of that in my life right now.

It's Wednesday, but I'm going to finish this today since I'll be busy. Joseph and James have a temple trip in the morning, I'll be going to the church at 1 to clean out the cabinet with my presidency, and we have a ward party at 6:30. I'm taking a buckeye pie for the dessert contest. I'm pretty excited about all of it. I think I'll even be able to sing since I've mostly stopped coughing. Crossing my fingers.

Speaking of church, someone found my keys! I was sitting in ward council when there was a knock on the door. A man from the other ward brought them in. I had to get a new fob and rings since they were smashed, but I have my keys back! It's a miracle!

Thanksgiving, More Illness, Stress

Thanksgiving was all right. I didn't end up with a lot of stress from the cooking. I'd written everything down beforehand so I knew when it would be ready. The turkey cooked faster than expected, so we sat down to eat by 12:30. Nash came, but he was late, so he reheated his.

Within 24 hours, Joseph, Katie, and Lewis threw up. Joseph was feeling really awful on Friday, so I had James take him to urgent care. He tested negative for the flu (and Covid, done at home), so I guess it was just some virus. That altered our plans to hang out at Holly Days all together with the Boyles. Instead, James and I went around dinnertime to look around. He took the younger kids to the parade and fireworks while the boys and I watched LotR. I had my turkey pot pie as well, so it wasn't a totally horrible day.

Saturday, James and I did a date where we took pictures with as many dinosaurs as possible in 20 minutes. We got 10, about 1/3 of the ones in town. It was silly but helped me feel better about life. Samantha and her parents came over to play games and eat snacks. The Clue Escape Room game was pretty fun.

Sunday was crazy. I had my first ward council meeting, then a Primary to lead/staff since almost no one showed up and couldn't find subs. We had no pianist or chorister and only 3 teachers. We made it work by doing only 2 classes. I played the piano, and Kaila led the music. It wasn't horrible, but it was honestly the very worst Sunday of the year for finding people and a little overwhelming.

Tuesday, I had my first presidency meeting. It lasted 2 hours since we had a lot to talk about. I assigned out lots of things. My main assignment right now is doing the Christmas presents for the kids. It's stressful. I want to order the Friend for 30ish households, but that will take forever if I have to do it online and have to check out that many times. It won't let me order them all at once and send them to different houses. I've emailed Distribution, so I hope they can help me make this easier.

I lost my church keys. I was supposed to let the activities leaders in early, but I couldn't find the keys anywhere. Still can't.

James stayed home sick today since he had a fever last night. I don't know what it is, but I haven't had more than just a minor sniffle. I suppose it's a blessing for doing my best at this new calling that I still find super stressful. Thankfully, we're meeting with the stake tomorrow night. I really hope they can answer all my questions!

If I have a choice for when they call the next Primary, I'm going to have it be in a February. December has the longest to-do list by 5x or so.

Primary Presidency, Joseph and Anna's Visit

We played DnD for the first time in a while on Friday night. Samantha gave us all shirts for Christmas, and they are so funny and cute. I especially love the one that says, "Couples who slay together stay together."

Sunday, I was called to be the Primary president of my ward. I've had a few weeks to get used to the idea, but I'm still pretty nervous about it all. My counselors are Barbara Hall and Taylor Murray, and my secretary is Mikaila Bankston. We sat in the back of Primary to observe and talked to the presidency afterward. We got set apart at 3. I have the keys, a general idea of what to do, and several checklists. We have a presidency meeting and a meeting with the stake primary presidency next week. Until then, I'm trying to breathe slowly and get some rest over Thanksgiving. Since we're doing it here, I'm hoping to have the kids and James help with the cooking. I'll consider it a success if I get to read every day and play Pandemic: Legacy with James a couple times. (It's my current favorite board game!)

Joseph and Anna arrived Saturday around 5:30 and left Wednesday morning. We had lots of fun making and eating goodies, watching movies, and playing board games. We also did a little shopping at Dollar Tree, Ross, TJ Maxx, D.I., and the other thrift store. I know I said I wouldn't shop yet, but I still haven't done very much. I'll wait till after Thanksgiving to order a bunch of stuff on Amazon (using credit card rewards!) and get the best deals possible.

Wednesday, I made pies in the morning. James and I went out for some lunch and then played our game. After dinner, we relaxed with the kids. Once they went to bed, we played our game again. It was a fun and relaxing day, but I had a hard time sleeping because I kept thinking about Primary stuff. Nothing is going to fall apart if I wait until next week, and all my questions and worries about what to do will be answered when I go to the training and meet with my presidency. No one's going to yell at me for not knowing what to do right now. I keep telling myself all these things, but I'm still pretty stressed out.

Today is Thanksgiving. I'm excited for our lineup of food.

turkey

mashed potatoes

gravy

stuffing (though actually dressing)

green beans (fancy like Rex's)

cranberry sauce

Snickers apple salad (if you can call it that)

rolls

cranberry-apple pie

pumpkin pie

I have an hour before I start cooking, so I'll try to relax and read. I'm on the 3rd part of LotR.

LotR, Loving Fall

Friday, I started my fall movie marathon with the boys. We watched the first half of The Fellowship of the Ring (extended version). I think they really like it so far. It will take us until mid-December to get through all the LotR movies. By then, I will definitely have finished the books. I'm currently working on The Two Towers while Joseph reads the The Fellowship of the Ring.

Saturday, James got down in the crawlspace and fixed the ductwork that cats ripped last winter. Crazy, but our heating works better now, especially in my room and bathroom.

The Primary program was on Sunday, and the kids did a great job. I also did my last Relief Society lesson since I get my new calling in a few days. I'm still pretty nervous but less shocked than I was originally.

It's been a good week. No one is sick anymore. I have almost all the ingredients I need for Thanksgiving, and I have a really yummy menu planned. What I'm most worried about right now is having enough fridge space. I guess we could always pull out the cooler if needed. It's too cold outside to be a fridge. We've got freezer weather right now.

I was dreading getting the winter tires put on the car, but it worked out really well. Samantha and Lewis were okay, and they only took 45 minutes to finish. During that time, I bought myself some thermal socks that I absolutely love.

Despite the illness, I've enjoyed November. I used to think that fall was just "pre-winter" and spent a lot of time hating it. In reality, September and October have beautiful weather. November is a bit cold, but the snow doesn't stick much yet. I've specifically avoided doing any Christmas shopping, decorating, or music because I don't feel like it's time yet. I want to wait till after Thanksgiving to start on that because it makes me feel rushed and stressed out. I feel like this fall has been a perfect mix of spooky celebrations and gratitude for the bountiful harvest my neighbors gave me. Canning and dehydrating were a lot of work, but they kept me busy for several weeks and got me more excited about doing my own Thanksgiving meal, which really is the culmination of all things fall.

The seasons really are beautiful. Maybe I'm weird for really wanting Thanksgiving and Christmas to be separate, but I like them both better that way.

Life is good. Bring on the feast.

The Cough, No More Canning, Clouds

The annoying cold isn't gone yet. My sleep has been very poor due to coughing. James and I took turns coughing and snoring last night, so we both woke up feeling not so refreshed. The kids are doing somewhat better and have been going to school. I HATE BEING SICK. I still have tons of things I have to do, and to distract myself, I usually do some kind of project so I can forget about life, but that doesn't always mean better sleep.

I'm done canning for the season! I ended up making a lot this year thanks to the Binghams, my in-laws, and Devin. I've only kept what I can use in a year and given away the rest.

12 qts. applesauce

17 pts. salsa

10 qts. spaghetti sauce

5 qts. spaghetti sauce with meat

3 qts. pickled jalapenos

70 trays dried apples

The time change and cough were enough to bring me down, but it's also been cloudy, snowy, and windy a couple of days this week. I'm struggling to keep a positive attitude about life right now. Someone please send me some good sleep and healing!

Halloween, The Cold

Last Thursday, Katie and I went to see Anastasia. Though the ending was a little underwhelming, I enjoyed the music and I think Katie did too.

We felt well enough last Saturday to go to the Jensen Pumpkin festival. By the next morning, different people were feeling sick, so we did church from home.

People were too sick on Halloween, so I bought a couple small bags of our favorites (Twix, Take 5, Snickers) and we watched Goosebumps. It was a bummer to miss the trunk or treat, but it ended up being okay. The candy is gone now, and I'm relieved. I also cooked the non-carved pumpkins (a pie pumpkin and the tiny ones) to make into muffins.

I found out on Tuesday that I'm getting a new calling. I'm really nervous about it. More details will come when it's official. Because I'll need time to adjust, we've decided to do Thanksgiving at our house instead of going to Rexburg. I'm really bummed because that means I do ALL of the cooking and we don't get to see family. :( It's nice that we got to go twice in October, though.

Joseph went back to school this week, but Katie missed 2 days, Lewis 3, and Kenny 4. I just want this stupid cold to be GONE. The cough lingers what feels like forever. James and I have both been tired and had scratchy throats, but that's about it.

The weather has been pretty crummy this week too. Currently, it's snowing, but it will probably melt by tomorrow. It's just been so cloudy and gloomy the past few days, and it doesn't look like we'll have a sunny day in the next week. Between the weather, the sickness, and the stress of my new calling, I feel pretty gloomy myself. It's going to be okay, though. I'm not one of those people who does Christmas things before Thanksgiving, but I know I need something to look forward to in Novembers (and Januarys.) The time change coming this week will also be a challenge, but I'm determined to make a fun tradition that will help me get through it.

Grandma's Funeral, Tomatoes, Apples

Our trip to Rexburg was short, but actually really good. I wasn't a fan of being in the car all day again, but we made it in time to see Joseph (James's brother) perform his marching band routine. Our wonderful fall weather also ended at that point. It was so windy that 1-15 was closed north of Idaho Falls. We would've been cold if we hadn't had our winter coats on.

We went over to Sam and Jesse's house for pizza and a movie. After getting back to the barn, I made Katie's birthday cake while James oversaw showers and getting everyone to bed.

We left at 8:45 Saturday morning to drive to Driggs for the funeral. Actually, the viewing was first, but I didn't love that part. We had to wait in line a while, and there were way too many people in one room. The actual funeral was really nice. I laughed and cried. Saying goodbye at the cemetery was emotional, cold, and rainy. At the luncheon, I was able to catch up with some of the cousins we hadn't seen in a while. There were a lot of them there from as far away as Alaska.

We returned to Rexburg and celebrated Katie's 9th birthday that evening. Everyone loved the cake, and Katie loved her presents.

Our drive home on Sunday was all right. I got everything unpacked. Joseph has missed all week of school due to a nasty cold. Samantha is sick too, so I'm going to have to cancel her playdate for tomorrow. It's such a bummer since it's been 3 weeks since the girls got to play.

My neighbors gave me another 75 lbs. of tomatoes, plus onions and peppers. I also got a big box of apples from Devin. Every day, I dehydrate 5 trays of apples. I've prepped all the peppers I need for salsa and pickled the rest. As the tomatoes ripen, I'll get them ready for salsa, and after I've made that, another batch of sauce. I already made 5 quarts of meat sauce this week, which takes 30 lbs. of tomatoes! Once I get tired of dehydrating apples, I'll probably make a little apple sauce for Devin out of what's left. By then, the apples will be a few weeks old (a month for the older ones that I got from my in-laws).

I'm grateful for such generous neighbors. I haven't had any luck with gardening or have been too busy for the past 5 years, so I'm really glad for all the produce from them. I've been giving back at least half of what I make since I can't use it all. I really enjoy the process of taking dirty veggies and fruits (some past their prime) and turning them into neat rows of jars that I can use over the next few years.

Fall Break, Grandma Head, Apples

Fall break didn't turn out quite like we expected. Our drive on Thursday was completely normal, and we had a nice stop at lunch. Friday, we left for Victor to see the grandparents. We got lunch on the way and planned to see Grandma Head one last time since we knew she wasn't doing well and had been in a lot of pain (or sleeping.) When we were about 30 minutes away, we got the call that Grandma had passed away.

James and I went in to see her. She lay peacefully in her bed as if she were sleeping. Everyone in the house was feeling pretty emotional, but the dim lighting gave a sense of calm at the same time. We didn't stay too long (and the kids were outside the whole time), but I'm glad we could see her. We went kayaking for a bit and then went back to Rexburg. Being on the water was soothing, but I still struggled a lot the next few days. I didn't sleep well and had either a headache or stomachache until we left on Monday.

We did have some fun moments. We visited the gardens on the BYU-I campus where James and I got engaged and had ice cream with Grandma and Grandpa Lee on Saturday. Everyone came for dinner on Sunday. The kids adore their cousins, and I'm grateful for that.

Monday, we got home around 5 P.M. I've been super busy for the past few days with laundry, grocery shopping, cleaning, parent-teacher conferences for 3 kids, and processing apples from my in-laws. I've made 15 trays of dehydrated apples and canned 6 quarts of apple sauce. We still have more apples to dry next week and a drawer full for snacking.

So we're leaving tomorrow for a quick trip to Rexburg for Grandma's funeral, which is on Saturday. We'll come back Sunday. I left our church stuff there, so I'm hoping the packing today will be light compared to our last trip. I'm a little worried about my emotional state this weekend, and it's also going to get cold and possibly snowy, but I've made it through this before and I'll do it again. I'm grateful for eternal families.

A Weird Cold, Ice Cream

Well, that carnival on Thursday was fun. The past 6 days haven't been too fun because I've got a minor cold with weird symptoms. I had headaches for a few days before painting, but now I just have lightheadedness and fatigue (made worse by working really hard and inhaling paint fumes). It's really driving me crazy, even though I don't have congestion/runny nose/coughing. I get tired much more easily and can't do anything for too long. Since yesterday, I've been able to do a normal amount of work, but it feels like recovery is going way too slow.

We did game night on Saturday, which was fun.

I feel like my lesson on Sunday went well even though I had the worst brain fog while trying to prepare it.

James had parent/teacher conferences on Monday, so we didn't see him much. The kids and I watched The Nightmare Before Christmas and finished it yesterday.

Today has been a challenge so far. I'm trying to get everything done before we leave for Rexburg tomorrow. I'm also trying to get enough rest in between tasks so I won't burn out before we even leave. I've already pushed a few things until we get back since they're not essential.

I haven't liked the last few ice creams I've made. I think I'm going to throw in the towel with  mint (at least for now), but I want to perfect salted caramel. I also haven't figured out how to make a good fudge swirl (like moose tracks) that doesn't taste weird once it's frozen. Chocolate + butter ganache is NOT the answer. I'm not going to give up, though!

Despite my illness, I've really enjoyed October so far. The weather is wonderful, and the leaves are starting to look beautiful. Our drive tomorrow will be absolutely gorgeous, I'm sure.

Conference, Canning, Painting, Walking

It's been a crazy week so far. James and I went to See How They Run (a movie), which we really enjoyed.

We watched all of Conference over the weekend, which was great. I patched a few holes to get ready for painting. We had friends over for the Sunday morning session and lunch.

Monday, I touched up the paint in the cabin. Since we painted it 2 years ago, I figured I'd better use up the paint before it dried up and had to be thrown away. I mixed the colors that were left so I'd have about a gallon to use for the laundry room. I helped my neighbors pick a bunch of tomatoes.

Tuesday, I completely cleared out the laundry room with help from James. I had Joseph scrub the floor since I was pretty wiped out by then. I also made 30 lbs. of tomatoes into 5 qts. of sauce. I still can't believe how much they cook down. I felt like I was elbow deep in tomato guts all morning.

Wednesday, I primed and painted the laundry room walls and shelves. I finished around 3 P.M., just in time to take a shower and take Katie to an activity. I really hurt by the end of the day. While I was waiting on the primer to dry, I prepped all the ingredients for salsa.

Today, I'm making a double batch of salsa with the rest of the tomatoes. I should get about 6 pints. I've also got grocery pickup, a trip to D.I. to drop off some stuff, and putting the laundry room back together. I already scrubbed the floor one more time so it can be extra clean before I put everything back. I'm so excited. I also need to do laundry again.

I started walking with Katie, who teaches with James and often comes for game nights. We did Monday but not yesterday since we were both so busy. I'm hoping to walk with her 3 times a week.

I've now painted every room in this house except for the bedroom closets. Though my week has been super stressful due to lack of sleep, more manual labor than I'm used to, and no usable dining room, I know it'll be worth it.

We're taking the kids to the community carnival at the park today. It'll be a welcome rest after working so hard on the house. It also has free food, which means I don't have to cook dinner and mess up the clean kitchen (coming soon this afternoon after I put everything away, finish canning, and mop the floor.) Whew. I need a nap.

Not Too Much

Saturday, James and I went out for lunch and checked out the thrift store. I found a few pairs of pants for Kenny. It's so hard to keep everyone in clothes that fit! I thought I'd sorted that out a few months ago when we went through every single dresser and bin of clothes in the house, but apparently that wasn't true. Oh well. Devin and his kids came over for a while, so that was fun.

We had a busy Tuesday with flu shots and tithing settlement. Kenny also had an activity, but we made it to all the places on time and even found time to get Frosties in between. The shot really hurt this time. My arm is red and a little swollen, but the pain is getting better.

The weather has been perfect lately. I really love September and October in Vernal. Our highs are in the 70s and lows in the 50s. We hardly need the AC and haven't used the heat yet either. We also don't have to water the lawn much to keep it beautiful and green. I love it.

Another Flat Tire, Sickness, Babysitting

Friday did not go as planned. First of all, Kenny had an orientation for the gifted program. It said it was an hour long. I noticed that a tire on the Yukon was flat, so I went to Walmart for them to add air since I didn't have time to get it fixed. When I showed up 2 minutes late to get Kenny, he was in tears and thought I'd forgotten about him. I guess I was supposed to go to the meeting, but I somehow missed that and the meeting was shorter than expected (which means everyone else left and he was there waiting with a teacher). I felt terrible! He was okay by the time I dropped him off at his friend's house for a playdate.

I quickly went home to drop off a few groceries and went back to Walmart to get the flat fixed. Thankfully, it didn't take too long so I just read a book while I was waiting. I had about 25 minutes at home before I had to get Kenny from his friend's house, so I made a batch of muffins to bake when I got back. They turned out great! I'd been craving pumpkin muffins, and these got eaten pretty quickly since all but 1 kid liked them.

We had a game night, so that was fun. My stress level was definitely high for most of the day.

Saturday, James was gone for a good chunk of the day, but I stayed busy with books and crafts.

Monday and Tuesday, I watched a neighbor kid from 9-5. We also cleaned the church on Monday. It was incredibly stressful, and most people in the house are a little sniffly, so I didn't get much sleep. Somehow, I found the energy to make a batch of salsa. Some of our neighbors gave us a bunch of tomatoes, so I got 5 pints of delicious salsa.

Despite all the challenges, the past 2 days have been okay, much calmer and easier since I only have 1 kid at home. I've really appreciated morning kindergarten. It means I can clean, exercise, and get other tasks done without kids fighting in the background.

I've been thinking about upcoming projects. I really want to paint the house again, but I don't think it makes sense to do the main rooms yet. I want to start with things I've never painted, like the laundry room, my closet, and the kids' closets. Sometime in the future, I also want to paint all the cabinets in the kitchen and bathrooms, but that will be a huge undertaking. Maybe when Samantha goes to school next fall?

Wedding, Flat Tire

Samantha and I went over to Blakely's house on Friday. I think it'll be a weekly thing for them to have a playdate. They love playing together.

I'd been a little grouchy on Saturday, so it was nice to go to a wedding for Sis. Bristol in my ward. It was short, but really touching. I went to the reception for a minute, then went home to eat dinner and get the kids and James. He was supposed to take a separate car so he could take the girls to Homecoming, but that didn't work out since it had a really flat tire. Instead, I took the kids to the reception (where they got chocolate all over their church clothes), went home, and put everyone to bed after a little dance party in the cabin. James quickly went to the reception and got to Homecoming a little late, but it worked out.

Monday after school, James attempted to pump up the tire, but it was too flat. The spare was no good either, so he took the wheel off and went to Walmart to get another, then put the new one on. Everything's fine now. It just made things kind of frustrating.

James and Joseph had a temple trip yesterday. I'm glad Joseph knows how to take family names. :) I was his age when I started doing family history.

I've gotten a few projects done this week. Since it's been raining and the car seats got all wet, I took them apart and washed the covers. They were beyond nasty. Thankfully, by next year, Lewis and Samantha should be in boosters. I also cut the boys' hair and made a couple of sleep masks for the kids out of scrap fabric.

Paperwork, Packards, Labor Day, Shoes

I ended up finishing the paperwork for Rex in good time. It really ate up all my extra time so I couldn't read or spend time with Samantha. I'm so glad it's over now.

Saturday ended up being really boring. I hate it when I have a couple of days where I'm really stressed and too busy, but then I have a day where I'm super bored. I wish I could have the average of those days.

Sunday, we went to a get-together at the McClellans' for the Packards, who moved away 2 years ago to WY. It was really awesome to see them again. All the kids played together while we enjoyed some dessert.

Monday, Labor Day, ended up being too busy. We deep cleaned the cabin and added some more shelves by the big octagonal window. It took much longer than expected, but I got some reading done in between tasks. I'm glad we did it even though it was a huge pain. We went out to dinner, but that didn't go quite as planned. Denny's was super busy, so we ended up waiting an hour for our food. (When we did get it, we had no leftovers because we were SO hungry.) Kids' meals aren't free anymore either, so it was more expensive than planned. Oh well. It can be for special occasions from now on.

The rest of the week has been somewhat uneventful so far. Hurray! It's exactly what I wanted.

I'd been experiencing foot pain because I'm too old for cheap shoes. After doing a little research on flat feet, I bought some Dr. Scholl's shoes from Amazon for 50 bucks. So far, I love them, and my feet don't hurt anymore. I also haven't had any problems with lower back/sciatic pain either. It's crazy how much of a difference such a small change can make sometimes. When it's less hot, maybe I'll start biking again. It's been in the mid-upper 90's all week, not at all typical of September.

Dino-Soar, Nash, Kindergarten

School went all right last week, even Friday, which can sometimes be tricky. (The kids get bored and fight when they're all together sometimes.)

Friday, we did our first movie night in a while. I love having the cabin as a special place to do things like that.

Saturday, we went to the dinosaur museum party and the farmer's market by the library. It was part of Dino-Soar Days, which includes hot air balloons. Unfortunately, we missed the balloons. Nash unexpectedly came to visit for a couple of hours around dinnertime. It was great, so I didn't mind missing the balloons. There's always next year.

For FHE, we played some board games with the kids.

Tuesday, we celebrated Samantha's birthday a day early since we knew Wednesday would be crazy. My first cake, an angel food cake, was a failure. When I turned the pan over to cool it, it fell out and collapsed. I'm going to blame being really distracted at getting kids out the door for school. That ended up okay because I made actual shortcake, which I like a lot better. We had grits, eggs, and bacon for dinner and were joined by James's dad, who worked in Vernal Wednesday and Thursday. Samantha loved getting Katie's old Barbies for her main present and has played with them a lot since then.

Wednesday was also crazy. I did paperwork for Rex, and it took a lot longer than expected. Though my computer is a lot better than Anna's, my scanner is really slow, so it took me the same amount of time and frustration as it normally would. Hmph. Lewis had his first day of school, so I walked him to the bus stop and got him at 11:40, which ended up being 12. I was really hot and a little grouchy when we got back since I hadn't finished the paperwork. I thought it would take an hour, but it took 3. Now I know. I've agreed to do all 3 days' paperwork, which means 25 more stacks. I'm going to pace myself over the next few days.

The rest of Wednesday was good. I had a little time to relax. James brought home pizza for dinner, and we hung out until he and Joseph had to go to Mutual. The rest of the evening, I sat there in a stupor and watched TV. Haha.

The next few days, I have 12.5 hours of paperwork if all goes well. Wish me luck.

Back to School

Since Thursday was the only day available, we went to the Uintah County fair and did the candy drop and Little Red Barn. We also looked around at booths and exhibits, all the free stuff.

Friday, James and Joseph left for a YM campout. I wasn't too happy about having them gone again, but I survived until they got back on Saturday around 1. Samantha had a preschool orientation at the library, so I sent the older kids off to play at the Lego table. It was fairly boring since I just did Upstart with Lewis last year.

Monday was Back to School Night. I miraculously found the supply lists and got everything we needed so we could drop it off while we were there. We met the teachers, found Joseph's classes at the middle school, and then ate pizza in the park and freshly churned ice cream at home. It was a pretty fun day.

Wednesday was the first official day of school. It went pretty well for everyone, even though one child had a meltdown upon arriving at home. Lewis doesn't have school until next Wednesday, but we took him in for Kindergarten testing and then went to the library. I finished my goal of reading all the fiction books in our library the day before school started!

I'm feeling pretty confident about the school year in general. I really like the teachers, and the kids seem to as well. I hope I can get used to waking up early. So far, it's slow progress.

Rexburg Trip

James took Joseph and Lewis to Rexburg for 6 days. Things were okay while they were gone. On Friday, I organized the girls' room and set up a real bed for Samantha to make an L shape with Katie's loft bed. It gives the girls more storage space. Of course the room is trashed now, but it looked good at the time.

Saturday, I ran some errands in the morning with everyone. In the afternoon, I baked 3 kinds of muffins to freeze for later and a batch of cheese biscuits to go with dinner. It was really nice to bake and read while I was waiting on things. That was the highlight of this past week, unfortunately. Katie and Samantha started fighting more each day, and by Wednesday, I felt like I was going to lose my mind. It didn't help that I couldn't really leave. James had my babysitter with him.

Sunday was all right. My Relief Society lesson went well.

Monday was probably the worst day. We didn't go anywhere.

Tuesday night, we went to Denny's. It was nice not to have to cook. Our waiter was exceptional, and our meal wasn't that expensive since kids eat free. We had enough leftovers for breakfast, and I didn't even buy Samantha a meal.

James and the boys got home yesterday afternoon. Needless to say, I am extremely grateful. Their time away wasn't all bad. I read tons of books (to the point of getting bored), watched a couple of chick flicks, and didn't have to do too much cooking since all the people who eat a lot were gone. Both Katie and Kenny went to activities and had a great time. There just weren't enough projects or events to keep everyone happy, and I felt a little like a prisoner. James has off today, but his first official day is tomorrow, so we're going to be busy finishing up some last-minute things.

I can't believe school starts so soon: Wednesday for the 3 older kids and a week later for Lewis.

More Projects

It's been another busy week, but we got A LOT done. Friday, we cleaned out the trailer and took 6 large bags of clothes to D.I. along with some area rugs we were never going to use again. You can actually walk into the trailer and find things now. It's so exciting!

Our yard has a few yellow spots, so the boys mowed and James treated for grubs. Overall, the lawn has done really well this year and stayed pretty lush and green. It's so much work to keep it healthy in this desert, but it's worth it to have soft grass for the kids to play on with their friends. The Boyles came over for a water fight in the afternoon and brought over 500 water balloons. We finished off our box of peaches with a delicious peach cobbler (and ice cream, though not homemade this time.)

Monday, James took the kids on an adventure so I could clean the carpets. I'm glad I started early because the power went out at 11 and didn't come on till 4. Thankfully, I'd finished cleaning and was just working on the drying. Though there was no power, it was a hot, dry, somewhat breezy day, so the carpets dried fine and we got everything put back together in time for Summerween. The boys carved a jack-o-melon, and we catapulted candy into the yard after eating hot dogs with the Purcell kids and Boyles.

Tuesday, I took Katie and Lewis to get shoes and do grocery pickup. I'm really glad I got all the other clothes online. I really don't like shopping for clothes in person.

I met James for a lunch date yesterday, which was fun.

I've been working on new ice cream flavors. This week's was banoffee (banana ice cream with graham cracker crumbs, toffee bits, and dulce de leche.) I really like it, but I still like chocolate better. :) I've also been making lots of muffins for the kids to eat as snacks. We've liked most of them. It is kind of a bummer that in order to find the best recipes, you have to suffer through a lot that are only so-so.

James has been working the past 3 days, but I've had plenty to do around the house. Only one more big project left: deep cleaning and reorganizing the girls' room. Wish me luck on that one.

 

Projects

It's been a really busy, but good week. We've gotten a lot done, even outside of the the normal "catching up" from being gone for 2 weeks.

Friday, James and the kids worked a ton on the yard to get all the weed eating, cleanup, and mowing done. It was a little out of control after 2 weeks.

A couple of us weren't feeling amazing on Sunday, so we watched church from home. It was honestly a pretty boring day, the first of a few where I was just "in a funk."

Monday, we took a huge board from the trailer that was blocking stuff I needed, bought another board, and raised our bed up by stacking the boxes underneath. That gives us storage and a work table for folding laundry. I never did like using the counter or couch. The kids deep-cleaned their rooms, and I helped the little ones go through all their clothes. We then made a list of what was needed for school. I did most of the school shopping online. I only have to get shoes for Katie and Lewis in person.

Tuesday, while James worked, I made peach jam, the first of several recipes from my big box of peaches that James bought for me. (I've had no luck with grocery store peaches, but these local ones from CO are pretty amazing!)

Wednesday, as a family, we painted the trailer! It's a sandy color and though it still looks old, it blends in the the dead grass in the neighbor's lot. Everything went a lot better than expected, and no one got any paint in the house. I also sanded and re-stained the picnic table (just the top and benches where it wore off from last year.)

Today, I put 2 coats of poly on the picnic table and made a batch of peach ice cream. James was working, so I met him for lunch in his new (to him) classroom after a quick run to Smith's for the sales.

Since we got back, I've been working with the kids on their "family history passports" that they got at a Primary activity during the summer. It's been fun to teach them more about our ancestors and how to use Family Search. I don't know how much will stick, but they've already been asking more questions. Visiting the graves of 3rd great-grandparents in Vernal and Johnston County, NC, made an impact on everyone, I think. I'm grateful for the connections I have with my family, even though those relationships are a ton of work.

North Carolina Trip, Days 8-14

 8. We went to Pullen Park in Raleigh and rode the train and carousel. After a rest in Apex, we went to a little cemetery in southern Johnston County (where Myles lives) to find James's 3rd and 4th-great grandfathers and grandmothers. We found them! It was a really cool experience. We then headed to Myles and Skyla's for dinner and a movie.

9. We went to the Museum of Natural Sciences and the History Museum with a picnic lunch in between. It was really tiring, but fun and FREE! After some time in Apex, we went to Brinson and Ceci's house to swim in the pool and eat dinner. They gave the kids a bunch of toys and books, which is awesome.

10. In the morning, we went to Jordan Lake before it got too busy or hot. It was a perfect day. I have nothing but fond memories of Ebenezer Point. Everyone got cleaned up for church once we got back, and some siblings came over to hang out, eat dinner, and play games. James went shopping for trip food for the way home.

11. I spent the morning catching up on this blog and planning next week. We went to church at 1:30 and were joined by Brinson and Ceci, who couldn't go last week due to work. They hung out for a while, and then Christian and Rachel came over.

12. Our alarms didn't go off for some reason, but we left Apex around 7:30 and made the drive to Claude and Tracey's house near Louisville, KY. We arrived around 6:15 and had dinner with the family. I was able to see 3 of my 5 cousins: Sara, Billy, and Ben, plus Ben's kids. My kids had a wonderful time with their 2nd cousins. Watching them play outside and marvel at the fireflies was one of highlights of our trip home. We went to bed way too late, but it was a wonderful evening.

13. After a yummy breakfast, we hit the road again and drove to Salina, KS, through tons of rain and clouds. The weather cleared up a bit by the time we got to Independence, MO, where we toured the visitors' center and had a picnic.

14. After a quick breakfast at the hotel, we started our journey home with a stop in Denver at the huge Outdoor World/Bass Pro shop. I'll admit that it was pretty cool. We had to make an unexpected stop in a little town in the mountains because our car stalled right after the tunnel at 11,000 feet. :( At this point, I was completely exhausted and could barely drag myself around the little shopping center. To top that off, Lewis threw up on the floor at Wendy's. After an hour of letting the car cool, we were on the road again and finally made it home at 11:30. I was so tired (and somewhat hungry from being too stressed to eat) that I almost passed out.

I'm feeling somewhat better today despite the huge mountain of work I need to do to catch up. I spent 1.5 hours going through pictures and videos already. James is running a few errands (library, grocery pickup) while I take a little rest. We already decided not to take the whole family next year since we've gone 2 years in a row, and even then, we might fly. Though the car trouble was minimal, it was incredibly stressful to deal with. (Remember, the mechanic in KS said there's nothing wrong with the car?) Also, driving in 3 days instead of 4 really wears everyone down. I found myself pretty short-tempered the past few days. Hopefully, I can make a full recovery and commit to visiting my family again sometime in the future. :)

A couple things I forgot to mention: I read a whole series of books while we were in NC, and it was excellent for my mental health. James made sure we got plenty of Southern food during the week (some bought by Grandpa.) We had Cookout, Zaxby's, Bojangles, Biscuitville, boiled peanuts, and Cheerwine (a case of which came home with us.)

It was a wonderful trip, but there's no place like home!

North Carolina Trip, Days 1-7

1. Getting up early for the trip wasn't so bad. It was one of those mornings where I woke up on my own right before the alarm. We had an uneventful day until after Denver. We almost ran out of gas. Then, after a couple of hours of in 100+ degree weather, the car started having problems and would randomly stall and flash the check engine light. We stopped in Colby, KS, for the night instead of Manhattan, KS. Luckily, we were within walking distance of a couple of restaurants. It was not a fun time, though.

2. The next morning, James found a mechanic to look at our car while we went to the Prairie Museum. The museum was really cool and included the largest barn in Kansas. The mechanic found nothing wrong with our car, so we headed out around noon. It stalled after a few hours, so we figured out that it was just too hot (108!) to function well. We stopped for half an hour and tried to run the AC a little less, and we never had another problem. We also made sure to fill the tank at half full and try premium gas, which was cheaper than regular gas in Vernal. After a long day, we made it to a small town outside of St. Louis. Too bad our plans for the day got totally scrapped since we were 8 hours behind schedule. :(

3. The next day, we drove the rest of the way to Apex with a stop at the Parthenon museum in Nashville. The statue of Athena was really impressive. One more fun stop was at Buc-ee's, the hugest gas station I've ever seen. I had to do the last few hours of driving, but we finally made it at 1:30 A.M.

4. We went to church with most of the family at 1:30. Phew, thank goodness for late church in this case. Normally, I'd prefer to go earlier, but we were pretty wiped out. Lots of people came over after church, and I made some cinnamon rolls.

5. We went to the Museum of Life and Sciences in Durham. It was just us since it's bit more expensive and further away. Though it was really hot, the kids had a great time. We had a short break in Apex before heading to Mara and Ricky's for the pool and dinner.

6. We toured the state capitol. It's a really cool, old building! After a little rest at Grandma's, we went to Christian and Rachel's for dinner and tie dye shirts. It was a lot of fun to make them, and they turned out really colorful.

7. We went to Marbles, the kids' museum in Raleigh. Everyone came over for a family dinner. We did a picture afterward in our tie dye shirts. The colors made it turn out especially good. I think it's my favorite family picture ever!

A Weird Week

I'll be honest, there have been some really stressful moments since we got back from ID. First, we decided it was a good idea to get boosters since we got Covid from our family in NC last time. These boosters had no side effects for the kids, but James and I were really tired and achy for 36 hours and had sore arms. It was a lot like the 2nd shot, maybe a little worse. That made things tough.

Thursday night, we tried going to see the new Thor movie with some friends. Unfortunately, there were technical difficulties, so we went home after sitting in the theater for an hour. :( We got some ice cream, but still, I was super disappointed.

Saturday afternoon, Lewis jumped off the couch and slammed his head into James's knee, resulting in a mild concussion. I played games with our DND friends, plus Samantha's parents, while James took Lewis to the hospital. Though it was hard to focus, I still won 7 Wonders.

Sunday, we visited the grave of James's 3rd great-grandfather in Vernal. It took a little while to find, but it was exciting. We're planning on visiting a cemetery in NC that happens to be 30 minutes from Myles's house and has graves for some of James's 3G and 4G grandparents.

Monday, we split up to see Thor at different times. I really enjoyed it and laughed a lot. I like that most Marvel movies manage to deal with serious, sad topics while still being funny. James got some errands done while I caught up on things at home.

Tuesday, we played DND.

Wednesday, I took Lewis in for a checkup. He got a clean bill of health, so no more worrying about the concussion. I did laundry, packed, and cleaned to get ready for our trip. James brought me lunch to help make the day a little less stressful. I made a point a few trips ago to give the kids more responsibilities and have them keep track of their own stuff. It helps A LOT. Sometimes I forget that they can accomplish quite a bit on their own. This trip has been only a fraction as stressful to plan for. We didn't make any reservations until a few days ago. We're also going to do the drive in 3 days instead of 4 (so, fewer activities along the way), but we're hoping it will be cheaper than last year's as well. We shall see. I do know that gas is more than a dollar cheaper in NC!

Rexburg, 4th of July

We had a good Friday with everyone. I got the laundry done and had a little time to read. Angie and her new boyfriend, Steve, came over for dinner.

Saturday, we went to Kelly Canyon to find obsidian. After lunch, we went to Victor to go kayaking and have a cookout with Grandma and Grandpa Head. Despite the rain and hail, it was really fun.

Sunday was relatively relaxing. Some of my in-laws' friends came over for dinner. The internet worked well enough for me to talk to my family too.

We had a really busy 4th, starting with a concert for Anna and Grandpa Lee at the park in Firth. We all made it on time and enjoyed the music and breakfast. We decided to skip the Rexburg parade and went back for a rest. I really needed that nap. We showed up at the park in Rexburg just in time for Joseph's concert. The little kids played in the splash park for a bit before we headed back. We went to the Lees' in Rigby for a delicious cookout. Then, it was time to head to Idaho Falls for the fireworks while the little kids went back to Rexburg to go to bed. We really enjoyed the fireworks, even though it was a long wait before and after. We played a board game with Sam and Jesse while we were waiting. I hated waiting to get out of the parking lot. We sat there for 40 minutes without moving once. Thankfully, we made it back to Rexburg and got a good night's sleep.

We traveled home on Tuesday and made it back in one piece. Our only real stop was at a park in Tremonton, where we ate pizza. Wednesday was a lot of catching up, and to be honest, I haven't been super excited about today either. I'm starting to stress about the NC trip since we haven't planned much of it yet. I think I need some food and a nap before I worry about anything else. :)

Anniversary Trip, Rexburg

We saw Top Gun on Thursday night. It was really fun! I can see why they waited to show it in the theater.

It was weird and quiet without the kids, but I was able to rest my back and foot. James worked on a project on Friday while I just relaxed, read, and watched a movie. We cooked some delicious steak for lunch and headed to our ward campout for dinner. The weather barely cooperated, but we saw a beautiful double rainbow and got to hang out and sing songs after dinner.

Saturday, we left for our trip, stopping in Heber for lunch. We went to 2 different D.I. stores and 1 used bookstore, where we got lots of treasures. After a quick dinner, we went to Evermore with Devin and Samantha. We had a great time finishing quests, exploring, and browsing the shops.

Sunday, it was nice to have a rest. We watched our ward on YouTube, read for a while, and visited 3 temples in Utah Valley: Payson, Provo, and Provo City Center, as well as the Hare Krishna temple. All were beautiful. We'd packed stuff to eat meals at the hotel, so that was relaxing (and not too expensive!)

We had a busy Monday, starting with several museums at BYU: Peoples and Culture, Paleontology, and Art. After a delicious lunch at an Indian restaurant, we went to the Hutchings Museum in Lehi, after which we went to Cabela's, Winco, and 2 more D.I. stores. (We got more treasures, of course, mostly clothes and books.) For dinner, we went to a huge buffet than included Chinese, American, Japanese, and Mongolian grill deliciousness. After that, we retired to our hotel since we were pretty wiped out.

Tuesday, James had an appointment in Salt Lake, so we left early enough to get there in case of traffic. After a breakfast at Denny's and a stop at Smith and Edwards, we made it to Rexburg. It was really great to see the kids and snuggle the little ones again. I made dinner while Katie went shopping with Melodie. We spent the night at Emily and Rodolfo's since there isn't really space here.

Wednesday, we went to the zoo with Jesse (and crew) and Emily (and crew). The weather was absolutely perfect for that and the picnic in the park afterward. We then went to Costco to get snacks for our NC trip in a few weeks. I was feeling wiped out after we got back, but I made dinner and somehow got it done by 6:40. Joseph left at 5:30 with Joseph, Rex, and Melodie to go to dinner and a play, Robin Hood. James and I stayed with Emily again.

Thursday, we hung out in the morning and went to D.I. (plus a few more places) in the afternoon. We stayed with Emily one more night before gathering our stuff to go to Sam and Jesse's.

Heads Visit, Rock Springs

James returned Friday around dinnertime, and we were so happy to see him. It was a rough day where I kind of wanted to ignore everyone and just read.

Saturday, we had the Murrays over for dinner. Everyone had a good time, and I even made some cookies and cream ice cream. We somehow found time earlier in the day to set up our new bookcase! It's now for middle grade (jr. fiction) so it will be easy for the kids to know what they can read. I bought bookends to make everything look extra nice.

Monday, we played DND since it was the only real day available.

Tuesday, James's parents and Joseph arrived around dinnertime. We hung out the rest of the evening and also had dark chocolate mint Oreo ice cream I made. It's my favorite so far!

I worked with Rex on Wednesday, and it was super busy. I filed 2 days' worth of paperwork with a horribly slow computer. Though we only worked till 3ish, it felt a LOT longer. I hadn't gotten enough sleep the night before and felt pretty yucky (mentally) for the rest of the day. James, Melodie, Joseph, and the kids went to Fantasy Canyon and the wildlife refuge. We had some pizza for dinner once everyone was back.

Today, we drove the kids to Rock Springs and switched cars with Rex and Melodie after lunch. They are all headed to Rexburg and should get there soon. James and I explored a little of downtown Rock Springs and all its thrift stores. I found a winter coat that will hopefully fit Joseph and some more books, of course.

The house will be weird, clean, and quiet without the kids here. We leave Saturday for SLC and will get to Rexburg on Tuesday.

My foot is doing much better, but I can't exercise with any real intensity. My tailbone still aches from the reunion, but I now know what NOT to do (more exercise, massage) and what TO do (rest and ice). The back thing is a lovely remnant from pregnancy, but thankfully it doesn't act up much. Why do I feel so old?!

Head Family Reunion, Mara's Visit, Huntsman

It's been a crazy busy summer so far. We left on Friday, June 3rd, for Rexburg and arrived around 11:30 P.M. since James had been at work all day. The next morning, he left at 6 A.M. to work with his dad in Jackson Hole. I was supposed to, but I felt pretty crummy due to a lack of sleep and lots of cramps. Saturday was a good day, though. The cousins came over, and I finally went to a little restaurant that everyone else in my family had already been to. (Fried pies, yum!) I had a mini breakdown later on when I realized the girls would have to sleep on our floor, but I otherwise survived. I miss the apartment upstairs SO MUCH.

Sam and Jesse blessed their baby, Therese, on Sunday. By some miracle, we all made it to church at 8:30. We had brunch at their house afterward and spent several hours just hanging out.

Monday, we packed up and went to the reunion in Albion. We first made a stop at Costco for breakfast items. The frozen waffles and yogurt cups were a big hit with the kids this year.

Tuesday and Wednesday were fun days with lots of hanging out and talking, swimming, the candy toss, the auction, delicious meals, and trying not the lose the little kids. There was an exercise class and a couple classes about anxiety, which were really good. Rex brought the goats, and one of them gave birth while we were there. By Thursday, I was definitely ready to go home. Sleeping on a double bed and in a room with all the kids is bad for my back and sanity.

We left Albion and met Mara for lunch and the zoo in Salt Lake. We made it back to Vernal that evening, just in time to get everyone to bed.

Friday was a catchup day with tons of laundry, cleaning, and grocery shopping. We tried to go see Jurassic World, but it was sold out, so we got shaved ice instead.

Saturday, Mara and I went to the thrift stores, got lunch at Cafe Rio, and then met James for the movie since we'd bought tickets the day before. I really enjoyed it, even though it's getting a bunch of hate online. We had dinner and played a couple of board games.

Sunday was pretty relaxing once I'd done my lesson. (I'd forgotten to prepare till Friday, but I think it turned out okay.) James left for his Huntsman seminar (program? I don't know.) in the afternoon.

Mara left Monday afternoon. Since then, we've been catching up on TV shows and reading a lot. Kenny had an activity and Joseph went to the temple. Today, I'm going to the dentist and then running a few errands while the younger 4 kids are at a Primary activity. After that, we will probably just take it easy.

James has been enjoying his week in SLC learning about the inner workings of our state government. (He gets back on Friday around dinner time.) He applied for this program a while back and found out he got in only a month ago. They pay for the hotel and lunch, so he just has to find things to do after 4 P.M. and buy dinner. So far, he's gone to Cabela's, dinner with Kenneth, and IKEA. The days have been all right, but we really miss him and can't wait for him to come back. We have not yet had a "regular" summer day with everyone at home.

My foot hurt again after biking, but for less time, so I think I need to bike only 2x a week and do other stuff the other days. That's all right because it's really hot and I don't think there will be more than 2 nice days a week.

I have enough ice cream recipes to take us through the end of the year, thanks to a Jeni's book that Sam and Jesse let me borrow. :) Some of the flavor combos look a little weird, but I'm really excited to keep on making ice cream every week. We loved the Roasted Strawberry and Buttermilk recipe. Next up: cookies and cream!

End of School, Sealing, Joseph's 12th, A Week of Appointments

James and I went to the temple on Thursday. It had been a while since we went together, but it was really nice, and I got some good insights while I was there.

Friday was the last day of school. I thought it would be a peaceful day, but it turned out otherwise. Some friends came over and claimed they HAD to stay till 5, which would've been almost 4 hours. I sent them home earlier so we could get some things done, and they resisted really hard and even cried. Everything ended up okay, but I didn't feel that it was an auspicious start to the summer.

Saturday, James and I went to his coworker's sealing at the temple, then to D.I. and lunch afterward. It was really nice. We played DND Saturday night.

Monday was Joseph's birthday and a day off for James. Joseph helped me make the chocolate peanut butter cheesecake. I also make rocky road ice cream, which turned out delicious. I can't believe Joseph is 12 now. That sounds so old.

We survived 6 appointments between Tuesday and Wednesday. (dentist: Joseph, Kenny, Katie, and Lewis; doctor: Joseph and Kenny) Katie had 1 tiny cavity, but everyone else is good. I'd originally thought James would be home, but he's ended up working all week. Inflation has eaten up all our extra money and James has to move classrooms, so these work days are really needed.

We did squeeze in DND last night since we won't be able to play again for a week or 2.

I didn't bike much this week because the top of my left foot hurts a bit. I think it's a mild case of tendonitis, which means I need to rest and ice it. I HATE THIS. I thought biking was one of those things I wouldn't injure myself doing, but I was wrong. Hopefully, I'll be good to go by the time we get back from Rexburg and Albion. I'm really trying to be healthy here, but it feels like the universe has conspired against me. :(

Arguably, the upcoming reunion will be the most stressful trip to pack for since we have to take all of our bedding and spend several days around 75 people. As an introvert who doesn't really like to travel and is currently dealing with PMS, I'm not sure how this next week will go. Wish me luck.

Parties, Strawberries

Every time I sit down to talk about the past week, I can't remember anything at first.

I went to a baby shower on Saturday for a girl in the ward. We hosted a game night on Saturday and had lots of goodies. One of our people is leaving (getting a teaching job somewhere else.)

We had a busy Sunday at church. Katie gave a talk, Samantha said a prayer, and we subbed for Kenny's class. Everything went well. After church, we finished playing the last scenario in Catan: Traders and Barbarians. It wasn't quite as fun as the one before, but it wasn't bad.

Kenny went to yet another birthday party on Monday. We went fossil hunting for FHE and had homemade strawberry ice cream, which was incredible. I'd gotten 10 lbs. of strawberries and made sorbet, ice cream, and then jam, which I took to my ministering families along with some homemade bread. I didn't get as much jam as I'd hoped, but it turned out nice and thick without being super sweet. In other words, it's delicious, and we have only a handful of strawberries left from the original 10 lbs.

Tuesday, Samantha was invited to play with her friend from church, Blakely, who just turned 4. They are so cute together. We had some fries at McDonald's, and the girls had a fun time playing on the playground.

James and I watched a movie (The Mummy) and had some snacks.  It wasn't nearly as good as I remembered. Today, we're going to the temple together for the first time in a while.

I got some dry lube for my bike and tinkered with the brake so it doesn't stick anymore. It doesn't shift perfectly, especially on the front, but it works well enough to keep riding safely. I wish I knew what I was doing, really, so I could replicate it in the future. So far, all my experience with bikes has been through YouTube and trial and error.

Biking, Reception, Summer Goals

It's funny how summer kind of sneaks up on me every year. A few of my bike rides have been unbearably hot already. After a cold winter, I feel like 80 degrees is too warm. Once school is out, I plan to ride first thing in the morning. I haven't reached my goal of getting to the cattle guard without stopping, but I'm working on it. My bike needs lube because it's not shifting well and making some noise. I went down a rabbit hole this morning reading about it.

Our old babysitter Alyssa had a wedding reception on Tuesday. Despite the weather, it ended up being pretty fun. James had a work dinner, so he went later. I managed to keep the kids happy and get them to bed.

For FHE on Monday, we made some summer goals as a family. I'm already working on biking, which I hope to do 4x a week along with 1 day of yard work. I feel completely wiped out and even a little queasy after a 30-minute ride, so I don't feel like I should push myself harder than I already am. Honestly, it takes me an hour to feel normal again once I get home. I also have a goal to read all of the fiction books in our bookcase (which grows every time I go to D.I.). So far, so good. My cooking goal is making homemade ice cream once a week. We made blueberry and peanut butter cup last week, both of which were delicious.

As for the kids, I'm hoping to get them in a habit of brushing their teeth without having to remind them. We're also going to do more cooking lessons. I hope to have the 3 older kids cooking breakfast and lunch every day and helping with dinner prep. I'd like for Lewis to learn to ride a bike, but we'll see. The older kids also want to learn to swim. With all the travel we'll be doing, it's going to be a really busy summer. I hope we can accomplish all these goals as well. The years are flying by. I almost have a 12-year-old!

Mother's Day, Ice Cream

Saturday morning, I got the best present ever. James took all the kids out from several hours. I cooked and watched TV in a silent, clean house. We went to a wedding reception that night, which was nice. The kids stayed home, cleaned up, and showered, so it was pretty easy to get ready for DND.

Sunday was nice too. I did very few dishes, got a cookie from church, and got little presents from each of the kids. James got me an electric ice cream churn, which I'm happy to say I've used twice already. We made a batch of vanilla, then chocolate, which is now hardening in the freezer. The vanilla was excellent, and I think the chocolate will be as well. So far, I've tried Alton Brown recipes that use eggs. The churn came with a bunch of recipes as well, so I have a list of 20 or so that I want to try. Not all are ice cream; there are recipes for sorbet, frozen yogurt, and gelato as well. I calculated the cost of a pint to be between $1 and $1.35, depending on if I get free eggs or not.

Everyone is ready for school to be over. 2 weeks and 1 day left!

Biking, Projects

Saturday, Joseph and Kenny had a Spanish program. I think it went well. It was a real pain to make the cooking videos because I was really tired and stressed from the week, but we got it done. Kenny's even won for most likes.

For FHE on Monday, we took the kids to Naples Park and got ice cream sandwiches. It's funny how such a small thing can make them so happy.

I've been riding my bike as often as possible. My goal is to ride as far as I can 4 days a week, do 1 day of yard work, and take 2 days off. The first bike ride was incredibly painful. I bought a gel cover for my bike seat to make it tolerable, but it hurt a LOT for the first few days. I've already seen progress, though. I can ride all the way to the first turnoff where there's construction going on. Oh, and this is out on the dirt road by my house. It's uphill on the way out but downhill the entire way back, so I like that. I can push myself hard and then cruise on home when my legs give out. My next goal is to get to the cattle guard without stopping. After that, I'm hoping to make it all the way to a little grove of trees. I don't think I'll ever ride more than 45 minutes, maybe, but that depends on how much I like it.

I've been working on cutting up the fabric I got from Grandma Lee. I started by making a new flag for the pirate ship. I cut out a bunch of quilt squares already. Hopefully, I'll finish cutting things up tomorrow. I've set aside some fabric for small (still TBD) projects.

Yard Work, Heads Visit

Saturday, we worked really hard in the yard and cleared out the dead sunflowers, fertilized, turned on the sprinklers, and took 2 loads of trash to the dump. (It was free!) Though the garden area looks nice, I still don't want to grow one. Instead, I decided to plant peas in a giant pot I found. James and I went out for lunch, which was really fun. I'd been craving hot and sour soup for a while.

We were able to watch most of stake conference before people came over for DnD. Samantha brought dinner this time, and it was delicious.

Monday, we hiked Moonshine Arch with Devin. He's coming every Monday and Friday for dinner since the rest of his family is in Mexico until late July.

I worked with Rex on Tuesday and Wednesday. Tuesday night, Melodie picked me up to go to dinner at the Thai place and then shopping. I got a bike, the first that's been actually mine since high school. I also got some sparkly sandals and gifts for kids' birthday parties coming up.

Though work wasn't too bad, it was a lot busier than it's been in the past. I tired to do some extra cleaning on Monday, but I haven't done laundry all week, which means 5 loads by tomorrow morning. I might cry a little. Laundry is still so boring. Going to work for 2 days always reminds me that I prefer being at home. When I do work (when all the kids are in school), it'll probably just be part time. There's no way I could keep up with the house with the a full time job.

Aside from biking, I'm hoping to add a new cooking challenge to my life:  homemade ice cream. I'm going to get an electric churn and do it right, no hasty soft serve. It helps that I've been getting free eggs and watching Good Eats.

Wedding, Spring Break in Rexburg and NC

We've had a busy few weeks! James went to his cousins Jake's wedding in Rexburg and took Kenny with him. I didn't feel comfortable with doing 2 trips in a row, and I know I was right about that. (As I'm typing this, I'm still pretty wiped out from jet lag and overall lack of sleep, plus all the catching up I've had to do over the past few days.) While he was gone, the kids and I went over to the Murrays' for dinner and games. We had a wonderful time. They made the best wings I've ever had. Saturday, I went to a bridal shower for our old babysitter, Alyssa, and I taught Relief Society on Sunday. James got home in time for an ordination at 6.

Monday was crazy busy. James had parent/teacher conferences while I was home struggling to find the motivation to pack for 2 separate trips. I managed somehow. Tuesday morning, we woke up at 3:40 A.M. to drive to the Salt Lake airport. Despite some almost carsickness, I made it one piece to RDU by 4:00 P.M. I had a pretty horrible headache from the lack of sleep, but good old Excedrin had me feeling pretty good through the rest of the day. I went to Cine Bistro with Brinson and Ceci to watch Morbius. It was a very different kind of movie. I absolutely loved my poke bowl. Grandma and Grandpa Schillemat arrived fairly late.

Wednesday, Mom had surgery for kidney stones. Everyone came over to do a project with the chicken coop, so I got to meet the babies. I made dinner for everyone and then headed over the Christian and Rachel's for the night. We watched Death on the Nile and ate hot Cheetos.

Thursday, every came over to Christian and Rachel's for lunch and egg-dying. I helped with the setup and cleanup, though Rachel was really on top of things despite having a 1-month-old. After cleaning up, I headed to Myles and Skyla's. We had a late dinner and hung out talking till late. (Actually, I stayed up till at least midnight every night, often 1, but woke up by 7 or 8. Oops.)

After a yummy brunch, I went back to Apex. Mara and her kids were there, so we hung out and visited Carmel's work. The missionaries came over for dinner, and I found out that one was from Vernal and one of James's former students. I still can't believe it! At 8:00, I went to the temple with the grandparents and Brinson and Ceci. Grandpa had me help him with a lot of family history stuff, and I'm really impressed with how much he's using technology now. He and Grandma have been doing tons of names. Grandma made a few phone calls during the week so I could work on the directory, and now we're missing only a few pieces on information. Hopefully soon I'll be able to print it and mail it to them. Grandpa also sent 2 toolboxes with me for my younger kids. They love them already.

I went to Mara and Ricky's in the morning. We ate lunch at Bojangles and went to a few thrift stores. We then went on a walk in the afternoon and played with bubbles while Mara made dinner. After the girls went to bed, we all played Apples to Apples with Brinson and Ceci and had some cheesecake.

After a night at Mara's, I went back to Apex to be able to ride to Wade's baby blessing and not spend a ton on gas. (It's a dollar cheaper than UT, but still.) Wade's blessing went really well, and we had a delicious lunch at Myles and Skyla's afterward. The grandparents left to go home partway, so the rest of us hung out the rest of the day. Monday was the same, mostly hanging out. We got Cookout for lunch and at 4, Dad took me to the airport. My return flight was MUCH better because they got rid of masks, I had a window seat with no one by me, I ate enough, and I bought a WiFi pass so I could see how James was doing. I only had to wait about 15 minutes outside. We went to an Airbnb in Herriman, near where Mara used to live, for the night.

Tuesday, we took a quick trip to IKEA and got lunch. We then spent the afternoon at the Natural History museum before heading home. I felt pretty awful by then because I still didn't sleep more than 6 hours, but we made it home. The last 2 days have gone smoothly, even switching out the tires, which is sometimes a huge hassle.

My family had a good time in Rexburg as well doing the usual Easter stuff. This trip was especially illuminating to me on how much energy it takes to take care of everyone. I didn't get a lot of sleep but didn't feel especially tired while I was gone. It was, at least mentally, incredibly restful. It was even peaceful to drive between siblings'  houses because I was alone and no one needed me in the back seat. I had no idea how mentally drained I felt when I left, but I enjoyed every minute. I had time for meaningful conversations, didn't have to rush, and got to do whatever I wanted for almost a week. I'm definitely going to do it again sometime!

Now, I just need to catch up on sleep and water. This desert air has me feeling pretty parched.

Water Heater, Conference, Kenny's 10th Birthday

We ended up fixing the water heater last Friday. It went pretty well. The part that took forever was getting it to drain, which didn't really start happening until James pulled out the top element. He successfully replaced the top element and thermostat and the bottom element, which is what was broken. We could tell by looking at; it was so corroded and nasty. We saved the other thermostat for later because it doesn't quite match.

Conference was good. After the second session on Saturday, we met up with the Boyles at the park and had some dinner. Sunday morning, we invited Katie, Samantha, and Amy over to watch and eat lunch. It was really fun! I appreciated the messages about peace.

Monday night, Kenny was sick, so he missed school on Tuesday, his birthday. Luckily, he started feeling much better and has made a full recovery without passing it on to anyone. I think he really liked his presents. I still haven't found a cake that he really loves, though.

I signed Lewis up for Kindergarten yesterday. So weird.

James and Kenny leave for Rexburg after school. Yes, it's a lot of driving for a weekend, but I didn't feel good about extending my trip since I leave for NC on Tuesday. James will leave Kenny in Rexburg and come back for Sunday night and Monday. It's going to be a busy few weeks, and I'm excited for the trip, but I know I'll be glad to be home afterward. :)

My 34th Birthday, Projects

I had a good birthday. On Thursday, James and I got some sliders at Arby's and then went to Coldstone for ice cream. We hadn't been there in forever! Friday, I met James for some sushi in his classroom. I had to run some errands afterward, but everything worked out well. I made chocolate pound cake, which we enjoyed after dinner. The Relief Society activity was fun. I passed on the cake and ice cream since I already had some at home and liked mine better. ;)

Saturday, I attended a baby shower for my old neighbor on Zoom. It was pretty fun, and I even won one of the games. Unfortunately, that gift card went toward supplies for fixing our water heater, which either has a burned out element or broken thermostat. It's limping along, though, as long as I'm okay with about 7 minutes of hot water for a shower. We plan to work on it Saturday afternoon during Conference and replace both elements and thermostats.

When I realized it was broken, I put that stress into cleaning some random stuff that needed it. I organized the laundry room shelves and the shed. That wasn't enough, so I deep cleaned the girls' room and went through all the clothes of the youngest 3 kids. I ended up with several bags of trash and a big bag of clothes for D.I. I already donated them, took the littles to the library, and got some killer deals at the grocery store so I won't have to shop again until after spring break. Lewis and Samantha are getting easier to take places, and I'm really grateful for that.

James and Joseph went to the temple really early on Wednesday. I'm really grateful to have a temple so close, even though I didn't sleep well that night.

James and I went shopping last night for Kenny's birthday, which is next Tuesday. Mission accomplished! Our real date is today, so we're going to see a movie.

Bookcases, Outside Projects

We eventually got the bookcases put together by late Thursday night. It took longer than expected, but we had to figure out where they'd look best, drill an opening for our router, and buy some extension cords with flat plugs since the bookcases cover an outlet. Without the extra stuff, I think it would've taken 3 hours to just put them together. I didn't end up framing in the window like I thought because I didn't like how the bookcases looked there, and they made the reading nook a weird shape. We decided on the wall where the piano was instead, and I think they look great! I spent until lunchtime on Friday organizing, repairing, and shelving books, plus cleaning up the disaster of cardboard and trash from the night before and rearranging and cleaning my room (where one of the bookcases used to be). Things I absolutely love about these bookcases:

1. They weren't that expensive.

2. They're really tall, almost to the ceiling.

3. They fit all of our books with room to spare. (I've got some Amazon wish lists ready for books I want to buy for the kids for upcoming birthdays and Christmases.)

4. They're really sturdy.

5. The shelves are more than tall enough to fit binders and deep enough to fit the largest of books.

6. They look great!

The library area is cozy, and all 5 kids have used it for reading already. They've also taken interest in books they haven't looked at in a long time because they were hidden away in my room, a cabinet, or in the boys' room. I am absolutely thrilled at how well everything turned out. This is one of my favorite birthday presents ever.

Saturday was going to be a lazy day, but for some reason, we decided to clean up our yard and power wash all the concrete surfaces. James took extra time on the front sidewalk, which has always been caked in mud, and it looks great now. Though it made the day busy, the results were completely worth it.

Yesterday, I took the ShopVac and did a thorough job of vacuuming out the car. It took 1 1/2 hours, but it was also worth it. I usually have the kids do it, but they have never been great about the vacuuming. It looks so much better now. If there's anything I've learned about owning a house, it's that there are always more things to clean and organize. The last few weeks were pretty intense with the chain reaction of organization. Moved freezer to cabin > moved dining room back to kitchen > made empty area into a reading nook > rearranged my room. Of course that meant tons of cleaning, but it also means there's a lot less clutter and dust in my house.

My birthday's tomorrow, though, so I'm not go to do anything else productive outside of the norm.

People have been a little sick with a cold, but I think we're all better now. Everyone is back at school.

IKEA, UCET

Thursday night, we went on  date to see Mamma Mia! The high school did a pretty good job. I love ABBA's music.

We went to a YW dinner/auction on Friday night. It was pretty fun, even though we didn't end up winning anything. Saturday, I watched Women's Conference in the cabin since I was feeling a little crummy. (Thanks, PMS.) We hosted game night, and I was feeling a lot better by then.

I'd been checking online to see what IKEA had in stock for bookcases. I'm glad I did, but I also caused myself a ton of stress because they didn't have a lot of bookcases left. I favorited 21 different bookcases, most of which were out of stock. By the time James got to IKEA on Monday night, there were 3 left of one particular bookcase. He bought 2 of them, and someone else bought the other before the store closed that night. IKEA has not yet restocked anything else that would be the right size for the space we're dealing with.

If that's not a tender mercy, I don't know what is. I saw the inventory go down quickly over the week, especially on Saturday, but no one bought any bookcases on Sunday or Monday until James got there. I had a couple of backup ideas in mind, but I'm so glad I didn't have to use them. IKEA has never let me down. Their stuff is cheap and pretty sturdy, even when it's not made of solid wood. The bookcases we ended up getting were not the first ones I thought I'd want, but James said they looked sturdier and better than the others on my list. He also came home with 3 bar stools that look like cute chairs, a gaming chair, a nightstand, and a shelving unit, plus a few odds and ends. Between last night and this morning, I've put everything together except for the bookcases. (That's a 2-person job!) I'm absolutely thrilled that it worked out so well. We're planning on putting the bookcases together as our "date" today, which means I get to spend tomorrow organizing the library. This is my early birthday present. :)

The main reason James went to Salt Lake (well, Draper and Provo, really) was for UCET, an educational technology conference. He left Monday right after school and went to IKEA, then to the hotel. Tuesday, he was at the conference all day and ate dinner with his cousin Cort. Wednesday, he came home after the conference was over. Things went all right here. Tuesday was the hardest day due to the time change. Joseph also stayed home from school and was coughing a lot, which really got on my nerves. I think we've caught up on sleep now. He and Kenny are home today, which has been a huge help. They entertained the littles while I put stuff together. Their slight illness ended up being a blessing in disguise.

Rearranging

I've found that the best way to deep clean an area is to rearrange it. For about 5 years, we've had our dining room in the back part of the living room (with an indoor/outdoor rug to help keep the mess to a minimum.) James suggested that we move the dining room back to the end of the kitchen. In order to do that, I had to defrost the big freezer so James could move it to the cabin. I enlisted the kids to scrub the walls and I cleaned the windows and floor before moving the table and chairs. Now that the dining room is in the actual dining room, we have a small "den" area at the back of the living room. I want to turn it into a library. James is planning on going to IKEA next week while he's in the area for an educational conference. My plan is to create a cool wall of shelves/bookcases that frame in the window and can hold all of our books in one place.

We also did some rearranging in our room, removing an unused chair and table so my dresser could come out of the closet. We were hoping to get the same shelves for the closet that we already have, but they were almost double the price as before. Still, we freed up tons of room in the closet and bedroom, and the closet is nice and clean now.

Other than that, we've had a pretty normal week. James was home one day with a cold, but he's doing all right. It was milder for me, to the point where I barely noticed it. I've lost count of how many colds I've had since September, but most of them have been really mild.

I'm already seeing the benefits of moving the dining room. I'm not allowing the kids to eat in the living room anymore (which is easier since the table is further away), so there's a lot less vacuuming to be done. Having a freezer in the cabin means we can store treats there without the kids knowing and bring them to the small freezer when we're ready. It also means we'll have a place to store frozen treats for game nights. We can also start buying nerdy magnets to decorate the freezer. I'm so excited. :)

Another Nephew, Goals

We've had a pretty low-key week so far, and I'm not complaining. The snow is melting, everyone's healthy, and Covid has all but disappeared from Uintah County.

James didn't have students on Monday, so I joined him for lunch at the Chinese place. We didn't do anything special at home.

Exciting news: we have another nephew! Rachel and Christian had their baby on Tuesday. He doesn't have a name yet. I'm so excited to meet my nephews in April over spring break.

I've made a goal to return to some good habits I'd left behind, mostly due to a miserable pregnancy, then a pandemic. I want to make whole wheat bread at least once a week and include more fruits and veggies in our meals/snacks. I used to get Bountiful Baskets and loved them. Though I didn't get to choose what was in them, I enjoyed the challenge of cooking an occasional "weird" vegetable and using up everything within a week or two. BB hasn't been available for a number of years now, and I don't think it's ever coming back. :( Because of the size of my fridge and family, I need to go to the grocery store once a week now, but every other week will just be a small trip for produce. The little kids were actually really well-behaved when I took them yesterday after the library. 

Other food goals for my family will include eating out less often (2x a month instead of every week), including more beans and fish with our meals, and setting specific days for treats. I've found that I don't really want to make dessert more than once a week anyway, but the kids love ice cream, so I think I'll stick to baking on Saturday and having ice cream for FHE. Thanks to the pandemic, I no longer want to eat chips, ice cream, or desserts as much. It turns out that even the most delicious of foods lose their appeal if you eat them often.

Kenny and Katie's glasses came, and they look adorable!

I'm really happy about all the sunshine. When I think back to January, I can see that I feel a lot better about waking up than I did then.

Glasses, Heads Visit, A Little Sick, Snow

I took Kenny and Katie to the eye doctor on Friday and found out that they both need glasses. Kenny is nearsighted, but Katie is farsighted. Because of the extra effort to focus on things up close, things far away would look more blurry for Katie. (Both she and Kenny have complained about not being able to see the board at school.) I ordered their glasses on Zenni and got them 2 pairs each, one for school and one for home.

James's parents, Anna, and Joseph arrived on Saturday afternoon. We had a fun time hanging out with them. I made both Saturday and Sunday's meats in the sous vide, and they turned out great (chicken tacos, fish and grits). Meat is so much better when it's not overcooked! I subbed for Primary music on Sunday, and I think it went well.

Monday and Tuesday, I worked with Rex. That went pretty well too. I read a whole book already this week and watched the movie. I was really tired when I got home on Tuesday, but I thought it was just from working a lot. By Tuesday night, I had a sore throat. Oddly enough, it's gone already. (I tested negative for Covid, btw.) Joseph stayed home yesterday, and he and Katie are both home today. I'm still feeling kind of tired, but as far as colds go, this one is really mild with no real respiratory symptoms.

Monday through Wednesday, we got 2 snowstorms and a foot of snow. I'm not sure how to feel about it. It's February, and the snow we already had wasn't all melted. I usually think of Valentine's Day as the "turning point" of winter where the snow starts going away, but it's going to take a lot longer now. The kids have had lots of fun playing in it, and it looks a lot better than the dead grass. Also, though it's really cold for a few days, the sun is out, which makes the snow look like glitter. I can handle that.