Drone, Baptism, Phone

Katie went to a birthday party on Friday, so I ran some errands while she was there. Meanwhile, James had driven to Rangely, CO, to take a test for his commercial drone license. He passed!

Saturday, I took the girls out to breakfast while the boys went to the Priesthood Commemoration at Remember the Maine. A girl in our ward got baptized that afternoon. There were a few hiccups, like the font not being filled, but it worked out with a little bit of rearranging the program. The kids and I went to a cookout at the family's house that afternoon and stayed till 7.

Tuesday, we went shopping for Joseph's main birthday present: a phone (number). We decided to stay with prepaid plans for now. I'm giving him my old phone, so we had to get SIM card for it and set it up with an Apple account. I had a little trouble with the server, but I figured things out. We ordered a fun, new case for it too. I'm particularly proud of the Memoji I created for Joseph. It looks just like him.

Today, it's Lewis's last day of school and Kindergarten program. I can't believe it! That means it's my last time walking to the bus stop for a few months, and the last time I have to convince Samantha to get dressed for the weather to walk down the street. This fall, it's her turn.

Lewis learned how to ride a bike this week! It was one of my summer goals to teach him, but he was pretty motivated to do it himself. He absolutely loves it and wants to ride all the time. This is such a great time of year. The kids are so happy to be outside all the time. They're all tan already too.

Tabernacle, Mother's Day, Rash, Play, Social Media

On Friday night, we went to Roosevelt to see the Tabernacle replica. It was really cool, much bigger than I expected. Joseph was volunteering with other youth from our ward, so he didn't get home till 10.

Saturday, James and I went out for lunch and then James hung out with Devin. I installed a new bulletin board in the kitchen and stuffed animal net for Katie.

Mother's Day was all right. I got books and chocolate, plus delicious meals that I didn't have to cook. I wish there'd been less cleaning at the end of the day, but that's the way it goes.

Both Katie and James finished their antibiotics for strep throat. Katie ended up getting a beautiful amoxicillin rash that hasn't gone away yet. It looks a lot worse than it feels, and it's not contagious, so she's been going to school without complaint.

I went with Joseph and Kenny to a middle school play on Monday night. It was all right, kind of silly, but the boys liked it.

I'm tempted to quit social media. I've had several conversations this year where I remember that social media doesn't tell the whole story about a person, not even close. People often use it to express opinions that I don't agree with, and that's fine, but it has a way of dividing people that just wouldn't happen in real life if they'd just talk to each other. People in small, isolated areas like Vernal are definitely susceptible to thinking of "the others" as evil and terrible since Vernalites don't venture out of the rural bubble too often. When they do, it's to Salt Lake for a weekend. I've seen the division online over and over again, whether it's about politics, religious beliefs, or even sushi. There is an abundance of good news, but there's also a lot of bad news I wouldn't have to know about otherwise. I'm not sure what I'll do yet.

Remember the Maine, Strep Throat, Not My Problems

Friday, we hosted a game night, and that was fun.

We had a really good Saturday afternoon hanging out with the Boyles at Remember the Maine. We roasted some hotdogs and had s'mores. I feel like summer has officially begun once I've eaten a s'more. Another of James's coworkers came with his family (drawing a blank on their last name), so we spoke Spanish most of the time. I only blanked on words once or twice! We also got our yardwork done and sprinklers set up.

James got called to teach Gospel Doctrine, and Sunday was his first lesson. He had a bit of sore throat which started getting worse on Monday. A quick trip to urgent care later, he was diagnosed with strep throat. By some miracle, only Katie got it. Everyone else in the house is completely fine. He and Katie stayed home on Tuesday, which ended up being both fun and productive. James got all the bikes working again since we accidentally let them get buried in snow. We also played Pandemic: Legacy.

I've been struggling a little with things I can't solve. First, I want my parents to move, but the timing isn't quite right yet. I hate that I've had the idea because it makes me impatient for it to happen. Second, coming up with names of people to serve in Primary is a constant challenge. I wish everything could stay the same for 6 months! Heck, I'd even take 3. I've already gotten 9 new people, and it looks like I'll need 6 more by the end of summer. Third, I learned of 2 families who are going through some really hard stuff, and I can't do anything to solve their problems either. It's a good reminder that I'd rather have my own problems than theirs.

Better, Projects, Waterfall, Primary

My shoulder is 100% better and so is my cold! I was feeling well enough to make a princess dress, shirt, and pair of pajamas for Samantha's 18" doll. James got the yard stuff done, and I even set up watering even though we don't need to do it quite yet. I ran some errands today, including getting a solenoid for the sprinkler system. One zone will turn on but not off. Thankfully, a solenoid is an easy fix that I've done twice now.

The weather has been super nice. We went to the park on Saturday and had pizza with the kids. Monday, we hiked up to a waterfall in Dry Fork Canyon. It was steep, and I was definitely unprepared for that, but the view was amazing. I've never seen a waterfall in that canyon. I guess all the melting snow has been good for something. There was another smaller waterfall that we didn't hike too, but it also looked really cool.

Tuesday, I had a presidency meeting. It was great, as always, and I felt motivated the next morning to get my checklist done and reorganize my binder. I underestimated how often things would change, so I had to reprint a bunch of stuff. (I'll never not use paper, even though I love digital.) I don't mind reprinting things once a quarter, which it what I'm going to do from now on so I don't end up with so many scribbles all over everything.

I've been feeling a bit grumpy this week, even though the weather's been nice. May is one of my favorite months. We don't need a lot of heat, AC, or water, which makes the utility bills cheaper. It's the first month with consistently warm weather. I also worry less about school since it's almost over for the year. (It's like the Friday of the school year.) I love being able to pack everyone up and go somewhere outside easily, no coats or boots needed, just sandals. The kids are happier and are starting to get blonder, more freckly, and less pale. This moodiness is temporary, I'm sure, and it will pass.