March 2023

My new monthly creative outlet has been to make a new chalk art drawing for each month. I've actually enjoyed taking the 30 minutes of creative time every month.

John got me this plant for Christmas. I've worked really hard at keeping it alive! It got root rot and so I had to re-pot it. Inside. In the winter. It was gross and messy. I'm still trying to master the watering and figure out what it likes. But it's still alive and green so I haven't failed yet!

I taught 7 classes a day for the entire month of March. Leo was usually right next to me working hard as well. 

The YW planned a "Gentleman's and YW dance. Emmie didn't want to go. But she and John went anyways. I can confirm that a good time was had by all. 

Emmie started having outdoor soccer games during March. The coldest March on record! Every game was miserable and windy, rainy, and sometimes even snowy. Bogus got record snow...100" over the course of the month. So when we got to go to an indoor band concert to support Emmie instead of an outdoor event we welcomed the change of scene. Not to mention that the 7th grade band sounded great! They were practicing songs that they would be performing later for a district competition/event.

I got a very surprising email...I got into the Counseling Program! I  actually literally almost threw up when I read it. My mind had completely moved on and I really didn't think I was going to get in. I was mentally preparing to get re-certified and back in the classroom. After some freaking out, I accepted the acceptance and then made John buy me some old counseling text books so I could start remembering how to read and retain information. The good news is that I'm enjoying the  material that I'm reading, the bad news is that I can't say that I'm retaining much of it. I hope my mind is in better shape by the time I start in August!

Ainsley had a few fun activities this month as well. Her roommate Hannah hosted a murder mystery dinner at her parents house in Sandy. It was 50's themed and these are the costumes that she and her roommate Laura came up with. Ainsley and Laura are going to be roommates next year at the Riviera. They were going to be living with their other roommate Sarah and a friend of Sarah's who will be home from her mission by then. But Sarah is getting married in August. They got contracts at the Riviera so that Sarah's friend could live with them, but now neither of them are. I think it will be a fun place for them to live, so I think it will all be fine. I just think it's kind of funny (and a little sad that their group of 4 dropped to a group of 2).

Alinsley also participated in disaster day again. This times she was a burn victim who died. She looks horrible! (In a good way.)

Owen also started track. He's focusing on running the mile and hoping it will help him letter in cross-country. So far he has had a new PR each track meet. His latest time was 5:47. I have been so impressed with how much he has improved his time! To me that time seems so fast!

 

Emmie has been forced to take on some extra running as well. Her soccer coach wants the girls to run more, so they have to run two miles and submit their times. I've been proud of her. She really doesn't like running, but she has gotten her mile times below 8:00 (almost to the 7:30 mark) and her two mile time is so much faster than is was last year.

For spring break this year we started the break a little early. We dropped off Leo with his new friends the Flakes, and we drove to Logan Utah on Thursday night for a college tour for Owen. We were driving 2 cars down so that we could take Ainsley her new car. So Owen and I drove the acura together and John and Emmie drove the van. It was Junior preview day so he and his friend Logan went. There were a lot of kids there and they gave some good information. Owen's words were, "It looks like fun." so I guess that's a win!

This is the only picture I got. So Lame! And the only reason I took it was because a lady in front of me was. Why am I so horrible at taking pictures!?

While Owen and I were at the preview, Emmie and John did baptisms for the dead at the Logan temple, went to a cheese factory, and then came and met up with us for the end of the tour for icecream and vendors.

Then we hopped in the car and drove to Salt Lake. Ainsley met us there. We just hung out at Steve and Alene's that night with Ains and the kids, oh, and we handed over the scion to Eric. Saturday we made a trip to IKEA (mostly because I had a return) and made a trip to Macy's for a kong cone. The we got together that night with Goob and Lewis, some of their friends, Steph's family, and Conlin and Quinn and her boyfriend for pizza and a game of Blood on the Clocktower. It was fun. Emmie was the town drunk. Which I still think is hilarious. You'll have to google it for more details.

We drove home on Sunday morning because we had to get back to Leo and Owen was leaving for Donnely with Logan's family to go skiing at Tamarack.

Monday was a relaxing day and I worked, then Tuesday (which was also John's birthday) Emmie and I drove up to Bogus for our last day of skiing. The snow was awesome, but we were both not feeling it and we drove home after only skiing for 2 hours. But that gave us enough time to wash John's truck for him for his birthday.....have I mentioned John got a new truck? I can't remember. But our old truck was needing more and more work and it just wasn't worth the repairs. So we found him a new (to us) truck and we are loving it! That evening we met up with my parents and Bailey and Norah (who were in town for the week while Kort and Dan were in Costa Rica) and we ate at 5 guys and then came back to our house for Chip Cookies and just hung out. 

The rest of the week we tried to do a few fun things...which was tricky with cranky teens and the age range. We played Joker and John made us mongolian BBQ one night. Another night we had a "Banana Night". We played banana grams, ate banana splits, and watched Paddington 2, because we couldn't think of a movie that was centered around bananas. And what's more bananas, or crazy, than a talking bear?! The movie was surprisingly good! We also took the girls to Winco one day while Owen was working and they got suppies to make cupcakes and then spend the afternoon baking and decorating. It wasn't the most exciting week, but I think everyone ended up having a good time.

February 2023

February was a busy month. I spent my days teaching more classes than I usually like to, but the money was nice. Owen was busy all month working and took the ACT. Emmie started outdoor soccer with practices on the turf at Meridian High School (when there wasn't snow on the ground).

Owen took up crochet. I'm not sure what prompted him, but his talent for things like that always amazes me!

The most exciting news of the month was when I was looking out the window and saw Emmie's truck driving by! What are the chances of that?!

For Emmie's health class they have to do community service. She was able to count her hours when we helped with the agency for New Americans and she also volunteered at the school helping a few teachers. 

I spent a Friday driving two refugees to dentist appointments in Caldwell. Everytime I do anything to volunteer for ANA it makes me feel so much sympathy for what these refugees are going through. I met a woman named Razzia from Ukraine. There was a massive language barrier, but we managed to make a few connections with the help of google translate. I went to a meeting to be put on a list to be a mentor for a refugee family. I had offered to be a mentor for Razzia's family, but I haven't heard anything yet so I don't know if it's going to happen. 

In other news, my dad bought a new car. And then proceeded to offer his old car to Ainsley. So John and I agreed to help Ainsley buy her first nice car. She gets to drive a 2012 Acura SUV with on ly 80k miles. Hopefully that car will last her a LONG time! Sadly we had to say good-bye to the little Scion. We ended up selling it to Steph and Eric. So at least we know it's going to a good home!

The other big news of the month was that I got an interview at ISU for the counseling program. The only bummer was that the interview was on my birthday. I haven't been that stressed in a long time! I didn't even have anything to wear!  I spent weeks reading and practicing interview questions and shopping for professional attire. I made John interview me several times, and talked out-loud to myself for hours, but when I finally showed up for my birthday I still didn't think it went great. It was a 2 1/2 hour process. I was there with 10ish other people and I learned that they were interviewing 40 people and only had 20 spots available. my expectations for actually getting into the program were very low. There were 3 parts of the interview. An individual interview (where I was interviewed by the head of the department...just my luck) where I was asked questions like, "What is a feeling you are uncomfortable having?" and "What is a feeling you are uncomfortable seeing in other people?" I couldn't even think of any feelings at that given moment and I had no idea what they were looking for. Then we had a portion with 2 applicants where we did a mock counseling session on each other, and then we had a group portion where we read a case and had to analyze it. I came away not having any clue as to whether I had done well or not. I was the oldest person there, and I walked away thinking I should look into renewing my teaching certificate. 

I drove home and in an attempt to celebrate my birthday I got myself a Cafe Rio salad. Sadly it was the grossest salad I had ever eaten at any Cafe Rio. I was starving and emotionally drained. John and the kids took me out to Red Pavilion that night and we had tres leches cake and watched second hand lions.  A pretty low-key end to a stressful birthday.

February was filled with lots of skiing. I went up with Owen and Logan and Brooke and Piper. I think we did 2 runs with Owen and Logan but the girls had fun together on easier runs! It was a nice day! Emmie and I also went up several times and even did some night skiing with her soccer team. We definitely got good use of our ski passes this year!

And I think that's all for the month of February!

January 2023

January began with the family all at home and ended with Ainsley back at BYU. Ainsley had a week at home while the rest of us were back to work and school, and then John and I drove her back to Provo the second week of January. Emmie wanted to stay home so she could go to Molly's birthday party (which included a Hotel stay) and Owen wanted to stay home because he had to work. However they ended up canceling on him and so he just got a nice quiet weekend to himself. But Emmie had a great time at her party! 

While we were in Salt Lake, we got Ains all set up, and her car working (because she came home to a dead battery) and then we rushed home on Saturday because John was being set apart as the second counselor in the new bishopric. So his parents came back with us as well. It was a quick trip but nice to have everyone here. The quote of the day was when John went up to bear his testimony and shared that after his interview with the stake president I asked him what he was going to do about his face (because he has kind of a grumpy looking resting face). 

We had family over for dinner after church. It was a nice visit with everyone and it was nice that John's brother and dad and my dad could be in the circle when he was ordained a high priest.

There is no purpose to this picture...other than the fact that it makes me laugh.

Ainlsey got a hydroponic growing system for Christmas and has fully enjoyed the lettuce that she now grows herself.  

This January was also the first birthday of Ainsley's that I didn't get to spend with her. It was so sad and strange. Her birthday was on a Friday and Brooke and I went up skiing. And then that night we went out to Cafe Rio while we face timed Ainsley. She also just happened to be eating Cafe Rio and we visited with her for a bit while she opened her presents. But she has yet to send me any pictures.

January was also registration day for FSY. I spent hours on the computer all morning trying to get Emmie and Elsie registered (Her parents had to work) and after hours of getting kicked out repeatedly and sitting in waiting rooms I was finally able to get then registered. But the joke is on me because later that night there were still lots of seats available for the session we wanted and there was absolutely no waiting rooms.  Ugh.

Emmie also got to go to her fist stake dance. I think she had a good time. The night was a little chaotic because the adults were all at the adult session of stake conference while they were trying to get ready and arrange rides...but it all worked out as things tend to do.

Owen started a new job! He got a job at our beloved Cafe Rio. His first week he had to work  5 days in a row for training. Which meant that he made a lot of money, and ate a lot of Cafe Rio, and I didn't feed him dinner once.