What a busy, fun month! Although Mila was down in Chicago with Ali, we were still pretty busy. We started out with our traditional 4th of July picnic at the Bairds. Earlier that day Tal attended the parade with the Lines, and that evening we all went down the block for a cookout and Devan's awesome fireworks show. Rowan played in the splash pool with the big kids. Good times.
Later that week Tal and Devan went to the Father and Son Outing which was held up on Hawkes' property. Tal had a great time chopping wood and afterwards he and Dev did some target shooting.
Our friend Janell, who had lived in the Omatorium for a few months, headed back to Boise . . . news about an impending change in marital status is expected any day.
The week of sisterly fun took up most of the planning for this month: it was truly a feat! On Sunday, July 10, the Tal and Ro and I left after church and drove down to the Daws. On the 11th, Beebs and her big kids and Tal and I went to Cowabunga Bay, which is an amazing swimming place near their home. We got a babysitter to watch Ro and Brennan and Elise. We have wanted to go there for over a year--we always see it as we drive to and from Beebs. Although Mila wasn't with us, we hope to get back there sometime soon. Tal and Weston and Aidan had a great time on the lazy river and going down the waterslides. I even braved some of the slides myself!
On the 12th, Alison arrived with Milena and Meredith. Earlier that day I drove Tallis out to aquarium camp at The Living Planet Aquarium in Sandy. It was such a fun program! He went Tuesday and Wednesday mornings--he'll do a write up for the CuzChron. Elise and Ro had a great time playing with Meredith. Beebs' backyard is set up PERFECTLY for kids to play--even little kids. So I could set Ro free out there and not even worry! He had such a great time.
On the 13th Tal went to camp on the morning and we all went in the afternoon to pick him up and tour the aquarium. Even though it is small, it is a fantastic place! There are lots of fun exhibits and the camp was great. After we picked Tal up, we all went to a park near Beebs' house, ate a picnic lunch, and played on the SplashPad. We celebrated Meredith's recent birthday with cupcakes, too.
On the 14th Milena did some babysitting for us while we went to Kohl's. Combined, we saved over $500 (we threw away the receipts, so I don't know the exact amount) plus we got $50 Kohl's Cash! We combined all of our coupons and used Beeb's charge card. (The more you know . . . )
The 15th we picked Hil up and had a movie night on the big screen in Daw's basement. We watched Inception, which was pretty good! Some Facebook hacking also started to take place on this day, regarding swimming pools and boogers. Enough said.
On the 16th Tal and Ro and I picked up Mila from space camp and she gave us a tour. What fun! She will write a description for the CuzChron. On the 17th we were all feeling pukey--some of us even becoming pukey in actuality--so we stayed home from church and did laundry. Monday, the 18th, Ali and Mer flew out and the kids and I stayed at Beebs and rested from our labors. That evening, at FHE, Rowan was irreverently running through the room and tripped and hit his head on the handle of the chest in Daw's living room. He bled like mad and I had to run him in to the ER for four stitches. He kind of looks like Harry Potter now. Throughout our stay we did fun crafts with the kids, including a lot of play dough and making sun visors for all of the little cousins (basically, that is everyone but Ethan, who is a big cousin and might not want a foam sun visor).
Tuesday, the 19th, we packed up and headed out, stopping for several hours in Salt Lake to visit Grandma. She showed us all around the Family History Center and took us out to lunch at the Church Cafeteria. We also saw Marie Davis and Matt Flitton of Sugar City fame while we were there. We arrived home that night in time for Taco Tag!
On the 23rd, the kids went to the community breakfast (Pioneer Day celebration) but I had come down with a cold and was languishing at home. Around this time new monuments with name plates were put up in each of the Sugar City Parks--there was quite a controversy about the name "Strugglebuggy Park," which several people wanted for the park by the big hill. I think it sounds great, but it is too risque for some people, who seem to prefer "Mayor's Park" and stuff like that.
On the 30th Devan took all of the kids down to Shelley for a little family reunion at Nana's house, but I stayed home to welcome our Belgian dancers. I will give a full account of their comings and goings in next month's report. Although we have had much rain, Devan has been able to get a lot of work done on the shop, which is really looking good. All for now!
Sunday, August 7, 2011
Sunday, July 3, 2011
Summer is here!
Sumertime is here full force! It was ushered in at a cousins’ dinner with Uncle Kevin and his progeny and hangers-on. It is always fun to see everyone. Unfortunately (or not) we were unable to drink the pop or eat the (Evans!) brownies, because the kids and I took a “No Sugar” vow for the entire month. And we have done pretty well! I think each one of us digressed a little, but overall we were very careful to avoid refined sugar.
Mila renounced her vow a little early because she was heading out to Ali’s house at the end of the month. Before she left, she enjoyed two concerts at the college with me—a clarinet recital (which Mana also attended) and a woodwind quintet. The newly formed quintet, made up of faculty members at the college, requested the audience to suggest possible names for their group. We came up with two: “Breaking Wind” and “Spitting Image.” They were not amused. Luckily, our submissions were anonymous. She and I also went to a performance of “Waiting for Godot” at the university and, with other homeschool kids, toured the Spori art gallery, which was hosting a display of Russian Impressionist art.
Mila trained her friends to do her paper route while she is gone; even Tallis did it once (after much goading on my part). Having a paper route was so inspiring to her friends that the Kennelley boys have also picked one up. In more somber news, Mila’s two adopted chickens, Maimed and Mauled, had to be airlifted out of the chicken yard and put in intensive care in the backyard. When they were big (and recovered) enough, they moved into the side yard with the goats. Unfortunately Maimed never really got better and flew to Vegas early one morning by way of the water bucket. Mauled, however, is doing well. Pretty soon we’ll just be able to call her Molly. She and Tal have been going to a singing class every Monday with other neighborhood kids (mostly homeschool group). Mr. Cherrington, whom many of you know, agreed to teach a weekly vocal class for the summer. The kids are really enjoying it.
Tal really enjoyed going to the father and sons outing with Devan. They chopped a lot of wood and did some target practice out on Hawkes’ dry farm. Tal has been taking trumpet lessons from our most recent houseguest, Janel. He sounds great! He also participated in a bike rodeo at the church for scouts. Since he rides four miles—and sometimes more—every day, it was a piece of cake for him. He always remembers to wear his helmet and he knows the correct hand signals.
Tal is doing so much biking because he returned for the summer to his alma mater, Shumway Academy, with his friend, Dustin Brower. The school is in Salem, not far from the Salem church. Every morning Tallis, Mila, Rowan (in a bike trailer), and I put our helmets on and head over to Browers to pick up Dustin. Often his younger brother, Dillon, comes as well. We are also usually joined by at least one Baird and one Gifford, sometimes two. So it is quite a procession we make as we go the two miles to Shumway, drop off two of the boys, and head back. Shanelle Brower picks the kids up in the afternoon—she often rides her bike or drives behind the boys as the pedal home.
Tal isn’t the only one who went back to school—I started a Master’s program in Humanities at Fort Hays State University, the same place Ali is doing her program. I’m just taking one class right now, but it is very interesting. I am not going to try to rush through it . . . I’ll probably take only a class or two each year. I also attended the adjunct retreat which was held in Driggs at Bennion Boys’ Ranch. Good conversation, good food, and good ideas for my next class were all in abundance.
Since Mila was flying out on the 26th, I took advantage of our trip and had a One Heart meeting with Dushku on Friday. The next day we met with two other sisters from our MTC group—“Group 13”—and went to the sealing in the Bountiful temple of our final MTC sister, Derebeeva the love-slava. It was so much fun to see them all. We had lunch at a great Japanese restaurant after the wedding and then Dushku and I travelled back up to Logan. Once there I had to gather the kids and head down to Herriman, where Beebs et al. let us crash since I had to take Mila to the airport the next day. We enjoyed a pleasant Sabbath with them, including a fantastic pot roast, and then Tal and Rowan and I headed back to Sugar City.
Rowan was accompanied on this trip by Tal’s baby, “Orbit,” and Orbit’s long-lost benign twin brother, “Tibro.” We were in DI (looking for a bicycle for Mila for the scout bike rodeo) when Rowan spotted Tibro in the toy section and was convinced that it was Orbit. Luckily for us they turned out to be related. Ro is really starting to vocalize. His favorite song is “Occo” (Popcorn), accompanied by appropriate hand gestures, and his repertoire of signs is growing. The other Sunday Devan had to take him out of sacrament meeting because he was being fussy. He seemed hungry and kept making the sign for “apple.” Devan offered him milk, cereal, banana . . . to no avail. Ro insisted he wanted an apple. Finally Devan took out his iPad so Rowan could draw. Ro grabbed the iPad, turned it over and pointed at the logo—an apple. That’s what he wanted all along!
Devan is an angel to take care of Ro during sacrament, even when he’s sunburned and tired from working on the shop all Saturday. It is going up and looks really good. Mana’s husband, Cameron, and Alec (from across the street) come by to help sometimes, and the Line men and Mitch Gifford have also pitched in. It will be nice to get that done. Dev is enjoying his work at the college and recently spent the day with administrators from LDS business college who had come up to visit campus and learn about some of the innovations going on here.
A fun, busy month!
Mila renounced her vow a little early because she was heading out to Ali’s house at the end of the month. Before she left, she enjoyed two concerts at the college with me—a clarinet recital (which Mana also attended) and a woodwind quintet. The newly formed quintet, made up of faculty members at the college, requested the audience to suggest possible names for their group. We came up with two: “Breaking Wind” and “Spitting Image.” They were not amused. Luckily, our submissions were anonymous. She and I also went to a performance of “Waiting for Godot” at the university and, with other homeschool kids, toured the Spori art gallery, which was hosting a display of Russian Impressionist art.
Mila trained her friends to do her paper route while she is gone; even Tallis did it once (after much goading on my part). Having a paper route was so inspiring to her friends that the Kennelley boys have also picked one up. In more somber news, Mila’s two adopted chickens, Maimed and Mauled, had to be airlifted out of the chicken yard and put in intensive care in the backyard. When they were big (and recovered) enough, they moved into the side yard with the goats. Unfortunately Maimed never really got better and flew to Vegas early one morning by way of the water bucket. Mauled, however, is doing well. Pretty soon we’ll just be able to call her Molly. She and Tal have been going to a singing class every Monday with other neighborhood kids (mostly homeschool group). Mr. Cherrington, whom many of you know, agreed to teach a weekly vocal class for the summer. The kids are really enjoying it.
Tal really enjoyed going to the father and sons outing with Devan. They chopped a lot of wood and did some target practice out on Hawkes’ dry farm. Tal has been taking trumpet lessons from our most recent houseguest, Janel. He sounds great! He also participated in a bike rodeo at the church for scouts. Since he rides four miles—and sometimes more—every day, it was a piece of cake for him. He always remembers to wear his helmet and he knows the correct hand signals.
Tal is doing so much biking because he returned for the summer to his alma mater, Shumway Academy, with his friend, Dustin Brower. The school is in Salem, not far from the Salem church. Every morning Tallis, Mila, Rowan (in a bike trailer), and I put our helmets on and head over to Browers to pick up Dustin. Often his younger brother, Dillon, comes as well. We are also usually joined by at least one Baird and one Gifford, sometimes two. So it is quite a procession we make as we go the two miles to Shumway, drop off two of the boys, and head back. Shanelle Brower picks the kids up in the afternoon—she often rides her bike or drives behind the boys as the pedal home.
Tal isn’t the only one who went back to school—I started a Master’s program in Humanities at Fort Hays State University, the same place Ali is doing her program. I’m just taking one class right now, but it is very interesting. I am not going to try to rush through it . . . I’ll probably take only a class or two each year. I also attended the adjunct retreat which was held in Driggs at Bennion Boys’ Ranch. Good conversation, good food, and good ideas for my next class were all in abundance.
Since Mila was flying out on the 26th, I took advantage of our trip and had a One Heart meeting with Dushku on Friday. The next day we met with two other sisters from our MTC group—“Group 13”—and went to the sealing in the Bountiful temple of our final MTC sister, Derebeeva the love-slava. It was so much fun to see them all. We had lunch at a great Japanese restaurant after the wedding and then Dushku and I travelled back up to Logan. Once there I had to gather the kids and head down to Herriman, where Beebs et al. let us crash since I had to take Mila to the airport the next day. We enjoyed a pleasant Sabbath with them, including a fantastic pot roast, and then Tal and Rowan and I headed back to Sugar City.
Rowan was accompanied on this trip by Tal’s baby, “Orbit,” and Orbit’s long-lost benign twin brother, “Tibro.” We were in DI (looking for a bicycle for Mila for the scout bike rodeo) when Rowan spotted Tibro in the toy section and was convinced that it was Orbit. Luckily for us they turned out to be related. Ro is really starting to vocalize. His favorite song is “Occo” (Popcorn), accompanied by appropriate hand gestures, and his repertoire of signs is growing. The other Sunday Devan had to take him out of sacrament meeting because he was being fussy. He seemed hungry and kept making the sign for “apple.” Devan offered him milk, cereal, banana . . . to no avail. Ro insisted he wanted an apple. Finally Devan took out his iPad so Rowan could draw. Ro grabbed the iPad, turned it over and pointed at the logo—an apple. That’s what he wanted all along!
Devan is an angel to take care of Ro during sacrament, even when he’s sunburned and tired from working on the shop all Saturday. It is going up and looks really good. Mana’s husband, Cameron, and Alec (from across the street) come by to help sometimes, and the Line men and Mitch Gifford have also pitched in. It will be nice to get that done. Dev is enjoying his work at the college and recently spent the day with administrators from LDS business college who had come up to visit campus and learn about some of the innovations going on here.
A fun, busy month!
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