2020 school pictures

I didn't buy school pictures earlier because of finances, but I finally got around to buying the digital copies.  My cute kids were all groomed and pretty before they left for school and all three of them ended up with crazy hair!  I kind of love it just because it's funny.  These guys are all growing up great.  I love them!  

As a side note, we had such a fun night last night.  We got to facetime John and Diane's family and play games online with them.  I loved seeing their faces!  It's been 2 years since we've seen most of the Robertson family.  All these cousins are so grown up!

 

Frozen Utah Lake

 

So yesterday it actually snowed. We haven't had much snow at all, so the kids wanted to go sledding.  There looked like there would be enough snow, but there wasn't any snow in the places where we usually go sledding.  Since the kids were all bundled up for the cold, we took the opportunity to go visit the ice stacks on Utah Lake.  Jer put his back out this week, so he stayed home and did some light chores and we went to go explore.  I felt comfortable letting the kids walk on the ice because it wasn't very deep.  If they broke through, it would only go to their ankles or a little above.  I couldn't walk on the ice though.  After 9 months of physical therapy I can walk distances, but rough terrain like ice and mud are still really hard on me the next day.  As it is, I woke up really sore after risking the beach.  I just stayed on the beach and followed them as they wandered.  Evelyn was done pretty soon and came to stand by me, but the other kids were in heaven.  There were a couple people out there, but we all stayed pretty far apart.  Sam liked finding dead fish frozen in the ice. Ada found a couple getting their engagement photos done on the ice and kept narrating what if scenarios... including what if the bride fell in.

I have to admit that this was my favorite.  Sam was so disappointed about not getting to go sledding and being forced to go see something that he knew nothing about.  But I think he had fun.  I caught him laying out on big pieces of ice and sticking his hands behind his head like it was a summer vacation.  He didn't want to leave when it was time either.  That makes my heart happy.

To give you the scope of just how big these stacks were... here's where a couple people walked by the kids.  They were about 20 feet away, but they look like they are right next to each other.  And story about the lady on the right.  When it was time to go, we had all gathered up on the beach and putting cameras away, etc... This lady was nervously walking back and forth on the ice next too us.  She sounded like my Young Woman that has autism, so I asked if she was okay.  She explained that she has anxiety and was having an attack as she tried to cross over a muddy part back onto the beach.  I sent Sam back and he just walked in front of her back to the beach while she followed.  As soon as she was back on the beach you could see her take a huge breath and release.  I love that Sam was willing to help someone in need, and that we can still help even while keeping a distance.

The bride and groom.  Their pictures will be spectacular, but she might have to get her dress cleaned before the wedding.  It was muddy and snowy.

Sam and one of his dead fish.

Sam gets the Aaronic Priesthood

 

We definitely didn't plan on a pandemic for this phase of life, but it is.  We originally planned on both grandpas, Jer and Sam in the backyard for his ordination.  We had been out of school for two weeks and hadn't seen anyone in 9 days.  Then Jer started to cough. Our plans changed and McKay invited us over the next week to ordain Sam along with his Isaiah and ordaining Devin as a Teacher.  I think Sam was nervous like he always is with change, but once it actually happened felt better.  He's still learning that being a Deacon is about learning, not about knowing.  I'm so excited to see his growth the next couple of years.  He keeps asking when he can go to the temple.  We had told him last year that he could go in January.  Ooops.  Soon Sam, soon.

Seth and Jordan.  Jordan is Evelyn's age, but Seth and him get along well.

Grandpa Wilcox, Sam and Jer

Everyone that ended up being in the circle at one point (except Jordan... he's still got another 3 years or so before he gets the priesthood).

Seth, McKay, Jeremy, Roger

Devin, Isaiah, Sam

Jordan

I'm so happy for my boy!

January

 

It's become popular this month to go visit frozen Utah Lake.  My friend took these pictures of the ice stacks.  I want to take the kids down, but I just haven't gotten to it.  Hopefully we will before it all melts.

Our neighbors, and Jer's ministeree family are trying to rebuild their house.  New Year's Eve they had set off fireworks and put them in their garbage can next to the garage.  At 2:30 in the morning, one of the single guys in our neighborhood was coming back from a party and saw their house on fire.  He pounded on the door and woke them up.  They were able to evacuate and got their kids to sleep in the neighbor's house across the street while the fire department put out the fire.  It didn't look too bad, but now that they have taken off the roof, you can see that all the rafters were burnt from the inside.  God knows what we need.  He knew that that young man needed to come home at that late hour, and he knew that they needed neighbors that were willing to help them at that time.  For now, they are living in a hotel until the  damage is fixed, but the construction is being held up because of building permits.

This is my 2020-2021 survival kit.  It has everything I have needed this year.  Thermometer and handsanitizer station for the daycare.  Disinfectant wipes and sprays after they leave.  Diaper station. Left over food for the food pantry from the Parent Organization.  Shoe drawers. And mask station.  I have made about 200 homemade masks in the last year. (Thank you Amy Hansen for the wonderful pattern).  Some I gave to the school, some I gave to the daycare, but about a hundred of them sit in the bags on the the side of the cupboard.  If we leave the house, we grab a clean mask.  When we come home, we put it in the dirty bag.  When the bag is 3/4 full or at the end of the week, I wash it.  Unfortunately they don't dry very well, so we hang them out to dry to keep them from molding.

I bought the cupboard for daycare, but I was so much more grateful for it when COVID hit.

This dress is one that I made for Ada.  Evelyn was so excited when I pulled out all of the sized 12 dresses from storage for her.  She's been wearing dresses and smiling for a month.

Such a busy month

 This has been such a busy couple of weeks.  I'll start with this week and work backwards. 

For our Zoom YW's meeting, we did salt paintings.  That was such a fun activity.  This is the symbol for this year's YW's program.  We just painted it with food coloring.  This one was Ada's.  I think it's neat.  It's a thumb print.  Each of us are individuals and loved by God, but we all have a good work to do.

This was yesterday about 10 am.  I so wished I had a real camera, not just my phone...

Getting ready for zoom church this last Sunday.  These guys were waiting patiently.  The zoom connection wasn't working so we missed the first half, but finally got on for the second half.  It was Sam's first time passing the sacrament.  I love that we got to have him serve us in our home as a priesthood holder.  He's growing up.

Last Thursday, Seth was playing hide and seek with the kids and climbed up on our guest room bunk bed, slipped and fell.  He hit his head hard on a chair next to the bed. He came out crying and I thought he was fine.  Then I saw him bleeding and rushed him upstairs.  I washed him up in the sink and put a rag on his head.  I knew he'd need stitches, but Jer was giving blood at the blood bank and I had daycare for 10 more minutes.  I just held Seth's head while daycare kids left, then we took off for our after hours pediatricians office.  He was scared and asked if Sam could come.  Sam doesn't handle blood and pain very well, so he asked if he could bring the Nintendo Switch and play games with Seth on it.  He kept him happy in the van and while we waited for the doctor.  They don't do anesthesia at the office apparently, but he needed 8 staples.  He was so brave and held still even though he cried and screamed.  I don't know if I could have done that as a 6 year old.  We kept a clean gauze on it with a bandana for a couple of days, so he looked like he'd just come out of the 80's.  He got the staples out today.  He cried again, but held still and it only took a couple of minutes.  I asked if it hurt more to get them in or out.  He said that it was worse to put them in.

I will tell you that we haven't been to the pediatrician's office since the pandemic started.  That was a different experience to say the least.

We've also decided that pickleball is our favorite outdoor and socially distanced activity right now.  The park next to us put in 4 courts a year ago.  We've been making good use of them this month.  And it's nice that they have 4 courts.... that's enough room for all of us if we're all playing.  I'm so slow now though!  I used to run 3 miles almost every day and now my brain tells my body to run two or three steps and my body jerks that way but doesn't move so well.  Sheesh.