Busy teens

 

The next two months feel like we're going full tilt.  This last week, Seth has had 4 after school rehearsals for his play next week. Loved doing the egg drop with the youth at the church and was proud that their egg lasted a long time.

Evelyn got to go to a Yo-Yo Ma concert with her orchestra class.  Such a cool thing.  She's started private lessons with the owner of the ballet studio to see if she would be interested or ready to go on pointe soon.  She likes it so far.

Sam has been pulling 13 hour days at the school most of the last two weeks.  Between early morning rehearsals for jazz band, after school esports competitions, his regional solo and ensemble competitions (which he got 1s on both of them!), and the pit orchestra for Into the Woods... we say prayers in the morning and night before he does homework and goes to bed.

Ada is counting down just a couple days until State competitions which means hours on end at the school finishing her groups 3 presentations and working on the clubs' service project.  She also did her semifinal interview for the sterling scholar competition.  She's got a one in 4 chance to go to the finals.  She doesn't think she'll go through to the next round but I'm proud of her for participating whether or not she wins anything. 

As a family, we got to go to baby Jackie's baby blessing.  All I kept thinking is that it's so neat to see her surrounded by people that love her and her parents.  It was a new experience for me to go to the student ward though.  I never did have that experience before.  There were sooooo many new babies.

Grandma Wilcox came with me to see Sam play (both his flute and piccolo) on Friday night.  Then Uncle Seth came with some of us on Saturday.  Again, just loved and surrounded by supporters!  Jer's parents are going with Ada on Tuesday (tonight).  

Last night was our nephew, Joseph B's senior recital as a piano major.  He's so amazing.  He has a natural talent and a happy and determined personality.  The youtube link for it wasn't working, so I'm going to watch it later tonight when I get a minute.

We've been trying to do temple baptisms about once a month or so... this time, Ada had scheduled to go to visit her friend in Weber, so it was the other 5 of us.  Ada had fun at the hot springs and hanging out with friends.  The kids added a new temple to their list of temples attended.

Cute Sammy in the pit.

Mother's day

Mother's Day weekend was eventful.  First I found a peacock wandering around by the bank.  

Jer started taking apart our bathroom.  I'm excited to have this done.  I hate making all the decisions about remodeling, but I love knowing when it's done.  Our toilet has stopped working, the tile is cracked and the grout is coming out... the mirror falls off the hinges if you open it and the tub door won't stay on it's track.  The shower drips constantly, the fan doesn't work and apparently they didn't use the right stuff behind the tub (which we found out as we took it out). Jer and the kids are amazing.  They did all the heavy stuff and a couple neighbors helped Jer get the tub out and to the trailer.  Jer pulled something in his back. We had been waiting for the missionaries to come by at 3:30, but they had tried to reset the appointment for 4:30.  My phone keeps randomly deleting texts since the last system update and this one had gotten deleted.  Jer was moving the tub at 4:30.  They ended up coming at 6:30.  They were whitewashing into our area and wanted to meet all the members.  The younger companion had only been out a couple weeks and looks so much like our own Elder Joseph Brasher.  They gave a message about the Book of Mormon and asked if there was anything that they could do for us.  I had tried to make sure that Jer had meds, ice and a tens unit.... and I asked if he wanted them to give him a blessing.  The younger missionary had never done a healing blessing and it was sweet to watch his companion teach him the steps.  Jer said that he immediately felt his back relaxing and has healed a lot faster than I've seen him heal with back things in the past.

For dinner I made "fancy ramen". I fried up green onions, garlic and beef. I got kimchi and boiled our last egg to slice on top.  Everyone liked it and filled up a lot faster than just with noodles.  I think it cost about $15 for all 6 of us.  It was fun too.  We've had a national egg shortage because a lot of chickens have died with the bird flu.  Our grocery stores didn't have eggs for about two weeks, but I found some on Saturday.  We're just being a little more cautious when we use them. 

My conspiracy side thinks it's suspicious that the week that the US promises weapons to the Ukraine (which we should have done a lot sooner) is the same week that 5 of our meat packaging plants burn down and over 30 million chickens catch the bird flu.  

Sam made my mother's day really sweet.  He did two batches of dishes, hand washed all the big dishes, swept the floor, cuddled with me and made me wacky cake. He really does have a big heart.

 

This week

Sam and Jer making a lesson for Sam to teach during last week's home church.

This week was our first week back at church together.  I was impressed by the precautions to keep everyone safe.  We all wore face coverings, sat 6 feet apart, the pulpit was cleaned after each person, and we all left out the same side so they could sanitize the benches for the next group.  We had 81 people come to church.... our ward was split into two groups and no more than 99 people are allowed in the building at a time.  Even passing the sacrament.... They carried two trays.  1 with water cups and 1 for the used cups so that we don't accidentally drip in water tray.  The parents took the bread and water for their kids so that not as many hands ended up in the bread. It was nice to sit in on a sacrament meeting for the first time in months.  Seth kept asking when he could go to Primary again.

Afterwards, we went up to the Alpine loop too see how I handle altitudes on my pressure medication.  It was spectacular, but hot.  I handled it just fine but I was rather sore already.  I had Prolotherapy in my hip the day before. I'm still a little sore today, but that's the point.  To heal the tissue around my hip, they aggravate it and make inflammation, then they put vitamins and other things in the tissue to help my body strengthen that particular spot.

We found a JW tree.... For you Nella....

I spent a lot of my weekend cutting out masks to donate to the school.  The Parent Organization will have a less community feel to it and more of a school nurse feel to it this year I think.  

fires

We have had two major fires this week.  One up behind Draper and one across the lake at Saratoga Springs.  Both were terrible, and neither of them burned any houses.  I have friends in both areas and they have all said what a miracle it was.  The 60 mile an hour wind suddenly shifting to the opposite direction, the melting of a fence and nothing else, hotels providing emergency sheltering because local schools and church are unavailable because of COVID-19 laws.... I love God's mercy for my brothers and sisters!  Besides smoky air, it made for a really pretty sunset for us.  

                                                  

Ada saw pictures on pinterest using hair to make shapes.  She wanted to play.... so we did.

Sam coaxed Lucy to lay down on Ada's hair and pin her to the ground.  It was pretty funny.

I was on my way inside and saw these cute people swinging and talking together.  I love it.

Nella's bday and the Fall Festival

The smoke finally started clearing up after 3 weeks of being restricted to our home.  My bronchitis has started to calm down along with the smoke and my wonderful sister helped me with an inhaler because mine expired forever ago. (I had one when I had pneumonia).  Seth is also getting better.  Last week, we got together at our house to have a barbeque to celebrate Janelle's birthday with our family and some of her friends.  It was so fun.  Earlier that day we'd gone to the Thanksgiving Point Fall Festival with Janelle, and Sharon's family.  The main event was a pumpkin weighing contest.  We left before they'd finished, but one of them was over a ton.  The guy was asked what he does with the giant pumpkin after the contest.... he said he takes them to the zoo and lets the elephants eat them.  I think that would be fun.  I don't usually like to spend money at fairs because of how expensive they are, but I've been teaching a piano student and had some cash in my wallet.  I told the kids they could choose one treat.  The girls wanted cotton candy and the boys wanted flavored ice.  Jer saw some crepes and decided to get some for the family to share.  SOOOOO good! We got one with nutella and bananas and one with turkey and avocado....

As a catch up for the last three weeks, we've been hanging out in the house... I finished a lot of things that have been on my to do list, but not all.  We still did soccer on the occasional days that the air cleared up.  We had our garage flood again, but not as bad this time.  Jer figured out where the water was coming from and got that blocked off.  We were so grateful for the rain.  After so many fires in all directions around the valley, it was a blessing to get rain.  The faith of the people praying for rain is so appreciated.  There have been several small things that are definitely God's hand.  After the first full week of fires, the county held a fast and that Sunday there was rain right over the fire when there wasn't rain in the forecast.  There were 6000 people displaced from their homes and none of there were left homeless.  None of the over 1000 firefighters were hurt.  And the next Sunday there was again rain when it wasn't in the forecast.  The third Sunday there was rain in the forecast, that gave everyone enough forewarning to sandbag behind the homes in mudslide areas and no homes were lost yet again.  And now we have snow on the mountains too.  There was even one instance that they called Miracle Mountain.  There was a gust of fire that set a separate mountain on fire.... and overnight it put itself out for no reason.  I'm grateful to get to see these miracles.

We've been to the symphony twice this year with Jim and Judy.  Both times were amazing.  Both times I was trying not to cough.  Once, there was an animal protest in the mall food court.  People that believe that animals are not meant to be food were dressed in black with tape over their mouths and carrying signs back and forth.  They got kicked out because it was not a public area like a street or a park.

Today we get to listen to General Conference.  I'm so grateful for the ability to do that even with little kids at home.  We were supposed to spend today up helping Sharon and Brad in their yard and then having a birthday party with Ada and Vivien for their shared birthday.  Sharon was doing a CareBear themed party for Vivien and Ada said that she'd love to join in too.  She made CareBear ears for people to wear and we made rainbow suckers.  And then Seth and Ada came down with the flu and we spent most of the night cleaning kids, diapers (Seth has been peeing the bed and I'm so glad that I decided to put a diaper on him before diarrhea last night.), and bathrooms.  Needless to say, we're not going to her party.  She cried for just a minute, but she was happy that Janelle offered her a Harry Potter themed evening when she's better... eased her pain a little I think.  She loves spending time with cousins and it's sad when that can't happen.  Let me just say that I'm glad that our kids are to the point that they know how to throw up in the bathroom instead of in their beds...

Check ups- The day before getting sick (I don't think we caught it there because of incubation periods), we went to the doctor for a check up for Seth and Evelyn.  Seth's doing great and looks healthy.  He has a speech impediment that they might have us do speech with him in kindergarten, but it's overall not a big deal.  Evelyn on the other hand had so much to process.  She needs glasses,  has high arches that causes her pain through her feet, knees and even her hips, and is being screened for ADHD.  I made an appointment with the podiatrist and the doctor recommended her playing soccer in really good tennis shoes, not cleats.  I have an appointment for her eyes soon and filled out the paperwork for ADHD for the second time.  I sent the other on to her teacher and I'm waiting to get that back before I proceed there.  I don't want to medicate her unless she starts to feel frustrated, but I do want to have the diagnosis to let the teachers know that they need to spend an extra brain cell on her education.  She's gotten a little better at coping, so she might be fine.  She used to have a hard time sitting at her seat and would stand and sway at her desk.  Now she tells me that she can sit and not wiggle, but she also tells me that she's counting her wiggles or tells me about all her daydreams that she does to keep still in her seat.  That means that she's not really paying attention.  She's reading at a 4th grade level, but she's behind in math.  I went through her math homework with her and she's been telling me that she doesn't have homework... then she received a packet of 13 pages of homework that she hadn't turned in yet.  I asked her about it and she said, "Well, math just isn't my thing." Hmmmm....

Some funny saying the last couple of weeks, Seth wanted me to make him chocolate milk.  I had the stuff on the table from making Evelyn some and I told him to go get a cup.  He looked at me and very seriously said, "My hands are busy." I arched my eyebrows at him and said, "They're busy?" He turned around and got a cup.

We drove through Alpine loop last night to see the colors before getting more snow on them.  We stopped in Sundance to use the bathroom and Evelyn says, "Sundance!  Like the dog!  We should bring them here!"  (My friend's dog is Sundance because they like to hike up the mountain.)

Evelyn, Sam, Lance, Janelle, Jeremy, Seth Ada, Emma

Vivien