Misc

In between anniversary, family reunions, and holiday we had orthodontist appointments and catching rabbits. The city put in fiber lines to all of our neighbors.  They broke our sprinkler lines in five different places and dug under our fence right into the backyard neighbor's rabbit pen.   They let out all 35 of their rabbits and both of their dogs.  They were able to catch most of them, but 5 of them made their home in our backyard.  After a week of trying to catch them in traps. We caught 3 of them and had the two biggest ones that didn't like how small the trap was. It took all 6 of us to corner them and catch the last two.  I think they've been able to get all but one back into the enclosure..... And then one of their bunnies just had new babies.  

We also got to have a fun movie night with cousins and a friend.

 

fires

Utah is literally on fire this week.  There's been new fires every day.  One day was 16 new fires.  So far 3 firefighter deaths, and thousands of acres of damage.  Fireworks have been banned for the holidays. There was ash falling from the sky, so we went down to help clean debris off of Grandma and Grandpa's roof to keep it safer from possible fires.  

Syl defending her piece of cardboard.

The girls got off to YW's camp.  This is Ada's last year.  She's a YCL this year and did a great job with her lesson and her group. I'm grateful for our wonderful YW's leaders and my spectacular girls.

Seth got his bottom braces on today and will be getting his top ones on next time.  He was having a hard time with them but now that they're on, he's not noticing.

Grandma invited us to watch the new Persephone movie with everyone last night.  It was cute and well done.  The teenage girls (Maisy, Evelyn and Millie were all giggling in the corner and Sam, Cy, Jer and Seth kept laughing any time that they got really excited about a kissing scene.)

 

Last performances

Evelyn was part of the multicultural program this week.  Her friend did the hoop dance and it was fun to watch the Tahitian and Hawaiian dancing.

Evelyn got her braces on.  Hooray!  This is after her spacer has been in for two weeks.  She started putting her straw between her teeth.  It was funny.

First day with braces.  She doesn't like how sore her mouth is, but she's got this.

Sam finished his AP Euro test and picked up his first pair of glasses.  He's been so excited.  He keeps saying, "I can see what that box on the shelf says."  

Last band concert and last early morning Jazz Band rehearsal until next year.

 

January 2025

January, our cute niece, Aubrey, came to stay the weekend to celebrate her graduation from HS.  She has some neat plans and I love how much zest she has for life. She's overcome a lot of obstacles and is soaring high.  

They went mini golfing, rock climbing, for food, etc....

Sam has been doing his instructor drives with Robyn.  He gets nervous and she pauses to explain things.  They're both working hard and I'm so proud of Sam.

Janine's son, Joe and our sweet neighbor, Quincy, got married too.  I love them both so much and I'm looking forward to the life they create together.

Sam got his braces removed!!!  He was both excited and nervous at how it would change his instrument playing.  (He promptly threw away his retainer at lunch during school, but we figured it out).  Just two more weeks of wearing a retainer during the day then it will be just nights from here on out.

While he was getting them off, we tuned into our cousin, Josie's adoption hearing.  

 

last couple of weeks

It was warm and so Jer and I took his lunch break and rode our bikes out to check on the Lindon temple.  It's got the weathering up. 

Baum's Christmas trees.

Seth and Evelyn

Evelyn and Ada

Evelyn's almost ready for braces.  I'm glad they pulled some teeth last time.  The adult teeth used to be growing into the roots of the front adult teeth.... they were worried that they would cause damage. Looking much better now.  Might not have to do braces, but might have to do a spacer.

Seth's class made different kinds of indian homes. 

Ada has been working hard the last couple of weeks.  She joined FBLA at school.... Future Business Leaders of America.  Her club has about 20-30 people in it.  The just did Regional competitions.  She presented 3 group presentations and took 3 tests.  She got 5 rewards.  She got 1st place for one of them, 3rd for 2 of them and 5th place for 2.   All her hard work paid off.  Next is State.  For state they can either perfect what they presented or they can choose a new thing to present on. If they get in the top 10 for state, they will get their travel expenses paid to go to Nationals.  That's what Ada's hoping for.

After a false start (The first time we went to get a tree, they had just closed.... then we were sick for a week), we were able to find a very pretty tree in a pretty fast time.

My Mom invited us over to make wreaths with her.  It was fun.  It reminded me of all the toll painting and hot glue crafts that we used to make. My mom is a maker and I love it.

For Primary on Sunday, I brought my bells.  We were practicing for the ward party this Saturday.  Turns out that the song that we were going to go wasn't in the same key as the music for the bells, so I dug up new bell music and we're going to be playing Silent Night. 

The cats like that these mat tiles aren't as cold as the cement.  It's pretty funny.

Evelyn's friend, Maylee invited Evelyn to the Salt Lake City Hale Center Theater to watch The Christmas Carol.  She loved it, and loved being with her friend.

I think Seth's pants are beyond my fixing.  The crotch and both knees are just hashed.

Seth has started taking almost daily naps under the Christmas tree.  I love it.  He curls up by the heating vent with a book and just falls asleep.

 

Teenagers are hard

 

Teenagers are hard.  Not impossible and often they are delightful. Ada and Sam are my best friends, but watching them grow... make decisions... get hurt... make mistakes... learn... try again...is emotionally harder than watching them learning to walk, fall and try again. I have extreme anxiety, joy, pride, worry all at the same time. Here are some of their current activities though that are less of a roller coaster than the emotional side of things.

Sam got his bottom braces on.  He really struggles with taste/texture and smell.  Getting molds and the fun stuff required for teeth work is hard on him.  He did it.  He didn't move.  Then he came home and cried.  I'm sad and proud all at once.

Ada used her day off school to help support Daddy in his new calling as Elder's Quorum president. He needed to fill 3 spots for the meat packing facility that the church uses for the Bishops Storehouse.  Ada and Jer went with our neighbor, Brandon.  They boxed and helped package sausage.  Ada said she wouldn't eat meat for a little while.... that didn't last long.  Her outfit is throwback to how I dressed working in the clean room.

We have a busy house.  I don't let my kids have more than one pair of shoes out at a time.... These are their shoes, our friend's shoes and daycare shoes AFTER half the daycare has left already.  Janine keeps their shoes nice and lined up.... I don't.  

We got two new chairs off amazon.  I wasn't expecting them yet and they both showed up the same day.

My beautiful painter missed the canvas a little.  She walked around a whole day before I told her she had paint on her cheek.