1/31/21 Science Fair, Soccer

Lots of Rain this week...atypical for AZ, but we definitely needed it.  It did delay my painting project for the boys bunk beds.  

 Not much happened this week.  The big thing was science fair due Friday.  I may have had a little bit of a nervous breakdown over that one.  It is hard to be the kind of student I was and see my boys flounder a bit in their classes.  It is one thing if they don't understand it, but a whole nothing thing if they are not disciplined.   Parenting ain't easy!  Lily had a great soccer game on Tuesday and Thursday (home games I am allowed to watch), and most of all it was week of just the usual, and the usual isn't bad at all for me.

We had a great church today on ministering.  Filled my bucket. Just grateful for the wonderful people in my ward.  It has been been hard not being able to connect to them during the pandemic.  I have been trying creative ways to connect.  

1/24/21 A Getaway to the Snow

 This week was routine, nothing too special.  Lily had her first soccer game.  As a freshman on JV she didn't get to play much, but it is only the first game.  The good news is, I got to watch,  with a mask of course.  Only home games, and only two spectators per player..... but I'll take it.

Arizona this time of year is beautiful, so the kids spent the afternoons at the park, and I spent most mornings this week biking with Gary.  We did a mountain bike ride on Wednesday at about 8 that was just breathtaking. No one on the trail and perfect weather.

We also got a new president this week.  The inauguration just brought so much hope.  Personally this was a pretty isolating year for me.  I need connectivity and I feel pretty unconnected to most of family and all of my friends.  It has been pretty difficult.  After the capitol riots and the political unrest just among my friend groups and Covid, a new year, a new president, perhaps a renewed sense of hope.  Amanda Gorman recited a poem that was just beautiful, just hopeful. 

Saturday we escaped to Flagstaff to tube with kids.  It was a big open park with tube runs of varying levels.  They had food trucks and picnic tables.  We were able to spread out, build snow forts and snowmen, tube till we were exhausted, and eat lunch.  Charli loved tubing, hated gloves (for the 1st half of the day), and hated having cold hands.  It was nice we could do it all together.  Hauling snow clothes for 8 is daunting, but the day was magical.  

1/17/21 Rachel's Birthday Week

 What a week! We started on Sunday with Ben getting a migraine and throwing up twice.  That prompted a Covid test and two days of isolation.  Ugh.  I had to cancel my tennis match and reschedule some dentist appointments.  But the feeling like I am in jail is the topper.  It is hard to Gary call the shots on the Covid, but not have his life be modified in anyway life mine is.

I started painting, or rather copying painting that spoke to me.  This one made it on canvas on Sunday.  It is acrylic.  I was thinking on the restoration the whole time.  What and event.  What a prayer.  I have been pondering the answer to the question: How has the restoration changed my life? 

Gary and I biked on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday.  He got a flat on Monday, and Wednesday we biked to the temple and I got a flat on the way home.   It should have been an amazing experience, but between the flat and the temperature (about 30 degrees) I was completely miserable.   Luckily my bike is fixes as of yesterday and I will be checking the temp before biking in the future.

Tuesday we finished the hardware for the garage.  Garage project complete! And it feels soooooo good. Cleaned out, painted, repainted with semi-gloss, had the floor epoxy done, sink backsplash, painted bike holder and mudroom, built garage cabinets, and got many organizer....

Before: 

After:

I aslo finished these little spice racks with some scraps from the garage.  Inspired from Shelley's pantry spice racks. Now I can clean out a cabinet for more of Gary's pottery bowls. 

Thursday we found that all the kids will go back to school next week except the high school and Lily. But Lily does start soccer games next week, so I don't mind the online at all for her.  It may even be better.

Rachel's birthday was a success.  A fresh haircut, donuts at the park with friends, and cake at night with grandparents, and she looked forward all week to it.  She had her menu planned out all week, crepes with nutella, quesadillas for lunch, and spagehetti for dinner.  Man I can't believe she is six!  My babies are growing up!!!!!

Saturday we cleaned the playroom, and went on a hike to Wind caves.  It is one of our local favorite hikes.  Lots of people and a ton of dogs this time.  

Gary got his second Covid vaccine, and was sick most of the afternoon.  Hopefully he is fully protected now! 

I also restarted school this week.  I don't know if this is the end all goal, but I started my first graduate school class.   I have realized most the career choices I know I would like would not be flexible with my children's schedule.  I would love being a PA or nurse or work anywhere in the medical field....but I want the flexibility of working from home and around my kids schedule. So I am stepping out the box a little and going for a Masters in Education.    I think my goal is to become a teacher for BYU pathways. We'll see.....one class at a time.  I felt on the edge of doing and not doing this, but I feel real good about it.   Again, we will see. 

It was full week, highs, lows, and change! 

I have committed to scripture study this week.  And it has been profound to read about Joseph's prayer to God when he is 17 to find out what he should be doing with his life.  I really gravitated to this talk, a good reminder of why I am doing what I am doing with my own life. 

1/10/21 Happy New Year and Back to (virtual) school

We had a great break.  I was a little consumed with the garage project, which let me devote a lot of time to Gary Sr.....which we needed, but it also let the kids roam free and without me a little.  I wish I had just a few days to take Lily shopping (she kept begging me toe go).

New Years was great, our quiet family.  Lots of fireworks.   First time we stayed up until midnight EVER. The highlight was Grant wanting to make snowmen to put in his hot chocolate.  They turned our pretty cute.

New Years day, Gary Jr. who was lighting a candle from the stove burner (so he could then light fireworks from) held a firework with the same hand? and accidently lit it off in the house.  It was pretty terrifying to see sparks shooting from his hand as he ran for the door. No burns and no home destruction, close call. 

This week was back to school.  Monday was pretty stinky.  Lots of tech problems from computer, internet, and school internet....but which one.....was the tricky guess.  Kids had melt downs at piano lessons that day from a day toooo long.  But overall, okay.

Tuesday- Thursday were seamless.  Big Boys set up desks in the playroom (12 year old boys can not be in their bedrooms with a computer. Video games are toooooo tempting during virtual school)  Rachel we moved to her bedroom, which has been perfect actually, so she doesn't need to wear headphones.  And Grant stays in the kitchen with me to keep him on task. 

Friday....I took the day off.  I have been planning this for months.  When you can't get away with your family or husband, this was the next best thing. My tennis team was doing a retreat at the Marriott up in Scottsdale.  They stayed thurs-sat, but I just came up Friday (partly because of my demanding family and partly because I didn't want to stay with people during Covid).  It was great day of tennis lessons and great playing.   I learned what it felt like to wear a mask when others weren't (like in the hotel room between tennis sessions) and at lunch (which I request we eat outside) which is something I have been expecting of my older kids at school and church activities.  It does make you feel a little like an outsider.  But AZ is booming with Covid right now) And I can't Not do what I am asking them to. 

It was a great day. And I also realized, those ladies (a lot single, divorced, or with older kids) I wasn't jealous of.  I got to come home to an amazing family, and truly tending to their needs is where I want to be.  Sometimes it is good to get away for the day to just remind myself of that....actually I need to do it about every 6 months.

However, about half way through the day, the state of AZ decided to cancel Lily's soccer season.  Hopefully she will still get to go to practices....(she doesn't really leave her room during the day because of virtual school....which doesn't sound healthy) and practices were a good thing for her. She did go out twice this weekend, so I don't worry for her socially, but kids should not be in their room all day online...... We don't have another place (with 4 other students and a toddler) for her to concentrate like she wants to. We'll see what this week determine. 

We have about finished the garage.....just hardware..... I am excited for it to be done! We also finished this giant puzzle.  And took Charli to feed the ducks again this week.  It is her happy moment. 

12/27/20 Christmas break

Well this break has been interesting.  I so looking forward to this year to ski at my Gma's house, but that wasn't really realistic with Covid.  After last year (Gary had liver surgery Dec 17th), I was looking forward to the Christmas festivities that I have come to love.

Twas not to be.  I didn't want to feel sad again, so I have encouraged Gary in his projects and threw myself into them as well, namely,  redoing our garage.

So far we have:

1) cleaned the garage out.

2) Learned to use a paint sprayer and painted the garage.  (with that thing it went SO fast)

3) Installed epoxy floor on the garage (we hired this one out)

4) Started building one giant wall of garage cabinets and cubbies in them to hold specific items.

We have yet to:

Finish said cabinets, and paint the mudroom and cabinet doors.

It has been a good way to bond with Gary.  We have needed some alone time lately.  Our backyard has looked liked a hoarder took over, but as we are slowly finding a cabinet cubby for each item, it is getting cleaner and cleaner.  Gary and I bought a giant tool shelf on clearance at Lowe's yesterday and I think that will suffice for all the tools.  Hopefully the back porch is once again free of stuff tomorrow (which is when we can roll the toolbox on the new epoxy floor).

Christmas was simple.  Prime rib roast was cooked this year and is now my new favorite.  (The Ham on Christmas Eve, I think I will not do anymore....too salty, and no one really gobbled it).  

Not many treats....my kids have done a lot of the cooking, especially Ben.  Helping me make toffee, but really I didn't do a ton of desserts like in years past.  I don't know that anyone really missed it.  The kids got bags on Lindor chocolate for xmas....Grant ate his xmas day and was sick, forcing me to implement a better diet for all involved with spinach smoothies and veggies again.   Freedom of choice is so short lived. 

One more week of break with the kids, but Gary does go back to work.  I am thinking of getting Netflix and watching some shows with Lily.  

The sad haircut....still no one has confessed

The picture I painted with some extra time this week. 

Freshly painted garage....learning to use the paint sprayer. 

 12/13/20    

Last week was Lily's birthday. 15!!! Grandma Corinne's death by Chocolate cake. Yum!

Also the piano recital was last weekend.

The week was about school and home projects!

Lily made the JV soccer team at Mountain View high school last Friday. Way to go Lily....but with school finals next and weekend, end of year concerts, exams, lessons, and 2 hours of soccer practice nightly has made tensions high for her.

My goal was help Gary raise his Chinese and Algebra grade.  Algebra was accomplished, Chinese was not.  Unfortunately these are the two that will carry into high school.  I resorted to hiring Lily to tutor him.  He was paid handsomely Lesson better learned at this age, but hard for my perfectionist personality.  It is like butting heads sometimes.

On the other hand my other student, Ben who loves to serve and please  did accomplish the straight A's and based on where we were at the start of the semester (with a new difficult school and virtual learning) I could be prouder.  Truly I am really proud the progress I have seen in both of them, and let's face it Chinese is just a hard language....and I would rather him challenge himself and get a B then do something easy just to make and A. 

Projects were the other agenda item this week....Gary installed fans on the patio....which I love and have been on my bucket list for 5 years. Gary and I decided to put in a epoxy garage floor ...therefore requiring us to clean out the garage. The patio now looks like the new garage...and hoarders delight. Also I am putting up a gallery wall, it took me 3 hours to hang 3 pictures, only to decided I needed to have the photos in them before I go any farther....a project for maybe next week.

I also finished packaged gifts for a refugee family we are sponsoring for Christmas.  We will deliver them today.  I have sponsored kids in the past, but this family wanted cleaning supplies, towels, a vacuum, shoes....just the basics, it was pretty humbling and good for my kids.  Grant accompanied me to goodwill to look for a jacket for the mom....makes me feel the need to be not so worldly. 

Also I have had lots of snuggle time with this little lady.  She had a "2-year-old" day on Thursday and exhausted me (well in the morning, the teenage did that in the evening), but Friday I took some time for myself and slammed tennis balls and came home and really just cherished her, snuggled, Sound of music until she fell asleep in my arms, and it made me just appreciate this moment in time I have with this last little toddler.  

I needed the break, to see the blessing. I need to remember that more often. 

I have had a study on hope this week, Christmas season puts me into that frame of reference. It makes me have so much more peace and calm. It feels good to feel peace. 

11/29/20 Thanksgiving Week

Thanksgiving week was here and now gone, too quick. Last Thursday night my parents came and we got to enjoy the whole weekend with them. We did sunrise trail hike (my mom had some trouble feeling like she was going to pass out). We also biked Rio Salado trail Friday and took a trail from Chaparral Park in Scottsdale on Tuesday with Gary about 15 miles down to Tempe town lake. It was a pretty awesome trail. 

Lily played "More Holiness give me" in church Sunday....with the new cello. She has played the song before, but it is just beautiful. 

 We were going back and forth all weekend whether or not to go to Colorado....as were they. Because of blasted COVID. In the end, they decided to go because they had to pick up Ella and Quinn to take them to Louisville for a couple weeks. We decided not to, mainly because of the large group joining together and the Colorado governor requesting that households could not get together for Thanksgiving. 

I was pretty depressed. It is always hard for me to have my family come, because I realize how they are not a part of my everyday life and they don't know my children well. So when they come, I get so sad...especially seeing them leave to be together in Colorado...and because of Gary's opinions and our fear of COVID, once again I am left out. But I digress, no one wants to be around a sad person. 

 I dwelt on my sadness for Wednesday morning and decided to throw myself into pie making. Each of my children picked out a pie and we had a great time. Grant chose Cherry...Lily - coconut cream, Ben- Apple Custard, Gary- Pecan. I helped them each make their pie. The apple custard crust was the flakiest I have ever made. Complete success. I waited to make that one (the crust was in the fridge the night before) until Thanksgiving day so it could still be warm. Oh, it was divine. We had a quiet Thanksgiving with Corinne and Les outside on the porch.  One funny note, the turkey Gary cooked he forgot to tie the legs together...so it looked like it was having a baby... pretty disturbing, tasted delish though!

 Although the kids were off school and Gary off work...we kinda just hung around. (Wednesday we did a little S

aguaro lake hike)...but because Gary jr. was about 2 weeks behind in school and he spend the whole weekend redoing assignments and we didn't do much. Blah! 

 Finally Saturday, we decided to get out and went and hiked the famous Fossil Springs. Permits are not needed in the winter and the parking is much more available. It was a 40 minute unpaved road....I was nervous to pop a tire...but we didn't. The hike was only 2 miles. The waterfall was beautiful and kayakers came and kayaked over the falls, which was really fun especially for the boys to see.