Wednesday, November 28, 2018

Jacinda is having a great time at school.  She is so bright with math.  I am so surprised at how quickly she grasps the concepts.  We spend nights with a white board doing equations.  She gets them right and finishes quickly.  I enjoy our time together.  She is very good with numbers.  Jacinda has joined a robotics group at her school.  I was able to go a competition last week.  I was amazed at what her team’s machine could do.  Stacking, lifting, pushing, and pulling objects.  It is so fun.  I like cheering in the stand for all the kids…..but I really like cheering for Jacinda’s team.  I guess that is part of being a mommy.

November 14^th, I got to go on a date with McCabe and Teagan.  We saw “Honk.”  It is a play based on the Ugly Duckling.  Our neighbor, Grant Nielsen was the cat in the play.  He was one of the main characters and did such a good job.  That boy was born to be on a stage.  I asked McCabe if he wanted to be in a play and his answer was a strong, “No.”  I can respect that.  After the play, we got a picture with Grant and then headed to Baskin and Robbins for a double scoop ice cream cone.  It was a fun night.  I liked going out with my boys.  It is good to spend special time with them.  

Tim took the girls out to the Grinch movie.  It looks like they had a good time.

Thanksgiving was great.  We had Mimi’s family, Tarra’s family, and grandma Margaret over for a wonderful meal.  We had the basic food: turkey, mashed potatoes, yams, green beans, rolls, fruit, pumpkin pie, and pecan pie.  I think the kid’s favorite part was putting the whipped cream on the pies.  They get really good at stacking that stuff.  In preparation for thanksgiving, the kids put up decorations.  Xadia, McCabe, and Jacinda taped their turkeys to the front door.  Teagan taped his turkey to the sliding door and a pair of corn ears to the garage door.  I am going to miss these decorations when the kids are gone.  I hope my grandkids make fun decorations so I can put them in my house.

Tim and I went out on a date to a Jazz game.  It is a good thing that I like the sport because the Jazz was slaughtered by the Pacers.  They lost by 33 points.  It got ridiculous in the 4^th quarter.  There was poor rebounding, lots of over turned balls, and lots of missed shots.  I did enjoy the plays made by the Pacers.  They had some amazing team work.  I also enjoyed being with Tim.  We laugh and talked and had a good time together watching from the 17^th row.  After the game, we went to Café Rio for a salad.  I went to bed with a full tummy.

Sunday, November 11, 2018

      Today was a good day.  We went to church and learned about leaning on the Lord to help us make it through our trials.  Sarah Sorenson told a remarkable story about her brother-in-law snow boarding at Lake Tahoe.  He landed a jump on his neck and severely damaged his back.  He became a quadriplegic.  He received a priesthood blessing at the site of the crash and after years of rehabilitation has been able to walk again. He is limited in his motion but it is such a miracle that he can walk un-assisted and drive, and go to work.  It is simply amazing how the Lord helps us and others.
     Teagan and I made oatmeal chocolate chip cookies.  They are the best tasting cookies.  I took a photo of Teagan scooping the dough and placing it on the cookie sheet.  Tim is photo bombing the picture.

      Friday was a scone fry day.  The kids invited many friends and they played and ate cinnamon sugared and powdered sugared scones.  Xadia and Teagan and friends played in the basement.  They were pretending they were on a cruise.  I think they got that idea from Zoey Kister who is leaving soon to go on a cruise.  McCabe and friends were on the tramp and in the office playing fortnite.  Jacinda and Addy sat on the couch and watched "Fresh Off the Boat."  Tim and I stood near the stove frying scones.  We talked about how fun it is to have so many kids in our house and how quiet it will be when all the kids are gone.
     I had the opportunity to meet with all the teachers this past week.  I am so proud at how well the kids are doing.  Jacinda got a 3.77 gpa.  The other kids had all threes (the highest grade) on their report card.  We celebrated by getting each child a new book and/or some trinkets at the coin shop.  Xadia got a "Diary of a Wimpy Kid Book" where you can make up the story.  McCabe got "Diary of a Wimpy Kid, The Meltdown." Teagan got a "Cool Building" minecraft book. Jacinda got a lot of neat replications of old English money such as schillings and pences. 

Monday, October 29, 2018

October is nearly over and I finally have a moment to update the blog.  The month started out with my birthday.  I ate lunch with some childhood friends; Leslie Higginson Harkness, Kerianne DiLello Bangerter, and Rori Richins Boseman.  We all met at Olive Garden and chatted about life.  It was so wonderful to see these ladies.  I wish only the best for them.

My family made a birthday banner and a birthday song.  Teagan and Xadia made it just for me.

  Then we all went out to dinner.  We went to El Matador.  They surprised me with gifts from Mrs. Cavanaugh’s chocolates and the dollar store.  I got an angel figurine, new lipstick, and Hershey kisses.  I love my family.  They treat me so well.  They make my birthday so special.

The following week was Xadia’s birthday.  She celebrated at Boondocks with a bunch of friends.  I only planned 2 hours to play at Boondocks.  Next time, we will do 3 hours. 

 I was really surprised to see that Xadia got a lot of bracelet making kits.  The family gave her a hamster.  She has named it Fluffy but for some reason, I like to call it “Fluffy Amadeus.”  The hamster is really cute.  In fact, McCabe commented that Fluffy, “melts his heart.”  That was a journal worthy line.  McCabe does not usually say things like that.

                We also went to a Halloween carnival at the church.  The kids wore their costumes.  Jacinda was England from Hetalia.  McCabe was the plague doctor.  Xadia was a weeping angel.  Teagan was Bendy from Bendy and the ink machine. Tim and I did not dress up this year.  I was exhausted from getting the kids ready.  Some of their costumes came 2 hours before the carnival.

Wednesday, September 26, 2018

     It has been a few weeks since my last entry.  I cannot think of any noteworthy adventures to write about.  So instead, I will give a snapshot of the present ongoings.

                Tim has been at his new job (FiberTel) for one month.  He likes the work and is cranking out progress reports like crazy.  Every two weeks he comes up with an improved way of reporting.  I am very proud of him and his desire to operationally design measures to improve the company.  His weekends are taken by the kids.  He is either going on scout camp outs, taking the kids fishing, or helping someone in the neighborhood.  His favorite catch phrase right now is, “whose life is it?  Not mine.”

                Teagan is big into Minecraft and watching cartoons on his kindle.  He recently lost his front left tooth.  The tooth fairy forgot to come during the night, so she quickly hid a dollar under his pillow while he was eating breakfast.  Fortunately he did not seem too bummed that she came a little late.  Obviously I had a lot going on and need constant reminders to get the job done.  Teagan also likes to play with Kade McPheter and is my favorite 6-year-old for putting the silverware away.  He complains of always having to do that specific job.  Sometimes He and I will race.  I will put the dishes away while he puts the silverware away.  He is more apt to do the chore if I make it a game.

                Xadia is a few weeks away from her 9^th birthday.  She constantly begs to get a hamster.  I thought the begging would stop when she was informed that a hamster will be her birthday present.  I was wrong.  She is more excited to get it and continue to ask every day.  Xadia does a good job at reading 20 minutes each night.  Tim or I listen to her reading each night and then sign her reading log.  Xadia likes to play with Izzy McPheter and likes to watch miraculous Ladybug and cat noir.  It is a Disney cartoon that take place in Paris France.  Speaking of Paris, that is where Xadia wants to serve her mission.  I think the cartoon had some influence on her decision.

                McCabe loves to fish.  Saturday we went to Bountiful Pond.  He caught 3 carp and a lot of small bluegills.  He took his friend Grant Nielsen and taught him how to cast a net.  McCabe also likes to stop a Maverick to buy junk food with his lawn mowing money.  I cringe watching the kids spend their money on stuff like that but what can I do after they have paid their tithing and put 50% in their bank account?  I just let them enjoy the benefits of their hard work.  McCabe is in 6^th grade and is doing a report on Nigeria because that is the birth place of Grandma Margaret.  McCabe is the type of person that will stay up all night to get an assignment done which is due in two weeks.  He is funny like that.  I am glad he is so responsible.

                Jacinda is big into anime and Hetalia.  She recently spent all her money on a Hetalia England costume and wig for Halloween.  She also constantly tells me about the anime titans and where the show left off.  She also loves drawing and is currently in an afterschool robotics class.  She is eager for her team to take state in robotics.  I am proud at how hard she is working in school.  I like helping her with math.  She is learning to solve for “X” with fractions.  On the last pop quiz, she got 9 out of 10 which is great considering she did not understand any of the math the night before.  I am glad she is patient enough to learn.

                As for myself, I am busy working during the day.  I like my job because the people are so nice and I get to play in Excel making reports and doing pivot tables.  After work, I go home to help the kids with homework and make dinner.  If I have enough energy after dinner, I will clean or play the piano.  Sometimes I might karoke.  I like to sing “Alone” by Heart or “Savior Redeemer of My Soul” arr. By Rob Gardner.  After that, it is time to get ready for bed and have scripture power and family prayer. After visiting with a child (depending on the day of the week), I will watch the news with Tim and then go to bed.  The next day repeats.  The only thing that changes are the news stories.

                The latest news stories today are: Bill Cosby is sentenced to 3-10 years prison for sexual assault.  Brett Kavanaugh, (Supreme Court justice nominee) is being investigated for sexual misconduct during his high school years.  Feds are expected to raise interest rates later today.

Sunday, September 9, 2018

                “Dad, you don’t’ do anything,” said Teagan this past week.  Stirred up by Tim requesting kids to chores.  Tim and I just laughed.  If only Teagan knew what he was saying.  I am sure he will understand in about 30 years.   Early today as he was getting ready for church, his clip-on tie broke and unraveled.  I suggested he get a different tie.  “Don’t tell me what to do,” was his response.  Again, another laughing moment.  This six-year-old ignorance cracks me up.  One day he will get it.  I am so excited for him to become a dad.

                Friday, Teagan had a fair share at his school.  He made a craft to show all his classmates.  I am very proud of his creativity and his courage to share.  He was nervous to talk in front of everyone but did a great job.

                Xadia did my nails today, watermelon style.  I love them.  I am very excited to show my co-workers.  Xadia is also getting very anxious for her birthday.  She will be getting a hamster.  She begs everyday to get a hamster cage.  I have told her it will happen closer to her birthday.

                McCabe got his taste of fishing this week.  We took him to Bountiful pond on Saturday.  He was able to cast his net and drop a line or two while the rest of the family biked around the pond.  Second time around, McCabe joined us on his bike.  It was a beautiful day.  Occasionally McCabe would stop and cast a net until the rest of the family caught up to him.

                Jacinda was at Fan X this past Saturday.  She had a fabulous time dressed as “Prussia” from Hetalia.  She received an autograph from the voice actor of Hetalia and got 3 posters.  I am grateful she got to go.  She saved her money all summer and purchased her ticket all on her own.  It is so very cool that my kids are becoming somewhat independent.

                Tim had a crazy Saturday.  He took the kids to the pond to go fishing and ride bikes.  Then came home to fix the leaf blower and do other chores around the house.  Around 2 pm, he got chairs and tables from the church to set up in the Frey’s yard for a neighborhood party.  He took the family to the neighborhood party where we ate and swam and visited with friends.  After the party, he cleaned up and returned the chairs and tables.  We got the kids in bed then made a quick trip to Artic Circle for a burger and a shake.  Watched two episodes of “Fresh Off The Boat,” to end our Saturday.

                Sunday was great.  Jonny and Chris Schmidt had their homecoming.  I really enjoyed what Jonny said.  In a nutshell, he was trying to answer the question of “why does God let bad things happen to us?”  He brought up the thought, don’t ask why but ask “how did Jesus feel all that we did?”  How could Jesus suffer all the sins of the world?  It was a beautiful meeting.  I also like the point of feeling the spirit is the greatest lasting joy you can have in this life.  It is better than that feeling of being on top of the world because feeling the spirit is continual and lasting. 

Monday, August 27, 2018

We had such a fun weekend!  The girls and I had a “girls night out.”  We went to Wal-mart and got some fingernail polish and snacks for the week.  The snacks included goldfish crackers, strawberries, Nutella with dipping sticks, and bananas.  Then we went to Chik-fil-a.  Jacinda loves their chicken nuggets and dipping sauce.  I got a yummy salad and Xadia got a kid’s meal with chicken nuggets.  After dinner, we went to Ulta beauty.  Jacinda and I got make-up.  Xadia got some awesome bath bombs.  The girls also spent some time in the perfume section spraying lots of perfume.  Jacinda inhaled too much fragrance and ending up in a sneezing frenzy.  Our last stop was “It’s Sugar.”  The girls went crazy for this store.  It was filled with candy and a few stuffed animals.  Jacinda got some candy.  She found these funny orange Donald Trump gummies.  They were shaped like Donald Trump with a huge head and a small body.  We laughed at their clever sight.  She also got some tiny jawbreakers and a Chinese soda with a clear ball in the bottle that does not come out.  It reminded me of tequila and the worm in the bottle that does not come out.  Xadia got some stuffed animals and an eye mask for sleeping.  She also got a candy pizza for Teagan and Jacinda found some candy sushi for McCabe.  I have the best girls.  They are so thoughtful and kind.  I love how they got some items for their brothers.

The boys were on a camping over-nighter.  They took Xavius and from the pictures, it looks like they had a lot of fun.  It was the first time Xavius fished and paddled board.  McCabe got to use his cast net and I heard that he taught the other boys how to throw it.  Tim said that McCabe was very complimentary to the other boys even if they did a bad throw.  Teagan was having a good time fishing and showing Jim Smith the different type of lures in his tackle box.

The kids finished their first half week of school.  They did not have much to say.  I kept asking them questions such as; “how do you like your teacher?” “Who is in your class?” “What did you play for recess?”  They gave one word answers.  It was so frustrating.  I want to know what their life is like and yet they don’t share much.  That’s ok…..I will keep asking the questions.

For back to school night, I had to see how well I knew Xadia's likes and interests.  I had to fill out the form without looking at her answers and then compare what she wrote.  When I told her about my answers, she said that my items would tie for first.  She also made me and Tim this cute little clay figure with a note that said: "I made mom and dad because they help me all the time."

Stake conference was wonderful.  We had a speaker, Brother Lithby.  I loved his talk.  Some main points to consider were: 1. Why does God allow bad things to happen to good people?  He explained that we came to earth to get a body and to be tried and tested.  We all agreed to this plan in the pre-existence.  We knew earth life would be hard but also knew that we were capable of doing hard things so we agreed to come to earth to get our bodies and to be tried and tested.  The 2^nd point, Mothers are the nurturers in the home and the fathers are the protectors and providers.  These roles were set by divine design.  Mothers are the ones to comfort their children when something goes wrong.  They are better at doing that.  Fathers are more of the “buck up” mentality which also is important.  There is a fine balance.  The 3^rd point, why does the lord give us commandments.  God created the earth with a set a rules in place.  If you don’t follow those rules, there are consequences.  For example, gravity is a law.  If you decide to walk off a 40 story building, the law of gravity will be enacted.  The ground will come.  To help us be safe, He gives commandments.  If we follow the commandments, we will be safe. 

Wednesday, Aug. 22, 2018

     It is the first day of school.  I am so excited for my kids.  Teagan is going into first grade and has Mrs. Neilsen.  He is wearing his igloo of water just in case he gets really thirsty.  Xadia is going into 3rd grade and has Mrs. Peterson.  McCabe is going into 6th grade and has Mrs. Bell.  I took about 3 pictures this morning and this was the best one, even if Teagan is not looking at the camera.

Jacinda is going into 8th grade.  She is looking so grown up.  Where is all the time going?

This is a picture of the kid's second day of school.  They are looking sharp and ready to learn.

Sunday, July 29, 2018

              Had such a fun time at the beach for the 4^th of July.  We had a mini Fisher Family reunion at Doheny Beach.  We were camping right next to the beach in a pop-up trailer.  We had lots of fun.  We did tons of boogie boarding, Teagan was an animal and constantly boogie boarding.  McCabe and Tim did a lot of fishing.  They even went deep sea fishing. Xadia played a lot in the sand and Jacinda played in the water with cousins and Jaycee (her friend).

                The firework show was incredible.  I loved watching them in the air and their reflection on water.  We were fortunate enough to go to Lego Land Water Park thanks to Ben and Jacob Fisher.  They got us in for free.  Teagan loved the wave pool and the water slides.  The girls went to Disneyland with Kari and Jenny.

                Towards the end of the trip I felt successful because not one of my kids had a sunburn.  I spent many moments putting sunblock on my kids.  The biggest help was a face stick.  That was the best.  I usually struggle with the eyes but the face stick made it so easy.

                This past week, Chris and Tricia (and family) came to visit.  Before their visit, we met them in Jackson Hole for some river rafting down the Snake River.  We had a blast.  I was very worried about Xadia and Teagan, but they did great.  Teagan was so happy.  He kept cracking Chuck Norris jokes.  He obviously is picking up on McCabe’s habits.  The kids loved playing in the water when the river was calm and then jumping in the raft when the guide said to get in.

                On the way home, Chris hit a deer and damaged his car.  I felt so bad.  Tricia was really shaken.  After a night of sleep, she felt better in the morning.  Fortunately, there was no deductible and the insurance rented a car so they can get home.

                Jacob had an encounter with a spider and reverted back to a 5-year-old.  He was screaming and calling for his mom.  The kids decided to have fun and shut him in the food storage closet with the spider and turn out the lights.  Finally, the kids let up and Jacob was let out of the storage closet.

                The kids had many fun days at Farmington Pond swimming and fishing.  One night we ate cinnamon rolls and watched Tim and the family be interviewed on the news about technology.  Tim had everyone in the house call him the “tech expert.”  It was so much fun having the Fisher’s out our house.  I was sad when they went home.

News article of Tim and the family about technology

https://www.ksl.com/article/46367445/3-tech-experts-share-how-they-monitor-their-own-kids-online

Monday, June 25, 2018

Life is really good right now.  I love my family and the joy they bring.  Summer is always so fun because we get to spend time together in the evenings.  We have been busy planting flowers and making our yard beautiful.  We recently planted some foxglove, dianthus, daisies, and veronica.  In 2 years the yard is just going to be gorgeous and full of color.  Xadia was my little helper as we planted over 42 plants and weeded the rock wall.  Tim was the bomb planting the dianthus near the house.  Oh I love the vibrant color of the dianthus.

It has been really hot.  Teagan got a little inflatable pool and uses it every day.  He loves to run around the yard and then jump in the pool.  I like to sit outside and watch as I listen to the waterfall.  

The other kids are usually inside playing the computer or doing something else.  Xadia has started making cardboard candy machines.  It is a simple structure with a slide opening that allows M&M’s or skittles to fall out.  Jacinda and McCabe have both taken a liking to baking/cooking.  Yesterday I came home from work and McCabe was cooking steak.  The day before that, Jacinda had made some chocolate Rolo cookies.  I am quite pleased with their ambitions.

Yesterday I celebrated my one-year work anniversary.  My co-workers took me to lunch.  We went to the Desert Edge.  I had a veggie and turkey sandwich with pasta.  It was so yummy.  Tim just moved his office home.  It is interesting to see what the future holds for his job.  We are expecting him to be riffed the beginning of August.  At times I get a little anxiety thinking about him not having a job.  The rest of the time I leave it in God’s hands.  

At the moment, we are all pre-occupied with our California beach trip.  This is our time to see Tim’s side of the family.  The kids are excited to see their cousins.  I’m excited to sleep in the sand next to the ocean.  McCabe is excited to go fishing and Tim is excited to be near the water.  Sometimes getting ready for a trip can be stressful.  McCabe says he need new cowboy boost to wear on the fishing boat (what????).  Xadia needs a swim shirt.  I need to plan for food since we are camping.  At the moment, I don’t want to think about it.  I will just pack the day before and take it as it comes.  That is all the energy I have.

Monday, June 18, 2018

School is out and the kids are so happy.  We made treats for the teachers as a thank-you.  I hoped they enjoyed their apple cupcakes.

Life has been so busy so I am taking my lunch break to write in my journal.  We had the opportunity to clean a cabin at camp Piuata.  It is located 30 minutes east of Kamas.  We decided to make it a camp out with the family.  It was so beautiful.  When we arrived, we went straight to work.  There was a lot of mice droppings (gross!).  I was saying a silent prayer that the haunta virus would not get us.  After cleaning the cabin, we went exploring.  I loved the smell of the pine trees.  We had a great time looking for fossils and catching frogs in the pond.  When nightfall came, we mad hot cocoa and saw a bat.  Tim got a fishing pole and swirled it in the air to see if the bat would go after it.  Sad to say, the bat knew better but Teagan thought it was the neatest thing.  There was no cell phone coverage so we got to enjoy the great outdoors.  We slept on cots in the cabin.  Around 3:00 am I had to go potty.  Stepping outside and gazing at the stars was amazing.  I was so tempted to wake Tim to enjoy the beauty with me.  But, I let him sleep and I walked to the bathroom. 

                The morning was gorgeous.  We were making breakfast as the other ward members arrived to clean the other cabins.  Tim was making egg, ham, and English muffin sandwiches.  I was getting warm by the fire.  I was thinking about how beautiful the day was and the fun time we will have fishing.  My thoughts were over taken by McCabe coming over and saying, “I got some bad news.”  I wondered to myself, “now what in his 11-year-old mind could be bad news.”  “I locked the keys in the car.”  Yep, that was bad news.  Plan B went into immediate action.  We bummed rides off other ward members.  Once home, we got the spare keys and drove 1.5 hours back to camp.  The boys went fishing and I drove back home.  I was so tired I fell asleep.  After my nap, the girls (Soli, Jacinda, Xadia) and I went to the Mandarin restaurant for a nice Chinese dinner.  Then stopped by avalanche snow for a Sno-cone.  It was a fun evening to spend with the girls.

                This past weekend was father’s day and celebration of our 19^th wedding anniversary.  Tim and I went to Wendover and watched a tribute to the beach boys.  It was fun to dance and sing along to the music.  I also got to eat a hug éclair.  It was sooooo good.  Margaret stayed with the kids.

                Sunday we celebrated Tim and the good job he is doing as a dad.  He got candy bars, letters, and a tie (with the kids on it) for father’s day.  The kids are very fortunate to have Tim as a dad.  He is very loving and does a good job teaching the kids about the gospel.  I hope one day the kids realize how good a dad Tim is.

Thursday, May 17, 2018

          It is not very often I get to have a girl’s night out.  But when it happens, I love it.  The girls and I spent a night in Eden.  We rented a condo.  We ate microwave dinners.  Played a “sleep over party” game.  I got a funny card.  I had to act like a teenage vampire that just ate garlic.  Another silly card was have a dance party for 2 minutes.  Xadia got a card that said, “Explain how to make spaghetti with an Italian accent.”  She did not know how to do an Italian accent.  So I had her say, “that is a spicy meatball,” with an accent.  It was hilarious.  We all took a turn saying “spicy meatball.”  After the game, we went hot tubbing and then got in our pajamas and watched “Coco.”  We also ate junk food.  I was really tired after the movie.  It was 10:30 pm.  I needed to go to sleep.  Xadia wanted to play the game again.  I told her she could play with Jacinda.  She ended up going to sleep.  In the morning, I slept until 9:30.  The girls made a smoothie and cinnamon biscuits for breakfast.  It was really yummy.  We watched “The Little Rascals,” and ate.  We then cleaned up and went home.  It was a fun time with my girls.

                It is not very often I get to go on a field trip.  I got to go to the zoo with Teagan.  He wanted his dad to go instead of me because I went on the zoo field trip with the other 3 kids.  Too bad for him.  But we had a good time.  We visited all the animals.  His favorite part was the playground.  The boys in our group played for an hour.  After the playground we saw the polar bear and the seals.  The boys loved that exhibit because they can the animals under water and above the water.  Just before leaving we bought cotton candy.  When I asked Teagan what his favorite part of the zoo was he said, “the playground and cotton candy.”  Forget about all the neat animals.  He is just a simple boy. 

Sunday, May 13, 2018

      Happy Mother's Day to all those beautiful moms.  I love being a mom.  I love it when my kids give me home made cards or fresh cut flowers (weeds) from the yard.  Today was so special.  I woke up to Teagan snuggling next to me.  Then I was told by Tim not to come downstairs because of a surprise.  When I finally got to go downstairs, I was served breakfast.  There was bacon, eggs, biscuits, smoothie, and a heart shaped pancake on my plate.  I truly felt spoiled.
     After breakfast, I opened my gifts.  Xadia and Teagan both gave me home made cards where they saw what they liked best about me or how they would describe me.  I laughed because one of Xadia responses was that I liked to "sleep."  Oh how true that is.  Being a mom can wipe you out.  After breakfast we got ready and went to church.  The kids sang primary songs to their mothers. This was the last year McCabe will sing a mother's day song to me in church.  He is growing up so fast.
     We ate lunch and then played two rounds of one night ultimate werewolf.  The kids always cheat at this game.  Tim's favorite saying is, "cheaters close your eyes."  What is really supposed to be said is, "players, close your eyes."  After the game, Tim and I got a nap.  After being abruptly woken, the family headed over to Nastia's house to give them a ladder.  Nastia is moving to Kansas.  I wanted to stay and update my blog/journal.  So here I sit in an empty (and messy) house.  The house is messy because I have not lifted a finger today and it has been great.  But come tonight or tomorrow it will be cleaned because I don't like to live in filth.
     It has been a happy mother's day for Tim.  He finally got the truck he has always wanted.  It is a beauty.  Here the boys are unloading potential campfire wood.  This was the first major use of work for the truck.

We will also be using it for the lawn business.  Each week we mow several lawns.  This will make it easier to pull the trailer.  The kids just walked through the door.  They are back just in time for AFV (America's Funniest Videos).  However, McCabe made a suggestion that he wants to watch the 3 Amigos instead.  This is a movie I got for Mother's Day.  It is one of mine and Tim's favorites.  I guess we will take a family vote.

Sunday, April 29, 2018

I don’t have much to report this week.  The lawn business kept the kids busy during the week.  The boys have a camp out coming and I was planning on a girl’s night out but Jacinda and Xadia would rather play with their friends.  That hurts me but they are 13 and 8 and that is what is important in their lives.

This past week our family attended a dance performance, “I can dance.”  McCabe’s whole 5^th grade along with other schools danced for an audience.  It was very inspiring.  Many of these kids were from tier one schools.  McCabe’s school got to participate because Michael Smith’s mom (our neighbor) teaches for Ballet West and pulled some strings.  It was really fun watching so many kids.  Some were enjoying the spot light others did not.  Bottom line, it was so good for those kids who needed an outlet for expression.  I put together a video of McCabe’s performance.

Tuesday, April 17, 2018

Family pictures…..or as I like to call it, “voluntary torture.”  We had pictures taken last weekend.  It was not as bad as some years but Teagan could not give a decent grin.  So we did the best we could.  A little sprinkle of rain was occurring.  Nothing too major, but as the shoot continued, it started to pour.  A few of the pictures were not very pleasing because our shirts are sprinkled with rain drops and our hair is flat and wet.  I selected the best ones and will display them around the house.  One of my favorite pictures is our “crazy pose.”  I am hanging that on the wall between the office and the bathroom.  I want all to see that one.

(Crazy poses)

I love my family.  I have some of the goofiest boys.  They loved to making silly poses or doing funny things in front of the camera.  My girls were more reserved.  I can see how the boys take after Tim and the girls take after me.

Xadia is in a slime phase.  She loves to make slime out of glue, borax, and cornstarch.  She and Zoey Kister cold spend hours making buckets of slime.  I am so pleased with Xadia.  She is doing well in school and works hard to complete her piano each day.  She has become quite a reliable person.  A few days ago at the chili cook off, she did such a great job watching Sammy and Louie Neilsen.  Xadia is going to be a great baby sitter someday.

   McCabe is gearing up for lawn mowing season.  Each day he makes calls to the neighbors about taking care of their lawn for the summer.  It is a great business for the kids….and Tim.  I occasionally help when my schedule does not conflict.  Mac likes to earn money and then spend it at the gas station.  He usually buys f’real ice cream or slurpees.  I am glad he is learning the value of hard work.

Jacinda is becoming quite a good little artist.  She has an assignment to draw 5 mouths, 5 noses, and 5 sets of eyes.  I am so impressed with her ability.  If I were to try that, you would get stick figure faces.  She is amazing.  She also got her hair cut and braces on her teeth.  She looks so good with her shorter hair.  She does not like it.  In fact, she was crying and telling me to stop cutting it.  I think in time she will like it especially since she looks a lot like her best friend Brooklyn Thompson.

             Teagan is my reading machine.  He likes to read his phonic books so he can get a treat from the treasure box at school.  He also likes to play on the computer and watch videos.  Once I walked in the room and he was watching an animation on babies growing in the uterus.  I don’t know if he is paying attention to the content or if he is just numb and being entertained with the animation.    

Sunday, April 1, 2018

Spring break is the best.  We went camping at Lake Mantua.  We used our new (to us) trailer.  About 4 miles into the ride, we had to pull over and load the bikes in the trailer because the trailer bumper was starting to split from the weight.  Once at camp, we made a fire and ate cup of noodles, hot dogs, and an army MRE (meal replacement equivalent).  Tim did not enjoy the MRE clam chowder.  He was spitting chunks into the fire.  He said, “even I have my limits.”

                After dinner, we went on a bike ride to the park and played tag.  I lasted for 3 minutes before taking a permanent rest on the bench.  Jacinda was content in the swing the whole time.  The rest of the kiddos played on the equipment.  After our bike ride back to camp, McCabe went fishing with Xadia.  The rest of us hung out around the camp fire and drank cocoa.  McCabe and Xadia came back with a bunch of crawdads.  McCabe wanted to fry some in the fire and eat them.  Fortunately, their lives were spared and sent back into the lake.  Just the thought of eating those things is nasty.  They are like bugs of the water.

                Jacinda headed to the showers before bed.  The rest of us cleaned up and set up our beds.  We were very cozy in the trailer.  I read a few chapters from “The Janitor’s Boy.”  This is a book for McCabe’s book report.  We listened to a few comedians on Tim’s cell phone.  Said a prayer and then went to bed.  I tossed the whole night.  I was comfortable, but just slept really lightly.  Every little sound would disturb my slumber.

                Morning came and we ate breakfast at the campground’s café.  The kids then went on an Easter egg hunt and scored many treats.  Some of the kids stayed and played on the playground, some went fishing, and the rest went on a walk.  After a few hours, we packed up and headed home.  Once home, I made a pizza.  Ate lunch and took a long nap.

                Sunday was awesome.  We had a nice breakfast and then watched general conference as a family.  In between sessions, we took a hike near our home.  Watched the second session and then visited my mom’s and dad’s grave.  It was nice to see the dates engraved on the headstone.

Wednesday, March 14, 2018

Hooray for March.  Tim and Teagan both have birthdays this month.  We had a super fantastic party for Teagan.  It started with decorating gift bags.  Then we made an ocean scene for the fishing game.  We played bingo with M&M’s.  Tim sat back and enjoyed a few handfuls.  The kids won Twix candy bars which they put in their gift bags.  We then decorated our ocean scene and played the fishing game.  We opened presents and ate hot dogs and cake.  The cake was made by Teagan.  It had to be a “stacked” cake.  He chose the frosting and the decorations.  It was a yummy cake.  He did a great job.  After the party I asked Teagan if he liked it.  He said, “It was not as boring as I thought it would be.”  That made me laugh.  Happy 6^th birthday little buddy.

Jacinda is working so hard on her grades.  I am very pleased with her dedication.  I love it when I get to help her with homework.  Last night, Tim joined our math discussion and Jacinda helped him solve for X.  It was a good refresher of 7^th grade math.  Tim was a good sport because he does not believe that letters and numbers should mix.

McCabe is also very dedicated to his school work.  He wants to wake up at 6 in the morning to complete his homework…actually to get it done early so he can hand it in days before the due date.  McCabe is enjoying scouts.  Unfortunately we cannot find his scout shirt.  I love it when he asks me where it is.  Of course I don’t know where it is because I never wore it.  Ahhhh I like the lessons we learn as an 11 year old.

Xadia is becoming quite the reader.  Last night she read 2 stories out of the Friend to the family.  She read about a boy who likes Easter because it reminds him of Jesus Christ and about the prophet Noah.  At this time in her life, she loves having her ears pierced and can’t wait until she can change them.  She has to wait until May 1 before she can switch her earrings.  She also wants a pet really badly but Tim and I will not allow it.  So we compromised on a plant.  Now we just need to make it to the store to buy one.  So each day after school I get a nudge to take her to the store to buy a plant.   

Sunday March 4, 2018

     Yeah for a fun week.  We just finished having dinner with Mimi and family in celebration of  Teagan's and Tim's birthdays.  We had ham, baked potatoes, salad, rolls, jack fruit, cake, and ice cream.  It was fun to visit and talk.  Teagan was sorely disappointed there was no caga tio.  We will have to do that next time.
     This past week was spirit week at school.  Xadia got into the spirit with crazy hair day.  She loves wearing her hair straight up.  We use glow sticks and small rubber bands to make it stay.  It is so funny to watch her duck in and out of cars.  It is a new way of doing things with tall hair.

     Well it was that time again, time for an outing with my girls.  We went to City Creek mall and did some window shopping.  Then Xadia got her ears pierced and found some new earrings (along with Jacinda).  We then ate some Chick-fil-a.  I passed on the chicken nuggets and fries and went for a burrito from the Red Iguana.  We finished our fun day visiting the Microsoft store.  Jacinda wanted to see the latest drawing computers and programs.  It was a great day.  I love my ladies.

Monday, February 26, 2018

     February is almost gone.  It has been a busy and fun filled month.  The kids have been awesome at helping with house work and keeping their rooms clean.  The boys decided to make a sign for their room.

The top sign says, Da Mac's and Teagan man cave.  The bottom sign reads, no one allowed in but Mac, Teagan, Mom, and dad.  So basically the boys want the girls to stay out.  I find that funny because Xadia and Teagan are always playing together in the room.

Valentine's day was awesome!  I got a big box of chocolates and a heart attacked mirror.  The kids each got a big mindy mint heart from Mrs. Cavanaugh's chocolates.  They also got lots of treats from their classes at school.  Xadia made a fun valentine box where the kids had to put the cards in her mouth.  It looked like she was eating the valentine cards.

I was able to help with Teagan's kindergarten class party.  I was in charge of the cookie decorating station.  There were 20 kinds and only 2 licked the knives.  It is a good thing I brought plenty of knives.  I did not want any one sharing germs especially with the number of flu cases going around.  Teagan had a shark painted on his face by an incredible parent volunteer.  She has such amazing talent.

Tim and I went to the RV show and we saw our old friend Michael Medley.  He was at the Lizzie and Charlie's campground booth.  We talked for 45 minutes catching up.  There was a lot of laughter.  Michael and Tim are two funny guys when they get together.