Tuesday, October 16, 2022

                October 6^th, we got the pad poured for our hot tub.  This is somewhat unique because the hot tub will be partially in the ground.  It is a really nice set up, we just need to build a platform around it so no one falls in the cavity.

               It has been hard dealing with the fact that Bo Hola, Andrew Tuitavake, and Losina Sekona stole money from us.  We held up our end of the contract and paid for items to be completed and they walked away with the money.  I try each day not to let it get to me but it is hard knowing that there are dishonest people who take advantage of others and then try to justify their actions.  One thing that amazes me is how refined their scheme has become over the course of 2 years since their first victim of Hola Construction.  Andrew Tuitavake has been honing his thieving craft since 2009. https://www.ripoffreport.com/reports/andrew-tuitavake/salt-lake-city-utah-84104/andrew-tuitavake-andrew-siaki-lolohea-tuitavake-defaulted-on-a-promissary-note-to-the-am-541306

I also noted that there are 4 warrants for his arrest.  https://secure.utah.gov/warrants/index.html He has made a career out of stealing.  In 2021, he conspired with his sister-in-law Losina Sekona.  She opened a shell company under his direction where she deposits checks and then gives him access to spend the money towards his discretion.  I wonder if they will ever be caught?

               Teagan had to do a biography report.  He chose Confucius.  He read a book about his life and then drew his picture.  He then cut out the face so he could pretend to be Confucius and tell his life story.  His report went well.

               Xadia had a birthday and I got to bring her pizza and balloons to her school.  She was not very excited about the balloons and asked that I take them home, so she does not have to carry them with her all day.  I was a little bummed but could understand.  I put them in her room.  One is still barely floating today at the foot of her bed.  For her birthday present, she received a dehydrator.  She dried bananas and strawberries as an after school snack.

               Xadia loves Fozzie.  She had a photo shoot on my bed with him.  Here is one of the photos.  That poor dog is such a good sport to go along with Xadia’s crazy ideas.

               Tim had his annual Lagoon workday.  We ate lunch and then went on some rides.  We had the sweet opportunity to give away 2 all day passes to some unexpecting patrons.  We just happened to choose a girl who was going there for her birthday.  Her mom was so happy and she almost started crying.  It felt good to be of service.

               Once a month I teach masters of music at the elementary school.  This past month, the kids learned about Aaron Copeland.  At the end of the lesson, a girl gave me a picture she drew.  It was me.  I thought it was very sweet and appreciate her talents and efforts to give such a gift.

               For Halloween, Teagan was Pepsi man and Kade was the Liberty Mutual insurance agent.  Fozzie was a hot dog.  The kids got a lot of candy and were able to swim in the hot tub after a night of ringing doorbells.

I have been busy fixing costumes and making vines and leaves for Bountiful High School’s Little Shop of Horrors production.  I am really pleased with how everything turned out.  We saw the play last night and it was well done.  Mrs. Mcgarry does a good job and holds those kids to high standards.  Here is a picture of the vines and leaves I made for Audrey 2. 

               As I was busy in the craft room making costumes, Teagan decided he wanted to make a blanket.  I took a moment to teach Teagan how to sew.  He made a nice black and red flannel blanket.  It keeps him very warm and I am so pleased that he is somewhat familiar with a sewing machine.

Thursday, October 7, 2022

       Friday, September 9^th, I was able to go on a field trip with Xadia.  We went to the state fair.  I was a chaperone of 7 kids.  We walked around and saw the artwork and animals.  Xadia got kissed by a llama and sniffed by a goat.  It was a lot of fun.  We bought some BBQ corn nuts so she (and others) could try them.  They were not a big hit among the kids.

McCabe is a full bag of chips and all that.  He went to homecoming with Rachel McMurray.  They had a lot of fun.  They went to Cross E ranch and the pumpkin patch.  From there it was dinner and pictures.  Nielsen’s frozen custard catered the meal.  Then they went to the dance and later watched a movie and ate custard.  He had a fun time.  I got to take the pictures.  The kids were so willing to do silly poses and serious poses.  McCabe has a good group of friends.

McCabe is in a time of life when he is discovering his body.  Every mirror needs a chance to see him flex.  I was trying to secretly get a photo but then he saw me, so he turned and started flexing for the camera.  Needless to say, McCabe is pretty pleased with his body.

     September 22^nd, Tim woke up at 4:30 a.m. with a lot of pain.  Of course, he let me sleep.  However, when I woke at 7:00 a.m. he was hunched over in pain.  I got the kids off to school and then took Tim to the emergency room.  He had a kidney stone.  It was about 2 millimeters big and causing a tremendous amount of pain.  He got the medicine he needed and 24 hours later, he passed the stone.  I am glad it passed but it was so hard seeing him in so much pain.

September 25^th, was Xadia’s friend’s birthday.  Because it was Sunday, we could not go shopping so she made her some caramel apples.  They turned out so good.  Some had chocolate chips, others had sprinkles, and some had chopped snickers.  She is becoming quite the little chef.

Ethan and Lowen Stubbs visited for the weekend so they could attend conference.  It just happened to be my birthday and it was so fun to celebrate.  Ben and Caleb Fisher also stopped by on their way up to Idaho.  However, I got sick but that did not deter the kids from making me feel special.  Teagan made some fabulous eggs.  I had to take out my cough drop and put it on the plate so I could enjoy them.  Xadia added extra chocolate shavings to the cake to make it extra special.  We ate dinner at Nana Hansen’s house with my siblings.  It was a great day.  When I got home, the family gave me mindy mints and a container of praline pecans.  Thinking about a conversation I had with Teagan, he asked, “how do you stay so skinny?” I told him I eat healthy and exercise but now I might need to change that statement because I am going to pig out on my birthday treats.

     I was also able to have a birthday lunch with my childhood friend Kerianne.  It has been a fun tradition to each lunch with her each year to celebrate both of our birthdays since we were born a week apart.  We ate at El Matador.  I love their chips and salsa.

       Jacinda has a friend going to beauty school.  Jacinda decided to become her client and get some color to her hair.  It is kinda fun seeing what happens when Jacinda returns from her appointment.  Here she is with some fuchsia hair.  I think it looks good and suits her well.

Sunday, September 4, 2022

      School started two weeks ago.  The kids are comfortable with their schedules.  Jacinda is a senior in High School.  She is excited for her A.P. art class and to start production of the play "Little Shop of Horrors."  Here she is on her first day of school.  Fozzie wants to join her and have some of her toast.

      McCabe is now in high school (10th grade).  He is loving 10th grade.  He has made a lot of new friends.  He recently asked Rachel to home coming.  He also gave a talk in church regarding his experience at FSY.  He is getting so big.  He is going to be a great missionary one day.

      Xadia started 7th grade at the Jr. High.  She was a little lost at orientation finding her classes but now she is a pro.  She has lots of friends in her classes.  She does not have a favorite class, however, she likes having gym because it makes up for missing recess.

     Teagan is in 5th grade.  He is all alone in elementary school.  He was a little worried about not having any siblings at the school but he has adjusted beautifully.  He is a big helper to his teacher who is having a hard time right now because her husband needs a new kidney.  On the first day of school, he gave his teacher a Mickey Mouse stuffed animal because she loves anything Disney.  I get the opportunity to walk to school with Teagan and friends.  We had a conversation about super powers.  He told me that my super power was cleaning.  I thought that was funny and worth mentioning.

    Teagan also loves to cook.  Yesterday, he made some creme brulee.  We tried it today and it was fantastic!  We used a blow torch from the garage to make the sugar on top crispy.  What a yummy treat!

Sunday, August 21, 2022

             The girls got back from Girls camp and had a great time.  I am so grateful for the good leaders in our ward.  I am also very proud that Jacinda stayed the whole time and was able to manage her anxiety.  That is a huge step.  Here are the girls just before leaving.  They had to say their “goodbyes” to Fozzie since they would be gone for a whole week.  Seth and Teagan also are saying their “goodbyes” to the girls.

Had a great time in California visiting Chris and Tricia.  On the way down we stopped in Parawon and visited uncle Gary and Aunt Jacque. It was so fun to hear their missionary stories about South Africa and Prince Edward Island. I could tell they really loved serving in these different areas. Jacque is such a lively person.  It is always so fun to hear her talk. Especially when Gary is sitting next to her. She likes to brag about Gary and all the things that he did as a young boy. One story was about Gary finding some paint in his neighbor’s garage and then painting his driveway.  After she tells the story, she turns to Gary and asks him to verify it. Gary and just looks at her with his eyes wide open and shakes his head and smiles with embarrassment.  It is fun to be with them.  They are a great couple.

Our next stop was Grandma Grandpa Butterfield's house. That was a neat experience because I got to sit with Papa John and listen to his stories about the Vietnam war and the approach, he takes to teach art to his students.  He does not make them memorize dates, paintings, and artists.  Instead, he shows how the artistic behavior was derived from the cultural events of the time.  It was fun to hear him speak about the things of interest to him. Tim got to play the piano for Tracy, his sister, and his mom and they enjoyed it thoroughly. Tracy really responded and was touched by the hymns Tim played.  The kids loved playing with Chico, the dog.  They were going through Fozzie withdrawals.

The next stop was Chris and Tricia house.  We arrived at 1:00 in the morning and went straight to bed. 

Later that morning, it was so fun to visit with them and spend time with them. We went to a train museum, the Mormon Battalion visitor center, Handel’s ice cream, and had lots of beach time. We stopped at parlor donuts for some gourmet goodies.  We also went to the Rip Curl outlet to buy some clothing to remember our trip. Tim got stung by a stingray at the beach. The lifeguard gave him a hot pack for his sting, but the hot pack wasn't as hot as the sand, so Tim just stuck his foot in the sand to break up the toxins.

We brought a raft to the ocean.  It is a riot riding the waves and trying not to tip.  We enjoyed lots of boogie boarding and skim boarding.  I also got to read a little bit in the California sun and the kids got to fish and caught some thorny back rays.

The kids filled up a gallon jug with shells.  On the way home, the shells smelled so bad, we had to tie them to our car’s back door.  We also stopped in Vegas and said hi to Xavius.  He brought out gummies to share with everyone.  My kids love gummies.

            We are gearing up for school to start.  It has been a fun summer filled with workbooks, mowing Lagoon, lawns, swimming, and having cousins over.  We love it when Canda stays and plays.  She, Teagan, Xadia, and Fozzie like to walk to Fiiz for a soda and a pup cup (whipped cream with a dog bone).  I usually pick them up and bring them home since it is a 2 mile walk uphill back home.  It is so fun how well they all play.

            We finally got our pool slide attached.  The backyard is slowly coming together.  Yesterday I had a breakdown.  I was overcome with emotions of the theft that had occurred.  I cannot believe the amount of money Mountain Lumber stole (they spent our funds on other projects).  Thank goodness Tim was there to comfort me.  Some days are better than others, but it does keep me up at night.  I am baffled at how shady and dishonest people can be.  And how other people will lie for those shady people.

 

Sunday, July 24, 2022

            Summer is half over and we have been having a good time.  July 4^th, we went boating at Pineview reservoir.  Lance and Kade Stubbs along with Edmund Clinch were able to join us.  Matt and Mimi rented a boat, and the kids had a great time scurfing, water skiing, and tubing.  All was going well until the tube popped.  The kids hit a big wave and the impact caused the tube to pop.  No one was injured thank goodness.    It was fun visiting with my siblings and watch the boys dig holes and bury each other.  The big joke is that boys are kept busy by digging holes or throwing rocks.

              It was so fun having the cousins join us for a few days.  They originally flew out to go to the All Stars Camp in the Uintah’s.  Then they stayed a few more days.  We went swimming and shooting.   We got concretes and watched fireworks.  Lance was super helpful always asking what he could do to help.  Kade loved being on the dirt bikes and Edmund was always catching up on his sleep.  They are such fun boys.  McCabe is cracking me up.  He is constantly looking at himself in the mirror and flexing.  Then he will come over to me and lifts his shirt and contort his body to say, “see mom, I got some definition.”  He is really into his looks right now.

        We love having cousins over.  Xavius and Canda got to spend the night at our house.  We decided to make chocolate dipped strawberries.  Canda told me all about how her mom makes cookies with a double boiler.  She was ready to instruct me every step of the way.  I did not follow her mom’s method.  I melted the chocolate chips in the microwave.  The kids oversaw washing and dipping the strawberries.  Xavius was ready to eat the strawberry right after it was dipped.  I told him he had to wait for the chocolate to hardened.  He was a little bummed but enjoyed the strawberries immensely once they were ready.  Chocolate was all over the kids faces.

          July has been a tough month for Tim and me.  Our contractor ghosted our project.  He has done more harm than good.  We are left with a huge cut in the mountain.  The cut is bigger than the plans had dictated.  Come to find out, the contractor we hired was using someone else’s license.  Insurance will not cover his negligent work.  It is very frustrating.  He does not have much money for suing.  I feel like the system has failed us.  Back in November, we checked the company on the department of licensing website, BBB, and on Google Reviews.  Nothing bad was noted.  Fast forward eight months and there has been fraud and deceit.  We took a drive to Nephi Utah to check out his other projects.  Looks like the HDO forms we paid for (and did not receive) were used to build two of the homes.  Yes, he is getting cited from DOPL but we are left more costs to fix his error.  My heart is filled with anger.  I have not been sleeping well.  Today I went to bed at 5:00 am and got up at 10:30 am.  My thoughts are constantly consumed with how we got ripped off.  I had a good talk yesterday with Ann Marie Ballard.  She said, when we let God prevail, it is not always what we expect but it is His perfect plan.   I really appreciated her words.  I am learning and trying each day to be happier and to get over this bad experience, but it is hard.  This has been a very challenging trial.

             One of my favorite Sunday activities is to take a walk with the family around the temple.  There is a house with a shark in the tree.  We don't know the story of the shark.  It has been there for years.  Teagan had to get a picture.  On this particular evening (7/10/2022) the sunset was beautiful.  We like to look at the colors and the mountains in the distance.  We live in such a beautiful place.

        Free slurpees!  Every July 11^th, 7-11 gives out free slurpees.  We just happened to be on of the patrons on this fabulous slurpee day.  It was quite refreshing considering the temperature was around 100 degrees.

        Saturday July 16^th, Jacinda and I got to walk in the Bountiful handcart days parade.  She was handing out flyers and lollipops to onlookers advertising Little Shop of Horrors for Bountiful High theater.  She had a great time.  The kids are a good bunch.  I am impressed at how much they take care and look out for each other.  One boy, Xavier, gave his shirt to another person because they were one shirt short, and he did not want her to feel bad.  How kind was that?

       Teagan decided to cook breakfast.  He wanted to make egg muffin sandwiches.  He cooked the eggs in a cupcake pan.  It took about 20 minutes for them to bake.  Yes it would have been faster to cook them on the stove top but it was all about the experience.  He felt like making the breakfast like a campout.

      We went to the Provo Rec. Center on Thursday to keep cool.  The temperatures have been in the low 100’s.  The kids had a great time swimming and going on the waterslides.  After, we went to Macey’s for a kong kone.  Teagan was brave enough to get the one pound of ice cream.  He did not finish it but sure had fun trying.  My ice cream was melting faster than I could eat it.  By the time I got home, I was a spotted ice cream mess.  It had dripped on my shirt and lap.  At least the ice cream tasted good.

      Dog days are here.  Fozzie is getting more comfortable with the pool.  He climbed on the boogie board and Xadia took him around the pool.  He likes the sun bench but does not like the deep part of the pool.

      I love these primary kids.  They did a great job singing the handcart song in sacrament meeting today.  I know our pioneer ancestors would be proud.