Tuesday, May 3, 2023 (On Goings)

            The weather has started to warm up.  The snow is melted, and we have officially started having campfires in the backyard.  The Pergler boys come over and roast marshmallows.  Actually, Ian doesn’t roast marshmallows, he eats them right out of the bag.  Seth likes to toast the marshmallow and the chocolate covered graham on the stick at the same time.  We usually have more than one fire going at a time because each child wants to build their own.  Since the backyard is mostly dirt, we let them start a fire after they have built their fire ring with a circle of rocks.

              Teagan has been asking for a new suit.  He wants a red one.  I asked him to show me a picture of it.  Once I saw it, I said we could make one.  We went to Walmart and decided on some fantastic purple polyester.  I used one of his suits as a pattern and this is the final product.  He looks really sharp in his new suit.

              Xadia is doing track and she runs the 800 meters.  I attended her most recent meet and was so proud of how well she did.   I think she tied for first in her heat.  I loved watching her pass all the girls especially because she got squeezed out in the beginning.  Go Xades!

              McCabe is playing Lacrosse.  He is having a great time.  He comes home with welts on his arms from high powered balls hitting him.  I did not know much about Lacrosse before he started.  I have learned that it is a contact sport and looks like football, soccer, and hockey all combined into a sport.  I hope he continues to play sports.  It is fun to watch him.  I especially like cheering for him and my other kids.  I am loud enough to make sure they hear me.

              Jacinda is working hard at the Poki Bowl.  She has decided to serve a mission, so we are helping her get ready for that.  Come June, she will get her wisdom teeth removed.  She is also gearing up for summer college at SLCC.  I can’t believe my oldest is all grown up.

              Tim works hard to provide for the family.  When he is not working (which is rarely), he likes to “hold down the couch.”  Fozzie likes to join him.  Fozzie is a very loving dog.

      The kids are developing their talents.  Teagan and Xadia have learned to make strawberry Boba.

Teagan learned to make a catapult in the backyard.

Tuesday, May 3, 2023 (Recap of April)

               The beginning of April kicked off with Spring break.  We took a trip to San Francisco.  Unfortunately, Jacinda did not join us because she had work.  We saw so many wonderful things.  First, we stopped at the Oakland temple.  This temple had some oriental flare to its design as an homage to the large Asian population in the area.  The Oakland temple also had gardens on the roof of the building.  I enjoyed walking and seeing all the flowers and bushes.  The colors of nature were a welcome sight since it was snowy back in Utah.  Utah was experiencing its wettest winter on record.  This was unfortunate for us because our backyard was torn apart, and the saturated ground was causing the trees to fall from the mountain.

              Next stop was China Town.  It was like walking through a tourist trap.  There was a lot of overpriced junk.  It looked like items at a second store that were all covered with dust.  I was not very impressed.  People on the corner yelling at you to come and buy their stuff.  It reminded me a lot of Tijuana Mexico.  The family was hungry, so they decided to eat at a restaurant in China Town.  I had my reservations because the conditions were suspicious.  Tim selected a place, and I did not see a rating on the window from the health department.  I told him that there was no rating or any indication the health department checks the sanitary conditions of the restaurant.  He said, “we are here for the experience,” and then laughed.  He knew that we were at a high risk of getting food poisoning and was willing to take it.  We were seated at our table near a fish tank where the fish were dead floating upside down.  There was carpet at the bottom of the tank with fish poop.  I held my tongue and was respectful.  As Tim is flipping through the menu, he turns to me and says, “this is really authentic, even the menu is sticky.”  We both lost it and started laughing.  The family enjoyed a meal, I enjoyed my ice water.  After China Town, we went to Mike and Cedy’s house.

              Mike and Cedy are Tim’s aunt and uncle.  They live in Menlo Park.  They have been there for over 40 years.  They were so warm and welcoming.  It was fun to visit with them and hear stories of their lives and children.

              The next day we went to the Golden Gate Bridge.  It was absolutely amazing.  We watched a youtube video explaining the engineering behind it and it was constructed.  I was amazed that a newbie engineer could build the bridge at a fraction of the price with a more sophisticated designed than seasoned engineers.  There was a look out place where we could stop and take pictures.  The kids bought a $10 hot dog from a vendor.  I could not believe the price but they were hungry.  Everything is so expensive thanks to inflation.  It also does not help that we are visiting a high priced city.  After the Golden Gate Bridge it was off to the beach.

              It was cold (about 64 degrees) but that did not stop the kids from getting into the water.  It was so fun to watch the kids play.  There were also dogs on the beach.  It was great to see them play.  It made us miss Fozzie but we knew Jacinda was taking good care of him.

              We visited pier 59.  There was an aquarium with jellyfish, sharks, and stingrays.  As we toured the aquarium, there was a plexi-glass hallway surrounded by swimming fish.  It was like walking on the ocean floor.  My favorite part of the aquarium was the jellyfish and watching the kids touch the sting rays.  Occasionally I would catch McCabe flexing his muscles in reflective glass.  When I asked him to do it on camera, he just ignored me.

              One of the highlights of the trip was touring Alcatraz Prison.  I was fascinated by the inmates’ stories and their living conditions.  It would be rough to spend many hours a day in a tiny cell or to shower in the open among 25 other people.  I would also hate to be in total confinement which is dark 23 hours a day.  One inmate would play a game with his button in the dark just to keep himself sane and occupied.