Our little corner of the world is focused on school. With Oliver teaching biology and being a graduate student in biology, he's deep in the art of learning(the science of learning?). Evan attends school 3/4 time and spends the rest of his time watching shows from Netflix and looking out the window. Ryan is still attending school in both English and French but we've also added band and choir to his routine on top of a slightly challenging 5th grade. Scott's school is slowly learning the alphabet by getting books from the library each week focused on a different letter. Megan's school is working with Scott, attempting to encourage Ryan to bring homework home in order to complete it, and working with the high school swim team.

Each year will now start with a birthday and this year involved bowling, a frog cake and now a 4 year old in the house. We're so glad to have this little boy with a big personality in our family. 

2019 has also seen a change in our church routine. Attending church is just a normal part of our life like school. Its something that is there, but now we are only attending 2 hours instead of 3 hours on Sundays. With that comes an increased encouragement to participate more fully in learning the gospel and gaining a testimony at home. And just like the phrase I remember liking when I was a teenager: Life is change, growth is optional. Hopefully, we are choosing growth. Hopefully, we can all gain a stronger testimony of Jesus Christ.

Frog Cake requested after he misheard "Yule Log" cake at Christmas.

First day in Primary, sitting next to his near birthday buddy, Easton.

You are Happy?

My insightful son says this too me a little too often now. I believe his view of happy is smiling and laughing and if I'm not doing those two things then I must not be happy. I appreciate his desire for happiness. Especially because I allow his behavior due to his age to affect me negatively on a regular basis. Like today when he was playing on the counter while I was trying to do some dinner prep and dumped some sugar into the chopped onion and celery. Or every single time that he says "I just..." fill in the blank with whatever action he is doing that we told him to stop doing and he isn't ready to stop doing yet.
I love him, he truly does make us happy with his innocence, silliness and goofy grin. But the slow process to understand safety and cooperation can be tiring.
He was so helpful to his big brother and me as the Christmas tree was being put together and the ornaments put on. He was fascinated and excited. Then at the end of the night, he still wanted to rearrange the ornaments and he was told that it wasn't time right now. And shortly thereafter, the tree fell down. On top of him. Because he was still playing with it.
Beyond that, life as an adult can just be tiring. It can be tiring to smile and laugh ALL the time. And my happiness is often on the same level of contentedness. I suppose my natural, gotta get stuff done, look is not a smile. I guess he needs to see it more often.

Writing

In the LDS manual Teachings of Presidents of the Church: Gordon B. Hinckley, it says, Emma Smith "was to write, giving expression to her thoughts. To you women of today, who are old or young, may I suggest that you write, that you keep journals, that you express your thoughts on paper. Writing is a great discipline. It is a tremendous educational effort. It will assist you in various ways, and you will bless the lives of many."
In the last two years I've left the blog alone more often than not. Due to the use of smart phones in our possession, we stopped using other cameras and have used our phones to upload pictures to Facebook or Instagram, leaving it to a short sentence or paragraph and the photo to tell our stories.
I wonder if I can change that.
Today, is a Sunday. The Sunday after Thanksgiving. We spent a few days with Grandma & Beth with some time with Natalie and cousin Cory. Highlights: a wonderfully relaxed Thanksgiving Thursday, a relaxing Friday with a ridiculously long stop at a store for Black Friday(I don't know what I was thinking) and watching Disney's Coco and playing an often interrupted game of Settlers, and a gorgeous Saturday spent raking leaves and cleaning gutters. I'm grateful for holidays, traditions, and family. Three beautiful sons, a sweet husband, kind in-laws, and loving siblings and parents. I may be far from all family, but I'm grateful for the ones I am near.
Over the last month or two, I've tried to improve myself. Improve my health and improve my testimony. I did a health challenge with a few siblings and my mom. It was supposed to help me with my eating habits, getting me exercising more often and release my dependence on snacking. :) I did well with my food habits, but didn't improve my exercising. I have also had a desire to strengthen my testimony of Jesus Christ. So I started to read the Book of Mormon again and am writing down all the things written about Him to help me understand who He is more. I'm trying. This is just a part of life right now. My life is also busy with the high school swim team again. Year 5 now. Still busy.
Our home has a healthy 11 year old, a helpful 9 year old and a hooligan almost 3 year old. We are involved in school, cub scouts, and church. Ryan got to play soccer this fall for the first time, took his first swimming lessons this summer and also took some piano lessons for the first time this summer. Evan is growing and we are still trying to figure out the best to help him learn and become successful. Scott is becoming more independent and has yet to learn how to obey. But man, he is one cute kid. Oliver is working on a masters and it involved several weeks away this summer. A great adventure though as he drove out, climbed mountains and then got to be a student again with other biology teachers, and then I got to fly out and drive home with him. It was so nice to be with him.
I love making memories with my family.
My desire to keep a record is present but not pressing, so hopefully I will be able to get back to it and keep the memories by writing them down. Expressing my thoughts on paper (or on screen) will hopefully help me and bless me and my family. And maybe I'll have a photo memory post soon.
Happy Sabbath. We're going to turn our house into Christmas this afternoon. And hopefully I'll write about it. :)

Cakes of 2016

 At the beginning of 2016, Oliver was working with the Young Men and they do an annual cake auction fundraiser. That started off the year of fancy cakes where Oliver learned he loves butter and homemade cakes way better than boxed. Its been a sweet year.

Scott's first birthday?
Auction cake?

Raspberry Lemon Cake for Oliver's Mom's birthday

Sammy's birthay cake?
Easter-lemon blueberry cake with lemon cream cheese frosting
Chocolate cake with cream cheese filling & chocolate buttercream. Just because?

Vanilla with  Chocolate buttercream Just because?

 Cupcakes in Cassopolis

Cookies & cream cupcakes with chocolate or strawberry frosting

Ryan didn't want a fancy cake. These are brownie cupcakes.

Oliver's Chocolate cherry cake 

4th of July Cake

I also didn't go with a fancy Ollie cake. This is a snicker peanut butter brownie craziness

Beth's cheesecake
Macy's gluten free?

Pumpkin chocolate cake

Thanksgiving awesome cake

 

Pumpkin Chocolate layer cake with maple cream cheese frosting

Chocolate Sour Cream Cake

Ari's gluten free cake

Other Adventures of 2016

Free day at the zoo

 Wheeler Farm in March

 Lee Creek Area Spring break

 Tracy Aviary Field Trip

 Arches National Park

 Anniversary Hiking Trip Laverkin Creek Trail

 Angelman Walkathon

 Summer Equinox Sun Tunnels

 Birthday hike to Deseret Peak for sunrise

Aquabats Concert in Provo

1st Day of School

Labor Day up South Willow Canyon

Cedar Breaks & Bryce Canyon Fall Break