2017 :: week 52

December 24

We woke up to a very thin layer of snow Sunday morning and went to church wondering how long it would last. The Christmas Program took up the bulk of Sacrament Meeting. Among the musical numbers Anthony and Shaun Morris sang "In the Bleak Midwinter" and Will and Lauren sang "O Little Town of Bethlehem" with four other primary children. It was a beautiful meeting that helped put us in the Christmas spirit. With only one hour of church the afternoon felt very long. We decided to go sledding since it isn't very often your grandparents are in town AND there is snow on the ground. All three kids had a blast!

December 25

I sure love these little Santas, their energy and contagious excitement for life. We had a great Christmas. It was extra special to have Papa and Nana John and Uncle Matt here too. We opened presents and had a nice leisurely morning. That evening some of the Cranes and Johns met up at the church for some pick-up basketball.

December 26

For my mom's birthday present my dad wanted to get family photos. Thankfully my sister Melanie had the foresight to request indoor pictures. It got frigidly cold this week and was only 15 degrees during our shoot. I had to snag a picture with Anthony while we were our most put together this week. This may have been the only time we had both showered and were wearing non-elastic waisted pants all week. I got my hair cut 5 inches Saturday afternoon and am enjoying the shorter 'do.

December 27

Doug was a worker bee during his stay. He helped us install our new microwave, fix the loose leg on our dinner table, repair the broken seat on our glider, replace light bulbs, put together a bookshelf, assembled the new trampoline in sub-freezing temperatures(!) and made many meals. Here he is helping Anthony prepare Salmon Soup, a traditional Finnish meal.

December 28

Papa and Nana gave Lauren a caboodle full of art supplies for Christmas. They even went to Hobby Lobby to pick up more pipe cleaners when Lauren used up the ones that were in her kit in the first twelve hours after she opened it, making a variety of beaded bracelets. Nana, Will and Lauren worked for hours on our 'Silent Night, Holy Night' picture. Nana hurt her back while she was here and at times she preferred to stand and color the hard-to-reach areas of the poster with Will's new scented markers. They made a great team and the poster looks great!

December 29

 Another cold day, but warmer than the even colder days at the start of the week. Papa and Uncle Matt assembled the trampoline in the morning and Lauren and Will were extremely excited to test it out. There is an enclosure, but we are going to wait until it is a little warmer to put it on. The kids enjoyed bouncing and until their fingers and toes started to freeze. Papa, Nana and Uncle Matt flew back home Friday night. We were sad to see them go, we had a great week spending time with them.

December 30

Happy Birthday to Memaw! Just moments after this picture was taken Leah leaned in too close to the candle and her little ponytail caught fire. It was a scary few seconds, and Will has vowed to never blow out candles again. In happier news, my mom is great and she quickly smothered the fire with her bare hand. Birthday heroics aside, we love Memaw.

2017 :: week 32

SUMMER 2017 :: WEEK 12

John Family Reunion in the Outer Banks of North Carolina

August 6

John family members arrived at various times Saturday, with most arriving in the late evening. Our kids were in bed before everyone arrived. Sunday when everyone got up was the beginning of everyone being all together. Some of us went to the local ward for Sacrament meeting and then Nana and Papa held primary for all the cousins. They did a fun lesson about choosing the right and made an awesome CTR shield for each primary-aged grandkid.

August 7

The entire time we planned and talked about this vacation I never thought about the possibility that the weather would be anything but hot and sunny. Unfortunately it rained quite a bit and was windy and colder than we would have liked. We were still able to get some good water time in. After a great breakfast and Duck Donuts (two thumbs up!) we went the beach Monday morning. We splashed and played for about an two hours before a storm rolled in. Luckily the house we were staying at had a pool and hot tub, so we could still get in the water without the hassle of packing up and walking to the beach. We hit the pool/hot tub at least twice a day. Nana and Papa brought shovels and pails for each of the grandkids. The kids had great fun digging and playing in the sand.

August 8

Tuesday was the rainiest day of the week. It started out hot and muggy and we were able to get in some morning pool time, but out of nowhere a storm blew in and we had to hurry inside to take cover! We spent the rest of the afternoon watching movies and relaxing inside. The kids watched Sing several times over the course of the week and adults did a variety of relaxing indoor activities--drawing, puzzles, baking, cross-stitching, video games, visiting, etc. Tina hired a photographer to come take family pictures that evening and the rain cooperated just long enough for us to take some great pictures.

August 9

Wednesday was a blustery day. We went to the beach in the morning and had fun playing in the extra big waves. There were also thousands of dead jellyfish in the water. People were finding them in the pockets of their swimming trunks or inside the linings of their swimming suits. They were everywhere! And they did not sting anyone. Apparently several cities in the Outer Banks, including Southern Shores, were involved in a beach nourishment project this summer. As part of this project there were machines in the ocean pumping sand from the ocean floor to build up the eroded beaches and shorelines. This caused a lot of dead jellyfish to wash ashore too. They were round discs that looked like they were made of gel. 

August 10

We celebrated the late summer grandkid birthdays Thursday evening. Sadie turned 8 on July 29th and Elliott would be turning 2 the next day. Alicia made and decorated two birthday cakes--a Poppy (Trolls) cake and Daniel Tiger cake. These kids are so blessed to have so many family members that love them. My heart felt full as we sang to the kids and ate cake together. We had just returned from a gorgeous evening at the beach, which is my favorite beach time.

August 11

Our last day in the Outer Banks passed much too quickly. It was Elliott's second birthday! Carly and Hillary bought one last delicious batch of Duck Donuts. We went to the pool for a few hours in the morning while the weather was clear. Some of the uncles threw the older nieces/nephews into the pool. In the afternoon it rained and we packed and got ready to hit the road. Our last act of vacation was a final trip to the beach. We had originally planned to leave by 5pm, but then kept rationalizing with ourselves why it was worth it to stay a bit longer. It was a good choice. It was perfect way to end the trip. The kids splashed and ran in the waves and we soaked up as much ocean air as possible. Many tears we shed as we pulled away from the beach house. We drove the three hours to Richmond, VA, arriving around 11pm, after spending most of the drive talking about the many fun things we did on the trip.

August 12

Saturday was a travel day. We started the day in Richmond, VA, and traveled through Virginia, passed through West Virginia, Kentucky and Indiana before ending our day in Mt. Vernon, IL.  The kids were great! I somehow didn't put it together that we would be driving right past Monticello. I almost made Anthony stop the car, but clearer heads prevailed. I still want to go, but we'll have to make that happen another time. 

2017 :: week 51

December 17

We celebrated Will's eight birthday Sunday. How can our little boy be eight?! Birthdays on Sunday can be a little tricky, so we did the aquarium date Saturday afternoon. Sunday we went to church, then had Memaw and Pepaw over for dinner. Right before we lit the donut cake we heard a knock on the door--it was the Throssell's caroling and delivering a plate of Christmas goodies. Perfect timing because they were able to sing "Happy Birthday" with us! After dessert and present opening we went to Sar-Ko-Par Park and walked around the lake and enjoyed the Christmas lights. It was a perfect way to celebrate our favorite big brother.

December 18

Monday afternoon the kids worked on putting together the Lego set Will got for his birthday. They love following the directions and putting the sets together perfectly at first. But then they like to take things apart and build creations of their own imaginations. They like to build homes and the Lego Creator sets are good for that. It was so nice to see them working together so well.

December 19

I finally was able to check "Bass Pro Santa Picture," off my Christmas bucket list Tuesday afternoon.  I've had this hanging over my head for the past few weeks and it felt good to get it done. Last year we went in November and it was much less stressful.The kids had their Winter Parties at school and I went up to the school to help. We went to Bass Pro right after school to get the pictures and arrived at just the right time--3:55pm. They gave us a ticket to get in line at 4pm and we were in and out in about 30 minutes. The line had tripled in length by the time we left.

December 20

Lauren's friend Daphne invited a few friends over to her house to decorate sugar cookies after the early dismissal from school Wednesday. Lillian and Breanna were there too. The kids rolled out dough, decorated cookies and played in the backyard for a bit. We were all having a good time and would have been happy to stay longer but we had to get home because Will's friend Porter was coming over to play. Both kids were excited to start off the school break with playdates.

December 21

Thursday was a workday. We cleaned all the bedrooms, bathrooms, kitchen, family rooms, basement, etc. I was hoping it would take 2-3 hours but it took closer to six. It had been awhile since we deeply cleaned the bedrooms, and our house had been in a bit of disarray ever since we moved back in after getting the floors done. I was a bit frustrated with myself that we used most of the last warm day to clean, so we went to the playground for about and hour before Anthony got home. Due to a series of unanticipated mishaps we ended up eating dinner at Pizzeria Locale.

December 22

Doug and Tina arrived Friday morning after changing their flights to avoid a snowstorm (they were originally set to arrive late Friday night). We picked them up from the airport and spent the afternoon walking around Union Station. Elliott was in heaven with all the "choo choos." He watched the little trains run around the tracks for minutes on end.

December 23

Anthony baptized Will on Saturday morning in front of 73 family members and friends. It was a beautiful meeting and a great way to usher in the Christmas weekend. Nana John spoke about the many Thomas John's in Will's paternal line and the first Thomas John that joined the church in Wales. The group sang Christmas carols while Anthony and Will changed clothes and I felt like I was part of a heavenly chorus worshiping the Savior. Lauren and cousins Leah and Tyler sang the first verse of "I am a Child of God." My heart felt so very full.

2017 :: week 50

December 10

The kids were finally fever-free when they woke up Sunday morning, but we still stayed home from church. Lauren got industrious and made some Christmas decorations for our family room. Sundays when I have to stay home from church because my kids are sick feel extra long. Each of the kids had woken me up in the middle of the night over the past three nights so it was nice to get to sleep in and have a slower morning.

December 11

My favorite FHE treat during December is peppermint shakes from Chick-fil-A. The five of us shared two large shakes while we discussed why Jesus is the Prince of Peace. I took this photo from the corner of our kitchen to give perspective of how big the room seems now that wall is gone. We are loving it! Now we just need to put casing around the exposed wall. (And refinish the cabinets, and repaint the family room and kitchen, and buy a new rug and couches...)

December 12

I ordered this over-sized Christmas print for the kids to color, but I have spent as much time on it as they have! Lauren and I like to spend a few minutes every day working on little sections. It is therapeutic and fulfilling to see it come together.

December 13

We finally got around to decorating our tree Wednesday evening. It ended up being a very lovely evening. Anthony wasn't feeling great and decided to stay home from mutual, so it was a rare mid-week night where everyone was home and we could just have fun together. We listened to Christmas music, trimmed the tree and then watched How the Grinch Stole Christmas, per Lauren's request.

December 14

Whenever my kids get restless I try to change things up in hopes they will snap out of their funk. One of my tricks is taking a walk around the block. Elliott and I have been taking a lot of one-on-one walks lately. He is such a happy little boy, but lately he is having some moments where I just have to sigh and remind myself that he is two. It is so wonderful having Anthony home more in the evening so I can take Elliott for a quick walk before we eat. The fresh air does us both a lot of good.

December 15

Friday night was very cozy. I made a big pot of Zupa Toscana for dinner. After we ate we paid a visit to our friend Emsely who got hurt in a bicycle accident the night before. Then we came home to watch a Christmas movie. There are few movies I enjoy more than Home Alone 2: Lost in New York. It has been a favorite for decades and I love watching it with my kids and seeing them laugh at all my favorite parts. We were all tired and Anthony and I were in bed by 10:30.

December 16

Will's basketball team had three preseason game and I was finally able to make it to the third game. The first game was while I was out of town and last week Will was sick and did not play. He is playing with a few friends from school and a few randomly assigned kids. They are all pretty new to basketball but doing really well. Will made some good passes, stole the ball and made a perfect shot right as we arrived. It is fun seeing him improve and have fun with his friends.

2017 :: week 49

December 3

We had to be out of our house for 72 hours while our new floors were finished. The workers applied a coat of polyurethane to our floors on Saturday afternoon, then again on Monday and Tuesday mornings. During this time my parents graciously agreed to let us stay with them. On Sunday afternoon Emily came over and we took our boys for a walk. The "crazy lights house" was all decked out and we watched the lights for awhile, though it wasn't quite as exciting as when in the car because we couldn't sync up to their radio station.

December 4

I pulled the kids out of school for a mid-day family date to Tuba Christmas. My mom, Emily and her boys joined us. It was a fun way to kick of the Christmas season.

December 5

Elliott and I have regularly attended the toddler storytimes at the library this fall. The librarian Ms. Angelica does a great job of incorporating movement, rhythm and songs and I have copied several of her tactics at church with my nursery kids.

December 6

We were given the go ahead to move back in Wednesday night. Just in time too. We had a really good time staying with my parents, but we were ready to get back into our routines and sleep in our own beds again. Lauren told her teacher at school on Tuesday that she couldn't do her homework because she left it at home and "we got kicked out of our house." Luckily I had mentioned to her teacher what was going on with our floors so she could put Lauren's comment in context. Kids have such an elegant way with words.

December 7

Tony took the kids up to school early Thursday morning for some "Dudes and Donuts" time.

December 8

Both Will and Lauren stayed home from school Friday because they were running fevers and coughing. I had a to-do list full of errands that had to be put on the back burner, so that evening after dinner I went shopping and crossed a few things off the list. I had been feeling a little overwhelmed how much I needed to get done and wasn't being very attentive when I dropped a gallon of milk and it splattered everywhere. I had to stop and laugh. I am a planner, I like to be in control and don't like it when life sends me curve balls. But life if full of curveballs and it is best not to take yourself too seriously. It's way too easy to get caught up in stuff that doesn't matter and worry more about getting something done than the reason you are doing it in the first place.

December 9

Will and Lauren spent Saturday in their pajamas alternating between watching movies, playing nintendo, coloring and occasionally fighting.

2017 :: week 48

November 26

It has been a banner week for leaves. Apparently when it doesn't rain for over a month and then gets very windy the trees dump all their remaining leaves. You'd never be able to tell that we spent several hours cleaning our gutters and raking leaves Friday afternoon. Is there any grass under that carpet of leaves?

November 27

Lauren lost her second tooth at school Monday. She pulled it out and was very excited to receive a purple treasure chest from the nurse to safely store the tooth until she got home. She has now lost both of her bottom teeth, but there is no gap. The adult teeth have grown in and likely pushed her baby teeth out.

November 28

Tuesday afternoon the floor guys dropped off the load of lumber that will become our floors by weeks end.

November 29

Elliott has taken to carrying his toy hammer around the house and tapping the ground and walls. Monkey see, monkey do. Thursday was a busy day as we were both prepping our house for the new floors by pulling up the carpet in the family room and I was preparing to go out of town for Grandmamere's funeral.

November 30

While Elliott and I (along with Emily) were headed west for the funeral Friday afternoon and evening, the rest of the family attended the ward Christmas Party. Anthony texted me this picture without me even asking him to! The primary children acted out the nativity and Lauren was a zebra shepherd and Will was a wise man.

December 1

Saturday morning we celebrated the life of my maternal grandmother, Joan Hopwood Lebaron, known affectionately to her five granddaughters as Grandmamere. She had been suffering from the affects of Alzheimer's for the better part of a decade, so though it was sad to see her go, it was also a relief that she was no trapped in the late stages of the disease. It was a beautiful winter day in St. George and the funeral service was perfect. My mom shared some anecdotes from her mother's rather interesting life, my sisters and I sang "The Song of the Heart," and Jake sang Roger Whittaker's "The Last Farewell." 

2017 :: week 47

November 19

Lauren gave the article of faith in primary and really wanted a parent to help her. Even though she gave her part in the primary program over the pulpit in Sacrament meeting just fine the week before she got a bout of nerves and needed some reassurance.

November 20

The kids had the week off school for the Thanksgiving holiday. Going into the week I was a little worried about how we would survive, but we fared much better than I feared. Monday we went to the zoo with the Wilsons and had great visit. We got to ride the train and see a lot of fun animals. That night we had pizza for dinner at my parents' house. My cousin Maria and her family was passing through on their way to Wichita and we spent an hour together eating and catching up. The kids went to play in the basement and Lauren ran back up yelling, "Memaw! There's a bird in the basement!" Upon further inspection we discovered that it was not a bird but a bat!

November 21

Landon came over to play for awhile in the morning and then we went to Science City together. The boys had a fun time playing together, and we nice to include Lauren in their games too.

November 22

Wednesday was the coldest day of the week and so we went to the Lenexa Open Gym for an hour in the morning to get some wiggles out. Lauren's friend Daphne, her brother Nicholas, and mom Jolie joined us. Then we delivered Meals on Wheels. We have a weekly route, but it felt especially meaningful to pass out meals the day before Thanksgiving. Both Will and Lauren seemed personally affected by some of the residents we met, and their extremely humble circumstances. We live a life of such abundance. I'm grateful for the opportunity to interact with people that are outside of our normal "bubble" and the good health we enjoy.

November 23

We celebrated Thanksgiving with the Throsells this year. Anthony and I made our usual--green bean casserole and rolls. Anthony also tried out a new recipe, a knockoff Ruth's Chris Sweet Potato Casserole. It was really good!

November 24

We didn't go to a single store on Black Friday (though I did buy a few things online). We worked in our yard for several hours, though you wouldn't know it now. The leaves just keep coming down like crazy. In the evening we went with the Ule family to the Luminary Walk at the OP Arboretum. It was beautiful!

November 25

When we moved Will was 19 months old and I was pregnant with Lauren. At the time our kitchen seemed big. Six years and two kids later it isn't feeling so big. We decided getting rid of the wall between the kitchen and family room will help us maximize the space we have. Anthony and I worked on removing the trim and drywall for about an hour and then our friend Steve helped us cut down the rest with his reciprocating saw (which we do not own). Next week we will be getting new floors in the two rooms. It it amazing what a difference it makes in the openness of the two rooms already!

2017 :: week 46

November 12

Will and Lauren participated in the primary program Sunday. Both kids delivered their parts well. Will talked about the importance of prayer and said that he feels good when he prays. Lauren talked about how God has long used prophets to communicate with his people. They both sang the songs and were in general pretty cute. Elliott was captivated and paid attention better than he does most Sunday. I did not have to take him out once. It is hard not to enjoy the primary program. 

November 13

Will's class celebrated Mrs. Martin's birthday Monday afternoon. Will has really lucked out with great teachers. Mrs. Martin is kind and positive and pushes Will to get out of his little perfectionist box. She has brought several exercise balls to the classroom and then rotates through the class so each kid gets a chance to use one if they'd like.

November 14

I love going to water aerobics classes and can hardly believe that it has been almost five years since I first started. I love being in the water and getting a good work out that doesn't make me sweat!

November 15

Will was invited to attend his first pack meeting Wednesday night. Even though he won't be 8 for another month they had him come so he could pick up his pinewood derby kit. The derby will be after his birthday in January. I was a cub scout leader when we lived in Springfield and the pack meeting brought back many memories.

November 16

Both Lauren and Will read several books to Elliott Thursday night. Elliott has an insatiable appetite for books. I love watching my babies read together.

November 17

Lauren class held their Thanksgiving Feast program Friday afternoon. The kids performed a few Thanksgiving songs and then ate some simplified Thanksgiving foods (deli turkey meat, apple slices, mac and cheese). They showed off Thanksgiving-themed crafts, like this cute turkey hat, and other fun things they are working on in their classroom. It is nice having Anthony work so close, he was able to come too!

November 18

My cousin Natalie and her family were passing through town Saturday evening and stopped to say hello. They were driving from their home in Troy, Michigan, to spend the week at her sister's home in Wichita for the Thanksgiving holiday. The cousins and second cousins had fun playing in together in the Wilson's basement for an hour while the adults visited.