2023 :: week 34

August 20

Jill has long been the Crane family's go-to "techie." On Sunday she helped Dana figure out how to set an alarm for her 6am flight the next day. We've been watching old movies in the afternoon after church. This Sunday we watched Chitty Chitty Bang Bang. 

August 21

It was atrociously hot this week. We went to Tomahawk a few times after school in attempts to beat the heat. Unfortunately, the water was lukewarm it felt almost like bathwater. But it was still better than not being in the water. Early in the summer I told Miles I wanted him to be able to "starfish" in the pool by the end of the summer. At different points I did not think that would happen. I am so proud of how far he has come!

August 22

We finally got our AC fixed on Tuesday *I hope!* In the evening, Will and Lauren went with the youth to do baptisms at the temple in the evening. They got ice cream at Freddy's on the way home.

August 23

Anthony and I were sitting on the couch talking after putting the little guys to bed when we heard Elliott sniffling in the hallway. We asked him what was wrong, and he ran into the room and started to cry. He told us that even though he liked his class, he really missed his 1st grade teacher and classmates, and that school just wasn't the same. We had a good talk about "making new friends but keeping the old," and that change is an uncomfortable but necessary part of life. And most likely, by the end of this school year he will love this class just as much as loved 1st grade.

August 24

Miles started school on Monday, and already he is enjoying it so much more than last year. His teacher posts pictures on Seesaw and she posted this one on Thursday. Is he more mature? Does he just know more what to expect from school? Does he like these classmates better? Only time will tell.

August 25

Friday it was hot, hot, hot again. I packed a picnic dinner and we went to Tomahawk right when it opened at 4pm. We saw a few friends and enjoyed cooling off in the water. Later that evening we went to Donuts with Grownups at the church. The Primary Presidency bought a bunch of games and donuts and invited primary families and empty nesters to play games together at the church.

August 26

Saturday was a divide and conquer kind of day. In the morning the YM had a fantasy football draft at the church so Anthony took the boys up to the church. Lauren had a birthday party for her friend Katie, who lives in Tonganoxie (approximately 40 minutes from our house) so I drove her and friend Ariana there. That afternoon Anthony and I went out to dinner at Jack Stack to celebrate our 17th anniversary. Seventeen years feels like such a big number, how are we old enough to have been married for that long? 

2023 :: week 33

August 13

It feels like we have Stake Conference more often than not when Doug and Tina come into town. At least recently. I know the week they stayed with us last summer as the embarked on their east coast road trip was also over Stake Conference weekend, as it was in 2019 when they drove across country moving from Belmont to SLC and we blessed Miles at home. We went to Stake Conference in the morning, then spent the rest of the day at home. In the afternoon the kids played Bananagrams, mancala and Spot It! MLB with Nana and Papa, then that evening we had tacos for dinner. I was feeling pretty tired after prepping for Elliott's birthday and baptism and spent a lot of the day vegging out. 

August 14

Monday morning got off to a rough start when our garage door wouldn't open. We just replaced it in March so I was very frustrated. It turns out it was a minor issue and the technician was able to fix it within minutes. Anthony and I spent the morning getting finishing getting ready for our trip to San Diego. We asked Doug and Tina if they would watch our kids for us for a few days after Elliott's baptism and they generously agreed. Anthony and I left for the airport at lunch time. We made plans to travel to San Diego with our good friends Stephanie and Spencer. We had a relatively uneventful flight and arrived in San Diego, then picked up a late dinner at Hodad's. Meanwhile, Doug and Tina took the kids to the Deanna Rose Farmstead. The kids mined for gems, fed the goats and visited the bank. Papa and Nana even treated them to ice cream!

August 15

Tuesday was the first day of school for Lauren and Elliott. Lauren is in Mrs. Koerner's 6th grade class and Elliott is in Mrs. Jones' 2nd grade class. This will be their last year at the same school. :( Months ago I scheduled Elliott's well-child check up for 9am, and when I realized it the first day of school tried to reschedule. They wouldn't be able to fit him in for months so Tina took him for us and he went to school a few hours late. I won't make that mistake again! After school that afternoon Nana and Papa took the kids to the indoor pool at Matt Ross. It was chilly enough they didn't think the outdoor pool would be very enjoyable. In San Diego Tony and I were having a lot of fun! We met up with the Throssells after breakfast and took an uber to Mission Beach where we rented bikes and road along the coast to Pacific Beach and back. We also did some window shopping and jumped in the waves. The marine layer was thick and the water was cold, so I only planned to wade in. However, once I stepped into the ocean there was no turning back and I happily jumped in the waves for a long time. Anthony jumped with me and also took a nap on the beach. We rode to Taco Surf for some California Burritos. That evening we walked over to the Gaslamp Quarter and had delicious ice cream from Ghirardelli's. San Diego is so pleasant, we sat outside and chatted for a long time.

August 16

Wednesday was Will's first day of 8th grade and the first full day of school for Lauren and Elliott. In the afternoon Doug took Will to Target to pick up some school supplies. In San Diego we took the ferry to Cornoado Island. We did some more window shopping, then spent a few hours at the beach. The water was freezing! I still stayed in for quite awhile, but Tony took another beach nap. The sand on the beach had what looked like flecks of gold in it, but is actually the mineral mica. It gave the water this pretty sparkling golden sheen to it. We left after Spencer got stung by a sting ray and went back to the hotel where he could soak his foot in the rooftop hot tub. That afternoon we walked along Harbor Drive towards the USS Midway (and the "Unconditional Surrender" sculpture). We had planned to borrow bikes from the hotel and meet the Throssells at Sea Port Villiage, but the bikes were out of commission. After our walk we met up with the Throssells and headed to Petco Park to see the Padres take on the Orioles. It was a fun game, the Padres won and Fernando Tatis stole home! After the game we walked to La Puerta for yummy street tacos. We had to leave for the airport at 4:30am, so we didn't stay up too late. 

August 17

Thursday we flew home and arrived home just as the kids and Nana and Papa were walking home from school. We were all a little tired, so we had Costco Pizza for dinner and hung out together sharing what we had done while we were apart. Papa and Anthony quizzed the boys about various baseball trivia, and in return the boys came up with sports trivia of their own. After the kids were in bed we watched the latest episode of Only Murders in the Building. The next day we dropped Nana and Papa off at the airport. We were all sad to see them go.

August 18

The Immaculate Grid is the latest craze for the sports-obsessed John men. Even Elliott and Miles attempt to complete the grid as best they can each day. The grid consists of nine squares, set 3 by 3. At the top of each column and to the left of each row are baseball teams and statistical accomplishments that change each day. The challenge is to name a player who matches the criteria of each square on the grid. For example, a player who played for both the Astros and Dodgers, or a Dodgers player who picked up 200 hits in a season (with the Dodgers).

August 19

Doug and Tina reported that Lauren and Will were very helpful with the younger boys while we were gone and I can confirm that they are indeed very helpful. Anthony wasn't feeling well Saturday and took a long nap Saturday afternoon while I took the kids to the pool. When we got home Lauren played with Miles so he wouldn't bother me while I made dinner. I tried out a new recipe that was actually pretty good.

2023 :: week 32

Summer Week #12

August 6

Sunday we celebrated Emily's birthday with a lamb roast at my parents' house. Elliott had his baptism interview after church and in the afternoon we dropped off invitations to a few of his school friends.

August 7

The Pink Thunder were back on the pitch for their first practice of the fall season. This fall they practice at the Scheels field #12 at 6:20pm. While she practiced I ran to TurnStyles to look for new pants for the boys.

August 8

Tuesday was a day of fun! Will spent the day with his buddy Porter (and his mom) at World's of Fun. By all accounts they had a great time. The rest of us spent the morning at Wonderscope with Jill, Arthur and Henry. Despite having a Wonderscope pass for a few years when Will & Lauren were young, it was our first visit to the "new" Wonderscope (that opened in 2020). We were able to experience most of the museum  It wasn't all fun and games, we did manage to lose our brand new white Odwala water bottle. Bluejacket, Young's and Stonegate all close this week. We met up with the Throssells at Young's so the kids could jump off the high dives and use the tall slides one last time. Elliott and Kendall had a blast swimming together.

August 9

Wednesday ended up being a hot day for us. The AC stopped working. Again! In the evening we headed back to OPC to meet the kids' teachers. Both kids got the teachers I was hoping they would get. Lauren has been assigned to Mrs. Koerner's 6th grade class, and Elliott has been assigned to Mrs. Jones' 2nd grade class. It was fun seeing friends we haven't seen much or at all over the summer. 

August 10

Kids watching youtube videos, savoring the last days of summer. It is very satisfying to see the kids get along so well. Papa and Nana arrived after dinner to attend Elliott's upcoming baptism festivities.

August 11

Friday we celebrated Elliott turning 8. Elliott is an absolute delight! He is a bundle of joy and has a smile that can melt even the frostiest heart. I am convinced that Elliott might be the world's best hype man, he celebrates any and all positives when he is playing sports. One of his super powers is that he feels genuine excitement for others and gets just as excited when something great happens to a teammate as he does when he when something great happens for him. Every teacher Elliott has ever had has complimented him on how well he gets along with others, and that they can count on him to include difficult classmates. Elliott loves being active! He is the reason we have a rule that you can't throw or dribble or jump in the house before 8am. He wakes up with the sun and enjoys the quiet alone time while he watches sports highlights or Big City Greens. Elliott is a great kid and the heart of our family. 

August 12

Elliott Robert John was baptized by his father on Saturday, August 12th. He was blessed to have both sets of grandparents attend, along with many other family members and friends. Nana gave a talk about baptism, and she used the "3 bears" as an object lesson for how he can remember to bear other's burdens, bear his testimony and bear the name of Christ. She told a sweet story about a time Anthony bore another's burden when he was playing baseball in the fourth grade, and his team won after his friend (the pitcher on the other team) walked in the winning run. Pepaw gave a talk about the Holy Ghost, and he had us reciting various Articles of Faith. After the baptism Papa and Nana treated us to Joe's KC. That evening Anthony and I went to the adult session of stake conference. As usual, the adult session was the best. One of the speakers was my dad, who was asked to talk about developing the attributes of Christ and share some of his experiences since my mom had her stroke. A friend from our ward spoke openly about the regret she feels with how she handled things when her son told her that he was gay.  And though things with her son are still strained, she was very honest and hopeful.

2023 :: week 31

Summer Week #11

July 30

Sunday was our first full day with the Maxfields. In the morning we went to church, and Anthony and Elliott were asked to speak at the last second because the scheduled high council speaker had gotten sick. In the afternoon we started our gum tournament. We know the Maxfields like tournaments, so the kids and I bought a bunch of different types of gums to try and find our favorite. In retrospect we should have stuck to one type--minty, bubble or fruity--because there was a lot of noise in the scientific process. Regardless, it was a lot of fun trying the different flavors and being surprised by how popular the Sour Patch Trident was, as well as how no one really liked the Orbit Spearmint gum. The kids played a lot of games throughout the day (and week). Anthony let the kids in on the secret that he will read longer, and thus delay bedtime if they scratch his head. 

July 31

Monday morning I took Miles to Children's Mercy to have a pediatric orthopedic surgeon look at his osteochondroma. Luckily it seems to be "normal" and we will get yearly x-rays to keep an eye on things. In the afternoon we headed to the Truman Presidential Library. It was recently redone by the same group that did the Spy Museum in DC. It was informational and engaging and we easily spent over two hours, which is pretty impressive considering that we had 8 kids with us ranging from four to 13. Most of the kids liked the game where Senator Joe McCarthy would interrogate them and *gasp* found most of them to be communists! Miles spent a lot of time with Nolan at the library and throughout the week. 

August 1

Monday evening our luck turned and we spent a lot of Tuesday dealing with the issues. On the way home from the Truman library we noticed we had a flat tire. We filled it with air, but it was flat again within a few hours. Tuesday we dropped the van off at Costco to get the tire repaired (they found a screw in it). Also Monday evening we found a pool of water around our HVAC system. We learned the hard way that when water starts spilling out you are in danger of shorting out the system and that is very expensive. We turned off the machine to let the frozen coils melt and spent several hours with towels and wash cloths sopping up the runoff. Our HVAC company was able to come out Monday and refill the freon. By Tuesday night the AC was up and running again. With all this housekeeping we had to stay close to home. Luckily we have a pool down the street, so we were still able to get out of the house and cool off. We had some of the hottest weather of the summer the week the Maxfield's were in town.

August 2

Wednesday we went to Science City at Union Station. The Maxfield's have a pass to an science museum in Oregon that has reciprocity at Science City. We spent several hours and still weren't able to do everything--a few summer camps were there as well that pushed us to move along. That evening we went to Stonegate where Elliott experienced the high high of being allowed to go down the slide a few times, and then the low low of being denied access to the slide by another lifeguard who deemed him too short.

August 3

One of Will's goals for the week was to turn the Maxfields into Royals fans. On Thursday we went to an afternoon game and made some major progress on that count. We got some a great deal on a ticket package that included a drink and hot dog for each person, plus free parking. It wasn't very crowded so our cheers felt extra important. Will even got within a few feet of catching a foul ball. The Royals defeated the Mets 9-2! The boys were very happy that their favorite player, Bobby Witt Jr, hit a homerun. After the game we visited Young's Pool and the lifeguards there allowed Elliott to go down the slides there. 

August 4

Friday we headed to downtown KC. We rode the streetcar to the City Market and then walked to the bridge overlooking the Missouri River. It was hot, so we stopped and bought ice cream at Fountain City Scoops. They had Blue Bell ice cream and various drinks you could buy--such as butter beer. Steven, Will and Anthony picked out a bunch of specialty sodas for another taste test. That evening we went back to Young's Pool. It was the consensus favorite with the big slides and multiple diving boards. We didn't get a chance to go to Tomahawk because someone wore glass goggles into the pool and they broke in the water, necessitating the draining and refilling of the pool. We ordered pizzas to eat at the pool and stayed until closing. After the kids were in bed the adults drove downtown to go to a Jazz club. Anthony and I don't frequent clubs, so after the men did some research we decided to go to the Green Lady Lounge in the Crossroads. The were lucky to score a booth, which set us up for great people watching. We all determined we were glad we were out of the dating scene. We ordered mocktails and listened to live jazz while we visited and speculated about the people around us. On the way home we drove up Grand Street, and a renegade gang of people on ATVs and motor bikes swarmed around us and other cars when we were stuck in downtown traffic. There had to be at least fifty of them! TJ made it extra exciting by honking at one of the more reckless bikers. He stopped his bike and popped several long wheelies a few feet in front of our car. In the moment we were confused, amused and scared all at once. We wish we had taken a video or photos. We googled it, and apparently roving bands of ATV gangs have been terrorizing cities all over. That was enough adventure for us for awhile!

August 5

Saturday the Maxfields headed back to Oregon, but not before fitting in one last tournament. This time we did a soda tasting tournament with sodas Steven bought while we were at the City Market Friday. The 1919 Root Beer was the clear winner and Moxie was the consensus loser. We were all so sad to say goodbye when they left at lunchtime. The house was too quiet after they left. That evening we met up with the Throssells at the Lea McKeighan Park in Lee's Summitt for our annual summer picnic dinner.