2018 :: week 4

January 21

On Sunday evening Anthony hosted BYU at our house. Our primary and youth programs are pretty small, but two families with ten kids between them moved into our ward around Chistmastime. It was our most crowded BYD ever! In this picture you can also see the cased in wall. We still need to sand and paint the trim, but I am loving the look of it already. Now to decide what color to repaint the TV room and kitchen...

January 22

Lauren is in constant motion. I took this picture of her telling me about something that happened to her at school and she was moving all over the place. Elliott wanted to get in on the fun too. Anthony and Will have had basketball practice from 6-7pm most Monday nights since November. I try to have dinner ready around 5pm so we can eat as soon as Anthony gets home. Sometimes this works out better than others. Then Lauren and I get ready for FHE, practice reading and play with Elliott. I enjoy our quiet hour together.

January 23

Elliott loves our Magna Doodle. Will got it for Christmas four years ago and both Will and Lauren have enjoyed playing with it from time to time (they still do), but Elliott has already used it more this year than the ever two have ever used it. He carries it around the house and draws pictures throughout the day. I wonder if he is a budding artist?

January 24

Hop, hop, hop.  It was a nice day, so the kids spent awhile jumping outside together.  Lauren and Will have been very good about following the trampoline rules. We are only a month in but I have no regrets about the purchase. It has been great this winter for the kids to go outside, even when it is really cold, and jump for a few minutes. It seems to help them get rid of some energy, or at least chanell energy into something productive. As opposed to wrestling with each other in the front room that inevitably ends up in tears. I try to get Lauren to put her hair in a ponytail or braid while she jumps because her hair can get very tangled, but she prefers to let it fly wild and free.

January 25

Elliott and I met Emily and her boys at Scouting Park for a playdate. The boys were happy to be outside. Elliott and Tyler started out making laughing sounds of pure delight while they were swinging, but that devolved into loud fake laughs after a few minutes. Elliott has a very loud fake laugh.

January 26

In honor of Kansas' Birthday (January 29) the kindergarteners dressed up as Cowboys and Cowgirls. I'm not sure why they celebrated a few days early other than the 100th day of school was the 30th and the teachers most likely wanted to spread the fun. Coincidentally Will's class earned a pajama party, so he wore pajamas to school that day. Non-traditional school clothes for everyone!

January 27

Lauren was way overdue for a haircut. If combing out the trampoline hair taught me anything, it was that Lauren's hair tended to tangle quite a bit. And excessive tangling can be a sign of dead ends. We serendipitously received a Great Clips coupon in the mail earlier in the week. Her hair looks great, is much healthier and so much easier to comb.

2018 :: week 3

January 14

Because of Stake Conference we were done with church at noon (as opposed to 4pm). We wanted to have a few friends over for a dessert night, but about an hour before people were supposed to arrive Will threw up. He had been a bit restless and throughout the afternoon and it seemed like he didn't feel great. I think he was keeping his discomfort under wraps because he was very much looking forward to having people over. After he threw up and our dessert night was postponed he seemed very relieved and relaxed enough to fall asleep.

January 15

Will slept in on Monday, but was back to his usual cheerful self. There was no school due to Martin Luther King Day, so we didn't have to worry about him missing anything. He watched several episodes of Star Wars Rebels and drew quite a few Star Wars related pictures. Anthony was off of work and basketball practice was moved to Thursday so we had a quiet day at home with no obligations.

January 16

Tuesday morning we met the Throssells at Union Station so we could go to Science City together. They recently got a family pass so now we have more friends to meet up with when we go. I thought we had our little umbrella stroller in the back of the van, but we did not, so Elliott got to walk. My kids looked so grown up as they walked the halls together. I'm so grateful that Will and Lauren are so conscientious and look out for each other and Elliott.

January 17

Well...we survived our first Pinewood Derby. Will got the "Sportiest Design" award. He decorated his car with blue paint, white flames and a KC for the Royals. It looked good, but didn't weigh enough to win a single race. At the weigh-in we learned that Will's car was several ounces under the maximum weight. Turns out weight is important when speeding down the track. Will had a good attitude and cheered on his friends' cars, even though he was pretty disappointed by his lack of success. The saddest moment of the night was when his car was racing against another blue car and he thought for a few seconds that he had finally won a heat.

January 18

Elliott takes great naps. He sleeps most days from 1-3pm and gives me almost no trouble. We read a few books, usually a Clifford, Caillou or Daniel Tiger. Then he lays down on his teddy bear and I cover him up with his softee. I tell him goodnight and he responds, "Night, night, Momma."

January 19

Friday night was Pancake and Bingo Night at OP-C! All you can eat pancakes and bingo with White Elephant style prizes brought by the students themselves. It is actually a lot of fun. This is the first year we have attended as the past two years our ward was hosting the soup and break dinner on the same night. We had a lot of fun and both kids came home with some interesting prizes.

January 20

Steve Ule helped Anthony case the opening between our family room and kitchen. We've been wanting to do it for over a month, but have had various things going on on Saturdays that have made it difficult to get done. Steve is so generous. Elliott and Nicholas played for hours together in the basement. Elliott and Nicholas seem to share a language that only they can understand. It is fun to see Elliott with his buddies.

2018 :: week 2

January 7

Elliott threw up after dinner Saturday evening, which meant he needed to stay home from church Sunday. My mom picked up Will and Lauren and took them to church and Elliott slept the entire time they were gone. While they were gone I watched BYUtv which was airing a series of President Monson's conference talks and BYU devotionals. As I watched I felt uplifted and more sad about his passing than I was when I originally heard he had died.

January 8

For family night we played a game called "Lead Me, Guide Me," from the Friend magazine. Will got to use the scripture set he got for his baptism to look up some verses about things Christ has provided for us to help us find our way back home (to heaven). We used Skittles as our place markers and keeping Elliott from eating said Skittles became a game in and of itself.

January 9

Storytime at the library is back after a month long sabbatical for the winter holidays. As per usual Elliott was so-so about the stories and songs but all in on the arm stamps.

January 10

Our new couch arrived! We had next to no furniture when we moved to Springfield ten years ago and bought a couch and a loveseat within our first few days of living there. Over the years they've served us well, but they've really started to decline this past year. We took our first trip to Nebraska Furniture Mart earlier this year and were immediately drawn to this couch. It is extra deep and fits all five of us comfortably. Now we just need to figure out what to do with the old couches. Craigslist? Trash?

January 11

I've been bundling up and taking brief walks in the evenings when Anthony gets home from work. Even though it is cold, the fresh air and limited vitamin d help me survive the winter months.  It's been four months and I am loving Anthony's new job where he is home most days by 5:30pm.

January 12

The kids and I have walked to school every day this school year (besides the days we were staying with my parents while we got new floors). As the temperature has dropped we've seen fewer kids and their parents walking. Thursday morning it was six degrees and the John kids still toughed it out. I was proud of them!

January 13

Our Saturdays have gotten very busy. Saturday morning I went to the gym, then headed to my parents' house to help watch my cousin Lexi's children while she and her husband went to the temple. Then Will had a basketball game. In this picture he 's going in for a layup. He has gotten pretty good at shooting layups this season. Saturday and Sunday were Stake Conference and Saturday afternoon Anthony had a priesthood leadership meeting. That evening Delia Chase watched our kids for us while we went to the adult session and then picked up dessert at Dairy Queen.

2018 :: week 1

December 31

While Nana was here she bought each of the kids a new church outfit. The kids wore them on our last week at the 9am meeting block  I have really enjoyed this year with early meetings, but it has been a bit hard on TJ. Anthony has been leaving for church around 5:45am, so he is looking forward to sleeping in.

January 1

We had a nice, slow day Monday. That evening we read some Harry Potter before bed. I love hearing the accents Anthony, Will and Lauren adopt when they read. Will's Professor McGonagall is my favorite.

January 2

I had hoped to take the kids to the open skate at Skate City Tuesday morning. Unfortunately I wasn't the only one with that idea. When we pulled up to the rink right as the open skate was beginning we saw a line that was out the door and wrapped around the building. We decided to wait and skate another time when it was less crowded and headed to the Johnson County Museum. It was a good choice because the kids had a great time running around and playing at the various exhibits. It was late enough in the day that it wasn't very crowded either, making it much easier on me to keep tabs on the kids.

January 3

Will went to his first official Cub Scout den meeting Wednesday night. Because Anthony goes to mutual on Wednesday night it is not too disruptive to our usual routine. I miss Will, but it is nice to have a little alone time with Lauren after Elliott goes to bed. Will had a great time at Cub Scouts and can't wait to go back next week.

January 4

Elliott really appreciates a good beverage. It's pretty dry in our house and he has been chugging cups of milk (which he calls "Oak!") and water. He makes this satisfied "Ahhh!" sound when he finishes. Oh to be so uninhibited.

January 5

Friday I took things slow. I had a nagging headache and after a busy morning opted for a slow afternoon/evening. Anthony made some "Dad's chicken," which is a bag of $5 frozen orange chicken from Trader Joe's. We keep a bag or two on hand for nights when I don't feel up to cooking or Anthony is unexpectedly tasked with dinner. We watched a few episodes of Star Wars Rebels on Netflix with the kids, then Anthony and I watched an episode of The Crown.

January 6

Another Saturday, another basketball game. Anthony has the boys rotate positions and Will is starting to excel at playing point. He is a pretty good ball handler and does a good job of getting to the basket. All of Will's basketball games this season have been at Corinth Elementary. Their mascot is the Dragon and Elliott gets very agitated when he sees the dragon likeness on the walls.

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.