Rock On!

We've had a busy week (as usual!) Between school and water polo and errands and play practices and work and family time and music, we've had plenty to do!  David was so excited about getting to make these tie-dye shirts last week - he talked about doing it all week, then he was so excited on Monday to get to bring his shirt home.  Then all the students were supposed to wear their shirts on Wednesday, which was also the last day of the week for the elementary school kids.  Thursday and Friday they had off for Parent/Teacher conferences.  I met with both of their teachers and they had nothing but good things to say about them.  David's teacher showed us a book David wrote in school called "Haoooto" By David (How To) and was all about how to behave during carpet time at school and he had sounded out and spelled it all himself, so it was adorable.  

Aaron and Anna have been playing Seminary Tag all week.  It has included Anna concocting crazy plots to keep her partner from tagging her and walking all over town to avoid him and driving Eileen batty.  It has also included Aaron and his partner hanging out at each other's houses to tag each other.  Aaron and Anna eventually both won.  Anna had me take this picture of her on the swing on the last night of tag, so she could send it to her partner to tease him.  This was on our 5 mile "avoid Byron" walk on Friday night.  

Saturday morning, Dan and I took James and David to see the Super Mario movie.  We had a fun time together and boys both had a blast.  David made melty bead Mario toys for each of us to bring with us during the movie.  

Friday and Saturday were the Peter the Rock concerts.  Our first was Friday night and then we had 2 Saturday.  Thankfully Don was feeling better and had a negative Covid test.  We still had to make some adjustments and I still had to direct some of the show, but they went well and the feedback was positive and it was a lot of fun.  Anna and I both had friends come and Dan brought some of the kids to hear us.  It was a great weekend!  After the last concert - Anna took off for the youth dance, and I hung around for the cast party, we had a fun time chatting and hanging out!  

On Friday, I took the boys to Walmart.  James needed some summer pj's and David needed some new underwear.  On Saturday, David decided that he REALLY wanted to wear his underwear, but I had told him that they had to be washed first - so he decided to wash them - and did it all by himself!  

We had a wonderful Sabbath day and as often happens, finished the night with games.  Dan trounced us all at Space Base - and that was even with Evie and Aaron holding guinea pigs for good luck.  

 

So, so busy.

It has been a busy, stressful and wonderful week.  Monday, we had friends over to read scriptures with us and have dessert.  We had 2 couples over from the ward and we had a wonderful discussion and a great time with them!  David has been getting so good this week at actually reading the scriptures instead of just repeating what we say - he is really starting to recognize words!  

One night while we were reading scriptures, Evelyn handed Dan her tiny scriptures to read from and he realized that he could see the tiny print better with the book further away and we all laughed about it together.  He's such a good sport! 

Tuesday, I met up with Emily and Sarah for lunch.  It is always so wonderful to get together with them!  It's always great conversation about our lives, our stresses and our joys.  Our families and our faith and I feel so blessed to count these amazing women among my friends!  

Wednesday morning, I picked up an older lady from the ward to give her a ride to get her hair cut, she was really sweet and I enjoyed a quiet half hour in my car crocheting.  Wednesday, after picking the boys up from school, we walked home since it was raining, then we drove back down to the church for Activity Days.  We talked about mission prep and had a missionary dress relay and sewed on buttons.  They had a great time!  

After the activity, I dropped the boys off at home and grabbed a baked potato to go and headed down to Salem for the Spring High School Water Polo Coaches meeting.  It was a good meeting with lots of talk about getting Water Polo classified as a OHSS sport.  It was a great meeting with healthy discussion and hopefully positive change!  

Thursday evenings are a bit crazy.  Between Aaron and Anna having water polo and Eileen having class at PCC and me having water polo and Evelyn having play practice, we are glad to have 3 cars and drivers because getting everyone everywhere is hard enough already.  Unfortunately, we found out just how hard it would be to do it all with out a 3rd car this week - we found out when Anna couldn't get her car to start in the afternoon, so we tried to work out getting everyone everywhere and realized that without all the cars, someone would have to be waiting for a bit for a ride home.  Thankfully I was able to get Anna's car to start and take it to water polo, so Dan could still pick Eileen up from her class on time and not worry about picking me up after.  

Dan and James have been working out in our yard - they worked hard to put in a border on our flower bed, and then put down mulch and trimmed bushes and planted some new plants.  It looks so nice and they have done such a great job!!  

Friday was kinda crazy, after morning workout, I had a presidency meeting with the primary presidency, followed by a stop at Scott's kitchen for meat pies, then meeting up with friends for lunch.  We had a small group this month, but we had a great time talking together, then I convinced one to come back to my house with me after to try one of Evie's chocolate peanut butter cup cupcakes.  After that, it was time to pick the boys up from school.  

Saturday morning was our Peter the Rock dress rehearsal.  It was a 4 hour rehearsal meant to tighten things up and get everything ready for the concerts next weekend.  Unfortunately, our director came down with Covid.  So he was gone for rehearsal.  Thankfully he had had the forethought to call an assistant director early on.  Unfortunately, that assistant director (me) had not received the email saying he wouldn't be there...  So Saturday morning, I found out that I would be running the whole rehearsal.  It was a little stressful, but some of the sweet gentlemen in the group offered to give me a blessing of comfort and we did our best.  I think it went well and I hope I did what was needed to help the choir feel confident and ready.  After that, I dropped Anna off at home, then went to watch Aaron play and bring him home, then we did scriptures and I took Aaron to his friends house to hang out before the dance, then I got home and grabbed Eileen and headed to Stake Conference Adult session.  The session was wonderful, them musical number was beautiful and the messages shared were beautiful.  Between the spirit and the stress, Saturday was a day full of tears - not bad tears, but still a lot of emotion!  After the adult session, we all went to Shari's with some friends from the ward for dessert.  I had only had some yogurt for dinner, so I had a baked potato and then just stole some of Dan and Eileen's desserts.  Eileen pulled out her cute little isopods and one of the couples ordered some from her for their grandchildren.  

Aaron had a water polo tournament this weekend - but he only played Saturday.  But they won both their games and he played well - It's neat to get to watch him grow as a player!  

Sunday was Stake Conference General Session.  Our ward choir was providing the music and I was playing the organ and Anna was leading.  So we were there early to warm up and rehearse and get ready.  David found the screens on the stage and was having fun playing with himself.  Then the person operating the cameras realized what he was doing and zoomed in on him and he had even more fun.  

The choir did a wonderful job!  Both songs went well - and it was such a joy to hear my arrangement performed!  Evelyn's friend Natalie bribed David to come up and sing with the primary children and Evelyn played the flute and Anna and Eileen sang with the choir - I love music!!!  

I got home from Stake Conference and didn't even bother finding lunch before crashing on the bed and sleeping for 3 hours.  After we had dinner and fun playing games and crocheting together.  

In which mom is bad at taking pictures...

...Fortunatly Dan isn't as bad.

We've had a busy week.  

The beginning of the week was pretty normal.  School and sports and play and work. 

The kids had Thursday and Friday off school.  ON Thursday, Evie had an ortho appointment and then she went to the school to help paint sets for the play.  After dropping her off, I went over to Sister Shum's house to help her out with a dress she's trying to make for her son's wedding.  In the evening we had water polo!

On Friday, Evelyn had her band play-a-thon which was a fundraiser for her band program.  David had a music camp with Sister Shum on Friday.  Friday evening, Aaron and Anna had scrimmages with the club team and I got in and scrimmaged with them.  We had enough goalies though, so I was in the field - and totally exhausted by the time it was over!  

Saturday was crazy busy.  Anna and I had our Peter, The Rock rehearsal in the morning, then we went home to pick up Aaron and headed back across town to the water polo tournament.  Anna left after her game to go home and eat dinner, then took Evie and her friends to open polo.  I stayed for Aaron's last game, then headed home to drop Aaron off and went to open polo.   We got home late and went to bed - very tired....  

Dan had a busy Saturday too - He took the boys to the library in the morning.  James goes through Manga like crazy and comes home with 30+ books each week which never last him the full week.  Dan and James and David also got a bunch of yard work done since the weather on Saturday was beautiful!  They boys were both super good helpers! 

Today was busy again - but also great!  Church was great and things are going well with the changes in the primary presidency.  After church was ward youth council and I had an activity days planning meeting.  Then ward choir.  We had primary children coming to help us out with one of the songs for Stake Conference next week - and they were amazing.  It was fun having them and they did an amazing job!  

Aaron and Anna had the second day of their tournament and Anna had her first Encore Spring concert tonight.  So I didn't see Anna all day and didn't see Aaron until I picked him up after his last game.  

Dan, Eileen, Aaron and I played 7 Wonders tonight after getting the younger boys to bed and Eileen trounced us all.  

Easter

 James and David both stayed home from school on Monday and Tuesday.  They had both been coughing a lot and so I kept them home to try to get better.  Since I was still feeling sick too, the three of us took it easy and rested and crocheted and rested some more.  I finally realized on Tuesday that I didn't just have a cold, it had turned into a sinus infection.  So after taking the boys to school on Wednesday, I drove to the doctors and sure enough, I had a sinus infection and they got me on antibiotics and I finally started to feel better.  

The rest of the week was pretty low key until Friday.  Friday was presidency meetings and grocery shopping and water polo for Aaron and taking care of pets for Dan and Eileen (taking care of Jon's cat and Sandi's dog while they were both out of town.)  

Saturday morning was cleaning time.  Dan's parents got in in the morning, Steve and Claire and their family arrived just in time for lunch - Eileen made sushi!  Then Jon and Melissa arrived just in time to leave for the temple session.  We met up with Dave at the temple, then we all headed back to our house to eat a LOT of yummy food.  Dan had smoked a brisket for 24 hours and it was so yummy!  Eileen made rolls, Melissa had brought her twice baked potatoes and there were salads and desserts too.  All in all, it was a great afternoon and evening full of family and fun!  

We did an Easter egg hunt with all the kids, then did our family scripture study/Easter lesson all together, then people started packing up and heading out.  Dan's parents were talking about heading to bed and Dan needed to get down to let Sandi's dog out for a bit, and Evelyn was asking to go to Open Polo, so I took the 3 kids and Evie's 2 friends and we headed down to take care of the dog, then over to the pool.  Eileen and Dan had some fun with Grandma and Grandpa before they headed to bed, then we all crashed after a long and wonderful day!  

Sunday morning, our morning prayers in the hallway usually look like a rock garden with the girls. Then we headed to church where Anna spoke and bore a sweet and beautiful testimony.  The youth sang a musical number and the ward choir sang with Evelyn accompanying on the flute.  It was a wonderful Easter service.  

We headed home for lunch and an afternoon of being together and resting.  Dan's parents began their drive back home after church and we took naps and decorated Easter eggs.  David kept wanting to hide eggs and then help us find them by telling us "hot or cold."  

After a game of wingspan (more eggs!) Eileen did her egg hunt photo shoot with her isopods.  She has a running site where she posts the mischievous adventures of her isopods.  It's cute to watch her and help her.  

Idaho, Conference and Colds....

 We had a great time in Idaho with Dan's parents.  We went to the YMCA with them on Monday to swim.  The kids had fun - I taught David a bit about swimming and he loved getting to play with his siblings.  We all had a fun afternoon together!  

Tuesday morning, we went to the temple with the older kids to do baptisms.  It was wonderful to get to watch them serving together!  

Tuesday evening there was an Easter presentation being put on by local stakes called The Living Christ.  It was amazing - art and music and video all about Easter week.  It was wonderful and the spirit was so strong!  

Wednesday morning after packing up, we headed back to Oregon.  We stopped at Multnomah Falls for a bathroom break and for a chance to get out of the car and walk around a bit.  We didn't go up all the way, but Dan took a few of the kids up to the bridge.   We got home in time for a lazy dinner.  

We have been recovering from our trip - but we seem to have come home with colds.  James, David, Eileen, Evelyn and I have all been feeling a bit under the weather.  

We also came home without Evelyn's phone - she managed to lose it on the second day and it hasn't been found yet.  

This weekend has been WONDERFUL - a full weekend of General Conference - listening to the talks and music and hanging out together.  Plus some yummy food :)