Dinner

 

I love lazy Saturdays. We slept as long as we wanted. Which was until about 8am:) Rob had things to do in the morning. I made secret pancakes, well pancake, and it was delicious! 

Then I did some chores and worked on a project. Grace had all state workshops. 

In the afternoon R worked on his bike. I drove Grace to meet some friends for boba and then I drove them to the grove to hang out. 

We went on a date, this time we tried a Korean restaurant and it was a lot of fun. It was fancy and the food was delicious. 

We ended the night watching Avenger’s. 

Fri-yay!!!

 

Tatum entered her school science fair and got best in show! Now she’s moving on to the district level. She’s an amazing girl, so smart and fun. 

This little dude is a chunkster! He has a tooth and a rash and is happy and strong:) last night Chelsea and Mark were at Hannah’s when I FaceTimed and it was fun to see Chelsea. I’m happy the girls live close to each other right now. She’s busy and happy planning her wedding and I know Han likes having her BFF nearby.

The mission has a Facebook page and we spotted our missionary on it this week. The they were waiting for interviews with the mission pres.

I finished my blanket. I love the colors and the stitches but I was disappointed because it is weirdly narrow for how long it is. I am considering adding vertical stripes on the two sides to make it wider. 

Grace misses Lincoln. She says her pain is much higher with him gone. 

Exciting news! Jenna and the girls are coming here for spring break!! I am so excited to see them and to spend all that time together. I sent them some “study material” for prepare for the trip (Disney books). They will be here right before their 3rd birthday and so will still be free!! We are going for sure! It is amazing to have grown children. I miss the little kid days and the baby days and the teenage days but it’s so great seeing my children being responsible fabulous adults. Jenna is a lot of fun and so accomplished. She is a wonderful, engaged, mother. She is my most adventurous kiddo and still loves to be active and outside and trying new and exciting things. I love that! She and Clayton are very wise with their money and they are always doing good for others with it, which is what money should be for. She is well read, good with people, cheerful, creative and surprisingly kind of a minimalist. When I grow up I want to be like Jenna:)💕

I often, like every day, think about how tremendously blessed I am with my family. My kids are amazing, and each unique and bring such joy to me. My sons in law are good men. My grandkids are the best!!  My parents and in laws are loving and supportive and I enjoy the time we spend together. I love my siblings and get along well with them. I love my husband.  I look forward to family time.

and since I'm counting blessings I also feel very grateful for good friends scattered across the country, nice co workers, good health, a house that is cute and snug and cool, a dumb dog that helps Grace, peace in my heart when I read the scriptures, I really love my bed and it's nice sheets, I like my TV shows and was happy that Ray was rescued last night after being a hostage for 3 episodes of SEAL Team, I like Florida weather and technology and this beautiful world. I am most grateful for a living prophet, a missionary son, diet coke, a car that runs and has heated seats for chilly mornings and AC for the rest of the time, vacuum cleaners and dishwasher and other things that make our lives easy.  And lastly for today weekends!! 

Time

Last week I came up with a plan. It was fool proof, which means it didn’t work at all! My plan was to come home from work and take a siesta. Then get up make dinner and do whatever until Ethan’s phone call.  For years when I had littles my sleep was broken up by nursing, diaper changes, nightmares, drinks of water, and then later from kids with homework or coming home late from hanging out with friends. I have always been proud that in the middle of all the interruptions I could wake up and go back to sleep quickly. 

I don’t normally nap during the week (but we do love our Sunday naps!) but sometimes I do and it’s always easy to fall asleep. Anyway. I got home and the house was quiet and I went to bed...and laid there. Eventually I got up and did chores and worked on my blanket and made dinner (jalapeño popper chicken casserole that Rob and Grace both liked). 

Then I thought well I’ll just go to bed early and wake up for the call. Nope couldn’t sleep then either, and couldn’t sleep after the call. I don’t think it was directly related to the call although I was excited for it. I have recently had more trouble sleeping than previously. Noise and light both bother me more. I wake up hot and sweaty (50+ female -par for the course). It’s annoying.  5:30am still came on schedule though and now I’m tired. 

That said I love our calls. It’s hard to hear and a little chaotic but I love seeing all their faces and hearing whatever they have to say. Marshall made a guest appearance, even though it was past his bedtime, and he kept us laughing with funny filters and stories about dragons. Oh how I wish I lived down the street and saw them all the time. I’d love to by the meddling mother in law, ready babysitter, and paparazzi Mimi!

 Saw this picture and it spoke to me. Our world is a mess. Our friend’s son, a returned missionary and a handsome, smart young man took his life last week. The pandemic continues to rage its ugly head, unrest is everywhere, weird weather is everywhere, another dear friend came out (and that has a whole set of issues), people have struggles that are hard and persistent and heartbreaking. It’s hard to find peace. It’s easy to fail, to be less than who we should be. How grateful I am that my Jesus still comes to us and saves us. He doesn’t flinch from the mess or the less. 

"Drawing near to the Lord brings comfort and encouragement, hope, and healing. 

So, we pray in His name about our worries and our weaknesses, 

our longings and our loved ones, our callings and our questions."

Then we listen.

If we will stay on our knees for a while after we finish our prayer, 

thoughts, feelings, and direction will come into our mind. 

Recording those impressions will help us remember what

 actions the Lord would have us take."

Russell Nelson

Angels

This little Ezra is the cutest little snow angel! His first little tooth pooped out of his gums today! What a sweet boy he is!

Little boys are special and sweet💙

We got some fun pictures of Ethan. It seems like things are going well and he’s enjoying his mission and being of good cheer. I love his weekly emails and hearing about his service. 

Missionaries are, for sure, angels on Earth. 

 

 

The party

 

Tonight was Grace’s party. She had a fun time, the jumping place was awesome, her friends are nice, we ate pizza, good times!

Jose, Tyler and Steven. Belle and Katie standing on the seat, Kaylynn, Julia and Lettie standing, Katelyn kneeling and Grace in yellow.

   

Sixteen

Last night Grace had pep band. I didn’t go because we had a YW car wash. I got home before her and Rob and I decorated her room and put her presents in it! A Wednesday bday isn’t that fun and the party is this weekend but I wanted to make the actual day special too, so obviously surprising her the night before was the best way to do that!

Today some of her friends made birthday tributes for her, which I thought was super fun!

After school I told her we could do whatever she wanted to and she could pick where we went for dinner. She wanted to go shopping for dog formal wear, like a tux or something,  and then Papa John’s. 

Just like on the day she was born today was also Inauguration Day. We watched at work and now we have a new President and the first female VP. Most of the women had on pearls and tennis shoes in honor. I thought President Biden’s speech was very good, and I thought it was so selfish of Former President Trump not to go to the inauguration, for the sake of the country he should have stepped up and showed up. 

So now we just pray for wisdom and success for our new administration, just like we did for the last one. Neither of which I voted for but both of whom I want very much to do an amazing job. 

The day wasn’t too busy so I had time to read. I am reading the most beautiful book, not like beautifully written although it is, but the physically most beautiful book. It has wonderful illustrations in it. It’s sort of about nature but really it’s about the nature of humanity and our responsibility for our planet. 

Recently I read “Born a Crime”, our book club book about a mixed race man born in apartheid. I liked it but it had too many Fbombs. And I read the new Twilight, I know embarrassing;) 

MLK

We had the day off of school yesterday for MLK day. In past years we had the day off and I gave it no real thought. Yesterday I gave it thought. In my perspective we have had few racial tensions in my lifetime. I really thought that we were passed all that. Interestingly Robbin, who is black, says the same thing. (That she has not felt like there was a lot of prejudice until recently. She grew up in NY)Something has changed. I am completely open to the possibility that it was always there and I was oblivious, in fact I think that to some degree I was. I remember years ago in MD talking to Madison’s dad while the two girls swam at our community pool. We were sharing a shady table under an umbrella. We were the same age but he was a black man who grew up in LA (the state) and I a white woman who grew up in CA. That conversation opened my eyes to things I didn’t know. Still he felt like a lot of the country and the world was doing well and that the deep

South had specific to their region issues. I wonder what he would say? Racial tension is really surging and it’s sad. The election this time is also just fraught with tension and discord. It’s embarrassing and sad and I can’t believe any of it. (Signs of the times)

So what did we do with our day? Ivana and I went on a long walk. When I got back Grace and Belle wanted to go to the Florida mall so drove them and wandered around for a couple hours while they shopped.

Elder Utzinger calls us at 11pm on Mondays. I’m always happy to hear from him and to see how he’s doing. He’s doing great!  This picture was taken after Dani and Greg hung up and Rob had fallen asleep. 

For pday they carved fruit:) He’s been cooking and gets along great with his companions. They teach about 30 lessons a week and stay pretty busy. All of this makes me very happy. He also writes great emails each week. 

Last week they bought too many bananas on accident. He said they did eat them all.

 

Sunday evening

•  As per usual Grace went home with Lettie on Wednesday. They love to play their instruments together and hang out.
• Friday night Rob and I went to a new place to eat. It is owned by an Israeli family and seemed very authentic to me. We were the only native English speakers in the place. I do not love Mediterranean food but it was pretty good and R likes it a lot and sometimes he gets to pick. NaQuanda asked me to be on the look out for a good Serbian restaurant, somehow I am the fun expert?, anyway I didn’t even know what Serbian food was before I looked it up. I did look it up and it seems like the commonly agreed upon idea is it’s a mix of Greek & Mediterranean with Turkish influences. This place was not that, however, it did have a distinctly that-area-of-the-world feel so I will tell her about it. 
• Saturday Grace had all state band workshops, her clarinet lesson with Nikolai, went to Disney Springs with Belle and Julia, and then spent the evening at the DiAmico’s. 
• Rob and I also went to DS and ate at my favorite “the Polite Pig”.
• Saturday morning we had a stake YW activity. They had a 5k. Only two girls from our ward came but I think they had fun. Laurie and I went and we walked the whole thing and had a great chat. We did great and were in the middle of the pack the whole time and finished under an hour which is good for an old chubba whabba. 
• Today we had church. Grace and I had a YCL meeting to go to to start planning camp and Katie came home with us after to hang out until the middle of the night since tomorrow is MLK day and we have no school. 

Wednesday

 Last night Rob and I went to watch the band play at the basketball game.  We lost the game but the band was great. It was fun to watch, the score was actually pretty close 58-72.  Not a nail biter but I like when both teams score. 

After we walked Kraytos and then went to bed.  

Grace sometimes says the funniest things.  The snark is strong with that one.  I meant to write this the other day because I know I'll forget so this actually happened last week.  We were walking Lincoln and I saw a neighbor that I often see out with her two little dogs.  I don't know her name but we have had a couple of interactions.  Once when Ziva lived with us we were in our yard and Z was off leash and the lady was walking near.  Z went charging to say hi.  I yelled out, don't worry she's super friendly.  The lady’s  dogs were barking their heads off and she was pulling on their leashes and was yelling my dogs bite, my dogs bite! I ran after Z and scooped her up.  She then told me that she had rescued them and they were traumatized and this and that, while she was crying.  After that I always crossed the street when I saw them so she wouldn't be concerned and I would scoop up Z quickly if we were just on a business trip to the yard. Anyway I saw her and told Grace, who was walking just in front of me, to cross and I began to cross the street when the barking began.  I told Grace again and this time she also moved out of the way.  The lady yelled out "sorry, they are adopted!". Grace said, "oh, I thought they were your biological dogs", quick as a wink and straight faced. Nope she assured us, they are adopted. (head shake) I told Grace she meant rescued and she needs to be nice, but really I was laughing inside because that was a funny thing to retort.

Someone at work has been placing these cute little animals anonymously on our computers.  Everyone says it isn't them and I have no idea who it is but I love my little okapi!

1/2 a year

Before we get to the big half a year event let’s start with yesterday. Our sacrament meeting talk was so amazing. Bro Hinton (from the bishopric) spoke and he was so inspired. He said the first sentence and I knew I needed to take notes on what he said and my on impressions. 

So his topic was the 2nd coming and how to prepare for it. The bold are his bullet points and the rest is my commentary.

1.Figure out how you are best taught by the Lord. 

I think for me it’s the reading too, like Bro Hinton. But also peaceful feelings while praying. 

2.Don’t Fear. That’s how you know how strong your faith is. If you don’t fear you know your trust in the Lord is good and you know He’s in charge. 

Fear always creeps in but you can just remind yourself that God knows and loves you and this is his plan. 

In the scriptures there are 149 admonitions from the Lord to let faith overcome fear. This means it’s so important and it also means that the Lord knows it’s super hard so He has to remind us a lot.

3.prepare ourselves spiritually by building a house of God. This house isn’t a structure but your very heart. You can study, pray, serve, listen, learn and put God first. Then your house is built no matter where you live or what happens around you. 

4. Pressing forward. Do good until the very, very end of your life. Even when you are 80. If you are 15 or 50 or 100 you can’t wait to do good, and you have to not think you’ve done enough good. And you can’t wait for some better time to do good. Now is all we have.

We need to give our all. We need to be all in.

In the evening the Evans and the elders came over for dinner. Grace and I made lasagna. I made one with zucchini instead of noodles and it was so delicious!!

Today Ezra turned 6 months old! He is almost 19lbs and is so adorable! 

Today is Ethan’s p-day. He wrote a funny email. It seems like things are going well. 

We had an bruh- ha- ha on our street. Grace and I were taking Lincoln out and picking up Kraytos to walk him too and there were 4 police cars at our neighbors house. There was a bloody fist fight and another neighbor called the police. Crazy!

And that’s a Monday for you. 

Friday/Saturday

 Even though it was only a four day work week after 2 weeks off it felt long. Each day went fast because we were busy but it was exhausting and there was a lot going on outside of work in the family that was equally exhausting. I always feel bad that I am not physically there to support and help I just have to worry and pray from far away. 

Friday night R and I went on a date. 

Saturday we slept in!

Some times our bed gets crowded. Grace also came in to chat after we had all woken up and we decided to do some fun errands together. 

First we went to a ramen restaurant for lunch. Dumo.

I am pretty sure I loved it most. We sat outside in the sun and even though it was a “cold” day we felt comfy in the sunshine. I loved the spoon and the Diet Coke and the ramen was delicious!

Then we went to Barnes & Noble. We hadn’t been in a long time and it’s my favorite!

We have pictures of lots of our kids on the B&N stage. Also I ❤️❤️❤️children’s books and illustrations. I always visit the children’s section as well as the adult books.

After that we went yarn shopping, and then pet store shopping, and finally grocery shopping.  I think everyone enjoyed the day. 

Tomorrow is YW zoom and Sage needed to borrow a book to prepare her part so at 8pm Grace and I drove it over to her. Rob is on a diet,and we are supportive, so we hid the evidence of our treat and ate it up in the parking lot!

The world we live in is super crazy and very divided. I saw this picture all over the internet today and I loved it:

We should all look out for our sister (or brother) and realize that by caring for others we nourish our own selves as well. 

thursday

 

First off Rob has lost 10 lbs.  This is amazing.  He's really taking his doctors directions to heart and has been eating carefully and exercising. 

We are in the middle of florida winter. That means we were sweatshirts or cardigans in the morning but the afternoons are warm.

Monday night Ethan called.  Rob and I were both home and both very happy to talk to him.  He actually hasn't been gone very long but it's super weird none the less and I wonder during the day about what he is doing/eating/is he cold/who is he teaching/is he happy/is he working hard/are his companions nice/and so on.

Tuesday night was YW.  We had a get to know you night for "our new girls" (who didn't come anyway...we only have one and she turned 11 on dec 31.  She is a baby girl literally. ) I don't know if she will come this year and to be honest if she was my daughter I would prefer for her to stay in primary for another year, especially since we don't have anyone near her age.  The girls were each given a piece of paper, a pen and a balloon.  They had to write a question on the paper, roll it up and put it in the balloon, blow the balloon up and tie it off (then give it a hand sanitizer balloon bath (thank you covid)) and throw it in the middle of the circle.  Each girl then chose a balloon, popped it and read the question.  She answered it and then we went around the circle and everyone got to answer it.  I thought it was fun and we got to know a lot about the girls.  After we did a short activity on making goals and the girls wrote down some goals for the year.  It was good.

Yesterday Grace went to Lettie's after school.  They drive her home every wednesday, which is so so  nice.

This week we haven't had seminary.  Also so so nice. I don't like to complain but those early mornings are tough!

Rob fixed our vacuum.

Grace permed her eyelashes.

look at these cute girls, they love to make bread :)

This week Tatum and Penny are performing their musical "Frozen". I wish I was there to watch it, and to make the bread.

Hannah started school. Ezra doesn't want to take a bottle.  That is super stressful as a new mom.

when things are hard, and they always are hard

I follow Emily Belle Freeman. She and David Butler have a podcast called "don't miss this".  She posted an end of the year recap and talked about some hard things in her life.  That is the formula of life isn't it.  We come to mortality.  Things are great, things are hard, we find joy and we find faith in both the hard and the great.  That's why we are here.  It doesn't make it easier but it is the purpose of life. I love the way she writes and a couple lines struck a chord with me:

"here's my heart Lord, take and keep it" (from a hymn)

But God, he whispers back.  (and we need to learn to hear the whispers of the spirit don't we?)

"the God of angel armies.

The God of rams in thickets.

The God who makes sure the cruse of oil will not fail"

This is the powerful God that we can rely on and trust.  The God who loves us.

Picture taken from Andrea.  They all went tubing at soliders hollow on NYE.  Cute Marshall and Noah!

And we have our own struggles and our own hard things.  I feel, sometimes that people need more than anyone can give during this craziness. When I talk to friends, family, co workers, ward members, it doesn't really matter who it is, everyone is struggling with issues that are real and really hard.

Meanwhile our weekend was good.  Here's some photos from skating.  Yesterday we went to the Walkenhursts for dinner and for Come Follow Me.  We had a great discussion that I thoroughly enjoyed. 

Rob went back to work after a two week break today.  He was not very happy to go.  He is worried more about covid now than he has been, he got test results back about high cholesterol and triglycerides that were a surprise to him.  He comes from a long living family and he thought he was safe.  Now he is sad (i know the feeling) and changing his diet, and worried about his health.  I am helping with the preparing and buying of healthy food, and am being supportive.  I have been slowly dying my whole life so it doesn't seem as drastic to me.  We both need to be in better health though, there is no argument there.  Our great wish is to retire and serve missions.  To do that we need to be spry. Anyway he doesn't want to travel now so our sibling trip in March is out (well my siblings are still going we just aren't), and he wants to cut back on work travel (I don't know if that is realistic) and he doesn't want Grace to have her Sweet 16 here at the house (she is mad) 

I'm supportive, Covid won't last forever and we can plan a different birthday party.  Also (fingers crossed) maybe we will have a wedding this year, and for sure we have a missionary this year so there is that. 

Michael is still doing not well, still living at mom and dad's.  They are taking the sad and hard steps they need to help him, and to get back into their own home.

Hannah starts back to school this week.  She is sad to leave Ezra but she's on her last semester so that's a big "whoo hoo!!!"

This morning I went to breakfast with Michelle, Kayleen, Laurie and Suzanne. It was a lot of fun to see them.  They all have sons who are preparing for a mission, so exciting times!

There is always a mix.