Saturday

We cleaned stuff.

Went grocery shopping.

Rob went to work for half a day then fishing for half a day.

Ethan played basketball (our ward won and he scored 16 pts) and went to the movies at Disney Springs with friends. 

Grace practiced, took her drivers permit test (passed), sewed and went baby-sitting.

We watched movies and I read my book club book.

School week

Tuesday night Rob and I went to the girls basketball game. The band was great. They lost so it was their last game but they played well.  The game was close and we were ahead of tied until the last 3 minutes...then whoosh! They took the lead and kept it.
Thursday Sierra and I went to the boys game. We won so we move on to the next bracket. It was super fun! I guess I like watching basketball. The band makes it fun too & and I’m learning the rules and intricacies of a new (to me) game.
Wednesday we learned line dancing at mutual. We have our fundraiser next week so we need to do a lot of prep. Hopefully we will make lots of money.

We walked Salt and Pepper twice & started giving Ziva hemp to help her with her anxiety.

Dani decided to go back to college. She’s going to UVU and then Weber State for radiology tech. I am so excited for her! She’s been waiting  and wanting to go back to school and now Marshall is 5 and starting kindergarten in the fall so the timing is right. Proud of her❤️
Jenna also took the job she applied for. It’ll be part time and doing group therapy only, which she likes.
Sierra is looking for a job. It’s fun to have her here, hopefully it’ll be a great move for her.
Hannah has the flu:(. She felt the baby move for the first time!
Rob got a new position at work, which he is glad about. He’s a program manager now.
We are a blessed bunch!

Parenting.  I’m at a weird place now. The end of day to day parenting is looming, the count down is on. A couple three more years and Rob and I will be empty nesters. It is bitter sweet and I feel very nostalgic for sweet baby days, and fun and busy elementary school days, and full house & full dinner table & full calendar whole family home days. But these days, days of grown kids doing great. Smart and responsible adults, adorable grandchildren, accomplished teens doing good things and young families raising their own children, these days are pretty sweet too.

10 day senior challenge

Fun facebook challenge I just finished.

Day off

• Grace went to a leadership conference . She said it was interesting and she enjoyed it. 
• Sierra and I ran errands. We went to Lowes and made her a house key. We went to get pedicures. We mailed a package to baby Crawley. We went to Publix. 
• Sierra went to the gym.
• The flex went to action gator and got a brake job.
• I made vegetable soup for dinner and it was yumm.
• We talked to Cora and Ruby on FaceTime.
• We talked to Tatum.
• We talked to the Nevares fam.
• I talked to mom.
• Ethan did homework.
• Grace wrote an essay.
• We discussed at length what to do with Ziva. She’s been peeing in the house (again) we go for months and then problem rears its ugly head again. Our animals are the single biggest stressor in my life. And I kid you not. I have been through some stuff ( as has literally every person I have ever known...that is the nature of mortality ) and animal stress is high up on my list of life’s difficulties. Which you may think means my life has been easy but no, what it means is this is hard.
• A short list, not all inclusive, but the highlights reel of difficulties to illustrate:

1. I was a dumb kid. Not even kidding, I was pulled out for special lessons, dyslexia and dysgraphia were part of my early challenges. 
2. I wore headgear to school.
3. We were poor, although in fairness I didn’t know and didn’t think it was a challenge... but 7 kids on a teachers salary is poor!
4. I was touched inappropriately in elementary school (1 in 4 ).
5. I was a teen mom.
6. I was in an abusive marriage. (Physical, emotional, cheating, drinking, etc)
7. I got a divorce. (Guilt, and sadness)
8. I had cancer.
9. I blended a family. (That was way harder than I expected)
10. We moved said family across the US a few times (which is fun and hard in equal parts).
11. I have had teens who have had some real struggles and challenges. 
12. And little kids with real struggles and challenges. 
13. I have mourned for friends who have had tragic losses.
14. I have prayed hard and worried hard for beloved siblings with health and personal trails. 
15. I have not been the mom or wife or sister or friend that I wanted to be more times than I can count. And my children, who I love more than anything, have paid the price for that. Which is the hardest part.
16. I have had to repent, redirect and renew my resolve more times than I can count. 
17. I have dealt with anxiety and take meds for it.
18. I have had debilitating back pain (bulging disks) that left me bedridden and unable to walk for over a month. (That was scary and awful)
19. I pee myself a little when I sneeze or jump or...(10 pregnancies will do that to you).
20. We have had 4 miscarriages. 
21. I don’t know how to do many of the things that I have muddled through.
22. I am fat.
23. And a little lazy.
24. And I have pets.

Don’t cry for me though everyone else has the same list, different details.   

Sunday

First order of

Business:

My new favorite picture!!

 We went to the beach after church and lunch today. It was so pretty. The sand was white as sugar.

3 day weekend

We decided to go to St Augustine. None of us had ever been and it has not been a disappointment. It’s actually just about two hours from

Orlando but we decided to get a little Airbnb and make a get away out of it.

Our first stop was the fountain of youth archeological park. It was fun. We drank from its waters (tasted bad), watched the demonstrations, and learned a little history. 

Next we went to the Colonial Quarter and walked around. There were so many cute cute shops and little museums, old building and quirky unique galleries and restaurants. We ate at the burger bucket, everyone liked it.

After that we went to our house. It’s cute, little, old, right on the canal, and allows dogs. We grabbed some groceries and unpacked before heading back to town for our ghost walk.

The ghost walk was more fun than I had anticipated. Our guide was a good story teller and she shared lots of entertaining and historical stories of pirates, raids, plagues, fortunes lost and found, tragedies and love. I think we all enjoyed it a lot. The city is the oldest one in the US and it’s fun to walk on the cobbled streets and past the cathedrals, colleges, fruit trees and to imagine the generations of people who have walked those roads before.

BYU

Ethan got in and got a full tuition scholarship!! So delighted and happy for him!