Dancing with Daffodils

 Life marches on. This week was pretty standard with nothing too exciting. I went to the dentist, grocery shopping, took kids to all their activities, went to a Relief Society activity, went to the gym, drove here there and everywhere, taught piano lessons and helped Sarah with some cleaning.  Friday Tim came over to run through the song he was singing in church on Sunday and then Josh was home so we had an all-morning date. Josh fixed the car (with Cody's help initially but then he figured out the rest himself--so amazing!) and then we ran some errands together and then we went out for lunch to the Green Turtle and it was good. I LOVE spending that time with Josh. It is the first time in 13 years we've had consistent day time together and even just having a few hours every other week is such a wonderful blessing. We just really like being together and it makes us both so happy so just hang out and do what we want and have fun without the kids around. Then it was pick up Curti...

 Another exciting week in the books. We found out Monday that Curtis's wrist was indeed broken so Tuesday morning I tried to get him an appointment and the place Josh went to when he broke his ankle had no appointments this week. I was able to get him in to a pediatric orthopedist in Prince Frederick, which from my house isn't a big deal but from his school it is a 45 minute drive, but not until Friday. I was pretty stressed about getting him to see someone but we did the best we could and he had a splint on and wasn't in much pain so I tried to calm down. I was pretty anxious all week though wondering what she was going to say. Anyway, Tuesday I canned peaches and cut the grass and picked up groceries and took Brandon to baseball. Wednesday I went back to the gym for the first time in awhile and it felt good. I wore a mask and only one other person did but it made me feel safer. It also wasn't super crowded so we could spread out. Exercising in a mask is not my favorit...

 What a week it has been. Monday I was up at 5:45 am , which was rough. I don't know why I dislike getting up early but I really, really do. I got Curtis up and then Lily and he was off by 6:05 and she left at 6:40. It is going to be a long year. Then I waited around for my friend's daughter to arrive. She came every morning this week for the hour and a half between work and school and my kids loved playing with her.    At 7:45 am Josh called to tell me our friend Carolee had passed away a few hours earlier. It made me so sad but I held it in until I got the kids off on the bus and then I just sat around for an hour processing. Then I decided to help my friend figure out a car situation and it felt good to be wrapped up in helping someone for a few hours. I literally read most of the day and just felt lethargic and sad but I did make myself go for a bike ride and then I went and picked up my friend and with the help of some really great people, got her what she needed and...

 It has been an up and down kind of week. Monday we went school supply shopping, which I was very nervous about it since I put it off for so long but we got everything we needed in two stores. Then Brandon and Emma got to go to Petra's pool party and it was nice to have them out of the house for a bit. I went grocery shopping and did laundry and then it was Curtis's first baseball practice. Lily is such a great babysitter and I sat at practice and read. It was the most relaxing part of my day and Lily had dinner made when we got home. She is such a sweetheart and I am so grateful for her. Josh worked late most of the week trying to catch up from vacation. Tuesday I cut the grass and the kids all cleaned their bathrooms and it was a bring order back to the house kind of day. I really had to get after one of my children who groans every time I ask this child to do anything. I've learned I have no tolerance for laziness, either at home or at school, or ingratitude. To me, bein...

 It has been a crazy couple of weeks. Two weeks ago Lily did a dance intensive so she was gone from 9-3 every day. It was exhausting for her but a good experience and she enjoyed it overall. We just found out her ballet placement for next year and she has also moved up a level so that was exciting and made the hard work worth it. I'm really proud of her and her dedication. She is now in level 5 and the next level is studio company, which is by invitation only. So she may stay here for a few years, which is good with me. Every level up means more time and more money and Emma also got moved up so it was a bump in time and money for her too. Lily will now be dancing four days a week and Emma two days, plus the boys are playing baseball and have different practice days so it is going to be a busy, busy fall.  That week was also busy with vacation prep and a trip to the orthodontist and we did go to the spray park one afternoon and the library. Friday was my birthday but I was pret...

 Saturday morning my brother-in-law took Lily, Curtis, Mitchell, Timothy and Abbey to kayak down the Weber river and they loved it. Cindy, Josh, Emma, Brandon and I did a little walk around the fish pond and up the hill a bit to see the views right by her cabin. Then we played games and watched the Olympics until it was time to pack up and head back to Salt Lake. We stopped by my aunt's house to say hello and then went to dinner at Cafe Rio (so yummy--we were all so happy!) and then went back to Cindy's house.     Sunday was church and it was great to go with family. We spent the rest of the day talking and watching the Olympics. Then Tristan (my nephew) and his wife came over for dinner and it was great to see them. We missed Chandler because he was at the beach while we were there and then had to work and Bradley had already left for West Point (and Ethan is on his mission) so out of 31 family members on both sides we saw 28 of them this summer. Not bad! The three of us...