May 2020- Week 4- My Birthday, Memorial Day at Mantua, High School Grads, Sort School Papers, Last Day of School

Friday I exercised and then went to get a haircut.  Not a huge change, but my hair felt much healthier! I got caught up on Marco Polo and uploaded more pictures for Dan's Father's Day calendar.  After lunch, we took the whole family walking on Kay's Creek trail and it was overcast and cool thankfully.  

We had pizza dinner and then Dan and I went on another date to At Home too look for a couple more home decor things.  This was all I really wanted for my birthday and it was awesome! The kids had a sleepover that night in Bethany and Alice's room and we hung more things on walls and watched more MJ.  

Saturday was my birthday and I was woken up with lovely snuggles from all the children and these beautiful flowers!  Bethany attempted a family selfie at breakfast and it was pretty darn cute.  

Rachael Alexander came over to drop off some jam and I gave her a tour around the house.  We packed up, got Del Taco for lunch, and stopped by my mom and dad's house to see how my mom was recovering from her sinus surgery.  Then we headed up to Mantua for the Memorial Day weekend.  Dan left to go golfing as soon as we got there. The kids played with cousins and I chilled.  We played games and had an delicious tri-tip dinner and I blew out candles on cookies and ice cream.  That night was a rough night's sleep! 

Sunday Dan did some church interviews in the car and out on the deck so he could have some quiet.  We chilled and played games and got ready for church, and grandma made a fun obstacle course on the sidewalk around the pool.  After lunch we had a big Webster family Sacrament meeting.  I led the music, the primary sang, McKenna gave a talk, and Eli gave his testimony.  Grandpa also spoke, then we watched the Alma the Younger Book of Mormon video. Dan and I took our kids for a walk but it was kind of rainy and cold.  

The rest of the afternoon the kids played the Nintendo Switch and I prepped fruit for dinner.  We had S'mores and played outside.  After kids were in bed, we ate snacks and played more games in the game room.  

Monday Dan and Ben went on a chilly bike ride with Grandpa, Adam, Jake and Ellie.  After breakfast Grandma made a family history activity for us to do.  

Then we went and visited some cemeteries to visit some of our ancestors.  The Brigham City cemetery is also where the prophet Lorenzo Snow was buried...feet away from President Packer.  

Then we came back and the kids swam and we hung out by the pool.  Later, Dan took Ben and McKenna on a hike with grandpa and some others.  It was a little too cold for Alice to swim for very long, so she pretty much played in the yard and had free reign on people's left over soda and fell asleep in the swing, unfortunately with a poopy swim diaper.  Yuck!  I got a brothers mustache picture and it's a good thing, because Dan didn't keep the stache too much longer.  We cleaned and packed up and then had dinner and we left for home by 7 pm.  When we got home we sorted through all the donations left by ward members for our high school seniors.  Dan also put together a new bike rack.  

Tuesday I exercised and did lots of laundry.  We had a normal morning of homework and piano an Dan to Costco with Jasper.  We watched Relative Race after lunch and also participated in a family Zoom call talent show for Dave and Laurie's family who were being filmed as part of the BYU TV show "Family Rules."  The young women had a weeding service project in the Jarvis's yard.  Then we went to two high school senior's outdoor/open house graduation parties, one for Jaron Hamblin and one for Velda AhYen.  It was so fun to talk to neighbors again after not seeing them for a long time! 

Wednesday Dan and I worked on cleaning and pressure washing the back patio and grill.  It took a long time to clean the grill but it looked so good now! Then we could put our new patio cushions on the couch and chair.  Anna had dance and Ben and Dan went to the foster parents parades to honor the mother and father foster parents of the year.  Dan also bought a kayak with some of our stimulus money!  We had spaghetti night with Grandma and Grandpa and Adam and Mia.  After baths and bedtime, I watched the sunset with McKenna and Dan had church stuff.  

Thursday I woke up with a bad headache.  After breakfast we watched Ben's movie he made on iMovie.  I started to feel better and dusted the shutters.  Bethany had her last Zoom dance class.  Dan worked in Murray and Ben and Anna played at the Alexander's.  Cooper also came to play for a bit.  As I was making dinner, I accidentally dropped and shattered one of my new Corelle plates. It was pretty spectacular and actually cut me in two places.  We ate outside and McKenna went to the Winegar's for a movie night.  Dan and I finished the MJ documentary that night.  

Friday I exercised and all three older kids had their last Zoom meetings with their classes.  We watched videos and slide shows of the school year and I totally teared up.  I took the kids last day of school pictures and Henry and Desi came over to play after lunch.  We had a family Zoom meeting for Ben to show his iMovie to cousins.  We had a family pizza and movie night and started watching the "Parent Trap."  After kids were in bed, we hosted an adult game night with the Days, Nelsons, and Johnsons.  We mostly talked a got caught up on how Covid quarantine was treating everyone then we played "Spyfall."  It was so great to be social again!

Saturday Dan helped Chitty's girlfriend move into her new apartment in WX.  I worked on clearing off the computer desk and counter and sorting school papers.  My phone was acting weird so it was not a distraction for me.  ;)   After lunch we sorted more papers. Dan mowed the lawn.  After baths and dinner, Dan and I went on a date to walk around Deseret Book and then dinner at Mo Bettah's.  My stomach was a little uneasy after that.  That night Dan watched "Inception" and I blogged.  In downtown Salt Lake, there were crazy riots and protests for the "Black Lives Matter" movement in regards to George Floyd who died at the hands of police.  

Sunday we had our home Sacrament meeting and McKenna and Anna sang "I am a child of God."  After lunch we watched more "Relative Race" and then we played games on the back patio and the kids ran around the house.  We got word that night that Dan's dad went in for gallbladder surgery!

May Videos:

Ben Colonial Day, Teacher Parade, Salt Flats, McK and Ben bike show, Woodpecker, Obstacle Course Mantua, Ben and Anna Talents.  

May 2020- Week 3- Mom Sleepover in Layton, Hang Out at Jake and Abril's, Kitchen Shelf Decor, Hung Pictures, Visiting Graves.

Friday I exercised and Ben had student council elections.  McKenna and Anna did homework on the porch.  We sold our baby crib, the bunk beds, and the changing table dresser.  In the afternoon Grandma Kelly came to visit and Ben and McKenna performed a little "bike show" where they rode around wearing capes and doing tricks.  Andrea Gunnerson still stopped by and then I packed and headed to Layton with Brynn for a Mother's Day girls sleep over at the HGI.  We ordered Dave's BBQ, ate in the lobby, and played Nertz.  Laurie was able to join us and we played Skull King and a meme game.  Grandma and Lara left around 10 to drive back to Mantua since Lara just announced she's PREGNANT and hasn't been sleeping well.  The rest of us stayed in the lobby and talked until about 1 am!  It was so great to be with everyone! 

Saturday morning Swa, Brynn and I (the only ones who slept over), got dressed, grabbed some McDonald's for breakfast, and then went for a 3 mile walk on the Kay's Creek Trail in Farmington.  It was beautiful and shaded!  We saw a woodpecker and I got a video of him.  Dan was pretty adventurous too and took all the kids on a bike ride!

 I got home around lunch time, then we went to a drive by birthday parade for Lola and Mila.  Then we stayed and hung out in their back yard for a bit.  These cousins sure missed each other!  We picked up groceries on the way home and moved Bethany into Alice's room!  Dan and I went on a date to Texas Roadhouse and shopping for decorations at At Home.  I started putting things on the kitchen shelves.  

 Sunday we did our home church and Adam came.  We watched Relative Race and played Skyjo.  After zucchini boat dinner, we played outside and flew kites.  My parents came by and stayed for the conference call.  Dan and I watched more MJ after kids were in bed.  

Monday I exercised and it was really windy! The kids did some homework but no one had any new assignments.  I went through Bethany's clothes and after lunch Dan and I worked on hanging pictures in the piano room, master bedroom, laundry room, and Bethany and Alice's bedroom.  We also worked on finding homes for the Randall Lake prints Dan got from his mission companion's dad.  After dinner, we folded and watched Relative Race.  After kids were in bed, I visited Janel Barnes with Nicole.  

Tuesday after breakfast I weeded and kids played outside.  McKenna had her student body officer interview and she said it went well.  After lunch, the Johnson's pulled out an awesome water slide/pool thing.  It was so fun but then the sun hid behind clouds and it got a little chilly.  Bethany and Alice ended up falling asleep that afternoon. 

 That night I had book club at the Behunin's where we talked about "Out of My Mind."  It was a book about an 11 year old girl with Cerebral Palsy who finds a voice.  

Wednesday I exercised and Dan made waffles for breakfast.  Then we met Dan's parents and tagged along as they went visiting graves (leading up to Memorial Day).  We visited Dan's Aunt Emily, Aunt Wendy, Dan's great-grandparents on both the Webster and Nelson side.  It poured rain on the way to visit the Nelson graves but then cleared up when we got there.  

We got home in time for Ben to have piano and Anna went back to dance IN the studio.  I had a parent meeting over Zoom for McKenna's Aladdin play and we had spaghetti night.  

Thursday Ben had a science Zoom video and Bethany had dance on Zoom.  We had the carpet measured and Anna had a class talent show over Zoom where she did her cool eye trick.  We had our piano tuned that afternoon and Dan bought frames at Hobby Lobby and took McKenna to school to clean out her locker and gather her belongings.  Dan also picked up a new-to-us RIDING LAWN MOWER from the Boes'.  He was so excited to be able to mow with a kid on his lap!  I blogged a little and McKenna watched Harry Potter #4.  That evening we took Ben and Anna to drive by the south campus to pick up their belongings.  After dinner, McKenna went to the Moulton's for a friends' outdoor game night.  I started working on Dan's Father's Day calendar and we watched more MJ.  

May 2020- Week 2- Ben's Colonial Day, Teacher Appreciation Parade, Salt Flats, Mother's Day, Bethany's Teacher Gifts

Friday I exercised and tried running again after a week off, and unfortunately my foot still hurt a lot.  Ben had a Zoom meeting for the 3rd grade Colonial Days culminating activity.  We churned butter in a mason jar, learn some string game/tricks, and other fun things.  After lunch we ran errands and went to the teacher appreciation parade!  It was so good to see all the teachers from the school!  We ran a couple more errands and then I did yard work from 5-6 pm.  The kids had pizza and Dan and I went on a date.  We got take out from Kneaders and ate it at North Canyon Park and then went for a walk on Bountiful Blvd.  After kids were in bed we finished "End Game."

Saturday after breakfast we packed lunches and headed out to the Salt Flats!  We got there around 12, ate, then rode bikes and flew kites until about 2:30.  It was so fun to have such wide open spaces to play in!  And if it was any hotter it would have been not too fun.  We went straight to Hokulia after that.  Dan and Ben got haircuts that night and I made German pancakes for my Mother's Day dinner the next day.  

Sunday was Mother's Day and we had a lovely Sacrament meeting where the kids sang and Dan taught.  We also watched the Abinadi Book of Mormon video and after lunch watched 2 Relative Race episodes.  The kids and Dan gave me wonderful gifts and cards and I felt so loved and honored to be their mother!  To be a mom is all I've even wanted to do!  We recorded a music video of McKenna singing "I See Stars" from the show Mean Girls for a compilation music video for Backstage.  Unfortunately, not enough people submitted videos and it never happened.  We went for a walk and then had German pancakes outside.  We watched an old CES Fireside by Grandfather from 2005 titled Faith and Families.  I had my family conference call and then after kids were in bed, Dan and I started watching the Michael Jordan documentary on ESPN.  It was super windy that night and the master bedroom pops and creeks a lot and because those are the sounds I heard before I felt the earthquake it made me think another earthquake was going to happen.  :(  Needless to say I did not sleep well.  

I made a collage of all of the funny faces Alice made during our photo shoot.  :) 

 We called and sang to both grandmas that we love so so much!  

Monday I exercised but only on the bike due to my sore foot.  After breakfast, I took Bethany to deliver gifts to her preschool teachers and to pick up school lunch.  I'm so sad this will be my last kid to have Ms. Paula and Ms. Tracy.  We had loved them but now live out of the boundaries!  I helped Ben with his student council speech (to be recorded).  McKenna went for a walk with Lia on Bountiful Blvd and was happy to have some friend time.  Anna had dance and Alice watched shows.  Dan worked on organizing the garage and shed.  We had a laundry folding party after dinner and watched Relative Race.  We watched more Michael Jordan after kids were in bed.  

Tuesday I read with Anna after breakfast.  Dan had lunch with Jasper, and all three big kids had 1 pm Zoom meetings with their classes.  McKenna also had Zoom for Backstage and we found out that Utah Foster Care's protest for the contract bid worked and Dan will for sure have a job through October!  I worked on cleaning out/organizing all three freezers which felt so good!  After dinner Dan had bishop stuff, we watched Relative Race and more of the Michael Jordan documentary.  

Wednesday I exercised and started a new core workout from Meg Miles.  I helped Ben witth his book report about "The One and Only Ivan."  After lunch and more homework, Dan mowed the lawn and got a hat sunburn line (pictured below) and I went outside to chill and catch up on Marco Polo.  Anna and McKenna had dance on Zoom.  The Winegar's brought over a belated BD gift for Alice and then stayed for Spaghetti night with Dan's parents and Adam and Mia.  Dan had bishop stuff that night and McKenna and I finished "Sharpay's Adventure."  

Thursday we did the girls' baths in the morning and I helped Ben with his book report.  McKenna had piano and I helped Anna with homework as well and then I was finally able to work on some blogging!  It felt like I hadn't done that in a long while.  Ben edited a cute selfie of himself and I had to keep it. :)  After dinner we played outside and being inspired by the Michael Jordan documentary, Dan and I played some basketball.  McKenna started watching Harry Potter #3 that night.