Birthday Freebies

Last Thursday Steve told the kids they had to be extra good and obedient because my birthday week started tomorrow. Then the next day I got like 8 emails from restaurants wishing me a Happy Birthday and a free dessert on them or BOGO deals. Well during a 10 day period we managed to cash in on most of them without feeling like we overdid it on sugar. ;) On my birthday Steve and I played pickleball before he had to head to Draper for work. Then a couple of dear friends came over for lunch and I made sour dough brownies (they were quite delicious). The night got a little hairy as Ellie went to sewing lessons and I asked Lila to read a book to the boys then take them to bed since Steve was still at work. She let them brush and braid her hair while she read, but somehow they knotted it up and she was afraid to tell me so she tried to fix it making it worse and huge chunks came out. There were tears and the boys went to bed upset. Thus is life. 

Friday Steve and I ran a few errands and managed to get our COVID booster vaccinations. Once again we had little reaction. We were both really tired the next night and Steve said he felt warm but he wasn't running a fever. 

Saturday we went for an early run before taking the kids to do the Turkey Trot at the elementary school. Andrew has been doing the running club. A neighbor does it at the school for free and she is really cute and makes it so fun for the kids. She even told them about her running the Boston Marathon this year, she placed 120th, AWESOME! Anyway, I volunteered to help her during the race so I got there early then Steve convinced everyone except Ellie to come because there were donuts. You could run a 1k or a 2k which is just another lap. After the first lap Marcus said he wanted to take a break to eat a donut then he would run the 2nd lap. Steve was certain he would not go back out but true to his word after eating his donut he said, "I'm ready to do the 2nd lap." And away they went. Andrew's best friend Beck was there so the two of them ran together and Marcus tried really hard to keep up.

Steve tried to get a picture of them running across the finish line but they kept stopping and walking before the end. We'll have to teach them to push through the end of the race. ;)

Then we came home showered and got ready to go to Hale Center Theater to see Chitty Chitty Bang Bang. Marcus has been looking forward to this since the rest of them went and saw Mouse Trap at the end of October. It was a fun show and we picked up yummy Greek food from Spitz. Then we came home and chilled because Steve and I were tired (we think our vaccines made us a little more tired). It was a good weekend!

Andrew's Recital & Field Trip

Andrew had a violin recital last Saturday where he did a solo. He has had quite a few performances the last couple of months several of them have been group numbers with the exception of his baptism song and this recital. He's worked really hard for each of them and I'm really proud of him.

I was able to go with Andrew on a field trip today to the Tree House Museum in Ogden. It was a fun morning. After getting the kids on the bus I drove up with a friend from the neighborhood. They had great activities for them to do and it was a fun morning.

 

The school has posted these pictures all around the school. I love them! So one Monday I dragged the kindergartners around after I volunteered to find everyone's so I could take a picture of them. I asked the kindergartners where their pictures were hung up and they were like in a hall that you can walk in a circle. Then they kept saying, "let's just go home." But I was determined to find them.

Marcus said his pictures is meant to say, "I matter because I can make friends."

 

We also saw the Veteran's poster with the picture of Grandpa Moore we submitted.

COVID Vaccines

Andrew has been praying for the day he can get a COVID vaccine because he knows the girls, Steve and I have. So last week when it was approved I got online and scheduled appointments for the boys. Davis health is doing a drive by clinic. Unfortunately the timing was off a little and we waited in line for 50 minutes before getting their vaccines, but it was simple and they woke up the next morning feeling fine. I was grateful the nurse went over a few of the common side affects: fatigue, swollen lymph nodes (which happened to Ellie), and loss of appetite. I decided to schedule their 2nd dose a little earlier in the day and check Andrew out to hopefully miss the after school rush. As we were waiting the allotted 15 minutes afterwords, enjoying the lollipops and admiring the stickers Andrew said, "some kids in my class were wearing the vaccine stickers on their foreheads today." I laughed and asked him if we wanted to wear his to school and he said, "Yes, but not on my forehead." Then we went and picked up In-N-Out for dinner because Marcus wanted a burger and ice cream so their neapolatin shakes won our business for the night.

Andrew's Big Day

 

It has been a crazy week. On top of Andrew getting COVID tested last Sunday, I took Marcus to get tested on Thursday. He started running a fever and Steve's parents were flying into town so I thought I'd better check before they get here. I preregistered him and drove to the site. When we finally got to the front of the line the guy told me my registration didn't come through and my email confirmation was not helpful so I had to re-register. As I was frantically typing on my phone, Marcus said, "My nose is bleeding." I thought great just as we're getting ready to swab his nose. The nurse was great and was gentle with him and thankfully again it was negative. I sent Steve a text asking him to pickup Lila because the line was longer than I had hoped. I called when we got done and that's when Steve realized he was heading to dance and not to school so he had to turn around and get her. Ooops. During a late night prayer I was begging that everything would go well and that we would not get anyone sick, I was reminded of a recent convert's talk and how the week before her baptism was rough and it testified to her that Satan is real. I texted her and thanked her for the talk as it brought me comfort. She then asked if her and her son Paul (who is Andrew's age and is in his primary class) could come to the baptism because Paul thinks only adults get baptized and he's nervous to do it for himself. I said of course! We'd love to have them.

Friday morning Ellie, Steve, Grandma Moore, and I went and played pickleball. It was a fun little outing. Then afternoon craziness happened. I took Andrew to the church to practice his song once in the chapel before Saturday.

Then it was dance carpool (where I had offered to take a friend home and then realized she needed a ride there too so we had to hurry back and grab her). Carole and I hit the grocery store where we picked up a turkey and things we needed to do a Thanksgiving dinner on Sunday. Then we took the kids swimming at the hotel pool where Mimi and Grandpa were staying. The girls were excited to try out their new swimsuits I had gotten them and everyone had fun.

I started tossing and turning around 4am thinking of all the things that needed to happen for the day. Andrew was excited to see presents and his birthday banner. I had him wear the hat he got from school on Friday where he took some birthday rice krispie treats for the class. Marcus could not wait for Andrew to open presents. I explained they are Andrew's presents and Marcus said, "yes, but when he shares it's like I get new stuff too." So funny. Andrew knew he was getting at least one long sleeve shirt because the day before he had ran out of long sleeve shirts and I told him he could get one out of the drier or open an early present. He was happy to find 3 more shirts, a set of scriptures, another pair of Sunday shoes, and some parts to upgrade his bike shifters.

The service was great. Andrew did really well on his musical number and kept going even when I made a mistake. It really was the first time he's performed a solo so I was proud of him. Steve said as they were walking to the font for the baptism Andrew said, "Well the hard part is over." Referring to the fact that the musical number was done. We found out on Tuesday that our ward was the last baptism of the day so we asked to use the gym for the luncheon. We had a fabulous time hanging out with family.

That evening the girls went shopping and the boys started working on Andrew's bike.

 

We also decided to let the kids open an early Christmas gift from Carole and Russ. They funded a Nintendo Switch which Andrew had been wanting for a while. It was quite exciting.

Sunday we had an early Thanksgiving with Carole & Russ, Stephanie & her family, and Lexi. It was a lot of fun.

 
I asked the boys what their favorite part was and Marcus said, "At the church, not the churchey thing but the lunch part afterwords." Andrew said, "The whole day was amazing!"

Birthday, Birthdays, Birthdays

Today Steve turned 42. Don't worry I told a group he turned 41 then realized I was wrong making us both a year older. 😲 I realized last week Steve's birthday was approaching fast and I had made no plans. With Halloween costumes and Andrew's birthday and baptism it kind of got overlooked. So I frantically started looking for something we could do. A friend told me about these globes in Midway at a restaurant you could eat in. So I talked with Steve and decided we would try mountain biking in Park City and then go out to dinner just the two of us. I made a reservation (luckily there was still a decent time left) and felt good about our plans. Then Saturday night Andrew woke-up hacking and I worried that the whole week would go out the window. So we decided to pay $130 to have him COVID tested Sunday morning. Thankfully it was negative and we could proceed with caution. I had Andrew do several breathing treatments Sunday and he stayed home from church only coming up to do his baptismal interview with the Bishop which was great. I worried a little looking back at all the things I did to help the girls prepare for baptism and thought, did I do enough for Andrew. Then as he sat there with the Bishop having a great discussion my mind was flooded with all the Come Follow Me discussions, the daily reading of the Book of Mormon with him since he has been in preschool and I thought it really is the daily things habits we create that help build and strengthen our testimony and I'm so grateful we have been doing those.

 

Our birthday plans shifted a little as we looked on Sunday and realized the Park City trails  sounded like they were muddy and most of them had "closed" for the season (they are higher in elevation). So we decided to go play pickleball and then get the kids settled after school before heading out to dinner.

One of Ellie's friends in the carpool also has his birthday today so we ordered some Crumbl cookies and had the group stop off to pickup them up after school. Tyler asked, "where are we going?" and Ellie said, "my Mom needs me to pick something up." Then they got the cookies and sang Happy birthday to him.

There were a couple of extra cookies we let the kids split up and eat as an after school snack and as Dad's birthday treat as Steve opened his birthday present.

 

Then we left them with a pizza and headed out for dinner. It's over an hour drive down to Midway and I was hoping it would be a pretty fall drive but I think we missed it by a few weeks (once again the elevation makes things different). We still enjoyed the peace and quiet and just to get away for a bit. We tried to hit a different place for dessert but it was closed so we headed home and grabbed a treat from Kneaders. Ellie said the boys played really well all evening and didn't even ask to get on their computers for school work and games. She had them in bed when we got home and Lila was off to dance.

Happy Birthday Hunny Bunches! I'm so grateful for you. You keep me grounded, you don't judge my emotional tug of wars, you are a patient teacher, you are a great pickleball partner, and I look forward to our future adventures! 💕