Remote Learning, Tubing, Blood Draws, Missing Contact, Axe Throwing, Temple, Night of Aaron, New Experiences

The past two weeks have kept us on our toes.  Two weeks ago the kids had a two days off from school.  One day was for Martin Luther King Day and the next day was a teacher prep day that they kids didn’t need to go to school.  We wanted to do a mini staycation.  Monday we took the kids tubing at a ski resort up in Richmond, Utah.  They supposedly told us they opened at 9 am so we got up extra early to make it there when they opened.  However, only the skiing opened at 9--the tubing didn’t open until 10 am DOH!!!  We got to sit around for an hour until we could go tubing, but the kids didn’t mind.  It was a lot warmer inside the lodge than outside.

Since it was still early in the morning the tubing run was super frozen and super fast. They had to start us at a lower point so we didn’t fly off the track.  We got to ride the Magic Carpet (which is a moving conveyer belt) up to the beginning of the tube run.  It beats climbing up a snowy hill lugging a tube any day!!

There weren’t very many people there so early.  It was nice we could go on a few runs without waiting in a line.

As the morning progressed it got a lot busier, but it was still fun.

As the sun came out it made the track a bit slushier and slower.  That meant you could start higher on the tube run without flying off the track.

We all had a lot of fun.  

It was really pretty and snowy up there!!

The next day we had an appointment to do Baptisms for the Dead at the Ogden Temple.  It was Noah’s first time.  He was a bit nervous, but he did great!  We were able to print off and do some family names which was cool!  It was a great way to spend the morning.

In Josh’s mission if there is a holiday on a Monday they usually change their P-day that week to a different day.  They do this because on holidays they are more likely to see and teach families since more families are spending time together.  That was the case that week.  Instead of having P-day on that Monday which was Martin Luther King Day they changed their P-day to be on that Tuesday.  We got to talk to Josh that afternoon.  It was good to see him.  It is really cold in Chicago right now.  Josh when he was here in Utah wore shorts and sandals year around despite the temperature.  There he has thermals plus a thick sweater plus a coat that he wears in addition to his suit coat, white shirt and tie.  If he is wearing all that it must be cold!!  He definitely isn’t in Utah anymore--haha!

That afternoon after we talked with Josh, we took everyone axe throwing.  Here’s Aaron and Daniel:

Daniel and Noah:

Noah lost the Chinese Star and Daniel was helping him look for it while I took my turn in the other lane:

Then everyone had to help find the Chinese Star.  The Chinese Star was small and black and got lost very easily in the black wood chips.  Luckily, we found it, but on Sarah’s next turn with the Chinese Star she threw it and it bounced off the wall and fell through the slats of the chainlink fence between the barrier and the front wall never to be seen again--haha!  Whoops!

Bullseye!!

The next morning was school, however, Covid cases have exploded all around here.  The high school and the Jr high hit their Covid case number thresholds to change to remote learning.  The elementary school was still within their threshold for in person learning, though.  Noah went to in person school, but Sarah and Daniel got to stay home for two days with remote learning.  Here’s Daniel on a Zoom class:

Sarah in a Zoom class:

Aaron and I did take them out for a yummy lunch.  Aaron wanted Daniel to try some yummy wings.  We ended up going to Holy Smokes for lunch.  While we were there we ran into some missionaries that we met with over Zoom last year when everything was shut down due to Covid.  It was fun to see them and chat with them in person.  They even remembered Daniel and Sarah which was pretty awesome.  I am extra aware of missionaries right now since we have our own missionary.  It was a yummy lunch.

Sophie loved having the kids home on remote learning.  It was more people to fall asleep on.  This dog is such a low energy dog.  It’s amazing she can sleep so much since she really doesn’t do any exercise to wear herself out--haha!

It was time for blood draws for Sarah and Matthew so we had a lab draw party last Saturday.  Sarah and Matthew both had to get their blood drawn, but they had to be fasting.  They were a bit hangry by the time it got finished--haha!  That is not the most fun way to start out a Saturday morning.

Luckily, they only needed to be stuck once at this visit.

However, someone messed up on Sarah’s blood draw while labeling the tubes so she had to go back and get it redrawn Wednesday morning again.  Boo!!  She was not happy about it, but what can you do?!

Later on that week Noah got out his violin to show us what he knows.  He played a few songs.

Then Aaron tried it out.  He wanted to show Noah the best way to hold and use the bow.  Aaron played cello many eons ago and still remembers a few things.  

This past week Sarah got to do her solo/ensemble performance in band.  She was able to pair up with two other people.  However, one person in the trio decided not to attend any of the practices so when it was time for their trio to perform, they sounded a bit rough.  Sarah and the other girl did great, but the person that didn’t come to any practices struggled a bit.  Group projects can be hard when things like this happen, but overall it was a good experience for them.  

Matthew is still doing Special Olympics.  He is participating in basketball and seems to really be enjoying himself.  His first game will be in a month or two.  They are only allowing two tickets per athlete so even though Matthew offered some tickets to his friends, Aaron and I will be the ones to use those tickets.  Matthew is a pretty social guy--haha!

In other news Aaron decided he does not like wearing glasses--especially while wearing a mask.  He got fitted for contacts last week.  He had Lasik surgery about 18 years ago and has finally reached the point he needs glasses.  His prescription is pretty mild, though.  It is mild enough that he didn’t realize his left contact had fallen out at work until he came home and tried to take his contacts out and kept digging into his left eye trying to find the contact that wasn’t there.  He went back to work the next day and found the missing contact on the floor of his office--DOH!!  That happened within 24 hours of him getting the contacts for the first time in 20 years.  I hope that doesn’t happen again--haha!  Here is Aaron trying to put in contacts for the first time in 20 years.  He didn’t any issues getting the contacts in which was good--just getting them out seemed to be the  biggest problem--haha!

The doctor did bring up that they do have bifocal contacts.  Since Aaron is just trying this pair of contacts out to see if they are a good fit, there is a chance that they won’t meet his needs.  The doctor wanted Aaron to know that if he does need some readers that they do have bifocal contacts, too.  I giggled a bit since Aaron looked at me and I immediate knew what he was thinking which was, "What?! There’s no way I am old enough to need bifocal contacts!!!”  I guess we will see what this contact trial period will bring.  As for me I have been lucky enough to avoid any contacts or glasses my whole life so far, but I am sure my time will come eventually when I can’t say that.  However, for now I can giggle at Aaron and knowing that bifocal contacts might be a possibility for him sooner than later--haha!

It is so weird to be making plans for summer when it is only January.  However, Sarah and Daniel got to sign up to attend the FSY conference this summer down on BYU campus in June.  I am excited for them to experience the For the Strength of the Youth program.  I think it will be great for them.  Sarah is also going to get a chance to go to Disneyland with her dance team as well.  Then throwing girls camp in the middle of everything she will be gone for a bit of the summer.

Now that Noah is in the youth program at church as well as Daniel, Sarah, and myself that means that Aaron has had a few hours every Wednesday night to himself at home since the new year began.  He has been LOVING it.  If you ever watch Seinfeld, Aaron compares every Wednesday night to the ‘Summer of George’.  Only he calls it ‘The Night of Aaron’.  However, ’The Night of Aaron' may be coming to end soon.  Our stake boundaries got realigned yesterday due to such massive growth in our area.  Every ward boundary in our stake was redone.  In addition two new wards were formed in our stake and our neighborhood is part of one of the new wards.  That meant that everyone has been released and I don’t have a calling right now. I was the 2nd counselor in YW, but not anymore.  Aaron did get recalled to be the ward clerk in the new ward, but outside of that and the new bishopric no other callings have been filled.  It is crazy!!  The next few weeks will be interesting to see what happens.

Anyway, Noah had parent teacher conferences last week.  He is doing really well.  He is a smart kid.  We discussed what classes his teacher recommended for him since he will shortly be registering for Jr high.  What?!  How did that happen?!  My baby will be in JR HIGH next year!!  I will not have any more kids in elementary anymore which makes me a bit sad.  Noah is looking forward to Jr High, though.

My kids are growing too fast!  This weekend Aaron and I found ourselves alone at home for a few hours.  Noah had gone to have a sleep over at G&G T’s house.  Daniel was at work and Sarah was at a party.  It was so quiet and weird!! I am not ready to be an empty nester quite yet.  Good thing I still have at least 6+ years until that can happen, but I am sure it will go super fast.  I will try and enjoy the here and now for the time being.

New Years, Ordination, Dance Recital, Date Night

These past two weeks have been pretty low key if you can believe it.  We did celebrate New Year’s Day by going to see a matinee movie.  We saw the new Spiderman movie ’No Way Home’.  I love that theaters have the comfy reclining seats now.  My photo skills are quite lacking in this family picture, but what can you do?!

New Year’s Eve we just had a small party.  Our usual plans involve getting together with the Einzinger family, but they decided to attend the Rose Bowl in California this year so we were just left with us.  Noah had a friend over.  AT midnight we had some sparkling cider and Noah and his friend, Kyle, banged pots and pans outside right at midnight.  Here’s the picture of the pots and pans banging from our Ring Camera:

Daniel had to work New Year’s Day and ended up getting a nice burn while at work--poor guy!

Matthew has started participating in the Special Olympics.  He is currently doing basketball and really enjoying it.  I am so happy for him!

Josh is doing well.  He just got a new companion.  Josh is a happy go lucky, sarcastic, joking kind of guy.  This new companion is a pretty serious guy who doesn’t joke.  Josh is having a bit of a hard time, but I am sure things will work out.  This is the first companion that he has not gotten along with whole heartedly.  It will definitely be a learning experience for him!!

In the New Year Noah turns 12 this year (not until April), but gets to start attending the young men program.  He got ordained a Deacon two Sundays ago which seems crazy to me.  Grandma T got to come and see him ordained a Deacon by Aaron.  

Grandpa T was feeling under the weather so he wasn’t able to come.  Since he is my youngest  I don’t have any more kids in primary anymore.  It makes me a bit sad, but Noah is pretty excited to be attending young mens.  Matthew and Daniel got to stand in the circle which was pretty cool.

Noah also got put into the Deacon class presidency as well.  I hope he can be serious enough to help plan activities.  Noah likes to kid around A LOT.  I guess time will tell--haha!  Sarah and Daniel got released from their class presidencies as well.  

Noah got to pass the sacrament for the first time last week.  It was fun to see him do that.

Later that day Aaron was cooking dinner outside.  It was only 15 degrees outside, but he still was wearing short and sandals.  What a crazy guy!  He made another hamburger recipe from the Bob’s Burgers Recipe Book.  They were pretty tasty, too!

Since it was the beginning of the new year he did make everyone corn bread and black eyed peas.  It is a southern tradition he wanted our kids to sample.

 Sarah got a chance to perform at two different care centers in the past two weeks with dance.  Here’s a few pictures of those performances:

Sarah had her semi annual dance recital this past week.  It was fun to see her team perform.  They did a great job!  She also is pretty excited because they will be going to Disneyland to perform this upcoming summer.  

My talented girl!!

Sometimes our dog, Sophie, forgets how to dog as you can see in the following picture.  She is so weird!!

Daniel is a pretty busy guy.  When he does get a chance to chill for a minute he does fall asleep on occasion.  

I have been working quite a bit lately.  I thought things would slow down after the New Year, but they haven’t so far.  Covid cases are exploding all around us right now.  There is talk of going back to online school.  I hope that doesn’t happen because my kids all do better in in-person school, but what can you do?!

We did get a chance to go out with some friends this past weekend.  We went to dinner and then went out axe throwing.  It was a fun night with the Einzingers.  A much needed break from the monotony!