MOLLY'S 9TH BIRTHDAY
It was fast Sunday on Molly's birthday this year. Kind of hard to really celebrate, but still really awesome! She loved her birthday sign that we worked so hard on. She was happy to open presents before church. She seemed happy all day which was nice. She got to have dippy eggs for breakfast, spaghetti for dinner. We kind of just bummed around most of the day. She got to use her new donut maker all afternoon and I think she's already got it! Kinda cool. She's such a sweet, fun girl. I am so grateful for her inquisitive mind and that she is always thinking and wanting to learn more. She is such a fun little tease and enjoys a good prank. We love Molly and love having her in our family. 9-1-24
MOVING KELLY DOWN TO PROVO WITH CHARITY
We spent the evening of Molly's birthday moving Kelly's stuff down to Provo. This was a fun little adventure. I was happy we had so much help from the kids. They are so good to help out. Even Molly on her birthday of all days :). It was fun. I especially loved sitting and chatting at the end. I hope this is a good place for them and they enjoy living together for a bit. 9-1-24
BRAD'S PHONE CALL
On the way home from Provo, we got to talk to Brad. He was being funny that night. It's always fun to see him and hear how things are going. He really wanted to hear more about what Luke was doing, how things were going with the mission preparations. We're actually getting closer now! 9-1-24
MAYNES FAMILY LABOR DAY PICNIC
We had so much fun at this little party. We all met up at the Spruce's Picnic area. We got to make a puzzle piece, paint rocks with marker paints, lots of food and visiting. Everyone seemed to have a good time. I was glad that Sadie was getting along so well with Aynsley. She and Aynsley followed Nancy around and stayed pretty entertained. That was nice. I loved talking wtih everyone and being able to relax a little. We had the privilege of driving Evan to Jaxson and Bailey's in Ogden where his car was. So that was fun. Mostly for Sadie because she insisted that he sit in the very back of the car (we had the middle row out) next to her. Kinda funny. But we liked being able to visit with him a little. 9-2-24
FHE
We talked about prayer and drew pictures of answered prayers for Molly's lesson. Very cool. I loved that she finally came up with one for her program part! 9-2-24
FIRST DAY AT LISA'S POPCORN
I was surprised at how not nervous I was for this job. I mean, I had moments, but for the most part, I was pretty relaxed about it. I was pleasantly surprised at how easy it was. I wasn't very fast, but I was getting the hang of it all. I was working with Aumberlie and she was really helpful at training me. Tanner was gone most of the time that day so she had a lot to teach me. It was pretty good though, went well. I was tired, but got to bring home some leftover popcorn :). 9-3-24
NOAH'S NEUROLOGY APPOINTMENT
We finally got to see the neurologist. She was really nice. Very thorough. Kind of just went over what happened, how he's recovering. She recommended several places for him to follow up with. She gave some advice about not babying things. She also gave us the good news that in 2 years if he hasn't had any other trouble, he can have it cleared from his health concerns. Kinda cool. We loved the Valet Parking at the U. 9-4-24
MOLLY BIRTHDAY TABLE
This was awesome! We loved being able to go have lunch with Molly! She was cute, super sweet, ate her Dylan's grilled cheese sandwich, onion rings, shake and got her little prize and then she was done and out of there pretty quick! Kinda funny. But we had a great time. 9-6-24
LUKE AND THE TEMPLE!
We finally got to take Luke to the temple this week! It was such a neat experience. And I only say finally for me- he was so wise to wait until he felt ready. Things took a little longer because Pres. Larsen was out of town, but it was so cool that Luke felt like the time was necessary. He's very patient. More so than me. Anyway. Such a neat experience!! I will never forget this temple session, I don't think. It was so unusual. We got into the endowment room and had to wait about 20 minutes while they tried to locate a girl's grandparents. 20 minutes! Her cute grandpa as he came in the room with a big smile- I really loved that he didn't feel any remorse for sitting in his locker room stall for no reason- HA! Funny stuff. THEN the grandma, of the same girl, passed out the first time we stood up during the ceremony! It was so strange!! She passed out and then they picked her up and we all continued! Kinda crazy! It was a very memorable time indeed. Luke had invited his grandmas and his sisters :). Very cool little group. We got pictures after and then had some dinner at Mo'bettas. Then he took off to go camping with his friends! I was hoping his garments were a good fit. Unfortunately, it took us several tries to get the right sizes for him. I think we did okay in the end though. 9-6-24
STAKE YOUTH CONFERENCE
I don't think I got enough feedback about this activity to really write anything. They all had a good time while they were there. I did hear about Erika making cars for little kids- that sounded fun. They ate chick-fil-a of course and then that night they got to go to a fun concert that everyone seemed to really enjoy. Everyone being: Noah, Erika and Jack. So a win for them. 9-7-24
SOCCER
We have some really awesome soccer teams this year!! It's been a lot of fun! Molly had a rough game this week, with her coach really weirdly expecting too much out of her and being really confusing with instructions, but she toughed it out so good! And all three of our teams CREAMED the other teams. It's been a lot of fun! 9-7-24
FAIRY GARDEN PARTY
Grandma invited us all to her house for a fun little fairy garden party. We ate fairy food and then went out and set up the fairy garden and visited a lot. Sadie and Molly love this. Erika got way into it too. Jack didn't make it, he was with friends and the concert. Erika had to leave in the middle in fact. But it was a fun night! 9-7-24
PRIMARY PROGRAM PRACTICE #1
This we decided to have, kind of spur of the moment, last week. We knew I wasn't going to be here for the next week, but then found out Brooke wouldn't be there either, so I suggested we move it up. Thankfully that was an option. Things went pretty well. I would have rather sang the songs along with saying parts, but it was fine. All was well. I was happy that everything went okay. 9-8-24
FAMILY MEETING
We went up a little late this week, but they had waited for us. This felt like a shorter lesson but was really nice to discuss. I wish I could remember what it was. It was fun to talk with everyone after. 9-8-24
LUNCH WITH MEG AND SIERRA
Meg and I had planned to go to lunch together Monday and then at the family meeting we decided it would be fun to invite Luke and Sierra to come with us. As it turned out- Nate was also off that day so he came as well (working on the yard for the farewell)! Super fun! Meg let Luke pick where we went- Moe's is his new obsession, so we went there. It was so yummy! I forgot how good that place is! We had a great time talking and then talked some more at home til 4:00! Good stuff. 9-9-24
DATE WITH LUKE
We got to go to the temple Tuesday as part of our date. This was his second time going. This session had a special needs lady in the front that was super wiggly- involuntarily just moving the entire time- I found it so interesting that that went on during Luke's second session- and we ended up going to the Bountiful Temple this time. Luke has always had a connection with people with special needs. I am not sure why. I just feel like there's a reason. But anyway- I loved going and with Luke. It was awesome. After the temple, we came home and changed and then went to go get Sushi at Sushi Monster after. It was a fun date. Probably our last. At least for two years. Hopefully Luke knows how much I love him! 9-10-24
LUKE MISSION PHOTOSHOOT
We tried to talk ourselves out of this because it was not the best night, but luckily we didn't because the next day there was a huge fire on the mountain and everything was smokey for a day. But we had a good time, Nate, Luke and I over at the Layton temple. First time taking pictures there! Pretty fun. He looks so handsome, the pictures turned out amazing even with some crazy lighting options. It was a little hazy too. But I really like what we got. I think Luke likes them! I'm glad we got the flag in the right orientation in a few pictures. It's getting more and more real everyday! 9-10-24
UTAH STATE FAIR 2024
We were so happy we were able to make this day work!! Our fun tradition stands. We got in free this year on Patriot Day and that was a bonus. We went over to the Hands On farm first- of course. Everyone was funny through this. It didn't seem like they tried as hard this year, kind of run down as far as how they ran it, but the kids love it no matter what. Then we went and saw Adam the Great again. He picked Charity this time for his volunteer which was pretty fun. I think she did the same exact trick as Brad did. Kinda funny. We went through all the animal buildings even though they were kind of empty. We saw the cute petting farm area, we want to volunteer there next year. We saw the Fine Arts building, nobody we knew entered, so it was a quick walk through. We loved the businesses and the craft displays. We saw Claire's quilt almost by accident as we were leaving. Glad we saw that. The kids got to choose a treat or buy something. Molly bought a little purse. Sadie got dippin dots. A bunch of them got funnel cakes at the end of the night. It was a fun time. We were happy Charity and Hunter joined us! Missed Kelly and Brad though. 9-11-24
ANOTHER INTERVIEW
I don't know why I planned it this way, but I scheduled an interview right after work thursday. It ended up being a really long drive down to west jordan. I was not thrilled with the drive all the way there. The job was delivering medical supplies and medications to people's homes. Super easy. But with the drive to that place and then back up here, it just didn't seem like it was going to be enough money to make up for gas. I declined after they gave me the job. 9-12-24
FUN RUN!
Molly and Sadie do not feel the same way about the Fun Run that some of the older kids did. It was interesting to see the contrast. They were excited though. Molly has had a hurt foot for quite a while so I wasn't sure if she should even run, but she did it! They both did actually! I think this was the first year we only needed to be there for one of the race times. We watched them both run, cheered them on! Then saw them cross the finish line and get their popsicles and pictures. It felt really short this year! But they did so good! I am really proud of them for doing it! I was glad they didn't have to feel any pressure to win and that they were happy with that as well :). 9-13-24
GETTING READY FOR LUKE'S FAREWELL
I was actually really happy for his farewell and that we were going to get the house all cleaned up :). It went even better than I thought though, with everyone's help! I was so proud of everyone. I hope I never forget Noah and Jack washing the outside windows! They did a great job and it was so cute to see them working together. The house looked amazing! Even Sadie was in shock, walking up the stairs to a closed Laundry room door- she couldn't figure out what had happened- HA! Well, I don't know if I should laugh at that or cry. It's a bit of an eye sore up there, but whatever. So nice to get it all cleaned up. 9-14-24
LUKE'S FAREWELL
Luke did such a good job on his talk!! That's what this is all about right! He did so good. I was so proud of him and all that he learned and shared in his talk. He was speaking on Faith and really killed it. I love learning things from my kids. Makes me happy. I will try to put his talk on here when I have more time. I loved what he said about his family and about his brother being out with him. It was really cool that Brad was able to call in and listen to his talk. This is getting so real we can taste it! He had so many friends and family here to support and eat all the pulled pork sandwiches and giant bowl of muddy buddies. So fun to have that time for Luke. He finally went outside and played basketball in his church clothes. It was fun to watch him. He's going to be such a great missionary. 9-15-24
SADIE
"I hurt Jack, so I said a prayer for his lip to feel better in my room" 9-18-24
LUNCH WITH MEG
We got to go to lunch with Meg again, kind of a rerun, cuz she let Luke pick Moe's again :). Chris came with us all this time- Nate was here too- we went and picked up our food and then brought it back this time. It was fun to talk with Meg- I feel bad cuz I kind of unloaded on here all the recent family drama. She was nice to listen. It was a good time though. So nice of them to come all the way out here. 9-20-24
DATE NIGHT
Nate and I weren't really hungry after eating his pork bites and mac and cheese, so we just went to a movie. We saw the "Am I Racist" movie. Very well done. Very cool. We laughed a LOT. 9-20-24
PRIMARY PRACTICE #2
I went early to get everything set up then left for Molly's soccer game (which she CREAMED the other team) and came back a little late. Things were up and running when I got back. I wish it hadn't felt like I was in charge but not in charge, but it went just fine. It will be too long, but oh well. 9-21-24
PRIMARY PROGRAM
Well, it came and went finally! We had our program Sunday. It was a little stressful getting there, but during it I really was able to relax a little and enjoy it. That was good. Some of the things I love that we did was having the older kids help the younger ones- I loved that. They did awesome too. With a little help from a couple teachers which I think is fine. I think if I did it again I would do shorter parts for some of them. It was a little long. I liked how the seating chart worked, I feel like you could mostly see the kids just fine. But I think next time I would just sit the big kid next to the class of younger kids they are helping so they can help walk them up there. Maybe. I would probably go back to doing a microphone for the two younger classes sitting at the front of the stand. That was a way better way. I wouldn't have changed it if it hadn't been for Kris, but it was fine. Overall, I think it was awesome! I don't know why, but I sort of hope I get to do it again next year- just to fix my mistakes :). Kelly came and Grandma and Simon. So fun. 9-22-24
LUKE'S SETTING APART
This was another highlight on Sunday. We got to witness Luke's setting apart as missionary!! President Larsen said some things to begin with and we talked for a minute and then he gave him the longest blessing I think any of us have ever heard (with the exception of a patriarchal blessing maybe), but it was so beautiful! And I think there were so many good things said about the qualities Luke possesses that will benefit him out in the field along with some blessings to help him out there as well. I am really excited to see Luke thriving in that position. I know he will do a good job. We all got to share a few little thoughts about him afterwards, that was nice. I was able to talk about what a rule follower Luke was as a kid and how much he appreciates rules and has learned obedience and the blessings that come from it throughout his life. He really has been so obedient. I love that about Luke. It was a really special moment. I was glad Charity and Kelly were there for it all. Such a beautiful time. He put his little name tag on and here we go!! Super excited for him. 9-22-24
HOME MTC
So far home MTC has been "boring", "long", "tiring", "hard", he likes his short comp who also likes basketball and will be fun to beat in the MTC :). He's learned how to teach with the spirit, how to use the Book of Mormon, Missionary standards, and how to handle stress. He's handling things really well, not taking any naps or missing class, which makes me proud of him. He's done awesome. It's very obvious it's not his favorite thing, but he is toughing it out quite nicely. I'm sure eating out for lunch everyday has been helpful though (Moe's, Panda, Jimmy Johns, Sushi...). Hopefully these last few days can go by quicker. I'm so proud of him! 9-23-24--
LAST TIME OUT FOR SUSHI WITH LUKE
We were so glad Luke's lunch was a little longer today, Nate and I really wanted to take him out for sushi one last time, so that's what we did. Monster Sushi for lunch! It's always fun to be with Luke and when you know how much he likes sushi, it's just fun to take him out. He looks so handsome in his nametag and everything. It was awesome. I will miss these times with him. 9-28-24
CATCH UP
Feels like it's been a while since I updated the blog- thought I would do a little update on everyone. Sadie is loving Kindergarten so far. She can't wait to jump out of the car each morning trying to beat whoever is also running toward the line up rocket. She barely has time to wave goodbye :). Also almost forgets her backpack every morning- kinda funny. It's cute how much she loves her friends at school. They all seem to love her too, drawing pictures for her, inviting her to their parties. So much fun. She loves Mrs. Piper and she loves being able to write some things already. She has been wanting to tackle math ever since school started. Funny girl. She is pretty tired in the evenings, sometimes she takes an unsolicited nap and then she has a hard time going to sleep. She will get the hang of things soon I'm sure.
Molly is loving school as well. She loves Mrs. Johnson. She likes her dance class and her soccer team- she got to have most of her friends on her team this year! So fun! She has been playing really well also. She scores at least twice at every game. She's really good at knowing where to be and where the ball is going to be. So cool. She really wants to try gymnastics and she was bummed we couldn't do race cats with everything else on her plate. We'll see when those things can happen. She is a good friend as well. None of her friends live close so it's a little tricky to get them over. But she loves playing on the computer and riding her bike. She loves to cook and will make dessert for us almost every Sunday. Cute girl.
Jack is adjusting to Junior High. His favorite classes are Robotics and Manufacturing. It's challenging school work wise, but he's mastered the friend part. He really hasn't complained about anything too much and is doing really well. I like that he spends a lot of time with Erika and her friends and that he feels welcome with them. He spends every waking minute outside of school with his friends! They go down in the creek or to each other's houses. It's been fun to see that side of him growing a lot. He and Will and Liam are still so close which is just so fun. He is still not a big eater unless it's tacos. And he's still the best garbage man we could ask for.
Erika is doing great at school, loving being the oldest. She is in Hope Squad which she seems to like. She is playing soccer right now and totally dominating out on the field. It's been a really fun season. She has played goalie a few times which she doesn't love, but she is really good at. She spends a lot of time in her bedroom, sleeping and with friends. She still loves the regional dances, she enjoys going to friends' houses. She has been babysitting a ton. She is just growing into the coolest big teenage girl. Rocking the adolescence for sure.
Noah has been doing really good. I think it's safe to say that physically he has completely recovered from the stroke. His brain is still needing some catching up. But he is handling that so well. He is doing great in school. He really loves his Photography class and has had fun doing assignments in there. He has a hard time writing a lot so he is going to switch out of his history class. Math isn't clicking too well, but I Think he will get there. He's been so strong and so patient with the challenges. He loves hanging out with his friends. They go play volleyball every Thursday night and spike ball over at our park every once in a while too. He is loving weigh lifting again. He is gearing up for Indoor track, and totally dominating out on the soccer field! I've been so impressed with how good he is! He's really helpful with rides for the younger kids and really helpful around the house which is really nice.
Luke is all ready for his mission, pretty anxious to get going. He is not loving HMTC, but doing well at sticking it out. He loves to eat out and I think that's what's kept him alive through the HMTC. He is fun to talk to and it's fun to hear his thoughts and the things he's learning. I can't wait to see what his mission holds. He really has been getting in some good time with everyone which has been fun to watch. Football with Molly at the park, playing with Sadie on a walk, watching reels with Kelly and Noah and getting some good last laughs in with them. It's been fun to see those relationships and know that they will be alive and well when he gets back.
Bradley is in the city right now, thriving as far as we can tell. He is in a trio until his comp leaves to go home. Hopefully it goes well with the other Elder (forgot his name) once Elder Manwaring leaves. He is baptizing like crazy and having really cool experiences with so many people. He seems to be enjoying life and enjoying his mission right now. It's such a relief. I love hearing from him- we love our video chats. It's been a cool experience having him out there. All he can talk about is how excited he is for Luke to get out!
Kelly is living in Provo, going to an EMT class at BYU and working at Great Harvest. She seems to be enjoying it all. She is dating Devan, they just past their year mark. Things are looking really good for her future. She hasn't had a lot of luck with the egg retrieval, but she is not losing hope and she is staying positive. Even with all the crazy hormone levels and ups and downs of the retrieval process. She is a highlight of all our weekends, when we get to see her the girls go nuts :).
Charity is also living in Provo, she and Kelly are roommates. She is working at Vivint making big bucks and enjoying dating Hunter. She has been dealing with her own set of challenges like a champ as well. I've been really impressed with all that she is doing and how she is handling some of the struggles. She is so fun to have around- we all love to have her around when she visits as well. She is also enjoying teaching Relief Society in her ward and wishes she got to do it more often.
I am doing great! Just waiting for each stressful thing to end so I can start getting stressed about the next thing :). Life feels pretty busy lately, hopefully it will slow down a little hear for October. The calendar says it will, we shall see. I am liking my little part time gig at the popcorn store- it's been a fun change of pace. I think I'm starting to get the hang of it. It's been a slow process learning everything. I am the secretary in the Primary Presidency and just got done writing and pulling off our Primary Program. I think it went really well. I will get there though. I need to tackle a few projects in the house here real soon, so I'm looking forward to that, but mostly life is good and I am getting by!
Nate is doing awesome. Awesome for his family at least :). We are so grateful for his hard work and all that he sacrifices and does to make our family work. He is so good to us! He has been working his butt off selling meat, directing air traffic, and laying in the beds at the plasma donation center, selling his soul :). I'm totally kidding. He is still in the Bishopric, working hard with that as well. He's just awesome. We are so lucky to have him.
9-28-24
GRANDMA RUTHIE AND JEN'S BIRTHDAY BASH
We had so much fun at Fish Hook Park celebrating Grandma and Jen. It was a little tricky with the tables being so far away from the playground and stuff, but everyone seemed to enjoy the night once we got going. There was too much drama with Sadie on the way there she tipped over her fun dip and then Noah wouldn't be her ketchup holder as she ate her Wendy's, so she decided to take a nap. Then when we got there she realized that she never put her scooter in the car. That was pretty devastating until grandma mentioned the duckies hid all over the park! They all went on the search. Noah and Luke took turns with Sadie. They got ducks and a couple Chick-fil-a gift cards! The girls played on the playground a bit and then the rest of us (Me, Charity, Hunter, Kelly, Devan, Elder Maynes, Noah, Jack for part of it, and Molly for part of it) got way into a game of Volleyball with the Taylors. We played for a good hour and a half! Good stuff. I saw Sadie following a new friend around. It was a fun night! 9-28-24
CHURCH WITH OUR MISSIONARY
Luke is a set apart Elder right now, so he was not really sure how to do church. He was supposed to have a companion with him at all times and I am in the Primary so I did offer to let him come in there, but he chose Sunday School and asked Andy if he could sit by him. That was fine until we needed Andy to help fill in in the Sunbeam class- HAHA! So Luke was sitting by himself for his first Sunday as a set apart missionary. Maybe not noteworthy, but he was funny about it. We enjoyed Austin Noriega hour too. 9-29-24
LETTER FROM BRAD- MORNIN
Heyyyy guys whats up. This week was super hype but also kind of a huge bummerr. My comp ends his mission today and he actually worked pretty hard all the way to the end but it's so weird to see someone ending the mission because I didn't even think it happened. Still not sure I'll ever get to that point but its such a weird feeling watching someone finish. Hes gone through so many emotions so fast and like now he's just done yk? Like all of this work for 2 years and then it just stops. Super strange buttt I've still got lots of time to continue the work here. Super excited to lead out this are because it literally has so much potential and there's just so much to do here. Super fun area.
TIME WITH LUKE
Luke and I were getting in the last few things we needed to do this week before he leaves. Monday we made sure to go to Moe's for lunch :). This was his last time eating the stack thing he loves. We'll see if he misses it :). So far we are 0 for 2 on watch choices. We will need to try something else. He had less time in class today so we got to see his face and even had fhe with him. 9-30-24
FHE
We talked about Luke for our lesson- I think he was okay with that. We had Molly's brownies for the treat and played Anomia for Luke's game. 9-30-24
No comments:
Post a Comment