September 25, 2016

A morning at the park.

Walking with Dan.

It was a normal, uneventful (so successful) week. I took Maeser to the library, which he loves. By the time I found him to leave, he took me to the counter to see the books for checkout. He'd transferred an entire 3ft section from the bookshelves, all on sharks and tigers.

I'm attaching school pictures, always entertaining.

September 18

It doesn't seem like much has happened since I last wrote.

Highlights- um...

Dan is in town. I find when he is out of town I take more pictures of the kids and more video clips. Which means the blog gets more too.

Scout may be the coolest cheerleader, ever.

Gentle Abe.​

Mary making a fairy garden.

Breakfast is better when Dan is in town.

September 11, 2016

Mom said the leaves are changing in Utah, Fall is a season I miss dearly. We are planning to visit Sarah and Rocky after her baby comes and possibly for Abe and Eliot's baptism. (More on that next week.) And the only drawback is it will be almost zero degrees. Zero. We get cold in the summer time when it reaches 60. But I can't wait.

It was fast Sunday, one of the most difficult fast Sunday's on the record. What makes it so is uncertain- late night before, wrong choice of food yesterday... what ever the cause, it is certainly humbling. It was actually a sobering day, lots of thoughts about choosing good, choosing light over darkness and knowing that we can never obtain happiness by making poor choices. I know that no matter how many errors we make, the gospel's purpose is to bring us back to God, and through that path, experience true happiness. But understanding the depth of that happiness can only be measured by the times we have felt prompted to repent and know that we fall short. It was a reminder to always be willing to humble myself and admit that I need Christ's atonement daily. Just as I need food daily (even hourly).

Maeser misses Dallin dearly. This afternoon he said, "Mom, I was going to play cars with Dallin yesterday, but we didn't." We talked about missionaries in Primary and he raised his hand and told everyone he was a missionary in Hungary and then the Primary president had him come up front to mark the map where you were. Excitedly, he marked all of Africa and the Indian Ocean. (Good luck with that next transfer.)

Scout is entering an adorable princess obsession, lots of dancing and dress-ups, dolls and coloring. I absolutely love it, she hums (praise to the man) and plays by herself.

Mary began playing rugby this week, Abe taekwondo.

(Maeser the chemist.)

And last, a few Maeserisms:
After wrestling with grandpa and realizing he was much stronger. Astonished, "You almost took my head and face off my body! It could kill me!"

"Mom, do you know what 'In an hour' means?"
"Yeah, it takes an hour."
"No, it means it will take a LOOOONG time."

September 5th

It's Monday, that means FHE. Tonight's lesson is on Honesty... it was going to be on good sportsmanship. Dan has started playing games with Abe and warning him in advance that he is going to win, and then walloping him. Abe has a really hard time losing. Anything. But we'll stage a soccer game for the activity and make sure each team wins some and loses some.

40% of the children have Hand Foot and Mouth Disease, it is very contagious, consequently we've been quarantined. Mary and Abe can go to school as long as they have no fever. If they do get a fever a rash will appear within 48 hours, and blisters last 5-7 days. It feels like a bad cold, but the blisters in the mouth usually decrease the child's appetite and most children get really sick when they become dehydrated. We don't seem to have that problem as Dan has stocked the kitchen with any child friendly beverage. It's almost like a juice fast over here. (Adults are virtually immune to HFMD, so Dan and I aren't worried about catching it.)

Being sick here make me so glad to have this house. I love that we don't have to leave. Riding bikes, swimming, jumping, reading, cooking... life is still the norm and Scout doesn't even realise she's sick. I remember when Mary got sick in our NY apartment and we stayed home for a week. I went crazy. I feel really thankful for what we have here. Minus Ru. Why does anybody get a puppy?

Mary researching the location of Atlantis.

Abe.

Scout, wishing she was old enough to join Maeser's gymnastics class.

Maeser being entertaining. Love the laughs.

Scout.

August 28, 2016

I'd say it was an uneventful week, we made the mistake of watching the new Jungle Book movie with Maeser, he has acted like an animal since. He only speaks rhinoceros.
I mowed the lawn for the first time in um... (I'm counting) 9 years. 9!

A self-portrait by Abe. I hope he never has to floss.

She is usually a very calm child. She could sit an color for hours.