March 2017

March began with the Pinewood Derby.  Mark helped more people build their cars and then Mark made the cool trophy stands for the winners.

The derby was super fun and everyone had a blast.  I had to help judge and so I didn't get many pictures.

Brian got 4th place in the cub scout races.

 And I got 3rd Place in the open race.  I am so proud of myself, because I made my car all by myself without asking Mark for help.  The boys still think I cheated because I watched YouTube videos about how to make a fast car, but I still had to do the work to make it fast!

 The old track was set up for the kids to play with.  They had so much fun!

Timmy got really sick for a weekend in March so we spent the weekend reading Harry Potter.  We started the 4th book and Brian and I would take turns reading aloud.

Brian got braces in March!  Here he is the night before showing us his teeth.

It took forever to get them on, but he was a trooper as always.

He had a hard time for about two weeks, but now he is very used to them.

 It snowed a bit in March and my mom and I went for some last of the season cross country skiing.

Here is some more morning creativity going on in Brian's room.  It is rare that they don't look like this when I come out in the mornings.

Mark did so much work on the basement.

March was the month of Mark's favorite construction activity, mudding and sanding and mudding and sanding some more.  Mark loves mudding, can you tell? He is truly so amazing to be able to do the whole basement on his own and to push through the most miserable parts without complaining!

After the mudding came painting time!  It took me forever to figure out what color to paint it all.  Mark had to spray primer on everything first.  Then he did ceiling and walls with paint.  I finally went with Gliddon's Silver Birch which I was worried had been a mistake, but I love the finished product.  More pictures of the final to come in April.

We got new renters in March, so while we were in transition, Mark used the basement door through the apartment to bring in some big items like the functional trainer weight machine and the ping pong table.  It was weird having this door open to a whole other apartment that usually doesn't seem to be part of our house.

During the few days of transition I needed to clean the apartment and touch up paint on the walls, but I just happened to have a Meniere's Attack on the only day I had to clean.  I was so so sick.  It had been a few years since the last bad attack and it was not expected, but these attacks rarely are.  I was miserable and could not take the kids to school or pick them up.  I couldn't even stand up.  It was constant vertigo and vomiting for me.  Luckily my mom was able to come and help me.  It was so much more bearable with her there.  She took care of me and cleaned the rental for me.  Sometimes I just cannot express how grateful I am for my mom.

Mark did take some time away from working on the basement one Saturday to play a game with the kids.

And one evening he played ball with them in the field.  I like when I can watch my ponies and my favorite people at the same time.

Sunday dinner at Nai Nai's house often comes with Lego building.

On the way to Sunday dinner we stopped by Mark's work to feed the fish.

I started an experiment to have a broody hen sit on fertilized eggs.  After weeks I am sad to say it didn't work.  No chicks hatched.

Spring Break began with a beautiful day at home and at the park!

The boys found some neighborhood friends at the park and played for hours.  Can you see my view of them through the blossoms?

Then we came home and they built a fire all by themselves and we roasted hot dogs for dinner.

That Saturday Brian and Timmy both played at the Utah Cello Federation.  Brian played Minuet No. 3 and Chorus From Judas Maccabaeus and Timmy played Hunter's Chorus and Chorus From Judas Maccabaeus.  They both played beautifully and received superior ratings.  There is only one cello in the picture because Timmy is now using the same size cello and stool as Brian.  It makes it easy for me because we only need to haul one cello and one stool around unless they are both playing at the same time, and then we have to take two.

Brian's birthday fell during spring break again this year!  We had a trip to San Diego planned, but Mark got a new position at work the week before and we needed to cancel the trip.  Hopefully we can go soon.  So, instead of visiting Lego Land for his birthday, Brian got to choose a Lego set and we visited the Planatarium with grandma.  Brian loves science and he wanted to see a show in the dome theater.

Then my parents treated us to the Cheesecake Factory!  It was perfect for Brian because he loves cheesecake!  He said in was the best he had ever had.

He was beyond excited to get his Lego birthday present on his actual birthday.  We had planned to go to the bird refuge, but he just wanted to stay home and put in all together. So I let him stay in his pajamas as long as he wanted building his birthday Lego set.

It took him several hours, but that's pretty fast for how big that Star Wars ship actually is.

Timmy enjoyed it too!

Then my mom came with her gift for Brian and she came with us for lunch at Panda Express.

When I asked Brian what kind of cake he wanted, he said he didn't want cake but donuts instead. He was very specific about wanting donuts with pink frosting and sprinkles.  So after lunch we stopped by Fresh Market to get some donuts and Brian was happy to find that they had plenty of donuts with pink frosting and sprinkles to choose from.

We each picked out our own kind and Brian got one for Mark too.

Later that evening the boys played corn hole outside while I got the horses out for the farrier to trim their hooves.

 Mark was very busy most of the spring break week, but he was able to get some time off on Friday to do something special with us for Brian's birthday.  We went to the aquarium together as a family.  It was such a fun day!

Then Luke and Sunny came into town for a few days and we finished out the month of March and started April with some of our favorite people and favorite food!

February 2017

February always goes quickly.  Those two fewer days in the month really make it seem short.  My mom took me cross country skiing for the first time with my "new" skis I found at DI.  Cross country skiing is still fun and a great workout even with my vintage skis.

I helped 100 first graders do a craft for Chinese New Year.  I don't know how I end up being in charge of this stuff.  Here is Timmy at the calligraphy station.

We went swimming at the condo.  Grandma was so nice to play a keep away game with the boys.

Mark made progress on the basement drywall installation.

We visited some friends for dinner.

The snow melted.

 Brian wrote me a cute note to thank me for making him lunches for school.

The wolf den went to the city museum, which I didn't even know existed.

This was a dinner a Pizzaria Limon.  These boys can eat.

Valentine's Day came around and I had to stress about organizing the third grade party.  I am not a natural party planner and not a crafty person, but the kids had fun and the teachers are grateful they don't have to do it.

I enjoyed being there with Brian.

Brian was super exited that the cub scout Blue and Gold Banquet was Harry Potter themed since we were smack dab in the middle of reading the books together.  The boys have loved reading them with me.

These boys love carving sticks with their pocket knives.

We went to the zoo on a day off of school with my mom.  It was a great and beautiful day for February!

Sometimes I wake up to find these guys have raided the recycle bin and have started some serious projects with the stuff they find.  Brian especially seems to be extra creative in the wee hours of the morning.

February was the beginning of a month long pinewood derby planning and car making.  This was mine and Brian and Timmy's first time ever doing a pinewood derby.  The ward decided to invite anyone and everyone to race a car after the cub scouts had their race.

Mark helped the scouts and their families with their cars.  There were many nights when he opened his shop for them to come use his tools.  He was so nice and generous with his time and precious tools.

Mark's work got a salt water fish tank and we have been to visit every few weeks to feed the sea animals on the weekend.  It has been fun to see new fish and creatures added each time.

Sometimes after throwing bales of hay off the roof from the hayloft, I like to sit and watch the animals from up above.  I enjoy the different perspective

 After Mark got the drywall installed in the basement he got right to work with his favorite job of mudding!

Why does this picture seem so familiar?  Because it is so similar to the one taken a week or two earlier!  These boys were really on a creating boats and ships with recyclables and lots of duct tape kick!  It is amazing what a disaster they can make while I am getting up and ready in the mornings.

At the end of February poor Timmy got really sick.  He had a high fever for days and a horrible sour throat.  The Dr. was sure it was strep but the culture came back negative.  He eventually just got better, but it wasn't fun.  Here his is waiting at the doctor's office.

After cutting and sanding their pinewood derby cars it was time to paint.  Timmy is wearing my painting T-shirt and poor Brian was forced to wear my girly apron to protect his clothes.  Sorry Brian.

We played a musical number for a care center one Sunday in February.  I made a little arrangement of A Poor Wayfaring Man of Grief.  The boys did a great job and it was a wonderful experience.  I am glad they get the opportunity to serve this way.

As I look back through my calendar for February, we seemed to keep busy.  I had lots of days volunteering at the school, taking care of items for primary, cub scouts and relief society, going to parent teacher conferences, cello lessons, piano lessons, cello group class, visiting teaching, etc. Life just fills up, but I am glad I can be there for the boys and to serve in church.