Halloween 2020

Halloween

We skipped the usual Trick-or-Treating and instead invited Abby over and broke a piñata. It was a fun way to celebrate and they ended up with a lot of candy. Most of which they traded for money. 

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Family flu shots

October 2020

We enjoyed a Sunday drive up the canyon to enjoy the fall colors.

James had his camera ready to capture my sweet boys.

Sweet pensive Max

The handsome photographer

September 2020

Beautiful Boys and Burgess Books

When we moved in the boys' room was painted an obnoxious purple.

They picked a fun yellow for the color of the walls. They said it feels very happy!

 

James and Zane put together our new trampoline for our new home.

No dishwasher...no problem.

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Our 2020 pandemic schoolyear looks a little different. Homeschool is comfortable and familiar for us. But we won't be holding Family School this year. We will miss the company of friends and group classes. The boys will be attending a chemistry class online. We have all the supplies to do experiments at home. And of course the necessary goggles.

Getting ready to do an experiment...

and the best chemistry ever; making ice cream (with Abby.)

Max's Tech class this year is Drone Videography. 

He is learning how to fly and take pictures with the drone as well as how to make videos. 

Zane and his K'NEX builds.

2020

The Year of Quarantine...Oops

August 2020

James is 46!

We were so busy packing to move that James' birthday was pushed to the background.
We had ice cream and found him two fun T-shirts.

Moving Truck

We decided to help ourselves out this move and we paid movers. It was so worth it!! They worked so hard and fast. We had the carpets cleaned in the morning and then the movers unloaded in record time. Kate and Mom came and were lifesavers! They worked tirelessly to help us unpack. Mike showed up for a few hours and helped move some of the larger things. It was an exhausting day but we are so happy to be moved. This is a much better home for us and will be a much more comfortable place to spend a pandemic. And hopefully years after it is over.

Library

The boys wanted to share a room and were very excited to make the other room into a "library!"

I surprised them with bean bags for the library and they surprised me by being too big for them.

I returned them but they had a bit of fun first.

Pandemic 2020

With a pandemic spreading rapidly across the world our lives changed very suddenly!

As we listen and watch General Conference the First Presidency sits in an empty tabernacle in chairs several feet from each other. I fluctuate between anxiety and fear as things grow worse and peace and faith as I listen to the speakers. We have been isolating ourselves at home for the last few weeks. Church is temporarily closed and we are having church at home.

In some ways it is an amazing blessing! James is able to bless the sacrament and Max to pass it. Each of us have prepared talks and played hymns. Zane has flourished as he prepares talks and scriptures to share. We are able to bear our testimony and have the sacrament in our home.

It is sad to not be able to invite Grandpa Keith over. We pray that our families will be okay. We stopped holding Family School and I have been putting the lessons online. We don't go to music lessons and have playdates. The boys are a bit tired of not being able to be with friends but they are doing pretty well and as spring arrives they spend more time outside. 

I am grateful for the forced break that is also giving me time to breath and assess. I was really getting burned out; by the school and the friendships that have somehow wrapped around every part of my life. I am evaluating everything; every podcast, book group, friendship, school activity and my own reading life. I have been tired and overwhelmed and am strangely grateful for the forced isolation.

Feb 2018

Max showing off his Christmas wolf cap with his two tiny huskies.

FHE WITH SISTER ERMA MATTHEWS
The boys take turns planning FHE and we visit with Erma every couple of weeks.
She has toys for grand kids and they are happy to play after FHE.

SNOWMEN
The boys had a blast building snowmen, tasting snowflakes and goofing off together.

ZANE AND HIS TOOTH
For a language arts assignment Zane chose to write about how he lost his tooth...

(Should I be worried that blood tastes yummy?)

MUSIC EXPO

We attended the Music Expo where the boys tried out different instruments.

By the end of the night Max was convinced that he wants violin lessons.

BOOKS, BOOKS AND MORE BOOKS!

Kellie's friend was getting rid of all her many years of homeschooling books and wanted them to go to someone who would use and appreciate them. So Kellie sent us 6 packages from Malaysia and it was Christmas all over again! It was so much fun to get packages and add so many great books to our library.

VALENTINE'S DAY

Every year Max reminds me to string the house. And every year he gets so excited for a new stuffed pet.
So the traditions (that I might not do otherwise) continue.

They love their new stuffed friends.

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PINE WOOD DERBY
Max had fun making another derby car and enjoyed the races.