Antics and Swimming With Cousins

In the morning while the boys were mowing the lawn, we discovered a HUGE cockroach in the corner of the high front hall ceiling.  We decided to try and shoot it down with the Nerf guns.  However, even though they hit it a few times, all it did was move a little.  The bullets weren't big/heavy enough to knock it down.  So then Travis climbed up with the broom and brushed it down, at which point, the cockroach flew around for a second before landing on the floor and scurrying under the first thing it could.  We chased it out and finally smashed it with Dad's work shoe.

In the afternoon, we went swimming at Paige and Austin's and Eve was there with the kids (all but Claire, who was home napping while Adam was working).  We hadn't seen Adam and Eve's kids for a long time, so it was good to get together.

Babysitting, More Pie, Clue

While the four of us were ziplining on Saturday morning, Corey had to take the van to a car audio place to get a new DVD player installed (that the kids broke our old one on our trip to Arizona in January). So he left Jonah to babysit while he drove the car over to the place not far from our house and walked home. Jonah was rewarded with a Braum's shake.

We had an extra pie crust after using one for quiche, so Travis made a banana cream pie for Father's Day, since we won't be in town for Father's Day.  It was another delicious pie!  Now, if I could get him to learn how to make a killer crust, he could make pies and sell them.

On Sunday night, the older kids and I played Clue after Dad was at work and the younger ones were in bed.  We had fun after the game putting the weapons into the player pieces' hands and just being silly so we took pictures.

And Allison sent this picture to show Westley playing Axis and Allies with his cousins, second cousins, and uncle: John, Danny, Peter, Caleb Farnsworth and Andy Farnsworth.  I'm glad he is finally learning how to play the game.  Maybe he will be interested and teach Caleb and Travis when he comes home.

Zip Lining

The Heard Museum, a nature museum that we have been members of in the past, and actually, I renewed the membership during quarantine to help keep the place in business, was doing a special ziplining day on Saturday, so I signed up for it. They only had four spots open and only let you go if you're older than 10, so I signed up for me, Caleb, Travis, and Eliza. We went and had a great time. It was pretty scary climbing up the tree to the platform and I was shaking, but I was able to get up there and do it. It was really hot though!

New Haircut, Visitng Maggie, Park Play and Swimming

With things opening back up, hair salons have been among those things and I needed a haircut. But when I researched what restrictions salons would have, such as wearing a mask and gloves the whole time, I decided to find someone who cuts hair from home to do it. A lady in our stake, Denise Urish, cuts hair from home and had started back up with doing it, so I booked myself an appointment. I was super happy with the result.  I really like myself with short hair better than with long hair.

 

On Tuesday, we went over to make muffins with Aunt Paige to take to Maggie because Maggie really wanted some blueberry muffins.  Aunt Paige added a few twists and we made banana-blueberry-chocolate chip muffins for her.  I was able to drive the muffins down with the kids to give to Maggie at her rehab center where she was transferred last week.  She is recovering well from the surgery, but it's slow going and she has to relearn how to walk, which is super challenging because she still does not have feeling in her right leg and only some feeling in her left leg.  We are praying for her to fully recover and Travis and Eliza are glad that she is in Texas even if they can't see her or spend quality time with her in person.

On Wednesday, I had signed Eliza up for a craft class taught by the Lamarche girls in our stake at their house, so I took Jonah, Annmarie and Nathan to the park to play while she was at her class.  Jonah loves to climb trees.

And we've been swimming a few more times at Paige and Austin's with Paige and the kids.  Austin even joined us before leaving again to go on the road.  We've had some racial tensions in the U.S. after another white cop killed another black man senselessly and this has led to rioting and violence.  Truckers have become a target of some of the violence, so Austin came home for a few days to stay safe.  With coronavirus still going spreading, life is sort of nightmarish at times.  We are now accused of being racist simply on the premise of being white and that's hard to deal with.  I wonder if people were all seeing each other in person more instead of online if these things would be worked out better.  Who knows?  It's looking more and more like school will be some weird hybrid of online and in person in the fall with the requirement of masks and sports and activities like choir and band being canceled.  I will be so frustrated if that happens.

Sunday, Pie Day!

Travis has been into making pies lately. A few days ago, he made a strawberry pie, which was so good! He had made one on Easter that didn't turn out quite right because we added way too much crushed strawberries.  His second attempt was so much better!  Nathan was disappointed that we had made a strawberry pie and not chocolate cream, so Travis made a chocolate cream pie on Sunday.  Also pictured are Nathan and Annmarie decked out for home church.  We only have one more week of home church and then we start back, except there will be less than fifty people there and we will have to wear masks, sit several rows apart from other families, not sing at all (because singing apparently spreads the virus) and not have Sunday School, primary, or YM/YW/RS/EQ.  I don't really want to go until things are more normal, but Corey had already offered, and since we have young men to bless and pass the Sacrament, we are going.  But then I am heading out of town with the kids, so Corey will have to go to church alone.

Memorial Day and Summer Cooking

It was raining on Memorial Day and a little cold even, so we weren't able to go swimming with Austin and Paige and barbecue like we had wanted to.  But instead, the kids put on their swimsuits and jumped on the trampoline in the rain!

This is the first week of summer, technically (even though there was no school last week), so we started with our usual summer cooking rotation with the kids.  Jonah made waffles for breakfast and cheesy potato soup with rolls for dinner, fitting because of the cold rain, and Annmarie made pigs-in-a-blanket for her lunch on her day.  The kids really look forward to cooking in the summer and I'm glad it's helping them learn to cook!