A Little of This and That in April

April is usually my very favorite month of the year, but that was not the case this time around. The flowers and buds and leaves and grass were sooooooo slow in coming, and that seemed rather fitting for my mood and general outlook. If that isn't just the most chipper way to begin a monthly recap, haha. It was a hard month for me personally, but it was still filled with many good things, such as . . . 

Watching . . . General Conference. It was a cozy weekend at home. Clark, Ian, and Bradley made nests of blankets and pillows in which to watch. We ate cinnamon rolls. We watched the Saturday evening session with Mike's sister's family. The talks were so good (three of my favorites were "Jesus Christ is the Strength of Parents" by Elder Uchtdorf , "Have I Truly Been Forgiven" by Elder Nattress, and "Peacemakers Needed" by President Nelson).

Getting . . . so much snow. April did not get off to a great start with 18 inches of snow over two days. It was quite depressing, actually. It just kept coming and coming and coming. I played Christmas music to see if that would help. It kind of made it worse. However, by the end of the week, all of that snow had almost completely melted. My favorite thing was walking to school with Ian and seeing the rivulets of melted snow coursing down the gutters. It was a beautiful sight. 

Making . . . Easter special. I appreciated Elder Stevenson's talk in General Conference because it was all about the importance of making our Easter traditions and celebrations as meaningful and memorable as our Christmas ones. This is something I've been trying to do for years. I want to look forward to Easter as much as Christmas. Elder Stevenson said, "During December, we somehow manage to incorporate the fun of 'Jingle Bells,' Christmas stockings, and gifts alongside other, more thoughtful traditions--such as caring for those in need, singing our favorite Christmas carols and hymns, and of course opening the scriptures and reading the Christmas story in Luke 2." This balance is what I'm trying to achieve: fun traditions that lead us to more spiritual ones. This Easter, we attempted to strike this balance by: listening to Easter music, reading scriptures and looking at symbols associated with Easter by opening eggs on our Easter egg tree (I put this together years ago, and we still use it), dying Easter eggs, organizing a neighborhood egg hunt, focusing on what the Savior did each day during the week prior to the Resurrection (and coming up with a fun activity to do each day that related to these events--many of our ideas involved food), filling Easter baskets with fun surprises for our kids, going to my parents' house for Easter dinner, bringing gifts to my parents and siblings (which came as a complete surprise to everyone and made it even more fun), and going to church on Easter Sunday and listening to beautiful music about the Savior. The thing that made this Easter even better was that the weather was absolutely perfect. It felt truly symbolic to have such a gorgeous day after a really long, hard winter. I feel like Jesus' atonement, sacrifice, and resurrection bring the same kind of hope as spring. 

Applying . . . for a job. Aaron got a summer job! He's going to be working at a snow cone shack and making the big bucks, haha. He took the initiative and filled out the application and went to the interview without any pushing from us. It probably helped that his cousin is one of the managers for the snow cone shack this year and encouraged him to apply. He's excited for it to start in May.

Being . . . together in the temple with almost all of Mike's family. Mike's parents scheduled a sealing session, and all of Mike's siblings and spouses were there except for his brother, Jon (who lives in Idaho) and his sister, Alisa (who we will forever be missing but I like to think she was there with us). Mike's dad performed all of the sealings, and it was just such a sweet experience to all be together and look around the room and see all those faces we love. Tiny glimpse of heaven. 

Taking . . . Ian's kindergarten teacher out for breakfast. Ian's kindergarten teacher had a birthday this month, so a few of the moms in the neighborhood (whose kids had her either this year or in the past) took her out for breakfast. It was great fun to get to hear her stories and learn more about her life (she's had some real adventures!). And always, you can't be around her without hearing how much she loves teaching and seeing the ways she cares about her students. They're lucky to have her on their side.

Celebrating . . . Mike turning 41, Ian turning 6, Aaron's bone marrow turning 2, and our marriage turning 18. So many fun reasons to have a party. Mike's birthday included family time at This is the Place, a movie night, and ice cream. Ian had donuts for breakfast, a friend over for video games, a Pokemon cake, and the new Mario movie at the movie theater. Aaron's BMT birthday showed good results on all of his tests and Pretty Bird for dinner. And our anniversary was spent going out for lunch at an upscale Italian restaurant.

Serving . . . on a jury. Mike has always wanted to be selected to serve on a jury, and he finally got the opportunity, although once he heard what the case was about (aggravated sexual abuse of a child), he was less enthused. It was a three-day trial and ended up being quite exhausting mentally. It always kind of amazes me that this is the way our justice system works--that the average Joe from off the street decides the fate of an individual. It seems like you would have to qualify in some way: take a test to demonstrate your intelligence or somehow show your ability to take information and interpret it in a critical and thoughtful way. 

Seeing . . . the baby animals at This is the Place. My parents and Angela came up to Salt Lake on Mike's birthday, and we all went to This is the Place. It was a beautiful day. We rode the train (both the big one and the small one), panned for gold, stamped leather, rode the horses, held baby chicks, ate cornbread, hung out with baby goats, and played on the playground. It was quite a fun afternoon. (Aaron was at a friend's house so didn't come with us.)

Giving . . . Matt and Brittany a food tour. Mike and his brother, Matt, are both foodies, and Mike has been wanting to take Matt to all of his favorite places in Salt Lake. Of course, it would be impossible to cram all of the good food into one evening, but he made a pretty good attempt. We started with wings from Fav Bistro, followed by reubens from Feldman's Deli, then a molcajete from Katrina's, and finally gelato from Granato's. It was a really fun time, mostly because Matt enjoyed and appreciated every bite. 

Receiving . . . the new Brandon Sanderson book. My boys have been waiting for months for the newest Brandon Sanderson book, Tress of the Emerald Sea. Copies of it began shipping out quite awhile ago, but we did not get ours until mid-April. The excitement of opening the box and taking out what is truly a gorgeous book was almost greater than on Christmas morning. Aaron and Max were thrilled and began reading it right away. (They say it's a fantasy book that maybe I'd even enjoy. I'm willing to give it a try.)

Hearing . . . some cute little words. Silas has started to say a few words here and there. He is very good at Dad (and variations, DADA and DADDYYYYYYY!). This is by far his favorite word, and he says it a million times a day. But he also says Mama, more, bye, ball, water, dinner, and one time I heard "Bradley," although he refuses to say that one again. He also knows a host of animal sounds for cow, horse, sheep, pig, snake, elephant, lion, monkey, dog, cat, bird, and bunny. He keeps us all so entertained, and we love seeing his personality emerge and his skills develop.

Beginning . . . saxophone lessons. Max is coming up on two years of playing the saxophone, but up to this point, all of his development as a musician has mostly happened at school (aside from a few months last spring/summer where he took lessons from his cousin to help prepare him for his jazz band audition). But it was seeming like he was hitting a bit of a plateau, especially in his technique, so I got him started with a well-respected teacher in the area. So far, he has been loving it, and in just a month's worth of lessons, he has already made significant progress and improvement. And in true Max-form, he set aside a certain time of day to practice, and he sticks with it religiously. That boy loves a routine.  

Attending . . . a BYU Men's Chorus concert. One day, Mike was like, "We should go to a BYU choir concert." He looked at when their upcoming concerts were and found that there was a Men's Chorus concert at the Cathedral of the Madeleine here in Salt Lake. We couldn't believe our good luck. We took Aaron and Max and were a little crunched for time, so by the time we got there, the cathedral was already mostly full. We squeezed onto a bench, but Max felt a little too squished, so he opted to sit in one of the small side pews by himself. The concert was soul-stirring. I especially loved "Not Ashamed" and "Be Thou My Vision."

Nurturing . ..  a stray cat. One afternoon, Clark was playing in the circle by our house, and he saw a vehicle pull up to one of the houses, let out a cat, and then drive away. Everyone was very confused: was the cat literally abandoned on our street? Did the people somehow think the cat lived here? (It did not.) What were we all going to do with an abandoned cat? This was not a difficult question for all the neighborhood kids, who immediately adopted this cat, named her Raina, and took care of her every need. Clark and Ian were especially invested and spent every spare moment thinking about the cat and being with her. She was such a friendly, nice cat. It didn't seem like she had spent her life living on the streets. She hung around for a couple of weeks, even going into a couple of the neighbor's houses and bonding with their other pets. But then one day, she was gone, and we haven't seen her since. 

Finishing . . . a Christmas sweater. Yes, a Christmas sweater. In April. Last Christmas, I kept wishing I had a Christmas sweater to wear during December. After Christmas, I decided not to wait around until next November to make one but to do it now while my enthusiasm was high, and then it would just be ready and waiting. I chose a basic sweater with a very classic motif and knitted it in traditional Christmas colors. It turned out so lovely, and it will bring me so much joy when I can wear it in a few months. 

Reading . . . some really enjoyable books:

The Bodyguard by Katherine Center (Her books have become comfort reads to me this year--the perfect, light pick-me-up.)

Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt (Super close to a five-star book for me. Just really sweet and delightful.)

Wayside School is Falling Down by Louis Sachar (I had never read beyond the first book in this series, so it was really fun to read this one to my boys.)

Because of the Christ on Calvary by Brad Wilcox (A nice one to read during the Easter season.)

Persuasion by Jane Austen (So fun to reread this classic. I liked it even better this time.)

Starfish by Lisa Fipps (I've thought about this one more than probably any of the other books this month.)

The Maid by Nita Prose (Flew through this charming mystery.)

Cheering . . . on Ian in his school play. Ian has been attending rehearsals for Pure Imagination since January, and all the hard work finally paid off in a week of performances. It was more of a musical revue than a play with songs from many different plays. This was great because it meant that so many of the kids in the upper grades got to have leading parts because each song had a different set of leads. It was entertaining and cute and so well done. My parents were also able to come on one of the nights, and we loved finding our favorite little smiling face among all of the other cute kids.

Getting . . . .whacked in the face by a bat. Luckily, it was a plastic one. The boys were all playing whiffle ball, and Ian was standing too close to Max as he swung, and he got it right on the cheek. We anticipated a bruise there, but unexpectedly, one of Ian's teeth also started hurting. It caused him great pain (including at the first evening performance of his play when he could hardly concentrate because it was hurting him so much). We could see a little chip or crack in it and took him to the dentist, who advised waiting out the pain rather than pulling the tooth. Sure enough, the pain diminished after only a couple more days, even though Ian tried to milk it a little bit longer than that to get some more video game time. 

Listening . . . to Ian's end-of-the-year Let's Play Music recital. I've mentioned before how much I love this program. Ian just completed the second year, and he learned so much. The second year focuses a lot on the primary chords in both the right and left hands, and Ian learned how to accompany himself on dozens of songs. There was also a big emphasis on rhythm, ear training, musicality, expression, major/minor, and musical themes. For the recital, Ian played one his favorite songs, "I am Robin Hood," as a solo, and he knocked it out of the park. We love his teacher so much and are grateful for this program that is instilling such a love of music in him. 

Needing . . . to be in the middle of everything. Silas is not content to be left out of any fun. He observes whatever is going on and then jumps right in, copying to the best of his ability. It's adorable, and he has the most patient brothers.

And that's a wrap on April. Spring has finally arrived, and it feels so good.

A Little of This and That in September

Well, here we are at the end of another month. September had a stretch of 100-degree days that seemed cruel and unfair, but the temperature had mellowed somewhat by the end. We settled into a good school routine and enjoyed the days off here and there. Memorable activities included . . .  

Attending . . . the Johnson family reunion. We rented a large house with the most incredible view of Bear Lake and spent three days and nights playing, talking, eating, swimming, building sandcastles, playing games, watching the film festival, and taking family pictures. Mike's family continues to grow and expand, which makes it increasingly difficult to find a place that will fit everyone (we were unsuccessful this year and ended up needing another rental to make it possible). Sometimes my introverted self needs a little break here and there from all the socializing, but my kids did not feel that at all. They loved every single second of it, and I am so grateful they have these memories and friendships. (Also, the unlimited snacks provided by Uncle Josh was something they'll never forget.) (*group shot taken by Mike's brother, Jon)

Knitting . . . my all-time cutest project ever. I saw a knitted pair of baby overalls at Target, and I thought, "I could make those for Silas." I found a pattern I loved, purchased some lovely blue yarn, and modified the size to accommodate the chunkiest baby legs you've ever seen. In the end, I think they turned out even cuter than the Target ones (if I do say so myself), and I am obsessed with Silas in them. 

Teaching . . . piano lessons. Aaron had a new opportunity come up this month. A family in our neighborhood asked if he would be interested in giving piano lessons to two of their children, and he decided to give it a try. He has played the piano himself for many years, but this is his first time teaching those skills to someone else. I'm trying to let him be in charge of it and not micromanage. (Luckily, I have other responsibilities on the afternoon when he teaches, so it's easy for me to resist the temptation to step in since I'm not there.) He has been enjoying it so far.

Participating . . . in Scripture Day. When we moved into our neighborhood two years ago, it was the middle of Covid, so we weren't aware of all of the established traditions. Scripture Day is one of those, and it was reestablished this month. All of the youth in our church congregation spent the day immersed in the scriptures. It began with a big breakfast and keynote speaker. Then they all went to church but went back immediately after sacrament meeting for more studying, learning, listening, and eating. (Apparently, the food is a HUGE part of Scripture Day. There was a steady stream of calories to keep up their stamina, including soft serve ice cream at the end.) The whole thing wrapped up by 5:00, and when Max and Aaron walked through the door, they both stumbled up to their beds because they were so exhausted!

Applying . . . for a job. Aaron filled out a job application for a paid internship ("teen explainer") at the Natural History Museum. He asked Mike and me for suggestions of three words that best describe him (he went with "respectful," "unflappable," and "responsible"), but other than that, he did the entire application himself and submitted it without even giving me a chance to proofread it. In the end, he didn't get the internship, but it was still a good experience.

Running . . . a lot. Both Aaron and Maxwell are on the cross country teams at their schools. I was a little disenchanted when the season started because several of the meets cut into school days. As an example, Aaron ended up missing two "A" days" within a week's span, which felt like a lot. I feel resentful when sports come ahead of school, church, family, and other extracurricular activities. But those feelings aside, it has been good for them, and they've both grown a lot. Aaron even went on an overnight trip to Boise for a meet (more drama for me, but I won't get into that--having kids grow up is hard).

Auditioning . . . for jazz band. Max has been taking saxophone lessons from his older cousin for the last few months, mostly so he could be more prepared for jazz band auditions. It worked! He tried out and made it! Jazz band was definitely Aaron's favorite part of junior high, and it seems like it will be the same for Max. He loves everything about it, and I often find him listening to recordings of the songs they're working on just for the sheer love of the rhythms and the riffs.

Learning . . . all sorts of new skills. Silas is on a roll. As soon as he learns one skills, he moves onto the next. There is no shortage of praise or cheering around here. We are all in love with him and think he is the best baby in the whole world. New skills this month included pulling himself to standing, cruising around and between furniture, opening cupboard doors and pulling out all the contents, picking up the tiniest of objects to examine and put in his mouth, saying "hi," and climbing up the stairs. Skills not learned: sleeping through the night. 

Getting . . . braces. Now that we're on this road, it's going to be a long time before we're off of it. Aaron is the first one (we would have done Aaron, Max, and Bradley all at the same time, but we were told to hold off on the younger two). He is doing Invisalign, so there's not much to show. 

Saying . . . goodbye to my grandpa. My mom's dad passed away after being diagnosed with cancer a few months ago. He was 92 years old. He lived in California, so our visits were few and far between, but when I was growing up, he and my grandma drove out in their RV most summers and stayed with us for a few days. I treasure the memories I have of those sweet times. 

Joining . . . the safety patrol team. Being in fifth grade means being old enough for safety patrol. Bradley has been looking forward to this and eagerly filled out the application during the first week of school. He takes his responsibility very seriously (and also enjoys not having to ride the bus on Monday mornings and afternoons). 

Meeting . . . a knitter in the wild. Okay, this is a fun one. I was coming out of the grocery store one morning, and there was a van pulling into the parking lot. A woman rolled down her window and said, "I just have to ask: did you knit your sweater?" I answered that I had, and then she said, "Is it the Daybreak?"  Well, I knew right then that I had met a kindred spirit. Only a real knitter would be able to, not only spot a handknit sweater out and about, but also know which pattern it was! It made my whole day. (This is the sweater, for reference.)

Having . . . family pictures taken. Ah, family pictures. I don't think it matters what size family you have, it is always something of an ordeal to get a good one of everyone. My brother agreed to take our photos this year, and we came away with some keepers, which I'm super grateful for. (Also, Silas in his overalls! As I said before: obsessed.)

Spending . . . money at two school carnivals. Because our kids are once again at two different elementary schools, we are dealing with the familiar problem of conflicting school events. Both elementary schools happened to hold their fundraising carnivals on the same night. At first, I was just going to have us all go to Bradley and Clark's school, but Ian desperately wanted to go to the one at his school (can you blame him? It had been talked up all week). In the end, Mike and I just decided to divide and conquer, and it was totally fine and fun. 

Attending . . . a bunch of parent teacher conferences. We couldn't chat with all of Aaron's and Maxwell's teachers (that would have been fourteen!), but we did visit with the elementary school teachers. All of our kids are doing well in school, but Ian is the one who is really killing it. His kindergarten teacher was practically bursting to share all of his work. He is lucky to have a teacher who really celebrates his abilities and goes out of her way to challenge him. 

Listening . . . to my sister's violin recital. At the beginning of the year, Anna decided to learn how to play the violin. It has always been a dream of hers. She is an amazing musician and has a bachelor's and master's in piano performance, and a piano studio with over fifty students. She said it has been humbling to go back to being a complete beginner, but it has also been so rewarding to finally learn how to do something she has wanted to do for a long time. When she got to the end of the first Suzuki book, she had a recital. I was so impressed, and I just think she's so inspiring.

Starting . . . a knitting group. I've been talking about this for years, and I finally just decided to stop overthinking it and pick a couple of starting dates (one during the day and one at night). And guess what? A few people actually came, and it was exactly what I hoped for, which was that everyone worked on their projects and chatted with each other. Hopefully I can keep it going. 

Celebrating . . . a kid we all happen to really like. Bradley turned eleven years old, and it was a joy to spoil him. He lucked out as his birthday happened to fall on a Friday without school. Mike made him crepes for breakfast, and we took him out for lunch for a giant hamburger that he had no trouble finishing off. He had a swim meet in the evening, but when he got home, he blew out his candles on a chocolate strawberry pie. The next night, Mike took him to a BYU football game (they won!). A good birthday all around.

Playing . . . in the pep band. Aaron gets to play at the high school football games with the pep band. It's kind of a win-win for him (watching football and playing trombone), except that the student section is pretty rude and disrespectful, and the band's location doesn't always give him the best view of all the action. 

Finding . . . out where our nephew is going to serve on his mission. Our nephew got his mission call, and a bunch of family and friends gathered to watch him open it. He is going to the Cote d'Ivoire Yamoussoukro mission (Ivory Coast), French speaking. So excited for him. 

And that's a wrap on September. Someday I hope to do some other posts besides just these monthly recaps, but this is as much as I can get to right now.