After the longest summer ever (snow finally flew today, and I'm in my lumberjack flannel) it was fun to take a look at some of the blessings of 2020, rather than focusing on the doom and gloom. These cuties are at the top of the list.
I wanted to document the difference in the pre-freckle, post-freckle skin. Love freckles. Also baby skin.
Leslie is enjoying her mission and was recently transferred to Martin, Kentucky. This was a surprise because that area in her mission has only had elders for the last 13 years. It was deemed safe enough for sisters just a couple months ago, since they aren't out tracting in the hollers where they shoot first and ask questions later.
Leslie with current comp, Sister Tennant.
Leslie with previous comp, Sis. Hovely in Radford, VA, where she served longer than the span of time she was a college student at USU.
Mark transferred himself to a nice new office in our hometown. So fun to have him three minutes away. Boston occasionally helps with and setting up computers, furniture, etc., so we tell him that he has the title "Junior Technologist". Co-worker and friend Dustin got him a fancy sign.
Mark had a lot of fun figuring out the conference room, aka, the world domination room. With quarantine conditions, we've had several date night takeout meals here.
And of course, everything is bright blue.
They don't take themselves too seriously at Remarkable. And we like it that way.
The new office. Remarkable is on the top floor. While it was being built, Mark had a billboard on the freeway that said "Remarkable Home Loans: World Headquarters moving to Spanish Fork in July!"
I went on lots of walks with my friend Tiersa (now teaching school, boo) during summer break while our kiddos played.
I swapped out a raggedy shower curtain. I have boys. The curtain didn't make it to the trash.
I guess Luke was into digging pools. This is probably the same week, at the Reservoir.
We've been trying to get out more on Family Night. Boston has been golfing some with friends, so this was a good option.
We had lots of fun at the company party. And ate WAY too much. This is Rosie and her friend Corbin. Love the orange soda with the orange shirt and carrot top. They were holding hands, teehee. We could use some more redheads in the family.
We have been enjoying sacrament meeting at home but were excited to finally start meeting with our congregation again, split in half and taking turns attending in person or watching the broadcast for the pre-sacrament portion of the meeting. I was a little sad to relinquish my middles back to their Sunday school classes. I liked having that extra hour of home Sunday school to cram things we might have missed during the week into their brains without the interruption of the littles. (The non-teaching parent would do singing time in the basement with Luke and Rosie.)
Then came the best day of the year. It was a little touch and go, but happy day, our schools opened on time and are still open. Changes are that they get out an hour earlier every day to let the teachers have more time to help with online stuff, they have to wear masks, and the locker rooms are closed (which led to Boston dropping his "weight lifting" class that wasn't actually allowed to use a weight room. Or change clothes. Lame-O.)
Rosie having some table time coloring while the big kids are at school.
Next fall the school year will be super wild (provided we get to attend). Because our district is switching to a middle school/jr high model, I will have kiddos at not two, not three, not even four different schools. FIVE DIFFERENT SCHOOLS plus Rosie at home. Elem, Middle, Jr, High, and College. Wowsers.
Canning the salsa and peaches always seems to land around the first week of school. Macy was my assistant this year.
Another family night we went on our favorite family hike to the Grotto. Rosie walked alot of it herself, and Boston is a pretty willing pack mule.
Mark and I went on a superdate with our friends the Sundquists. First we kayaked the Provo.
You may notice Mark's sitting in his kayak kind of wonky. Well, at the treacherous bridge, I suggested we portage around since we've had problems there before. (Luckily, it's not deep, just easy to get swept sideways and capsized). Mark, rolling his eyes, insisted we just toughen up and aim better. He was the last one through and received a heavy dose of karma for his braggadocio. He capsized and then struggled mightily to get back into his kayak until his wiffy pointed out that he was only knee deep. He already felt sheepish enough so he didn't take the time to check his boat. Turns out his seat had unvelcroed and uninflated--no more backrest. So he did the rest of the ride sideways. Anything to make me laugh.
Then was dinner and an impromptu trip to Moon's Rare Books, where Mr. Moon was showing off his vault treasures in the back room. Super cool. This one is a massive bible from the 1500s I think. (We only took our masks off for the picture.)
We also took a family trip to the zoo before our pass expired. Afterward Mark took us on a driving tour of his old neighborhood in SLC (the kids kept asking if this or that house was a drug house, hahahaha) and then a picnic on Grandpa Day and Grandma Frances' back patio. They have been in strict quarantine for a REALLY long time.
Everyone else was behind the glass, too.
September was full of projects. First inventorying the food storage, then canning, then some remodeling. We have now been in this house longer than any of our other homes during our marriage. The carpet was tired of living in an eight person family. Also had the master painted and the living room accent wall. When Mom came for Luke's baptism, since we didn't want to be out and about, she helped me caulk and paint the replaced baseboards plus touchups (no easy task--the stairwell looked like it had been machine-gunned after we were through spackling) plus Luke's bedroom accent wall. Phew! She wore me out but it's so nice to be done. I love a fresh lick of paint.
We had a lovely date night with our dear friends the Denisons. Elsje and I are less than a month apart in age, but we never predicted that we'd be in the same club. She's cancer free, done with chemo, and will be done with radiation soon. Rock that bald head, baby.
Mark hasn't done chemo, but the guys also wanted a bald friend picture, I guess. Jay later shaved his.
Birthday month came and went with lots of candles and cake. Boston started us off by turning 15.
Boston has been studying hard for his driver's permit. (FYI. Because I grew up in Montana, I got my license when I turned 15. I'm glad he has to wait a year longer.)
Boston passed me up a while ago, but when we measured him on his birthday, we were surprised to see that he had also passed up Leslie. I'm going to have to put in a growth chart extension! Boston has always been our shortest kid by age, so this was a big deal.
I think this was Sept. 8. There was suddenly this fire in Springville, and all my siblings, living in MT, WY, and OR were sending other crazy weather/disaster pictures and headlines all happening where we live about the same time.
Here was Darcy's, in Oregon. She lives on the coast and works at the Newport hospital as a charge nurse. Some of her coworkers lost their homes. This is the second time (that I know of) in her career where she has been at a hospital receiving disaster refugees. In Sep 2005 she was a delivery nurse in Dallas TX taking care of laboring mamas evacuated from Hurricane Katrina. (One baby got named Dallas Katrina). She is also in the middle of a move. I wanted to go help her and Mark said I'm not even allowed to travel to Oregon right now--too much anarchy. Sorry Darc!
That's right Rosie, put your helmet on! Bring it on, 2020!
Rosie likes to paint our warm, comfy porch with water while I rock in my chair and read. This day Macy decided to get in on the action and paint Rosie.
The boys were luckily able to have flag football season. They wanted to play on the same team one more year. Mark was super busy when the season started and opted not to coach. It was funny to hear him grumble under his breath the whole time. He decided that he doesn't sit on the sidelines very well and volunteered to coach Cooper's bantam basketball team this winter. Highlight videos below.
Luke got a Guesstures game for his birthday. We've gotten a lot of mileage out of it already.
Boston is number 10, Cooper was QB and number 4.
For my birthday we went to Heber. The fall colors were gorgeous.
The kids were laughing at me because I told Rosie at one point, "Eat your ice cream so you can have your fries!" Dessert first on birthdays I guess. New favorite milkshake flavor: Strawberry Nutella.
This was a sad mess. I flipped the whole pan of biscuits while taking them out of the oven.
New bedroom paint color. It makes everything significant. Just like Jesus does.
Luke wanted to go swimming for his birthday with a couple friends.
I wasn't about to complain that he wanted chocolate cheesecake with chocolate ganache topping.
Can you see us smiling through our masks? We got to attend our nephew Greg's temple sealing to his bride Courtney. We haven't been to the temple since it closed for quarantine. It made me emotional just feeling the peace and power inside. Our nephew Rhett was also sealed to his bride Jessie the same day, up in the Draper temple. Holiness to the Lord!
Rosie has definitely entered the terrible threes. Not to say she is disagreeable...she just disagrees with everything and everyone. It's part of the territory with being the youngest and having everyone in your face all the time. This particular freakout was because she was mad that Baby Crew was her cousin and not her little brother. Today it was that we were out of yogurt and that I wouldn't let her put on her mermaid tail and go swimming outside. (I know. I'm so unimaginitive when there is snow on the ground. She insisted it wasn't cold.)
She does like birthdays, though. It was a good thing hers was the last of the month, because she kept wanting it to be her birthday afterwards.
Luckily she was on her best behavior for Luke's baptism. (I was honestly concerned she would throw a screaming fit because she kept insisting the day before that it was HER baptism day, NOT LUKE's!!!)
It's great to be eight! In the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints people can make the choice to get baptized as their first promise or covenant with Jesus, and to become an official member of the church, when they are old enough to understand--eight is the soonest they are allowed. We are so proud of Luke's decision. He is such a good boy and likes spiritual things. (It bothers him when we drive to church past the WalMart and he sees all the cars in the parking lot--he asks about it almost every week, haha). He tries hard to make good choices and to be a good friend.
Rosie was insisting a little bit that she be in on the action.
If he had waited just a few more months Boston would have been old enough to do the baptizing. Oh well, there's Rosie. Actually, she might turn eight while potentially both big boys are on their missions.
We were so happy that Grandma could come and spend the week with us. The night before she left Luke cried and cried and wouldn't even say goodbye.
For fall break we took the kids to Yellowstone Park for the first time. Most of the amenities were closed, but there was no traffic and not many crowded situations. Unfortunately it was SUPER cold, but that made it memorable. Also made for lots of hot steam from the geysers.
The kids really liked this waterfall--Gibbon Falls.
One of the highlights was staying at the only place open in the park--the Mammoth Hot Springs hotel. It was super swanky with the old staircase and woodwork and even radiators. I loved it. Also, no TVs.
After the park, we had fun checking out this Bear and Wolf zoo in West Yellowstone.
Cooper and the Bear Trap.
We were happy to come home to Utah for a few more pleasant fall days. Here is Luke with some buddies back at the grotto trail.
My mom found this picture of me and Jake at Uncle Ray & Aunt Audry's with their tame deer. I don't remember it. Well, I remember the coat. Jake remembers the deer. Typical.
The boys finished up their flag season with a tough tourney loss. I thought it was super cute how they liked wearing their matching hats, though. And it made it easy to pick them out.
Mark stepping in with a little guidance at half time.
Along with the touchup paint, we hung a new portrait wall.
Last BBQ of the season. We have missed entertaining.
It's been a pretty fun fall, actually, and things are looking up all the time. Let's face the future with faith.
Mark and I went on a superdate with our friends the Sundquists. First we kayaked the Provo.
You may notice Mark's sitting in his kayak kind of wonky. Well, at the treacherous bridge, I suggested we portage around since we've had problems there before. (Luckily, it's not deep, just easy to get swept sideways and capsized). Mark, rolling his eyes, insisted we just toughen up and aim better. He was the last one through and received a heavy dose of karma for his braggadocio. He capsized and then struggled mightily to get back into his kayak until his wiffy pointed out that he was only knee deep. He already felt sheepish enough so he didn't take the time to check his boat. Turns out his seat had unvelcroed and uninflated--no more backrest. So he did the rest of the ride sideways. Anything to make me laugh.
Then was dinner and an impromptu trip to Moon's Rare Books, where Mr. Moon was showing off his vault treasures in the back room. Super cool. This one is a massive bible from the 1500s I think. (We only took our masks off for the picture.)
We also took a family trip to the zoo before our pass expired. Afterward Mark took us on a driving tour of his old neighborhood in SLC (the kids kept asking if this or that house was a drug house, hahahaha) and then a picnic on Grandpa Day and Grandma Frances' back patio. They have been in strict quarantine for a REALLY long time.
September was full of projects. First inventorying the food storage, then canning, then some remodeling. We have now been in this house longer than any of our other homes during our marriage. The carpet was tired of living in an eight person family. Also had the master painted and the living room accent wall. When Mom came for Luke's baptism, since we didn't want to be out and about, she helped me caulk and paint the replaced baseboards plus touchups (no easy task--the stairwell looked like it had been machine-gunned after we were through spackling) plus Luke's bedroom accent wall. Phew! She wore me out but it's so nice to be done. I love a fresh lick of paint. 
We had a lovely date night with our dear friends the Denisons. Elsje and I are less than a month apart in age, but we never predicted that we'd be in the same club. She's cancer free, done with chemo, and will be done with radiation soon. Rock that bald head, baby.
Mark hasn't done chemo, but the guys also wanted a bald friend picture, I guess. Jay later shaved his.
Birthday month came and went with lots of candles and cake. Boston started us off by turning 15. 
Boston has been studying hard for his driver's permit. (FYI. Because I grew up in Montana, I got my license when I turned 15. I'm glad he has to wait a year longer.)
Boston passed me up a while ago, but when we measured him on his birthday, we were surprised to see that he had also passed up Leslie. I'm going to have to put in a growth chart extension! Boston has always been our shortest kid by age, so this was a big deal.
I think this was Sept. 8. There was suddenly this fire in Springville, and all my siblings, living in MT, WY, and OR were sending other crazy weather/disaster pictures and headlines all happening where we live about the same time. 
Here was Darcy's, in Oregon. She lives on the coast and works at the Newport hospital as a charge nurse. Some of her coworkers lost their homes. This is the second time (that I know of) in her career where she has been at a hospital receiving disaster refugees. In Sep 2005 she was a delivery nurse in Dallas TX taking care of laboring mamas evacuated from Hurricane Katrina. (One baby got named Dallas Katrina). She is also in the middle of a move. I wanted to go help her and Mark said I'm not even allowed to travel to Oregon right now--too much anarchy. Sorry Darc!
Rosie likes to paint our warm, comfy porch with water while I rock in my chair and read. This day Macy decided to get in on the action and paint Rosie.
The boys were luckily able to have flag football season. They wanted to play on the same team one more year. Mark was super busy when the season started and opted not to coach. It was funny to hear him grumble under his breath the whole time. He decided that he doesn't sit on the sidelines very well and volunteered to coach Cooper's bantam basketball team this winter. Highlight videos below.
