Springtime/June fun

The saying is really true: "The days are long, but the years are short." The entries on this blog show it. Not sure if it's even worth it to keep doing this anymore--kids today much prefer video, which is fun, but I can't make comments on videos. I still want to keep videos, though--but I'm not sure if I can find the time to make a video for each child (which is what I wanted to do) in addition to this family blog as well as their individual ones. Keeping up (or trying to) with six blogs is no joke.

Benjy participated in a very special field trip to Spotswood High School with his preschool class to have some fun Easter activities with the multiple disabilities class. It was really great.

The Richmond temple is now dedicated! We went more than once to take friends to go through (I think Michael drove the nearly 2 hours on four separate weekends, taking dentist friends, a friend from high school, etc. It is lovely.

Celebrating Easter with Bethany's family was super fun.

Robbie participated in his first piano festival and got double superiors! Michael took him out to Benny's pizza to celebrate.

We (especially Benjy) have been listening to Henry Huggins and Ramona Quimby nearly every day for the past, I don't know, six months?! Had to take a screen shot to record this current favorite.

Daddy and his boys. They adore him so much.

Clara loves to take my phone and take pictures of the sunset. This was an especially pretty one overlooking our neighbor's yard. I love where we live.

Krispy Kreme doughnuts with Robbie for our mini-golf date in May!

Benjy "graduated" from his preschool class. They held a very sweet program and incredibly thoughtful dinner afterwards.

Mini-golf with Henry!

We enjoyed a semi-rainy hike up to Seneca Rocks in WV over Memorial Day weekend. I was impressed with Robbie and Henry's abilities and determination to carry Clayton on their backs the entire way, giving each other massages after they switched carrying him. The reward from Michael was being able to pick two souvenirs from the gift shop. They did it!

I really enjoy hiking with this crew. 

A lovely visit from Nana and Bapa was enjoyed by all. Benjy especially loved having playmates in his grandparents to give him the time and attention he craves.

My mom was a big help getting things ready for Henry's Minecraft birthday party. 

And Henry was baptized! It was a sweet program and I am happy that he chose to be baptized. Bapa was sick unfortunately but we were glad that Nana could be there.

We sure love this boy.

That same weekend was also busy for Clara. She participated in three different dances for her dance studio, so she was involved in four total performances. Phew! She was beautiful and did a great job.

Seth and Marissa's family as well as Erik and L'Anita's families were driving through the following week and we were so happy to host them for a little graduation party for Clara. Cousin time is the best.

Never enough time to talk, but it was still lovely. We watched a slideshow that me and Michael put together for Clara and enjoyed ice cream cake for dessert.

Can't believe she is done with high school!

Clara did great during her graduation ceremony and participated in the choir as well. 

So proud of her!

Then the following week, I participated in a fiddle camp led by an amazing instructor, Anthony VanPelt. My teacher, Megan Young, and I worked on the songs beforehand and then we had two days to practice before our "jam session" with a live bluegrass band.

It was super fun and I was so grateful for Michael's support.

The following day, we hosted some friends to celebrate the birthday of Sana Rahimi, an Afghan refugee whom we have all befriended. She is a special person.

Our neighbors, the Wenigers, invited us to go blueberry picking along with our other neighbors, the Zopps. 

The weather was perfect and Clayton was very proud to have his own bucket. About half he picked were green, but hey, it's all part of the experience :-). 

And Hyrum came to visit! He was so patient with our kids and we loved hanging out with him.

Of late

 This season of motherhood and life is very full. I remember the days when Clara and I were home, and I was bored out of my mind, desperate to have a playdate with another mom and feeling so isolated staying at home (which I wanted to do, but still, there were downsides). Now, I am grateful to have an evening to stay at home without running kids places or having responsibilities outside the home. Still, it is a blessing to be needed and to be able to help others.

Our family has had the privilege of getting to know Sana Rahimi, an Afghan refugee around the age of 21 who had to flee during the Taliban takeover two years ago, leaving her family behind (she had been working as a news reporter and the Taliban wouldn't let her family come with her on the plane). She is so inspiring and has seen so many hard things. Here we're at the library--I was glad I could show her how to get a card, help her find the right bus to get onto to get to work, etc. Not nearly as much as many others are doing to help her from the ward, but still, it felt so good and rewarding to help someone who truly needed help and was so appreciative. After a quick trip to Costco one evening, she asked if I could take her to the mosque during prayer time, and it was interesting to go inside while she performed her evening prayers. So grateful we live in a free country--despite its issues--where she is safe.

Our monthly dates with the kids have been going well, overall. Benjy and I had our date in March going to the children's museum and to Shirley's popcorn. Yes, that flavored "water" was disgusting and full of sugar and artificial coloring. 

Robbie and I played video games at the mall arcade for our date. He liked playing Halo the best. I wasn't a great shot but had fun.

Henry and I played video games as well and then got a pretzel from Auntie Anne's (Robbie did, too). Fun fun!

For spring break we drove down to the Great Wolf Lodge in Williamsburg. The kids loved the rides, and I was really proud of Clara for swimming with us so much. 

Clayton had been pretty reluctant in the bathtub up until this point to sit down in the water for some reason. Ever since our trip, he is much more comfortable, which I count as a big win. Benjy loved going on as many rides as he could with me or Michael.

We met up with the Wright cousins at an amazing library near Williamsburg and then headed to a Japanese hibachi restaurant and ice cream. It's been so fun having cousins in the same state!

We finished off our spring break with a half day at Busch Gardens, leaving Clara at the Great Wolf Lodge since she doesn't enjoy that kind of thing. The boys loved the roller coasters, and it was super fun hearing the Celtic music pumping through speakers throughout the park since it was St. Patrick's day weekend. I didn't think the kids would care that much that the leprechaun wasn't going to be visiting them on St. Patrick's day since we were away from home to deliver chocolate coins, but they were quite disappointed. 

The following week, Clara and I flew down to Atlanta for her senior trip, watching the K-pop group Stray Kids. It was such a tender mercy for me that Matt and Rowan and her friend had already gotten tickets for the same concert, so we were able to connect with them and stay with them the night afterwards.

The sound in the concert was so loud and overwhelming, with the thousands of screaming fans, etc. During the second song, Clara wanted to leave (which we'd anticipated and planned for), so we got out of our seats and walked to a more open area. A kind employee shared that they had a sensory room downstairs for those with sensory needs, and we hung out among bean bags and rocking chairs in that room for about 10 or 15 minutes before she felt ready to come back up. We enjoyed the rest of the concert and Clara got to dance to her heart's content without ever returning to our seats, which was just fine. It was super nice to have Matt's company and support. After the concert, we were hosted by Matt and Tana and enjoyed relaxing at their home. before Matt drove us back to the airport. It was a whirlwind but I'm glad we did it.

Clara loved it so much and has been trying to figure out how to go to more concerts as much as possible. 

We took the kids to the Richmond temple open house (so beautiful) about two hours away, and it was special being able to point out to Robbie that he would be able to do baptisms there next year (!). Michael has been an amazing missionary and drove three separate times to take different friends through the temple. I was able to go last week as well with some friends from here as well, Anne and Ashley Landes. Not sure if it will lead anywhere, but I think they enjoyed it.  

And then Easter with the Wrights again! It was good to be together and the kids were very happy that they got more than the two (?) eggs they had gotten the previous year at the ward Easter activity.

I have been pondering a lot about faith and prayer and choices and agency. I am grateful for the Holy Ghost that can testify to me that something is true even when I don't see the whole picture, which is hard for me. 

February fun

February was very mild in terms of weather, but we did get a little snow dusting one weekend.

I bundled Clayton up to go out--he sort of enjoyed sliding down the hill on the sled. That same weekend, Michael had taken Robbie, Henry, and Benjy to Snowshoe, WV for their annual ski trip (Benjy's first time), so Clara and Clayton and I hung out. It was wonderful to be able to get some extra things done, like taking a ministering sister out to ice cream, taking Sana (a refugee friend from Afghanistan) to the library, and having less mess to clean up. Of course, we missed the boys, though! 

Our Valentine's Day was still our traditional heart-shaped pizza, chocolate milk, etc, but it was a busy evening so I didn't grab any pics. The kids enjoyed handing out cards at school and bringing home loads of goodies.

Robbie is still sticking with piano (I'm at his lesson right now as I type, hearing him play with his teacher, Ms. Kama Miller), and I admired one Sunday evening both Robbie's patience in teaching Henry to play the left hand of "Heart and Soul" and Henry's persistence in working at it. Plus I thought this image of Benjy sliding under the bench and Clayton wandering around was a fitting glimpse of our life these days. 

As the RS activity committee chair, for the February activity I was prepping various kinds of chocolates for a chocolate testing that we were doing that evening. I looked over to see that Clayton had somehow gotten his hands on some while I wasn't looking. 

There was a fun "mom and son" activity at the elementary school (to complement the daddy-daughter February dance they always have), and we enjoyed some minute to win it games (I won the Oreo on the forehead contest, haha) and some pretty intense dodgeball games.

Robbie and Henry participated in an intense three-night a week swim clinic for the month of February, so some of our traditions like our Plan of Salvation celebration were a little more low-key this year. Michael dug out his old mission bag and found the teaching tools he had used as a missionary to talk to the kids about the plan of salvation.

Of course we managed to still enjoy our traditional Klondike bars for our celestial dessert.

Another packed Thursday evening between dropping Clara off at dance (also while Michael was out of town at a conference in Las Vegas), we zoomed over to Cub Run to participate in a first grade STEM night where the first graders got to sample liquid nitrogen ice cream and make things at various stations. Then we hurried to swimming, then took kids back home, then picked up from swimming, then picked Clara up from dance. (I had to hire a babysitter that evening to stay with the younger kiddos). Phew! 

I wanted to take some photos of older posters I made as part of my record of my parenting efforts ;-).

Having a growth mindset is still hard for me sometimes--I feel like I'm learning along with the kids much of the time.

Somehow even this list was insufficient at times.

We're trying!

Had to keep this shot of Clayton's crazy staticky hair. Haha!

Other January Highlights

January really did start our year off well.

Clara turned 18. 18! Wow.

Clara isn't a fan of balloons (too much potential for loud sounds), but I think she enjoyed being remembered in that way, and the boys loved the balloons so much I had to take them away because they were causing problems. Boys.

We enjoyed sushi and homemade egg rolls (my first attempt) for Clara's birthday. Benjy was so proud of his chopstick success!

I peeked in one night and loved seeing Henry reading on his bed with the fun astronaut light projector from Nana and Bapa projecting on the ceiling. Having Henry and Benjy share the playroom is frustrating in terms of cleanliness, but they've gotten used to it and it's nice that their beds aren't super close to each other.

We've had unseasonably warm weather this Jan/Feb, so one Saturday we played a game of baseball with the boys outside. One of my favorite things--being outside as a family.

Look at these two handsome devils.

Clayton learned to push stools around to reach high objects. Waaahh! I mean, he's so dang cute, but wow, he's so so busy.