Brothers in scouting

These two boys really are getting so tall. 

I was glad when the announcement came allowing boys/girls to join youth programs in the calendar year that they turn 12. Ben's December birthday has allowed him a full year of activities with his older brother before the scouting program goes away.

Max really looks out for Ben on the campouts and hikes. Ben bristles because he feels like he's getting bossed around or that Max does everything. Max gets upset because he feels like Ben runs off to play with friends and he's left putting up their tent alone.  We talk to them both a lot about how to help and support each other (I'm a second child, JB is a first child).

Their Young Men's president told me that he overheard them on a recent camping trip. Max told Ben, "I've put your pajamas in the bottom of your sleeping bag so they will be warm for you at bedtime."

Now if I were Ben, I'd welcome that kind of mother hen!

Dance and preschool and potty trained!

Millie has had a big month. In order to start preschool and dance class, she needed to be potty-trained.

On the day school started for her brothers, we started potty-training boot camp for our 3 year old. She watched "Princess Sofia" on the iphone while pounding the juice boxes.

Now she thinks she needs to watch her favorite show in order to go to the bathroom. We've created a monster. "I need to go potty. I need so-FEE-ah!"

But she has been dry for many days and we are grateful.

So she started pre-ballet at the community center last Wednesday and the girls are so cute and I can't believe how much money it is for little toddlers to run around but she loves it and TAKE MY MONEY.

I have a few leotards from a neighbor's girl, and she insisted on the pinkest option. (Does she need a bun? Other dance moms, advise!)

And then she started her preschool last Friday.

Her preschool is Mondays and Fridays for 2 1/2 hours at the high school where Max is, and Monday is Max's late start.

She let daddy do her hair. I'm not there in the morning to get it all fancy, so they are learning together this new skill.

She is only 3, but I think these new things are great for her development. And JB gets some time to get some work done at home. She'll have another year of preschool next year (hopefully at the same place -- all our kids have gone there), and then kindergarten and then high school graduation and college and mission and marriage ....

Es-ca-lant

While I was in Haiti, JB took our five children to his parents' new vacation home in Southeastern Utah. I am very glad the Labor Day weekend was available for them to do this; it made the kids not miss me so much, because they were having an adventure of their own.

He sent me pictures often and we Facetimed a lot when I was at the hotel. I haven't been there yet, and the kids loved it.  Millie kept calling it her "castle."

They went on several hikes, they played in water, they slept in the bunkroom and kept each other awake, and they went to Church there on Sunday and learned it's not pronounced "Es-ca-LAWN-tay," it's "Es-ca-LANT" or "Es-ca-lanny"

 

JB's brother Jeff was there, because he has been doing a lot of work on the property.

Jeff's sweet puppy is a favorite

My outdoors crew!

Where they ate most their meals.

Now it's my turn to go sometime. Despite Millie elbowing and kicking JB all night, he says it's his happy place.

Haiti

Almost ten years ago, I went to Haiti on a whirlwind trip for KSL to cover the Utah National Guard's efforts to help after the earthquake (see this post and this post)

This past weekend, KSL sent me back to Haiti to cover the dedication of the new temple in Port-au-Prince.

I was scared to go. Hesitant and even resisted at times. But it was one of the most rewarding professional and spiritual experiences of my life.

I had to get all sorts of immunizations, and go on anti-malaria medication, and get my passport expedited, and oh yeah, GO TO HAITI, a country I was warned was full of crime and kidnappings and poverty and disease.

But it is also a country with some of the friendliest people I have ever met.

I glummed on next to the Church News reporter/photographer the whole time (GO READ HIS COVERAGE, IT IS GREAT WRITING - here and here. I am just out of frame in those pictures with my recorder going).

We flew out Thursday night on the red-eye, and on Friday went around the whole city meeting with Church members in their homes. Traffic is crazy. Pedestrians, motorcycles, cars, pickup trucks with benches in the back (their public transportation!), all in the same space at the same time. I saw no lane markings and ZERO traffic lights, in a city of millions. Honking is a must, it's how you communicate.

People carry anything and everything on their heads - laundry bags, baskets of food, construction materials... and anything and everything is for sale up and down the sidewalks. Car parts, beds, curtains, medicine...

We had a driver/translator named Daniel who came recommended to us. There was one place where I prayed a lot that we would not get stuck, because it was a very bumpy gravelly hilly road full of trash, crowds, chickens, and cows, and I could feel every eyeball on me as a white American woman. (The Marriott hotel guards had huge guns).

These people have such faith. I am in tears thinking about their humble homes, one or two room places stacked on top of each other on the hillsides, behind gates and around piles, down uneven makeshift tire steps, or up steep concrete chunks. There's little privacy, lots of heat and bugs, sometimes no electricity, but so much smiling. The members often catch a ride to a Latter-day Saint chapel to study or meet for safety (they are all gated. Everything is gated).

Saturday was the youth devotional at one of the chapels. Youth ages 12 and up were waiting there reverently for hours, to hear from Elder David A. Bednar. Susan Bednar bore her testimony in French and I nearly cried (I blame the anti-malaria medication for making me weepy, but I also know it was the experience itself).  The key takeaway for my own life was when he told the youth, "Nothing that could keep you from being inside the temple will bring you lasting joy."

Sunday was the dedication. This was a long day. We had to leave the hotel at 6:15 AM, but there had been demonstrations in the streets (tire burning/rioting) and our driver was late. But the Bednars were staying at the Marriott as well, so Church security gave us a ride to the Temple in one of their vehicles. I will NEVER forget that ride speeding through the streets. 

And can I say that Elder Bednar is so nice? Local Church Public Relations said to be in his office in the Temple at 7:30 AM for an interview, where I could ask one question only. But then they didn't come get us. But Elder Bednar came out and saw me, and stopped and figured out what was going on. They were trying to keep him on schedule, but instead he went back in and let me and Jason Swensen (Church News) have all the time and questions we needed for our stories. He looked right into my eyes and I just had a strong impression about how he works so hard all over the world, yet ministers individually.

Then I ran around getting interviews and taking pictures and videos to share with KSL TV and to post on social media and to put with my web write-ups. I soon got elbowed a lot by local press (they were very interested - Jason said he has never seen that many local media at a dedication, and he's been to 49!). But I was right up front to catch the cornerstone ceremony and the choir.

There was a lot of filing by deadline that day. I think I worked 12 hours. Maybe more, because I was still texting my boss that evening. 

Monday was the long way home. Dorian was nearing Florida, so the flights there were canceled. Trying to leave the Haiti airport was intense. You could pay a bribe and go to the front of the line, we figured out later. I spent hours on the flight to JFK and then at JFK logging tape and writing a longer radio story to play Tuesday morning.  And blocking out what will become an hour long radio special to air Sunday, October 6th in between General Conference sessions.

I filed 13 separate radio scripts over the four days, and combined them into online stories (this will all be lengthened into that documentary with so much more detail). You can read them below.

Utahns helped with the temple
The Youth Devotional
The Dedication
Haitians look to the future

School starts

This year, our first baby is in high school and our last baby is in preschool!

The first day of school was Monday for our 9th, 6th, 3rd and 1st graders.

Millie starts preschool after Labor Day

Don't ask me how Ben got his hair to be that awesome.

Max leaves pretty early for high school - it starts at 7:45 AM. The elementary school starts at 8:25 AM. 

I was doing back-to-school stories on Monday morning and slipped over to our house in-between live hits to see the kids down the sidewalk.

It has been a week of adjustments.  Max is learning how to juggle all his new high school classes and A and B day schedules and the homework that has already begun.  James is learning that sitting in a class at your best behavior and wearing shoes all day can be hard. He has come home quite grumpy and weepy every afternoon.  But I believe it will get better.

JB's birthday

Our grill went on the fritz the first week of August. I think we'd had it for almost 17 years. I told JB, "I haven't been able to think of a good birthday present for you, how about you pick out a new grill?"

I've never seen him log onto the computer that fast: "I'm on it."

And he got a good one! He's a good cooker.


That Saturday morning on his birthday I got him a treat and his own roll of tape to hide from the kids. And he got group-kissed.

He says I'm a good baker of carrot cake, so that's what I made him again for a Sunday dinner with everyone. I asked James what I should put on top, and he said to write "We love you" in green.

And that's the last of our summer birthdays!

Max's birthday

Maxwell is now 14, and will be starting high school in a matter of days.

The traditional birthday kiss. (My parents used to do the spanking machine, and I never liked it.) 

Max's friend Andy was over and took a picture of all of us with his cake. It looks like a basketball court. Kind of.

Not long after his birthday, his grandparents needed his help at their new property in Escalante. He says he helped Nona with all sorts of chores and projects. He also watched his nephew Carver so Uncle Jeff could do work around the cabin. But he also had time to play.

Last Sunday he got his patriarchal blessing, and it was a joy to be there with him for that spiritual experience. I hope it is a guide and comfort to him not just now has he starts high school and prepares for a mission, but for his whole life.

Max is a good oldest son and oldest cousin. He sometimes becomes another parent, with discipline and yelling voice awfully like mine. We are excited for this year and the memories he will make.