Long February update on all of us

February's weather has been gorgeous the majority of the time. We have been able to play outside more.  Here's an update on everyone in the family for the past month.

 JB and I went on a date to Red Iguana. Enchiladas Suizas might be my new favorite at Mexican restaurants. I used to always get quesadillas with chicken. We saw cars there with license plates from several states (it was featured on The Food Network but we like to say we knew it first). 

JB is very busy with his calling as Stake Executive Secretary. Lots of long meetings. Things may pick up even more for refinances and new home loans in the spring with his work. I try to keep up with our amazing ward primary president as her secretary. We are thrilled to see more signs of normalcy at Church for our children, and more people coming lately.  I've written articles lately I'm really proud of for The Church News, and I feel so much happier with my job, because I am writing stories about people doing good things. And I go to Apostle devotionals, pinch me!

Max had an eye exam — he needs glasses, and they are arriving this week.  He was squinting at the board a lot, and another kid had him try out his glasses, and Max said everything suddenly looked clearer. So the genes struck one of our kids!  He started high school tennis practice again. But he has to be on tarp duty, to help cover the courts when it rains or snows, because a new roof on the drivers ed cars casts shade on the courts. Max is also working Friday or Saturday nights at Coldstone.

Ben is playing on the 8th grade team, and on a team JB coaches. Nona and Papa came to watch him play. Ben is working hard in his honors classes, and he still walks our neighbor's dog, Bella, every day. He is busy a lot, but also has time to watch The Book of Boba Fett and any Avengers or Marvel movie he can. Also Dude Perfect and Mark Rober. It is fun to watch something with him and bond with him over shows and movies.

Andrew switched 5th grade teachers on Valentine's Day. It was a day full of prayer for us for our boy. But he came home happy, and with two bags of candy from his old class and his new class. He is adjusting really well. His new teacher has an open, inviting classroom without plastic barriers around each desk, and he made a Princess Bride reference the first day. We appreciate all his former teacher taught him.

Here is the Valentine's Day box he made (but the Friday before, his teacher said they would just use bags). It's a Sarlaac Pit from Star Wars. Andrew LOVES all things Star Wars, still. He and Ben woke up early each Wednesday to see the latest Book of Bobba Fett episode for several weeks.

Here is James's Valentine's Day box, a green dinosaur. He drew up a plan and did almost all of the gluing and measuring. We often still call James, "J-Dino."  He wore a dino shirt to school that day, too. James still has plastic barriers around his desk, but more parents spoke up, and at least some of the kids can put their barriers down now. He would love a play date every day, as long as he can still watch a show after school for his quiet time.

Andrew leaves early Monday mornings for safety patrol. Most days, he and James are ready before Millie and have to wait for her to get her hair done.

And here she is. I've included lots of pictures because she's had a fun and silly month. She lost her first tooth!

She wore her swimsuit several days in a row under a dress and jacket when was home or playing after school.

Earlier in the month, she wore this Batman cape.

Even wore it while picking dead skin of Andrew's feet. She loves to peel dead skin, it's really weird and I had to document it, haha. She'll hang out under the table while we read scriptures and listen to us and pick at anyone's feet who lets her.

On the 100th day of school, the kindergarteners dress up as a 100-year-old. Her hair is in a bun, but she did not like the wrinkles I drew on her face and rubbed them off.

We've had these marble tracks for a long time. I set them up on Sunday afternoon and soon more of the boys were over, trying them out, too. Oh, and Millie and I have matching sweaters.

Max had a mission from JB and picked out these Valentine's Day roses for me at Costco the day he and I went to his eye doctor's exam. Then he brought home a Coldstone ice cream cake that night with his work discount. It was a really nice Valentine's Day!

Three young men

In January, Andrew joined the Church's young men organization and became a deacon!  He gets almost a full year more of these experiences because of his December birthday.

Here is the day when he was ordained.

Then on January 26, he was able to go to the temple for the first time when our ward youth went to Bountiful. We tried to tell him a little about what to expect when doing baptisms, and I was glad Max and Ben were there with him. He said he felt really good.

Appointments are hard to get, so we were happy to hear the YW had an appointment for this morning. These three left for the Jordan River Temple at 5:30AM (it's been since October 31 that I have seen that time of the morning, my last day on the radio). They were back in time to change and eat breakfast before school

Andrew has passed the sacrament a few times now, and I appreciate his reverence and willingness. His first time, I was giving a talk so I was sitting on the stand, and I watched him through the whole room and felt so proud.

The Leonardo Museum

 Friday, Jan. 21 was our last museum day while schools were closed (the district calls it remote learning, I've decided to call it what it is: closed schools). The kids worked on their packets and assignments in the morning, then we went to The Leonardo downtown. We had passes, but it's only $5 and it is a nice little gem!

When you walk in, there's an area to experiment with light and sound. We traced shapes with the light box. This was still during the mask mandate, but again, we were the only ones there.

Then there is a Lego room to the left. The boys could have spent all day here. Ben made a scene that looks like it's from Tatooine in Star Wars.

James with his robot.

Andrew with a type of AT-AT from Star Wars.

Max observing (we went through the whole museum then the boys came back here, and he was texting me in the other room with Millie, "When are we leaving? I'm starving!")

Millie did not make this but liked the pink.

I liked the Triad Center made all out of Legos. I used to work on the first floor with KSL, now I'm on the fifth floor when I go in. Mostly I write from home.

Andrew found another green screen and had fun with Millie.

This wall was perfect for James and Millie to play with marbles.

The coolest thing was the plane that had been cut apart and made into an indoor playground learning area.

The cockpit was dark, but really fun to pretend in. I had trouble with the steep slide to the bottom. I felt my age, haha, as I was following my energetic 5-year-old up and down and up and down.

Upstairs is an area with different forms of art, like clay modeling, tracing, puzzles and more.

Millie could have stayed in that little boat forever, and James got the hang of the fishing game quickly.

Going back downstairs, Andrew tried to act like Buddy the Elf on the escalator.

We got Little Ceasar's Pizza on the way home and we felt grateful for a fun time! I have optimism that we are going back to normal finally. I've been praying for it and working on it for two years,.

Discovery Gateway Children's Museum

On Thursday, there was more schoolwork in the morning, then JB took the kids to the Discovery Gateway Children's Museum. Max and Ben say they had memories come back to them of visiting when they were little.

They remembered this area with the crane.

Our boys learning some good car mechanic skills.

Millie was ob-sessed with the horse.

These boys were so little the last time they were on this helicopter!

Andrew loved the green screen.

Millie didn't want to leave the grocery store. JB says she kept putting things in her basket and loved the checkout.

Then, after that, they went over to Dave and Busters. I had been given a gift card last year at my old work, and I'm glad they had so much fun with the games. This was still during the mask mandate time.

The big Hungry Hippos Game was a big favorite.

And Max took a picture of JB and Ben dominating the basketball shooting race.

The kids came home tired and ready to rest!