Days of '47 2019

With Abe and Elinor and Faith gone on Trek (and Cannon at ballet workshop) I was super grateful that my dad met up with us for the Days of '47 parade downtown.  This is the biggest parade and I really wanted to go see Bethany ride in it, but I was daunted by the thought of going alone with all the littles.  My dad got there early and staked out places for us.

We love to scream out heads of for our girls.  Maybe we embarrass them, but really, that can't be helped:)

This fabulous pic was snapped by Andrea just outside her apartment downtown. So quintessentially downtown Salt lake City.

This picture was in the Deseret News story online.

After the parade we all went out to Crown Burgers for lunch and it was so, so enjoyable-- and tasty!  I've heard of this place for years but this was my first visit.  I will be back!

I particularly enjoy watching the relationship develop between Grandpa Pete and Lil' Pete.  Our little Peter adores his grandpa and Grandpa appreciates (hopefully) the enthusiasm and force of will and persistence that is Peter.  I think they even look quite a bit alike.
Do you like Peter's crown in the picture?  Prince Peter.

Summer Hodge Podge

Generally speaking, the fuller our family schedule is, the more content I am. I like a tight schedule, knowing who is going where and making it happen.  I like people being productive and not wasting time.  I'm a lot of fun that way.  You can imagine how much everyone enjoys my company.  But every now and then we have an opening in the schedule and I like to surprise the kids with an unexpected outing.  A week or so ago this grouping of Foxes went to In-and-Out Burger just because.

Greta loves "hambur-bers".

Peter was actually not mad in this picture.  I think he was going for really cool.  
I think he was successful😎

When my sister and I were younger we somehow acquired a multi-colored, large polka-dot white shirt.  My mom thought it looked like a Wonder Bread bag and she hated it.  My sister particularly loved this Wonder Bread shirt.  It became a source of some contention between my mom and sister.  Why did my mom care that much?  It was just a shirt.
Fast forward 35 years and Cannon has this Flash hat that I hate.  I just hate this hat.  Cannon loves it.  It's a bit of an issue.  Why do I care that much?  It's just a hat.

She created this look herself and I think it's working for her!  

I am quite proud of these two boys this summer.  This past Thursday they finished a total of six weeks of ballet workshops.  Cannon logged almost 120 hours and George did 60.  Let's not talk about how many hours Abe and I logged driving them to and fro.  They both worked hard and really enjoyed it.  We are all happy for them to have a couple weeks off before regular classes resume mid-August.  

And speaking of hard working... Bethany and Cannon have bonded this summer over Newsies rehearsals and set building.  I CAN'T WAIT!!!  This is the highlight of my summer and I'm not even in it!

Poor Cannon took an elbow to the eye at one rehearsal last week.  All is well now.

He plays the part of "Les", the youngest newsie.  He's had a growth spurt this summer, so I think he's a little taller at this point than the director was hoping he'd be, but not much can be done about that.  Between ballet all day and rehearsals all evening, this eleven year-old will enjoy a much deserved break after the show.  And yet, I have to hand it to him, he has handled it like the pro that he is (or shortly will be!)

 I ADORE MY ELINOR!!  She is 16 now and so grown up in so many way.  But every now and then I get a glimpse of my "old Elinor" when she was, shall we say, a little more quirky and uniquely herself.  Today she taped on herself this stunning set of sharpie-lid fake nails.  She was thrilled with the result and I just wanted to bottle up a dose of awesome Elinor for a day when I need cheering up. 

I am telling you, she is a gem.

I really liked her tip jar on the piano while she practiced.  Might as well try. 

  Cannon and his buds walking home from church.  Wonderful to think these four will be ordained deacons in January and will passing the Sacrament at church.  They are great boys.

When will I learn?  DI is not a good place to buy puzzles.  Sure, they are cheap, but they are also missing pieces!!!  This one was missing six.  Is it worth the extra 10 dollars to buy new?  I don't know.  I am torn on this issue.  And why is there no neighborhood puzzle exchange?  Seriously, no one ever a does a puzzle twice.  Once we are done we might as well pass them along.

When Elinor was away at EFY I got my old 5 am water polo driving job back.  I had not missed it.  But here's the miraculous thing that makes it worthwhile.  Do you see that smile?  That's at 4:55 am.  That's love and gratitude for the opportunity to do what she loves.  Oh, yeah.  It's worth it. 

The Draper parade.  Abe took the kiddos and I sat this one out.  He did say this parade was the best in terms of the most double bubble gum thrown out.  What can I say?  It's my favorite parade treat.

Confession:  When I first saw our city's float I was not impressed.  But I admit, it has sort of grown on me.  I especially like the patriotic effect with the girls red, white, and blue dresses.  For obvious reasons I wish the royalty were a little more visible, but I appreciate the float nonetheless. 

Summer Potpourri

Ahhh... family time is the best.
And I am not being sarcastic.  The relaxation and comfort of being at home with the people you love best in the world is priceless.  Sunday afternoons are the greatest thing ever invented.

 Here are Elinor and Savannah as they headed off to EFY a couple weeks back.  Elinor had a great time and she came home full of happiness and love for the gospel and life (which is the whole point of EFY!).  She was happy that even after a self-described "horrible audition" she got to play "Root Beer Rag" in the variety show.

Along with a group of Savannah's cousins (and cousins of cousins) she stayed with Savannah's grandparents up in Logan for the stay-at-home EFY.  They were very well-cared for and she was so glad she went. 

 The annual neighborhood Primary parade.   Bethany was a good sport to make a "Miss Riverton" appearance.  A sash and crown always adds a little more legitimacy:) This little parade is short and sweet and great fun.

So, so cute.

Peter and his best dude at the start of the parade.

Greta and her best gal pal at the park after the parade.

Faith is a master of entertaining children.  She organized a duck-duck-goose game.  Our bishop joined the fun-- he is the best!
I suppose sometimes we get so used to being a part of a wonderful neighborhood and ward family that we forget the blessing that it is.  That our children great friends and loving adults to look out for them and safe places to learn and grow-- it becomes our norm.  But it is amazing and I am very grateful.

Later that same night we went to our orthodontist's patient appreciation summer party at the pool.  First of all-- the concept of a patient appreciation party is a weird thing.  I mean, your doctor's office throws no such party.  Why is it a thing with orthodontists?  What I'd really like is for the orthodontist to charge me less for braces and I'll just go to the pool myself with that money.  But whatever.  We went.
And Peter was one of the three winners selected in the "Crazy Cat-Walk" competition. So yeah.  I guess the night just got weirder.  He won this fetching lei.

A little father/son outing.  We aren't very good about planning and executing spectacular one-on-one child/parent dates.  But we Abe does a pretty good (dare I say remarkable!) job of having special little moments with each of the kids mixed into the normal flow of life.  This time Abe took George with him on a little trip to the local Walmart and it ended in courtesy cone from Arctic Circle.

George's master-creative mind is at it again.  He designed this horsey-back ride saddle for Greta.  On some level I think I should have protested the use of his church ties for stirrups-- but frankly, I was mostly just impressed with his resourcefulness.

Pretty cool, eh?

She is going through a "tube-squeezing" phase.  Mmm... it's a lot of fun.  I am totally being sarcastic.  I find toothpaste squeezed out in the sink, lotion (as pictured), a pile of muscle rub under a desk.  One never knows when one will come upon such a little treat.  Whoever described the two's as terrible, never had a three year old:)

Isn't he marvelous???  Less than five months till he comes home!!!!!

Clark sent home "Texas-opoly" for the family last Christmas.  It's all the rage at our house right now.

George attended his first (and I suppose last) Cub Scout day camp this past week.

He loved it.  What did he love best?  THE TRADING POST-- where he could buy and collect.  This whole collecting, buying, hoarding things appears not to be a phase.  I am low-key concerned.

Last Friday night Abe and I enjoyed dinner with some of my favorite people ever--- cousins and cousin spouses.  I unabashedly give  Ben (the tall guy) "favorite cousin" status.  He's pretty consistently been awarded the title since he was born one week after me.  No offense intended to my many other completely fabulous cousins. 

We ate at a BBQ place in Lindon called The Smoking Apple.  I'm not generally a big BBQ fan, but this place was super good!!  I'm also not generally regarded as a foodie/connoisseur type, but the rest of the group was similarly impressed.  I've been thinking of this meal for the last week and I must return sooner rather than later.   Whose coming with me?

Sharing Time

Sometimes my mind gets too full of thoughts-- not particularly good or bad, happy or sad-- rather my mind just starts racing and my thinking feels jumbled and somewhat out of control.  For several years I have found that writing about my thoughts is very helpful.  So here they are in no particular order and not of any particular importance--- my thoughts as of late.  Not so much complaints, rather just voicing my thoughts so I don't have to continually try to sort through them.

1.  Confession:  I'm not really enjoying summer.  There.  I said it.  Who doesn't love summer?  ME! It is my own doing-- I (we) made choices about where we were going to focus our energies this summer and lots of people in this house are doing really cool stuff and working really hard and growing and learning.  Good things are happening, but we are sacrificing a lot of connected family time.  The summer calendar is full of morning and night swim practices, all-day long ballet workshops, parades, Newsie rehearsals, piano lessons, girls' camp, Trek, EFY, teenager work schedules, and such.  SO MUCH DRIVING.  I love watching this kind of personal development in so many family members and to me the sacrifice is worth it.  But, I freely admit that I can't wait for the school year to begin in mid-August so we can all be home for a few hours together most days.  I probably look forward to the school year like a public school family looks forward to the summer!  Last summer we hiked like crazy together and I miss having big windows of time when we could make that happen.   

2.  Confession:  I am missing my big kids something fierce. I'm kind of used to Clark being gone-- I adore talking to him each Monday morning.  He is having great experiences and growing in the gospel and our conversations are uplifting and fun and he comes home in December, which will be here in no time.  But I am not used to Bethany being gone so much and I am definitely not used to Elinor being gone all the live-long day of the entire freaking summer.  Blah.

Bethany works at the pool teaching swim lessons and life-guarding.  She is 18 and her has work hours are what they should be.  She works hard and a lot.  But she is also a lead newsie in the upcoming production of Newsies. (Which, by the way, will be AWESOME and you really must come see it).  She has a lot of rehearsals and she has volunteered loads of hours in helping to build the set.  She has a hopping social life-- fun dates, great friends, lots of parties and late night outings.  All good things and I am genuinely happy to see her enjoying life so much.  

I miss her.  Blah.

Elinor's situation is WORSE!  She is at swim or water polo practice at 5 or 6 every morning for 2 or 3 hours.  Then she heads off to work as a nanny for my brother's kids for five hours everyday.  Then she heads back to the gym for more swim practice or weights classes.  When she does get home she eats and sleeps and texts.  So yeah.  Part of me is so proud of her hard work and dedication.  Part of me wants to scream, "Enough already!"  All that is not including water polo camp, EFY, Trek, and a BYU swim camp in August.  Okay, seriously-- ENOUGH!! Elinor-- come home to me!!!!

Even Faith, at the tender age of 13, swims morning and night (at least 4 hours a day) and will spend about three weeks total away at camps this summer.

Cannon has a total of six week of ballet workshop that goes from 9 am to 2 pm each day.  George is doing six weeks of 2:30-5:00.  Cannon spends his evenings at Newsies rehearsals with Bethany.  And don't forget Cub Scout day camps for both Cannon and George. 

So what all this explanation is leading to is that I am low-key offended that my quite delightful and pleasant mostly-grown (and not-so-grown children) are gone a lot and I am left home with adorable and charming-- but quite needy little ones.  So boo-hoo.  If you read this and are disgusted, thinking horrible thoughts about my choices or feel that I am bragging or whatever-- feel free to stop reading.  I understand that our family is so blessed to have so many wonderful opportunities.  If I could go back in time a few months and make different choices about our time this summer, I don't think I'd change anything.  I am not complaining-- just processing.  There is a big difference.  

I thoroughly enjoy the littles, but let me tell you, taking care of littles when you have lots of big ones around to help is WAY BETTER.  Not just the helping hands and hearts, but the conversation and joking and laughter really eases the challenges of the meeting all the little needs.  So with the big kids gone so much, I am rather lonelier than I am accustomed to being.  It's like going back in time to when all the kids were little.  Without the regular interaction with older kids, I have found myself needing to reach out and talk with friends.  Which I suppose is a very good thing to nurture those relationships.  

3.  Here's a good thing about this summer:  Reading.  Lots of reading.  Lots of audio books and podcasts as well.  Here is a list of a few things I've been enjoying:  Where the Crawdads Sing, Silent Souls Weeping, The Power of Vulnerability, The Storyteller's Secret, Living the Parables, Better Than Happy (Jody Moore), The Read Aloud Revival.  

4.  I have been a nail biter for my entire life.  A bad, nasty nail biter.  A "hide-my-hands-and-hope-no-one-will-notice-my-beastly-mangled-fingers" kind of compulsive nail biter.  But MIRACULOUSLY I have found help.  My dear friend, Candice, does beautiful gel nails on me every two weeks or so and I love it more than I thought I would (or perhaps should:).  I know it's nothing of eternal significance, but having pretty nails is a simple pleasure in life that I never expected to discover, but am so glad I did.

On a sort of related note, every now and then I'll hear someone make a snarky comment about women who wear fake eyelashes and have their nails done.  For the record, in my opinion, there are way bigger fish to fry in this world.  If someone enjoys dolling up with fake eyelashes and fancy nails-- well... as Faith would say, "You do you!"  

5.  I sort of really like Brene Brown.  And she sort of annoys the heck out of me.  And yet, I keep coming back for more.  Can anyone relate?

6.  Morning walking-- and sometimes an additional evening walk is one of the chief joys of my life.  Occasionally I take Peter and Greta with me.  Sometimes I keep up with Peter's endless chatter and stream of consciousness and I respond frequently and quickly.  And, truth be told, sometimes I put in my ear buds and completely ignore the children and just walk.  Mind you, this does nothing to stem the flow of chatter, but sometimes it makes for a more pleasant walk.  

7.  Abe and I are re-watching Downton Abby.  It is quite lovely.  My favorite part of the show?  The small sounds effects of the footsteps on the gravel or the hallway, doors opening and closing, whisks in a mixing bowl, clothes rustling.  Well, that and the beautiful accents.

8.  Abe planted marigolds in planter barrels by the front door for me for Mother's Day.  I love them, but they don't seem to be flourishing.  And I can't figure out if it's because we are watering them too much or too little.  I cannot overemphasize my lack of gardening expertise.  Should my family's need for survival depend on my green thumb, things will likely not go well for us.  

9.  Its late.  I really must stop drinking Diet Coke late at night.

10.  And on that note, teenager/young adults need to stop coming home so late.  #momonthewarpath

The Best of Summer

Abe caught the kids a snake in the backyard.  There was excitement all around.

Greta being brave.  Welcome to the club, Gret!

Summer fun with cousins and friends.

I think this would have been my dream toy as a kid.

This makes me want to host a water party for kids.

The kids had so much fun-- loud and chaotic but mostly just fun.

My adorable and fabulous niece, Aliyah.

I'm so happy for these little cousins to get to live by each other for the first time:)

Jules and Greta.

More!  More!  More pictures of them:)

Bethany and Cannon have been hard at work with play rehearsals for Newsies and set building and painting in their "spare time".  They can't get enough.  This play is going to be the highlight of my summer-- I CANNOT WAIT!  I mean, I have to wait, but I am crazy excited.

Summer slurpees.

Look who is crazy about practicing piano.  The boy loves it.  Begs for it.  I am as surprised as anyone, but he's loving it and let's be honest-- I'm loving it!

He has stretched me and challenged me, but he has also wrapped himself completely around my heart and I love him so much.

My birthday was last week and I had a lovely, lovely evening on my birthday celebrating with much of my extended Cannon family.  The gathering wasn't planned in my honor (no offense taken), rather it happened to fall on my birthday, but there is no group of people on this planet I would rather spend time with.  I've talked about this group before, but it is worthy of mentioning again.  This group-- my dad's siblings and my cousins and their children are the most loving, kind, warm, friendly people I have ever had the pleasure to associate with.  When anyone goes among them they are greeted with genuine smiles and hugs and and exclamations of how happy they are to see you.  They look for the best in everyone.  They have trials and problems, but they look outside of themselves and always look for ways to uplift everyone around them.  THIS is what I hope for for my children and grandchildren.  

Here I am with my beloved Aunt Carolyn. She is roughly ten years older than me and has been very much a mentor to me since I was first pregnant with Clark.  I love her and am so thankful for her wisdom and good judgement-- especially as I enter these exciting young adult years with my children. 

This beautiful, beautiful box was on my porch when we arrived home from Aunt Jennifer's house.  Are. You. Kidding. Me?

So lovely.  Such a treat.  I did get pretty well spoiled with treats for my birthday from friends and family.  My birthdays are always a somewhat uncomfortable reminder that I would like to be more considerate of other people on their birthdays.  No one (especially not me) deserves this special treatment, but I really do appreciate it.  

Now this next picture I share-- not to brag, because I am actually rather disturbed and embarrassed by it-- but rather, it is the truth and it is mostly how I spent birthday.

Elinor usually has access to a car from my brother to drive to work (she is a nanny for his children) and to drive to all her many swim practices.  But a car was being worked on so I had the pleasure of chauffuering her and all the other kids around on my birthday.  It was intense and it was a bit much, but I am not complaining.  Word of wisdom to parents of teenagers:  If you get your kids alone in the car, they have to talk to you:)  Elinor is so busy this summer and I'm not getting as much time to talk with her.  So it wasn't all bad!  Plus I had a great audio book I was listening to, so it was an entertaining day.  

It brings me a lot of joy to watch children develop their talents.  Driving them around is a small price to pay.  George and Cannon are thoroughly enjoying their ballet workshops this summer.