January 23, 2021

Bethany had been gone for all of 6 days when this screen shot of our facetime was taken.  We probably talk more now that she is living away from home than we did when she was living here.  We like missing each other:)

And truthfully, our separation was short lived-- she rode down with a friend today to grab a couple things she forgot and then drove back up this evening.  We was only at our house for about 30 minutes, but we were all so happy to see her.

A mini Foxy Ladies reunion.

Nowadays these five are the kids at home.  Of course, Elinor still lives here, but she is gone so often with school, work, and social that we don't see much of her.  It's a little strange to have our numbers shrinking. 

Abe and I went out on dates both last night and tonight.  Two date nights in one weekend?  Why yes, we did.  Last night was with Daniel and Lori to Brick Oven in Provo-- the best salad bar around.  Abe's birthday is coming up this week and let's be honest-- getting in a birthday date midweek is probably not going to happen.  So we lived it up this weekend.  

  I'd rather be watching swim meets in person, but it's pretty great we can watch and cheer from home.  

Faith is up on the blocks circled in yellow.  This was the last regular meet of the season-- now just regions (hopefully) in a couple weeks. 

When you're both wearing cheetah print...

These two are now roommates and I think it suits them both very nicely.  Greta could not have a better second mother than Faith.  

And when Greta had the adorable neighborhood girls over for a Saturday playday, Faith was so sweet to to let them color in her room while she did an online speech and debate tournament and then she played memory with them.  Every family needs a Faith.

Here they are having hot chocolate-- a house full of little girls is so much fun. The boys were playing with friends all day and it was lovely for everyone, including me!  I got to read for a bit.

Peter loves doing his Kiwi Crates-- I was quite impressed with this one.  It's a model of the sun, earth, and moon.  For those of us with difficulty with visualization, I found this helpful.

George made himself a slingshot with his 3D pen.  Abe and I were recently reminded of the TV show MacGyver-- we both immediately said, "George would love MacGyver!"  We must introduce him soon.

She's Moving Out.... Again

Friday was moving day for Bethany.  Bethany assures me she does not own more stuff than the average person-- rather my minimalist standards are unreasonable.  Different opinions.  Either way, she got it all packed up and was ready and rearing to regain her independent, college life.  

And while there were not the tears and hysteria (mostly on my part) that there were when I took her up to Rexburg a year and a half ago, it is still emotional to send my children out into the world.  And Bethany is a lot of fun to have around.  She is loved and adored by younger siblings.  She has great taste in music and I will seriously miss hearing her singing and playing guitar and violin.

You know what I won't miss?  Knowing what times she comes in at night, how much sleep she is not getting, the condition of her room, and exactly what she is doing and who she is with. She is wonderful and I don't mean to speak ill of her when I quote my wise aunt, "Young adulthood is messy and it's best if you don't observe it up close."

And yet, I will miss her.  I will miss her being a child in our house. She is so excited to be up at Utah State.  She seems to have a great apartment/roommate situation that is very close to campus.  She already has a close friend who has introduced her to other soon to be great friends.  She is ready to embrace the whole experience.  

But even still, you know when I hugged my girl goodbye, I wept.  And I pretty much cried for the two hour drive home.  And you know I am crying again as I write this.  I do not want her to stay home.  Truthfully, it was a little uncomfortable to have her be an adult and be living a home for the last ten months-- darn Covid.  It was most definitely time.  

It took Faith all of four hours to redo the room she and Bethany had shared.  She moved Greta in and rearranged all the furniture.  Greta was thrilled to have her first big girl bed all to herself.

Faith sent me this picture at exactly the right moment as I was feeling sad about leaving Bethany.  It reminded me that even though some of my children are grown and my days of raising them are past (a thought that makes me feel painfully nostalgic)-- I have lots of littles still at home to enjoying raising.  As I drove into the Salt Lake Valley there was a beautiful pink sunset and I felt so grateful for the life we have and where we live.  And maybe that doesn't seem like it's connected to my other thoughts of the day-- but in the moment I felt Heavenly Father was reminding me that my life is here with my husband and children at home and as good as life has been, there is so much good still to be had.  Clark and Bethany have done and are doing just what we hoped they would-- grow up, work hard, and move toward independence.  

Elinor's Senior Swim Meet

 

Elinor is quickly wrapping up her senior season of high school swim team.  She has loved her experience at Riverton with great coaches and great friends.  I am so proud of her for persevering through injuries and hard times.  I'm so grateful for who she has become and who she will become because of skill learned through swimming.  There were eleven senior girls and only one senior boy.  Go figure.

The seniors have a tradition of diving into the pool in their dress clothes the night of the senior meet.  Elinor is in the orange dress.

Funny girl.

I love this picture-- way to give it a little something extra, Els:)

This season did not shape up the way she would have liked due to some challenges she's had.  But the season happened and she stuck with it.  To me, this is a HUGE win.  To stay with something-- to see it to the end when you aren't "feeling it" and you aren't reaping the rewards you hoped for.  That is GRIT.  That is determination.  That is real strength.  That is tough.  That is brave.  Elinor, my dear, you are all of those things and we love you and are proud of all the good you do.

I've loved that Elinor and Faith had one high school season together.

I have been a joyful and proud Mama Fox.

WE LOVE YOU, ELINOR!

In other happy news, Faith had an incredible 100 butterfly race and dropped another 2 seconds off her time.  She's down to a 1:09.35.  She is getting very close to a state qualifying time as a freshman!  

In other sad news, she likely broke her middle finger coming into the wall on the 4 x 200 freestyle relay.  I guess she was going faster than she thought.  

Faith-- January 2021, swim meet  incident

Elinor--March 2019, water polo goalie incident

Faith-- June 2018, gymnastics incident

We are getting pretty good at recognizing broken fingers.

 

My Old Friend, January

 I titled this "My Old Friend, January" with absolutely no sarcasm.  I actually really do love January.  I think I say that every January, and I mean it.  In January there are no extra commitments in the schedule.  It's just life as usual and as it turns out, life as usual is quite lovely. 

Faith helped Abe take down the Christmas lights on the house and as a bonus, she got to check climbing through the small bathroom window off her bucket list.  Other siblings were jealous, indeed.

Brothers jamming--Here's a link.  I am not a fan of video games.  I don't think they are inherently evil (although some are), I just think they are a waste of time.  I am fully aware that much of what I value and enjoy could be deemed a waste of time by someone else who gets a great deal of enjoyment out of video games.  We even have a couple systems and I know my boys really enjoy playing video games.  And I'm well aware that they likely play video games at their friends' houses.  All well and good.  Not a battle I'm going to fight.  But since I'm the mom of this house and this family, I am going to try to entice them into spending their time doing things other than video games.  The sound of the electric guitars and the drum set are literally and figuratively music to my ears.

And CLEARLY, we are spending out time so much more wisely.  

Or not.  I really don't know what they were up to, but I think they were being a lizard army.  So yeah.  

Last Saturday Bethany had online Zoom callback auditions to be a Young Performing Missionary in Nauvoo this summer.  Her audition went very well and now we are all awaiting word on weather or not she will be make it.  

About 350 young people auditioned. Roughly 60 made callbacks and 24 will be selected to be YPMs.  Fingers crossed:) We shall see.

Last Saturday Abe and I had planned to go out to dinner with Clark and Alexa.  In the end, I wasn't feeling well, so Abe just went with them.  Which really was just as well because Abe and Clark had been wanting to go to Joe's Crab Shack, and I don't do seafood.  So everyone was happy, except that I was home sick.  But I was home sick and watching movies in my bed by myself.  So, in fact, I was rather happy.  It was a win-win.  

George got a 3D pen for Christmas-- which is really quite cool.  He's taken to designing jewelry for Greta.  Here is one of her earrings.

And her ring.  Note Greta is wearing yet another kitty shirt.  The other kids tell me I really must stop buying her so many kitty clothes.  For the record, I have no intention of stopping.  

George acquired yet another set of wheels!  He's been saving money for a long time to buy himself a hover board.  He's already a pro and although I have no intention of attempting to ride it--because let's be real, I would definitely injure myself-- it is pretty much the coolest thing ever.

Andrea and James gave us a roast from one of their recently raised and butchered cows.  It was SO DELICIOUS.  I'm still thinking of this meal from two weeks ago.  Must. Have. More. Beef.

These little ones love each other and are beloved by so many bigger people in the house.  They keep us grounded.  They keep us softer.  They cuddle and hug and laugh when bigger kid problems feel too heavy.

I don't know if I've mentioned this on the blog before.  And WARNING:  Obnoxious-mom-brag-moment ahead. 

Greta is totally reading.  She's four.  I don't think any of our kids have read this well, this early.  

And also, I realize it doesn't really matter.  Some read earlier, some later. It may or may not mean anything for what kind of life-long reader/learner they are going to be.  And it has very little to do with me and my efforts.  Keeping that perspective in mind-- it does make for somewhat easier homeschooling in the early years.  So, that's nice.  

And if I may take this moment to give myself  A BIG OL' PAT ON THE BACK for successfully teaching all 8 of my children to read while sitting on these very green couches with this very set of Bob books.  Go me!  

And to save me having to save and keep track of this paper, here is one of Greta's first attempts at writing.  Read from bottom line left to right and then top line right to left:  Is Santa real or not?  

And she is a thinker:)

Puzzle date night with my sweetie.  This is really living.

Cannon puts on a quite an entertaining one man puppet show.  

Elinor entertains us with her alter-ego, Justin.  

Over Christmas Break

I did my favorite thing to do in between Christmas and New Years--- I completed a jig saw puzzle.  I really enjoy doing puzzles.  I don't think I'm particularly good or quick at doing them, but I thoroughly enjoy "puzzling".  My family likes it when I puzzle, because I ignore them and let them do and watch and eat pretty much whatever they want.  You see, breaks from our regular are good and necessary, but sometimes uncomfortable for me.  My mothering job is easier when everyone has things to do and places to be and purpose.  And although I do think taking a break and relaxing serves a valuable purpose to refresh and refocus us, I prefer having routine and schedule to help me manage the household.  This was a very enjoyable and satisfying puzzle and it allowed me to let them relax.

How amazing is Faith's hair??  We knew it had slowly been changing into curls, but when she got a haircut a few days before Christmas, it got even curlier! She loves it.

Peter was so happy to have his dad play some Hero Scape just with him.

Cannon and the deacons rock climbing at Momentum for an activity this week.  Cannon has dance classes that conflict with Young Men's activities on Wednesdays, so he was thrilled to get to go to this activity.

Game night at the Schramms with some of our favorite people.  I think one of my favorite things about this Christmas break as been playing games.

We played Code Names and Salem-- which it new to us, but we've have since ordered our own set because we enjoyed it so much.

Magic the Gathering for Hayden, George, and Cannon.

Avalon at this table

We played more games on New Years Eve with James and Andrea and London.  

We played Pit, Telestrations, Camel Up, and Cover Your Kingdom.

Greta has a friend in James.  

Andrea and I enjoyed a lovely lunch date this week.  I am so appreciative of her listening ear and understanding heart.

Downstairs the boys watched all the Lord of the Rings movies-- extended editions.

The girls watched a lot of Jane Austen movies upstairs.

Pretty much the best thing that can happen to these kids is o have Clark come over and be their dungeon master in a session of D&D. 

Cannon is learning the ways and enjoys being dungeon master as well.

My handsome boys in their suits.  

Cannon--age 12, Peter-- age 6, George-- age 10

Bethany and Faith and I took a little day trip up to Logan to move in a bit more of Bethany stuff into her apartment.  She won't be officially moving up there until January 15th, and she is pretty excited for this next step.

A date night out with Abe was a highlight of the break.  We met my cousin Ben and his wife Cali for dinner and great conversation.