Much to Celebrate

In four days I will turn 40.  A week ago Abe and I just celebrated our 20th wedding anniversary. Clark turns 18 tomorrow and Greta turns 1 in a little over a week.

We are blessed and have much to celebrate--and when Foxes want to celebrate, we throw a party!  

My very favorite thing to do in the summer is to hang out in a park on a summer evening.  We reserved a pavilion at a park in our city and invited all our best friends to join us.  We were happy to have so many come celebrate our life milestones with us.

Cousins galore!

Dear friends, James and Andrea.

Organizing themselves for a kick-ball game.  

I didn't play in the game, but I do love kick-ball and I think I'm going to have to organize a kick-ball night with friends soon so I can play too.

Brig and I with our wonderful sister-in-law, Misty.  She and her girls were down from Washington and we were so happy to see them!  Baby Jules and Greta are about 2 1/2 months apart and it makes my heart happy to see them together.

Misty is currently undergoing chemotherapy for brain cancer and she is beyond a rock star!  I've never seen the likes of her strength and determination and there aren't words enough for how much I admire and love her.

And as you can see from Bethany hugging Aunt Misty on the right, I am not the only one in the Misty fan club.

I love to see kids of all ages playing together and having fun outside in the summer.  See?  I'm telling you, parks on summer evenings are the best!

Abe, Philip, and Daniel-- just a smattering of the seven Fox brothers.

Big thanks to Philip for providing the music for the evening.

We and a couple other families brought our Nerf laser guns.  Hopefully they were all returned to their rightful owners. 

Beautiful cousins!  

Faith and Rosalie have always looked so much alike.  Their cute smiles!

Our good friends and neighbors, the Redd-Stone family.  Kelli was in the cast of Beauty and the Beast with us this past spring.

I'm just going to say it... Here comes trouble!  Fox cousins-- Phoebe, Edra, and Peter.  

The Fox contingency-- keeping watch over the kiddie pool of ice and water bottles.

Elinor and Cousin Lizzie-- these girls are rocking the "lunatic fringe"!

We love the Paynes!  Our families aren't as involved in the same homeschool circles as we used to be, but there are always a lot of laughs to be had with Grace and Kendall and it was great to see them again.

The Cannon and Tesch family-- we are so very thankful for wonderful family on both sides.

I'm sorry Lori's eyes are closed in this picture, but I had to share it anyway.  This lady is one of my favorite people on the planet-- she is a listening ear and constantly keeps me in stitches.  Everyone needs a "Lori" in their lives.

Love, love, love these marvelous young women.

Many thanks to Grandpa for ensuring that his grandchildren eat well-balanced meals.

GIRL POWER!

The Snow family-- check out those cutie little twins!  They'll be in Greta's church classes.

Cannon and good buddy, Jake.

More fun with Fox cousins-- they're just warming up for the the upcoming Fox family reunion in Spokane at the end of the month.

Did he think he was going to be in trouble for drinking a water bottle?

Abe was a sweetheart when it was time for cake and singing happy birthday to Clark, Greta and me.  He said some very kind things, and even though I sometimes tease him about being a mushy-gushy softy, I love that about him and know I am a fortunate woman. 

On the eve of Clark's 18th birthday, I am relieved to have made it through his childhood!  There was NEVER a dull moment in raising Clark.  He has been determined and visionary and honest and creative and adventurous and and good, and basically a grown man trapped in a child's body for most of his life.  What a thrill to finally see him become who he was always meant to be.  I love you, Clark, and it has been fun to share birthday season with you.  Dad and I anxiously await word of your next grand life adventures!

Greta, in about a week you will turn one.  You'll start walking soon, (well, pretty soon-- you are a Fox baby after all), you'll start eating more foods, start saying little words.  I will only say that your infancy has been one of the greatest joys of my life!  What a pleasure you have been-- all I could have dared to hope for for our last baby girl!

Thank you, thank you to everyone who came to be with us.  The evening was all we hoped it would be and it is all because of our wonderful family and friends.  Life is so good with you in it.  

Goodbye, June

Thanks to the inspiration of Bob Ross, Faith's water color masterpiece.  Please note the "happy little trees".

More ballet classes at Thanksgiving Point means more pony rides for George.  As you can see, this is fun for George.  He likes it.  He's into it!

Cannon... not so much.  Cannon informed me he "hates farms".
That seemed a little harsh, but he has consistently disliked Farm Country at Thanksgiving Point for quite some time.  So, maybe he really does hate farms.

These two lovely ladies had a simply marvelous time at EFY this week.  They did a stay-at-home EFY at the Salt Lake Community College Taylorsville Institute building.  They were so full of excitement every evening when they came home.

Have I mentioned lately that teenage daughters are pretty great?  Except that I can't dress them in matching outfits anymore.  That would make it even better!

Oh, look!  MATCHING OUTFITS!
We carpooled each day with the Endemano boys in our ward.  They are all great friends and it was riotous fun listening to them while driving home at night.

The girls auditioned to be a part of the variety show and were very happy to get in!  You may remember the unfortunate trouble with Clark and Bethany's "Bohemian Rhapsody" last year.  By way of refresher, it was deemed inappropriate by the EFY powers that be.
But happily, a piano/violin duet of "Rather Be" this year was more to the judges liking.

While the older girls were gone, Cannon completed his final week of his summer Ballet West workshop.  HE ROCKED IT!  He really enjoyed himself and if, after 30 hours of ballet and contemporary over three weeks didn't dampen his enthusiasm, we can assume he would enjoy going to Ballet West in the fall.

I had a lovely week at home with the five younger kids.  Greta is so lucky to have so many people of all sizes to love her.

Cannon's future's so bright...

It was hard to concentrate during a piano lesson this week when the cat kept going in and out of the dollhouse through the front door.   I'm not sure how this cat is going to work out in our family.  Hopefully she is just young and "playful", but it also might appear she is a vicious huntress, attacking unsuspecting feet and legs of family members.  We'll see.

Abe, Clark and I played a late night game of Puerto Rico.   It's a really fun game that Abe and I didn't play together for many years, because it wasn't good for our relationship.  Hopefully, we've matured and I will be able to win more often so we can keep the peace!

I'm sorry to do this.  I do hope he will forgive me, but this picture so accurately shows Peter's intensity.  This moment is brought to you by the sun, since at 9:30 pm it was "too light for night-night!"

When Clark leaves home life just won't be the same without him.   Case in point-- Clark and Cannon and George went fishing to Strawberry Reservoir with my dad on Friday.  They did not catch any fish, but thanks to Cannon, they brought home two crawdads.
Gross.  Gross.  Gross.  But what can I do?
That evening they cooked them up.  I am horrified.  I can't believe this is my life.
I suppose it's not that much different than the cooking of lobsters, but for the record I would be horrified to cook up a live lobster in my kitchen as well.

Despite the lack of fish to be caught, the boys all had a great time.  My dad recently got this new (to him) boat and has put it to lots of good use taking family members out for water adventures.

While boys were fishing on Friday, Faith and I had a fun time doing a "Tinker Crate" making fiber optic stars.  We have a monthly subscription to get these great STEM  project kits in the mail.  I highly recommend them.

Sariah, one of my wonderful piano students, cross-stitched me this adorable Fox!  She did such a good job and I'm thinking we should do a trade-- I teach her piano and she teaches me to cross-stitch.  Except that I'm sure she would find me quite difficult to teach.  

Oh, my.

I'm like a moth to the flame-- I just can't stay away.  

Soccer.

George is doing a summer soccer league.  Will I like this sport any better in summer than I do in the fall?  Doubtful.  Everything is better in the fall.  Nevertheless, George wanted to play and I need to foster his interest in something other than collecting things.  

So here we are watching little league soccer games in 90 degree-plus heat.  

I should have a better attitude.  Maybe this will be the year that a Fox child is a part of a winning team-sport team.  But seeing as how his team lost their first game 0-10, it's not looking good.

The Miracle of the Running Shoes

Now that Greta is almost a year old, it is time for me to start thinking about getting this body of mine back into shape.  Five years ago it was Operation: Get in Shape Girl.  This time around it is Operation:  The Final Countdown.
I don't know that I'll get quite as dedicated as I did after George.  I don't foresee a marathon in my near or far future, but I do hope to begin more vigorous exercise that includes some running.

Okay, what I would call running others might call jogging or even trotting.  Semantics.

My last pair of good running shoes were purchased before I was pregnant with Peter.  He's almost three, so I clearly needed a new pair of good shoes.  I am a believer in high quality running shoes. Things start hurting when shoes wear out.

But it is summer and there are always additional expenses in summer-- camps and family trips and car repairs, etc.   Money gets a little tighter.  But I really can't start exercising without proper footwear.  I researched how much the shoes I like would be at the store.  Blah.  How much would an older model on Amazon be?  Blah.  I'd been keeping an eye out for a few weeks during my regular thrift store visits.

In the scriptures we learn we should ask our Father in Heaven for the things we stand in need of.  Well, I figured I needed running shoes.  I was sure exercising was a good thing for me to do.  So on Thursday night I prayed for size 10 Mizuno Wave Runner shoes.  I wasn't specific on the color, although I'd seen some online that I really liked. I said, "I know someone in the world has these shoes and doesn't need them anymore.  If you could just direct me where to find these shoes, I would be very grateful."
The next day--- THE VERY NEXT DAY---I went to Savers, my thrift store of choice, to look for some short sleeve shirts for the summer.  I went over to look at the shoes.  Like I said, I had already been looking, without success for several weeks and I hadn't see anything of remote interest.  I didn't think buying used running shoes was necessarily a good idea anyway.  Not in a snobby, "...ooh, gross, I wouldn't wear used shoes kind of way", but because worn out running shoes won't do you much good.
Amazingly I found two pairs of size 10 Saucony running shoes.  They weren't the most amazing things I'd ever put on my feet, but they did fit and they were in like-new condition.  Wow!  They weren't my blessed Mizuno shoes that I love, but they would work, I'd avoid injury, and they would definitely work until such time I could get my hands on the ones I really wanted.
"Thank you, Heavenly Father, for answering my prayer."
I was about the leave the shoes aisle when I looked down on the bottom row and saw some black and torquoise shoes with a logo that was near and dear to my heart... ... ... could it be?

Size 10 Mizuno Wave Rider shoes for $7.99.
They cannot have been worn more than a handful of times.  The exact size, model, even color I would have bought.

The tread on the soles is almost pristine.
I took them for a test walk/run/jog/trot the very next morning and they were like heaven-- clouds on my feet!

A couple months back I came across this scripture that really struck me.  I've thought a lot about this scripture since I read it.
3 Nephi 18:20  "And Whatsoever ye shall ask the Father in my name, which is right, believing that ye shall receive, behold it shall be given unto you."

To me, this meant go ahead and ask for the things you think are good and right.  Believe (have faith) that if, indeed, it is the right thing for you at the time, he will bless you with the things you ask for.  The confusing part is that what seems right to us, may or may not be what He knows is best for us at that time.  But our job is to ASK and believe!  If we don't get what we think we need, we can be calm and have faith that it isn't in God's plan at the time.
I am a believer in the power of prayer, but I can't say that I've ever noticed so quick and exact an answer to my prayer.  I know my finding these shoes isn't a big deal to anyone but me.  I don't think it was a big deal to the person who donated them to Savers.  But it was a big deal to me.  I am so grateful for this miracle in my life right now.

The nice young lady checking me out casually scanned the price tag and put them in a bag.  I couldn't help myself--- I wanted to shout my miracle to the world.  In my evangelical excitement I told her, "I prayed for those shoes last night and here they are!"
She seemed to be a member of the LDS church as well and she responded, "Well, if Heavenly Father went to all that work to get you those shoes, you better make sure you use them!"
Now, that is motivation!

Out and About

Saturday morning Elinor had a swim meet.  It is such a treat to go to a child's event without everybody in tow.  I just took the smallest and tallest of my girls.  Not that we don't love to all go places together, but we do make rather a scene when we're all out and about.  

It was exciting to see Elinor come in first place in the 50 freestyle and 50 breaststroke.  

Elinor is in the lane closest to the bottom.

I love the summer outdoor swim meets!  So much nicer than the super humid, super crowded indoor meets the rest of the year.  And this meet in West Jordan was pretty small and they really moved it along quickly.  Almost too quickly, Elinor had very little time to recover in between races.  

There's really no "good" time for church with a baby.  Greta is usually in need of a nap during church and Abe is often out with her during Primary time when I'm doing singing time.  I like to see the results of his little Greta photo shoots.  Greta continues to delight us all.  She only fusses if she is tired or hungry.  That is more than I can say for myself.

Our Wolf Den in Cub Scouts took a little hike along the canal behind our neighborhood this week.  It occurs to me that perhaps we should have taken the No Trespassing sign more seriously.  

Whatever.  The canal road seemed at least a couple of steps closer to nature than our paved neighborhood roads.

Our den isn't really this big, but between siblings and sons of leaders, we make a good size crew.

Clark and Thyrgie (that's Jakob's nickname) and Cannon and Evan went lizard hunting/hiking last week.  Their spoils?  Two snakes and 8 lizards.  Not bad for a morning's work.  These lizards may or not be sold on the black lizard market.  I know nothing of such things.  If anyone asks me anything I will say, "Oh, I didn't know there was a market for black lizards!"

Thursday afternoon I took George down to Thanksgiving Point when I took Cannon to ballet.  Once again, one-on-one time is a delicacy in our family.   

During the first week of Cannon's ballet workshop he asked if we could have signed up for a three week workshop, because some of the kids were doing three weeks.  I said no, and assured him that this was only a two week workshop.  He asked if I was sure.

Of course I'm sure!  I take scheduling my calendar very seriously! 

At the end of the two weeks he said, "Mom, I am sure this is a three week workshop.  I asked the teachers".  

Hmm, I'd better check and make sure.  Sure enough, he has a THIRD week of ballet this week.  How did I miss that?  Two and half hours of ballet/contemporary, four days a week for three weeks!  Good thing he really likes it!  It does concern me that I missed something that big.

We took a picture of his turned out, pointed toes.  Too bad the only thing that is actually in focus in the picture is my messy family room floor.  

In other exciting news--- week of potty training has gone as least as well as could have been reasonably hoped for.  Tinkles are going well.  Poopies?  Not so much.  Tomorrow is another day.

Peter's love of the color green is increasing.  Now he prefers only green clothing, green cups, green straws, green plates, and green shoes.  He corrected the 7-11 clerk when she complimented his bright blue eyes.  "No!  Me have geen eyes!"