2016! Week 16

 Ashtyn had to register for High School this week.  It's a program called Arena Scheduling and let me tell you it pretty much does make you feel like you are in the middle of a big arena with hundreds of other people all fighting for the exact same spots.  A lot like the Hunger Games- but with even more anxiety.  There are certain classes that are required for sophomores so we had to account for those in the schedule first.  9th graders are the last to get to register so by the time it's their turn all of the really fun classes are already full.  They told us to make a plan, a second plan and maybe even a third plan so that you would be able to get at least some of the classes you needed and wanted. This was very stressful for Ashtyn because she wanted to have some classes with friends and some with certain teachers and there were quite a few tears shed in the process. We finally had it all figured out by Monday.  I even got onto the program and familiarized myself with it and practiced what I would need to do.  We wrote the classes down in her order of preference and the plan was to try to get those classes first.  The scheduling didn't open until 3:30 on Tuesday so I think I got 16 different texts from her during the day.  I finally just went and checked her out early.  Me and about 100 other parents.  There was a line at the attendance office.  Ashtyn said she didn't want to be in the room, so I would do it.  I had her log in all typed in then I turned on some music and siked myself up by boxing the air like a fighter would do.  The second it turned 3:30 I was logged in and clicking at lightening speed.  I got clear to the bottom of her schedule and the biology class she wanted was full and so was the seminary class so I had to switch those two.  The whole thing took about a minute to do.  It was crazy.  When I was done I went and showed her what I was able to get and she freaked out and burst into tears.  I guess the seminary class was really important to her and she was upset that she couldn't get into the right one.  Immediately after she started getting texts from all her friends to compare classes.  It turned out that she had more than she thought with friends so she calmed down a little.  I can just hardly wait until we get to do this all over again next year with two girls in High School.

 Malia invited us to go to the Wheeler Farm with her and it could not have come at a better time.  After all that drama we needed some fresh air and Corban cuteness.

 

 Boys and their big machinery!

 

 The cow train is Corban's favorite part.  It was our first time riding it and was pretty cute and fun.

 

 

Check out that huge grin.  I swear Ashtyn and Ethan look like twins in this photo.

 This was "some pig". Zuckerman himself couldn't have asked for a better pig

 Some darling baby lambs.

  Love this girl to death and we miss them so much so it's been nice having a chance to be with them.

 Date night at Pat's BBQ.  We had a Groupon for dance lessons(Jeff's fav- ha ha) and this restaurant was right near by.  It was featured on Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives.  It was a cool, fun atmosphere and great food.  You seat yourself which was strange.  

The service was great and we would definitely go back.

 Then it was off for our lesson.  Our friends and neighbors the Snow's came too.  They love to go on dates like us and Jeff and Jeremy have so much in common.  It was a great night!

 We learned the swing.  There were some people there that took it very seriously and even had on dancing shoes.  We of coursed were the worst ones there ha ha.  But it was so fun jumpin and jivin!

 I never got a picture of Ethan in his new suit with his new hair cut.  He looks so handsome.  I just love love love watching him pass the sacrament each week.

  Saturday was a very special day.  We took Ethan to the temple for the first time.  Which meant it was also the first time our whole family got to be in the temple together.  Jeff got to baptize the kids and I handed out towels.  We had seven family names we took so that made it even more special.  It was the best feeling in the world.  I had to hold back tears.  

I hope that was the first of many many trips to the temple together.

 On Sunday we went to Malia's dad viewing.  They had a display set up like there usually is but then they had little notes next to each item explaining what their dad used it for or liked about it.  It was pure genius.  It was so fun to get to know him better that way.  It's still so sad that he died so young.  It made me think how short life can be and you just never know when it will be your turn to move on.  It gives me the best feeling thinking about people I knew getting to meet the Savior face to face.  

Afterwards we headed to my moms for a birthday party for Ryan and Ashtyn.  Even Colton and Spencer were there this time.  It was a great week.

2016! Week 15

I had a visit with the Dentist.  There is a new assistant and she is so nice and so gentle.  Even though they always say my teeth look great I still dread going.  

Ethan created an escape room scenario for our family for FHE.  The young men in our ward went to an escape room center and Ethan loved it.  It was pretty darn clever.  It would be fun to take our family to one and see if we could do it some time.

This little lady had to get five teeth pulled.  Toy poodles have the worst mouths and their teeth go bad very quickly.  They cleaned them at the same time and had to put her under anesthesia to do all this work.  When all was said and done it was one very expensive $235 trip to the vet.  Good thing we love her and she is so darn cute! 

I don't think this J is looking much better despite all my sanding.

Malia and Corban are in town for a very sad reason.  Her dad is dying.  They came over for dinner on Wednesday.  We loved seeing them even if it was under such sad circumstances. 

Relief Society dinner for the Birthday Social.  They had homemade Cafe Rio salads. MMMMM  I got to meet a new sister that just moved in who is the mom of a boy I went to high school with.  Speaking of high school  I am helping with the 20 year reunion this year.  It was all planned for a nice dinner at the Gallivan Center until we go so many people complaining about the $65 price tag.  We needed at least 100 people to sign up to make enough money to pay the deposits and you would think with a graduating class of 530 that would be easy- no we only got 40.  I think social media has kind of killed the reunion scene.  We are not the only class that had trouble.  You see everyone from high school all over the internet and know what they are doing so why would you want to see them in real life- such a sad sad world it is becoming when people don't want real FACE time.  We cancelled that plan and are now planning a casual dinner up the canyon.  I think this will be really fun- what a pain and what poor attitudes people have. 

Ethan went on his first camp out with the big scouts this weekend.  They went to Crystal Hot Springs.  He came home so tired and said he felt sick.  I'm betting no one slept and they stayed up late horking down candy.  Yep that pretty much sums up scout camp.  He said some of the boys took hatchets to some huge logs in the parking lot.  Thankfully he was not involved.  That again pretty much sounds just like scouts.  Boy oh boy what have we gotten into!

It was our ward temple night and this time we went with our neighbors the Barney's and did sealings.  I had several family names to do.  It was so fun!  Afterward we went to Zupas to get diner.

Ashtyn is getting close to getting her permit so we occasionally let her drive in the neighborhood.  She is pretty good but not going to lie- it freaks me out!  

2016! Week 14

I drove the Beehives to do baptisms at the Draper Temple.  Can you spy the Angel Moroni?  They didn't need me to stay so I drove home just in time for them to call and say they were done and then turn around and drive right back.  

The clip that held our passenger side sun visor in place broke so the visor was dangling from the ceiling.  It would hit the window every time I turned.  It also hung in the face of any passenger that sat there.  I called to get an estimate to have it replaced and they told me $258.  Of course it is against my standards to pay this much for such a small part.  So I refuse to do so.  Most people who have a car that has a part break down almost monthly would think to themselves "Maybe it's time to get a new car."  But not us.  We think maybe it's time to buy more duck tape.  I taped it to the ceiling.  That lasted about three minutes.  So then I tied it to the handle with a Walmart bag.

This is the tiny part that broke and of course you can not buy just this part- no you have to buy a whole new sun visor.  

We just get more ghetto every day.

I took it to Firestone and they disconnected it for me for free so it wouldn't be dangling in our faces any more.  Now my interior lights and radio do not work.  Great!

Ashtyn is in the middle of online gym again so it's lots of walks for us.

You may think this is a sad picture of Ashtyn but it is actually a happy one.  It was just way to early and she didn't know I was taking her picture.  She was on her way to a morning side for seminary.  I had to take her at 6:40 to get there on time and that is very early especially for late start day when school doesn't start until 10.  But it was all worth it because the speaker was Al Carraway.  I adore that girl!  I have never heard her speak but her blog is so up lifting and she is 

such an inspiration to me.  

You can read her blog here.

Our new Stake Center is coming along.  

Ethan was ordained a Deacon on Sunday.  It was such a special day.  All of our family came to support him.  All of them except for every single other priesthood holder.  This made me feel sad on Saturday night knowing that we have all these worthy and strong priesthood holders that he can look up to and not a single one of them could come and lend that strength to the blessing Jeff gave him.  I got over this quickly on Sunday when Jeff ordained him.  Jeff gives the best and most powerful blessings.  The spirit was very strong. Ethan will be a great Deacon. And I am thankful for all these amazing women and kids that came.  We really do have a lot of family here to support us and I love that they want to. 

They put him to work right afterward and had him go collect fast offerings 

with Jordan Bingham.

I love that my name gets to be on his advancement certificate from Primary.  I love being the Primary President and will miss having Ethan in with me now.  I love all that I get to do- but especially advancements and baptisms.  Even when I forget to pick up 4 baptism jumpsuits and they sit at the church wet all weekend and then a very nice stranger in another stake picks them up and takes them home to wash and then spends all day trying to track me down to return them.  This is only the second baptism I have done and both times I forgot to grab the wet suits.

Daisy got her summer cut.  I think she probably lost three pounds without all that extra hair.