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Sunday, August 3, 2014

June 2014

Just had to include this picture because it's hilarious that I took a selfie on June 1st in such a dirty mirror in my bathroom!!

On the 4th we got to spend time with Sirui before she headed back to China. We decided to hang out with Joy and her kids like we did on Sirui's first day here. We even went to the Hill Air Force Base Museum which we tried to visit that first day, but which was closed due to the government shutdown.

After the museum, we went to the Kaysville splash pad where the adults chatted and played with baby Evie, and the other kids played in the water.

Next we took Sirui to Christian's baseball game, then headed home to eat Mo' Bettah Steaks (her favorite take-out) which Tony had picked up on his way home from work.

We got to show her that our bird had laid one egg in it's satellite dish nest.


We watched Lady and the tramp and then said goodbye :( Hopefully we can visit her in China or she can visit us here again!

When I sat down at my desk to work on the 5th, I saw this message that Christian had left me. Luckily I have been able to work less than 24 hours most weeks this summer.

Later that morning I took Faith to have her braces removed!


Her smile is extra beautiful now, and we really loved her orthodontist, Dr. Peck in Syracuse.

Decided to do a fun softball picture with Faith that evening.

June 11th was my turn to bid for my fall/winter work schedule. I was so disappointed and upset to find that I hated all of the choices and had to pick 73 of them due to my ranking of seniority :(
We didn't get to find out what we got until the first week of July, but **spoiler alert** I ended up with a graveyard shift working  3:45 AM – 7:45 AM on Mondays and 3:45 AM – 8:45 AM on Tuesdays through Fridays. The one thing I'm happy about is having weekends off. This schedule starts September 1st and goes through January 3rd. It will be interesting to see if I live!

That afternoon as Christian was doing his piano practice, Skittles snuggled her Buddy on the bench and fell asleep

Faith decided to get creative during Christian's baseball game that night and made what looked like a palm tree out of a fallen branch. You can't see it very well in this picture, though.

That evening we went to Lagoon with my dad who had gotten a season pass (because it was half off now that he's a senior citizen!). Christian has decided that smiling in pictures is just too boring sometimes!


Here's how I found buddy sleeping on the morning of the 17th. Surprisingly, he didn't wake up with a head rush. He never sleeps in his room, always in the family room or the floor of my bedroom :-( I hope he grows out of this someday!

Christian loves leaving me notes on the Boogie Board I use for work. This one says "I traced a penny. Later now."

He also got creative in the kitchen and whipped up this "Austrailian fairy bread" type entrée with blue sprinkles and Lego Hobbit decorations!

Just to show another sleeping position, here's my buddy on the 20th.

And here's Skittles enjoying a bone.

For some reason, Skittles loves shopping at the Dollar Tree.

On the 22nd, we were visiting grandma and grandpa Braegger and Tammy when the kids decided to be popsicle stick walruses.


On June 23rd I finally took Christian to the doctor to see if there was anything that would help him with his bladder control issue. By the end of each day his underwear were always wet, even though he didn't have a big accident, and he couldn't make it through the night without Pull-ups.
I thought he might have to have a minor surgery, but the doctor thought that he was having bladder spasms and prescribed him some medication (Oxybutynin). It was a miracle! Christian has not had one accident since and has been dry every night!!

Didn't want to leave Faith out, so here she is sleeping in on the 28th :)

We decided to go to the air show at Hill Air Force Base and had an absolute blast!



Seeing lots of planes on the ground was fun, but the show was amazing! We sat right on the side of the runway, so after they landed and were taxiing in, the pilots would wave at us. We especially loved the Thunderbirds!


Saturday, August 2, 2014

May 2014

May 3rd was Noah's baptism and we got to sit behind this little cutie.



Afterward we just had to stop by Smith & Edward's because we were already so far north ;) Of course we loaded up on candy!

On the 9th, I got invited to a special Mother's Day program by Christaian's and the other Chinese immersion first grade classes. He gave me a poem and a marigold which he'd planted in a pint milk carton.

Here's some of his other school artwork which had been hanging up:


On May 10th I took the kids to Kaysville Animal Days. They got to hold chicks,

and pet bunnies.


Christian saw this rock wall and thought it would be easy to climb. To his surprise, this was as high as he dared go!

We saw lots of cute farm animals,


and did pony rides.


Holding snakes is pretty cool.


Overall, we were not impressed this year and the kids were sad that we missed the Logan one.

Luckily, Krispy Kreme donuts make any day better!

The 11th was Mother's Day. I don't look very happy in this photo, but I think the sun was just in my eyes because I was trying really hard to fake it.
I had been telling the kids for a week that all I wanted was for them to clean up a bit, but they didn't care to do any of it. That morning I waited in bed to see if either of them wanted to bring me breakfast in bed (or even just a ready-to-drink protein shake), but when they finally woke up, they just ate cereal and made a mess of the kitchen and family room. I didn't even get a "happy Mother's Day."

I tried to hold it together, but started bawling while getting ready for church. Not really mad at the kids, just more disappointed in myself that I raised them to be so ungrateful :( I eventually got over it.

Here is Faith, up to bat on the 15th. Again this year our lives have been overwhelmed through May & June with two games and at least one practice per kid, per week!

May 16th was the sixth grade Spring Fling and the theme is Hawaiian luau.

Spring fling is an annual rite of passage for sixth-graders at Heritage where they eat snacks, dance and do activities. I volunteered to help with food and made a bunch of fruit skewers with Raylene Bott, from the ward.

There were also Hawaiian meatballs, cookies (including cute flip-flop ones made out of Nutter Butters), chips and salsa, cocktail weenies, and bottled water.

The decorations were also really fun. I loved this Lightpost made into a palm tree, complete with brown balloon coconuts!

There was lots of line and partner dancing. Here's Faith with two of her dance partners. They also did water balloon volleyball.


In addition to all the baseball and softball we've been doing, we've had soccer as well. Here's buddy on the 17th after a game.

Later that day was their spring piano recital. Faith wasn't feeling well and nearly missed it, but I pushed her to come into the church where it was being held for just her song, and she pulled through like a trooper. They both did such a great job!


May 20th we were at the Layton ballfield by Surf and Swim for another of Faith's games. Christian's favorite activity during the half hour of practice time before the game is walking the trails by the creek there. Here's an artistic shot we took on the bridge :)

On the 22nd my mom and dad came to see her play.

We got creative for memorial day breakfast on the 26th. Here we have Taste Treat Delight (doctored up cream of wheat cereal with eggs, butter, and brown sugar, with crushed graham crackers on the bottom) with a topping of whipped cream and strawberry/blue decorator sugar/star sprinkles!


We finally picked up our garden plants from J&J nursery. We loved this display of patriotic Americana! Christian decided to wrestle for the picture.

On the 28th I volunteered at the sixth-grade water party. We did a relay race where the kids, while blindfolded, had to pour water from one cup to the next,

and another where the kids had to pass a topic what sponged from feet to feet, over their heads.

May 29th was field day, and because I'm a glutton for punishment, I was volunteering again. This day I helped with the water relay where the kids soaked a sponge in water, ran to a bucket and squeezed it out, then ran the sponge back to their teammate. The team to fill their bucket the most in a set amount of time, won. Christian had field day in the morning and I was only able to volunteer in the afternoon due to work, so here is Faith, going for gold!

The 30th was the last day of school.

Faith had a sixth-grade graduation program and my parents, Tony's parents  and Tammy came. They had speakers from the D.A.R.E. program, which they were also graduating from, and lots of fun songs.


My little girl isn't so little anymore!

She adored her teacher this year, Mrs. Austin.

That evening, Tony was so excited to find this official Pittsburgh NFL football on our back patio. Our neighbor's cute little niece must have been playing with it and left it there.
Tony went over to their house and asked if Stevenson would sign this football for him. He said, "Of course!" and then Tony said, "Well, actually it's yours." :D