August 21

Funny: So on Saturday afternoon (after working our guts out in the morning) Mama and I decided to take a few minutes for ourselves. We figured that a good John Wayne movie (McLintock!) would keep the boys’ attention for a few minutes. About half way through the movie Underfoot came to tell us that Hurricane had gotten out some food. Before this Hurricane had “gotten out” the milk and spilled it all in the frig. We went in the kitchen to find a 5 gallon bucket of wheat everywhere.

He scooped out cup by cup 1/2 of the bucket and was enjoying the feel of the wheat in between his fingers and toes. It took us about 30 minutes to vacuum it all up. Hurricane had fun with the vacuum.

 The chickens will enjoy the wheat.

Underfoot has some dental challenges. On Monday unfortunately he had 3 cavities filled, a root canal, and a silver crown put in. The cavity started in between the molars and wasn’t identified until the tooth was awful.

Apparently we are awful parents in the area of dental hygiene (which has improved significantly since the verdict with flossing 2 times a day). The dentist said that these things (children with cavities) some times happen. Underfoot likes to show off his new pirate tooth. He will open his mouth and show it off. So we have met our child’s dream of being a pirate.

Mama and I started to take a Strengthening Marriage class this week. The class is free except for the baby sitter. We thought that it is a good idea to take advantage of a free class that will make our marriage stronger. Mama got tired of not baking because it is so hot and has baked up a a storm of bread, muffins, oven roasted tomatoes with garlic, doughnuts, roasted veggies to make into a sauce, and pie - sweet potato and pizza.

Sweet Potato Pie

She is tired of the heat and needed a creative outlet. Food is where she can find that outlet. Even though we have had temperatures of over 100 degrees, it has brought tranquility to her soul and enlarged my waistline.

Mama did baskets on Saturday morning. I sprayed for weeds and put down pre-emergent. We’ve received a lot rain this monsoon and the weeds are very intense. I went to a shot gun shooting tournament in the afternoon with the men in our congregation. I shot 15 out of 20 clay targets. It was fun. The gun I shot was a Winchester 1100, which I am told is a 1100 dollar gun. It was a lot of fun. After the shoot I did a little work to Fred. His AC works but not very well. Hopefully I can fix it.

August 14

Underfoot: On Friday my friends A and W came to my house. They slept here. We watched a movie that night. We watched the Heavens of Oz (Wizard of Oz). But they left (their parents came at 11:30.) We ate supper and popcorn. I picked up the trains. I dipped strawberries and cherries and bread (pound cake) into chocolate (fondue.) It was yummy. I got my head shaved this week.

Hurricane: Hurricane likes to use the spray bottle to squirt everyone. He giggles when he gets someone wet. Hurricane frequently will say, “I show you something. I show you something.” He then climbs up onto his horsy rocking chair and has at it for a while.

Mama: On Friday, I put up a tent in our front room to have a movie night. The boys loved being in the tent, but when it was time for bed, they went and crawled in their beds instead of sleeping in the tent. They didn’t want to sleep in the tent.

I made a killer cherry pie - crust and all. It was my first pie crust that wasn’t like paper mache. I was pretty happy with that. Later that week I signed up for a contest to go to a pie tutorial in Oklahoma. My odds of winning were 1 in 1150 ish. Needless to say, I will not be going this coming weekend to Oklahoma, but it was fun to dream for a minute.

L4 decided our chickens needed to range. The ladies have not eaten our garden but have scratched around our backyard. I have decided that I want grass instead of dirt, rocks and weeds. We started by clearing out the weeds. I’m still not use to the heat and working in the heat. I guess I don’t have to earn my living in the heat at this point so I enjoy the air conditioning. We (all four of us) worked hard weeding, picking up rocks, and picking up weeds. After we sweat so much that clothes dripped (I don’t sweat that much usually), we stopped and took cold showers. We were wiped out the rest of the day. Earlier that morning we had gone to our community clean up and Bountiful Baskets. Back to the grass... To get grass the weeds need to be gone as well as the rocks. It will take us ages it feels like but by small and simple things great things are brought to pass. I think we might opt for some fake grass and some real grass.

Hurricane decided this week that he was done using the high chair and would like to sit in L4’s lap during all meals. This is irritates me. L4 responses with, “He won’t always want to sit in my lap.”

I also read a great article on modesty and more the do's instead of the don't of modesty.

L4: This week I had a long board meeting. It seems that the HOA is much like being a parent. Sometimes it extends mercy. Sometimes it cracks down. In all cases it has to treat the homeowners like children. Establish the rules. Enforce them. Try to understand and keep peace.

In my personal study I’ve been reading in the New Testament. I’ve learned a lot about the life of the Savior. I am grateful for this experience, as most of my personal study has been devoted to the Book of Mormon.

Today in Sunday School a man recounted an interesting story. As a recent convert, he was interested in genealogy. At a family reunion, his extended family questioned him as to why he would join the Mormon Church and why he would want to have his deceased grandmother baptized vicariously into the Church. He then recounted to them the Angelic visitation that his Grandmother had in 1924. She had shared the experience with him when he was a small child. As an adult he was introduced to the Church and was greatly moved by the similarity between his grandmother’s visitation and Joseph Smith’s experience with the Angel Moroni. The two accounts gave nearly identical descriptions of the Angelic visitor.

His extended family, which included several pastors from other faiths, were dumbfounded. At that point, his aged great aunt began to smile as she recalled the experience. She indicated that his Grandmother’s story had made quite a stir that year.

August 7

Underfoot: My mom was a little bit mean to my friends because she kicked me out of her bedroom. I have the choice to not let them in. I went to all kinds of places at the Bike Park (a local bike awareness event at the school on Saturday morning). I went on the lines and to the waterfalls. Joy School is great because I learned a song about never hit or kick or push. I drew my friend J.’s face.

Hurricane: I go to lessons (refresher swimming lessons). Hurricane likes chips on his plate. I played trains. I like trains. I played trains. I built the train station. (Do you think he’s a bit obsessive about the trains?)

Mama and I celebrated our wedding anniversary on Saturday. We got a sitter for the boys and went to the temple. After that we went to a fancy steakhouse in town. We had dessert at The Melting Pot. In all we were gone for 10 hours. It was nice to be able to talk about where we are, where we’ve been, and where we’d like to go.

Author Switch: We are trying to to have each person participate in our weekly letter. L4 said his life isn’t as accomplishment-filled since he got a steady job and works Monday through Friday with Saturday chores and Sunday church. I told him he needed to get a hobby. His response is when would I do that? Any suggestions?

While L4 was hard at work, we had swimming lessons, the beginning of Joy School, a music class, and  neighbor children who came for two different days. This was smattered with doctor’s appointments.

Throughout the week, we have received different videos from my parents and youngest brother who are attending the 22nd World Scouting Jamboree in Sweden.

The boys watch the videos over and over again.

By the way, I doing a blog series on pioneers today. I even made the button.

I read a book called The Pioneer Women. The story is a love story but also a journey.  I believe that I am a country girl at heart and living in a HOA with neighbors close on all sides is a little much for me at times. This book brought some interesting conversation for L4 and I about what we'd like for our family's future. Maybe just maybe homesteading one day was part of the discussion.

Underfoot said to me one night before going to bed. “This is NOT a cold wheel, but a HOT wheel. See right here.” He was pointing to the flames on the underside of the car. Something clicked for him. It was darling. Another thing he has started to say is, “My Grandma made that for me when I was a baby. It was delicious.” Usually we are at supper and it the meal we are eating. He then says, “She made it for you too when you were a baby Mama. I was there.” Another chuckle.

We hope this finds you well and happy. Drop us a line to let us know you are alive.

July 31

Underfoot says this week: I played with trains this week. I built the train track with my dad. We got a new  train set to add to our collection. I got a surprise at the library this week. I got a book that I can keep about Abraham Lincoln. I saw the dentist. I had friends come over on Friday night.

We’ve been getting over sickness this week. Mama had pink eye (She probably picked it up from Hurricane.) Both boys completed their summer reading program and received an adventure pass from the Library. Early in the week Mama started teaching piano again. The local schools are back in session, so people are done with family vacations and such.

On Friday we went to The Gila Valley Temple in Central, Arizona. Afterward we came home and hosted a get together with some friends.

On Saturday we took it easy and didn’t do a whole lot. Mama took a nap (a very rare event indeed!) and I installed some new software on one of the computers. I also assembled an automatic temperature controller for a fan we have in our garage. I’ve had the parts for about a year, I just never took the time to sit down
and put it all together. That evening around supper time we got a quick, brief, but very powerful thunder and lightning show that lasted about 20 minutes. It was so loud that it woke Mama up from her nap- which is another rare event in and of itself.

It has rained so much the last few weeks that we have volunteer green grass in our backyard. We aren’t hopeful that it will last. It is probably just weeds.

Be Well.

July 24

Underfoot says this week: I got my jobs done. All week long. I love to see the temple. I did the scripture in Primary today. It talked about returning to Heavenly Father. I read lots of books this week. I got a world balloon from the library reading program.

Hurricane provided a few firsts for us. He came home last Sunday with weepy eyes that developed into goopy eyes. On Monday morning we made an appointment with the doctor. At the doctor’s office, we (Hurricane, Underfoot, and I) learned that Hurricane had an ear infection that had gone into his eyes causing an infection. The doctor said that it wasn’t pink eye. He prescribed an antibiotic and saying that the infection in his eyes might be viral and not bacterial. So I waffled on getting the antibiotic. Later that evening, Underfoot and Hurricane were launching projectiles at each other before supper. (I was learning how to cook and use rice noodles for the first time.) A projectile hit Hurricane in the eye and cut open the top and bottom lids and under the eye. Since Hurricane had an infection and was bleeding from the eye, we decided to go to the emergency room. There are 4 hospitals here. We went to the one with a pediatric emergency room. We were seen quickly. The doctor was great. Hurricane got his eye cleaned thoroughly inside and out. He got to have drops put in the eye to make sure the cornea wasn’t cut. We were told that he had pink eye and to start the antibiotic so an infection wouldn’t come from the cuts. So our firsts were pink eye and the emergency room. Pretty amazing if you ask me that we haven’t visited before now.

We laid low this week. No social engagements. No going to random stores. We did go to the library briefly to change out books. We have been tackling the 100 books of summer suggested by a friend. I think we have made it through about 30 or so. We started about 2 1/2 weeks ago so I feel like that is good progress. Joy School starts for Underfoot in 1 week. We will continue the book reading until we finish.

For L4 and I, summer caught up with us, and we developed sore throats and a cough. We are too stingy to go the doctor. We saw what happened to Hurricane this week for going to the doctor and didn’t want to end up in the emergency room ourselves.

Underfoot helped me pit cherries. He did a great job and earned extra points for his daily jobs.

July 17

The heat is on and our brains have turned to mush. Here is a quick update.

Monday- Underfoot was so tired he fell asleep at the dinner table.

Tuesday- Mama cleaned the Maud Room and the boys painted.

Wednesday- Scouts was canceled but no one told L4. L4 had a long board meeting. Mama finished cleaning the Maud Room. She started reading a book that night and didn’t go to bed until 4 a.m.

Thursday- Mama invited some friends for an indoor picnic because it was too hot to be outside.

Friday- L4 went in to work to make up some hours. Mama finished the book. L4 worked on Fred while Mama did Bountiful Baskets paperwork in the evening.

Saturday- We cleaned the front yard of dead plant and tree remnants. We did Baskets in the morning. L4 finished replacing the water pump and timing belt on Fred. L4 made some adjustments to the irrigation system. Everyone but L4 took naps. We did a lot of shopping and errands after the naps.

Sunday- In church today a number of people commented on Hurricane’s new found personality and language. He seems to have lost his shyness. He is a chatter box and tells everyone that he fixed Fred Ignatowski (the car.) We had some friends over for supper and Mama made some delicious salmon.

July 10

After almost 19 days away from home, we have returned. In that time we failed to write a letter for last week and will make it up this week as I have finally downloaded the 925 pictures from our trip. I will tell stories with them hopefully over the next few weeks about what we have learned and are growing to become.

The 4th of July was a great day spent with my maternal side. We came together to honor my Grandpa H. for his birthday which he refers to as “Groundhog Day.” The best part was to be together and how well the planning and food came. We did a tribute book for my Grandpa. Each was very excited to see it and read their part. We played (swam at a Cottonwood Heights, had a campfire at Millcreek Canyon, participated in the last 30 miles of the Mormon Trail, went to Temple Square, lit fireworks, and flew a kite), worked (did a clean up at one of the chapel’s in the SLC area), and attended church with my Grandpa. We had to leave before the kite was up. It was a huge American flag kite. We drove into Page, AZ for the last 10 minutes of their fireworks show before bedding down for the night.

We arrived home on Tuesday and cleaned up suitcases and the car before collapsing into bed. The one  miracle of the day was that we were not taken out by a tow truck on the freeway in a monsoon downpour. The driver nearly clipped the front passenger side of our car as we were literally 15 minutes from home. L4 worked the rest of the week. I cleaned up the loose ends of keeping house. The boys played. Our neighbor who is 13 gave Underfoot 4 light sabers. Earlier that day, he had asked me if for Christmas he could be given a real light saber. He said he would even buy one for him and Hurricane so they could play together. We have all enjoyed a few light saber wars.

Saturday was our traditional work-like-mad. We volunteered at our HOA community service day by painting. Underfoot is still sporting orange colored paint in his hair. L4 started to take Fred apart to repair him.  Remember Fred is a car. I started to dejunk a closet. Each boy helped us respectively. In the evening we harvested grapes at a friend’s home and shared them with neighbors.