Our Life Lessons: Week 6: Parties and Preparations

Our friend celebrates his birthday each year by hosting a Super Bowl party. This year they hosted an appetizer competition. Because I have been eating a special diet to lose some weight.

I made 3 different dishes to bring - deviled eggs (avocado and regular with homemade mayonnaise), harvest Cobb salad, and a pineapple boat.

When we arrived the host said, it wasn't a dish per family member just one per family. The boys got to play the card game, Dominion. I got to chat.

On Saturday after Sweetheart changed the oil and rotated the tires, the tires began to make a horrid noise. Sweetheart decided to have the tires changed. One year ago one of the tires was changed. Monday morning the other 3 tires were changed, and the noise went away. Hallelujah!

Hurricane's Battle of the Books team lost their second non-elimination round. He didn't participate in the battle. He was really sad because the team lost by a lot of points lost.

When we moved to Colorado, we looked at which Middle School would be a good fit for our sons. Colorado has public, charter, and private schools. One of the schools is very prestigious charter schools that parents must have a birth certificate to get the child on the waiting list. We put both boys on the list and have been waiting. We received notification that there was a parent orientation meeting while Underfoot would test to see where his placement would be placed. Underfoot is very happy at the school where he attends. We decided he needed to try just so he would know he's at the right place. After the testing and orientation, we decided if he is offered a place we will keep him where he is.

The Blue and Gold Pack Meeting was immediately after the orientation meeting. Hurricane had worked really hard to complete his Bear requirements and did complete the requirements. When we arrived at the Blue and Gold, we were informed that they didn't buy any awards. I took Hurricane aside and told him. He said he promised to not cry. That night Sweetheart and I served the food as the families came through the line. They had bought a big Costco cake for the dessert. No one wanted to take home the leftovers. I walked around to the other groups in the building and gave away the cake. We are hoping in the award will come next month.

On Thursday I had a bunch of doctors' appointments. The appointments were in preparation for the surgery this coming week. I also got my annual mammogram done that day. Sweetheart accompanied me to one of the appointments to ask the surgeon the questions needed. Over the past nine and half years, we have done what we could to naturally bring more children to our family. My health requires that I have a hysterectomy and multiple other repairs in the area. The surgery should take 3 1/2 hours. A regular hysterectomy takes one and half. We have been making preparations since mid-January when we scheduled the surgery.

Sweetheart attended our HOA meeting. He's ready to be done serving on the board was his comment when he returned home. I attended part of the book club. We had read The Book Thief by Markus Zusak. It wasn't my favorite book.

When we moved to Colorado, I was going to turn 40 years old. I wanted to have A Favorite Things Birthday party. But when we moved, I didn't have the friendship circle that I didn't in Arizona. This year I decided to have a birthday party for myself. Those who came brought 4 gifts and left with 4 gifts. We did it as a luncheon where everyone brought their favorite salad or appetizer. The party was a lot of fun. It helped me learn better who different people are.

Immediately after the birthday party, I finished helping Sweetheart and Underfoot get packed for the Boy Scout Klonderee. They left from our house at 3:30 pm. They went to the mountains 2 hours away. Sweetheart wanted to have a good supper so he made he and Underfoot a sous vide steak with mashed potatoes. They arrived with a temperature of 15 degrees. The temperature throughout the evening. Underfoot slept well because he took 3 sleeping bags. Sweetheart slept in the car. At 4 am, he turned the car on to warm up.

The boys participated in sledding, ice hockey, and rappelling the next day. Sweetheart said that one of the leaders put the chilled water in a cooler over night. In the morning, it was the only water not frozen in the surrounding camps.

While they were away, Hurricane and I had a quiet evening at home. We even fell asleep early which isn't normally the case. The next day Hurricane and I went to breakfast on a date and then to a piano recital his teacher had arranged with other teachers. He was nervous and said if he had gone first he wouldn't have been nervous. He did a good job.

We attended stake conference that evening before falling into bed exhausted that evening.

Be Well.

*****