Count Your Blessings

Grandpa Kirkham would often say to keep a journal of 5 things you are grateful for each day. We have so much to be grateful for, and I'd like to share a few of our last 2 weeks blessings.

1. Pie Party - We are blessed with friends, food, and a wonderful evening. Many people helped us get ready by helping clean, make pie, and set up.

We didn't start anything for the pie party until about 72 hours before the event. We were trying to put everything away in our house from room shifts/painting.

Counting how many come in and out is futile. Our home was full. It was a week ago Saturday.

2. Education -  Sweetheart continues to use his education every day. He is learning a new programing language named Python. Apparently it's super cool. I finished my continuing education credits through a brain and gut health seminar. Underfoot and Hurricane continue to go to school.

They have discovered a great book we got from the library and want to do all the experiments in the book. They are mostly all household items. They have had SO MUCH FUN doing the different things.

3. A Place to Live - In the clean up path of the pie party, I turned on the auto clean of the oven on Thursday evening. I've cleaned the oven that way for the past 6 years. While we were outside cutting boys' hair, the oven billowed black-gray smoke that filled the house like a foggy night. It was so smokey that Underfoot, Hurricane, and I slept in the back of the Pilot.

Sweetheart got home late from work, bundled up, and slept in an open windowed house. We have spent the last 72 hours cleaning our house literally from the ceiling to the floors with vinegar, baking soda, Mr. Clean soap, and whatever other concoctions there are. I went to restart the oven to push some lemon scent through the vents, and the oven died. I can't count how many loads of laundry I've done. Saturday evening we had a professional company come in and treat the house. We are grateful that it didn't turn into a fire. We are thankful to the people who came to help us wash down walls. We slept the night at a neighbor's house.

4. Entertainment - While being out of house, we saw a fun play. Mrs. Miller, the boys' drama club instructor, found tickets to a play for the club to attend. If you paid for the tickets, you went. We had a great time at High School Muscial Jr..The boys liked show. The show was done by 8-15 year old children.

5. Temple Dedication - Last Sunday the Phoenix Temple dedication occurred. We are grateful to have chapels and temples to attend for worship. We are grateful to have a family and the hope that we can live together forever. We are grateful for the atonement of Jesus Christ and for the significance he has in our lives. We are not always grateful for trials but know they must happen as there is opposition in all things to make us better.
We hope that this letter finds you health, safe, and in a good place in your lives.

Be Well,
Mama and Sweetheart + 2 Boys who we think are wonderful

Music Performance

Last week some amazing things happened. Sweetheart worked a lot, and he came home to be a full-time Daddy on Friday afternoon and Saturday while I attended Time Out for Women in Phoenix. He installed a reverse osmosis water filtration system for the kitchen sink and refrigerator.

Underfoot was a firefly/stink bug in the 2nd grade performance.

He had a line about the importance of manners and to use your very best ones. He came up with his own costume one hour before show time.

We put glow sticks on his wings to make him light up.

Sweetheart made it for the concert. Yeah!

I went to see an orthopedic doctor about my ankle. He gave me a cortisone shot in the ankle. I'm to report back in 2 weeks to see if it is helping out or not. Hurricane decided to take pictures of the whole event.

He even video recorded the whole conversation about the proposed treatment. Underfoot fell asleep on the exam table. It was a half day of school so the boys came with me on errands. Let's say 3 ring circus is about how awesome the experience was.

Sweetheart feels like he makes some progress but is losing some steam (a.k.a. enthusiasm) for the project. That's what happens when there are long hours.

Underfoot was the student of the week in his classroom. He was allowed to display things about him throughout the week.

On Friday, he presented to the class. He shared Lego space ship, Star Wars figurine, swim ribbons, pictures, and a special picture of his temple visit.

Time Out for Women was fun.

Six women went together, stayed in a hotel, and enjoyed the conference. I drove, and they were all impressed by my mad rush-hour-traffic skills.

I returned home to very happy boys.

Sweetheart and boys attended a family history potluck. He took rotisserie chicken and rolls. That was a Kirkham family home evening dinner when we went to Lava Hot Springs. He didn't bring the potato salad or soda though.

Be well.

Balance Restored!

We watch a comedy sketch group that makes us laugh. One of the skits talks about restoring balance. The skit has a super hero named Captain Literally.
Our house has been in dishevel since before we left for Mexico. As of last night, balance has been restored! We have traded 3 rooms around, painted, and de-cluttered.

We will now resume life without all the furniture in our kitchen.

Underfoot brought home a cough and stayed home Monday and Tuesday. Hurricane got jealous and feigned sickness on Tuesday so he could stay home and not miss out on the "fun." They were banished to their bedroom and were better by Wednesday.

We took our annual family pictures.

After pictures, Underfoot treated our family to dinner at Pizza Hut for reading and getting the Book It! gift certificate.

The boys wanted to cut jack o' lanterns. So we did.

We celebrated Sweetheart's birthday this week. Sweetheart like a chocolate cake with peanut butter icing.

Grace Earls gave us black cocoa from King Arthur Flour. The cocoa enhances the chocolate flavor. This typically rich dessert now was over the top rich.

Sweetheart said that after 3 bites he was done. The filling is peanut butter cups.

The 3 Musketeers went trick or treating.

They picked 10 pieces of candy and the rest was purchased by Sweetheart to take to work. We hope that in the long run we will save on dental bills.

Sweetheart's writes....
It has been some time since I have last written the weekly email. I have been entangled in office politics since our return from Mexico. The mess at work has put me in a difficult position. The project that I have been working on for the last year has to be finished by the end of the year. The deadline requires that I work ~50 hours weeks through the end of the year. After three weeks of that, I am tired.

Be Well.

All for One! And One for All!

Trunk or Treat: Our ward hosted a trunk or treat at the middle school. Sweetheart suggested being the 3 Musketeers. Hurricane wanted to be a ninja. After being told how cool it would be to a Musketeer (and that he wouldn't get to trick or treat if he wasn't), he thought it was a great idea.

We made tunics and hats. We bought swords. After the trunk or treat, we watched the 1993 movie "The Three Musketeers." Hurricane then thought it was a really awesome idea. Underfoot was excited to have sword. I threw together a quick costume of a bathrobe and a towel wrapped around my head. The reactions were fun.

Spooky Run and Make a Difference Day: The school's Spooky Run was hosted at the same time as a community clean up project. Underfoot, Hurricane, and I ran in the race. Sweetheart moved dirt and rocks at the community clean up. Underfoot ran the 5K in about 45 minutes with his friend and friend's family. Hurricane and I ran together. It is the first time I've really ran since starting physical therapy. Hurricane and I both made it in 50 minutes. After the race, we went to the clean up and moved rocks and cleaned up trash.

Work: Sweetheart worked a lot this week. He has a deadline for a large project in December. Since he will be working so many hours, we've determined he will come home early 2 nights a week - one for family home evening and the other on a random day during the week.

BYU Ballroom Dancers: One of the late nights that Sweetheart worked, Underfoot and Hurricane went on a date with me to watch a performance of the BYU Dancers. We all enjoyed the show very much. The boys were memorized. Hurricane needed to go to the bathroom in the middle of it and didn't want to leave to go because he liked it so much.

Ethics Class: I continue to keep my counseling license current and attended a 6 credit ethics class.

Clubs: Underfoot made ice cream in his STEM club this week. They talked about gas, liquid, and solids. The ice cream was more of a milk shake.

Butter: Hurricane's kindergarten class made butter. He asked if he could make it at home. We made it for family home evening. Sweetheart said it was the first time he'd had homemade butter that he could remember and thought it was very good. Later in the week, Hurricane attempted on his own to make chocolate butter with Hershey's syrup. It didn't work out very well, but he tried.

Scorpions, Soccer, and Order Restored

Monday: We returned to real life. Sweetheart went to work with lots of problems. He returned home saying he'd be working a lot this week. Underfoot and Hurricane went to school, and I thought I would be lonely without them. They came home tired from trying to get back into the routine. I did laundry. It felt like mountains but wasn't. I finished at 10:30 pm with everything washed, folded, and put away.

Tuesday: School, work, drama club, soccer practice, and 6 weeks worth of ironing were done. (Yes. I iron. I even starch.) Sweetheart called informing me he had no idea what time he'd come home, and to plan on this until the end of the year. We had 2 visitors this week via the dishwasher on different days.

One scorpion was living and fast, and one had drowned on a lid. Sweetheart killed the fast, living one.

Wednesday: The Phoenix Temple open house is happening now. I took Underfoot and Hurricane to see.

We listened to a book on the car ride. They liked the chandeliers and the picture booth outside.

The some of the temple rooms are built in an oval shape and one room has a stain glass ceiling.

Thursday: I continued on the painting to get the house back together. We had soccer practice in the evening. The goal is to finish the one room by Saturday.

Friday: A friend came to help get our house in order. We emptied the 2nd bath of what is normally stored under the bed in the boys' room. One room was liberated of its temporary use. Sweetheart came home to pack and go on a young men's camp out. The friend and her husband showed up and helped finish the painting. It was a big help.

Saturday: I touched up paint and loaded furniture back into the room. One more room completed. Just need to hang the pictures. Sweetheart returned from camping tired. The boys played in their first soccer game.

They each had fun. We ran errands, and Hurricane passed out after having some food soon followed by Underfoot. We drive the International Harvester Scout.

Sunday: We attended church and ate our sugar baby watermelon for dinner.

Boys had Daddy Talks (15 minutes 1:1 time.) The front room is clean. Over 1/2 the house is back in order. Yippee!!!

Be well.

Home Again to Leave Again

We returned from Mexico to a major project. Before we left, we decided the carpets needed to be cleaned.

The 3 little bedrooms were cleared out of all their furniture and pictures on the walls so all the carpet could be cleaned. With the empty rooms, the kitchen, master bedroom, and little bath got really full.

Friday morning we unpacked, put away, and prepared a list of shopping materials.

My New Shirt! Thanks Mom!

Friday afternoon we shopped for paint, repair materials, trees as a gift to a neighbor, plants for the front entry, and some food. We went to bed super early because we were super tired.

Before

In Process....

Saturday and Sunday were LDS General Conference. We love General Conference around here because there are treats, drawing, listening, and family time.

Even the Lego Guys listened to Conference

We would work, watch, work, and watch on Saturday. We got most of one room painted and another room prepared for the major painting. Sunday we watched General Conference. We felt like we learned how we can be better parents and how to strengthen our faith by praying, reading scriptures, having family home evening, and attending the temple.

Monday is laundry day. Laundry takes literally all day. Between loads of laundry, we cleaned up in preparation for Grandma Locey's visit. She came that evening to spend a few days with us. We are grateful for her visit. She and the boys played a lot of Thomas Pop Up game, rode bikes, and laughed together.

trim paint from yellow to white

While they played, I finished the trim in the boys' new room so we could have one room ready before they went back to school. Detail painting takes SO LONG......

Before

In process....

Thursday morning we packed up camping equipment and drove to Lake Powell outside of Page, AZ. We ate yummy burgers in Flagstaff and visited my favorite thrift store in Flagstaff, Savers.

Sweetheart's siblings converged on the beach there and spent the next 2 days. We celebrated his parents' 45th anniversary. The boys played on the beach with their cousins. Uncle Ford brought his boat. The bilge pump broke Friday. The men worked on to discover the problem. Saturday it was fixed. We traded making meals for the group. We made for our meal Dutch oven teriyaki chicken with brown rice and Dutch oven apple pie. While we were making it a nasty wind came blowing sand. We had a great time being together.

We returned Sunday for church. We've started back to school. We love being together and enjoy our breaks. I was sad to take the boys to school today.

Cancun to Dallas to Home

Our last morning was bitter sweet. 

This experience has been eye opening. 

We said our goodbyes after finishing our packing. 

We hugged and were saluted as we drove away. 

We are THANKFUL we came to see 

and have a clearer image of what Kirky and Jilli are doing.

We miss them as they in turn miss us.

We love them even more.

 We drove to the airport, returned the car,

boarded the plane and flew away.

We flew to Dallas. 

Dallas had been drenched delaying our flight by 3 hours.

We got into home VERY LATE and very tired.

My parents are busy with the lives of over 130 missionaries,  the people in the assigned mission areas,  and the ecclesiastical leaders serving there as well. At times, they are talking the different missionaries' parents, bishops, and stake presidents. That's a lot of people.

Kirky and Jilli are not on vacation. 

Sweetheart wrote to his mission president, Derk Pelton, after we have returned home. President Pelton replied back and shared this insight.

Every mission is unique with its own set of challenges and blessings.We had several visitors while in Spain, but it was always with the caveat or clear understanding that they were welcome to come join in the activities of the Mission Life, but that we had no time to be tour guides and there were no vacation days in our benefits plan.  Most took that and fit right in, some didn't quite believe it until they were there and found out they either got on the wagon or got left behind.

We found that to be very true. Kirky and Jilli miss their family more than they want to say because they are focused on their current path. I wanted to go and see if my parents were okay. When I would talk with them on the phone I was concerned because they sounded so overwhelmed.

They are immersed fully and totally in what they are doing. Hopefully we fit into the "Mission Life" while we were there.

Thank you for letting us come!!!