April PR trip - Day 4

Today we worked hard getting ready for painting the lower half of the house. It took all morning to tape and cover everything and everyone was so good to pitch in and help. We had to remove some old rails in between the posts right on the front side of the house. We also had lots of help so none of it took too long. Rease and Nolan got the power washer going and worked all morning getting the walls clean and shiny! 

After taping and covering everything we sprayed the primer on. We did our very best to cover floors and tile but we weren’t perfect and still have lots of spots of sprayed paint on the ground. Hopefully that comes off somehow! Almost everyone got their hands on the sprayer at some point and it ended up looking awesome by the end! Hopefully the next couple days will give us good time to get the paint on these walls as well!

April PR trip - Day 3

Today we had another day of errands and chores to do. Josh trimmed the yard and since it’s been a while since we’ve been here it was pretty long and overgrown. It took him a good 3-4 hours to get it done and pull some big weeds, clean up the yard etc. It looks sooo good now and like a yard again instead of the jungle :)

We took another trip to Costco looking for a shelf and a few more supplies for the week. We also stopped off and grabbed a few buckets of primer for the outside walls we’re planning to paint this week. That stuff is so expensive but such good quality primer that it’s worth it! The kids worked hard all morning getting the yard and house ready and the reward was Chad and Brittney’s family got to town to spend the week with us! They got here early evening time and we had dinner together and got all settled. The four teenagers hooked hammocks up in the garage to sleep out there for the week while the other six younger boys settled in on the futons and air mattresses in the front room. Parents got both the bedrooms so I think we’ll all fit good for the week! Nice and cozy. We’re so excited to have them here and can’t wait for the week ahead!

Welcome Baby Kimball!

Aunt Hayley had Baby Kimball today!!  We're far away and can't hold him in person just yet but we're so happy we got to see him and Aunt Hayley over facetime.  He's so sweet and is using a cpap for just a bit while he gets his breathing figured out.  We're just happy he's finally here!

 

April PR trip - Day 1 and 2

Yesterday was travel day and the kids have gotten to be great travelers. They know the routine and love the plane rides cause they get to play their game boys for hours on end! We left our house early Tuesday morning and had a few hour layover in Dallas. Unfortunately the ride from Salt Lake to Dallas was one of the worst rides I’ve ever been on. It was so bumpy and bouncy and we hit a pocket of something they called “clear air turbulence” just as we crossed over the Rockies into Colorado. It was a jolt of turbulence that came on so fast that it took everyone by surprise and knocked all the drinks on the floor and even one of the flight attendance went down before we even knew what hit us! I looked out the window and the plane rocked so hard to one side then back up I saw the mountains one second and then the clouds the next. It was one of the scariest moments I’ve ever had on a plane. The pilot came on later after things were under control and said that was a pocket of air that they just weren’t expecting and apologized for not being able to warn us of it coming. I admit, I had real tears in my eyes for a while after that happened. 

We got to Dallas and after a lunch of chic fil a we all felt a little better and had some time to relax. Then we had another bout of drama as the flight attendants for the next flight got on the speaker and announced that they were going to try and board us as quickly as possible and leave early to beat out a storm that was rolling into Texas. Sure enough we looked up the radar and a surge was headed our way along with tornado warnings and a large hail storm. Quick as we all could we boarded the plane and got settled as the captain and attendants continued to say that we would be barely making it out in time if we actually did. Off we went though about 10 minutes before our original flight time and ended up beating the storm. The flight was much smoother than the first though I expected it not to be with the storm right on our heels. After we landed in San Juan we looked up the Dallas weather and sure enough there were two tornadoes that touched down not too long after we left! So glad we got out of there when we did. Overall a pretty dramatic day for flying!

Today we slept in a bit then hit the stores to get some of our big ticket items off our list. First stop was Home Depot for some drainage pipes then the grocery store for food for the week. Last week there was a island wide blackout for about 4 days so any frozen and cold food we had at the home had gone bad. Time to restock. We checked out some light fixtures and fans and some appliances that we’re realizing we need to get pretty soon. IKEA was next to try and purchase our kitchen cabinets. We went in with a complete list of the items we needed from an order form Josh had made from the IKEA US website. Unfortunately it doesn’t transfer directly to the IKEA PR site without redoing the whole order so we took that in hoping for some luck and someone to help us out. We also realized about a week ago that the cabinets we had chosen were being discontinued and some of the pieces looked like they were out of stock already. Josh had made a new order with a new cabinet face and, though we liked the new look, it was double the price! I kept wishing that we could have ordered those other ones sooner and gotten the ones we really wanted and a lower cost in the end. Oh well. We got there and found someone that referred us to the kitchen center for some help. A wonderful soul named Valerie took over and helped us set up the order on the PR site and seriously made it look so easy that she was done in a flash! She got our whole order set up and ready to go and the total was almost $7000. Much less than some other places we had looked. Josh asked if there was any way to see if the old style that we originally wanted was by chance in stock for the pieces we needed. Valerie whipped her fingers around the keyboard and figured out everything in the other style and would you believe it…everything was in stock and at the low discounted price that we had seen online a few weeks ago! Not only did we get the cabinets we wanted but also at the discontinued price of $2900 and free delivery for our order! It was a miracle come true! Josh and I could not believe our luck that the pieces were all there and ordered and on their way just like that. Cabinets are being delivered next Tuesday right to our door! Amazing!

We rounded off our shopping day at Costco and got home with a van full of groceries only to find that the power was out again. Yikes. We loaded everything into the still cold fridge and freezer and decided to get to work setting up our generator. With all the power instability around here we figured it was time to fire that thing up. We had lots of help and it was not too hard to get it going and run an extension cord to the fridge to keep stuff cold and the microwave to make dinner :) Frozen dumplings from Costco and chips and salsa were on the menu tonight, eaten by headlamp. Mother Nature graced us with a gorgeous sunset as the light faded. We read and played games with headlamps on and as we sat there on the upstairs patio the street lamps suddenly flipped back on! Only 6 hours or so without power this time and I think we managed it pretty well. We’re at least set up somewhat for the next time it happens! 

It’s always an adventure around here and these peeps are just the ones I want to adventure with everyday! 



It's also Easter week and we started our Easter week traditions before we left and are continuing them while we're here.  Here's what we've done so far:

Yikes Rhen

Ever wonder what would happen if you pour half and half directly into the can of soda?  Rhen found out...

 

Pine needle wishbone

Josh and Desh created a game while waiting for him to be dropped off at school one day.  It is a daily tradition now as he goes to school and there's not a day we miss the chance to play "Pine Needle Wishbone".  The game is simple.  Desh finds a pair of pine needles that are stuck together that have fallen from the trees right in front of the school.  Each person takes a side and plays it just like a wishbone.  Whoever pulls the side off with the connecter wins!  Most of the time Desh wins, but sometimes we have a tie.  The connector splits just perfectly in half with each side.  And those are the special days.  When both of us win.  This boy is something else.

 

Josh in London

Lucky Josh got to take a business trip to London.  He worked hard, but also took some time to sightsee just a bit while he was there.  He loved the city and all the cool architecture and said it was one of his favorite big cities he's been to.  He also stumbled upon this turkish barbershop and had the full facial and hair treatment done. What a guy.  

 

Friends

I just adore these darling, sweet girls and the good friends that they are!

 

Naptime

Sometimes us girls just need to nap...

 

3rd term - Desh kindergarten

 

3rd term - Beck 2nd grade

 

3rd term - Keen 4th grade

 

3rd term - Liev 5th grade

 

3rd term - Rhen 7th grade

 

3rd term - Rease 9th grade

 

Square dancing

In preparation for trek this summer, we had a square dance with all the youth from our stake.  It was a really fun night with so many kids and the dancing was just a blast!  Can't wait to see this all at trek again!

 

Islands in the sky

The clouds this morning were incredible!  It made the mountains look like islands in the sky.  So incredibly beautiful!

 

Till

Somehow we have fallen in love with this little creature that has invaded our home...

 

Post run snacks

I'm smack in the middle of my marathon training and had a 17 miler this morning.  I got back to the van and had a seat load of treats and a note from my biggest fan.  I'm so lucky to have the fan club that I do and the best supportive husband to help me out with this craziness.

 

Rhen's 13 birthday

Miss Rhen turned into a teenager today and officially grew up right before our eyes.  She is spunky and spicy and a little bit crazy but boy do we love her!  She had treats all day long to celebrate, starting with donuts in the morning, Fizz for lunch and we kidnapped the Hammers that night for a quick stop at Twisted Sugar to finish off the night.  Family birthday dinner and cake later on in the week made it an official full week of celebrating this girl!  She deserves it.  

 My favorite things about 13 year old Rhen:

1) Rhen is about as cool and crazy as anyone could be.  She loves to laugh, make jokes, make fun of her brothers, sleep in, eat lots of sugar and stay up late watching "her show".  She is THE FUNNEST person to be around and I can't get enough of her.

2) Rhen is a great student.  She takes school really seriously and hates when she's behind in an assignment or didn't do well on a test.  She tested into a higher math class this year and has stayed right on top of everything.  She's going to go big places with that brain of hers.

3) Rhen has a conscience that guides her and she sticks close to her thoughts and impressions.  She knows what's right and always wants to follow that.  She's the first to apologize if she hurts someone's feelings or to offer help when she knows of anyone that needs it.  She sticks close to her leaders that have had a big influence in her life and just wants to be close to the light.  She is doing it right and I hope I can be like her someday.

13 year old stats from Dr. Erickson:

Height: 5'8" - 97%

Weight: 134 lbs. - 88%

Happy Birthday dearest Rhen!  Have the coolest year ever!

Spring band concert

Rease and Rhen had their spring band concert tonight.  They have both been working hard this year and their improvement from the beginning of the year to now is impressive!  Rhen has been playing the tenor saxophone and has really loved it.  And Rease still plays the french horn in symphonic band and has been playing the piano in the jazz band.  I love listening to both of them and they're both having fun with their band classes.

 

Heart Attack

Josh was released from the bishopric this weekend and the youth from our ward are just so sweet and left notes all over the door for him.  It has been a great group of men that have worked hard for the ward for these past 5 years and I know Josh is going to miss working so closely with them and with the youth.  It's so sweet to read all that these kids had to say and it's clear how much they love Josh.  He's the best.

 

Crepes

Liev has become our breakfast boy and wants to make something special every morning.  His latest meal? Crepes.  And he's getting really good at them!

 

Rice Krispie Face

Desh helped me make Rice Krispie Treats today and I think he got more on his face than in his mouth...

 

Elder and Sister Losee

Today Elder and Sister Losee headed off to Heber Valley Camp to start their mission!  They have been preparing and working for months to be ready to go and the day is finally here.  They are going to be such great missionaries and we are so grateful for their example to us all.