Back to Real Life

A rude awakening to reality, starting at 5:40 a.m. for the boys, and not much later for the rest of us. The kids were all thrilled to go back to school (where is the sarcasm font when you need it?), and Rob had a busy day working. I spent four hours madly cleaning, then hosted my Monday lunch group, which used to be called "Game On" for this healthy tracking game we started, but got re-named "Better Than Before" today, in honor of the Gretchen Rubin book I've been reading. I obviously haven't really gotten back into the daily photography/blogging habit, or there would be a photo of us (Shaaron, Char, Candy, Deyanne, Christianne, Helen, Katrina, Naomi and I) enjoying our always awesome potluck salad, brainstorming the future of our group and doing a fun "favorite things" while elephant exchange (I gave a copy of Better Than Before and got a recipe for lentil soup with all the ingredients to make it). Then more cleaning and busy work in the afternoon, school pick up, homework routine, the usual...

Until about 4:20, when we headed to St. Vincent's. I took a few photos before it started getting busy. 

Here is what Ellie wrote about this experience for her service learning assignment in English earlier this year:

Every month, usually, my family goes to a food kitchen for the homeless called St. Vincent’s. The night before we spend a few hours making sandwiches to serve to them as well as soup, desert, several appetizers, and a cup of milk, juice, or water. We each pick something to serve (out of the thing they are serving, which varies constantly), and put it on the tray, which we pass down a rack, to the person who hands it to the homeless people. To get their meal, the homeless people line up outside and the person at the door gives them a ticket. They then get inside and put their ticket in a jar, and the person at the end of the rack gives them a tray full of food. Once we gave a man a whole pie! Not only is it service, but it’s really fun to do!

Tonight was especially exciting, when Rob was threatened by a tough looking guy after he told him that blankets weren't allowed inside. Luckily no follow through on that. It sure makes me appreciate coming home to a good meal and warm home.

Sandwich Sunday

A few years ago one of my friends mentioned that she and her family were wanting to serve once a month at St. Vincent's Dining Hall for the homeless, and wondered if we'd like to join them. It's been one of the best things we've done. We go the first Monday of every month with a few of our favorite families, and it is such a great opportunity to serve and to get some perspective on how blessed we are. 

Each month we make and take 600 sandwiches with us, to supplement the dinner that St. Vincent's provides. At first we gathered Monday afternoons before heading down to serve, but we've switched to doing it the evening before, and it is great. We've got it down to a system: each family takes a turn buying the supplies at Costco: 46 loaves of bread, 24 packages of ham, and 600 ziplock bags. Not the fanciest sandwiches, but they need soft bread and nothing too hard to chew. Everyone pitches in and it goes pretty fast...it took us about 45 minutes tonight. Luckily our friends the Brashers have the perfect set up for this with two giant islands, and they are always willing to have this crazy crowd.

St. Vincent's photos coming tomorrow...

Mom's Birthday and Valentine's Day

Belated guest post for February 13th and 14th, 2014. Actually posted on June 17, 2014.

Hello, my name is Ainsley. Today I will be talking about my mom's birthday and Valentine's day. It begins where Ellie and I made my mom a birthday gift—one necklace with shells and one necklace with charms. 

So, since we made her that gift, apparently she had to take a picture with us and the gifts.

We went to dinner for her birthday in Perpignan and we had delicious pizza and pasta there. My dad and Joey shared tapas. They looked disgusting.

Mom and Ellie posing for a picture, what an exciting event.

Here we are toasting mom with our glasses for a happy birthday.

This is on Valentine's. It's our family tradition to always get a new book on Valentine's, but since we were in France and all of the books were in French, we got it on our kindles.

Unfortunately, we didn't get to eat crepes, which is our other Valentine Day tradition, even though we were in France!!! Here I am, peeking at my book while the others are all posing for another picture.

I got a Nancy Drew book!!!

Here's Ellie, with her book, Writing Magic, because she wants to be an author.

Robbie got some boring book, which he says is Steelheart.

Here mom is with her book, which she bought for herself, because, well, she's the mom. It's called All There Is. She hasn't even read it yet.

Dad got a book about Paris, called The Greater Journey.

And here Joey is, with a book called Crime Travelers.

I hope you liked Ainsley's blog post.

The End.

Neighborhood Kickball

Last Spring we started an unofficial softball league with several other families in our neighborhood. This year we've switched to kickball, which is easier for the kids. We feel lucky blessed to have such great friends.

Twelve Photos on 3.12.12

My "theme" this month is color.

• I love the way the girl's rooms turned out—that's another post to come, but here's a sneak peek.
• I'm also so excited to see a few flowers and green leaves sprouting up and can't wait for Spring!
• I stocked up on lots of colorful fruits and veggies at Target, and will be making yummy Spring Rolls this week.
• Ainsley spent most of the morning coloring—right now she's into Bratz Girls' coloring pages (I can't stand them, but I guess it's better than watching TV all morning).
• I painted the girls' fingernails green for St. Patrick's Day.
• Rob very grudgingly agreed to let me take a photo of him wearing the new shirt I picked up at Costco—I love the color!
• Robbie had a water polo game tonight. Water polo is seriously fun to watch, even though it makes me tired just watching. :) They won.
• Finally, I found Joey reading in his room, instead of putting on his pj's. No collage of photos representing this day would be complete without piles of dirty clothes. Just keeping it real.

Sweet

On August 23, 2005, Melissa and I took the kids on a tour of Sweet's Candy Factory. Aren't they cute?

Since then, it's become a summer tradition. Here they are on July 28, 2008. I'm pretty sure we went on that day so I could pick up some fresh chocolate orange sticks for Rob's birthday.

August 17, 2009:

August 11, 2010:

And finally, August 10, 2011. I never made a growth chart, but these photos work!

After our tour, I took Robbie down to the junior high to look around, since we'd be at Bear Lake for 7th grade orientation. He found all of his classes, and tried to open his locker, but had no luck. When neither I or the janitor could open it, they told us to come back the next day so the head janitor could check the combo. It hadn't been changed from the previous year, so he fixed it, and I was glad Robbie didn't have to deal with that on the first day of school. I got to take a few photos, since I knew it wouldn't be cool to show up with my camera and embarrass him in front of his friends. :)

He's excited for this new adventure!

Another Favorite

Melissa already blogged about our outing here, so this seems a little redundant, but of course I want to include it in my blog book for this year, so here goes.

This is the Place Heritage Park is a "living history" pioneer village. We added it to our summer bucket list after buying groupons, and we were able to squeeze it in after swimming and tennis ended and before leaving for Bear Lake and the start of the school year. I'm so glad we did, it was really fun!

This photo seems especially appropriate during rivalry week. (I'm really posting this on 9/16/11—the day before the Utah/BYU game.) Go Utes!

We saw some pioneer cabins, and the kids got to help with the chores. Of course they thought it was fun to scrub the laundry on washboards and beat the rugs, but ask them them to take their clothes to the laundry room and vacuum? Yeah, you guessed it.

Our cute friend Natalie and her cute sister were volunteering up there with their kids, so it was fun to see them. The kids were all lined up on the boardwalk listening to the fiddlers play when the bank was robbed. Fun.

They made crafts at Social Hall, and played pioneer games in one of the nicer houses.

The girls both wore their "pioneer" hats.

They all loved being shaved at the barber. Apparently it tickled.

Panning for gold was a big hit too. They were able to turn it in for some salt water taffy.

At the Indian village they each made an arrowhead necklace and explored the wigwam and mud hut.

We went back "downtown" to the Z.C.M.I. candy store and told the kids they could choose a candy or get an ice-cream at the parlor next door.

Ainsley was the only one of my kids who opted for candy. I think she might still have this sucker.

The school was a highlight. They wrote their names on the slates and learned about discipline during pioneer days. They all loved the dunce cap.

Hmm, might have to try this at home. ;)

Last, we went to the stables and rode the horses. We probably should have hit this earlier, they all wanted to keep riding, but I had to get to back-to-school night.

This will definitely be on our list for next year. In fact, if the kids have their way, we'll be back up there for Halloween and Christmas...

Hoping for another groupon!