The Last Week of School!

The last week of school and the first week of J being home was great! Since J arrived home a week earlier than expected, he was able to spend all of his time with us.


Sunday 5/27: J had tamed his shaggy beard on Saturday, but we had a good time on Sunday morning combing his hair and feathering it this way and that before church. He slept upright by me during Sacrament meeting, sat sleepily by me during Sunday School, and dozed a little next to me out in the hall during Relief Society. After church we had a lazy Sunday afternoon at home. We had chicken drumsticks for dinner and all squashed ourselves into J's expedition tent (that was set up to dry out) for FHE.


Monday 5/28: First thing in the morning the kids favored us with a flag ceremony. I think the color guard that posted the colors at O's patriotic program really made an impression on the boys:

  

 

 
I ran 7 miles in the morning and then went on errands with the whole family. J didn't find what he needed at Out-N-Back or Park's, but I came home with a cute hat and a new valve for my Camelbak. We had lunch at Taco Amigo and then came home to work on our yard. After spending our afternoon outside, we took the kids to the rec center pool, to J Dawgs for dinner, and then home for showers and bed! A nice way to spend Memorial Day.

Tuesday 5/29: We sent our kids off for their last week of school before J, H, and I spent the day repairing little random things in our home. H had a friend over in the afternoon. S & O were both home by 3:30. Piano, home for dinner (leftovers) and bed!


Wednesday 5/30: Ran 5 miles after S & O left for school. J, H, and I went to Costco where we were seduced by the 10-person Coleman tent. J had a haircut:

and a nap. After school S had some friends over to play. J came to watch S & O swim and accompanied us on our very last crazy Wednesday! Our neighbor came to watch the house (and sleeping kids) so we could go meet up with the rope team that came down off Denali early. We chatted with them until 10:45PM! Them home to bed to get ready for...

Thursday 5/31: The Last Day of School! Once we sent S & O off for their hour and a half of school, we went to the grocery store and then hurried home to set up the tent as a surprise for the kids. We walked over to O's school to pick him up and snapped this sweet picture

before he turned to me, threw his arms around my waist, and started crying as if his heart would break. Mrs. Nelson has been such a great teacher for O. We love her so much! Poor kid was inconsolable almost all the way home. We will text her and email her a lot this summer!

S arrived home with an awesome white elephant gift

 

which he generously shared with me

 and H.

The kids loved the tent so much that when I came back from the Chorale rehearsal that I was in charge of, they begged me to put on my jammies and come sleep out in the tent with them. Which I did. It was so fun.

Friday 6/1: I ran 8.5 miles in the morning. We all went to IFA for poison for our yard and The Italian Place for lunch. Our irrigation water came to make our yard less crunchy and our garden happy, and we talked to our newly-returned-from-a-mission neighbor through the fence. I made an outside enclosure for the guinea pigs so they could loaf around in our backyard with us. The male pig had his own separate space but managed to get his head stuck in one of the squares. Lots of squealing and gentle prying later and we hope he's learned his lesson. We cooked our dinner over a campfire (foil packets of chicken and veggies, baked potatoes), and then had too many s'mores made with Reese's peanut butter cups. Oh yummy. Another camp out in the tent.

 

 

This is J's frostbite in the sun. It doesn't look too bad. The middle one still hurts like the dickens, but he won't lose any fingers.

 I got a kick out of J eating chips and salsa with his thumb and pinky. Thank goodness for the opposable thumb!

Saturday 6/2: I ran 3 miles 3 times this day. I've concluded that heat is my downfall. Yikes. I made the yummiest burgers for dinner that I have had in a long time. Why? Because I didn't shred carrots, chop broccoli, or try to sneak any other vegetable into the meat patty this time. It doesn't mean I've learned my lesson, but I can't deny the worth of an all-meat patty. The kids went to bed early and I did loads of laundry and scrubbed the kitchen floor. Not a bad week.

It was nice to have J with us for the week. He's the most mellow man on the planet, but ever since he's been back from summiting Denali, he's even more mellow. I didn't know that was possible. It makes for a happy life over here, and I love it!