2024 Moments: Week 45

I get to the end of the week every single week and wonder how I fit it all in.

There were a lot of mentally and emotionally charged discussions and thoughts this week. Election Tuesday. Landon and I are grateful to have so many close friends and family with such different world views. We were having discussions with all of them throughout the night on Tuesday. Some were ecstatic, some relieved, some shocked and some devastated. What I learned from the last four months is that every single one of our friends and family had legitimate reasons to feel and think and vote the way they did. I learned that there can be two rights to the same issue. I learned that every issue is nuanced. And every heart has reasons to push them in a direction. After the last four months, I feel even more confident in our world and in our country because of all the people that I know! No matter who they voted for, I am surrounded, physically and virtually, by a lot of really good, hard working, genuine, honest, thoughtful, loving people. And I believe that is a pretty good place to land! 

Side note: I think one of my core values, is to make sure I never exist in echo chambers. It matters so deeply to me to surround myself with people from all walks of life and with all sorts of world views. 

Our boys are brilliantly awesome. They are all working so hard in so many good things. I sent four videos to our parents this week of simple moments. Jaxson working so hard on a piano piece he’s been working on for months. Ty reading the scriptures, with his cute glasses on, out loud. Luke singing Take Me Out to the Ball Game and Briggy dribbling the ball in the kitchen. Here is the reality. Our life is not always pretty. And I’m grumpy and get frustrated with my kids more than I wish I did. And they get grumpy and frustrated with me more than I wish they did. But I believe they have a pretty beautiful childhood. And the older they get the more and more I want to be apart of it all. I would say that the thing I am most grateful for tonight when it comes to our boys, is I believe they already know how to work hard and push themselves. I watch them do it every day.

Young women’s and young men’s is coming along. We had some really beautiful moments this weekend with the young women! I was so proud of so many of them!!! It’s been quite the roller coaster the last three months, but this weekend made me feel like I’m finally getting a hang of it. Landon had to decorate for the young men’s award night, tonight. He did an awesome job! And our Sunday was super full because of it. Well partially. We also had multiple meetings and church. But I made a wicked good pot roast. 

Things we have started in YWs:

Munch and minister. Find something new to eat and then go minister to someone. 

Peach and pit: which is just a cuties way of telling everyone one good thing and one bad thing in your week.

Greet and eat: Trying to create a soft landing for when the girls come into class in Sundays. A way for them to just chat and gather for a minute before we split into classes. 

And I’m just now realizing that all of our things have something to do with food. Oh well. Food makes everything better!

The BYU game was something else!!! 22-21. We will never forget it! 

And it’s been four years. Four years since I was pregnant. That feels like a big deal. Are we really moving on from that chapter of our life? I think so….. I think so! 

2024 Moments: Week 44

Lando:

Busy work week. Ends up being a 12 day week. But highlights were the few times he could exercise. Dinner with the Marcusen’s for date night and then coming home to a yummy meal and the Pickett’s. Also! Thank you Picketts for helping me clean out the melted plastic tray in the oven 😬. I’m impressed with the ability for plastic to smell so bad so quickly. And impressed with is inability to seep into everything and make your smell like plastic forever. (Different than smoke in that way.)

Becs:

I woke up at 2:00am Friday morning and couldn’t sleep. I tried listening to books and then tv shows and nothing. My phone died by 11am on Friday and I just decided not to charge it and it was the greatest thing ever. It’s was only 6 hours but I feel like I’m just going to turn my phone off every Friday! I had said a prayer at about that time (11am), so tired. Asking for help to get through the day. And the answer was a dead phone and resolve not to charge it. Thank goodness! 

Jax: 

He has basketball practice three times  week from 7:00-8:30. He gets home around 9. And it’s really wonderful for him to just sit and chat with Landon and I. He’s in such a  different phase than his brothers and I’m just loving his phase. 

Ty:

Ty’s love for Halloween is fading. Which is crazy cause that’s how we got through October in residency. But his family home evening was carving pumpkins. And man, I’m just so impressed with his capabilities. Sometimes I forget he’s only 9. 

Luke: 

Last week when it was family home evening, Luke was in charge and he called on tie to say the prayer every single time. This week it was Ty’s turn. So Ty in return called on Luke to say the prayer and Luke said “ jokes on you I’ll say a long prayer.” Then at the end of Family home evening Ty called on Luke again to say the prayer. And Luke responded in the same way. But Ty said “no you already prayed for everything you can’t pray for anything else“ but then Luke proved him wrong. It was hilarious. 

Also this text I sent our parents:

“ You guys!!!! Luke is GOOOOD! 

He scored 14 of his teams 20 points. He was for sure the most aggressive. We was knocked down and slapped in the face but he stayed with it every time. He scored 8 points right out of the gate so the other coach decided to put their best player on him. But it didn’t stop Luke from working his tail off. Also he’s the smallest! 

But the BEST moment of all was when on of his teammates scored for the first time. Luke jumped 10 feet high with excitement for his teammate!!! Then ran over to give him a high five!!! 

And when the coaches lined the kids up to see who they were defending, Luke waved so happily at his opponent. 

When athletic meets charity you get LUKE.”

Brigs:

Something happened this week. He grew up. He went to preschool without ANY fights. He took breaks and worked in his sticker book quietly(and also put them on the window). He told me when his brothers were fighting. He didn’t pee his pants. He went to bed early (6:30) without any fights. Halloween night was the best though. He just ran from house to house. So happy! He did a side skip dance!! And then at about 7:30 he said “I is sleepy! Daddy you hold me.” To which landon picked him up, brigs cuddles him, and when walked him home to bed. 

2024 Moments: Week 43

 The weekend started with Saturday chores on a Friday afternoon. The boys did a really good job jumping in and getting to work after school. It took about 3 hours to get our home and yard back in order. Ty mowed the backyard and jimmy rigged the lawn mower handles because it hurts his little hands to hold them down for that long. Jax did the chores required of him, quickly and well. And then I annoyingly gave him more. To be fair, I do think his brothers had harder jobs compared to their abilities. Luke had the basement. Which was destroyed by 7 toddlers that morning. It was overwhelming. So I gave him step by step instructions to get I back in order. He cried at first but then by the end he was excited to check off the 14th step! I gave Brig some of Luke’s chores and he stepped up. It seems like they are all learning to work. But also, how is the house destroyed again after the weekend. 

We ended Friday night with a psych and some Chinese food that I made. Oh and sulking. 

Saturday was epic. 6 games back to back to back. Jax dominated in his first game! It was so fun to watch him play well. Ty was able to get a goal in his last soccer game of the season, but unfortunately his team lost both games. Luke apparently is the only first grader that can dribble and shoot. But really I was shocked at how good he is and he’s the smallest on the court. The other team finally put their tallest player on Luke… that made things tricky. Briggy found a lady bug and made it his pet. Annnnd BYU WON!!!!! 8-0 baby, like what?? 

Date night! Landon and I went to a new restaurant. We rated it a 2. We talked lots of politics. It’s weird to feel politically homeless. Weird to feel like neither presidential candidate is capable or should be our be president. Weird that I have friends and family on both sides that truly believe life is over if their candidate doesn’t win. All hard to wrap my brain around. But that’s what ice cream is for. Landon’s deep love for ice cream….. is not matched by me. I just want a pastry! 

Sunday was full of YW and YM meetings. Plus the primary program. Which Brigs refused to stand up for any part except finally at the last song he got into it. The cutie. Such a stinker. We had tithing declaration! Brigs got more candy. That boy exists on sugar. 

We went to the Nolan’s for a Halloween party and that was so fun. And we drove away reminded again that we just found our people here in Spokane! We came home, read scriptures, tucked the littles in bed and then went to the World Wide Youth Broadcast. And then the girls and I talked at length about what makes a man attractive and Landon and the young men played ping pong. Obviously. 

The weekend. 

And Monday is for recovering from the weekend.