Just another week..

I feel bad that I don't have anything more exciting to report for this week, yet at the same time, I'm glad I don't! Sometimes it's nice to simply have a normal week with nothing too out of the ordinary. That's not to say that it hasn't been a busy week. Dallin and Danny are still in basketball (Dallin still goes to games and practices even though he can't really participate), Amber has an upcoming choir competition she's preparing for, and Laurin has been busy with Medical Explorers and preparing for her humanitarian trip to Peru. I love that our kids are involved in good things. I know I feel a little overwhelmed when I'm trying to plan dinner around evening schedules or trying to figure out how I'm supposed to be in two places at once when I have to shuttle kids to things, but I am proud of the accomplishments the kids have made. Work has fortunately picked up as well. January is usually our slow month, which I am not fond of, but the Lord has been good to us and we're able to make it through just fine. In any case, since work has been a little slow, Jeff has been planning for the future. He can't be idle for long....which I love about him! Well part of his future planning included driving to Corrine, UT to buy a 500 gallon diesel fuel tank. We feel strongly about being more self-sufficient and this is just another way to prepare for that. Since I didn't have anything pressing going on, I decided to go along for the drive. What was supposed to be a quick trip didn't turn out to be so. Once we got there, Jeff and the gentleman selling the tank were able to get the tank on the trailer. However, the tank stand was imbedded in the frozen ground. There was a debate about whether to go back to Payson empty handed since it seemed impossible to remove the stand, but the debate was quashed once the gentleman contacted a friend with a backhoe tractor to come dig and lift the stand out of the ground. It was quite the project, but if any of you know Jeff, he doesn't give up on anything until all the options have been exhausted. During the time we waited for the tractor, I strolled down the little street we were at and found an old church house with a historic bell in front. We also had lunch at a small deli at the local truck stop/farmers co-op. Gotta love small Utah towns! In all seriousness though, it was a nice little town and everyone was very friendly. We may pass through here again because just another 20 miles down the road was the Golden Spike National Monument. I would love to take the kids to go see that. All in all, it was a nice day to spend with Jeff. We even got home in enough time to still make it to the temple for our date night. I love that I love to spend time with my husband. He truly is my best friend.

Chinese New Year

If you haven't figured it out by now, I love holidays...any holiday...actually any reason to do something out of the norm and to celebrate. Well something else I love is culture! I love celebrating and learning about what makes us different. I love exposing myself to different experiences...and I hope my kids will embrace that love as well. I hope everyone can. In any case, today was a day that combined those two loves...it was Chinese New Year's Eve. Since tomorrow (the actual Chinese New Year) is Friday (which means date night for Jeff and I), I decided to celebrate with the kids today. I had done a little research and prepared a few treats for the kids. I made red envelopes and stuffed them with chocolate coins. In China, red envelopes are given to the unmarried children in the families. They are stuffed with actual coins to inspire prosperity for the children in the coming year. Red is also a lucky color and inspires good things to come for that year. After making the envelopes, I typed out a couple fortunes for each family member (I included Jeff in this one as well) and made some homemade fortune cookies (that was more of a project than I realized!, but the end result was well received). For dinner, I made stir-fry steak with scallion and black pepper sauce, sesame noodles, and (of course) some steamed Asian veggies (I am a stickler for having veggies with each meal...the kids love it!...ok, maybe not). To top it off, since it's the year of the horse, I bought each kid a Hot Wheels "mustang". It wasn't much but the kids (and I) really enjoyed the experience!

Speaking of cultures, tonight I started teaching a Spanish class for a few friends and neighbors. Someone approached me about doing this about a month ago and I agreed. Cross your fingers that it goes well! I've never taught Spanish before so this may be very interesting.

I have no clue why this picture keeps flipping...but you get the point!



Broken thumb

Today Jeff received a call from Dallin during school - he broke his thumb! Or at least we think that may be the case. Because Jeff was hurrying off to work, I was the lucky one who ran over to the school to take Dallin to the doctor. Dallin had been playing basketball when he tripped as he tried to execute a hook pass. As he fell, so did his opponent. The opposing player landed on his hand with Dallin's thumb in a vertical position with the floor. Dallin stated that he didn't hear any breaking sounds but (after shooting an outside three-pointer and finishing up the game) his thumb really started to hurt. I got him in to see his pediatrician who surmised that the swollen area could be broken, but there was no way to be certain without x-rays. Great! That was a waste of time! Still, the doctor fitted Dallin with a removable, fiberglass cast and splint for his thumb. Even if it was only a bad sprain, Dallin would still have to wear the cast for at least 5 days. We were sent off to get some x-rays and are now just waiting to see the results. Dallin is gingerly crossing his fingers that it is only a bad sprain. He is right in the middle of his basketball season - not to mention that he can't write or do much without the use of his right hand - so he is anxious to get back on the court. Hopefully we'll get a call in the next couple days to give us the results. Until then, we all get to chip in to help with homework, typing talks for church (which he had to give that Sunday), etc. Dallin has been a great sport through it all! Let's hope this is the only broken bone we deal with this year! (Just a quick addendum...I finally got a call back from the doctor's office and Dallin did actually break his thumb. It is a buckle fracture at the base of his thumb, which means he has to remain in the splint for 4 weeks. He was not a happy boy.)

Pinewood Derby

For all you cub scout parents, the mere words "Pinewood Derby" will either strike fear and dread or elation and anticipation. I'm afraid I fall into the first category. Still, tonight was Danny's Pinewood Derby. He has been excitedly anticipating this Pack Meeting for weeks! He hounded Jeff for days to help get the car ready and painted. He was pretty proud of the end result and I was just happy that it wasn't the slowest car there. Danny had a blast watching the car race. I had a blast watching him have a blast. I think, even though he wasn't the fastest car there, it was still a successful evening. Danny even received another belt loop (marbles). We are working towards his Bear as we speak and hope to have that accomplished by the end of the summer. Way to go Danny!

No School! (Martin Luther King Jr. Day)

Today the kids didn't have any school. There were still some chores that needed to be addressed in the morning, but once we were through, it was time to play! The boys and I started our play time a little earlier than the rest. There hasn't been much snow since our initial snow storm in the beginning of December; however, because the back of our house is constantly shaded, there is a perfect patch of snow to sled on. We grabbed our warm clothes and headed outside to do a little sledding. I'm learning how to enjoy the white stuff!

Once Jeff and the girls finished up what they were doing, we all loaded up (including Amber's friend, Rachel, and Laurin's friend, Tayler) and headed to Seven Peaks Ice Arena to do some ice skating. No, I did not participate in this activity. I am pretty uncoordinated as it is, but if you strap a thin blade of metal to my feet, there is minimal chance that I will remain upright. Jeff initially stayed out with me but once he saw Danny struggling, he laced up and was out on the ice. He was actually really good. I guess growing up around snow and ice gives him some advantages. In any case, I was the designated photographer. See if you can locate the kids and/or Jeff in the following photos.

After we finished skating, we took the kids to Hickory Kist (a local sandwich/soup place in Spanish Fork) for dinner. It was a fun way to spend a day off!

 

One year!!

Today marks our official wedding anniversary! ONE YEAR!!! It still seems surreal. I get to wake up to my best friend every day. I get to feel his warm embrace every day. I get to share all my hopes, dreams, and fears with someone who makes me feel safe to be that vulnerable and raw. Jeff knows all my flaws, quirks, and weaknesses yet he loves me anyways. He inspires me to greater heights. He encourages me to develop my talents and never holds me back. He is forgiving, sympathetic, and understanding. We don't always see eye to eye, but we have built a foundation of respect and open communication upon which we stand during moments of disagreement. I have never known anyone (other than my parents) that has loved me so deeply. I am such a lucky girl. I look at all I've learned (some of it through the school of Hard Knox) and accomplished during this first year that it's almost scary yet exciting to see what this next year has in store for us. If this past year is any indication, I know that my love will continue to grow exponentially for the man I have prayed to be mine for years. In any case, we leisurely got up again that morning and packed up our things, but the weekend wasn't complete without one more thing  - a dance. I turned on our song (Never Stop by Safety Suit) and Jeff tenderly enveloped me in his arms as we slowly danced around the room. I will never stop loving Jeff. He is truly my life, my love, my everything. Thank you Jeff for loving me and for choosing to be my companion for eternity!

We casually made our way down the canyon and got home in time to accompany the kids to church. After church, we had a nice dinner with another Martinelli's toast with the kids...after all, they are celebrating this anniversary too. I am so grateful for them. I can't believe how flexible and forgiving they have been as we've all stumbled down this unknown path. I have truly been blessed to love beyond what I thought possible and am so grateful that I have the opportunity to do so. 

Anniversary weekend: Day 2

It was this "day" (not date), one year ago, that Jeff and I were sealed together for eternity. I still can't believe it. Jeff and I spent several moments throughout the day reflecting on our perfect wedding day. It really was perfect. The weather was a beautiful 75 degrees (much different from the 37 degrees of today!). We were surrounded by family and friends. The reception was intimate and elegant. But most of all, I was united to my soul mate for eternity in the Mesa temple. I wouldn't have changed anything about that day! Today we celebrated by having a fun, relaxing day. We leisurely got up (ok, I leisurely got up...Jeff was already up) and had breakfast at a little bakery at the Resort before going across the street to the Crater. The Zermatt's sister resort, Homestead, is built around this large anthill-looking mound that actually has been hollowed out by geothermal waters. It is the only warm water scuba diving facility in the nation. You can also make reservations to go swimming in the warm waters, which is exactly what we did. It was pretty crazy going from snow outside to 90 degree water inside. There was so much steam inside because of the difference in air temperatures but the water was perfect! We had so much fun just soaking and floating in the warm water. It was a great way to spend a relaxing morning.

After we finished our swim, we wandered around the Homestead resort before returning to our room to clean up. By this time, we were hungry so we headed to downtown Midway to eat. Now for those who haven't been to Midway, the downtown area is probably less than a mile total! Still, we found a good Mexican food restaurant and a quirky ice cream shop to indulge in. Jeff and I then decided to explore the area (which included Heber). Jeff has done several jobs in the area, one of which he received an honorable mention award from a national radiant heating organization. Basically, he installed a snow melt system for this HUGE driveway at this home outside of Heber. I am extremely proud of my husband. He has never been satisfied with the status quo. He always strives to challenge himself and to continue to learn more. He has built a successful business that has allowed him to provide a comfortable life for our family. I am proud of you Jeff! After we drove around, we headed to the Ice Castle. Talk about drastic changes in temperature between our activities! This was actually really cool (literally and figuratively)! This ice castle was created by setting off various sprinklers during the night. The water eventually freezes and creates icicles and columns of ice. The designers of this castle have carved out pathways and tunnels. It was a gorgeous day to explore those pathways. The sun's light would illuminate the columns of ice creating different hues of blue. It was beautiful! I told Jeff I think we should create our own ice castle at home.

Finally, we ended our day with a sleigh ride around the Homestead then a warm dinner at the Simon's restaurant. I have always wanted to go on a sleigh ride. I guess that comes from watching to many Hallmark Christmas movies growing up. It always seemed like a romantic thing to do...cuddled up to the one you love while sliding through a winter wonderland. It was just the perfect way to end another perfect day with Jeff. I am such a lucky girl. I love Jeff beyond what I ever could have imagined possible...and the best part is that he loves me just the same.

Warming up by the fire getting ready to eat dinner.

We finally wandered back to our room but before we went to bed we had to do one more thing...cut into our wedding cake. We saved the top tier of our wedding cake to eat on our first anniversary. It was just as delicious one year later as it was the day of our wedding. In fact, I actually got to eat more of my wedding cake a year later than I did on my wedding day. We coupled our cake indulgence with a Martinelli's Cider toast. We toasted to the many more years of wedded bliss we will get to enjoy together!...and that is a toast that I know will come true.

I brought up our cake knife and server from the wedding.