Big Things in June

(published 1/29/24)

Ben's Birthday

    Ben's birthday was pretty laid-back, in part because he wasn't feeling very well. The kids weren't all home at the same time, so the festivities were a bit disjointed. Jack was present for presents, Cat was here for cake, and Liza and Luke enjoyed all the festivities, including helping Ben try out his new 9-Square set.

Theater Camp

    In order to allow Ben as much time as possible to work while I was in Mexico City with the Tabernacle Choir, I signed Liza and Luke up for theater camp at UVU. This was a 2-week camp where they spent about 7 hours a day putting together Matilda. Neither of them had big parts. Actually, Luke didn't have a part at all because he did not want to be on stage and agreed to go to camp with Liza on condition that he be allowed to support the stage crew. I didn't have the kids signed up early enough for Liza to attend the audition (or send in a pre-recorded one) and she was disappointed not to even have the opportunity for a speaking part or solo. Nevertheless, they both had a really good time with it. I was sad to miss the performance, and that nobody was allowed to record it due to copyright laws and stuff. But Ben did sneak one picture for us:

And this is the only post-performance picture. I think that's Luke's head on the bottom right...

Father's Day

    The performance was the same weekend as Father's Day, and you may have noticed Andy and Sydney in the above picture. That's because they moved into their new house while I was in Mexico City also! Suz and her family came in town to help with the move, and Ben kindly cooked a Father's Day meal for everyone! I had prepared a few things for Ben, and instructed the kids on how to make it a special day for him even without me there. None of those things happened, but I think it was a good day anyway.

    Below you'll see the gift I'd ordered for my dad for Father's Day - it's a custom-printed Viewfinder with pictures of our family (some old, some new). It was fun to put together, and the kids enjoyed using it for a few days before I mailed it out.

Andy's Family Became Utah Residents

    It was awesome to come back from Mexico and have another sibling living in Utah! Andy's family lives about 25 minutes from us. We immediately started taking advantage of the proximity, and loved hanging out. Below: Amy and I met up at a cool playground with the kids; Andy brought the kids to meet us for an impromptu cookout at Big Springs Hollow Park; and Sydney just hanging out at our house helping Liza water the plants.

Hogle Zoo

    Ben's company had an employee appreciation day at Hogle Zoo. It took a little bit of convincing, but in the end we all went together and it was a really fun way to spend the day - even if it was quite warm.

(possibly my new favorite family picture)

My Friend Margot's Family

    We loved having Margot and her family stay with us during their trip to Utah! We went to the Lindon pool, played games, talked, ate food, caught and fed chickens, and just hung out. The second day of their visit was Margot's birthday, so that was awesome! It was fun to be able to give her a birthday gift in person for the first time in a few years.

    These kids spent a lot of time together when their dads were in grad school. We've seen each other a few times in the 10 years since graduation, but I'm really glad we all had another opportunity to reconnect, especially since Cat and Peter are on the cusp of adulthood and will be off on their own before we know it.