Lake Tahoe 2018

My brother called me on Wednesday letting me know he was in Reno visiting his friend Jesse and asked if we wanted to meet them in Tahoe on Friday.  I immediately texted LaVor to see if he thought he'd be able to take the day off.  Within a few hours, he said he was off and I let me brother know we'd be at the beach with bells on.

We haven't seen my brother and his family for two years, since my dad's heart surgery, and we hadn't seen Jesse and his family since The Lime's baby blessing (say what?!?!).  We all picked up right where we left off, including the kids, and had a wonderful few hours under the sun.

Our boys (the little ones) immediately jumped in the frigid cold water and just about froze their buns off.  They'd get out of he water, complain how cold they were, then jump right back in.  This process was repeated multiple times throughout the day.

Other brave souls jumped in the lake but I was not one of them. Unless I was sitting directly in the sun, I was cold and I knew the second I went in the water, I'd never be able to recover. And honestly, I hate being cold so exposing my skin to the harsh Lake Tahoe sun was good enough for me.

We saw fellow beach goers jump off poles into the middle of the lake, a mama duck and her babies, and more geese and ducks than we wanted (dang, do they beg!).

The wives chatted, the husbands chatted, everyone snacked, and the kids played until it was time to go. We had to be back home for The Lime's baseball party so on the road we went but because I'm my father's daughter, I had to take a few group photos before packing up.

We've realized we've visited Lake Tahoe for the last three summers and don't know why we don't visit more often. We'll see what happens in the next 12 months.

2nd Grade in the Bag

Seriously, folks! How has another school year gone by?! This has been a little bit of a dramatic 10 months (who knew 8 year old boys could be so catty?) but also a fun one.

I had the opportunity to be the Music Docent for The Lime's class this year. Even though I had no clue what I was doing most of the time, I ended up having fun and I think the kids learned a thing or two. Also, I felt like it gave me a chance to get to know The Lime's teacher a little bit better and vice versa.

I also got to be the Classroom Photographer, even though there were parents who are professional photographers, so I got to attend all the parties and special events at school.

It was neat to see The Lime's report card on the last day of school and the improvement he's made in all his subjects. He still prefers recess over everything else but he's really taken a liking to reading this year, even more than last. Diary of a Wimpy Kid is his favorite and he begs for a new copy every time we go to Costco.

Although we were grateful he got Mrs. Lee (actually, more grateful he didn't get a certain teacher), I was a little unsure about her after being in the classroom for the first time. She seemed a little rough with the kids and was quick to reprimand. But after being around her more, I realized she's a lot like me and we ended up building a neat relationship. She even came up to me on the last day of school and made a note to tell me how much she appreciated all my help throughout the year and said I was her favorite parent volunteer. Bless her heart! It brought a tear to my eye and made me sad to have to leave her (I always get sad on the last day of school).

The Lime was more than ready for summer to begin and kiss 2nd grade goodbye.  He's known who he wants his 3rd grade teacher to be since 1st grade (I think because he thinks she's cute) so we'll see what happens.

Doodlebug - Tally Mark 48 - Part 2

-Spends too much time on the iPad watching YouTube.
-Is an early riser. Sometimes too early, like before the sun comes up.
-Says the sweetest prayers.
-Still gets the hiccups if he laughs too much.
-Hates when people watch him.
-Wears a bowtie to church every week.
-Always takes a handful of Sacrament bread and keeps his cup.
-Thinks he rules the world.
-Likes to say, "What da heck?!" and "Oh my goodness!"
-Will occasionally have PB&J for lunch but still prefers quesadillas.
-Says all sodas are spicy.
-Prefers to apply his own suntan lotion.
-Insists we look at the toys every time we go to Target.
-Is no longer afraid of ladybugs. In fact, he treats them the same as he does babies.
-Likes to exercise so he gets big muscles.
-Gets excited when he sees the letter F.
-Doesn't like loud noises.
-Likes to do different things with his fingers; I love you, rock & roll, and shaka brah.
-I give him two thumbs up for being the best RieRie!

Doodlebug - Tally Mark 48 - Part 1

Dear RieRie,

You have been waiting for this day almost as long as we waited for you! And you made it...you're 4 years old!

This is the year that you become a big boy; you don't wear diapers anymore (except Pull-Ups at night but they're usually dry when you wake up), you started Primary, you can brush your teeth by yourself, you try really hard to buckle your seatbelt by yourself but sometimes need help, and we're getting you to walk more because big boys don't always need Mommy to hold them :) We're also getting you to work on the crying and whining. You tend to cry about EVERYTHING and while it's okay to cry, we don't need to break down every.single.time. something doesn't go our way.

You have lots of best friends and none of them are your immediate family members. Ha! But rather Great Grams & Great Papa, Sister Boden, Eli, McKayla, Natalie, Sophie, and Baby Lilly. You are extremely shy around people you don't know but you go 100 miles/minute around those you love.

Speaking of love, you LOVE babies! Having Baby Lilly in our home and seeing how sweet you are with her, and all babies, has warmed my heart. You share your toys with her, beg to hold her, talk gently to her, and do whatever you can to make her happy. If we ever have another baby, you're going to make the perfect big brother.

But you're still the little brother and you and your big bro fight...A LOT. I sometimes feel like I have twins because what I do for one, I have to do for the other. But you look up to him so much. You can't wait to go to his school, you can't wait to play baseball, you are anxious to pick him up from school each day, and you're always following him around (which may be the reason for the fighting). But I love how much you love him and I hope you always look up to him.

Can I tell you one of the things I love most about you? You love Coldplay! I love driving in the car with you and when we hear Coldplay, you yell at me to turn the radio up. You're also an awesome dancer that can't control his moves when you hear the perfect song. Dance parties are sweeter when you're involved and I can't wait to chaperone your youth dances in 10 years!

You give the best hugs and apparently needed one really bad the other day because it was quite possibly the tightest, most loving hug I've ever received from anyone. We've been getting ready to move and you haven't been getting the attention you need or want so I was more than willing to squeeze you until you eeeekkkked. Feel free to give me those hugs anytime!

You're a rebel at home but when we're in public or with other people, you like to follow the rules and make sure everyone else is following the rules too. You give us the weekly report on who was naughty in Sunbeams, you yell at Natalie to stop on the corner so she doesn't cross the street without us, you encourage McKayla to stay where her mommy can see her at baseball, and you keep tabs on The Lime when he's doing something he shouldn't be. I appreciate that you're obedient with other people, like your Primary teacher, and that I can take you out without worrying about what might happen. You've come with me to The Lime's school on several occasions (music, parties) and you're perfectly content with playing with the classroom toys or puzzles. I've overheard other parents say their kids would never behave the way you do. You can misbehave at home anytime as long as you're good in public :)

This is my last year with you at home before you start Kindergarten and I promise to savor every second. Promise me you'll always be my RieRie!

Enjoy your day, silly boy!

Love,

Mommy

Spring Break at the Park

We're on The Lime's second week of spring break and, unfortunately, we spent a majority of the first week inside watching YouTube videos (thanks to rain every.single.day). Thank goodness, the sun decided to shine on Friday and to the park we went!

The boys saw another group of kids create a little obstacle course and The Lime had to follow suit. It was hard to capture these boys in motion because they're so dang fast but they were sure having fun!

I captured this next photo of The Lime and was immediately taken back over 6 years to another visit we took to the park.

He can't seem to have fun without sticking his tongue out :)

I love that, even though he's almost as big as me, The Lime still loves to play at the park, especially with his little brother.

I was trying to get the boys to leave when we saw our neighbors from down the street walking towards us (the same ones we ran into at Disneyland last spring break). The kids immediately started playing together (even their cute 12 year old daughter) while the mom and I chatted. She's one of the nicest ladies but our relationship has been pretty much say hi at school or wave as we pass each other in the neighborhood.

I overheard her talking one day at school that she quit her job and started working in the schools. Then The Lime came home from school one day and said she was one of the new yard duty ladies. I asked her how things were going and she expressed the same financial frustrations our little family is facing. We both want to help contribute to our households but have the opportunity to stay home with our kids. Thus resulting in not as much money as we once had. She said we were both meant to go to the park that day so we could vent to one another :) It's comforting to know that although some people look like they have their crap together, we're all probably dealing with a lot of the same issues.

As a result of our conversation, she dropped by yesterday to give us some passes to laser tag that we're going to put to great use this weekend!

The weather is even more beautiful this week so we planned to visit a new park with our dear friends, the Swyers. We were the first ones there and the kiddos played hard. We brought soccer balls, basketballs, Frisbees, sidewalk chalk, and they brought their scooters. There wasn't a second where they all weren't having a blast.

Two sweaty hours later, we headed to Taylor's for milkshakes. When we walked in, we saw several missionaries but a bunch of them left while we were in line. After we got our shakes, we went to the patio where two elders were still hanging out. I took a picture of our group when one of the elders asked is he could take a picture of all of us.

"Are you guys members?" he asked. My small clan didn't give it away but our friends have six awesome kids so it was a given. The same elder asked all of the kids' names and asked if we were German. I told him I had ancestors who came from Germany and he said he would have guessed I was the one who immigrated. Bless his heart :) They sat down with us and the kids shared some of their missionary moments. Before they left, the elders asked if we could take their picture and text it to their moms. My friend and I have been talking a lot about technology and our kids, and how we as parents need to cut back when it comes to using our devices. As the elders were walking back to their car, one of their moms responded to the text and asked us to tell them how much she loved them. "That's one of the blessings of technology!" I told my friend. We also knew we were supposed to stay at the park a little longer than we anticipated so we could be at Taylor's at the same time as these elders and share that experience with them.

The park wore us out today so we came home and parked it in front of the TV and watched Toy Story 3. We needed that rest since tomorrow is going to be busy but awesome!

Things I Want to Remember

One of my goals for 2018 was to blog more since this is what I use as our family journal and I want to be able to look back on it in 5, 10, 20 years and see all of the great stuff we did. But clearly, I'm failing. Maybe I should have been better at doing my Personal Progress as a teenager and then I'd know how to make goals and stick to them (totally being sarcastic) :)

We have found ourselves in the same position we were in exactly 5 years ago; trying to find a place to live. Except this time, it's not something we wanted to do.

Last year, our landlord threw around the idea of selling our house but later realized he'd be paying enormous amounts of taxes and changed his mind. We quickly signed another year lease to ensure we'd have a place to live. Well, we received a letter in the mail last week that he decided to go through with the process this year. Houses in our neighborhood are popping up for sale every week and we weren't surprised by his decision, just sad.

We believe in miracles so I sent our landlord, who we've never had any contact with, a letter explaining how much we love this home. Before we moved up here, we prayed harder than I think we've ever prayed for anything else that we would find the perfect home for us. And this has been it. We love our neighbors, its proximity to The Lime's awesome school and his friends, how close we are to the baseball fields, and simply the house itself. I also included a photo of our family with the letter, hoping to tug on his heartstrings extra hard. We aren't holding our breath that our plea will change his mind but we aren't completely dismissing it either.

In the meantime, The Lime is playing baseball again and landed on the same team as his best friend (who also lives down the street from us and they're in the same class at school). Both boys are the oldest, tallest, and most experienced. The rest of the kiddos have either never played or this is their first year in Farm. We're hoping The Lime will polish off his skills with this level and be ready to go for AA come next Spring.

Speaking of baseball and our awesome neighbors, I think I've mentioned before The Lime's infatuation with a kid named Hank that lives across the street. Hank goes to school in Sonoma but his younger brother, Joey, still lives at home. Both Hank and Joey play baseball so when it came time for The Lime to sell his coupon cards as a baseball fundraiser, I suggested going to Hank's house to see if his parents wanted to buy one. Joey opened the door, The Lime nervously said his spiel, and without hesitation Joey said, "I'd love to buy one!" Holy melt my heart. I get teary-eyed just thinking about his willingness to support The Lime. How many teenage boys are so stinkin' kind and wave to 8 year old kids when they get home from school/work? This right here is one of the reasons I don't want to leave our home!

Also speaking of The Lime, LaVor got tickets for his birthday (which I need to blog about) to see Chris Stapleton in concert come July. The Lime was at school a few weeks ago when a girl was talking about going to the Justin Timberlake concert. "My dad is going to that one!" The Lime told her. He came home from school that day and told me the story. I nearly fell on the floor, dying of laughter. I suggested he go to school the next day and tell Kinley right away that his dad was going to see Chris Stapleton, not Justin Timberlake :)

Our little Doodlebug is quite the character and keeps us laughing all.day.long. His facial expressions are to die for, his dance moves are the best, and he still lets met hold him (even though I'm trying really hard not to encourage it since he will be FOUR in 2 months). He loves going to church and comes home with the juiciest Sunbeam gossip you've ever heard. Mainly it's about one of the little girls who disrupts the class and finds herself in timeout every week. Even though he takes one look at dinner and says it's gross and then spends the next hour slowly eating it, he always finishes. He loves to "nuggle" (snuggle) but only with LaVor. I don't think I'm cushy enough. Actually, our whole family loves to snuggle and we've found ourselves squeezing onto our queen bed and falling asleep together these last few months. It wreaks LaVor's poor back but it makes for happy memories.

LaVor is killing it at work and I'm getting fat (not pregnant...I blame it on the lack of sleep and copious amounts of treats).

The boys are way more interesting than we are :) I just need to post more to prove it.

Great to be 8

For a while, The Lime was hesitant about being baptized. He said it wasn't the dunking in the water that made him nervous. In fact, he didn't really know what it was that he was worried about. But he was certain he didn't want to be baptized. And we reminded him that he's the one that gets to make that choice, nobody else.

We talked a lot about the joy and blessings that come from being baptized, and about Christ's example. Slowly but surely, he warmed up to the idea and finally, about a month before the scheduled stake baptism, he decided he did want to be baptized.

I'll be the first to admit I am NOT a fan of stake baptisms. The thought of sharing your special day with 8 other kids, most of which you don't know, was dumb to me. We even asked the bishop in our Tithing Settlement how we could get around it. He said if people were coming into town for his birthday, 10 days earlier, then we could pull the "we can't have all these people come twice in 10 days" card. But nobody was planning on being in town for his birthday because they were all planning on the baptism :P

So we bit the bullet and decided to join the rest of the stake on this special day.

And boy, it was a special day!

LaVor's parents flew in from Colorado, my parents drove in from Idaho, my sisters came up from the Bay Area, John & Becky surprised The Lime from Utah, Jared, his girls, and dad drove up from Livermore, my aunt and uncle (who aren't members) came, LaVor's great grandparents got in from their month long cruise the day before and we still there bright and early, LaVor's local aunt and uncle joined us, and our dear friend (sans husband) brought her six kids to celebrate The Lime.

Since LaVor was performing the baptism, and both our dads were the witnesses, we asked Great Papa if he would give The Lime the Gift of the Holy Ghost. Since The Lime's middle name is after Great Papa, and we aren't sure how many more wonderful opportunities we'll have with him, we thought it'd be the perfect scenario. And it was! So many people commented on how wonderful it was. I wish I had thought to record it, as I did The Lime's baby blessing.

Two other kids from our ward were baptized with The Lime and each of their families had a part in our ward's program. The other moms graciously asked if I wanted someone from my family to offer the talk on the Holy Ghost. My mom is such a good speaker, I knew she'd do an excellent job. And, of course, she did! She spoke directly to the kids and made them feel like a million bucks.

My sister, Amy, offered to conduct the closing song (despite being really nervous) and did a superb job.

Not once, during the whole service and day, did I feel like The Lime was looked over or unloved. Clearly, with all of these people there just for HIM, he was SO loved!

Our original plan was to have everyone come back to our house for lunch. Then we realized we'd have about 40 people and quickly thought of plan B; the church building. It was just our luck that our building's cultural hall was free so we booked it ASAP. Best.idea.EVER!

Bless his heart, The Lime wanted pizza for lunch and root beer floats & root beer float cookies for dessert. With the help of friends grabbing the pizzas and family members prepping the salads and dessert, it couldn't have been any easier! The adults sat around and chatted while the kids ran amuck throughout the building. I think and hope everyone had a good time.

I asked The Lime if he felt any different now that he's baptized. Not to my surprise, his response was no. But we both know he made the right decision, and he's taken his first step in following Christ's example and making his way back to our Heavenly Father.

His Special Day

As soon as I finished with work, I headed to the doughnut shop and got there two minutes after it opened.  I asked the man if they get many customers at 4:30 and he said, "Only you..."  :)

We've carried on LaVor's family tradition of not opening presents until after dinner.  But I wanted The Lime to be able to wear his new shirt to school yesterday so I let him open just one while we FaceTimed with LaVor.

This kid is a HUGE fan of Dude Perfect as is, apparently, the rest of the world. This was the only shirt on their website that wasn't sold out! He was super excited to wear it and I was super excited it wasn't anything Warriors related :)

The Lime originally wanted to bring cupcakes to school as his treat but changed his mind when he realized he'd be getting cake after dinner. We ran through some ideas and when I suggested root beer float cookies, he nearly jumped out of his seat. "Yes!" he exclaimed. He couldn't have picked an easier treat!

Doodlebug and I swung by Togo's to grab The Lime his favorite pastrami/salami sandwich and zipped over to his school where we met his class just in time for lunch. Those kids sure have to eat fast before they're kicked out for the next group. But we still had fun spending some time with The Lime and his buddies, and everyone (except for one girl) loved the cookies.

I needed to finish up The Lime's birthday cake before we headed to dinner with friends. He wanted another basketball themed cake and, since he's on an even bigger Curry kick this year than he was last, this is what I came up with.

There was no way I was making an edible hoop and Curry so those are just pictures taped to skewers. The Lime was happy with how it turned out which is all that mattered.

While I was finishing up his cake, The Lime was painting his Pinewood Derby car. The race was the following day but we had to turn it in that night. LaVor raced home with the weights for it, he strategically slapped them on, and we were the second participant at the leader's house.

Just like the day The Lime was born, it was pouring rain as we drove to a pizza dinner with friends. We were running a little behind and came up with the brilliant idea to order the pizza on the way there. That way, it was ready when we arrived and the kids wouldn't be starving. It worked! Our friends got there just before we did, we walked in, found a spot to sit, and were given our pizzas within minutes.

Since we don't have family close enough to celebrate fun moments like this, it's such a treat to have friends that can fill that void. We love the Swyers and I shouldn't be surprised The Lime begged me to invite them to dinner.

We sang happy birthday, played some arcade games, and called it a night so we could head home and open the rest of The Lime's presents.

The Lime said he didn't know what to ask for since he got everything he wanted for Christmas.  Thankfully he was able to come up with a few ideas and seemed to be pleased as punch with the outcome.

Before we knew it, the day was over. But the festivities were really just beginning! More to come in about a week...

Pinewood Derby

If I'm being completely honest, I have been dreading The Lime turning 8 because then he'd be old enough to start Cub Scouts. It's one more thing for me to keep tabs on and the uniforms are too expensive, in my opinion. And he hasn't shown a huge interest either. So I feel like it's something I have to do because everyone else is doing it. Blah!

The first "event" as a Cub Scout was the Pinewood Derby. We waited until the last feasible moment to start working on his car. LaVor did some research and got everything ready to go so all The Lime had to do was paint it. Apparently Warriors colors are also the scout colors, which I did not realize. The Lime's infatuation with Steph Curry ended up getting him an award for Most Scout Spirit :P

Before we could start racing, a long overdue pack meeting had to take place. We had two boys moving up to Boy Scouts so we got to see several traditions that may be in The Lime's future. Maybe...

Soon enough, we were ready to go. There were lots of fast looking cars and I was a little nervous we'd end up in last place. But I was proven wrong.

The Lime had a great time taking this new experience in with his friends and was so proud of how his car performed.

They had nachos, doughnuts, and Hawaiian punch for us to enjoy and everyone was having a grand time.

I must not have been paying that close of attention to what was going on because before I knew it, The Lime was in the final race with one of the older boys. We weren't surprised that the outgoing scout won but we were THRILLED that The Lime came in 2nd!

Nevertheless, he ended up having a blast and we have a goal to shoot for next year.

The Lime - Tally Mark 96 - Part 2

-Thinks Dominos has the best pizza and ranks Little Caesars #2
-Wears something Warriors related every.single.day
-Has to ride his bike to get the mail with me (even though it's directly across the street from our house)
-Is a huge "Dude Perfect" fan
-Loves to attempt tricks like the DP guys
-Attempts to do his homework in front of the TV but gets way too distracted
-Has to try and reach the net on any basketball hoop he sees in public
-Will probably be taller than me by the end of the year
-Has to put deodorant on every day (not because he needs it, just because he wants to)
-Is trying to learn how to tie a necktie
-Worries if he forgets to wear a hat to school
-Is our official garbage taker outer
-Loves to have dance parties
-Still has and loves Luficer, the pink cat, even though her back is covered in patches
-Wears shorts 90% of the time, no matter the weather.  If it's cold, he wears long socks
-Races to be the first kid in Primary each week
-Has won the hearts of our family for the last 8 fabulous years

The Lime - Tally Mark 96 - Part 1

Dear Freddy,

What in the world is happening?! I was looking through old pictures a few nights ago and it seems like you were just born, and just went potty on the toilet for the first time, and just started baseball, and just started school, and now we're here. You're officially 8 years old and I'm in shock!

We were driving to Target the other day and I said, "Just think...in 8 years, you'll be driving!" To which you replied, "I could drive now. I'm really good at my video games." Time is zipping by on its own, no need to rush it :)

You try hard, most of the time, to be a tough kid who appears to be older than 8. You adjust your voice so it sounds a little deeper. You attempt to act rough, tough, and "cool". You don't seem to be into things kids your age are into. But then you ask me to carry you to bed at night. Or you ask to snuggle with everyone on the couch. Or you get nervous doing something on your own. And I realize you do still need me and I love it! You aren't afraid or embarrassed to hold my hand in public, you still believe 110% in the magic of Santa, the Tooth Fairy, and the Easter Bunny. In fact, Daddy and I let some things slip after Christmas and you questioned us. Particularly why the box for Doodlebug's present was in our closet. When I told you Santa left the gift in the package and I thought it'd be too hard for Doodlebug to open it so I took it out and hid the box in my closet, you were totally satisfied with that answer. And it filled my heart with gratitude that I hadn't ruined the magic for you and you are still so innocent to believe.

Speaking of your brother, it's becoming harder and harder for you two to get along. Christmas vacation was brutal for everyone and the bruises on both your bodies, from wrestling and hitting each other, are proof :P Yet you were his biggest cheerleader the first week he started potty training. And you love teaching him how to play basketball and baseball. I love when I overhear you talking sweet and gentle to him, as I know that's your true character. You're a teacher, leader, and protector, especially when it comes to Doodlebug.

This past year was a fun one for you! Disneyland, trips to San Francisco, teeth falling out of your head like it's going out of style, visits with grandparents, the mud run, lots of baseball, tons of laughter, and so many afternoons spent playing with friends. You're one lucky kid that one of your best friends lives down the street AND is in your class at school. You've always treasured your friendships and this one with Cohen is no different. You're a great example to him and share your story of praying in front of him often (Cohen stayed for dinner one night and The Lime said the prayer). Santi is also one of your good friends, which I find funny because the last two years of school you guys haven't always gotten along. I think you realized you're very similar, have a lot of the same interests, and are able to put that first born mentality behind you guys (most of the time).

You've taken a greater interest in cooking this last year, beyond your "concoctions".  I'll catch you sneaking into the kitchen while I'm making dinner and stirring something on the stove.  Or trying to chop or measure something.

Speaking of food, you are your father's son.  You beg to go to La Piñata when we visit the Bay Area.  And if I'm being honest, you wish for it often when we're at home.

You are not the picky eater you once were and you're willing to try at least one bite of most things.  You usually end up liking it and have done a great job expanding your pallet.  Now if we could just convince you to order the spread on your In N Out burgers :)

You've continued your perfect score on spelling tests streak, even when you started the week out struggling with the words. You get excited when you answer your math problems correctly. You even know how to make slideshows on Google (which I didn't even know how to do). You're gathering new information constantly and sometimes think you know more than me and Daddy. We have to remind you we've been around just a smidge longer than you and know just a smidge more. Nevertheless, you are a smart cookie!

Use that knowledge for good! Especially since you'll be baptized in a week and Satan is going to work extra hard to get you to make naughty choices. You've always strived to do what's right and I hope you can rely on what Daddy and I have taught you, what you've learned at church, and the good examples of those around you. Continue doing what you're doing and you'll be one successful dude in all aspects of your life.

I love you to pieces!

Mommy