Water a Flower Day

We got a late start with our garden this year. It's been a weird year, weird Winter, etc. In April and May there were several freeze warnings even though it was a mild Winter.

So on a rainy Saturday, Jeremy and I headed out to buy some plant starts so we could have our vegetable garden. 

And it just so happened that May 30 was Water a Flower Day. Some of the starts actually had flowers on them already. Ta-da. Celebrated. 

 

Service and Burnout

We did so much that first week of December. I wanted to get things in before the tradition of being sick during the First Presidency Christmas Devotional. Actually, nobody was sick for that this year. Yay. We did enjoy watching it together.

In Sacrament Meeting that morning, our bishop talked about doing simple acts of service, which as you know I've been thinking about and trying to do lately. He shared an experience where he offered to throw away somebody's trash for them because it looked like they were done eating. Simple acts of service. I offered to take someone's cart back for them in the Costco parking lot. I was already taking mine back and he had one arm already full. Simple acts of service. At church, I complimented a couple men on their ties because the Christmas season brings out some awesome festive ties. Simple acts of service.

I also took some time Sunday afternoon to make paper bag puppets with Jet. He loved it. 

So I tried to do service. I tried celebrating. Then Monday and the burnout came. I had my nice little breakdown, feeling the overwhelm. I managed to clean and vacuum the living room. I did not manage to catch up on dishes. Did you know baking uses a lot of dishes? I still haven't caught up on the dishes. I'll just admit that right now. And I want to do more baking (read that with a whiny voice).

I still managed to do service when a couple people asked me to help with things. I mean, when someone needs a balloon blown up and you have access to balloon pumps... 

Monday evening, I dragged the kids (a couple were grumpy and didn't want to go- everyone's feeling the burnout and overwhelm) over to the mall for something new. 

They had a live nativity. Students from one of the local high schools were the performers. I knelt down with Jet to explain who the different people represented. When we get to the different groups (shepherds, wise men, etc.) in our family scripture study, I'll be able to remind him of what we saw. 

We also got hot chocolate and brownies there which we were excited about because December 8 was National Brownie Day.

Jet wanted to go inside the big Christmas tree while we were there. It is so cool looking inside.

 

We enjoyed the holiday lights (including the lights of the fountain). 

Here's a funny story. We sat down by the fountain to let Jet eat his brownie because he was just carrying it around for a while. While we were sitting there, Lucky handed me his napkin which he had shaped like a flower and said, "Here's a pretty flower for the lady." Awwww. When Jet finished his brownie, he handed me his crumb covered napkin and said, "Here's a napkin for when you finish your brownie." Ha Ha Ha Ha. I think he did it in a similar voice to what Lucky was using which is what made it hilarious. Have I mentioned I love my kids?

 

We got to see live animals as we walked back to our van, including a camel.

The weather was so good that day. We were really fortunate. I think the student performers were also really fortunate because when Nichole went to the mall just a couple days before that, it was so cold.

The grumpy kids didn't stay grumpy very long which I am grateful for and Jet was very well behaved.

We talked about how many years ago (November 2017), most of us got to ride a camel, so when we got home, Jet got on his brother's back and told us, "I'm riding a camel."

Since it was also Pretend to Be a Time Traveler Day, we had "fish fingers and custard" at home.

Huh. I guess going to a live nativity also works for that holiday because we went back more than 2000 years to when Jesus came to Earth as a little baby.

 

Yesterday, December 9, was National Llama Day so my mom said I could share a couple pictures she took of her neighborhood llamas. She shared some llama thoughts with me as well. I love that my mom helps me celebrate. 

Catching Up January 2025 Part 3

January 19 was Brew a Potion Day and National Popcorn Day and Whisper "I Love You" Day. There were definitely whispers of "I love you" that day. Somebody made popcorn. 

I'm not sure what this is. It definitely looks like some sort of potion. It's possible it is Chicken Tortilla Soup since that was what was on the menu plan for that day. Catching up isn't always easy when I'm making assumptions months later.

 

January 20 was Penguin Awareness Day. We ate fish sticks and started watching some penguin movie.

 

January 21 was National Hug/Hugging Day and Granola Bar Day. Some of us ate granola bars. Some of us also got some good hugging in.

January 22 was Hot Sauce Day. Lucky loves hot sauce and puts it on a lot of things.

Speaking of Lucky and his love of hot sauce, for Christmas he got a bunch of little bottles of hot sauce so one evening, we had a taste test, starting with what was supposed to be the mildest and working our way to the hottest. We dipped chicken nuggets in them to try them out. I'll be honest, that was fun.

January 23 was Pie Day. I made a pudding pie using a homemade graham cracker crust that had been sitting in our freezer for a long time.

I also had a Relief Society activity that night.

 

January 25 was A Room of One's Own Day. 

January 28 was Blueberry Pancake Day. I think we had blueberry pancakes. I think. But I don't see pictures so... who knows?

That day, Lucky went to an event at the Orem Library: Winter in Narnia. He made a shield and a dragon and did other activities. 

While he was at his event, I was left unsupervised. I only had two items on my list to check out but... I ended up with a lot more. After I took this picture, I picked up even more to check out. Tee Hee. I love the library.

 

Mother's Day 2024

Jeremy asked me what I wanted for dinner for Mother's Day. I told him I didn't want to have to make decisions. I menu plan all the time. I didn't want to this time. 

Mother's Day morning I found that Jeremy and Lucky made me breakfast. Lucky made those origami hearts. Sweethearts.

Lucky had my phone during Sacrament Meeting so he could draw me this note (after the card he already made at the service activity a few days before). Sweetheart.

For dinner, Jeremy made Skillet Chicken Parmegiana, which I love, veggies on the side, and more colored flavored sugar water.

Ooh ooh, do you know what I just noticed? Skillet Chicken Parmigiana is apparently not an uncommon dish to make for Mother's Day. Jeremy made it for me in 2020. He also made it for me in 2013.

 

Jeremy and Lucky made colored flowers out of napkins for me. Sweethearts. 

I'm going to be honest. Sometimes Mother's Day is rough. I often feel inadequate even though I've been doing this parenting thing for many years. This year was fine. I think I got all my emotional-ness over with the week before. Sigh.

More Excuses for Video Games

I played Mario Kart for World Plumbing Day on Monday, March 11. The boys rationalized playing Minecraft because Lucky planted a tree underground for Johnny Appleseed Day. 

 

That day was also Oatmeal Nut Waffle Day.

I didn't have a recipe for oatmeal nut waffles so we had oatmeal, nuts, and waffles. Baked oatmeal, almonds in salad, and waffles.

 

March 12 was Plant a Flower Day but I don't remember if the boys got away with video games or not.

Speaking of video games, Jr. Jr. got clever. Sometimes we will put on music from The Legend of Zelda as relaxing background music. Jr. will sometimes put on sound effects videos for atmosphere/ambience, too. This is something Jr. Jr. came up with. "10 hours of video game ambience. Pressing keys and mouse clicking." He's a hoot.

I Had a Bad Day

I had a bad day. Jeremy knew this and brought home flowers for me. He found the most cheerful bunch he could. 

He also brought me strawberry shortcake bars because January 15 was National Strawberry Ice Cream Day.

Then he got up in the middle of the night or really early in the morning to do dishes (Lucky got up and helped).

The next morning I found the baby doll head in the vase with the flowers. That cheered me up. 

I never mentioned something that happened a while back. You know how we used to put that baby doll head in different places for others to find (I blogged about it on May 14, 2022)? Not long ago, I watched Jet carry the doll head from the living room to the kitchen, open the refrigerator, and place the baby head inside. He hadn't participated in hiding the doll head before. I loved seeing that.

Mother's Day Flowers

For Mother's Day, Lucky brought me a flower from school. Jeremy brought me a flower from work. 

I am loved.

On Mother's Day day, Jet gave me tickles, Lucky gave me a card, and Jeremy made me dinner.

I am loved.

Another World Record... But Not Ours

In 2015, my husband along with Thanksgiving Point, broke a world record for "largest modeling balloon sculpture by an individual."

Jeremy did all the balloon twisting and things required for breaking the record. Thanksgiving Point provided the space and paid for an adjudicator to come out. Both Jeremy and Thanksgiving Point did more than just what I mentioned and both names were on the certificate. It was a neat experience.

Because of that, a picture of our whole family (sans Jet), is in the 2017 Guinness Book of World Records, the actual book, with the giant balloon dog in the background.

This is what Thanksgiving Point said about it recently:

 

Last week, Thanksgiving Point went for a new world record, "most flower bulbs planted in an hour." They asked Jeremy to provide some decorations so Wednesday and Thursday, Jeremy twisted, and Thursday night I helped him deliver and place the finishing touches on eight 5-feet something inches balloon tulips.

Friday morning Thanksgiving Point attempted to break the record... and they did it!

Yay, Thanksgiving Point! We love you!  

 

P.S. After the event, they put the balloon tulips around the visitor's center at the gardens. They were somewhat sad looking by the time we got to them Wednesday of this week to take them down.

We're still cute, though.