Family Home Evening Circus

One day after school, Jet was excited to show us he got circus tickets. How fun. Now we knew we weren't going to take him to the actual circus but we knew we could create a circus at home.

My idea for it was watching a circus movie and eating popcorn. Simple celebrating like we did with Drive-In Movie Day.

Jeremy, awesome husband that he is, suggested some other ideas somewhat last minute to add to the "experience" so it was still simple but this is how it turned out for Family Home Evening this week (when we finally got around to doing this activity).

Jet picked a family member to come with him to the "circus" because he had two tickets. He kept changing his mind so I don't know who finally came with him but it doesn't matter because again it was mostly for him.

So... he (and his guest) presented his tickets to whoever was taking them. We had "Entry of the Gladiators" (the epitome of circus music) playing while they watched Jr. Jr. juggle light up balls. 

Lucky made Jet a balloon animal. 

Jeremy filled the stock pot to the top with popcorn. 

We also had more gummy sharks (because Jr. Jr. requested them) and some peanuts. 

At one point I looked at the kids on the couch and said, "And there are the clowns." Tee Hee. They're so patient with me.

Actually Jeremy showed the kids a picture of him with clown makeup on and I complained about how I never liked clown makeup when it was requested for shows. Yeah, we can do circus things.

We watched the movie, The Greatest Showman, because... of course. I didn't fall asleep and watched the whole thing.

I Forgot

I mentioned something to Jeremy and the kids while we were on our Southern Utah trip that I forgot to blog about so now a while after the fact, I'm going to share it with you.

 

This is the only picture I have that sort of shows the general landscape we were in so here you go.

 

Anyway, here's the story:

Back when the youngest boys had their end of the year dance festival at the elementary school, Lucky's grade danced to the song "What Time Is It" from High School Musical 2.

While we were in St. George area, we were passing a golf course/resort and I mentioned that this area looks like where they filmed the second High School Musical movie. I knew it was filmed somewhere around there. As we were passing an entrance, I saw the name of the resort and quickly looked up where the movie was filmed. It was that exact place. Ha Ha. So I told everyone, but especially Lucky since he had danced to the song from the beginning of the movie, that we were passing where it was filmed. Ha Ha.

 

What made me think about it was that I recently watched the movie because of the opening number which was not filmed in Southern Utah and remembered I was going to put it in my blog post about our trip but I forgot. 

 

End of School Year Things

So much happened the end of the school year. Let me try to share some of it. This is not necessarily in order.

 

Field trips! 

Jet went bowling. Lucky went roller skating. The whole school went to watch Paddington at a movie theater. 

When I asked Jet what he liked about bowling, he told me, "I liked knocking down a lot of pins."

 

Reading Hall of Fame! 

Jet and Lucky both did enough reading for the Hall of Fame this year that they got certificates, posters, bookmarks, and a new book each.

Lucky got a special framed certificate and another book for doing the Hall of Fame all the years of elementary school.

 

Student Council Party!

Lucky was the secretary of the Student Council this year and they had a party at the end of the year. When I went to drop him and a friend off for the party, they started heading toward the door then all of a sudden ran the other direction and into the parking lot. A few other kids did the same. I realized, it was because they were helping carry food and things in for the party. No hesitation, these kids immediately went to help. I appreciate seeing this from these students. They are a good example to others (no wonder they were accepted into student council this year). 

Lucky brought home a service award "for outstanding leadership, character, and service."

 

Two of the aides in Jet's class retired this year so we went to a little retirement party held for them at the school and Jet made them cards.

Jr. Jr. also got a bunch of certificates for surviving junior high. He and I went to a celebration. Then we practiced some juggling afterward.

You saw the train he made, right? See my blog post from May 14, 2026. Jr. Jr. brought home a candy dispenser he made, too. 

 

I got to go to an assembly at the elementary school where Lucky was presented with a Hope of America Award. It was awarded to Lucky "who has demonstrated during this school year capacity for leadership, ethical and moral character and outstanding academic accomplishment."

I was talking with a mom of one of Lucky's friends who also got the award about how it was fun to see how several of these students were good friends. It's nice to know that they are good influences on each other. Keep up the good work, kids.

 

I went to the elementary school dance festival to watch Lucky and Jet dance. They both did great. Jet's first and Lucky's last.

What a cool kid.

Woohoo! We survived another school year. 

Family Weekend

Some things couldn't go better if they were planned.

We told the kids we had gift cards to Cafe Rio so we were all going to go out to eat. When we got to the area, Jeremy parked near the movie theater and got out to "see where the restaurant was." Oh, it was within walking distance so the kids and I got out and started walking with him. As we were walking, I saw the movie poster outside for The Super Mario Galaxy Movie. I just "happened" to be wearing my Mario shirt that day, so I made everyone get in a picture with me with the poster. Isn't that fun?

As we walked past the doors to the theater, Jeremy went inside briefly and told everyone there was a bigger poster right inside so I made everyone go inside for another picture because I was wearing my Mario shirt and it would be fun.

Then Jeremy spotted an even bigger poster by the podium where they check tickets, so I convinced the kids who were already outside again that we just had to get another picture together with that one. I was wearing my Mario shirt after all.

Then Jeremy continued on to the podium and we all followed, where he showed our tickets for... you guessed it... The Super Mario Galaxy Movie. We kept following him to the auditorium and our seats. 

Once we were inside, Jet kept asking if we were getting our food. The kids knew about the restaurant but not the movie. This was Jet's first time watching a movie at a movie theater so I had to explain that we were going to watch a movie first. We figured this would be a good one since he likes The Super Mario Bros. Movie and he's getting better at events. He used to try to wander around during orchestra concerts. He's been learning, though, and he did well watching Lucky's play. He did well with this movie and there were enough other little kids making noises that it was fine if he made noises or asked questions, too.

We all enjoyed it. It was a fun movie. It was a good one to watch as a family since we all like the first movie and Mario video games. It was a good surprise for the kids.

Jeremy and I didn't know about all the posters so that just added to the surprise because the kids really didn't know what was going on until that last poster. We've been known to take pictures with posters without going to see the movie before.

 

Afterward, we did go to Cafe Rio to eat and that was fun, too.

We went home for bathroom breaks then since we still had time in the day, most of us went to the library for a bit. People had movies and books to get and Jet got to do a library activity and earn a sticker. 

Then we went to a park because it was off and on kite flying weather. Nichole brought her kite she made in high school.

 

I got a walk around the park. Jet (and kids) played on the playground. It was a lovely evening. 

 

The next morning we got up early to drive to Idaho because our newest niece was getting blessed by her daddy, Jeremy's brother, so we wanted to go to support them. 

Jet was happy to shout out, "Road Trip!" every time I got a picture of us in the van.

We made good time and it was so nice to see family again. Jeremy's parents were also visiting for the baby blessing, so I made (asked nicely) my father-in-law take pictures of us since we don't have any family pictures yet this year (besides selfies- as you see from this post). Jet learned from someone at school I think to do the peace symbol in pictures, so that's what he was doing in all the pictures this weekend, until we made him stop briefly to get a nice family picture. I didn't think it counted if your fingers are in front of your face for all of the pictures. He's such a ham. I love it.

On the drive home, we went through a dust storm. Low visibility. Before we even got to the low visibility point, it was windy enough that tumbleweeds were tumbling across the road. So when it was low visibility and high wind...

Some of the kids were playing video games in the back and I commented how I was playing my own video game- dodging tumbleweeds. I got to the point where I slowed way down and put on my hazard lights so I could adjust my driving based on the tumbleweeds. Apparently I didn't dodge them all because I found this the next day.

We did make it home safely. The dust storm we were driving through only lasted a little while. I could see the headlights of the vehicle behind me so I knew they could see my hazard lights. I couldn't see the vehicle in front of me even though I knew it was there, but if they didn't slow down as much as me, then there was even more space between us. It was crazy but not too scary. We've been in scarier driving situations. I think it wasn't as scary because the traction on the road was fine- different than icy/snowy roads. We did comment how if we saw flying cows (get that reference?), then it would be more of a problem. I didn't want things flying at our van, though there were a few tumbleweeds that flew across the road instead of rolling. It turned out all right.

  

It was a wonderful family weekend.

Lucky showing his balancing talents in a moving vehicle.

Breakfast and a Movie

To celebrate The Sheriffs of Savage Wells movie coming out the beginning of this month (based on the book by Sarah M. Eden), my husband, daughter, and I had an "American West" breakfast with recipes from the book, Whisk Me Away (by Michelle Wright), which also has quotes from The Sheriffs of Savage Wells book.

We ate Crustless Quiche, Biscuits with Raspberry Honey Butter, and to drink we had White Lightning Moonshine (Sweet Tea). Read the "Sheriffs" book or watch the movie (or both) to learn the origin of that drink.

As we ate, we watched The Sheriffs of Savage Wells movie. I laughed so much and got so giddy seeing the quirky characters from the book on screen. 

Second Week of March

March 8 was International Women's Day and National Oregon Day. I wore my Slugs Need Hugs shirt.

That night, Nichole and I went to watch the General Relief Society Broadcast at our stake center with dessert afterward. 

March 9 was Get Over It Day and National Meatball Day so of course we said our traditional "Get over it, you meatball" phrase that day. It was also Popcorn Lover's Day so Joshua made popcorn I think.

 

March 10 was Mario Day (MAR10). I woke up to one child whistling music from a Mario game. I wore my Mario shirt and a couple of the kids watch The Super Mario Bros. Movie. 

I had some fun with the menu plan for that holiday. I took the scene toward the beginning of the movie where Mario and Luigi are sitting down to dinner with their family and tried to recreate what their dinner looked like. We had spaghetti with alfredo sauce and mushrooms of course. We had salad, dinner rolls, green olives. What didn't fit in with their dinner table but we had to have were peaches, singing a certain song while dishing them out.

On World Plumbing Day, March 11, I wore my Mario shirt again and some of us played MarioKart.

Since March 11 was also Oatmeal Nut Waffles Day, for dinner we had oatmeal, nuts, and waffles.

 

The next day, Lucky, Nichole, and I went to a Utah County Birders movie night. We watched The Big Year and played BINGO while watching it. It was fun and interesting to do something a little different than our normal birding meetings.

March 13 was Friday the 13th and Open an Umbrella Indoors Day but we didn't do anything special to celebrate- just mentioned it. I did reminisce how 2020 had Friday the 13th on that same day (and that year was a big deal) and 2015 we celebrated it with a fun video.  

Jet wanted me to get him a board game from the library so I did- Pictureka- and several of us played it after school. 

 

The next day, Lucky and I stopped by the other library to pick up some things and we said Hi to Libby the Librantula who was out for us to see. March 14 was Save a Spider Day.

March 14 was Pi Day. I baked an apple pie in our Pi plate. We also had pizza pie.

Nichole went down to BYU the day before to celebrate Pi Day with a free piece of pie and a t-shirt.

I forgot to get out the potato chips for Potato Chip Day on March 14 so we celebrated that observed a few days later.