Hiking

 The boys hiked Badger tonight as a Deacon's quorum.  I asked Brennon to get a selfie with Tyson.  They're going on more and more adventures together, so I want them to get into the habit of taking pictures for me.  Start 'em young, and all that.  Brennon didn't disappoint.

L to R: Malachi Redd, Camden Gibb, Will Grover, and Roman Cleaves

Notice the fire still burning in the distance...

I sure love these two!!!

Twins

It's been a while since my boys wanted to be twinners.  It was an accident yesterday, but they still made mention of it being fun.  As I was snapping the picture, it hit me afresh how grown up they are becoming.  They look like the teenage boys they are.  How grateful I am for growing children.

Some not-so-fun twin news is the two fires that began yesterday around 12:30pm.  Randy and I decided to go to the top of the nearest "mountain" and check things out.  At one point, the flames were about 1,000 ft. high, Randy said.  You could see the tiny-speck cars next to the climbing flames.  I'm not ready for fire season!

200x Stronger

 

I completed my 200th class at Orange Theory today!!  Couldn't be prouder of me.  Not only that, but I also got a Personal Record on my All-Out speed while at a higher incline than they suggest.  I'd pat myself on the back if my arms weren't sore from yesterday's workout...

Randy's not far behind-- today was his 176th!  I LOVE working out with my Mister!!!

FINALLY!

March 7th should have been the day.  But one tooth on the bottom had shifted slightly.

So... Let's try this again!

Fingers crossed, April 28th: Braces Off!!

She took off the bands, sat him up, and asked him what color he wanted to be put back on.  I jumped up from my seat and told her that he was supposed to get them off today.  She was confused, as they'd put his appointment in as an "adjustment."  I asked them to get the Orthodontist.  He corroborated my story-- today was the day.  We had a scare for about 15-minutes, but all turned out alright in the end.

Like last time, it wasn't five minutes after arriving home that he lost a tooth.  This one was so loose, they didn't take off the bracket.  There's already a tooth coming up pretty far.  We knew this, as the Dentist told us in March that we needed to get the brackets off to allow the tooth to come out.  Those things NEEDED to come off today for more reasons than we wanted.

I wish I could say that he was metal-free, but they placed a permanent retainer to keep the front four teeth together as the rest of his teeth come in.  He's overjoyed to have them off.  LOVE his smile!

Hopefully, Shelby will get hers off soon!!  It will be nice to have no metal in my kids' mouths!!

Birthday Week

 I get to go on a vacation all by myself this week!!  My cousin Kami is getting married, and she personally called to invite me.  Randy has meetings in town that he cannot miss, so he bought me a ticket, rented me a car, and I fly off on Thursday.

Since Thursday is Jamie's birthday, we got to go out and celebrate her birth today, lucky us!

Lunch at 3-Eyed Fish

Pedicures and Manicures at Luxury Nails

And rounding out the afternoon with a Frosted Sugar Cookie from the newly-opened Crumbl.  YUM!

39 years and 11 months, and I've now had my very first manicure.  Someone else literally clipped MY nails because I haven't nibbled them in more than five months!!!  I was thrilled!!

I love that I get to spend time with friends and family this week.  It's like it's MY birthday week!  Funny enough, I came home and signed myself up for a Covid shot on Monday since I didn't want a sore shoulder while out-of-town.  Kind of sucky to realize that my second shot will be given ON my 40th birthday.  Welcome to your 40's... needles...  AWESOME!

Winner's Circle

I love it when I get to watch my kids play their Dad in games of skill, and win!  Shelby is a wizard at Checkers, Tyson and Brennon are wizards at Connect Four.  It's just my favorite that Randy plays games with them so much.  He's such a good Dad.
 

Sunday Naps

 What better Sunday Activity could there be, I ask you?!

Hunted

 Imagine me, the jumpiest person in the world, walking home after finishing a run.  I turn the corner and something catches my eye up ahead...

Dead Center, sticking up from the ground.  WHAT. IS. THAT?!  My mind goes into overdrive, my legs getting ready to run again, despite being exhausted from my run (another person record, thank you very much!).  I can feel a scream building in my belly.

My eyes are glued to this thing, looking like some kind of coiled snake.  I have picked up the pace, seriously ready to just bolt.  It was looking into my soul!!!  I was being hunted!!!  But wait... Is that... Is that a tongue sticking out of its open mouth? Tasting the air, tracking my exact location...

And then I passed it and bust up laughing.  It's a STICK!!!!!  You have to admit, though, that thing looks real.  And deadly.  I'm telling you, I barely made it out of there with my life!  I giggled for a bit at my overactive mind, and slowed my pace to saunter once more.  Sometimes I am ridiculous in my jumpiness and scaredy-cat-edness.  Randy said I better get over it, because once the grandkids learn of my "special talent," I'll never be safe.

Checkers

 I wish I would have thought to grab a quick picture because I know Shelby's smile would have been so radiant, but alas, I wasn't thinking of pictures as I watched Shelby win Randy and checkers not once, not twice, not thrice, but FOUR TIMES!!!  In one of the games, Randy actually QUIT, he was so behind!  Shelby was SO, SO, SO happy.  Happy enough, she actually needed to take a pill to help her fall asleep!  Shelby is a wizard and Checkers!

Money Ball

I love that Randy plays games with his kids.  This game is called Money Ball.  Each time someone catches the ball after bouncing off of the roof or side of the house, they get a quarter.  Randy throws it and then hurries to catch it, to save himself money.  Motivation for all, and so much fun!  I have my cleaning games, he has his Money Ball.  You can guess who is considered the fun parent...
 

Silverware Sweetheart

 When Brennon was being interviewed at 2-years old, to see if he qualified for Occupational Therapy, I had to explain that Brennon didn't know how to use a straw because I'd never introduced one to him.  I actually had to tell her I'd work on it the very next week.

Now, 11 years later, I think I may need to help Brennon learn how to use silverware...

Fork or Spoon, it doesn't matter.  This is how he holds it:)  My cute lefty!

School Days

 I am still so grateful that this is my view each day.  I never would have done this, made the decision to homeschool, on my own.  I'm the luckiest girl in the world.

Today is the first all-day in-person day for Richland School District.  Keilie was heartbroken, wondering if she'd even have a Senior Year at the beginning of the year.  We were so hopeful for just two days a week.  Now, with news of all-day, every day, she's upset.  "It's messing up schedules!  I know people that have jobs, that are babysitters!  They're just messing with people's schedules.  They're going to just add on a bunch of homework our last two months of school.  So dumb."  I was floored.  I thought we were on the same page, wanting as normal an experience of Senior Year as we could get.  Well, you can't please them all, I guess.  

Brennon and Tyson have chosen to continue K12 next year.  Shelby is going to attend High School in-person.  Still cannot believe that my Shelby-kins is going to be in HIGH SCHOOL!!!  Surreal!!!

Randy's Birthday

 My LOVE is 44!!!

Because we are doing a Transformation Challenge at Orange Theory, Randy was very particular about what dessert he had, and how much he would be tempted.  His cake, as you can see, is cookies, purchased from Walmart.  It's funny how different we are in our dessert loves.  These are Oatmeal cookies with an apple cinnamon center.  I could pass them all day long!  I'll eat them, if nothing else is available, because I love sugar that much, but I wouldn't choose them.  Tyson, though, appreciates them now just as much as Randy does.  Just a Dad, teaching his kid to appreciate the finer things in life, I guess.  Sure do love these adorable creatures.  How grateful I am that this man asked me to be his.

Just a man, celebrating his birthday, out in the sun with his "other female."  Love them both!

We decided to take advantage of the beautiful weather and go exploring further up the river than we've ever gone before.  Come to find out, there's a college campus we didn't know existed!

Keilie isn't missing from this picture because she had to work, as she had the last family picture we took, but because she chose to stay home, alone, in her room.  Randy brushed it off as "teenager," but I was upset.  Birthdays have always been a big deal for me, so for her to choose not to spend time with her Dad on his birthday was a pretty low-blow.  But because he wasn't upset, I worked all night not to be either.  I love my family so much!!

Tulip Town

 Last year, the pandemic shut down the Tulip Festival in Mount Vernon.  I had gone the year before and planned to go again and purchase tulips for myself.  Of course, something would make that impossible.  However, I was able to go on and order some anyway.  Take that, Covid-19!

They arrived a bit later than I would have liked, making me wonder if I was going to get them planted too late.  Randy assured me that if they didn't work, we'd get our money back.  I really hoped they would, because I have wanted some for years and years.

I'm happy to report-- They are just fine.  Aren't they gorgeous.  Randy loves them enough to actually say we should get more.  Who knows, maybe I'll become the crazy Tulip Lady.  Would that be such a bad thing?  I love flowers, I love working with the dirt, I love beautifying my yard!  I'm the luckiest girl in the world!

Moses Lake

 After our workout today, but before a family night at the Haws', Randy asked if I wanted to go with him, last minute, to Moses Lake to look at a potential business venture.  Because they've broken ground for the temple there, I was all for it.  Plus, hours with just Randy and me-- Yes, Please!

You can't see much beyond the blue barrier, but you can see some.  It is going to be beautiful!!!  I cannot wait for the Open house and Opening.  It's not as close and convenient as ours, which is only five minutes from our house and directly next to our church building, but it will be a fun date night to drive there once and attend a new temple.  I cannot wait for ours to open, too!

The verdict is still out as to the business venture...

Heart Happenings

 Had a bit of a scare today.  Nothing too bad, but not something that normally happens either.  I was sitting down, having breakfast, when my watch started buzzing in a new way.  Apparently, it was picking up abnormalities in my heart rate.  I'm currently taking a supplement, recommended by my doctor, for heart stuff, so I sent him a quick email.  He wasn't concerned, telling me to let him know if it happens again.  I wasn't worried, but I did take it easy that day, taking a Green Zone day at Orange Theory, meaning I never let my heart rate rise.  

It hasn't happened again, thank goodness, but it was jarring.  I hadn't noticed while it was happening, but I did realize after that it was sort of hard to catch my breath, but not too bad.  I wouldn't have noticed had the watch not alerted me.  Just weird.  Hopefully, this is the end of it!

Cheeky: Maybe I was feeling anxious because today is our engage-aversary.  21 years ago, I said YES!

Growing

 Just one of those times where I notice how much my kids are growing up.  I am starting to see Caden more in my boys than ever before.  In Brennon's cheeks, in a smile that Tyson does.  I cannot belive that my baby holds the Priesthood, that Brennon is officially a teenager, that Shelby will be leaving Middle School and going to High School, and that Keilie will be graduating in just a few months.  I love my kids so much.

Recognize

 While traveling home from Ashlee's house, just outside of Everett was a sign that said that I-90 was closed due to construction.  I could not believe that they'd close down such a huge roadway during Spring Break, but they certainly did.  This was our chance to take the road that I've never taken over Steven's Pass.

At a random rest stop, on a road we've never traveled on, because of road construction, we actually ran into some friends that we hadn't seen since they came to sing to us for Christmas.  She's since then had her sweet baby girl, Paisley.  When I came up to her car, she said, "I thought to myself, 'I know that walk.  That's Stephanie Dirks!'"

It struck me as so funny.  I didn't know I have "a walk."  But I do.  And it is unique enough for someone to recognize me in a crowd.  It's fun to have people point out characteristics about yourself that you'd never considered.  I have a walk!

Oyster Dome 2021

 My parents left today, early AM, for home.  Ashe and Russ left, mid-morning, for home in the opposite direction of my parents.  I cleaned the house a bit, waiting for a package to arrive, then packed up the car and we followed Ashlee up north to continue the Spring Break fun.

I had two requests while we were there:

1) See two of our three legs for Ragnar, happening July 9-10.  Both Randy and I are signed up as participants, our first year.  I wanted to see what to expect.  Randy learned that he's got some gnarly hills, I learned that I am going to be just fine!  I cannot wait!!!

and

2) To go on the Oyster Dome hike that Randy and Keilie did a while back.  Although I hoped the view wouldn't be gray skies and clouds, as theirs had been.

Parking lot views.  Simply stunning.

You can't see it, but just below and behind us people are preparing for hang-gliding.

Super cool.  Not something I ever want to do in my entire life, but cool to see.

Even though the view is gorgeous, I'm still sad to only see three kids in this picture.  It will never feel real not having our entire family in pictures ever again.

For real, the exertion sweat mingled with the freezing breeze cut right through to the marrow.  Love our Unibomber pic:)

Honestly, I never know where the heck to look in a selfie.  I'm the worst.

Brennon holding Everly's hand on the decline.  So sweet.

I love exploring Washington!!!