March Madness

 Just two minutes ago, Jason was telling me that he has decided that March Madness is more exciting than the football playoffs, which would normally be surpring since he's such a huge college football fan, but with all the changes in the playoffs that he doesn't apprciate, and the fact that Nebraska just beat Vanderbilt last night in a very close March Madness game, this makes perfect sence.

Fortunately, or unfortunately, this post isn't about basketball, but about the beginning of the month of March in my life.

I took off a day of work on the 6th, and flew to LA to celebrate my step-mom Mary Lou's 80th birthday with my siblings and all 4 step-siblings. Some of their children were able to attend, too. It had been a very long time since I'd seen many of them, and the ones who were able to go are now all young adults. It was so fun talking with them about their lives and jobs as adults. 

Catching up!

I got to pick citrus fruit from my dad's orchard, and soak in some California sun in their yard, though that particular weekend wasn't hot and was actually pretty windy. Either way, the weather was much better than in MI! It was nice to be able to visit with siblings/stepsiblings a little at a time as they all arrived, as well as with my dad and Mary Lou, my aunt Karen, and uncle Bill.

Every type of fruit is growing in my dad's orchard. (From r to l: Cara mandarin, naval orange, Valencia orange, red grapefruit, white grapefruit, avocado, lemon)

This one was left out of the previous pic, a tangelo. 

Karina, Derek, and I shared a hotel room when they arrived on my second night. We had way too much fun at our adult sibling slumber party! The next morning, we all worked out in the hotel gym together before our dad picked us up (we didn't rent a car because of the cost, and we had to pay to park at our hotel). He took us to see our childhood home, which he had built with his dad about 50 years ago, with the input of my mom for their future dream home. Since my grandpa was in the construction business and built many homes, some of which my dad owns and manages, my dad still rents out this home of ours, and it is currently unoccupied as he renovates it. This is the first time I have seen inside it since I was about 8 or 9. It's a pretty awesome layout with fantastic storage areas. The yard is tiny, but what do you expect in Woodland Hills, CA? 

We still love the skylight in the hallway.

Master bedroom. One of the closets.

The vanity: discussing what to do with the light fixtures here.

We continued down memory lane as our dad dropped us off at Western Bagel, a childhood tradition of walking with our mom to get the best bagels of all time. We got extras to enjoy later, before dropping off our dad at his home, so we could finish our workout with a hike in the hills. We walked for hours and almost got lost on our way back while trying to take a shortcut. Luckily, we made it back in time to shower and get to my dad's house in time for the big party.

Bagels!

My step-brother, Bryan, and his wife, Gina, planned the party. They catered Chipotle, prepared a cute birthday video recorded by all the grandkids, and played a trivia game about Grandma Mary Lou. Kevin's wife, Toby, made a beautiful cake, and we ended the event with group pictures, the real birthday gift for Grandma Mary Lou.

Zach, from Vermont, and Grandma Mary Lou, ready for the video. 

Cake time!

The whole group!

After some more visiting, we parted ways. Karina, Derek, and I met up at Bryan and Gina's Airbnb later for a post-party party. Derek and I stayed up way too late for our very early flights home, and the fact that the time changed that night. I didn't even want to think about the lack of sleep I got! 

We all made it safely back and somehow caught up on our sleep, though I actually don't know if I really did, since a few days later, my next March adventure began...

Cats and Dogs Part 2

 It is now the day before Happy goes home. The cats never really made friends with Happy. He kept getting way too excited to see them. He never barks, except one time to go outside and one time to come back in. But then, when he sees the cats, he barks like a maniac in their faces. Needless to say, the cats still aren't happy with Happy. They've spent most of the week upstairs, or on the stairs, staring down at him. The past day or two, they have snuck down past him and hurridly jumped to the highest post on the cat tree. Since Happy is old, he doesn't always notice, and they make it to safety. And if we don't call attention to them, he won't even know they're there. If he does discover them, he tries to get as high as he can to bark at them, and it's all over! Otherwise, it's been fun to have Happy around. As always, when we watch a dog, I'm glad we don't own a dog ourselves!

He's very chill.

Luke and Leia, eating at the top of the stairs because Happy has free rein downstairs.

Just before I took this pic, Luke stealthily crept behind Happy to take a sniff, then ran away almost as quietly. Happy perked up when he heard Luke in the distance when he made it to safety. 

Luke, squashing Leia on our bed.

When Leia made it to the top without being noticed, her look of annoyance says all that she feels about Happy.

The barrier that somewhat discourages Happy from getting upstairs, though he is crossing it more and more. 

February Fun

We actually had fun activities this past week that didn't involve any of our kids' activities.  They were just pure fun and social.  

Last Sunday we went to the Kish's house for the Super Bowl. We never used to watch the Super Bowl.  Jason's not into pro football, and while I always thought the commercials and halftime show were entertaining, I couldn't care less about watching them, especially when our kids were young.  The past few years, our boys have been more interested in pro football, and even the rest of us, since the Lions were in the Super Bowl. We were happy to be invited to watch the game at the Kish's with friends.  Kade didn't end up going, and we left after half-time, but it was so fun!

The Moms

On Monday, Victoria hosted a Galentine's party at our house for the sister missionaries. Four companionships came, plus Victoria's friend Payton, who was set apart as a missionary two days later and is starting the MTC tomorrow. Each companionship brought a snack to share, and they all brought a "favorite thing" gift to give to another sister. Victoria crocheted those heart keychains I included in my last post. (That evening was also book club, which I go to every month, but after having been visiting at the Galentine Party and then going to book club with Valentine-themed snacks, it was like an extension of the party. Even my tap class the next night was Valentine-themed and seemed like another special occasion.)

We put together a charcuterie board.

Friday night, Jason and I went to the 40th birthday party of a friend of ours. It was a karaoke party with fun snacks and a soda bar. It wasn't with an actual karaoke machine, but a version online where a group can just sing along with the words displayed. We enjoyed singing with our friends and letting loose!

Saturday was busy with cleaning the church, the Stake Youth activity of dodgeball for Jason, Austin, and Erik, and the Stake Adult dance that night, which was a first. I was pretty excited about the dance and felt warmed up after the karaoke the night before. Those who planned the dance were doubtful it would be well-received, but it was a big hit, and I have a feeling they will be putting together many more Stake Adult dances. Jason and I did some country swing, cha-cha, waltz, Cotton Eye Joe, and some other line dances. We even learned a new folk dance that switches partners. It was a lot of fun. 

Photo station at the dance. 

Our kids kept busy between the two nights with friends and work. Victoria attended a dance competition to watch Sammie Kish and some other Dancin' Feet girls who were so young back when Victoria last competed with them.

 I have to say that it was a really fun week. It made up for the fact that most of my students and a lot of staff members at Red Bell have been getting slammed with COVID the past 2 weeks, and there have been some interesting days at work. We need some light-hearted fun, once in a while!

I got my ring fixed up. It was missing a diamond, and the rings had separated. It's 27 years old!

Kade made pizza for the family on Friday night.

Victoria made pancakes on Saturday morning.

Jason and Kade gave me flowers!

Art Forms

Victoria and Kade, my adult children, are still just as creative as they have ever been. It's been a while since I've seen their art in ways other than music and dance because they have gotten so busy with other responsibilities. Here are a few of the things they have been working on over the past month.

Victoria learned how to crochet and crocheted a scarf for her friend, two hats (not using a loom), is working on a blanket, and is making a bunch of little hearts for the sister missionaries in our area. She also made a quilt for a baby in the NICU at the quilt shop she is volunteering at once a week now. 

The blanket is behind the hats.

She definitely learned this skill quickly and well!

She'll put the hearts on key chains for the sisters.

Baby quilt

At the very beginning of the month, Kade decided to finally paint the piece of tree trunk that we had saved from the old sycamore tree in our yard. We cut it down about 7 years ago. In fairness to Kade, I don't think I told him then that I wanted him to paint it, but maybe a year or two later I did. That piece of trunk has been on our deck getting weathered for some time. Just before all the piles of snow we have received, Kade brought that trunk in and painted it in a couple of hours. He wants to make it into a side table for the sunroom. I don't know how long that part will take, but in the meantime, I really enjoy admiring his artwork, which he can do so quickly and effortlessly. And miracle of miracles, there was a 2-inch gap at the bottom where it was the most weathered. Since painting it, that gap somehow closed up most of the way and is hardly noticeable! 

That little line at the bottom is where the crack was. 

Yesterday, I made whole wheat bread with my new favorite recipe. Kade actually offered to grind the wheat out in the snow, bless that child! And then he suggested making "bear bread" with some of the dough, which is an old tradition of Victoria's, Kade's, and mine from when they were really young. I don't think Erik was even born yet when we were in our bear bread phase. At any rate, he doesn't remember when we used to make it. Bonus: Victoria made us dinner, too!

How does Kade make it actually look like a bear? Pure talent!

Delicious chicken!

This is from when we made tortillas a couple of weeks ago.

Maybe the next time we make them, they'll be more circular, but they tasted so good!

My kids are all creative in various ways, and some of them I still can't even fathom how good they are at the art they create, as my creativity is very limited. And whatever art I feel inspired to do is spent on my preschoolers. It works out well, though, since my own kids like to do it in their own way and time. I just like them creating it in ways that I can enjoy it!

My Ski Trip

The younger three went skiing/snowboarding on Christmas Eve, as I had mentioned before, but I never got a chance to go over the break. Someone kept getting sick or had plans. Life with busy teens is tricky! I saw that January 24th would be a good day to go. No one had plans, and we were to have snow again, so I tentatively put it in the calendar about 10 days ago for Kade, Austin, Erik, and me to go skiing. (Victoria and Jason still opted not to go for the same reasons as before.) 

As the day grew closer, I saw that the weather was to be freakishly cold. So cold, in fact, that school was cancelled the day before, Friday, due to wind chills at -25 degrees. Saturday was to be a bit warmer, especially later in the day, I'm talking wind chills were expected to be in the single digits as opposed to negatives, but we decided to go with it anyway. I was pretty nervous for myself, I have to admit. I thought I would be way too cold, as I often have been the last few times going. I told myself that if I got too cold, I could just hang out in the lodge and stay warm. 

I was also still nervous about one of my kids breaking a bone (it was only a few years ago that I watched Austin break his arm snowboarding, and it isn't something I want to repeat ever!) 

We double checked to make sure everyone had all the things necessary to keep us as warm as we could, and off we went. I was wearing 6 layers on top and four layers on the bottom. If it had been helpful, I would have worn 3 layers on my feet, but the 2 were ideal because I still needed circulation between my socks and boots. I wore a thicker gator than I normally do, which was the best part for me, I believe. I remember the last time we went when it was so cold I actually got a headache from the cold when I was going down the slopes. I think it was because I was breathing in that cold air, and it was freezing my insides. I don't normally like to breathe with something fully covering my nose and mouth because I feel claustrophobic, but I didn't this time, thank goodness! The day before, when I was outside for 5 minutes loading up my car with granola for my Teffola job, I could feel the extremely cold air affecting my lungs. It's not good for people with asthma, another reason for Victoria not to go skiing here.

It was -6 when we arrived, with a real feel of -6. The sun was shining, and the wind wasn't blowing, so -6 felt ok. The slopes were just about empty, not too many crazy people going in that weather, which is a big plus. We had a great time! It's amazing to me that Austin and Erik got cold before I did and were ready for lunch and our 1/2-hour break to get warm. Kade was toasty and fine, but we all broke together, which was perfect timing for me. I didn't notice that my toes were numb, and I could feel them tingling as we ate, so I got the feeling back in them at just the right time. Austin added another sweater (so glad we made him bring an extra one!), and Erik got hand warmers (seriously, he didn't start with them!), and we were able to last a lot longer for the second part of our day. More people arrived since it got up to a balmy 6 degrees, but it still wasn't too busy. 

I got adventurous and followed my boys through the trees that took us on a path where we had to duck under a fallen tree and even do a little cross-country skiing (it was tricky for the snowboarders, unless they got their speed just right, which they ended up doing), and we could ski down a very powdery, very unbeaten path that reminded me of Utah skiing. It was great! We did that path multiple times, and I think it was one of the reasons we didn't get too cold because we had to work a little harder on the cross-country parts, sometimes pulling the boarders along with our poles, and we were in between lots of trees that kept the extreme cold out. I also followed my boys off a jump just about every time. Though let me clarify, I did not do the jump, I just rolled up and down it, which was plenty fun for me. The best part was watching them jump it and see how good they have all gotten. Austin is incredible on the snowboard now, Kade looks amazing, and Erik has some awesome ski skills; he can even ski backwards! 

We stayed together most of the time, but there was a bit of time when I was by myself and felt a little lost. Since there aren't many options for slopes here, I do get bored on the same slopes, but the thing that keeps me entertained, since I don't do tricks, is watching my kids and following them down the tricky areas that I wouldn't do by myself. 

And as I say every time I go, I really do love to ski! I get nervous beforehand, but when we go, I always have the best time and am so glad my kids enjoy it too. 

I could only manage a few pics, so I wouldn't expose my hand too much in the cold.

Erik 

This was before I put that gator under my googles, so you can at least see a part of my face here.

Kade, finishing a run.

Austin ( I had to remind him to cover his nose and mouth).

The gang!