June 2nd - June 10th

Our Sunday began as it usually does, with church. The rhythms is an anchor to our week and I always some away refreshed. Even if keep 10 children engaged and relatively quiet during worship sometimes means I hear less of the service than I would like.

Quick picture of the family at 

Makayla's seminary graduation.

After a quick lunch at home we headed to the stake center (larger church building 30 minutes away where groups of congregations meet together for various events) for Makayla's seminary graduation. Seminary is a 6am scripture study class with other teens that Makayla has attended throughout high school.

Monday was our usual get-all-the-things-done day before daddy's work week begins on Tuesday. Rebekah and Jason each had doctor appointments, there was grocery pickup, errands to run, a couple hours outside enjoying a random cool weather day, Makayla working the farm in the morning, college work for Daddy, chores, cooking, cleaning, and the usual medical care for Mason.

Fortresses

Tuesday morning I was tired from the get go. Rebekah is getting in her first molars, and she did not sleep well, so neither did I. Our day's plans were very at home and relaxed. The kids read, played built fortresses out of bunk beds, and enjoyed our train set. They also had piano lessons.

Birdwatching window at the nature center

Wednesday Makayla headed off to work at the farm as usual. Rain was in the forecast but I decided to see if we could sneak in a visit to the arboretum. I packed up 9 kids and by the time we arrived it was raining. We decided to start in the nature center basement where there are displays, toys, books, turtles in tanks, a nature table with things to explore, and a giant bird watching area. We had the entire place to ourselves and saw so many birds and chipmunks! Once the rain slowed we headed back out to the van and headed down some of the auto trails to explore. Our mission today: look for leaves and bark to find differences.

Thursday was a bit shuffled around because we switched Mason's physical therapy time to mornings for summer. After getting everyone up, fed, and moving on their day, I took off with Mason, leaving the kids in Makayla's capable hands. Next week his therapy group moves into a new building that has an actual pediatric therapy room. We're excited for more space!

Daddy dropped the borrowed van off at the mechanic shop for an oil change and to have the a/c fixed.

This week we decided to start introducing the kids to some old shows, mainly musicals. Today we watched My Fair Lady. It was a hit with several kids.

Friday was a quiet, at home day while Makayla worked both jobs, using my van, and Daddy had the car for work. In the evening we were able to pick up the borrowed van from the mechanic shop, so we now have 3 vehicles for the summer. It is a huge blessing! We finished off the evening watching The King and I with Makayla.

Saturday morning I browsed a cookbook I borrowed from the library, jotted down a few recipes, and made a short shopping list for ingredients we didn't already have. Joseph was my shopping buddy this week. The cookbook recipes all an Instant Pot, which I already have and use occasionally. Here are the recipes we'll be trying in the next 2 weeks:

• Vegan Fajita Bowl - Made on Sunday, added chicken as an option. Yum.
• Cilantro Lime Rice - Made on Sunday. Yum.
• Chicken Tortilla Soup
• Beef and Broccoli 
• Salty Baked Potatoes - Made on Saturday. Yum.
• Super Simple Chili
• Fire Roasted Beef Stew - Making this tonight (Tuesday)

Sunday began with church. A few of the boys were teaching or giving talks, which is always fun. In the evening we celebrated Makayla's upcoming 18th birthday with family. We had root beer floats and sherbet floats, talked, laughed, and just enjoyed time together.

Monday's forecast was rain, cooling off the temperatures, so we planned an afternoon trip to the zoo. We had a great time exploring three sections of the zoo: North America, Heart of Africa, and Polar Frontier. The kids were thrilled because we finally were able to feed the giraffes, an activity that has been on our wishlist for over a year.

Monday also was special because it was my 19th wedding anniversary! I have been married for half my life now to this wonderful man!