Temple with Kyle

Kyle had the opportunity to attend the Dallas temple for the first time.  Even though I'd been battling with bronchitis and ruptured ear drums, I wanted to try to go with him for support and for the memories.

I couldn't hear a thing inside the temple.  Talk about peace.

I did have a piece of paper and a pen to talk with people.  When Kyle finished with the baptisms, he came to sit by me and grabbed the paper.
"This is much better time spent than video games."  What a better testimony than that from Kyle????

I asked him if he felt the spirit.

"YES!!" he wrote.

I told him it's so cool to know that he was doing this for members of his family.  (He used names Grandpa had given him at his ordination to a deacon.)

"Ya, and it is so cool that I'm able to help members of our family."

 He mentioned that the white baptismal clothes were really dragged down by the water and that he wouldn't mind have a full white suit and tie like the temple workers!

I told Kyle how proud I am of him and how much I love him.

"I love you, too, Mom."


Perhaps I lost my hearing so Kyle would have to communicate in a way that I would never forget.

This was pretty much a perfect night.  Perfect, silent night.

Ruptured Eardrums

As if I don't have enough medical things to endure,

I suddenly picked up bronchitis.  

As I was trying to find a primary care physician (I'm so used to just having Dr. Fleener's office call something in for me) the pressure from all the congestion in my sinuses and ears became so painful.

The next morning I woke up to this on my pillowcase.  

Both eardrums ruptured, and I couldn't hear well, maybe 20% of normal.  

The pain was one of the worst of my life.  

Thank goodness for blessings and a husband who can give me steroids.  

Kyle's First Swim Meet

We were all pretty excited about Kyle's first swim meet!  

Stephen was a volunteer timer.  

Kyle's first event was the 50 Breast stroke: 46.69

He got first!

50 Backstroke: 46.29

[The time on the wall isn't always correct.  That's why the human timers are there, too!]

First place again!  

[it is nearly impossible to get a good video with all the crazy parents walking and standing right in front of us!]

If Kyle would've swam the 50 Free, it would have been three first places for the day.  

He was in the lead, but slowed WAY down toward the end.

100 Freestyle: 1:28.20

2nd place is still amazing.

We are so proud of Kyle and happy he is enjoying what he's doing!  

Music Goal

Stephen and I LOOOOOVE music!

[For the most part, we love the same music.]

Back in the day, before we even had an iPod, we had a cheap brand of MP3 player.

This was when we didn't realize the harm of sites like Limewire or Napster.  We had tons of actual cds that needed to be converted and we spent lots of time on this project.  

Then, we were finally convinced to get on the apple bandwagon and get iPods.  The really, really big, brick-like ones.  But, not long after that, our computer started to die.  We tried to save as much music as we could, but much of our photos and songs were lost for good, as all the Napster and other sharing sites were now not really legal.  

We got a new computer, but realized that syncing the iPod to a new, no music-filled apple would cause so many of our songs to be gone.  One night, we wrote down every.single.song from off that iPod, in hopes that someday we would be able to recover all that music.  I think this was back in 2008 or so.  We have slowly marked off songs from our "things to do" list, taken time here and there to pick up a few on iTunes.  

As we were working on taxes this year, I came across what was left of our lists.  [Originally, there were 10 or 11 of these, front and back.  Over the years, we cut it down to 4, with many crossed off.]

We decided to just get it done this year, and had so much fun reminiscing and meeting a decade-long goal.  We also laughed and laughed about how iTunes and Stephen's credit card freaked out about possible identity theft and how they pronounced his named when they called.  

Done and done.  It feels good to get that all caught up. 

V-day

Valentine's Day this year was quite chill.

Chick-fil-a breakfast, a heart-shaped biscuit.

A sweet note from my Po. [We need to work on your and you're.]

Evan LOVED his class party!

And, the bags came home full!  

Valentine's Day Boxes

This is the first year of elementary school that ANY of my kids have had to make their own boxes for V-day cards at home.  [They usually just decorate bags at school, which Evan did this year.]

However, Ryan and Kyle needed to bring something from home.

It could be something simple. 

I made the mistake of asking the boys what they wanted and letting them look on Pinterest for ideas.

Soon, things were much more than just 'simple.'

I'm pretty happy about how these turned out, and I loved getting to spend some crafting time with my  boys.  

I also love how much they love the boxes and how we did not have any Pinterest Fails!

Surprise Lunch

Since his birthday, Evan has asked repeatedly for me to come eat lunch at school with him.  

(He's really trying to get some outside food!)

I was scheduled to come on Monday.

Instead, we ate lunch at home, as I got a call from the nurse BEFORE school even started, letting me know that he threw up at the crosswalk and needed to be picked up.

When I got to the school, Evan said, "Can I watch Price is Right in bed with you and have some chicken noodle soup?"

We went to the doctor, got meds, rested and watched lots of screens, 

and ate lunch together.  

Today, he asked me to come to lunch again.  I told him, "not today.  I have some things to get done."

Imagine this boy's face when he walked into the cafeteria and I was waiting at the visitor's tables!  

"YOU SURPRISED ME!!!!" he said.  

I love when I can get him to smile, for real.  

I love this little Meow-Meow Menace.  

Band Tryout

Kyle is going to middle school next year!?!

I'm still wondering how that's happening already.

He has been wrestling with the idea of which elective he would choose.  He only gets one in sixth grade.  

At first, it was art or theater.  

He didn't want ANYTHING to do with anything musical, even when I reminded him that theater could be musical.  Then, he came home wanting to check out band.

The middle school had a day for trying out all the instruments in band/orchestra, so we signed Kyle up for a time.  

He decided to just focus on the band stuff, and he went into this whole thing pretty determined that he was going to pick the trumpet.  

First, we headed to the brass rooms.  

Kyle was paired with an AWESOME elementary music teacher (lots of people were on board to help that day.  We found out later that this teacher's instrument was tuba.)

She explained about the different mouthpieces and how some may work better than others, simply because of the way his mouth worked.  He started with the trumpet, and did pretty well for his first time to play an instrument, other than the recorder.  

Then, Kyle tried the French Horn.  He actually did MUCH better on playing that, which surprised him.  Next was the trombone.  Kyle did NOT like the way it felt when he held it OR played it.  Then, came the tuba.  He didn't even think he wanted to try that, but the teacher and I both convinced him.  Surprisingly, I think he did the best of all the brass instruments on the tuba!  He left that room with his mind blown.  (And feeling a little more confident.)

Next up on Kyle's journey into music was woodwinds.  He was "pretty sure" he wasn't going to play any of these, but he "might as well try, as long as he was here."

Kyle was paired with one of the actual middle school band teachers.
Flute and oboe were no-gos.  Saxophone was a little better, but not great.  {Won't be following in Dad's footsteps on that.} The clarinet was okay, but not great.
Then we decided to try the bassoon, just for fun.

Kyle's first try at playing bassoon:

The teacher, who actually focuses on bassoon and is currently working on his Doctorate in bassoon, COULD NOT GIVE KYLE ENOUGH COMPLIMENTS!

I don't know the last time I've seen Kyle's dimples stick around for so long!

Mr. Bassoon and the other musician in the room kept going on and on about how well he did for his first try.

"You're one of the top two students I've seen all day (we were there close to the end of day.)!

The bassoon is a scholarship instrument!

I focus on bassoon, and you'll have close to one-on-one instruction, as we only have four players.  I really need you!"

He asked Kyle to play again, this time while he assisted:

On and on Mr. Bassoon went about how he thought Kyle should be a bassoonist.

Again, Kyle's mind was racing with questions.
He said, 'I never knew I ever had any musical talent, and I got lots of 5 ratings on my first try!"

Kyle wasn't even thinking of percussion, but 'I might as well try while I'm here,' he reasoned.

He was tested by the actual percussion guy, who was VERY thorough.  First, Kyle had to listen to music and show that he was able to find and keep the beat, tapping on his knees.  Next, following a metronome with tapping his heels.  Then, continuing the heels while adding the hands and then alternating the hands, one tapping and one up in the air.
Once it was established that Kyle could keep a beat, he was asked to play a bongo, copying the beat the director gave him.  Then, the same drill on the snare drum.
After all the testing was done, Mr. Percussion explained to Kyle that he was good and that he could do percussion.  However, "percussion is basically a lottery instrument, as so many students want to be in it.  It's not like other instruments because we play so many things.  You have to be focused, determined, and organized.  You have to really go above and beyond.  You seem like that kind of a kid and I would like to have you, but you have to be committed."

Kyle couldn't believe how the day was going!

He still was pondering just picking the trumpet and learning how to play it a little better.
He was also wavering between tuba and percussion.

I suggested we go back and talk to Mr. Bassoon.  The current band student who was leading us around wasn't sure we could go back.  I tried anyway, and Mr. Bassoon was more than willing to talk with Kyle again.  In fact, he walked Kyle over to a different woodwind room and asked those instructors, "This is Kyle.  Which instrument do you think he should play?"  (Just looking at him.)

"Oh, the bassoon!"

He spent another five minutes trying to recruit Mr. "I don't like music" to play this crazy beast of an instrument.

And, it convinced him.  

Kyle's going to be a band nerd.

His top two instrument choices are bassoon and tuba.  

And, the dimples kept on going.  

Ryan Singing

Ryan's class performed a presentation about KINDNESS.  I didn't get a video, so I asked him later to sing the song for me.  

I think it's a pretty great message and I love Po for doing it for me by himself!

Dental Work

It's been over twenty years since I've had to have a cavity filled.

So many people told me about how chemo ruins teeth, and so far I've been so lucky to not have to add that to the list of problems in my life.

My time ran out this year, and I had 3 cavities to be filled, along with old fillings to replace.  

I thought I'd start off the day relaxing and trying out a new mask. 

It's been raining, so I wore my boots.  

After almost 2 hours in the chair, lots of happy gas and lidocaine, and LOTS of drilling, 

my smile was a bit off.  

Hopefully, I can be done with that for another 20 years.