Looking Back and Building to the Future

Not a lot of travel or activity outside the usual this week. A major highlight of the week was hearing about the Driven in Detroit: Bridges to Self-Reliance video series on the Mormon Channel website. We were so excited to see how work we played a small part in has continued and flourished among the people we love in the Belle Isle Branch and other areas of metro Detroit. Got a little homesick there! We helped with an Eagle Project that will eventually result in a butterfly habitat. The boys went to a gymnastics meet so Landon could see what one of those looks like as he considers his own future. He was impressed. 

The week was spent with school, work, gymnastics, dog walking – the usual. Eliza got some photos in, the cutie: 

Some original artwork

Ready to get her hair straightened

Mama Bear from the fairy tale

They learned about clowns in school on Thursday. 

On Sunday afternoon the Relief Society sent out an email regarding Landon collecting cans for Cub Scout Day Camp. Later that evening Hallie received two phone calls with can pick-ups for the next day. Now Hallie and Landon need to find time to go and redeem all of the cans they have collected from our generous donors.

Tuesday Landon had a pack meeting where he earned a belt loop and they played relay races to do with fitness. Pack meetings are a little chaotic for Hallie, but with deep breaths the hour goes by. The snacks were warm brownies that Hallie bravely passed up, but smelling the baked goods in the hall almost made her relent.

Wednesday: same old, same old. That sounds absolutely no fun, to be honest. That evening Landon and Hallie took a walk so that Hallie could reach her 10,000 steps. The two of them enjoyed their time together as Hallie hit the 10,000 mark and even jogged four houses. Baby steps.

Hallie did well at her bariatric class; it was her biggest loss to date, and she has made some really good friends who help support each other in this process.

On Friday, Grandma M. walked Roxy with the girls, and this time Hallie remembered to bring Eliza’s scooter so she did not lag behind. Our walks are getting a bit slower when Eliza walks and wants to pick flowers, balance on walls, or do any of the 100 things 5-year-olds tend to do. One night a month we send the kids to Victory Night at gymnastics. The kids love it so much that they are mad when we pick them up, and the parents love it because we get sneak away for a much needed date. Here's a pic of the kids on boys' pre-team and team. 

On Saturday, we helped a Micah, Boy Scout in the ward with his Eagle Project, the first part of a monarch butterfly habitat at Mesa Union School in Somis. The kids’ first task was to clean up the trash from around the school site. Landon collected quite a lot of water bottles for our collection doing that. Thanks for the idea, Laurie! After a bit, Landon and Eliza were out with shovels and rakes and loved every minute of it. The rest of the day was spent at home and with Hallie running errands.

On Sunday morning, the boys went to Van Nuys to see a gymnastics tournament and to see whether this gymnastics thing is something Landon wants to continue pursuing. So far it’s a yes. 

Hallie and Eliza went to choir and then on to church with a ride assist from Rebecca and Bryan. Eliza loves going to their house and playing with Shiloh and Holly the dogs, and the dogs love Eliza. Eliza got a fruit roll as a treat in class, and her teacher took a little video of her trying to eat the whole thing at once.