2024, January 15-21

Here's the rundown of the week. We have settled into the routine of the new semester. 

We all had Monday off for the holiday. This also meant Eliza did not have BUH except for music on Wednesday.

Landon went to the orthodontist to have a check up. While there we found out he had a broken bracket, and they put on new bands. He is always thrilled to be there. He was so thrilled to be there that while we were waiting for the orthodontist he started putting on the different protective eye wear. Taking Eliza along with us always ends up being not a quiet time at the appointment. They really like to egg each other on. 

Eliza and Hallie went to Sam's Club to run some errands. It was 29 outside, and Eliza was dressed like summer. We can't quite convince her to put on warmer clothes. Some battles we might be tired of fighting.

Mike continues learning the ropes as a substitute teacher. He got some new information about working in the local school district. He also cut some snowflakes in keeping with the winter weather that we got this week.

 

Fergus let Hallie warm up to him. 

Here Landon is dancing along with Cocomelon. Sometimes you have to be a kid again.

Snow came in earnest midweek. The roads were not Hallie's favorite. Most of the schools start a little later that Mike subs in, so the roads are cleared more for him than when Hallie and Landon head to the high school.

Priscilla had her birthday this week, and she and Hallie went shopping. They found these cute buddy plushies. The tag said, I like you a latte. They each have one.

Priscilla also got Kai this new coat. Kai now has three families who love on him! 

On Wednesday we went to the Melos to celebrate. The boys each have a VR, so they played shooting games with each other virtually. The girls had their own console games. 

Having passed his permit test, Landon has enthusiastically taken to the road to get his 40 official practice hours. Mom's heart races each time he mentions he wants to drive.   

Landon can be a funny goofball sometimes, and Hallie tries to catch him on occasion. We won't discuss what he's doing here.

 

On Saturday, Dad and Eliza went to the Michael's craft event in Orem, where they painted picture frames. Usually, your local Michael's does the Make and Break activities on Sundays. Ours is not open on Sundays, and we don't always remember Saturdays. Mike and Eliza have gotten into several activities together lately. As noted in a previous post, they're both learning to play the ukulele. This week Eliza even made Dad a book with copies of the sheet music they're learning. 

At the same time, Hallie and the Amandas (with whom she went to Disneyland last year) went to The Friends Experience in Salt Lake. 

Afterwards, they went to a couple of restaurants to eat. Nacho Daddy (voted Best of State 2023) in Salt Lake City was so dang good, Hallie said.

Amanda has always wanted to try the Japanese dessert bar Doki Doki. The packaging was amazing! The food was even better. Try Doki Doki when you go to downtown SLC.

They even went to Jack in the Box for treats for the big game on Sunday. Hallie really likes the Utah touches to Jack in the Box.

Hallie and Mike are celebrating 25 years married this year. On Sunday morning we went to TRUreligion and had breakfast together in one of the old booths from Lamb's Grill Cafe. Our waitress is getting married soon and gave us a crepe for a free treat to celebrate.  Hallie hasn't taken a bite of her omelette yet as she is still so full from the starters. 

Mike sort of recreated a photo from about 19 years ago when Lamb's was still around. Hallie remains as beautiful as ever! 

In the afternoon, we watched the Lions beat the Buccaneers while dining on our JitB tacos and curly fries.  Thank heavens for air fryers to help our leftovers taste slightly more appetizing than they could have been. After sitting so long watching football Mike, Hallie, and Eliza put on our rain boots and took a walk. It was nice to get out and to be able to feel the rain.

We ended the day chatting with Grandpa O, Grandma O. and Alie. It is fun to talk to them. We're grateful for modern technology.

2024, January 8-14

Our 1000th post! How crazy is that? 

So, what does one post for the 1000th post? More of the same? Yup. But first, a pic from our very first post from all the way back in 2004 when we were at earls in Calgary (before they capitalized the E) on the way to see Great Big Sea in concert (before they broke up) at the Saddledome with our friends Tracy and Rebecca (before we all got more "seasoned" -- isn't Hallie a hottie? That part hasn't changed). We need to get back!

As for this week, we quickly got back into our routines of school and work, albeit with some weather-related challenges. 

Kai has been in love with his Snoopy Claus since he got him from Priscilla. Unfortunately, love for Kai means "chew on him until the stuffing comes out." This meant that Snoopy Claus is no more. 

Hallie thought Kai looked like a little babushka in his Dutch Bros kerchief. 

Tuesday brought lots of snow. Here's Hallie's drive in it. There was no snow. Suddenly, so much snow! It has been a long time since we have seen this kind of storm at night. At different points in the week she struggled to get up hills and fishtailed her way through intersections. Never a dull moment driving in the white stuff! Speaking of driving, Landon passed his learner's permit test, so we're going to let him start figuring out how to navigate these roads for himself soon enough. 

Landon and Mike went out in it to admire the glow it made with L's light saber. Mike wasn't too keen to stay out in the cold for too long. When your 16 year old begs long enough you go for a little bit.

 

On Wednesday, Hallie took Kai to play in the snow for a bit. He seems to enjoy it, but he gets covered in frozen ice balls that cling to his body all over. Between towels and a hair dryer, she and Eliza managed to get him mostly dry and ice free. Later, Mike and Kai played fetch, but he made sure to put Kai in his sweater first. Hallie is in love with this picture. We are so happy to have Kai in our lives.

  

Landon and Ferg are just two too cool dudes. 

The landscapers have come by to shovel the main walks, for which we are grateful. More snow kept falling though, so the sidewalks got covered again before too long. 

Kai required fairly consistent grooming for ice balls, but we were diligent. Also, isn't his little white chest patch so adorable? We took him back to his other family on Thursday after Eliza's dentist appointment and will get him next week. 

Fergus is no fan of the snow. He will occasionally venture out, but soon enough he is back indoors where it's warm.

 

The girls went out for Cupbop and Korean corndogs after E's appointment. E's was super cheesy! Hallie really likes Cupbop and the closest Cupbop doesn't have the corndogs. So, when we are in Orem we have to try new things.

 

We went to an activity at Springville Library Thursday night where we made vision boards for the new year. Guess whose is whose. Thank you Encircle Provo for hosting the event.

Sawyer gave Hallie this cute picture that was worthy of the fridge gallery.

Chilly Sundays require a cozy drink to keep a body warm. Mike's beverage of choice is mate con menta. 

Ferg will always find a person as his cozy go-to. Today it was Eliza. 

We ended the week cheering on the Detroit Lions. We have so many fun memories of living in Detroit. Shocking to think it's been nearly 10 years since we moved away. Seeing the Lions do well this football season makes us so happy!

2024, January 1-7

We finally got a bit of snow to start off the year. Plenty of sickies at home meant not a lot of going out. Still, we managed to have some fun. 

We started the New Year watching the Rose Parade on good ol' KTLA on YouTube. 

Later on, we all went for a walk along a portion of the Mapleton Lateral Canal Trail.  The good clean air helped those of us not feeling well.

On Monday, Landon got a haircut. Now he looks closer to those anime characters he loves so well. 

Kai came back on Wednesday with a new toy in tow. 

He's such a love. We like how lowkey he is. He likes people and has a lot of good energy. Some days can be hard, and he sure does make life feel a bit like we can handle it better.

On Friday when Eliza went to BUH, she and Hallie nearly got stuck in the snow getting there. The roads and the snow are always worse as you go towards the mountains, even if it is only 10 minutes away. Canada and Michigan winters helped prepare Hallie to not get stuck.

Eliza and Hallie ran some errands on Saturday. They found some unique goldfish among their grocery finds. Diamond loves Hello Kitty, and we thought of her as we bought a couple of bags. They actually are quite tasty.

Here's a picture of the finished LEGO set Hallie got for Christmas. It goes well with our other beach cottage-themed items in the front room. Hallie loves food trucks, and this set also fits her personality. The truck reminded Mike of Bro Bro's frozen banana truck.

 

Kai has a few favorite toys he likes to carry around. This week, Priscilla got him a cute little Snoopy Claus to add to his collection. 

Sunday morning dawned crisp and white. We're grateful for the snow even if it's not our favorite weather for dog walking. Later in the day, Eliza and Mike went over to see the horses. They seemed to appreciate having someone to brush them and make sure they could get at the hay. 

Fergus is not a huge fan of the snow. He'll take to looking out the window and occasionally venturing out. Soon enough, he's back indoors where it's warm. He is a smart cat. 

Hallie and Priscilla helped shovel at Grandpa and Grandma M's in the afternoon. After they got home Hallie showed Priscilla how light and fluffy the snow really was. Don't hurt your back just push the snow out of the way. Between the two of them, Priscilla's driveway was shoveled in no time. Kai had so much fun playing in the snow while they shoveled.

In the evening we chatted with Grandpa, Grandma O and Alie. We helped them set up their new digital photo frame. Now they can see our fancy faces all the time in California!