New Liner Time

Getting a new liner for the pool is not high on our enjoyment list.  It's expensive to drain and refill the pool, it's hard to coordinate with workers as it needs to be done within a certain temperature window, it's expensive to buy a new liner, you never know if it's going to wrinkle or have issues, and it's expensive, but the girls LOVE getting a new liner.  It gives them 24 hours of pure enjoyment playing in a partial full pool.

Day 1 Water Drainage - Lots of Slipping & Sliding

Day 2 - Redoing concrete work under the liner

Day 3 - New liner placement and begin to refill water

A few fun videos from the late night slipping and sliding

Time to Shimmer & Shine

Last Summer Kayla & JOhanna started a window washing company  - Shimmer & Shine.  With Johanna leaving on her mission, Kayla has taken over the business and is ready to get going for this season.  She started with a quick refresher on our house and then hit the streets to make other windows Shimmer and Shine as well.  

Green Bike FHE

 Tonight for Family Home Evening (FHE) we rented Green Bikes and rode around downtown Salt Lake City.  You can rent the bikes for 24 hours, but they primarily for short distance traveling around the city, so you have to check them in every 30 minutes.  It made for a fun adventure.

Time to check in & check out bikes again

 Took a brief break to explore the Gateway

and to visit CHIP - our very favorite cookie place - CHIP Cookies (check it out)

And finished off with a lesson by Lindsay & Em about Using Safeguards for Technology.  With 3 teenagers and 1 pre-teen technology, cell phone use, social media, apps, & how to best use technology is a frequent discussion in our house.  This manual has helped us focus on principles when it comes to how to best use technology versus specific details and rules.  We are very strong believers on continually teachinging correct principles and then letting our children make decisions for themselves.  Here are the 4 principles that the girls taught us about tonight:

1-Be in tune with spiritual promptings

2- Be focused on a higher purpose

3 - Be disciplined

4 - Be one

You can read more about Safeguards for Using Technology here, just click on the purple link. I'll let the girls write more about this when they have a minute so they can talk more about this.

Seminary Grads

Congrats to Makayla & Emily on graduating from Seminary and next week graduating from Bingham High School.  These two have worked hard and we are so proud of them!  Congrats!

Working on Mission Papers

Kayla spent the afternoon working on her Mission Papers.  She needs to complete an online application, have an interview with her bishop, as well as an interview with her stake president before submitting her papers.  Mission papers can only be submitted within 120 days of your 19th (18th for young men) birthday, so June 2nd will be the first day they would accept Kayla's application.  She will have it ready and waiting to submit on June 2nd.  

Serving a full-time mission for the church is a very big commitment.  Kayla will leave behind her family, friends, schooling, hobbies, and personal interests to focus all of her time and energy on sharing the good news of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.  Though she will be assigned to labor in a specific region of the world, she hopes her efforts will be felt near and far from wherever she will actually be living.  

Why a mission?  Though young women have the opportunity to serve a full time mission, it is not an  requirement.  Every worthy young women who is physically and emotionally able gets to decide for herself if a full time mission is right for her.  This is a decision Kayla has been thinking about for several years, and as she has grown and matured into adulthood, her desire to serve the Lord through full time service has also grown.  

We fully support her in her decision to serve and know that she will be a great instrument in the Lord's hands in sharing His love and plan of salvation with others

Anniversary Weekend

Spent our Anniversary Weekend attending a wedding in Alpine on Friday night, Rock Climbing with the fam on Saturday

and at Hale Center theater (THANK YOU Lindsay!) watching "The Music Man" on Saturday night.  No matter what we do, we are always grateful to be together.  Though lots has changed throughout our 23 years of marriage - 7 pregnancies, 7 jobs, endless callings, and countless challenges, our desire to spend time together has never changed.  So happy to spend Forever Together. 

Becoming Pizza Chefs

With our new Pizza Oven, Lindz has become the official dough maker

Aubs likes to chop vegetables

                                    And Dad is all over the Pizza Cooking
It's been a fun new addition to the back yard!

Rock Climbing @ Log Canyon

Started the sunny day off with all-you-can-eat french toast at Kneaders

Harnessing up to set the rope

When you arrive it is just a mountain face.  Aubs had to climb the mountain, clipping in along the way, until she reached the top and was able to tie a rope down so the rest of us could climb. We definitely could not have set the rope without she and Elan. 

It's a long way to  the top to set the rope

Lindz was the first to climb

then Brenna

while one climbed, the others chased and captured lizrds

Aubs belayed most of the morning

She is awesome at it!

At the end of the day, Aubs belayed Elan up to take down and bring down the rope.  Probably the most nerve racking part of the day, but luckily these 2 know what they're doing and we were all safe!

They weren't too tired to Rock Out on the way home

9th Grade Awards Assembly

Awards time for Emily!  She received several awards, but I'll just write the one I remember.  

Spirit Award - Going above and beyond, not just academically but in helping and serving others and making SoJo a better place for all 3 years

Student Body Officer Award - Serving as a Student Body Officer all 3 years at SoJo

Highest Academic Achievement Award - 4.0 GPA and all H's all 3 years at SoJo 

With Principal McCloud, and Vice-Principals Preston and Human.  These 3 men have been such  good leaders for Em these past few years.  They have listened to her thoughts, ideas, concerns, and has given her a lot of leeway in organizing activities she felt would benefit the students, even when those ideas didn't originally align with the administrations.  They have helped her grow as a student and a leader and have had such a positive influence in her life.  Emily's legacy at SoJo Middle will continue on for years to come, and her love for this this school will last a lifetime.  

SoJo Snow Leopards on the PROWL