WX Sweethearts

Miriam's first dance and her first date.

Sweet 16

We have a lovely, smart, determined 16 year old in the house!! 

I was thrilled to find this butterfly mural at Thanksgiving Point where she choose to celebrate her birthday by competing in the Dancesport competition.

Miriam loves butterflies so stumbling on a perfect photo op to mark this occasion seemed meant to be!

Instead of a party she danced Friday and Saturday and then we celebrated as a family on Sunday, her actual Birthday.

Some ballroom friends....

She and Brayden took 3rd in the Youth Rhythm division, and 6th in the Amateur Rhythm division

She and I were both sick at the time, but we celebrated with soup and a cinnamon roll at some local bakery I have already forgotten the name of.

On her birthday we met Mark, Dayoung and Lora at Campos for a hip brunch.

It was sooooo good! 

Darin always brings me flowers on her birthday, but this special occasion meant Miriam got flowers as well. Two dozen gorgeous roses....I love that the boys gift to her also got captured in this photo.  She has paid for ballroom shoes, some lessons, and fees for competitions with her own money. Her gift from us is a trip to Disneyland with her ballroom team. The boys knew she was anxious about $ for food and fun at Disneyland after paying so much for ballroom, so they both gave her cash, which she was not allowed to buy souvenirs for them with....only treats and experiences for herself.  

We would have done more...gone on a hike, watched a movie, but Miriam was exhausted from the big weekend and still trying to get over her cold.  

She just wanted to do a puzzle, listen to her music, and have ice cream for dessert.

  

These lyrics from The Waitress always remind me of Miriam...not that she is pregnant, or gone, she is right here in the thick of things but just this verse always makes me think of my girl:

She's imperfect, but she tries
She is good, but she lies
She is hard on herself
She is broken and won't ask for help
She is messy, but she's kind
She is lonely most of the time
She is all of this mixed up and baked in a beautiful pie.....


My wish for Miriam is from the same song.  I hope she will "be reckless just enough, that she will get hurt just enough to learn how to toughen up." - not that she isn't already one of the strongest people I know...it's just that I know if she isn't getting a little hurt, she isn't going after her dreams.  I also hope that she can not worry too much about the future, not dwell on missed opportunities in the past just completely enjoy the thrill and freedom of being 16 right now in this moment. The driving, the dating, the triumphs and the heartbreaks. 

I want her to know everything will workout, there will be more joy than she can imagine, and she will find all the strength and help she might need to get through the hard stuff.

January 2020

Random photos from the start of the month.

We've been going out on Sunday walks...this one just up in the hills to crunch the snow. 

Just Darin and I one evening. 

Darin dropped the boys and I off on the Lagoon Trail to EZ roll and scooter to the pond while he went fishing up Farmington Canyon.

We spent so much time exploring the frozen pond. 

Then Darin came down to fish the pond for a bit. 

I surprised the boys on one of my Wednesdays off and booked them a skiing lesson at Nordic Valley.

It was a perfect warm day after a snow storm...I keep waiting for another opportunity to take them again.  They are also anxiously waiting for me to announce another "mental health ski day".

Miriam had a ballroom competition in Provo so we seized the opportunity to go deliver our Christmas gifts to Now I Can.  Anna and Miriam were busy so we took the boys to paint ornaments and then the arcade at Provo Beach Resort. 

Soren's hat was given the Award of Excellence by the District and is going on to State Refections.

We also found out that Byron's science fair project was selected from Stewart to go on to the district competition.  He is excited and also dreading it a bit because now he will need to present his findings in person.   I don't have any photos but here he is being a great bird-dad to Sunny.  

Miriam has been busy with ballroom dance competitions, which means I too have been busy.  Darin and boys have had a few weekends alone, and they will have a few more before the year is up.  They keep themselves busy.

A New Decade! 2020

We arrived around 1:00 and the kids were out sledding soon there after.

Darin and I went out for a snowshoe hike.

Made it to the top again.

It's so blissfully quiet up there.

 Played some card games, watched one of the Mission Impossibles, and then fondued until we were stuffed!!

We played so many rounds of Werewolf and before we knew it - it was time to bundle up for the trip down to the lake.

The kids sledded down, the adults took the snowmobiles and we let off amazing fireworks at midnight! We seriously are so grateful for Byron's firework haul...they are amazing, and to be right there underneath them is quite thrilling.

I think we all got about 4 to 5 hours of sleep that night.

The kids were up again at 6:00 but my mom got them all hot chocolate and they went downstairs to watch a movie until the adults woke up. 

After breakfast more sledding for the boys and a snowshoe hike for Darin and Miriam.

Everyone needed to leave that day because of work mostly (dentist appointments for the kids and I) but there was a winter storm warning in the mountains.  Luckily there was a break in the snow in the afternoon and we all got home safely. 

20th Anniversary Tour

We rented those Ice cleats the next morning and were hiking by 11:00

He hiked Delicate Arch

We then drove out to Canyonlands and decided to hike Mesa Arch.  I wanted to do Grand View as well, but our gas light was about to turn on so we needed to head back to Moab.

We stopped along the way to take in all the breathtaking views.  The snow adds depth and perspective to the landscape.

We found this duck overlooking the Shaffer Trail and left him there for the next visitors to enjoy.

That evening we did family charcoal masks and the boys and I went swimming for the second night.

I was torn that next morning....I was eager to get to Scofield to celebrate New Years, but the sun really came out that day and the temps rose higher.  We went shopping for food to fondue and headed to the cabin.