January 2023 - School, airplanes and hot air balloons, Lindon and lots of SNOW!

Lilian's preschool teacher, Miss Lana, decided that she wanted to trade for school this year.  She wanted a large behind the couch bench, then changed her mind and decided on a smaller bench to go under the front window.  Something to store toys and for her small dog to lounge on and look out the window.  I built her this, we bought a cushion for the top.  It is a "great deal" for us, but she loves trading for things she can't do for herself.  Once it was done, it was nice looking.

1/3 - Back to working hard at school. 

Preschool was still on winter break, so Lily got some mommy school, too.

Finn's Jurassic World, he's never seen the real movies, but the Lego versions are some of his favorites. 

1/9 - See that little gray cross?  That is Andy's first flight lesson.  I have a patient at work who loves our visits and always says my analytical mind would be perfect in flight.  He set up an intro flight for me with a local instructor.  We went up for a little over an hour in a ~1950 Cessna 170. I didn't take any pictures, but Melissa saw a single plane flying around and thought it might be me.  It was so much fun.  So many instruments to learn, things to think about, surprises, etc.  It was awesome!  I would love to get me license, but not right now.  

1/14 - Melissa is interested in a different kind of flight.  The Bluff hot air balloon festival.  We went for a couple of hours in the morning to watch them take off and fly. 

Then we went back that night for the glow-in and chili dinner. It was cool to see them at night. 

1/15 Sunday the 15th I was assigned to speak in the young single adult branch in Blanding.  On a whim I asked the family if they wanted to speak with me.  Hannah and Finn said, yes.  They each practiced reading a story from the Friend magazine and then did a great job reading during sacrament meeting.  When we walked in, there was a flyer up from their last branch activity. Hot Wheels races, then during announcements they said that week they'd be meeting at the bowling alley for a game.  Finn asked if we could start attending church there, instead of our ward!

I took Monday the 16th off to take care of the kids... because Melissa had a colonoscopy on Jan 17th.  Here she is in recovery, everything was fine.  She just had a screening scope at 40, due to her maternal grandmother dying of stomach cancer.

1/18 - Then Wednesday Lilian got a midazolam buzz and went to the dentist to fill a cavity.  Even on drugs, it was not pleasant, but she doesn't seem to remember it.  After I brought her home, Melissa got some great, groggy snuggles. 

1/18 - trying to catch up on a dry summer last year? The Great Salt Lake was in serious danger, but these storms have been over the whole state and are filling the lake back up. 

1/20 - We were back in Lindon for the big Christmas present I got Nana and Grandad, a dinner and a trip to the ice castles.  
The day before Ice Castles, we visited Holly Anderson and her kids.  We talked and played and made sugar cookies.  Holly seems to be an amazing mom.  I wish we hadn't waited for Bret's death to be the excuse to get us together more.  

1/20 - games with some Clifts. 

1/21- Saturday night we had dinner at the restaurant at Zermatt's resort in Midway.  The food was good, but not a great place for kids.  Lilian was starving on the drive up and all she wanted was a ham sandwich... we'll they didn't have that.  Hannah and Finn both ordered mac and cheese, which was delicious, but not child friendly with a garlicy white cream sauce.  Oh well, once we hit the ice... the kids were happy. Grandad was FROZEN, he's so sensitive to the cold because of his Raynaud's.  But he was a trooper, nana seemed to enjoy it.  

Ice princesses.

1/22 - all thawed out and enjoying Sunday dinner. 

1/23 - goodbye again.  See you soon? Always fun to visit for a few days.  The kids are so independent and nana and grandad take wonderful care of us all. 

1/26 - another tooth!  

1/28 - Jerrica Pugh, a woman in our ward, got married and had her reception at the "Black's Barn" we took the kids and they liked it.  The lower level of the barn had weird stuff, like this metal bald eagle and the reception upstairs had cookies and hot chocolate.  Lilian ended up throwing a fit, because she didn't get to say goodbye to the bride when we left.