Destruction on the Table

In early 2007, Gerrit and I needed a table to put our computers on for our new apartment.  We didn't have a big budget so we got a cheap one from Ikea.  The paint had worn off and it was bowing a little in the center, but otherwise it had held up well and we've used it that whole time.  Recently, we were trying to change up some things in our basement and I decided that since Molly literally NEVER uses her craft table, we should use it as the computer table. It's also from Ikea but is much newer and quite a bit nicer.  

Once Gerrit had switched the tables, he was asking if we should offer it for free to anyone.  I pointed out it was in really bad shape and most people would not want it.  Gerrit decided to push on the bowed part of the table to see how it was and it cracked.  Gerrit then sat on it and it fell apart completely!

This is when we learned that the interior of this table has been cardboard all along and I am frankly amazed that it has held two desktop computers, speakers, etc. for as long as it has!

Gerrit and the boys had the most fun possible destroying this table :)

Perfect Days of Summer

 

One of my favorite things about summer is absolutely the produce.  Tomatoes! Corn! Zucchini! Berries! Stone fruit of all sorts!  It follows, then, that one of my favorite summer events is the farmer's market.  At least once every summer, we go down to the big farmer's market in downtown Provo.  It's fun because you can get so many different things there.  We got plenty of produce with cherries, raspberries, apricots and also local honey, but then we also got things like Nutella crepes and frozen passion fruit limeades and horchata and french fries and bibimbap and homemade bread and some kind of Central American turnover that is almost an empanada.  Plus, there are always beautiful flowers. It's always an adventure!  Also, the boys saw close to 40 different dogs and they were a big fan of this.

Pink Pirate Crab

I don't generally love driving with the windows down because I feel like it's loud and the wind isn't my favorite.  I can now add that I also don't like that it lets random trash fly INTO your car.

Miles was driving us home from Fiiz and Molly wanted shotgun so I was sitting in the back with Elliott.  Elliot LOVES opening the car window and was thrilled to have it open on the drive.  Suddenly, I felt something hit my face.  I assumed it was just a piece of paper we had in the back when I grabbed it and found this instead:

We have never seen this crab before.  It came in from the outside and hijacked our vehicle! It was unexpected but also honestly really hilarious.

When PE Takes Over

 Miles is taking two classes this summer so that he can take more electives during the school year.  Financial Literacy was easy and straightforward.  Lifetime Activities PE?  That has been a whole elaborate thing.  

Miles had to practice scoring bowling, do two hours of a new lifetime activity, and also make two instructional videos about either racquetball or bowling.  We decided to combine these to all be about bowling, so we went as a whole family for one hour and then Gerrit took Miles for the second hour to bowl and film videos.  I'm excited that I got 100, and then Miles is excited that learned the skills took him from bowling in the 50s on the first day to getting 99 on the second day.

 Miles has to do the entire Fitnessgram at the start and end of each portion of the class. There are four portions, so this is legitimately a LOT.  For reference, you would just do it at the start and end of the semester in person.  The high school track was in use for the most recent mile so we went to the junior high, which is right next to the new Lindon Temple.  Miles and Molly also learned an important life lesson this day: don't run the mile if you've just eaten a ton of magic flan cake.

Miles has to do ten hours of physical activity for each section (forty total).  We were going to go on a new-to-us hike about an hour away, but Gerrit hurt his knee playing dodgeball so I took the kids on the very familiar Battlecreek hike instead.

KPop Demon Hunters Watch Party

Molly is the biggest fan of the movie K-Pop Demon Hunters, and when she loves something, she wants everyone  else to love it.  She showed it to her cousins at our family reunion. She tried to convince her friends to watch it, and when they weren't interested, she hosted a watch party so they could all see it with her.  She picked out thematic snacks like popcorn, soda pop, and Korean candy and then was thrilled to watch the movie with her friends!

The Stuart Family Goes (Back) to Logan

My dad's side of the family is originally from Logan so we headed up their for this year's triannual family reunion!

We shared a house with Emily's family.  We arrived their first and then headed over to the big house to hang out with everyone and eat pizza. The schedule had Aggie Creamery on it.  No one else was going but Emily and I were determined, and that was ideal, because it turned out our cousin Andrea's family was there with my Uncle Rock and Aunt Sharon (from the other side of the family) and it meant we got to see them! Afterwards, we dropped our kids back at the house to watch K-Pop Demon Hunters so the adults could grocery shop. 

The next day, I picked up breakfast for everyone from a local bakery called Le Croissant Co and then we headed out to hike to the Wind Cave up Logan Canyon.  It's a steep hike but a beautiful one!  We ate lunch at our rental house and then I worked on four pans of berries and cream dessert before we went back to the big house to press our shirts, eat taco bowls, and eventually head out for fireworks.

Girl cousin bunk bed room

Emily's family picked up bagels this morning and then we joined up with everyone for the Hyrum 4th of July parade! After lunch at Costa Vida, we all met up at the cemetary where my brother, grandparents, and other ancestors are buried.  My cousin Amanda made beautiful kids activity books and then they handed out lists of different relevant family addresses so each family could create their own tour.  I picked all the houses my dad lived in as a kid, all the houses I lived in before the age of 3, and the house where my grandma was born.  We went home to make potato salad and then we joined up for a cookout and family pictures at Abby's house.  Amanda had fun prizes for everyone who wrote up something they learned on the tour and the kids loved the Minecraft figure, card game, and duct tape they won.

We had a light breakfast of cereal after having SO MUCH FOOD at our other meals, and then I ran out to the Logan Farmer's Market to grab bread and local produce for the afternoon's Taste of Cache Valley.  We played games and had a huge picnic at a local park. Again, delicious, but SO MUCH FOOD.  After the picnic, we went back home for some games and hot tub time,  and then everyone brought their leftovers back to the house that night for the talent show and some Jackbox games.

For our last day, we went to church in the morning and then packed in a way that somehow left Elliott's swimsuit outside, Molly's t-shirt in her cousin's luggage, and Miles's hat at the big house.  Our last activity was a very extended family picnic for my grandpa's siblings kids, grandkids, and great-grandkids.  They had mini golf and a cotton candy machine!

As ever, it was so much fun to see my aunts and uncles, cousins, and their kids.  My kids have several great friends among their first and second cousins and I love talking to everyone!  We'll see everyone again in three years :)