A common question Mom's ask each other is: "Are you ready for summer?" I've had mixed feelings and got quizzed about this a lot. Well, too late. Summer is here! Another popular conversation others start is, "are you going on any trips?" No vacations! Instead we are finishing our basement. Surprise! Pinch me! I can't believe this is happening!
Last Day of School
South Jordan Parade
This year we actually got to go to the parade! The kids have been disappointed we've missed the parade the last 2 years. (Last year it was a close friend's baptism and in 2024 we were in Brazil.) The kids have grocery bags full of junk and I happily collected food coupons (thanks Little Caesars and Raising Canes. Chick-Fil-A step it up next year). James was thrown a t-shirt once again!
Science Camp
We signed up for 2 summer camps at Mrs. B's house. Mrs. B was Isabelle's preschool teacher and lives nearby. Her camps are 6 hours a week, (2 hours over 3 days) and only $40. Cousin George is now old enough to participate in the camps. We made signing up together a priority. The Bradshaw's went to this camp too.
Back to the Future
My parent's did not renew their season tickets to Eccles theater so this was our last play there for awhile. I'll be honest, I was never much of a "Back to the Future" fan though my siblings were. I didn't know if I even wanted to go see this musical. Andrew likes it though and his dad did, so I decided to get over it and go. It was worth it. The props were spectacular. The car flying onstage was creative and great. I even found myself admitting we should watch the movie.
One of the most memorable moments about the evening was an audience member sitting in the row behind us. He had am amplified villainous chuckle. The loudest laugh I've ever heard. His boisterous chortle came at unexpected moments too, not after the obvious jokes. We giggled so much thanks to this man and many fellow audience members did too. We scoped him out during intermission and were surprised such a little man could make such a boisterous sound. Andrew can imitate the infamous cackle so please ask him to next time you see him.
Swimming Lessons
This summer, all 3 of my kids are taking lessons. I thought Penelope would thrive in the water and boy was I right. She loves being a big kid. She jumped in the pool no problem. The morning after her first lesson she asked, "are my swim teacher's still there?" "Is the water still in the pool?" We signed up for lessons with cousin George. Adrianna happened to be in Isabelle's class which was fun for them. My older kids are getting good and I think they're going to try out for a swim team. Swimming wears the kids out and a huge perk of doing lessons is that Penelope napped everyday she swam! It's pretty hard work. My parent's came to watch the kids in the pool.
Cowabunga Bay
We have only taken our kids to "Cubungabunga Bay" (as Penny calls it) once. This waterpark is expensive! We last went in 2022. My day was made when James' orthodontist announced their summer party was here. Pizza! Free admission for the whole fam! Games! Past bedtime? Who cares! We will be there! The kids have been counting down for weeks. Speaking of the orthodontist, James is set to get his braces off in 2 weeks.
Gloria Falls
In my opinion, this is one of the best waterfall hikes in our area. The last time we did this hike was in July of 2022 and I was having a miscarriage. I've been determined to have a re-do. We made better memories there this weekend. We got to the trail before 8am and cars were already lining the street spilling out of the parking lot. The loud waterfall was a little frightening for Penelope. James declared he didn't know it could be so cold during the summer. When we started the hike it was 58 degrees and it's a shady hike. Obviously, we had to stop at Macey's for Kong cones after. Next hike... Timpanogas Caves! Hopefully our tickets don't get cancelled this time!
Toy Story 5
We got free tickets to see Toy Story 5 from my SIL. Thank you Lindsey! This meant we went to the movies on a day other than $5 Tuesday. We even got free pizza and cookies and Buzz Lightyear and Woody were there dressed in costume! Jessica and George came too.
The movie was super cute and I loved the message. Play with toys more and screens less. There was lots of giggling throughout the movie. Yes, we've been prepping for this premiere by listening to the new Taylor Swift song on repeat and re-watching the previous Toy Story movies. I found it ironic that the adults in the row in front of us in the theater couldn't put their phones down. The dad was playing a game for several minutes, and the mom kept checking and browsing her phone every few minutes.
Pregnancy Update
After my 20 week ultrasound, I was told I needed to see a specialist (IMC Maternal Fetal Medicine) because there was fluid around baby's heart. This freaked me out. After talking to my doctor, I learned that he thought nothing was wrong. I guess my ultrasound tech referred someone else for this same problem right before me and all was well. That was the case for me too! Phew. Andrew accompanied me to the specialist appointment in Murray. The fluid around baby girl's heart measured 2mm. 3mm and under is normal, so we're in the clear. Yay!
At the appointment, they discovered that one of girly's kidneys is measuring large. The specialist wanted me to follow up with him again, but I'm relieved to have an ultrasound with my normal doctor in a month to check her kidney size. My doctor does not seem concerned but did say this is more common in boys. I'm happy not to have another 2.5 hour ordeal in Murray and to check things out with my doctor.
I had my glucose/gestational diabetes test and the results were normal.
I'm pretty sure we've decided on a name! Hello third trimester!
House Update-- My dream is coming true!
I never thought this day would come. I'm not being dramatic. How would we ever be able to save 100k to finish our basement!? Several friends in the neighborhood have recently finished theirs and this price seems typical. We have been saving and decided to get a bid from a family friend. The price Dale quoted is very reasonable and nowhere near that price. We are not finishing the entire basement, but just part of it. We are using money we saved and borrowing some money from my parent's to make up the difference which is so generous of them. We trust Dale completely and have been super impressed by his speed.
We are finishing about 1100 square feet which includes 2 bedrooms, a family room, and a bathroom. One bedroom will be Andrew's office! He's been working in the uninsulated chilly basement for years and wears slippers and a big coat on the regular. The other bedroom will be a guest room which will be a big help! I like hosting guests, but it's never convenient to shuffle my kids rooms/clean their bathroom, etc. Now we will have a dedicated space for that. Another big area to spread out will also be a gamechanger. I've already told Andrew that in the summers, I (we) might want to sleep in the basement because it's so much cooler.
Dale claims that the basement will be finished before baby girl arrivals! Eek! They started Wednesday, June 10 and are finished with framing and heating so far. They've also put in the tub/shower and had the plumbers come hook that up. I still can't believe this is happening and am so grateful. Every night, we take a family walk in the basement and check out the progress.
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