Surreal Summer

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

Thursday, June 4

See ya 3rd grade

So long 1st grade

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!

Saturday, June 6

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.

Tues, June 9-Thursday, June 11

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.

Friday, June 12

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.

June 15-18

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.

Thursday, June 18 (I promise Penelope had a splendid time)

We hung out with the Rosevears during the event which made for a great time! Emmie brought each of our kids little crafts she had made. Penelope got in lots of snuggles with Blake. She asked to float on her back in the lazy river around the clock. Becky and I could have talked for a few more hours. The water was nippy and I didn't even go to the coldest section by the slides. The kids wish our backyard was big enough to build our very own surfin USA slide. That was the favorite of the night. 4 can race at a time and you go on mats.

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!

Saturday, June 20

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. 

Saturday, June 20

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. 

Free Frazzle Fridays have been a priority... Found a gas station with more flavors and will be going back for Cherry Limeade next week. This gas station also gives out free bananas and they were leagues better than the Walmart ones we get.

If I had to guess, I'd say it's going to be a fantastic summer! As long as I don't melt being uber pregnant...

Magnificent May

We've had our share of recitals and school presentations this month. I love this stage of parenthood.

Dance Recital

Izzy has loved Hip Hop and had her spring recital this month. Her facial expressions ("facials" as she calls them) are amazing and she is very into it. Nana and Papa came to watch her perform. She got flowers from them and opted for a new squish mellow from me (I told her I could buy her flowers 3x at the competitions and recital or she could get a toy instead.) She named the squish mellow Sparkles. It came with the name Easton which she didn't approve of. She is taking a break from dance and starting choir. We had to dash from Izzy's dance recital to James' piano recital.

Saturday, May 9 at Granger High

Piano Recital

This was an 8 piano event at the Sandy mall. I got to be James' duet partner for 5 songs. James has an incredible piano teacher! I hope she sticks with it for years to come. She's in her 80s. James has only been taking lessons from her a year and is thriving and cruising through levels.

Saturday, May 9 at the South Town Mall

Happy Birthday Joel

On Joel's birthday, we went to his grave and I made cinnamon rolls (his favorite) in his honor. Lately I've been thinking about what a kind older brother he was to me. He helped me on my math homework like every night without complaint! What teenage boy does that willingly?

Monday, May 11

Wax Museum Presentation for James aka Neil Armstrong

James went the extra mile for this project. He checked out multiple books from the library and knew so much information about Neil Armstrong. He had pages of google documents worth of notes. We finished up the project a day he was home sick from school. Penny and I watched James present at the school. He had notecards for his presentation and Milky Way candy bars. He said he was the only Neil Armstrong in his class, but grade wide, there were a handful of other Neils and astronauts. Next time you see James, ask him how Neil Armstrong narrowly escaped death. 

Tuesday, May 19

Animal Report for Isabelle aka Starfish

Isabelle was very eager to do this report. She even made me a handmade invitation to come watch her present at school. She told me she picked a Starfish for her report, but wouldn't give me any other spoilers. Everything was a secret until the day of which was cute! Check our her starfish earrings.

Wednesday, May 20

Pool Party

Doug and Sheri had us over for a bbq and swimming. They have such a nice setup in their yard. My kids loved all the playmates and the food was a home run. Copycat J-Dawgs for the win. Grandma was delighted to be with so many of her great grandkids and requested a picture.

Saturday, May 23

Hike

Memorial Day means hiking for us! My parent's and sister's family came too. We went to the poppy fields in Alpine. Sadly, we learned that someone chopped down a lot of the poppies. We decided to go anyway. It was still pretty, but there were less poppies than usual. After, my parent's treated to us to ice cream cones at Macey's. They are dirt cheap and James got the biggest size! He finished it all which was remarkable. That boy can pack it in. We have other hikes in the plans and I can't wait. Bring on the Timpanogas Caves!

Happy Birthday Mom

We went out for my mom's birthday to Slackwater Pizza. It was even better than I remembered. Hello hot honey pepperoni pizza. Andrew tried a May specialty pizza called the birrillo loco pizza and I don't think I've ever seen him so happy about his order. Then we went to the temple. My mom found 4 daughters that needed to be sealed to their parents and we got to do that! I am truly blessed to have the mom I do. She is the best nana!

Friday, May 29

Basketball James

Another season complete. Atta boy James! Tip--we learned playing basketball in the spring is a less popular time which meant much more playing time which was awesome! There were only 6 kids on James' team and I think someone was missing at almost every game. James' team took 2nd place in the championship so he got a trophy. Later this year, I think we will have James play up an age group or participate in a more intense league. He's ready. Unfortunately the older age game times didn't work for James this season. Here are the number of points James scored at each game: 

Game #1: Saturday, April 11

18 points

Game #2: Saturday, April 18

6 points

Game #3: Saturday, April 25

24 points

Game #4: Saturday, May 2

10 points

Game #5: Saturday, May 9 

10 points

Game #6: Saturday, May 16

16 points

Game #7: Saturday, May 30

10 points

Grand Total:

94 points

James wanted a squishmellow (named Jonny) as his reward for scoring at least 80 points.

Saturday, May 30

Summer is creeping up on us. Here we go.

Life Lately

 I want these pictures in my blog book! See why and read on!

Saturday, April 25 

We saw Phantom of the Opera at Eccles Theater. My parent's got tickets 6 months ago and the wait is over. Phantom was incredible. I had forgotten so much of the story and was captivated. The music was infectious and it's perfect to jam out to in the car. Christine's voice was out of this world! The set and costumes were jaw-dropping, especially during the masquerade. Thanks Mom and Dad!

Thursday, April 30

I went to BYU Women's Conference and my cup is full. I feel uplifted and took pages of notes. I learned so much. My dad's twin sisters, Lori and Lisa both spoke at the conference! The pic above is a shot taken right after Lori's talk. It was fabulous. She just got her PHD and is super intelligent. She talked about 3 different women in the Bible at wells. Shoutout to my Dad for coming and being the only man in the room and the brunt of a few jokes. Sadly, I was subbing and couldn't go to Lisa's talk on May 1. Luckily, I was filled in on what she spoke about. After Lori's talk, we went out to Brick Oven. The homemade root beer, pepperoni pizza, and cookies were the perfect ending to the evening.

Thursday, April 30

My parent's watched Penny while I was subbing. She is officially done with daycare. My mom says Penelope's face in this pic is me. I had 2 bac-to-back days of subbing all day and going directly to women's conference but it was worth it! I was worn out though and didn't get home until after 10 one evening.

Wednesday, April 29

I got to meet Shawna Edwards!! This is her! I admire and love her so much. She is a talented musician and I used many of her songs when I was music coordinator. She accompanied one of the musicians who sang, "The Miracle" which Shawna wrote. My aunt got us floor seats. My mom and I were 4 rows back and watched 4 speakers and musical numbers in the Marriott Center. It was an unforgettable experience.

Wednesday, April 29

We made time for Aubergine and the BYU creamery of course. Also may have gotten BYU brownies... Oh and because we had floor seats, there was a snack bar..

Tamara Runia (the 1st counselor in the YW general presidency) was absolutely hilarious! I laughed so much and had no idea she is so witty. She was outstanding and was very interactive and had us moving around. 

Noelle Pikus Pace (Olypmian who competed in Skeleton) was vulnerable and refreshing. I related to a story she shared about motherhood and planning a vacation. I adored her and her time speaking flew by. She is a gifted speaker.

Noelani Wayas told a story about an encounter she had with a shark and tied it in beautifully at the end. She was fun to listen to.

Jen Thatcher opened up about delivering a stillborn baby at 20 weeks after miscarrying another baby the prior year. This story hit close to home for me. She brought up Wendy Nelson's 30 day scripture challenge which I want to start.

I saw Ashley Gurney from our Pleasant Grove ward! And Paula Hubert from my current ward.

I got asked a few times who was taking care of the kids. Andrew is a very hands-on father and took care of dinner and all the violin lesson and dance drop-offs, and homework no problem. I'm blessed.

Saturday, April 25 

I accompanied Sophia at state at Provo High! She is a wonderful violinist! 

Tuesday, April 18 

James' car was greatly improved this year at the Pinewood Derby. Andrew got serious and pulled out a saw and even ordered weights. James' car won a few races and made it to the finals! Sadly, his wheel feel off during the finals which was lame. YW was at the same time, so I wasn't able to attend, but I promise he enjoyed the evening even if his face doesn't show it. He came home on cloud 9. James got the "nerd award" and it said: "For your intelligence and hard work in designing your race car."

Saturday, April 18

Dance competition season is upon us. This one was at Timpanogas High. Isabelle does Hip Hop and danced to the song, "Girlfriend." 

Saturday, May 2

Dance Competition #2 was at Roy High School.

Isabelle's spring dance recital is still to come- next week. The dance world is a lot and we might be parting ways...

Sunday, April 12

We hosted the BYU Ditto clan.

Menu: ruffles chips and dip, carrots, pineapple, strawberries, rolls, grilled WOW chicken, twice baked potatoes, and s'more cookies.

Our niece Hailee, announced she's pregnant! She's due a month after me!

We got to see the Dittos again on Friday, April 24 for Tyler's graduation party. Birch, Sara, and Chloe flew in for it and they were so sweet with our kids.

Saturday, April 11

Our friends the Thomans invited all of us to Josh's birthday party. They rented out a movie theater and we saw the new "Super Mario Galaxy Movie." They invited most of James' class and it was a blast. Everyone got their own popcorn and drink and there were cupcakes. Day/weekend made! Even though I think the first movie was better, several in my family disagree.

Saturday, April 11

I last minute decided to sign James up for another basketball season. Most people seem to be playing outdoor spring sports (which I pushed). This means that James gets a ton of playing time. There are only 6 players on his time including him. He got the sportsmanship award after making 18 points. He topped that score 2 games later when he scored 24 points.

Thursday, April 9

My mom brought Penelope to meet the 4th grade class I long term subbed. It wasn't the easiest bunch and I felt a huge weight lift when I finished day 17 with them.

I am officially done subbing this school year. I withdrew Penelope from daycare for the month of May. I'm looking forward to more free time.

Subbing stats: (I kept track in my bullet journal)

I subbed 75x this school year.

How many times I subbed at these schools..

Monte Vista Elementary: 23x

Rose Creek Elementary: 23x

Rosamond Elementary: 11x

Daybreak Elementary: 4x

Eastlake Elementary: 3x

South Jordan Elementary: 3x

Riverton Elementary: 2x

Southland Elementary: 2x

Ridge View Elementary, Bastian Elementary, Welby Elementary, and Midas Creek Elementary 1x.

I ended on a high teaching a super sweet 3rd grade class at Rosamond Elementary. Rosamond is probably my favorite school. They give me a candy bar every time I come. The secretaries know me by name and so does the principal. It's a smaller school and close to my house. Subbing my kids classes was also a highlight and I was in both of their classes several times. I loved getting to know their friends. I'm ready for a break being a substitute and have some good stories about rowdy kids.

 

Saturday, March 28

We try to go to the temple together with my family monthly. Food is usually involved. I love it.

It's a GIRL!

I'm pregnant! I'm 18 weeks along and due September 18. (My Dad's birthday is September 19.) I found out this week that I'm having a baby GIRL! I didn't tell my kids I'm pregnant until we learned the gender. My mom and Jessica put together a cute scavenger hunt to share the news with the kids.

Before I get ahead of myself sharing more details, let me just say that me getting pregnant so soon after miscarrying twins feels like a miracle. I had a d&c on October 2, 2025 and found out I was pregnant again on January 7, 2026. I was surprised it happened so quickly. Last time I had a miscarriage and d&c, it took me nearly a year to get pregnant again. We feel so blessed!

How Have I Felt This Pregnancy?

I ended up switching doctors and it has been for the best. My new doctor actually delivered Penelope because my doctor was out of town. Dr. Burgett really cares and listens to me. He put me on progesterone and mini-aspirin right away to prevent miscarrying again. He had me come in often in the beginning, like every 2 weeks. I had multiple ultrasounds and got to hear babies heartbeat which eased my worries. I was glad when I could stop taking progesterone after I was 13 weeks along. You take it right before bed which was helpful, but it made me feel nauseous. 

I am fortunate and don't get very sick when I'm pregnant. My varicose veins are my biggest complaint! I had this problem when I was pregnant with Penelope as well. My varicose veins are painful and go all the way up the groin. They throb if I stand too long. My doc recommended having surgery after I'm done having kids. I wear a compression leg sleeve which helps.

What's Different This Time Around?

This is my 6th pregnancy! What! Not my first rodeo. I've had 2 things come up this pregnancy that haven't come up in the past.

1) In an early ultrasound, I learned I had 2 subchorionic hemorrhages. I was told not to Google this because it would freak me out. I listened. This is how a subchorionic hemorrhage was explained to me by the nurse: "It is speculated that a subchorionic hemorrhage is caused from implantation, which causes a tiny little tear between the uterus and the placenta and they can see it on ultrasound. It is a common finding on ultrasound and women do not know they have this unless they have had some spotting in pregnancy or have had an ultrasound. Not everyone will spot with this condition, but some women do."  

These hemorrhages usually resolve on their own and it seems like mine have which is a relief because they can be serious. I know one hemorrhage is for sure gone and my doc is thinks the other hemorrhage  is too but will double check in my next ultrasound. I'm so glad I didn't have any spotting.

2) I had routine blood work done and my antibody test came back positive. I wasn't sure what this meant. At my appointment today, I learned that my blood might be hard to match if I were to need a blood transfusion which is weird because my blood type is A positive. The doc couldn't explain much more.

Gender

I've found out the gender for each of my kids at 16 weeks. I had my gender appointment on Friday, April 3 and a gender reveal party planned for that night. I had to cancel it. It was disappointing. At the appointment, it took over 20 minutes to get baby to move to a position where anything could be seen. After that, the ultrasound tech said that she wasn't sure either way if it was a boy or girl. I was confused! This had never happened before. My mom froze the cupcakes for the reveal party and I rescheduled my gender check for Monday, April 13.

Within 30 seconds of checking for the gender on April 13, this ultrasound tech knew the gender. It was a different ultrasound tech this time. Phew! What a relief! I had candy in my pockets just in case I needed to get the baby moving. I could finally share my news with my kids! I asked the ultrasound tech not to tell me the gender and to put the results in an envelope. She did a great job referring to the human as "baby" without pronouns until the last sentence. Then she spoiled it and said, "she." I was annoyed and maybe should have called her out but didn't. I wanted it to be a surprise, but oh well. I waited until the gender reveal party confirmed that yes indeed, it's a GIRL.

What Were the Scavenger Hunt Clues?

The scavenger hunt was perfect! I didn't expect little gifts along the way! The clues began immediately as we walked up to my parent's front door. There was a poster and balloons on the door. The last clue, the big reveal was in a closet and included a darling outfit.

Clue #1: Welcome in! Don't miss a beat, a little hunt will be a treat! To start things off, take a look. Find what helps when someone feels sick.
Clue #2 Messes happen, that's ok! This keeps things clean through the day. Go find where these are kept in place, you're getting closer in this race! (Hint: it may be somewhere Penny loves to sleep.)
Clue #3 Soon there will be meals to try, with messy hands and happy sighs! Check the spot where snacks are stored, your next clue is almost yours!
Clue #4 You're getting close, just one more clue... Something tiny, soft and new! A special outfit waits to show, the sweetest news you'll ever know!
Clue #5: At last the wait is finally through... A tiny surprise to share you you! Open this up and you will see. Who this little one will be!!!

We ate superb cupcakes to celebrate! There were some blue and some pink ones. Mom and Jessica, I so appreciate you helping me pull this off!

How Did My Kids React?

My kids thought my sister Jessica was the pregnant one! They couldn't believe it's me! I thought they were suspicious, but I guess I was wrong. (James has wondered why I haven't been fasting. They've also asked why I've gone places when I've felt nauseous and worried they would get sick or that I'd get others sick.)

Honestly, I was worried that my children wouldn't be excited about the news. Sometimes having a 2 year old sister can be annoying, and lately we've seen less cute sides of Penelope as we potty-trained.  In their defense though, my kids love their sister and are super sweet to her. Boy was I wrong. My kids have been over-the-moon happy about the news. It has been adorable.  

James' first question, right off the bat was "when are you due?" He followed up with "how are we going to do carpool next year?" haha. James hasn't seemed bummed to have another little sister instead of a brother. He is really good with kids. James has also asked a few times, "Mom, are you subbing today? I'm so glad you're not. You and the baby need to rest."

I catch Isabelle staring at me and smiling. She likes to touch my tummy and tell me how much she loves me and baby girl. I heard her telling James, "Now we'll both have little sister's to play with. I call the new baby as my playmate and you get Penelope."

Penelope loves her baby dolls. She continues to ask "is baby still in your tummy?" And "baby is going to sleep in my crib!" 

The cat is finally out of the bag! And yes, we have some name ideas brewing. The kids have a favorite. September can't come soon enough!