March 2025

 The high school chamber orchestra puts on a combined concert with the area's 8th grade orchestra students each spring as a recruitment opportunity, so Jack and Hazel had the chance to perform together. Jack has been the pianist for his orchestra this year. He didn't do orchestra last year, but chose it again as his elective this school year. He is not, however, planning to do orchestra in high school. 

I couldn't resist taking pictures of Gemma and Clara's playdate. They hadn't had one in a while because of illness and travel, so they were especially excited to make great things happen. They had an epic Barbie party in the bathtub, and they also scootered around outside in their butterfly (aka dragon) wings. 

I went to the temple and received a beautiful message from God as I admired the tulips fighting to stay up in the wind. 

I made Todd document this kitty miracle. Ginger fell asleep on Gemma's bed, but he'd been naughty the night before and woken her up in the middle of the night, so I scooped him up to take him outside. But it was only 9:00. I gingerly sat on the couch and resettled him in my lap, and he actually stayed and snuggled me and purred and slept for an hour! The next day, it was back to the usual, ie: him acting like my hands are poison. But for one glorious hour, I petted his soft fur and enjoyed the warm lump of his body on my lap while I read. 

The spring blossoms have been so lovely and fragrant. I never regret spending time outside in the spring 

Speaking of which, it's been super enjoyable to watch Hazel's sand volleyball matches precisely because of the weather. I pull up with my camp chair and draw in some vitamin C. It's not a bad gig. Seems like Hazel is really liking it, too. 

We had a youth fireside at our place. Todd's counselor Don MC'd a Book of Mormon trivia game. It was fun to gather everyone for something a little raucous. I made a gigantic batch of cinnamon rolls for our refreshments. 

Hazel had a super fun night with her friends that absolutley reminded me of my high school life. They dressed up in goofy costumes (yes, including the horse) and went out to a hamburger place for dinner. I think some of them even spoke in accents. Everyone just seemed excited and happy and I loved seeing that. 

In mid-March, we hosted two students from Japan in our home. Their names are Taiga and Jumpei. Jack stayed with Jumpei and his family when he was in Japan last October. I was so nervous for their visit because I didn't think I would be able to communicate very well with the boys, but Taiga understood and knew a lot more English than I was expecting, which was super helpful. I also depended a lot on Google Translate. 

Their first afternoon here, Jack invited friends over to welcome the boys. They brought snacks to share and played games. We pulled out Holli Golli, which is a game we gave to Jumpei's family as a gift, and it was exciting to see how good Jumpei is at it. Lightning hands! 

It was March 14th, so we brought the boys to the Cowan family Pie Day party that first night. I made a vegetable pie that was so beautiful and pretty tasty. I remember being pretty impressed with it that night, but when I made it again the next week, it was just okay. I guess it depends how hungry you are? 

That night Noah came over and let Hazel cut his hair. I was soooo anxious because of course she's never cut hair before and totally didn't know what she was doing! She asked me to hover nearby and make sure she didn't make any massive mistakes, and it actually turned out pretty good, which was a relief for everyone involved! 

Saturday Hazel had a beach volleyball tournament in San Francisco, so we brought the crew into the city. We watched her play a little bit and spent some time at the water. We grabbed lunch at a restaurant with views, which was nice. 

We explored part of Golden Gate Park, making sure to go past the bison paddock for the boys. 

We drove down Lombard Street and up and down some other crazy steep roads. You know, it's just an experience you have to have when you're in San Francisco! Jumpei and Taiga made lots of funny reaction noises. We also stopped by Japan Town and got mochi donuts and boba. 

That night was the organization welcome party. All the kids - from Japan and from California - performed group dances, and there was some gift exchanging, and a dinner. There was a western theme, and Jack wore a freinds' cowboy hat all night. Todd and I thought that was so funny. Todd took pictures, thinking they'd make great blackmail, but honestly, Jack seems to feel no shame, so they're powerless. 

Sunday was "Family Day." We were supposed to give the boys a big adventure. Jumpei had said he would like to go to a history museum, but I wasn't sure how to make that an interesting experience for the boys, since museums are so literacy-based. After brainstorming awhile, I came up with the genius idea to take them to Columbia State History Park. It's an old mining town from the 1850s when people were flocking to California to look for gold. The buildings are still up and have become a living museum of the past. The kids panned for gold for a long while and collected their treasures in little viles they get to keep. We wlaked around town and looked through several of the old shops (blacksmith,, post office, candy store, soap and candle making) and even through the old schoolhouse. We also figured out how to use Google Translate on the written displays, so Jumpei could still take in a lot of the information presented. It was a hit! We thought we'd spend maybe an hour or so there, but I think we stayed for three, and everyone was well-engaged. 

After grabbing some pizza for lunch, we kept heading up the highway another hour or so to Bear Valley. We took the kids snowmobiling and pulled them behind on sleds, too. The four kids had several snowball fights, and it was just a delight to see Jumpei and Taiga enjoying themselves. Both their moms reported afterward (when they saw the pictures) that their boys had never really played in that much snow before, so that was gratifying to hear, that we had given them a new, unique experience. 

These boys - they were just so jet-lagged. Every time we got in the car those first few days, they fell asleep if the drive was longer than ten minutes. 

Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday they went to school with Jack and just followed him everywhere he went. It was nice that they had met a few other kids on Friday, because they had a few buddies right away. Jack was so worried about this part of the experience; he had loved school in Japan and felt like such a celebrity, but he thought the American kids would be mean to Jumpei and Taiga and they would have a bad experience. Thankfully, he was completely wrong. All the kids wanted to meet them and say hi and were super friendly and it was lots of fun for Taiga and Jumpei. It probably helped that they brought bags of Japanese candy and passed out treats to anyone who asked. 

We took them to In N Out for dinner Monday night and bought them t-shirts. They were so excited, and raved about the hamburgers. It was hilarious listening to them trying to pronounce "In N Out." It did NOT roll easily off their tongues. 

Taiga had written that he hoped to see the stadium where the Golden State Warriors played. Todd and I thought, why not, and bought tickets for a game. Taiga and Jumpei flipped out with excitement and gratitude when we told them where we were taking them! It was a really fun night. The look on Taiga's face was priceless. It was a late night, but totally worth it. 

Tuesday after school, we watched Hazel play a sand volleyball game here in Livermore, and then I took the boys to the grocery store to get supplies. They made us dinner that night. 

Taiga made mochi pizza, which did not turn out at all like he expected. I don't know if the problem was the tools or the type of cheese or what, but he tried it three times and it never worked out. He chopped mochi and combined it with cheese, and it seemed like he expected it to be able to flip in the pan like a tortilla, but it was just this gooey, sticky glop no matter what he did. It was sad to see him try so hard to make it work and it just wouldn't cooperate, but everyone ate it anyway and pretended it was delicious. 

Jumpei made us ramen, and it really was delicious. He was so earnest about everything. He kept weighing the water on the kitchen scale. Hazel came home later and Jumpei waited to make her noodles when she arrived so her ramen would be at the peak of perfection. He was very accomodating. We pulled out chopsticks and Jumpei and Taiga were so excited to see we owned chopsticks! They used them for the rest of their visit. It made me feel bad I hadn't pulled them out sooner, but Taiga and Jack assured me they had wanted to have an authentic experience with our silverware. 

That night, we headed over to the church building and Todd and Taiga played 1v1 basketball while the rest of us tossed a volleyball around. Taiga loves basketball and was playing it with all the best kids at school, too. 

Jumpei and Taiga were polite and funny. In the car, Taiga started a game where he says: “banana is yellow” and then the next person has to make an association and say “yellow is _____” something that’s yellow, like a taxi cab or a flower. The game continues. I was amazed at how many English vocabulary words Taiga and Jumpei knew to be able to play a game like that for over half an hour! They are both so smart. 

Wednesday night, we had Andrew Haupt over for steak and potatoes. He served his mission in Japan and we thought it would be fun for the boys to visit with an American who could speak with them in Japanese. After dinner, we sent them to young men's with Jack and Todd. They played "Quiddich" in the church gym with brooms, balls, and garbage can goals. It seems like they liked it, especially Jumpei. Noah wore a cape, which makes the pictures pretty epic. 

Thursday they went to San Francisco with their Japanese group, crossed the Golden Gate Bridge, toured Pier 39 and Ghirradelli Square, did some tourist shopping. That night there was a bowling party for the whole group, Japanese and American, so all the kids could be together one last time. It was our last night, so we stayed up for a while afterward playing a Japansee fish memory match game they gave us. It was so hard because all the fish look the same and their names are written in Japanese characters! But I loved playing games with them. Friday morning, we said our goodbyes. It was exhausting and so fun to host. I found myself wishing Taiga and Jumpei were our neighbors so we could see them again every once in a while. We will miss them! 

The Dix family invited us over for a murder mystery dinner. We were all assigned characters, and we got to act and be silly while we read clues and tried to piece together a "whodunit." 

I decided to dedicate ten minutes a day to practicing meditation for the season of Lent. I'd really love to expand my prayers and build a space to be more contemplative - to feel like I'm just in God's presence and quiet and receiving. It's been going well! I'm definitely pleased with my decision to give this a try. 

Hazel is amazing. I don't know how she keeps up with her studies and her sports and seminary and friends and hitting the gym and all the things. Look at her - she's even making time for self-care! She'll throw on a face mask while she preps for a math test, and she often takes a "Sunday Soak" - an extended bath on Sunday afternoons. What a cool kid! 

Gemma is doing volleyball through school right now. She's on a team of 6th grade girls, and Todd is their coach. I love that he prioritizes his time to be with the kids whenever and however possible. Clara came with me to Gemma's first game and cheered her on. Her serves were incredible! 

We went to Luna's bowling birthday party. She's eight years old! Unbelievable. 

Todd and I chaperoned the youth dance because our stake was hosting. It was Jack's first youth dance and I loved being able to be a fly on the wall! He said the music was too loud and the mosh pit (!) was intimidating, so he was glad there was a game room to escape to. I went and said hi to his crew. You may notice he is sporting Cam's cowboy hat again. Christmas gift idea??? 

I am so proud to report that I successfully made it 100 consecutive days without sweets or snacks. I have thought about doing something like this for ... years... and never got it off the ground until now. My favorite result was feeling my mental control grow stronger. I also lost ten pounds and three inches off my waist. My clothes feel better, I've had fewer headaches, less bloating, less gas, Fast Sunday has been less of a struggle for me, but best of all, I feel more capable of passing on dessert and feeling like rather than depriving myself, I'm making a wise decision that I won't regret. Chrissy and Suzanne had balloons delivered to my house. They are the best! 

We went to Morro Bay for spring break. We used Saturday as a travel day and stopped at Point Lobos State Park along the way. Jack and I had done some research and found a bluff hike that would lead us to a stunning spot with turquoise water called China Cove. It did not disappoint! And the entire state park was beautiful to experience along the way. 

We even spotted some momma and baby seals chilling on a beach. 

In spite of broken staircases and warning signs, we could not resist traipsing down to this picturesque beach for a few minutes. The state park troopers were on the warpath, so we didn't dare linger long, but it was a lovely start to our vacation. 

We made it to our rented condo Saturday night and were all surprised and delighted by the size of the place and how comfortable the hangout space was. It was a good choice! 

Sunday was a super rainy day, unfortunately. We went to church and then drove up Highway 1 to see the elephant seals in San Simeon. It was the wrong time of year to catch the crazy huge, aggressive bulls with their ugly trunks and toilet flush barks, sadly, but it was still hypnotizing to watch the ladies struggle across the sand, blubber undulating with the effort. 

Jack was feeling super sick the entire trip, unfortunately, so Sunday afternoon, we left him at the casa to rest and explored downtown without him. It didn't take long at all to find otters in the bay, some of them snuggling babies on their tummies. 

We popped into the local art gallery/shop to admire the pretty paintings and glass-blown sculptures. 

Hazel was excited that there was a skateboard in the garage that she could ride around town. 

Monday morning, we grabbed breakfast sandwiches from a little cafe and explored the beach near Morro Rock on the hunt for sand dollars. Todd found an intact one right away! 

I caught Gemma photographing a squirrel. Just thought it was a cute shot. 

We headed down to Pismo Beach to ride ATVs through the sand dunes. We rented a four-seater and a two-seater. Everyone but Gemma took a turn driving, although Todd and Hazel spent the most time behind the wheel. It was a wild experience! The kids said it felt like Mario Kart. Hazel had a seriously demonic gleam in her eyes - it was a little scary to see! Gemma did an awesome job documenting with pictures and video. 

Apparently, Todd and Jack looked back and saw me gunning it over a hill, and realized they missed recording an epic family memory. The vehicle was "six feet above the ground" and they "thought it was going to flip," yada, yada. From the back row, Gemma reported that it felt like she was on a major rollercoaster and the only thing holding her in the air was her seatbelt. In my defense, Hazel told me to hit it! I was afraid we would roll back down the hill if I didn't put the petal to the metal! In retrospect, it wouldn't have been the end of the world to roll back down and find another way around. Sometimes naivete is dangerous! So glad everyone and everything survived! 

That afternoon, we did some body boarding at the beach. My crew is crazy, because no one elected to put on a wetsuit. We had plans to spend a longer chunk of time at the beach the next day, and they all decided they would rather get in the ocean today without one, than to struggle to get into a damp wetsuit the next day. Hazel lasted the longest, but I probably laughed the most at Todd; he could not stop shaking! 

Tuesday we did some more tide pooling, but didn't find nearly as many sand dollars as Todd hoped we would. I looked down at my hand and realized I was being strongly drawn to the orange choices. 

Todd found the perfect piece of kelp to turn into a tail, and ran around spinning in circles and whipping people gleefully. I about died laughing. Having a tail is the secret wish of his heart! 

It was like pulling teeth, but I convinced everyone to go on one more bluff hike with me. I can't for the life of me figure out why they weren't delighted to go. It was such stunning scenery, great temperatures, flat elevation, great company! 

The kids had an impromptu photo shoot. I'm sure there's much better evidence on Hazel's phone. 

Oh man, I don't really know why, but we talked ourselves into trying oysters. We all knew we wouldn't like them! But it was for the experience. I bravely went first. I chewed and chewed for ages because I was so afraid of feeling gelatinous chunks against my throat, but I soldiered through. 

Gemma went next, chewed about six times, and then her gag reflex kicked in and everything landed back on her plate. 

Jack's oyster had a piece of shell in it, and he could not get past the surprise of having something hard in it. He spit it all out, tried again, and still was not successful. 

Todd - shockingly - also gagged and could not pass the finish line. Hazel rolled her eyes at everyone's antics and ate it like it was no big deal (although she did reach for her water immediately after swallowing). Nobody wanted the extra oyster on the plate. 

Body boarders lasted tons longer in the water with their wetsuits on. All the kids listed that afternoon in the water as their favorite highlight of the trip. They were catching waves for ages. Sadly, it started raining hard, or they might have stayed out until sunset. 

That was pretty much our finale. We watched the first Indiana Jones that night, but the majority vote is that it was a bust. We came home on Wednesday and had a few days at home relaxing before school kicked in again. 

Jack and Gemma did some rat-sitting and Hazel checked on several pets, as well; chickens, a cat, and a bunny. Apparently, the bunny job was a nightmare. It was sick and Hazel had to feed it with a syringe. Makes for interesting memories!