October 2023

Hazel is in seminary this year. We have a carpool with three other families from our ward, so each of us takes a morning. Since seminary is at the Mocho Street church building and the kids still need to get to Livermore High afterward (which is a 10 minute drive from the church) whoever drives gets them to school as well. When it's my turn, I like to go for a walk on the nearby trail while I wait. 

Jack had two more cross-country meets in October. It's been fun to cheer him on and satisfying to hear him talk about how even though he doesn't love to run, he knows it's good for him and he does like moving his body. I'm proud of him and his good efforts. 

We had a Friday off of school and plans to spend it at the cabin, but then Hazel found out she had a volleyball tournament and the young men planned to mountain bike 25+ miles up to Mount Diablo and then hike to the summit, and Jack wanted to participate. So we divided and conquered. Todd stayed home with the teens and Gemma and I invited her best friend Clara to join us in Bear Valley. Those girls had the absolute best time together. I swear, they're kindred spirits. They are never tired of one another. I was a little unnecessary and was definitely glad I had a good book to read and some podcasts to listen to. The weather was perfect for one more hurrah on the lake. The girls spent hours playing on the beach. 

Hazel and her team did really well at the tournament. They were unified and energetic and won several of their games. Hazel was always positioned on the rotation so she'd be the first server on our side. 

Jack came home from his adventure absolutely bone-weary, but within a day, he was researching how long of a bike ride it was from Livermore to Yosemite, ready for his next challenge! 

Gemma enjoyed a 10-week acting fundamentals class. She was part of a short performance on their last night (The Five Marauders). I asked her what she learned from her drama class: she said she learned that she is good at memorizing lines and that she doesn't need to be as scared to be on stage as she has been. I thought those were both valuable lessons and was so glad she had the chance to take that class. She chose it over volleyball and loved going each week. 

Todd and I told Hazel we want her to do 40 hours of extra chores around the house in exchange for us paying for her music group spring trip to Disneyland. Job #1: stain the fence. It's been a running joke for a couple of years - it was such a pain the last time we did it we always bring it up as a Saturday option to get groans out of the kids. Anyway, Hazel went all Tom Sawyer on it and invited a handful of boys to come help her with a mystery project. Nate fell for it and came and helped her out, and magically, staining the fence was fun instead of terrible! It probably helped that Nate asked her to go to Homecoming with him at the end of the day. 

Our family signed up with Aunt Erika for a 5K - the Alameda Donut Run. I walked most of it, but the rest of the grew jogged. Gemma was so, so proud of herself for not stopping the whole way through. It was a good morning! 

Ashika, Yashika, and Aarna came over before Homecoming and the girls "got ready" together. I drove them downtown, where they met up with a big group of friends for boba and then headed over to the school for the dance. All reports came back positive. It was a fun night. 

Gemma memorized her part for the Primary program and presented it clearly over the podium. Yay for skills learned in drama class! 

Game night is going strong - I love it! And Elaine and I have started going to Zumba class Monday mornings at the rec center. It is a senior citizen class, so we are definitely the youngest and the peppiest in there, but it helps us both feel free to stay as low impact as we feel we need to each week and take care of my knees and her ankles. The instructor encourages the class to say "Woooo!" when we do sexy moves - it is hilarious! 

I have been trying to add a little jogging in with my walking since the 5K, and my legs can tell! I went for a massage and Stephanie told me she could hear me snoring! I was so mad I fell asleep, but she said it was awesome to have zero resistance, and it's true, I felt the effects of the massage several days longer than usual. 

Todd's dreams came true and we hosted a teen Oktoberfest, complete with spicy wings and an assortment of different bottled root beers to taste test. The hit of the night was watching Hazel's friends try jalapenos from our garden and then react to the spiciness afterward. Believe me, there are already plans in the works for next year's event! (I may have heard the words "ghost pepper...") 

Jack got to go to a birthday party at an indoor go-kart racing track. He had a blast! 

Xiao sent us this picture of baby Zoe with the kitty lovey Jack crocheted for her. Too darling! 

Hazel opted to go to a volleyball clinic instead of the tri-ward trunk or treat. I was thankful I brought along the koala jumper just in case, because the whole social was outdoors and it was chilly! Gemma dressed as Luna Lovegood from Harry Potter, and Jack painted his own skeleton shirt for his costume. 

These kiddos started the sugar trading in the back of the van while we waited for Hazel to finish and come out. 

Hazel received her patriarchal blessing the last Sunday of the month. It was a sweet experience. One of the first sentences said something about how Heavenly Father and Heavenly Mother both love Hazel so much, and she and I both started crying right then and there. There was a sweet outpouring of the Spirit and so many beautiful things said. 

Halloween day Gemma participated in her last elementary costume parade. That night Jack and Hazel met up with friends and Gemma, Todd and I gathered candy without them. Gemma hadn't been planning to trick or treat, but she changed her mind last minute. We enjoyed the Barbie theme house on Winding Stream and ended up with plenty of candy all around. 

September 2023

We went to Lake Powell over Labor Day for our Bonner family reunion. The kids had to miss four days of school, which was quite difficult to prepare for and to make up, but we had a terrific time and fully enjoyed ourselves. The daily high was in the 80's, so it was inviting to get in the water, but it wasn't torture if you didn't. We were missing Kelsi's family and Aleah, but everyone else was together. 

There was lots of boating, wakeboarding, card game playing, book reading, swimming and using the houseboat slide, spike ball on the beach, wrestling on the floating mat, cliff jumping, and paddle boarding. 

We drove home on a Wednesday, and I turned around and got on a plane Thursday, flying to Colorado to have a girls' weekend with some of my old dinner group friends from our newlywed days. It was nice to catch up with Jill Dabo, Courtni Muir, Amy Naseath, Laurie Hansen, and Christine Ryan. We ate well, hot tubbed, rode a mountain gondola, and played a card game I taught the group, but most of all, we just talked and talked and talked. 

Meanwhile, Todd took the kids up to the cabin with a coworker named Kevin and his two kids. The men fixed the cracked beam in our living room, and honestly, I don't know what else they did, but the pictures they sent back were beautiful. 

Hazel has been busy with volleyball. Every Tuesday, Thursday, and some Mondays, she's had a game, keeping her away from home until 7 or later. On practice days, she's often stayed on campus since it takes up so much time to drive home and back again. We wish her practice had been right after school, but instead, they have been two and a half hours after school ends, for another two hours. She has been keeping Todd-like hours, leaving the house for seminary around 6:30 and not coming home until after the family has eaten dinner. She is having a blast, but we miss her! She serves so well that she is usually the starter for the team. Her position is setter, so she runs all over the court, trying to get that second hit and set it up well for her teammate to slam it over the net. She's got great team spirit and an open mind to learn from the coaches. 

Jack has been participating in cross country. Neither running nor competing are favorite things of Jack's but he's spending time with friends and getting valuable exercise. We are proud of the efforts he is putting into it. Some days have been really hot; his dedication is impressive. He had two meets in September, with two more in October. He had a great time on his first meet; not so much the second one. 

Todd and I got tickets for Five for Fighting when we saw they were performing at the Bankhead. Todd was torn when the ward announced the annual Daddy Daughter campout would be the same night. Although he always feels ripped off because the kids hang out with their friends and not him at these events, he went and spent the night in a tent, giving his concert ticket to Jack. Jacko and I enjoyed our date night immensely, and of course, the good night's sleep back home afterward as well. I do wish Todd could have been at the concert with me, though. He's more a fan than me and it did feel like a bit of a ripoff. 

We were all excited to travel out to Utah for Chris and Jodi's wedding. We were trying to miss as little school as possible (after Lake Powell) so we pulled the kids from school between noon and one (it takes a while to make the rounds to three different schools!) and took an afternoon flight the day before the wedding. The flight got delayed about an hour, and then the rental car pickup took longer than usual, so we arrived at the family dinner as most everyone was finishing. We were able to participate in the program; everyone was sharing memories of the happy couple. 

The kids found out the next day that temple weddings are actually quite boring for the guests waiting outside. They were less than thrilled to learn that there would be picture-taking for a long while afterward! 

It was a beautiful day for those of us who got to watch Chris and Jodi gaze emotionally across the altar at each other. 

We helped out at the reception, visited with cousins, and devoured mozzarella balls and tomatoes by the dozens. We cheered the couple out with sparklers, and then headed to bed ourselves, with an early morning flight the next day that got all the kids back to school within the first thirty minutes of class. It was hard to be so rushed and not get to have a long, satisfying visit with anyone, but we are grateful we were all able to be there. 

My birthday was also that week. I had my game night friends over for a daytime hangout, with takeout and games while the kids were at school. I was in the middle of a dessert-free streak that lasted five weeks, so I made healthy (sugar and butter-free) apple crisp instead of cake. It was yummy and fun, because it was the first fall-ish treat we'd had yet this year.  

The very next morning, Todd flew back to Utah to attend our niece Aleah's wedding. I was sad not to be there, but it was the right decision for our family. Our kids had missed so much school in September, and they still needed to be in five thousand places, and we were tired, and it was good to be home to manage everything. But I'm so glad Todd could go out and represent our family and give Aleah and Jerek our support. 

I don't have pictures of our activities for the rest of the month, but we were still busy! Hazel went on a kayaking trip with the young women to Elkhorn Slough and saw tons of marine life. Jack worked a volunteer shift at the library and got his first lawn mowing job. Hazel had lots of volleyball, including an all-day tournament in a town an hour away. Gemma attended her best friend Clara's birthday party and her weekly drama class.