July 15 & 16

19 years

Friday, July 15th-

Today is 19 years since Silas and I met. We hadn't even remembered to plan anything but since we were going to Girl's Camp today we ended up having a little adventure for our anniversary. Mom came up from Vegas to watch the kids and we headed up to the Richfield area to meet up with the girls. On the way we stopped at a cute little sandwich shop in Beaver.

Lunch date

Hanging out with the girls was great. We played some games, went white water rafting and had a yummy dinner made by Clint and Jim. I had a headache during a lot of the time so I didn't get to chat with the girls as much as I'd like but I'm still really glad I went. Silas did a great job talking to the girls about setting goals and testimony meeting was great too.


Camp game

Me
Artwork by Cleod

Saturday, July 16th-

This morning was a wonderful experience. Today was the funeral for Pres. Sherratt. Silas didn't have to conduct the whole funeral, which he thought he might, but he did officiate for the Family Prayer after the viewing and for the Graveside Dedication after the funeral. On both, he did a great job. There were so many men there to give him support and remind him of what he was supposed to say so it worked out great.



Flag from fire department and the casket leaving the Hunter Conference Center.

Graveside

The funeral was amazing. There were wonderful musical numbers. My favorite was "Bring Him Home" sung by the guy who played Jean Valjean at the production put on by the Shakespeare Festival a few years ago. He was truly amazing. And although the funeral wasn't an LDS service (which is why Silas didn't have to conduct) most of the speakers were LDS and bore powerful witnesses of a loving Heavenly Father as well as life after death. I am so grateful I know this things as well.

Grandma headed home an hour or so after we got back home. Cleod went with her too so that will be an adventure. We miss him already. We took the other kids to Tiki Shack tonight to spend some time with them since we've been gone so much. We love our crazy kiddos.

Tiki Shack

 

July 12-14

Tuesday, July 12th-

• Swim lessons again. Molly is like a whole new girl. She is trying all kinds of things and listening a lot better.  
• While Cleod had his lesson, we went to the store so the kids could buy some treats with their own money. The treats are for them to eat tomorrow during papers.
• We picked up Cleod and had lunch and ice cream at DQ.
• When we got home, the kids were super nice and did their chores without complaining!
• Skyler came over and played with Grant this afternoon. They moved around from Legos, Angry Birds and playing outside.
• They rest of the day was full of normal stuff: Laundry, dishes, blogging, etc. It was really nice because we have had so much going on lately that I have neglected a lot of the normal chores I do.
• In the evening I had Relief Society and Silas stayed home with the kiddos. At RS we played Bunco and laughed a lot! It was so great for me to get out and laugh. I love our ward!

 

Wednesday, July 13th-

• Swimming lessons went well again today. One more day!
• Had playgroup at the Lake on the Hill. We were the only ones there for a little while but when other friends came the kids had a great time!
• Did papers in record time today! They delivered all the papers in less than one hour. Cleod was especially improved on his speediness so that helped a lot.
• We got all junked out eating our treats during papers today. The kids thought it was great. Maybe we should do fruit next week? haha

Cleod eating too much chocolate

Thursday, July 14th-

• Last day of swimming lessons!!! The kids did so well. All the boys jumped off the diving board outside. Cleod did and then swam the whole length of the pool. Yea! No more lessons for that one! Ryan wasn't scared at all, which is great since he has been more concerned about it in the past. Grant, who is my daring boy, was the one scared but he finally jumped too.

Grant's jump!

Cute Granty

 

Cleod's splash. I had a hard time getting a photo of him mid-air.





Ryan

• This afternoon I made a couple batches of apricot jam from some fruit that our neighbors gave us. Then I gave the rest away because I didn't want or need that much jam. :)





Apricot jam and leftover fruit

• Silas and I went on a date this evening. We walked around campus at SUU and then had some dessert at Chili's. He is feeling anxious about speaking at Girl's Camp tomorrow and then doing his part at the funeral on Saturday. We had a good talk and I think he is feeling better.

July 9-11

Saturday, July 9th-

• Darin and Nicolle came in town last night. They are here to spent time with Brooklyn but she had a few things going on today so we got to hang with them some of the day.
• The Elders stopped over to give Silas a report on some investigators. While here they mentioned that it was one of their birthdays and they were heading to lunch but they didn't know where because the other Elders they were meeting with didn't have much money. Silas offered to take them all out so he was gone in the afternoon for a while. I'm glad he could do that for them.
• It was a good distraction for him because we just found out last night that Gerald Sherratt passed away. He was a member of our ward, although not active for years. He was formerly the president of SUU and mayor of Cedar City. We don't know yet how involved Silas will be with the funeral so he is SUPER nervous.
• While Silas was out, the kids and I ate lunch and then watched Random Acts (a BYUtv show) while eating ice cream. It was a fun, relaxing afternoon. When Silas and Darin & Nicolle got back, Darin "exercised" with the kids...and then Nicolle and Silas.

• After a couple hours, Darin and Nicolle headed out again to have an early dinner with Brooklyn so we took Odie on a walk. Once we got to the church, Silas realized that we might need to clean the church because the assignment wasn't made on Sunday. I took Odie back to our house and then walked back to the church. There wasn't much to do so someone must have come and cleaned it. Another random distraction for Silas.
• We had waffles and ice cream with Darin and Nicolle tonight. We recently found a recipe for waffles that taste like waffle cones. They are super sugary and delicious!

Ryan and Odie

Sunday, July 10th-

• Woke up and fed Grandma Warby
• Said goodbye to Darin and Nicolle
• Church
• Went on a family walk

Monday, July 11th-

• Bryan and the kids came to Cedar today and we were able to spend the afternoon with them.
• We went to Pastry Pub for lunch!
• Swam at the lake...for a little while. The water felt really cold today so they didn't want to swim much.

• Came home and showered and then headed to the Green Show at the Shakespeare Festival. It was WEIRD. I have been to lots and Bryan was a theater major and he even thought it was weird. They sang lots of new pop songs with Irish accents and weird dancing. Some of it was like the past, older songs and traditional dancing, but as a whole it was strange.
• Silas made nachos for dinner and the kids got along really well the rest of the evening.

July 6-8

Wednesday, July 6th-

• Swimming lessons day 2 of 8. Molly still says no. The kids seem to be enjoying themselves and Cleod is happier with a harder class.
• Took fast showers and headed to playgroup at the park right by the pool. Cleod joined us when he was done with his lessons and shower.
• Ate lunch at the park and drove again to New Harmony to have story time with Becky, Ben and Katie. Today there was a lady from Home Depot that brought a building project so the kids really enjoyed hammering.
• Back to Cedar for paper route. Cleod had a headache during part of it so Grant helped a little again. They had a hard time because one of the scooters is crocked from being run over last week and the new ones we ordered aren't here yet. Next week should be tons easier.
• Cleod went fishing with the Young Men tonight. Had a good time but was bummed about not catching a fish.

Thursday, July 7th-

• Swim lessons day 3. Molly is listening a little better.
• After lessons and showers we picked up Pizza Cart and took it to Katie's house to have lunch with her and Jamie and the kids. It was yummy! We always have good conversation together but we really got into some hard parenting stuff today. I think it was good.
• Had some frustration when we got home. The house has been neglected because of swimming lessons. The kids aren't in the habit of doing chores this week so today when I really wanted them to help me...we just got frustrated with each other and it was not fun. I need to chill about the house and sometimes I am really good at ignoring it and moving on to the next activity, but today was one of those times when I couldn't just let it go.
• Ryan had scouts today and they passed off something he needs which is great since he only has a month left.
• Silas went to hang out with Brett after work because it is hi 34th birthday! Deruchette is out of town so Silas helped with some yard work and then they played computer. I had Book Club so I ditched the kids and had a VERY enjoyable night with my friends. We were discussing a book by Brene Brown and we had a very insightful discussion.

Friday, July 8th-

• Swimming lessons, 4 of 8. Molly is listening really well and getting more comfortable with the water. The other kids LOVE their teachers and love having swim lessons.
• Today we came home and really CLEANED the basement. We also rearranged the boy's bedroom. That helped us get rid of lots of stuff and also made the boys super excited about trying to keep their room clean.
• We made smore's at the Slades with some other ward members this evening.
• Darin and Nicolle came in town tonight!

Hanging out with friends

Cora's cute pony tail after her bath

July 3-5

 

Sunday, July 3rd-

Ryan trying to make a scary picture

• Silas didn't have early meetings this morning due to the holiday weekend, so he was able to go with the kids and I to Danielle's baby blessing.
• The kids and I went to the luncheon for the blessing at the Froyd's house. Had some super yummy BBQ chicken and great company.
• The kids and I went to our ward in time for Primary. Of course when we were heading from the car to the church it RAINED like crazy. We had umbrellas but by the time I helped the kids in (took 2 trips) my feet were soaking wet so I went barefoot for the rest of church.
• Cora gave a talk. I wrote down what she wanted to say earlier in the day and at Primary she just read it and seemed really grown-up.
• I taught Relief Society today!!! About the temple!!! It has been 2 years and it was SO fun. I loved every minute of it. Because of the holiday weekend there weren't a ton of ladies there but that made it nice.
• Went on a walk after church. Barely could tell that it had rained earlier.

  

  Ryan and Grant created this "scary" photo

   

Monday, July 4th-

Silas "loving" the parade



Happy Independence Day!




 

 

Hiked Cascade Falls with Josh, Tina and boys. It was an easy, short hike but really pretty. Cleod wasn't super impressed but with the little kids we couldn't go too fast.

Cute kids

Silas cooked pork ribs for dinner. We had Josh & Tina over and also enjoyed visiting with neighbors.

Watched our neighbor's fireworks and then walked down to the high school to watch some for a few minutes. We missed most of the city fireworks which looked way more impressive this year than in the past.

Tuesday, July 5th-

• First day of swim lessons. Molly and I are doing lessons together and she says, "No" or "I don't want to" to me a lot. This is going to be *great*.
• We were originally supposed to all have lessons from 9-9:45am but we had some confusion so Cleod was going to have lessons at 10am. Today was way too easy though, so we were able to move him up to the next level. Only problem is that it is at 10:30-11:25am...so we will be at the Aquatic Center for a while the next two weeks.
• Were late for guitar lessons but Mr. Shirley was super nice and understanding.

July 1 & 2

Friday, July 1st-

Beautiful St. George Temple

This morning as I walked out of the gym after a wonderful Yoga class I saw that it was a beautiful cloudy but warm day and that it would be a perfect day to go swim at the Lake on the Hill, a reservoir made by the city a few years ago. So we gathered towels, swimsuits, life jackets for the girls and food for lunch. I invited some friends, the Stonelys, who were able to come for some of the time we were there. The kids had fun digging with them in the sand and trying to catch fish.

Molly/Diva is READY to swim

Cuddling with Mom when it got cold

Beautiful clouds above us

The kids and I ended up staying for FOUR hours. It was perfect weather and the kids had so much fun. Some of the time I was even able to just sit and read. Ryan stayed in the water basically the entire time and he and Molly played a lot. Grant spent most of time trying to catch fish. He only succeeded in catching some dead fish. Some other boys that were there with little boats picked up a bunch of dead fish as they saw while they paddled around.

Ryan and Molly loved playing together today

The girls and I also had a good time burying Cleod in the sand. Cora had earned a picnic as part of her summer reading chart so I told her this was for that and she said, "This is the BEST picnic EVER!" And it really was. Everyone got along and we enjoyed being outside together. Silas even came up to the lake during his lunch break to see us.

We recently decided that one of our monthly temple visits would be initiatory, which the men and women do separately so Silas can go in while I'm with the kids and vica versa. There are so many things that take Silas and I away from home (mostly Silas) and the kids (mostly the girls) get really emotional when we leave. We are hoping that bringing them with us some of the time will alleviate some of the anxiety they are feeling.

 We weren't planning on going this weekend but last night Darin told me he and Nicolle are going to be here next weekend and the rest of July is crazy so while Silas was visiting us at the lake today he suggested that we go down tonight. We didn't time it quite right though. We went to Costco for pizza and then took Silas to the temple. We played at the park nearby while he was there. By the time he got out, initiatory was closed for the evening so I didn't get to go. I was a little disappointed but as we walked around the temple, I felt peace and comfort. I was also grateful that Silas was able to go. He has so much that burdens him and he needs the relief that comes from serving in the temple. It was nice to walk around the temple with the kids. Silas showed Cleod where the Baptistry Entrance was and it made me even more excited for Cleod's upcoming 12th birthday.

Cora at the Temple

We had such a lovely day today, as a family.

Saturday, July 2nd-

Temple again

This morning Silas decided that since I wasn't able to go to the temple last night that we should all go down again and he would hang out with the kids while I went inside and did initiatory. It was really busy so I was in the temple for almost 2 hours. That was a blessing for me because I was able to read the Book Of Mormon and sit quietly while I waited. It gave me the re-charge I needed.

Waiting for food

While I was at the temple, Silas took the kids to the park and then they waited for about 30 minutes on the temple grounds. I feel like visiting the temple more regularly with the kids will help them to recognize the peace that comes from being there, even just on the grounds. We again made our way to Costco for dinner and today were able to get some groceries too.

Weirdest eater ever!

At home Silas and I both worked on some calling stuff and the kids played outside and had some of their computer time. It was another great family day for the Aitchisons, something we really needed.

June 29 & 30

 

Photo taken 6-28-16
By Cora

Wednesday, June 29th-

Playgroup today was really nice. It was a little cooler out and we had lots of shade at East Elementary where we met this week.



Kids playing at playgroup

Then again to papers. Grant did it with Ryan again this week but we had Cleod come with us and roll most of the papers while the other boys delivered. It worked out really well again though. Grant is super speedy on his scooter and gets the job done quickly. He is cute to watch.

Cleod had his first Board of Review as a Boy Scout tonight. He said it went well. He has finally earned his Tenderfoot. He hasn't had scouts for a while because we don't have 11-year-old scout leaders right now so he was super excited to hang out with the Young Men after the Board of Review. They invited him to come to mutual the next few weeks too, so he is excited about that.

Tonight while Cleod was at scouts, the rest of us went to Wal-Mart for some groceries. Summer has thrown me off my schedule a little so I haven't been doing my weekly grocery run. We were out of lots of basics that I don't normally run out of so it was important for us to go. The kids were good for me which was nice. 


Thursday, June 30th-

This morning, early, some ladies from the ward and I went to weed a ward member's yard. We actually did on Tuesday too and got a TON of weeds out. Today we pretty much filled up the family's trash can. It has been nice to do some service and also hang out with a few great ladies.



Truck full of weeds from Tuesday

Cleod finally felt up to going to band today. When I picked him up he was tearing up and told me that they had a little concert. I had no idea. He said there was someone to watch everyone in the band except for him. I apologized and explained that I would totally have been there if I had known. He said that he knew that and that is what helped him from crying during band. Poor guy.



Playing at the park before story time

Story time was a craft today which the kids really enjoyed. Cleod wanted to look at books instead and I let him. It was weird though. I don't know if I'm ready to let him be a big kid yet.



Decorating "binoculars" at story time

This afternoon Cleod spent some time with Skyler and his family. After dinner we picked him up and then drove up to the C Overlook. We hadn't ever done that before and it was beautiful...but very cold. I was actually on the phone with Darin while we were there so I didn't take any photos but we are going to go up there again soon, when the weather is nicer. On the way there Silas ran into Lin's and got donuts so we had a nice, junky drive and some good, quality family time.

Before going home we stopped at Wal-Mart to get Molly a new car seat. She has outgrown her other seat and is big enough for a high-backed booster. She could buckle herself up right away which NONE of her siblings could do for weeks, maybe months.

It is another interesting milestone we are achieving. No more buckling up our kids! Weird.

My big girl, thinking she is pretty awesome

Grant and Molly doing something from Studio C