May

The old saying "the days are long but the years are short" has never felt more true. It hardly seems possible that the month of May has already come and gone. The end of May is what you look forward to during the dreary cold days in February when the holidays are all over and four long months of school are ahead still of you. Coronavirus came along and certainly disrupted all that makes those last couple of months of school both tedious and stressful, but has also made the end of May not nearly as exciting since the vacation in Winter Park that I've been really looking forward to had to be canceled. Most camping areas are still closed, and the few lakes that are open for fishing have weird hours and don't allow boats. The end of May has not brought the freedom and adventure that we typically anticipate, but it's been a good month on it's own as we've tried to make the best of our circumstances.

The highlights of the month have definitely been our field trips. It's been good to get out of the house and be in nature for a couple hours each week. We've also enjoyed going over to the Brown Farm on Wednesday evenings for archery and a little social interaction. Another exciting development from this month is the acquisition of Tortuga. Having a turtle in the back yard brings me such joy, and we've had fun offering her various types of food. She loves strawberries, tomatoes, and hard boiled egg. She reliably eats cucumber and hot dog, wasn't so sure about pineapple, and outright rejected apple, red bell pepper, and sweet potato. She's made her home under a tarp covering the compactor, but comes and hangs out on the back patio at some point most days.

Matthew got his new hunting/backpacking pack and started filling it with rocks or weights and carrying it on our evening walks. He has also really focused on his archery and made a big, sturdy target for his daily practice. Hyrum has been learning to bake and has made chocolate chip cookies several times. Abraham has really been into CAD and designing things to 3D print. While video games aren't Mercy's favorite, she wants to play with the brothers and has made a concerted effort to actually learn how to use a controller and participate in the activities they love. The weather has heated up, so there hasn't been as much bike riding or jumping on the trampoline, but we have enjoyed many an evening relaxing on the hammock.

In addition to being a fun month, May was also an extremely productive month. We built 3 beds and established a garden with tomatoes, bell peppers, radishes, carrots, and swiss chard. We also took the side yard from nothing to ready for a puppy. We cleared, leveled, shoveled crushed concrete, leveled, compacted, and built a fence. It took a lot of hours and a lot of work, but the back yard is definitely coming along. Matthew has also done quite a lot of work in the garage, cleaning and organizing his wood shop, and moving forward with a few projects. I made 6 masks for my parents and masks for me and the kids, in addition to selling 19 masks on Etsy. Of course, we finished school, and the month ended with the Barrios moving out.

Mission Prep:
I've gotten back on my bike more, and there has been fewer baked goods around the house, but our ice cream consumption has drastically increased and I haven't been at all restrained. I've got to get back on track physically. I've got fat in places I've never had fat before, and as I get older it will be only be harder to loose it. At the end of this month I find myself in an unacceptable state and commit to reforming my eating habits. I am determined to exercise self control and turn my weakness into a strength. Spiritually, we are all doing well with our scripture study, both individually and as a family. As part of our summer routine, I've recommitted to reading the Book of Mormon with Mercy every day and it has made such a difference for both of us. I'm also studying the conference talks and focusing on having more meaningful personal prayers. I miss the Temple and look forward to when it reopens someday.

Meals:
Hamburgers
Reuben sandwiches
Butter chicken
Chicken and dumplings
Hawaiian haystacks (Cassie)
Sloppy Joe's
Salad bar with carrot soup
Homemade pizza
Chicken cordon bleu sandwiches
Italian sandwiches
Chicken pot pies
Venison stroganoff
Grilled hot dogs and sausages
Panda Express (Barrios)
Chicken Alfredo and sauteed zuchini
Chicken noodle soup
Grilled Cheese and tomato soup
Italian sausages and peppers with couscous
Pork chops and salad
Fajitas and taquitos
Grilled chicken and pesto pasta
Frito pie
Cashew chicken
Runzits and salad
Quesadillas
Venison neck roast with root vegetables