Wario

Stockton is allowed to call us on his parents' birthdays. Today is Mike's 46th birthday. Stockton texted Mike and asked him if he could join his zoom district meeting dressed as Wario. Wario was to be an investigator who loved the church but was having a problem with the concept of tithing. Stockton asked Mike if he could change his zoom name to Wario too. Let's just say that with little notice Mike pulled off an awesome Wario. It was so fun to watch Stockton lead a lesson. He is a fantastic missionary. I was laughing because I could just imagine the missionaries after thinking, "Stockton's Dad? That explains a lot!" Stockton didn't tell anyone he was going to do this. Not even his companion. Stockton knows how to keep things fun.

Wario Mike

 Zoom meeting

Jorja had to work today, but we were able to open presents and play a game before she had to leave. Mike got the fancy water bottle we got yesterday. We also got him a portable car charger that my brother Mike told me about. Mike loved it. He's excited to use it on the riding lawn mowers. I didn't even think of that. I got the model that can jump start an RV. Seems like the first time we start it in the summer we have to jump it. This will be nice. Mike got himself a few presents. A blow torch thing that he wants to burn the stumps of trees with. A small cement mixer he is excited about, and another five pound bag of pez. Mike wanted to teach the kids how to play poker. I think Preston had asked him earlier. The Pez should last us for at least a year!

 Bear and Preston

Mike wanted to make tacos for his birthday. After Jorja went to work we ventured out to get his cake and taco stuff. It was funny. I ordered the Cold Stone cake online. I clicked 'custom message' and wrote 'Happy Birthday Mike.' When I got there to pick up the cake they asked us what we wanted on the cake. They said if we click 'custom message' it just sends them 'custom message'. Haha. That seems like quite the flaw.

We had late night cake when Jorja got home from work. Luckily she didn't close. She got off at 10. The cake was delicious. Mike picked cake batter ice-cream with yellow cake. And that about did it for the day. Birthdays are fun.

Mother's and Mike's Day

We have 9:00 church this year, so this morning was spent getting ready and then being at church. Mike taught my gospel essentials lesson for me, even though it is his birthday too. The only other people in the class were Maysen, Stockton and Jorja. We basically had a family home evening lesson without Preston. Mike taught about the organization of the Priesthood. We also were able to bring two more missionary plaques. Although both of the mom's were gone. I think getting calls from their missionary sons. Suzanne Heaton had all three of her missionaries call her at the same time. That was pretty cool. I texted Suzanne a picture of Dylan's plaque. Jorja with the photobomb.

 Preston brought me home a Mother's Day flower made up of two Hershey kisses

 Mike went crazy on the presents

 Each of the kids gave me socks. Maysen gave me the Kanagawa Wave

 Preston gave me The Scream

 Stockton gave me George Washington

 Jorja gave me Starry Night

 Mike gave me Minnie Mouse socks mocking me for being late.

That is funny because he knows I absolutely hate being late for anything!

Mike also gave me a "new" laptop. My old laptop crashed about a month ago. Mike was due to get a new laptop at work. He got a new one and bought his old one to give to me. He likes his old one better, so he was sad to see it go. It will be nice to have a computer again!

 Stephanie

 The weirdest gift Mike gave me was a mermaid tail. What? Why?

I told Stockton that for Mother's Day I wanted to get graduation pictures of him. We took pictures of him with his different ropes and tassels.

Stockton ~ SLCC

 I made Stockton take more pictures after I realized his tassel was on the wrong side because he has already graduated.

 He put a shirt on over his pjs.

 Stockton ~ SLCC graduate

We switched the SLCC tassel for an Alta tassel and got all of Stockton's ropes. The big yellow one is for the National Honors Society. Red = High Honor, Purple = English, Black & Silver = Math, Mint Green = Technology, Dark Green = science. Stockton was a bit annoyed that there wasn't a rope for sterling scholar and that there is one for Step to the U. Step to the U is the principal's pet project. The kids can get college credit by going two summers. Even if they drop out they still get their rope. There isn't a rope for Stockton getting his associates degree. He wants to wear his gold honor SLCC cord to signify that. I'm sure with all the other colors he is wearing no one will stop him. Poor Maysen only got one rope. A yellow & silver one. I'm not sure what it was for, either high honor or NHS. She went to JTC for the vet program the beginning of each day her senior year and missed all the announcements about honor cords. With her being the first child I had no idea. She would have had a lot too. NHS, High Honor, English, Social Studies, Jordan Technical Center . . . oh well. Live and learn.

Stockton ~ Alta High School

Mike's 43rd Birthday

I dropped Maysen off at Sam's so she could take her down to Provo for the Storymakers conference. That is so nice of Sam! It sure made my day a lot easier. Today is Mike's 43rd birthday. Mike, Preston and I have been playing this game called Seafall. It takes awhile to figure out, but then it is fun. We have been playing it for a few months now. Well, Preston didn't adhere to birthday rules and he stomped us today. He also managed to get himself crowned Emperor which triggered a whole different set of rules. We'll have to figure out how to play that now. Jorja made Mike Churro French Toast while we were playing. Shea came over this morning before softball practice. I picked up Jorja from practice and we stopped at a game store called Mystic that is by our house. Jorja was a little creeped out. Lots of people were in the back playing Dungeons and Dragons. Some were painting little figurines or building their worlds. We did find two games that we think Mike will like. Actually there were a lot of games we thought he would like, but we limited ourselves to two. That gift is going to be from the kids.

Preston had a piano recital today. He did great. I recorded his last song. He is so cute!

Preston

The piano kids. The Christensens are next to Preston. I see the Halls and the Willes. Audrey is wearing the hat. Sister Newman is their teacher.

 I like Preston and Ava in this picture.

We made it back home and I had just enough time to finish Mike's cake before it was time to pick up Maysen. Sam was super, super, super nice and drove Maysen home when she was finished. Then Sam went back to Provo for the dinner she needed to attend. Talk about going above and beyond in helping me out! Once Maysen was home it was present time! Not a lot of presents, but still fun.

Mike ~ 43 years old

 Gifts from the kids

 I got Mike an air fryer. I hope he likes it and I hope it works!

 Mike's beautiful cake. Lemon everything.

 Stockton looks concerned about the way Mike is blowing out his candles.

We went out to eat at Mulan's. It is a small Chinese restaurant near Jordan High School. We were the only ones in there for awhile. The people working had two small children. The mom was trying to help her young son learn to count. She kept saying, "Eleven, twelve . . ." Jorja could understand her when she talked to her boy in Chinese. Jorja whispered to us saying, "She's telling him he can get a treat if he says his numbers." How cool is that? I begged Jorja to come with me and talk to the lady in Chinese. She doesn't get a lot of practice outside of the classroom. Jorja did not want to go, but she did anyway. She spoke in Chinese to tell the lady her food was very good. They had a conversation in Chinese, which I didn't understand at all. I loved it though. The mom called the little boy over. Jorja said, in Chinese, "Your English is very well." Or something like that. The little kids eyes about popped out of his head. It was almost like he was thinking, "How do you know our secret language?" So fun!

Mike got a birthday card from his dad with a gift card inside. The gift card was to Chuck-E-Cheese. We laughed and laughed. That was fun to tease him about. We used to go to Chuck-E-Cheese a lot when our kids were little. We haven't been there for years. Although I bet Preston would love to go there sometime. Too bad the Chuck-E-Cheese by our house closed a few years ago. I wonder where one is. Surely they still exist or they wouldn't be selling gift cards.

We came home from dinner and played a few rounds of Code Names Pictures. That was fun. I hope Mike had a great birthday. At least I hope it was nice. Or okay. I don't think it was horrible, so that's good.

Mike's 42nd Birthday

Mike had the day off of work today.  It was wonderful.  Maysen left early this morning to early morning seminary.  Then she went on a physics field trip to Lagoon.  Now that's a hard life!  Utah State University rents out Lagoon every year for physics students.  They have different experiments and events you can participate in.  Maysen said it was fun except some of her favorite rides were closed.

Preston had his zoo today.  He did his project on the gray wolf.  He put it together all by himself.  He was pretty excited about it.

Preston

Mike and I took Preston home with us.  Mike, Stockton, Preston and I all played Dominion.  Stockton got home just as we were starting.  We watched a Goldberg's and then headed to the high school to pick up Maysen.  We stopped at my dad's house and said hi to Anne and family. My dad gave Mike a gift certificate to Home Deopt.  Mike wanted to go to a Japanese restaurant for dinner.  The food was delicious!

Preston & Mike

We then took all of our gift cards to JCPenneys we got for Christmas from Scoop and Cori and let the kids look for things to buy.  Maysen found a macaroni pot she is excited about.  Jorja got a purse and a portable cell charger.  Mike found a small camera and a disco light.

Mike, Preston, Jorja, Stockton

We finished the day with birthday eclairs and watching Battle Bots. Oh, Mike's presents from us were water tank heaters for the motorhome and Pass the Pigs.  Maysen thought that would be great to play as we drove down the road.  I think she is right.

Mike's Birthday

Mike is 41 years old today.  He had the day off and made a list of things he wanted to do.  We didn't get to all of them, but we tried our best. Mike wanted to open presents in the morning before the kids went to school.  He was surprised to find out that I actually bought him some presents!

Preston, Mike, Stockton, Jorja

 Jorja with an ice cube tray and water bottle labels.

She was the last one home, so had last pick of the presents.

 Stockton with a shelf to put on top of the stove in the motorhome.

 Horrible selfie of me with a paper towel holder.
Mike looks cute though.

 Mike's main present was a gps for the motorhome

 Mike surprised me with a present he bought himself!

Some weird sandwich maker thing that he thinks is the greatest.

 Preston is so excited about his peep molds he found.

 Maysen gave Mike marshmallow sticks

Mike had projects he wanted to work on and he wanted me to make a cake while he took a nap.  This is the cake I made for him.  Jorja did not realize it was a sunflower.  Come on!  Totally looks like a sunflower!  It was delicious.  We ate the cake after the kids got home from school, before Stockton left for diving and Jorja for softball.  The problem was the cake was very filling.  Mike wanted to go to Sizzler after Jorja's game, but no one was in the mood for that at all.  Sizzler would have totally won.

 Mike

Mike and I drove the motorhome over to Steve's house.  He is letting us borrow his poles for his batting cage.  They are huge!  It was kind of tricky getting them in.  Steve rigged the back window of the motorhome open.  They fed the poles in to me, then ran along and picked up the other side.  We had to wedge them in pretty good so they wouldn't ruin the motorhome while we were driving.  We made it home, but are quite exhausted.

I'm pretty sure Mike had a good birthday.  He seemed to be happy all day long.  Although who wouldn't be happy on their birthday?  It is fun to spend it with him.  Nice to have him home.