Happy and Busy 2019

Since I last found the time to blog, 4 more birthday's have come and gone for us. Along with a complete holiday season.  We had a wonderful Thanksgiving here at our house with a large majority of the Hughes clan.  Biff and Katie were the only ones that weren't able to join us. It really was a wonderful time all being together.
Christmas brought a lot of fun with family again. The Barlow Christmas party had a successful ugly sweater contest.  Scott taking the trophy hands down.  The Hughes Christmas party was just as fun.  It was a great celebration of all that Christ has brought into our lives.
In February Jaron turned 13. Our first official teenager.  He is shaving and really growing.  He is now 5'7". He is a responsible kid and a blessing to have as part of our family.  He continues to do really well in all subjects at school and play soccer.  He just made the Layton Strikers team and we are excited to continue his development.  He also got a guitar for Christmas and has started taking lesson for that.
I had my 35 birthday in March.  It was a day that kind of came and went as I had just had out my gallbladder a day or two before.  That surgery went well, but I didn't bounce back like I hopped I would.  Now several months later I am still struggling with stomach issues.
Patten turned 3 in April.  He is shy and silly.  He is spoiled rotten as the baby, but I couldn't love the little guy more.
KK turned 5 and is very mature for her young age. She is the house manager and makes sure we all stay on schedule.  She is so social and more than ready to go to school in the fall.
After back surgery in the fall Don's back is doing really well.  Being bishop is tough at times but he is always so happy when he can make a difference in someones life.
I have been doing a lot of school the past year, every spare moment almost.  That is why this blog isn't getting a lot of attention.  But I am loving it and hoping to be done by the time 2021 rolls around.

Summer & September 2018

I am working on living in the present and not dwelling on the past.  Sorry that it's been so long since I posted school has been taking up my spare time along with a depression episode.  It's been rough, but I think I'm coming out of it.

Summer went way too fast this year.  Usually I can't wait to send the kids back to learning and having something to do with their time, not this year.

June:

-Baseball - Don coached Bryson's team
-Gray Reunion in Brian Head, UT
-Girls Camp
-Kent Barlow Reunion in Jerome, ID

July:

-All star Baseball for Bryson
-4th Fun in Santaquin
-Landon's Birthday

August:

-Rage competition soccer for Jaron starts
-Murdock's visited - we love having lasting friendships
-Bryson Mandalined off the side of his finger
-Camp Loll for Jaron - his fear of bears almost prevented him from going
-Bee's game for summer reading
-Our 14th anniversary! Hurray for love
-Football started - that was an adventure and Eldon's team was really good. He very much had a love-hate relationship with it.
-School started - Jaron was really nervous about Jr. High but after a week he got the hang of things.  Bryson, Eldon, and Landon all have wonderful teachers and it is going to be an amazing year. Kayla started Upstart.  She does her 15 min then is done.  Patten however plays 15-30 min almost every day on Upstart and loves it. I started substituting.
-Utah football started. GO UTES!! we love having season tickets

September:

Has been adjusting to all of the above and getting back into the grove of things.
-Don and Eldon's Birthday
-Jaron and I went to an RSL game

General Happenings

-Piano - Jaron took an organ lesson or two in the summer and is doing well. Eldon and Landon are also moving along.
-Scouts - the boys all love scouts and are advancing in their ranks
-Landon - is doing robotics and choir at school
-Bryson - is doing an elementary competition robotics team as well as reading for Battle of the Books
-Date nights - Don and I have really enjoyed doing weekly date nights
-Don's Back - it's time for surgery! He has a herniated disc that is pressing on his sciatic nerve.  That will be corrected on Oct. 24
 -WGU - I really am enjoying school for the most part
-Kayla currently is going to Madsen Darling's house almost every day, they are so cute to watch
-Patten -  is really talking well.  Cutest thing though, he calls his belly his bunny.  I love it!!

Byson is 11

Bryson loves:
Electronics
Hanging out with friends
Baseball
Rocks
Cooking
Building

Bryson is turning into a wonderful young man.  He struggles sometimes to make right choices (don't we all) but owns up to them and is honest with himself about his short comings.  He doesn't love doing chores, but he will.  He also is very thoughtful and observant of others needs and helps a lot around the house. 

Eldon is 9

Eldon loves:
Pasta salad & Hamburger casserol
Blue
BYU
Scouts

Eldon is such a funny kid.  He is good dancer.  He is very stubborn.  He has a tender heart and is often very kind and gentle.

May 2018

Let's Be Real
This month is filled with so many fun things.  It's then end of another year of education for the kids and comes with a lot of programs and I love it.
This month also has been a big month of reflection on my part.  I am entering a new season of my life.  I will not be having any more kids. I know that has been said before, but this time I am serious. I have peace with it.  It has been a big part of my life growing babies and then taking care of them. For the first few years it is a full time job.  But as Patten gets older I feel that chapter of my life coming to a close.  It has taken me about a year to figure out what exactly I should do with my spare time.  But I think I am starting to figure it out.  I started substitute teaching a little.  Don is home Monday and so I can do that on that day. I also will be starting to take some online classes.  We will see if that is something that I can handle with all the other things going on.

Kayla and Madsen (her "boyfriend")

Joni Phillips Piano recital

Bryson Batting, Eldon and Patten watching

4th Grade Wax Museum

Cotton candy ice-cream burrito

Me and baby Cole Baird

Jaron and his 6th grade teacher Mrs. Kovary

Landon is 7

Landon loves:
Pizza
Electronic time
Dylan Reid is his best friend
Orange is his favorite color
Snuggling

Landon is so determined to keep up with his brothers and that determination is making him push himself to learn and be the best at whatever he does.  He is really bright in all areas of life.
He also is our dare devil. He climbs, jumps, flips without hesitation.

April 2018

Easter
Easter was fun this year. We had a ward party and went to the city egg hunt as well.  The Easter bunny hid 12 eggs of one color in the backyard at our house and the kids had fun finding them.


Patten
Patten is 2!  He had his birthday again during spring break and Don had the week off again.  So we headed south on his birthday.  We stopped at Papa's work, had lunch at a park, visited new second cousin Gracie, played at a park with cousin Asher, and had pizza for dinner at Gram's.  I think he had a fabulous day.
This little guy is full of energy and crazy!  I can't keep him in the house and when I can he's always into something.  He loves pizza, chicken, pretzels, bananas, fish, and anything sweet mostly.  He loves "Popcorn Popping" and "Itsy Bitsy Spider" but I get yelled at for singing anything else to him.
He has a mean streak he thinks punching is funny, something to work on for sure.  He thinks that if he smiles when he says no that that will make it okay to say.  His smile melts my heart and he knows that. He loves being outside, jumping, and riding his bike. He knows who Jesus is and loves to see pictures of him. I love this little boy so much.


Spring Break
We had such a great time hiking with Gram and exploring where Papa grew up in Mesquite, NV.

Cousin Charles was born this month!

Kayla is 4
She is another year older and wiser too.  This little girl had such a fun birthday party.  We played house with fake money.  They friends spent them at different shops: Beauty Shop (nails, hair, make-up), Smoothie Shop, and Jewelry Shop.  Then we had a bakery where everyone decorated their own cake.  It was a blast.
This little girl has so much sass.  She loves to play with friends.  She is a daddy's girl all the way and loves him to pieces. She loves to ride her tricycle.  She won't ride a regular bike because its too scary.  She love watching Sing and Letter Factory.  She loves "I am a Child of God".  She doesn't like noodles with sauces very much but loves to eat mostly everything else.  She likes chicken nuggets and fish a lot. She was really brave at the Dr. as she got all the shots she would need to go to kindergarten in a few years. Learning isn't her focus but cooking and cleaning the house with mom is what she loves. She also likes to read books.



Ribbon Dance
We had the ward fundraiser and Bishop Hughes and his bishopric gave a fabulous performance.

Pinewood Derby

March 2018

My Birthday

That's right I'm getting older.  My birthday was a wonderful day.  I was able to do "Parents and Pasteries" at Landon's school, have lunch with some friends,  attend Cathy's retirement party, and then go to Teppanyaki for dinner.  It was a day filled with things that I love.

Landon's Injury
Landon seems to fall a lot and hit is face.  This month he fell and put his tooth almost all the way trough his lip.  The Dr. said it didn't need to be stitched but two months later there is still a big knot in his mouth and a very visible scar.

My Parents
This was a really tough month for my parents.  My Aunt Linda passed away, Dad got the actual flu, and then Mom got pneumonia. Dads flu had a complication when he didn't eat anything and only drank honey and lemon water to sooth his throat.  This made his blood sugar over 300 and he was taken to the ER to lower it quickly.  He was scary for those involved and a very emotional month for everyone involved.

Patten
Patten enjoys repeating scripture to us.  I LOVE this part of my day. It makes all the stresses be okay and is really cute.
Also this month Patten started sleeping in a toddler bed.

St. Patrick's Day
Green milk & eggs is a must.

Fire Department
We went on a fun field trip with our preschool friends.

February 2018

Jaron is Growing

This month Jaron went on the scouting Klondike, had the open house for the Jr. High, his birthday, and ordination.  All of these events showed me that he really is maturing.  He is always nervous for new experiences but has the courage lately to do them anyway.  This is new for him.  Don and I are so proud of the man he is becoming.  He is dedicating himself to pray and study the gospel of Christ on his own as well as giving FHE lessons to the family.
The Sunday that he was ordained was a really wonderful day, but the Sunday following was even more so.  It was fast Sunday as well as his first time passing he sacrament. The morning started with snow.  The YW of our ward were in charge of shoveling the snow the month of March.  So he went to do that, then went to collect fast offerings from the ward.  Our Stake President has asked that the boys share a message and bear their testimony when the collect the offerings.  Jaron shared Alma 7:11 and the really helpful priest that was with him said that it was better than a Slurpee. Following fast offerings that same priest helped him learn the positions for passing the sacrament.  He did a fabulous job of passing.  The other 5 children were watching him the whole time.  It was Bishop Hughes week to conduct so he also had the opportunity to share his testimony.  Following him Jaron just stood up and bore his testimony.  He testified of the Church of Christ, the power of passing the sacrament, and that families can be together forever.  He was very emotional. It was so uplifting to hear his  testimony.
For his birthday this year we had root beer floats and watched a movie as a family.  The weather was bad so we went out on Monday to miniature golf together and play arcade games.
He is 5'3" and 90lb.  Jaron loves most sports and reading.  He still loves Italian foods, Rigatoni especially. He really enjoys watching or going to sports with his Dad.

Eldon's Hero Program

Eldon was very excited about his Hero Program at school.  He did a great job.  He didn't completely memorize the Gettysburg Address but did several lines of it.  I was pleased with his efforts there.

Hughes Day

On February 24th we were able to attend Jack's baptism. Baptisms are always a great experience.  We then had a baby shower for Carlie and Jason.  Then the Hughes birthday celebration.  It was a tough day because Patten was feeling really sick, but the boys had a good time with family.

Chinese New Years

Landon and I were able to celebrate Chinese New Years together at his school.  While walking down the hall holding hands he told me that he loves doing things with just me.  I love doing things with me kids.

Valentines Day!

Don's New Car

Snow

Some of the boys really have taken to helping shovel the walks for others when it snows.  It is really wonderful to see them want to help others. 

Blue and Gold Banquet