Daily Life

Thursday June 19th

Thursday was a day for the dentist.  It was the one year anniversary of the day Bliss Dental opened here and they were having a 10% off special.   I scheduled my root canal, a check up for Brinley and the three fillings Brian needed so we could take advantage of the deal.  Unfortunately for me and Bri the newby dentist took care of our teeth.  It was rough.  Bri said he felt like the guy was trying to shove his tongue down his throat and that he kept hitting his teeth with the instruments.  The dentist kept apologizing to me because it took so long and because I had to open so wide.  The side of my mouth is split and a sore is forming...darn.  Next time we will ask for the other dentist!

 When I walked in to the dentist office they offered me a donut before my
root canal...kind of confusing?  Maybe it was for their anniversary.

Aubrey had Avery McKown over for the afternoon.  They were so cute together.  They hung out on the swing (until the washer repair van came and freaked them out.)  They also made Musicaly videos, yogurt parfaits, jumped on the tramp and watched An American Girl show.  Aub is always a happy girl when it works out to have a friend over.  

After workout, Parker headed to work with Brian and Tanner hung out with Tate and Sawyer Terry.  They walked about 5 blocks over to the elementary school to play football and then came and hung out here for awhile.  At four we headed over to Grandma and Grandpa's pool for a couple of hours and they continued playing football and some basketball.  It was fun to look out and see them playing.  Aubrey joined them at the pool about 5:30 and I stayed in the house and visited w/ Gram and Gramp.  Can I just say I LOVE being able to stay in the A/C and read a book, visit with my parents or work on the computer while my kids are having so much fun in the hot afternoon sun/cool pool in a group.

Tanner

Tate

 

Sawyer

Brinley was a big help and the chauffeur for the morning.  Not only did she take me to and from the dentist but she also took Parker and Tanner to and from their morning workouts.  In the afternoon, she and Grandpa headed back to the dentist for her appointment while I stayed home for the washer repairman.  I hear he treated her to a DQ Blizzard too.  Lucky girl!

Friday June 20th

It's been a random day...but just random like it is everyday because there is No Set Schedule!  I was up early and figuring out some finance stuff with the new business.  I also made a deposit at our business bank and went to check on the Bonifay's house/take in their mail.  Parker broke his glasses so we headed to Walmart to try to get them fixed.  We ran a couple of errands and then I headed to a hair appointment.

Parker was my driver for my morning errands.  So handy!

Tanner slept in and Bryn and Aub got up early to pull weeds for Brian.  At 2:00 the girls headed to Midland to meet up with friends (Kramer Smith and family) at a water park.  I'm excited to hear about their afternoon.  Tanner headed to a movie with a friend: Ant Man and The Wasp.  Parker had Austin Jacobo and Harper Terry over to play Fortnite and football and to walk to 7'11 for snacks.  I think they bought half the store.

Fortnite....maybe I'll do a daily picture.

Austin, Park and Harper with their loot!

I texted the girls to take a picture or two of their
group but they were already heading home.

I'm excited about tonight because Brian and I are planning on having a date night.  Usually we just go out to eat.  He has been so busy and working so hard with the lawn business this summer that our time together has been more scarce.  A couple of weeks ago we mixed it up and went to the "Chinese torture" place and had massages and then went to the duck pond to visit.  It was really fun...we are wild and crazy like that sometimes. 

* Update: Our Friday night date did not happen.  Brian worked on lawns all afternoon in the heat--he's a good man!  Saturday morning we got up and pulled weeds together at one of his communities.  It really was nice to visit while we worked.  Saturday night we made it to Olive Garden and also did our assignment for our marriage class we are taking at church.  

Vore Family Vacation, June 2018

June 2018

We headed to Mapleton, Utah for our Vore Family Reunion.  So much fun.  Chris found a really cool VRBO house.  It was humongous: three floors, an indoor pool and basketball court, an outdoor tennis court and playground. Brit and I planned some activities and Angelique handled the food/shopping for the days we ate at home.  I will just try to post a few pictures from each day.

Saturday June 9th

Flying as an extended family.  It's always an adventure!

Bri and Bryn

BOYS-ugh...so hard to get a normal picture!  Holden and Tanner
came on board with their own looks.  Holden had his headband
and Tanner was "Swaggy T"

Parker and baby Lincoln-he's very popular

La, Aub and Dylan Hill (Kerry's girlfriend's son)

Charity, Bryn and Park (ugh-boys and their faces for pictures!)

Sunday June 10th

We, the Gwilliam fam, headed to Draper for Kyle's homecoming while the Vore family had church, Temple Square and other activities planned.  Kyle did a great job sharing his testimony and it was so fun to be in town for this big event!  I didn't take many pictures but Keith and family, Jeff and family and Grandma and Grandpa Gwilliam were all able to be there for his homecoming.

McKayla and Kyle

Tan being goofy...what a lovely church look

Monday June 11th  

We spent the day in Provo Canyon.  We played ultimate frisbee and razzle dazzle.  The little kids had fun with bubbles and playing in the freezing river.  Everyone enjoyed the foil dinners (lunches) and making smores.  Then we drove up the canyon to float down the Provo river. Tanner was with the Kerry Vores and Parker and Brinley were with Charity and Benja and some others.  Brian and I were on a raft with Adam Bird and kiddos.  The Bird kids were AWESOME!  The river was super slow and they appreciated the tiniest motion in the water.  Hudson and Braddock were super paddlers too. 

Back row: Adam and Britney, Quetta and Kerry, Me and Brian, Parker, Brinley, Adam, and Benja
Middle row: Stevie, Gram, Charity, Gramp, Ang and Chris
Front row: Holdon, Ty, Aubrey, Tanner, Lauron, Becky, Dylan
Sitting: Braddock, Hudson, Charlotte, Eleanor, Perry, Griffin and Blair

Gram and Gramp with the little girls.

Megan, Aubrey, Hudson, Adam, Parker and Bryn around Lincoln

Later about half of the group headed to Sandy to watch Tuck Everlasting at the Hale Center Theater. (Tanner saw me typing this and in reference to the play said "ugh, that was a terrible time."  He's not a big fan of plays.) 

In and Out Burger before the play.
Charity, Brinley, Benjamin and Paker

Aubrey and Lauron with the leading actress who was just their age.

Tuesday June 12th

We met for an Escape Room activity and lunch at Cafe Rio and then had a "Choose Your Own Adventure" day.  Most of our group spent at least some time at the mall and then had a blast at the house playing racquetball, tennis, swimming and hanging out with cousins.   I loved that my one of my very best friends from High School, Shawn Bonifay, drove down from Salt Lake to visit us!  One other fun thing was almost every evening the kids, from Griffin 7 years to Adam 22 years, played capture the flag.  

Back row lft-rt: Parker & me, Chris & Ang, Benja & Charity, Grandpa & Brinley, Adam & Britney, Adam, Megan & Lincoln, Brian   Middle row: Ella, Tanner, Becky, Braddock, Hudson, Quetta, Kerry & Blair  Front row: Charlotte, La, Aub and Perry, Griffin

Braddock, me, Charlotte, Tanner, Lauron, Aubrey, Brian and Hudson

Brian, Aubrey, Tanner and my group...one of hour pure chaos and excitement.  (Braddock's face pretty much sums up that little room experience...And no, we did not get out!)  

Shawnee, Me and Angelique.  I love these two girls so much.
They were my closest two friends during my teen years!

I think Shawnee called this our "cougar" selfie!  If the age fits....

Provo Center City Temple

We had to do two pictures because there was
nobody on the grounds to take one of our whole family.

Wednesday June 13th

We did a prospective student tour of BYU for Bryn and Parker and then we hit the bookstore and the Cougareat.  LOVE BYU!  That evening while the other half of the family went to the play at the Hale Theater (we split the group for babysitting options) some of us did a tour of the Missionary Training Center.  Erin Miesje, who is currently serving in the Independence Missouri Visitors Center mission, set it up for us.  I am so glad that we took the time to do the tour.  We were all worn out and the kids were grumbling but once we got there everyone settled in and really enjoyed the experience.  The spirit was so strong on the MTC campus.  It was amazing to see so many young men and young women walking in groups reverently from one area to the next.  We all felt the peace and every one of our children expressed gratitude that we went.

Bryn and Tanner at BYU.

Hudson joined our group...this sign was so huge
we didn't realize he looked so little and alone.  

Chris and family, Grandma and Aubrey were in a tour 30 minutes later.

The new building with lots of windows and light
for the missionaries who are studying all day.

One of the new classrooms.

Thursday June 14th
Our last morning.  Mostly everybody just packed up and headed out to the airport. I am including a few random pictures (out of over 200) from the week.  We stayed in Utah six more dayts to get in some Gwilliam family time. We loved our Vore Vacation.  Thank you Gram and Gramp for making it possible!

Charity and Bryn...several family members sat down
and worked on this puzzle throughout the week.

The Vore Boys.  Chris, Adam and Benja

Josh and Sara Martin stopped by a couple of times (Ang's brother and sis-in-law). 
Adam and Britney visiting with the kiddos in the sandbox behind them.

Ang, Grandpa, Gram and Adam at the Provo City Center visitors center.

July 18, 2018

Today was a good day.  Brinley did some returns.  It is so nice that she can take care of herself when needed.  We have done some shopping together for HEFY but she has also taken the initiative to gather supplies and shop as needed.  (HEFY stands for Humanitarian Experiences for Youth.  She is going to Brazil for two weeks.) The boys had summer workout, played a little Fortnite, worked with Brian for the afternoon and then headed to mutual for some Dodgeball.  Aubrey had Activity Days and worked on her testimony and passed off all of her Articles of Faith.  At 9:30 pm Bryn and I decided to go on a walk...it was a cool 95°....seriously!?  We had a nice walk and talk and then wrapped up the evening (at 12:15 a.m.)  with a game of Settlers of Catan with Tanner.  He beat us both-the turkey.

Tanner getting in his time playing Fortnite

The funnest part of our day was when Eleanor Bird (Ella) came over for a few hours this afternoon.  Her 3rd birthday was earlier this month and part of her gift from us was coming over to play at our house.  The boys were so excited about being home a few minutes with her before work.  Park jumped on the trampoline and Tanner played magna-tiles with her.  The girls, especially Aubrey, put in the real time though.

First Aub made a cute sign and drew pictures on it so Ella could pick the activities she wanted to do.  We planned a dance party, story time, TV time, going out on the swing and making snow cones.  Let's just say in about 30 minutes Ella had flown through that list!  We had a great afternoon with little Eleanor...we all love her so much!

Getting ready to watch Daniel Tiger's Neighborhood

Aubrey's cute sign

Dance Time with Brinley and Aubrey

Summer Schedule 2018

One of the kids pulled up the old blog from 2013 and it was so fun to look at the posts and pictures.  There were so many things I would not have remembered.  I love reading my friend/BYU roommate Thelma's blog.  She blogs daily.  I feel like we are next door neighbors and I know her children intimately even though I have met them maybe three times.  Also, recently Stephanie Nielson (nieniedialogues) posted on how she could go back a year or 4 years or 10 years to the day and see what they were doing.  How cool it that?!

I am going to give it a go again.  I'm going to try to capture some of the day to day so we can look back and see a little glimpse into our lives in 2018.  Wish me luck!

Our regular summer days in 2018 have been mostly the same.  The teens (Brinley 17, Parker 15 and Tanner 13) sleeping in until 10:30 unless they have something earlier.  Aubrey is usually up by 8:30 or 9:00.  Morning chores consist of making beds/cleaning up rooms, reading for 30 minutes, doing an everyday chore (trash, kitchen, scoop poop or sweep), and "drawing" for a chore. (walk butter, dust, vacuum, free etc...)

Both Tanner and Parker have been going to summer Speed and Strength workouts at Permian High School Monday-Thursday most weeks.  Parker goes from 9:30-11:00 and Tanner's is from 11:00 to 12:30.  They come home pretty tired, rest for about and hour and then go work with Brian mowing lawns until 6:00 or later each night.  It's impressive!  Yesterday Parker walked 8.4 miles doing yard work-Craziness!  They also make sure to take time for Fortnite on the Xbox.  Ugh-Fortnite.

The girls have worked some with Brian this summer but more like 3 hours a week rather than 6 plus hours a day.  Between family vacation and girls camp, Brinley has been studying for the ACT, practicing piano, and preparing for her HEFY trip to Brazil.  Aubrey has been hanging with friends--mostly her cousin Lauron Vore and just enjoying down time at home.

I am still adjusting to the craziness of having teens....and I have had teens for years!  Our kids are on the go all the time.  There is NO schedule really....and often we have 3-5 extra friends over or our house is totally empty.  I am constantly taking or picking kids throughout the day.

It isn't often that we are all home in the evening hanging out together.  Family scriptures and prayer happens in shifts.  Just a quick example, last night Brinley had Young Women's at the Food Bank from 6-7:30.  Aubrey and I swam at Gram and Gramp's.  Tanner went to the water park with a friend at 12:30 and didn't come home until 9:00 pm and Parker headed out to the movies at 9:00 and didn't get home until midnight!  And tonight will be totally different. C'est la vie!

  Brinley practicing.  She's made Black Magic Band and 

is feeling the pressure to brush up on her skills!

Aub's new glasses.  I find fewer selfies on my phone of her now that she has one of her own.  When she saw this picture she said "Mom, why did you put that one on?  I can make much better ducky face lips than that."

Fourth of July at the Birds! 

(Aubrey, Gavin Brown, Tanner and Lauron Vore)

Charlotte Bird, Brinley and Morgan Hill

Lake House trip with the Vores.  Aub and La were catching 

up on Cheer Camp and Girls Camp.  So cute.

Me and Tan

The boys have been obsessed with Fortnite since Christmas.  

They work so hard with Brian everyday and it's nice to have them busy.  They love the opportunity to make money.  I do like to see them hanging with friends and having some summer fun when it works out.  Austin Jacobo, Harper Terry, Parker, Reese, and Cole Brannon