Hart Happenings

Does anyone out there ever feel like laundry has a life of it's own. Sometimes it plays nice and goes with the flow but occasionally it decides to assert itself and take over. Sheesh! Boys tend to create an industrial amount of laundry. I guess that's a small price to pay for not worrying about laundry for an entire week while we road tripped it to the Northwest. It was fabulous! Highlights included a bike ride through some funky Seattle neighborhood, finding all kinds of creatures in the tidepools on the coast, and hiking through some of the most beautiful forest on the planet! The kids really liked running from the waves and having a bonfire on the beach.

We've been loving the rain back at home though. It was miraculous to go away for a week and come home and see how amazing the yard looks. 

It's been interesting the past few weeks to go through our ward being dissolved and the entire stake reorganized. I never understood with all the ward changes that we went through as kids what a logistical and administrative challenge it is! But it's good to get shaken up every so often. It reminds us that we're alive!

Can't wait to see everyone in a couple weeks. It'll be the event of the season!

Flake Fun

10 May 2015 - It was a pretty typical week with work, work and more work.  We finished up another audit.  Always nice to cross another one off the list.  I am still working on trying to wrap up all of the documents for the audit of my program.  Sometimes I think it will never end! 
Scott dug out another 10 feet or so of garden. For reference sake "dug out" includes cutting off the grass/weeds on top, shoveling and soaking until dirt is removed for 2-3 feet, layering pine needles, manure and compost and then topping off with dirt with all large rocks removed.  He wants to do another 3 feet and then we should be good to start planting.  He is a little bit sore from doing it, as you might imagine. 

Our broccoli and peppers have sprouted in the greenhouse and our tomatoes are looking healthy and getting quite big. 

I had Friday off which hasn't happened for a while so I was able to get the house a  little bit organized and find a place for all of the tools that we have accumulated in our remodeling.  Speaking of which, the house is done!  We finished the clean up and all the little projects that we were hoping to.  Kris will start moving in on Thursday.  We are going to be landlords.  Ah, the adventures of life!

The bunnies are "multiplying and replenishing" at an alarming rate.  We saw 4 in the field the other morning on the way to work and 2 more at the neighbor's house this morning on our walk.  So far they have left our garden alone so we are still friends.

It has rained quite a bit lately which is strange but a blessing.  If it keeps up there won't be as much trepidation about fire season as there has been in the past. 

We are excited to see everyone again in a couple of weeks! 

Nilsson News

Can I just say that Lauren is incredible!  She came down to our house on Tuesday afternoon to help me with my yard which was in sad shape.  I'd made up a long list of things to do thinking and hoping we would check off one or two of the items.  We got ALL of them done!  It honestly would have taken me at least a month to complete all the projects and we got them done in a day and a half.  Then today, Emerson and Eliza were sick with colds and both Garrett and I had to teach lessons in church.  Lauren to the rescue again!  She and Nick came down and while Nick went to listen to his dad speak in church, Lauren watched Emerson, Eliza and Henry.  When I got back, I noticed that Henry was stripped down exposing all of his cute, round, chunkiness and knew there must be a story.  Lauren told me that Henry had a "massively explosive diaper"and while she was attempting to clean him up, Eliza was yelling at her to get down a necklace or something and Emerson was in the other room throwing a fit about his lego tower.  Lauren, I hope that did not completely scare you out of motherhood.  You are so prepared. Thank heavens that you have had nieces and nephews to practice on.  So, Lauren gets the super amazing, get it done and keep your cool award.
Well, the big news for the week is that we now have five new, little peeping pets downstairs and they are a delight to all the kids.  Yes, we got chicks - again.  I'm not sure what the names are because Addy keeps changing them.  Something like, Penny, Fluffy, Slinky, Jumpy and Fuzzy.  Very descriptive.  Hopefully we will have pictures soon.
Happy Mother's Day to my amazing mother and to my incredible sister's as well!  You are all an inspiration to me and help me to do and be better.

The Circus

So we don't have to vacuum anymore.  We have hired our two youngest to take care of that for us.  I don't know how healthy it is but they seem to like it and they are still alive.  We still use the powered one when company is coming over.

We are really trying to put our yard together and are really grateful that dad came down with the truck and helped us for a few hours.  Hopefully we will be able to grown something edible this year.

I made an amazing swing set for the kids which is the best thing I have ever done.  It has turned into a trapeze and all sorts of circus equipment.  Grace said they are opening the circus this week.  It's actually just a rope hanging from a branch.  

Happy in Hyde Park

Dad and I have been sitting her splitting our sides laughing at all the funny posts! You are all soooo entertaining! We love reading about the amazingly funny things you do and the way you keep a positive perspective when it might be easy to throw up your hands and give up. What incredible people you are! Thanks for keeping this treasured blog going :)  And thanks, especially for the pictures! That's the best part.

I didn't realize how long it's been since I've posted! Fortunately, or not, you are all aware of what we've been doing. It was absolutely delightful to have you all here last weekend - we did miss Lori and babies, very much. My favorite parts are too numerous to mention, but I have a special memory of time alone with Grant while he was in the treehouse talking non-stop: "Look Gramma Chesto! There is popcorn on this tree!" "Now, look Gramma Chesto - the popcorn turned to yogurt!" It was heavenly to listen to him and see his enthusiasm for everything he was observing. I loved riding in Grandpa's truck with Peter grinning ear to ear, taking Emma out for her birthday, seeing Jenn take photos of Grace shooting her weapon... and so many more fond memories!

Thanks to Jenn and Scott for coming so far, especially when you needed a root canal, Jenn!!! So sorry about that! I'm glad it's feeling better now.

It was fun to have the Hart boys stay for a couple of extra days while their parents got away to celebrate 10 years of marriage! What a milestone!

Thanks to all for coming to support Lauren and Nick at their recitals. They were very grateful for your kindness.

Lauren received her Master's degree and was recognized on Friday at the "hooding ceremony" at USU. Quite an honor. We decided to take the family out to dinner to celebrate the occasion. We all drove separately for various reasons, but when I got to the restaurant no one was there. I wondered if they had decided to go somewhere else and didn't tell me. Come to find out... Thomas remembered he had to work, so went to the Sports Academy. Dad picked Emma up there since she had gone with Thomas. Nick and Lauren were in the parking lot at Lowe's because someone had run into their car on their way to the restaurant. Dad and Emma stopped at Lowe's to see if they could help. I was waiting at the restaurant for everyone. The officer who helped at "the scene" happened to know Elise, so he hurried through the legalities so he could talk to Lauren about what her sister was up to. Finally, they all got to the restaurant! Lauren is relieved and grateful to have school behind her and to look forward to the next phase of life.

Emma got her license on Monday morning. She has been driving all around town - all by herself. Kind of scary, but kind of nice. She loves running errands for the time being :)

Thomas leaves on Friday for Oklahoma. He will be there until the wedding. Come home for the weekend and head back out. I've got to talk him into posting on the blog while he's gone so we can see what he's up to!

School starts for me again tomorrow..... Not real excited. Too much to do. But it will all work! I'm beginning to see a small light at the end of the long tunnel. It won't be much longer.

Flake Fun

3 May 2015 - It's May already?   This week has been pretty normal with work and that sort of thing.  We transplanted 3 corn plants from our greenhouse to our garden (they are over a foot tall and had outgrown their little containers).  We have potatoes coming up.  So we should have fresh potatoes and corn at the family gathering!!!!  We have 52 healthy little tomato plants in the greenhouse that we will transfer to the great outdoors in the next few weeks I assume.  Scott has been working on extending the garden another couple of yards which is hard work but it will be well worth it. 

We went branding yesterday which is always an adventure.  The day was overcast which made it very pleasant.  If you have never hung out with old cowboys just doin' their job, I highly recommend it.  The topic of the day: proper castration methods for various types of animals.

Nathan (Scott's brother) blessed his baby girl Katelyn today so we went down to Mesa.  It was hot but the blessing went well and there was a lot of support for the new little family which was nice.

It has rained a couple of times this past week which we always enjoy. 

Oh yea, and I had a root canal...and it got infected.  But I'm doing much better now that I have antibiotics! 

Have a great week you wonderful people you! 

Nilsson News

I can't think of much that happened this past week other than the normal.  School, work, reception stuff, etc.  Garrett and Emerson went to the father and son campout on Friday and that was enjoyable for them.  Those left at home watched Frozen and then had a sleep over in my room.  Addy, Eliza and I were in the bed and Henry was close by.  It was quite the time!
Yesterday, I was in cleaning mode since the house kind of falls apart throughout the week.  I have been wanting to organize the shoe/coat closet in the entry way for a long time.  Garrett was there and as we were pulling everything out, he kept on going and ripped out the coat rod and the shelf.  Before we realized it, the paint had been opened and we were transforming that little closet.  It looks SOOOO much better!  It is amazing how old white paint can become so yellow and gross.  I do not have any before and after pictures because I didn't realize we were going to do anything so drastic.  I've noticed that is how we do things around here and at the Harts and at Mom's.  We are good at ripping things out.  Now I'm just itching to do the rest of the painting upstairs and redoing our pantry as well, oh, and the front doors.  Paint is a blessed invention!