It is really fun to learn how to do new things and create things. We are going to try and perfect our technique on the walls inside our bedroom before we start on the downstairs.
Thursday, March 23, 2017
Finished
I bought a texturizing spray to see if I could get the orange peel texture that is on the rest of the walls to work on the new section. I shook the can for a full minute, like it says, and then I sprayed. It made a mess and didn't end up working as well as I would have liked, but it's done. It didn't work as well as I would have liked but I am learning and we can move the clock from the wall on the left to over the door and it will hide most of it. 😄
It is really fun to learn how to do new things and create things. We are going to try and perfect our technique on the walls inside our bedroom before we start on the downstairs.
It is really fun to learn how to do new things and create things. We are going to try and perfect our technique on the walls inside our bedroom before we start on the downstairs.
Brian Head
For the Monday of Spring Break we decided to get away but we didn't want to go too far. So we went to Brian Head skiing. We loaded up, drove to Brian Head, rented skis, bought ski passes, and hit the slopes...or in my case, hit the bunny slope with the magic carpet.
It was such a nice day that we didn't need gloves, hats or jackets. It was great! We went down the bunny slope until Courtney was ready to go off and then she and Bryan went down the large hill. Courtney loves to ski and is very good at it.
Ethan stayed with me on the small slope until he felt comfy and then he went up with them too. He wasn't as thrilled and felt a bit out of control but did a great job.
I stayed on the small slope and had a lot of fun going up and down. The guy who operated the magic carpet told me that if I waited until the end of the day he would crank it up to 8 miles an hour! It was running at 4 miles an hour when I was on it. Hahaha!
After a few hours, the kids and I were tired of skiing but Bryan was still rearing to go. So we took a break for lunch and then Bryan went on his own to do some runs of the other side of the mountain. Ethan and Courtney had a snowball fight and then we went to turn in our ski equipment.
We were staying the night in a lodge in Brian Head called the Cedar Breaks Lodge. The map on their website showed it on the road past the Navajo ski area, where we had spent the morning. So we left the ski area and drove up the road for quite a while but we didn't see it. We turned around and went back to the ski shop to ask for directions. It turned out that the Cedar Breaks Lodge was right next to the ski slope we had been on all morning. Yup, it was visible and within walking distance from where we had been.
We checked in to the Lodge (it was really nice) and then I went back with the car to wait until Bryan was finished skiing. When he finished, we turned in the skis and went back to the Lodge. We took the kids swimming, to the hot tub, ate dinner, bought treats, rented Star Wars and then spent the night in our room. It was relaxing and a lot of fun.
Tuesday morning we woke up, got ready, checked out, took the long way home, and then went to St. George to watch a movie ("Hidden Figures"). We went home in the early afternoon.
It was a fun break!
It was such a nice day that we didn't need gloves, hats or jackets. It was great! We went down the bunny slope until Courtney was ready to go off and then she and Bryan went down the large hill. Courtney loves to ski and is very good at it.
Ethan stayed with me on the small slope until he felt comfy and then he went up with them too. He wasn't as thrilled and felt a bit out of control but did a great job.
I stayed on the small slope and had a lot of fun going up and down. The guy who operated the magic carpet told me that if I waited until the end of the day he would crank it up to 8 miles an hour! It was running at 4 miles an hour when I was on it. Hahaha!
After a few hours, the kids and I were tired of skiing but Bryan was still rearing to go. So we took a break for lunch and then Bryan went on his own to do some runs of the other side of the mountain. Ethan and Courtney had a snowball fight and then we went to turn in our ski equipment.
We checked in to the Lodge (it was really nice) and then I went back with the car to wait until Bryan was finished skiing. When he finished, we turned in the skis and went back to the Lodge. We took the kids swimming, to the hot tub, ate dinner, bought treats, rented Star Wars and then spent the night in our room. It was relaxing and a lot of fun.
Tuesday morning we woke up, got ready, checked out, took the long way home, and then went to St. George to watch a movie ("Hidden Figures"). We went home in the early afternoon.
It was a fun break!
The master and the padawan
Ethan wanted to do a fantasy baseball team so Bryan jumped right in to help him. Bryan used to play fantasy baseball and knows a bunch of tricks. He and Ethan sat down at the computer so Bryan could help him get his team ready for the draft. It was fun to listen to all the reasoning and the science behind why you want to draft this player and how to best ensure you get that player. They were having a lot of fun!
Soccer Schedule
It is soccer season again and here is Courtney's schedule. It's weak this year because she only has 6 games and she has to miss one because of a dance competition. But we are hoping for a great season!
200,000 miles
So, I missed it by a few miles (73 to be exact) but our 2004 van has over 200,000 miles on it now! We bought this van a few weeks after we found out I was pregnant with Courtney and it has been a good van to us.
I was so bummed when I realized I had missed the flip but at least I got a picture of it afterward. It has been a good van and has taken us on many adventures/vacations. Here's hoping it lasts a few years more!
I was so bummed when I realized I had missed the flip but at least I got a picture of it afterward. It has been a good van and has taken us on many adventures/vacations. Here's hoping it lasts a few years more!
Texture
Last week I worked on the walls that we have put up in the hallway upstairs. I wanted to get the texture just right. I did a bunch of research online and watched all kinds of videos about texturizing a wall. I figured out what type of texture we had and how to do it. I was ready to go.
I got a sea sponge and the thinned compound and went to town...on the inside of the wall so you couldn't see it from the hallway. This was just in case it didn't work out as expected. I put the compound on the wall with the sea sponge, waited 10 minutes, then lightly pulled the putty knife over the texture to knock it down. It turned out great....unfortunately, our texture is a bit different than what I did.
This is what I ended up with, after it dried and I painted it:
This is our existing walls and what it was supposed to look like:
Back to the drawing board!
I got a sea sponge and the thinned compound and went to town...on the inside of the wall so you couldn't see it from the hallway. This was just in case it didn't work out as expected. I put the compound on the wall with the sea sponge, waited 10 minutes, then lightly pulled the putty knife over the texture to knock it down. It turned out great....unfortunately, our texture is a bit different than what I did.
This is what I ended up with, after it dried and I painted it:
This is our existing walls and what it was supposed to look like:
Back to the drawing board!
Science Girl
Courtney is always doing science experiments and sometimes they don't go as planned. Courtney tried to make slime but we didn't have all the ingredients in the quantities necessary. She tried it anyway and ended up with a mess. But she had a blast doing it!
Crepery
Courtney and I went to the Crepery for breakfast in March when it was parent's interviews. She loved it! They have a different atmosphere where you can just sit and chat with friends. Courtney found the swing from the ceiling a great place to sit. I ordered the Scout Camp (marshmallows, graham cracker bits and Nutella) and Courtney ordered the Choco Banana. They were really good.
Student of the Month!
I got a very excited text message at the end of February from Courtney telling me that she had been chosen as one of the students of the month! She was so happy and excited. She told me I "have to come up to the school and see what they said about her.
It says: "Courtney Pack is a phenomenal student who has a great attitude toward school. She is very conscientious and a hard worker. She is friendly to her peers and willing to help with tasks as needed. Courtney's always smiling and we love having her in our classes."
Great job Courtney!
It says: "Courtney Pack is a phenomenal student who has a great attitude toward school. She is very conscientious and a hard worker. She is friendly to her peers and willing to help with tasks as needed. Courtney's always smiling and we love having her in our classes."
Great job Courtney!
Success Academy
HE GOT IN!! At the end of January, the school had a student meeting about SUCCESS Academy. It's an early college charter high school. Ethan was interested so he went to the meeting. We have had quite a few kids in our ward who have been in SUCCESS Academy so I knew a bit about it. That evening they had a parent meeting so Bryan went to that with Ethan to get more information.
After the meetings, Ethan decided he wanted to try to get in. It is a true lottery system. That means you fill out an admittance form, turn it in and then wait for the lottery to begin. They didn't require tests, grades or anything. So it was a waiting game.
The paperwork Ethan and Bryan brought home said that Ethan would need to take the CPT (college placement test) in order to ensure he would be able to handle the program. It wasn't a prerequisite to getting in, but would be required for an indicator of success.
I called to find out when the testing center was open to give the CPT and was told that it was open each day until 9 p.m. So we dropped Courtney off at dance and went to DSU to take the test. But the CPT was only given during certain hours, and they were closed. Ethan had worked himself up so I felt so bad. But I took him over the next week and he was able to take the test. He got above the suggested scores so he was good to go.
We waited and waited until finally he got a big envelope in the mail. I took it to him to have him open. He opened it, said "Cool, I got in" and that was it. Bryan and I were so excited for him...and I think Ethan was excited too in his laid back way.
This means that for 1/2 the day Ethan will be at DSU taking college classes in the SUCCESS Academy building and the other 1/2 of the day he will be at Snow Canyon High taking required classes to graduate with his high school diploma. The April of his senior year he will graduate with his Associates Degree from DSU and then in May he will graduate with his high school diploma.
It will be hard work but he is excited to do it!
If you want to learn more about the program: SUCCESS Academy website
After the meetings, Ethan decided he wanted to try to get in. It is a true lottery system. That means you fill out an admittance form, turn it in and then wait for the lottery to begin. They didn't require tests, grades or anything. So it was a waiting game.
The paperwork Ethan and Bryan brought home said that Ethan would need to take the CPT (college placement test) in order to ensure he would be able to handle the program. It wasn't a prerequisite to getting in, but would be required for an indicator of success.
I called to find out when the testing center was open to give the CPT and was told that it was open each day until 9 p.m. So we dropped Courtney off at dance and went to DSU to take the test. But the CPT was only given during certain hours, and they were closed. Ethan had worked himself up so I felt so bad. But I took him over the next week and he was able to take the test. He got above the suggested scores so he was good to go.
We waited and waited until finally he got a big envelope in the mail. I took it to him to have him open. He opened it, said "Cool, I got in" and that was it. Bryan and I were so excited for him...and I think Ethan was excited too in his laid back way.
This means that for 1/2 the day Ethan will be at DSU taking college classes in the SUCCESS Academy building and the other 1/2 of the day he will be at Snow Canyon High taking required classes to graduate with his high school diploma. The April of his senior year he will graduate with his Associates Degree from DSU and then in May he will graduate with his high school diploma.
It will be hard work but he is excited to do it!
Magic Bandage
This....is the magic bandage.
If Courtney has an owie, she just puts this bandage on and it makes everything all better! It really is magic.
If she hurts her knee at dance...BAM...she puts on the magic bandage and is healed within the hour.
If she hurts her foot at soccer pratice...BAM...she puts on the magic bandage and is healed overnight.
It really is amazing! We use it almost daily on Courtney. No one else has needed it's magic healing powers but as long as it works on Courtney, we are in business!
If she hurts her knee at dance...BAM...she puts on the magic bandage and is healed within the hour.
If she hurts her foot at soccer pratice...BAM...she puts on the magic bandage and is healed overnight.
It really is amazing! We use it almost daily on Courtney. No one else has needed it's magic healing powers but as long as it works on Courtney, we are in business!
Dentist Time
The lucky kids had their dentist appointments in February. They weren't happy about them at all but they went really well. Neither one had a cavity and they were in and out in about 30 minutes. NICE!
Courtney getting her teeth cleaned:
Ethan getting his teeth cleaned:
Courtney getting her teeth cleaned:
Ethan getting his teeth cleaned:
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