Lemonade Stand and summer routine, with news from Newfoundland 7/15 - 7/21/2018

So at the beginning of the summer I asked what the kids wanted to do and most said a Lemonade Stand.  I wasn't really looking forward to it, but Monday we decided to do it.  I made cookies - the kids helped a bit and made a sign - the kids painted it.  Then after dinner we went out to the entrance of our subdivision and tried our luck.  Looking back we picked a bad spot.  There is a lot of traffic, which is good, but it is going by fast and there isn't a good place to slow down and park.  So if we try again we'll pick a different spot.  But still we did ok.  I think we made $20 so the kids each got $4.  I guess I just donated the supplies. :)  We were grateful to a few friends that came over to support us.  It was sooo hot!

 Puzzles are always fun!

 We finished up swim lessons this week.  They all passed their level and did a great job.

Summer is starting to feel long.  Having our trip right at the beginning was fun, but we are getting a bit bored now.  Our normal routine in the morning is doing centers.  We have 5 stations that the kid rotate through: typing, school games on the iPad, math worksheets, piano, and reading.  Then they have to do their morning chore and a service to earn their screen time.  Then they have to play with a sibling and sort legos, or do more typing to earn their second screen time.  I think we are all getting tired of being in the house together.  There is lots of fighting, whining, crying, and bickering.  It is hard for me to stay patient.  Chris is really having a hard time.  He gets angry so fast and then lashes out at whoever is making him mad.  He has really hurt Kaylee a couple of times now.  I am trying to figure out what to do with him and figure out what is the best way we can help him learn to control his emotions.

We have been going to the movies when we can, and usually go to Splashtown once a week.  The kids are getting tired of it though - I don't think we'll get passes next year.  The boys like to play poisonball and I try to play games with the kids when I can.  I just feel like I am on constant referee mode and I haven't gotten anything done this summer.  Oh well - at least sleeping in is nice. :) I still have been working out a bit -not as much.  But a friend in the ward has been doing a dance fitness class that is a lot of fun and I run with Kari most weeks and I still lift weights with Haley and Laisa on Wednesday mornings.

So on Tuesday evening July 17th, my parents called us and told us that they had taken my dad into the doctor because he hadn't been feeling well.  They had spent the day there and had a bunch of test taken.  The end result was that they found a bunch of growths in my dad's liver and that his kidneys were too large.  They advised them to go home as quickly as possible and get treatment done.  I think we all new it was cancer from my dad's eye melanoma - but of course the doctors couldn't say that until they had a biopsy done. 

So my parents made quick arrangements and left their mission 1 month early on Friday.  They drove out of the country and met Richard and Marcus in Boston on Sunday July 22nd.  Mom and dad flew to SLC on Monday and had a doctors appointment lined up for as soon as their plane landed.