March Memories

Hyrum and Andrew both had school programs in early spring. They turned out so cute! Hyrum's Kindergarten class did a program called "The Wolf's Chicken Soup." The teacher asked Hyrum to do a speaking part. It was a pretty short one-liner, but I was proud of him for being brave enough to memorize it and say it in front of all the parents. He spoke clearly, and it turned out perfect! His favorite part of the whole thing was when he got to wear his little chicken hat. Grandma was nice enough to come to his performance, which also made him pretty happy!

Andrew's 4th grade program was about Utah History. Each of the kids got put into different groups that related to the history of our state like dinosaurs, Native Americans, Spanish Explorers, Mountain men, Pioneers, and Railroad workers. Andrew got to be a pioneer. His group performed a square dance for their special part. He also got to help pull the covered wagon across the stage. They did a great job!

March was also our Cub Scout Lego Derby. In past years, we have always done a Pinewood Derby, but that was often hard on the kids and the dads because it took so much work, time, and tools. Our Cub Scout Program was kind of falling apart. Several of our leaders were less than reliable, and our Cub Master said he wasn't going to be available to do Pack Meeting. Since I was the Primary Counselor over Cub Scouts, that meant that I was left to do it. I heard from a friend in the other ward about a lady named Jen Fitzgarrald (jen@runTwolf.com) who ran a Lego Derby. She said it was really fun, and required a lot less work. That sounded great to me! It cost about $25 more than a traditional Pinewood Derby, but the lady set everything up, brought all the Lego pieces, and ran the racing. That meant that we just had to decorate and do treats.

It ended up being so much fun! Jen had enough Lego cars for everyone to participate, not just Cub Scouts. When you were done building your car, you could go race against 3 other cars. When you were done racing, you could rebuild your car any way you wanted and then race again. One of the leaders kept track of the fastest times on a white board so that we could award prizes at the end. The kids had a blast, and even the adults had a grand time. Everyone felt like they had a chance to win, and if their car wasn't very fast, they just redesigned it. 

I set up a cute photo backdrop and took pictures throughout the night. I also created some awards and handed them out. Some of our other leaders brought drinks and dessert. Ali made Lego Rice Krispy treats, which were the hit of the night! Overall, it turned out wonderful! I would definitely do it again.

Jonathon turned 38 years old on March 16th. For his birthday, some of the students in his lab threw him a little surprise party. They even got him a zebra fish cake, since that is what his lab studies. I was super impressed with how well the bakery did on the fish. It was such a sweet gesture. 

For his birthday dinner, we went to Tucanos like usual. It is a churrascuria that serves delicious Brazilian meats and sides. It is way more expensive than we usually like to spend on dinner, but birthday meals are free with another paying adult, so we always go during the month of March. Afterward, we had a little party at home and then another party that Sunday with his family. We love Jonathon and are grateful for everything he does for all of us!

During the Christmas season, our favorite escape room location, Escapes in Time, was offering 50% off all gift cards. We decided to buy one for our family. We paid $50 for $100 worth. It was such an awesome deal! Escape rooms are kind of expensive, so we don't get to go very often. The good deal definitely made it easier. We took our older boys to one called Leonardo's Loot, which was pretty good. Since there were only 4 of us, we were a little slower to get it done, but we finally escaped.

Later in the month, Nathan and Emily came for Spring Break. We decided to get all of the siblings and wives that were available together to do another escape room. This one was called "The Crazy Hoarders Attic." It was so much fun! It was well organized, had lots of unique codes and challenges, and we made it out well within the time frame. Overall, March was full of family and fun. It was a great month.