Happy Birthday, Abdiel!

As is typical, when we actually have stuff happen, we don't record. To quote from some 10 year journals the period dating 7/21-8/4:

Monday 7.21: We had a backyard swingset installed. After calculating the price of the whole family going to pick Elisabeth up from her mission, it occurred to me that children who don't all own a bike, had never been to Disneyland, and don't have a backyard playset should probably be introduced to a little more normalcy than occasional trips to Europe. So up went the swingset. Unlike the many backyard swingsets that only hold their "Lifetime" value for the five years that the occupants range from age 5-12 and then sit sad and abandoned in their owner's yard, we trust that by the time Gabriel and Miriam exit that prime age, Julia, Elisabeth, and Katharine will have children to come keep the swingset company. 

7.22: Had our new neighbors, the Cooks', children over while they unpacked. In the short space of 45 minutes, an unnamed child had them jumping off the balcony onto the trampoline; another had asked if they were up for "Truth or Dare,"; and an unnamed parent had them soaking wet from a backyard water fight. Not sure how helpful the "help" of getting them out from underfoot unpacking was. 

7.23: Lia and Gwyn hosted the Mother-Daughter Book Club discussion of Emily of New Moon. A good time was had by all. This after cleaning out the garage and securing a twin mattress for the playroom and disposing of the wooden box spring that used to reside there.

7.24 HAPPY PIONEER DAY! Lia led the kids in celebrating by working like pioneers in cleaning out the workbench. 10 minute turns tending to Miriam broke up the labor for many of the young workers, which is the only way we can account for the fact that most people dubbed "Cleaning out the workbench" as the high of their day. Though the sight of the sparkling space did elicit an impromptu glow stick dance party to celebrate. This morning it took all of five seconds for Lia to find matching work gloves for Katharine, a feat that before the clean-out certainly would have taken 10 minutes of futile search. We did make Brigham Young's Buttermilk Doughnuts for some sweet celebration, too. Julia took some to a YSA activity; they were declared a hit.

7.25 Ran many errands in anticipation of Katharine finally returning! Justin and Lia picked her up from the airport at 10 pm. She very thoughtfully brought home a book for Justin by Akhil Amar and a book for Lia by Jonathon Haidt. Having spent all her money, and also with an awareness of airport safety measures, the parents spotted her some cash to pick up sparklers for her siblings from a fireworks shop that was just closing up for the night. BOGO at closing time, Folks!

7.26 Katharine accompanied Abdiel to Lagoon for his 13th birthday. These are the sole photo evidence Abdiel would submit to, but reports that he screamed like a girl on Cannibal and devoured his snow cone lead observers to believe that he had a great time.

Meanwhile, the rest of the family went to This is the Place park. Either they don't really make Brigham Young's Buttermilk Doughnuts, or the recipe we have is a counterfeit, because theirs were way better than the ones we make. On a hunt to fix the discrepancy.

That evening Lia hurried and threw together an arrangement of "His Voice As the Sound" for the returning Katharine to play with Justin singing and Gwyn on violin for the musical number in church the next day. It all went well.

7.27. Musical number and Abdiel installed as new Deacon's quorum president.

7.28 Took Abdiel to buy a new birthday suit. He looks very handsome.

7.29 Abdiel's scooter broke right in half, exactly two days after it was purchased and exactly two days before he began using it last year, which apparently translates into the one year warranty not being honored. Ordered a new scooter for this year's birthday. 

7.31 On the day itself, having been feted so much beforehand, going to the Cannon Center for lunch and eating Krispy Kreme doughnuts with his teammates hardly felt like a celebration. But the masterful birthday poem (seen below) really crowned the day.

 

8.1-8.2 Took a quick trip to St. George, staying at a condo in Hurricane, to attend the Celebration of Life for a childhood neighbor of Lia's. Justin took Katharine and Abdiel to do baptisms at the Red Cliffs temple beforehand while Lia and the little kids hung out at the Flakes house. After lunch at Apple Valley Sourdough, right there in Little Valley, Justin took the kids swimming at our old Institute Director's home in Washington while Lia and Miriam attended the celebration. 

8.3 The whole Cook family came over for a break-the-fast meal of waffles and seasoned potatoes. We also got to talk to Elisabeth who had some amazing stories to report that we hope come up in her weekly email.

Miracles of the week that Lia is ascribing to temple miracles: after doing early morning initiatories on Friday, Lia went to get supplies for the St. George trip, including a swimsuit for Miriam. Lia had been looking for sunglasses at second-hand stores for almost a year since given the life expectancy of glasses around here, she didn't want to spend more than $10. Never finding any, and never even having time to try on glasses to find a pair that looked good, she finally resorted to a digital evaluation/try-on through Rayban's website while sitting through a recent viola lesson and intended to just cough up the full Walmart price. Zipping over to Walmart's sunglass section, what was her elation to find not only a unique combo of the two styles Rayban pronounced best for her face, but that they were on clearance for only $1!!!!!

 

She was more than thrilled.

Second, just hours after Katharine did baptisms with Justin and Abdiel, Lia received a text from the director of the Lyceum Philharmonic. He asked if he could have a chat since he had eight auditions but only two openings for a cellist and was seriously considering Katharine. Lia noted she was walking into a funeral, but Katharine was not full steam ahead on cello and very committed. Kayson responded no phone call needed, that was all he needed to know, Katharine was in! 

It's been an eventful two weeks!!

Abdiel turns 13

 

Come with me, friends, and we shall delve

To learn of him who once was twelve;

And when we’re done, we will have seen

That Abdiel is now thirteen.

 

When siblings rise from downy beds

And dreams of Cincinnati Reds

They quickly rouse their sleepy heads

When Abdiel thunders: “Shake your dreads!”

 

Those siblings seven all adore him,

Find they cannot quite ignore him.

And like a megatherium,

He’s sweet to Baby Miriam.

 

He is a witty lad, I trow,

Perhaps the funniest I know.

He finds on earth a perfect heaven

Whenever he can quip, “Six-Seven.”

 

He is a lad of mighty strength,

And of ever-increasing length.

He dominates the football field:

Opponents fear, then flee, then yield.

 

He throws the pigskin with a spiral,

Often his left stroke goes viral.

When he walks by the girls despair—

Except when he cuts his own hair.

 

His biceps are his pride and joy.

His dumbbells are his favorite toy.

He labors, toils, grunts, and strains,

And then he cries: “Behold my veins!”

 

He flexes twice, and then twice more,

Feels even jackeder than before.

His sisters murmur, “That’s enough.”

But Abdiel answers, “I’m so buff!”

 

Much like the lion in his ramping

Abdiel roars when he goes camping.

He shoots at tiny, distant marks,

And joins in Lincoln Papke’s larks.

 

He plays pianoforte well,

With tones of heaven-ascending swell,

The sound he makes is large, not teeny,

When he rocks out with Clementini.

 

Now, since the days of covered wagons

He has loved Imagine Dragons.

But now and then he’ll screech a tune

From that high tenor Benson Boone.

 

And now, at last, we end our song.

For we have sung both loud and long.

And what we’ve sung is right, not wrong,

And better far than Donkey Kong.

 

Like bobcat’s roar or cooing dove,

We’ve fitly praised the lad we love.

The finest lad you’ve ever seen,

Who once was twelve, is now thirteen.