Mtb, videos of mtb and a splash of other stuff.

So there's been plenty of mtb during this whole COVID-19 phase of life.
Here's Dru and I mtb up homestead-cobb. Always a tough ride but it's great practice for my climbing and one of my favourite DH. I didn't know he was getting this picture. So I'm in total climb, zone, mode hahaha.

It was cooler and raining a little in this ride, so we put on our light raincoats and went for it. It's been nice riding with these guys.

We rode up corrals this ride. It was great just the three of us.

Yuki and Aria set up this beautiful shot of them. Didn't it turn out wonderful?

One Sunday we decided to get in on the chalk action ourselves and broke the driveway up in sections and the kids had their own space to draw what they felt like. It worked out great and they did some beautiful things.

I've got some video's of the rest of their drawings. It was a beautiful Sunday and relaxing. I loved that we did this. Dru sat out too and chilled while reading. It was something we don't do too often and it's a fond memory for me.

Masaru's drawing.

Takeshi's drawing.

Girls drawings.

One day Tanner (on the right) came over to get help with his new bike. He stayed and hung out for a while to try and get it up and running better, then finally him and Masaru figured it out and then went out for a ride. They had the best time and Tanner said it was his fav. day since the whole Covid started. So fun.

One of Emiko's science projects was to make some salad dressing. They gave us choices and we ended up making this one. We haven't used it yet, but the activity was pretty great.

One day Masaru decided to do a big bike ride up to the top of Lucky Peak where the tower is. That's a long ride and a heck of a climb. This is his view from the top. Proud of this ride he did. He's so great.

He said it was tough, but not as bad as what he thought it was going to be. For me, I think it'd be harder than what I'd think it'd be. That's like my normal riding hahahaha

There's the tower, so he can prove that he got up there on his bike.

View he took from the top of Lucky Peak. So beautiful.

Then Emiko did his really cute drawing for part of her homework. She drew all of these animals and cut them out and then put them in the place where they're suppose to live. Pretty cute right?

Then we decided to take Takeshi on the lunchtime loop and let him try his bike skills out on three bears. He did amazing and it was a great ride.

This meme made me laugh a lot.

Then we gave Yuki and Emiko's teachers bone carvings to tell them thanks. I forgot to get a picture but loved the meaning of this one for Yuki's teacher. Yuki really felt ripped off for the last part of her perfect year with her teacher and friends. This carving was a wonderful way to let her know we loved her and we'll always want her in our lives. Also as an added bonus, she's going down to third grade and is going to be Emiko's teacher. We can't even believe our luck!! I'm so glad that Emiko will be looked after by Amy. I was worried at how she'd do, so now I'm not worried anymore.

Then we went on a mtb ride up table rock. I'd never been all the way to the top before so was willing to give it a shot. It's steep but was pretty great. I enjoyed giving it a go with the kids. It was me and the three older kids. Yuki wasn't pumped about riding to the top, but we convinced her and she reluctantly came

It was beautiful.

Here we are at the top. I was so proud of all of us. I'm always in awe of what a great rider Masaru is. He was showing us all these lines and stuff.

Yuki getting some great shots.

The views are part of why I love biking so much.

Love this shot.

Here's all of us. Takeshi and me in the front and then Yuki and Masaru in the background. Funny group shot hahahaha
Here's Masaru showing us some lines.

Here's a great view up the side of tablerock.

So this was when Masaru biked up to Lucky Peak tower and then Dru, Takeshi and I were doing the lunchtime loop and Masaru decided to join us as well and did really well. He does this though, does a big ride and then crashes the next day. He needs to learn to regulate his riding to where he can ride daily. But he's 15 and it's not a big deal. He'll figure it out, or not hahahahaha

These are some deer we found hanging around our yard easter weekend. I love that we have all kinds of animals around in our backyard at any given time.

Here's Takeshi doing one of his school science projects. It was actually pretty neat and he gets into some of them really well.

Here's some video's of Masaru mtb with his mates.

Masaru performing more tricks on his bike with his friends. I need to do more things like this so I can better handle my bike you know.
I'm trying to bunnyhop so I can  have more options on my DH when things get dicy.

Then we watched the movie 'Newsies' as a family. I'd never heard of it, and Dru said it was an american classic. So we sat down and gave it a shot. It was a great movie and the boys decided to try some of the moves we'd seen on screen.
They did pretty well.

So these next few video's are of the boys getting their moves 100% hahahaha

They're pretty good for such a tough move right? Then Takeshi took it to the next level and rocked it, like always. Pretty funny.

Here's one of the kids science experiments. Pretty fun.

Here's some online learning in full swing. Thank goodness the schools gave us their little computers for the kids to each have. Talk about a life saver for sure.

Then there was a time where Yuki couldn't see her mates and for her that's a first. Yuki has always preferred to have mates than not mates and chooses to be with them, if at all possible, over us hahahaha
I noticed that she did this a lot (below) just swing and swing and swing while listening to music. I think it calmed her a little and was relaxing for her.

She'd get these marks on her legs hahahaha

Here's another science project that Takeshi did. So interesting.

Crazy how clean that mixture get the coins right?

Then we found this stupid/fun thing on instagram to do. Every time you do it, it comes up with a different percentage. But we got a few laughs outt've it.

Me upset I'm part Aussie.

Yuki way pumped she's japanese.

Dru chiming in in the background. Hahahahaha way funny.

Takeshi's turn.

Masaru giving it a go.

Emiko's turn.

Then the irrigation started up slightly earlier this year because the weather has been so nice. But it hasn't kept up because it's been cold as well.
But it was fun to have this day.

I've also gotten a sourdough starter and have been making lots of things with it. It's all been great and we're having a great time with it. Not helping our sizes, but helping us be happy and having some different things.

Man that was a lot of uploading to blog all of this. I'm proud of myself for getting it done, but blogging is never ending cause our life keeps jogging along you know.
I feel overwhelmed with documenting our lives but know I need to keep doing the best I can as it'll be great for my kids to have this all written down.
I have a pretty bad memory and so this guarantee's that not all of their lives will be lost due to me not remembering you know.
It's why I do it.
I can't remember movies I've watched, let alone the four lives of my children in detail.
Onto the next prepping for the next blog.
I'll give myself a pat on the back and carry on.

Easter 2020

Well this year's easter was unique. Just like this whole year really. So there's that.

I got a bunch of plastic eggs and then put a bunch of different things in them. Then I told the kids they could find 12 each. So they got their baskets and found 12 each. Well they couldn't find the last one. Masaru only found it a few days ago and it's May hahahaha

I did my normal traditions, which was making my mum's easter eggs as well as some good old NZ hotcross buns, which were awesome. My kids love them, Dru, not so much, but that doesn't matter. 

Masaru especially loved them. It was a well done recipe this year for sure. Another recipe from my mother and a great one.
We had such a great day together.
The whole weekend was actually quite pleasant.

 Dru wrote me a nice note and gave me some candy. I wasn't expecting anything, so that was nice of him.
We worked together to make a great East dinner, since we weren't doing it with anyone this year due to the quarentine.

 We all got dressed in our Sunday best to have church and our lesson this day. I even put on some makeup. I wanted to get dressed up for Jesus hahahaha
The kids and Dru followed suit and it was pretty fun.

 The kids then had fun on the tramp.

 Catching Takeshi in the bottom parts of a jump, always makes for a great shot hahahahaa

 Family picture.

 Awesome family feast. Masaru made some deviled eggs and Dru and I made the rest of it. With the left over chocolate from the easter eggs we dipped some banana's and strawberries to make a great easter dessert.
I think it's one of the best meals I've had all year.
So good.

 In some of the eggs we did the marshmallow like a true egg. Pretty cool.

 I told Masaru to go pick some flowers around our yard for the table and this is what he came back with. He said he felt bad picking the flowers as they weren't doing any harm and didn't wanna kill them just for our easter table.
Well I couldn't argue with that, and just made do with these ones and was surprized at Masaru's gentleness. 

Another family picture later on that night.
It was a super relaxing day and really fun.
We had a really great time together learning and appreciate Jesus, the holiday, the food, each other and the beautiful weather.
I'm glad we had this weekend with each other and will always remember it fondly.
This quarantine has been crazy, but there's been moments of bliss with these guys that I'm really grateful for and will always treasure.
Wonderful Easter.

Conference weekend and more family stuff

 General Conference this April was unlike any our family has had before. Because we had nothing going on we could sit for the whole two days and listen to all of it.
They had talks that night as well, but we didn't listen to those ones, I think I would've been pushing it to make the family watch those as well.
Everyone did great and had a better time than what they thought they would. They also learned a lot and we had a good time.
A couple of these funny memes came from it, which I think it pretty funny.
There was no one in the crowd, of course, and so it was just the leaders and they were social distancing. First time that's happened in, ever. There's always been a crowd.
So this first meme was mocking that part of it I think.
Then this one underneath was about how the church has changed their symbol from the statue moroni to Jesus Christ.
There was an earthquake in Utah a while back and the statue of moroni had to get taken down and fixed cause it fell or something. So that's where this meme underneath comes from.

 I've been reading this book and loving it. My friend said she really hated it, but I feel the opposite. I've really enjoyed reading about the mind and what we have going on up there and the power we harness. We had a bookclub zoom meeting about it and I think I was the only one that liked it. Oh well. I'm still working through it. It's hard for me to get much done these days and reading is a luxury as well as working out, knitting and blogging and study. All things I'd like to do for myself and have next to no time to do.
My knitting has gone to the wayside and I need to pick it up again as well.
It's been tough balancing.
But I'll try to read this book when I can.
They gave us another book to read for book club this month and I'm thinking 'fat chance mate' with as little as I can recreationally read, and with this book not even finished, that next book has about zero chances of getting read'
Oh well.

 Yuki's teacher got onto the news for being one of the awesome teachers around here in Boise, which she is. So Yuki was on the news. I don't watch the news, so I had a girlfriend tell me about it. It was pretty awesome.

Takeshi and I doing some mtbing.

 I thought this meme was pretty funny.

 Check out this lady hahahahahaha I can't stop laughing at how crazy some people are. Even down to the actual suit. Did she think there'd be a flood too?

 Looking through some books and found this cute picture of these three. Those cute faces man. Love it.

 Now that little cute face has turned into this beautiful face. Great shot of Yuki.

Having fun on the rope swing.

 One of our trips to the river.

 Me and Koko

Such a great job done by Takeshi. He's not afraid to add the attention some things need to make something great. Then other times he's a hot mess and can't do anything. Basically if it's his choice he's a master, and if it's not his choice he's a lazy butt.

 Thought this was interesting. We did another fast right before Easter, which will be my next blog.

 I found this with no children around and not a clue as to what was going on. I still am unsure, but I figured I'd take a picture of it.

 Dru was dressed in his robe for casual Friday the other week. Things just got REAL casual now he's working from home hahahahaha love it.
He's still doing great, working from home. He's had to do a bunch of study about the covid across lots of countries for his job, since he's in international business and has to know the laws for the other simplot places around the world.
It's been fascinating what he's found out and basically he thinks we've gone about this thing, in Idaho at least, all wrong. I agree with him.

 Masaru is getting his bike ready to sell. She's been a great bike. Her name is Lupe and she's been amazing to Dru who first brought her, as well as Masaru who's ridden her into many races and ride and over plenty of crazy rocks and jumps.
It's a wonderful bike and I'll be sad to see it go and hope it finds a great home. She's served our family well and we couldn't be more happy with it's performance.

Here's that little john deere hat I made our neighbours kid. Super cute.

 Masaru took Takeshi up to the top of the mountain called Tablerock. They had a good time.

 Always great views when you get to the top.

 Wonderful picture of masaru and his bike.

 Takeshi lost a tooth.

Look at those teeth hahahahaha There'll be braces coming his way in the future.

 We talk to our mates Puggs and Stacey every Wednesday night. This is how they greeted us one night. We couldn't stop laughing. It's pretty good right?
Great masks. Love these guys.

I found this meme hilarious.

Forgot I had this video of Emiko's jacket just like the other one on the other blog post.

And then we've been doing a bunch of riding, of course, and here are some video's of that.

That's about it.
Next stop........Easter.
Trying to keep up with this blog is like trying to run a race against olympians, no chance. But I'll keep trying to, at least, cross the finish line.