Lydia's Bird(s!): Polly & Ivy

Last November, Lydia bought a bird: Polly. She specifically only bought one bird because we read that birds will be more attached to their human if they are alone. But Polly is a nervous bird and never really formed an attachment to Lydia even though she was trying so hard. 

Lydia started thinking about getting another bird - and we started making trips to PetsMart to just look at birds and think about it. She finally decided that she DID want another bird and after checking several different stores to find a bird that felt like the right bird -we ended up stopping at a random pet store in the South Jordan area on our way home from a swim party at the Middletons (we were all in our swimsuits, ha) and Lydia found the perfect green-colored bird! She decided to name her Ivy. 

Lydia wishes that they would be more friendly with her and that they would let her hold them and interact with them. However, they are good friends and we are glad that Polly isn't so lonely.  

Lydia is a great pet owner. She takes great care of her birds and she has learned a lot. 

Lydia 12.5 - Half Birthday!

Happy half-birthday to this beautiful young woman. 

Some things about Lydia right now: 

-She's in 7th grade and is participating in a "Middle School Coop". 

-She loves to read and is always buried in a book. 

-Lots of fun this summer: Lagoon, Splash Summit, bowling with friends, 

-She recently bought a second bird and takes really good care of them. I wish they were a little more interactive for her, but honestly - she loves them so much. Her birds are Polly and Ivy. 

-Her favorite books right now are the Green Ember books. She recently bought all of the books in the series and loves them so much. 

-She is smart and kind. I feel for her when she gets overwhelmed and I am trying to help her stretch her brain (employing a growth mindset) and to help her build confidence and grit. Because she has so much to be confident about and has the ability to be focused and determined in so many areas. Growing up isn't easy - but I'm grateful that I get to be her mom through her journey. 

-Her best friends are Audrey and Ellie (and Austin) who live right across the street and they are together as often as they can be. 

-Lydia went to her first Girls Camp this year (Bear Lake). The theme was "Light in the Storm" which was applicable because a storm blew in right in the middle of the night and blew down their tents while they were sleeping. They had to move into the garage of the cabin they were camped next to because they couldn't keep sleeping outside. 

-We have been spending a LOT of time on the ranch lately. We spent a lot of time there during the summer, helping with haying season and other ranch-related work. We've been going up every other week to spend the Sunday/Monday there and it's been such a beautiful gift. Lydia loves it there, and I think my dad might be preparing her to take over the ranch someday. 

-Shooting Rockets in Wyoming. 

-Dressing like a cowgirl for Halloween (because she IS a cowgirl). 

-Lydia and I went to a Stake Women conference in Heber. We had fun camping over the weekend together and I love that she was willing to get up and go on the sunrise hike with me. Audrey and Ellie were there, too. We are grateful for good friends and such a supportive community. 


-Lydia is doing great at homeschool. I give her a task "make 3 stars" and she goes above and beyond like creating an entire bunting of stars to decorate our homeschool room. Even though it's not always easy, and there are some bumps that we need to work out to find the best system for personal growth in core areas, Lydia is excelling. She is learning so much, she is kind, she is fun, she enjoys exploring new topics and reading new books. She is learning how to play the Ukelele at her coop class and that has been so fun! She is also taking a musical theater class and she is working to prepare a song for her mid-year revue next month. 




Lydia is such a fun adventurer. When we hike, she likes to be able to take time to look at the details in nature around her (and so she prefers when we hike alone and not with a group of people). 

Lydia is SUCH a good big sister. She just is the best oldest daughter we could ever have asked for. She is kind to her siblings. She takes care of them. She loves them and makes them laugh. She is their fearless leader and they follow her into all sorts of exciting pursuits (giant forts, play productions, new games). She has a special relationship with each of her siblings and they are lucky to have her. 

She played softball for the third year in a row. She really enjoys softball and is continually improving her skills. Her team didn't win any games this year and I'm just so sad about that for her. But she is a good sport and didn't let her get it down too much. I absolutely loved watching her take ownership of this area of her life.  She's amazing. 

-Lydia had 8 (giant) baby teeth pulled in October and it wasn't a super fun experience, but this sweet girl did amazing! Now we are just waiting for those teeth to grow back in. 

-She participated in BizTown and gave a speech to the community as CFO of her company. 

More pictures of Lydia: 

I'll also add in a few trips that we've been on in the past 6 months:

Summer Range with the Walker Family

Nauvoo with the Peaden Family

Colorado (Nauvoo pt2) 


-Vernal with the Middleton Family (there were goats at the Airbnb we stayed at #corememory)



Lydia we love you and your thoughtful, creative, loving heart.