Derek requested a picture of his baptism. Thinking I might find one here, I looked at this blog for the first time in several years. Now I'm trying to find the funny things I've shared on the family chat, now lost to time, since I should have put them here. It would be magical if I could get AI to find them for me.

"Who's Anne Frank? Is that the girl from Legally Blonde?" -Peter (2/23/26) 

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Sister McCord: What are some reasons for taking pictures.

Norah: establishing alibies

She didn't even hesitate. (3/27/26)

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Eliza

: I need to be studying more science. I need to find something I'm interested in because then I learn about it. Me: Yeah, like how when you were really little and you read that entire middle school astronomy textbook or the time you created your own botany catalog.

Eliza

: Or how I learned all about how x-rays work when I wanted to know how to sneak things into airports. (7/28/25)

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Eliza

: "Hey, Mom! I have a question that I've wondered about since I was little. When you're dating, when do you tell the person you're a spy? Because it would be wrong to tell them after you're married, but you can't really just tell someone before they're married to you.... ...the same thing also applies to serial killers, I guess...." (7/3/25)

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Peter: 

Do you think I'll die sooner because I ate laundry detergent as a baby?

Me: I think your life expectancy has more to do with eating well, exercising, and getting enough sleep.

Peter

: That's not what I asked. (10/18/20)

***

Why Meg is still single:

9/19/19

Meg is in grad school at BYU. She seems to be doing really well and I'm so excited she is walking around the same school I did over twenty years ago.

Emma has finished recording and editing her Medievalcal. Soon she will be shooting for it. She is also volunteering at the Bishop's Storehouse, where Grandma and Grandpa Lewis are managers, and preparing for her mission by continuing her morning study. She has watched all of The District, studies from Preach My Gospel, and is over half way through the Book of Mormon in French.

Merian is taking K12 French and Literature from WAVA and driver's ed with Kenna. When she is driving and passes a car coming from the other direction she waves enthusiastically at them. She always gets a friendly wave back, even from two big guys in a huge truck. Merian also is in Treble Forte and auditioned and was selected to be in an ensemble.

I'd be willing to bet Derek is the only 13 year old on the planet that daily checks his favorite blog, The Happy Chicken Coup. I'm looking forward to watching him take care of chickens next year. He is also in zero hour Jazz Band, Band, and participating in X-Country. He is a responsible guy and a hard worker. One of my favorite parts of my day is doing algebra with him.

Eliza is loving orchestra and of course she is just as awesome as ever. Both her and Norah are in Bravo.

Peter is such a funny guy. He keeps us on our toes.

We are all getting excited about moving into our house soon and going to Disneyland in October. It will be so nice to have a family vacation after the stress of building a house the last few years.

This morning during history Peter got excited when he heard the word "Italian" since Mario is Italian. He even wrote an "M" over Italy on his map. Then he asked me if Mario was real. I want to be honest with my children but I hate crushing their enthusiasm so I said, "as real as Mickey Mouse." He took  as a "yes"....

I'm glad the kids love doing history. Eliza has been begging for us to begin.

Peter, while visiting Terracotta Warriors. "Is this creepy China?"

Norah last night, "Can we have the cousins over for for Fourth of July? That day is very special to me because it was the day I became psychic." I did not see that coming.

Yesterday we finally had a warm sunny day so Peter and I were outside. He wanted to show me how he had moved the little bench to be inside the play set house and sat me down on it. He sat down next to me and put his arm around my waist. Then he said, "Wait right here, I'll be right back." and went into the house periodically glancing backwards to make sure I wasn't going to leave. He came back with two water bottles and two goldfish cracker pouches so we sat on that bench and had a little picnic.

"So, how are you feeling?" he sweetly asked. I loved that he was starting a conversation and asking about me.

Later I asked him what he wanted to be when he grew up and he said, "umm....fourteen?"

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We can't get peter to stop writing on walls. Mostly he draws Mario and Luigi and other things from that game but lately he has been drawing "wall DS's." He's also sounding out words so it's hard to be completely upset.

Peter: Derek, give me the remote! You are a man of duty!

I think he means, "relieved of duty."

Derek: I don't know why, but when I grow up I just want to own a country.

(First of all, who says that? Only children of Dominte.)

Me: Just a country?
Derek:
Yah, Megan gets to rule the world.

(That's some sibling respect for ya.)