Birthday

Today I celebrated the 30th anniversary of becoming a teenager. Then I was very excited to be 13, I went to Park View Jr High, my BFF was Lana, I loved horses and reading and walking to Winschells for donuts. I loved to watch the Dukes of Hazard and CHiPs and when I could the Love Boat, although I wasn't supposed to. Valerie Dopp was my Beehive leader and the only things I could cook were chocolate chip cookies and instant pudding.

Now I am just happy to be on this side of the dirt:) I cook a lot of things, still love to read and I am the YW leader instead of the YW. I still like chocolate chip cookies....but I have vowed that this really is going to be the year I get that under control.

So we had a fun day. First we went to the movies and saw Rio in 3D. It was cute and snappy. Then we went to Okada. Everyone but Lu enjoyed it. She was scared of the flames, hated the food and was mad that a shrimp touched her plate. She did eat my complimentary birthday dessert. In the evening we went to the Martines' for a fun BBQ. Chelsea made a cake and we had a campfire after dinner. We ended with FHE.

a sunday in the spring

Sweet Sabbath day of rest. We had a great Sunday. Sacrament meeting was about families and I loved the talks. My favorite was when Sarah and Stephen Henderson, who got married last week, got up and bore testimony about their gratitude for their eternal marriage and their families. It was so sweet.

When we came home we had lunch and then the girls and I went in the basement and made some fun summer skirts and the boys went on a bike ride and played at the park.

When they got home the girls joined them for some more park fun this time across the street at the neighborhood playground and I took a nap:)

After a nice nap I watched Tangled with Sierra, we had some yummy corn bread and chili for dinner. Lastly we built a fire and roasted some marshmallows with the neighbor kids.

rainy day

Lax was cancelled due to rain, this little girl was very upset. We decided to go get donuts for breakfast to cheer her up. Fortune smiled on us, McKays had a special visitor....

EB! We took a picture, dyed an egg and came home with a new pencil, a balloon and a happy girl.

Our rainy day plans are a cleaning party, then tonight we are going to a wedding.

spring break kick off

Tonight was our first official moments of spring break fun! We had a neighborhood flashlight Easter egg hunt!

Many many neighbors gathered at the playground and the kids ran around hunting eggs, and each other. The parents stood around watching, chatting, drinking. It was a merry time for all.

Lu checking out her haul :)

Looking forward to 10 days of family fun!

Eggs

This girl could not wait one more day. She has been begging to dye eggs for weeks. Usually I like to do it a day or two before Easter but then it is sometimes rushed or otherwise not fully appriciated. So I decided that it didn't really have to be done then and so tonight was the night and she is thrilled. I doubt they will last until Easter but we can just eat the chocolate variety then:) Never put the fun off for a better time.

how long will it be before we own a watercraft?

jenna, ashleigh, katie and susanna. Sweet Laurels!

osprey mating season, there are tons of them out and about.

Capt J

where are my sunglasses?

the sail...duh

gorgeous sunset

Tuesday I had sick kids, really we are not yet 100%, but we are getting better. Lu had a fever starting on Monday. H has been feeling poorly for two weeks. She stayed home one day last week and then again on Tuesday. Thank goodness for big girls. S doesn't have classes and didnt have to go to work until later so she stayed home with the girls. J has early release so she covered the afternoon. There was a 45 min gap but we thought H could handle it and she did.

Last night the Laurels went sailing. The weather was a little iffy all week and I was worried but we went and it was perfect. Beautiful and not cold. The girls had a really good time and so did I. I will post pictures as soon as one of our laptops works. My baby sophie is having a break down, it is sooo slow, like back to the days of give a command and come back in 10 to see if it's done, and it locks up still. R's wouldn't talk to the camera, don't know why. Hopefully tonight we (read:Big) will figure something out....or finish our taxes seeing that tomorrow is the deadline.

One more day until spring break!! one more lunch duty, one more night of homework, one more!

mormons and muslims

Sunday was the nicest day. The weather was mild and sunny. We went for a family bike ride, Lu is doing really well. We had some really good talks in Sacrament Meeting and Steven B. sang my favorite hymn and did a great job. In the evening we had some friends over for dinner. While subbing I met Suhani, who it turns out has a husband that works with Big. We worked together several times and got along well. A few weeks ago R mentioned to me that he wanted to invite Brian and Suhani over for dinner, I was agreeable and looked forward to it especially since I knew her and thought it might not be all airplanes all night :) All the times we had lunch together I never saw her eat meat so I asked Big to ask Brian if she was a vegetarian, she is not but doesn't eat pork (she's Muslim). I made chicken. No problem :) About an hour before they arrived they called to say they would be bringing a tieramasu. Except we don't drink coffee. Turns out when Mormons and Muslims dine together the menu gets kind of limited :) They brought a fruit bowl instead. We had a fun time, the kids really enjoyed them and we ate and played games and agreed to get together again soon. It's sort of an unlikely friendship, a 20 something Bangladeshi engineer turned substitute teacher and a 40 + mom of 6 but we get a long well. This morning I woke up in a good mood, the weather was supposed to be 80 degrees and I was looking forward to it! It was warm today!! Yeah, spring~ welcome!! J had a date tonight with Brian. He was very nice, for the minute I met him. They are going to dinner and bowling. Lu's class eggs hatched and she got to hold a chickie. E scored the first goal at the practice scrimmage. H and G are feeling poorly, I hope they are well tomorrow. Really hope. recently blogger has not let me format the text the way I want. It's really annoying

galaxy

Some time ago the boy came home from school and told me that Webb and Grant went to watch a soccer game. He was amazed, it had never occurred to him that people went to pro games I guess. He asked if maybe we could go to one some time. I told him maybe.

After thinking about it for a while I talked with Big and we decided to take him. It would be a fun outing. I checked the schedule and his favorite team, the LA Galaxy was coming to DC to play. We got 3 tickets and looked forward to going. The only bummer was it was the same night as the cub scout campfire :( We wanted to go to that too but chose soccer for the evening. I think it's safe to say we had a good time. As many forays out to worldly events are it was fraught with excitement, high energy and loud laughter. The parking lot was full of tail gaters enjoying pre game festivities and the stadium was full of anxious fan. We took our seats and watched people and players. The whole event was loud and exciting. We were rooting for LA and they scored early in the game and held off "the dark side" until the last 5 minutes of the game when literally a moment before the clock ran out there was a foul and a free kick that tied up the game. In the 5 minutes they played after the clock both teams powerhoused for a winning goal but the game ended in a tie. I was struck by several things. First of all , those men are not very good sports. There were many fouls, pushes, kicks and dirty playing. If the boys played like that they would be red carded in a second. I was very disappointed to take my boy to see some of his heros and have them behave so poorly. We haven't evolved much from the days of gladiator fights in the arenas of ancient Rome. Also the crowds were obnoxious and many of them were drunk and unruly. It made me a little sad. I know men have a fight reflex or something but it was lacking in dignity and friendly competition and from the spectators? come on, you aren't even the one out there kicking the ball! The athletes were amazing players and it was exciting but for me I left dissappointed in the experience.

chores

Between sporting events we did chores. Lucy helped dad outside. She loves to plant stuff :) We are trying some new veggies in our garden this year and are hoping for great success.

The boy helped me with inside chores. Not his favorite. I really want him to grow up to be a man who knows his way with a broom and some ajax. I find this a very desirable and attractive quality.

Jen and Han did our grocery shopping. It is such a treat to have daughters old enough to drive, responsible enough to take my debit card and willing to do the job. It is very interesting to me though that while the children have all grocery shopped with me since they were days old and I have modeled shopping skills to them all that time they still don't know how to do it. I thought they were learning a lot about shopping, yet each girl when sent to the store has struggled. I get multiple phone calls asking stuff like "where do they keep the chicken? What kind of milk? I don't think this Wal mart has sugar??" They often bring home odd sizes of stuff, brands we don't normally buy and missing items. Which is fine. Teach and reteach. I am just still surprised. It makes we wonder what else I have modeled for them, that I thought they learned, that they really have not...and conversely what have I taught that I didn't mean to.

Lax practice

soccer

This is Han's first time to try soccer. She is enjoying it and it's fun to get out and watch her. We had a game last night that they won. E was a great cheerleader for her, which was a fun switch. After we went to the STEM open house, he was not impressed. When we got home we discovered he had a temp of 103, which probably had a lot to do with it. We called Pete, our home teacher, and he came right over to help give him a blessing. It is such a wonderful thing to have the blessings of the Priesthood in our lives.

This morning I took him to the doctor, got the Z pack, then J took him home to eat Popsicles and watch Star Wars while I went to work.

Now she is at work and I am home. I sure will miss her when she is gone.

Speaking of we got her dorm room yesterday (Helaman Halls) and her class schedule earlier this week. So exciting!!

In other exciting news I think S is also going to move to Utah this summer. Our house will sure be different with just the three little kids here and all my girls across the world in the Beehive State.

home for 3 days

This is day 3 home with sick kids. I hope they will all go back tomorrow. I have a feeling that a good employee shows up, from time to time at least. Being a mom is most important, I'd like to be able to do both, for now. Anyway, since being home what have I accomplished?

• all three floors are vacuumed


• all the laundry is done


• the kitchen is clean


• groceries have been bought


• books have been read, to the children and by me


• 2 hours were spent on BYU's website getting class schedules figured out


• lessons have been attended


• a need to mail item was mailed


• blogs have been read


• cookies baked


• basketball watched


• dog walked


• kindergarten classroom visited


• dinners cooked


• ...that's it.

Piano lessons

Bub is still sick so I was home again. I got some cleaning done and read a book and made some dinner. H had piano lessons today and I thought she looked so grown up. She is doing really well and playing nicely. when J got home from school I left E with her and ran to Lu's class. On Friday they are having student lead conferences and assuming I still have a job I won't be able to go so I went to have snack with her, to see the eggs, and to talk to her teacher.

Four Generations

All the little families

All the cute little families, love them babies!!!

My family

home

My alarm went off this morning and I greeted it with a huge groan. We went to bed around 2 and had to get up at 6 :( I got H up and hugged her and had a short visit in the dark while she was getting ready for school. We had bought her a new CTR ring and she was very excited about it. Then Lu and I got going on getting ready. She told me about her week and her dream last night, finally I went to get E who was warm to the touch. When I tried to urge him to the shower he said he felt sick so I took his temp and he had a fever. No work for me (I know, I really am an exemplary employee). So I got Lucy ready and walked her to the bus stop then came back and hopped into bed with my boy and went back to sleep. (insert sigh of contentment). Eventually he wanted breakfast so we went downstairs and I made some waffles, let our old dog out to lay in the sun and started the day. Now E is laying on the couch watching college basketball and I have a moment before the next load needs to be switched. I had a few things I wanted to say. a) I find it weird that he chooses to randomly watch sports on TV, although I get that it's a boy thing and I find it cute. When the girls are home sick they watch movies, or Dora depending on their ages. b) I love being home. A house needs a homemaker, it feels different; at least it does to me, maybe it doesn't to my family. I like to be here to dust things and wash things and shop and do my visiting teaching and read some blogs and bake some stuff and make some beds. Who lets the dog out when I am not here and the warm sun is beckoning? I miss a lot of important stuff by working. c) I like making a litte money. I don't think I will have this job next year, maybe...but I don't think it will be offered to me. I have enjoyed the little bit extra $$ so I can risk my life flying to Utah, so we can go to Hershey park at the end of the month, so I can get J set up for college a little easier. And really all my money hasn't gone to extras, I also spent a whole pay check paying the winter propane bill and as a result we didn't have to dip into savings to do it which made Big and I both glad. d) I wish I lived near my family. Being with them this past week was such a delight. There is something so comfortable and secure about being with people who love you and who have known you your whole life. There is a peace and sense of well being. I love watching my sisters laugh with each other, tease each others husbands, scoop up each others babies. I loved being with my parents and talking with them. I loved seeing my husband and my dad leave for priesthood session together and then having all the girls go out to Blue Lemon for some def girlie food :), Jose was a good good sport and came with us and he was so funny and cute. I am glad I got to meet him. I love sitting at my dad's hand and hearing his counsel and feeling his love. What a blessed week it was. e)I need to figure out why the older I get the more I hate to fly. It's ridiculous. I know in my head that it's safe, but it sure doesn't feel that way. Last night's flight was froth with unpleasantness but even calm flights unnerve me. It's not that I am afraid to die. I am looking forward to it, not in an I hope it's soon way, I hope it's much later after my kids are grown, my grand kids are sealed to wonderful spouses and Big and I have served 3-4 missions. But I am not afraid. In our ward we have had three deaths in the recent weeks and in each case I felt happy for the departed. Zane Mason was a handsome, spiritual giant of a man who lived an exemplary life. I am sure he is happily at work on the other side. (side note:I ran into Sister Mason at Michael's wedding, she looked great and I shared a hug and hello with her). Vicky Brown likewise was a darling lady, faithful and true. She was trapped in a disabled body for 2 decades and I am sure she is running and jumping and thrilled with her new found freedom. This morning Sandra Rose passed. She has been dieing slowly as long as I have know her, yet despite her frail body she was always cheerful and her testimony shown brightly in her eyes. I am happy to have know her, and happy she is out of pain and at peace. There is sadness of course for those left behind. Particularly in Sandy's case. I feel sad for her mom, a daughter should not die before her mother; and for her husband who will struggle. There is sadness in death, but not for the dead. So if it's not that then what?? f) I loved conference. It was so wonderful. A couple of themes I noticed, welfare. I need to do more to help others. And testimonies are built in small simple steps, daily acts of obedience, one tiny fleck at a time and as we search for the big things we may over look the testimony we already have. Don't look for nuggets, look for flecks and grow it little by little. Not that nuggets don't come, they certainly do miracles are alive and well and plentiful. We just can't base our testimonies on them.

Landed

This was the good part of our flight. That and the fact that we did land alive.

The bad part was the 40 min we sat de-iceing, the terrible turbulence, the throwing up, crying and lightning storm.

Watching conference