"I'm Alive and Starving."

(Again.  The chronologically reversed upload.) 

 Obvously, it made so much sense to move these boys into their own beds, but they seemed older Sunday morning when they awakened, and I didn't like it.

As I went into their "new" room, I noticed that they slept in the same spots that they had for 7+ years.  Ryan slept by the wall, and Eddie slept next to the edge. 

Nick is now in the single full bed.  Don't worry, he took his old pillows.

Nick moved from the room with double full beds.

Saturday afternoon we switched the boys' bedrooms.  These boys wrestled and giggled between loads.

Austin took it all in.

We were there six hours for six minutes of mat time.  It felt a lot like a track meet.

He pinned his opponent.

Eddie pins a girl

Saturday morning Eddie had a wrestling tournament.  He did so well.

Ryan had another football game Saturday morning.  He is that little center bending over the hike the ball.  

A double bubble.

Maisie picks Eddie up from wrestling practice.  She snapped a pictures of him as the last man standing in their game.

Molly often asks me to play.  We do.

Wednesday night we indexed names on family search.

A valentines table.

We dropped dearest mother off, then headed home to crash and nap until all the practices started.

IHOP for breakfast to drown to mask our sorrow.

We met Andy's companion, Elder Parduhn at security. (It turns out that his dad was a year older than in me at LPHS.)  Off they go; Andy didn't even turn around and wave. 8 hours later I received an email, "I am alive and starving.  Miss u so much."  We found him on facebook, so we know that he's there.  We miss him here. I'm so glad they called him on a mission.

Fianl hugs.

Tuesday morning we got up bright and early to take this very tall and very wonderful to the airport.

Monday night FHE was merely playing charades and eating the best ice cream cake, ever. Thank you, Gandma B.

A final hug that was tearful and heartfelt.

I found the children gathered round watching old videos.

Evening fireside with the Mexico MTC president.

Games with Grandma Kim.

Sunday Andy spoke in church.  He bore his testimony in Spanish and spoke about his two weeks of MTC at home.  He testified with his entire soul, "Jesus Christ is our Savior and Redeemer!"  

The children prepared a special musical number.

"Send Me"

One Week More

 (Blast.  The pictures uploaded opposite choronologically.) I love finding selfies. 

Saturday evening we simply sat together in quiets twos and threes.  I love these tender moments.

Andy graduated from MUHS!  Meg planned and carried out the perfect ceremony/celebration.

Andy is our very own class of 2022 MUHS valedictorian, saludatorian, and athlete of the year.  What stellar kid!

Saturday afternoon Andy and I wrote our talks for Sunday; I drank up his presence.

Melijah are so kind and and good to all of us.  They play for hours with our littles.

We also had the stake talent show.  The children played their duets.

Saturday Ryan had an early morning soccer game.  Look at his supporters.  Luckily he pulled one flag.

Andy received his endowment today -- he is a convenant maker, and I am confident that he will be a covenant keeper -- throughout all eternity.  Afetr our time in the temple, we went to dinner to laugh and chortle together.  My heart is so full.  I feel the power of covenants, and I feel Jesus Christ personally in my life.

My dearest mother is the dearest in all the land.  I love her.

These men were annoyed that I wanted a picture of them -- which happened to face to sun.  I humored both parties by taking a picture of their backs.

Friday began the whirlwind weekend.  Mom and Melijah flew in for temple, graduation and farewell.

Last evening together.

My YW.

Wednesday is early-out day at the high school.  I found al these readers snuggled tobether.

MTC vibes (Nick did not make his bed; Andy assured me that it was not visible on the ZOOM calls.)

Besties.

Monday's scholars.

Our resident elder.  I wish I would have taken a subtle picture of my family worshipping on our pew today.  We will miss him with us.

Sunday morning tips.

January Jinxes

Since we're still under major quarantine, we stayed home and watched church via ZOOM.  Molly did not forget to bring her bag of tricks.  Luckily, she's never brought that whistle into the chapel.

Nick's gum kept him busy.

A new game of "Wolf" filled the afternoon:  Everyone hides under the parachute, the wolf comes and tries to pull out a limb and bite it.  If you get bitten, you are the next rabid wolf.  Andy ran around the yard with Molly in his arms.

Soaking in the second to last sabbath evening with Andy.

Monday morning at 5:30 am the MTC was open!  Elder Babcock spends 12+ hours learning everyday.  His Spanish is coming along nicely.  Here is a lovely conversation.

Elder Babcock: "My chair smells wierd, because I sit on it several hours each day."

Me: "Why is your face near your chair seat?  Why did you sniff it?"

Elder Babcock: "I was on my knees praying,"

Me: "That makes total sense.  You keep praying everyday, even if your chair smells wierd."

Every evening, the teens meet in the basement bedroom to vibe.  Maisie smarted off to Andy about the way he relaxes all over her bed.  He responded, "That's how you treat a servant of the Lord?"  I was so glad I overheard that.  I bellied laughed for days.

Just a bit of casual stretching.

Austin is still home!  We paused to read in the sunshine and color.

Eddie and Ryan send horrible pictures to Maisie and Nick.  Those big kids love it.

Maddie bakes us cookies every other day.  I recently read this quote that sums up her glorious habit:"The delicious alchemy of butter and sugar was too much for them not to tuck in."  Gluttonously I do tuck -- I tuck in and eat the cookies, then I untuck my shirt from my fat pants.

Soap carving was part of the art cirriculum.  Molly wants to mail hers to Lu.

Elder Babcock gets a break around lunch.  I often find him hugging and kissing Molly, throwing Ryan around, chasing Eddie and playing loads of card games.

No devices. means extra-creative play.

She's getting pretty good a dressing her animals.  I still wish I dressed a baby every morning.

Three of my six burners did not light upon demand.  I took a YouTube tutorial, picked up supplies at Ace, then scrubbed this puppy for two hours.  All the burners ignite and burn blue flames.  Voila!  I felt so handy.

The workout crew.

The good doctor helped me add come new prints to the YW room.  

My angsty teen.

It's a New Dawn, It's a New Day, It's a New Year, and I'm Feeling Good

(Thank you, Michael Buble, for allowing that song to echo in the deep canyons of my head.)  

This week should have been the worst, but it wasn't.  I tested positive for COVID, so as Maisie happily declared, "Yes! We all get another week of break."  And so we did.  I spent the week in bed watching movies and sleeping every time my eyes closed for more than one second.  Austin made all the meals -- seven consecutive nights of soup -- and cleaned up the yard among other things.  Andy slept in, worked late and gamed even later.  Maisie started out strong, but ended the week in the same condition in which I started.  Nick got behind in school, and then worked hard to make it all up.  Maddie's remote learning was not hindered, so she completed all her goals and even exceeded some.  Eddie, Ryan and Molly were not shocked that we still continued our little school. though we worked in my bed for a few days.

My family dynamic is changing forever, once again.  Here are my dependents watching a "Phineas and Ferb." Ryan is always touching Andy, "Smegel" and "Master" as they like to refer to each other.

Austin read to the children every night, so I could go to bed early and uneventfully.

Ryan lost his second central.  His little mouth will look so grown-up in a few weeks.  I always hate to see those two little front teeth go.

Dinner dishes are always a thing.  The rinser chooses the music, and hosts of helpers barely work.  Usually, I have to make up for their less-than-awesome-job the next morning.

Sunday games are still a thing.  I smoked Austin -- I lapped him.  Then, he smoked me in SkyJo.

Molly couldn't keep her hands off Ryan -- a taste of his own loving was just the ticket.  It didn't teach him a lesson, instead, he was gentle and kind and liked the physical touch.

My coloring friends.

Together and happy.

I learned some new truths as I studied CFM this week.  I strive to be among the "very obedient" of God's children.  Mostly that means that I love, even when I don't feel good and mostly when others don't feel good -- like when they're off because of their own choice, the choices of others, and the mere fact that tired is something we all have to work off.