Eddie's #14

Our very big boy is 14 today!  We love him so much.  

Work and seminary were still on the schedule, so we started early.

He didn't seem to mind.

Drippy dawg slayers.

It's that $2.57 ball that really got him excited; we use daily on the tramp.

New drone with camera capabilities.

Monopoly is forever.

He requested homemade mozerella sticks for lunch.  Miss Molly was very helpful.

Then he wanted some time swim time at the Rec Center.  We swam and played for a good long time.

Maisie convinced me to have fun and be fun.

  We were fun.

Home again for a lasagna dinner and individual apple pies.  Elder Nick Babcock called so Andy and Meg hopped on the call and sang to him.  The grandparents are always our special guests.Eddie's song

These are the reasons we love Ed:

Maddie: He comes to my room to motivated me to clean it.  He feels my shaved legs -- which is good training for when he has a fat wife.

Grandma: He's always willing to come to our house and do chores for us.

Grandpa: He knows when to have a lot of energy and when to be respectful; his future is bright.

Molly: He sets up hammocks.  He's good at sharing.  Eddie will do what he needs to to do to get everyone to participate.

Mom: He's my little doll-baby.

Austin: He's logical; he uses creative solutions to solve things. He's brave on the wrestling mat.  I enjoy lifting weights with him.

Maisie: He's a confident individual.  He can give and take a joke. 

Ryan: He's always willing to play Minecraft.

Eddie's favorite song is, "I Just Might" by Bruno Mars.  This is his second birthday with braces.  He's currently bulking.  He wrestled in the 73lb and 76lb weight classes this year.

Jesus Christ is the Greatest Focus of Our Lives (Renlund)

What a week of Easter celebrations!  Just as Elder Rasband testified, "He is Risen!"

We fiercely felt the love of Jesus Christ as we intentionally reverenced Palm Sunday.

Austin spoke in the combined meeting -- you could have heard a pin drop.  He was prompted to tell a simple story and read the Easter story.  Both of those messages we've all heard a million times.  It wasn't the repetition that moved us, it was the fact that we FELT his special message, which really means we felt HIM.  Several times Austin's voice cracked and he wept as he read the literal words that depict Christ's atoning sacrifice.  We all sat a little more reverently and left a little more complete because we also partook of the sacrament and received a remission of our sins.  What joy!

After church we reverently worshipped Jesus Christ by partaking of the Seder Dinner.  Our family Haggadah script was different without Nick this year, but we were so glad to have Maisie and the grandparents.

Together we recited scripture, sang and supped.  Learning about the Last Supper and the institution of the sacrament is always so sacred.

After our service was over, our house was a little more reverent and intentional.

We sang all the Easter songs in the Hymn book and Children's Songbook for family choir.  Molly made this as we sang.

I taught seminary all week.  One major win was our activity where we wrote lyrics of why we should watch General Conference to the tune of "Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star."  They loved it.  

Daddy-bear bought this little coed another college car (that's three).  This maiden invited us on her maiden voyage.  We went to Walmart and bought conference treats.

General Conference weekend is always the sweetest way to celebrate Easter at home as a family.  Listening to the prophet's voice fills our souls with sweet gladness.  

Quite a reverent year.  Meg called and her little family was going ham.  Ah!  The good ol' days. 

Saturday evening the children left to clean the office.  I filled and hid Easter eggs.  They loved it.

My little chicks.

Us.

Oh!  I tried my hand at crocheting a stick of butter; it was harder than expected.

Elder Babcock is so happy serving.  The members filled an Easter basket for him.  They love him.  He also served an elderly woman.  He told me that the vinegar keeping the mold on his clothes at bay.  We simply asked, "Mom, will you buy us pizza."  YES!  This was his first request in nine months.  He's my sweet baby.

Blip

This was one of those weeks that feels so busy and isn't.  We had incredibly fulfilling school days and equally happy evenings.  Our 90* weather allowed for several evenings of four-square and football.  Bliss.

Readers.

Maisie and I splurged and got pedis.  (Three days later both our polish is peeling.  What a waste.  But it wasn't.  We were together.  That was enough.)

Ryan joined our daily workouts.

Another three hours of Marshalls this week.  Grandma B. came with us this time, but she wandered off.  We really did have to find her.  

Saturday we deep cleaned the windows and screens.  Mostly the attitudes were cheery.

And then the week was over, like a blip in time that was nothing special but still victorious in the small gains.
 

Spring Break/Wedding

Austin and I were considering taking our children on a cruise, but then our niece announced her wedding for the Thursday of our spring break.  We immediately decided to stay home for the first half and dash to Utah for the second.

Those first few days of early bed time and long morning sleeps did not happen.  Alas!  Cleansing fires and household chores did.

We (Maisie, Molly and me) shopped for three hours in our new Marshall's.  We tried on all sorts of stuff and gathered even more.  Core memory.

Maisie convinced Maddie and Eddie to go to the Conan Gray concert with here.  They did.  So fun.

That same night Austin and I took Molly and Ryan to dinner with us.  "Order whatever you want," Austin prompted.  Ryan did -- so much so that Austin started erasing all of the "extras" he circled.  "That was fun," Ryan concluded at the end of our dinner and Walmart run together.  It was.

Spontaneous backyard games of football, four-square, spike-ball and tramp time.

Rappelling with the Bliss family.

These girls sang in church; I was the accompanist.  It was horrible.  We did such a bad job of it.  (Maddie laughed in the middle.) No need to remember, hope to always forget.  And still, it's included.

We went to Sedona and watched "Hoppers."  I should have napped, but the company was fun.

I think our city scape is so beautiful.

Our resident reader has taken up resisidence in a hammock.  "I've read eight books since coming home."  The others follow. 

Wednesday came and we journeyed to Utah in our reliable bus. (Which got a broken tire belt in Scipio, but Austin stopped and we came away with a slight 30 minute delay and no injury.  Bless him.  Bless Him.)

Standifirds hosted our family -- mother's house was already quite full.  Molly, Kate and Hazel had sleepovers every night.  (So did Lucas, Eddie, Ryan and Beckham -- I often found them gaming at 2am. .....). Ashley and Tyler fed us, included us in their workouts and shared their brand-new space.  We felt so loved.

Thursday was memorable, because the temple was filled with so many that I love.  Gabby and Asher's  wedding was a sacred space.  I looked around to see my Dad, but I couldn't find him.  Luckily, I could feel him there.

Ron and his son, Jace.

Tyler and Emily (not married)

Ashley and Aunt Carolyn

Mom, Melanie and Maren

My brood and Gandma Goodell (she's 96).

Besties.

Little brothers Jim and Mark with their wives Ale and Mandy.

This is Natalie and Mickey's family.  Look at her 10 children (Gabby still in the temple), daughter in law and grandson.  Glorious.

Mom and my sisters -- minus Natalie.

The happy couple.

Another very happy couple.

And yet another happy couple.

Post wedding and luncheon we spent lots of time at Mom's house with cousins and cookies.  

We then celebrated the newly-weds as an entire family in a cultural hall.  The groom's father was the DJ, and when Meg asked for a Killer's song and "Mr. Brightside" came on, my little family went HAM!  

The Good Doctor took us to In and Out for supper, and we ate readily.

Zane is the fellow we picked up along the way.  He's been in our home for years -- via a headset and Fortnite.  He's a boy from Nelson's neck of the woods, but we all know him because Andy has nurtured him all these years.  Becca just quietly watches Andy take care of so many friends.

Our annual Girls' Day had to happen because all the sisters were in town -- Emily, Natalie and I live out of state and Kimmie lives 1.5 hours away -- and because Grandma Goodell was there to celebrate with us.

Kimmie brought all sorts of games for us -- nose hair waxing, eye-brow dying and under eye bag sheets.  We had the most pleasant time together.

Mark's baby shower (well Mandy's) happened Saturday -- she was showered with so much love and clothing for her baby boy.

I loved spending that time with my babies.

Then it was all over.  But not before Austin and I found time to be in our temple together.  How wonderful that we were married there almost twenty-six years ago, and livng within our covenants we made there has proven to be the perfect framework for so much happiness and hope.

We learn about the creation in the temple.  I made the connection that everyday we have the opportunity to choose light or darkness and then we choose how to nurture those intentions.  Those promptings felt especially sweet.