Easter 2022

Nathan had to get a suit to take a photo to send in with his mission application.  It was good timing for Easter and Prom as well.  Easter baskets were color-themed this year, with snacks, candy, journals, shirts, sleeping mats, and such of the same color in their baskets.  We had cinnamon rolls, bacon, and our colored eggs for breakfast.  After church, we took some family photos and then had friends over to celebrate Easter dinner with us.  Their tradition is to make and decorate a bunny cake, so they brought that over for the kids to decorate.  I tried folding bunny napkins this year to add to the festivity.

Growing up...

 I was getting a kick out of watching Nathan and Jared learn how to shave.  They didn't appreciate me snapping pictures, but I had to document this big moment!  Neither one of them has much need to shave yet, but they were getting some random long hairs on their chin that did require some attention.  

Speaking of little things...

Weston taught the lesson in his church class in April on "small and simple things".  I hear he did a good job!  I'm glad they're getting opportunities to teach.  

 

Little things and big things

Some not so pretty things... 

Some pretty things...

I recently got into a discussion with the kids about the "little things" and the "big things" in life.  I had just been criticized for focusing too much on "things that didn't really matter", which I'll admit that sometimes may be the case.  But what I told them was, "I take care of the little things so that you can focus on the big things."  That's what moms (or dads) do.  I do the little things that no one notices - laundry, cooking, cleaning, grocery shopping, yard work, record keeping, memory books, doctors appointments, chauffeur to sports and activities, and many other "little things."  Things are just there when they need them, food is on the table, they get to all their activities, and memories are preserved in books and on-line to enjoy in the future.      

One of the things I had to do recently, which I wasn't happy about, was clean out the lint in the dryer...the lint trap had become so full that you couldn't push the lint screen down all the way.  Clothes were getting caught and twisted on the edge of the trap sticking up.  I knew it needed to be cleaned out.  My mistake was trying to use a fork to scoop out some of the lint, and I ended up dropping the fork down in the trap... I couldn't fit my hand down there to get it back out, so I wondered how I was going to deal with my new problem.  I eventually came up with an idea to try to get it by using a magnet.  I taped a magnet on the end of a long thin cake spreader and was finally able to get the fork out of there.  I was frustrated that I'd wasted so much time on that little thing, but it was necessary for the dryer to function properly without snagging the clothes.  

Later in the month, I snapped some pictures of the pretty flowers that were growing in my flower bed.  I'd planted flowers last year and they bloomed full and pretty for a while.  It was looking pretty dead after a while, but some new pretty flowers bloomed again this spring.  I was glad that God had taken care of the little things in this instance, so that I could focus on other things and also have some pretty things to enjoy in our yard. 

Speaking of little things and big things, I like this quote by John Wooden:  "It's the little details that are vital.  Little things make big things happen."  I also like this one:  "With God, no problem is too big and no detail is too small."  God cares about all things, and even when no one notices the little things you do, He does.  He knows and loves you and is there with you through it all.    

 

Track 2022

Jared participated in track again during the spring for his sophomore year.  He ran the Junior Varsity 1600m (mile) and the JV 300 hurdles.  His personal record for the mile is 5:14.67.  I'm not sure what his PR is for the hurdles, but he runs it in about 48 seconds.  He got a 1st place medal for the mile in one of the meets and also got 3rd place for the hurdles in another meet.  When he got 1st in the mile, he was in heat 3 of 11.  Each heat had about 10 guys and the heats got a little bit faster on the times (by maybe 5-10 seconds).  He did beat all the times in the first 3 heats and a good enough time to beat a few times in the 4th heat.  The times for the last heats were super fast, with times of sub-4:30 miles - these guys are fast!  Jared smoked his heat though, so that put him in a different time heat for the following meets.  He didn't medal again in the mile, but that 1st place finish felt good.  

For the team awards, Jared got the "Most Likely to Do the Right Thing" award.  The funny thing is that before the coach even announced the names for that award, you could hear people say "Jared".  Everyone knew who that award belonged to before she even said it!  Way to be Jared!   

 

Spring Break 2022

We spent Spring Break week in Arizona with our friends and our friend's parents (who live in Phoenix).  We shared a house in Flagstaff, which was our base to see the Grand Canyon and surrounding area.  The house was fun in itself.  The boys shared a bunk room, and Savannah and Becca (the only other young girl) shared a room.  We played an arcade basketball game, ping pong, games, a puzzle, launching little balls from the top of the stairs, hide and seek in the dark, kickball, movies, devotionals, and lots of good food.  Alex, Jared, and I went running a few of the mornings - a couple times just around the neighborhood and then a couple trail runs.  Alex and I did a trail run one morning and then Alex and Jared did a little bit longer one the last morning.  Nathan organized an arcade basketball tournament, with a bracket.  He ended up being in the final round with Donald, the other dad.  It was pretty close for a while, before Nathan ended up winning it.  It was great fun to cheer them on.  For our hide and seek in the dark, Jared found the most creative spot to hide.  He climbed up on the mantel and hid behind a couple pictures.  No one could find him!  

We went to Montezuma's Castle and Well the first day.  The next day we went to the Grand Canyon.  Julie and some of the kids had fun taking pictures that looked like they were hanging off the edge (they were just standing on solid ground where there was a rock wall).  

Another day we went to Sedona and did a hike to Devil's Bridge.  We were brave enough to walk out there and take a picture.  The photos are a little deceptive - what looks like greenery underneath the rocks is really just wide open space below.  We had to wait in line for 45-50 minutes to take our turn for a photo.  Only one person or group could go out there at a time.  It was nerve-wracking watching others walk out on the rock bridge.  One lady stepped down one level and sat down where she was dangling her feet over the edge.  When we actually got up the courage to walk out there, it was much wider up close than seeing it from a distance.  It was a good test of courage and facing our fears though.  

On the 4th day, we went to Sunset Crater, which we had been to in August of 2012 with the kids (before Savannah was born).  Weston had fallen on the volcanic rock and got a pretty good cut on his head.  No one fell down this time, but we re-created a couple of the pictures from 2012.   

We headed back through Phoenix so we could go to the Phoenix Temple.  We hadn't been to a new temple since March of 2019, so it was nice to add a new temple to our list.  I think this is our 47th temple visited together.  We did a little bit of temple work while the kids were waiting outside and then continued on, picking up Kai at a Petsmart along the way.  We had a fun week!  

Nathan actually had 2 good friends (Shawn and Devan) to hang out with for the week.  We went with another family, but one of his other friends came along with them. 

St. Patrick's Day 2022

 I like to do Lucky Charms and green milk for breakfast and a green meal for dinner on St. Patrick's Day.  We had green rolls, wild rice soup, green bean casserole, key lime pie, and sugar cookies, along with 7-Up - maybe a weird combination, but pretty yummy!