We celebrated Easter! The week leading up to Easter felt like a whirlwind but we finally managed to color Easter eggs on Saturday night. Emmie cried because she couldn’t get her eggs to look the way she wanted and I had flash backs to several years ago when we had a similar experience with Ainsley over Easter eggs. Except that time everyone got sent to heir rooms for a time out. We managed to get the eggs colored with no time-outs and we also were able to introduce the kids to a few favorite They Might Be Giants songs in the process. So, the night was pretty much a win! We had a nice day at church for Easter and then my parents came over for dinner. I attempted Chicken Cordon Bleu. I thought it was gross but everyone ate it. Maybe because they were afraid to tell me? I may never know! We had a fun Easter egg hunt with the kids that afternoon in the back yard and then we declared our celebrating over. It’s always nice to celebrate Easter with family.
(Please enjoy possibly the worst Easter pictures ever. About an hour after these pictures were taken the children were dressed in their Easter outfits looking all Easter-y and picture perfect. But we chose not to document that with the camera.)
Owen completed his second tennis season. His hard work and determination with tennis this year has been inspiring. He made the A team again this year and moved up to second doubles from doubles alternate. On top of his practice time at school he has spent hours at the tennis courts at the park to get in extra practice. He progressed a lot this year. I think with some lessons he could be great. He got some help from a friend of ours that helps coach the Meridian HS team and ev that gave him some good direction. He and his partner (Jake Coltrin) made it to districts. So they go to miss a day of school and play tennis all day! Lucky for me he played at Lowell Scott so I was able to pop out and watch games when things were a little slow in the library. They didn’t place but Owen wants to keep at it and play next year. Currently we’re looking into some lessons for him and I guess time will tell how far he decides to take it!
Owen was also inducted into the National Junior Honor Society. He's pretty much winning at life right now. Although he has me worried because his GPA is hovering right at a 3.5, which is the lowest allowed to remain in Honor Society. He doesn't seem to worried. So I'm hoping he has it all under control.
Ainsley’s big news for the month is that we purchased a “kid car available for her use”. She’s lucky that she is the only one even close to driving right now. We’re lucky that my mom wanted a new car so we could buy her old one! Ainsley will be going in to take her state driving and written state test in the next few weeks and then I won’t have to drive her everywhere anymore! Yay!
A few weeks ago I got to spend an evening with Emmie at a Mother daughter activity at church. It was a lot of fun. They had a game night set up and everyone would move to different tables throughout the night based on answers to questions and pick up in the middle of a game where someone else left off. Emmie and I had fun and I learned that Emmie doesn’t know my birthday. But she did know it was on a Sunday this year!
The kids and John had been looking forward to the final Avengers movie for months. I think John bought tickets As soon as they became available. Although we didn’t go on opening night because Emmie had an early soccer game Saturday morning. But we made it there on Saturday afternoon. It was long! But we were in a theater with reclining seats so we were comfortable. Emmie and I had to leave once to go to the bathroom. And I may have cried a little. I’m pretty sure I’ve never cried in a super hero movie before! Usually I just tag along because the rest of my family is obsessed!
We also celebrated Mother’s Day since the last time I wrote! I had a great mother’s day. I got to sleep in a bit because ward council was canceled. The elders quorum took over primary and the young men served all the women strawberry shortcake during second hour. It was so nice to relax and visit on a Sunday! I went home feeling rejuvenated instead of tired! We had a delicious dinner. The kids gave flowers and candy.Emmie wrote me a nice card. And John got me a manicure and pedicure (which I still need to schedule). We headed over to my moms for desert later than night and had a nice visit with them. It was a really nice day. I’ve been cranky about mother’s day in the past because I’ve felt like all the attention was superficial. Perhaps I’m finally getting older and wiser, but this year I decided just to enjoy the day and not over think it...and I’m glad I did.
Emmie’s soccer season has come to a close. Her team took first in their tournament again this year. They played well worked hard as a team. They are a great group of girls and soccer players! We’ve decided to let Emmie try out with the rest of her team for a slightly more competitive league. Her team will maintain 5 of the same players and then add a few new. I think in the end this will help her develop more as a player and help her along if soccer is something she wants to do long term. Which I hope she does, because she’s really good!
(Photo cred goes to Ainlsey!)
My cousin Carson (Kelly’s son) was getting married in St George the first weekend of May. My mom wanted to go but my dad not so much...so Ainsley and I decided to go with her. And I’m so glad we did! It was a great weekend catching up with family members I haven’t seen in years. IbwS always closest to my moms side of the family when I was growing up. Tifani and particularly. We went to EFY together, and even went to BYU together. We were never roommates but we took classes together and hung out regularly. So many of my favorite college memories include Tifani! And she was going to be at the wedding too! Which was just icing on the cake. We stayed with my Aunt Dode (melody) and I really enjoyed the time we had to visit with her. We drove up on a Thursday afternoon . Got to St George after midnight that night. Helped with wedding stuff for most of Friday. Did wedding stuff all day Saturday. And then drive home on Sunday. It was a whirlwind and we were tired but it was awesome. Almost all of Dave and Peggy’s kids were there. All of Kelly’s kids (except Cassidy who is on a mission), and a few of Dode’s kids. We worked hard and I laughed until I cried more than once. The reception was outside at a gorgeous resort and included a delicious crepe bar and a fireworks show. It is hands down the coolest reception I have ever been too, and I loved that Ainsley had so much fun with everyone. She wasn’t anxious at all and legitimately enjoyed herself and had fun meeting everyone. She felt right at home with these people that she hadn’t seen since she was 5. Families really are forever. There’s just something unique about family relationships, even when they are distant.
(No one is quite sure what I was doing in the above picture. Least of all me...)
And last but not least, random pictures from my phone....
The kids at a youth service project at the church orchards.
My mom found a box of my stuff when she was cleaning out her closet and I found these gems.
I still make those glasses look awesome!
An egg I distinctly remember struggling with in the 1st grade. I remember being so upset because no matter how hard I tried I could not get the edges to line up correctly.
Doodles from a folder from 7th grade.
The young men playing dart wars for mutual. I believe the scriptural reference that inspired the evening was, 1 Nephi 15:24 "And I said unto them that it was the word of God; and whoso would hearken unto the word of God, and would hold fast unto it, they would never perish; neither could the temptations and the fiery darts of the adversary overpower them unto blindness, to lead them away to destruction."
