THE MONTH OF APRIL...
April Fools
Want some April Fools Donuts?
Yummy veggies!
How about some horseradish with those donuts??
Mmmmmmm YUM!
😂😂😂
Crepes, donuts, and pudding for dinner!
Antelope Island
We really loved spending a few hours on Antelope Island!
It's amazing how close it is, and it feels so far away when you are there!
Marshal really loved seeing his first coyote!
Such a beautiful area with fantastic wildlife!
It was so exciting seeing the coyote (we think) chase the bison!
Who's Who at the Mall
The kids were given the task of "hiding" in plain sight at the mall.
Cort's disguise was a blind man. We all enjoyed playing with his costume ideas.
Very proud of him!
Easter
Easter this year brought new decor, flowers from Kent, and finally getting to hold my nephew's daughter! It was a good activity during a challenging time for our family.
Kent keeps teasing me that he might have to fire me from hiding the Easter eggs. It turns out I am really good at forgetting where I hide eggs...including the "golden eggs." I even hid half the "BIG" golden egg in the new basket I bought to make the eggs look fuller. Oops!
Matilda
*
Cort played Nigel in the Musical Matilda. It was so fun to see him shine on stage! You could tell he loved all the friends he made from the cast! Students in the photos who are not shown are Rachel, Brynlee, Cadence, Victoria, Morgan (?), Megan, Cannon, Abella, ?, ?, ?, Riley, and Drako.
*If you have noticed all the stickers on my Blog posts, it's because I am not allowed to post students from the School District without parental permission. To avoid any conflicts, I just put stickers on students who are not my own kids!
Science Project
Marshal and Amelia combined efforts for their Science Fair Project and asked what happens to different liquids when you put dry ice in them. This is what happened to the oil.
All the liquids together
The kids really enjoyed this!
The hot cocoa video was surprisingly very active! It was cool!
Snow Concert
Unfortunately, the recording quality is not great, but this choir did such a great job that I will listen to this over and over, even with the poor sound quality. So beautiful!
Ginger Funeral
I'm not even sure what to say. It's been hard to watch my husband lose a sister. It's been hard to watch Shawn lose his wife, and the kids lose their mom. I will say that one of my greatest joys was watching the joy on Ginger's face when she watched Brayden and Brooke dance at their wedding only a few months earlier. I pray that through her passing, this family can find a path to healing!
Aaron Homecoming
What a joyous day to welcome home my nephew, Aaron, from his mission!
Being a part of moments like this brings me so much joy! 💖
Life in April
Instead of colloidal silver (read some things that made me nervous), I am using distilled water and a Norwex body cloth (lined with silver). It might be working better, but it's not a significant improvement.
I really love the Cairnes of Southern Utah, and it was fun to see these... This kid loved his Christmas hammock and this crank-operated radio. lol... It's nice to be appreciated by others at work... We were trying to learn Pickleball... We bought two peach trees! Hooray!... Cort decided he wanted to try nachos like the school makes... crazy hair... Thumbs up... Marshal sharing his profile... The joys of being over 40 are plucking your chin hairs and discovering they are WHITE!
BeReal
Beautiful World
"Will we follow Jesus Christ without reservation? That implies following Him without hesitation, without restraint, without taking occasional detours, without holding back. It means putting Him first, looking to Him first. The only way to fight the fire that destroys is with the fire that sanctifies."
-Sheri L. Dew, God Wants a Powerful People
"Bruce R. McConkie when he taught that, while Jehovah created the earth and all forms of plant and animal life thereon, "when it came to placing man on earth, there was a change in Creators. That is, the Father himself became personally involved. All things were created by the Son, using the power delegated by the Father, except man. In the spirit and again in the flesh, man was created by the Father. There was no delegation of authority where the crowing creature of creation was concerned.""
-Sheri L. Dew, God Wants a Powerful People
THE MONTH OF MAY...
Planting From Seeds
Marshal came home from school with a plant in a 2-liter bottle, and it inspired this! I'm so excited to save some money on plants and try to grow some plants from seeds! So far, we are off to a good start!
The Tulip Festival
End of Year Band Concert
I loved some of these photos from the slideshow.
Despite the poor quality of the photos, the creativity is so fun!
We are sad to see Mrs. Erikson go,
and so thankful for her great influence on these kids!
Onward by Gary P. Gilroy
Rhythm Machine by Timothy Broege
Memorial Day
It's not fun adding to our Memorial Day stops, but it is healing to remember those we love! This year, we also lost Kent's cousin Kay to cancer. He was a kind soul and always a pleasure to be around! Also, you're either crazy or REALLY into Family History when you take photos of graves so you can go home and see how you are related. he he he
Tyson's Farewell
We are sure going to miss this fantastic friend...
...we are also proud of him for making the choice to serve the Lord!
Life in May
Beautiful flowers to fill the vase from my family...Time at the temple...Marshal was enjoying playing Flag Football... Grandpa and Grandma Robison meet their Grandson Kade and Hana's baby boy... Gardening is definitely a thumbs up for me! I love it!
I was at the mall when this fun concert was going on!
Marshal finished up soccer... Great quote by Elder Jeffrey R. Holland... Me winning at Splendor... Exercise is good for the body, mind, and soul... Cute quail on a fence... The big boys were hanging out and listening to the crank radio.
BeReal
Beautiful World
"And have we now forgotten that powerful friend? Or do we imagine we no longer need his assistance? I have lived, Sir, a long time, and the longer I live, the more convincing proofs I see of this truth-that God governs in the affairs of men."
-Ben Franklin Found in The Washington Hypothesis
"God had made it happen, and He will intervene again and again on behalf of the nation, if only we will ask----if only we will open the door upon which the Lord is knocking."
-Dallin H. Oaks, Found in The Washington Hypothesis
"If we apply the same covenant theology today, which it is our right to do, then no obstacle, no matter how dark, scary, or difficult, can get in our way. The purposes of the Almighty can then move forward in ways we have not yet seen. Conversely, should we choose to continue putting our faith in the arm of the flesh, we will have no guarantee."
-Tim Ballard, The Washington Hypothesis
THE MONTH OF JUNE...
End of School
Cort's math and fidgeting abilities combined made this ball of pencils. It's always amazing how much the kids grow from the beginning of school to the end... Field day is THE BEST!... The last day of school came earlier than I thought. We barely kept working into May this year... This is a cute class!... Marshal LOVED Ms. Dewyea! It was hard for him to leave her class!
Start Temple Job
For the Strength of Youth
(FSY) Conference
Strawberry Days Parade
at the Strawberry Days Parade in Pleasant Grove!
Braxton, while opening his birthday gift this year!
None of my kids have come home and done this after Fish Lake.
Braxton's Birthday
As kids get older, it is harder to find time in their schedule to celebrate them. We were happy to spend a few minutes celebrating Braxton this year!
More info below!
Birthday cake for five!
While on our hike, we saw a momma osprey who was not as happy to see us, and she was squawking and letting us know... Travis and Sarah's cabin had a bat flying around, and they were trying to get rid of it... Marshal had a LOT of mosquito bites!
In July of 2009, we were pregnant with our second child. Unfortunately, she would only bless this earth for a few short weeks in utero. Over the last 16 years, we have had a few blessed experiences with her spirit being with us. I'm sure there are more, but these are the ones I know of. Some of those moments have been treasured memories for Braxton, and I decided he needed a visual reminder of her. I commissioned my friend Kamryn to create this picture of her for Braxton. I know his little sister loves him dearly and will always be watching over him!
This was a birthday gift from the heart!
Fish Lake
Cort caught one of the top three fish at Fish Lake. He brought home a nice patio umbrella... Because the theme this year was wizards and magic, we had brother Levi Smith 3D print a bunch of wizards for us to hide around the cabins... Cort found a snake skin... Bailey's little guy is part of the next generation to enjoy the big rocks!
Darcy, Kamiry, and I took a hike around the bottom half of the lake. It was gorgeous scenery from that side! I was thankful for the time to hike and visit with them!
Having some music and dancing this year made it very fun and lighthearted!
This kid loves anything that will challenge him physically!
I'm at the point in my life that I need all the help I can get...
More useful tips to try and remember!
It was fun to find a snail trail on my walk. I was curious how well it would photograph... This t-shirt made me giggle... Summer lunch with my co-workers... A perfect gift for my friends Kristen and Laura... Sister Hawkins subbed in Primary and used these streamers for music time. These were the perfect way to move our bodies as the kids were learning the songs... Jello salad on my German pancake, YUM... I finally made this graphic that I have been planning to make for years. I love this!
When you find great scriptures, sometimes you have to share them!
Perimenopause
Who knew midlife was so crazy for women!
Life in May
Marshal loves his smores even when we make them in the backyard... If you're going to be a cookie, be one with ALL the chocolate chips... Ryker's turtle Flash has been fun to see in the yard... We are excited for Kesler to serve in the Vancouver, Washington Mission... We love our haircuts!... Braxton broke his wrist (fell while country dancing) and was very close to needing surgery; thankfully, they can cast him and watch it with a specialist... Opps, I found more eggs that I hid too well... hey, look, it's Google maps driving through the neighborhood again! lol
The things you find when your kids get bored. lol
Bored again, this time in the car.
It's amazing how many steps you get in when you are working four hours a day at the temple!
BeReal
Beautiful World
"Interestingly and ironically, it seems that the only way to fight the fire and brimstone of hell prepared for Lucifer and those who follow him is through the fire of faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, the fire of testimony in His divinity, and the "baptism of fire and of the Holy Ghost" (2 Nephi 31:14). Indeed, this baptism of fire and the Holy Ghost, or the Comforter, "showeth all things, and teacheth the peacable things of the kingdom" (D&C 39:6).
"The Lord has something to say about doing things early, particularly as it relates to Him: "He that seeketh me early shall find me" (D&C 88:83)."
