Out of Room...

Again, I've hit my limit on this second blog and so I've decided to end my blog.  I will continue journaling, as it has been a constant in my life for the past four years and I've recorded more tender mercies and adventures and trials and joys in these last four years than I have in the fifteen years Garrett and I have been married. 

I've loved blogging, but at the end of the year transferring it all to Blurb and reformatting everything takes way too much time, and so for the past few months I've been journaling in Blurb and I'm excited because at the end of the year I'll have a book already formatted and ready to print. 

Farewell...it's been a great ride!

Kenna's Talk on Good Works...

Dad asked Kenna to speak in sacrament. She is so much more brave than I am...I still have 3 years left on my pass, haha. Here's her talk that she wrote all by herself, with a little direction and guidance from dad. We are so proud of her.

Both grandma and grandpa Nichol and grandpa and grandma Sill came to listen to Kenna's talk and it was a sacrament meeting that will probably live in infamy!  Right in the middle of the sacrament when everything was still and so quiet, ABBA started playing somewhere in the chapel.  It sounded like it was coming from where the priests sit to administer the sacrament, but within seconds everyone could see Brother Francis, Garrett's 2nd counselor in the bishopric, reach for his ipad and fumble to turn it off.  Garrett finally said 'just take it out' because they couldn't get to the off button quickly.  Everyone in the room began quietly giggling and Garrett wasn't able to hold a straight face for the rest of the meeting...it was great!  But the best part was that both of our parents were there to see it all happen under Garrett's direction...they were just checking up on him and seeing what kind of a bishop he is :)  He got up after the passing of the sacrament and made light of the situation saying if anyone wants an ipad there's one in the parking lot right now.  Brother Francis is still getting jokes made about his ABBA interruption and the best was at the roadshow when they poked fun at him again.  Good thing he's such a good sport about the whole thing!

Wyatt's a Champion!

Cupcakes...

Kenna and I had fun making these yummy peppermint chocolate cupcakes for her YW's activity. 

Daniel and the Technicolor Lion's Den...

For the last month, the youth in our ward have been practicing for the stake roadshow.  Last night was the big reveal and it was better than I could have ever imagined!! We laughed all night long at the amazing talent of the youth and the leaders in our stake as we saw stories of Noah's Ark, Samson and Delilah, David and Goliath, Army of Helaman and Nephi building a ship.

Our ward was given the story of Daniel and the Lion's Den and with the amazing talent of Sister LeBaron and Sister Anderson directing the roadshow, the story of 'Daniel and the Technicolor Lion's Den' came to be for the Maplewood Ward and it was awesome!!  We even took 3rd place overall for the youth's amazing rendition of this classic story from the Bible. 

Ashlyn (below with the dark blue tutu around her head) and most of the Beehives were lions and they totally looked the part and McKenna, along with a bunch of the Miamaids, was part of the chorus.   What a great thing to be a part of something so wholesome and so uplifting.  It was a great night!

Competitions Begin for Ashlyn...

The first competition of the season is always a bit of a dress rehearsal for the teams and for moms, too.  It seems I'm never fully ready, or I don't have the right color lipstick or enough safety pins and this time was no different.  But, I've stocked her dance bag with the right color lipstick, more bobby pins, safety pins, hairspray and bought a show routine box so things should run more smoothly next week for her many costume changes...I think she had 5 total. 

Ashlyn is a beautiful dancer and even has a solo in their 'Superman' lyrical.  I have loved to watch her dance for many years now and it hasn't changed...she is emotional and serious and has perfect facials when she dances and I love spending the day with her (when she's not mad at me for tucking in a bra strap or telling her to pin up her top so it doesn't hang down too far and show too much) ahhh, gotta love a pre-teen!

 

Ashlyn's Dig-It Program...

The 6th grade "Dig-It" program is one of the funnest!! Ashlyn has wanted to be an Egyptian dancer ever since Kenna was one 2 years ago...I think it's probably because she knew I would let her wear lots of eyeliner, mascara and lipstick! 

Ashlyn has been blessed with great friends her whole life and I feel grateful for that.  I went to the program during the day to avoid the crazy crowds that come out for school programs, but dad went to the evening show and took her out for ice cream afterwards.

Skate-a-thon...

The boys helped earn money for an Eagle Scout project by participating in a skate-a-thon at the South Davis Rec Center.  Colt and Wyatt both earned about 40 bucks to go towards the Eagle Project by getting pledges for the number of laps they could skate in an hour.  Colt skated 140 laps and Wyatt did 40...Wyatt had a game earlier in the day at the Olympic Oval and so exhaustion set in quicker for him, but he was a trooper. 

Boys at Hockey...

This is a peek into the boys' locker room at the South Davis Rec Center where the boys play hockey.  Dad always takes care of getting the boys' skates on tight...in just a few more years I won't be allowed into the dressing room, but while the boys are still young, there are plenty of us moms helping gear up our hockey monkeys. 

Hockey season is coming to an end, but the boys are already looking forward to 3v3 hockey training this summer and Colt's already registered for a week-long summer hockey camp.

Garrett took the last two weeks off from playing hockey to figure out what's wrong with his ankle and it looks like he has self diagnosed his injury (thanks to the Internet).  Looks like he's got what skaters call "lace-bite" which is a swelling of the tendons (from tightening the laces) in the front of the ankle on the less-dominant foot from new ice skates not breaking in as quickly as on the dominant foot.  He purchased some gel inserts, thanks to the info on the Internet, and hopes to be up to skating this week.

Colt's Ski Day...

Colt's 4th grade class took the day off and went skiing at Snow Basin. This is a fun tradition that the kids always look forward to. Colt loved it and can't wait to go skiing again soon...grandpa Nichol is now skiing every Monday, Wednesday and Friday at Alta and told Colt he can join him anytime!! I think he may take grandpa up on that offer during the month of April while he's off track all month. :)

All Stitched Up...

A few years ago, Garrett noticed some lumps around his stomach and chest.  He had one removed and biopsied and it came back negative for cancer.  He's been watching the others over the years and lately has felt a need to have them removed, too.  I think he really wants them out so he can have more scars that look like knife wounds :).  

So, last week I went in with him to the dr's and watched the whole procedure and at one point had to be reprimanded by Dr. Julien because I was getting a little too close to the action.  It was fun being at the dr's with him...first of all, we love Dr. Julien and second, it was kind of like a date, just the two of us hanging out, well, not really!  It was definitely more exciting for me than for him, but the best part was stopping for Chinese take-out, yum!  He healed well and the stitches came out and no sign of cancer and that's always good!

Terrible Heartache...

Sunday, February 26th, a young, popular, out-going 15 year-old boy from the Syracuse stake across from ours took his own life. He lived just across 1000 West, next to the corner church. He went to Clearfield High and was good friends with our cute neighbor, Shae, and many of the youth in our ward. He went to elementary school with all of our youth and the parents around here have known his family for years. It's hit everyone pretty hard how quickly tragedy can come and how fragile life is. As I think about his parents and his brothers and sisters, my heart aches for them, yet I know there will be peace and comfort given to them from a loving Heavenly Father. This morning in my personal prayers I pleaded for my Heavenly Father to watch over his parents and I also asked Him to watch over this young man and then I cried for quite a while. There are many who need comforting at this time.

This morning, February 29th, I got a call from my friend telling me that another boy, the Jr Class President at Clearfield High, also took his life this morning the same way the other boy did. The youth around here are reeling...it's scary to think what may happen next.

Sunday, after hearing about the tragic news, we gathered our three oldest together and talked with them about suicide and told them there's nothing that can't be taken care of with the atonement, there's nothing that can't be overcome no matter how bad it seems. Satan is truly working hard on these youth, he knows their importance and their strength. Yet, power through the Priesthood and turning to our Heavenly Father through prayer is stronger.

She is Who She is Wherever She Goes...

Whew...this past weekend was an emotional one for me.  I really don't think I can express the many emotions I felt, but I'm going to try so I can always remember and be grateful for the many blessings and tender mercies that come to our family.

McKenna had another soccer tournament in Vegas this past week and ever since her tournament last month in Las Vegas, grandpa Nichol has been so excited to fly to this tournament with Kenna and watch her play and stay with uncle Steve and aunt Mandy and the kids for the weekend.  Time for just the two of them. Grandpa booked them on the flight and we waited.  With Steve being a pilot, my dad flies free on standby and grandpa bought Kenna a 'buddy' pass for the flight...I was nervous about this from the beginning, but my dad and Steve kept reassuring me that there were plenty of flights for her to make it to Vegas one way or another. 

Friday, I picked her up from school and with the boys in tow, we headed to the airport to meet grandpa and then get the boys to hockey.  We saw grandpa in line, I hugged her and wished her luck and walked away with tears in my eyes.  She's growing up right in front of my eyes and I'm loving it and hating it at the same time.  I know she'll be in great hands with grandpa and aunt Mandy and uncle Steve and for that I'm thankful. Earlier that morning, when she left for school, the kids and I packed some fun surprises for her in her bag.  Kenna loves Batman and this week while out shopping, I found the cutest Batman socks and Batman pez.  I wrote a little note and tied it to the socks...she found them later that night while going through her bag and sent the cutest text to say thanks.  The boys gave her the Batman pez on the way to the airport and she loved that!


Flying with a 'buddy' pass is not always a guaranteed flight and as time got closer for the plane to leave, the seats began filling up.  I told my dad that if only one seat was available, he would just need to send her alone.  The first flight filled up, and so they waited for the next and if that filled up, the next one would go to California and back to Vegas, but they were hopeful something would work out.  I, on the other hand, was anxiously and nervously wondering if I would be able to drive her through the night to Las Vegas get her to her first game on Saturday morning.  The second flight began filling up, but with one seat left, they called Kenna's name and she was on, leaving grandpa behind.  He tried to get on the next flight, but didn't make that either...so Kenna was on her own until aunt Mandy picked her up at the airport.  My dad called me to tell me the news and  kept saying "She can do this.  You need to let her grow up!" I love my dad and I love that he has confidence in her and me, too.  And in the end, my dad was right and she loved the experience of doing it all on her own. 

Kenna enjoyed Friday evening with her cousins and had fun playing xbox sport with them, even though she said she is pretty pathetic and they were pretty awesome!  Aunt Mandy made a yummy spaghetti dinner just for Kenna, so she could get the carbs she would need to play great the next day.  They won their first game 3-2 and lost their night game 1-0.  Between games, she and her friends Mandy and McKenzie had fun hanging out at the mall and taking a nap. 

Sunday morning, uncle Steve and Kenna woke early so he could take her to the airport so she could be home in time for church.  As the Salt Lake airport came into view, I noticed a Southwest airplane approaching the airport.  I watched that plane in the sky and thought about the precious cargo on that plane, my oldest daughter...I watched as it touched down safely and felt the impression that she was safe inside that plane.  I felt gratitude for a loving Heavenly Father that I know watched over his daughter, until she could return safely home to our care.  I felt gratitude for a loving aunt and uncle and cousins, too, that watched over Kenna and had fun with her while she was away. I felt gratitude for a grandpa that so wanted to be with his granddaughter and make special memories with her this weekend.  His efforts to show love to his grand kids are always noticed.  I felt gratitude for a sister-in-law that loves McKenna like her own and shared with me a special moment as she witnessed Kenna kneeling in personal prayer by the side of her bed before beginning her day and how she was so thankful for Kenna's good example and her beauty inside and out.  I felt such gratitude for that text...I cried as I read it to Garrett.  How grateful we are to know that McKenna is who she is wherever she goes.  Not only does she remembers what's important, but she does it, too.

Cinnamon Rolls and a Daughter...

Tonight as I thought about my day, a story came to mind.  It's the one of the father who spends his weekends working on an old car with his son.  Someone asks him why he spends so much time working on an car that will probably never really work like it used to.  The father's comment is perfect...he says something like 'it's not about building a car, it's about building a son.'  I love that!  And as I thought back upon my day today, I felt that same way. 

This morning aunt Whitney and uncle Russ came up to get our old oven and microwave to put into their basement kitchen.  Aunt Whitney was so thoughtful and brought us Cafe Rio dinner to show her gratitude for the appliances.  We chatted for a while and they were off to work on their basement...leaving their boys to hang with our boys for the day. Yay! 

As Whitney and Russ left, I noticed Ashlyn in the kitchen beginning to make cinnamon rolls.  I had made a comment earlier about making cinnamon rolls and she decided it would be a good thing for her to try.  It was her first time making them and as I watched her, I noticed she was stirring it all by hand instead of using the Bosch. I asked a few questions and learned that she hadn't put in the yeast until the very end, which didn't let the yeast rise like it should.  I noticed the time and realized I needed to be at a Stake Women's Conference that I had been planning on all week, but I also realized that Ashlyn needed some guidance and I needed to be there for her. 

We worked on those cinnamon rolls for the next 40 minutes as we moved all the ingredients into the Bosch, mixed it all together and let it try to rise.  She rolled out the dough, buttered it and prepared the cinnamon mixture, then we rolled the dough up and cut it with the string into perfect circular rolls.  I could tell she was a little sad, because they didn't look like my cinnamon rolls usually do, but I kept telling her they would taste just the same with all that sweet cream cheese frosting on top.  I think her confidence was a little shaken and she wasn't so sure.  We put them in the oven and  I jumped into the car and drove to the stake center. 

The first class I attended was called 'Raising Royalty.'  Sister Maxwell, from the stake YW's, began by telling of a class she once attended where the woman talked about her 2 year old son that had passed away.  She spoke tenderly of an evening when she knelt in prayer and asked Heavenly Father a simple question..."Heavenly Father, are you taking care of my child?"  She felt an immediate impression and a voice asking her "Are you taking care of my children?"  She felt peace. 

I immediately was brought to tears.  Each day I try to take care of my children, yet some days I'm not the mom I always wanted to be.  I'm not as patient and long suffering as I know my Heavenly Father is with me.  I'm not as kind and forgiving as I know my Heavenly Father is with me.  I'm not as tender and soft spoken as I know my Heavenly Father is with me and yet each night as I kneel in prayer and give thanks for my blessings and each night as I ask forgiveness for my shortcomings and my weaknesses and my faults, I feel His tenderness extended to me and I feel forgiven, every night!

I sat there today thinking "I made the right choice to be home with Ashlyn this morning...that's where I was needed most."  I rushed home after my meeting, anxious to see how Ashlyn's cinnamon rolls turned out.  Half of the plate was gone, so I knew the boys must have liked them.  I found Ash and asked her what she thought...she was hesitant and said she didn't think they turned out to well.  I thought they looked great.  That's when dad walked into the room and corrected her...he is so good to make the kids feel confident.  He kept gushing about how they were his favorite cinnamon rolls ever and she would tuck her head and say "Not really, dad" and he just kept saying it over and over...he's a good dad!

I'm so glad I took the time to be a mom today!

Abounding in Good Works...

A few weeks ago in church, our good bishop, aka dad, invited every family in the ward to work together on completing the 7 Good Works value experiences in the Young Women's Personal Progress book. The following Saturday we held a family council and talked about how we would complete these value experiences and the promises that Garrett had promised would come to our family, and every family in the ward, if we would faithfully and prayerfully complete these experiences.

As a family, we decided to begin with #2, which tells that service is an essential principle of family living and asks each family member to help with planning the meals, menus and even help with grocery shopping. The kids each chose a day to help me with dinner and Garrett decided he would take all three meals on Saturday...yay!

For our family, the last two Monday night Family Home Evenings have been centered around the Good Works value experiences. Ashlyn gave the first lesson based on the required value experience #1 and taught us the importance of serving in our family...how service should be viewed as a privilege and not a bother or a burden. She read scriptures and testified to all of us the importance of serving each other and asked that we each keep a journal for two weeks of the quiet service we notice others doing around us. I was in awe of her knowledge and confidence and grace in the way she presented her lesson and her tenderness in bearing her testimony.  But after finding these notes in her room and the final notes typed up, I could see she had put a lot of time into making sure it was just what she wanted...

One night during that first week, the family went ice skating and the boys noticed their skates were a little dull. I texted our good friend, John, and asked if he would mind sharpening the boys' skates. He quickly replied "Bring them over now, I'm heading to my dad's tonight!" He was quick to serve our family. I told the boys what a blessing it is to have others serve us so willingly and happily, so the boys decided they should make him some homemade chocolate chip cookies and write thank you notes to show their thanks. I loved the idea. Not only are the kids learning to serve their brothers and sisters, which sometimes is the hardest service to give, but they are realizing and acknowledging the service given to our family by others.

Kenna taught the value experience #3 at last weeks FHE. She read from Mosiah 18:7-10 and asked each of us to write down three ways we can help others bear their burdens. Across the room, I loved hearing dad ask Wyatt how he could help a friend that was sad. Wyatt's quiet answers were so pure and exactly what we should do to help others bear their burdens...dad wrote for him: be their friend, talk to them, get things to help them, share things that I have. It seems so many families are faced with heartache...it's important to learn how to serve others and help lighten their burdens.

DC Wind 2011-2012 Season...

Got the boy's first hockey team pictures back and they made me smile...looks like my boys have no necks.

A Day With my Dad...

It's been far too long since I've spent a whole day with my dad and I guess I didn't realize what I've really been missing until Friday night when I looked at what my dad and I had accomplished together and how much I had learned from him during the day.  Garrett and I have been wanting to finish our kitchen with a white subway tile back splash since having our counter tops redone and we knew we needed my dads help.  So we booked my dad to come up and help on Saturday, but some things began getting in the way for the job to be done on Saturday, so he and my mom came on Friday...my mom comes for the moral support and for the adventure, but coming on Friday, meant that Garrett wouldn't be home to help, so I knew I would need to step up to the challenge.  

My dad brought up all of his tools and everything we would need to do the job right and we jumped right in.  He would carefully show me how to measure and lay out the tiles, how to cut the tiles by either using the saw, the clipper tools or the scorer thingy and how to set the tiles and then he would turn to me with an excited grin and say 'Your turn!'  I was thrilled to learn this new skill from my dad, yet a little hesitant because I didn't want to do it wrong...even though I'm almost 40, I think I still want to please my dad and have him think I'm capable. 

We worked side by side all day and I grew to love and appreciate my dad even more. It was fun to reconnect with him on a different level.  It was like the old days, but better because this time as my dad was teaching me, I was listening and learning and taking it all in...I wasn't the immature 12 year old girl that thought she knew everything and made sure he knew that. 

My dad's not as young as he once was and his strong and tanned hands now shake when he tries to write or draw a straight line and sometimes when I see this, tears quickly fill my eyes.  I remember his beautiful cursive writing that always came so effortlessly.  His white hair is no longer the jet black color I remember it being as I grew up under his watchful care.  I really do forget that he's almost 70 because he still does whatever we ask (or whatever we need) with a smile and all the energy he can muster.  He is an amazing man...always serving his family and friends and he has the best smile!

Later that night, I texted my dad and said "I hope you're already in bed...but I just wanted to say thanks for coming over today.  That was a lot of fun!  I sure love you, Dad...I hope you always know that!"  his reply was "Yeah, I'm in bed reading.  It was a great day. I really enjoyed it and we got a lot done and that's always a lot of fun.  I enjoyed working with you.  Love you, Dad."  I am blessed to be his daughter.

Tomorrow our new stainless steel refrigerator, oven and microwave will be delivered and Garrett and I hope to finish placing a few tiles and grout it all.  It's beautiful!!

Grizzlies Game...

Another Grizzlies game with some new friends, Rich and Camy and their boys, Richie, Zach and Nate.  Rich works for Nissan and was able to hook the boys up and let them ride in the car that goes out onto the ice during the puck shoot...they loved that.  Colt was hanging out of the window waving to his cousins, Tanner and Ethan who were sitting across the ice.  Such a fun night at the Grizzlies games!

Colt's been saving up his money to buy the Boston Bruins hat in the photo and tonight was the night he finally purchased it with a little help from Ashlyn.  Colt was about 8 bucks short and Ashlyn overheard that he still needed to earn some money to buy this coveted hat...she quietly went into her room and took out $8 from her wallet and gave it to Colt so he could get his hat.  What a great sister!  While we were in the Grizzlies store buying the hat, Wyatt decided he wanted a shirt, but he was about $15 short.  Well, he wasn't worried at all because he told us that if he went home and told Ashlyn he needed some cash, she would give it to him...ohhh he is so funny!  But he's also so right!  Ashlyn will always share her money!

Sunday Morning...

Hockey Teeth...

One day while at Players Bench, a hockey store we frequent way too often now, a high school hockey player with stitches from his upper lip into his cheek from being sliced by a fellow teammates' hockey skate walked in.  A few minutes later in walked another hockey player with stitches in his chin again from being cut with a hockey skate. Sometimes I wonder what we've gotten into and then, while watching hockey games, we see headshots of good looking hockey players with missing teeth and I cringe.  My boys will always wear full cages on their helmets...no half visors for them, ever! 

This past week, we visited our orthodontist, Dr. Coleman, after examing Colt's mouth, he told him it looked like his permanent tooth under his silver tooth was coming up and probably within the next few months he would lose it.  Little did we know that during Friday's hockey practice, Colt's silver tooth would be knocked loose.  After being hit, he pulled of his glove, skated over to dad and told him he thought his tooth was loose.  Dad told him that if he was a real hockey player, he would just pull it out...Colt reached into his mouth and yanked out his silver tooth.  Garrett wants me to find a little vile to put his tooth in so Colt can wear it around his neck to always remember his first tooth lost while playing hockey. Yuck!

"It's Really True!"...

This came in the mail today.  Garrett could hardly hold back his enthusiasm and excitement.  He's still pinching himself that he's an Orvis Endorsed Fly-Fishing Guide.  The fun begins again next month at the annual guiding rendezvous.

First Ortho Appointment...

Colt had his first consultation with Dr. Coleman and we are hopeful he may never need braces...just hoping! Brett said he's got the best teeth of anyone he's seen in our family, that's including me, Kenna and Ashlyn.  His teeth look pretty great at this age so we'll see what the years bring.  We did find out that he is missing a bottom right wisdom tooth...those crazy genetics.

Popping Proof...

Science Fair projects are fun once they are all finished! This year, while helping Ashlyn with her project, we all laughed a little way too much about the breaking popcorn machines, melting measuring cups, exploding popcorn that went everywhere in the kitchen, but mostly we laughed at the title of her project...she wanted to call it "Popping Proof" but while we were arranging the letters on the board I put one too many O's in the pop and so it became poop. Ashlyn could barely tell me my mistake because she was laughing so hard...then when she could get it out and said "Mom, it's not 'Pooping Proof" Kenna, Ash and I laughed like crazy and continued to laugh about that all throughout the evening. In the end we all learned a lot about how popcorn pops and had a lot of fun working together.

Ashlyn began her first experiment about a month before the deadline so she could gather all the data needed to come to a conclusion. We bought 3 different types of plastic wrap so she could test which plastic wrap would keep out evaporation and mold the best. After the first week...nothing. Second week...nothing and after the third week and still no results, except a little evaporation, we decided to scrap that project and find a fun and easy one. She decided to test how the temperature of a popcorn kernel impacts its pop. She put 100 kernels into the freezer, 100 into the fridge, 100 into the oven at 350F and 100 at room temperature then after an hour she gathered them together and popped them. She recorded the time the first kernel popped in each group, when they were done popping and how many unpopped kernels. She thought the popcorn in the freezer would have the fewest amount of unpopped kernels, but in the end it was the kernels at room temperature that popped the best with the least amount of unpopped kernels, tasted the best and looked the fluffiest. It was a fun project and in the end she won 2nd place! Whoo!

Pirate Scouts...

Colt looks forward to cub scouts every Thursday after school. A few months ago he invited one of his good friends, Drake, to come to scouts with him. Drake loved it and has decided to join, his dad was a scout when he was young and has told Drake about the fun adventures he had in scouts. It's a huge blessing that there are some great boys Colt age. Drake's been working hard and will be getting his Bobcat at the Blue and Gold Banquet next week. Last week in scouts, their leader, Tammy, had the boys working on their heritage belt loop and asked them each to write a thank you note to someone that means a lot to them. Drake wrote Colt the thank you note above...it's priceless. Colt wrote a note to dad.

Today's scouts was a pirate themed day. The boys learned to tie different knots, they dressed up as pirates and lashed swords together. Scouts ended and Drake and Noah came over to hang with Colt. Noah's family moved into our ward about 6 months ago, they are a great family with 10 kids, so all of our kids now have a new friend in the ward. Kenna and Bell and her older sister, Raychel are friends, Ashlyn and Christian are friends (secretly I think Ashlyn likes Christian), Colt and Noah are friends and Wyatt and Adam became friends from being in the same primary class last year and now I teach Caroline in primary and their mom visit teaches me. We are destined to all be friends.

This evening, as Colt and I read together, he said "Mom, I need to hang out more with Noah, he's awesome and he's nice, too!" That's what really counts...being nice. Then a few minutes later he said, "Mom, today's scouts was the best ever! I love going over to Tammy's for scouts!" I texted that compliment to Sister Allen because I thought she needed to know her hard work and dedication to this calling (even though sometimes it's crazy and wild) is worth it because the boys do love it!

Lunch Date...

Wednesday afternoon, Whit, Jodi, Jenni and I met for lunch at Brio.  I love my sister and my cousins and I love looking forward to a lunch date.  We all grew up together and have always been close.  Our dads are cousins so we are technically 2nd cousins, but our dads are really more like brothers and so we all grew up more like sisters and brothers, too.  Even as we were having lunch, our dads were driving a bus from South Dakota that Jim had just purchased for one of their daycares.  Our dads are always coming up with new adventures to do together...I love that they still have fun together.  We try to meet for lunch every year...it's not enough, but it works.  Jodi had her 3rd baby two months ago and Jenni is due with her first little girl in a week...so exciting!

Olympic Oval...

Saturday morning was Wyatt's first game at the Olympic Oval. He's totally got the hang of this ice skating thing and he's scoring goals all over the place. It's the first time we've been to the Oval, but Garrett's already told the boys he's looking forward to spending lots of summer days skating at the Olympic Oval...it's an amazing rink and complex.  I love that hockey is something my boys love to do together!