Monday, March 27, 2017

Phone Clean-up

Cora was selected to play in the All-Star game for her school.  The game was last week.  It was fun to watch from the bleachers again, rather than the bench.  Much more relaxing.  You could tell that they all just had a good time playing.
No pressure of the season, just girls playing a game they love together.

And everyone got a cool T-shirt.  Can't beat that.

When they showed up they were assigned a team.  Two players from each school are selected to go.  Then they are told if they are wearing white or color.

Girls warmed up a bit and got to know each other.  And finally they played basketball..  There were some fun half time activities.  At first Cora said she wasn't ready to play.  Her head was now in rugby not basketball, but she quickly got into it and had a blast.

I have been looking forward to conference for months.  Seriously months.  Last weekend was the Women's General Session.  Cora had just about finished getting her talk ready, Dave was working on his, and Blake went out to ride the dirt bike.  It was warm and dry and he rode for a long time as we watched the session.

He said it was so fun to get back out there.  Spring is coming!!

The Women's Sessions was so good.  I love watching it with my girls.  Sis Burton's talk on 'Certain Women' was AMAZING.  We all loved it.  I can't wait till it comes out in the Ensign and I can read it again.  I already listened to it online again.  Sunday, Cora and Dave both did a fabulous job speaking.  I always enjoy listening to them as well.  I told Cora I only had one complaint about her talk.  And that was that I wanted a little more detail on her stories.

Wednesday, March 22, 2017

Girls' Day

Saturday we had a girls day.  We didn't start out planning it, but it evolved and it was so much fun.  Just after noon we meet at our corner and hopped in with the Toone's.
I had a few things I needed to pick up for YW the next day.  So we did a little shopping first.

And then went to the theater for the movie.  I had been waiting a year to see Beauty and the Beast and it did not disappoint at all.  It was even better than I imagined.  We got in line an hour before the show and it was a good thing we did.  We all got a seat together.  (It was so amazing that we took Dave, Blake, and Myrna, and Natalie took Joe and we went back again Monday)

After the movie we went to Natalie's daughters house and the girls changes for the Moonlight Run.  All of them had signed up for the 6 K.  After they changed and we hung out for a bit it was time to go run.

All the girls did awesome.  While they were running, Natalie and I walked to Wendy's for dinner.

After their run, they had pizza and hot chocolate for the runners.  We sat on the steps while the girls ate then headed home.  We got home about 11.  It was such a fun day.  I love the Toone's and it is so awesome that our kids line up and love each other as well.  Such a simple day was so much more fun with great friends.  
Sunday was ward conference and then we had a stake fireside.  Cora and Maycie are both on a youth committee and had to be there early.  So we all hung out before the fireside.  The fireside was about trek, so Blake was invited.  It is probably the only fireside that all of my kids will attend together. 

When Blake turns 12, Cora will be off to college.  It was a wonderful weekend, spent with some of my favorite people.

Saturday, March 18, 2017

A Few Things

Over reading week the kids each picked a meal they wanted to cook.  They frequently help me cook, but sometimes when we have the time instead of them just helping, I have them do the whole thing.  They look through books and Pinterest boards, make a menu, help me shop and then make it.  Cora chose chicken pot pie.  As this meal took more time with cooking the chicken and all first, we never seemed to have the full day to do it.  But we finally got it done.  And it was fabulous.  Only thing was Dave was on a business trip and didn't get to have any.  She did make three tho, so we will be having it again later.
Blake is no longer a Kub, well they don't actually have Kubs in our ward at all which is sad, but anyways he is too old to participate in the Kub Kar Rallly.  But he was able to use one of his old cars and had fun in the ward rally.  It was a fun night.  He got to have his Dad come and he loved racing his cars.  Did very well too.

This last week was our annual Irish Concert.  Once again Leah played with the band.  She also got asked to sing and did a great job.

Blake and Leah dressed in green for St. Patrick Day.  For some unbeknown reason their school decided to have rainbow day the same day.  Each class was given a color to wear.  Blake's was orange and Leah was red.  Both thought it was ridiculous to not wear green on St. Patrick's Day.   Blake had a nod to both.  Leah right out refused.  And paid for it later when she got in trouble for not having any school spirit by the principle.  Ahhhh.....whatever.

We had decided to have scones and eggs for dinner.  I wanted to put green coloring in all of it.  Cora said no way.  :)  So we settled for the delicious mint brownie milkshake she made us.
Life is getting a bit slower now that basketball is done.  Cora started right into rugby. She is also getting close to show time for drama, which means longer and more frequent practices.  But it is only one kid going places and I don't have to go everywhere with her.  It has been wonderful.  A few more weeks and Blake will start soccer and Leah badminton.  We have a bit of a breather.

Friday, March 3, 2017

Nostalgic thankfulness

Last night Blake and Dave went to do a walk through of the cows.  It was warm enough and we actually had enough time for them to walk over to the farm.  As I watched these two walk back slowly together I thought of my brothers and dad walking up from feeding the pig, checking cows, and many many other things.
I was very blessed growing up.  I grew up in a small town at the foot of the mountains.  I never wanted for anything and had many privileges.  My family saw a lot of the world, were able to do many things, and enjoyed being together.  My family also learned to work.  Numerous times we would waved to our friends as they dove past our house, headed for the nearby dam for a day of skiing, from our lawn mowers and tractors.  I remember one morning mowing as my friends were still asleep on our trampoline.

I remember Cannon sending home a picture of the hair on the back of his legs 6 months into his mission.  It had finally grown in, after not wearing gum boots for that long.  I loved everything about my childhood. When each of us went away to school, the things we really wanted was to bring our friends back for a cattle drive.  I was blessed to find someone that shared my love of the country life.  We both wanted our kids to have what we did growing up.

Sometimes things don't go how we saw it in our heads when we made the decision to move back.  Some of the work we had envisioned for our kids doesn't happen for various of reasons.  And some times it is tough.  No one enjoys feeding at 5 am in 30 below with Dave, but you take the good with the bad.

Then yesterday, with my boys walking back together, I was uplifted and filled with gratitude.  Some of it is happening, some of it is coming together.  We are teaching our kids how to work, we live in a beautiful spot, Dave has a good job, we have been blessed to have some wonderful vacations, and my kids love being together.  They truly are each others best friends.  So even with the ups and downs, the dream that Dave and I had for our kids, is no longer a dream.  It's reality.  And I am so very thankful for that.