Easter Break

Everyone had Good Friday off.  We didn't do much and it was perfect.  Dave was really needing a break from work.  We slept in, ate breakfast, did a bit of cleaning, read, and sat in the front room and talked about nothing.  It was fantastic. Leah went out with friends that night.  They went bowling and back to a friends for a fire and a game of fugitive.  Saturday we didn't do much either.  Blake helped me get a start on cleaning my windows.  It was pretty scary up there. Dave and Blake did some work on some of our vehicles and Leah actually did some room cleaning.  It was shocking really.  We cleaned church and threw a ball around.

Sunday had some nice Easter lessons.  We were in desperate need of groceries.  I have been trying to shop every two weeks, then we label half of it to not use until the second week.  I think it has been helping us to stay closer to our food budget, but I had a few appointments close to my usual shop day and didn't want to go to town twice.  We were overdue and I had forgotten about Easter when I did last shop.  So we had no ham and no Easter candy.  But is was ok.  Monday, Dave thought he had the day off, but in the end he didn't.  Because he thought he was going to be home, Cora had planned to call him, she ended up talking with us instead. (She called him this past Monday at 4 AM before he went to work.  He was really happy to talk to her)  Leah then went over to meet with friends to practice softball and have a picnic. Tuesday we finally went to town.  Leah did some of our grocery shopping while I was at one appointment, we ate our packed lunch, then I dropped them at the Mill to watch a movie while I did second appointment and finished shopping.  Wednesday was another lazy day.  Leah was supposed to have another ball practice and a date, but she didn't feel comfortable with the people she was going with and cancelled. Thursday the kids and I spent way to much time playing iMessage games as we talked in the front room. Leah is way to good and has gotten many crowns.  I did not even know you got crowns. That afternoon they did temple baptism with the ward youth.  When Leah got there she realized her recommend was expired.  Good thing bishop was there to help her out. And they ate at the cafeteria.  It was Dave's week to check cows, so I asked if he wanted to go on a date with me.  We decided to have a gourmet grilled cheese and get into our finest coveralls to check cows and play match maker with a mom and orphaned calf.  We were then going to ride in the finest of vehicles, the grain truck, to take water to the bulls.  I tell you, after 20 years of marriage we go all out for special occasions. It was a fun night.  Jared had already put cow and calf together, but we checked everything else off.  Friday Blake and Dave had to work.  Leah and I cleaned, did laundry, made bread and treats, and cleaned the church.  Leah left to go hang out with Emily before they went to the stake dance.  When the boys got home they did farm stuff and then we watched a movie. Saturday was another nice sleep in.  Blake off to work again, Dave farm stuff, Leah and I not much till she left to go to a party that got shut down early because of the blizzard.  We knew blizzard was coming, so Dave tethered the tramp, block things that could blow away, and got ready for it.  We were quite surprised they still had party.  If it had been anymore than 10 mins away, I would not have let Leah go.  We cleaned and found new toothbrushes and washed sheets just in case any of her friends needed to crash for the night. Dave, Blake and Jared went out to herd the cows into a bit of a shelter.  After they left it was only 15 mins or so before we could not even see the end of our deck.  Dave totally drove in the ditch on the way back home.  They had two calves run off, but could not see to even go find them. You could not see ANYTHING!  The water in our toilets was sloshing around.  I have never seen that before and our house was swaying.  Sunday morning the wind had died some. Dave and Jared were up early to find the lost calves.  Our early church meetings were cancelled.  Blake was really hoping church would be cancelled, but it wasn't.  It was a nice needed break.  We are already looking forward to May long.

Leah is 17

Leah turned 17 yesterday.  We celebrated with Chicken Caesar Salad and opening presents on Thursday.  Don't mind the very short shorts, she had just gotten home from practice.  Leah randomly decided to take up softball last week.  So we had to buy all the gear.  Good thing we had a birthday excuse.  She is loving being part of a team again, and being there with girls that actually want to.  Her physics teachers had been asking her to play for two years.  And one day she just said yes.  First practice he asked her if she had every played before.  She answered that she had not and he said, 'You are not good'.  She laughed and thanked him for boosting her ego and he went on to tell her that she has a lot of potential and more determination and heart than anyone else.  He has confidence in her.  She is very frustrated with her batting, but practice, practice.  Leah did not get her #4 sadly.  But they did assign her #17, which we think is hilarious.

Friday she did a job shadow at the hospital in the x-ray and ultrasound department.  When she arrived she saw that she was in the job shadow with two friends of her's from another high school.  They had so much fun together.  They gave ultrasounds to each other and did x-rays.  They helped with some real patients and learned a ton.  Since Leah has had so many issues they pulled up a lot of her x-rays and then explained them to the other 8 kids that were there. They were fascinated by her cyst.  She also found out that yes her ribs and pinky were both broken during basketball.  They watched her food digest, saw many brain scans and learned about brain freeze and concussion, and got to ask a lot of questions.  She loved every minute of it.  After I took her to the mall to met Emily.  Leah had gotten a little money for her birthday and they did some shopping, laughed, talked, ate, and caught a movie.  Today during conference session she had her usual birthday dinner of spaghetti and cookie dough ice cream cake.

We are constantly amazed at the young women that Leah is becoming.  As a kids she was so into Disney princesses and fairytales that Dave used to comment that the sky was pink in her world.  I swear she lived in this la-la land.  She was stubborn and sassy and the cutest little thing.  Look at those beautiful big green eyes.  And she loves her scar.

She fell asleep everywhere.  Right in the middle of tasks or eating.  We lost her many times when she was asleep.

And she has turned into this stubborn, sassy, gorgeous young women, who has a hard time sleeping.

But her stubbornness is in a positive way.  She is so focused on doing well in school she spends hours every night doing homework.  No more la-la land.   Even if there is not an assignment, she bring things home to go over and study.  She has extremely high standards in everything she does.  The gospel, her schoolwork, her job, her closest friends, and how she interacts with others at school.  Everything except her room of course.  She has a huge group of friends and meets new people every where she goes. Leah is the type of kid that the teacher will assign her the group at school with the kids that are hard to get along with because they know she will be kind to them.  Her sasssy-ness, well she comes by that rightly and I am a little proud of it. :)   Dave and I are so proud of what she is becoming and who she is already.  We marvel at her drive and at how outgoing she is.  She has a very off beat humor that is hilarious if you get it.  She loves every sport she can watch and watching friends is her favorite thing to do.  Love this girl to bit and I can't wait to see where she goes.

 Happy Birthday beautiful girl.  I am glad it was an awesome day for you.