The spring run-off was WILD this year; I already mentioned the flooding of the parks. This photo was taken at the base of the canyon, not at Bridal Veil Falls. It's the run off from the water pipe but people pulled over to take pictures of it just like they do of the falls. The reason I mention this is because Mallerie was counting down the days to a Yosemite backpacking trip with her bestie Vickie since Christmas. The morning of their trip Vickie came over to pick up an already packed Mal. Vickie said, "So.....there is going to be a change of plans. When I called the park they said they haven't opened yet because it is still so wet. So.... we are going to go to southern Utah to camp and hike instead." I know this was very disappointing to both of them but I was impressed with the way they took the change of plans in stride. From the photos Mallerie showed us when she returned, it looked like they still saw plenty of beauty.
Ever After: The Musical
Ava's
theatre class put on a production in May for family members. Ava and her
bestie, Ashley played the stepsisters in Ever After. As me and Ashley's mom
watched we noticed that every time Ashley sat down, her chair inched closer and
closer to the edge of the step.
Sure enough, the last time Ashley sat down she toppled off the platform. The performers did their best to go on but poor Ashley could hardly pull herself together from laughing so hard. The play is a comedy, just not that kind of comedy. Either way the crowd was into it.
Ava woke up SO stuffy that morning and then her throat started hurting. I brought her some Mucinex after my Presidency meeting. That stuff works pretty quickly. Within half and hour she felt well enough to give us a great performance. I don't get to hear her solo voice very often and she sounded splendid.
I had suppressed the memory of going to Mallerie's performance in this same theatre where she too got into a laughing fit during A Midsummer Night's Dream. It must be something in the air.
BYU Women's Conference May 4th-5th 2017
My sister Lindsey let me know of a volunteer opportunity at
Women's Conference, which I took advantage of. Because I signed up to volunteer
on Friday, I got to get in for free on Thursday when I went with my ladies:
Sally, Ashley, and Jaynee. As we parked at the stadium to catch the shuttle,
Lindsey drove by. She stopped to say hello and she got to meet my ladies.
Thousands of ladies attend each day and the odds of seeing each other were very
slim to say the least!
I took some great notes during Sis Eubank's opening address that I
will use for my Young Women in Excellence. We ate lunch on the lawn and kept
chatting instead of going to the next session. It is hard to get together and
have to be reverent when all we want to do is gab.
I went
back the next day and enjoyed volunteering. As the first wave of sisters came
pouring through the doors, my eyes filled with tears. I know the light of
Christ is powerful but to see so many righteous women together was
awe-inspiring. I saw on their faces the look of urgency and yearning. Yearning
to find answers, inspiration, and enlightenment. I trust they found what they
came for. At lunch I got to meet some of Lindsey's friends from her stake and
once again felt like I was eating with "my ladies."
My afternoon walk back down to the stadium was much warmer than my
morning walk up to campus had been. The water in the van was warm and I was
thirsty. I weighed my options and ended up in the drive-thru at Wendy's for lemonade.
I noticed the white Sienna in front of me looked awfully familiar. As the hand
reached out to grab their food at the window it also looked familiar. It looked
like my hand reaching out of my own white van, "Liza!" I yelled. She
poked her head out of her window and said she'd pull over. She had some of her
kids with her and they were getting an after school snack. We kept our windows
down and had a visit for a bit. Again, out of the thousands of people, what are
the odds that two sisters would be there at the same moment? These are tender
mercies from Heavenly Father who does care about the details of our lives.
That evening for pizza night, I suggested we go to Summit Inn
Pizza in Kamas. We got delicious pizza and sat outside to eat.
On the
way home we decided to walk it off a bit at the Jordanelle boardwalk. Mallerie
and Callie ran up ahead (because Mallerie is always running).
As we approached, Mallerie jumped out like a troll who had been hiding under
the bridge, "Roarrrrrrrr!" Graham jumped out of his skin. He decided
he wanted to try out the trick. I don't think we were quite as surprised when
he jumped out at us, but it made for loads of fun. Matt is pretty good at
making animal noises so he also kept us on our toes.
We simply could not believe it that Matt has never been to this
area of the dam.
Galaxies Collide May 8th
Matt brought me to an awards dinner at the Megaplex in West Valley. We wondered if it was going to be in a banquet room or something. Nope, it was IN the theatre. They had Cafe Rio set up front and we filled a tray and then sat in the seats to eat. It was a bit awkward to eat a messy salad on my lap with no elbow room while trying to chat with Matt's good friend Dennis for the first time. Afterwards, during the award ceremony Frito Lay was presented an award. The reason this was in a theatre is because following the awards we were shown a preview of Guardians of the Galaxy 2. I could feel Ava's throat tickle coming on and I could not stop sneezing once the movie started. The movie was so stupid. Matt said, "Let's get out of here." I was happy to leave. I feel like oil in water at his work gatherings, and Matt probably feels like his worlds are colliding. It is good for me to go to such things every now and then I suppose, I realize there is this whole life of Matt's that I really know nothing about. I am extremely grateful for how hard he works for our family; I just don't understand all of it. So let's get back to my life
Heber 6th Ward Schtuff
When I can, I try to attend my young women's extra curricular
activities. One of our Beehives was in Bye-Bye Birdie at our local playhouse. I
can sing along to every word of that play. I couldn't believe no one knew it is
a movie! They do now.
I also
attended the end of year choir concert because I had quite a few Young Women in
it. It was beautiful and moving.
The young Women were in charge of the spring ward party. We hired Heber Bounce and the Young Women made my famous raspberry lemonade ice-cream dessert.
The young
Women were in charge of the spring ward party. We hired Heber Bounce and the
Young Women made my famous pink lemonade ice-cream dessert on a graham cracker
crust.
We had
THE most random turn out. There were people who would never attend
a "ward party" but were happy to come picnic on the lawn and visit
while their kids played.
I took Callie, Ava, and her friend Ashley to a reception in Lindon on May 12th. Katrina and Giuseppe were in line right in front of us. Seriously, I couldn't orchestrate these run-ins if I tried! We got to hear all about G's new job at Tumi luggage at City Creek, very fancy. The reception was in a castle, also very fancy. This is our dear friend Sasha and her new hubby. Recognize the ring????
My Mia
Maid Adviser was moving out of the ward so I had to submit a name for a new
one. I was having the hardest time coming up with a name. Then one day as I was
sweeping the kitchen floor it came to me clear as day, Mallerie! Even though
she would only be around for a couple of months, it would be good mission prep
for her, a treat for the girls, and she could hang with Ava at Girl's
Camp! I was so happy when she accepted this calling, and I know Ava was
too. Ava did a fist jab, "Yessssss."
Mother's Day May 14, 2017
Treasured words from the family
filled my heart to over flowing. I want to share little snippets from each one:
Callie: She gave me two cards so one said, "I don't know if
this is your first card or your second card. No one could have a better
mom."
Graham: “I am so grapeful for you (he painted
grapes on the front of the card) you are the best mom a kid like me could ask
for."
Grayson: "You teach me the important things in life. You make
the fun times fun and the hard times a little hard. I notice you make people
laugh when you go places. I have also learned to clean many things."
Ava: "I just love talking with you and am so thankful for all
the advice you give me. Thanks for driving me around and being the best mom
ever."
Mallerie: "One of my favorite memories is when we played
Skip-Bo for 8 hours one summer day. You taught me the best game! I will never
forget the shopping days we had. Thanks for always making me laugh."
Katrina: "Thank you for your years of hard work and
dedication raising me. We got you this candle because it is the most beautiful
thing I have ever smelled. You deserve it!"
Matt: (I might be the writer out of the two of us, but he is great
at writing his thoughts. He is also the nice one out of the two of us. He wrote
me a 3-page poem! It is dear to my heart.) "It all started in 1993...We
shared our love of MJ. We had to keep that a secret, as there were so many
haters! I remember carrying the baby seat, diaper bags, and bottles to church.
Now we have binders, cords, and keys." It was a great walk through our
life together.
Donna: "Your love and support through the years has been so
appreciated."
I got lotions, and candles, and candies, and a movie. Callie made
a cookie bouquet for me at Activity Days. She was very careful to keep it
hidden when I picked her up. It didn't occur to her that the other girl I pick
up was carrying one plain as day. Matt texted me on my birthday "I
accidentally gave you both your gifts for mother's day, the lotion was for
mother's day, the candy was for your birthday." I'm not looking for
perfection people, because I would be a hypocrite to do so;)
We had Mother's Day dinner in Orem at Mark and Jamie's house.
In hindsight we totally invited ourselves over but Matt said,
"I finally get to see my mom ON mother's day." I made both Donna and
my mom a yellow silk corsage to wear to church that day.
Mothers and Motherhood are such a blessing.
Mile-by-Mile May 16, 2017
Graham
and Callie participated in the mile-by-mile health fare. I dropped them
off at the Midway Bridge and then drove to Southfield Park to wait for the
group to arrive after a mile run. They got there so much faster than I
anticipated! I was waiting in the car and by the time I got to the finish line
they had already crossed and had their medals. They are just like their sister.
The same thing happened when I went to watch Mallerie's Haunted Half. Little
mishaps like this are disturbing to my momma heart. But will you just look at
this valley? The view to Midway from Southfield is the best. If the Northfields
are ever developed it will be more than just disturbing. We spent the rest of
our time at the booths and activities for the kids. Callie churned her
smoothie via bicycle.
This is the Place! May 19, 2017
My favorite 4th Grader in my favorite performance. We love Utah!
We love Utah! I don't think it is
coincidence that Graham ended up with a blue hanker-chief instead of a red one.
He only wears blue. It was easy to spot him in the slideshow.
Mike and Donna's move from California had happened only the month
before so they were excited to get to finally come to one of their
grandchildren's school performances. I said, "This is a perfect one to
come to, you will learn all about your home state!"
I don't think it is coincidence that Graham ended up with a blue
hanker-chief instead of a red one. He only wears blue. It was
easy to spot him in the slideshow.
Mike and Donna's move from California had happened only the month
before so they were excited to get to finally come to one of their
grandchildren's school performances. I said, "This is a perfect one to
come to, you will learn all about your home state!"
Pine Wood Derby
Grandma and Grandpa stayed for dinner and were still here when it
was time to head over to the church for Graham's last Pine Wood Derby. Matt
came down from Wood Badge (it was up at Heber Valley Camp). I said, "Wow,
people are going to think you are really into scouting to be in costume uniform
for this! Everyone is going to be scared of the car you made." After one
race though I think everyone could see there was no need to worry:/
There were consolation prizes for all.
Spring Pictures 2017
Callie
begged for me to come to her last field trip but it was at the same time as
Graham's school performance. I was relieved to have an excuse. The thought of
sitting in a stuffy pool with a bunch of second grade voices echoing off the
walls was more than I could bear. She had a great time at least. Ava worked the
Wild West train at Heber Valley Railroad.
Parting of the Veil
I have a dear friend, Dulce, who asked me to speak at her
daughter’s baptism the last Saturday of May. Dulce herself has had the
missionary discussions and one day will probably join the church, but for now
only her 10-year-old daughter wanted to join. I know the importance of
fellow-shipping new converts and wished for Dulce's and her husband's sake that
more ward members were there to show support and get to know them. The next day
in ward council I learned that none of the other auxiliaries were even made
aware there was a baptism, which was frustrating to me. During the sacrament as
I was thinking on this, I felt discouraged. Then into my mind came an image so
powerful it caused tears to run down my cheeks. The image was of the room at
the baptism full of people who I could not see. I had the distinct thought that
those on the other side of the veil come to our meetings to learn and to be
instructed. We may leave a great meeting wishing more people were there to hear
the message, when in reality there were many who heard the
message. I thought of missionaries who give a discussion to someone who is
disinterested. Could it be that in reality, someone on the other side of the
veil just received that discussion in preparation for accepting the gospel?
This is not doctrine I would preach from the pulpit, but the feelings were
strong and powerful and brought peace to my heart.
I was also thankful for the reminder of how thin the veil is as I
visited my grandparent’s graves that weekend.
Memorial Weekend
On Sunday May 28th we drove to the Salt Lake City Cemetery to
visit my maternal grandparents graves. The extended family had been there the
day before and all ten graves were decorated with mums. We got to share a few
memories and stories of GG. It makes me so happy that my kids remember them.
From
there we drove to Memory Grove. I hadn't been since Katrina's bridals the snowy
cold December before. We learned that on warmer days it is a dog park. I was
scoping out places for us to picnic on our way to girl's camp. I crossed this
one off the list: Memory Grove DOG PARK.
I also wanted to see how far of a walk it would be from Memory Grove to the trailhead of Ensign Peak. I could see that it was too steep and there isn't a sidewalk. So from there we drove to the trailhead where Katrina and Giuseppe met up with us.
I will put the Ensign Peak photos in their own post because we took so many! As soon as we started on the trail Mallerie decided to run up the face of the mountain and Graham elected to join her. They beat us by a long shot. The view is incredible. I don't know why it has taken me so long to hike it.
Memorial Day
We joined Matt's side of the family for an early afternoon picnic
in Provo Canyon. These kids sure have grown! Callie is the baby on this side of
the family. Now some of the grandchildren have children. Grandma Donna remarked
how strange it is to be able to just go home after such events. I, on the
other hand, was back and forth and all around. Mallerie was working that
morning so I had to go back up to Heber to pick her up, bring her back to eat,
and then we headed to the Provo Cemetery to meet up with my family. Of course
we were met with, "Where have you beeen?????"
For some reason we always take these identical pictures, a
tombstone shot, a group shot, a boy shot, and a girl shot. We just do.
Ashley was still recovering from her botched PRK surgery and had
to wear movie star sunglasses. She looked so great it made us all wish we had a
botched PRK.
Like last year we went to Bicentennial Park afterwards. But unlike
last year, there was a sewer smell and the swamp was under construction causing
the air to be thick with mosquitos. I drove over to Allen's and bought bug spray
so we could bear the bugs at least. That store is going down, which is nothing
new; I just wonder why the owners still pretend it isn't. My parents picked out
items from the hot case for lunch. My dad said the guy behind the counter
looked at him like, "Really? You are going to eat that?"
Lindsey brought me a birthday gift wrapped so perfectly it looked
exactly like a box of chocolates. Without opening it I said, "I better put
this in the cooler so it doesn't melt." Lindsey said, "It can't
melt." "OH, it never occurred to me it isn't a box of
chocolates!" I opened it to find delicious smelling lotions.
Field Day May 31, 2017
Because I had spent so much time on field trips
with Graham's class I chose to spend Field Day with Callie's class. However,
Mallerie was available to spend time with Graham's class. Graham's words about
seeing her come, "I was like, YAY!" Matt participated in his own way
by donating chips.
School
ended the following Friday with a color fest. I am SO happy 5th grade has been
moved back to the Elementary School next year so that these two get another
year together.
Aeration
The boys are always wishing they had more money to
I did get a joke out of it though. Later in the summer when Graham
signed up for football he had a very shouty coach. I imitated the coach,
"Who is the boy that has shown determination, sophistication, and most
recently participated in aeration.....that would be
Graham!!!!"
The crowd goes wild.....
I will say though, that even though this job ended up being a lot
more physical work than they anticipated, they saw it through and worked hard.
They deserved every penny they earned.
Teddy Bear Party May 31, 2017
We invited the Activity Day girls to Young Women's at the end of
May and they came out in droves! We just might have to make this an annual
tradition. We had three stations: Bear one another's Burdens, Bear His name,
and Bear your Testimony. It was a big ol' hit.
Grayson is convinced that all the Young Women do is eat food at
our activities, "Think how much money the church could save if the Young
Women didn't have to eat at everything." Ava had a hard time
convincing him that the food doesn't just show up, "We bring
the food!"
We suggested he do the same.
