Annie's first 4-H competition

And even with the terrible lighting, I still got a few photos I love. 

This girl can ride. Boy howdy, I love her.

Today

Today the bishop of our ward was sustained as our new stake president. Our previous bishop/new stake president is one of the best men we have ever personally known. His goodness makes you want to be a better person. It was a sweet and wonderful experience to be a part of his sustaining this morning.

Today our previous stake president was released after only six months of service. With the passing of his wife, the leaders of the church felt like it was important to release him to give him more time to be his children. He is honestly one of the most faith-filled people I have ever met. It was an emotional and tear-filled day.

Today our basement flooded. Most of the damage was to the unfinished portion and the carpet remnants we have on one side of that large room, but it did extended into the older boys' room a bit, as well as the hall, where we have new carpet and pad. And yet, it could have been much worse and all I could feel was grateful that we escaped something more serious.

Today several friends responded to my text to beg for any extra fans our neighbors could spare. And one friend in particular, took it upon himself to spend time working in our basement to dry things out...even after we had left for stake conference. (Jacob had not only been asked to give the closing prayer, but we wanted to be there to support both our previous stake president and whoever would be chosen as our new stake president.) Our friend's incredible kindness blew our mind and we were so humbled and grateful.

Today I realized that I had received a reply from our good bishop last night around 10pm, after I wrote asking him a question about a special musical number for an upcoming sacrament meeting. The reply, which was kind and complementary, was received 30 minutes after I sent my question. I, of course, had no idea he was our new stake president and the fact that he took the time to quickly and kindly reply to my request, when his mind must have been overwhelmed with his new calling and all that was ahead, made me emotional with respect and awe.

Today I spent a lot of quiet hours feeling so grateful for the gospel, so deeply emotional for our previous stake president and his family, so thankful for our interaction with good people, so overwhelmed with gratitude for my amazing blessings and so overcome with the hope and happiness we have because of our Savior, Jesus Christ.

 

Today felt like a sweet, sacred day. I feel so grateful to have been a part of it.

5th grade fifties day

AP tests and reminders

Just a few hours ago, I drove our Campbell to school early to make sure he would be on time to begin his AP Human Geography test. I didn't feel nervous for him (I know that boy almost better than he knows himself and know what he is capable of), but he was nervous and I understood. I remember quite clearly the worry over taking my AP tests a year or twenty ago.

But since I couldn't take that nervousness away, instead I just made him a nice breakfast, drove him to school and told him that whenever he felt anxious or unsure, he needed to remember two things. First, he had prepared so very well and he had the right to pray for the peace and help I knew would come to him. And second, he needed to know that his mom would be praying for him constantly and he was loved like crazy.

As I pulled up to the school though, and he got out of the car, an unexpected wave of emotion spread over me. I was glad I had my sunglasses on, because I just smiled an encouraging smile, told him I loved him and wished him luck. And off he walked.

As I drove away, the emotion didn't go away. In fact it stayed there for the whole drive home. And for some reason, it came accompanied by the feeling of something that will be very similar (and yet so much more important) in about three years.

During the drive home, my mind and my heart pictured dropping that same boy off at the Missionary Training Center on the day he would be leaving us for two years to serve a mission for his Heavenly Father. I thought about the "test" he would be taking at that time and how well he would be prepared. It completely filled me with gratitude for the privilege of being a mother, and specifically at that moment, being Cam's mom. I felt honored with what the Lord asks us to do.

I can't think about any of my kids leaving home, especially for two years, without getting really emotional at the thought (never mention when it actually happens). But I also know what a blessing it will be for them and how important it will be for their spiritual growth, as well as the rest of their life. But oh man, having that very small experience, reminding my heart of a much bigger experience to come, was something I wasn't prepared for this morning.

And yet, I'm grateful.

It reminded me once again, that God loves His children. So very much. And that there is so much ahead that is good and wonderful and amazing. And a bit hard.

But mostly, so very good and wonderful and amazing.

Somebody I know kind of likes to dance

A really rough morning

I think we're both pretty grateful for this moment.

Darling boys and kind friends

I've mentioned about the preschool co-op we have been a part of the last school year. Yesterday preschool was at another mom's house and the following conversation through text happened. (And anyone who knows Nate, even a little, can hear his voice saying some of these things. Oh man, it about did me in with the cuteness.)

Nate is adorable. I was telling them they could paint with their fingers or their toes.
The look on his face was priceless and he said he just wanted to paint with a brush. 

Thanks for sharing. I try so hard for my kids to be able to feel creative and
have life be exciting. But having an OCD mom apparently runs deep. :-)

You have amazing balanced kids. I love that you are teaching order.

Thanks Rebecca.

"Actually I am finger painting."

"This is going to be pretty exciting." He warms my heart with his cuteness.

You are the nicest ever! I love these pictures
and thank you for being so sweet to him and about him.

 He didn't know I took the other pictures. He requested this one to show to his mom.

  That makes me laugh like crazy. Thank you Rebecca!  
I just love this boy so much. And am so grateful for kind friends and
how they treat our kids. What a huge blessing to this mom.

Yuck, yuck, triple yuck

 

Something lovely swept through our house the last few days. (Well, it started a week ago with one of the kids, but then looked to be extinct. Apparently it was just napping.) Without going into details that no one, including myself, wants or needs to know/remember, let's just say that the blessing of feeling not sick, after being really sick, is just so lovely. It is crazy how much everyday life just seems wonderful when you don't feel deeply ill. Or when you know you will likely sleep through the night without waking up to multiple children who need immediate help.

That little cute one on the right was so sick throughout the night, but then woke feeling better and I'm so grateful. She literally went through several pairs of pajamas and ended up having to wear some of Nate's, since she was out of clean ones.

(And apparently, even though the sickness had nothing to do with tissues, she wanted an abundance to make her feel better.)

Oh life looks really happy at this moment. And I'm even grateful for the good reminder of how wonderful everyday life truly is.

At least now that that reminder is over.

Pretty much I love them

Next up, soil to fill up the boxes and more stones to make the pathways look lovely.

Annie told me the other day, "You seem to really care about our yard this year."

Yeah, I do. Finally. Our first year here, I was just in survival mode. This feels nice.

Preschool before and after

April phone pics

This little sweetheart was born to my younger sister on the 1st day of April.
I got to go to her house the next day to spend some time with her cute kids before

she came home with my newest nephew. This little one is just sweetness.

The day my sister came home with the baby also happened to be my little niece's birthday.

I loved spending a few hours with her and trying to make her birthday a happy one.

Another Jazz game, courtesy of Jacob's work, resulted in Jacob sending this photo

of two of the four older kids he took to the game that night. Fun times as always.

I wish this picture could accurately portray the sheer amount of mud on Matt boy.
The field they played their game on a few weeks ago was literally just mud. I've never

seen the likes and hope to never see it again. And yes, he did slide in it after the game.

Nate had a preschool field trip to the fire station and I grabbed this cute photo.

At the store to buy Annie new racing reins, we happened upon some

new baby chicks. Grace wasn't enamored by them or anything.

Like I said, she didn't want to stay there forever or anything like that.

Jacob sent me this handsome picture of him in the oval office. Well, the one

in the George W. Bush Presidential Library and Museum, but close enough.

And because I am such a wonderful wife, I sent this beautiful one back

to show him the loveliness of me with most of my hair chopped off.

Please don't be jealous of my incredible ability to take such cute selfies.

And my April sky photo. Although, it is a little more than that as I snapped

this one on a Sunday afternoon while letting Campbell practice his driving

skills. So it reminds me of beauty and awesomness. And feeling old.

Luke Mulholland

Matt's competition soccer team had the opportunity to be privately trained by Luke Mulholland, who plays for Real Salt Lake. And to say he was a world class guy, would definitely be an understatement.

Not only was he great with the boys, but he both knew how to have fun with them, as well as work them hard. He was funny and kind and really took the time to talk and cheer for them individually.

And afterwards, he signed whatever the boys wanted him to, without complaint and with total patience. Watching Matt during that hour or training, was one of my favorite mom memories ever.

Kind people (who are extremely talented) are the best!

Introducing himself to the boys.

And getting started.

This brought a huge smile to my face for sure.

A game that was both fun and competitive.

Sometimes he had them messing around.

And other times they were competing like crazy.

This guy is just really cool.

Signing Matt's practice jersey.

Posing with the team.

And kindly taking a photo with our Matt.

And when I teasingly told Matt to "smile like he was crazy happy,"

Luke decided to help him out.

It was just a really fabulous evening. I'm so grateful I could be there to witness it.

And take 653 photos.

You only wish I was kidding. 

(Hey, I only kept 11, give a lady a break.)

Almost there

Remember this post I wrote just one week ago? Well, I saw today that Mary's Meals is now feeding 996,926 children (in their schools) on a daily basis. It just floors me to think about that number and so very many children receiving a meal they might not otherwise get. What a privilege to witness such goodness happening and to be a small part of that goodness. We are so blessed.

I love him

Lunchtime happiness

Beauty

One of our greatest blessings

Oh where to start, where to start? My heart is absolutely overwhelmed with so many blessings that I have and one in particular is just constantly filling my thoughts today.

Years ago, while working in Boston, Jacob was privileged to consult for an organization that feeds children who are living in the poorest communities in the world, a meal each day. And the way they go about it is inspired and beautiful. (I'm not going to explain it in the hopes you will take a look at their wonderful concept.)

Both Jacob and I learned to love this non-profit organization so deeply, we couldn't express it in words.

Well fast forward to a few months after we moved to Utah, when Jacob received a call from the founder of Mary's Meals and was asked to be on the International Board of Directors. I truly can't explain how privileged he felt to be asked and how humbled and honored we felt to be a part of something that we loved so much. Serving on the board for the past two years has truly been one of the greatest blessings Jacob has ever been given.

A couple of weeks ago, Jacob received a package from Mary's Meals and in it, one of the first copies of the book that their founder and CEO (and good friend of Jacob's) wrote. I have begun reading it and it makes me emotional just thinking about what I have learned and felt in the first few pages. (I'm intentionally reading it very slowly so that I don't miss a single sentence or story.)

Combine that with Jacob sharing their new website design with me and then coming across the page that shared about each of their board directors and I just sit here overwhelmed with the blessing of being a small part of this group of incredible goodness.

And to make the whole thing just kind of blow my mind, just yesterday, their founder and CEO, Magnus MacFarlane-Barrow, was named one of TIME Magazine’s 100 most influential people in the world for 2015.

It just feels like too much and too beautiful.

Oh, by the way, the name of the book? The Shed That Fed a Million Children. Mary's Meals currently feeds 989,791 children every single day. Just typing that made me cry. They are so close to blessing a million children's lives on a daily basis. I just can't get over it.

Thanks for letting me share. I only did so because my heart feels so overwhelmed with what people are capable of doing with God's help and assistance and direction to guide their lives. And to let you know that there is SO MUCH GOOD in this world. There just is. And I can't get over the fact that the Lord lets us be such a tiny part of it and then blesses us immensely when we do.

It defies logic.

And I'm so very grateful.