Matt of the amazing speed

District track meet for our incredible Matthew today. And all of my pictures turned out
mediocre slash lame, so a medal on the table fotografía for your viewing pleasure.

Matt man took 5th place in the 4x100 and 9th place in the 110 hurdles. He rocks.
And I am super proud of him. And feel so grateful my Dad could join us to support him.

Today

On this holiday when I feel broken and unsteady and raw to the very core of
my being, our missionary boy called. And, surrounded by all six of these souls my
Heavenly Father has entrusted me with, and their sweet dad, I felt so blessed.

I'm so very sorry if today feels hard for you. You are in my thoughts and prayers.
Please be kind to yourself. Others may not get it, but that doesn't make it any less
valid. Mostly though, God is good.Always, always, always. Even in the hard.
Actually, most especially in the hard. It is possible to be broken AND blessed.
And because of my Father in Heaven and my Savior, I am feeling both today.

Every single day I have with these six incredible chicklets that
mean everything to me, is such a miracle. I'm so grateful.

I miss you Mom. Happy Mother's Day.

Region competition

I can't figure out another way to say it, so I'll just repeat myself. This kid is such a stud.

Yesterday, he came in 3rd place, out of eight schools in our region, in the 110 meter
hurdles. And then 2nd place, overall, in the 4x100 meter race. He's never run that
one before, so the fact that he and his team did so well at region is just awesome.

Next up, the district meet on Monday (with all 16 schools from our area).

I'm counting down the seconds.

Kindergarten bound

Moms and muffins with this baby girl yesterday morning at her school.
Her entire experience with preschool the past two years has been
beyond happy. I'm so very thankful for her incredible teachers.
And I'm definitely not ready for it all to end.

Desert beauty

Some pictures Jacob took this morning on his run/hike in the middle of the New Mexico desert.

He's so happy!

I'll take this one as my nurse

This afternoon, Grace asked to listen to Little Red Riding Hood while
she ate her lunch. And in this particular Google mini version, the mother tells
Little Red Riding Hood to please take the grandmother a small cake and a pat
of butter because the mother had heard the grandmother had been very ill.

After hearing that part of the story, Grace looked up with a
confused expression on her face and told me, 

"Um, I would probably have sent her Sprite, Gatorade and some crackers."

Grumble grumble grumble

Grumpy and irritable, party of one? My hand just shot in the air
so fast, it would have made your head spin.

The past couple of weeks (thanks to my darling friend, Robyn, and her advice that helped
my plantar fasciitis tremendously), I've been able to exercise like I used to. Almost thirty
miles covered in the last ten days or so, including running a 5K (something I haven't
been able to do in a pathetically long time). I've just felt so happy and grateful.

So the pain I started feeling many days ago on the outside of my left leg, was annoying,
but tolerable. Even when I finished six and a half miles yesterday morning.

But I've had an unexplained uneasiness about my leg pain and while I'm
an expert at ignoring my injuries (one of Jacob's favorite pastimes of mine),
I just knew I should go in. So I did. And now I'm wishing I hadn't listened.

I have a stress fracture. And have been forbidden from exercise for several weeks
and advised to limit just regular walking for a while. (Sounds great doctor friend, I don't
have 42 million children and it isn't currently the easy and relaxing month of May).

I may or may not have cried the whole way home from my doctor's appointment.

Let's try that again...grumpy, irritable, overly dramatic and long-winded, party of one?

Oh look, there goes my hand again.

You know, if you couldn't tell

Just a miscellaneous photo of our house, my camera, some sun rays and darling Annie.

Taken by the aforementioned darling Annie.

Speedster

Another track meet today for this boy of the lightning speed.

Oh spring, I loveth you

Spring piano recital

This handsome guy played tremendously well at his piano recital tonight. I'm so proud of him

and his consistent, hard work. He is such an amazing boy and I so love being his mom.

More dance pictures

I can't even with this child (almost adult). Her beauty and her goodness and her talent
and her brilliance and her kindness and her amazing choices. I'm truly in awe of her.

Junior Prom

Junior Prom for our beautiful girl and her handsome date, Parker.

Kindergarten round up

Sweetest little miss at the Kindergarten round up this afternoon. She was
so happy. And loved having her big sister there with us. Love these girls.
And love this youngest and her excitement to finally start school.

A morning hike

A hike up Adams Canyon today, in thunder, lightning and eventually rain. Irresponsible? 

I prefer to think of it as communing with nature. Plus the weather was just lovely when I began

 my ascent. And I was shorter than most every one of the two dozen hikers I met on the trail, 

so suddenly I'm looking a lot less irresponsible and a lot more an expert in hiking safety.

He's such a stud

This boy of ours took second place, in the entire meet, in hurdles.

Light

On Sunday evening, I took my Mom her Easter flowers just as the sun
was setting. And took this picture from the cemetery. I love it so.

No greater joy

The blurriest of screenshots and oh I love it. We talked to this boy for just a few minutes on
Easter and he was so happy, so sweet, so hilarious, so much a missionary, so goofing off
with the other elders, so bilingual, SO joyful. What it did to my heart is indescribable.

"God be thanked for the matchless gift of His divine Son"

No words for how much I love these people or how grateful I am
for my Savior for making it possible for me to be with them forever.

So much talent

Holy frijoles, a borrowed iPad and the incredible talent of @annielinnlettering combined
to make this beauty and I just love it so. I'm so grateful for how often Annes is hired for
custom jobs because I get to see what she is capable of. Also, am I the only one who
thinks I should convince my gorgeous girl to start her own Etsy shop? I mean seriously.

The view from our back porch

Got pillows?

Track is back

 First track meet of the season and Matt rocked both the hurdles
(3rd place out of of more than 40 racers) and the 100 meter (12th place).
I love watching this boy compete. He really is something else.


Picture taken by our good friend, Jeremy.
Thanks so much Jeremy!

A sweet morning

 

I spent some time with both my Dad and my Mom this morning. I'm so blessed.

Third!

Third place in state for this girl's high school theatre group. Yee to the Haw.

Spring, soccer and subs

Spring soccer has sprung. And along with it, a super handsome substitute coach.

State theatre competition

Our incredible girl competed in the state theatre competition today and blew me away.
Her performance today was outstanding. It was even better than region, just a few short weeks
ago, and that performance was truly fabulous. I'm so proud of her. And not just because of today.
But because of who she is, how hard she works, what is important to her and that she chooses
goodness no matter what comes her way or happens to her. I'm so thankful I get to be her mom.

My darling little walking companion

Minimialists and traditions

Enjoying general conference crepes with some of our wonderful family.
(An Allen family tradition made twice a year by the handsome man I married).
We obviously keep the fillings to a minimum.

Elder Allen

He's darling and incredible and happy and healthy and very often wet and loves being
a missionary and loves to take pictures of the sky. I wonder where he got that from?
Oh, and his weight loss now totals sixty pounds. Good gravy, that will do my boy.

Arrow of Light

This handsome boy was awarded his Arrow of Light tonight.
He's amazing. I adore him. And am so thankful for incredible leaders
and how they are willing to serve and do so much for my chicklets.