Ben and the district decathlon (again)

This stud of the fifth grade variety competed in the school district
decathlon today and I just love watching this boy do most anything.
His athleticism still blows me away, even after all these years.

The long jump, speed cup stacking, the 200 meter dash and a shuttle
run were just a few of the events. (Note: The picture of Ben laying on
the ground after the dash was just a reminder to me that he carries genes
from both of his parents. Jacob's genes make him a speedster, my genes
make him collapse when he is finished. You're welcome son.) 

I'm so thankful for fun events that also make my kids work hard.
I absolutely adore Ben's PE teacher and her willingness to prepare
these kids for this fun day once a year. It was a good morning. 

Oh, and how darling are those two cheerer oners I hired
for the day? Money well spent I assure you.

These two men

This picture taken yesterday after stake conference makes me cry,
I love it so much. The two men I love most in the world.

That man on the right. He loves and supports and serves and makes us laugh and teaches us
faith and goodness by his amazing example. He has always been a hero of mine, but it seems
that he becomes more sweet and good and gentle and kind as the years go by. Who he has
become, through my mom's last days and recent death, makes me sob when I think about it. 

I love you Daddy. I'm so grateful to be your daughter.

The man on the left. The greatest gift, next to the Atonement of Jesus Christ and His
gospel, I have ever been given. Today he was sustained and set apart as a high councilor
in our stake. I can't think of anyone who will do a better job. He is kind and patient
and hard working and thoughtful and a masterful teacher. He keeps trying and caring
and wanting to be better and more holy. He is nothing short of incredible to me. 

I love you Jacob Ethan. It is such a privilege to be your wife.

I'm so thankful for this picture to remember this day, when my dad made time
to come and hear our children speak in stake conference and support Jacob as
he was set apart in his new calling. I love it so. And these men even more.

I'm so blessed

All five of these lovelies spoke in stake conference today. (Stake conference is our meeting
twice a year when several of our church congregations meet together. So two or three
thousand people attend, sometimes more.) I was ridiculously proud of them. They made
me laugh and cry and feel such gratitude that I was chosen to be their mom.

As well as they did, and they did, it was hard for me not to be able to stand up and
let everyone know that yes, my kids are amazing and wonderful and I am so
proud of who they choose to be and how well they did. BUT, we are also a
high-temperatured mess. Just like everyone else who graces this earth.

I could cite dozens of examples from this week of their grumpy and impatient mother.
My favorite probably being yelling at one of them for spilling yogurt on their church
clothes right before we had to leave this morning. (Good job adulting Linn Allen,
that will help the situation, glad your maturity prevailed.) I can also cite many instances
this week of me trying my best and doing well at motherhood. All of it is mixed in
and messy and happy and frustrating and hilarious and just as it should be.

We're doing the best we can folks. Just like the rest of you. I love being a mother
to the depths of my soul. And sometimes yearn to run away because it is so hard.
God is okay with all of it. He told me that Himself. That is why He sent His Son.

I am so thankful I get to keep trying. With these five darlings, their incredible older
brother and their sweet dad by my side. Life is good. Stake conference talks,
yogurt-stained church clothes and mothers who make you take a sibling picture
when you've already given a talk to several thousand people included.

I'm so blessed.

Timp Trail Half Marathon

This incredible man ran a 13.1 mile race today. And not just any race. It addition to being rainy and
windy and cold, he pretty much climbed a mountain in those miles. And came in third in his age
group and eleventh overall. He is incredible to me. I'm so grateful to his wife and biggest cheerleader.

So exciting!

Utah High School Musical Theatre Awards and our girl's school took best ensemble
in the state! Oh the happy. And as you might remember from a post or seventeen from me,
Annie was a part of that Newsies ensemble. So proud of all of these incredible kids and
so thrilled that their hard work and talent was recognized in such a significant way.

This is in my sarcastic font, if you can't tell

My follow-up appointment today went swimmingly today, thanks for asking.

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.