Ben’s last spring soccer game

Spring piano recital

Spring piano recital for these three darlings last night. They were truly amazing and it made me
 emotional to think of how much hard work and consistency goes into this beautiful talent.

And their teacher. I have no idea how we could be the luckiest ever to have one of our favorite
humans we have ever known be these kids’ piano teacher, but she is. And we are forever grateful.

And that second picture. These two cousins have been with Emily from the beginning of our time here
—when their heads didn’t even reach her shoulder. They just really love her. And for good reason.

The happiest of evenings, with some of our very favorites. I am a fan.

AP tests and this boy I adore

AP World History test over and done.

This boy is the coolest. And makes me laugh so hard. One more school assignment
left and his sophomore year is officially complete. Yee to the haw.

Good grief, I just really love Ben Allen.

Nate and the district decathlon (again)

District decathlon today for this stud—so proud of him and his sixth grade friends who
participated. These fun memories of the last few days of Nate’s elementary years are
 just the best. Love this boy and his incredible heart and athletic self so crazy much.

Just so much love and kindness

Every single one of my kids are honestly the greatest and kindest humans. I love them so much.

I’m so thankful for any second I have with my chicklets. I know it isn’t guaranteed, especially as they
get older, and so, when they choose to spend time with us, I’m just so crazy happy. And I knew that
Campbell and Kelsey were coming this last weekend, since they had invited me to the temple, and
I was so grateful. And I also knew that Matt was coming home from a cruise with Edie’s family late
Saturday night—I was so excited to have him home. As well as our darling three youngest being around
 of course. But Annie, as I’ve mentioned, is working in Moab for the summer. And we knew she was
 only planning to come home in June for a couple of days for some important weddings. I 1000%
 understood and while I missed her, was so happy for how much she loves her job and her coworkers.

But then Saturday night, this beautiful girl called, as we were leaving the temple, and asked if it would
be a problem to come home, because she had already left and would be here in about 4 1/2 hours.
She wanted to be here for Mother’s Day, even if she had to turn around and go right back on
Monday morning. And I cried. Because that is kindness and sacrifice that just blows my mind.
But doesn’t surprise me at all with Annie—or any of her siblings.

So while I’ve made it clear over and over that I never want my kids to feel obligated to come to
any event or family gathering if it doesn’t work with their schedule or if something comes up,
the fact they were all here together today, will be a favorite memory of mine for a very long time.

As I used to say to my kids often when they were little,
“How come of all the kids in all the world, I got the very best ones?”

Because I really, really did.

And then this photo. I love these darlings and their sweet dad behind the camera so ridiculously much.
And not only did Jacob treat me with far too much love, kindness and attention all last weekend, but he took
great pains to make sure this photo happened yesterday. I just can't with him and how well he loves me.

I don't know how I could ever be blessed enough to be married to Jacob, and to have
this life I do, but I'm just so grateful for him and for it. More than I could ever say.

This Mother's Day

Alongside my Father in Heaven and my Savior, nothing matters more
to me than these seven and their dad. Nothing.

I’ve never stopped feeling undeserving of being their momma, but I’ve also
never stopped feeling grateful, to the deepest part of my heart, for the privilege.
They are the reason I keep trying and keep going. And who they choose to be
brings me the greatest happiness I could ever have imagined.

There truly never was a girl as blessed as I am.
And I will never stop thanking God for it.

The most wonderful of gifts

These two sweetest of humans called a few days ago and asked if, as a gift for Mother’s Day, they
could go to the temple with me. Are you kidding me right now? Talk about making a momma cry.

I loved today so much, it meant more than I could ever say. And the fact that my kids know that I’m
not a gift person, but a picture from any of them, or a text telling me they are thinking of me or now,
time spent in the temple together, is just the greatest and most thoughtful present in the world.

Love these two darlings so much and so grateful I could be with them
and Jacob in my favorite place today. I’m just so blessed.

District Math and Science Olympiad

This darling boy, and his fabulous friend, took 2nd place in Krypto today, at our school district’s math
and science Olympiad. It was so fun to watch and I was so thrilled for our Nathan of the brilliant mind.

This is the third straight year Nate has been eligible and has also qualified for the Olympiad and
I love that he and his friend, Zach, have competed together all three years. And to see our boy
end his elementary years, on such a high note, did something to my mother’s heart.

How I love being this boy’s mom and watching him work hard and fly high.

She’s just so happy

I’m just so grateful.

My favorite temple

Annie's summer job

Annie girl took off for Moab this morning, to spend the summer as a river rafting guide.
I’m so excited for her. And the lucky groups she will be in charge of the next several months.
We will sure miss her, but good grief, she is so adventurous and fun and darling and brave. I sure love
that girl. And love these pictures she just sent me. Looks like the adventure has already begun.

These three darlings

Just a quick post about these three darlings who have less than a month left
of school before sum, sum, summertime arrives. Oh the happy.

Nate had his 6th grade Greek feast and Olympics today, hence the cool toga. There are so many
 fun activities in the next four weeks and this boy is here for them. His mother, on the other hand,
is a tad bit melancholy about how he could possibly be done with elementary school in mere
days. But he is going to love junior high and do so very well there. So ultimately, I’m just really
thrilled for this amazing boy that is truly incredible and good in every way.

Ben joined a rec soccer team, just for a fun, with the short break he has in comp soccer right now and
 it is kind of the greatest. Especially because he is playing on a team with his cousins, Allie and Caleb,
 who are pretty much the best in all the land. It’s so happy and fun watching this boy handle everything
 in these last weeks of his sophomore year so calmly and well (even though he has a whole lot on
his plate), just makes Ben that much more tremendous and good to me. 

Grace just loves life. And her friends and creating and dancing and singing and reading and
 laughing and school and cartwheels and well, everything. She just brings such a happiness and joy
to everything she does and makes everything at home more fun and exciting. I absolutely cannot
 believe she is almost finished with fourth grade and will be our only child in elementary school
next year. Pure craziness. So grateful for this little love and her incredible goodness and light.

Campbell and Kelsey's graduation day

I’m actually not sure how to put into words how incredible today was as a parent.
These two. I just can’t with their amazingness and goodness.

Kelsey graduated with her Ed.S. (it’s pretty much like getting two master’s degrees,
because she is absolutely incredible) and Campbell with his B.A. in Communications
 (as any truly amazing extrovert of all extroverts should). BYU let them walk together
in the same ceremony and it was so wonderful. I’m so proud of them. Just so proud.

It was a beautiful day, filled with sweet support from family, time with
Kelsey’s parents (who are sincerely two of my favorite humans ever) and
just pure happiness and laughing celebration. I’m so grateful, I’m so in awe.
And I’m forever the luckiest because we get these two darlings in our family.

Just a fun photo...

...of the boys playing hoops last night, with the glow in the dark basketball I bought them.

A beautiful morning

The sweetest of mornings, where I had the chance to finish the Book of Mormon
for the first time this year, while sitting in the temple, waiting for my time
to start. I've never done that before and it was just incredibly beautiful.

I love the temple. I love the Book of Mormon. I love my Savior.

I'm just blessed beyond words to have all three as a part of my life, every single day.

Spring's coming along nicely

A trip to Spain for these two darlings

These two cutest humans in all of forever had the opportunity to go on a trip to Spain
earlier this month, because they work so hard and save so carefully. And also because
they are adventurous and exciting and choose to make really fun experiences happen.

At a family dinner last Sunday, they shared their photos and told us all about it
and I just loved it so much. But nowhere near as much as I love them.

Not sure why we are the luckiest ever and get these two darlings in our family,
but we are and we do. And I’ll never stop being grateful.

I think I like this little life

Prom night

My darling Ben, and his beautiful friend Izzy, at their first prom. Oh I love this boy and his incredible friends and
their goodness and light. It's pretty fun to be back taking dance pictures for my chicklets. It was a really great night.

A beautiful night

Last night, I was asked by some friends to be the photographer for a large activity in our area for
 hundreds of youth. I’ll spare you most all of the many pictures I took, but want a few on here to remember
 how deeply excited and thankful those who live near me are for a temple that is about to be dedicated
just minutes from our home. It is a blessing that is hard to even put into words. Oh, God is kind.

And these incredible youth, that included our darling Ben and Nate—they are just so good.
If you want to see me really riled up, try to convince me that teenagers are not the
absolute greatest. Because they are and I believe that to the deepest part of my soul.

It was a beautiful night and I’m so thankful I could be a part of it.

And so happy to have this last picture of our Gracie girl,
who was my photography assistant (aka calf petter) through it all.

God's kindness

Two days this weekend spent listening to general conference and then time this morning
in the temple. I’m definitely God’s favorite because He’s FAR too good to me.

Freezing rain = yay = that was my sarcastic font

 
I got three general conference talks worth of weeds out of the yard before this freezing wet
nonsense began. Oh spring in Utah, you are a treasure. And by treasure, I mean knock it off.