Birthday Month

I am grateful we got to go to Utah in April for Joe's Birthday and for Easter. We had a great time riding around town, looking at all the bookstores and going out to eat at various resturants. We play Alhambra the game a lot and enjoyed each other company to the fullest. Bri and the boys went shooting and Celia and I even went on a ferris wheel inside Scheels. I love that even though half our kids live out of state, we still see them. I was so pleased when Emmy said she wanted to visit home. Of course, she can come anytime! She flew in for a fun filled weekend trip celebrating Celia and visiting Spencer for his birthday. His workers took him around to a an aquarium and had lots of cupcakes. I can't believe all the kids are getting older. They are so fun and keep me young, especially Celia. The Con was great and we still had time to go to the temple with Emmy. I loved seeing the Joy on Brian's face for having another daughter in town. We are so blessed and hope all our children can feel this love.

Coming and Goings

Just like the waves of the sea, time with my older children ebbs and flows. After seeing MOnterey and its beautiful bay, I ponder. I am so happy to have spnt a great amount of time with all of them this April. It was a bit weird to have one child home for Easter after such a full house this month. It makes me feel grateful for each sunrise, each rainy day, each meal with my beautiful family. Maybe I am becoming more acustomed to change, but more likely I am having hope. I hope they keep coming home and our ties and friendships in the family will continue. I pretty sure they will. Our routine includes seeing Spencer on Sunday, Bri and I each and every Sunday. Well, sometimes we switch it up. Bri was out of town for Grandma Jean's funeral and Emmy was in town. It was nice to have both my girls go on that ride. When Bri was back, Joe and him took Spence. Yesterday, I couldnt wait for it to be my turn to see my boy. Im glad it was Easter and we could spoil him! Spoiling comes in different ways for each of us. I love going for walks, eating with my family, dancing and talking for hours. Seeing new sites on car rides is quite up there on my favorite list of activites. While the fam was in town, we went to Davis and I loved going and seeing the UCDavis public garden. I'm graduating this month and see the All Stars in the garden there felt like such an inspiratiopn for what we are trying to accomplish as Master Gardeners. I'm very excited to write for the Aubrun Journal in May and to help out all I can in Placer County. I have a few trips planned for the summer and I think this year is just going to be wonderful. There will be challenges, I'm sure, but highlights will be there and blessings will inevitably abound. I have really enjoyed carpooling with Heather and attending events with her. I'm glad she is in my group for presentations and Im sure we will use each other as a resource for troubleshooting situations. We already have as I was looking up appropriate fungicide for gray rot on a california coastal redwood. With all the changes, Bri is a constant and always there for me. We make a great team. I suggested we have a salad bar for Easter at my moms and aggreed to bring a pasta salad. For whatever reason, My contribution was lacking in flavor and color. Bri chopped up some smoked gouda, added some green olives and summer sausage, and it made the dish great. I know it seems silly, but we have different strengths and it compliments each other. I imagine this will only get better and stronger as we get older, so the changes in our famnily dynamic will be wonderful and exciting to see know he and I will be a constant. What a great truth.

A New Chapter for Some

 Schedules for college for the kids made it hard to get together for Easter and Joseph's birthday. Emmy saved the day and went to Rexburg to gather with Joe. I'm sure he would have been fine with his new found friends, but I wanted him to have family around and Emmy too. Things have been evolving quickly with Celia growing up and being opinionated and Joe being away so long. I had a dream last night where I could tell that it is hard for me to give my all to the life to the details of caring deeply for each child and them have the move away! I know we will have time again. 

General conference was full of talks of hope and healing. Celia watched a bit with us and I'm glad Emmy watched it too. Every time Celia goes to seminary via zoom, does her module, attends young women's or goes to church with us in person,I'm taking it as a win. 

The gospel and its teachings are so important to me and I would love for my children to grab hold and build their own testimonies.  I sent the kids and Bri a group text sharing a great come follow me app that is so easy to access for scriptures and  thoughts to ponder. The Lord's guidance in my life is an anchor to all I do and has proved well to be a guide to great decisions in my life. Its seems like it would be hard to Remember Christ all the time, but he is such a help and healer and life is so tumultuous in the world right now, it doesn't have to just be about Easter or being  a super spiritual person. His kindness and charity make it to everyone can feel loved guided, appreciated and valued.

Not too bad of an April

Even though celebrations can be stressful, It was nice having so much family time and celebrations this month. Joseph turned 19 years old right after a spirit filled General Conference. We got him insurance so he was happy to get out a little for soda runs and help me with my job getting groceries for Spencer.  We have been so productive this month as well.

Emmy came to visit onthe 7th and we reorganized two bedrooms and closets. Emmy found enough space for her stuff she keeps here to fit in the cupboard under the stairs( or full bed) we have in the guest room. Joe like a gentleman let Emmy stay in his new room for the entire time she was visiting. (21/2 weeks)

We loved Easter and had our fill of candy, eating steak, and being outside in the backyard. We enjoyed the Sabbath at home and bearing our testimonies to each other.  The schedules each day were layed out for Celia and I and we did excercise, art, chilling and a lot of reading for class.These classic books are cornell notes for them are no joke! Emmy played the guitar for real and guitar hero and she sketched my garden on the side of the house. And if that wasn't enough we went for walks around the neighborhood and in nature. We saw the golden hour and sunsets together and celebrated two more birthdays.

 Emmy and I did DYI ballon swags and had many yummy cupcakes and cakes from various stores. We did pickup at our favorite resturants this month as well. I heart teriaki, CJF's and of course Little Caesers. For Celias birthday we even hit Boudin's since mom needed a break and we had gift cards for there. Most of the time we have been home cleaning and playing games and doing a lot of school work. Joe started Spring semeester remotely at BYUI, Emmy continued her grad program and work in research which inclueded a lot of Zoom meetings while she was here and work training videos. Emmy and I set up school videos at Spence's house for him and we zoomed a few meetings for Celia. Celia does zoom each friday for homework passes in math and socratic deisscusion weekly for humanties. We are getting in the groove of using more technology to socail distance and have been enduring fairly well. Some days I feel really down, but for the most part, it has been better days and beauty in the home and in the community.I have loved going out to get groceries and seeing people I know even if it just a wave from a far, I need that interaction with others.

I had my mom make masks for Brian\s workers and the comminutity of quiters she knows helped fill a tall order of 25 masks. I gave one to my minsteree family as her husband is high risk, and I love that my mom made cute doggie ones for the granddaughters. We use our masks and wear gloves when going out. We are really trying to help out and stay safe.

Spence doesn't go out with his people since he is high risk and he is homebound, but what a blessing that he has been happy there. It is a gift from our heavenly father that he isn't freakingout during this time of change. I told him yesterday on his birthday that he isn't going back to school and that he is graduated and is too old for school now, and he just smiled and giggled. We went and took him for a long ride in the mountains on his birthday. We went through grass valley and took hiway 20  to smartsville and down through a bunch of meadows to Linda. It was nice to stop for a pit stop off at Brian's work and then went our way.

I feel grateful to have so many family members in town and nearby, to have so many friendly and home like places to stop at and to shelter in if needed. Our home is open and spacious and if we have to be confined, it it best to be where we are comfortable. It may been for a while that we are like this, but I am trying to take it slow and enjoy all the good things in life, remembering to self care and to reach out to all those who I care about who would need or want my help at this trying time.