Yesterday as soon as we got the kids off to school Jen and I headed off to meet Carol and check out our girls camp site for the summer.  It's in VA a couple hours from here and we had a fun drive.  It was nice to get to know Carol better.  The camp is awesome and I think it's going to be great!  Can't wait.

We got home in time for the kids to be collected, then they had friends to play while I fixed dinner and headed out the door again to visit the WP I and II wards.  I have two more wards to visit and then I've hit them all.  It's been fun to get to know the youth and leaders all around the stake.  I am a little awkward at it, but I supposed I'll get better.  Becky came with me and meanwhile Kitty met with Jared (the YM Pres) and they planned our stake youth activity for next week.  I'm excited to hear how that turned out.  I am looking forward to that to, it will be Hannah's first stake activity and it's going to be lots of fun.

my hero

This little girl has had a pretty nice life.  She was a little blessing to me and has always been a delight.  She is cheerful and adventurous.  Here she is in Ireland looking out over the ocean.  Lucky, ducky.    Next week she's moving back to Utah.  She is ready for her next chapter.  I know she has many adventures ahead of her and will continue to make good choices and be a blessing to those around her.

In no particular order here is a small list of some of the neat things she's been able to do.  She took violin lessons, and played in the Ft Worth Youth Orchestra and her high school orchestra, she took piano lessons, she took ballet lessons, she danced on the Boswell high school drill team, she was on the swim team, was a brownie, raised a goat, was in student government, has lived in 4 states and made lots of friends, studied many neat things in school, read lots of books, went to seminary, lived in a dorm, went to sea base, went white water rafting, been kayaking, has gone caving, has travelled to Belgium, France, Romania, Moldova, Ireland, England and many many states, went to EFY (twice) and scout camp and girls camp and science camp, she's played on a soccer team, worked in an orphanage and for special Olympics and as a sentinel for baby sea turtles and took part in "Christmas in April".  She surfs, runs, bikes, swims, sings and shops.  She had pet turtles, birds, dogs, cats and fish.  She's been to Disneyland, Disneyworld, Magic Mountain, Knott's Berry Farm, Williamsburg, Nauvoo, Big Kahuna's, King's Island and Sea World.  She's swam in the Atlantic and the Pacific oceans, a great lake and many smaller ones :)  and the list could go on and on.

Many of these great experiences have been because of my hero, my husband. When he married me he willingly and gladly became part of a big (relatively speaking to an only child) family and jumped in with both feet to do the best job he knew how.  He has sacrificed a lot, worried a lot, prayed a lot and been there for good and bad.  I really appreciate him making not only my dreams but my sweet girls dreams and now our own three little ones dreams come true.  Today, like many many other days he put in 12 hours at work.  When I called to ask him to pick up E's prescription on the way home and to break some bad news to him he told me how much over time he made this day... and I said (here comes the bad news part) "oh good, cuz I am out of $ and need you to move "x amount" into my account and oh btw, J needs to pay $450 in rent....today.  He sighed (quietly), said "Lucy, you got some splaining to do" (just kidding) and said okay.  He always saves the day.  He buys cars and cletes and movie tickets and braces.  He goes to concerts and games, recitals and open houses.  He stays up all night, cleans throw up, stands in crowds, makes ice cream, camps, digs out splinters and all other and assorted duties that befall him and it makes me love him more and more each day. 

updates

Ethan's toe is doing well.  He goes tomorrow to the doctor again but I think all is well and he was able to play soccer and run around all weekend with no pain.

Baby bunny is back in the nest and momma bunny is nursing him, all is well.

Jenna sold her car.  I hope she will be able to find a good one for the same $ in Utah, and I hope hope hope she will quickly find a job. 

Sierra comes home next week! Yeah! I can't wait, it's been a long time and I always enjoy her peaceful presence.  It will be a fun visit.  She'll work, we'll play, it will be warm!  Good times.

Our Sabbath day was lovely.  It was the last day we had Alissa with us, the two girls had a lot of fun together and I am happy she could come.  We went to church and after I had a YCL meeting but everyone else stayed for a linger longer...which reminds me I need to check if R brought my crock pot home.

Two of my friends had daughters receive mission calls this weekend.  Kitty's daughter Julia is going to Sacramento on  an ASL mission and Ruth's daughter Giaonna is going to Russia.  So exciting.  I am very excited to find out where mom and dad are going.  I expect we won't know for another couple of months but still it's exciting. 

With summer fast approaching I've been beach looking.  I didn't know but Ocean City, which is about 3 hours from us not only has a wonderful boardwalk and lots of sandy beachy fun to be had but it is also very near the home of the wild Assateague ponies.  I am hoping to take a quick trip up there while Sierra is home and spend a beach day and a pony day.  So fun. 

I can't believe school is almost over for the year.  Hannah will be in 8th grade, crazy!  She is doing really well.  Her biggest dilemma right now is what language to take next year.  She wants to take French but the middle school only offers Spanish and Chinese.  Odd isn't it.  The  high school has French and Latin as well. 
Ethan has enjoyed STEM.  This week they have a trip to the base, and at the end of the month they have their Elms camp out.  He's learned to write in cursive, a task he did not relish.  His big challenge right now is soccer.  He loves it and is probably ready to move up to the next level, sadly they play only on Sunday and travel to weekend tournaments.  It really makes me sad that there is so little, really next to no regard for the Sabbath.   Right now we have one travel team in our area that is for his age and it is full of stand out players, the bad news it the decision has been made to form a second team.  If that happens a lot of the strong players that E now enjoys playing with will be drafted and he is afraid he'll be left with boys that aren't as good.  He may be right. 
I guess we'll see what happens.  I hope he'll be able to continue to play and enjoy it and if he wants even play in high school but the bottom line is we are not raising a soccer star, we are raising a boy who will be a man that loves and serves God.  We will honor the Sabbath day and even if we feel sad about it will sacrifice moving up the soccer ladder.
Lu is almost done with 1st grade.  She has done very well.  I have been very pleased with her teacher and she has lots of friends and is a great reader.  Her challenge is learning to obey.  She is a Sassy Pants! with a capital SP.  Good thing she is sooo cute. 

Our garden is planted (thanks R!)

That's it. 

Freedom Fighters

Bub also had soccer pictures today and he also tied his game.  This boy loves soccer.

same 24 hours, but it went a lot faster.

 Picture day at soccer.  We got up and went straight to Lu's game.  It was pretty fun.  They took pictures, then played a game.  We tied, 2 all. 

 After soccer we went to the mall for Lu's Daisy build a bear party.  They made really cute girl scout bears with daisy uniforms.  We also had time to walk around and enjoy the mall.  Hannah and Alissa ran around, found stuff to buy and ate fancy cupcakes.  J and I walked with Lu and while she was at her party we went and found a pretty new dress for her. 

As soon as I got home R and I went to a dinner at Wheel's house.  It was a lot of fun.  It was for some of his coworkers and their wives.  We made our own foil pockets and cooked them on the fire outside, it was raining but the trees kept the rain off us.  For dessert we made our own dessert pockets.  There were strawberries, bananas, apples, pie filling, hot fudge, marshmallows, honey, cranberries, granola, nuts, cinnamon, and other yummy things to put in the packet.  We cooked them and then dumped the toppings on pound cake or angle food cake.  It was a hit and we had a lot of fun.

long day

(long exhale)  some days are long.  Friday was one of those days.  I subbed, which is normally fine and dandy.  This day was long, mind numbingly, tortuously, long where every minute felt like an hour.  I will not take that assignment again. 

When R got home he wanted to go on a bike ride with me.  I wasn't too excited but I know he's really wanted to take me so I agreed.  It was okay, I wanted to like it.  But I didn't.  A lot of wind blew in my face, it was uncomfortable and also felt like it took a long time although we only rode for 20 minutes.  Jenna said I sat on the bike wrong, I am not sure how one sits wrong but I am going to give it another try.

Hannah's friend Alissa is spending the weekend with us.  I wanted to do something fun with the girls so R kept E and G (who has spent the last two days crying about the bunny being returned to the nest) and Jenna, Hannah, Alissa and I went to the movies.  We went to see Lucky One, I thought it started at 7 but it really started at 8 so we ended up with time to go eat burgers first, which was fun.  Then we went to the theater and it was okay.  After seeing Dear John and really liking it I thought I'd give Nicolas Sparks another chance, I have found him annoying in the past.  He still is.  I guess DJ is an exception.  Lucky One was okay and  today thinking back on it I was fond of some parts but over all I'd say nope. 

The girls had fun.  I was happy to have the day over and to lay down in my bed at the end of it.

thursday

rainy morning reading stories under the umbrella at the bus stop

feeding Teo

Lu picked some lovely flowers for me.

Thursday was a good day.  It started out with a great Wednesday night.  We had a skype party.  Jenna, Hannah and I here in MD, Tate, Sierra and Dani in Utah.  We laughed for over an hour.  I loved it.  Thank goodness for technology.

Lu and I walked to the bus stop in the rain.  She read me jokes from her joke book.  Very funny and fun!

I took E to the doctor.  His foot is still infected but doing so much better.  He is 20% for weight and 30% for height and needs glasses but is smart and awesome.  Official diagnosis :)

J and I went out to lunch and hung out together. 

We returned Teo to his nest.  After some researching and a lot of unsuccessful feedings yesterday we decided it was his best chance at survival.  This morning I heard the report that he was nursing and doing well.  So yeah!

In the evening I went to a camp meeting.  Camp is coming together.  yeah!!