He wanted a BYU football helmet and uniform:
We also had New Beginnings in February. We found things in our closet to alter to make them more modest or up-to-date. I helped Minnie lengthen a skirt. We added a solid red border to the bottom of the skirt. (This is the "before" photo. She modeled the finished product on the runway at New Beginnings.)
We also shopped for "treasures" at D.I. that we could make into something new. This dress became a cute skirt:
Also if February, Atom got to be the "hero" of his class for a week which means he got to bring home Curious George for a weekend of fun which we had to document with photos:
On March 5th, my extended family celebrated all the January, February, and March birthdays. This included Jet who got a few more cool presents:
Also in March, the 4th grade had a "mountain man rendezvous" which Jet took part in:
And the leprechauns left treats for all our kids on St. Patrick's Day as is traditional:
Atom started spring soccer:
The first game was nice weather, but the next two were MISERABLE. Freezing cold with an arctic wind blowing. Which I suffered through as the dedicated mom that I am! :) (These photos were taken at the nice weather game.)
In April Jet finally received his Bear badge which he finished back in February before he moved up to Webelos:
Jumble turned 17 on April 21st:
Then on the 23rd my extended family celebrated the April and May birthdays along with the annual Easter egg hunt:
Jumble opens family gifts
So does Minnie
Then the hunt. It wasn't very warm and was sprinkling a little, but at least not pouring rain:
Shellie brought a pinata that the cousins enjoyed breaking. We took it down to the park. Can you tell it was cold? A stiff breeze was blowing and we were all wishing we had put on our coats:
Then after all of that fun, we finally got a chance to color our eggs:
And hunt for baskets:
On Easter Sunday we had a wonderful dinner with Nile's parents and family. Yay! Ben and Lori came to visit from Kansas with baby Cora. This is the first time we've gotten to see her in person since her birth on February 1st.
Minnie in her Easter dress holding cousin Cora:
Jumble and Jet get acquainted with their new cousin:
It was a fun weekend, but exhausting!!
The scene out the back window on the morning of April 30th. Pretty, but enough already!!
Atom was supposed to have a game later in the day but they cancelled it. Ironic since the snow had all melted by then and it was infinitely better weather for soccer that day than the previous 2 games that I WISH they'd cancelled.
Minnie poses in her marching band uniform for the first time (after I let out the hem):
A new season and a new daughter for marching band! (Sometime soon I'll get her and Jumble in uniforms together.)
Minnie also auditioned for Wind Ensemble (the top band at the Jr. High) back in February. It is fierce competition for the flutes--about 18 flutes tried out for 5 spots and Minnie was one of the 5 that made it! We were very proud of her for working so hard and grateful that it paid off.
Marching Band is getting started a little early this year because they are preparing for the Rose Parade. The President of the Rose Parade is visiting Utah next week to extend an "official invitation." We are hoping we can all go next January along with the girls so that my kids and my husband can enjoy their first-ever trip to Disneyland.
May 1st--Minnie turns 14!!
Yum yum!
Niles recently began working a shift at the Mt. Timpanogos Temple on Friday mornings (since he doesn't have work on Fridays.) After a month, he was "promoted" to a full ordinance worker. That means he now has to arrive at the temple by 5 a.m. and works until 11 a.m. He started with his first training shift last Friday. My dad's suit from when he and my mom served a mission to the Chicago Illinois temple fits him, so it is again being put to good use! We are grateful that he has this opportunity to serve. I think it is awesome that he is willing to serve on his "day off."
We've been watching all the big world events with interest and concern. We actually had friends from Arizona who were visiting in Japan at the time of the big earthquake. They were in the Tokyo area and staying on an American military base while visiting family so they definitely felt the earthquake but weren't hurt and had no trouble returning home within a week. But it's been heartbreaking to see the suffering of the Japanese people with the earthquake, tsunami, and nuclear plant difficulties. I've been amazed at the devastation in the south with the massive tornadoes last week and the previous month. My heart is with all of my Alabama friends! There was a small tornado just a few blocks from my apartment in Montgomery while I was there--took the roofs off a few houses. It was in the middle of the night and my companion and I both slept through it--the warning sirens and everything. That is one of my favorite mission memories, especially funny since I am a very light sleeper! Don't ask me how I slept through that. I am of course very grateful that we were protected as we snoozed away in our 2nd story corner apartment. We had a pretty big wind storm here in our part of the country during the second week of April which caused us to have "a bad case of the shingles" as one of our neighbors put it. Niles being the great handyman that he is, had our roof all put back together within a few days.
Today we are feeling grateful for one less radical terrorist leader on the planet and grateful to all the brave men and women in our military for all their sacrifices to protect our freedoms every day.
