How I prayed for our leaders as they prepared talks for conference, that they would give us the help and comfort we need as we deal with the vicissitudes of this life. I was so touched that He knew what we needed and guided our leaders to help us. Conference was such a great inspiration and blessing...I am so thankful for Heavenly Father's love for us even when we don't seem to deserve it...actually, we never deserve it, do we? He loves us, not because we are good, but because He is.
Amarillas is the April flower for our monthly bouquet.
April is such a great month to be born...the real month of the Savior's birth and of His resurrection, and the establishment of His church here on the earth. Our April birthdays are special and worthy of this great month.
Dallin turned 22 on the 8th
Erika's birthday is the 11th
Scott's birthday is the 12th
Kirtlyn turned 10 on the 13th
Tayte turned 14 on the 19th
Sara (Dallin's fiancee) turned 20 on the 21st
Yes...you read that right! Dallin and Sara Jessica Carter are engaged! They are looking at August for a wedding date. Welcome to the family, Sara.
And of course, with weddings on our minds, we were happy to receive Devynne and Brock's wedding announcement. Their happy event will kick off the merry month of May.
The old saying that "April showers bring May flowers" is certainly not true in this dry, desert country. I guess we would have to say "November showers (sprinkles) bring February, March and April flowers." By May, it starts getting too hot for most of our spring flowers. Thank goodness for dependable lantana and oleanders and verbena.
Dad got cuttings of this flower from a family he home teaches. I don't know how far into the summer it will bloom.
We also have flowers planted in the back so it will be pretty for when Daniel and his family come.
We were so blessed to be able to listen to General Conference on the 5th and 6th. It seems especially important when it falls on the date of the establishment of the Lord's church and of His birth and death. We enjoyed all the talks, of course, and loved having people over to watch it with us.
That night was also the night of Porter and Shadrach's Eagle Court of Honor. Daniel face timed it to us and we were able to watch it with them, just as if we were there. It was great. I took pictures of Dad's laptop and got these blurry photos of them and their parents. More pictures to follow in their section later.
This is a horrible story. Rebecca was walking on her regular path, one set aside for exercising, just beyond 8th Ave., one she walks every day...although not always alone. Two pit bull-mix dogs attacked her, growling...not barking...and threatening her. She backed away from them and fell off the path, into a rocky ravine. She caught herself with her hand and broke her wrist. She had the presence of mind to grab a rock and throw it at one of the dogs, but the other one just got madder. She was able to get to her feet just in time to see the owner of the dogs approach her as she put them on their leash. "Get away from me?" Rebecca yelled and rushed down to 8th Ave,. cradling her arm against her body. The woman came around to the street in her truck, with her dogs growling in the back and asked Rebecca if she could help. Seeing the dogs, Rebecca screamed "Get away from me!" She had her phone so she called Scott who came and got her and took her to the emergency room. She had to be anesthetized in order to have her wrist set, and they put it in a temporary cast until the swelling went down. She came by our house so we could take care of her until Scott could come back and get her. She was in so much pain. I just had a little fracture when Rachel was a baby, and I can still remember how much it hurt. I can't even imagine how much Rebecca's bad break hurt. And it was a bad break. The police have been on the job, after Rebecca and Scott found the lady's house (it had a "beware of dogs" sign in front). I don't know why the owner was letting them run loose in the desert near a walking trail.
The girls brought her a basket full of comfort, goodies, movies, etc.
The swelling finally went down enough that she was able to get a permanent cast put on, but now she has been told that she has to have a steel plate put in.
Daynen and Reygan were invited to the Safford Prom by Craig Smith's kids. They came to stay a couple of days with us, so of course, we went to lunch at the El Charro.
Their day date, in the t-shirts they designed.
Erika made her beautiful dress.
REYGAN WITH KIMBALL SMITH, DAYNEN WITH KELLI-MARRIE SMITH
PROM...SAFFORD, THATCHER, BELLEVUE, GLENWOOD
RYLIE WITH MITCHELL MCHUGH
REYGAN
DAYNEN
LILLIAN WITH EVANN TARK
With Rebecca's broken arm, Scott had to do Mom duty.
HANNAH WITH A FRIEND
LILLIAN TO THATCHER PROM WITH GRAYSON BRYCE
PORTER AND FRIEND
SHADRACH AND FRIEND
We went by Scott's house on his birthday, the 12th, and he had to come in from the rooftop of his apartments, to get his card. He was a good sport about it, though.
The 13th was Kirtlyn's 10th birthday. Her parents invited us over for dinner Sunday night to celebrate.
The 15th was a total eclipse of the moon. It was supposed to be quite dramatic, even being called a "blood moon." I saw this post on instagram and I just had to laugh because it was so true! I had seen pictures of what the moon might look like, so I got up at midnight to take a picture.
This is what I thought I would see, and the bottom picture is the photo I took of what I actually saw. Oh well. Dad stayed up for a long time watching it eclipse, but I went to bed after I saw what little I saw.
Rachel and Tony went to a Big O meeting in San Diego, so the kids stayed with us for a little while. Mary kept them too, and even Rebecca with her broken arm had them for an afternoon when we went to Mesa.
Dad put Luke to work pulling weeds
After dinner, we went to see Daynen's movie. It was so good! It was a superhero comedy musical. Daynen helped to write it and directed it. His friend, Neal Johnson wrote all the music. It was an hour long and we watched it in a Community Youth Theater. Daynen introduced it and he even had a little short film before the main feature. We were really impressed!
The short film about a guy whose iPhone falls in love with a girl's android.
These are some of the actors who were there for the premier of their movie. There was a pretty good crowd. Jeremy had two extra tickets which he gave to us because Daynen didn't need one and Erika couldn't go. I'm so glad we were able to. It was very good. And it showed for several nights, so Erika got to see it later.
We gave Tayte his birthday card a couple of days early when we saw him at the movie.
Dad saw this mother duck and her babies on his walking route before breakfast.
After the play we went by to see Rebecca and take her a milkshake. She had surgery on her wrist. They implanted a steel plate that is supposed to help her wrist heal. Poor child. She was so miserable. I'll be so glad when she's feeling better and can be herself again. She is used to being busy and hates the confinement almost as much as the pain.
NEWS FROM AROUND THE FAMILY
NATHAN & SHAUNA
Easter~
Josh and Nicole...We just got the great news that Josh and Nicole are moving back to AZ to finish school at ASU! they'll come the end of May :-)
Hannah's Seminary graduation. Quite an accomplishment as she has been going at 6:00 every morning for four years. She really deserves a lot of credit. Josh and Bethany also did it. Actually, I think Daniel's kids have that early, early morning schedule too.
I love her dress...so flattering and feminine.
JOEL & STEPHANIE
Joel, in Orlando, listening to Conference while waiting until time to catch the plane home.
Docker had to speak in Stake Priesthood meeting. Steph sent a recording. Wow! It was very good, very mature and she said he wrote it all himself.
DANIEl & CONNIE
Shadrach, asking his date to the prom. Daniel said there are stories to both Porter's and Shadrach's asking, but I have yet to hear them.
Easter
Porter, Shadrach, Albert, Jonathan
Southern Virginia University posted this picture as representative of their athletic program.
Speaking of tennis tournaments, Lillian won the first round of the state women's singles in Scottsdale, and is now in the quarter finals.
Easter
Dallin and Sara
Lillian and Polly. Polly received her YW Recognition Award this month.
Oh, poor Rebecca. She found out on Thursday that she had to have surgery on her arm and have a steel plate put in it. She had the surgery on Tuesday and it has been so incredibly painful, even worse than when she first broke it. She has had lots of company...not sure if it's helpful or not...but at least, from Rachel and Mary she received some real help in the form of food and love. We brought her a milkshake after finding out that Rachel and Mary had already planned meals for a couple of days.
Her xray. See the black spider-like object clinging to her wrist?
How Erika spent her birthday money! It's fun to know what you do with it.
Jeremy, listening to Conference in Orlando.
Hayden's Priesthood Preview. He turns 12 in June.
At a Coyotes hockey game.
Hayden found a beehive while looking for water dogs. I can't believe they stayed around long enough to take a picture!
I don't know what the situation was here, probably some YMYW activity, but they look as if they are having so much fun I had to put it in. Do you see Daynen and Reygan?
Mike, trying to help Reygan with her drawing. He must have done a good job of helping because it looks great!
Erika and her PA school buddy
Ellie and her friends on their way to a class fieldtrip to a Diamondbacks' festival.
Poor Daynen had all four wisdom teeth pulled in preparation for his mission. He looks so miserable.
RACHEL & TONY
Isabel has been running track. Luke is playing 4th grade basketball.
Brynlie and Camille are playing basketball too. Brianna and Thomas are also on this team but Thomas wasn't there for pictures because he was at a choir practice for stake conference. They had a hand-picked children's choir and Thomas was picked from his ward.
Brynlie and Camille were even more excited than Rylie about her prom dress.
Rylie came over to have Grandpa give her a lesson in navigating the Family History site.
Rachel took her kids to exercise with her at Rebecca's gym.
Easter~ Rylie, Isabel, Luke, Brynlie, Camille
ESTHER & SHAD
Soren and Brody played baseball.
Esther and Shad on a date to Skateland
Esther and Marlie trying to encourage a trapped bird to fly out the door.
Harrison has had opportunities to play solos in band concerts and programs.
He had to have surgery to have a new kind of tubes put in his ears. Hopefully these will work better than the previous 4 or 5!
He went ahead and did the things he needed to do even before he was recovered from his surgery. He went on a campout and then came home and played a solo at a Diamondbacks' game. He did really well too.
Easter~ Harrison, Shad, Esther, Marlie, Bridger, Soren, Brody
Bridger earned the "Golden Scholar" Award at school.
THOMAS & JENN
Thomas has been Kirtlyn's coach for 4th grade basketball. Thomas and Hyrum are also playing basketball. Thomas is on Brynlie and Camille, and Brianna's team and Hyrum, Carson and Lindsay are on the same team.
They had a special daddy-daughter lunch at El Charro for her birthday. Jenn is working part time at Lafe Nelson, the school her kids attend, as a special-aid assistant, so she wasn't able to go with them.
Another time, though, she got up the nerve to try a cheeseburger enchilada style, at Thomas' prompting. His employees are always telling him how delicious it is but he has never had the nerve to try it...so he got Jenn to. She said it was good!
Easter~Jenn holding Henry, Thomas, Thomas, Kirtlyn, Hyrum, Maya
Thomas, sweeping our porch, getting ready for our Easter picnic.
Thomas and Jenn and their family went to Mesa to an O'Kelly family reunion. That is her mother's maiden name. She is the reason we can now legally celebrate St. Patrick's Day. I used to say that since we were neither Catholic nor Irish we couldn't really lay claim to St. Patrick. Now we can. Corey Echols built the barrel train. The kids loved it. Also, below, is a picture of the O'Kelly sisters. There were no brothers. Don't they all look so much alike?
MARY & TYSON
Jared, Jared, Jared. He really keeps his mother busy. She posted this picture of him eating the tops off all the muffins.
potty training
Playing hide and seek. He was sure that if he closed his eyes she wouldn't be able to see him.
He coated her new couch with vaseline the other day. Too bad I don't have a picture of that. When she walked in the room and Jared saw her, he dropped the vaseline and ran as fast as he could to time out. I told her not to give up hope. Rebecca was my most mischievous, mess-making baby and look at her now! Mrs. Clean.
Mary gets a break once in a while when he crashes, as he did on my bed when she was doing Reygan's hair for the prom.
Carson was a cabbage in his school program. He designed his costume. He wanted to get into the spirit of it but not be too conspicuous. He takes after his Grandpa Tom.
Carson and Lindsay and Hyrum are all on the same basketball team.
Easter~Mary holding Jared, Tyson (who is now working at Edward Jones) Lindsay, Carson, Brianna
Lindsay had an egg drop contest. Her egg didn't break.
She really knows how to work the camera!
In the Community Youth Theater production of Sleeping Beauty, Brianna was Maleficent and Lindsay was a goon...the cutest one, of course. see her on the right.
OUR MISSIONARIES
What a treat to get some pictures of Parker. He looks good, doesn't he? This is a woman they are teaching and he and his companion are sitting in front of the Chicago Temple.
So much of DeWitt's service is driving! He drives Elders to and from the airport as well as around town to get visas and other things. He has become an expert in the visa department. I remember in Portugal how impressed I was with the office Elder who helped us renew our visa. He just acted and spoke like a native and made the officials pay attention to him. DeWitt is the APs' district leader so he has had to interview their investigators for baptism. He has even had the opportunity to do some proselytizing himself. His favorite thing.
Levi's zone service project, cleaning out a village's clogged water source.
I loved this one. They had to create a place to baptize their investigator by damming a stream and making their own font. Levi confirmed him the next day.
SOMETHING TO MAKE YOU SMILE
At our Easter breakfast, Polly, such a mature, cool teenager, stuffed 15 cheese balls in her mouth!
This is a little sad, if funny. The Easter Bunny hid Camille's Easter basket in the oven and Rachel got up early Sunday morning and turned it on to make breakfast. Everything was melted! Her siblings all pitched in and gave her things from their baskets. This reminds me of a movie. I'll be surprised if anyone can guess what it is..maybe Erika.
April has been a month of reflection. Hopefully, as we contemplate the atoning sacrifice of our Savior we will rededicate and recommit ourselves to keeping our covenants and being close to Him. As we live the Gospel and bring ourselves in tune with the Spirit of the Lord, we will be happier in our personal lives and in our families. I know with all my heart that nothing brings happiness like righteousness. There's no other way. And fun is not the same as joy. You are all such a great joy to us...even if you have not always been very much fun (diapers, broken limbs, wrecks, etc., etc.)...but always a joy. Thank you.
2 comments:
Lots of great, funny, wonderful things happened in April! Thanks for capturing it all so beautifully Mom!
Wow, what a month!!
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