March~Mexico, Maryland

~Mexico~

This picture is from Guadalajara, where Thomas and Jenn lived for almost 3 years.  We visited there several times and were impressed with how different the interior of Mexico is from the border towns which we see most often.  Rebecca and Scott have also spent a lot of time in Mexico, mostly in Rocky Point, even taking us with them one time.  They have also been to Cancun and other places. We also had a 50th anniversary cruise to Mexican ports, including Mazatlan, Puerto Vallarta, and Cabo San Lucas.  And we will spend a week in Puerto Vallarta with Mary and Tyson in July.

Mazatlan

~Maryland~

When we visited Esther and Shad in Maryland, of course Dad had to go to Annapolis where the Naval Academy is located.  He and Shad visited all the Navy sites.  We were also stunned by the beautiful fall colors everywhere.  We went in October, so it was absolutely gorgeous!

I don't even know what to say about March, 2015.  It has been too full and too amazing for words.  We had a visits from kids, a new Bishop, a mission call, a baby blessing, trips to far off, exotic places, plays, programs, cookouts, parties, new toys (for us, Allison and Palmer), nine birthdays, and bouts with sickness.  We've had beautiful springtime weather, a little rain and flowers, flowers, flowers.  I love March.

March is the time Dad really gets busy in his gardens.  Actually, we are still harvesting salad veggies from the winter crop he planted.  He planted some roses this month that he bought for me.  He knew how sad I was when he had Brother Kempton tear up all my rose bushes, so he bought me some more.  Also, he planted sweet peas in his square foot garden.  Those are my all-time favorite flower smell.  If I could bottle the sweet pea smell I would wear it every day and smile the whole time.

When we were in Portugal, we had a huge wisteria vine in the park near our home where Dad did his daily walk.  We wanted to have one like it here.  It will take some time, I'm sure, for it to match the one in Portugal, but it is making progress.  Dad did some cutting on it this month and it rewarded him by producing more flowers than it ever has. But can you imagine seeing that sight every day all Spring?

These are flowers Dad planted purely for himself.  They are really pretty and spreading out a little from last year.

Our beautiful lily doesn't usually bloom until April, but here it is, healthy and proud in March.

Dad, the bird whisperer, found this dove nesting on top of the pillar on the back porch.

We've had some beautiful skies this month.  Notice the skies in many of the outdoor photos throughout the blog this month.  Very dramatic. 

This is of Daley Estates' African daisies.  Makes me smile, but also makes me so jealous.

We've had warm enough weather to bring out a scorpion or two.  I saw this one as I was getting into the pool one morning.  Lucky for him, he was already dead.  As it was, I squashed it to pieces.  Ironically, my astrological sign is Scorpio!  I hate those little arachnids!!

As much as I hate scorpions, that's how much I love our beautiful birthday children in March.

Soren turned 7 on the 7th...his golden birthday!

Esther's birthday was the 8th.

Jennifer's birthday was the 14th...Pi day!

Crew became our newest teenager on the 19th.

Shauna's birthday was the 22nd.

Daniel's birthday was the 26th.

Emma turned 9 on the 29th.

Levi's 21st birthday was on the 31st.

Grandma Hiatt turned 91 on the 31st.

We started off the month with Alex's blessing in the Thatcher 5th Ward, and a celebration luncheon afterwards.

Then, after everyone went home, actually, a little before everyone went home, Dad and I went to Rebecca's to celebrate Polly's birthday.  She had been in Phoenix at a basketball tournament when she had her 16th birthday in February, so they had her cake and her grandparents over on the 1st of March.

Mary and Tyson attended Tyson's aunt's funeral in Virden on the 5th, and Jared got to stay with us.

That night was Kirtlyn's play.  She was a townsperson in The Music Man.  They said absolutely no photography of any kind, and I remembered how picky Meredith Wilson was when we did the play in St. Johns, not even allowing our leading man to video his parts to send to his sick mother.  So, contrary to my habit, I didn't break the rules and waited until it was over to get these with Kirtlyn.  She was very cute in the show and was on stage quite a lot.  The next play is Alice in Wonderland.  Kirtlyn is the Cheshire Cat, Thomas is the doorknob, Hyrum and Lindsay are playing cards, and Brianna is Alice.

Main street has been torn up for a couple of months, and they are now busy tearing things up in front of El Charro.  It seems to be just as busy as ever, though, thank goodness.

On the 7th, Dad performed the sealing of Rebecca and Scott's niece, Savannah and Stephen Lines.  It was a beautiful ceremony.  There was a luncheon afterwards in Rebecca and Scott's beautiful back yard pavilion.

The next day, Sunday, we had their family, plus Grandma Sherry, over for dinner.

Esther's birthday was the 8th, but as she was coming to Safford on the 9th, for Spring Break, that's when she celebrated. We had a sister lunch at El Charro.  Jenn was there, but had to leave to attend a school program before we took the picture. I had to put both of these pictures in because the one in which Esther's eyes are open, (and after all, it is her birthday) is the one you can't see Mary.  But notice Dad's smile in both.  Doesn't he look like a proud papa?

After lunch, we went to Rebecca's for desert.  Jenn was able to come back by then.

We enjoyed having Esther and her kids with us for their Spring break.  Even though the Safford/Thatcher kids were still in school, they somehow managed to find time to be together. Notice Dad wearing Soren's hat.  It was so sunny that day and he forgot to take his own hat outside.

We had a swimming party/cookout.

While we were all sitting around, visiting, Dad and Nathan were face timing, so it was almost as if he were at the party.

Carson's school program, Suesical, was the 12th.  He is getting so he actually smiles and moves to the music, and he had a few words to say.  He was really cute.

We had Jenn's sister lunch(plus Dad and Thomas...and Henry and Maya and Alex and Jared) for her birthday on the 12th as several couldn't be there on the 14th.

That night, we went to Isabel's choir concert.  She had a very good solo part and also helped to choreograph the dance that went with the song.  It was so much fun to see her perform.

On the 15th, Sunday, after church, we went to Mesa for our Temple break.  Dad just gets itchy feet once in a while and wants to go.  We stopped by Esther's to bring a breathing apparatus to Marlie, (Esther calls it Dad's torture device) who had been diagnosed with Pneumonia, and they invited us to dinner.  

The next day, we had lunch with Joel, Stephanie and Stetson at Black Angus.  We had received a coupon in the mail for Black Angus, so Dad invited all the Mesa couples to go with us to take advantage of it.  Joel and Stephanie and Stetson were the only ones who could come.

Later, Joel and Stetson brought Dad a huge, comfy recliner to have at the condo.  I have had one for a few months, but Dad hasn't, so Joel gave him the one Stephanie made him get rid of.  We were glad to have it.  It is very comfortable. It makes me happy to see him so comfortable.  And it's nice not to feel guilty that I have a comfy chair.

Joel also brought a table from Jeremy's mother-in-law's condo to replace the entertainment cupboard that we had there.  And...he brought this huge tv.  Wow!  It's like watching movies at the theater.  Jer came by to check it out.

The next day we had lunch at the food court at Superstition Springs with Jeremy and kids.  That was fun.  We all got something different.

After lunch, we went by to visit Grandma and Grandpa and then went to Crew's to take him a birthday card.  What a cute teenager he is, and so loving and friendly.  Oh, notice my new glasses.  I don't like them at all.  They remind me of the dark-rimmed cat-eye glasses I wore in the 60's.  But they're stylish, I'm told, and besides, I kept breaking my flimsy rimless glasses that I really liked.

We saw all Joel's family but him Levi, who was working in Orlando.

That night, Rachel and her family came to Mesa for their Spring break vacation and stayed with us in the condo. 

 The next morning, we went to breakfast at the Hen House before we left for Safford.  They had never been there before and Brynlie had no idea what she was getting when she ordered a "child's size" pancake.

This is so silly.  I didn't know Rachel was taking pictures.  Isabel dyed her hair from a beautiful blonde to an ordinary light brown (look at the original color in Rachel's section).  It is the color of my hair now.  So she asked me if I liked it and I should have just said, "Of course." But I said, "Anything looks good on you, Isabel, but I can't understand why you would want to change your hair from a color everyone is trying to get to an ordinary color that everyone already has."  Then they just kept egging me on and laughing at me as I tried to take it back and be nice about it.  But whatever I said just kept digging me in deeper and deeper.  It just got ridiculous!  Rylie was laughing so hard that it made me laugh at myself and my tactless comments.  Fortunately, a good sport, Isabel laughed too.

When we got home, we asked Thomas to come over and help us put together my Mothers' Day present, a  playground geodesic dome.  We decided that if we wait until May, it will be too hot to play outside and won't get as much use.  It turned out to be a huge job.  Jenn pitched in as well and I even helped by standing around and holding nuts and washers.  It took about 3 hours to finish before everyone picked it up...including Henry...and moved it to a safe spot (away from the trampoline, tree or roof).  Then we celebrated with Chinese takeout.  Wait til you see what we are getting for Fathers' Day!

The next day, the last day of Spring break, the other kids came over to try out the new playground equipment.

First the Alders, then the Richins, then the Biggses.  Everyone seemed to love the new toy.

March 20th was a monumental day for Hannah and her family...our whole family.  She went through the Temple for the first time, receiving her endowments that day, and when she got home, she opened her mission call, which had just come that morning.  We were blessed to be included via FaceTime and I took some pictures of Dad's phone while she was reading her call...before Dad suggested I just do a screen shot, which, of course, I should have done earlier.  But the news, as you can see from the first picture, is a happy surprise for Hannah.  The Hawaii Honolulu Mission!  She will leave on May 6th for the MTC.

After stake conference on Sunday, the 22nd, Rebecca invited us to brunch with delicious cheese biscuits, gravy, eggs, strawberries and other things I can't even remember.  I have to say her biscuits are way better than mine.

Bradley is finally home and has even gone back to work at  Carrie's farm.

On the 23rd Nathan, Josh and Hannah came to Arizona to visit.  They had lunch, before they came to Safford, with Joel, Jeremy and Shad.  We had an FHE steak fry in their honor.  It was so much fun to have them here.  Notice Dad's Hawaiian shirt in Hannah's honor.

Maya remembered how much she loves Josh, so she coerced him into jumping on the trampoline with the little kids.  They also called out to DeWitt to join them.  What good sports those young men are.

I always treasure pictures with my beautiful grandchildren...children too, of course.

The kids all had fun playing and eating together.  They're always glad for an opportunity to play and eat together.

We let Hannah pin her mission on our family missionary board that night.  She's our first sister missionary, besides me :-), of course.

Nathan went walking the next morning with Rebecca and Rachel and then, on Wednesday morning, he walked with Tony.

We took them to El Charro for lunch on Tuesday.  The boss even sat down to eat with us.

Then after lunch, we went around town with Josh to take pictures of historic buildings.  Check out their section to see some of them.  That afternoon, Josh and Hannah went to watch the girls play a tennis match.

Rebecca, Rachel, Mary and Tyson came over the next day to say "Goodbye" and some of them stayed for lunch.

After lunch, they packed up and headed to Mesa to visit family there, including Grandma and Grandpa.

On Saturday, the 28th, the day after Nathan and kids left to go back to Omaha, we went to Mesa to be there to participate in the sustaining of Shad Michael Brown as Bishop of the Bridlegate ward on Sunday.  Saturday night was the General Women's Broadcast, which I decided to watch from home rather than expose everyone to my cough.   That way, Dad got to watch it with me...in the comfort of our recliners :-}

When Esther called to tell us about  Shad, I admit I was surprised, and waited for her to add "ric" after Bishop.  Shad had never been in a Bishopric and I was surprised that they called him as a Bishop before he had any experience.  I shouldn't have been, though, because he is just what the Lord wants.  I remember how surprised Dad and I were (along with everyone else in St. Johns) when he was called as Stake President without ever having been in a Bishopric or a stake presidency.  But I think the Lord likes it when someone has to totally rely on Him instead of on previous experience.  And I know Shad will do a fantastic job.  He is capable yet humble, and I have to say, he has a perfect Bishop's wife.

They had a very nice luncheon afterwards, with green chile burros (using Superior tortillas), rice and yummy brownies.

Along with the Browns, Joel, Stephanie, Docker and Crew, as well as Jeremy, Erika, Reygan, Tayte, Hayden and Ellie also went to Sacrament meeting and to the lunch afterwards.

Shad got there just as we were getting ready to leave. 

I asked Soren how he felt about his Dad's new call and he told me he wasn't supposed to talk about it to anyone!  He was being obedient, no matter what.  Esther said the stake president told them they could tell their kids on Sunday morning after they took their phones away ;-}

I had a bad cough and I did my best to stay away from people and not share it around.  I didn't hug anyone at Esther's and when we went by to see Grandma and Grandpa, Dad gave Grandma her gifts and cards and I sat by Grandpa's feet and tried not to cough.  Tuesday was her 91st birthday and she is having an open house which we weren't able to attend.  When we were leaving, Karl drove up and said I needed a Zpac, so he prescribed one for me.  I have high hopes that I'll be all well by Wednesday's Temple service.  Surely, the antibiotic, and Dad's torture device, to force me to breathe, will do the trick. 

Rebecca sent a card and treats, too.

On Tuesday, the last day of March, Grandma's and Levi's birthdays, I watched our girls play tennis, all of them winning their matches. They also all won their doubles matches that I didn't stay to watch.

Lillian

Polly

Rylie

NEWS FROM AROUND THE FAMILY

NATHAN AND SHAUNA
Hannah at the Winter Quarters Temple after her endowment, holding her as yet unopened mission call.

Reading the exciting news.  A call to the Hawaii Honolulu Mission.  It takes in all the Hawaiian Islands.

Nathan had the opportunity to go to Brazil to visit some clients and make presentations.  He enjoyed the Brazilian food and the beautiful scenery.  Both Dad and Tony were very interested to hear about his trip.  He said it is so green there.  Of course, they are just finishing up a hot summer.  The bottom picture is of Rio de Janeiro as he flew over it.

He walked along Copacabana Beach early in the mornings before there were many people.

In front of the mountain on which stands Cristo Redentor.  He says the statue is huge and dominates the skyline of Rio.

Brazilian flavella...a slum

Here, he is standing on top of Sugarloaf Mountain in Rio.

Sugarloaf, with either Copacabana or Ipanema.

Bethany and Palmer visited an Omaha Eagle preserve called DeSoto Eagle's Nest.  The cutest eagles I've ever seen.

Bethany and Palmer are proud parents of a new Lexus!! Nice.

Josh the Preservationist pictures from Omaha.

From Safford.

From Mesa...two of Josh's favorite historic buildings.

The family after Hannah's endowment.

At the FHE steak fry in their honor on Monday night.  

Our first sister missionary.

Getting ready to leave for Mesa.

Visiting with the Grandparents, and Aunt Donna LeBaron, Grandma's only surviving sibling.

At the Easter Pageant with Esther's family.

Notice Harrison in the back.

They were able to attend the Mesa Temple.  I don't know if that is a joyful or a playful face.

Hannah and Reygan got to spend some time together.

JOEL AND STEPHANIE

March is the beginning of travel season for Joel and Jeremy.  Stetson and Levi went to NYC for a festival there.  You can see them in front of the Temple with their friend, Zack.

Here they are with Zack, Rand, and Cherish (?)

See Levi's comment on the instagram picture I stole.  It says it all.

So here they are in Orlando.  What a difference.  Diagon Alley.

Then in Chicago.  Festivals everywhere!

This one is from Levi.  (I guess the one above must have been taken by Levi too because Stetson is in it.  Duh)  I think this is so fascinating.  I didn't know there was even such a thing in Chicago, or anywhere else, for that matter.

Stetson and Levi welcoming home a sister missionary friend of theirs

Crew's 13th birthday dinner.  Chinese. Yumm.  And a huge gummy worm.  Yuckkk!

Levi's birthday dinner on the 31st.

DANIEL AND CONNIE

Shannyn posted these pictures.  Emma's already learning to drive?

Albert at a sports awards banquet for wrestling...

...just in time for baseball.  At his first "at bat" he hit a double all the way to the back fence.

And just in time to help with the baseball carwash.

Amazing Connie Cakes for March.  Daniel wanted a cookie jar and Emma wanted something about Lorax.  She is the Lorax in a school or community play to be presented in April.

Hands, hands!  Shadrach fell into some cacti.  A frisbee game gone wrong :-<  I didn't even know there was cactus in Colorado!  Looks painful.  Then Porter's cut that they fixed with super glue from Home Depot.  

Easter dress parade.  Since Easter Sunday is Conference, the Biggs girls wore their outfits on the 29th.

The boys enjoying the warm Colorado Spring on a slack line.

Daniel, Porter and Albert sang in the ward choir for their Easter program.  This is at a practice.

So this is going to be the Daniel and Connie Biggs family's new home.  Now they just have to sell the one they're in.   Mary and Tyson are doing the same thing.  Good luck! 

REBECCA AND SCOTT

With her niece, Savannah on her wedding day.

Dad performed the sealing for Savannah and Stephen.  It was so perfect and Rebecca was proud of her dad.

Polly got her drivers' license this month.  Here, she and Isabel awaiting her turn at the DMV.  She passed! And then drove to get pizza.

DeWitt making EAC announcements.  Rebecca shared it with us.  He sounded very professional.

Allison and Taylor got a piano. I remember how excited I was when we got our piano.  I had to wait a little longer but it was so worth the wait. Congratulations!

Pie face game...looks like fun, especially if you have an uberexpressive face like Taylor's.

Lillian had senior pictures this month.  Isn't she absolutely gorgeous?

Rebecca, Scott and their three remaining children went to Cancun for Spring Break.  DeWitt and Scott loved speaking Spanish.  Some people even asked DeWitt what part of Argentina he was from.  That made his day...year.

On the shuttle to the airport.

Yes.  Of course they played tennis.

They visited Chichen Itza.

They swam with the dolphins...and smooched them too!

And with the sharks.  DeWitt even swam down and patted one on the back!

They met missionaries and enjoyed the beach.

I don't know what this landmark is, but it's beautiful.

They also went on a tour, with the Architecture Club, of Church History sites.  Here they are at Hopewell Mounds in Ohio.

They had a freak winter storm even after Spring had begun to show its face.

The Courier posted this shot of Lillian winning the Thatcher Invitational.  Number 1!

The Evans girls...Numbers 1 and 4 at the Thatcher Invitational.

Lillian and Polly were invited to the Safford Prom with roses.  

Winners

JEREMY AND ERIKA

Jeremy took Reygan with him to NYC to a FAME festival, and she took her best friend.  They had a wonderful time.

Jeremy even saw Chesley Sullenberger, the heroic pilot who landed his plane in the Hudson River rather than let it crash and hurt people.  

Thanks to Reygan and her posts, I was able to see quite a bit of their trip.

Wax Museum? Or were they really hobnobbing with the rich and famous?

They rode on the subway and went to see Wicked.

They saw girls they knew from one of the groups performing in the festival.

So while the Dad and big sister were cavorting in NYC, Erika, the boys and Ellie had fun at a health/safety event.

Ellie cleaned their pool and went for a cold dip. 

A new picture of Reygan.  So beautiful!

A new picture by Reygan.  Beautiful too.

Erika just finished her internal medicine rotation and is beginning her orthopedic surgery unit.  She gets to work at a hospital close to home this time, so she and her family are excited about that.

RACHEL AND TONY

Luke's science fair project.  Which popcorn is best?  He tested for how well it popped, how few old maids were left.  Pop Secret!

Tony escorted the twins to their Achievement Day Daddy-Daughter date.

So Luke and Rachel went out on the town too. Rylie and Isabel were too busy :(

Isabel's friends at her choir concert.

They went to Mesa (remember when we used to always do that for our vacations?) for Spring Break. One of the things they did was go to the golf tower in  Gilbert to practice their swings.

Enjoying the fruits of Grandpa's garden. Biggs Bunnies!

Isabel planted tomatoes for FFA, so she brought them to the one person she knew would appreciate them.  Notice cute photo bomb.

FHE at the Alders seems to often involve dancing!

Rachel has been busy decorating for things...the EAC Ladies' Day event and the Stake event for the General Women's Broadcast.

A winner and a proud mom.

ESTHER AND SHAD

Shad was called as Bishop of the Bridlegate Ward, sustained on Sunday the 29th, and set apart by President Merrill.  Dad said he was President Merrill's stake president when he was a kid in Eager, and sent him on his mission.

Soren's birthday dance.

Esther says he wanted all things army for his birthday.  

Esther with her birthday card, letting me know it arrived.

She and her kids visited here for their Spring Break.

Miss Esther's All Stars Preschool does fun stuff :-)  Brody is part of the preschool now, as she has decided to keep him back and start him again next year.

Soren and Brody, waiting "patiently" while their dad shops at Home Depot.

en garde!

Soren, playing baseball...following in Crew's and Albert's footsteps.

Cavorting (our family seems to "cavort" a lot, doesn't it?)  at the Phoenix Zoo during Spring Break.

THOMAS AND JENN

Their family came over to enjoy the warm water on a nice, sunny March day.

El Charro under siege from the city! It will be beautiful, eventually, but what a pain now.

Maya is standing by my new roses.  I might get blooms next year.

One time, when they were there, Henry just climbed up in Grandpa's chair and wrapped himself in Grandpa's John Deere blanket to watch Dora.

All set for...something.

Henry loved playing the piano with Luke.  He was laughing so hard!

Jenn's birthday lunch.

I put this picture in Thomas and Jenn's section even though they are Nathan's pies.  He made these for "Pi" day.  Jenn's birthday was on "Pi" day, so as our official 3.14 girl, I made the call to put them here.

She is also our official reason to celebrate St. Patrick's Day.  I was never very enthusiastic about St. Patrick's Day because we are neither Catholic nor Irish, but when Irish Jennifer joined the family, I figured we can legally wear our green.  Her mother's maiden name is O'Kelly.  Nothing more Irish than that!

Thomas has been our go-to guy for putting lawn toys together, making t-shirts and posters and handouts, fixing computer problems and even helping with homework on occasion.  Isabel was having math trouble (who doesn't?) and Thomas came over to help her figure it out.

MARY AND TYSON

Our newest family member on his blessing day.  Alex Russel Richins.

Happy family.

He's growing!

Mustache day at school...and at home.

With Soren at Riverview Park in Mesa.  She was so tiny when she was born...3 pounds...now she is taller than both her boy cousins!

Catching the Leprechaun for St. Patrick's Day.

Carson got to participate in the District Pinewood Derby.

Easter finery, displayed on March 29th, as Easter Sunday is Conference.

It's official! Their house is up for sale.  Good luck!!

OUR MISSIONARIES

Parker and Daynen both have just received new companions.  Parker's is Elder Riggs, who is a cousin.  He also claims Grandfather Parley as his grandfather. (There are a lot of us around...Parley had 13 wives).  Here is his district after they just climbed the highest peak in Wisconsin.

Daynen is now with Elder Rodrigues, whom he really likes a lot.  He feels that Elder Rodrigues' happy spirit will make a huge difference in their area.  The bottom photo is of his area.  He is excited that they have some more baptisms on deck for the next couple of weeks.

SOMETHING TO MAKE US SMILE

So many things this month to make us smile.  I decided that I would include most of them in the appropriate sections and put these here, as they don't really have a section of their own.

Trisha posted Grandma's first selfie!

March has been, for the most part, so joyful, that I don't know why I have been having such serious thoughts, unless, of course, I am feeling guilty, but for some reason, I have become more than ever aware of a quality that I think everyone possesses, to one degree or another, that keeps us from being humble and teachable.  Of course it's pride, but pride has many faces.  The aspect of pride that seems to be in my face lately is that we have a tendency to bow our backs when we are told something we need to do...even if it is something we know we need to do...even it it is something we were planning to do anyway!  Perversely, that thing becomes the very thing we absolutely do not want to do.  We want it to be our own idea, not someone else's.

An unfortunate companion to this quality is the tendency of most of us, to one degree or another, to want to point out to others the things it seems obvious they should do.  We think that if there's a problem, we should try to fix it, and if the solution presents itself to us, we think we are called upon to tell others what to do to resolve their difficulty.  This results, of course, in the very thing we are trying to avoid, the refusal of the other person to do what we know he or she should do.  I believe that these two characteristics are common to everyone.  They are part of the "natural man" that we need to overcome. 

I think the epitome of a humble heart will be when we are able to take constructive advice and say "Oh yes.  I can see that I need to do that.  Thank you for pointing it out to me." And mean it.  I'm certainly not there yet.  I always thought I would be farther along in my quest to "put off the natural man" by the time I was in my 70th year.  Maybe by being more aware of these tendencies I can watch for them in myself and overcome them a little more each day.  

Also, maybe we will be a little closer to overcoming them when we are able to allow others the time and space to exercise their agency to make their own changes.

Sorry for preaching.  I am preaching to myself more than to anyone.  I am guilty of both tendencies more than anyone I know.  So, when you see them in me, forgive me and know that I am trying to do better.