~MAY~ MILWAUKEE~

Milwaukee is where Parker served his mission.  They are known for many things, not the least of which is beer...but also for their Wisconsin cheese.  Parker came home a tried and true "Cheesehead!"

I love the juxtaposition of old and modern in Milwaukee.

May is the end of spring and the beginning of summer.  The pool has been so nice, not too hot and not too cold.  May means the end of school, graduations, anniversaries (Grandma and Grandpa and Thomas and Jenn), and flowers, flowers flowers.  I love May.  Springtime brings out the Man in the Yellow Hat...for all of you who know Curious George.  He even went over to help Rebecca get her pool crystal clear for the summer.  And planted some flowers for me.  What a man.

He's not only the man in the yellow hat, he is also the bird whisperer.  He has even enticed the cardinal that lives in Thomas' trees to come over for dinner.  He keeps his bird feeder filled with their favorite treats.

Isabel sent this picture of the temple, taken by a friend of hers on one of our May stormy days.  Amazing!  We were in the Temple that day so we didn't get to see it look this way.  By the time we left at 9:30 p.m. it was dark.

Our May birthdays are just as beautiful as stormy days and May flowers.  We really have a bouquet of beautiful birthdays in May.

Ellie turned 11 on the 5th and Harrison turned 16 on the 6th.

Isabel turned 16 on the 9th and Luke turned 13 on the 10th.

Thomas' birthday was the 19th and Palmer's was the 23rd.

And Analynn turned 12 on the 24th.

GRADUATIONS

The Biggs family had a plethora of graduations this month!  All with honors, too!  College graduations, Community college graduation, high school graduations, Seminary graduations, and even a preschool graduation (in Esther's section.)

Palmer graduated from the University of Nebraska at Omaha and is headed for Midwestern Dental School in Glendale.  We can hardly wait.

Stetson graduated from Arizona  State University and is headed to law school at one of several that have offered him a scholarship.

Dallin and Sara graduated from the Southern Virginia University and are headed to Syracuse to Architecture school.  He received praise from his school in their school magazine. Look in Rebecca's section.

DeWitt graduated with his Associates degree from EAC and is headed to ASU to pursue a pre med course.

Rylie graduated from Safford High School and is planning to attend EAC next year.

Reygan graduated from Heritage Academy in Mesa and is planning to attend MCC next year.

~OUR MAY~
To start off our beautiful May, Tyson came over and mowed our lawn again and helped Dad pull some weeds and rototil the garden to get ready for flowers.

DeWitt brought over a commemorative plate from his girlfriend's Dad, who is an engineer on a train in Northern Arizona.  Her dad was impressed with how much our Dad likes trains.

On the 9th, we celebrated Isabel's 16th birthday.  Her mom asked her what she wanted to do for her birthday and she said, "Have a cookout at Grandma and Grandpa's."  I also gave Luke his card because his birthday was the next day.  Both birthdays were landmark years.  Isabel turned 16 and Luke became a teenager.

Party goers.  Also, we face timed with Mary while she and her kids learned the gender of their new baby.  Rachel made a cake with the appropriate color inside and didn't tell Mary what it was.  Mary had just been to a doctor's appointment in Mesa and Erika texted Rachel the sex of the baby but didn't tell Mary.  So Mary came by the house to pick up the cake and took it home to her kids.  Mary found out when her kids did.  A BOY!  A new baby boy, due in October.

On Mother's Day, everyone had their own plans for dinner, so Thomas and Jenn's family and we celebrated together.  Dad and Thomas cooked dinner.  They both are very good cooks so Jenn and I weren't worried a bit.  I saw Rebecca in the hallway at church so her friend took a picture of us.  Jenn and I were two of the only three women in church who had corsages.  The flowers in the bottom picture are from Joel and Stephanie and boys.  I also received many lovely gifts and loving calls and cards from the other kids.  All the Safford/Thatcher kids came by that evening and we had a good visit.  I'm finally getting past being embarrassed on Mother's Day because I never feel as if I truly measure up, but now I just relax and enjoy it.  Thank you all for being such wonderful children and making me look good as a mother...even if the credit should  really be mostly Dad's :-}

Nancy was in charge of getting the headstone for Grandma and Grandpa's grave.  It's finally in place is looks very nice.

On the 15th, we went to Reygan's Seminary graduation.  We drove down that morning and went to church with them and then had a yummy meatball dinner before the graduation.  I really like going to the Seminary graduations because it is so much more personal and we can really see our grandchild and not just a sea of mortar boards!

Between dinner and graduation, we hung out at Jeremy and Erika's house and played with their toys.

On the 13, I attended piano recital for Brianna and Lindsay.  Brianna was the last one on the program and she played and sang For Good, a song from Wicked.  Lindsay played Colors of the Wind from Pocahontas. They were both amazing and clearly the best ones of the whole show.   Then we all rushed to see their choir concert immediately afterwards.

While we were in Mesa, we went to Bridger's end-of-the -year talent show.  He and his friends did a synchronized swimming skit.  It was hilarious!  I laughed so hard :-D It was worth sitting through all the other made-up talents just to see...it was last, of course!

I went to Isabel's final choir concert on the 17th.  Dad was in the Temple, but I left early because it was her final concert.  She has decided to take nursing classes and dual credit classes at EAC next year and won't have time for choir.  I have to say it breaks my heart :-(  I loved going to see her perform and her choir teacher told her she would definitely be in the women's quartet next year.  

We received some really good news this month from Devynne and Brock, via face time.  They are expecting a baby in November!  It will be born in Missouri, at Washington University, where he will be attending school, working on his doctorate in immunology.  We are so excited and happy for them!

On the 19th, Jenn and I joined forces to make a birthday meatball dinner for Thomas' birthday.  It was fun to have his birthday party at our house.

On the 21st, Dad and I went to Sierra Vista to speak at their stake conference.  I had never been to Sierra Vista before and was pleasantly surprised at what a nice little city it is.  And the people were so friendly and welcoming.  They invited us to dinner before the Saturday Evening session and we saw so many of our Temple workers there.  It's a 2-hour drive, but they do it every week...some early in the morning to be there for our early shifts.

On Monday, the 23rd, the girls came over to help Rachel put together a quilt she made for Rylie's graduation.  Before they got started on the quilt, they helped Dad plant some flowers.

That night, for FHE, Mary and Tyson's family came to help get the back yard ready for an Edward Jones party they were planning.  Jenn and her kids came to help.  Then we all had Chinese food.  As it turns out, however, they are going to have the party in  Rebecca's back yard...way more classy and roomy, but we got some help with our weeds around the pool in the bargain!

On the 24th, we attended Rylie's Seminary graduation. We are so proud of her and Reygan for sticking with Seminary the whole 4 years.  They will benefit as much from that course of study as any other classes they will ever take.

On Saturday, the 28th, Thomas and Jenn invited us over for hot dogs cooked on his new John Deere grill.  A last hurrah before girls camp.  Thomas and Jenn are 4th year leaders, along with the Baldwins and the Whettens, I think.  They all went to the Temple together that week and those are the couples we saw.  I'm not sure about the Whettens, but I'm pretty sure about the Baldwins.  Anyway, they are going to have a lot of fun.

On Sunday, the 29th, we had Rebecca and Scott and Sherry, and Polly (also DeWitt) to dinner.  I made beef stroganoff a la Paula Dean.  It was pretty good.  Rachel and Tony  brought Rylie, Luke and the twins over that evening to help us eat the dessert that Rebecca's family didn't eat.  While they were there, Brynlie wrote a song called Apple Tree, and she and Camille sang and danced to it.  It was pretty good, too!

On Monday, Memorial Day, we had a special Temple opening for the Pima stake.  They had the whole temple to themselves for 8 hours and were able to perform many many ordinances that day.  It was exhausting, but so fulfilling.  Pima really responded to this opportunity and kept all the areas of the temple busy the whole day.  We went at 7:00 a.m. and didn't leave until 3:45 and Pima was still there cleaning up.

That evening, we invited Mary to bring her augmented family over for hot dogs and swimming. They are keeping Thomas and Jenn's kids while they are at camp.  Mary and Jenn have an agreement that Jenn watches her kids whenever she has to go to Mesa for Dr. appointments and Mary watches Jenn's for girls' camp.  Poor Henry, though, went over by the gate and sat down and cried for his mom.  He wanted to go home and couldn't understand why he couldn't.  Mary was able to comfort him, though, and that's huge.

~NEWS FROM AROUND THE FAMILY~

NATHAN AND SHAUNA

Nathan goes so many places, and I don't always know where he is going.  But he was in Las Vegas on one of his trips this month and sent a couple of pictures at my insistence.  The bottom one is of the salad he was served at a very high class dinner with one of his clients.

Palmer's graduation festivities.  He graduated Magna cum Laude!

Skyping with Hannah on Mothers' Day!  What a gift!  I remember talking with each of our boys on Mothers' Day and Christmas and we just had to take turns with the phone.  We didn't even have speaker phones.

Josh moved into his own apartment this month.  The picture is of him in his kitchen.  No, he doesn't live in one of his "Preservationist" houses, though I'm sure he would like to!  In fact, I wouldn't mind living in a house like one of these.

~JOEL AND STEPHANIE~

Mothers' Day dinner.  I wonder if the men cooked?

Stetson, who graduated Suma cum Laude, with his lovely Lindsay.

Crew was honored as one of the students of the year.  

Also, his team was the champion team and he was the winning pitcher!

Levi and some of his friends attended a  Diamondbacks game.

~DANIEL AND CONNIE~

Mothers' Day.  Poor Connie was still trying to recuperate from her major surgery from just a couple of weeks before.  I'm sure her family took good care of her, though, and did all the work.

Porter and Alta are patiently awaiting the arrival of their little girl, due early next month.

Devynne and Brock in their high adventure life...celebrating their 2nd anniversary.

Clam digging.  I really didn't know that is what clams look like.

Analynn turned 12 and her mom made one of her famous Connie Cakes.   Or I should say, several of her famous Connie Cakes.  Lucky Analynn.

She and Shannyn enjoyed birthday facials.

The family worked together to build a luxury chicken coop on their wilderness property (wp) and even though it was sooo cold, they made a nice, cozy place for the chickens to roost.  Notice the ground covered with hail.

He bought a John Deere tractor/mower.  See the before and after pictures of their property :-)

~REBECCA AND SCOTT~

Parley's going to be a swimmer before he gets here!  They are going to spend the summer here before heading to Syracuse for school.

Allison's Mothers' Day breakfast, complete with a floorshow by a dancing baby...he doesn't look too thrilled, though, does he?

Safford Prom

DeWitt and his friend Patrick Eady helped and coached Polly for State.

She and Rylie were doubles partners.  They won, but the team got second Place.  Not bad. 

Graduation festivities.  The bottom photo is the cover of the SVU publication that featured Dallin.

DeWitt was sick the day before EAC graduation, but it didn't stop him from enjoying it to the fullest

;-)  Their parents looking on.  He and Deanna also attended a Kenny Chesney concert.

Skyping on Mothers' Day!  Rebecca felt so good to have her whole family together even if it was just over the air waves.

Thatcher Prom.

Fishing at Dankworth Ponds. Rebecca actually caught that fish but didn't want to have anything to do with the squirmy beast after it was hooked.

The Atkinsons.

Parley with his shark shoes.

Some extra pictures from Lillian in the Philippines.

Even though she's the shortest one in her family, she's considered so tall in the Philippines.

~JEREMY AND ERIKA~
Reygan's Senior trip to California!

Erika and Sherry Beals doing what they love...vintage market shopping.

Skyping on Mothers' Day...from Daynen's end.

The back yard of their new house.  They are slowly but surely fixing it up.  They've even put in a puppy run for their pets.

The 21st Century version of a 19th century stereopticon.  Jeremy and Ellie rescued some baby pheasants and are keeping them under lights in their house.  They were running around, healthy as can be.  We played Sorry.  I've never played it before.  I lost.

After Seminary graduation.

Ellie is following in her sister's footsteps and enjoying art.  She reproduced Grandpa and Grandma's head stone.  Good job, Ellie.

Some extra pictures from Daynen in Brazil.

Erika with her office staff and Dr. Huish.  She is Mary's attending physician.

Reygan's school had all the seniors display things that are personal to them.

Graduation festivities.

Wendy and Marcus (who graduated from St. Johns High School) attended the Heritage graduation because he had a friend graduating.  They saw Reygan and had to have a picture.  I don't know who the other friends are.

I also don't know if Jan and Kent were there for someone they know or if they came for Reygan.  Whichever, it is so nice that they were there.  Also, members of the Beals family came to cheer her on, and I think Lisa and Deon came just to see her.

Ok, here's the story: Jeremy and Reygan had a deal that if she didn't kiss anyone before she graduated from high school, he would give her $1000.  So her first kiss was Benjamin Franklin!!!

~RACHEL AND TONY~
Safford prom.

Isabel's birthday cookout.

The birthday kids with the grandparents.

Luke's 13th birthday.  His best friend, a Hargis boy, is about twice as big as Luke, but they are bffs.

Luke's birthday breakfast; at his orchestra concert that his sisters proudly attended; and Camille ready with Luke's bb gun to shoot a pesky dog that keeps coming around their house uninvited.

Rachel became good friends with Fran Hoelscher a popular LDS speaker.  They just seemed to click and were instant best friends.  She even got invited to the Relief Society luncheon for sister Hoelscher.

Rylie's senior pictures...taken by her mother!  Beautiful girl and beautiful pictures.

Mothers' Day 

State Tennis tournament.  Rylie and Polly were doubles partners.  They won!  The Safford team came in second.  Good job, girls!

More pictures from Isabel's final choir concert.

Thatcher prom.

Graduation festivities.

Rylie conducted at the honors assembly; The family at Baccalaureate, including Polly, who, as a member of National Honor was an usher.

The family at Seminary graduation; Including her aunts, Rebecca and Mary.

Working together to finish Rylie's quilt.  Rachel went to so much work to put this together for her.  They are pieces of all her t-shirts from sports, trips, reunions, etc.

The top and bottom and on Rylie :-)

Graduation festivities.

Friends

Before and After...a summer haircut.

Family Memorial Day cookout.

~ESTHER AND SHAD~

Harrison's final recital with this teacher.  She says she can do no more for him; His friends threw him a surprise birthday party.

He made his own birthday cupcakes!

Miss Esther's All Stars Preschool water party and graduation.

Marlie's choir friends.

Bridger did a report on Portugal, including a flag made out of rice and some pasteis de natas, a favorite Portuguese pastry.

He and his friends doing their synchronized swimming routine.

Bridger got braces this month.

Harrison got his license and a gorgeous new shirt.

Marlie's best friend is moving...The Bishop's family in church.

~THOMAS AND JENN~

Mothers' Day 

Playing on Grandpa's playground and the May birthday (9th and 19th) kids.

Hyrum made his dad a slushy with four Otter pops crushed into a cup; more presents, including a John Deer fire pit.

Helping the Richins get our back yard ready for an Edward Jones party we didn't have.

Off to her first year at camp. 

~MARY AND TYSON~

The big reveal!!

The 50's girls for their choir concert.

At the piano recital.

At the choir concert.  It was a 50's bandstand show with songs I remember from my youth!  Brianna played a girl who tried out for Bandstand and was chosen by the popular boy to be the winner.

They put up a fence to guard their stairway down to the basement so that Alex won't tumble right off and hurt himself; Lindsay reading to her brothers.  Mary says, "Every family needs a Lindsay."

Star Wars day at the Safford library; basement food storage; helping with the quilt.

Getting our back yard looking spiffy.

Jared's visit to the Evans farm.  Scott let him feed the animals.  Notice the Mohawk!

~MISSIONARIES~

From Daynen in Brazil

From Hannah in Hawaii. The mask is for a service project involving dust or fumes.

From Lillian in the Philippines.

From Shadrach in Fresno.  The sampler on the bottom is from a Hmong lady.

~SOMETHING TO MAKE YOU SMILE~

I was smiling all month long, as you can tell.

Jared likes to participate with the family in reading scriptures.

Marlie posted this picture for Mothers' Day, and I couldn't help but smile.

I laughed right out loud at Jared's comment at the big baby-reveal.

Two of the many looks of Henry. He's almost like a cartoon character.

It makes me smile to see my babies in the blankets I made for them.

Alex keeps us laughing all the time! He was climbing down from  Rachel's table when they caught this picture.  No one knows how he got bananas on his feet!  But how can anyone be frustrated with this kisser?

Bridger's synchronized swimming routine was hilarious; and I had to smile at twins babysitting twins.

~LAST WORDS~

I know.  I know.  I'm obsessive, compulsive and totally uncontrolled when it comes to pictures of my family.  I couldn't help myself.  I promised I would be more judicious and conservative with pictures but I can't seem to do it.  I saved every picture I found on social media and still begged for more!  But, at least, I collaged them so there aren't so many separate ones.  However, it takes twice as long to do the blog that way.  Oh well.  It's just that I love seeing what you do and I want you to all see each other's lives and families.  My hope for this blog is that it helps to keep our family united.  It's my personal journal, that's true, but it's more than that, for me.  It is a way to help you all keep in touch with each other and strengthen those bonds of love and siblinghood...if that's even a word.

Next month, June, promises to be busy and full of life and activities as well, with vacations, camps, treks, and birthdays.  Keep me in the loop.  The loop is a place I love to be :-)