APRIL~MISSOURI COOKIES-GRANDMA'S OATMEAL COOKIES

 Our family was first introduced to Missouri cookies in St. Johns.  It wasn't until we moved to  Safford that we found that everyone else calls them "no-bake cookies."  I think that's a boring name, so we still call them "Missouri cookies" in our family, although I have no idea why that is their name.  I always thought it was because Pioneers had no ovens on their many exodus journeys but they could cook over a campfire.  Whether or not the pioneers had chocolate and sugar, or even butter, is another question.  Maybe some of the more prepared or affluent did.  I don't know.  But these cookies, whatever you call them, are yummy.  I'm not even a big fan of the chocolate-peanut butter combination in other treats, but for some reason they blend together perfectly in this recipe.  Melt one cube of butter to which you add 1/2 cup of milk (canned milk makes them richer and gives a nice flavor, but even skim milk works fine).  Add 2 cups sugar and 3T cocoa.  Most recipes call for vanilla, but I find it totally unnecessary because it adds nothing to the flavor, but do it if you want...1 capful.  Then bring it all to a boil and start timing it...one minute. (The firmness of the cookies depends on cooking time.  Sometimes, because I like them firm, I take my time, after the minute is up, to turn it off 😏  While it is boiling, measure your 1/2 cup peanut butter (I like crunchy) and your 3 cups of oats.  When the timing is done, quickly stir in the peanut butter and oats and drop by the spoonful on waxed paper to cool until firm.  This picture is of some Jenn made and brought to us for our quilt sewing party.

Grandma's oatmeal cookies are absolutely some of my favorite homemade cookies.  She made them quite often, more often than chocolate chip or any other kind.  She figured they were more healthy.  In fact, on the old Quaker Oat box, it used to always say "If it's good for them in a bowl, it's good for them in a cookie."  I believe that 😃  My favorite way to eat them is just plain, but you can add raisins (Dad's favorite way) or even nuts or white chocolate chips.  For some reason, I don't like them with chocolate chocolate chips.  For me, it takes two really good things and makes something not quite as good as either one.  But I think most people do like it that way, so that's an option, of course.  Nancy found Grandma's recipe in her own handwriting and shared it with all of us.

These oatmeal cookies are some Mary made and shared with us.  These are two delicious and healthy snacks to fix for your family.

It's funny that I usually try to use the theme for the month as the segue into the birthdays.  So here goes...Our April birthdays are also very delicious and healthy! 😏

Brand new, darling Lucy Joyce Atkinson was born on April 6th.  She was a healthy 8lb 2oz and 

19 1/2" long and just incredibly beautiful...just like her mother.

Dallin celebrated his birthday in Italy on the 8th!

Erika's birthday was the 11th

Scott's birthday was the 12th

Kirtlyn turned 14 on the 13th

Tayte turned 18 on the 19th

And Sara's birthday was the 21st...also in Italy!

Daniel and Connie's anniversary was the 25th

April is a joyous month, with the celebration of our Savior's birth, death and resurrection, the establishment of His church on the earth, April conference, and this month, the birth of our newest family member, Lucy Joyce Atkinson.  She and her mother are both well and happy and that in itself makes this a joyous month.  Then add all the beautiful flowers and the green grass everywhere and I just smile all month.

My roses are blooming!

One Wednesday afternoon, I took a picture of the flowers at the temple.  They have been looking so beautiful lately and it made me happy to see them.  Perfect for all the weddings we had coming up 💕  Then when I got there on Friday morning, all the flowers had been ripped out of the planters and there was just dirt...brown ugly dirt.  I was sad.  But that very morning, 30 or more people came to plant more flowers.   Dad said that the other flowers had to go so that they could put in heat-resistant flowers in time for them to get rooted well before the heat.  We had a wedding the next day, so I hope they looked good for the pictures.

OUR APRIL

The 2nd session of General Conference was on April 1st, Easter Sunday.  These pictures, however are from the night before when we sustained President Russell M. Nelson as the new prophet, along with his counselors Dallin H. Oaks and Henry B. Eyring, and also the newest Apostles, Elder Soares and  Elder Gong in a Solemn Assembly.  Conference was a thrill a minute...from the Solemn Assembly in the first session to the very last "Amen."  The announcement of two new Apostles, the sustaining of our new First Presidency, the announcement of 7 new temples...including Russia and India...changes in home teaching and visiting teaching procedures, changes in Priesthood organization, and I can't even remember what else.  It kept us awake, that's for sure.

Thomas and Jenn and their family joined us for Easter dinner, as well as Parker and my friend Bobbi Layton.

Then Mary's family also came by later for an Easter visit.

While we were visiting, our friends Lynn and Sandra Smith came by to bid us farewell.  They are moving to New Zealand to help with the medical needs there.  Then they will probably live in Mesa or Gilbert to be near their grandkids.   Totally understandable although Safford will miss them.

A few days later, when Mary had to do an art project with Jared's school class, Alex and Ethan stayed with us for a little while.  It was such beautiful weather so they had a picnic with their lunch.

On Saturday the 7th, we went to see Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat. Brianna was one of the school children to whom the story was being told as part of the play and her group sang several songs.  We really enjoyed the show.  I had seen it as a video of the Broadway play many years ago, and I didn't really like it then.  But I liked the EAC version.  It was amazing and all the performers were such good singers and did a fantastic job.  One of our Temple workers, Bill Griffin, was Father Jacob, and he played his part with a broken leg.  We couldn't even tell. He broke it before the first dress rehearsal.  I wonder if someone told him the traditional "break a leg." Or maybe someone should have 😉

This is precious Lucy Joyce on her blanket from Grandma Susan Joyce.

On Kirtlyn's 14th birthday, on the 13th, they invited us over to share Jumbo Chinese food.  She is growing up so nicely and didn't even complain about glitter on her birthday card...although she did comment on it 😉  Dad complained, of course, because as we all know, "glitter is the herpes of arts and crafts."

Jenn and I went to the Safford Stake Women's Conference on the 14th.  It was very inspiring.  Sister Sanders, who is from the Gila Valley spoke to us.  She is a life coach/motivational speaker and she was very motivating as well as entertaining.  Then Noteworthy, an a-cappella group from Utah, who was touring Arizona, sang to us.  They were so good, and the food was exceptional.  Darlene Alder, a counselor in the RS presidency put Rylie in charge of the food.  We had a fresh chicken-greens-pecans-salad, croissants, fruit and cheesecake.  I wasn't able to get a good picture of Rylie because she was so busy, but I caught her at work.

We sat with Sister Weech and Patsy Smith

Then the next day, we had Rachel's family and Parker for teriyaki chicken and leftover cheesecake!

Rachel invited everyone to come over for cheesecake and we had a party. 😋

For a few days this month it has been warm enough to swim.  Our pool heater is broken, so it has just depended on the weather and the pool cover. 

On the 17th, Thomas came over to help Isabel design her graduation announcement.  It was fun to watch them work...with input from her mom, her sister, her grandma and her aunt.  I think she got just what she wanted, though.  Check it out in Rachel's section.

We had a surprise visit from Nanette Brinton, my late cousin Robert's wife.  She came with a singles group to the temple.  She said they go once a week to different temples around the valley and just decided to go to Gila Valley that day.  I'm glad we were working when they came.

Tyson had to go to Boston for a week for some Edward Jones meetings, so Wednesday evening when we weren't working, we made Roman Holiday and invited Mary and the kids over to eat it with us.  She said it was the one thing everyone would eat.  Well, Lindsay and Alex and Carson ate it, but Jared and Ethan had to be coerced into it.  They liked it after a couple of forced bites.  Brianna was at mutual, so she didn't have to be coerced.  The one thing they all like is a carrot from Grandpa's garden 😋

On Sunday, the 22nd, we had Rebecca's family, including Grandma Sherry, of course, to eat dinner.  Rebecca requested Swiss steak.  Parker had to work, so we saved him a plate and he came later. 

On the 25th, Daniel and Connie's anniversary, btw, I went to see Jared be an army ant in his kindergarten program.  He was definitely the cutest army ant in the whole show! 

When we got home from the temple on Thursday, the 26th, Esther, Harrison, Soren and Brody were all there ready to work on Harrison's graduation quilt.  Rachel had made one for Rylie and Isabel and so Harrison wanted one like it.  Rachel, Rebecca, Mary, Jenn, and even Thomas (for a little while) came to help.  It was a quilting party!  Actually, a sewing party since we didn't quilt, we sewed.

Of course, all the kids came too and had a party of their own.

Rebecca and Scott have bought a fantastic motorhome!  They brought it by during our sewing day and took everyone for a ride around town in it.  It brought back memories of our Church History trip in 1985.  We totally ought to go again!

The next day, we came home from the temple and were entertained by Harrison's piano playing and Brianna's singing.  They were both so good and we made a whole evening of it, encouraging Esther to join in too.  I haven't heard her sing for a long time and forgot what a mellow, rich voice she has.  It was either Mary or Rachel who said, "Her voice is like chocolate milk."

I did a pano and sorry, Mary, your lovely face was the one that got distorted.  Sorry about that.

The next morning, at 4:00 a.m., we were greeted by this beautiful sight.  A full moon just setting behind the lighted temple.  That night, we headed to Silver City, NM, where we were assigned to their stake conference.  We spoke in the Sunday morning session.  Elder Frost, an Area Seventy was the visitor.  He is from Flagstaff.

NEWS FROM AROUND THE FAMILY

~NATHAN AND SHAUNA~

Joshua went to his friend's wedding in Salt Lake, and who should he meet but Porter, who came from Colorado to go to the same wedding.

Joshua's stake in SLC got to have stake conference in the historic tabernacle!!!

Bethany and Palmer are enjoying being close to two temples.  They frequent the Phoenix Temple, which is right around the corner and down the street from them, and they went to the Easter pageant at the Mesa Temple.

Jovie is their little controlling angel, I think.  Everything revolves around her...and she knows it.😉

She has started walking...all the better to get into things!

Such as unrolling the toilet paper.  Smart mom to keep the toilet lid down.  She's going to be a reader, I see.  Good job, Jovie, a girl after my own heart.

~JOEL AND STEPHANIE~

an Easter picture of the Joel and Stephanie Biggs kids.  Beautiful children. Lindsay is due in June, I think right around Stetson's birthday.

Docker had a recital and Stephanie sent me a video of it.  Oh I wish I could put it on here so you could all hear him.  He sang and accompanied himself on the guitar.  He was so so good.  I was very impressed.  If I were a young, teenage girl, I would have swooned 😂

~DANIEL AND CONNIE~

Hiding Easter eggs 

The Colorado kids got huge baskets full of goodies and fun, and Parker just got a carton of marshmallow Easter Eggs.  

Coloring the eggs turned out to be a major production.  It's a good thing they have an artist on staff.

These are screen shots from a video of Emma, wearing a unicorn horn, pulling out a dead tree.  She had to hook it up, and drive the 4-wheeler to get it out.  A sweet combination of child and super-girl there.

Emma had her 12th birthday at the end of March, so she was able to go with Shannyn and Analynn and the other mutual girls on their temple trip to the Vernal, Utah Temple.  Analynn graduates from 8th grade this year.

Theo, enjoying the natural history museum and aquarium with his mom and a friend.

Albert had an amazing opportunity to go to Greece for a couple of months with Humanitarian Especially for Youth.  He lived in a youth hostel and served African refugees.  He felt that it was a life-altering experience and helped him be even more appreciative of his blessings and to have a genuine concern for those who have very little of the bounties of life he has always taken for granted. Look closely at the picture and see the braids in his hair.😀

The Biggs kids went to the Brenden Theaters in Rifle.  I'm wondering if it is like Hale Theaters.  Anyway, they look very happy about it 😀  

~REBECCA AND SCOTT~

Easter at the Evanses

The Evans' bunny/chicken farm has been a huge attraction for the family's younger members.  Last month, Thomas and Jenn's kids visited there, and this month Mary's kids visited.

Lillian and Kelin enjoying the Utah wilderness on horseback.

Rebecca went to WA to be with Allison when her baby was born, not knowing, of course, when it would happen, but hoping it would happen while she was there.  She had a couple of days to bond with and spoil Harvey, and then, right on schedule, Lucy Joyce put in her appearance.

She weighed 8lb. 2oz. and was 19 1/2" long. Everyone was so enamored of her right from the very beginning, even Harvey.

The Grandmothers; going home from the hospital.

A basketful of precious

Cushioned in her Grandma Susan blanket

Scott had a birthday on the 12th.

Dallin and Sara both had April birthdays and celebrated them in Italy! Beautiful!

Ok.  Ok.  Enough pictures, already!

Rebecca hosted a group of Priests from Esther's ward.

And DeWitt enjoyed a weekend home, relaxing and studying for finals.  He graduates from ASU early in May.

Sara and Parley have returned to the good old USA and are visiting her mom.  In the meantime, Dallin is finishing a course in Germany: Freiberg, Frankfurt.

Happy Harvey...at least most of the time.  I'm proud of Allison for taking care of what's most important when both her babies were crying...getting a picture!!   Good job, Allison.

Inside the luxurious motor home!  Traveling in style and comfort for sure.

~JEREMY AND ERIKA~

I'm so glad Reygan posts once in a while, some of the things she does with her friends, like lunch and a visit to the Tucson Temple.

With her co-workers at Down East.  Reygan's last day.

The newlyweds enjoying dinner at home.

He has a new film project in the works...with a green screen and everything!

~RACHEL AND TONY~

Easter Sunday, taking notes of Conference; Easter dinner.

Isabel had senior pictures taken for her graduation announcement.  Oh my goodness, she is so pretty ...just natural and happy.

The resulting announcement: Gorgeous!  She looks like someone I'd want to be friends with.

The Mormon Prom.  It was amazing this year, with  Thomas in charge of the decorations.  They decorated to resemble the circus in The Greatest Showman.  Henry, here, is Tom Thumb, one of the movie's characters who were part of the decorations.

I screen shot these pictures from a video that Thomas took of Isabel dancing.

Here is the lunch crew for the Women's Conference.  Rylie, hard at work in the background 😏

Extra cheesecake to share with the family; Luke graduates from 8th grade this year.

Working on Isabel's graduation announcement

Isabel got invited to the Thatcher prom

Rachel sent a video of her Mia Maids using our magnet pictures.  It always makes me happy to see them being used.

This is Isabel's graduation quilt, made from some of her favorite t-shirts.  When Esther saw pictures of it, she wanted to make one for Harrison.  So they came to Safford for sister-help.

Rachel and Harrison holding up his t-shirt quilt.

~ESTHER AND SHAD~

Harrison designed his own announcement...surprise surprise!😜 Definitely would like to be his friend too.

Marlie and her friends congratulating him on his graduation.

Having a post op checkup after his ear surgery.

Marlie got to go on a choir tour to Universal studios.  

A Scout service project with "Feed My Starving Children."

Little League is starting up

Soren and friends at Jakes Unlimited

Shad and a couple of his friends went to San Diego for a guys' weekend and attended a Padres game.

Bridget's school choir sang The Star Spangled Banner at a Diamondback's game and all his family came to support him.  Bridger is graduating from 8th grade this year too.

When Mary and Tyson went to Mesa one Saturday to attend the Mesa Temple before it's closure, they brought Alex (aka Stinky Bean) and Ethan (aka nugget) to stay with Esther and her kids.  They love the babies and give them lots of love and attention.  

All cozy in the new t-shirt quilt his aunts made for him.

At the spontaneous concert.  What a treat that was for us to hear Esther, Brianna and Harrison perform for us.  Wow!

~THOMAS AND JENN~

Maya injured her foot on the trampoline and everyone, cousins and sisters and even the cast of Peter Pan, catered to her.

During Easter break, their family went to Bisbee to see the sights and tour the mine, even carrying Maya some of the time.  

She had a walking boot so she mobilized herself part of the time too. They really enjoyed the old town and its shops and sights...and food.

Henry was apprehensive about going down into the mine, but the miners and guides were very helpful and he soon felt right at home.

Beautiful girls, even with funny faces.  

The decorations for the Mormon Prom were fabulous!  Of course, with Thomas in charge they couldn't be anything else.  He reproduced the circus of The Greatest Showman and even had the ringmaster, the bearded lady, a unicyclist, a balloon sculpturist, an elephant, and of course, Tom Thumb, adding to the atmosphere. 🎪

Kirtlyn's 14th birthday was on the 13th, and they invited us over for dinner and Dairy Queen ice cream cake. 🎂  Kirtlyn also graduates from 8th grade this year.

Thomas and Jenn came to help Harrison with his quilt.

Maya at her gymnastics recital.  She missed a month of classes because of her hurt foot, but she performed with the other kids and did a great job.  We had to be in Silver City, so weren't able to go, but left her a congratulatory stuffed animal anyway.

~MARY APR~

The Richins kids enjoying the Evans' bunny/chicken/goat farm.

Hair cutting, lawn mowing day. 

Carson and Lindsay went fishing with their dad.

We went to see Brianna in Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat.  She was one of the students to whom the story of Joseph was being told.  It was very good and even though we were tired from opening that day, it kept us awake...not so, Jared, though.

Mary invited us over for dinner the next day and we got to play with the babies.

On cheesecake Sunday night.

The next week when they came to mow the lawn, Brianna did the front lawn and Carson did the back, then the kids went swimming.  It was still pretty cold, but they seemed to get used to it and enjoyed it.

Tyson had some Edward Jones meetings in Boston.

Jared, being an army ant in his kindergarten program.  Obviously, he was the coolest ant in the ant colony. They also had lady bugs, butterflies and lightening bugs.

Mary helping with Harrison's quilt.

Brianna, singing with Harrison and Esther.

Jared and Alex got to go to their ward's Fathers' and Sons' outing with Tyson and Carson.  This was Alex's first year...the year he was potty trained 😉

~SMILES~

I do remember.  One year when I was so stressed out because of all the things happening at once: getting the house ready to sell, packing up to move,  trying to find some place to live in Safford, Nathan and Shauna's wedding, Rebecca graduating, Joel was away on his mission, trying to get Daniel ready to go on his mission, all while he and Dad were living in Safford...Dad working at the bank and Daniel going to school.  I kept myself sane by thinking These are exactly the things I have prayed for all my life.  I should be rejoicing instead of stressing out.  It actually helped!  

When the people came to plant new flowers at the temple, one of them brought a baby.  I smiled at that because I thought I know that baby will grow up faithful and strong in the Gospel because he has parents who serve and who bring him with them so that he gets comfortable in service and Gospel situations.  The weather was wonderful and he was perfectly content.  

So true!

I know you're all smiling, just looking at Rebecca's cinnamon rolls 😋😃

I love the pictures of all the children of the world in the arms of the Savior.

~LAST WORDS~

I recently read a story by a forest ranger who responded to a fire in Yellowstone.  After the fire was out, they found the perfectly petrified ashes of a bird at the bottom of a burned out tree.  They wondered why it hadn't just flown away at the first hint of fire.  When they moved it, three little chicks scurried out from underneath.  That mama bird had stayed to protect her babies.  She knew they couldn't fly away and she wouldn't leave them.  The author then quoted Psalms 36:7 How excellent is thy loving kindness, O God!  Therefore the children of men put their trust under the shadow of thy wings.  Also, in the song, Jesus Lover of My Soul, the last verse says Cover my defenseless head with the shadow of thy wing.  That's why the picture of Jesus and the children makes me smile.  We are all children of God and brothers and sisters to each other.  We are not defenseless or unprotected from the fires of this life.  He gathers us "as a hen gathereth her chicks beneath her wing," with pure love and understanding for our trials, our weaknesses, our sins and the desires of our hearts.