Easter

LeRoy and I felt like young parents again as we gathered around the table with our little boys to color eggs.  It's so odd, and quiet, to have all the older kids gone but sometimes it is nice to have the activity focused solely on Nathan and Hyrum instead of trying to meet the needs of such varying ages.

However, when it comes to an Easter Egg Hunt, age doesn't seem to matter. Levi, Daymia, and her sisters hid all of their eggs and all of our eggs at Daymia's home and we gathered there for the hunt.  Those tall teenager and adults became little kids again!

Daymia called me from a store one day begging sizes for Nathan and Hyrum.  She was standing in front of boys Easter suits and was adamant that she had to buy them.

Once my older boys saw them they decided that they wanted vests also and a trend was set.

Daymia dresses these handsome boys up so well!!  They spent a couple of days shopping, finding good deals, raiding the colors in Levi's closet and as a result my scruffy boys found their inner model.

As Daymia was taking pictures of them outside I was working on Sunday dinner inside.  Levi came walking in, took my arm and insisted that I be in a picture with them.  As they fought over who got to put their arm around me or could stand by me and who loved me more I had to hold back tears.  These boys bring so much joy to my life and have taught me unconditional, true love!

LeRoy could hear the ruckus outside and even though he was against the color for church (he felt it was disrespectful) and refused to wear a vest with them (because that was so 1975) he couldn't handle being left out of the photographic moment.  He snuck out the door just in time to peak his head in the picture as Daymia was taking candid shots of the boys lovin' on me.

No Foolin', April Was Fun!

We started the month with a General Conference Party.  Feed the body, feed the spirit.
 

When Daymia asked Hyrum if he was excited for conference he responded in excitement, "Yah!  Who wouldn't be?"  I'm glad the kids get excited for the food and family time while we camp out in the family room for hours.  However, it all becomes so worth the work and mess when they start to really enjoy conference for the talks.  Derek couldn't stop talking about it.  Weeks later he was still commenting on certain talks and bringing them up in family home evening lessons.

Daymia sent me a text one morning and asked if I could teach her how to make a quilt. Two days later she called from the fabric store asking what kind of fabric to get and then relied on the clerk to help her decide a size.  She showed up with fabric, batting, yarn and even her grandma's quilting frames.  I was a little hesitant to teach how to use the rotary cutter because of the missing section of my own finger but she watched me once and did the rest all on her own, with extreme caution since I was kind of holding my breath the whole time.  I showed her how to use the sewing machine once.  After that she did all of the sewing and was so proud of herself when she could thread it and fill the bobbin all my herself.  I was proud of her too!!

She got it cut and sewn during the first day and then brought her sister Jordyn over to help her tie it the next day.  I showed them how, went upstairs to get dinner ready and before I could go back down to see how they were doing and take a picture, it was done!  The binding was a little tricky but again, it didn't stop Daymia.  As she got to the last section she paused the machine and, clapping her hands, exclaimed, "it's so pretty and it's almost done!"  She finished it just in time to wrap Levi up in it as they headed off to opening night at the drive in.


Nathan started piano lessons in September and by April he was ready for his first festival at BYU-I.
 

He had his songs memorized, his scales ready and with nervous excitement he walked in with the judge, introduced himself, played his best and was done.  It was a great four minutes that boosted his confidence and solidified his determination to continue practicing and playing, he even asked to have lessons during the summer.  For a child who started life so hesitant and afraid of people he sure has blossomed as he shares his talents and confidently tackles each new situation with surprising ease.


Nathan, Hyrum, Erika and I took a field trip to Utah for Kellie's baby shower and a Cousin Carnival that my Aunts were doing.  The day began with the baby shower during which we tucked our kids away in a room with a movie.  I wasn't sure Kate's bedroom would survive nine kids under the age of eight but they did very well!  During our two hours of mommy time we only had a couple of quiet interruptions and not one fight or crying kid.  My boys have the best cousins!

We had a great time pampering Kellie and visiting together.  We played Baby Bunko, wrote encouraging messages on diapers for those late night changes, tested our shopping knowledge with a Price Is Right Baby Version game and ate.

Kate and Brooklyn were perfect Hostesses!

I like the picture of Erika and I in the top left corner.  Though it's out of focus, it is a brief glimpse at how alike we are.  People tell us that we look alike but we don't really see that.  However, as we sat together barefoot in our glasses writing near duplicate messages on diapers without knowing it I felt that I was sitting with one of my sisters.  We chat easily, call each other on rough days, think similarly but have varying opinions to help the other see a new perspective and we really like spending time together.  I love my Erika Jo!

The shower was to pamper Kellie and to celebrate baby Madelyn.

Madelyn Quincy Boyd
May 10th

After the shower we quickly cleaned things up so that we could get over to the church for the cousin carnival.  My Aunts, Kathy, Colleen, and Carol have been spoiling us since we were little kids.  I remember summers at Lagoon with them, their vast book collection that they would let me borrow from, their complete Disney collection of movies and the posters of John Schneider and Tom Selleck that decorated their fridge.  Now, their spoiling continues for the next generation.  Each month they hold Crafternoon for all the kids of "the cousins" (meaning me, my siblings, and any of our cousins in the surrounding area).  I have really wanted to make it to Crafternoon but because of the long drive we haven't been to one.  Now, my kids are wanting to go every month!

It was initially planned that the Cousin Carnival would be outside but with intense winds and a major downpour Kate made a few calls to reserve the church for us. The gym was set up with nine different carnival style games.  The kids were all set up with a buddy and they rotated through the games, collecting tickets as they went.

After everyone had been to each booth they counted up all their tickets and went to the "store" to trade their tickets in for prizes.  See?  These Aunts are Amazing!

I thought that was the end but then they pulled out Rice Krispie Treats and we all sang Happy Birthday to anyone who had a birthday during the month.  And, (yes, there is more) they brought out a box of VHS movies for us to choose from and keep.  They are converting their VHS library to a DVD library and we get the spoils of that labor.  Nathan was thrilled to bring home Three Musketeers and Hyrum picked a 60's Disney movie simply because the character had a sword in his hand.  Thank You, Thank You to these ladies!  We might have to make monthly trips to Utah.

Ninja Nathan's 8th Birthday

Nathan requested spaghetti with meatballs, salad and homemade breadsticks.

Finger lickin' good!

He did not want cake for his cake so I added eyes to a fruit pizza covered in strawberries.

He was thrilled with his "cake" and loved the Tootsie Roll nunchucks on the side.

We used our chopstick skills to rescue Lego ninjas that were buried in rice.

Each thirty second of determined concentration resulted in cheers, laughter and flying rice.

We attacked the "bad guys" with plastic throwing stars and our best roundhouse kicks.

The sticky, stretchy ninjas had our full attention as they flopped down the wall hand over foot.

Levi and Daymia gave Nathan a kite and lessons on how to fly it.

He caught on so quickly that not once did his kite hit the ground, even when he was reeling it in to put it away.

Nathan's birthday was on Monday and two days later he had his first Cub Scout activity.

He was thrilled to participate in the Pine Wood Derby.

I loved watching him cross his fingers and cheer for his friend Camdyn.

Nathan drew his car design on the block of wood and Derek cut it out for him.  Nathan then did all of his own sanding, painting and sticker applications.  When his car kept getting third place (out of three cars) he was losing his excitement for the races and frustrated that his car wasn't doing better.  Before tears started coming I invited him into the hallway for a couple of minutes of encouragement.  I reminded him that if his car was electrical that he and his dad would have built the fastest car ever and that I was proud of him for using his own wood skills to build a great looking car.  The two cars that kept winning were carefully supervised and adjusted between each race by the fathers of the two scouts and both of their fathers do a lot with cars and would know how to make them faster so they have a better chance of winning.  He quietly accepted what I was saying and we went back to the races.

I've always struggled with Pine Wood Derby races because my boys do their own cars and they are never fast.  However, I was most impressed with Nathan when he walked over to me after the races were done and said, "Mom, my car ALWAYS gets third place! That's so cool!  And I know if my car was electric I'd get first place because Dad would wire it the best."