June: new mower, essential oils, and Crispy Cones

There's always room for play time at our house and that isn't limited to the Littles.

I pulled out both of our lawn mowers to start my summer mowing chores and ended up ready to throw a wrench, hammer and boulder at both of them! One of them wouldn't start or cut right; the other had such horrible steering that I would end up going over the lawn about three time just to cut all the grass, and it was held together with a bungee cord that kept falling off. In full frustration I snapped at LeRoy because he kept bringing home these junkers for me to do my work and had mentioned looking on Facebook for another used one, when he spends top dollar for the tools to do his work. Within an hour, I had my new tool and it worked better than I could have ever hoped! It only took me 10 years to speak up.

In honor of our favorite Europeans, we took a treat run to Crispy Cones. It was a temporary tent set up by a returned missionary that had served in the Czech Republic. He wanted to treat fellow Rexburgians to one of his favorite Czech desserts. I do believe it would taste much better and have better texture in Europe, with flours, jams, and creams that aren't so heavy and sweet.

As Levi and I talked essential oils and sniffed until we found our favorite blends, Hyrum joined in and made his very first blend. He named it Whisper and it soon became one of my favorites as well.

Max & Zane: Brownies, Baptism and Temple

The first thing the boys did together for the spring spectacular was to taste test mug brownies. We made two different brands and they did their reviews.

I honestly can't remember which one they liked best, but it was fun to have them give their reviews.

On Saturday morning, we went to Brock Orr's baptism since he is the fifth member of this little band of brothers. The boys each wrote a kind note for him and gave him a bag of mini Starbursts. Even with his cousins and family there, Brock seemed so pleased to have them there and made it a point to come and thank them.

Since we were all dressed up, we (the Mom's) decided to make a visit to the temple grounds.

I hope these four grow up to be good friends, always supporting each other in positive ways.

Watching them walk off together was a brief glimpse into their futures, walking confidently into their lives on the covenant path as individuals, but with the companionship of memories and as "brethren in the Lord". (Alma 17:2)

As we walked around the temple, Nathan paused to tell them about his Priesthood Tree. He explained how his first picture with the tree was taken the day he received the Priesthood and that it was just barely budding with new spring leaves. By the time he went to the temple to do baptisms a couple of weeks later it was blooming and becoming more full, and just like his tree, he will continue to grow toward the sun/Son as he progressed through the Aaronic and Melchizedek Priesthood. 

He also stopped in front of the baptism doors and explained to them all the steps of doing baptisms, from having your recommend checked, changing clothes and taking a name of someone in our family line to do baptisms and confirmations for. I was impressed at their attention and his willingness to share it with them.

A few weeks later, I was cleaning a bunch of papers off of Nathan's desk and found this written out. He is a thoughtful and loving young man.

Max and Zane: Bear World and Mesa Falls

Our second annual trip to Bear World was just as fun as the first. It's the perfect place to enjoy a bit of nature and have some fun rides for a touch of excitement and adrenaline.

 

It's also a great way to see how our boys measure up from the year before. Though it doesn't look that drastic on Nathan's growth, he did grow almost five inches between pictures.

This year we took a curator tour and the boys got to feed the bears and see them up close. As we watched the cubs wander over and beg for food, it didn't seem so different as our own cute little cubs doing the same.

Also this year, the boys talked us into going on the Spinning Bears and roller coaster with them. They laughed and laughed as I tried to get them to stop spinning in mock panic and they tried so hard to make it spin faster. Kara was a great sport on the roller coaster; I will never ride it again and the boys think that is hilarious.

Another day that week, we took Kara, Max and Zane to our yearly mini-hike to Mesa Falls. A stranger walking toward the parking lot let us know that we could check out adventurer backpacks for the boys. The backpacks were full of bug catching nets, binoculars, rock and bug guides to keep their interest and something to spy around for.

Nature better watch out for this crew. After a good covering of bug spray, we headed onto the trail.

The bug nets and binoculars were a hit! We'll never take the trail without them again. They also had chisels to chip away at rocks, which had tree-hugging hikers glaring at us, but the park provided them so we let them go at it.

Our attempt at a selfie by the falls.

After our hike, we stopped at the lodge to take our best guesses at the animal pellets on display. We also found which animal fur was soft, rough, and prickly.

On our way home, we made an unscheduled stop at Frostop Cafe in Ashton.

They loved their root beer floats and the "old fashioned" cafe. It may need to become part of our tradition in the future.

Growing in the Gospel

Hryum stayed home from school one day with a headache and fever. He slept for most of the day but at one point mid-morning, I came out of my office to find him sitting on the floor with both my scriptures, and his.

He was using my scriptures as a guide and marking his own scriptures to match mine. He was so focused that when I walked over to the window to take a couple of pictures, he just thought I was looking out the window. Moments like this that give me hope and confidence in his spiritual future. Taking the time to connect with God through written word is so healing.

Nathan was asked to give his first talk in Sacrament Meeting. He initially tried to get out of it but after a little study on the topic (4th Article of Faith) he felt he could do it. We spent several conversations just discussing, looking up additional scriptures and quotes and breaking down the details. Then he wrote it on his own.

Just like he had done in primary, he practiced his talk out loud. I knew he was doing this and every once in a while he'd come and do it for me, mostly for encouragement. Little did I know that he was actually practicing with an audience.

He had set all his stuffed animals to face him in full attention and had built his own podium using his desk chair and clothes basket.

On the day that he gave his talk he asked if we could do an additional prayer together. He was glad that he was helping to pass the sacrament so that he didn't just have to sit through it getting more nervous. He did a wonderful job! He spoke clearly, shared scriptures and words from the prophets and shared his testimony.

Spring: Fire, Garden, and Swing

 Spring brought several fires only a few miles from us. One fire started on a Sunday afternoon and was so new and close that we wandered out for a drive. We stayed out of the way but were close enough to see the plane and helicopter dropping retardant and the trucks going back and forth with water tanks for the firefighters.

The wind and sun created amazing images which we could only celebrate with the fires staying in the dessert areas, away from homes. However, one dessert fire near St. Anthony did cause an evacuation as the winds blew it across the rivers and roads and took it far too close to town.

Spring brought such strong winds that we actually had a couple of tornado warnings. Along with small tornadoes came the hail.The hail was so strong and damaging that it tore through gardens, roofs, windshields and siding. Our own roof was damaged to a point that we will have in completely redone in spring 2019.

My &&&& neighbor volunteered to come plow my garden for spring planting. Initially I felt a bit guilty asking him to come and plow for us but after talking to another neighbor that he plows for, we found that he absolutely loves it. He showed up with his tractor and tilled the ground until it was almost fluffy. As I talked with him after, he was nearly giddy talking about garden stuff. For someone who is so quiet and soft spoken at church, he was animated and excited sharing garden tips. Thanks so much Brother &&&&&&

From winds of years past, my previous porch swing had to be junked. I searched around and found one that I felt could withstand the wind, would last for several years, and would be an outdoor haven for the summer months.

It took Derek and I nearly seven hours to put it together. I couldn't have done it without him! The cats think it's just a pedestal for them to spy on us.

 It is better than I had hoped and is the perfect reading spot for summer evenings . . . provided the mosquito candle is burning.

Every once in a while the boys will come up missing and I find them reading, sleeping or chatting on the swing. Part of Hyrum's morning routine was to eat breakfast and then go out to the swing to warm up in the sun.

Derek in Idaho and turning 22

We were thrilled to have Derek move back to the Rexburg area, even if only for a few weeks. In that time we took advantage of every day together, filling the time with building and fun.

It was quite impressive to see Derek manage a flip that appeared to be in slow motion as his 6'5" frame rotated through the sky.

Derek helped me build a few games for the YM/YW combined outdoor activity. We all then tried them out and spent a Sunday afternoon with our laughter echoing through the neighborhood.

Knowing that I had Derek to help me out, I picked up a porch swing kit. It took the two of us nearly 8 hours digging through instructions, screws, and bolts, but we finally had it setting all in place. I absolutely love my quiet place as well as the beautiful flowers that Levi and Daymia gave me for Mother's Day.

While Derek was staying in Idaho Falls with Daymia and Levi, he got to meet their eccentric neighbor, Ron. The two of them share similar hobbies of shield, weapons, and helmets.

Derek was also very impressed with Ron's complete Harry Potter wand collection. Part of what is so unique about the collections is that none of it has been ordered online. Every piece has come from a catalog mail-in or phone order with a check sent in the mail. Generations apart, they still had plenty to talk about.

Derek was only with us for a few weeks before he moved to South Carolina, but we sure enjoyed the time with him. He is so skilled and goal driven, which leads him on many adventures. I appreciated our long, in-person conversations and getting to know him better as an adult.  By the time his 22nd birthday rolled around, he had moved across the country and was well on his way to adulting in style.