Great Line

We had Stake Conference today. With three kids under 8 Stake Conference is really just an exercise in obedience for us. There is not a lot of opportunity for us to focus on the messages. Anyway, today there was a youth choir and they sang, Behold a Royal Army. As they were singing, Rhianna leaned over to me and asked, "Are they singing Victory, or Hickory?" I thought that was hilarious.

Too Close

Sometimes our two boys wake up early (too often lately). When Seth wakes up early Stephanie usually just has him get in bed with us and sleep some more. This doesn't bother me very much because I am a fairly sound sleeper. However, early this morning I had an experience that woke even me up. Seth was in our bed and I was sleeping on my side with my back to him. I was rudely awoken by two little feet slipping into my pants and trying to warm themselves on my backside. I quickly reached around and pulled his feet out. He started getting upset (I guess it was warm in there), but even a sound sleeper like me has some limits. Some snuggling is simply too close!

Fun facts with Rand

One of the things I love about Rand being able to read is when he reads us lines from cereal boxes in the morning. Just imagine sitting there, eating your cereal, and one of these lines comes out of a 5 year old:

"We believe in real simple food. " - Cheerios
"A good breakfast can help you get going, manage your weight, stay on task at work, and concentrate." - Crispix
"Family life is better when your kids are healthy." - Froot Loops

Cracks me up!

(And may I also just mention - there was a good sale on Kellogg's cereals. I got several Crispix since that is Steve's favorite and Rand wanted me to get the Froot Loops. Froot Loops now advertises "Now provides Fiber - a great way to keep kids healthy." However, that added fiber plus the crazy bright colors are not quite as pleasant coming out in Seth's diapers still in crazy bright green!)

Service

My parents have been called to be the mission president and companion of the India Bangalore Mission of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. My little brother Michael has also been called to serve a mission in Brasilia, Brazil. They both leave for their missions on June 23.

Each night that I put my two boys to bed I sing them a few songs. One night this last week I found myself singing this song I learned in Primary many years ago (actually about the time my dad was called as Stake President so I would have been about 11):

We'll Bring the World His Truth

We have been born, as Nephi of old,
To goodly parents who love the Lord.
We have been taught, and we understand,
That we must do as the Lord commands.

We are as the army of Helaman.
We have been taught in our youth.
And we will be the Lord's missionaries
To bring the world his truth.

It has been kind of emotional for me as my parents prepare to leave for 3 years to a country almost exactly half way around the world. Sometimes I think of the sacrifices (and I am not even the one leaving) - big things my parents might miss like Rhianna and Rand's baptisms, births of other grandkids, deaths of their parents who are all in their 80s, weddings of my brother and sister - and small things like just being able to easily talk on the phone. Again some of those are just potential happenings, but I will miss my parents. But then I think also of the great service that my parents are so prepared to give. They have learned to work well together. They have great leadership experience. They have both studied the gospel and taught it to us and many others for years.

I am grateful to have such good parents. Last summer we were on vacation for about 6 weeks, and about 4 of those weeks were spent with my family. I now am thankful for that time we had even before anyone knew of this call. My dad also mentioned he was grateful for the timing the brethren gave to Michael's mission. He could have left anytime after May 1 - but leaving the same day as my parents will allow all of us to have another family reunion at the beginning of the summer. My parents have had other blessings as well as they are preparing to leave their home and work. And so though there are elements of sacrifice, I am trying now to focus more on their service. I have enjoyed learning a little more about India and the people there. I am grateful to have a testimony and understand why my parents will serve. That is perhaps why I felt that song again - my mom and dad are both the "goodly parents" who taught us and now also the missionaries who will "bring the world his truth."

10 Tons

We have decided to try to sell our house. Mainly we would like to be saving towards building a house and with the market as it is the value of our house is continuing to fall. We will see how it goes...if nothing happens that is fine too...we like the house and where we are.

But in preparing to list the house we decided to do a little work mainly on a few things we wanted improved for us too if we stay here. We had the carpets cleaned and the front and side doors replaced. We also had the yard cleaned up. One thing we have wanted is more rock. Most of our front yard is rock landscape here in Arizona, but the rock was getting pretty thin. So we ordered 10 tons of rock.

Steve kept laughing at me, but I was seriously nervous about them showing up and dumping 10 TONS of rocks on our curb. I know rock is heavy but I was picturing it taking up the full length of our house. This is what 10 tons of rocks looks like:

So still a big pile. The first set of landscapers didn't show up that morning. I went out with Rand and Seth and buckets (we have no wheelbarrow) and thought we would give it a shot. I gave up after about 4 buckets full. I knew it would take forever. I put up cones because I also didn't want any cars crashing into the big pile. The next day I got a new landscaper out to the house. He was one very hard working guy that did have shovels and a wheelbarrow and it took him 5 hours to move all the rock. We have planted a few flowers and cacti/succulents and it looks nice.

Fish and Ducks

Rhianna's unit in school this month has been about fish. They read, write, and do activities about fish. Today was a busy day. All the 2nd graders had to do a fish presentation. Rhianna chose to do the Leafy Sea Dragon. Rand and Seth and I got to go see Rhianna and a few of the others present. It was great to see all the different posters and Rhianna did a wonderful job.

They also made the paper aquariums and wrote stories about them earlier in the unit. Today they made the water aquariums in the jars with plastic fish, shells, plants, etc. They look cool.

As for the ducks...well we were busy today too. After I dropped Rhianna off at school, we went to the YMCA for exercise. Then back home for a quick shower. Then back to the school to watch the presentations. Then off to Reid Park to play. On Fridays we meet up with our cousins (really very distant cousins...our great-grandmas were sisters) and play. After a while on the playground we went over to the pond to feed the ducks.

The ducks were CRAZY today. They were out of the water and all over us. Rachelle had tortillas and I had bread, so they should have been broken up to feed to the animals. But those ducks wanted the food. Rand just threw a whole tortilla on the ground and the ducks were scrambling to get it from each other. I couldn't believe it when Seth had about a 1/4 piece of bread left in his hands, holding it with 2 hands and trying to rip it, one duck just snapped right between his hands and took it. You may remember the horse taking the grass out of Seth's hand in the summer...well he was nearly as sad and mad about the duck stealing the bread out of his hands. He was crying and saying they were mean and needed to go away.

We then got distracted playing in the small stream running out of the pond because of the rain we have gotten lately. Then we ate snacks and headed for home. A busy day but fun - and we will keep our distance from the ducks next time.

Rand's Secret Plan

A few years ago for Rhianna's birthday we gave her a ton of books and had her do a treasure hunt around the house to find them. Rand loved it. Ever since then he wants to make maps and do treasure hunts at random times.

So again as Rhianna headed back to school he said he wanted to buy her books and do a treasure hunt for her. We went to Bookman's and got her a chapter book and also a book on fish and on insects since she will be doing reports on them this semester. Then Rand and Seth each made maps.

When Rhianna got home they were so excited for her to find the treasure. Just a nice, loving, fun thing Rand wanted to do on his own for his sister.