April 2019

Easter is the best. We made hard boiled eggs in honor of Carter. Viva Las Vegas Baby egg by Ally- and a pre-Vegas post-Vegas portrait of Carter by Tyler. The one egg has red hair and white skin and the other egg has red hair and a sunburn. Pretty cute that these two are thinking about their big brother working hard in Las Vegas. Easter Sunday...somehow Ally came out of church wearing a different dress than she went to church in. Girlfriends are funny, Payzlee didn't like her dress today so Ally swapped with her so she wouldn't have to go to her family party in a dress she didn't love. Ally is a sweet girl.

A little badminton in the sunshine. So grateful for Easter and spring and renewal and life and forgiveness and resurrections and Jesus....I am so grateful for Jesus. We wouldn't make it back without Him. 

I broke out the china to celebrate this special day. Easter is important and we do these things to show our kids how important it is.













She's the birthday girl....it's April 1st and she has made it to 13. What a girl we have.

Since her birthday is on April fools day and she wanted a pie for her birthday. I made her a meat pie....as a surprise. This is the first time I've done a trick on her for her birthday. I didn't want to be too mean since it is her special day and all. This was pretty funny though. I had another real blackberry pie in the oven for her real treat.

She took it like a champ.

Our dear friends came for a visit. Teresa, Otto, Calvin and Eve Gehring. Teresa has family living in the area and came to visit her Dad. It was so fun showing them around, eating pizza and bringing them to mutual with us. Old friends are the best friends.

Seattle trip for more bloodwork. We found this awesome Beechers mac and cheese place. So so good. Also the Thai food we found was amazing. I love eating in Seattle, it's the best. 
Tyler and I painted the town in Seattle. The Seattle Museum of Art was pretty amazing. The Jackson Pollock piece reminded me of the gum wall.

Found an alley with a bunch of gum everywhere....gross but dedication to the cause. If the cause is covering an entire alley with gum.

Ally's birthday bash. These friends of hers are the best. We just love them. Happy birthday to the sunshine in our life. Ally is amazing and a blessing and we cherish her sweetness and her spunk and her determination and grit. She has goals and dreams and watch out world. She's heading your way.

I've been growing a few things this winter. Hoping to fill in the garden beds a bit this spring.

Shearing day at Julie's sheep farm. All hands on deck. After a day at the farm we are all glad to not be actual farmers. Seriously farming is hard work.

Ally is standing in the window and she fits exactly into the space. She will never again be this size for this one little moment she is the exact same size as the window space....

Spring....you have no idea how happy I am to see the first bulb of spring. I planted these last year because there were no bulbs in our yard. Ten acres and not one bulb. Ally and I had to use a drill to dig into the dirt. The clay is so hard, but it worked with a drill and a large bit. Byron probably isn't to thrilled with us using the drill bit but you've got to do what you've got to do. Also, spring....look we may have survived winter. Or this could be a trick.

The young men and young women had an activity where they wrote letters to the missionaries. Tyler drew this photo of Ron Swanson for Carter. This is the epitome of their friendship. Both of them trying to be manly men like Ron Swanson. He's pretty much an icon of eating meat and and hunting. This is what brother love looks like, a portrait of Ron Swanson.

I'm working on a bathroom remodel. It's not going well. We started the last week of March. Hopefully we will be able to shower in our bathroom again, ever.

Soccer is cold....these girls playing spring soccer have to be hardy and tough. They play in the rain and the snow, the sleet and the cold. They play in the heat and the sunshine. They are tougher than me and they smile and work hard. They loose and they win. I love that Ally gets to spend time with girls like these.

Carter has been working hard on his mission. They had four baptisms and had an apostle speak to them this weekend. He said it was the best. I'm so glad he's happy and working hard. Couldn't ask for more.

These cute kids were baptized this weekend. It is so fun to get to see Carter doing the work of God. These kids lives will be better because they have the gospel in their lives. What a blessing for them.

Byron and I on our twenty first year of marriage. We ate dinner ate my favorite Thai restaurant in town.  21 years with this awesome handsome man of mine. We went to Maui earlier in the winter to celebrate since I like to be there when the whales are there. I'm so lucky to have been blessed in love.