April stuff

I have not taken many pictures of things lately. But we are doing tons of things.  I will try to remember what's been going on.

Have I told you that it has rained a lot? I has rained a lot. We have days that all it does is rain hard. all day long. And this is happening a couple of times a week. We are not used to that here. Other years it will rain for an hour or so and then be done. Yes... I know what April showers bring and all that kind of stuff. But it is a lot of rain.

We had stake conference in March. Andre and I were asked to be in the stake choir for the adult meeting. That was fun. we sang some really amazing songs. We got a new stake presidency so that was interesting. The speakers were great. It is amazing how the boys are so good in church now. I never would have believed it even 5 years ago. They can sit there for 2 hours with no complaining and just a few things to keep them occupied. I didn't even take treats.

So towards the end of March we helped my sister move a bunch of stuff from her house into my moms basement. In the pouring rain of course. We spent some time in the basement talking about stuff and then we went home. My mom called and said her basement was flooding. So we ran over there and saw that her window well had about 2 feet of water in it and it was starting to leak into her basement. Andre climbed down the window well and started handing buckets of water to us and we threw them down the hill of her yard towards the gutter. we were almost done and one of her neighbors stopped to help us. He had a pump and pumped the rest of it out in about 3.4 seconds. Then we went down to he basement and started moving boxes. The water only affected a small area. but we had to open every box and see what was in them and what was ruined. It really was a blessing that my mom went down to the basement a second time that day. She was in the middle of putting away her groceries when she thought- "I wonder where my potted flowers are? (she told me what it was that she was looking for but I forgot already.) This was not important and it was not important right then- but she left her groceries still out on the counter and went downstairs to look for them. That was when she noticed the window.  She was prompted to go down there- she probably would not have gone down there for days if that had not happened.  Blessings.

That night my mom and I watched women's conference together.

Did I mention that Andre's kidneys acted up again? Just for one night and one morning. He must have passed the stone because the pain went away and did not come back. His knee has been hurting him when he runs. He went to the doctor (that is how you know that it is a big deal). He has some exercises to do to strengthen the muscles. We will see if it helps. Soccer is on hold for him and that makes me sad. I want him to be able to play as long as he wants to. But- the other night he asked if he should go play futsol (indoor soccer) with the ward. I asked him if he really wanted his knee to heal- he didn't go. (playing on a court is really bad for knees- grass is softer)

We still have Hapkido twice a week, piano, 4 different scout and young men activities. Jaxon's work is all random days. Alex's "Up with kids" class is getting busier since he is a lead and needs to be there during more practices. Also, Chase and Alex are in the school choir which meets on Thursdays.

The boys are outside a lot. They are on trampolines, and scooters, and Tanner and Alex are getting good on roller blades. Chase is trying to learn how to skateboard.  And when I say, the boys are outside a lot- I mean the younger 3. When I tell Jaxon to go outside- he finds a book and reads outside. That is the way it has been for a long time.

This was our April fools day brownies. I usually do nothing for April fools day- but this was an easy thing to do and I actually remembered to do something.

Conference was on April Fools day. We did a lot of weeding and other yard work during the morning session. It is nice to weed and listen to conference.

Then for the afternoon session I went over to Joanna's and helped her paint her railing. Her house is looking great because she is getting ready to move.

Sunday was a bunch of lounging around and listening to the prophets and apostles.

Monday April 3rd is Andre's mom's birthday. We went to her grave to tell her happy birthday. The boys cut the grass around her headstone

and we decorated the grave with flowers from our yard.

We also took our photo album of her pictures and saw her awesome hair styles and Andre talked about her while we were driving to the cemetery.

We have spent the last few weeks cutting our trees in our park strip. They have gotten huge! We borrowed my dads reciprocating saw and started cutting. Using power tools makes it fun. We had a driveway full of branches. We have slowly been cutting the wood for firewood and also filling up the garbage can as it will fit. One day last week. I decided to take a picture of our beautiful blossoms before they all fell off the tree. These blossoms make me happy as I drive down the street and see them lining the road.

Wednesday Alex had his last Webelos meeting! I can't believe he is so old. We finished our Castaway badge. Here they are cooking food without pots or pans. I made them go find a stick to put their food on. Because if they are really stranded somewhere- they are not going to have hot dog turners to use. This was a bit of a challenge because most of them came with too small or too big of sticks at first.

Learning about water purification.

We had to do another meal without pots or pans. We heated up cheese tortillas in foil. and stuck it in the coals. I figured that even though they might not have tortillas if they are stranded or lost, they would at least have aluminum foil- because we put some in their survival kit the week before.

Jaxon got to go to an RSL game with the priests and teachers and visiting girl who used to live in our ward.

On Friday night Andre and I went to dinner with our friends from when we were dating. Jeremy and Kelly. We did stuff with them when we both had toddlers. But then we both had more and more kids and we both got busier. And they don't live close to us so we just drifted apart. We have not seen them at all for about 7 years. It was fun seeing them.

Saturday it rained hard all day again. We were going to do yard work- but the rain kind of stopped that. Tanner finished his last required merit badge for his Eagle scout! The classes he goes to are not the most fun thing- I am proud that he keeps working hard even though it can be boring. We did go check out my moms window well and put up some shelves that she had. Her ground is so soggy. We really need to dig some trenches and put in some drains.

That night we decorated eggs.

We had emoji stickers for our eggs.

Ahhh, my boys are so cute.

They really do get a long really well. We are really blessed for that. There is a lot of teasing especially when Jaxon is involved. But they love each other.

We also had a egg decorating kit that you could put sugar crystals on your egg. It looked cool on the package- but it was kind of -- ehh.

The next morning we woke up to this! Our poor trees were just wilting from all the weight of the snow. My mom called to tell me that a tree in her front yard had completely broken and fallen over. We were going to take that tree down this summer anyway- so that was a bonus. I think it really was because the ground around that tree was just so soggy. and then the weight of the snow was too much for it. (Andre and the boys went over Sunday and cut it up and got rid of it)

Then I found out that this poor tree lost 2 huge branches. Our whole neighborhood lost so many branches. 2 people that I know of lost whole trees- they just fell over!

So- Tuesday a friend of mine in the ward texted me and asked if he could visit me that night. I thought that was fine- but weird. Then I remembered that he was in the bishopric. Seriously! I had just spent the day planning and getting ready for the next few months of Webelos. I was really happy doing Webelos until Chase turns 11. I did not want him to change my calling.

He did.

Well, I did have to remind him that I have a stake calling also. Then they had to get permission for me to be released from that (I guess it is unheard of in our stake for the stake to agree to let people be released.) First they told them no- then other stuff happened and then they said yes. So it was up and down all week- I thought I was going to change callings, then I wasn't--- anyway it ends up that I will be released from both Webelos and running the stake young women's sports program. I am still in mourning. Alex's last day of Webelos was actually my last day too!

I can be sad about that and still be excited about my new calling. (I am not sad about young women's sports) It is in the Young Women's program! 2nd counselor. That means Beehives! So I have been trying to figure out that for the last few days. I know most of the girls and they are nice. So now I need to really get to know them and how to help them.

Right now I feel overwhelmed by all the stuff that I have to figure out. Of course the beehive leaders are in charge of the combined activity in 2 weeks. That will be fun. I opened up a personal progress book for the first time since I was 17. Never thought I would have to do that since I had all boys. The program looks great. I get  to figure out how to teach from the Come Follow Me program.

So- I am sure that I will be talking about a lot of young women things from here on- get ready for it.

Some of my overwhelmedness comes from the fact that we are going on a trip this weekend and so I feel busy getting ready for that at the same time.  So- what do I do? sit down to write a blog of course. But I felt like I wanted to record these things so that I don't forget. It helps me feel good to accomplish things like keeping up on my journal blog.