Claire and David are in Hawaii: David for work and Claire for her 17th bday.

We got this picture from Elijah with a note that his mission leader was forcing him to buy shoes asap since he stepped on glass. He told me a few weeks ago that his shoes were worn but refused to let me buy him shoes.

End of the school year! Sybil is the only one I caught for a picture on the last day.

Goodbye to 4th grade, freshman, and junior years!

I asked Sybil today what percentage of the time she estimates that she is mad at me.

"Only about 70% of the time."

I personally surmise that the other 30% of the time is when I'm asleep.

Sybil and her piano teacher.

Award ceremony for rowing. Claire had a back injury about 6 months ago with several months of PT, with little relief. She's having a hard time taking a break from her beloved sport. She went yesterday morning to be the coxswain.

The rest of us went to a UofM alumni service project, handing out food. Two interactions that morning were indicative of these girls' personalities:

1) Sybil's service was dancing for each family receiving food. I was her dance partner, but she complained that I was giving her a wedgie, at which point she confessed to not wearing any underwear:

"Mom, don't worry, I do it all the time."

2) Iris was in charge of handing out what I thought was frozen chicken.

Iris read the label, realized it was actually frozen cod, and then began to expound on cod and their close marine cousins.

Soccer tournament

David and I went to a very special sealing of our good friends. David taught this family in El Salvador. We went back after we were married and David baptized Rebecca. It was touching seeing Rebecca, her husband, and 2 daughters (one of whom was baptized yesterday) kneel across the altar.

David and Vicky (Rebecca's mom) have been good friends for decades. They are so hilarious together. 

IAs I was kissing Sybil goodnight, she asked, "Mom, you know how the father walks the bride down the aisle? Well, can the dad AND mom walk her down the aisle?"

This question was refreshing considering just a few hours earlier she called me at least 20 times in a row and sent a slew of text messages like the following: 

I'm soooooooo mad at u.

UR SO RUDE.

I'm literally crying because of you

 finished my first week of my new preceptorship at the Health District. It has been great!

An overheard conversation that I loved:

Someone said to a lively man: "I want to know what you eat for breakfast!"

"Coffee and a protein shake."

Third person: "And prayer too. That man prays!"

"Yes I do!"

 

Cali and more

It's Mother's Day

David's gift is that he's out walking Porfirio right now while I catch up on blogging.

Last weekend, Claire and I went to her regional final regatta in Sacramento. My first introduction back into Cali: waiting in 2 car rental lines for over 1.5 hours and then being given an electric vehicle that smelled like pot. It took me 5 different stations to try to figure out how to recharge it.

Claire with her coach:

I took this sneaky photo of Claire while she was being interviewed by Whitney Powell, who apparently is a big deal in the rowing community.

The Quad team

Unfortunately, Claire has been having back pain for about 6 months. It started acting up again in her double race.

This week Sybil went to Carson City with her fourth grade class.

The Capitol:

They also visited a mine

This trip was the first time in about 2 months that Sybil has eaten peanut butter, which is big, because she has been eating a PB&J in her school lunch daily for quite some time.

David has convinced her that cockroaches are the secret ingredient in PB. 

Sybil quote of the month: 

"I like the smell when I pee on myself. It smells like popcorn and bacon."

JUNIOR PROM

The couples went wake boarding in the morning and then showered and got pretty:

I was in charge of taking pictures.

 

New Orleans and more

Last weekend, we left the kids at home alone for the first time. 

Iris catching a ride home from a friend on her bike:

Sybil FaceTiming us before school. We were with Abuelo for his procedure.

The girls went to a service project and brought Sybil even though she was too young to attend.

The reason for our travels: Abuelo's 97th birthday.

David asked Abuelo why he eats before Macu.

"Soy el Rey."

We went for a drive around memory lane. Here are some of the memories we had:

Abuelo: that's where we bought Guayaba patreid from the Mexican grocery store. 

Me: That's the house where I met Abuela and Abuelo for the first time, sitting in their kitchen as a 14 year old, being offered food, trying to pick out words in the unfamiliar Cuban Spanish.

Abuelo: That's where I voted for the first time

David: That's where I jumped off the roof.

Abuelo: That's where I got my first ar stollen.

Abuelo: That's where I voted for the first time.

I was texted a picture of Elijah by a tourist from Utah. Thank goodness, because he no longer sends pictures in his weekly emails. I think he doesn't like his buzz cut, but continues to do it out of solidarity with his district.

David got the girls colorful bath bombs from NOLA

Iris' musical Mean Girls. She volunteered to be a techy for the drama club, but ended up being in the chorus and playing 4 characters.

Mack asking Claire to the prom:

Both Claire and Iris threw parties at our house while we were gone per my instructions.