General Conference Insights

David challenged the Young Men in the ward to read the Book of Mormon. Elijah only had a month to do it b/c of the timing of his bday. He said he understood it a lot more reading it quickly.
The reward was a trip to General Conference. First, they got a tour of BYU. David visited the holy bench, hoping to "accidentally" run into the love of his life after an English class.

They climbed the Y

And this is what General Conference insights look like at home.

It's like growing spiritual eyes.

These girls are so spiritual.

Easter happenings

It's been a nice evening. Claire and I went for a 4-miler. She talked incessantly.
Now David and I are on the couch, watching a movie. It's been a long time. David has been studying feverishly for the CFP exam and passed it a few days ago.

Here are some pictures from a neighborhood egg drop we went to this past weekend.
There was face painting.

A helicopter dropped 6,000 eggs, adding to the 2,000 that were already there.

This sweet boy gave his easter bucket to Sybil and gave most of his eggs away to little kids who didn't get very many.

Claire decorated her bucket with a leather belt and drawings.

Last night we went to what might be one of the last Mesa Easter pageants. The temple will be closing for 2 years for renovations and it was said that they don't know if the pageant will continue afterwards.

At 2am the boys will leave to drive up to General Conference with the Young Men of the ward.

Retired Shoes

Sybil was climbing up my mom's legs at the temple Visitor Center tonight when David proclaimed (and even prophesied) Sybil's shoes would be in a trash can before the night was over.
"They've been through 20 kids," he hyperbolized.
"And the dog," I wanted to add. But I didn't because a several times I had caught Sybil chewing on them too. So, maybe it was a joint effort.
Still, I thought, they could probably make it through another 20 kids...
Until she peed on them right in front of the toilet and I didn't want to deal with clean-up.
She ran around the temple grounds barefoot and bare-bottomed.
Because she's Holy.
And David is a prophet.

Girls' Sleepover and Larry the Leprechaun

My mom hosted a sleepover with all 6 girls grandgirls (the boys were at my sister's place) who live in town. We face-timed with the little ladies in Mississippi.

The girls swam.

Made cake balls

Did facials

Nail polish

Makeovers

And went to the temple in the new dresses that grandma got them for Christmas.

We went to the visitor's center where they wrote in their notebooks and then into the foyer of the temple.

It's late.
Claire and Elijah just went to sleep. I let them stay up to leave leprechaun tracks around the house, which I am totally regretting because it's a lot greener around here than I am willing to clean up tomorrow. My contribution is a message accompanied by green sprinkles from Larry the Leprechaun:
"We have been collecting our dandruff and belly-button lint for a whole year. We want to present it to you so that you can sprinkle it on your breakfast this morning. It will be a protection against all of the pinching people out there today. But be careful and don't eat too much or else you will turn into a leprechaun!"

3 cool things on the morning ride and Spring Break pictures

1) It's been a while since I've seen a shooting star. I saw one this morning. It always makes me think of God and the expansiveness of the universe.

2) I was almost home when I saw a dark figure crossing the dark street. It was too tall to be a dog or a cat, too short to be an adult, and too fat to be a kid. But there it was, bobbing across the street. As I rode closer, the image of a minion, his arm up in the air above his head, waving at me: a foil balloon just trying to get to the other side of the road.

3) Often, I listen to books or podcasts on my morning rides. This morning it was a BYU speech. This quote struck a particular chord this morning:

 President Gordon B. Hinckley said:

I have discovered that life is not a series of great heroic acts. Life at its best is a matter of consistent goodness and decency, doing without fanfare that which needed to be done when it needed to be done. I have observed that it is not the geniuses that make the difference in this world. I have observed that the work of the world is done largely by men and women of ordinary talent who have worked in an extraordinary manner.

And here are some pictures of our Monday. We met my dad and the cousins there.

Iris

 Claire

 E

 The girls

 Burying Sybil

Yesterday we stayed home for most of the day. I read the first 80 pages of the 8th book of Tennis Shoes among the Nephites out loud while the kids cleaned and organized their rooms, which is always my favorite vacation activity.

Gotta go. It's almost 6am which means I gotta read the scriptures quickly before the gremlins awake.

David's Punishment

Today was a gift. 

We learned the best form of torture for David. 

At FHE, as we went through our goals, we discovered that 

ALMOST everyone had completed their goals. 

David got away without even making one. 

We quickly decided that a punishment was in order. 

One of the things that David hates most in the world is 

listening to the dog lick people. 

It makes him think of where that tongue has been.

So Iris slathered David's foot with lotion 

(the dog loves lotion even more than he loves drinking out of the toilet).

Let the good times roll!

Then Iris presented her powerpoint on baptism.

Elijah presented his powerpoint on the priesthood about a month ago and Claire did one on Joseph Smith. 

And here are some pictures from yesterday. 

David took Claire and her best friend, Lucy, on a hike.

Flatiron

Elijah's New Toy

When people asked, Elijah told them that he wanted cash for his birthday.

The cash was to buy this spiffy toy with bluetooth speakers: