Birthday fun

Emily got a train for her birthday and a bike. She loves both of them. She had to have some help blowing out her birthday candles.

Becca got several new shirts for her birthday and has enjoyed wearing them. She has also thoroughly enjoyed her monkey bedspread and her monkey pillow.

Rose bushes and dreams

Several years ago when Chantel, Becca and I were living in Portland, Oregon one of my favorite activities was to go to the rose gardens. I would walk down the aisles and admire the beautiful and fragrant roses. I even started a list of the roses that I hoped to own someday. The very first rose on the list was an orange beauty called Octoberfest. After moving to Provo I took up rose gardening and had a small rose garden (3 roses). When we moved to Springville I increased the size of my rose garden and now have 18 roses growing. One of the roses has significant meaning to me--it is Octoberfest and it is also my newest rose. While we were in Boise Chantel, Mom and I started talking about roses and I told Mom how I had always wanted to have Octoberfest. She said that she had just been at Edwards and that they had several there. We headed down to Camels Back park to let the kids play and Mom insisted that we stop at Edwards and she bought to Octoberfests--one for me and one for her. I got to plant her rose when we got home from the park. Last night I planted the rose she bought for me and am hopeful that it will bring beautiful blossoms to our backyard. In some ways it is ironic that I rose garden. I used to hate weeding and working in the yard. Now I find it therapeutic. In fact this morning I spent several hours out weeding the roses and other plants in the yard. What does all of this have to do with dreams? Everything. Mom has always known how to encourage me to pursue my dreams and to find true happiness in what I do as a father and a professional. She has never once reminded me of how much I disliked working in the yard but always compliments my efforts at growing things. Sometimes I am amazed that my roses survive my attempts to care for them. Octoberfest is an example of how Mom helps me with my dreams. Rose bushes and dreams do go together because they are both things that I learned from Mom.

Spring Break

We had a tremendously fun spring break. Last Friday we headed up to Twin Falls to see Chantel's brother McKay and his family. The kids had an absolute blast playing with their cousins. They jumped on the trampoline, watched a movie, danced, played with trains, and other fun activities. The adults played Ticket to Ride--a truly fun game--and enjoyed visiting. Saturday we went hiking down by the Shoshone Falls and then had a bbq at McKay and Jill's. Saturday evening we drove to Eagle to see Grandma Susan and Grandpa Pete. We enjoyed being with them. We went down to Camel's Back Park and the kids played on the playground. We also hiked to the top of the hill and then raced down. Emily laughed the whole way down. Grandma found these great balloons that we spent an afternoon blowing up and then releasing into the sky. They made a great noise and the kids loved launching them. Grandpa even got involved in the action. We had a birthday party for Becca and Emily and Becca got a monkey bedspread that she thinks is the best thing in the world. Emily was not too keen on blowing out her own candle but loved the cupcake. Becca blew right over the top of the candles on her first try but got them out on the second try. We came home Wednesday and the kids and Chantel enjoyed having nothing to do and played while I went back to work. Today we went to BYU to watch a baseball and a softball game. It was fun but we are all a little windburned.

A bed for Emily

Yesterday between Conference sessions Chantel and I ran into Provo and bought a bed for Emily. It was an interesting evening last night--she only got up three times but she yelled all three times. She still wants to go into Peter Gordon's room and gets about half way in before realizing that her crib is gone and her bed is in the room over. Peter Gordon is a little put out with Emily. He can't believe that she has deserted him for her own room. Emily's move into her room has sparked a cleaning frenzy--Becca has been working on her room on and off all weekend and Hannah picked her stuff up on Saturday. It is a little funny to see my baby in a "big girl bed" but with a baby coming in July we needed to get her out of the crib. Emily looks pretty little in her bed but sleeps quite well when she is asleep.

Grand Adventures with Grandpa Pete and Grandma Susan

Mom and Dad were here last weekend (Mar. 27-30) and we had a wonderful time. They came down to listen to me deliver my House of Learning Lecture on the role of higher education in the Church. When they got to the library auditorium there were only a few people in the seats but we were all pleasantly surprised by how many people were in the seats by the end of my lecture. I thought the lecture went pretty well but was starting to get hoarse at the end of it. Forty minutes is a long time to talk under the bright lights. After the talk Dad took Chantel, Mom and me over to the Creamery to get ice cream--yummy. Friday we got the kids out of school a little early and Dad took us all bowling in the Wilkinson Center while Mom went to see Grandma and Sylvia. Peter Gordon and Emily used a ramp to help them bowl and love it. Becca and Hannah were delighted that they came in second and third behind Grandpa Pete while beating Mom and Dad. We had a lot of fun. Saturday we all went miniature golfing at Trafalga and had a blast. It is always fun when Grandma and Grandpa come visiting. Unfortunately I forgot to take my camera both bowling and mini-golfing.

Emily wasn't too sure about Grandpa but warmed up to him just in time for him to leave. In fact Sunday afternoon she kept going around asking for "Gran-Pa." This picture is great because Dad was reading her and Peter Gordon a story but Emily would not sit on his lap. Instead she hauled her stool over and stood next to them. Silly girl.

Chantel's office

The paint smell is finally dying down and we have moved stuff into Chantel's office. We have all been pleasantly surprised by how much we like the color. Chantel really likes having the shelves built into the wall because they provide so much storage space for her. I have also claimed some of the wall space for my bookshelves which are topped by Winnie-the-Pooh stuffed animals (classic Pooh of course) and my gigantic piggy bank. Most of the books left at home are classics that we plan to read to the children like The Secret Garden, The Black Stallion, Peter Pan, etc. In fact for the last couple of weeks we have been reading about Mistress Mary and her secret garden. It has made me want to get out in the yard and starting working with my roses but it has been too cold at night for me to do any pruning. I am happy to report that all of the plants seem to have made it through this winter and we are eagerly looking forward to the spring flowers.

Easter Hunting

A local car dealership holds an annual Easter hunt and so we took the kids over to it. You have to call it a hunt because there were no eggs involved and the candy was strewn pretty liberally along the sidewalks and landscaping of the dealership. We walked to burn off some of their energy. The kids were quite eager and all trooped along with their Easter baskets. Emily wasn't sure what to do with her basket and had her baby riding along in it but once the hunt started she figured things out pretty quickly. Becca was in the older group with a friend and the three younger ones were together. Peter Gordon and Hannah took off pretty quickly and began stuffing their baskets with candy. Emily had to be coaxed out the door but once she realized all she had to do was put candy in her basket she was off to the races. When we got home we went through our sorting ritual--everyone helps me divide the candy into like piles (all the Laffy Taffy together, all the chocolate, etc.) and then we divided it up. The kids had an impressive haul. I know that the kids enjoy their goodies but Chantel and I are trying really hard to help them understand the real meaning of Easter. They will be surprised by what they find in their Easter baskets tomorrow and it won't be candy.