What do you do when...

What do you do when you find out that you just received the Perry High School Junior Female AP History Student of the Year Award?  Well if you are Taylor your go to Panda Express - I am so proud of her.  We got the invite to the awards assembly but we weren't sure what it was for probably just an "academic letter"  as Taylor says in her best nerd voice " I lettered in academics" - she does have a 4.4 GPA and she did also get a pin for her letter so not too shabby, but the history award was quite a surprise.  I was there presenting the math award and sat by her English teacher, I "had" to listen to her tell me how much she loves Taylor.  I could only reply that we love her too.  This will be Taylor week as Friday is her birthday and Saturday is MOPRO (Mormon Prom) - go Taylor you ROCK!   

The Month of April

This has been a busy busy month I can't believe that we start May next week - I better get the month of April documented before it is gone.

April 7th - Taylor got asked to MOPRO (Mormon Prom) a few stakes out here put on a prom where floozy dresses are not allowed  and the dancing isn't dirty, Brandon asked her and she is excited.  The Chesley family party at Red Mountain Park, good food good company a chance to catch up with some of my favorite people. I just wish we got to see them more.

Maren, Kathleen, Diane, Jody, Loren and Lis (all the Chesley siblings) with Taylor and Kyley sneaking in.

April 8th -  Easter Sunday it was low key since we celebrated with my family the week before.  The Easter Beagle found us and left us just the kind of candy we like plus what ever mom likes, wonder why that is.  Church was great such good talks the home for a little nap and a Chesley dinner around the table.  I think it was the first time we all sat around the table.  We eat together most nights but half are at the bar and  half at the table so it was fun.

coloring eggs - the kids love it and their creativity ceases to amaze me.

April 9th -  Kyley's birthday, holy cow she is 15.  We tried to plan a party but with Easter and track we never could get it figured  out. We opened presents at 6AM before zero hour, and that night we ate lasagna around the table again (two times in a row) and blew out candles.  Taylor took her and  her friends out to lunch on the AIMS half days and she scored with money, new clothes and Bath and Body Works stuff, she smells great.  Where does the time go?

April 10th -Loren's birthday, he got the day off work and  him and his buddies from high school, Steve, Randy and  Chris took their boat they they all went in on with tax return money out to the lake to check it out.  He had a good good day.

April 11th -  we celebrated  both birthdays at San Tan Flats.  I had a Chandler Gilbert Community College workshop and as soon as  it was  over we headed out - I had never been there, and we have lived out here for nearly 6 years.  We sat outside around a fire pit, listen to live music and feasted on good good food.  Loren had  sold some fencing to the guy that was singing, that was the motivation we needed to go check it out and celebrate the birth of two pretty cool people.

April 13th - Friday the 13th - Freshman invitation track meet, Kyley did well.  This was her first official meet, one that gauges how fast she really is - she is fast winning her heat. Go Kyley

What else happened this month... testing, AIMS for Ty and science for Kyley, ACT for Taylor and SAT10 for Wyatt.  Track meets, Taylor and Kyley had the Chandler city meet, Kyley taking 3rd in 100 m for freshman in all Chandler, Taylor PR at pole vault with 7'3'" Ty taking 1st place in long jump and 100 m.  Taylor got a new car well new to her a 1980 Ford Dually pick-up - look at that picture classic.  We had a baby chick hatch our first it has been so cool to watch the mama hen teach her how to find food and watch over her.  We have grapes on our vines and a pillow under our heads, as my dad always say,  "There is a God in Heaven, all is right with the world."

Conference

This was the first conference weekend in a long long time that we did not have anything. I got to watch part of all sessions and all of Sunday morning. Usually it is just Sunday morning - I was uplifted. I love the counsel of our prophets and their words of encouragement, I really want to do better. 

Sunday as the tradition goes we headed to my parents house for beans and bread, but this year we also celebrated Easter since my mom was to have hand surgery the Thursday before. The Platts made the trip down from Prescott and I got to meet my newest niece Claire, so sweet. My cousin Kelli and her family rode the bikes over which meant more kids to play with.  We were missing Dyan and Mark (both out of town.) The kids hunted for eggs, played ball, raced, ate candy all the while the adults visited and laughed. My dad said it best while pumping his fist in the air " I love it, this must be what heaven is like."

 

Couple Wyatt-ism

Wyatt ask Taylor and I couple nights ago, "Who's smarter... The smartest man alive or the smartest man in town."  Taylor says the smartest man alive and Wyatt says wrong and moves on.  I am laughing.  This week I posed that question to my 4th hour class, the debate that ensued was heated.  What if the smartest man alive is on his death bed, does he still count, then it would be the smartest man in town.  What if the smartest man alive lives in the very town you are talking about.  Got to love Wyatt for coming up with these type of questions.  Also, last Sunday as we were playing hang-man (all my non-LDS friends can't believe we play hang-man during church and think that is the strangest thing where all my Mormon friends I tell this to just go along with it, don't we all play hang-man during sacrament meeting?)  Anyways...I was playing with Wyatt and he totally stumped me the answer was "Abracadabra is more awesomer than tada or caboom"  I think it was the misspelling of Kaboom that threw me.  Speaking of church, the  Sunday after Wyatt gets baptized he gets called up to the stand to sit by the bishop and proceeds to fall asleep and stay asleep through the rest of the meeting. His head was bobbing and I am surprised he didn't pull his knees up and just sprawl out.  We ask him about it and he says he wasn't even embarrassed he was just tired, our church is at noon so I understand.

He is one witty kid, sure love him.

ps: this if for you Karrie so you don't have to look at Spring Break kick off anymore :)

Spring Break Kick-off

This is the third or maybe 4th year that the first Monday of Spring Break we head to the desert, Usery Pass to celebrate my moms birthday with the cousins.  We simplified the food, donuts, bagels, fruit and chocolate milk so we had more time to visit.  We were missing a few Laura's father-in-law is sick sick, Mark and his family were in California and Karrie had just had baby Claire, although my dad did met Jeremy half way and picked up the Platt kids so they made it.

The highlights, dad leading all the kids 11 and under by himself to hike the mountain, when we saw this Dyan and I ran to join the group.  We get to the base of the mountain and the dad says he's not hiking due to SK (sore knees) so he left Dyan and I with 14 kids  - 5 of them little girls under 3.  The girls made it 100 yards up the mountain and got scared, so Dyan and I split, she took the boys to the top and I took the girls back down.  Next year, I am not helping this is twice now that dad has left us high and dry I want to see what he will do if no one runs to hike "with" him  -just kidding dad, but we are not going to let him forget about it either.

 

Back from the hike sitting around visiting, Joe ask Kyley what events she runs in track (100, 200, 400 or long jump) which leads to a challenge - Joe vs. Kyley, from this sign to this sign.  "RACE" was all the kids needed to hear and they streets were lined with 15 cheering kids, heck even some random seniors on bikes watched.  They raced, Joe won, I don't think either one was giving it a 100% but at the end Wyatt was heard telling Kyley "Oh you've been Joed"   

Jay, Jake, Ty, Jack, Wyatt

The boys played ball and ran around except from Durham, who was on crutches we later found out that his sprained foot or ankle was indeed broken, poor kid. (The Goodman's had to leave early and the camera came out late, that is why they aren't in many pictures)  The boys showed off their pasty white spring skin, which in a few months will be tan tan tan, look at those muscles.

Taylor and Kyley played with the little girls a bit but mostly visited with the grown ups - I can't believe that they are that old.  The weather was glorious, the setting was perfect and the company was so-so just kidding the company was wonderful.  I love this Spring Break Kick-off tradition.

Kyley, Annie, Lucy, Hadley, Kate, Keelie - the girls that were "scared" of the hike.

The Moon

The moon has been full lately and I love it.  I have gained a greater appreciation of the moon and the "lesser light that rules the night" since moving to our home nearly 6 years ago.  It is dark so we can actually tell that the moon is giving off light, we have shadows from the moon.   I am sure I knew this when I was younger and we played mean games of hide-n-go seek at night, I am certain that the moon was out guiding us especially since we did not get street lights until my 9th grade year.  I also remember taking a night hike during one of your youth conferences and being amazed at how bright it was, but then... I forgot.  We got street lights the city crept closer and the artificial lights got brighter and the moon was forgotten until 6 years ago.  I am amazed time and time again how bright and how much light the moons offers us.  Tuesday night at about 10:00pm (Loren got off late) we had to load our cow to take it to get slaughter and processed.  We like to load  it the night before since it needs to be at location at 6:00AM.  Loren took a flash light with him but he only needed it to latch the trailer, the moon provided us enough light to load the cow and see what we were doing, and again I was amazed.  I don't know why some months the moon seems so much larger  and closer, this is one of those months and I'm glad I have the chance to appreciate that "lesser light."

Aunt Sybil

My great aunt Sybil Jesperson passed away this week.  She was grandma Taylor's sister, the youngest of twelve and the last in her generation to pass to the other side.  I am certain the reunion was sweet, my grandma was always close to her sisters a true example to me and my sisters.  I remember them talking about their "sisters lunches" every month, and noting how grandma's sisters were always her best friends.  Looking back I feel fortunate to have know and feel connected to everyone of my great aunts.


Sybil was special though since she moved in across the street from us when I was a teenager.   She was an incredible artist, and for mine and Loren wedding she painted the center pieces, scrolls of love poems with red roses, we rolled them and I had a vase with one red rose,so elegant. 

Aunt Sybil was my mom's favorite aunt and my mom was asked to speak at her funeral yesterday.  She has come a long way since her stroke (nearly 3 years ago) but she is still hesitant to speak in public, heck who isn't.  I spoke to her a few times and I could hear the stress in her voice and she asked for prayers.  Well the Lord heard and answered our prayers because my mom delivered a beautiful heart felt talk and I learned a few things about my great aunt.  It was my aunt Sybil's piano that my mom bought for $125 that we all learned to play the piano on.  I have fond memories (mostly) with that piano, I remember waking up at 5:00am to practice, sitting there to play for the annual Christmas parties, singing my heart out to the Rose (some say love, it is a river...) It was always going to be mine since I took lessons the longest but Loren's family gave us one so that same piano is in Dyan's house where her kids are learning to play.  Also, it was my Aunt Sybil that pinned on my dad's Marine officers bars in Virginia since my mom was back in Az with here 3 kids.  When my mom made it out to Virginia, It was Aunt Sybil that showed her around. Aunt Sybil was a teacher (did not know that) and she taught my brothers Matt and Mark how to read, she gave our family the Boogle game the one we still play today. 

She served the Lord her whole life through her various missions to places like Russia and Ecuador or was it Bolivia or Columbia they lived lots of places.  I am sure when she was called home she heard the words, "well done my good and faithful person."