A Fun Week...

Well, we started off the week with "caving" for Family Home Evening. The boys had been wanting to do it SUPER bad and so Scott was a brave dad and decided we should do it as a family. He was brave in the fact that he was super exhausted from the day at school and other responsibilities and still mustered up the energy to go hiking and caving. I, on the other hand, only had energy to go hiking, not caving. It was a fun little hike to the cave and so we were just walking/hiking and then all of a sudden there was this big hole in the ground. The boys do this often with their friends. They buy some glow sticks and cut the end of the glow stick and then splatter the glow stick material all over them and the cave and then play hide and seek. The glow stuff helps you to see while in the cave, but then by having it on your clothes you can blend into the stuff that is on the cave wall and play hide and seek. So, that is what they did. Here is a picture of them as they are climbing into the cave. They actually hiked further into the cave where there was a big cavern to play in.

Alec and Calvin are the ones with the head-lamps on. Jose is in the white shirt and Ashton is standing next to him. Dallen, Scott, and Derrek are up top. This is Alec climbing back out of the hole! So graceful :). While they played, I enjoyed the quiet all around me. Enjoying the breeze and birds chirping and then also played my phone :). It was a really fun evening. Then of course we had to hit McDonalds for some ice cream cones (actually it was 99 cent Big Mac night and so a couple of the kids got those...YUCK!).Then on Wednesday, I got the family ready for me to be gone for the rest of the week. I got to go to BYU Women's Conference. Seriously, every year it continues to be an amazing experience. I just really enjoy going and being re-energized about life and family and all that comes with being a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. It is amazing. For the past few years I have been trying to tell Scott about all the women that come from all over the place and finally, this year, I was able to take a picture to show him...

That's a picture of the opening session of Women's Conference. These are the FUN people I went with. It is different every year, who I get to go with, but like I said, every year is amazing. In the picture from left to right is me (of course), Laurel Johnson (Kathie's friend), Megan Beecher (my next door neighbor/friend), Heidi Wilson (Scott's sister/my friend), and Kathie Bennion (Scott's sister/my friend). This is outside the Marriot Center at BYU. Can you believe the next day is snowed on us?!? It was so cold! But we were well taken care of with our mint brownies and creamery ice cream and cinnamon bears! Scott is seriously the BEST husband ever because I never worried about the kids or anything that was going on (he had to deal with a report about Oklahoma with a reluctant 5th grader, two campouts for Scouts and a day hike, not to mention getting up super early on Saturday to get my Bountiful Basket stuff!). I really appreciate having him pick up the slack when I leave town and that he allows me to go with no guilt! It's awesome. Anyway, I love being a member of the Relief Society because we are seriously a force to be reckoned with as far as service and getting things done! For two days straight there are service opportunities as well as classes and then for three hours on Thursday night we go and do service. Here are some pictures of some of the service we did...

Heidi and I sewed backpacks, for kids that need them, during one of the classes that was being broadcast into that room so that we could listen and serve at the same time! Then that evening Megan and I worked on decorating journals for those in juvenial detentions and also for the elderly, and then we helped (with Heidi) make baby hats for countries that need those (they were trying to make 8,000 that evening...we made a pretty good dent...all these tables were full, this is us just before they shut down.). Kathie and Laurel were making wands and crowns for little girls. I am not sure what organization they donate them to, but it will sure make some little girls happy!We had a great time. I am seriously amazed at all the preparation that goes into this conference. All the pieces that are traced and cut out for all the service projects (there were tons more going on...these are just the ones we were helping with!). 16,000 women working on something gets things done! It's really an honor to be a part of such an organization. We also went to the sharing stations. They don't have the info posted yet on their web-site, but they have years past and soon will have this year's up...so go check it out!

One last thing...we found out we have to be out at the end of this month. So, instead of moving at the end of June, we will now be heading to Mesa at the end of May. The boys are doing okay with it. Dallen cried today and I have shed my tears. I found myself crying more for the fact that I am grateful for how things are lining up. Scott has actually been feeling for the past couple weeks that we need to move at the end of May and I would come back with some reason why there was no hurry, and then we get the notice from the bank (who really have been so amazing through this whole process), and just grateful for the "preparation" that we have had in the sense that it had already been on our minds. We feel very taken care of by the Lord. Really, there is no other explanation for all that has happened, even with having to lose our house. So, we will be saying our goodbyes this month to all our friends and family in St. George and look forward to being with our family and make new friends in Mesa. Life goes on...

It's getting closer...

We have found that there is a constant sort of tension that floats around our house. We, in a way, subconciously are always thinking about having to move. The other night I went to a Young Women's meeting and then it was a Girls Camp kickoff meeting and I came home and was snipping at the kids and just so irritated. After making their evening end in sadness, I was cleaning up their mess and asking myself "what is going on? I had a great time at the meeting. It was Spiritual, and so why am I biting my kids' heads off?!?" Calvin then came down stairs (he is always more sensitive to how I am feeling and just wanted to make sure I was ok) and asked me if I was ok. He asked if he could clean up so that I could just go to bed because maybe that is what I needed. I said "no, that isn't what is going on". And then he said, "I think that when we finally move that things will be more back to normal". Then I realized that this is what was bugging me. I told him "I think you are right. I am pretty sure that is why I am acting this way". I realized I had to appologize to the kids the next morning (since the others were already asleep). I realized that I was sad about not being able to go to Girls Camp this year. I really love going and being up there because you are away from everything and all that is done is spiritually centered and this year they are even hiking the Grand Canyon! Anyway, I was just sad (I'm still sad, but that's ok). The waiting around and the constant having to stay connected here, but wanting to disconnect and move on is exhausting. It has been good though, because we have had to learn patience and man, is that something I have needed to learn! I am not a patient person. If I want something, I just do everything to get it as soon as possible. This time, I have to wait and be patient. It will all happen in time, but it is just not yet. I don't think I have ever had an experience like this! Anyway, we are all doing good. Derrek took the ACT last weekend. He still hasn't gotten his score back, but I am sure he did good. He is a great test taker, unlike his mother! Scott has only two more weeks of classes and then he is onto finals and then he is done until June. He found out that he can test out of two of his classes that he would have had to take in the Summer and so now he only has to take two (he would have had four). So, he will take one on-line in June and one at the community college in July, when we move down there. Seriously, these little things are huge blessings from Heaven. We are constantly amazed at the constant blessings we have been getting. It makes us want to keep learning patience and as it feels sometimes "long-suffering". Ashton just earned his Star rank for Boy Scouts. Now it is on to Life and then Eagle. He has had amazing scout leaders and it makes all the difference in the world. That is about all the excitement we have been having. Like I said, we are all healthy and doing good and really can't complain. The weather is beautiful, boys have been able to skim board, and things keep moving along as they should.

Change...

It has been said that in life there is always one thing that you can count on, and that is change. This week there has been happy change and sad change...

Last Sunday night, we got the word that Scott's grandpa, William "Bill" Stander, passed away. We were glad for him, but death always brings on the realization that we are going to be separated for a period of time. Scott and I were so happy for him that he is now able to be with his first wife, Doris, and their daughter (Scott's mom), Ruth. But, we are still here to work through life. Ugh! It was a beautiful service and a reminder that our time on this earth, really isn't that long and our time to "prepare to meet God" is really only a matter of years (whether we die old or young). So, when I was reflecting on that, I was instantly grateful that I have another day and hopefully more days to "prepare to meet God". It was supposed to rain the whole day of the funeral...but once again, the Lord poured out tender mercies on us and brought out the sun for the half hour that we were outside. As soon as the services were over and we got back in the cars to head to the luncheon, it started to rain again (and rained hard!). He had a miliary burial, and a gun salute and to see the American Flag on a Soldier's casket made me reflective of all those who have died for our freedom in the past and now. Wow! I am grateful! How I take it for granted! Like I said, it was a beautiful service and day.

Scott and I left the kids home for two days and a night while we went to the funeral. They informed me, when I got back, that they did better with me gone. What they didn't know, was that I had set things up for them so that they would have a good time together. I am glad they think they can do things without me, and maybe next time we have to leave them, they will remember that they are "adult" enough keep down the fort!

The other change that we had this week was Alec! He was in a drill team performance at school. He did one dance with the drill team, learned the steps, went to practices, and wanted to perform it perfectly. He was really nervous about it. The thing is, Alec never wants to do anything! I can't get him to try sports or drama or instruments or anything...then one day he came home and said "mom, I'm in this dance thing at school". I about dropped dead because it literally was the last thing I thought would ever come out of his mouth! Anyway, it was last night and he did a really good job and it was really fun to watch him.

We were able to have a family weekend, too and that was really fun. We had Jennie and Wes (Scott's sister and husband), Heidi (Scott's sister) and her kids, Kathie (Scott's sister) and her kids, and David (Scott's brother) stay at our house. Dallen and Ashton had fun because they got to sleep in the tent that we had set out to dry in the garage (here is a picture)...

Then we were also able to spend time with my family and Julianne's son, Cade, turned 9 and then Rod's son, Porter, was baptized. Again...change is constant. We grow up and things come and go, but again I am grateful because how boring would it be if things always stayed the same?!? We are going to be going down to Phoenix this next week. We have narrowed it down to where we want to possible look to live and so we are going to be visiting neighborhoods and schools and see how we feel about certain places. This is the first move that we have known about and have to wait to move. It's sometimes frustrating because I just want to get it over with, but we have been able to slowly have closure and have seen the Lord helping us through this all.