Mother's Day

For mother's day I asked for chores instead of presents, partly because all the stores were closed anyways and because it is hard for me to really clean stuff right now.  I wanted ALL the walls and doors in the house scrubbed down.  Jason and the kids did such a great job - Jason even got our vaulted ceiling cleaned and all the dust and cob webs off.  It was amazing.  It took them all about 3 hours.  Lincoln even came over and helped out.  Jason also took all these pictures for me, which is a HUGE deal and really shows that he was thinking about me.

Dane, on his own accord, followed example, got a rag, and started cleaning the walls.  It was adroable.

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Megan wanted to make me chocolate dipped strawberries and Jason made all my favorite meals - French toast bake for breakfast, and for dinner Salmon (I requested a different recipie this year), garlic mashed potatoes, caesar salad, and homemade french bread.  And for dessert Tres Leches cake.  It was all amazing.

And I wanted a non selfie family picture.  I got our neighbor to come take it.  It's not quite what I wanted - but it will do.

Sixth grade graduate!

Out sweet sixth grade teachers did every thing they could to give these 6th graders a good elementary send off.  They came around and put signs in everyone's yards and gave them a big cheer.

That is Mrs. Anzlovar in the back ground.  She was sent straight from heaven to us.  Noah had an amazing 6th grade year all because of her.  She was perfect for him.

We had a virtual graduation.  We wanted to live stream it on our tv downstairs - we all gathered but the signal wasn't strong enough so we watched it on the chrome book.

Here was his slides for the presentation. 

I am so glad we ended elementary with such a great year! 

A visit from Ali

One of my very best childhood friends, Ali Hansen (now Stewart) showed up totally out of the blue on my doorstep mid-pandemic.  I was so shocked and even had to take a double look when I didn't immediately recognize the person standing on my door step.  Turns out her husband is living here for a few months for his job and she came to visit him for his birthday.  She brought me a baby present and some candy - but what she really brought me was what I didn't know I needed.  A person sitting with me at my kitchen table having a wonderful conversation.  When she left I realized how much my heart needed that - I am grateful Heavenly Father knew I needed that and that she followed the prompting. 

I abosolutly love Ali.  She is one of those people who just make you naturally happy.  She makes me laugh faster than anybody else.  I am not a laughing type of person - but I am never not with Ali with out laughing.  I love being with people who you just feel like they know your heart and you know theirs.  We hadn't really seen each other in probably 5 years but that never matters.  Thanks for the visit - it wasn't nearly long enough!

Women's Conference

I had tentatively planned on going to Women's Conference this year - it would depend on how I felt at 30ish weeks pregnant and if I was up to the drive and walking around BYU campus and sitting in hard chairs most of the day.  I love Women's Conference and I was determined to give it my all to go.  Then it got cancelled and turned virtual.  My heart yearned for Women's Conference and I wanted to make it a "real event" and Jason supported me all the way.  I locked my self in our room and watched all the events live with notebook in hand.  As soon as Sandra Rogers started speaking I started bawling, it was everything my heart needed.  I even made it a true "Utah event" and had my teenage neighbor, Kinsey, bring me Cafe Rio and dessert from Kneaders.  It only lasted 5 hours - but it filled my cup.

Brock's Birthday

Brock's birthday is a week after Megan's.  However, this was not his year for a party.  So, as per usual, he played Fortnite with his friends and cousins online.  However, he took Megan's zoom idea and used that as well - made for a more epic experience. 

He wanted an emoji sunglasses cake.  This was my first time covering a whole cake with fondant (which is what he wanted).  I was surprised with how well it turned out.

This post should be about having a teenager.  Brock is now 13!  I guess the reason that I am not focusing on that is because Brock is practically perfect and not at all a "teenager".  I hear the other mom's in Brock's from Brock and Noah's deacons quorum bemoaning their tween/teens and I just cant ever really relate.  Also - because of covid he isn't out doing things with friends - so in that way he isn't very "teenager-y".  The weirdest part about having a teen is trying to relate with him.  I remember VERY much being in 7th grade and being 13 and my life was nothing like Brock's.  We are not even in the same world, so I struggle to relate - although I am SO GRATEFUL!!! 

Brock got 10 rubix cubes from his Aunt Ashley.  Rubix cubes is Brock's favorite thing to do. He is hardly ever with out one.  It is pretty adorable.  He also got roller blades and "no less then 10 blue bunny coupons" from his grandma and grandpa Hanna (he got 6).

Reasons why Brock is great!

• Brock is the BEST first child.  He set the tone for the rest of the family.  He is calm and sensible and kind and responsible.  
• Because Brock plays the most sports (which I LOVE watching him) he has had the most "disappointments" with Covid and he has taken it all perfectly. 
• School is hard for Brock, like really hard.  He has had an amazing 7th grade.  His teachers have been so impressed, as have I, with his hard work.  He hates it so much but he hardly EVER complains - especially during the home schoooling, I thought it would be a fight everyday, and it wasn't. He took it all in stride and worked hard.
• He is so great with Dane.  Honestly, we were a little worried about Brock when I got pregnant with Dane.  Dane has never really cared about babies - but he LOVES Dane and plays so well with him and takes care of him.  In fact, just the other day I was telling the kids the plan for when I have this baby and that Anna Prusse was going to baby sit Dane while I was in the hospital and Brock said, "I am kind of offended that you didn't ask me to do it." haha

Megan's Birthday

Megan had a birthday!  She turned 10. This was her year for a party - but as the theme goes for all our other posts - no parties were allowed.  She had several options to "make it up to her".  She chose to wait and have a party next year.  But on her birthday she got on mine craft with her friends and played for a few hours.  It was a virtual birthday party I guess.

For her birthday cake she wanted a panda cake - and more specifically, she wanted to help make it.  She did a great job!

Our ministering brethren (the Ropers) hung this sign on our door for her

And her friend Zoe still dropped a present off on our door step.  We had mush for breakfast and lemon poppy chicken for dinner.  For her presents it was kind of a bust.  During this time of the pandemic stores were closed, the mail was slow, Amazon was slower, and prices were inflated.  She took it all in stride.  Eventually she got all her presents over the next week or so (and some just last week).  She got a panda necklace from Aunt Ashley, a pet cat to play with her AG dolls from us, and a giant squishmallow from Grandma Hanna.

Megan is a great 10 year old!!  I mean, what is better than a 10 year old girl?  They are so willing and capable!  Here are a few great things about Megan.

• To say she is a reader would be an understatement.  She reads like it is oxygen.  She can easily read for 10 hours a day, getting through hundreds of pages and understanding it all.  It is hard to find her with out a book in her hand or a backpack to put her books in.
• She loves to help and learn to do things on her own.  She wants to cook her own food and do her own hair.  She isn't too stubbornly independent so it isn't a problem - it is just helpful and wonderful!   She is getting pretty good at everything.  She is also totally self motivated to get her stuff done.  I never have to worry about her getting up, getting her high 5 done, and getting her jobs done, and getting her lunch packed.  During the school year some days all of these things were done before I even woke up.  She also RARELY complains about doing her jobs.
• She is a great friend and loves to play.  I honestly don't know how she does it all.  As mentioned earlier she will spend hours and hours a day reading and then also hours and hours a day playing with her friends.  She has the least amount of screen time than all my kids - usually because she just forgets because she is out playing with her friends.
• She has an active inquisitive mind.  She thinks deeply about things and wants to know the answers to all her questions.
• She LOVES her daddy.  I won't go into detail because it is either too funny or too sad - but she makes it VERY clear that Jason is her favorite.  She isn't mean about it - in fact she hardly knows she is being sort of mean.  For example one day the kids were talking about what would happen if Jason and I hadn't gotten married and Megan said, "that would be so sad, we would have a different mom."  what?  Don't all kids automatically assume they are their mothers and they would have had a different dad?  I mean... come on!  And this is just one of about a hundred examples.  It honestly doesn't bother me though.  I LOVE that she loves him so much.  And why wouldn't she?  He also loves to read (and they talk for hours about her books sometimes), he also reads the books she is reading so they can talk about it, he answers ALL of her questions and talks to her about  things until she understands, and he loves her back!  They are two peas in a pod for sure!
• She is kind hearted and spiritually mature.  She is sensitive to others peoples moods and emotions.  She is my one I can count on to read her own scriptures, say her own prayers, fast, etc with out being reminded or even talked about.  She bears her testimony on her own accord and tries hard to be reverent at church.  She will often "serve" family members through out the day.
• She is amazing at dealing with her celiac.  She takes full responsibility and hardly ever cheats - even when I tell her she can.  She hates that she has it - but she has just pony-ed up and dealt with it with a great attitude!   

Easter

This was probably my most favorite Easter ever.  This is true for probably 3 reasons.  1 - preparation.  As mentioned earlier we decorated our house, had daily devotionals around Christ, the resurrection, and our relationship to Christ.  We started new traditions and did activities all around Christ.  2 - The pandemic.  It was just such a perfect way to feel redemption and hope.  Things seemed so gloomy and scary - the reality of our world provided a perfect backdrop to talk about peace, hope, and life!  And 3 - simple.   We didn't go on a million Easter egg hunts or do anything fancy.  It was just our family and just our house.  Even Sunday church.  It was all so beautiful and memorable.

Our Easter celebrations started on Saturday.  Sunday called for snow and I wanted Dane to have an Easter egg hunt outside becasue there is nothing cuter than a 15 month old walking around with a basket finding eggs and putting them in.  On Friday night I filled 120 eggs with candy.  5 kids is a lot!

Luckily I have older kids and they wanted to help hide.  2 kids hid eggs in the front and 2 hid eggs in the back and then they switched who found them.  It worked great!  I hid Danes.

Sorry/not sorry for the overload of pictures of Dane.  It was just the only thing we had "done" in a while and he was just so adorable!

He was a great egg finder!

And everyone was so eager to help, watch, and cheer on.  They didn't even go looking for their eggs until Dane was almost done.

ok, ok I know that this is way too many pictures - but I LOVE them all.  He is so cute finding these eggs, pointing, getting to them, picking them up, putting them in the basket, smiling after we all clap for him.  I just LOVE this stage!!

And... I did have 4 OTHER kids who are also pretty cute having an Easter egg hunt. They were very diligent about finding all 24 of their eggs. 

After Dane found all his eggs I showed him what was inside!  Candy!  He had never really had candy before.  It of course ruined everything and he just screamed for candy the rest of the afternoon.  But it was worth it!

Then I tried for some cute Easter pictures.

and... after literally 57 pictures I never got one with all 5 being cute.  sigh. These are the 2 best.

Then during Dane's nap we dyed Easter eggs.  Funny, how before I let my 15  month old dye eggs becasue I thought that was fun and they could do it - now I am like "who would dye eggs or frost cookies with a 15 month old?  We will do that during naps"

Then we frosted Easter cookies.

Jason read to us as we frosted.  This was our best frosting time ever.  Everyone took their time and tired real hard and with Jason reading in the back ground it was just so peaceful and lovely.  It was one of those moments where you sit back and think "we are doing pretty good."

Then Sunday morning the Easter bunny came.  The kids' baskets got hid real good this year.  It took almost an hour for them to be found!

At this point Dane has figured out the candy thing and never really made it down the stairs.  The eggs never made it into the bowl - just his mouth.

We eventually took him down to see his basket.

We had a nice brunch.

Then we had our special sacrement service.  Madison practiced hard all week so she could play "Christ the Lord is Risen Today" on the piano for a special musical number.  She did a great job (this picture is of her practicing)

I printed a program for our Easter Service.  I asked each kid to prepare something for the program.  They all chose something different and it turned out wonderful!

Dane was napping but here is a picture of the rest of us.