The Saturday before Easter

All my little chickadee's bright and early on bunny day.

Hunting in....

The bedroom.

The kitchen.

The family room.

The living room.

The basement.

The.....

oh, yeah, he is a teenager and bright and early is not in his vocabulary, especially on a Saturday.

I think his eggs were in the dining room.  He got to them eventually, because they were filled with candy and that word is definitely in his vocabulary. 

Easter 2013

We had a wonderful Easter Sunday.  After enjoying a spiritually uplifting church block we headed over the river and through the woods to Grammy's and Poppy's house for a delicious Easter dinner and of course, the traditional Easter Sunday photo shoot.

I love my beautiful family. 

 I love those crazy kids. 

 And I especially love my Savior and His life and His glorious gospel to which I owe everything.

Happy Easter!

ashi is 6

March 30th 2013.

What a day!

An exciting but exhausting day!

It was Ashlyn's 6th birthday...plus,oh, a few other things.

Like...

Bunny Day! 

 She awoke at the crack of dawn to hunt for her eggs and then she gobbled down her birthday breakfast.  We then headed off to a cousin's baptism and it wasn't even 10:00 a.m. yet.

We dashed home just in time for all her darling little friends to arrive for her Mermaid party, which deserves it's very own post, because it was awesome!

After we cleaned up from the party we pulled out the hard boiled eggs and got down to some serious egg coloring.  

And then finally we got around to the true celebration of our sweet Ashlyn  Elizabeth.

She was so sweet and patient as she shared her day with so many other things.  She was thrilled with her gifts, especially her books, and so happy to be having a birthday and to be turning the magical age of 6.  

My baby is 6.  

My baby.

She isn't really a baby anymore.

I love her more than words can express.

She was sent to us to fill our lives with joy and tenderness and because, come one, we needed one more, just one more baby!

Happy Birthday my little Ashie.

P.S. You look a little tired.

I don't blame you.....after a day like today, I'm exhausted!

posters

A wise friend once told me to go to the store before school starts and buy at least 10 poster boards and a big fat marker and then tuck them away in a safe place.  

I did as I was told.  

And that advice has come in handy as inevitably every year with 7 kids in school there are going to be tons of posters due, on tons of different subjects, and I usually find out a night or two before they are due, bless those last minute children of mine.  Luckily, this year, I just went to my secret stash of poster boards, pulled down the old craft box, fired up the glue gun and we were on our way. 

 Here are just a few of our winter posters:

Ashlyns's 100th day of school. 

 One hundred sparkly jewels of coarse!

Bryson's enormous and time consuming science fair entry:  

Which Flavor holds its Savor? 

 Testing out all different brands of gum to find out which one's flavor lasts the longest.  The winner:  Stride ID, in case you were wondering.

Ashlyn was also the star of the week.  Lucky me!  

She had to fill out those stars and put them on.  They didn't match and that really bugged me, but she was pleased and that's what really matters, isn't it?

Ethans's Valentine box, not really a poster, but not bad for a very very last minute project.  Trevor was supposed to cut the hole in his mouth to put the Valentines in, but he did not follow my directions.  Oh well, he still got the candy and so he was satisfied.  

And as for the next poster/project which I'm sure is right around the corner, bring it on, cuz I am stocked and ready!

Valentines Day

Our day was full of candy and valentines and sugar cookies and red and pink shirts and a loaf of meat in the shape of a  heart.

Our day was full of love.

Happy Valentines Day!

her call, my heart

The phone rang at 7:15 a.m.  

I picked it up and heard on the other end of the line:

"This is the post office.  We have a mission call here for Sister Kara Allred.  

Would you like to come pick it up or do you want us to bring in to your mailbox?"

I hung up the phone and my heart skipped a beat.

We opted to have it delivered.  And when I went to the mailbox and slowly opened the door.  

There it was.  Big and white and real.  

And again, oh my little heart. 

We had been waiting and wondering and praying.  

This was a big night. 

   Family and a few close friends were invited and happily and excitedly began to arrive.

Where was my daughter going?  

I had stared at that envelope all day sitting there all alone on my kitchen table.  I had picked it up, looked at the postage, felt it's weight, tried to see through it.  Within that envelope was the next 18 months of her life, and a part of mine. 

  It was really hard to wait for her to come home that night. 

My heart couldn't take it much longer.

She appeared calm.  She smiled.  She talked. 

 She held that envelope tightly.

But she was nervous.  Sick to her stomach nervous. Like I had never seen her before.  

And then she just did it.  She opened that big, white real envelope and announced in front of the people she loves the most her sacred call. 

"Dear Sister Allred, You are hearby called to serve as a missionary of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.  You are assigned to labor in the Florida Orlando Mission.  You will prepare to preach the gospel in the Spanish language."

"You have been recommended as one worthy to represent the Lord as a minister of the restored gospel.  As you devote your time and attention to serving the Lord, leaving behind all personal affairs, the Lord will bless you with increased knowledge and testimony of the Restoration and of the truths of the gospel of Jesus Christ."

"The Lord will reward you for the goodness of your life.  Greater blessings and more happiness that you have yet experienced await you as your humbly and prayerfully serve the Lord in this labor of love among his children."

And that was it. 

 Florida.  

Orlando. 

 Spanish.

 And after all the hugs and tears and maps and advice everyone left.

 And Kara, or should I say Sister Allred did this:

And my heart, my mothers heart, my heart that loves this girl more than words can express practically burst out of my chest.  

She was really doing this.  I was going to have to let her go.  She knew it and so did I.  In some ways I wanted to join her there on the floor, but I didn't.  I let her lay there for a while and then I pulled her up, hugged her tight, looked her in the eyes and told her she could do this.  We could do this.

And my heart.  

Well, it's going to be just fine because it is connected forever with hers.

 My daughter, my firstborn, my friend and now.......

my missionary.

January Random

January is over.  It was long and cold.  Here are some random January doings:

Worlds biggest snowman.  We heard about it and just had to see it.
 It really is made entirely of snow just sitting there in someones driveway!
 A big bright white spot in a dreary month.  

Very exciting.

Indexing on a Sunday afternoon. 

 We are trying.  

We want to contribute.

We are not very good at it.

Not good at reading them and not good at finding the time.

We will try to be better.

We need to.

Ashlyn reading books.

Always.

Every day.

Still.

I love it.

Tyler and his friends figuring out their senior class schedule before registration.  They have to do it together because it just wouldn't be a good senior year if they didn't have almost all their classes together.

There was no such thing as this when I was in High School.

Tyler answering to MORP with the help of his crew.

Glow sticks in the snow.

Sunday dinner at Grandma's house. 

 I love Trevor's family. 

 I love being with them. 

 Especially when I get a break from making dinner. 

 That brightens up any night and any month!

Goodbye January!

December Random

 

 

Mountain Man Rendezvous. 

Alyssa sold homemade pet rocks and candy rocks.  (We kind of went with a rock theme.)  They were a hit and sold out in the first half hour.  She is one cute squaw! 

 (This actually happened in November, but I didn't have any other November randoms, so I put it here.)

 

 

Futsol.

  Brandon played a quick season of futsol this December.  Because of our job situation, Brandon's teammates from his fall and spring league payed for him to play.  And someone gave him some indoor soccer cleats. 

I stand all amazed.  Every single day. 
 

Tyler decided to grow his hair out until the Hobbit premiere.  I have no idea why.  It was so long, his cousin was able to french braid it.  "It's only hair.  It's only hair."
 That's what I keep telling myself......help me.

 

 



 

First real snowstorm of the season.
They were outside for hours.
 Love it!

 

Bryson had his Christmas Choir concert.  I made him join the school choir so he could get his Scholarship and Music merit badges, but, I think he actually really likes it.  The concert was held exactly one week after the Sandy Hook shooting. 

I cried the whole time.

 

Someone did the 12 days of Christmas for our family.  It is something we will never forget.  Every night a green and red bag on the doorstep.  Every night an incredible gift.  They just kept getting bigger and better.  We were completely overwhelmed.  My kids were completely ecstatic.  We will be forever grateful.

 

And we end the year 2012 with Kara sending in her mission papers.   

 

Be still my heart!

 

 

 

 

 

 



the end of the year

New Years Eve 2012!

Family.  Food.  Fun.

Just the way I like it.

It was simple and sweet.

I hope 2013 will be like that too.

Happy New Year!

Eve Eve, Eve and Christmas day

Christmas Eve Eve was, as usual, a memorable night. 

 Filled with tradition, laughter, food and new pajamas.



 

 

This year we watched the movie, "Christmas Oranges."

And then we had our own Christmas Oranges.

On Christmas Eve we had everyone over.  We enjoyed a delicious dinner, sang carols, played games,  felt the spirit, and reenacted the nativity with a very serious and perhaps a little angry, angel.



On Christmas Eve morning we woke up to a winter wonderland.  It had snowed all night and it didn't stop all day.  It was absolutely perfect.  We haven't had a white Christmas in a long time and it was magical. 



Christmas morning we were excited.



Our first stop was downstairs for the sibling exchange where we enjoyed our fill of cheap dollar store gifts, like Trevor's beauty sleep mask.  (He actually might use it!)

Tyler's tattoos. (I hope he doesn't use his.)



And Ethan's cup/straw combo (which I know he will use),
 to name a few.

 

 

This year Kara requested a nightgown for her pj's and she wrapped all of her packages with brown paper tied up with string.  I believe she thinks she is Laura Ingalls.  I'll be really concerned when she starts calling me Ma and wants to bathe in a bucket.

More gifts, not from the dollar store. 

 Lord of the Rings piano music.



And it wouldn't be Christmas around here without a few Lego's.

 

 

 

 

  We had a wonderful Christmas.  We have been very blessed.  And we are so thankful for this season, this holiday, our family and our Savior. 

Merry Christmas!