May

In May, Nate went to one of the last playoff games with his dad, we had a birthday dinner for my dad with his friend Dana, we had a pioneer trek activity where Laura and Josh participated in the pie eating contest, Megan had her "Lemonade" play at school, the kids spent some time in the hammock and with their friends, and I went to a Mother's Day breakfast (followed by shopping) with my sisters. It was the first time we had all been together for Mother's Day in a long time and was a lot of fun! And lastly, Josh unfortunately cut his finger pretty badly on a pocket knife when he and his friends were trying to fix one of the fidget spinners they've been selling. It needed stitches, but Josh was so brave about the whole thing!

Megan's Gymnastics Performance

Megan had a gymnastics performance at the beginning of May. She was so excited about it! She told all of her grandparents about it weeks before and made sure they had it on their calendars. She did a great job! It's fun to see what a great gymnast she's becoming.

Laura's Temple Trip

The Friday after Laura's birthday, we took her to the Salt Lake Temple to do baptisms for the dead with Nate's family. We wanted to go when Kent was working there like we did when we took Lia for the first time. It was a great morning! Janet and Kent were there along with Ashley, Luann and Jan. Laura and Nate found some family names to take so everyone who wanted to was able to do baptisms. I was so grateful to have both Lia and Laura there and for Nate for helping with the family history and making sure everything went smoothly there. I was also grateful that Kent is still serving in the temple to greet us when we arrived. I hope Laura felt the spirit and the peace that comes from serving in the temple. I know I did. I also, like last time, felt the strength that comes from the support of family as we work together to fulfill Heavenly Father's plan. I love my family and I love the temple. I love the experiences that are different with every child as they grow and progress in the gospel. 

Laura's 12th Birthday

We celebrated Laura's birthday at the beginning of May. She was so excited to turn 12! She asked for a "beddys" that she's really excited about and she is thrilled to be in young women's now. I got to go to lunch with her that day, her friends surprised her with balloons and treats at school, she had a visit from her grandma and grandpa, and that weekend we went to the temple (which I will write about in the next post) and she had a party with her friends. Laura has grown up so much in the last year! Not only is she taller and a beautiful young woman, but she has matured in other ways too. I know I can ask her to do anything and she will do it (and I do...more often than I'm sure she would like). She is also a great sister to Lia, Laura and Josh. I'm grateful for her commitment to our family and to doing what is right. She loves being with her cousins (big and little) and with her friends. She's always been very social and people are drawn to her. She plays the piano beautifully and is doing really well playing soccer. I'm excited to see what great things she will continue to do in the future. We love Laura!