Spring break recap

It's come and gone. Our spring break!!!!

We spent spring break at home. Since Nathan had time off at Christmas, he had to put time in taking call over spring break. The kids and I spent the break at the park and our house. We went to 4 parks in 5 days, I am only including photos of the last one. It is one of the treasures of our little town. It is located right by the train station that made our town a town, so trains pass by often. During our hour long stint, 3 passed by, including an Amtrak passenger train.

The highlight of the park that day is what you can't see in the photo of Cait & Bryn. Caitlin was singing "Love at Home" at the top of her lungs while swinging. Too young to care about anyone's opinion, she was having a blast entertaining herself and all who were close enough to hear. Thankfully none of the kids listening to her said anything mean about it, they just smiled or laughed to themselves. I loved it, what better to sing at the top of your lungs?

Our friends gave us this fun bike trailer that means I can cycle with my two littlest kids in TOW! Saturday Nathan set it up so we cruised around our neighborhood and beyond until the older kids legs tired out. That was a change for them.

Spring break wasn't all play, Bryn and I had some sewing time. She likes to sew fast. We are working on a small tied baby blanket to give to the NICU at our local hospital. She also had a soccer game and learned she is fast.

Andrew earned some Cub scout goals including planning and cooking a meal. It was the best chili and cornbread he's ever made.

Life as normal resumes tomorrow morning, early!

Fortu "Nate"

One of our traditions is Fortune cookies for dessert on stir fry night (most of the time).
Here's our fortune tonight.

N: You will always be surrounded by true friends.

B: You will be fortunate in the opportunities presented to you.

A: You will be successful in your career.

B: You will live a long life and eat many fortune cookies.

C: Your luck is about to change.

D: Smile and rejoice, fortune is smiling on you.

Can you believe Bryn's? I thought she made it up, until I read it with my own eyes.

My First Blue and Gold

I took the first accounting midterm on Friday, and have now finished lesson#5, too. Friday was a big day at our house. Nathan took the day off work, the kids got out of school early, and we had our first Blue and Gold Banquet. (That is our first blue and gold banquet together . . . Nathan had many and I remember at least one, but that was the 80's . . . . Our first JOINT Blue and Gold banquet).

For those who know nothing about Scouts: The Blue and Gold Banquet is the annual dinner for Cubs to celebrate scouting. If you've been working in your pack since September, your boys should earn their rank at this time, also.

For those who know more than me: (which is probably more of you, depending on your generation and whether or not you have a boy older than 8) This dinner is usually in February, but we weren't quite ready. We weren't even going to have one, I was going to give awards away at a den meeting held at my home. A leader over me suggested we do it more officially, so I listened. Late is better than never. My decision to have one was finalized one evening when I called home. My mom was there, but not my dad, he was attending his ward's blue and gold banquet. Thanks, Dad, you still are a good influence on me.

It was the first time we've had parents and cubs in the same room. Only one family couldn't come. We have a long way to be the pack I want to be, but I am happy to see the progress. My perfectionism often is a problem--Scouting is teaching me to be more concerned with direction than current location.

It dawned on me, I've never been the leader before. I have been a teacher a number of times, and helped other leaders, assuming a portion of responsibility, but this time it was my turn to make the decisions and oversee all the details. That realization was a little frightening. For the the first time, if I didn't do it, no one else would have stepped in. I even chose the menu, made food assignments, and unlocked the church to set up. I worried when the invitations went out. . . . . . "Do I have to ask permission to have this event?" It was helpful to have Nathan's support.

Andrew is officially a Bobcat, working toward his Wolf and I have a blue and gold under my belt.

The Miracle of the Seatcovers:

Sunday before the dinner, I was searching for decorations in the closet that stores the cub supplies. I saw a large piles of blue and gold fabric, so I dug to find out what it was. I discovered nearly 50 blue and gold chair covers, sewn to fit over the back of a folding chair. It was such a great find! They added to the decor and showed me that one woman really can make a difference. She had such vision. I can't believe she spent that much time. She also cannot know how much it meant to me to find them. I felt her support, even though I will probably never know who she is. I asked around, and no one knew. I wish I could tell her thanks, she is my new hero. I also wish that I'd taken a photo that night to share with you. I am sure we'll use them again next year, so stick around!

ps I can't tell you how many times at Scouts we do something that at least one of the boys has never done before. Like play marbles, or flip pancakes, or play kickball or table tennis. Every once in awhile I am shocked, but pretty quickly I remember, I am doing this for the first time, too. I love being there to watch them grow.

Sharing

Have you seen this?
I loved it and wanted to see if I could learn how to post it on my blog.
Enjoy if you haven't seen it yet.

Speaking of temples, these are the ones I've attended:
Denver
Provo
Salt Lake
Jordan River
Timpanogos
Manti
St. George
Logan
Las Vegas, NV
Boise (Where we got married)
Washington, D.C.
Albuquerque, NM
Chicago, IL
Columbus, OH
Nauvoo
San Antonio, TX
Dallas, TX

Oh, the places I've been! Moving around has its trials, but this is one of the hidden blessings!
I find great meaning in the temple and miss having one close. I feel a real connection with the temples in Denver, Provo, Salt Lake City, Boise, Chicago and Nauvoo, IL, because these are the ones I've attended most frequently.

These words by Howard W. Hunter in Oct 1994 are some favorites as well:
"Let us be a temple-attending and a temple-loving people. Let us hasten to the temple as frequently as time and means and personal circumstances allow. Let us go not only for our kindred dead, but let us also go for the personal blessing of temple worship, for the sanctity and safety which is provided within those hallowed and consecrated walls. The temple is a place of beauty, it is a place of revelation, it is a place of peace. It is the house of the Lord. It is holy unto the Lord. It should be holy unto us."

ps Wishlist: Someday I will to go to the Boston, MA, Palmyra, NY, and Madrid, Spain, temples as well, other cities with special meaning to me. Hoping for a temple in Wyoming, someday, too.

More Nathan at Work

This is for all of you Nathan Hunt fans:



By the way, the job "HUNT" has officially begun. Looking to start in July 2010!

Heavenly Gifts

Some gifts are priceless. So happy we caught this one at the right moment, because a minute later, it was gone.

DeJa Two

Today's birthday girl.


Guess who the birthday girl was two and a half years ago?

This year we were smart enough to remove the cups from the photo before taking it, but if you look closely, you will find the same pink and green sippy cup hiding above. It was a gift from Great Grandma Dove when her hands were worn out from making baby quilts, so it is special to us, too. Time goes so quickly when you're with the Hunts!