Temple trip.

Yesterday was near perfection to me.  We did spend 6+ hours in the car, but the day shook up our regular Saturday routine.  I'm a typically impatient roadtripper.  People who write about three days of driving across the states boggle my mind.  make my legs cramp.  my head ache.  No matter the glory of the destination, I don't love a long drive.  But what I do love is being cooped up in a small spot with Jim.  Having him bound to my side for 6+ hours of good conversation is {perhaps a sometimes nightmare for him, BUT...} my idea of bliss.  You just don't get that kind of talk time in the regular Saturday routine.    

And while the regular Saturday routine may be known to bring tears, they're not the lovely kind that kept filling my eyes yesterday.  Like many families I know, we start a road trip with a prayer.  Jim asked me.  But as soon as I started speaking, a rush of emotion swept through me and the words suddenly couldn't form.  I was overwhelmed.  By the beauty of Temples, by the opportunity to walk through one with my boys, by the teaching moments that would follow...by gratitude for Priesthood power that makes my family Eternal.  It's no small thing.  And it's a HUGE thing to be responsible for conveying this Reverence to the three children in your backseat. 

The second time the tears came {welcome, but unbidden} was when I saw the Angel Moroni topping the tall front spire as we drove into the parking lot.  The perfect herald of the restored gospel of Christ.  My mind flashed to temples I've visited all over the world, to feelings I've felt in them, to the absolute insignificance of my daily dilemmas in comparison to the magnitude of the great work rolling forth like Daniel's stone cut out of the mountain, filling the earth.  It's Big.  

Still, the comparatively miniscule, not-even-a-speck-on-the-planet Ford F250 that cargoed us on yesterday's journey held something quite significant.  The paradox could drive you dizzy.  And I don't fully understand.  But I know for a fact that the Lord intimately knows, loves and blesses my family.  At the same time that He dictates the forward motion of His enormous work.  It's all-at-once Humbling and Exhilarating. 

But mostly it's just Beautiful.

60th Birthday Diva Cake

I'm not a big bow person, but love this less cutesy version.  But my favorite part of this cake was the broaches made with silver dragees.  I don't know that my half-focused pictures reveal their bling very well, but they were very fun to make and something I will definitely do variations on in the future. 

I like the simple elegance of the cake on its own, but the birthday girl was definitely more of a bling queen than I am, so this tiara was made to top the cake.  It is piped in royal icing around a vase, then stands alone after hardening overnight. I'd like to try another tiara sometime because I'm wishing I had used a more delicate touch in the piping.  I think I was overparanoid about making it strong enough to avoid breakage. 

But this was the final & complete product...

a {very nearly} school boy

Davyn was counting legos the other day.  He started with the traditional one through ten, but then it got tricky.

Infinity.

Infinity one.

Infinity two.

Infinity three.

...and so on until

Infinity ten.

...and then...

my ears were eager to hear what came next.

Infinity and beyond.

Infinity and beyond one.

Infinity and beyond two.

It turns out there were Infinity and Beyond Six legos in the box.

...

As fast as this boy is soaking up learning, it's refreshing to see him act like the preschooler he actually is.  Or was, I suppose.  We just finished our joy school last week.  I had vascillated widely last August on whether or not I even wanted to participate in joy school this year.  I know myself with a baby.  It's difficult and absorbing.  But when the dust settled and I discovered that there were four other boys exactly his age participating, I {with substantial moaning to my Jim} added Davyn to the bunch.  And am so glad I did. 

I love these boys.  And I love how much D loves them, too. 

For my last week of teaching I took them on a field trip to Jim's parents' house.  On the agenda: gathering eggs from chickens, picking veggies in the garden, mooing at the cow, feeding Gunther, eating lunch.  Hands down, their favorite part of the day was Gunther. 

(the pictures above clearly reveal my go-to friend for preschooling.  I still think she needs her own Crafting with Kay show!)

...

Joy school ending was a definitive moment for Davyn.  He knows that Kindergarten is just around the corner now.  And seizes every opportunity to remind us.

A few nights ago I took both boys to the library.  Aidan gets all picky choosey deciding what to check out.  Not D.  A literal sixty seconds after we arrived, he stood before me with a stack of 10+ books. 

"Do you need all those?"

"I have to get ready for Kindergarten."

And as we marched around with Aidan's whims for the next ten minutes, D made sure everyone in the library knew that the pile was all about Kindergarten prep. 

"Davyn, you don't have to be a perfect reader to go to Kindergarten.  Lots of kids don't even read at all before they start."  

"Other kids don't have to read, but I do, Mom." 

And what do you say to that?

we have a crawler

the movement has been in the works for weeks, but as of this morning it's official.  perhaps it was the combined impetus of D trailing her and me holding a bottle five feet away, but the girl crawled.  and did so quickly.

both of the boys moved backward before they were able to move forward. not this girl.  she's all about forward and onward.  and it does indeed make me a little nervous for the inevitable change of pace.  my girly lives for the thrill of new sights and sounds.

but sometimes she would prefer to toss the new in favor of the old & known.  I recently threw her for a loop by removing the bumper from her crib.  and suddenly the girl who has slept solidly through long nights since teeny times is waking up multiple times.  when her movements land her by the cold wood jail bars that were once plush pleasure for her nighttime cuddle needs. 

it's a cruel, cruel world. 

I've similarly been punishing Jim of late.  it's not intentional.  but I have a newfound love for {and habit of} a made bed.  which threw him for a loop.  quite understandably, I say.  you think you know someone after 2735 days of marriage.  and then she suddenly slams a hammer into your sleeping pattern by making you *share a blanket*...*sleep straight*...*touch periodically in the night*.  he initially had nightmares.  and blamed the new arrangement.  but now I think he's growing accustomed. 

..as Azure will to her bars.

..as I will to her crawling. 

Family life - {this chaotic, ever-changing reality of living heart-attached with other humans} - definitely keeps us all on our toes.

Azh with her cousin Noah T.

eight IS great

I saw this CTR cake design a few months back and filed it away, knowing it would be perfect for my nephew's upcoming baptism. I'm sure I'll be making the same one next year when Aidan turns 8 (is it seriously that soon?!). 

I'll need another chance for sure now that I look at this picture again {I'm itching to perfect the placement of those bees!}

Talin turned 8 in April and his baptism was last Saturday.  Megan has lived away from the valley through Tom's bachelor's degree and through most of his med school, but we've been lucky to have them here during his last year of rotations.  I love having nieces and nephews close by, getting to know them and sharing special occasions.  I love for my kids to know their cousins.  The Chambers are headed to Tucson this summer to start Tom's residency program.  It isn't as far away as they have been, but I will miss them terribly.  My boys will, too.  

Happy Baptism Day, Talin.  We are all so proud of you and the good choices you make.  You're a wonderful example to my boys!