We watched this lady a million times and her face is forever frozen in immortality on my "pictures to use in text messages all the time" file. "Not today!" I think she and I could be friends. But only if she let me borrow her M&M jacket from time to time.
Ah. Looking back to that time that Clark decided that fishing was going to be his new hobby and favorite past time. If I had a dollar for every minute he has spent fishing in the last couple of years, I would be a very, very wealthy woman. But he loves it, so I suppose I will keep rolling my eyes in silence when he buys more fishing lures and disappears at insane hours on a Saturday mornings. We have A LOT of pictures just like this one. Isn't he handsome? Look, I caught you a delicious bass.
I have about a bajillion pictures just like this one too - Grandkids spilling out onto an egg laden lawn. It really doesn't matter how old they get, they still want to do an egg hunt. Cousins make it even better.
During our time in Texas and encouraged by the most lovely music chairperson/piano teacher ever, Haley played several times in church, either as prelude, special musical number or in a duet with a friend. Her teacher really solidified a confidence in her to do such things and I am so grateful. Haley has a beautiful talent for music and it blesses our home daily.
I also wanted to document that my daughters help me to get ready, often. I regularly take polls of their opinions on which shoes to wear and whether or not my outfit is too hideous to wear in public. I also call them in to pin up my hair because my arms get tired. What ever will I do when they all grow up and move away? I might just be a hot mess.
Ezra is cute. But you knew that already.
We are getting closer to Hazel's baptism...I can feel the eager anticipation...interviews with Bishop Dad were a perk not only because it was quality one on one time, but he had a jar of candy in his office too so it's kind of a win win.
And Roundtop. My time here in Virginia can be measured in how many trips to Roundtop I have missed. I have been away for 3 now and it still hurts my heart a little. It doesn't matter if I was wandering with friends or family, it was always a beautiful day full of lovely and sometimes very strange things. Ah Roundtop, I miss you.
Every now and again a meme will pop up on my feed with Mo's name at the bottom. It's always a lovely surprise. I particularly liked this one, I thought the likeness was spot on.
You know that folder on my phone with the memes that I use in my daily text messaging? Well right next to the "not today" lady was this one. I figured that if we were moving far away, I might as well milk it to get people to do what I wanted them to do. It worked almost every time.
I'd say it was one of the better birthdays.
Megan gets yet another shout out in this post because she gave Hazel the best birthday present of all birthday presents ever given. Crutches. She seriously made Hazel the happiest little girl alive. Go figure. Another friend gave her a bag of medical goodies including ace bandages and a finger splint. I don't know, so don't even ask. Trying to understand the mind of a child can be a futile effort. Just go with it.
And finally Hazel was baptized! She was so excited. The room was filled with family and friends that love her. Mo and Papa came to town and she felt so special. There was a beautiful musical number of "If the Savior Stood Beside Me" by me and all her Scharman Aunts that touched my heart so deeply I will never forget it.
This was yet another day where my sister and I spoke on the phone while living parallel lives from across the country. We have been known to buy the same shirts and eat the same treats, unbeknown to one another. On this day we were both wearing checkered shirts and giant sunglasses. Sooo blog worthy and you know it.
And Clark put in his last weeks at Chevron. I know it was hard for him to leave friends and a job that he enjoyed but the transition has been a good one for him. Although everything that Clark has ever done has suited him because he is a hard worker and a fast learner. I am grateful to be married to someone with such good people skills and work ethic. He puts the bacon on the table and we all know how much I love bacon.
Saying goodbye to friends in Texas was as hard as saying goodbye to family - some of them are just like family to us. Plus I think Ken was especially mad that Clark left him behind because "someone" had to take over as the new Bishop...
While Mo was here visiting for her church assignment, we dropped by a stake dance one evening. It was a sock hop and Mo jumped right in. My high school anxiety came back in full force but I couldn't tell if I was more horrified because I was at a dance and people were trying to get me to come out and have fun, or that my Mom was doing the dab in front of so many people. Yup, just like high school.
Abby was in another play at school, something about Monster High I think. She was adorable. She had a speaking part and everything. Aunt Carrie was in town and was able to catch a show which Abby loved.
Our friends, the Stolles invited several families to help in a very sweet service project, sewing tiny baby dresses for infants that have passed away, re purposed from old wedding dresses. It was an opportunity to have my girls eyes opened to ways to lift and serve with compassion and sensitivity.
So as we prepared the house to move, there was quite a debate over whether or not to take the buckets of food storage that we bought from Costco ten years ago. Two five gallon buckets filled with "just add water" packets. Clark assured me that in a dire circumstance we certainly would be willing to eat anything. Having opened one of the packages in years past, I disagreed. So on my way out the door one night he decided he was going to prove me wrong.
I came home to this.
We threw out the buckets and I felt rather smug and happy about the whole thing.
I also felt the need to document it on the world wide web. The universe needs to know that I am right, every once in a while.
So the last bit of April was super fun. Clark and I took a trip to Virginia to find a house and my darling, brave sister came to Houston to babysit five of my children, alongside her own two. "It will be easy!" I said "they will be in school all three days you are here" I said. Then it started to rain, and didn't stop raining. She was trapped in my house with all seven kids for days. Oops. My bad. But we did have a little fun before she flew the coop to go back to dry ole Utah. Ken let us come run around a firehouse. The kids were in emergency vehicle heaven. Is that a thing? I'm pretty sure it is.
And of course we went to the zoo, because why wouldn't we?
Remember that last post where I talked about the valuable experiences of growing up in a large family? Case in point. It serves as both amazing life experience, and a little bit of entertainment for the parents.
Time to move = panic that we have so much junk. Garage sales. I hate 'em and I love 'em. I absolutely hate the guilt of watching other people cart away my discards and yet, the joy of nothing coming back into my house, bliss.
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