My days seem to be melting one into another. Grace is playing soccer. Willow is playing soccer. Weston is playing baseball. Josh is in the high school orchestra and taking piano. We have something...usually several "somethings"...going on every night of the week. My house is a mess. There are always dishes waiting in the sink. There is always laundry waiting to be washed OR folded. I have a dining room table, but it's rarely seen these days because it's become the landing zone when anyone comes in the house. Right now on my table I have my planner, 2 days worth of mail, a calculator, a polly pocket car and 2 dolls, a needle and thread, 2 glasses of unfinished chocolate milk, a baseball hat, pokemon cards and several pens and pencils. ( I won't frighten you with a photo. )

The chaos is only temporary.

The table will be cleaned.

Another week will begin.

Let me catch you up on the highlights of our last two months.

February 1st

Josh was ordained a priest

Josh was ordained a priest by his Grandpa Hansen. We were able to hold the ordination in the Stake High Council room with the whole priest quorum, Kenyon, our home teacher and the bishopric. Josh's grandpa gave him such an amazing blessing. He emphasized the importance of the priesthood in Josh's life. Having everyone there made it a really memorable day for Josh.

February 8th

Josh blessed the sacrament for the first time

This is one of those moments where a mother holds her breath and hopes everything goes just the way it should. I had coached Josh in the morning about not speaking too quickly. I was so proud. When Josh finished (he said it perfectly, by the way) a few other mom's who have sons in the priest quorum turned to me and smiled.

February 23rd

Josh got his driver's license

For weeks leading up to this date Josh would randomly ask me, "Mom, what are we doing on February 23rd?" He wanted to make sure I kept my afternoon open. I had procrastinated taking Josh for his learner's permit, so he had to wait a little more than a month past his 16th birthday to get his actual license. I drove Josh over the DMV in Orem as soon as school got out. It took all of 15 minutes to pay $30, take a new photo and exchange the learner's for a license.

Josh had also made sure over the previous few weeks that Kenyon had the 1994 teal green Mazda Protege registered, gassed and ready to go. Josh had been turning the Mazda on at least once a day to let the engine idle just to make sure the battery wouldn't be dead. When we got home from the DMV I hadn't even put the van in park before Josh was asking if he could drive to WalMart for me. I didn't need anything, but he went anyway. I've never been so nervous as I was watching Josh flip a u-turn in front of our house and drive away, ALONE, for the first time. This was way harder than sending him off to school for the first time.

March 2nd

full-time job begins

(besides raising 4 kids)

I began working full-time at Alpine Pediatrics this month. I went from 4 to 8 hours per week to 30 hours per week to qualify for insurance benefits. I work every Monday night and all day on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday. I also work every other Saturday. I've been there for 6 years now! I started working there the week of Grace's first birthday.

March 8-9th

road trip to Ephraim

I'm sure many of you are asking, "Why Ephraim? Where is Ephraim?" A little background...I attended Snow College after high school where I earned my Associates Degree. I also met Kenyon at Snow just before he left on his mission. I absolutely love to drive down to Ephraim (only takes an hour and a half) to walk down memory lane.

Just before Christmas last year I was able to reconnect with my roommate from my second year at Snow College. I found out she was now living in Ephraim. We had been trying to arrange a weekend for me to drive down and visit her. The kids didn't have school on the 9th and we decided it would be a good time to go. The kids were happiest about missing church.

The kids were apprehensive about staying with a "stranger" even though I kept reassuring them she wasn't a stranger if I'd lived with her for a year and known her for almost 20 years! It took about 30 minutes for them to warm up to Stacey and her 5 kids. Stacey let Grace rollerskate through the house. She made Willow 8 new hair bows. She told Josh they knew the director of the music program at Snow College and all about their summer music program, offering him a place to stay if he wanted to go. Her boys taught Weston and Josh how to shoot a bow. She had a dog, a cat and 3 rabbits which made her wonder-mom in Grace's eyes. Her basement had a Wii, a pool table, ping-pong table, air hockey table and movie room.

Stacey has never ceased to amaze. In the past 3 years she has also adopted two infants. We hit it off instantly in the dorms at Snow College and picked up right where we left off. I love you Stacey!

March 18th

Willow registered for Junior High

I took Willow to the junior high tonight to register and turn in her requests for her elective classes. She also got to tour the school and try and open a locker. Another milestone. I have to admit, I haven't missed junior high carpool this year, but I am looking forward to a fresh start for Willow. Willow is also going to be taking band and learning to play the clarinet. I so clearly remember driving Josh to school for the first day of 7th grade and thinking, "He just looks so small!" I had the same thought watching Willow move around with all the other soon-to-be 7th graders...."She just looks so small!"

April 4th

Josh asked someone to Prom

Josh originally wasn't going to take anyone to the Prom. He had decided it was too expensive and he didn't know who to ask. It took one night with 3 friends who already have dates to convince Josh to join their group.

The first girl he asked told him "no" and said she was waiting for someone else to ask her. (I was not a happy mom.) The second girl he asked couldn't date until she's 16. Prom is on the 24th of April and she turns 16 on April 26th! (Now I just felt really bad.) I thought for sure Josh wouldn't dare try a third time, but his friend Chandler's date had a friend who hadn't been asked. Saturday afternoon I baked cupcakes and wrote one word on each cupcake...will...you...go...to...prom...with...me...? He arranged them all on a tray and dropped them off on her doorstep. She answered him the next night with a brownie delight bowl and a note that said, "I'd be delighted to go to Prom with you." (I am so excited and nervous now.)

I am trying to convince him to break with the new tradition of a "day date." Now we're talking tux rentals, corsages and what to fix for dinner that's not embarrassing to eat on a first date.

Brings back a lot of memories!