4 - 2 + 1 = 3

Austin switched the bunnies to a new cage on Thursday afternoon. He did it without being asked and it took quite a bit of time. Good work. There was a slot in each cage and Kurt was positive they couldn't get through {I was less positive of that "fact."}

When Kurt woke up Friday morning there were no bunnies in the cage. He searched before work and found one {Austin's Tom.} The kids handled the news really well and spent the rest of the day looking for the others. It proved to be a good activity for them. :D

That evening our neighbor called us. He'd found a bunny in his pasture, "Nearly stepped on it. Scared me half to death!" It was Spencer's Addison. The kids were happy to share. One for the boys, one for the girls. I was just happy that they solved this problem with no crying, screaming or whining. {{happy sigh}}

I was visiting a friend yesterday and came away with her bunny. I'm not exactly sure how that happened. She's a sweet talker and I figure we use to have 4 so surely it wouldn't hurt to have 3. This newly aquired bunny is a dwarf breed that won't get very big and it's super hairy/fuzzy. It looks so comical! They are calling it Master Fred with a nickname of Hurley.

Meanwhile the original Easter bunnies are growing at a rapid rate. And since fate left us with one boy and one girl..... it might not be too long before 3 bunnies turns into more... Does anyone know at what age bunnies can start reproducing?

Growing in the gospel

I am enjoying my life. I am grateful.

I feel like we (our family) have been anxious engaged in a good cause. We have always been service oriented. But I feel like we have encompassed the meaning of being anxious engaged in a good cause. Every day, busy serving.

It brings happiness.

I love watching Kurt serve. First of all service becomes him. He is so handsome. He is a good, good man. Making me a blessed woman.

Kurt encouraged Austin to bare his testimony yesterday morning before he left for his meetings. As we were sitting in sacrament meeting I asked Austin if he was ready. "Mom, I want to but I'm so scared." He said this a few different times. They now have a cordless mic so he could just stand right where he was. And I promised I would go first. My heart swelled. He also gave the talk in Primary about oridances of the gospel.

Austin asked to give the Family Home Evening lesson tonight. He had thought up a lesson while he was taking a shower. He got a rubber duck, cup and drew a picture of a cross. "Jesus is the duck. He died on the cross. They put his body in the tomb {places the duck in the cup.} On the third day {he pours water into the cup and the duck rises out} He was risen." So clever, I love that he came up with that on his own.

My boys are growing up in the gospel. I can't think of anything better.

The Dynasty - A New Generation

Karen came this weekend for a 24 hour visit. It was for the soul purpose of finally for the first time in her life getting her own set of wheels {seeing us was just a bonus.}

So after two long years of neglect the Dynasty will be driven again. I'm sure she's happy to be on the road again. She got a full make over in the shop and then Kurt drove her like she was a pick-up and gave her the two thumbs up for Karen to take back to Rexburg. {We were headed to Ontario for soccer that morning and I looked in my rearview mirror and saw Kurt in the Dynasty behind me. There was a HUGE tractor tire in the trunk with the car nearly dragging bottom. I had to double take because it was such a randomly hilarious sight. Kurt went all the way to Nyssa like that. That's when he felt confident in the Dynasty abilities.}



So my siblings will make fun of me for this but it was almost sentimental to load Karen up in the Dynasty and send her back on her way to Rexburg. For many reasons but the two that top the chart are: this is Karen's first car, we pat her on the shoulder and say have a nice 6 hour drive. ya. nice. And secondly it was almost sad to say good-bye to the Dynasty. There have been so many good memories in that car...

~ courting in Rexburg
~ honeymoon / newly weds
~ driving cross country to Iowa
~ school days (nursing school car pool)
~ hospital commutes for Kurt when Austin and I were in Des Moines
~ surviving a tornado
~ bringing home babies from the hospital
~ more driving cross country

{{{deep happy sigh with cheesy content grin}}}



Maybe the Dynasty will bring Karen the good fortune of holding hands with a cute boy at the Elk Farm in Rexburg. May you be so lucky! Here's to many more memories made for the next generation of Dy~nasty drivers.

My Girls

Tonight 2 of my Laurels came over to do manicures. This whole night was instigated by one in an effort to fellowship and befriend the other. I was touched by her efforts.



My own daughters LOVED the activity. They were so excited! We painted every fingernail and toenail we could find in multiple coats. Rooster even painted all my fingers with clear polish. And then we proceeded to admire them, followed by lots of talking complete with hand motions. I think we found a new bonding activity!







I really love my girls. Both my own daughters and my yw daughters. It has been such a treasured experience working in yw. I love our new Bishop. He has such a great vision for the ward. I love that Kurt is apart of that vision of service. I love that I have a glimps into his growth and service with my current service. I love the opportunity I have to love, bare testimony, stand as a witness and to befriend such choice yw. What a strength daughters can be.

THE Bird

Saturday was another one of those days when it was pointless to own a home because we were not in it. Kurt was making another superman change (from work clothes into suit clothes) when he called me.

"There is a crazy bird that keeps flying into the dining room window. Don't open the door cause it's trying to get into the house."

By the time I got back to the house much later that day I found out what he was talking about. The bird was not only flying into the window but pecking at it, annoying and relentless. {Actually I found it pretty creepy.} I made a sign for the window to make sure the kids didn't accidentally let it in:

"Don't open the door. {Crazy bird trying to come in.}"

Kurt gave a fabulous leadership training in ward council yesterday about this crazy bird (which is the point of this post.) Satan is like this bird. Annoying and relentless, pecking at us, flying in all directions trying to get into our lives. Trying to tempt us. We have to keep the door shut, we cannot let him in. Last night he gave the same message to the kids at scripture study. The key phase at our house is, "Keep the Door Shut!"

Dread

I picked up Austin from school yesterday. Mrs. Camp accompanied him out to me. Uh-oh. That never happens. HUGE warning signals were going off in my head.

Mrs. Camp: Can I talk to you for a minute?

Me: Sure. Does Austin need to leave?

Mrs. Camp: No. He knows.

Well the short of it is, Austin went to the principal's office today. That was one experience I was hoping we would never have to have. Jaylin, Chris, Harold and Austin were playing tag where they shouldn't (against the rules from the first day.) They were told twice by the duty teacher to stop and in the end a little girl in their class got hurt (scraped knee.)

Austin was not participating but he was still there.

Jaylin was in his class last year. If anyone is destined to become a thug he would be it. Austin likes him. He likes everyone. But this year I've really been trying to teach him that we can like everyone and be kind but we need to be selective of the friends we choose.

This. is. why.

Austin was scared out of his wits to be in the principals office. Mrs. Camp and I have talked about Jaylin and Chris before and she was hoping that Austin could learn a lesson by being the principal's office to see the consequence of their actions. And HIS actions for being with them.

When talking to Austin about it he continued to tell me over and over. "I told them to stop. But they didn't listen. I was going to leave."

But you didn't leave soon enough my son.

I am praying he learned something in the principal's office and remembering what he has been taught at home. I don't ever want to feel the sinking dread upon hearing, "Austin went to the principal's office today" ever again.

Sprung

We have had lots of rain and typical bipolar weather of spring. But the past two days have been gorgeous! 70's - my optimal temperature. Ahhhhh.

I gave the kids boxes and asked them to fill them with signs of spring. Here is what they found:

{grass, weeds, flowers and dirt}


Here are signs of spring that I found in our yard: