Graduation!

Last week we received David and Loretta's graduation announcement. I must confess, it brought tears to my eyes. I am so proud of both of them. It hasn't been easy, and not many people thought they would do it, but they have celebrated their TWELFTH wedding anniversary AND completed college. As you can see from the announcement, they didn't do it in a small way either! Congratulations David! Congratulations Loretta! I hope you are as proud of yourselves as we are at this house!


(Thanks to Allyson for constructing fifty of these cool handmade announcements!) (And for those of you who don't know- "Summa Cum Laude" indicates STRAIGHT A's all four years through a rigorous program!!) (I know pride is a sin, but I'm the mama...it can't be helped!)

Skinny Susan

After Susan has a baby, she ends up skinnier than before she got pregnant! She is now wearing clothes we haven't seen for a long time. Maddie thought these striped pants were so cute she insisted Susan try on a vest out of the pirate costume stash because it matched! We thought Susan looked surprisingly good in this outfit!

The Three Musketeers

I love these three girls so much! Life would be so much less fun if our (GOOD) surprise baby had been raised "alone" in the family. What a blessing it is to have Julie and Ally close by and here so often. They spent the night Friday and I always enjoy listening to the three girls play. Like the other kids before them, they have such wonderful imaginations. Julie and Ally come over Tuesdays and Thursdays after school, and I'm so glad they like to be here and feel comfortable enough to just "veg-out" or flop on the couch or floor to do homework. They are also good sports about helping with chores on Saturday mornings or whenever I ask. Ally loves to help me cook and will end up being quite a good little chef someday I think. Julie never complains, no matter what I ask her to help with. And Maddie is a willing helper also.

I feel incredibly lucky and blessed to have so much of my immediate family close by. Only six more days till Amy gets home and then everyone will be living in Boulder City for the summer. I know it can't last forever, but for as long as it does, I'm going to enjoy it and be grateful!

Don't You Wish He Was Your Hometeacher?

Jeff has made bread to take to his home teaching families for the past two months. He used to buy Marie Callendar pies and deliver them, but he's been on a health kick lately and decided wheat bread was better. Not only does he bake the bread, he grinds the wheat himself so the flour is fresh! Last month it was Woodbury Wheat Bread. This month he made whole wheat hot roll mix and then used it to bake French bread. Does that look yummy, or what? I asked him if he was taking a message too. He said, "Of course. "Man does not live by bread alone.' But you can come pretty close with this." (Actually he didn't say that, but I thought he should have!)

Solemn Assembly

We just finished watching the two sessions of General Conference today and it was really a moving experience. The first order of business was a "solemn assembly" where we had the opportunity to sustain the new First Presidency and the Quorum of the 12 Apostles by quorums and groups. It was really great be able to stand when Elder Uchtdorf asked all members of the Relief Society to show their support by the raised hand. I thought of all my sisters around the world who were doing the same thing and I was very touched. Then Maddie got to stand when they called for the sustaining by the Young Women. I only remember one other solemn assembly -13 years ago when we sustained President Hinckley. What a wonderful thing to be able to show our support and know that all over the world people are doing the same. I'm grateful to have had the opportunity to personally confirm my testimony that President Thomas S. Monson is a true prophet of God on the earth and that he is the chosen leader of Jesus Christ's church on the earth today. What a wonderful opportunity! Now I just have to make sure my actions support my words!

Before... and AFTER

I've been waiting for Susan to post this on her blog, but her pictures weren't cooperative and she is trying to unpack boxes and organize her house, so I'm going to steal her thunder.

Doesn't Aubrey look beautiful in her mint green satiny, flowery Easter dress before church?

This is the picture AFTER church. AFTER Susan decided she'd leave it on a little longer and hope she didn't ruin it. AFTER Aubrey found the tiny plastic container of molasses. AFTER she opened it. AFTER she tried to eat it. After Brian took it away. And AFTER he unstuck her arms from the organdy overskirt. Poor little baby!




This one may have to go on the "senior pictures" page of her high school yearbook... (Oh yes, and for those of you who are wondering...Susan put the baby and the dress right in the tub to soak- and the molasses ALL came out!)

Paperwork!

Just when I think my work is "done" for the most part, I get another set of paperwork to fill out, with accompanying documents...

Jeff and I had figured out that the certified letter from the Contractors Board must be a request for a liability insurance certificate, since we paid so late on this installment that they had sent us a notice of cancellation. (We paid in time and it's all good. But that's another story.) When I picked up the letter at the post office this morning the envelope was WAY too fat to be a request for insurance. I ripped it open in the parking lot and read it in the car.

It was a six-page application to activate our inactive electrical contractor's license and a request for a financial statement, bank verification of funds, AND a certificate of insurance. I HATE paperwork, but that is the story of (one part of) my life!

About eight years ago Jeff decided he'd like to have an electrical license in addition to our general engineering license so we could actually pull the wire through the electrical conduit we (occasionally) install should we ever want to do so. We filled out the application, gathered the required paperwork, and he took the test. It was HARD and took him two or three times to pass the sample tests before he took the real one.

We had the license for three years and never used it, so we put it on inactive status, which requires a substantially less fee each year. Apparently that was five years ago. If you haven't used a license in five years, you must reapply and resupply documentation of financial stability and insurance. Bummer. I'm trying to convince Jeff that if we haven't pulled wire in eight years we probably never will...But...I agree he wouldn't want to have to take that test again. Oh, the joys of contracting and self-employment.

At least no one's trying to sue us or complaining about us to the Board...

I'm taking the rest of the day off.

Certified Letter

Don't you hate it when you come home, take your mail out of the box, and there's a notice that you missed delivery of a certified letter??? From the NEVADA STATE CONTRACTORS BOARD!! And you can't pick it up till after 8:30am TOMORROW??? What could it be? What did we do?? It's probably nothing big, but I don't think I've ever gotten a certified letter from the Contractors Board before...The only thing worse would be getting one from the IRS...or someone else's attorney...Okay, I'm going to stop worrying. I'll update tomorrow.