March

Travis's good high school friend, Jason Overstreet, was turning 40 so his wife was surprising him with a sky diving trip. She asked Travis if he would go with him. He was nervous to say yes but YOLO, right?! Haha. I'm glad it was him and not me. He said it was actually a really incredible experience!

Cutest baseball player ever! I couldn't manage all the kids' schedules so my mom helped me out on Mondays with Tanner's baseball practices and games. I couldn't have done it without her! The best story was from one game when he ran to 3rd base and was waiting to go home but decided to run over to my mom instead and ask her if they could get popcorn after the game! Hahaha! She got it all on video. He has his priorities.

Another dance competition in Scottsdale. She had to compete in the early morning and in the afternoon and late evening. So I brought my lap top to get some blogging done! 

The weather was just so beautiful we decided to walk home from church!

Tanner had a little spring sing at school.

If I'm leaving to take Tanner to school at the same time Weston is walking to the bus stop, he likes to hitch a ride! Allison usually takes Collin and Olive in the mornings to ALA and pick them up after school. That allows me to get Tanner to school and since I pick him up at noon, I'm available to do pick up for ALA after school. And good ol' Weston takes the bus to and from Greenfield. Life saver!

ALA also had a spring concert and Olive's grade was singing a couple of Queen songs so they got to dress up like rockers. Ha! Long gone are the days of my elementary school concerts where we sang old fashioned stuff! But I guess Queen is "old" for these kids so maybe it does track. 

It was Allison's 40th birthday so we went somewhere a bit fanicier! Love these girls and so grateful for their friendship in the ward and neighborhood.

It was crazy hair day at school and he requested a mohawk!

I don't get to see my favorite Leah much these days so we planned a lunch date. She is busy with Queen Creek Town Council and all her activist and political stuff. 

Another 007 night. Burgers this time and Livy for a playdate for Olive. Tanner loves these nights too, helping Dad find the boys when they're playing 007.

Spring flowers got planted!

Collin turned 14!! He spent his actual birthday on a plane all day traveling to Florida so we had donuts a different day. 

Collin is definitely hitting a growth spurt and becoming "a teenager". Voice changing, getting taller, personality subduing. I never thought I'd see the day he wasn't talking my ear off. I was sure the teenage years would be a cinch because he wouldn't have a filter and would tell me everything! Well, I was wrong. He is not my chatty kid anymore. He is into his music and friends. He controls the music in the car and it kind of drives me bananas. He gets addicted to a couple songs and those are the only ones we listen to over and over and over again! His playlist is very important to him haha.  He doesn't fight us on church stuff like family scriptures but he is not an eager participant either. He does get himself to church early every single Sunday to help prepare the sacrament without any prodding from us. He only wanted new shoes and a airpod case for his birthday. He keeps on top of his school work but isn't "into" school. It is just something to get done and out of the way. Collin is orderly and methodical in getting things done. He likes to be clean! If he's coming home from football or anything else, he wants to run and shower before eating. He loves Venenzias, Raising Canes and In'n'Out. If we don't have chips in the house, he's bummed out. He's always the one begging for dessert every night. He's very conscientious of his hair. He likes it longer over his ears even though ALA doesn't allow that. He's also particular about his clothes. He is good to babysit for us and try to keep his siblings in line although when he interjects in their fighting, it usually makes things worse haha. But he is very situationally aware and tries to help me where he can. His favorite show is the series The Flash. Collin is a good kid. He wants to do what's right. He's respectful and considerate of others. Except for when he's picking on Weston. Poor Weston. I can't remember if it was 7th or 8th grade but his last period teacher emailed me to let me know how much she appreciates him. He stays after class every day to help put away chairs and books for her. With Allie taking the lessons right now, she's also started to join in on some youth activities. There was a stake activity at the church that she wanted to go to so I offered to take her. Collin was just going to ride his bike like usual with his friends but I begged him to let me take him so Allie wouldn't be alone. He didn't want to but finally obliged. I told him he wasn't allowed to leave her side until she had connected with friends. Allie is a year older than him and a cheerleader at Highland. I know he felt awkward but he did as I asked and stayed with her. She later told me that even after some girls had come up to talk to her, he stayed near until she sensed what was going on and finally, kindly told him thank you and he can go be with his friends if he wants. 

After my latest visit to see Grandma Ann, she took me into her room to show me some things she had been saving that she's ready to give away. Some of it were Grandma Evans clothes! She gave me this dress that Olive wore to graduation. I'm not sure if it was high school or college graduation. It was so delicate and silky. I thought it would be fun to try it on but that was a mistake! It was much too fragile and apparently I am much larger than she was! My shoulders and chest barely squeezed into it and the fabric tore! OH I was so sad!! I shouldn't have tried to fit into it. I had Weston take my picture as this will be the one and only time I will be wearing it. 

How sweet is this scene of Olive helping Tanner read! She is usually a busy girl and gone to dance but there have been a few times she's stepped in to help him with his homework and she's so cute and sweet about it!

Elder Christensen is going home!! Wahhh!! He's been such an amazing missionary and we were so lucky to have him for two transfers! We will miss him tons! Elder Phelps is great too haha.

Just running in a downpour. It's fine. 

Since Collin's birthday was during Spring Break, I took him out of school for his birthday lunch the next week. Shocker on where he chose to go! :) Isn't he the cutest??!!

I got picked to be a chaperone with Olive's class to the Musical Instrument Museum in Phoenix! Olive was SO happy!! The bus ride was 45 min. of crazy chaos. The museum was really cool but it was packed and the tour guide kind of hurried us through. We didn't even get to see all the exhibits. The buses took us to a nearby park to eat our sack lunches afterward. Olive revels in any time she gets with me and I know it meant the world to her that I came. I can just take medicine for my headache haha.

We took Betty home with us after the field trip and the girls tried the latest fad. Ice cream in a fruit roll up! They gave it two thumbs up!

I don't know why I don't have a picture of him with the birthday plate! This is what I get for blogging 8 months late.

Family bike ride to Jamba Juice! These are some of my favorite family times! 

What a busy Sunday! I woke up early to make rolls, went to ward council, taught my Easter lesson at church, had a lesson with Allie after church then went to Grandma's house for dinner that night! 

Side note: I was put in as the Relief Society president this month. It was a complete shock. Bishop called Travis and I in and I expected Travis would be getting a new calling or maybe we'd be asked to teach a class together or something like that. We even showed up separately because life is just so so busy. I had been running kids around and Travis had been with Tanner at baseball. So I showed up first and started visiting with bishop while we waited for Travis and Tanner. He asked how things were going and I heard myself laugh and say, "Oh, just kind of hanging by a thread." And explain how busy things were. He just laughed. Once Travis showed up he turned to him and asked how his calling with the deacons was going. Travis said good. Bishop said, "Good. We're going to keep you there." Then he turned to me and said, "We'd like to call you to be the Relief Society president." I think all the blood drained from my face. I remember my jaw hanging open. I was speechless. Kimber had only been the president for a year and half! That wasn't long enough to be getting released. He started to explain that she was being called as the stake Relief Society president. He said my name immediately came to mind. He prayed about it and my name was the only one that stayed with him. He was very confident and sure that the Lord wanted me. I could feel Travis beaming and his eyes on me. I know my eyes had filled with tears. He kept talking and the only other thing I remember is the thought coming to me that I hadn't been prepared. Often you hear that  people have premonitions or signs, so to speak, before they are given certain callings. I even told him that it puzzled me that I hadn't been "prepared" beforehand. It was all coming out of left field. Then he said something... I can't even remember the context... but he said the word "humble". And it all came back to me. It all made sense. And now I was really crying. A couple weeks ago I was at home when the song, "Be Thou Humble" came into my mind, crystal clear, out of the blue. We hadn't sung it in church recently, not had I heard it recently. I wasn't thinking about anything church related when very distinctly the words entered my mind. I knew it wasn't a coincidence. I stopped what I was doing and puzzled over it. Be thou humble, in thy weakness, and the Lord thy God shall lead thee. I thought, "Lord, am I not humble??" It truly confused me. I feel like I'm very self aware and constantly thinking about how I could be better. I've actually always struggled with my self esteem and while I feel like that's gotten better, I really wouldn't think of myself as a prideful person. I feel like I'm humble in my shortcomings and recognize my faults and am just trying to be better. So why did this song come into my mind? Did God think I wasn't humble enough? I thought about it for some time, then went on with my day. It maybe crossed my mind another time or two and then I forgot about it. Well, this morning, this VERY MORNING, I was leaving the temple, driving to pick up Tanner from Kindergarten and the song came into my mind again. I don't know how to describe it, but it wasn't my thought. The song was placed in my mind. It was so abrupt and direct that I again, was taken aback and started pondering over the lyrics. This time, I pulled it up on my phone and had it playing in my car as I thought about each verse. By the time I got to the school I was a bit early so I pulled over and started looking up the scriptures that were attached to this hymn and wondering about the meaning of it all. Again, I felt like I was missing something. Heavenly Father wants me to be more humble?? I am self deprecating to the core. It just didn't feel like I was understanding the message He was trying to send me. I felt frustrated and confused. Fast forward six hours and bishop says the word "humble" and like a flash the Spirit said, "THIS. This is what I was trying to tell you. You are going to be humbled in this calling. You will be so aware of your weaknesses, but if you turn to the Lord, He will lead you." I cannot describe how that felt. I was known. God sees me and even in something as small as being the Relief Society president he wanted me to know He is aware of me. Ironically, I was so humbled and felt so loved. I don't know how I am going to fit this into my life, but I will do whatever the Lord asks of me. I am so blessed and have been given so much. It's an honor to be able to serve Him in this capacity. 

When I offered to teach a lesson on Easter, I did not know I would be the Relief Society president when giving it. I still felt so new and out of my comfort zone. When I was sustained in church my heart was pounding and my legs were shaking and I thought I might cry. I don't know why. I just felt very conspicuous. Thrust onto a "stage" I didn't know how to perform on. But Easter is not something I'm shy about so I at least I felt confident in that. My mom, Abbey, Marcie, Addison Hogle and Josie came to support me. They are so sweet. I wish I had more than 45 min. I could talk for multiple hours about Easter! It's my favorite and I wish I could shout from the rooftops about Jesus Christ! 

Speaking of Easter... I just love my Easter egg tree!! I always think of Dana Groscost when I hang them. 

Tanner was recognized for his grades at the quarterly assembly so I go to go be there for him!

For my parents birthdays they sent out an invitation to come to Joy Ride for lunch. It's so nice to have my kids in school so I can go alone! My dad used AI to write my mom a rap song. I was nominated to read it out loud. We were dying laughing! It was such a fun lunch together! And we giggled walking out to the parking lot seeing Shelley, my mom and my suburbans all in a row!

We had a Relief Society activity at the church where Carrie Lam taught us how to make sushi! It was delicious and fun to hear her tricks!

Sweet Aunt Polly died. I think she was ready to be with Uncle Brad. I love hearing the inspirational stories at funerals. I knew my mom really loved Aunt Polly and considered her a mother figure in her life. She was the FUN aunt and had yummy food at her house and took her kids out to get treats. My mom wanted to be like her when she grew up. I guess she was known to always sign her name, Love and Lollipops. She wrote poetry and was very calm and sweet. I think she was a good counterpart to fiery Uncle Brad. I never knew him to have a temper but that's what I've been told. I got visit with some second cousins like Amber Perkinson, whom I haven't seen in ages. After it was over, Shelley, Leah and I got lunch at Tia Rosas. 

Madeline had a birthday party at my parent's house and it needed to be documented that David came alone! Abbey was on a trip and he was single dad-ing it. Which is no easy task with Cohen haha. Cute Madeline is so much fun! She liked the butterfly backpack and sunnies we gave her! She is spunky and full of personality! And now she is FOUR!