Primary

Having no primary for more than a year has been kind of sad. A couple of months ago our stake primary presidency made little "boxes of light" for the kids and our ward passed them on to us. They encouraged the kids to make little temples out of these legos and put a little tea light in them. Jake was pleased with the temple he made (with help from his brother!). We look forward to having second hour at church again come June-especially so primary can happen again!

Blackberry Farm Covid Style

After being closed for almost two years, Jake got to go back to one of his favorite places: Blackberry Farm. The kids are so used to wearing masks now, wearing them doesn't seem like a hardship-especially if doing so means they get to do their favorite things again!

Eli joined us one of the three times we've already been in the month or so it's been open. It has been much less crowded than normal which we've loved!

Relief Society Presidency

These three ladies and I were called as our ward's Relief Society Presidency in January of last year. To say our first year wasn't quite how we expected it would be would be an understatement! But we've worked well together, come up with some creative solutions, and mastered the zoom presidency meeting. Our secretary moved, so we have some changes coming. I so thankful for these women and their service to our ward and to me.

Last Day

Finally, the last day of this school year! Usually I'm a little sad when the school year was over, but not this year! The kids did great coping and even excelling during this unusual year, but we were all ready to be done. It was fitting that the last day was remote.

Here's hoping for a totally normal year next year!

Jake reading

 Sometimes I want to read just like Jake does....

And sometimes I wonder how he could possibly be comfortable!

Talents

We didn't have a piano teacher for more than a year, but during the last half of that time Ali decided she wanted to learn some new songs on her own and work on her sight reading (a skill her old teacher never really taught; she'd write note names on music for them usually). Her new piano teacher was impressed with her sight reading when she started with her, and I've loved listening to the pretty new songs she chose, so I'd say she accomplished her goals!

She's also spent a lot of her spending money on art books and supplies and a lot of her free time drawing. She is getting SO good!

Cars

When Jake plays with toys in the the basement, he plays with ALL the toys. Sometimes that can be annoying. But I thought the lego duplos being made to spell out the word "cars" was clever.