March

 Birds (starlings I believe) are RAMPANT this time of year!  On our neighborhood FB page someone wrote, " Does anyone else feel like they are living in the Alfred Hitchcock movie The Birds?"  It was funny and yes, it does feel like that!

This does not do the thousands of birds that have been landing in our trees!

The birds land on our porch overhang
and I guess eat the berries that are
all over the trees.

They they drop the remains in a line on the porch
in front of the front door.  SO messy!!

We forgot to take a picture before Chris left

On Monday the 2nd, while Chris was still in town after the wedding, Joy, Chris and Erick came to my house for lunch.  It was so fun to visit--especially since we don't get to see Erick very often.  

It is hugely sad that we couldn't  have Heidi and Kristina with us.  I wonder if it will every get better in this lifetime.  It is so sad!

On the 4th we went to USU Next Steps night.  Met with a financial counselor, visited the different majors, office helps they offer etc., and then got some Aggie ice cream.  For going they give you $250 to be used your first semester on books, etc. on campus. Compared to when I went to school they sure send a lot of info.  Much more that what I had!  

USU Next Steps Night

Texas Roadhouse for dinner

Saturday was my 62 birthday!  I did the gym, Jason and I went to Costco, and that night we did dinner at Texas Roadhouse. 

Got together with the girls for Margaret and my 
birthdays. Fun to visit.

The weather has been wacky!  
Sunday was a high of 80 degrees
and that is how it has been all
week.  Next week will be the same.

For Jacob's 18th birthday we took Jaxon and him to Sims Flat Out racing on the Saturday before his birthday.  They could pick their cars and track and it was fun to watch.  They seemed to have a good time.  

Monday, the day of Jacob's birthday, was a teacher workday! That alone was a gift to him!  He went to play pickleball with Luke, Benji and Henry.  

Monday, around noon, Catheys came over to
bring a birthday gift and sing happy birthday
to Jacob.  It was so cute and fun!
They brought him a huge bag of Mike and Ikes
and some cans of Arizona Mango.

It all fell apart!

The things they wrote on the bag were hilarious!  

"Buy 5" is a Steven He reference

Chili Lime steak dinner with the fam.

That evening Jacob had invited 5 friends over around 8 p.m. for pizza, cake and a movie.  Inviting them in and of itself seemed to be a lot of work.  They didn't respond to texts if they could come or not....but it seemed, in the end, that 3 were coming and then 2 others said they were coming.  Last minute 4 of the 5 bailed.  I couldn't believe how rude they are!  

Anyway, Paul came.  He seems like a nice kid.  Jacob also called Jaxon and he came over.  They seemed to have a fun time.

We sang Happy Birthday and had messy, but delicious
cake!

Jacob is now and "adult"!  

On Wednesday the YM/YW went to the Lindon Temple open house.  I went along to help drive, but they didn't need me for that, they needed me to be in a car so there would be 2 adults.  I was in the car with Peyton.  She is such a fun girl!

When we got the the line was SO long!  It was outside the front fence, went in up one side of the temple and then reversed back and around the front of the temple to the other side, up that side, around the back, through a tent and finally into the temple.  It took 1.5 hours to get in!  As usual the temple was beautiful.  There were just so many people that it was kind of hurried.  

Saturday morning Jacob and I went to Draper park to take graduation announcement photos. It went pretty well.  His eyes were bugging him so it was hard to get a shot with his eyes open.  

Our Senior Boy!

We headed home and Jacob went to lunch with Karen before going to buy a skateboard.  

Sunday was Palm Sunday.  Someone decorated the pulpit area with palm ferns and flowers.  It looked so good and the meeting was very good

In Activity Day we worked with Melanie Messam, from our ward, on an activity where the kids made cards with a message on it and then decorated with stickers.  That was last Thursday.  

Then on Monday we took them over to the senior care centers in our stake, had them sing a few Primary songs and they passed out the cards.  It went really well.  

Monday evening the Church came out with a new meeting schedule to begin in September.

Later that evening I did my nightly Wordle.  Look how fast I got this one!

 

February

 Jacob goes the first Saturday of each month to "Cars and Coffee."  These pictures are from a week night event (I think they called it Cars and Curry??).

One of our neighbors has a nephew who has this Ferrari.  Jacob went to the Cars and Curry with Jaxon and there was Tom (our neighbor) with his nephew and car.  Nice looking cars!

Feb 4 was our 20 year anniversary.  Here was our dinner.  Jason brought me flowers and on the weekend we went to see the movie Solo Mio.  Cute show.  

Amazing it has been 20 years!

BRACES OFF!  On the 9th we once again were able to see Jacob's pearly whites.  I need to take a normal picture, but here he is after they came  off.  

For Valentine's Day we went over to Josh's house and did chocolate and cheese fondue.  Randy and MarySue couldn't join because they were sick, but we had Jared's family, Josh's and us.  It was fun to hang out and visit. 

It finally snowed on the ground Feb 18th!  We
have had NO snow all season.  This has been it.

If you look above to our 
anniversary dinner you can barely see 
the flowers pretty much unopened. 
After 3 weeks these were
still left!  They lasted a long time!

Samantha gets married!  She married 
Brandon Jones on February 27th in the 
Payson Temple.

After the wedding...outside waiting for 
pictures.

Samantha's wedding was so nice.  They were married at 1:45 p.m. Here is a picture of Eden who found a nice spot to nap while waiting for us to come out of the sealing.  So funny!

After the pictures we went to the reception venue for a ring ceremony which was followed by a delicious dinner.

Hanging out with Tanner.

Eden eating and playing        

Chris, Chris and Kelly

It was a really fun day!

Kristina, Tanner, Joy, Matthew, Chris and Kelly.
Poor Tanner moved when I took the pano.

January

 2026 has begun!  Karen, Josh and Irina have been taking a pottery class.  The first Friday was a bring a friend class so Sarah, Jason and I went.  Sarah and Irina did hand pottery and Josh showed Jason and I  how to throw a pot.  I actually made one, but it wasn't great.  It was fun to do!

I haven't done this since I was a kid
and went with Dad to his summer
school class.  We would get to try
while he taught.  In those days it was
not an electric wheel--all run by foot.

    The second full week of January was kind of stressful.  Jacob had finals in his Math 1050 class and 2 days of finals in his CTEC Cybersecurity class.  Here he is studying with Jaxon for his math final.  

The second to last day of the semester he came home between classes because the paper practice tests for math were also assignments.  So he had to find them to turn them in.  He did pretty well overall. 

He has been dying to get a ski pass.  We didn't get one earlier because in previous seasons when he and Jason had a pass, he didn't always want to go, but Jacob bought a snowboard and likes snowboarding.  He purchased a twilight pass that gets him skiing at 2 p.m. and has some friends who like to do it so hopefully he'll have fun.  

Jacob snowboarding with Elias skiing

   

Samantha is getting married!

We had a bridal shower for Samantha.  She is getting married on February 27th.  Malia and her kids came out for the shower and it was so fun to see them!

Second cousins playing.  Brady, Eden and
Hannah

Cousins...missing Amy

Activity Day.  I am now in my 4th year of doing this.  This year we got 5 new girls and they are so fun!  For one of our activities we did candy making at Lindsey's mom's home.  The girls had fun!

Lindsey's mom getting the candy ready to 
kneed

Most of the girls

 Hannah had a 2nd birthday party for Marshall at her sister's clubhouse.  We played games and had lunch.  It turned out fun. 

One Sunday p.m. I was showing Jacob the "wooden spoon" and when I was growing up, if you heard the wooden spoon drawer open you better run.  Actually it was more of a threat, but we took mom seriously.  Anyway, I pulled the drawer open, grabbed the spoon and wielded it at Jacob.  He immediately grabbed it out of my hand, which surprised me.  I actually screamed, worried about what he could do with it.  Kind of funny!