Senior Photos

Mandie Anderson did such a good job on these!

I can't believe my tiny guy is a senior and will graduate in less than two weeks. I never thought we'd get to this point in life. Here he is, all 5 foot 6 inch and 126 pounds...my future novelist and poet/English teacher.

I know he was being silly, but these are two of my favorites. It just captured him so perfectly.

 

I really like this one, too.

Junior Prom

Hannah wasn't even planning to go to the prom. She didn't even care about it. She had plans for going next year as a senior without a date, if necessary, but this year she didn't want the bother of finding a dress and all the other stuff that goes with it. 

A week before the prom Hannah's girlfriend got a boy to ask Hannah to go with him. Becca also told Hannah she could borrow Becca's dress from last year. Thursday before the prom, things fell through when the boy realized he couldn't go after all. Becca talked their friend Blue (Alex) into going with Hannah. So after five minutes of not going, she was going again. Blue was a good date. Hannah likes him alot and has been making him the subject of her missionary work. Since it was last minute Hannah paid for her own ticket to the prom (I can't believe how expensive those tickets are nowadays. $25 each just to walk in the door!) Blue covered dinner for her. 

Becca's mom took photos at Albertson's park.

This one was just in front of our house.

I can't believe she's so grown up!

"Would"

Tonight we attended a program about the school district's art and writing magazine, Valley Visions. Every year high school students submit their art work or writing and, if lucky, it is published in this magazine. This year 250 art pieces and 350 writing pieces were submitted. 55 of each were published. James submitted work during his sophomore year and wasn't chosen. He submitted three pieces this year...a prose piece and two poems. This poem was chosen.

Would 

I would write of a shadow

Or a great few words of a truth

That weren't seen before

I would write of the cracked canvas 

Of a girl's face

Or the thin vastness

Of a mountain river

I would write of the great things

I've seen

While remembering the dust

If I could see past these walls 

I would write you into existence

And create your hand

So I could take it in mine

And with the other

Write of my escape

Adventures in the kitchen

We decided at the beginning of March to move even more towards a vegan diet. We'll never be totally  vegan because I believe there is some place for animal products. I just don't believe they should be given as much a place as they get in our American diet. My other blog has more on the things I have learned. 

However, I have been trying lots if new recipes and the family has been very patient with me. Here are a couple latest...

The liquid is homemade rice milk. I'm quite pleased with it other than we have to shake it before we use it. The cinnamon roll is my regular recipe with rice milk and vegan margarine to replace the butter and milk. The family raved about the cinnamon rolls.

I really don't care to cook, but I must admit that learning something new and having a bit of a challenge in the kitchen can make it more satisfying.

It's birthday season again and it just blows my mind that 25 years ago Johnathan was born...when I was nearly 25. He is now expecting his first baby. So we will have three generations separated by 25 years with each one. I honestly don't know where the time went. 

James is having his own time warp. One of the boys in his English class has received his mission call, and another  boy is waiting for his. It really brings it home to James that his mission is right around the corner. 

That DAM run

Oh, I'm going to have fun with this!

Husband and I signed up for the Dam Run in Emmett, Idaho next month. The course raises 1800 feet in 3.8 miles. Husband is going to try running. I'll run when I can, but mostly walk. This will be good training for girl's camp.

Proud Mama Moment

James submitted a poem to the school district magazine Valley Visions. It was accepted for publication! Tom's mom would be thrilled. 

Painting and Baby

We finally got Hannah's room done. We wanted this darker pink and lighter color with a medium pink for trim. Tom won with just the two colors. We will soon be working on curtains to bring in the medium pink. 

 One wall is the dark color. The rest are the light color.

And our first pictures of baby!

 Baby is now the size of a blueberry.

 

 John eating baby

Romance

You'd think after nearly 27 years I'd know what romance means. 

Tom (after work): I come home with ideas of romance and you're too tired from your 4 mile walk to go on a bike ride. 

Which will it be...Witch or Warlock?

We're going to have a new addition to our family around Halloween!

John and Laney are expecting!

We are so excited to be abuelita y abuelito. Hannah squealed when we told her. She is so excited to be an aunt, and the boys are excited to be uncles. We can't wait! Tom says it can come a little early and be born on his birthday.

And other exciting news...

I'm going to girl's camp this year! I've been called as the ward camp director. All I can say is "Thank goodness it's a stake camp this year" and "I can't wait to go to camp with Hannah!"

I'm working hard on health so I will be able to hike with them. More on my other blog.

Tis the season...for remodeling

Tom had finally had it with the bathtub. When we moved into our house it was as rough as sand paper. We knew we could have it refinished so we did. It lasted for 10 years, and Tom decided it needed work again. So he did it. Here it is nice and new again.

Then Tom turned his eyes to the kitchen ceiling. Last year we had a leak that caused part of the paint to peel. We got the leak fixed, but were slow to repaint. So this year Tom decided to repaint and thin no more. He has gotten a coat of primer on and repaired some spots. Tomorrow he will touch up the primer, and count down the minutes until he can paint.

Neither of these projects look too exciting, but we sure appreciate them.

During this time, Tom has made friends with the guys at the paint store, and he learned that the owner just bought the place and is clearing out all the old paint so he can bring in new inventory. That means Tom is excited to paint the whole house, and we can't pass up the price at $10 per gallon.

Coming up...

New paint in...

Hannah's room

Both bathrooms

The hall

The family room 

And

The living room