Spring Break...Isaac pretty much just worked all week

Oh where to start? Today I've been fighting the internet-crazy how I think my throat's been cut when it doesn't work...but I think I'm good to go--at least for a minute.
So last weekend was stake conference, well...I better back up a little. Isaac's been scouting out mini vans for us. So he found a mission van (I think there are a lot cuter vans out there but who am I to complain? We need a little more room and if the price is right? Giddy Up.) Anyway its in Arkansas but Isaac was going to that conference in KC last weekend and he was riding with a coworker who was then continuing on to Oklahoma for spring break so he was going to be within an hour of where he needed to be to pick up this van. (Side note-he would have needed a bank check to pay for it but I'm not sure how he was going to get that...have the bank in Mississippi mail it?-I don't know since we don't have a local bank here... anyway details detail details.) But back to my story it was stake conference and he was like "Oh that won't work"-plan aborted- because of stake conference. Which he takes those Saturday mtgs very serious and am very grateful but sometimes (and this is kind of the type of thing...I'm thinking treadmill--anybody??? That was during the Saturday sessions of last General Conference.) But there was not even a thought of missing those meetings this time. Saturday morning I found out why. Isaac was just kind of talking out loud of the things he needed to do before took off for Nauvoo and he said he had to go by his office at the school and get his notes. I just kind of looked him like, you can take other notes...and he said "Oh I have to speak at this meeting." Ooohhhhhh! So that explains it ;) I did say a little prayer for him--but I could have been praying for him more if he'd let me know. I'm sure he did great, even though I didn't get to hear it. His topic was on "Ministering to the one."
And who knows on the mini van--time will tell. He listed "quick silver" for sale today. Originally we had talked about getting rid of little green but she's running fine and she's his baby so, if we're going to go van...little green stays and quick silver goes. We'll see.

Back to stake conference though, I hauled the boys to the nursery and just listened to the adult session in there--why didn't I just get a baby sitter??? I don't know! But Isaac met us there even though there really isn't time to make it back before the start of that meeting he only missed the songs and one speaker and its WAY better than not even leaving Nauvoo until 9:00 then not getting home until 11:00. Then Sunday morning we just watch a broadcast. Twice as long for the battle on the benches though. Yikes. But the funniest thing was (well remember we had a presidents day FHE back in February and we'd talked about George Washington) so we walk into stake conference and the screen is projected up in the chapel and on the screen in the choir seats there's a lady with white hair and it was just kind of hanging just right and had a big curl right about ear level and Cannon caught one glimpse of that and exclaimed (quite loudly) "George Washington! It's George Washington!" It was pretty funny because...I could see where he was coming from. But trying to quiet him down and convince him it wasn't true wasn't so fun. We really did have great meetings though, we had a General Authority Elder Spackman there. When his wife spoke she encouraged us to read the Book of Mormon together as a family-even if its just one verse. And she told us it took there little family of preschool age non readers 8 years to finish it the first time. We have our night time routine were the kids each pick a scripture story but they pick whatever they want, Old Testament, New Testament, Book of Mormon or Doctrine and Covenants and they totally go through phases of what they pick, what is their favorite which day. We thought it would be simple to add this suggestion to our regular night time routine. Oh boy! Its good, but simple? NO, NOT SIMPLE! But we've done it-each of us one verse so on the boys turns we read, they repeat. So its good, we'll try to keep it up. But no simple task! Really good meetings though.

As for the week: Tuesday the boys didn't have preschool (oh boyS, yes plural, some of Cannon's classmates were out of town so Mrs Hardee, the angel, straight from Heaven, took them both Wed and Thurs-she's the best- it was great!) But no school Tuesday so we planned a play date with the Tilton's but...they got hung up at the Dr. the boys (all 4 of'm) were super bummed but we made up for it by inviting them to go bowling with us that afternoon. It was hit! We had a great time! Matt couldn't come because he had big tests this week but that still left 7 of us bowling on one lane-it took forever, but it was great because it was just dragging out the fun.

It was really the only thing we did to celebrate spring break at all. Isaac just worked all week (and took the missionaries to Iowa City for transfers) but he's just busy and trying to get ahead. He's still talking about going in early tomorrow morning so...so much for ahead.
So lets see what else: Tub fun, the boys found their shaving cream. Fun little Easter crafts

 

Tonight we grilled and hung out with the Tilton's again, they are such a good family and great friends! Noah and Zach have lots of sweet superhero costumes-the boys were in heaven. And our kids even ate!!! Because Cassie has picky eaters too so she just made mac'n cheese, and they all got to sit at the cool Dusty Crophopper table. They just played and we got to visit, it was great!

And the last little collage is just Colt being Colt. He's a lot more willing to let me take pictures than Cannon is right now. I'm sure it won't last so I'll just enjoy it while it does. On not such a happy note he's always been stubborn and demanding but he's also seemed to have hit a little defiant stage the last week or so. NOT my favorite thing. And consequences that worked for Cannon, don't work at all for him...so...back to the drawing board? Such is life in the parenting world I guess.
My cute little Cann Man, oh boy, he's full of challenges but he is such a good kid too. We read a story about how the early saints traveling west liked to sing songs like "Come Come Ye Saints" so Cannon wanted to learn it, its his new favorite. We don't have it down but, its pretty darn cute.
I think that's about it as far as what we've been up to.

In the world or at least our nation, all of this crud with politics that is so prevalent right now (and specifically Trump and his huge following) make me want to buy more food storage and prepare to hunker down-it's not going to be pretty! I was glad Romney called him out but I don't know that it will matter, and I don't know why but sometimes I worry when a member of the church that is so prominent isn't exactly... nice--but hey, even the Savior himself had to cleanse the temple, right? I don't know, maybe that's not really a good comparison but anyway overall it just seems like our nation is a mess--and that it's probably going to get worse before it gets better!
One last thing. I struggle to sleep a lot of nights, and I blame little brother. But! One of the perks of not being able to sleep is that I've listened to some really great talks (namely Israel Israel God is Calling by Elder Holland and The Blueprint of Christ's Church by Elder Callister) I even listened to part of the Face to Face event that was actually for single adults -because it was Elder Holland and I love him. I also read a really good one by Elder Hafen a few weeks ago, he was so concerned about how awful the world was getting--and it was given in 1984! Pretty sure that was nuthin compared to now! But it reminded me of a book of his, Covenant Hearts, that talks about wedding pictures at the beginning and all of the happiness and hope they represent. It made me think of this picture that's in our room, I think its been in our room everywhere we've lived...

I confess there have been times when I've wanted to reach through the glass frame and grab my smiling self and say "You have NO IDEA what you're getting into!!" -this or that or whatever is going to be SO HARD- Yet it seems that those smiles inherently say "You make me so happy!" but time and reality soon teach us those smiles need, and slowly learn, to say "What can I do to make you happy?"  Anyway, long story short (or not short who knows-point is...) the other day I walked past that picture, smiled back at those smiles (disregarded how much I've aged lol)  and I thought maybe even out loud "I love him more now than I did then." And for that I'm so very thankful! That's all!