Gymnastics

Luke has been in an intro to gymnastics class for two years now. He has loved it and all the friends he has made. Today was his last day with Miss Maria who is the best teacher ever. We will miss her so much! He’s moving up to a boys incredi gym class now and he can’t wait!

Kade

I took Kade back down to Helena today so he could volunteer again. This time he got to be in the baptistery and tell each tour group about the purpose of baptisms for the dead. It was a great experience. Luke and I went on another tour and Kade did a wonderful job! Luke and I spent time at Costco while we waited for Kade. It was fun to have some one on one time with him.

Memorial Day

We had a wonderful Memorial Day today. We didn’t have any graves to go decorate here but we definitely thought of our loved ones that are no longer with us. We were happy to enjoy a day off from work and school. Brad made us breakfast, we got some yard work done, and we went for a long bike ride. Then we got to have a BBQ with friends tonight. The kids loved being with friends. And the weather was beautiful all day. It was great.

Role Models

I love when we have a sunny and warm Sunday. The kids want nothing more than to be outside. And they actually play nicely with each other!

And church was so nice as well. One of the Priests who graduated today also gave his farewell talk. He is a really amazing young man and Kade really looks up to him. I’m so glad that Kade has such good role models in his life. 

The Helena Temple

We got to walk through and serve at the Helena Temple today. It was such a great day. When we arrived it was crowded with so many people! They immediately put Brad to work as a parking attendant. Kade and Tenley went to help put shoe coverings on all the visitors at the temple doors. Luke, Ryder and I did a tour while they were volunteering. Even with the crowd it was a beautiful experience! The temple was amazing and the boys loved it. They were both excited to do it all again when the rest of the family was done volunteering. Their favorite room was the Celestial room. We are so happy to have a temple so much closer to us!

Planting

Kade worked with Nathan all day today and then went fishing with him tonight so we didn’t really see him at all today. It was strange and we missed him! We kept busy planting flowers in our flower parts and seeds in our garden beds! I’m glad it’s this time of year again!

Kade’s Job

Kade has been working on smoothing out a field. He got to drive the skid steer around most of the day and he has been loving it!

Ryder

It started out raining this morning but then the sun came out and it made for a pretty nice night at the baseball field. Ryder struck one boy out when he was pitching. He needs more practice but I’ve been impressed with him!

Tenley’s Spring Program

I got to watch Tenley’s 5th grade spring program today. She did such a wonderful job playing her flute and singing! It’s been fun to watch her learn and grow this year. She is such a beautiful young woman!

Luke and the Weed Killer

A few weeks ago Brad had Luke help him with killing the weeds in the yard and Luke has now taken this on as his personal responsibility. So whenever he sees a weed, he heads for the shed and gets the weed killer to take care of it. It’s pretty cute. 

Flute and Piano Recitals

We had a wonderful Sunday today and it ended with kids’ music recital tonight. They all played two songs on the piano and Tenley also played two songs on her flute and one with the other flute students. They all did such a great job! I’m so impressed by them all!

Running in the Sprinklers

Kade had soccer games in Big Sky today. I really wanted to go but it’s an early and long day for the little boys so I had decided I’d stay home with them. But as Brad, Kade and Tenley were leaving I woke Ryder up to try and convince him that we should go. He would not have it. So we stayed. Brad and the older two enjoyed a beautiful day in Big Sky. Kade’s team lost the first game and won the second. 

The little boys and I were really productive this morning. We cleaned the whole house and it feels so nice in here now. And then they spent the rest of the afternoon playing in the sprinklers in the backyard. When they were done we spent some time at the park before the rest of the family got home to have dinner with us. It was nice to be all together tonight! 

My Pitcher, My Trapper, My Reader, and My Cooker

My kids are all the best! This morning Luke and I had our reading lesson the trampoline. We skipped a few lessons for him because he’s doing such a great job reading!

Kade got to work on his friend’s farm today. He loves it and it’s good to see him learning to work so hard. They trapped a rock chuck today with a snare. He felt like he was on the show Alone! Lol.

Tenely the past few nights has been a huge help with dinner. Running everyone around to sports doesn’t leave me with a lot of time to cook. I need to plan better. But luckily Tenley saved the day!

Ryder had a baseball game tonight and he got to pitch! It was nerve racking to watch him but also so much fun! He learns so quickly. He struck one of the boys out and pitched several all the strikes. The boys won their game!

Baseball Practice

I love it when the kids are involved in sports because it gets us out and practicing with them more often. Ryder gets to be the pitcher for a little bit in his game tomorrow night so Brad and Tenley helped him practice. I think he’s ready! We’re excited to watch him. 

The Temple

We have a new temple in Helena being dedicated soon! I’m so excited. It will be open to the public to tour for the next few weeks. Today it was open to the media and I was able to play the piano at a reception area for the guests. It was such a neat experience. I loved it so much. I can’t wait to take our kids down for a tour.

I didn't know exactly what to expect when playing the piano. I wasn't sure where I would be or who would be listening. They had us all play in the chapel of the church building next to the temple. Only one family came in to sit and listen for a few minutes. I played for 30 minutes. There just weren't that many people there today. It looked empty, but it didn't feel empty. I was filled with a lot of emotion knowing there were people there that I just couldn't see. I had to push away the desire to think about it too much or else I don't think I would have been able to continue playing the piano. And then I realized why the temple is so important and so special to us. It is our connection to heaven. It is where we can feel closer to God than any other place on Earth. It teaches us how to live so we can make it back to God with our families and have a happy eternity all together. It is filled with peace because it is the house of the Lord and He is the Prince of Peace. Being in the temple puts all of life into perspective. I'm so grateful that we have such a special place so near to us!

Ryder had a game tonight and he got two hits! I was so excited for him!

Blooming Trees

Our yard is still recovering from the winter but it is definitely getting green and our trees are finally blooming! It’s much more fun to be outside. The kids were teaching Ryder how to hit a baseball. He had some good hits! Hopefully it helps him get a hit in a game. 

Luke built some of his lego sets all by himself today! It kept him busy for a few hours.

Luke

Luke turned five years old today! I hate seeing him grow up but he was so excited for today and he’s so excited to be getting older. The weather was so nice so we went and played at a park beofre picking up Ryder and Tenley from school. The rest of the evening was busy with classes and sports. Kade had soccer practice and Ryder had a baseball game. We finally made it home at 8:30 to open presents and have cake. Luke got a lot of shark and dinosaur presents because that is what he loves right now. I think he had a pretty great day!

Mothers

I had a really great Mother’s Day today. My kids were really sweet to me. They definitely still fought but they tried to be nicer. Ryder woke up and the first thing he said to me was, “Happy Mother’s Day!” It was so sweet that he remembered. Ryder and Luke both sang in sacrament meeting for me. We had a wonderful Relief Society lesson with all the sisters and delicious treats to share. Tenley bought me a sweatshirt that will remind me of Hawaii, and Kade made me chocolate covered strawberries and a Reese’s shake for dessert. I got to chat with my beautiful mom for a little bit. Then all my kids watched The Chosen with me tonight and Luke fell asleep on my lap. You can’t ask for a much better day!

Kade’s Soccer Tournament

We enjoyed being in Idaho for Kade’s soccer tournament. I got to go on a run this morning by the river and it was beautiful! The weather was warm and sunny and we really enjoyed it. The team won their first game but then lost the second. The second game ended around 7 but we still made the 6 hour drive home. Brad was amazing to stay awake and get us all home safely!

Coeur d’Alene

Today was a busy but fun day! The kids wanted to swim at the pool again before we checked out of the hotel. They had fun and Luke was getting brave when it came to jumping in the pool. Then we picked up Chick fil-A and had a picnic at the park. It was such a warm and sunny day. After a few hours we walked to get some ice cream because my favorite Montana ice cream shop, Sweet Peaks, was so close!

Then we picked up Brad and we all headed to Coeur d’Alene. We spent the most beautiful evening walking around the resort and the lake and playing tag at the park. Even Brad and I joined  in. We’re excited to watch Kade’s soccer tournament tomorrow!