Abbreviation of Two Weeks

This is how it was:

General Conference Weekend. We watched all sessions in the comfort of our living room. Except for when we were in the kitchen, then we watched it in the kitchen. The connection in the kitchen was about 2 minutes ahead of the one in the living room, so upon switching rooms, we either lost two minutes or re-viewed the past 2 minutes. Watching General Conference is becoming easier as the boys become more independent (other than the moments when they independently disappear up the stairs or out the front door, but we got smart and blocked the living room exit).

Tuesday following Conference. My grandparents arrived back in NY from their 6 months in Florida. Nolan remembered them from the get-go. As soon as he saw my grandpa, he took off running towards him to give him an enormous hug. Gerret wasn't sure what to make of Nolan's reaction to these strangers, but now he's warming up. It's so good to have them back again.

Saturday before Easter. We had planned on going to the egg hunt in Jacksonville.

The same one that my brother and I went to every year of our childhood in the Jacksonville churchyard. Well, I heard last minute that it was changed this year to a new fancy schmancy mini golf course done the road from said church. And, unlike the olden days at the church, I guess they actually advertised this event throughout the Upstate region. It was a zoo. Not the quiet little egg hunt I remember. So we turned around and went home and with our friends, the Broadheads, did our own egg decorating/ egg hiding/ egg hunting. Nolan was more interested in the contents of the eggs than finding them, so he asked to go in early. After the hunting festivities were over, I found him, drooly-chocolate-faced, surrounded by opened plastic eggs

and candy wrappers. Funny little candy fiend.

Easter. Hmmm. Perhaps my favorite holiday. We went to Church. I even got to attend Relief Society. And then we went to my Aunt and Uncle's in Canandaigua for dinner. It was all so nice. Gerret almost ruined it by screaming for the first 40 minutes of our drive home, but then he fell asleep and he is so cute as
leep, so I forgave him.
Last week. Spring Break. This means that for three of the five weekdays I morphed from mother of 2 to mother of 4. Gives me

respect for people who have more than two kids.
April 18. Big day. Patrick helped clean garbage off a highway as part of the Church Adopt-a-Highway service. The boys and I showed up to help eat the food afterward. Then we took a trip to the garbage dump. Then Patrick did a very brave and self-sufficient (heroic)
thing and changed the brake pads on our car while the boys slept and I ran a very long distance. Then we rushed off to Ithaca (after I showered and Patrick made sure his hands were clean) so that we could be present for Elise's baptism. It's a good thing we showed up because I was in charge of the piano playing and Patrick was in charge of the baptizing. It all came together. It's so meaningful to see people I love make good choices. Not just good, but the best choices. The kind that involve covenant making. Nothing makes me smile more, or in the case of Ronelle's temple marriage... bawl my eyes out. (But I was pregnant then. Under normal circumstances, I would have just been smiling. A lot.)
























Other than an eventful home teaching visit and some fun around the campfire last night, that brings us up to date.


Thank you and Good Night.


P.S. There may be one illegal picture posted this evening. If so, I apologize, but it's the best I've got and I wasn't really thinking about legality when I took it.