Wild and Crazy Weekend

Isn't it interesting how often things come in bunches.  Sometimes big bunches.  This past week was one of those times.  School is coming to a close, so both Seth and Angelica had closing events to attend.  Seth's choir concert was this past week.  It was amazingly good.  He loves it and has been blessed to be chosen for a more elite choir next year.  Here he is right after his concert.

Early Friday morning Layne and I drove to Draper Utah to attend my nephew's wedding.  Brent married a lovely girl named Shannon.  It is a second marriage for both of them so they now have a blended family.  Brent is a kid kind of guy so they are pretty bonded already.  It was a very informal affair, but lovely.  It was so good to be there and see them.  Here's Brent and his Shannon.

Here are the Berrett men (my sister's family):  oldest son Russell, Mark, Bob (the short guy), Bryan and the groom, Brent.

Early Saturday morning we drove back home and attended Angelica's dance recital. She is crazy for Hip Hop.  After seeing the recital I'm not keen on it.  I'd love to see her in more graceful dancing.  I'm pretty opinionated about dancing, I will admit.  Hip Hop is jerky and unfeminine in my opinion.  I think girls ought to aim for femininity.  It's what we are after all.  Here she is with a dancing buddy, taken right after the recital.  She is on the left.

As soon as we returned home from the recital we had to get ready to attend our final, Friends and Family, Treble Clef singing performance.  It was a wild and crazy Friday and Saturday for sure.  The singing went well, mostly.  We sang onstage for the first time.  It felt a little awkward but we did fine.  Except for just one thing.  During one of Layne's songs our leader Bonnie turned on a shop light and focused it on Layne, hoping to spotlight him.  It blinded him and surprised him so much that he forgot his lines.  We girls filled in but that really bugged him.  I don't blame him, and Bonnie felt very badly about the blunder.  Layne struggles with remembering lyrics.  He has from the start so he writes cheat notes for himself.  This year he's decided he's had enough.  He says he won't sing with us anymore.  I'm a little sad about that as it has been so fun to have him sing with me.  We will see what time does.  Maybe he will soften.

Sunday I gave my last pornography talk to a ward Relief Society in our stake.  It was short but I think it went well.  We also got some training for our new missionary calling.  Altogether it has been a very full weekend.  This past week has been full as well.  But I suppose it is better to be too busy than too bored.  Tomorrow Audrey and some of the family will be here for Memorial Day.  Jessica and her kids will join us on Saturday.  Looks like another fun, busy weekend.

Happy Memorial Day!

Mother's Day

I've forgotten how busy life is in May when there are children in the house.  As the school year winds down there are concerts, recitals, tests, and so forth that come up in abundance.  Before the arrival of Seth and Angelica, I had allowed school events to slip by unnoticed.  But now we are wound up in it all over again.  It has been fun to have the kids here with us.  I have discovered that I struggle with the same parent issues that I did with my own children.  And here I thought I was ever the calm woman now, so mature in the dealing of my emotions.  Hum.  Well, perhaps I am a little better, but I'm definitely still a passionate woman, with strong feelings leaking out without my conscious permission.  Still, I have come to love and admire Seth and Angelica more than ever before.  There is something about living with a person that brings out, in spite of occasional frustrations, a deeper love.  I have found that to be true of this experience with these grandchildren.

Abigail sits in the foreground of this picture, taken at Rayne's wedding reception.  In the background you can see some of our grandchildren, including Angelica and, in the left background, Seth.  These children bring joy to my heart.  There is not a single grandchild that does not bring me feelings of gratitude, for the quality of their character and to have them in my life. 

My mother-in-law once told me that, once you have a child, you never stop worrying about them.  She is right; I think about and pray for my children and grand-children much of the time.  But I'm thankful that I have been blessed to experience a family life of my own, in this life.  My life's purpose centers around the people the Lord has sent into my family circle.  While there are many ways to experience a joyful life, I feel grateful for this one.  

Here I am, with two beautiful Mother's Day bouquets, one from Layne and one from Ben.  Angelica made the colorful cupcakes, and Layne made me carrot cookies, my favorite dessert.

Spring brings our Treble Clef singing group into action with a spring concert series.  We sing about 20 times, at various convalescent homes and assisted living centers.  It is a lovely experience.  Friendships grow, we bring pleasure to lots of people, we gain confidence and experience with music and we donate earnings to charity. Its sort of a win-win-win-win.  Here we are at one of our singing locations singing a song about California.  The theme this year is about traveling through the United States, through song.  Some of the gals sit behind the cardboard green car (which I made) for some of the songs.  It is full of fun as you can see from our appearance here.

Here I am with one of my singing buddies and neighbor, Carol Wintersteen. She is the one who got me involved in the group 4 years ago.

Spring is a lovely time here in Idaho.  Everything springs back to life.  The weather is unpredictable.  We had one day that brought wind, rain, thunder and lightening in such a dramatic way that I just had to sit outside on our porch swing and take it all in.  This picture doesn't really capture it, but here it is anyway.

Soon, another wedding will take place.  My sister's son Brent will remarry in a week or so.  This has been quite a year for weddings.  That's much better than funerals, don't you think?