School Year Tie-Up

The end of the school year is always a lot of fun....not. I cannot believe how busy life gets every year at this time. Oh, it's a hassle. We've got baseball play-offs, dance recitals, piano recitals, graduation from middle school, graduation from elementary school, volunteering tie ups, weddings, birthdays, Father's day, and our anniversary; oy, the list goes on and on! I barely get a chance to hit the gym in the morning and do some minor cleaning. I get behind on the cleaning and the yard grows wild! Some days I don't get to shower until late in the evening. I always wonder why everything ends up in the month of June. By the time July gets hear I take a deep breath and sigh...(sigh).

Here's some pictures of the kids with their school teachers. Mrs. Burnett was Olivia's teacher and loved Olivia very much. The feeling was mutual. Livi was given a lot of responsibility in her class this year and helped a lot with organizational things in the class, so the two of them became fast and close friends.

Isaac and his wonderful teacher, Mrs. Miller or, as I like to call her, the Miracle Worker. She was a perfect fit for Isaac's first year of all day school and taught him with patience and kindness to which Isaac greatly responded! Thanks for all you wonderful teachers at IVE. We have loved every one we've had for the past 10 years and we are so grateful for the Issaquah School District!

The last day of school was Martin's and my anniversary. Number 16, people...oh, I feel old. I've almost been married half as long as I've been alive! It's a cruelty we have to grow old. For our anniversary Martin down-played greatly what the plans were. He told me we were just going out to dinner and that he couldn't get me a "nice" gift. Uh-huh, whatever. That night he presented me with the most thoughtful gift I have ever received. He gave me a journal that he had been keeping behind my back for the last year. I looked at it for the longest time and couldn't say anything. I was speechless and confused. He had tried to write every day for a year about us and our relationship and family and how he felt about things that happened. I couldn't breathe as I read about some really good (and really bad) days and remembered things I had already forgotten. Who does that??? It was like he made a photograph of our lives that changed daily for a year. It gave me a little snippet of what we were doing and where we were going. I will always be thankful for this present; not just the book itself, but that he thought about "us" every day of the year. What a gift! Sorry, ladies, he's taken....

Alex got his patriarchal blessing early in June. It was an awesome experience for him and me and his Dad. I loved seeing Alex prepare with his Dad to get this blessing and I loved his excitement. He had a lot of questions and understood in the end what he was going in for. He was totally prepared! I will always remember that day and how I felt when the patriarch pronounced those blessings on Alex. I think Alex will too. Here's him with Martin that day. "He looks like a missionary," Isaac said when he saw this picture. Oh, only a few more years, Isaac, and your brother will be a missionary. Yikes!!! I better get him cracking!!

The month of July has been even busier than June, if you can believe it. We have been with family in Utah and enjoying it very much. However, my Dad had a stroke after knee replacement surgery and we are reeling from that still. Things are crazy now and I'm trying to be here without burdening my Mom and trying to help. But I will post more when I have some time! There are a lot of stories to tell!