Woke up late as usual. Run down stairs to wake up Sarah and
Analisa. Matthew and Joseph already up, have helped themselves to breakfast and are setting up the basement for Matthew's after church performance. Run back upstairs, shower and iron my dress and the boys church shirts and slacks. Run back downstairs yell at girls to please get up given that they now only 30 minutes before church. Share crowded bathroom with Brett, Samuel, and boys. Run back down stairs and make ham and eggs for whoever is hungry. Pack cheerios into little baggie for Samuel, gather origami paper for Matthew and Giant Ninja turtle coloring book for Joseph. Braid Kate's hair. Soak boys wild hair by having them lean backwards against kitchen sink and
spray'em down without getting them to soaked. Brush, brush, brush. Girls finally come in and ask the usual, "Does this look okay?" Grab shoes, scriptures, church bag and off we go. Arrive to church at 9:05 and and take the lead as 6 little ducks file in behind me while Brett parks the car. We find a row that accommodates 8 clear towards the middle of the gym because there is yet another farewell. Kids pretty reverent today considering the departing missionary went 35 minutes over by sharing the long version of
Footprints in the Sand and thanking his entire immediate and extended family and friends each personally!
Come home at noon and start making grilled cheese sandwiches. Have kids pick up their rooms and deal with the tornado that is ours from major neglect on my part due to the girls dance concert this weekend. Have everyone gather laundry and start a load. Gather for sandwiches and carrots and have the weekly, "What did you learn at church today discussion". Kids scurry off to do there thing while Brett and I clean the kitchen together and go into deeper spiritual discussion. He just finished a book by Gerald
Lund entitled
Hearing the Voice of the Lord and shares some gems he's discovered. I learn so much from discussing spiritual things with Brett. I am so grateful to have a husband who never stops wanting to learn more and truly tries to practice what he preaches.
Two o' clock, time for Matthew's show. He is such a funny kid. He made each person in the family their own personal ticket with a seat assignment to his theatre. He had Samuel decked out in his Power Ranger outfit and gathered us all at the top of the basement stairs to tear our tickets so as to make sure that if we left he'd know that we had already been admitted. There were paper arrows all the way down and everyone took their assigned seat. He performed various Matthew style magic tricks and Samuel wowed us with somersaults during intermission. He ended the show by inviting us all "up on stage" for a family dance to "Ain't No Mountain High Enough". It was fun.
Went back to work in the kitchen preparing dinner and desert. Decide on what to make and discover that I was short on flour and chocolate. Two
very important
ingredients. Send Kate over to Diana's for two cups of flour while I head over to Jacks for chocolate. I ask him if he happens to have any unsweetened chocolate squares, he smiles and runs inside and comes back with an assortment of fine baking chocolate. "This kind of stuff is banned from my house, so I keep a stash of it for when I really need it. Help yourself." We went on to talk about apricot trees, gardening, and the car he just got for his daughter that he's replacing the clutch on. Gotta love neighbors you can always count on to save you when your in a pinch. I've never had trouble asking neighbors for this or that. They are always so happy I asked and we've become closer friends because of it.
While making dinner I could hear Sarah singing her heart out to Broadway show tunes, Katherine up in her room practicing violin and Matthew and
Analisa playing through Matthew's piano duets for his upcoming federation. While someone might walk into our house and think it sounds like some crazy messed up orchestra, hearing the kids engaged with their various talents is sweet music to my ears. Gathered everyone for diner except for little Joseph who suddenly came down with some weird stomach bug. Brett dealt with him and his throw-up while I ate with the kids. Cleaned up and prepared desert which we enjoyed with the
Jarmans. Had a nice visit with them and walked over to the school playground to enjoy our long awaited warm spring day!
Came home at 6:30 and had a surprise visit from Grandpa and Grandma
Nielson. We love it when they come over. We shared chocolate cake together and the kids performed for them. Matthew and Kate with their violins, Sarah sang and played her cello,
Analisa danced a pattern from the concert and Joseph felt well enough to play a few songs on his guitar. Grandma calls coming over "light therapy"
Gathered for family prayer and ended with our usual family hug and cheer. "
Nielson's are fun and they are #1!" The little boys then pile on each other for a wrestle.
Topher goes nuts when this happens. Off to start the bedtime routines. Change a load from the washer to the dryer, start another load and remember to take the last piece of cake over to Jack.
