April 2017

Steve and I were just heading to Earthfare to pick up some groceries when we decided to stop at a car dealer and just look at what they had in their used car collection.  Steve was looking for a very specific type of vehicle in the right price range.  I was starting to think this vehicle did not exist because I felt like we had looked at everything out there.  It was either the wrong suspension type or the wrong price.  I was about to be pleasantly surprised.  We walked on to the lot and Steve spotted the Xterra immediately from 200 yards.  We took it for a drive and I liked it.  The next hurdle was the price.  The original monthly numbers were WAAAAAY out of our budget.  When I told the salesman what our monthly payment price point was (which was well under half of the original figure) he said he would do what he could, but he doubted he could get us that low.  When he came back with a look of total surprise on his face I knew we were probably driving this car home.  Long story short, we are now a three car family.

Welcome to the family LeeLu!

The best part about this whole thing is the texts we sent to Jeremy and his response.  Keep in mind that is it April 1st.

Me:  We have a new toy!  Be home in it.  

Jeremy: ...Are you implying what I think you are implying?...

Me:  Find a key ring for your Camry key.

Jeremy:  Well, I'm gonna wait until you get home to believe you because of the date.

Me:  Well played.  You got us.

Jeremy:  Hahah.  I was raised by you.  It's more in character for you to prank me than buy a car for dad.

Me.  Are we really that predictable?

Jeremy: No, I'm just that good (And to be honest you had me convinced for about 30 seconds.)

Imagine his surprise when I drove in without his dad in the truck with me.  He still didn't completely believe me until Steve came home with the Xterra.  The joke really was on him.  

That night the three boys (Steve, Jeremy and Nick) drove the  new toy to the Priesthood session of General Conference.  Naomi and I stayed home and ate pizza and hung out.  It was a good day. 

Sunday we had the Polera's and Sandra join us for dinner and the second session of conference.  We made a Cafe Rio dinner and Sandra made an amazing flan for dessert.  There were several really good conference talks.  It was fun to have guests for dinner and conference.  

Right after dinner Nick said he didn't feel well and excused himself to go upstairs for a bit.  About half way through conference I heard him throwing up upstairs and ran to help him.  He didn't stop throwing up  for 36 hours.  We traced it back to some feta cheese he had eaten with his snack earlier that day.  Food poisoning is no fun.  I watched him really closely because the last time he had food poisoning he ended up in the ER with colitis.  Luckily that didn't happen this time.  

April 5th Steve was home with food poisoning as well.  He had eaten some chicken tacos at work that had probably been out a little too long.  When I got home from school that day I went through everything in the fridge and threw out anything that was even remotely questionable.  This would end here and now.  

April 7th was a half day at school and it was a good thing.  I made it through the half day and spent the rest of the day in bed with body aches and slight nausea.  I was in bed for the next 48 hours except for Naomi's soccer game first thing on Saturday and church on Sunday.  It was weird, but I was back up and at it by Monday, the first day of  spring break.  

We spent spring break getting a bunch of things done that had been on our To Do lists for way to long.  Jeremy spent some good time with his friends and opened his own checking and savings account so he could have his paychecks direct deposited.  I finally got to painting the cabinets in the bonus room.  They would now match the new shelves Steve built me.  

The custom shelves Steve built for the bonus room.  They are finally painted.  

The work station on the opposite wall from the shelves.  It is about time I paint them.  I will post the after pictures once They are done.  

The new cabinets just as you walk in the door.  We needed these for the few things that had been on the storage shelves.  The goal is to make the room feel put together.  

On the 13th, Steve took the Xterra into our Nissan service just to have it checked out.  Everyone was amazed by how clean the car was inside and out.  Steve felt better knowing we had purchased a good car.  In fact, one of the service guys offered to buy it off of him.  No way!

Sunny called and invited us to visit for Easter.  We weren't planning on going anywhere for Easter so this was a fun surprise.  We all piled into the truck on Friday morning and took off for a fun weekend in Knoxville.  It is always fun to have cousin time.  We ate pizza, planted Tootsie Rolls and played with the neighbor's dog.  It was a fun first night.  

Planting Tootsie Rolls.  

Playing with Oscar, the neighbor's dachshund.  

The next morning, while Bradden was mowing the lawn, he discovered that our Tootsie Rolls had actually grown.  The kids had a great time harvesting their Tootsie Pops.  It was fun to watch the looks on the kids faces.

It's a bumper crop.

So surprised!!

Best! Garden! Ever!

After harvesting our garden we went back in the house to decorate Easter eggs.  The kids really got into this and we ended up with a very colorful collection.

Hard at work coloring eggs.

We tried doing tie-died eggs with shaving cream and food coloring. 

In the early afternoon Sunny and I took the little kids, Naomi on down, to see Beauty and the Beast and then to the park to run off some energy.  The big boys went to see Kong.

Playing in the lake.

Feeding the geese.

That night we had a BBQ in the backyard and sat around talking.  The kids were in bed a lot earlier Saturday than Friday.  We tired them out.  To be honest, the adults were all tired as well.  

The next morning we all got up and went to church.  It was fun to see Bradden in his new role as the bishop and to hear/see the cousins sing with their primary friends.  The Easter service was really nice.  After church, we changed into our travel clothes and started on our way home so we would have time to get ready for school the next day.  I love that Bradden and Sunny are so close so we can go for weekend visits.  

April 22nd Nick started driver's ed.  He wasn't excited to spend 6 1/2 hours in school learning about driving, but he knows he has to do this in order to get his license.  He is excited about that part of the deal.  

That same day, Leslie and I had to coach the soccer game as our coach was on a spring break vacation with her family.  The girls really did all the work themselves.  We just cheered them on and helped assign positions.  They won their game and had a blast in the process. 

The week of 4/24 to 4/28 was Spirit Week at the middle school.  Each day had a theme leading up to the pep rally on Friday.  Below are two pictures of impersonation day. 

Naomi as Bob Ross.  She is convinced he has a magical unicorn living in his hair.  That is the only way he doesn't every get paint on his clothes while painting.  It makes sense.  

I dressed up as Georgia and Georgia was Gwen Stefani.  

I had to include this picture of our iris.  They are so beautiful this year.

Friday, April 28th was prom for LNC.  Jeremy took his good friend, Mary Grace.  They are both seniors and wanted to go to their last prom together just to hang out and have fun.  It was fun to see them both dressed up and ready for a fancy night on the town.  

Doing the flower exchange. 

WOW!  They both look so nice.  

They kept it serious as long as they could.  They are now back to their goofy selves.  This is what I am used to when they are together.  

They had a really good time at the dance just goofing off and spending time together and with friends.  Jeremy wasn't going to go, but Mary Grace talked him into it and he is glad she did.  

Bring on May!  We are ready for ya!