April started out with snow! I was covering the 5th grade for those kids who didn't go to the Washington D.C. field trip and we were doing the Break Out Box activity when it started to snow. I stopped the timer and let the kids enjoy the snow while it lasted. The flakes were huge and wonderful and so much fun to watch.
The other highlight of from helping out was the balloon cars. It is always a favorite. The Discovery Place comes in and does a demonstration on force and friction and then we build balloon cars and race them down the empty hallways. It is a blast.
April 5th was prom. Nick got all dressed up and we went to Devan's house to meet everyone for pictures.
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| Looking good! |
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| Nick and his crew. Peyton, Kelsie, Ashley, Devan and Nick |
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| Naomi snapped this shot of Nick while we were waiting for the rest of the group to arrive. |
When everyone arrived we went to the back of Highland Creek to take pictures before the limo arrived to transport everyone safely to the Mint Museum in Uptown.
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| Nick and Devan - looking good. |
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| The whole crew. |
Nick had a great time despite the fact that he was getting a sore throat and really didn't feel well. The limo ride was a big highlight.
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| Sparkling water in the limo. |
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| A picture of the group at the dance. I snagged this one off of Facebook. |
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| Nick and the track team with Coach Z. |
April 6th Steve finally got his tool cabinets he has been wanting for a long time. His tools are now organized and locked up.
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| To celebrate his new cabinets and knowing where all his tools are he flint-knapped the bottom of a beer bottle into this heart pendant he gave Naomi. |
General Conference weekend is always one of my favorites and it did not disappoint this time! I am so grateful for the spiritual booster shot to help me get through the end of the seminary year.
April 8th, Nick was home sick. He had a fever and a cough and a very sore throat. Thank goodness he held out until prom was over. It was also good timing because there was not much going on at school. He was able to relax and recover. I got a ton done and checked many to-do items off my list. Naomi had an orthodontist appointment and if all goes well she gets her braces off on June 18th. She is really excited.
April 9th, my last day before becoming a long-term sub for a teacher who will be out on maternity leave. Jeremy called!!! It was a total surprise. P-day is Monday and he was really disappointed that he wasn't able to call because their arrangement fell through. One of the members took them out to lunch and found out they hadn't called their families for weeks so she took them to her house and let them use her iPad. I was just getting ready to pick up the kids from school and had a good hour to just talk to him and catch up. It was a good day!!!
April 10th I started as Mrs. Locke. It was interesting because I am so used to leaving detailed notes of who was absent and what the class did and I didn't have to do that anymore.
April 11th was a whirlwind. I was up at 5 to teach seminary, taught school all day and picked Nick up early from track practice. When I arrived to get him, Coach Z came up to me shaking his head while laughing and said, "Wait until you see what Nick is wearing." Here comes Nick and his buddies wearing their shirts as pants. They were trying to start a new trend called "The Whoopie". That is classic Nick.
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| Demonstrating the proper way to wear "The Whoppie" |
After picking up Nick and getting him to take Naomi to soccer practice, I had 10 minutes to chill before my ride to the airport arrived. It was fun to talk to Sandra on the way to the airport. She is an amazing friend. I got through security rather quickly and was waiting for my flight when Andrew Muller found me and we talked until my plane started loading. He recently got a new position with the police department working at the airport. He said it was a great job and he loved not being on the street for the first time in all his years in the police force. Steve called at one point while we were talking and I let Andrew answer my phone. Steve is so quick, he knew who it was and they talked for a bit. On the flight I sat next to a very nice lady who was going to Utah to be with her grandkids while her daughter and son-in-law went to pick up their newly adopted baby. She was excited.
My flight arrived in Utah at 11:30 and Kathy was there to pick me up. We went straight to her house and crashed for the night so we would be able to get everything done the next day in preparation for Mom and Dad's party. I was so excited because we had all managed to keep it a secret that I was coming. Mom and Dad still had no clue.
April 11th I slept in until 7:30, showered, got a few things done and went to visit Mom. I called her while I was driving out and told her that her birthday present was out for delivery. She was so surprised when she opened her door and I was standing there. She wanted to surprise Dad, who was at work. We took a picture and sent it to him on his cell phone. He thought it was a really good photo shop job. Mom asked him to call her and I answered the phone. He finally believed that I was really in Salt Lake. It was more fun than I had imagined and my imagination had a hey day with all of this. We talked and had lunch (since I hadn't eaten since lunch the previous day). It was so good to talk face to face and catch up on everything. After lunch, I took off to get some things from the store for Kathy and then headed back to Kathy's house in time for Amanda and Sam to drop off the kids for the night. We played and had dinner and then all got ready for bed. I called and talked to Steve before going to sleep. He had an ear infection that was really bothering him. Naomi was ready for the beach with the Licastris. Nick had just gotten home from hanging out at Devan's house with the gang They were all doing well and having fun.
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| The picture we sent to Dad. |
April 13th we were up early with the kids making sure they all got breakfast and were ready for the day. We had several errands to run like getting the balloons filled and picking up the cake before heading to the church to get everything set up for the night. My sisters really did an amazing job of getting everything organized and together. The decorations and food were perfect. Mom and Dad were surprised when they walked in and saw everything for the first time.
It was a perfect night. Everyone came and Mom and Dad were the center of attention. My cousin, Tiffany Lovell, came up from New Mexico and I loved getting to talk to her and catch up. All of "Club" was there. Club is a group of people that Mom and Dad went to high school with and they still get together every month. We would go to Bear Lake together every year during the summer so all of us kids grew up together as well. Lisa Mayfield, my "best play buddy" from next door who was actually Kathy's friend, was there with her dad. The Rowes, Kearsleys, Buttars, everyone from the old neighborhood were there. It was the best night ever!
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| Kathy had their wedding photo blown up to life size! |
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| The goodie table with cupcakes and cookies. |
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| The headlines and top songs and prices of things the year they were born and the year they got married. |
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| Pictures through the years. |
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| A picture timeline on the wall. BreElle and I got to set this one up together. |
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| Adalyn, BreElle and Isabelle with Grandma and Grandpa |
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| Me and Jenny with Judy and Lynn Rowe. Sister Rowe was one of our Young Women leaders and her daughter was Jenny's age. They also recently got back from serving a mission in Brasillia which is where Jeremy is. They had some great stories to tell. |
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Jalisa, Amanda, Kathy, Laura, Me, Jenny, Katie, Rachel and Morgan.
In all the excitement of the night we completely forgot to get a picture of Mom and Dad with the four daughters. |
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| Jenny's son, Eric, next to the picture of Dad. They look a lot alike. |
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| Mom and Dad cutting their cake. |
Clean up was a breeze with everyone helping and we got it all done in record time. Mom and Dad went home to get some sleep because they were exhausted after such a fun night. The sisters and Tiffany decided to go out for some dinner and catch up. We went to Salt City Burger and had a great time. I haven't laughed that hard in a long time.
The next day I got up and packed all my stuff so I wouldn't have to worry about it later. Kathy and I went to the store to get some things for lunch. Mom and Dad came over after their church and we ate lunch and chatted before I had to leave for the airport. It was nice to spend some extra time with Mom and Dad as we drove to the airport. The weekend went by way to quickly, but it was worth all the fun and surprises. I am so glad I got to be there for their special party.
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| Saying goodbye to these two is never easy! I love them so much. |
The airport was packed. The line for security was insane. To add to the chaos, I left my phone in the bathroom and panicked when I noticed it wasn't in my pocket. I ran back into the bathroom and knocked on the door of the stall where I had last been. The cute cleaning lady told me she had taken the phone to the Gate 3 desk. I thanked her and ran to the desk where I was able to claim my phone. When I went back to the bathroom to thank the cleaning lady again, she was gone. I think she may have been an angel put in the bathroom at just that moment to help me out. I think it was a miracle I got my phone back so easily. The flight home was crowded and extremely bumpy because of the storms in Charlotte. They had been under a tornado watch all day long and the flight felt like we were caught in one. I arrived back home at 11:45 p.m. and was glad to be on solid ground again.
Meanwhile back at home:
Here is what was going on while I was gone. Steve and Nick got the towing hitch put on the Xterra. Nick loved being under the car. He can't wait for college when he will get to take classes doing just this thing.
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| Nick's happy spot. |
Naomi was at Carolina Beach with the Licastris. Jill kept sending me pictures of the fun they were having.
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| What happened to my baby girl?!!!?? |
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| Playing the pool. |
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| Before the foot-long hot dog and corn dog. |
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| After the foot-long hot dog and corn dog. |
April 15th I spent the day cleaning out the truck (Armor All, vacuum and trash removal) and getting ready for our trip to the beach. I even had time to defrost the freezer and get rid of the inch thick ice. That has been on my to-do list for months. Nick needed new swim trunks so we checked that off the list as well. I ended up cleaning the carpet because of a spilled shake (unplanned, but nice to have time to do). We went with Steve to get some Eagle paperwork finalized, bought chairs for the beach and went grocery shopping. It was a productive day.
April 16th was another get ready for the beach day. I planned lessons for both seminary and school, did some more cleaning and made sure everything was ready for the trip.
April 17th we got all the weeds pulled in the front yard and Nick went to his last track meet.
April 18th - BEACH DAY!!!! We had picked up Nick's friend, Blake, and were on the road by 8:00. We stopped at The Waffle Houses for breakfast and made it to Wilmington by noon. Our house was a little hard to find because the Air BNB address was for the clubhouse, but the owner responded quickly with the real address and we were in our place by 2:00. The condo was really nice with an amazing view of the ocean.
Kure Beach
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| Our home away from home for a few days. |
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| The view from our bedroom. |
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| The main area. |
After unloading everything from the truck we went for a walk on the beach. It felt so good to be back at the beach after so long. I really miss the ocean when I am away from it. It was low tide and there were some really cool moss-covered rocks to climb on . Nick fell in and scraped his leg pretty badly, but it didn't diminish the fun of playing in the water and exploring.
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| The rocks were so cool and squishy. |
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| Nick and Blake being studly on their rock. |
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| HUGE jelly fish!! |
We went back to the condo to chill for a bit and to find Nick some bandages for his leg. Once the first aid was complete, Nick took his truck out to the beach for some fun. There was a cute little boy who thought the truck was the coolest thing he had ever seen. Nick loved playing with him for a bit before the battery juice died.
Before dinner we took another walk on the beach and got to see some dolphins playing in the waves. We went back to the condo to make sushi for dinner and watch Jaws. It isn't a beach vacation until you watch a shark show.
The next day Steve got to use his metal detector for the first time. He loved every minute of it even though he didn't find anything. I met a really nice lady and her dog, Gypsy. We talked and watched a pod of dolphins play in the waves. Nick took his truck out for another spin and had to stop early because he lost a screw. Steve to the rescue with his metal detector!!
Jill, Naomi, Bella and Grace came over for a little visit. Jill left Naomi and Bella with us for the day. It was her birthday and I think she needed a break! They are so crazy when they get together. We went down to Fort Fisher to explore a little bit.
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| Beach hair, don't care! |
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| Bella saw a sign that said, "Keep off the Cannon" and immediately climbed on Naomi. They are crazy I tell you. |
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| They found some trees to climb. |
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| The perfect place to hang out and talk. |
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| The moss on the rocks reminded me of something out of a Dr. Seuss book. |
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| Proof that I was there too! |
Once we had explored the beach thoroughly, we decided to head for the aquarium. There was so much to see and we spent several hours exploring all the exhibits.
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| The fountain out front. |
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| Steve's phone takes really good pictures. |
Once we were finished with the exhibits in the aquarium we went outside to the Lorakeet exhibit. Bella and Naomi were really excited to get to hold and feed the birds. It was fun, but you had to be careful not to get peed on. We all got lucky.
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| Nick feeding a lorakeet. |
For dinner we tried out a diner Jill had recommended - Kure Beach Diner. It was so yummy. They had caramel and sea salt cheesecake! I got a slice to go so I could enjoy it on the balcony while watching the waves. We took the girls back to the Licastri house and went back to the condo to chill. The predicted thunderstorm finally hit, but was not nearly as bad or as long as the weather man had originally said. Nick and Steve took a walk on the beach. Blake wanted to chill in his room. I read a book on the balcony. It was a good day.
April 20 - I ate my cheesecake for breakfast while sitting on the balcony and watching the waves. The perfect way to start the last day at the beach.
While we were packing up the truck we heard this horrific noise coming down the street. It was a car with a tire so flat that the wheel wasn't even turning any more - one side of it was ground flat and the tire was on fire. The car turned into the neighborhood across the street. I turned to Blake and Nick and asked them, "What did you learn from this?" I expected them to say something like don't drive on a flat tire, but Nick was quick to answer with "Don't drive a Honda!" We got a good laugh over that one. Not more than 2 minutes later I saw black smoke and was about the call 911 when the fire engine came blaring down the street. Steve, Nick and Blake ran across the street to check out the action. Nick came back with photos of the car completely engulfed in flames. If I hadn't seen it I would not have believed it. Change your flat tires people!!
After packing the truck we drove to the pier and played for a bit before finally heading home.
April 23rd was twin day at school for spirit week. Lynne Reinstadtler and I have been waiting for this day for a long time. We are constantly being mistaken for each other. I consider it a huge compliment.
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| My twin, Lynne Reinstadtler. |
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| Me, Lynne, Mrs. Thomas and Mrs. Maas. Twin day is the best. |
NEW YORK TRIP IS ON A SEPARATE POST! It was so incredible it needed it's own post.
While Nick and I were in New York, lots was going on here at home. Dianna came to town for a conference. Steve and Naomi got to spend some good time with her. They went out to dinner (Carolina BBQ) and to a movie and overall spent time laughing and catching up. I am sorry I missed her visit.
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| Dianna and Steve reacting to a wax museum photo I sent of me with Prince. |
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Naomi was asked to be part of an area all-star band. She was excited to spend two days learning from different teachers. There was a performance at the end of the second day. Steve and Dianna were able to go and represent our family.
April 29th was the band banquet. Naomi was invited to attend because of her participation in the all-star band and Knight Riders. This group of kids is really fun.
April 30th, Naomi went to the talent show try-outs and felt really good about her performance. Nick had a job interview for a lifeguarding position. He got the job. Now we need to get him enrolled in the training classes. He is excited. That night we went to see Avengers End Game. It was really good, but I still managed to fall asleep in the middle of the movie. In reality, I only missed a small portion of the plot, but it was a much needed nap (especially after the month I have had).
Jeremy's Mission Pictures
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