Changes for Derek ...

This post is a few weeks slow in coming

(ok, maybe 6, 7, maybe 8 weeks slow if we're being honest),

but here it is nonetheless.

 

    In early February Derek got a phone call from the Stake Executive Secretary scheduling Derek an appointment with someone from the Stake Presidency.  No problem we thought, Derek had been serving as a counselor in our Elder's Quorum Presidency - for almost 3 years, and a releasing from that calling made sense. 
    We thought it was a bit odd that they wanted me to come, but didn't want to read too much into it.  So on a Thursday afternoon Derek and I met with a counselor from the Stake Presidency at his house.  As soon as he asked me to wait in his office while he talked to Derek privately I knew his goose was cooked.  He asked Derek to serve as the second counselor to a new Bishop being called.  Derek was a bit overwhelmed, but has since settled in and is doing great.  The best part of his calling is that he is over the Deacons, and Tyler will be 12 in June.
    Derek was especially happy that his Dad was able to ordain him as a High Priest.  His ordination by his Dad and his setting apart to be the counselor were both awesome.  We had Derek's parents, my parents, and Allyson and her whole family there to support him.
    The funniest part of the day was minutes after he was set apart - the 3 families in the Bishopric were still all in the room talking to each other, a lady in our ward walks into the room, and hands Derek her tithing.  Derek just stares at it, clueless as to why this lady is handing him her tithing.  She looks at him and says, "I must be the first one to give you tithing!".  So he slowly takes it, and she just says, "Well I've done my part, now it's up to you.".  Derek was a deer in the headlights through the whole converstation.  And Allyson and I had front row seats.  It was hilarious.
    The next week I was on my own for Sacarament meeting, with my 4 wild monkeys.  I had 2 couples (both empty-nesters) in the ward purposely sit right in front of me, and behind me to offer their help.  One couple sat in front of me and asked which kids they were in charge of.  Bailey was my only one brave enough to go and sit with them, but she did.  It was so helpful to just have one less kid to help.  The next week she brought Bailey a new coloring book (in Bailey's words, "Mom, not even one page had coloring!") and Bailey sat with them again.  The other couple sat behind me, and when I warned them that they probably didn't want to sit that close to our bench, they just said, "no, that's why we sat here - to help you."  It was the sweetest show of support for our family.  I felt very loved.
   This calling will be a great opportunity for Derek to serve those in our ward.  He's already learned so much from those he is serving with.  He'll be great . . .  and he now takes tithing like a pro.

Oh Canada!

     Last Saturday was a big day - my parents were set apart as full time missionaries.  Afterwards, we partied.  A final Hug and Kiss party for my awesome missionary parents. 
    All of my siblings and their kids were there to watch them be set apart.  It was so great to be a part of - and awesome for my kids to see their grandparents be set apart as missionaries.
   Then we came to my house for dinner.  We had the house decked in red and white - Canda's colors.  We had red and white crepe paper and balloons everywhere - my house looked like a candy cane - inside and out.  We had a big sign that said, "Oh Canada!" also.  We had a contest to see who could wear the most things that started W or C (for Winnipeg, Canada) - people came with Wicker baskets and Camo bags full of Water bottles, Cans, Crayons, Corn, Cats; and people wearing Watches, Wigs, Wristbands, and Wooden Camel earrings (double points).  It was hilarious.   The winners were awarded with candy bars - Crunch, Whatchamacallit, and Carmelletto of course.
   It was so fun to spend this fun evening celebrating my parents.  We had thought about playing games like Guesstures with all missionary-themed words, but in the end simply wanted to spend time with each other.
   The next day, Sunday, my parents came to sacrament meeting with my family, and afterwards got in their car and drove off to the MTC.  That's a weird feeling - to see your parents leaving for a mission.  We've always known they'd go, and talked about it for ages, but seeing them leave was hard.  I came home from church sad, but proud of them.
    I can't wait for next summer when we are going to take the 22 hour drive to Winnipeg to see them. My kids talk about going to Canada all the time - I think Emily's final words to my dad were, "Next time I see you we'll be in a different country!".  I'm glad I have a big, fun trip to plan and look forward to - it will help the time go faster.   I'm so proud to have missionary parents.

Happy 75th Birthday!

A few weeks ago we celebrated my father-in-law's 75th birthday.  For a man as amazing as my father-in-law is, he deserved an amazing party . . . and he got it.  Sandy, my mother-in-law, planned the biggest bash ever.  This was a surprise party that involved their 5 kids, 5 spouses, and 18 grandkids.
  Two months before his birthday Sandy started the planning.  We all agreed to meet in Boise, because there are 2 siblings here - 2 houses to house the masses, for the weekend. This involved long road trips for some, and long flights for others. From Seattle to Dallas the family started coming.  We all met in here for a weekend none of us will forget.
   It started Friday night meeting John  and Sandy at a restuarant.  We got John here by telling him that Derek and I were going to Dallas for a few days and we needed he and Sandy to come tend our kids.  That was the bait.  They were going tend from Saturday to Wednesday.  On their drive over from Idaho Falls Derek called John and told him we had told our kids we would take them out to dinner, since they felt bad about not going with us to Dallas and all.  Just meet us at the restuarant John - the trap was set.
   When John got to the restuarant, little did he know what awaited him.  He walked into a private room at Louie's Italian restaurnt to see 29 of his family members there.  We all yelled 'surprise' and waited for him to take in the sight . . . I think 'overwhelmed' described John's emotions.  It was the funnest to see him realize how loved he is by this family.  They had come from far and wide - all to celebrate him.
   We partied there all night, simply enjoying each other's company.  Well, some of us partied there - Logan and I went to a Quick Care place for a Friday night ear infection.  But the party raged on for the rest.
  The next day was packed with fun.  All of the adults went to Tacano's Brazilian BBQ for lunch.  We left the 18 kids at my house, with big kids in charge of little kids, said a prayer (for the kids and the house!), and were off.  Lunch was great - so fun to just enjoy everyone's company. 
  That afternoon was action packed.  We headed to our church to have a little more room - you know you're a big family when you need a church gym to fit in!  We had games and a talent show - a favorite in our family.  Each family gave him 75 of something - there were 75 of his favorite treats, and a 75 pages scrapbook put together by Sandy.  The book was such a great tribute to John.  Afterwards, we headed back to my house for dinner and birthday cake and ice cream. 

   Sunday some family had to head back home, but thanks to Spring Break for one family, and no school on Monday for another family, lots of family were to able to stay until Wednesday.     
    Every night was 'musical beds' as slumber parties moved from room to room and house to house. My favorite line of the entire weekend was from my 4 year old neice Mallory. Mallory fell asleep in Emily's bed, but when her mom went to bed, she moved Mallory to sleep in their family's room. Then I went to bed in Emily's bed. At 1:00 in the morning I was awakened by Mallory simply saying, "I'm supposed to be in that bed."  Hillarious.
    It was so fun to see everyone for an extened time.  This was the first time all 18 grandkids were together.  Cousins played and played.  There is something magical about cousins - it doesn't matter how long it's been since they've seen each other, they simply pick up where they left off - as best friends.  It warms my heart to see my kids love their cousins as much as they do. 
    It was the funnest weekend - all to celebrate John, who deseves a whole lot of celebrating.   He is the most selfless, kindheated, and generous guy there is.

Mystery Solved

    For a while we have been having quite a library book mystery at our house.  We have a certain spot in our house for library books so they don't get mixed in with ours, and I try to be on the ball to remember to send the girls' library books back on the right day.  I'm not perfect at it, but I'm pretty good.  Because I think this is something I'm pretty responsible about, this mystery has kind of been driving me crazy.
   All of this school year we've had problems with Bailey's library books getting returned and checked in.  It seems we've been in this cycle of Bailey checking out a book, bringing it home, us sending it back in a week - on the right day, and then 2 weeks of her not being able to check out another book because her last one wasn't turned in.  On the third week she comes home with a not a new book, but a bill for the missing book.  In the interim of these 3 weeks I comb the house looking for this book.  Never find it.  So I send in a check for the missing book - even though I know I sent it in.  Then the next day or so, my check comes home with Bailey with a note saying they found the book on the shelf.  Drives me crazy . . .
   We've done this dance steadily through first grade.  And I haven't ever had any problems like this with my other kids, or other teachers, so I don't know what's going on.  I've been blaming her teacher - thinking that Bailey's turning it in to her teacher, and the teacher isn't getting it to the library.  But then wouldn't other kids be in this boat?  Wouldnt' the teacher realize the kids are being sent home bills?  And this is our third year with this teacher - and we haven't had these problems before.  Baffling I tell you.
  Until yesterday.  Yesterday Bailey came home with my check, once again, saying they had found the missing book, once again.  However, this check also came with a note: 

  Hi Amy -

   We found Bailey's book on the shelf.  I think Bailey has been putting/returning her library book on the librarian's desk.  So the librarain just returns the book to the shelf.

   Bailey needs to return her books in the book slot just by the library, right before she enters the library.  I showed Bailey where it is.

 

Needless to say I talked to Bailey about where her book needs to go.  She claims complete ignorance - she had no idea such slot existed.  Hopefully that girl can check out a book, and I can quit writing checks!