Ain't no damsel indistress!! September 29th

The kids and I went to a lovely Eagle Court of honor Saturday morning at the Fairmont Chapel. Costco is just down the road I convinced them to go grocery shopping with me for a promise of a hot dog and a soda. Even though it is 2018 Costco still sells this lunch for only $1.50. It really is the cheapest lunch in the city of Tucson. Benjamin was helping with Stake youth baptisms at the Stake center. We grochery shopped, had our lunch and hit the road. Well tried to. We had a flat tire. I called Benjamin to let him know we were in a pickle and asked him what we should do. He said we have a spare so we needed to change it. I got off the phone and Bella, Olivia and I sprang into action!! Two weeks earlier we had a Young Women activity were we learned how to do just that, change a tire. We felt so impowered! We crushed it with minimal help from the internet! We had a hard time figuring out how to release the tire from the undercarriage. Once we got the spare tire it was easy sailing. Holman took pictures to document our success. Benjamin arrived at the end but the three beautiful damsels were almost finished. We only had one person ask if we needed help, the parking lot was full of people. It was guy parked next to us :) I think people saw very competant, strong women and walked on by. It was over 100 degrees with no shade but we got it done like champs.

20 years of marriage!

I can't believe Benjamin and I just celebrated our 20th anniversary! Time flies, it really does.

September 19th is the actual day. We went to the Tucson temple to renew our vows. Then on Thursday after preschool we headed to Strawberry Arizona. Summer expenses hit us hard so we celebrated with time away in a small town enjoying hikes and yummy food.

Tonto State Bridge. This thing is massive!

Fossil Creek. Apparently a tough hike. 8 miles round trip. There were several warning signs stating the number if rescues and deaths in recent years.

A cool cave. We swam in climbed on a ledge then jumped. Benjamin lost his sun glasses and managed to find them underwater!

 Our cute hotel, Strawberry In. It was adorable!

 View from our hotel.

Love spending time with Benjamin. His rung inscription says "my love forever and a day" . Still true.  Can't believe in 10 years we'll be 50!! 

Nana's birthday! 68 years young and birthday service project

 Every year Nana throws a birthday bash on Labor Day. Her birthday is September 2nd so it is always close to if not on her birthday. I can't remember when this tradition started, every year Nana picks a service project that helps the community. We have made meals for the homeless, made hygiene kits for runaway teens, we have picked up trash at local parks, participated in graffiti abatement...just to name a few. This year we made blankets for the cops to hand out to victims of violence or displacement. As per tradition, Nana provides breakfast before we start all the fun.

 Nana saying help yourself, "but don't take all the fruit, remember there are people behind you."

Bridgett throwing peace to everyone.

Breakfast burritos, fruit, yogurt and bacon...yum 

 Hungry sharks ready for food

 Holman and Joshua presenting their tying abilities

Hillary and Mom explaining, "pull the needle all the way through"

Noah and mom looking thrilled as Hillary and I soldier on.

 Robin making sure the teenagers keep progressing.

Nana with her favorite quilting buddy :)

Olivia showing how stylish these blankets were!

For lunch, I made pistachio cupcakes for moms birthday dessert. Lindsey isn't the only culinary genius in the family :)

Lindsey flew in for the festivities, it's always better when she is around. Her crew was back in Pullman. They were missed but never forgotten and we count down the days till we see them again.

She wanted to take a goat home so that she can make goat cheese but they wouldn't allow it on the plane...








So glad my mother was born. She is a terrific woman who would literally do anything for any one of us. She is the first to volunteer to help and makes any project joyful. So grateful I get to have the best assistant ever in preschool too. My preschool was already A rated but mom takes it to A+ status. Because that is who she is!

Tea Time's Birthday! Sunday September 9th 2018

For over a week Anna has been planning a tea party for her bear who is called Tea Time. She hand made invitations last week and had us sign them stating that we would be there for the party. Today after church was the day. She had Benjamin help her put up streamers. Olivia made cream puffs filled with pistachio pudding and chocolate pudding and Bella helped sew a dress for the bear. Everybody attended including the Pokemon family and everybody was required to wear a hat. Anna also served Ritz crackers, cream cheese, salsa and lemonade. Everybody was required to wear a hat. What a sledid party!! We love Anna and I love how her older siblings helped her to full fill her vision. What a party!

 This is a picture of Ann'a bedroom. I just love it. See all the animals nestled around the entire bed. Her beautiful art on the wall and a family picture quilt on her bed. It is the essence of a happy childhood for me (at least that is my prayer, that my children have happy childhoods).

Cousins sing and D-backs play! Saturday September 8th 2018

Last night we drove up to Phoenix to watch a Diamondbacks game. They were playing the Atlanta Braves. We mostly went up to see Reagan and Lola sing the National Anthem with their girls chorus. Unfortunately when Benjamin and I are together we loose all track of time. We totally missed it :(  Grandma and Grandpa, Pete, Scott and Suzie, Amy and little Nate made the trek. Jens parents came too.

 The game lasted 10 innings with the final score of 5 to 4. 

Jen tickling little Nate

Nate, Bella and me

Lola, Parkin, Reagan

 Anna and Charlotte

Most of the Howe's are Braves fans but Benjamin. He just likes to be contrary. We were cheering on the D-Backs ans so was Aaron and Jen.

Salt Lake City Temple, World War II

This experience happened years ago and I realized I hadn't ever written it down. A  huge family legacy of faith and perserverance has come from my great grandparents Adriana and Cornelius Zappey. Their parents immigrated from Holland and helped many Dutch saints acclimate to the United States specifically Utah. During World War II the dutch saints would hide in the basement during air raids and the women did needle point using the thread from their socks. The saints had a postcard of a painting of the Salt Lake City Temple. The postcard had crosses on each of the spires, an artistic embellishment that of course wasn't accurate but the painting was beautiful. They used that postcard as their pattern for the needle point. Then when my grandparents were called as mission presidents of the Netherlands mission after World War II they were presented the needle point. The art piece became a treasured family heirloom. My mother is the child who now displays the needle point in her home. Unfortunately the postcard that used to be attached to the back of the needle point had gone missing. My mother had expressed a desire to find a copy of that postcard. I thought in the age of the Internet surely this would be easy to find.  Um it was not. I tried multiple times without any luck.  I said a prayer asking Heavenly Father to help me locate one. Months went by and mom and I were driving down 22nd Street and we saw a consignment shop and on a whim pulled in. There was a booth that had rows and rows of postcards. They had sections for each state. I looked under Utah and low and behold there was the postcard!! What beautiful timing, to be at the right place and the right time. Heavenly Father knows all. I'm sure my grandparents were smiling at the timely gift.

This is the needle point. On the corner is a picture of the family who stitched it.

This is the lucky postcard!

First day of school 2018

 Holman is in 8th grade. He is kind, funny and disciplined! I challenged him to a fitness challenge everyday and gave up about two weeks (I should have known better push-ups do a number on my shoulder) but Holman keeps plugging along because he committed to himself to do it. He is akwaal impressing me.

 This little girl is driving! We have magnets that we put on when she she drives that say "please be patient, student driver". Not gonna lie, her driving is actually pretty bareable 😁. 

Senior year...how did  this happen...it's gone to dang fast... Luckily this year she finishes at 1pm, is home for lunch everyday and finishes senior year in early February. Lots of time left to kiss her neck.

 6th grade and killing it. So happy he is in drama, I love to watch my little thespian. Let me tell you his voice projects tgrothr the house like nothing else!

 Anna continues to be an independent thinker. She is the only one at the primary campus (although cousin Desmond is still there and we get to carpool. I love carpool club). She wears reading glasses to help her eyes "team together" which will help with her dyslexia. She looks entirely too cute in glasses. She is crazy smart and excellent at comprehension.

First day pictures for me too, it's my 9th year teaching preschool. in keeping with my New Year's goal to simplify I'm only teaching one class with 17 kids. My mother is still my most fantastic assistant and we have a ball every day.