Merry May

 The beginning of May brought another "boy's heaven" pile to our front yard.  We had 12 yards of gravel delivered to fill in the west side of our yard where we have our garden boxes and will eventually have a shed.  Skyler and Andon were great helpers!  We ended up having too much so were able to pass along some to three different neighbors/friends who also needed some gravel.  

 Here are pictures from our trip to visit Anneca's grave at Greenwood Memorial Terrace on Mother's Day.  Spencer took the neat picture with the sun behind the Savior.  Then we found some old stairs that have fallen into disrepair (no longer used) and lead to a really old part of the cemetery.  It was fun walking up them.  The kids were a little creeped out.:)

 I had a wonderful Mother's Day and felt lots of love from my family.  They made me a yummy breakfast and dinner; the dinner even came with a program!  I got to sit on the "queen's throne" rocking chair and they did a couple of hilarious skits for me and sang to me.   I took pictures with each of my little gems.  How I love my children! I feel so blessed to be a mother.

 

One May afternoon, we got a doozy of a thunderstorm.  It was a beautiful day, but as I drove to pick the kids up from school, huge, dark clouds rolled in.  By the time we got home, it was raining.  It down poured for about 20 minutes, then rained for awhile longer.  Our driveway had two rivers running down it and there were lots of great splashing puddles.  We took advantage of the opportunity to go "singin' in the [warm] rain."  So fun!

My amazing, faithful, diligent, service-oriented parents came yet again in May to help in the yard!  They were here three days and we loved it as always. We got our garden boxes installed, filled with dirt, and planted, and we got lots more plants planted in the yard.  My dad's goal was to get Anneca's garden finished before Memorial Day and HE DID IT!  It is so beautiful and means so much to us.  It is right outside our dining room window, so we can look out at her garden area often.  We have enjoyed our yard so much this spring and love sitting out in it.  It is so wonderful to have a garden again, and we love going out to see how things are growing.  We now have cherry and apple trees, strawberries, blueberries and raspberries!  I'm so excited.  Now I just hope they will grow:).

 Here we are sitting in Anneca's garden after finishing all the planting.  We have since added barkdust and it looks amazing.  It melts my heart looking out the window or sitting out there.  How I long to hold my Anneca.  I'm thankful she has a garden in her honor.  We have the stone my family gave us for her first birthday we need to put out there as well.  I will post pictures of that.

 Right before my parents left for home, we ran up to visit the cemetery.  They were getting all ready for Memorial Day. Also, below right, shows the new Christus Statue in the LDS Section very close to where Anneca is buried.

 These are pictures we took on Memorial Day.  It is so beautiful there on these holidays.  The American flags and flowers are everywhere.  There are so many people.  I love that hallowed ground.

 Our dear friend, Zack Edge, had an amazing surgery (Selective Dorsal Rhizotomy) in Seattle at the end of April.  He spent four weeks rehabilitating at Seattle Children's Hospital.  He is in Kylene's class at school, and her class did a ton to support and cheer him on while he was gone.  On May 29, he had a huge welcome back with the entire school cheering him on as he entered.  It was so exciting and unifying.  He showed everyone that he can now walk with some assistance!  He has been an inspiration to so many, including us.  He is still working really hard at physical therapy and gaining greater independence and strength.  We are so excited for his angelic family whom we love so very much.  Zack is back!  Go Zack!

We have LOVED springtime in Cheney.  It has been a beautiful mixture of warm days and warm rain.  Flowers, blossoms, and green are everywhere, including in our beautiful yard.  It is a stark contrast to a year ago when we moved in.  (We hit our ONE YEAR mark of living in this home in May!)  The kids have been outside soaking it all in and it seems as if we have been going non-stop.  Kyle has started a lot more travel with his new job (still with Dish); we miss him terribly when he's gone, and always celebrate when daddy comes home.  We're glad at least he's not deployed like many daddy's in our ward and that he gets to come home each week.  He is adjusting to the demands of this new position and is doing a great job!  Go, daddy!

Visit to Susan in Palmyra!

Friday, April 24, started my (Amyanne's) unforgettable weekend to Palmyra, New York, to visit my college roommate for two years (Freshman and Sophomore years), Susan Collie.  It was so wonderful and rejuvenating in every way.  I felt so spoiled to get to spend time with her and see the Sacred Church sites.  Thank you, Susan, for being such an amazing hostess!  I can't wait for the next trip.

I flew all day Friday--arriving in Rochester at 11:00 p.m.  The man I sat next to on my final flight said she was a really good friend to pick me up at the airport that late.  Yes, indeed!  Saturday and Sunday we played, toured, and relaxed--and slept a little.  It was so fun!  Then Monday, I left bright and early (my flight left at 5:50 a.m., so I got up at 3:30, or 12:30 a.m. Spokane time) and spent the day flying back across the country.  Even the flights, although they were long, were relaxing and enjoyable reading, listening, and watching whatever I wanted to.

The highlight of the trip was probably the time we spent in the Palmyra temple.  We were blessed to be part of a live Endowment for a cute older couple in their ward.  Then we got to go watch them be sealed, then their son sealed to them, then their parents and them sealed to their parents.  The Spirit was so strong.

 Saturday after eating lunch at Dee's, a yummy Mexican restaurant, we got pedicures together, complete with grapes and waters:).  It's become a tradition to get pedicures when we get together!  Yay!

 Pictures in Palmyra

 Susan's parent's own a beautiful farm on the main road between the Sacred Grove and the Hill Cumorah.  It is called Amsden's Ark.  Her younger sister lives next door on some acreage as well.  They have lots of different animals.  My favorite were the chickens, since I love farm fresh eggs.  I even went and helped gather some at 9:00 p.m. Saturday night:).  This is Susan with her neice, JoDee, holding one of their spring baby chicks.

 Sunday was a Northeast Regional Conference Broadcast from Salt Lake.  Elders Andersen and Hales spoke with two other general authorities.  It was so powerful and so neat to be a part of.  Susan needed to go early to warm up with the choir (she is the pianist), so two of her boys, David and Jacob, and I walked from their chapel over to the Sacred Grove.  We got a mile and a half walk in before church started that morning.  It was a cool spring morning and so fresh and peaceful to walk through the grove and around the Smith property.

We went back that afternoon and took pictures inside the Log Home and Frame Home. We also went to the Hill Cumorah and saw the beautiful Visitors' Center there.  There is such a beautiful spirit at all these places.  I loved being there.

Sunday afternoon and evening we relaxed, looked through old scrapbooks, talked and laughed. We also got chocolate chip cookies and Pringles to eat, just for memories' sake, of course:).

I am amazed that our friendship can still be as strong and fun as ever, even after almost 20 years!  I am so thankful for Susan.  Thanks for a wonderful trip!

(It was fun to come home and feel so much love from my family, too.  The entire next week I kept hearing how glad they were that I was home.  Definitely a "mommy appreciation" weekend, too:)!  I did miss them terribly.)

April, in Summary

I love cute, random pictures of my family:).

 

Who would have thought the first morning of Spring Break my kids could make a snowman?!  It was the perfect, wet, dense snow that sticks together so well.  So much for all the snow gear being put away for the winter.  So much for trying to get the house organized the day before family arrives!  I was a bit worried we wouldn't be able to do our much anticipated yard work while everyone was here.  But, never fear, it was all melted by the following morning and the rest of the week was in the 50s and 60s.  Awesome!

 Following Spencer's baptism and a barbecue at our house, my side of the family all headed back to Oregon.  The Mudaliar's and Kyle's parents stayed another day.  Yay!  The kids continued to play hard, and the adults had a great time visiting, playing cards, and going out on a triple date!  The guys suggested we go out to dinner Saturday night.  I wasn't too sure about the idea until I realized Alohi (my niece) could babysit, and this was for adults only!  I was definitely "in"!  We went and saw Spokane Falls (really high this time of year; so powerful) then had dinner overlooking the falls at Athony's Seafood Restaurant.  It was a beautiful evening.  The kids had mac and cheese (our "babysitter food"), watched "Bed Knobs and Broomsticks", and loved it. 

April was "Art through Science" Night at Snowdon.  It was amazingly well done and attended.  Every classroom had a different science or art exhibit, with different organizations from all over our area there to present/display.  They had the Science guy, Reptile Man, a rock club, the WSU Pharmacy school making lip balm, dissecting squid, a train engineer, Inland Power, an Astronomy group, different animal groups, a heart-friendly obstacle course in the gym, the Fire Department, Department of Fish & Wildlife and tons more. We really couldn't get to everything in the two hours.  Skyler, Kylene, Spencer and I dissected our first squid, Kyle loved playing with the reptiles, and more.  They came home with all kinds of little "gimmes".  It was a great evening.  I hope they'll do it again every year!

 Kylene participated in her first "Math is Cool" competition.  The Fourth Graders competed at Whitworth University this year and Snowdon ended up placing FOURTH as a team!  Kylene was totally surprised and elated.  Her classroom teacher, Mrs. Ayersman, was the coach, and her and her friends had a blast together.

Spencer earned his Cub Scout Bobcat award!  Woot, woot!  It is still a bit strange to officially have a cub scout.  When Kylene was a baby, I was called as a Cub Scout Den Leader; it was hard to imagine actually having a cub scout back then:).  I'm so glad I got familiar with the program in preparation for helping my three boys!  We have lots of years of Scouting ahead of us.  Way to go, Spencer!

And the last weekend of April, I had my big get-away to Palmyra, New York, to visit Susan.  What a great experience that was. Pictures and details forthcoming!

(Yard) Work in Progress

Our yard continues to take shape.  I was so excited for the weather to get nicer again and be able to get out there and back to work.  We got a few things done here and there...and then--wham--my family came to town for Spring Break and Spencer's baptism and we did three month's worth of work in a few days!  It is incredible what we got done.  We focused on the two large bed areas on the east side of the house, in the front and back yard.  The backyard area is what we are calling, "Anneca's garden."  We made a mound with a beautiful Japanese Laceleaf Maple on it which is "Anneca's tree."  It will have flowers and grasses around it with her stone my family had made for us last year.  There is a beautiful bench and patio area near there to sit.  It is so quiet and serene and we have already been enjoying it.

My dad is the great landscape architect with amazing vision!  The first day or so they were here, we went to so many nursery and landscape places.  I was overwhelmed with everything we were buying and thought we'd never get it all planted.  We got trailer loads of mulch, rocks, and plants, and then....we put everyone to work!  And they did not disappoint!  We got everything planted and the mulch spread and rocks in place.  It was incredible.  I could not believe what hard workers Alva and Wendy's kids are (my nieces and nephews).  They definitely motivated my kids to help as well, and Jana and her kids helped, and we had such a great time working hard together.

Don't worry, they also played very hard.  The kids were jumping on the trampoline, riding bikes, playing games inside and out and eating their hearts out.  We went to a friend's family farm and saw all the babies born this time of year (pigs, lambs, chicks).  Kyle treated everyone to Schwan's ice cream cones (he even chased down the Schwan's truck....it was quite the sight!) one night and Grandpa treated everyone to ice cream another night, so everyone was happy.  It was such a fun week and SO appreciated.  I was in complete shock---and thrilled---with everything we got done.  It is looking beautiful out there!

I wish I had taken more pictures, but here are a few....
Bottom left: these ladies unloaded an entire trailer of mulch.  Muscle women!
Bottom right: the men hefting off one of the larger stepping stones we added.  Good thing rock is so cheap around these parts: we paid only $21 for 1,000 pounds of granite!  (It's cheap because it is EVERYWHERE, even in my yard.  Even though it's beautiful, it was still hard to spend money on more rock:)!)

 The kids got very good at digging holes for the plants!  Sam and Skyler worked so hard on this hole.  Sam loved using the pick axe, but still thought our soil was very hard.  And all that digging only led to one (more) broken sprinkler line.  I think we were lucky:).

Here are a few pictures visiting the baby farm animal's at the Cowan's.

We loved, loved, loved having so much family here for Spring Break (and wish more could have come) and were so grateful for their service.  We loved having our house full of people, noise, and laughter.

Spencer's Eight Year Old Pics

I just realized I never posted Spencer's pictures Ashley Elliott took for his birthday.  What a handsome guy!  He loves his bow ties and wears them every Sunday to church.