thanks jack for the great mother's day!!!

jack, what can i say the pictures are so much fun!!! i know it took you forever, but everyone appreciates it so much. i'm thinking cortney looks like joani the most of any of her girls. meags thinks sadie looks like jack and janie looks like me. she's also a little worried how much geof. looks like dad. she's hoping he hasn't picked up any other of his less desirable traits. brind thinks jan and joel look just like paula. it's funny to see the family resemblances. i think the picture of g'ma in our pool on south sharon was taken when she was about 56 years old. i'm just guessing that i was about 11, making mom 35, and i think g'ma had mom when she was about 21. do the math, g'ma's about 56 years old in that picture--i'm 54 this year. man i'm old.

when i was in utah at the beginning of the year i wanted to go see aunt marcelle. she was the one in the black swimming suit with the sleeves in one of the pool pictures. it had been so many years since i had seen her. paula and i were talking about it and jan was there. he asked how close we were related. i told him she was my aunt just like i was his aunt--that close. i asked him if he would come see me when i was in my 80's. he promised he would. what a good kid. moni, i know this is a cop out, but tell him hi for us. we pray for him all the time.

just to give you an idea how the gene pool works. when paula and i were going down to visit aunt marcelle i called and asked her if she would like to join us for lunch. we were going to meet up with jordan. she thanked me, but said at her age she didn't think she would really have anything to add to the conversation. besides she added, she tended to get up late and so she usually would have a late breakfast. if she got hungry before dinner she would just eat chocolate for "lunch" and dark chocolate at that. see, we are closely related. some of us show the family resemblance more readily than others.

when we were down for geof.'s wedding was the last time i had seen her. i wanted brooke and meagan to go with me to visit her. they were somewhat willing to humor me, but told me in no uncertain terms that one hour was their absolute limit. it was no fun after that to try and watch kids and talk with someone they didn't even know. fine! it was so funny. we had an appt with the caterer for the wedding reception and i am dragging them out the door. it has been well over the 1 hour they had dained to give me. i was across the street unlocking the car, putting kids in their car seats, and calling to both girls, "we really have to go, your dad is going to kill me!" needless to say they really enjoyed the visit. then there was the time i drug ellynn to aunt iva lou's. i have to drag her in and then i have to drag her out she was having such a good time. we have great aunt's--sally, mardiene, aunt mary, marilynn. we are lucky to have such a great family.

they videoed the "virtual tour" of our home tues morning. as soon as the ceiling is patched in the basement the sign goes up. for mother's day brind gave me a full day in the yard. he is one smart boy. he knows what his momma loves--if you really love me show me. ellery came home and helped for 2 3 hrs. so everything was manicured and done except the orchard on the south 40. it looks like a park and i look like i've been in a fight with several cats. blackberries are what was planted just outside of eden when adam and eve were kicked out. they are soo mean, but i won. we had two burn piles, little ones. the two giant ones are yet to go. they are so big i'm a little concerned about keeping it under control. the woman that filmed the house was so impressed with views out every window and how beautiful the home was. problem is so am i. oh well.

seminary is going wonderfully. i can't tell you how much i love this class. i taught them last year for a while when they wore out their teacher. it's easy to come in at the end of the school year and look like the hero because you are a new face. all right i'm enjoying every minute of it even if i don't deserve it. i think they are great fun. bottom line is i tell them i have great material--the gospel and lots of stories about our family to back it up. i've tried a lot of things this year to keep me happy and entertained. it wasn't until i started to teach again that i felt myself getting happy again. i don't study the scriptures like i should when i'm not teaching. when you face 22 highschoolers every morning that have made the effort and given up their sleep to be there it is a lot of pressure to have something for them to make it all worth it. i spend a lot of time on my knees asking my Heavenly Father for help. i realize that is the formula--study and prayer, but i don't impliment it unless i have the "motivation" of a class that will tear me a part if i am not prepared.

and on that note i will echo moni's words--this blog is awesome. i love hearing about your lives and seeing all the cute little g'kids in the pictures. we are so blessed. love to all, le anne