Mother's Day 2026

I feel like this Mother's Day, some of the celebrating was spread out over a few days.

A few days before Mother's Day, Jet brought home a card he made at school. 

Friday, Jeremy brought me Mother's Day flowers with a card. I love my husband.

Sunday, Jeremy made me breakfast.

Jr. Jr. drew a picture for me.

See. She's holding 5 eggs. I have 5 children. 

 

I got to teach a short Relief Society lesson then we had muffins and yogurt and fruit and socializing for the women.

When Jeremy was going to take most of the kids home (Lucky stayed with me for choir), Jet seatbelted a Mother's Day card in so it would be protected. 

Lucky gave me a card, a candy rose, and two pictures taken by high school photography students. Awww. I love them.

Jeremy gave me a present- a portable selfie stick tripod. I used it when I FaceTimed my mom for Mother's Day- hands free use of my phone. Although I picked it up and pointed it at different family members plenty. Tee Hee.

Later, I found Timothy, the banana slug, using the wrapping paper for a home. Have I mentioned I love my family?

I got to rest and spend some time looking at Jeremy's latest book.

I didn't have to make dinner. Jeremy fixed it for us. It was a hit with the family.

Jet entertained me using his Spidey powers.

I told everyone for Mother's Day, I wanted them to play D&D. They hadn't in a while and I knew Jr. was waiting very patiently to play again. The others couldn't play video games because it was the last day of Screen Free Week so they didn't have a good excuse not to. Bwah ha ha ha.

Jr. made chocolate chip cookies.

On Monday, I found out I missed a present from Jet in his backpack. He decorated a keychain for me.

Awwww. 

I enjoyed my Mother's Day(s) this year. 

I love my family. 

Dancing and Graduating

On May 20, Eliza Doolittle Day, besides eating chocolate, Lucky had his end of the year dance festival.

Great job, Lucky. Can you guess what song his grade danced to?

 

That evening, we went to Jr.'s seminary graduation. 

Great job, Jr. 

During the graduation, they showed pictures of the seniors as babies and as they are now. These are the pictures of Jr. We got the little boy picture of him from this blog from 16 years ago (August 27, 2009). He's still a cutie.

Later that night, since it was also Pick Strawberries Day, some of us ate strawberries. Some people in our family love strawberries, some hate strawberries. I am one who loves strawberries.

Catching Up April 2025 part 4

April 27 was Tell a Story Day. I told the kids a story. I don't remember what story I told them but I did. It was probably another family history story. 

Wait. I remember. We started looking through pictures to find a baby picture of Jr. for seminary graduation. We found some pictures of Jeremy and me from when we were dating and told the kids some stories about hiking up Rock Canyon in the snow with my brother to get pictures.

Oh, good memories. And silly memories. You see where our kids get it?

I love that I've had Jeremy in my life longer than I haven't. I look forward to the time that I've been married to him longer than I haven't. It won't be long.

Jeremy also told the kids the story behind this photo he got of a black gibbon (at the Hogle Zoo while we were dating).

It was yawning.

 

April 28 was Terry Pratchett's Birthday. I continued to read Wyrd Sisters. The kids watched Going Postal.

It was also Blueberry Pie Day so I made Thronis's Blueberry Pie from The Fablehaven Cookbook. Yumm.

It was also Great Poetry Reading Day. I read a little bit of poetry.

The Story Behind the Photo

Sometimes it is fun to stage a photo for celebrating holidays.

Last year for March 8th's holidays for example, Nichole and I were in a picture with a bunch of things that represented International Women's Day, National Oregon Day, Kenneth Grahame's birthday, and National Proofreading Day.

 

This year January 19 was National Popcorn Day, Brew a Potion Day, Edgar Allen Poe's Birthday, and Whisper "I Love You" Day. We took a photo to celebrate.

This photo kind of evolved. We talked about taking a picture with popcorn and hot chocolate. Eventually we figured out Jr. would have the bowl of popcorn, would be reading an Edgar Allen Poe book, and Lucky would have hot chocolate in a cup that read, "Demented Potion." At the last second, Jr. Jr. photobombed the picture just perfectly by sliding in the back while whispering, "I love you." It was awesome. And his face. Love it.

So that is the story behind this photo.

I've Had a Birthday. Shout Hooray!

Somebody had a birthday recently. It was me! 

I'll be honest. It was another one of those rough days. I had my end of the school year breakdown when I dropped cinnamon bread on the floor. That was the straw that broke the camel's back. I cried a lot and Jeremy gave me a lot of hugs.

I did better at the end of the day when I had my cake and rainbow sherbet and opened presents and cards.

Jeremy got me the next two blog books (professionally printed, hard bound copies of my blog, one per year)- 2017 and 2018. It's been a few years since he's been able to do that so I was so happy to get them. It's family history. I remember when I was growing up my mom always had photo albums we could look through. These are my photo albums. 

Sweet Lucky made me a rose out of Legos.

Jr. had fun with my phone while we were birthday celebrating. He told me he could edit pictures right on my phone. He showed me what he did with pictures of Jr. Jr. and Nichole. 

 

Then he showed me his favorite picture of my present opening:

and showed me how he enhanced it:

Sigh. I love that kid. Earlier in the day, I was watching part of a movie and he made me popcorn (and shared it). So yeah, I do love that kid.

International Women's Day 2021

International Women's Day was March 8. That day is also Kenneth Grahame's birthday. There was potential for a really fun picture but we just didn't have the time. So here's what you get.

My amazing daughter and I celebrating the awesome women we are by reading Kenneth Grahame books together.

What could have added to this photo? Eating "graham" crackers. Somehow I can't find a blog post of us eating graham crackers while reading Kenneth Grahame books. I honestly thought we'd done that in the past. Wearing berets or other clothing from other countries as "international" women. Jeremy's still got some Hungarian stuff. Since it was also National Oregon Day, I could have added items from Oregon in the picture. We could have had Nichole's writing with a pencil in front of us for National Proofreading Day, also that same day. There are so many ideas. Oh, and we could have had Nichole's dragon on one of our shoulders or trying to climb off our shoulders as a "reluctant" dragon. So much missed potential. But that's the way the cookie crumbles. Or the way the peanut cluster crumbles as March 8 was also National Peanut Cluster Day.

What would you suggest adding to this photo?

Earth Day Contest

For Earth Day, the junior high offered a contest for Earth Day related artwork or essays, etc.
Nichole and Jr. both submitted photos/artwork online and both earned prizes- T-shirts, water bottles, candy, pencils, mini globes, and tote bags. The prizes were dropped off on the doorstep so they could maintain social distancing.

Here's what they got prizes for:

Jr. photo of a pine grosbeak. 

Nichole photos of snowy egret and belted kingfisher and dragonfly.

Nichole drawing of American pipit.

 Way to go, kids. Keep up the good work with your talents.

Superb Owl Sunday

We're not really football watchers.  We're bird watchers.  So instead of celebrating Super Bowl Sunday this year, we celebrated Superb Owl Sunday.
This is how Jeremy kept awake in Sacrament Meeting today.

Don't you just love it.  I do.  Jeremy based his drawing on this photograph of a burrowing owl we took a couple years ago.  I love it.

Smile For the Camera

Jeremy and I took the two younger boys to see the temporary exhibit at Thanksgiving Point's Museum of Ancient Life.  Right now it is an exhibit about dinosaurs.  Yeah.
I made sure to get a picture of the boys with my favorite dinosaur.

Jr. Jr. showed me his dead dinosaur face.

Which is funny because it's similar to the face he showed me the other day when we went to the duck pond and I told him to "Smile for the camera."

He's a hoot.  He reminds me of someone else who made interesting faces when I told him to "Look normal."