Wicked Weekend!

The house is quiet and everyone is asleep after an exhausting (and of course fun) week and weekend. Fisher is spread on the living room floor where he zonked out around 7 and the girls fell asleep as soon as their heads hit the pillow at 8. Why am I still up???

Today was the culminating event of the week with the fulfillment of something we have been anticipating since last July. Thanks to a nice Christmas gift from my parents, we were able to attend "Wicked." Fisher and I had planned to see this in New York two years ago, but our plans were foiled by weather that delayed our flight causing us to miss our showing... so we were very excited. It was awesome!

Yesterday was graduation day for my sister K-Rae. We are happy and proud of her. She graduated from BYU and is headed back East for graduate school in the fall.

My other sister Amie went back to college this week. We are very sad that she's not here anymore. Curly and Lou keep asking about her. During her last week, we packed in a lot of fun - we went to the temple, finished projects, went shopping and had a fun cookout at my aunt's house.

This was Fisher's last week of interning at the VA hospital and now he is ready to graduate in two weeks! Yay for Dr. Lake! Last week Curley had a very special opportunity of going to eat lunch with dad at his work. When I picked her up, she excitedly told me every detail of how she got to eat a hamburger and french fries and (her favorite) chocolate milk.

This was also Curly's last week of preschool. I have loved teaching in a co-op preschool with my friends. I will really miss the great women involved in preschool. I am sure Curly will miss her preschool friends... when we move (no we don't know where we are going yet)

One final picture - the Easter Egg hunt that Oma and Grandpa did for the grandkids. They make holidays so much fun!

It has been an eventful two weeks with so many unrelated activities that each deserve their own blog post... but, I will only highlight a few and post lots of pictures to share the rest. Ironically, the three events that I would like to describe, have few or no pictures to accompany them.

Fisher was out of town a few weekends ago and I decided to make a quick trip the Idaho to visit my parents. Curly, Lou and I had so much fun with their grandparents jumping on the trampoline, cooking yummy foods, looking at old pictures, and playing with the plethora of toys in grandma's playroom. This trip was partially inspired by something I have been thinking about lately - that is the importance of family and the uncertainty of life.

Fisher's sister in law's mother was diagnosed with cancer a little over a month ago and passed away a week ago leaving six children (three still at home) and her husband. Her diagnosis and the knowledge that she didn't have much time left on earth brought their family home to spend as much time together as possible and to care for their wife and mother. I attended the funeral this week and the comment was made that Norene had lived her life so fully and righteously that when she knew her time was short, the only thing she had left to do was to be with her husband and children. Listening to her life sketch, I wished I had known her better. She was a wonderful person. Finally, I was amazed at how peacefully and beautifully her children presented her memorial. They know that they will see their mother again. I am especially grateful this Easter for the knowledge that I have of eternal life and eternal families that are made possible by the resurrection of our Savior, Jesus Christ.

The final event of the week took place last night. My sister, Ammie and I wanted to plan a special date night for my grandparents. With the help of our cousins, we cooked a dinner, turned their living room into a restaurant, and then presented a "variety show" with each of the cousins performing a talent or skit. I have to admit that the whole evening went much better than I had ever dreamed...all of my cousins came through with a performance and my sister and dad altered an old "Gilbert and Sullivan" song (one of my grandparents favorite) with words describing why we love to go to Grandpa and Grandma's house. We all sang this for the finale. It was a fun evening and I am glad that we were able to show Grandpa and Grandma how much we love and appreciate them.

And now for the pictures...

Ammie dyeing Easter Eggs with us. We are sad that she is going back to college this week : (

The crafts we made for my preschool lesson this week

Curly, Lou and I were all happy that the beautiful weather returned!

An Easter Egg hunt with family and friends

My brother dressed up as the server for the date night.

Happy Easter!

In Limbo

I feel stuck right now... stuck waiting for something to happen... waiting for Fisher to find out/figure out what he will do when he graduates (yes he is finally graduating)... waiting to know where we will be moving and when so that I can make myself useful with packing and with looking for housing and preschools and...waiting for true spring (not this crazy blizzardish weather we keep having)...waiting for enough time to get all the projects done that are stacking up on my desk...
It's not that I am not enjoying time as it passes. I love everyday that I have to be with Curly and Lou. To read together, play together, tickle together, and snuggle. I love the friends here in my ward and from Audrey's preschool, and in my family and I am enjoying the time I have with them. I love living in my grandparents basement and the games, dinners, and stories we share together. I love playdates with girlfriends and SILs (and their children) and girls nights and book club. I love having family around to visit (and babysit). I love my job and the people I work with. It is a very torn feeling to already be missing what you know you will be leaving soon but still anticipate the opportunity of a job, a new place, and new friends. What do you do when you feel this way? Can't I just transport my family, friends, ward, job, and everything else with me wherever we go?

Firsts

I have had several firsts the past few weeks. I changed my first bike tire (shocking I know - Fisher always did it), I replaced the DVD drive in my computer (thanks to my brother Nathan for walking me through it), I performed my first fiberoptic endoscopic evaluation of the swallow (FEES) at work (see picture) - this involves threading a tiny flexible camera through someones nose and into their throat. Fisher was my first victim, followed by all my sisters and my mom. Another first, I might get ridiculed for this... but I attended my first (and last) BYU basketball game (thanks to Mark and Jeniel). My SIL Shar and her girls stayed with us for the first time. Curly didn't have her regular preschool this week, so we decided to hold preschool with her cousins. It was a very fun first! Fisher has been very busy, so I visited my other SIL Brianna in Logan with my girls by myself for an overnight excursion. And the final first - Today I discovered the first tulip in the garden! I love spring! Lots of first... And here are lots of pictures...

The FEES described above

On our way to the park for a picnic with Shar and her girls, my mom, and sisters.
Curly and cousin Lettie with their home made pizza creations
I love my Curly and Lou!My climber Lou, who will do anything for food... She found the carrots and the ranch dip

Aunt Brianna took us to the Logan Willow Park Zoo, the cheese factory, and swimming. Curly and Lou loved the animals at the zoo. We love Brianna, she always plans fun things! (Notice Curly's sweater that my amazing cousin knit after Curly picked the yarn)

I know how you feel Lou!

Ode to Fisher

Fisher is celebrating his birthday this week. I rarely talk about the amazing person that he is on my blog... but here are a few of his qualities that I would like expound on today.

1 - Creativity - When we were dating, Fisher created a headless man dressed in a suit then placed him in my car (we don't lock our doors in Rexburg) holding a rose and an invitation for a date. I later found out that the roomate's car he was going to borrow would not start, so he walked a mile to my house in the middle of a cold Idaho night carrying the "man" then back home again. After we were married I took a job at the Utah Symphony and Opera. I came home from school on my way to my first day at work and he had left a good luck "gift" for me.

Just for fun, from our dating days - Ready to go to "Morp"

2 - Dedicated - When Fisher chooses to do something he dedicates himself to it. This shows in his willingness to be home when he can and to be helpful in caring for the girls and me when he is home. In his education, he has worked as hard as he can to take advantage of every opportunity to learn and make himself a better Physical Therapist.

3 - Humor - From the "good luck" peach to our engagement he is always making me laugh. When he proposed he handed me the ring box. I opened it to find a small piece of paper that read, "Got ya!" Okay, so I didn't laugh, but now I do. He did give me the real ring a few minutes later. Curly and Lou love wrestling and tickle time with daddy. I love to hear their peals of unrelenting laughter.

4 - An amazing Dad - While I am at work every Saturday, Fisher spends the day with the girls. First he makes breakfast, then they "do jobs", and then play. He teaches Curly and Lou so many things and is better than I am to remind them to be polite. He puts them to bed on nights that he is home, he takes them outside to play in the snow, ride bikes, or go to the park. Lou especially adores him and happily shouts "dadeeee!" whenever he is around.

5 - Well Rounded - Not only is he smart, kind, handsome, and friendly; he is also athletic, clean, organized, frugal, disciplined, and a "young, handsome prince" (quote from Curly) and I agree! Happy Birthday Honey!