Alyssa's Big Check

Alyssa had something pretty exciting happen to her.  Instead of me trying to retell the story,  I am posting her own words regarding the situation.  Here they are:

My Life Just Got A Little Bit Brighter....
Today was AMAZING! It started out a bit slow with me having a huge headache and my stomach hurting, but gradually uplifted when I practically got to hang out and do nothing but socialize with my friends today.

But after school my Grandma and Grandpa picked me up adn we headed over to the Seville Retirement Center. They had hosted an essay contest of why my Grandparent(s) were/are heroes to me. Multiple entries were acceptable, so I did one for each of them, and would have done one for my Grandparent's in Ohio, but they "heroes" had to be present.

After we wandered around a little bit getting solicited by businesses snd such, the essay winners were read. I got an Honorable Mention for the essay about my Grandpa, and the prize was 20 $. I was content and happy with that, and was really relaxed and just hanging out. Little did I know, that was not the end of my good fortune.

Then they called out the Grand Prize Winner, who would get 300 $. I was ready to go home and chill, so you will imagine my surprise when they called my name for the essay about my Grandma.

I was totally shocked. My Grandpa enjoys telling the story of how confused and shocked I looked as I walked up to the stand with shaking knees and a huge smile. He said he has never seen me more surprised!

So, the 320 $ I won today is going straight to my Peru fund, and I am thrilled about it. My parents were really happy and excited for me, as well as my Aunt Helen who is a writer in Arizona.

So today was totally awesome. And I got a REALLY huge check! :)

Soccer Gal #2

Brianna has also started playing soccer.  She plays on a team with a whole bunch of neighbor kids, including the other Brianna.  This makes it quite fun for her.  She does well and enjoys it most of the time.  She kicks solely with her left foot ( I am not sure how that happened) which can be a positive thing or not depending on which side of the field she is on.  I am not sure if she has the same passion for the sport that Alyssa does but for now she thinks she is pretty cool.

Soccer Gal

Soccer season has started once again and Alyssa is in Heaven.  She loves this sport.  Her ultimate dream would be to play soccer for BYU.  Her favorite position is forward and she has a powerful kick with both her right and left foot.  Who knows what will happen in the future, but for now she is loving it.

Easter Festivities

We had a perfect Easter this year.  The weather was snowy and cold but that didn't stop the Easter Bunny from coming.  The kids hauled in the loot this year, the bunny must have been feeling extra generous.  Lucky, lucky children.

What made it even more enjoyable was the fact that it was Conference Sunday. That meant no Bishopric meetings for daddy, pajamas for nearly the whole day, and many, many uplifting and spiritual talks to feed the soul.  Every talk was so meaningful and I truly felt spiritually fed.

Plus daddy felt like experimenting and tried out a new recipe once again.  He made stuffed french toast.  He used homemade bread, a cream cheese and raspberry filling and encrusted the whole thing with crushed pecans and Cinnamon Toast Crunch Cereal.  They were delicious.

Between the sessions of conference we decorated Easter Eggs of course.  We always go crazy and I boiled 3 dozen eggs for the event.  I figure it is cheap entertainment and the kids love it.  As always the creativity came out and when all was said and done we had a beautiful plethora of dazzling eggs.

After the last session of conference we headed over to Grandma and Grandpa's house for a family dinner and Easter Egg Hunt.  As always, the food was plentiful and delicious.  We are all getting pretty good at coming up with new and creative meals.  It takes a lot to feed 20 people but we usually are successful and we always have our fill. 

When we were finished with our meal, we head over to Uncle Dane's family's house.  He and Amberly had prepared an Easter Egg Hunt for all of the nieces and nephews.  It was a huge success.  Since his family lives on a farm, there are many places to hide the eggs.  Alyssa had an especially hard time finding the ones they hid for her.  The kids loved it and I loved that they actually had to "hunt" to be rewarded.

When we were finished we were able to pet Amber and Dane's horses, which is always a hit with the kids. 

To wind down the festivities we had Chocolate Molten Lava Cakes, made by yours truly.  It was a decadent ending to an amazing day.

And That's No Joke!!!

Today Roger paid off his Business Loan.  In just under 10 years, Roger was able to open and establish a medical office from scratch and completely pay it off.  Lehi Vision Care is officially ours and self sustaining.  I am so proud of him.  He has worked so hard to accomplish this goal.  He is a wonderful provider and Doctor.  We couldn't be happier!!!!!