Heidi got a Barbie bike from Daddy so she can ride with Addie on the driveway
Nana sent a snuggly baby doll
Cousins Danny & Rosalie brought Heidi a BABY pony! The Tyner kids got her a smaller wedding pony and a Little People dinosaur. The Watt kids brought a fun doll with a little bed and diaper bag full of stuff, and the Orton kids brought a fun Strawberry Shortcake puzzle. It was better then Christmas around here!

We sang happy birthday over Easter Basket cupcakes...
...and Heidi (or was it Addie?) blew the candles out.
Heidi enjoyed her cupcake!

Heidi and Jake played for a while in the princess tent in Heidi's room...
...Poor Jake get his fill of pink stuff at our house (although he sure has fun playing babies and pushing the shopping cart or stroller around!)
Just as the party ended, Great-Grandpa & Grandma Elrey called and sang Happy Birthday to Heidi. A little after 1pm, the birthday girl crashed for a nap with her new baby doll, pony, and a special birthday bottle of chocolate milk ("mockit miwk")...she's still asleep! :) Thanks, everyone, who remembered Heidi's special day!

TGIF

Friday morning, my brother Matt called and asked if he and his family could come stay over Firday night...OF COURSE! So we did our traditional trip to Chico Hot Springs with the kids...we kidnapped Rich from his office about 5 minutes early and headed down the valley to take a dip in the hot springs, then eat some yummy pizza at the Poolside Grille. The timing was perfect! We loaded up the kids to head home at 8pm and they were in bed by 9pm and we enjoyed a little grown up visit and a good night's sleep! Heidi (next to Matt) at the Poolside Grille at Chico
We drove up the canyon from the resort to the old town of Chico and took a picture of this shed.
Jake & Addie being silly at Chico
Amie with Baby Sam

How the Flowers Looked 4/11...

We noticed our first hyacinth in the front yard on Tuesday...
...and our daffodil bloomed that day, too. Now there are 4 blossoms out there trying to withstand the wind!

Thanks, Aunt Amie!

Heidi got a birthday card and headbands from Aunt Amie, Uncle Matt, Jake, & Sam! She was so excited, so wore them all at once!
Here she is looking out the front window at the neighbors riding bikes
She cried when I went to the mailbox without her...that's why her eyebrows and cheeks are red!
Thanks for the pretties, Posties! We miss you so much and can't wait til you come hang out with us again!!!!

ON THIS DATE IN HISTORY...

Georgia (pictured here with husband Rob, May 1992) was born. She's the big sister I didn't get until I was 18, and a most dear & talented friend. Have a beautiful birthday, Geo! We're so glad you were born!

Education is Freedom

I could have called this post a number of other things: Knowledge is Power, The Glory of God is Intelligence...what ever I call it, I have to say something about education.

I hate to admit that I got fired up from watching Oprah today--I couldn't resist the ad that said Bill & Melinda Gates wanted to come on Oprah and share their biggest cause. The show struck a nerve with me--our tiny town is Loserville with a capital L as far as public education goes (example: coming from a school where the median ACT score was 27 and I got a 30, I was shocked to learn that a 23 was GOOD here)--dropping out to become a manual laborer or a teenage mom is not unusual, and I am horrified to send my kids to school here. Fortunately I have a few years to get involved and make a plan of action. Please, please, PLEASE go to the Stand Up website and AT LEAST send the letter to your governor asking him to get behind this movement for better high schools (I have already filled out a survey here in Montana stating that I think all that extra money we made from the huge tobacco tax we passed should go to education--I want the elementary school down the street from me to open up again in the next 2 years--it closed due to budget constraints and not enough kids to fill it, but since then, over 150 houses have been built in the area and 250 more are slated for construction. That should bring in enough kids and dollars, doncha think?)

Learning to read, to comprehend what I read, to think, to put myself in the shoes of others throughout history and throughout our world today, to reason and to empathize has made me a better person and has given me the kind of life most of the world only dreams about. I don't mean that I am wealthy or pampered or living in luxury--I mean that all of my needs are met as are most of my wants; my life is generally free of genuine worry or financial stress, and full of rich and beautiful things because my husband and I have learned to think and reason and appreciate the world around us. I credit this to TWO things: our families of origin and our EDUCATION. Economics aside, the quality of the life you lead when you really LEARN HOW TO LEARN is so staggeringly better, it makes me cry to think that the majority of my fellow Americans are living hand to mouth, blind to their potential because of lack of education.

In a country where even the poorest wage earner pays something toward public education through taxes, it is nothing but shameful to see and read about the massive failings of the public school system. My knee-jerk reaction has been to home school or super-supplement my kids' education to give them what they need and deserve, but it just dawned on me that EVERY KID deserves what I am striving to give mine--even if their moms work full-time and can't be as involved, even if homeschool was never an option, even if their parents think school is a waste of time. Every American child deserves to have someone show them the value of an education, the joy of reading and finding what you're really truly good at, the peace of knowing you are equipped to provide for yourself and your family in a job that you enjoy and you're good at.

I am definitely going to get involved here. I might end up with another ulcer, but like the song says, "conquer we must when our cause it is just," and I think this is something I can get behind with my mind, heart, and spirit. The first thing I am going to do is see how I can help at Big Sisters and at Learning Partners, as well as start attending school board meetings (ho-hum). And I will continue to pray and teach my children good things at home. What are you going to do?

Poor Heidi

We are getting excited for Easter and Heidi's birthday around here! I mailed out these invitations last week and got some RSVP's today. Sadly, our little birthday girl had a bad accident today just before church. She burned her left hand on the iron--the heel of her hand is one giant, nasty blister and she won't let us wrap it. She cried and cried--so sad! Rich stayed home with her while I took Addie to sacrament meeting, then we switched off so he could teach Primary. I got Heidi to take some Tylenol and she slept the whole time I was with her, then we switched off again so I could go direct the ward choir. Heidi seems better now, but that nasty blister is going to burst if she doesn't let us wrap it soon and that will be so gross (and painful!).

Speaking of choir (UGH!), about 15 minutes before I left for choir practice, I got a call from the Stake music director. She said she has sent in the music for the conference program on April 29th, and the Stake Presidency got back to her and said they had four DIFFERENT songs they want us to sing, with 20 days' notice! So the three songs we have been practicing for SIX WEEKS are on the back burner, and we have to learn four new ones. It's a little bit annoying, and I have to admit that I'm kinda glad I won't be there that day! We WILL be singing on of the songs we have been practicing, "Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing" for Easter Sunday at our ward.

I need to go catch a nap and snuggle my poor crippled daughter...Leave a comment! Have a great week!

PS: one of my favorite professors at BYU died this week and my heart feels heavy...he was a wonderful writer, poet, thinker, person...everything sounded better read aloud in his lilting welsh accent...he seemed to know and love everything beautiful and worthwhile...

Today in church I got my (second) Young Womanhood Recognition Award. I got the first one back when I was 15, but they have changed the program, so when I became a leader in the YW organization, I started the new program. It took me three years of goal-setting, studying, and projects to finish it (kind of like an Eagle for girls). My award is a necklace with the temple spires on it like the one to the right, except mine is silver. Nicole Carter (age 16) also got her award today, after a special evening in her honor last Wednesday night. I am glad I finished the program, but like I always tell the YW, personal progress continues for life (at least it does if we're doing what we're supposed to be doing).

You Are My Sunshine(s)

Today we have enjoyed our first real spring rain, so we have mostly been inside all day. After naps, the girls played in Ad's room for awhile, then they brought their play things to my bed where I was resting. They were being so cute and funny, I grabbed the camera. Although it hardly does justice to the moment, here are some pictures (Heidi is all wild-haired and rosy-cheeked because she had recently woken up).

Here's Heidi's pageant smile...
...and here's a silly face...
...and here she is being her wild-eyed, turning-two-in-nine-days self.