Jennie

How on earth did you already get your house looking so perfect?  I couldn't believe the pictures and would have thought you'd fabricated them, except Hayden's in there too.  Hats off.  I refuse to post pictures of our house right now, but hopefully after weeks of toiling, in a few days our house will be "sell-worthy".  Too bad every time we finish a project, another one seems to present itself.  AAAAAAAHHHHHH!  Will it ever end?

 We want to tell you we are thinking of you today.  Have a great day.  Hope you don't find any grey hairs yet!

 I'm sure you've all read the story by the same name (as my title).  It's about the little bunny and his father who are competing to say they love each other more.  Finally, the little nut brown hare thinks he's got his father bested by saying "I love you all the way up to the moon".  Then he drops off to sleep.  His father bends down and says, "I love you all the way to the moon. . . and back".  Charity loves this story, and we read it at least once a week at bedtime.  

 Today Hyrum proved yet again why we don't take him anywhere when we can help it.  We've been avoiding grocery stores lately, at least when he's with us, because the last experience with me and all the kids was terrible (to put it gently).  I vowed NEVER to take him again.  Well, I guess I'm a glutton for punishment, or else we really needed food, which was true, because we found ourselves at the store again today, only a month after that last adventure.  

Charity has recently discovered how to really pray.  It has been so sweet to be in her presence as she pours out her heart to her Father in Heaven.  Here's just a few of the adorable things she said in her 5 minute prayer tonight.

The kids and I spent the afternoon at the home of an Amish farmer today.  He showed us and a group around, let the kids gather eggs, watch the cows be milked, hold baby chicks, make butter, and their favorite--go for a ride in the buggy where they all got to drive a bit.   We came home with fresh buttermilk for pancakes and a lump of butter they helped to make.  Breakfast in the morning will be very yummy.  It was so wonderful to be in the presence of people who are so very respectful of the earth and so simple.  We had a lovely afternoon.  

Tyree,

Just want to make sure you know we're thinking of you.  We love you and hope you are having a wonderful birthday.   

May you be queen for the day

John, Alicia and kids

 This weekend I held a  class party for my primary class which consists of all the girls age 9-12 in our ward.  They can be a rather silly lot, but are really very sweet.  I asked the girls to bring a baby picture to the party and we tried to guess who was who.  One girl, who is almost 9 said "We'll all know which one is Sister Young.  It will be the one in Black and White"  I realized right then that I've entered the "no-color" club.

 We discovered new life on our property this weekend.  We learned we have a baby bunny nest in our bushes and a robin? nest on a ladder leant up against our back wall.  I guess we won't be moving the ladder any time soon.  We hope all the commotion of us being in the back yard won't scare the mama away.  It's fun to think little creatures have chosen our little land to begin their families on.  Of course, as soon as those bunnies discover our baby lettuce plants, we may not think they are so sweet.

We've all become rather obsessed with birds lately.  We have Hyrum to thank.  During the winter, he'd look out the kitchen window and sign bird as he watched the cardinals and squirrels at our one feeder.  Once it got nice and the finches showed up at our finch feeder, we were all hooked.  Now we have a shepherd's hook with a suet feeder that the starlings seem to really like, a finch feeder that we regularly see golden and purple finches at, a regular feeder that welcomes cardinals, tons of sparrows and a very acrobatic blue jay.