Finally Springtime - in more ways than one

For St George, we've had a really cold, windy spring. By this time last year, it was hot, hot, hot but this year we've only had a couple days that have broken 70 degrees. So when it was in the upper 70's on Thursday and I saw people in the pool - it was high time that we all had a good swim. Jared met us down at the pool after work with pizza and it was a great little party. I was a bit worried the twins would be nervous about swimming since it's been so long - but Si jumped right in and Ollie just needed me to hang onto him for a bit and it all came back to him and they were both swimming like little dogs all over the pool. On afternoons like that, I look around me at the beautiful pool and spectacular surroundings and super cute kids and wonderful husband I have and feel like the luckiest person in the world.

This was a week where I FINALLY felt like I really accomplished a lot - I checked off way more on my list than I have in weeks and things seemed to move forward in a really good way. I love feeling like I'm really accomplishing things! I put together this new Neighborhood Committee that our development's new Board of Trustees asked me to do - when they initially asked me to head up this committee, I was flattered but worried about adding one more thing to my neverending list of things I've got going on. But it felt right to say yes and I jumped right in and found some good people to work with me and smoothed over some issues that had been going on and held our first meeting and it seems like it will be a very good thing - nice to bring together diverse neighbors and work to build a real sense of community in our disjointed development. I also got a character education program off the ground in Ashton's class that I've been trying to get around to all year long. And I sorted through all the kids' clothes to get rid of the many too small and stained things they keep trying to wear - I've got lots of stuff neatly bagged up for the DI and ready to pass off to Saydi. And I did a bunch of other stuff that's been on my mind forever. I do think a lot of my better accomplishment record for the week is because of my better attitude (see previous post on thought replacement). We'll see how this week goes!

We had houseguests on Wednesday night - our dear friends the Perrys - so good to stay up late talking with them and the kids didn't get enough of each other. Then Friday Derek and Janessa and family came for the weekend for another mountain bike race. So it's been non-stop fun around here! After our great day on Thursday, it was cold and rainy all day Friday - got everything nice and muddy for the bike race Saturday morning. Still, the race turned out great. It was pretty nippy out on the race course but the clouds went away and the mud wasn't nearly as bad as I'd expected and everyone had a good experience. Everyone was able to improve their rankings from the last race and feel great about their ride. Liza raced for the first time and did a great job - she got 3rd for the girls in the 9 and under category (there were only like 8 girls in the race - but still...). I guess I've got a family of mountain bikers! I'm content to cheer with the twins for now. Racing across that crazy terrain doesn't really seem that fun to me.

Derek and Janessa left after the first session of Conference today and our kids were so sad to see them go - it's fun to see our kids really liking kids of our friends. Conference was great. It's easy to go into each conference wondering if there's going to be some exciting new announcement or big new admonitions. But really, it's always generally the same stuff - I guess we haven't mastered the basics so we need to keep hearing the good basic stuff in different formats. The messages of the gospel don't change - they aren't supposed to. WE'RE supposed to change. I'm going to do a better job this time round to really apply what was said - a couple goals a week tied to what was taught at conference. I do love how basic messages work so well for being applied in different ways to different people. We can all get exactly what we need out of Conference if we're really looking for it.