Silverwood 2023

We made a last-minute decision to take our RV and camp at Silverwood for a Memorial Day weekend of fun!  It did not disappoint!

I surprised the kids by going on a water ride.  I HATE wet clothes.  It was fun to hear their gasps of surprise and glee at my acceptance.

Hard to tell in this picture, but we are all soaked.  Dripping-soaked.

I was trying to recreate a picture of the kids jumping in front of the Silverwood sign from 2016, but Shelby wasn't feeling it.  Golden Child Brennon gave me exactly what I was hoping for!

Brennon surprised us by going on a roller coaster.  And then going again and again.

"Lady, don't make me turn this Ferris Wheel around!"

Brennon: "I'm glad I have you to go with because I feel like I hold everyone else back."  

Brennon has always done things on his own time.  But once he plucks up the courage, he surprises us all.  Today was no different.  Not only did he go on a roller coaster multiple times, but he also said he wanted to go on this ride with Shelby and Tyson.

We laughed and laughed and laughed as he told us how terrified he was while we looked at pictures we'd captured.  His stone-cold face of terror as he looked straight ahead had us rolling.  I am dang proud of him, because this is a "NO THANKS" ride for me!

Randy heard how much fun Shelby and Tyson had, so he went again with them while Brennon and I stayed back.

Randy challenged the kids to get three phone numbers before the end of the day.  Tyson did it!  He successfully got two girls' numbers (one in front of the girls' Mom!).  The third girl ended up being 17 (with two sidekick girlfriends!)?  "I was so nervous when she told me she was 17, I turned around and walked straight to the RV."  

I loved looking back halfway home and finding them completely out!  Our last-minute trip was a raging success!

Memorial Day 2023

 We wanted to be just like "Caden," so we bought lots of flags and placed the equidistance around our yard's perimeter just like Sunset Gardens.

Stand & Testify

Brother Graves stood up to speak to us today as a representative of the High Council.  He began by telling us a parable of a cowboy and his horse.  He had us all listening intently with his calm voice and captivating presence for how he would bring the story to the purpose of his talk when he said, "Brennon Dirks, would you come up here, please?"  We were all confused a bit since it is not normal practice to call others up during your talk.

"Brother Dirks, can you tell us what that story represents?"

And just like that, Brennon starts speaking.  When he was done explaining, Brother Graves asked, "Were you coached on this beforehand? Did you know that I was going to call you up?"  Brennon, looking him in the eye, said, "No."  He then told Brennon he could sit down.

Backstory #1: Tyson and Brennon, just moments before, had been distracting each other (ages 13 & 15.  Yeah, I know!), so Randy told Brennon to come and sit on the other side of him. 

Brennon: "Dad, if you hadn't moved me, I wouldn't have been listening as closely!"

Backstory #2: After Sacrament meeting, Randy asked Brother Graves if he'd prepared Brennon the night before while Brennon was at his home for an FSY kick-off bonfire and breakfast cereal fireside. (It should be noted here that Randy did not hear Brother Graves ask Brennon if he'd been prepped because "I was still in shock and trying to remember all that Brennon had said on the fly").

Brother Graves: "While mowing my lawn yesterday, Brennon's name came into my head.  I knew I'd ask him before coming to church today."

After Brennon sat down, Brother Graves did bring the story to the purpose of his talk: "We can receive a personal revelation of Gospel Topics for ourselves.  We were taught by the Spirit by Brother Dirks today."

Everyone that came up to us during the rest of church was all saying the same thing, "We weren't listening to the story in the right way.  We were waiting for him to give us the explanation, to tell us what purposes there were to tell it."

Brennon knows how to listen.  It became obvious that Brennon not only listens intently with his physical ears because he has Auditory Processing Disorder and has to decipher the meaning of each word as it comes into his head, but he also listens intently with his Spiritual ears just as well.  Proud Mommy moment.  Not because I feel that I am doing things right as a mother, but because Brennon astonished us all in a very profound way.  We all felt grateful that we weren't the ones called up!

I'm the luckiest girl in the world.

Bateman with the Burch's

I love that we have so many fun memories with the Burch's on the river.  Today we went kayaking at Bateman Island with them.  So. Much. Fun!  Unlike our first adventure in 2013, we both now have dogs!

I tried for one quick picture of the kids before they paddled away with friends.

There is a tire swing in that center tree.  You couldn't pay me to swing on it!  All I see in this picture is a breeding ground for ticks.  It gives me the creeps to get too close to vegetation when I consider all of the bugs that live on this uninhabited island.  No thanks.

I can't wait for the pictures of us bringing our Grandkids to the river together.  So fun!

 

Kitten Cuties

 Joel and Jill Gibb got a kitten and asked us to check in on her while they went camping for a few days.  UM... heck yes we'll check in on her.  And bring her home to meet Mira...

Sky was not enthused, but Mira sure was.  Max just hid behind the couch-- wimp!

She didn't stay long because we could tell she was nervous with excited Mira.  I'm pretty sure my family was considering putting ME up for adoption after spending time with her-- I'm super allergic to cats.  Even Mira would happily get a cat if she could.  I best be on my best behavior, otherwise, I'll be put out on the street with a sign, "FREE TO A GOOD HOME!"

Chips & Chopsticks

 Chips with Chopsticks.

Could she get any cuter?!

Brilliancy Dud

 Because of how things worked out in Primary Activities, we did not have Ward Flags done by the kids this year.  I didn't have the energy to get all of the Girls and all of the Boys together for an impromptu meeting to do them, so I came up with what I thought was a brilliant idea and ran with it.

The theme for the Stake Primary Activity was Ready, Set, Glow.  I knew there would be Black Lights, so I purchased some Glow-In-The-Dark paint and wrote their names on white poster board.  I included a black flashlight for them to search for their own names, thinking they'd love the challenge.

It worked so well at home, right after I'd painted it.  I gathered up both flags and dropped them off, feeling relief that at least the Hillview Ward had something.

But when I walked into the hall to see them all displayed, I felt myself shudder at just how plain ours looked.  I was even more embarrassed when one of the Girls who was currently trying to find their own name said, "This is SO LAME!"  I agreed with her.  The paint had soaked into the poster board to the point where you could barely even see the black light writing.

We took the flag into the pitch-black room but didn't have much luck there either.

My idea was a complete and utter dud.  Oh well.  At least the kids know that I love them.