April 2026

I tell you what guys I barely made it through April. By the time April was over, I was sick and out for the count! 

Nolan had his last Honor Choir concert. Tyler and Grayson went and Facetimed me so I could listen in. Nolan did not love Honor Choir this year. He stuck with it. I rewarded him by allowing him to pick percussion for band in 6th grade if that was the instrument he felt was best for him. He HAD to do choir or band. And usually I'm a no on percussion, it just doesn't have the longevity of an instrument as I would like, but he earned it.

This is how Grayson and Tyler felt about going without me. 

We love our house and we loved this couch when we bought it, but it's STILL not big enough for five people to enjoy conference. More than one child always creeps in on whoever it on the biggest cushion. 

We have had SOOOOO many rained out games and practices lately. Both teams are like 4 games behind. I don't know how we're gonna get caught up. HOWEVER, we got to spend all of General Conference and Easter at home. It had a dangerous consequence, but it was wonderful! 

I ALWAYS get too much candy! There are too many fun things to choose from!

When Tyler was a teen, their basket hunt was a yarn maze. The videos of the older boys hating it, were hilarious. We decided it was time for a yarn year. It was a little more difficult to put together than we expected, but was totally worth it! A very fun idea! There really was yarn everywhere! 

We had Easter dinner at Kenney and Teresa's along with Lillie's family. She help hide all the eggs Teresa got for the kids! They were well hidden. We all struggled to help Grayson finish. 

Tyler found the Dude perfect game on sale and it has been fun to play! Lots of underhanded consequences in that game. Fun to watch them all get "got".

Nolan FINALLY got to test out the instruments for 6th grade band. He was really excited to do this! I personally thought he would have done great on the Trombone. I help strong and allowed him to pick. You have to take and pass a short rhythm test before you can even choose percussion. They want the kids to succeed and be sure they are a good fit. He passed the test and ultimately chose percussion. Surprise, surprise! 

Our newest Temple is getting closer and closer to being finished. We got word that the visitor's center will be closing soon. The Bishopric and Primary worked together to plan a trip for all the Primary and Youth to visit. We were the biggest group they had hosted. We split up, one half went on a walk and the other half watched the presentation. Our newest Temple is about an hour away so this was a big effort! We had a really great turn out and it seemed like everyone had a great time! We left around 5 and back home around 10. Again, big effort! 

Just as the sun went down. the lights came on for a stunning view! 

I can always tell when there is a new trend in 5th grade. Nolan is ON it! And usually has something that will work to be enjoyed by all. Can't give you any more details, just that these bracelets are everywhere and I have to cut off the paper ones in his sleep. 

It's finally my favorite time of year. It's wildflower season in Texas. It's a little wonky this year, but Tyler and Lyla found me a whole bouquet while on a walk one day! The red Indian Blankets are my favorite! 

Tyler and I have yet to attend a single game together. We only have two kids in the league and they keep having games at the same time! It's crazy! I finally got some pictures of them in their positions. Both are playing great and hitting well! Nolan's team has only one loss! They look great on the field! Their hitting could be better, but it's fun to watch Nolan be a ELITE at 2nd base. His brain is too quick and his baseball IQ it getting higher and higher! Lyla is an absolute ASSET to her team. She's hitting hard and stopping runners every time she gets the ball! I wish she was getting more development on the team, but her baseball IQ is steadily increasing with each play. It's always a good day to see my kids play ball! 

Nolan rarely pitches, but when he does, he gets the job done!

Lyla had a particularly good game with great hits and great plays! She got the game ball and was very excited. She genuinely likes the girls on her team. She is quick to make friends and even better at including/supporting those on the edges. We are proud of all the good she's going with her talents! Not just winning games, but being loving to everyone! 

Tyler is in his birding era. He is walking more in his free time. He sees more birds, identifies more birds and sends me pictures of more birds. "That's a good bird" is our new family slogan for anything that's good. Not just birds. 

Our PTA hosted a family glow dance. I was the head contact for this event and let me tell you! Lots of details and lots of help led to a GREAT event! We had a DJ, all sorts of glow toys and snacks. It seemed like everyone had a great time! It was well attended and looked like fun. We raised a good amount of money to help with events for next year! I was SUPER sick the day of this event. Thank goodness for my family and wonderful people who stepped up to make sure I could sit and give direction.  

We didn't know about the "emergency" light until the very last minute. I was a little more than annoyed, but Tyler said it was fine. There were too many kids and parents that needed to see to stay safe. 

This is where my demise begins. I spent the next 2 1/2 weeks pretty much bedridden. I have never been that sick while also not being soo sick as needing the hospital. It was weird, crazy and NOT FUN!

We had more storms roll in. One night the Tornado warnings got worse and worse. We finally pulled the kids out of bed to be closer to our closet when needed. Grayson kept jumping on Tyler like Petri from Land Before Time. Hilarious every time. Lyla got a little bit of anxiety and needed some extra comfort. She had a flu bug recently after not throwing up for a REALLY long time and did not enjoy it. Nolan woke up enough to move and immediately crashed again with NO worries about Tornadoes. It was a crazy storm. I don't think I've ever seen that much consistent lightening/thunder in my life. It was sustained for at least an hour and a half. A tornado did touch down in the very flat towns about 45 mins away. Thankful for our hilly suburbs. 

Nolan's field trip from March was canceled and rescheduled for April. It was hotter, more humid and STILL rained. We wish they would have kept the original date. Tyler went with Nolan and had a really long day. Lots of crazy 5th graders and lots of walking. 

The food was very mediocre, but the fossils and archery were a hit! Only two days later, Nolan discovered that he DID in fact find some poison Ivy. Only a few small places, but still funny when he finally asked about it. Tyler had none, so he had NO idea where Nolan found some. 

Lots of things are coming up Nolan. The transition from 5th to 6th grade here is huge, so he is experiencing many lasts. He had his last PACE night. He project was about AI. We used it to make some photos and music to showcase how fun AI is, but that AI has things it can't do. 

That same night Grayson had a band concert and Lyla had a game. Thankful for friends who took videos so I could enjoy from home! Grayson's French horn section got section of the year! They are always on top of it and working hard! 

I was so sick I finally made some long overdue appointments. Nothing crazy popped up. I'm wondering if I have gastritis or an ulcer. Getting appointments for testing for that is a long and difficult process. I have some wonderful people in my circle that stepped up and really helped for the two weeks I was down. Lots of filmed games and concerts, rides and visits really helped me feel like it wasn't the end of the world. Special shout out to Tyler. He literally triple timed life. He was going to work all day, coming home to take kids everywhere, cook for more and take me to appointments when needed. Man he deserves a break. Good thing there isn't one in sight.... 

Until next time....