May 26--Dear Elder

Us at Miriam's Graduation.  No, I didn't style my hair that poofy, the wind did, ha ha.

Now it is Sunday.  It has been a wonderful week.  Why?  For one thing, the weather has been beautiful.  For another, we've been together lots as a family because it is the last week of school.  I love this time of year!

On Monday Miriam and I went to her college orientation.  I really enjoyed being with her.  We learned a lot of cool things the school has to offer, but as Miriam pointed out, she works so much that she will not be able to participate in much.  I really hope that she'll be able to juggle work and school.  She's swamped!  Dad had to attend graduation, so we didn't have much of a family home evening, but we were able to read a conference talk.

Tuesday after work and school I took Thomas in for an ultra sound because last fall the doctor at the children's hospital said that we needed to have him checked to make sure that his spleen is not enlarged before he plays any contact sports, and football is starting.  Thomas has been joking that he got an ultra sound to see if his spleen is a boy or a girl, ha ha. Anyway, it is not enlarged, so he gets to play football.  Tuesday night we went to the awards assembly at the junior high where Thomas received a gold presidential award for academic excellence signed by President Obama.  Awesome, right?

Tuesday or Wednesday at school, we took the kids out to the playground and watched the junior high kids run past on a 5K that most of them ran for fitness day.  Thomas was running it, and I was able to cheer him on as he ran past.  He ended up getting 21st place.  Wednesday was my last day of work till next school year.  Yay!  I got a card in the mail that asked if I wanted any work over the summer, and Dad kinda wondered if I should say yes, but I said no way.  I am not going to be away working while my kids are at home.  I can't wait to be with everyone this summer!

Anyway,  Wednesday afternoon, I ended up driving Thomas and Garred in to the water park for training, and Dad and Katrina went shooting.  She's been wanting him to take her shooting for awhile now.  Why?  Because she wanted to shoot her math work book now that it's all filled out and she doesn't need it any more.  Apparently her math teacher collects math books that various students have destroyed in creative ways at the end of each school year, and she wanted to add a target-shot math book to his collection, ha ha.  I am so glad she and Dad had a fun time together!   I stayed in town and shopped for camp stuff.  After that I drove Thomas and Garred back home, and we took Miriam out to dinner for graduation.  She chose to eat at PF Changs.  I loved their lettuce wraps! 

Thursday Thomas stayed home from school because the school went to the amusement park, and he went last week.  We went out for tacos together around noon.  It was my lunch and his breakfast, ha ha.  Then we checked out "That Thing You Do" from the Library and had fun watching it.  Later after Katrina got home, the kids and I drove into Miriam's work and dropped off a sandwich and her graduation robe.  She drove straight from work to graduation.  After that I went home and crashed.  I slept so hard, we almost missed Miriam's graduation!  Luckily Dad called and called until one of the lazy teenagers around here finally answered the phone.  The kids woke me up and we took off.  We got there about the same time Dad did and were not late, but Don, Renee, Becky, and Donny were late because they went to the high school thinking graduation was there.  They called us and we set them straight, and they weren't all that late.  We had a wonderful time cheering our graduate when she got her diploma.  We are so proud of her!  Afterwards we all went out with Don and Renee etc for Fro Yo.  

Friday was the last day of school.  Matt, I do not know what it is about the last day of school, but I love it!  I have such a sense of fun and freedom on that day that I look forward to it every year.  This year was no exception.  Thomas and Katrina went to school half-day and then had parties with friends.  After doing my morning work, I went out and shopped til I dropped.  There is a little thrift shop down town that is very picky about what clothes they sell, and their stuff is real nice.  I got a pair of jeans, a pair of capris, two pairs of sandals, and five shirts, all for $40.  I had so much fun.  After that, I got to Skype with Cassandra and Lily!  Could the day be any better? I submit that it could not.  Lily is so cute, and she is really talking well these days.  After that I went into the laundry to help Dad.  He is doing a big project and needed some help.  It is looking real good.  After that we went out to eat Mexican, and I got a tamale and some very yummy soup.  

While we were gone, Katrina came home from her party, but Thomas stayed at his.  He and the other guys walked all over town and then they walked all the way to the Hari Krishna place and toured the Hari temple.  A lady told them all about the religion and she was ready to convert Thomas on the spot because he understood their philosophy real well, ha ha.  It was a good experience for them.  After we ate, we drove home to take Thomas from that party to another party and then we went and got ice cream for us and Katrina.  Miriam worked way late, poor kid!

Yesterday we did our traditional Memorial Day grave visits.  Jon bought some beautiful mums for us at Costco.  We started by putting flowers on my cousin's graves--Michael and Amanda and Neisha.  Then we worked at the laundry for awhile.  The kids earned money cleaning and Dad and I worked more on his awning project.  Then we drove up to Grandpa's grave.  We stopped at the ski resort and ate at the Teryaki Grill.  It was delicious!  After putting flowers on Grandpa and Pauline's graves and her first husband's grave, we drove to Grandma's grave and put flowers there.  We said a prayer at Grandpa's grave, but forgot to at Grandma's.  I wanted to thank Heavenly Father as a family for the opportunity we had to take care of Grandma in our home before she passed away.  I hope we can remember to do that at family prayer tonight.

Miriam didn't go with us because she had to work, but by the time we were done, she was home, so we went and got her and then went to the park for a picnic.  Our neighbors, the Meltons were there, too, and we had fun visiting with Brother and Sister Melton while Thomas kicked a soccer ball around with the Melton girls.  It was a nice time.  After we got home, Dad went to try out his new metal detector in the basement of the laundry.  It's such an old building that he was hoping to find treasure in the dirt floor.  He asked Vic if he could do it and he promised Vic half of anything he found.  Vic is now thirteen and a half cents richer, ha ha.  I visited with our neighbors Kellie and Sylvia and then cleaned the house for Sunday.  Today I am substituting in nursery.  I don't have to give the kids the lesson, just be there and help out. I can't wait.  Too bad it's not Lily's nursery class!