two birthdays

We celebrated Grandmas 100th birthday in April.  It also served as a goodbye party because she is moving to St George.  I got a little teary watching Grandma sing , "You are My Sunshine,"  and "La Cucaracha."  I realized it may be the last time I see her and I am thankful for her.  Grandma is the only old person I know who seems nonplussed or bothered by little children.  I hope I inherit that trait more than any other.  Grandma gave all her great grand-daughters a porcelain doll.  Eliza was really happy with hers

Tony Lundberg also celebrated a birthday in April and turned 46.  The lovely woman in town who makes all the Stock Show pies kept one famous strawberry rhubarb hidden in her house just for Tony.  We feasted on pie all stock show weekend.  Tony got to celebrate in the most wonderful way.  His birthday was also our ward temple day and we filled the temple and grounds with youth adults and children.  We enjoyed lunch together and the feeling was really special.  After the temple we spent the afternoon at Cam and Jill's roasting hotdogs and playing games.  It was a perfect day.

happy easter

Easter is often my favorite holiday.  We usually host dinner for all the family and this year everything turned out so deliciously.  The ham and the lamb, the orange rolls  the potatoes and Kimberly's adorable chick cupcakes.  We are just about done with the Easter Bunny and I barely scraped together enough energy for the kids to decorate eggs and find Easter baskets.   I did really enjoy the spirit of Easter this year and feel like the messages in the Book of Mormon that we have studied particularly the ones in Third Nephi really helped me appreciate the Atonement of Jesus Christ this year.

May News

Eliza came home with a $5.00 ice cream coupon the other day.  Apparently she had stood up for a friend on the bus when some boys were teasing her.  I was really proud of Eliza, who doesn't always show much confidence.  I was also really proud to be in a school that rewards good behavior!

Wilson competed at the district track meet last week and in his words achieved his "PW"  or personal worst.  He was disappointed, but we were really happy with his participation and effort.

Cooper officially finished driver's ed on Friday and passed his final exam--barely.  He can't wait for the pool to open to try out his life-gaurding skills.

Maxwell has hit a home run every baseball game so far.  His goal is to finish the baseball season with the most home runs.  There aren't many things cuter than a 9 year old black boy in white baseball pants.  Max gave a talk today in primary on what it means to be baptized by fire.

Marcos spends a lot of time making paper dolls.  OK, they are not dolls, they are star wars clones, but same idea.  He will sit for hours drawing, coloring and cutting them.  I think the occupational therapist will be thrilled when she finds out.

Tony took kids out yesterday to the lake.  The boat is running well and the water was freezing, so everyone was happy.

The four oldest kids participated in the band concert last week.  I think that makes us an officially nerdy family.  We also finished the spring piano recital and seminary graduation.  Summer feels very close.

We are getting very excited for our church history trip in June.  Tony and I are most excited to go back to Nauvoo and Kirksville where we feel like our family began and where we had so many happy memories.  It will be pure torture for our kids which brings us an especially sick kind of joy.

Clean out

This weekend was a good lesson in the difference between fun and joy. Andrea and I drove to McMinnville on Friday night with six of our kids and spent the next 24 hours ignoring those kids and working our butts off. I haven't been that emotionally and physically tired in a long time. I have not felt that much joy in a long time.

Our goal (and prayer) was to pull out everything from James' closet and to finish tackling the pile of James' belongings from Pocatello. It was a daunting task that seemed impossible. 8 Boxes of hundreds and hundreds of CDs, piles of books, and boxes full of every paper, email and picture James ever wrote, read or referenced. The sheer volume of stuff was what was so physically taxing. We took at least two full van loads to the DI and shredded boxes full of documents. We got great arm workouts lifting bins and boxes all day!

What was so emotionally exhausting was going through the evidence of James' valiant struggle against mental illness. Every item was labeled, dated and catalogued in what appeared to me to be an attempt to put order into the chaos of his mind. Books, music, sticky notes, and articles all showed enormous intention and effort to be a better person and apply grace. I held tangible evidence of James's broken heart and pure motives.

His excessive collections and obsession with material possessions also seemed like evidence of the fear he must have lived with, fear that was both a result of his illness and his upbringing. His intricate labeling rituals seem like an effort to assert his identity, reality and maybe worth. Thinking about it breaks my heart. I trust that now that he is in the presence of the Savior and free of a broken brain, he can relax and fully comprehend his intrinsic value.

It was painful to relive some of the hard times Betsy has been through, but every time I started feeling pity for her trials, I remembered the incredible gifts that the atonement has offered her. Betsy has not missed out on anything and everything that seemed a loss has been and will continue to be compensated because of the power she accesses from making and keeping covenants.

I am going through my house again to see what I can get rid of. I wantto spend my time and effort on keeping covenants not keeping track of stuff. It is the gift James' has given me.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Womens confernce

A few weeks ago I was asked to teach a class in womens conference about simplicity. I like to teach and consider it one of my spiritual gifts but my initial reaction was to say no. I think people are pretty sick of hearing from me and a forum like womens conference exposes and exploits my weakness of seeking attention. Nevertheless, I went to the temple and agreed it the Lord would tell me what to say I would teach the class. The outline of the class came to me as clearly as a written page. The three principles of simplicity were: prioritize according to covenants, leave a margin to hear and heed the promptings of the Holy Ghost, and simplify (not streamline) by living the law of sacrifice. I have been really aware of my deficiencies in these areas and want to put these principles into practice. I had a pretty significant vulnerability hangover the morning after, but I am recovering.


- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Mother's Day

This was one of the least traumatic mothers days I've had yet. I did not shed tears of guilt and remorse or run away seething to Steptoe Butte as in years past. In part, it was because all my children attended church and kept their commitments. They even played nicely with each other for the most part. In part, it was because my sweet husband showed forethought and effort to make it a nice day. He planned a menu, made cookies for the ward moms and even bought a card! In part it was because we were joined by Mom and Dad. Every day I appreciate their parenting efforts more.

Eliza spent the afternoon with Mom making a roll cake. Eliza was happy to finally get the chance to try the cake out and Mom was more patient with her than I would have been.


We gave our Moms pearls this year.  Here are all the fancy ways we came up with to wear them.

Our Mother's Day bike ride had to be postponed, but Tony and I rode out to the lake on a beautiful surprise day off.

 Mom treated us to a delicious lunch at Europa for Mother's Day.  The food was good, and I love being surrounded by my sisters in law.  What a blessing to have sisters I love and admire so much.