MARCH BAYLES MADDNESS

We never show the mountains to the East of us.

March certainly came in like a lion.  We had a lot of snow to begin the month and are grateful for every flake.  

Beth and Tiffani were thrilled to take their children to Disneyland for a few days and to see Ava dance.  Tiffani went to hold Rowan.

 We moved the boat to our storage place for the rest of the year.  It is looking good.

When we left for the temple on Tuesday it was a warm 25 degrees.  It will warm up in July.

We had the family over for fast Sunday dinner. 

We had Clark’s, Erik’s and Ashley’s.  We love this time.  We even had enough room for all.  Little William is getting so independent and fun

and the older kids get along so well.  We are so blessed.  Before dinner Granddad had a meeting with the grands and invited them to have one day chosen to give up all technology.  He thought there might be some muttering but they thought it was a great idea.  They were excited about it.  Again, we are so blessed.  After dinner the big boys carried in salt for the softener, a 3 man tow toy for the boat and a power washer from the truck to where we wanted it stored.  We are so grateful that these boys are so willing to help us.  After dessert they cleared all the dishes and Clark’s family put a game, Code Name, on the table and we ALL played.  It was such a fun group game. 

We laughed and had so much fun.  Many can play.  After they all left we just sat there seeping in the joy of the time together.  Families are so important and so fun.  We can’t wait for summer when we are all here and can eat outside where there is more room

Erik and Shanelle have gutted their home and completely redoing the kitchen and floors.  It is going to be so beautiful, They are doing it themselves so we ran for some things they needed at IKEA and brought pizza back for their dinner.  Of course we found things we desperately needed in our home.

Wednesday, the 8^th. We left home at 2:45 for Kamas to watch Riley play soccer at 4:00.  Talk about snow.  At least they were able to get it off the field before the game. 

The school had snow piled as high as the roof in the front.  I’ve never in my life seen snow that high.  The game was fun and Riley played well.  They won 6-0.  We had to leave 5 minutes before it was over so we could make it to Parker’s choir concert.  He loves everything and made A capella choir for next year.  He’s only a sophomore so that’s great.  Their concerts are amazing and only last 1 hour.  The many students who accompanied the different choirs were beyond amazing.  It was a very talented event.  Parker loves everything, even girls.  After the concert we did our traditional trip for ice cream.  What fun to be with family again.

Thursday was our humanitarian day and we were able to complete 5 quilts for those in need.

 March 11^th was Molly’s birthday. 

She has grown into such a beautiful young lady.  She is so much fun to be with.  She loves her family and the restored gospel of Jesus Christ.  What more could grandparents want of their grands?    We have loved going to her ballgames this winter.  She’s quite the athlete.  What a special girl.

The other day when I was with Nixon, I told him he was so lucky to have the dad he did because his dad could do everything.  He looked at me for a minute and said, “He can’t feed Rowan!”   How true.

That same day we bought a pergola from Costco.  It will be beautiful when it is built.  Scott is going to help.  Erik, Scott’s family, Asher and Parker came over to unload it. 

 It was so heavy but in only 3 boxes. 

They also helped us take down the basket ball standard. 

Shanelle held Rowan.

 Erik would come again to help but his home remodeling is way too extensive.  They are working very hard on it and are going to have practically a new home.  We gave each family a gallon of chocolate milk, chicken fettuccine from Costco, a salad and later I took them homemade bread.  They certainly earned it.  We are so glad it was a nice day.  Ava and Nixon's sticks are done.

Monday the 13^th we left at 9:00 to go to my second blue light treatment.  They didn’t get all the precancer the first time. 

I had to stay in a dark room for 2 days.  Nixon came at 1 and helped Granddad fix our back gate that blew down in a fierce wind a few nights ago.  He loves to help. 

At 5 Scott, Beth, and Nixon came for tacos.  Beth had to leave so the males finished with the gate.  I got to hold Rowan all by myself with Beth and Ava gone.  Because the gate was down, Bob Martin’s humongous German Shepherd decided Nixon was a great play mate.  They had so much fun.  I think Scout was larger than Nixon.  Scott, Nixon and Rowan left at 7:30 ending a wonderful day.

On  St. Patrick’s Day Dad worked the evening shift at the temple so I went to Kolton’s  big concert.  I was blown away with the many performances.  It was the entire music department, including the steel drums.  There must have been 800 junior high students.  Kolton is in 8^th grade.  I was so entertained with it all.

Saturday Scott’s family came again. all but Ava and they worked on the pergola again.  It is going to be so fun. 

 reading the directions

tightening 

  major helper

the crew  The one in the middle is the hardest worker

Sunday the 19^th, was a great meeting on missionary work.  The speakers were so good and talked about how we must all help the work.  The restored gospel is so true and must go to all nations.  Lucile called and we took her to her home to be with her grandchildren as they packed up her home.  She has had 2 offers for it and has decided she will stay with the care center she is in.  She has the most beautiful attitude about everything.  She is a wonderful example of a woman of faith.

The best thing about Sunday was that Baylie turned 9. 

We still remember the day she came home.  David and Kristin lived with us then and when they drove into the driveway and saw the balloons and banner saying ‘It’s a girl!”  Kristin burst into tears.  She had waited so long to be a mother and now she was.  It was so exciting.  Baylie was such a beautiful baby.  When we would go shopping so many people would stop and just look at her.  She was a happy little soul.  She has grown into quite a lovely young lady and we love her.  She is so blessed to be in a family that loves her so much.  She is a beautiful child of our Heavenly Father.

March 22^nd, we traveled to Kamas for Riley’s soccer game.  It is always so cold there but they played well and won. 

intense fans

Little William Clark loves to pay with Jonny at the games.  Afterwards,  we had yummy homemade soup with the family.

buds

Thursday it rained all day so we didn’t get anything done we had planned.  We did feed the missionaries dinner.  It makes us feel like we are helping Hailey in some way.  Missionary work is so important and we love that Hailey is serving so well.

March 24^th is special because it is Cameron’s birthday.  He turned 14 and will be ordained a Teacher in the priesthood. 

His mother took him to Phoenix to see a Dodger spring training game.  Can’t get better than that.  They stayed with his grandma Camille.  Of course he stepped on a golf course.  He is such a fun young man an even plays the organ for church.  He will be going for state championship in the Nevada Geography Bowl on the 31^st.  Every Sunday he works to find names to go to the temple for his family.  He finds them too.  We wish him luck.  We love him so much and he's just fun to be around.

We pruned fruit trees all by ourselves; so proud.  Don’t know if it’s done right or not but it’s done.  We got dressed for the temple and then went to Riley’s soccer game.  It was cold but they won and Riley played very aggressively.  It was so fun because Erik and his family came also.  It’s  always fun when there’s family around. 

 such clowns

Dad's the tallest because he's on the top of a hill.  Riley beats them both.

As soon as the game was over we headed for the 6:40 session at the Provo temple.  We love the temple.  It was a day our ward chose to go.  It was extra special having members of our ward there.  It was such a large session that some of us had to sit on the men’s last row.  We love when it is that full.

Saturday I got up to find Granddad pruning the last tree so I hurried out and helped him.  We then pruned some of our roses. 

We love spring.

We were so tired by dinner time, we went out to eat.  The fun thing of the day was that we got a wedding invite for someone we didn’t know.  We thought and thought because the bride’s name sounded so familiar but the picture just didn’t look like anyone we knew.  I had taught a little one in third grade with that name but this young girl was so beautiful, tall and lovely.  The sweet little girl was wonderful and so cute and friendly to everyone.  I called a teacher I had taught with and she looked it up in her school phone book and sure enough it was the same precious child.  Dad looked it up in his Timpview books and sure enough it was a student he just loved because she was so full of spirit and kind to everyone.  When you get an announcement like that 17 years after she was in your class, it makes all those years worth every second.  It was 7 years for dad.  What a boost.

March 28^th our little Rowan turned 3 months old.  What a treasure she is, especially to that family.  She has so many smiles.

March 29^th we left for the airport as soon as Granddad was through serving at the temple.  We were so excited for this visit to Columbia and Kristin’s family then on to Myrtle Beach.  We arrived when  Baylie and Jalen were asleep.  They were so excited when morning came.  We met them for lunch at their school and so enjoyed being with them.  We checked them out and got smoothies at a new place.

We ran some errands,

the candy store

did homework,

and were all ready to go when David got home from school.  David is a good driver thank goodness because there were tornado warnings and the rain was horrendous.  He was fearless.  It was a 3 hour drive that turned into a longer one due to David’s careful driving.  We were so excited when we got to our beach house that a friend from their ward has.  The family grew up there and have about 5 houses they use often and always for family holidays.  They treated us like royalty. 

We had 4 bedrooms and screened in porch and even a golf cart.

 It took us 3 minutes to walk to the beach but they loaned us the cart in case we wanted to drive around town.  We could see a little of the beach from the porch because of big high rise motels and apartments being built in front of their house.  No problem.  We loved every second.  It was late but we still walked on the beach.  Baylie and Jalen were told to not get wet.  What parent ever says a thing like that?  Of course they got wet.  We all laughed.  We went to Fuddruckers for dinner and just had so much fun.

  We were so tired and the kids were thrilled to have their own bedrooms.  It was perfect.  Mark Giles had treated us like family. He and dad had much in common in that Mark played for LaVell at BYU.  Bethany knows the family because they own Southern Strutt, a great dance company. and have done things together. Mark was the only one there when we arrived.  He owns a home right across the street.

It was cold and windy the next day so we decided to go to Myrtle Beach and souvenir shop. 

The beach house is in North Myrtle Beach away from all the crowds.  The shops were fun and the beach was beautiful.  There was a walk all along the shops.  The kids had been there before so they knew of a candy store and just couldn't wait to get there.  Kristin misread the price so their candy was very pricey; Dad and I don’t eat much candy so we were very careful.  Our bill was much lower.  There was a beautiful Ferris wheel.  We just had to go on it because the kids had never been on one. 

view of the beach from Ferris wheel

While we were stopped on the top a man bungee jumped from a place net to us.  WOW!
After watching the high prices we decided to go back to North Myrtle 
beach.  Their shops were so fun.

We bought some whirly gigs for the garden.
We had a great time and when we got back to the beach house we decided to hit the beach again. 

It was a little late so again David told the kids not to get wet because he didn’t want to deal with a lot of sand.  We laughed our heads off.  Of course they got soaked.  What are beaches for?  We ate at a pizza place called Kings.  It was very yummy and we were very hungry.  Again we walked on the beach as the sun went down.  What a restful evening and day.  This was a dream 
trip.

To learn about the next few days stay tuned to April’s blog.  We may even get it done before the end of April.