The Search Begins

Buying a House, Part II - continued from The E-mail That Changed My Life

The day I had received the rate increase e-mail, I was shocked to find an adorable short-sale home in a very low price point that would make the mortgage payment cheaper than what we were paying in rent.  The house was a cute little West Jordan multi-level.  It was an area that I was familiar with and felt excited about.  It was even blue-gray stone, which has always been dream of mine.  I posted comments on Facebook and my mother-in-law laughed at the undeniable excitement I was obviously experiencing as she and I messaged back and forth.  It was kind of a first for me as I tend to be much more stoic in my personality, and enthusiasm is often difficult if not impossible to detect in me.

My emotions were all over the place that day as I wondered if this would be an option, convinced myself it really wasn't, and then dared to hope again.  We decided that the best place to start would be checking with the bank to get pre-qualified and find a real estate agent.

My husband has worked enough sales based jobs to be loyal to any and all friends he knows in commission based industries.  We immediately contacted our favorite credit union for a pre-qual, and an old friend to be our agent.  Our friend was on vacation, so we called on that first house ourselves and learned that is was already spoken for.  We had good correspondence with our friend even while he was on our trip, which we really appreciated, and he let us know when he would be home.  We started to feel, however, that we needed to go with a different agent.  We ignored that feeling for a few days, genuinely wanting to give our friend the business.  But when he had been home a few days and we hadn't heard back from him, we finally felt that perhaps he wasn't interested in working with us.  (We were a LOW price bracket, so the commissions could seem like pocket change compared to a bigger deal.)  We contacted a different agent and got things going.  (In the end, our friend DID call us back and we felt REALLY bad about going with someone else, but he was really nice about it.  And we genuinely felt like we needed to go with this other agent.)

The night before we met with the agent, Andrew kind of freaked out.  He doesn't like the unknown, and he just didn't know what to expect.  I wondered if we were ready for this step if just the idea of talking to an agent caused so much anxiety.  But really, he was fine.  The next morning we met Terry Bickmore out in South Jordan and he asked us what we wanted in a house.

We explained that we were looking to buy a short sale.  He explained all the negatives of a short-sale including false prices and unreliable time-frames.  We didn't really care.  We hadn't planned on going anywhere for more than a year, and we could hold out for a good deal.  He suggested that we make non-short sales priorities in our search, but agreed to take us to see anything we wanted to look at.

And then the search began.  We looked, and looked, and looked.  Andrew fell in love with the first house we saw.  The one with a completely unusable backyard and no where to grill.  (Yeah, like he was really going to be happy with that!)  He basically looked at all the houses we saw the first day (a good dozen or more) and just decided on the least terrible one.  After talking through it he realized that none of them were worthy of an offer and my impulse buyer decided we would need to schedule another day of looking.

We went out with Terry three different time literally scouring everything that was available in our price point.  We began to think that maybe it wasn't going to work out for us after all, and actually, that was OK because we were happy where we were.  So we settled down, having seen everything that was already out there, and just began watching the new listings trickle in.

To be continued in The Perfect House

The E-mail That Changed My Life

Buying a House, Part 1

It started on a whim when I received an announcement in my e-mail informing me that our rent was going to be raised 5.75%  An increase that high just seemed ridiculous to me and I sarcastically determined that it was time to buy a house.  

In ten years of marriage, we have never felt ready to "settle down" and make a commitment to one place.  And why would we?  We went through employments that would keep us in Utah forever to employments that would never allow us to be in Utah again, and then we landed back in Utah.  We went through multiple phases of "student life" not sure where we would go next.  And that's what we were in the middle of.  Still living the student life in a place that we loved being.  

We moved to the U because we were prompted to do so.  I tried to fight it.  Seriously, I did.  I fasted and prayed for the answer to change.  But it didn't.  It was strong and clear, and as much as I wanted to ignore it, Andrew and I both knew we couldn't.  We knew we needed to go to U of U Married Student Housing.  

The timing was ironic.  We went to Andrew's graduation from the U and stopped in to see our new apartment on the way.  I told Andrew that I wouldn't be able to help him move because I would be spending the day crying.  The apartment seemed like a dungeon to me.  The ceilings seemed low, the carpet terrible (like the carpet between the doors at the grocery store and with no carpet pad), and the walls were made of cinder-block.  (Would I even be able to decorate???)

True to my word, I avoided the scene of the move in which took place June 30, 2010.  But oddly, I didn't cry.  We made the best of things and I quickly realized that I wasn't in a dungeon, I was in a fishbowl!  We had HUGE windows in every room and were on the ground level next to the mail box.  But somehow, despite living in a very conspicuous feeling fishbowl dungeon, we LOVED it there.

Having Ammon start his second elementary school in two years, I told Andrew that we needed to be there at least two years because my child deserved some level of stability.  I wasn't going to have Ammon go to three different schools in three years!  So the plan was to spend a minimum of two years at the U with the more likely possibility of being there for three.

And as it turned out, Heavenly Father knows SOOO much more than we do.  I thought I would hate life there because the apartment was terrible.  But it actually wasn't as bad as I envisioned.  One of our friends who helped us move in actually commented that the floor plan was better than his first home.  He was really impressed with the apartment.  His comments gave me new eyes with which to see the home that had been forced upon me through revelation.

And life there was great.  We had four buildings that opened up into a courtyard.  These four buildings comprised our ward (congregation) and living in such close quarters meant immediate belonging, friendships and comfort with one another.  It was a place that was warm and inviting.  By virtue of living there, you were a part of the group and immediately had an amazing base of friends.  I met so many wonderful, unique and amazing people that I will always remember and admire throughout my life.  I feel so lucky to have been a part of that ever-evolving ward!

So here we were, one year and ten months into our "at minimum" two year stay.  Things were changing; close friends were moving.  And defying all reality, we were feeling that our time there was over.  But the year started with months of unemployment - we were maybe four weeks into a new job after about ten weeks of no job.  Change did not seem to be coming in the foreseeable future, despite the strong sense that it was time for us to move on.  And so it is, with that background in mind, that I began looking at houses in jest; an angry and bitter response to the rate increase.

In the end, a recently released counselor to our Stake Presidency heard of the plight of the married students and also happened to sit on the board of trustees.  He went to bat for us, and the extreme rate increase was deemed unjust and bordering on illegal.  The increase was adjusted to be the standard cost of living increase and was made to take effect beginning July 1.  Everyone could relax - no need to be upset anymore.  Life at the U would continue as planned.

But the wheels had already been set in motion.  Andrew has said with amazement that the e-mail sent out that day was purely for our benefit.  Had we not had that knee-jerk reaction to the e-mail, we would likely still be there.  That frustrating little e-mail full of upsetting and discouraging news is what very suddenly and unexpectedly began our house search and encouraged us to take the seemingly impossible next step in life.

To be continued in The Search Begins

Bear Lake 2012

We enjoyed our annual Nunes family Bear Lake trip.

We met up in Logan so we could all enjoy the Aggie Ice Cream together.

The kids rode with Grandma in her motor home from Logan to Garden City.

As soon as everyone made it to the camp site, we headed straight to the lake.

I  love the smiles I see on my boys every year when they play in the water.

We spent our evening playing in the lake, eating dinner and then swimming at the resort pool.

Several of us stayed in condos instead of camping.

Andrew and I hosted breakfast (biscuits and gravy) and then we headed to the cave.

The top of the mountain was SWARMING with butterflies.

The kids LOVED it.

Each one of them was able to capture and hold a butterfly.

The cave was fun.

This was the first year we took Peter to it.

He was a trooper and climbed every inch of stairs and walked the entire way on his own.

Ammon and Carolyn were little shadows to the tour guide.

They spent the entire time at the front of the group.

After the cave tour was done, we split up.

Andrew and Katy rode 22 miles from the top of the mountain down to Garden City.

Jeremiah and I took the kids swimming.

Andrew joined the boys in the pool once he returned from his bike ride.

On our third and final day at Bear Lake we got a boat.

Ammon, Carolyn and I biked from the condos to the lake.

We stopped for Shave Ice and were running late.

Grandma Laurel came and picked up Carolyn and Ammon so they wouldn't miss the boat.

I biked the rest of the way, and missed the first boat trip.

The boat came back for me, though, and I was able to join the adventurous trip.

The battery died while we were smack dab in the middle of Bear Lake.

Fortunately, we had cell phone service!

We called the main desk and they sent out a rescue boat.

I think it must happen a lot because he just immediately jumped the boat without trying to figure out anything else.

After the boat ride people started heading home.

The only ones left were my parents and my family.

We had one final activity walking down the boardwalk together.

Then we all headed for more Shave Ice.

We usually bike to milk shakes and I think Andrew hated the Shave Ice replacing that tradition.

But Ammon enjoyed the Shave Ice this year.

He had three, in total.

(So did I!)

It was yet another successful year at Bear Lake.

Can't wait for 2013!

The Joys of June Part 2

I tired to get all of my June pictures in one post.

When I was done I realized I missed a TON of pictures.

So here we go again.

My mother-in-law and I hung out with Rosie's four older siblings the day after she was born.

Peggy came prepared with some fun science experiments for the kids.

They had fun!

We surprised my Grandma with a party in her honor the day before her birthday.

All of my parents grandchildren were there.

The kids just love knowing their great-grandma!

It was fun to celebrate with her.

Uncle Dan let all the kids try out his motorcycle helmet after the party.

Peter didn't want to get on the bike - he just wore the helmet.

The Joys of June

June was a fun and busy month.

It brought us a lot of change.

Ammon finished 2nd grade.

We said goodbye to Bishop Hansen and welcomed Bishop Sperry

We went to Bear Lake.

I was released as Relief Society President.

We MOVED!

The month started with a Shadel family BBQ.

While we were all together, we sang Happy Birthday to my mother-in-law. 

The next weekend was Peggy and Derrick's anniversary.

Derrick competed in a triathlon that morning so we went to cheer him in.

We spent the rest of the day enjoying time with just the four of us.

We enjoyed time at the park, went to the dollar movie, and enjoyed dinner out.

One summer day was filled with a bunch of neighbor boys playing games at our house.

We're going to miss all the great friends we left behind.

We spent another fun day at the Splash pad.

We are excited to be closer to it and expect to spend many July days there as well.

Carolyn and Kylie competed in their own triathlon.

We went to cheer them on and it's a good thing, too.

When Katy got to the race, she found that Carolyn's tire wasn't working right.

Fortunately Andrew was able to get there just in time to save the day.

Carolyn and Kylie both did a great job in their race.

We are hoping to get Ammon's swimming up to snuff so he can start racing too.

For some reason I am missing pictures of Grandma's birthday.
We were able to throw her a nice party and had fun celebrating her life.

Speaking of lives to celebrate, I got to meet my new niece.
Some of you may remember me posting an Ultra-Sound on April FOOL's day.
This is the sweet little girl who was born to the OTHER Jennifer Shadel.
She is completely precious.

Andrew opted to spend Father's Day grilling for HIS father.

After church we headed to Peggy and Derrick's house.

We had a great visit and yummy food.

And of course - we spent much of June dreaming of our new house.

Looking back at these pictures now, I can tell you I like it even better with our own stuff in it.

We are still completely exhausted from the transition and still settling in, but we love our new home!

A Motorcycle and a Mine in May

My sweet sister-in-law lost her Grandmother in late May.

As long as we in the South Jordan area for the funeral, we made a day of it.

We met my brother Dan at the park and had a great time hanging out.

He brought his motorcycle and gave Andrew some riding lessons.

And of course, the kids had a great time with him on the playground!

May was also the month to go to the Copper Mine for free.

Neither of my boys had been before.

Unfortunately, it was a cold and windy day.

But we still had a good time.

Grandma went  into the Visitor Center ahead of me.

Ammon and Peter were with her.

By the time I got into the building, they had gone into the movie.

So we kind of visited the museum in shifts.

When they got out of the movie, she entertained them with the displays while the rest of us watched the show.

Turning 92

Pictures taken May 19, 2012

My Grandpa turned 92 and Grandma threw him a big party.

She worked hard to make his day special.

Andy and I went over early to help her get ready.

I was exhausted just watching everything she did to make the day as perfect as possible.

At one point, we had a chance to just sit down and rest.

She started to think back to some of the other birthday memories she had created for him.

One of her favorites was an old memory - from more than two decades ago.

It was his 70th birthday party.

I was so impressed by that.

Life keeps going.

It 's never too late to make great memories.

It 's never too late to learn.

I feel so blessed to have Grandma and Grandpa in my life.

I still have lots of lessons to learn and am thankful for the ones they teach me.

Solar Eclipse

Pictures taken May 20, 2012

We were invited to Peggy and Derrick's eclipse party.

They invited all the neighbors.

The telescope was all set up and we got there just in time to see the eclipse start.

Then it clouded over.

We still had fun hanging out in the street.

The clouds cleared a time or two for more viewing opportunities.

It was a fun way to spend a Sunday evening.

Last Day of School

Peter has had two years of preschool and loved them both.

This year was especially fun because he had a close friend in class with him.

On the last day of school they had an art show.

He also came home with TONS of prizes he scrambled to get from a pinata.

After school we at graduation cupcakes to celebrate.

The next day he was already bored.

Peter LOVES learning and playing.

He can't wait for Kindergarten!

Personal Best

Pictures taken May 12, 2012

Andrew kicked off the 2012 triathlon season competing in his 10th tri.,

Andy is a triathlete recruiter.

He raced with his Dad, who has been with him from the beginning, his friend Spencer who was racing for the second time, and his friend Alberto who was new to the sport.

This was his best race yet.

And, as always, he had a blast!

Mother's Day Pictures

Pictures taken May 8, 2012

My Grandma has us all keep wish lists around for birthdays and holidays.

With Mother's Day coming up we checked my mom's list and saw she wanted updated pictures of the grandchildren.

Easy enough.

I decided to take the easy way out and delegate the responsibilities.

I asked Katy to arrange for a photographer.

I asked Krista to plan our outfits.

And I said I would do my best to show up...

Katy and Krista did awesome.

Katy found an old friend of ours who was running a steal of a deal.

Krista gave us great color suggestions to keep in mind while we shopped for coordinating outfits.

We went to DayBreak Lake to take the pictures.

Mom also needed an updated picture of my brother.

This meant that the kids got to have fun with Uncle Danny in between photo ops.

All of this just happened to take place on Carolyn's birthday.

So after the pictures were done we played at the playground and ate cupcakes.

It was a fun night.

Date Night

Pictures taken May 5, 2012

As soon as we had a second car again we started doing date night with the boys.

Each parent had one date with each boy every month.

It was lots of fun - for that first month.

Then Andrew's schedule changed and he's working nights.

We haven't really gotten the date routine back into the schedule very well at this point.

But on this particular Saturday night Peter's soccer league was attending the Salt Lake Real game.

So we made it our date night.

Peter and Andy had lots of fun.

Their previous date night together had involved Red Mango.

Peter was dying to go back.

He even made up a song about it.

They went to the soccer game where the kids were able to walk out onto the field.

Cousins Isaiah and Michael are in the same league as him and were there as well.

The parents had to wait somewhere else.

Andy never saw Peter down on the field, but figured he must be in that swarm of children.

Turned out he was wrong,

Peter was tired and cold and had opted to sit it out.

At half time they came home.

We thought Peter was just having a hard time staying up past bedtime - he's like that.

The next morning he woke up throwing up.

He had a terrible 24 hour bug that just hit him hard right after he got to the game.

Luckily it passed quickly and it's just funny to look back on these pictures and see how he started out so cheerfully and then slowly digressed throughout the night.

Ammon also wanted a repeat of our previous date.

He has had his heart set on Jamba Juice.

I really want these kids to branch out and try different things.

But they are just like their parents.

They like to stick with the tried and true.

It worked out well for that night and I enjoyed Ammon's company.

He loves sitting in the front seat of our new car.

The airbag turns off, so it's safe for him.

But he only gets to sit there on date night.

It's so fun to be able to have him right next to me while I drive.

It makes conversation easier and more enjoyable.

I love getting to spend time individually with my boys.

Hopefully there will be many more date nights to come!

Grandma Lynn's Birthday

Pictures taken May 6, 2012

We had a fun time celebrating my mom's birthday this year.

The weather was slightly cooler than we would have liked, but we enjoyed a great family gathering.

I love my family.

My mom created this great group and has given me an amazing legacy of love and service to try to live up to.

I try my best and hope to live up to her example.

The best thing is - I think I'm on the right track.

 But only because of what she taught me.

Happy Birthday, Mom!

From Father to Son

For some reason, watching Andrew teach our son to mow the lawn really touched me.

It was a beautiful afternoon.

The weather was perfect.

Ammon was blissfully happy learning to operate the lawn mower.

And I felt extremely blessed to have such a wonderful family.

My little boy is growing up.

But that's OK because he has a wonderful Dad to help him learn how to become a man.

And at eight years old one of the best lessons in manhood is learning how to mow the lawn.

Peggy's Graduation

Pictures taken May 3, 2012

A few years ago, my one week old nephew was in the hospital having surgery on his brain.

My mother-in-law spent some time with her daughter and grandson while they stayed at the hospital.

After that experience, my father-in-law suggested to his wife that she return to her nursing roots.

She had been a nurse in a former life - the one before having children.

Over the years she had done a lot of amazing and impressive things.
One of her many successes was raising her children into adulthood.
They were all married and having families of their own now.

The time was right, the promptings were there - both tangibly by her husband, and spiritually.

So she did it!
She returned to nursing school.

She spent a year working on the pre-requisites while winding down her existing business.

She was admitted into the very competitive nursing program at the U.

And she worked.

She worked and worked and worked and worked to learn everything she could and keep her grades high.

And finally, two years later, the pay off came!

She is still finishing her final semester over the summer, but there's no doubt she'll get it done.

She has been an amazing example.

Congratulations, Peggy!

Happy Graduation!

Peter's Birthday

Pictures taken throughout April, 2012

Peter was able to have several different celebrations for his 5th birthday.

One things that he looked forward to and included in  his prayers for weeks was his special lunch with Gramma Peggy.

She took him to Red Robbin, and then to the store to buy the toy of his choice.

Weeks earlier he had decided to "save all his nickels" to earn enough for a double-sided light saber.

It was amazing to him that Gramma would buy it for his birthday.

This countdown was bigger than Christmas!

They had a great time together.

I love the picture of him just gazing up at her with those adoring eyes.

The Saturday after his birthday was his first day of soccer.

That made it difficult to have a birthday party with our neighbors and friends.

But we were able to gather together the extended family on my side and they helped us celebrate.

He had fun opening presents and eating more cupcakes!

Towards the end of the month, we signed Peter up for Kindergarten.

He was able to ride the bus home with Ammon.

It was so precious to see those boys walking home from the bus side by side.

They (along with their handsome dad) are my greatest treasures!

It's hard to believe that my baby boy is already five years old.

He's an amazing kid.

He loves to run and always has tons of energy.

He still has funny anxieties that are just so typical of who he is.

He is smart and social.

He craves attention and gifts.

He adores his big brother, but is also confident on his own.

I can't  imagine life without my "little" Peter Joseph.

(Who really isn't that little anymore...)

Cookie Chaser 2K/5K

Pictures taken April 28, 2012

A few years ago Peggy invited Ammon and Michael to run this 2K race with her.

This year Peter and Sophia were old enough to join the fun.

In the past it conflicted with a triathlon Andrew and Derrick liked to do.

But this year the conflict didn't happen.

Peggy and Derrick ran the 2K with the Grandchildren.

Afterwards, Peggy Derrick, Andrew and I did the 5K.

Of my two boys, Peter is definitely the happier runner.

But coming up the final stretch Ammon decided he couldn't be beat by his little brother.

He sprinted ahead and came in before Peter.

That said, Peter was the only one of the four children to place in his age group.

He got a medal for 3rd place!

We also won lots of girl scout cookies!

After the race, the four of us went to Village Inn for breakfast.

Then we went to Peter's soccer game where he ran even more.

2nd Grade Concert

Ammon spent two years at Indian Hills Elementary.

It has been a wonderful school.

For the second grade program they were "habitat hero's".

They sang all about taking care of the earth and the animals.

It was fun to see Ammon.

He is a very deliberate child.

Where it was intended for children to get into the music and sometimes dance, he would take it very seriously and work very hard to get the steps "right".

As always, he interacts with the world more through thinking (or over-thinking) than just by being.

I also spent this whole night thinking about how much Ammon reminds me of my brother David.

I came away thinking it must be in his expressions.

I have been seeing glimpses of David in Ammon for a few years now.

But no one else really does.

Seeing him on stage, with certain looks on his face and reactions to things, I thought that was it.

But looking at these pictures now, I see David in that profile shot.

I am always bursting with pride at my sweet Ammon boy.

I love him so very much!

Neighborhood Olympics

Pictures taken April 20, 2012

One of the best decisions we ever made was to move to the married student housing at the U.

It has been a wonderful place to live.

We've been surrounded by amazing friends and neighbors.

The kids have been spoiled with easy access to fun activities and lots of playmates.

One of our fun activities was the Olympics.

Both Ammon and Peter participated in the potato sack races for their age groups.

Peter had fun with the hula hoop, too.

I think we will always treasure the time we spent here.

Scout Advancements and Awards

April 18, 2012

One evening while Andrew was working, Peter and I went to Scout's with Ammon.

He had earned all sorts of awards and was even advanced to the rank of Wolf.

We were super proud of him and I was sad that Andy couldn't be there.

Even though I get a "mother's pin", it is really the dad in this house that makes scout's happen.

We were so excited to tell Andrew about Ammon's achievements.

We were surprised to find that Andrew was upset by the news.

Knowing much more about scout's than I do, Andrew knew there were several at home requirements that we hadn't worked on with Ammon.

While he didn't want to take Ammon's sense of success away, he also wanted to make sure Ammon felt pride in working for his rank.

This was an experience I hope Ammon always remembers.

After fretting over it for a good time, striving so earnestly to do the right thing, Andrew sat down with Ammon to have a talk.

Andrew explained that Ammon hadn't done anything wrong.

He hadn't been deceitful in obtaining his rank.

But we also showed him that there were things we still needed to do before it was truly earned.

We had recently asked Ammon to read a children's book about integrity.

Drawing on that, he understood the concept and agreed that he wanted to have integrity with his rank.

And so despite having the badge in hand, Andy and Ammon went to work on meeting the remaining wolf requirements.

I couldn't be more proud of both of them!

The Red Dragons

Pictures taken April 14, 2012

My sister organized a fun little soccer team that included Peter and two of his cousins.

A third cousin was invited to join but opted against it.

Peter LOVES soccer.

He played last fall and was thrilled to be back in the action for Spring.

Peter's team, the Red Dragon's is very young and inexperienced for their league.

They are playing against kids as much as 2 years older than them.

Peter was the first member of his team to make a goal.

It was such an exciting moment!

He kicked and down the field and into the net.

Immediately cheers erupted on the field and off.

His arms both shot straight up in the air to signify victory.

And then - the sweetest thing.

In his glorious delight, he ran straight to me and gave me a high five.

I was so excited to share in the moment.

Sadly, Andrew was at the temple with the Elder's Quorum, so he missed it.

But Peter was happy to tell the story over and over again to all who would listen.

I love seeing the way his face lights up when he's out on the field.

5 for 5!

Pictures taken April 12, 2012

Every time I asked Peter what he wanted to do for his birthday, he had a different plan.

So, despite my best intentions, we went another year without a well-planned party.

But of course we woke up the morning of his birthday and wanted to celebrate.

We picked out his favorite cupcakes from the store and invited several of his friends to come share them with us.

I realized that five year olds don't need you to plan games and activities.

These boys spent hours just running around, playing, and having fun!

Chili's

Pictures taken April 10, 2012

My brother is a waiter at Chili's.

They often have coupons for kids to eat for free.

When they do, my sister and I like to take our kids there.

A lot of time Dan is our waiter.

This time he actually came in on his day off work and ate with us.

We had lots of fun.

The kids got balloons, loved their meals and then dog-piled on Danny when it was all done.

Sadly, this is where Ammon lost his pocket knife.

But other than that, it was a great night!

Natural History Museum (II)

Pictures taken April 9, 2012

My sister arranged for the family to go to the Natural History Museum together.

As it turned out, several family members weren't able to make it at the last minute.

But we had fun with my mom, my sister and her kids (including two extra foster kids) and us.

On this trip I was really struck with Ammon's love for learning.

He is so at home in a museum where there is so much to see and discover.

Peter had fun too, and enjoys the hands on exhibits.

It was a great outing.

(And did I mention we went for free?  My sister always finds the best deals.)

Easter

Pictures taken April 8, 2012

Easter morning was filled with fun family time.

The Easter Bunny thought Ammon was getting old enough for some trickier hiding places.

But it's true what they say - people don't look UP.

He had a hard time finding some of the eggs that were put up high.

It was fun.

Peter was excited to get a compass - he'd been asking for one.

Andrew was excited to give Ammon his first pocket knife.

Both presents turned out to be a disaster.

Peter broke his compass at my parents house later that evening.

My mom happened to have another one she was planning to give him.

He broke that one too.

The next day or so we went out to dinner.

Ammon left his knife in the restaurant and we never saw it again.

So basically, Easter had some awesome gifts, but ultimately, they were both a bust.

After church my Grandma hosted a dinner at my parents house.

I was relieved since I had been so busy the previous week I hadn't planned any food.

My brother David came with his wife.

It's always fun to see my brothers.

The kids always climb all over them!

It was a fun holiday!