A Really (ReALLy) Good Week

Zu eating her first homemade cotton candy--a little pillow of heaven.

The last 7 days have been some of the most fun days. And it's not that we went on a big vacation or anything; it was just a week filled with those daily things that make life feel SO WORTH it.

--It began with our family attending a fundraiser at church where they auctioned off baked goods and services, and we won some awesome things: weekly drum lessons for Jr. for a month; an incredible chocolate ganache bundt cake that was SO good; a care package for Elder Meehan; and a lot of other baked goods. We also auctioned off some items: lawn mowing, made-to-order toddler bubble skirts, and 6 weeks of bread. It was a great night and they raised a lot of money, so that felt good. (PS: I got to be the auctioneer, a job I think I might enjoy in real life.)

Here are some of the family pix from that night. The kids had my phone, so I am not fully sure what was happening in these.

Papaya and Bam.

Papaya, Bam and face-painted Zu.

Papaya.

Bam and her friend--at the auction before a church dance.

--The next day was Mother's Day, and that was special because I love my mom so much. AND because we were able to Skype with Elder Meehan for 50 minutes! We actually SAW him speaking and heard his voice. Ahhhh HEAVEN!

(Mother's Day was also special because we have 5 really special moms in our lives who helped make me a mom--when we were able to adopt the kiddos. So Mother's Day was just plain AWESOME. Love you La, Candace, Melissa, Amy and Ruby!)

2014 Family Photo: taken on Mother's Day, skyping with Elder Meehan.

Our friends, the Stephensons, came by to see and say hi to Elder Meehan, too. Technology is amazing. (We had friends skype with their missionaries in Ghana, Chile, and Germany!)

Let the skyping begin!

The church auction chocolate cake and the dinner we made for Mother's Day.
In the crockpot!
(Beef Bourguignon) 

After Mother's Day dinner, Jr. relaxed. In a horse mask.

--On Monday Dave set it up so that we could go and do Family History/Tree work with a neighbor who is amazing. It was fun and even funny. We each had some family names to plug into the LDS Family Search website. It's pretty amazing. Dave was able to track a lot of family members using the records there online. I was floored. After that night, he was so excited, he called his mom and got some family history updates from her. The most incredible: the travel records for his Great Grandpa as he arrived in New York from England. She had the actual copy of the record attached in an email. And what is even more nuts ... his G-Gpa arrived in NY the day the Titanic hit the iceberg. (And there's a big story around this, too. Incredible.)

(And I'm just gonna throw this out there, whether you are Mormon or not, the LDS church has phenomenal family history search capabilities. Check it out.)

--During the week we had our usual work, school, early morning seminary for the high schoolers (religious instruction M-Th BEFORE school), and a few visits with neighbors and friends. Oh, and Zu and Lu tended for their favorite neighbors N and C. And Libby, their mom decided to have them help her at the new Aquarium for their job this week. SO ... they were able to earn money and go to the brand new HUGE Living Planet Aquarium. Woo hoo!

--Lu used the babysitting money she earned to buy a Cotton Candy machine (Ahem: which I discouraged because I thought it would break or be a waste of her money--but wow, was I wrong. It is great!). I'm convinced, the cotton candy machine ranks up there with the chocolate fountain.

She saved her money and ordered it online. And it came really quickly. She was so excited.

It's so good: pure sugar.

It makes small amounts, but that's good by me. Less sugar = less Crazy Town. LOL.

Just as we began making the first one.

--I made a lot of bread this week--and even sold some (which is kinda fun). So I used this week's "profits" to buy some peonies (my favorite flower). They remind me of tissue paper and I love them. Well, as much as you can love something that doesn't love you back. LOL!

--Papaya went on a type outdoor adventure thingy for school where she was able to scale a mountainside. It looked like a Survivor challenge or reward. I can't believe she did that; wait a minute, yes I can.

Silly Papaya. I have to post the photos from her excursion/trip.

--Jr. made a cool crayola art missile in art class.

The crayola missile.

--I recovered a pillow for our porch--because Zu let me borrow her sewing machine. (True story.)

After a long winter, I need bright colors everywhere.

--And we were able to hear from Elder Meehan via snail mail and learn more about his new service area, Bloomington, Indiana. It sounds like a beautiful city/area. Much different than where he had been serving. It's a larger area, less urban. They have to travel pretty far to make appointments, etc. But so far he is loving the change. And his is paired with another missionary he knows from the Missionary Training Center, so that's a blessing. They both began their missions on the same day. 

Looking at these photos makes me think how important it is for us to see different parts of the world--and also how valuable a mission is for everyone who serves. Elder Meehan has learned so much and been treated so well. He told us in his last letter "Two years isn't long enough. I love it." It's pretty profound when I think about it. 

This was his last day in Indianapolis--with the R family. This is the family who really tended to him and treated him like a son there. Brother R had massive heart surgery in December. This was his first day back at work, just before Elder Meehan was transferred to Bloomington.

Bloomington.

His new area. On Mother's Day he showed us how the deck ROCKS. Ruh-oh.

Bloomington.

Bloomington.

Elder Meehan in Bloomington, with some color changes on the photo (I think he did this.)

Indiana blue skies and puffy clouds.

Service day in Indianapolis. Before he was transferred.

--I should also mention that there were some low points to the week. a) Whitney the cat, aka "City Kitty," ate 3 different mice and birds this week, so we held 3 impromptu funerals (Whitney did not attend). b) I ate myself into a sugar coma on Mother's Day--which means my ONE pair of jeans are nearly too tight to wear. (Not complaining--grateful for food. Jussayin', pushing max density here.). c) We went to feed the ducks at the lake near our home and there are new geese there--with their baby geese. Like a lot of them (30?). And unlike the ducks we are used to feeding, these ducks HISS at you like a snake when you offer them breadcrumbs. 

City Kitty on the prowl.

Geese with their babies.