Archeologist Dig

Andy is my favorite male on the planet!  I'm so grateful every day to be married to him.  Most days I wonder if he spends a great deal of his time rolling his eyes at me and wondering how I come up with some of my thoughts and actions but . . . he is extremely patient.  He is involved in so many different things I'm sure he really doesn't have much time to focus on me and my nuttiness.  Currently, I think if you could watch his mind work it would not pause.  In a moments time he thinks about softball -- Taylei's team, the players, the fundraising, the tournaments and how to help Taylei improve.  While he worries about Taylei improving his mind will move to how to help Keanna.  After, he will think about Kyler and what kind of team he can put him on that will match his skill.  The word skill will direct his thoughts to "skill saw" and all of the work that needs to be accomplished for our addition.  The interior walls need to be built.  The sheeting on the outside needs to be nailed off.  As his mind scans the house he will notice the lines which need to be moved to help the brick .  One of the lines will be for our irrigation and then he will remember the pipes he needs to fix so the lines which were dug out will function again.  His thoughts will be on summer and he will begin to think about the summer activity which needs to be planned for the youth of our stake, that maybe he should get our barn cleaned out so a genuine "barn dance" can be held.  He'll think for a minute and his thoughts will begin to question how many times Taylei can pitch a softball at the barn before she weakens it enough to throw a ball clear through.  And, now the thought process has gone full circle, right back to softball.  It all sounds just like a "If you give a mouse a muffin" book.  Andy always complains that when I'm pregnant I don't talk to him for 9 months.  I found out just what this was like last year while he focused on Taylei's softball team - 90% (just a wee exaggeration) of the words he spoke to me were softball related - strategy, tournaments, players or pitching.   One of the many things on Andy's plate is being a board member for Family First Federal Credit Union.  He is starting his 5th year and for their annual meeting they got discount tickets to the dinosaur museum at Thanksgiving Point.  This is the third year they have done this.  Our children have it all figured out.  They walk through the museum as quickly as possible so they can get to the water and sand.  The first year it took us quite a while to get to this point - the museum is interactive the whole way and they tried it all.  Now, they know where their favorite things are and b-line to them.  (Where did the saying b-line originate?)  Back to the real story here - Andy is amazing, so glad to have him for eternity.  I just hope a few of his great habits, talents and abilities will rub off on me over time.
My mom and dad are really good sports and support this event each year.  We were even lucky enough to kidnap our neighbor, Delora, so she could join us.  We arrived on time and things were going well until we tried to get our tickets into the movie.  I realized I left them in the car.  Now, this shouldn't be a problem except as I looked for my key I couldn't find it in any of my pockets.  Sure enough, the key was locked in the car WITH the tickets.  Ughhhhh!  In the fall I had this same problem but it was Coalie induced.  I went to tour Mike and Susie's new house and left her in the car.  When I went to leave I couldn't open the car door.  She had stood up to the window and stood on the lock button.   At this time, it was our only key.  I tried and tried to coax Coalie into stepping on the unlock portion of the button but it never worked.  She ended up locking it 3 or 4 more times.  Andy figured out how to break in through the back hatch.  The skill proved useful, he didn't have to spend much time at all from his board meeting to break in again. 

Now, back to the picture below, isn't it such a great picture.  My parents are my greatest fans.  They are always so willing to give aid and assistance to my family.  I'm so glad to have them, to have been taught by them and to learn from their example.  They are the most giving people I know.  Delora is amazing, she is slowly but surely walking better everyday.  On Tuesday, I was out working in my yard and she hollered at me.  She had walked over from her house.  I'm sure it was the longest walk she had been on in over a year.  I'm so grateful it is getting warmer and she is getting around better.  She was having some problems with her eye glasses and so we stopped by Shopko on the way hoping to have them repaired.

Taylei has a beautiful smile . . . she just has a hard time showing it off for the camera.  I've learned this week that she has quite a variety of dances - one for all the important things - like coldness and dodgeball.  Her personality is so different depending on who she is with.   Keanna has no problem smiling for the camera.  She will strike a pose on demand.  Taylei and Keanna worked together at this exhibit and made dam layers.  I love it when they are best friends.  Neither of them complained when a little girl came along and wiped out their work with one swing of her arm.  The best part of their day occurred at Shopko.  While I was helping Delora I told the girls they could go looking in the clothes section as long as they stuck together.  By the time we found them (15 minutes later) they both had found approximately 8 outfits to try on.  Delora was completely amazed.  She had two boys.  She said she had never experienced anything like this - even with her granddaughters.  I'm sure it is Granny that deserves the credit for teaching my girls to shop like they do and maybe it isn't such a good thing.  After they tried on 3 outfits I told them that was enough - I didn't want to make Delora stand around for hours.  They both used their own money and bought the outfits they liked best.  I must add they really did find some adorable things. Kyler loves the dinosaur museum and is already asking when we can go back.  He says that digging in the sand and water is his favorite part.  He ended up with a whole heard of dinosaurs that he established an ecosystem for.