March 11

We didn't write last week. We had a run here. The week was  filled with teaching Joy School at our house, church, and family stuff.

On Monday night, we had family home evening and talked about the prophesies of the birth and death of Jesus Christ. We talked about how the people would try to kill the prophets. The boys got to throw marshmallows at each other in an attempt to "quiet the Underfoot turned 5." The night before his birthday he went to the front door,  opened it wide, and shouted to the world that he would be 5. He has told everyone that he knows that he is 5. He and I sat at the computer and picked out a cake to make. He wanted to have a purple light saber. Later he associated it with Mace Windu from Star Wars. We made a purple light saber.

 He opened a gift of a karaoke machine and his own copy of a family book titled Marvin Mouse. Hurricane and Underfoot have sang and sang with the microphone over and over again. Primary songs are so much fun at full volume.

Hurricane is sleeping a lot and eating a lot. We hope and believe he is growing. He only crawled in bed with us 5 nights this past week. We got to sleep alone for 2 nights!!! Now that's improvement!

Friday and Saturday Sweetheart (with the help of a strong 18 year old) dug 7 holes and planted 3 low-chill cherry trees, 1 almond, 1 peach, 1 apricot, and 1 pomegranate tree. They worked and worked. The boys and I picked the trees and brought them home. Sweetheart also worked really hard on cleaning up the yard with doing a new poop slide for the chicken poop, transplanting aloe plants, and removing old irrigation hosing in our front yard. It looks much better. Pictures to follow.....

This other part of this week has been a sad one for us. My cousin, Eldy, passed away. We were very shocked to learn about his death. Eldy was always kind and had a smile for anyone he met. It was said that he never knew a stranger. He was honest and very entrepreneurial with buying and selling bikes and cars.

Sweetheart and I tried to make arrangements for me to attend his services yesterday, but after looking at our resources, I wasn't able to attend. I was able to listen to part of the services via Skype and cell phone. My Auntie and Uncle stood by each other and shared memories about their son. They gave strength to those at the services and shared stories of his attributes and his life. My Uncle shared that Eldy and my Grandpa were trumpet players, and he looks forward to the resurrection "for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible" (1 Corinthians 15.52). He said he will be looking in the trumpet section for Eldy and Grandpa. We hope that we will be more kind like Eldy.

Be Kind.