July 2025

In Our Family this Month...

* It's been a long time coming, but we FINALLY did some family pictures! Yay!!! I asked Stephanie Perry to meet us down at the park and click the shutter button after I set up everything. It all went well and we got some REALLY cute pictures! Now to print them and get them up in our home!

* We celebrated a few birthdays this month! Both Sara and McKendra turned a year older. They are just a week apart and so the plan was to have a little joint family get together but apparently schedules didn't quite coincide so that didn't happen. August did plan a girls evening where we all went over and celebrated McKendra. He did a great job setting things up! He had things decorated in her favorite color (yellow), yummy snack foods and then an art activity where each of us had to paint a picture (of an animal or landscape) that represented McKendra. Everyone was super creative and we all enjoyed ourselves! Another birthday that we celebrated was Mandy Hatch. Aubrie wanted to make her a cake as her gift and so that evening we popped in to drop it off and wish her a happy day! (ps: there are nooooo pictures of Sara on her birthday! Boo!! Since we kept thinking we'd celebrate later, it kept getting postponed... but we sure love her and think she's amazing!)

* The North American Invitational 7's Rugby Tournament (NAI7s) was held in SLC, UT this month. We headed down on Thursday, July 24th and then played 3 matches on both the 25th and 26th. We ended up competing in the Bowl Division Championship game (we were up against a large, strong Polynesian team called the RazorHawks) and came up short - but still took 2nd in our Division! Our uniforms looked super sweet and the girls said that this year was the most fun they'd had in all the years of attending this tournament. Some of that might have been the fact that at the last minute, the boy's team ended up going (which meant that Charlie was there) and Dominic (although he and Lexi broke up earlier this month so this wasn't necessarily a "good" thing - lol). Having the boys there made things extra busy for me since I ended up taking pictures of 11 matches over the 2-days. We had great parent support and the girls played well! My favorite win of the tournament was when we were up again TOA (the Idaho All-Star team, which was made up of star girls from the different local high schools plus bringing in top players from Colorado and even Ireland!) in the Semi-Finals and... we beat them 26-10!! That felt good to have our single school team beat the all-star team that Idaho put together.

* We took a detour on our way home from the Rugby Tournament. We stopped for the night in Burley and stayed the night with Aunt Sam and Uncle Garth. They were wonderful hosts and we enjoyed visiting with them and sleeping in Grandma Carlson's childhood home! The reason for the stay was because the girls' good friend, Hallie Ballard, was giving her Missionary Farewell talk in Pocatello the next day and we wanted to show our love and support for her! We made it and it was fun to see her again! They had an open house/dinner that afternoon that we attended as well and then we made our way back to Burley because Garth and Sam were hosting a Mission Homecoming for Uncle Jared (Grandma Carlson's younger brother) and Aunt Joanna as they just got back from serving in the Marshall Islands! After visiting with a lot of family, they gave a report to all of us and shared lots of stories and how they had spent the past 2 years. We had to jet out as soon as they were done reporting as it was getting late and we still had to drive back to Meridian! It was certainly an uplifting and fun day with friends and family!

* Additional things that went on in July (that don't have any pictures) are: We celebrated Independence Day up in Garden Valley, ID with the Hatch family. Mom got a job! What!? It's very part time but I am the new Photography Teacher for an accredited LDS based Charter School. I'm teaching on Tuesday afternoons and will have students in Middle School and High School. School starts on my birthday this year so I guess that's what I'll be doing for my 50th next month! haha. 

Also Nathan got hired on at Panda Express. Do announce his new job to the family, dad had AI create this image that we sent out! 

Spiritually Speaking...

* In Come Follow Me this month, one of the sections that we studied was D&C 75. I wanted to write down some insights from verse 10 which reads, "Calling on the name of the Lord for the Comforter, which shall teach them all things that are expedient for them."

Expedient. What is expedient for me to know? Expedient means "suitable for achieving a particular end in a given circumstance." Not knowing everything ahead of time (no matter how much I want that!) is not expedient of the Lord BUT through the Holy Ghost, the Lord WILL give us direction in accordance with what is expedient!  I saw this next part on Instagram and really liked it! She wrote: 

"What is expedient for me to know? God knows. I know what I think I want to know. But God knows what is expedient for me to know in order to become the person I need to be. We were sent through the veil for a reason. Knowing it all is NOT part of the plan. But also, God will not let us wander. When there are things that are expedient for us to know, and we ask in faith, He will reveal that to us. And nothing more."

* Also I had some thought about section 78 verse 19 - "And he who receiveth all things with thankfulness shall be made glorious; and the things of this earth shall be added unto him, even an hundredfold, yea more."

As I receive all things with thankfulness - I think it helps me to realize how the Lord is in the very details of my life! Even down to the warm sunshine blanketing me as I enjoy the hammock and the beautiful sites of my front yard! Also, as I reflect on my "24/7 moments" I can see how I am truly blessed! Also, this verse says "all things" with thankfulness - to me, that would also include things that might not have necessarily been good or I can try to see how I can be thankful and the lessons I can learn from them. For example, it turned out Nathan had his work shift time wrong and the manager called him telling him he was late (on his 2nd day!). Obviously, that is not a "good thing" but I can be thankful for an understanding manager that was still kind to him and also bringing attention that he needs to be more responsible and learn to write down his shift times on the calendar for the family to help him get to work on time!

24/7 moments (aka: when we've seen the Lords hand in our life this month):

* Mom interviewed well with Legacy academy and was offered the job

* Aubrie was able to get an emergency visit with Dr. Hoopes office

* The Dr wanted to put Aubrie on a new medication (in addition to her other meds) and this somewhat worried me (mom). We decided to take this concern to the Lord and dad, mom and Aubrie all prayed about taking it or not. We all got the same answer that it would be helpful and not have negative side effects. It is such a wonderful thing to be able to take our questions and concerns to the Lord! I was also reminded that Aubrie (and Lexi) both need to get adequate sleep and that sleep plays such an important part of their overall mental health!

* Nathan getting his Temple Recommend and scheduling his own endowment (it's set for August 7th). He also got his Missionary portal all opened! He's also enrolled in the BYUI Pathways Program and has lots of good things going for him! 

* Our AC went out - Noooo!!! However, they were able to find a (new) discounted unit that would fit with our system for a much more affordable price! Blessings! 

June 2025

In Our Family This Month...

* Mom and the girls flew out to Nebraska on May 29th and stayed until June 11th! We truly had a blast! Here's a collage with some of the fun things we did! I'll list them below so you know what's going on in the pictures:

1.  We toured the Quilt Museum. Might not sound that fun but honestly it was pretty fascinating!

2. We had lunch at a place called the Crave with JR, Lori and their kids (not pictured). I was intrigued by their "Peanut Butter and Jelly Burger" and let me tell you - they lived up to their name as I craved another one! It was so good!

3. The girls with some of the cousins: Kissac, Aubrie, Sehren, Lexi, Mindah and Ada. Aubrie and Lexi had a great time with Sehren. They had several get togethers that included going out to eat, shopping, sleep overs, S'mores and just hanging out!

4. At the Mormon Trail Center: Winter Quarters Nebraska. After the temple, we toured the visitor center and we even got a very detailed tour by one of the Missionaries.

5. Prehistoric Putt Putt. On grandma and grandpa's Anniversary (June 9th) we went mini golfing!

6. Grandma and Grandpa are Ordinance workers at the Winter Quarters Temple (every Saturday). So we signed up to go do baptisms while they were there! It was pretty special to go to the temple together and I'm glad that the girls were able to see another temple! 

7. We went for a walk at Pioneer Park - around the lake there. Ada and Anders joined us.

8. Stopping for a quick treat at McDonalds. We had specifically stopped for ice cream BUT their machine was down so we got some burgers and chicken nuggets and then hit another McD's location on the way home for the ice cream!

9. This is out at Jared and Hope's house. They have a horse (Tux) and the girls were helping to feed him. We went to Jared and Hope's a couple of times. They had us over for pizza dinner and Pickleball (they have a court in their barn) which was really fun. We also headed their way to attend Mindah's Dance Recital. And just before coming home, we went out to help Hope and her dad get their big pool set up!

10. Mom with her little brother, Jared. This was taken after celebrating Ander's 15th birthday. 

11. At Urban Air with the cousins. Mom and grandma also got into the fun and did everything from the Zip Line to the Zero Gravity trampolines! 

12. A couple of times we gathered around the fire pit in the backyard with S'mores and music! They were relaxing evenings just enjoying each other!

A few things not pictured that we did: Shopping - at the mall, shoe stores, Old Navy and the likes! Went to the movies, had a crafting day with some of the cousins and several family dinners hosted at grandma's! We really had a wonderful visit and (of course) it flew by too quickly! Grandma and Grandpa made us feel so welcomed and special and spoiled us rotten!

* After months of planning and preparations, it was time for Adventure For Youth (AFY) Camp for our Ward! The Bishopric and the YW Presidency felt impressed to do a full YW/YM combined youth camp this year. They called 4 couples (Dad and I, the Mortensons, Cyrier's and Burrups) to be on the planning committee. Honestly, we all worked well together and decided to split up the days to where a couple was just in charge for all activities on that particular day (which ended up working quite well). I suggested that we have a SURVIVOR (like the reality game show) theme and have the youth separated into Tribes with Tribe leaders (the graduated Seniors). We decided to go with that theme and then our spiritual theme was this years Youth theme:  D&C 36:6 "Look Unto Me in every thought; doubt not, fear not".  Here's some of the highlights from our week (we were there Mon-Friday):

Volleyball and other games, participating in challenges, dancing, singing around the campfire, Faith walk, Testimony meeting, Tribal councils, Calling youth out on their good deeds and attitudes! Seeing Nathan be such a great youth leader and make ALL of the youth feel seen and important! Devotionals, Yummy food! Lounging in the hammock, personal reflection time, swimming and paddle boarding at the Lake, Polar Plunges, Hiking, competitions, seeing the youth all get along and grown in their testimonies! 

Honestly it went sooooo well and I have no regrets (on things we did or did not do!) and we have been told by numerous people (youth and parents) that this was such a special camp and it was "the best!" and I'd have to agree! We were up at Camp Smokey Lodge at Alturus Lake by Stanley, Idaho and it was breathtaking in it's beauty! We had about 45 youth and 15+ adults and such a unifying spirit was there! I designed up the logo and laser engraved the wooden medallions that we gave to each youth (there were leather tassels attached that the youth put beads on as they earned them - by doing good deeds and having good attitudes or being recognized by other youth for helping out, etc)

* Birthday's! Levi turned ONE on June 11th and Seth turned 27 on the 14th. Can't believe little Levi has already been a part of our family for a whole year! He's such a sweet little guy and does his best to keep up with his brothers. And of course, Seth has always been such a sweet guy as well!! Can't believe he's as old as he is! The other thing that I can't believe is that I got ZERO pictures of him with his cake!! 

Spiritually Speaking...

written by Lexi Vogt, Age 17

As I read this last chapter, of my Book of Mormon, I was very worried I wouldn't get a confirmation that this is true. So I started praying and telling Heavenly Father my worries when all of the sudden I was reminded of Joseph Smiths story where as he went to pray, the adversary tried to stop this very important part of God's plan in the sacred grove. I felt God letting me know that this is a very important part and base of my testimony and Satan does not want this to happen, he knew that if he could make me doubt my faith in this book, then he could destroy God's plan for me. but good is always greater than evil and God is good! So doubt your doubts before you doubt your faith as you finish reading this book and pray to know for yourself if it's true.

Today I finished my Book of Mormon. I testify that these things are true and good! I now know for myself that God loves me, and He knows me so personally! This books has always reminded me of God's goodness, and that he knows greater than I do which builds my trust in him. It has also taught me to prepare for His coming and all that this life has to offer. As I've read these words I've learned repentance. I've grown to love and use it daily. It is the greatest blessing in my life!!! Repentance brings me closer to the lord in a way that is so deep, it brings a connection to me and my savior. His atonement brings me peace and relief. Practicing repentance everyday has been the best decision because when I really mess up, I find more relief, and he comforts me on all days. I also know that because of the atonement, God truly knows how I feel. He even knows  and understands how I feel when I struggle to follow him, and I believe he knows all of the good because he is the good. All good things in this life acknowledge that he is! I know that making the lord a part of my everyday life (even if days were hard and I only read one verse) he sees my efforts and accompanies me with his presence. I also know that it has given me a relationship with my father in heaven that is so personal. I started reading on October 16th 2023 when I painted this book for a young women's activity. I had never gotten into the habit of reading scriptures everyday and I didn't like reading. On that day I made a goal to study one page everyday and highlight and note all that stood out to me and taught me something, I have seen my testimony grow so much! These words are powerful and I know they are true because of the way they make me feel! I am forever grateful for my Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ for all they have done for me. On the darkest nights that I cried all by myself, I know they were there with me, holding me and reassuring that it would be okay. I also know that they send angels both in this world and from the unseen world. My parents, and especially my twin sister, Aubrie. I feel God's love for me because of her, and she is my greatest gift from him. I testify that these things are true, in the name of Jesus Christ, my Savior, Redeemer, and friend, amen.

Whenever I have doubts, I come back to my testimony that was written when I first finished my Book of Mormon. It always reminds me why I believe and follow Christ, and how wonderful God is. I have a pretty strong testimony and when I have questions that I don't know the answer to yet, I still trust in God and am not shaken. But one night about a month later on June 26th, I had a genuine question that I couldn't quite get over. It was: "How do I know that these feelings of the spirit are actually from God?" I have no proof they are of Him and maybe if God weren't real then I would still be feeling peace, love, joy, and longsuffering. I then prayed sincerely, and this is what God so peacefully and lovingly said to me.

Lexi: How do I know that these feelings really are from you and that you are real?

God: You don't know. You choose to believe. If you did know, it wouldn't be faith 

And I was then reminded that all good things come from God, and to follow was the memories of joy in my life I experience when I choose to believe and follow Christ. Acknowledging that Christ is the good makes my life so much fuller.

April and May

 In our Family the last 2 months...

* Surgery for Lexi! What?! During the Mountain View game in April, Lexi (unknowingly) broker her finger in the first half of the game. She just thought it was jammed and played the rest of the match. On Monday, when her finger was still a bit "deformed" we decided to take her in and get it X-rayed. When they didn't just tape it up and send us on our (and instead made an immediate appointment with an Orthopedist) we knew it was a bit more serious! She had broken the top knuckle of her ring finder and the bone was displaced. She ended up needing surgery (which happened within 48 hours of meeting with the Orthopedist - so that was FAST!!) where she was the lucky recipient of Two Titanium Screws! This put an end to her Rugby Season as it was a 6 week recovery. The end of the 6 weeks landed on the day of the National High School Tournament in Wisconsin (which the surgeon said she could possibly play in depending on how the healing went... Spoiler Alert: She WAS able to play!!)

* Easter - We had a really nice Easter Sunday. The week leading up to it, we tried to spend time each day focusing on the final week of Christ. We ended up going out to the Dinkle's place for Easter Dinner and had a nice time visiting with them along with our whole family. The meal was delicious and we played some games afterwards! Grandma and Grandpa Carlson were super generous and so everyone got some new clothes and extra money as a gift. 

* The Twin Girlies turned 17!! Can't believe that! They've had big parties for the past 4 years and decided to just have a small friend group and go out to dinner and celebrate at the house. Mom wanted to make their actual birthday special so she put together a "This or That" mystery card activity. Basically this was where I would hold two cards out for them to pick one of (without knowing what they said) and then we'd do whatever was written on that card. They ended up taking turns picking the cards and here's how the day played out:

1. Breakfast with mom and dad at Joe Momma's Breakfast Eatery

2. Went to Ross where they were each able to pick out any one thing they wanted from the store.

3. $20 to Spend at Bed Bath and Beyond

4. Painted Ceramics at "A Way With Clay"

5. Sweet Treat at Smallcakes Cupcakery

6. Dinner at Red Robin with their Boyfriends

* The Rugby season went strong all through April and May for both the girls and Nathan! Mom kept busy doing the photography for all of the boys and girls matches (both D1 and D2 - so yes, that's A LOT of weekly games!) Rugby season is like a full time job for dad (and mom!) and so we were kept super busy with keeping everything going (LOTS of design work and keeping things up on Social Media). Good thing we enjoy it! Lexi was out the remainder of the season for her finger/surgery but was able to make it back on the pitch when we played at Nationals. She was the best little cheerleader on the sidelines for those 6 weeks and attended every practice! Our D2 girls ended up taking the Plate Championship for State and we made the hard decision to NOT participate in the D1 State Championship game (we would be going for 3rd place - behind Eagle and Rocky). We had some girls trying to heal up and we thought it best to stay healthy and let girls have a rest week before going to Nationals. Here are some of my favorite pictures of each of the kids during the season!

* Our girls team took 2nd at the High school National Championships in Cottage Grove, Wisconsin! Say What!? The girls worked SOOOO hard at fundraising (they each had to raise $1,500!) and they did it!! Raffles, Sponsors and donations were always on our mind (since December!). The team boarded the plane early on May 16th and we were off to Nationals! We landed in Milwaukee and then rented SUV's to get the team down to Cottage Grove (about 1.5 hours away). We got checked in for the tournament and then made our way to the hotel where we had a macaroni Bar Catered by Noodles and Co. We were back to the fields early the next morning and set up our area. The wind was out in full force and it was so cold!! For this tournament, we were seeded 4th and had our first match up against Hamilton Rugby (the 5th place seed). We brought a pounding to them and won 70-17 with Aubrie making every single conversion kick! All 10 of them!! Wowie! That is quite the accomplishment! Lexi was the kicker (for kick offs) and she did amazing as well! She even scored a TRY! Go girls!! Coming off of that win, we were scheduled to go up against DSHA (seeded #1 and Ranked #1 as the single school Rugby Team in the Nation). We were excited and ready to face them! Last year, we went up against them and after a hard fought match, we ended up loosing to them by a conversion kick (5-7). This year, they took a quick lead and as we were approaching the half, they were up 12-0! The girls came back in the second half and we ended up WINNING! BY A CONVERSION KICK and the final score was 14-12! We celebrated so hard and this was the victory of the tournament for us!! We were all on cloud 9! Securing that win, put us in the Championship game - excellent, right!? Well, our opponent was a very familiar one - Eagle (yes, the same Eagle that is just a few miles away that we play all the time. So yes, we travelled 1500 miles to play our local rival!). Honestly, we were all still pretty excited to have an all Idaho Championship (how cool is that!?) and while we came up short - we still walked away with a big ol' trophy and the bragging rites of placing SECOND!! What a way to end the season!

* Mother's Day! I had a really nice Mother's Day and felt loved, supported and celebrated! Dad smoked some "Poor Man's Burnt Ends" (which I requested) and I didn't lift a finger for any of the dinner or clean up! We had John and Anne join us as well as August and McKendra. I love being a mom to these kids and feel so blessed that Heavenly Father has blessed me with my family!

* PROM! Another Prom season came upon us! When mom and the girls were out dress shopping, they both fell in love with the same dress! To my giddiness, they decided to BOTH get the same dress and be MATCHING!! Yay!!! They weren't going in the same group (Charlie isn't much on formal dances and so Aubrie went with a group of friends while Lexi went with Dominic in a different group). But we still commemorated the matching dresses with photos!! Nathan asked Aria Clark and they went with the same group as Lexi and Dominic. Sadly, a big rain storm rolled in - just as we were starting to take pictures! Noooo!! but we made do and utilized umbrellas (and the large overhanging tree branches) and cut it a bit short! We were still able to get some cute pictures of everyone though! They had dinner at The Yard House in the Village and then some went to the dance while others decided not to.

* A huge milestone came upon us in the month of May - Nathan's High School Graduation! He has worked so hard and persevered working to overcome his Dyslexia! He worked for many hours every week being tutored by Grandma (via FaceTime) for YEARS! We have so much gratitude for Grandma sacrificing her time to come up with lessons plans and then to meet with him (started off with daily sessions for 1-1.5 hours and then over the years tapered down to 2-3 sessions a week for an hour). They worked on reading, comprehension, grammar, writing and everything in between! He didn't want a party but said he'd go for a family BBQ and invite a few friends to celebrate. So we had grandma and grandpa Vogt, the Hatch family, Hunter, Matthew, Issiac and Noelle Austin over.  Dad smoked burgers and we had quite the feast! Then all of the kids went to the park and played volleyball for a few hours while the adults visited. Nathan felt celebrated and we're all excited to see where his next steps in life take him!

Spiritually Speaking...

D&C 49:27

Jesus is our “bodyguard “

“Behold, I will go before you and be your rearward; and be in your midst, and you shall not be compounded.” 

This verse  tells us that Christ is our ultimate bodyguard! He promises to protect us from the rear, walk beside us along our way and lead us from the front. He will always be there - but will we notice him?

How can I notice the Savior more in my daily life?

• I can pray to notice His influence more

• I can record the moments and times when I notice His influence

• I can ask my family as we’re gathered for family prayer when they noticed His influence

• I can recognize that even things that I don’t initially give credit to Him are ways He’s showing up for me

• Take time each day to reflect back on the previous 24 hours and see when the showed up

President Eyring's talk “O Remember, Remember” from October 2007 (this is a story about how he looks for the hand of God everyday). My take aways:

• God gives us experiences for us to write them down

• He wants us to remember the times He has shown up for us 

• He wants us to write those times down for us, our children and posterity to read in the future to help us

• This was the talk that got me started on including “Spiritually Speaking” in our family history blogs

• President Eyring writes a few lines every single day how he saw the Lord's hand that day (at night before bed) no matter how tired he is - he never missed!

• Before he would write, he would ponder this question: “Have I seen the hand of God reaching out to touch us or our children or our family?”

• As he pondered on this question, he would see evidences of the Lord that he did not recognize in the busy moments of the day

• When we try and purposefully remember, this gives God the chance to show us what he’s done

• Think of the song “ Count Your Many Blessings”

• This us what he noticed: “More than gratitude began to grow in my heart. Testimony grew. I became ever more certain that our Heavenly Father hears and answers prayers. I felt more gratitude for the softening and refining that come because of the Atonement of the Savior Jesus Christ. And I grew more confident that the Holy Ghost can bring all things to our remembrance—even things we did not notice or pay attention to when they happened.”

• Seeing the hand of the Lord takes the Holy Ghost

• Quote: “the challenge to remember has always been the hardest for those who are blessed abundantly. Those who are faithful to God are protected and prospered. That comes as the result of serving God and keeping His commandments. But with those blessings comes the temptation to forget their source. It is easy to begin to feel the blessings were granted not by a loving God on whom we depend but by our own powers.”

• Helaman 12:1-2

• “And thus we can behold how false, and also the unsteadiness of the hearts of the children of men; yea, we can see that the Lord in his great infinite goodness doth bless and prosper those who put their trust in him.

• “Yea, and we may see at the very time when he doth prosper his people, yea, in the increase of their fields, their flocks and their herds, and in gold, and in silver, and in all manner of precious things of every kind and art; sparing their lives, and delivering them out of the hands of their enemies; softening the hearts of their enemies that they should not declare wars against them; yea, and in fine, doing all things for the welfare and happiness of his people; yea, then is the time that they do harden their hearts, and do forget the Lord their God, and do trample under their feet the Holy One—yea, and this because of their ease, and their exceedingly great prosperity.”

• Again, it is the Holy Ghost that will bring to our remembrance the things the Lord has done for us in our lives. We must live worthy for this constant companion.

• The promises we make each week as we take the sacrament will help us live to always have the Holy Ghost with us!

• We promise to always remember the Savior

• Take His name upon us

• Keep His commandments

• Closing Invitation from the Apostle (Henry B Eyring): “Tonight, and tomorrow night, you might pray and ponder, asking the questions: Did God send a message that was just for me? Did I see His hand in my life or the lives of my children? I will do that. And then I will find a way to preserve that memory for the day that I, and those that I love, will need to remember how much God loves us and how much we need Him. I testify that He loves us and blesses us, more than most of us have yet recognized. I know that is true, and it brings me joy to remember Him. In the name of Jesus Christ, amen.”

Take Action Item: Jot down in my spiritual journal (either at night or in the mornings when I’m doing my scripture study) when I saw the hand of God in my life during the previous 24 hours. I’ll start right now!

• John was able to get 2 tickets to MHS  graduation and were able to attend

• I’ve been tasked with the assignment to engrave all of the wooden medallions for the youth camp next month. I was so worried about doing this and before walking into the place, I had said multiple prayers that things could go smooth, that I would remember how to work the machine and not run into major issues -  and that’s exactly what happened! It went so well and so smooth! It certainly took a lot longer than I had anticipated. It took about five minutes per medallion so at the end of my time slot (close to 3 hours!) I only had about 33 of them done. I  have another appointment next week to go back and finish. I know He will show up again and help that timeslot go just as  smooth!

• I saw how Mandy Hatch is living close to the spirit and trying to rely on his guidance in regards to the sisters in our ward. This was evident at our presidency meeting.

• I was trying to fill up the Explorer at Costco and realized I forgot my card. I almost just gave up and left, but I had the thought to go ask the attendant if there was any other way I could get gas even though didn’t have my card. Turns out I had already set up my account on the app on my phone and with his guidance, he showed me how to access it, and I was able to get the gas!

• And looking a little further back to last weekend at the national tournament – I know the Lord was with us and kept the girls safe, protected and healthy! We walked away from a whole weekend of games with very minimal injury to the team! We do start each match with a prayer and ask for his protection, and we certainly saw that fulfilled!

• John was blessed with good rides and good fairs yesterday while Ubering! Additionally, he had no incidences with the truck and was kept safe while he was out on the road for so long! This is one that continually is impressed upon me! With how much he drives every day, he has not gotten into any wrecks and the truck has not had any issues or breakdowns

• In the Rise XP app I heard this quote that I want to remember “life is short, so enjoy it! But remember, eternity is long, so prepare for it!”

February and March

 In our Family in February and March:

* We'll get the unfortunate out of the way first... Aubrie was diagnosed with Mono! Nooooo! Not sure where she got infected, but she was soooo sick! Sadly, it was the during mid-terms and the end of the 2 block classes she was taking through BYUI. She pushed through though and ended up getting A's in both of those classes. The other (super) sad aspect of having mono was that she had to take a break from Rugby. Even after she started feeling better she had to take A MONTH off of any contact/tackling because apparently a side effect of mono can be an enlarged spleen and if you get hit hard enough, the spleen can burst! So of course we took that seriously and she stayed off the pitch until the appointed time. 

* Valentine's Day! The little boys came and officially asked Aunt Lexi to be their Valentine and then came back on Valentine's day with their little gifts - it was too cute! August and McKendra are doing a fantastic job raising these little boys to become gentlemen and boys with manners!

* Lexi asked Dominic Warren to the Sweethearts Dance. They went with a group of friends from school. They went to eat at Panda Express, went to the dance (for a short time) and then went to back to one of the other's home and watched a movie. She looked absolutely adorable!

* Remember how last month, Nathan broke his nose at the Stake youth sledding activity? Well, he had his surgery in the beginning of March. It went well (according to the surgeon) and he's been on the mend! Of course it hurt quite bad but Nathan was a trooper! After his 2 week check-up (and everything looking and healing great) he went to a concert with dad, August, Charlie, Hunter and Jackson and got punched in the face (on accident) while in the mosh pit (ummmm.. why was he even in a mosh pit?!?) and started heavily bleeding! Of course we were concerned, so took him back to the surgeon the following day to just make sure nothing had shifted - which thankfully it hadn't. He's still on the road to recovery but doing well!

* Rugby's official season kicked off on February 3rd! Nathan, Aubrie, Lexi and dad started daily practice from 4-6pm (which in reality they leave at like 3:30 and don't get home until after 6:30pm). February brough some bitter cold quite a bit of snow which made things tricky but they made the best of things and sometimes moved practices inside and other times, just practiced in the cold! They're Rugby players after all, right? Then on March 1st was the kickoff Jamboree where all the teams from the State came to Meridian and we played shortened matches all throughout the day. Between the D1 and D2 girls and boys teams, we had 8 matches! I took pictures of all of them. Nathan decided to play in the Jamboree (apparently he figured he was going to be having surgery to fix things and so nothing could get worse???) and he knew he'd be out for the next month or so while recovering so he laced up his cleats, grabbed his mouth guard and lined up on the field! Aubrie was out for the Jamboree (remember, trying not to rupture her spleen) but she was still there to cheer on the teams! Also, with Rugby, I took all of the teams (HS girls, HS boys and the middle school girls) pictures - both team, individuals and Captains. It was a lot of work but we've since been able to use them for social media, game day announcements and other advertising. And of course since I'm the one that took them, I was able to take one of all the kids and John together. Speaking of John, he was officially hired by Meridian High School to be the new Varsity Head Coach starting in the Fall. He'll be fantastic and all of the girls think he's the absolute best! And I agree!

* Ben had a birthday! He turned 23! He didn't want a big affair (and he had to work that day) but we celebrated with a requested dinner of french bread pizzas, tater tots/fries and chips. And then Aubrie made him a delicious cake with her famous homemade buttercream frosting. We pulled out the scrapbooks and shared stories about him (I'm sure many of which, Sara had not heard yet - haha). We had a great time celebrating him!

* Another little boy had a birthday in March. Henry turned the big FIVE on March 25th. He had his first friend party and the girls and I went over to help oversee it. He wanted a Pokemon party and so there were some games and a Pokemon pinata and then the little boys decorated their own cupcakes. We also had a family party for him the next day where we got to celebrate him even more! He's such a great little guy and we're so blessed to have him in the family!

Spiritually Speaking...