An unusual April

April started out kind of rough and wonderful at the same time. How can that be you wonder. Well the weekend of Easter and LDS general conference both fell on the first day of April and I had prepared and looked forward to both. I talked to the kids all week leading up to easter and what happened in the Saviors life before his crucifixion and resurrection. I always love the conversations that we have and the opportunity to share the love the savior has for each one of us. I also love discussing the hope we can have that we will one day be resurrected just like Jesus Christ was. We also had the amazing opportunity to listen to our prophets, apostles, and other church leaders speak to us in the biannual LDS general conference. There were so many wonderful talks given , and even changes made to the church. I felt love as so many spoke on forgiveness, families, and faith. Unfortunately my darn back went out on me and I wasn't able to move much. It was a reminder to slow down and ask for help. I thought that was bad and then to add to it my washing machine suddenly broke. I was not only limited on what I could do with my back but now I had to wring out tons of clothes and clean up a big mess in the laundry room. Luckily Jon, my sister Heidi, and many neighbors came to the rescue helping watch kids, clean my home, and even letting me use their washing machines. I finally started feeling better after a week of diligent stretching, resting, and PT. Jon's parents popped in for a visit the second weekend in April. We never know exactly when they are coming or how long they will stay but nonetheless the kids look forward to them coming as we don't get to see them very much. They were her about three days and then off to California to sky dive they went. Jon was called to be elders quorum first counselor so now he will be helping the president oversee all the families in the ward. He was busy planning the Fathers and Sons, setting up home teaching arrangements, and visiting with the families in their homes this month. I am still unsure what they will do with my calling and I don't get to sit in my church meetings too often these days because of how loud and active Olivia is. It is hard to miss such wonderful lessons but I have to remind myself it is just a stage of life that I am in. The boys had a great time playing baseball and both did a good job for their teams. Bentley got hit by a baseball in one of his games this month and it left him with a big black eye. He was tough though and just kept playing. Baseball is almost over and I am looking forward to the break from sports for awhile. Towards the end of the month a weird thing happened with all the schools across Arizona. The Teachers had a strike and didn't come to school for over a week. The were hoping that by doing this they could get better wages and also better conditions for the students. I agreed and wanted the positive changes in our education system but it just seemed crazy to have school shut down suddenly and not go back for over a week. It was hard to explain to my young kids why they weren't able to go. This has not happened in over 30 years and the teachers needed the changes to happen for the future of education in the state of Arizona. I am happy they are back in school and learning where they should be. That week they were off was difficult because I got a breast infection called mastitis. It didn't respond to the antibiotic right away so I was in a lot of pain and really had to ask the kids, neighbors, Jon, and Heidi for help. I don't like to have to rely on others but in certain circumstances I am humbled to know that I need to ask for help. This was one of them. I am so blessed and grateful to those who watched kids, brought dinners, brought thoughtful treat baskets, and sent a message of concern for me. I felt loved during a time I was not doing well. I finally got better from that and am so thankful. My health has been poor and I am sick of not feeling like doing much. I need to get my body back in shape but it is hard while nursing Olivia and not get sleep. Hopefully I can make it through these tough months and one day get my back and body into good health again. On a bright note, We celebrated my sister Heidi's birthday with brunch, and we went to dinner with my brother Kyle and his wife Kelsey to celebrate the birthday boys. Jon and Kyle have birthday just two days apart. Jon turned 36 this year and we enjoyed spoiling him with breakfast, and taking him to Geckos for his birthday dinner. We also surprised him with his favorite cake a DQ turtle ice cream cake. We are grateful to Jon for all he does for our family.