I'm here!

 Hello again and welcome back!
As is becoming a habit when doing these posts, these pictures will be out of chronological order, but at least they are getting posted, right?

I got a quick date with my bestie last Saturday evening. Rhaevyn was sweet to say she'd watch Meg and Elsa since Myles and Chris were going to the priesthood session of General Conference. As usual we talked the entire time and at the end of the evening had fun trying on clothes. This was my favorite outfit I tried on. I really wasn't planning on trying anything on, but it is always fun when you have the chance to just try on things you normally wouldn't have time for. I mostly just loved the color of the capris and the shirt happened to be hanging nearby so I just grabbed it. Window shopping is so much fun!

Myles painted another rock, and he found one when we were at Lewisville park for a friend's birthday.

 
We had some outings for spring break; one being to the mall to look for jeans for Aeva. It was a pretty big deal. This girl does not shop for clothes unless it is positively necessary. All her jeans had holes in them, so we headed to her one stop for jeans; Old Navy. Unfortunately, they didn't have any in the kids section, which is where she gets her jeans. She was getting pretty concerned. Amazingly, and for the first time ever, she was able to find jeans in the women's/ jr section. She joked that she had officially entered womanhood since she was no longer wearing kid jeans. We got a good laugh out of that. So, yay!!! for finding jeans for Aeva.

On Tuesday Aeva called Rhaevyn in Canada so that she could walk Aeva through making jam thumbprints. I was not at home at the time, but walked through the front door with Aeva like this :) She felt pretty successful!

 Wednesday Elsa went shopping for part of Oma's birthday present to her. She got black ballet shoes for her Scottish Country Dance class. She is counting down the days until that starts.

 Meg and Myles in their matching aviator hats.

 Time out for some pictures of Rhaevyn's trip to Canada:
 I dropped her off and said goodbye. Meg wrapped her arms around her legs and cried her eyes out.

 
 She left really sweet notes for all the kids the morning she left.

 

Part of her choir group getting ready for a performance.

 This is a park they visited. It looks really gorgeous. This was one of her favorite parts of the trip.

 She can mark this off of her bucket list......Poutine!

 The girl on the right was her roommate for the trip.

Some highlights from her trip:
Choir clinic at the University of Washington
Museum of Anthropology in Vancouver BC
Choir workshop at University of British COlumbia
Choir performance at U of BC with their chamber choir
Lynn Canyon Suspnsion Bridge (which Rhaevyn loved)
Granville Island
I think they also performed at St. Philip's Anglican church

Of course there was time for shopping too.

When Rhaevyn called home during the week all the kids fought over the phone. They all talked about how much they missed her and counted down the days until Friday. When we picked her up she doled out the gifts:

 

 I thought she'd be exhausted when she got home, but she wanted some mom time and took me out to Sherri's for some pie. I wouldn't turn down time to spend with her and catch up!

 Chris is working on building himself a bike. This is the first part in the making:

 Elsa had her birthday. We had so much fun surprising her with our gifts this year. We decided to think outside of the box. Except Rhaevyn decided to stay in the box 😆 with the Lego set that Elsa had been eying on the Lego website for over a month.

 

 She and I went to Red Robin for her free birthday burger, and then I surprised her with a manicure and pedicure. She is one of my girly girls and loves it when I do a foot bath at home for her and paint her toenails, but I decided to splurge. I wanted to make a memory with her for her birthday. I loved watching the expression on her face. She absolutely loved it!!!

 

 

 

 

Chris was on the hunt for his gift for Elsa this year. She has been wanting to do ballet or take some type of music lessons. Ballet has not really been an option and probably won't be for another year or so. She tried piano, but she felt like it wasn't really her thing. For two of her dates she's gone to the violin shop and decided she really wanted to try violin lessons. Amazingly Chris found a $189 violin for $15. She thought she was going to have to wait another year for her chance to take lessons.

 And isn't it just wonderful that we happen to have a violin teacher living with us!!! Rhaevyn's first words of advice.......
think long and hard for a name for your violin. It needs a name!
Elsa has already been practicing the proper way to hold the bow when playing. Lessons start Monday, and she cannot wait!

 Elsa had originally wanted tea cookies and hot cocoa for her birthday but changed her mind last minute to raspberry poppy seed cake. It was scrumptious.

 This morning Rhaevyn and I did each other's makeup, and I did her hair as well. We had a fun time doing that.

 

 

Rhaevyn helped Meg get all ready for church; hair, dress, and all ready to go!

 But before that happened, Chris did her fingernails and toenails. She had been waiting all week for this moment.

 

 Me and my little girls and Chris:

 Rhaevyn made me dinner tonight............better than a restaurant.

 And this happened this week...................

 I now have one ( soon to be two) official driver. She drove herself to church today and is driving herself to early morning seminary tomorrow. Watching her drive off on her own, I think, has got to be one of the hardest things as her mother. It's not because I think she is a bad driver, it is all the other crazy, rude, bad drivers out there on the road. She got her license on Thursday and has been trying to find any errand she can run for me, but I wasn't ready to hand over the keys. This morning I had to just not think too hard and tell her she could drive too church and we'd see her there in a bit. Deep breath, deep breath!!!!! Baby steps to independence!!!!

Movie this week: The 1951 classic The Day the Earth Stood Still. Thank you for the recommendation, dad. Although she hid her head under the blanket for half of the movie, Meg had a smile at the end. Elsa liked it so much she wanted there to be more at the end, Aeva said she really liked it, as did Myles and Rhaevyn. Next up is the 1956 movie Invasion of the Body Snatchers.

The girls start spring quarter tomorrow................exciting!

And that's all folks!