March

In March, William graduated from the DARE program at school. In DARE (Drug - Abuse - Resistance - Education), they learned all about taking care of their bodies by staying drug-free. Back in my day, we were taught the phrase "Just Say No!", and learned a ridiculous song with the lyrics, "Drugs are Tricky". Well, it's a good thing they used the word, "tricky" to describe drugs! Had they used "dangerous" or "bad", I may have still been tempted. But, having learned they were were tricky, I steered clear of them. Phew!

Seriously, though...tricky? 

Here is William posing with his good friend, Ben Thomas.

So, several months ago, Richard and I decided to start watching Dr. Who episodes. We ran out of Star Trek and Downton Abbey episodes and we were desperate for something. We had heard Dr. Who was good, so we would watch an episode or two at night after the kids were in bed. Then, we got to an episode called, "Blink". (We had no idea at the time that this was such a popular episode with Dr. Who fans in general.) It was a great one, and a little creepy, so the next day we showed the kids. Ever since then, a few of my children have become obsessed with Dr. Who. Especially, William... 

...which explains the photo below. Williams Lego rendition of a Dalek. If you haven't watched Dr. Who, this will probably just look like any old robot. But, don't tell William that's all you see, or he might be seriously offended. ;)

This is what you get when you mix a music nerd with a gun fanatic. Richard took Thomas to the shooting range for "target" practice.

Okay, "fanatic" might be a strong word. It's really just a fantasy hobby Richard has recently picked up. Actually, you would probably deduce that using violins for target practice would NOT equal something a music nerd would do. You would probably assume that only someone who hated violins would do such a horrible thing...

...unless you own a music store and often get these super cheap internet violins from people. 

...and you don't know what to do with them because you refuse to lower your reputation by selling or renting them in your shop.

So, there you have it. Problem solved. 

Also in March, my Mom turned 38. Okay, maybe not 38, but close. Here she is with some of her grandkids. They love her. And, based on this picture, William loves her a little more than the rest. hehehe! :)

Marianne decided to throw a surprise birthday party for a gal in our ward. It was so sweet. At first, this girl wasn't sure what to think - she was shocked to the point that she was confused and clearly uncomfortable. But, it didn't take long for her to join in the fun, and they all had a great time. Marianne is a genuinely good friend to everyone! I love that about her. The girl whose birthday was celebrated, Sidonia, is in the front, center. Consequently, Sidonia threw Marianne a surprise party the following month for her birthday. (As you can probably tell, we used the Primary room at the church building. We were going to do it in the park, but the weather was bad, and my house is too small.)

And, last but not least, we spent one of our Family Home Evening's at the Homestead visiting my grandparents. This was a very special visit, and the last one my kids would have with their Great Granddad in this life. He told stories the entire time, and the kids just listened intently - a memory that will not soon be forgotten. Here is Thomas with Great Grandma.

Here's Granddad telling his story about the skunk they discovered in a hole in the wall of their home in Parker. 

And, my favorite. Granddad "played the banjo" on James as we were saying goodbye. He used to do this to me as a little girl all the time, and I have done it to my own kids. Made me get a little choked up.