Forever Young: May 2019

On the evening of May the 4th we went fishing at Salem Pond.

Noel was the only one that caught a fish. The fish weren't really biting otherwise. She was so happy.

Evelyn was trying to pet the ducks.

She was pouting because the ducks wouldn't let her pet them.

But she still kept trying.

It was a beautiful evening.

Noel had her last soccer game. This season she was a lot more aggressive than her previous seasons. She did so well. She sure loves soccer.

Her team, Nitro, after her last soccer game.

Evelyn eating strawberry shortcake at a family dinner Ems and Ben's.

Morgan went south on a trip with some buddies to run in the Ragnar race at the Ponderosa Ranch in Zion's National Park. He knew going into it that there may be SOME rain but there was a lot more than expected. After driving all the way down there, arriving, waiting and hoping the rain would stop for a few hours, then setting up tents anyways in the rain and mud, late that night around 10pm he and his buddies received word that the Ragnar was cancelled due to the washed out trails and possibilities of flash flooding. So they all took down camp and packed up in the rain and mud and came right back home. He got home at 4am in the morning. He was bummed but the weekend turned out to be really nice because he was there for it and we were able to go on a date and spend some time together.

These muddy shoes of his were beyond help. They apparently were way worse than this.

The tent was soaked so we set it up to dry it out. Evelyn was there to help of course.

Morgan was able to be there for the kids school carnival. It was nice to be there as a family.

Sam trying to dunk his teacher in the dunk tank.

Noel climbing the rock wall.

I had a wonderful Mother's Day. I felt so special. I am so grateful to be Morgan Young's wife and Noel, Sam and Evelyn's mother. I am grateful for the knowledge I have that we can be an eternal family. Here's a picture of us before attending church.

A Mother's Day selfie with my kids.

Evelyn collecting rocks in her shirt at the park.

Noel had an end of the season party with her soccer team this last friday. She was only able to attend about a half hour of it because she had a piano recital to get to. She and her teammates bowled and had pizza and played virtual reality games.

Noel at her first piano recital. It was a pop music/songs from movies kind of a theme. She did amazingly! She played "A Million Dreams" from The Greatest Showman and "How Far I'll Go" from Moana. She loves piano and is a natural. We were so proud of her.

After the recital.

Yesterday we felt like exploring and I recently learned about a ghost town that is just up the canyon called Thistle. The kids were so intrigued by it and wanted to go see it. In 1983 there was a big landslide where it took out the entire town. There isn't much left to see. We saw a few structures halfway under water. It was pretty neat!

We didn't want go home just yet after that so we ventured over to the south western part of Utah Lake and skipped rocks and walked around. It's a beautiful area but that water is nasty!

We could see the Payson temple from where we were.

Evelyn's hair just keeps getting more and more curly. I just love it!

Playing at the park at the kids school!

Noel started Spring Soccer.

Noel's art work at school.

For Pi Day I made a new pie recipe. Yum!!

The kids and I went to go see the baby chicks at our local Cal Ranch.

Sister snuggles.

I have been trying to go jogging here and there and so I sometimes run on the treadmill in the basement if the weather is crummy and I stick Evelyn in front of Morgan's computer to watch Netflix.

Evelyn playing with the rocks at the park.

Some of Noel's soccer games have been pretty cold.

Toenail painting.

Noel presented this fun map she drew for a book report she did for school.

Noel drew a picture of Jesus.

Sam had a program at school about neighborhood and community jobs. He was a garbage truck driver in the program. After a rocky, tearful start, he went back in there and did very well.

Sam apparently wants to be a policeman when he grows up so he can have handcuffs, save people and kill bad guys.

Evelyn and Sam playing in our closet.

My parents were in town for general conference. They stayed at our house for a couple of days and went to church with us.

We went to the movies to see the "Lego Movie 2" with my parents. The kids had fun playing on the escalator with their Grandpa Watkins.

All the Utah Family got together while my parents were in town and we all went on a hike to the "Escalante Cross" just here in Spanish Fork.

The view from the hike looking back. Here's Mikey with his two sons and my Dad.

The end was very steep. All of the kids did so well!

Noel with her cousin Henry meditating.

The whole gang!

View of the windmills that are just at the start of our canyon.

Grandma and Grandpa with all of the grandkids.

Smooch. Smooch.

Mini axe throwing at Chris and Kareena's.

Mary Poppin's Returns in the Chris Watkins Theatre room.

Jumping on the trampoline at Chris and Kareena's. The kids sure love their cousin time.

Evelyn and her cousin Ruth taking a ride at Ems and Ben's.

General conference snuggles.

Sam during general conference.

Playing in a creek across the street from Ems and Ben's.

Sam won a container of whoppers at school because he was the one at school that came closest or guessed the exact number (I forget which one) of whoppers in the container.

Evelyn LOVES to help. She loves to put dishes away, fold clothes, make salads, and make cookies.

Morgan and I on a date. On this particular night we went to a fun live improv comedy show in Provo called Comedy Sportz. It was so fun and entertaining.

Morgan had a couple of very busy weeks, working about 70 hours a week. Those were a couple of insane weeks. Poor Morgan didn't get to see the kids much and I would hear him come home at 1am in the morning some nights only to sleep, shower and do it all over again the next day. He was so sweet to have some flowers delivered to me. They definitely came at the right time on this particular day. He felt so bad not being able to be there for Noel's soccer games and to help at home. I sure am grateful for him and how hard he works for our family.

A beautiful day for a soccer game.

Evelyn and I often go for a jog and go to the park on our way back home. The park here in our little town home/village is surrounded by fenced in back patios to some of the town homes. One of the residents had his macaw on the fence near where Evelyn and I were playing. Evelyn and I walked over there to see it along with a handful of other little kids and another parent. The owner of the bird came out to let us pet it and hold it if we wanted. Evelyn and I each took a turn holding it. That thing was HUGE! Evelyn was so chill when the ginormous bird crawled up her little arm. That was such a fun little experience. I wish I had a picture of it on me! It ended up on the back of my neck and stayed there for quite a while!

The kids and I visited the pioneer cemetery that is near us.

We had a Ward Easter Party the day before Easter. The kids had fun at the Easter Egg Hunt. Here is Evelyn with the goodies she got from the eggs she found.

Sam with his friend Anders.

Our fun, silly Noel.

Easter Egg decorating. This year we did pearly eggs. The kids dyed them the color that they wanted and then put them in a ziploc bag with this shiny white/silvery liquid that made the eggs look like a pearl.

Noel gave a lesson on the true meaning of Easter.

All of the pearly eggs all finished.

Noel and Sam set up this little spot of Easter stuff next to their bedroom doors, along with some carrots for the Easter Bunny.

A note for the Easter Bunny.

Easter morning. Ready to go downstairs and see what the Easter Bunny brought.

After the hunt.

Playing in the rain in their swimsuits after church on Easter Sunday.

Our Easter Feast.

Sam got a picture with the Easter Bunny at JCPenney's a week or so before Easter.

Playing at the park.

The 3rd Graders from Noel's school and all of the other schools in Spanish Fork participated in a Track and Field Day at one of the high schools here in Spanish Fork. It was an all day thing and Noel had a blast. She did the softball throw, 100 meter run and the 200 meter run. Evelyn and I were able to go support her and cheer her on.

Here's Noel's class wearing blue in the bleachers.

Noel got 1st place in her heat for the 100 meter run.

Noel, Evelyn and I went out to Coldstone after her track meet.

Evelyn gives thee best hugs.

Evelyn's and my view on a morning jog.

Playing in a puddle at the park. I can't get over her smile in this picture.

Jumpin'.

Another chilly soccer game but Evelyn and Sam didn't care, they had bubbles to play with.

There was this swirly look in the clouds that looked so cool during one of Noel's games.

Evelyn and Morgan playing soccer.

The view of the mountains during sunset from our back patio.

We've had a lot of rain and a lot of rainbows.

Feeding the ducks.

Silly kids.

Evelyn working out with her Daddy.

Hanging out at the park.

Evelyn tried on some doll clothes. They didn't quite fit;)

Evelyn is my little buddy.

Evelyn likes to help me shop. She especially loves to shop at Smith's because they are child size grocery carts.

Morgan and Sam went on a Father and Son Campout so the girls and I went to Noel's soccer game, then got burgers and fries and went home and watched a movie.