April 2022, mostly, from Conference and Easter to Andy's accident

Melissa took the kids, with friends, down to Five Kivas Pueblos in March and the trail was COVERED with glass and ceramic shards.  She mentioned how sad it was on Facebook and organized a clean up effort before general conference sessions on April 2nd.  Several families came down and we took out around 70 pounds of glass.  We only made it about 25% down the trail.  Here Melissa is helping a friend, Chad Vernon, and I lift the big garbage can over the narrow part of the trail.  

Sunday, between general conference sessions, we went for a ride/walk to the USU campus for a picnic.  There was a loan goose hanging around.  So we ate and tried to avoid goose droppings... I don't think he'd been alone for long. 

One fun part of spring in San Juan is catching the water at Cottonwood Wash.  We're lucky, Melissa will usually see Facebook posts about the water, so we know when it is running. Then the next warm day I have off, we go down.  It was a bright and sunny day April 8th.  We spent a couple of hours building dams and playing in the sandy snowmelt.  

Then on Saturday the 9th it was time for work!  We extended the vinyl fence last fall, but never hung the new gates in the garden section.  Melissa helped me hang the gates while the kids were at a birthday party.  Then Finn helped me put on a couple of handles. 

Monday the 11th, back to the grind!  Finley working on writing in homeschool.

We got to spend Easter weekend with Nana and Grandad, with everyone healthy!  Or so we thought.   Friday the 15th, coloring eggs. 

Grandad and I enjoying the memory game provided on the back of the egg dye box. I won!

Melissa's niece Echo got married April 15th.  We all went to Bountiful for the wedding. Then, after the ceremony, we went to the Discovery museum in SLC. 

Lilian getting "x-rays"

The kids, and I, checking out the decommissioned "LifeFlight" Helicopter.

Weird art outside the museum. 

At the reception. Bill's family.  

The bride and groom with her Grandma and aunt.

Visiting Paulo with Nana. 

Visiting the Provo City Center temple with Jon and Belle after high tea in Provo, April 16th at "Taste." Belle and Jon are always awesome about planning time together when we come to visit.  

Happy Easter!  The 17th we did a hard boiled egg hunt in the morning, before church.  Then had yummy stuffed French toast. 

Heading for church!  Melissa crocheted the girls' skirts and Finn's bowtie as Easter presents. I bought books, all on my own last time we were in Lindon... didn't even buy any duplicates. 

Happy Easter!

That evening we did the candy egg hunt with the cousins. 

We did half outside and half inside. It was supposed to be cold all weekend, but turned out very pleasant.  Lily didn't want to hunt outside, so I let her start inside before the rest of the cousins.  When it was time for dinner, she came to me and asked to snuggle.  I made her a plate and she asked if we could eat in bed because she was cold and tired.  She ended up with "a tummy ache, a back ache, leg aches and a penis ache."  All that, plus a fever of 102-103*.  She snuggled with me, told Melissa to go away a few times, and slowly ate some dinner.  Eventually she let me go eat, Melissa snuggled her to sleep and Lily slept from 6 PM to almost 9 AM, with a few bathroom breaks.  By Monday afternoon (on our way home from Lindon) she was pretty much back to normal.  The Crazy 18 hour flu. 

The sick girl and her loving mother. 

Tuesday, life is back to normal.  Little dinos stalking their prey at the Dino museum. 

April 23rd, Dawn Lyman invited us to her family birthday party.   We're all watching Mason wash the mystery colors off her new Barbie dolls.  She also received a little stuffed animal with a stress ball in the belly from her aunt.  While we were singing Dawn "Happy Birthday" and she was looking at her cake, Lily gave the stuffy a squeeze. The stress ball popped, spraying water all over Lily and on me and dumping glitter on the floor.  Luckily Dawn never noticed.  I ran to the dollar store to replace it, but the only one left had a pin hole leak, so we just decided it was best that the toy trashed itself without the birthday girl noticing.  

Monday the 25th Hannah had her dance pictures before the big recital. 

So Lily, Finn and I road/walked to Patio for dinner/Daddy date. 

Melissa and Hannah arrived just as we were leaving. 

Tuesday the 26th was another Cottonwood day, for them.  And "Patio Gut" day for me.  I had horrible nausea and diarrhea from 2 AM through most of the afternoon.  Melissa had a big day planned with the kids; Cottonwood, Gymnastics. and grocery shopping.  She kept them out of my hair all day, what a blessing to rest.  Not sure if it was my salad at Patio, or just coincidental timing... but I might not be eating at Patio for a while. 

Then Thursday the 29th on the way home from Montezuma Creek I totaled a company vehicle hitting a horse.  I was blessed to walk away with a small scratch and a bruise on my arm.  I had a sore back the next day and as of 5/8... that's all.  The car and horse were not so lucky.  10 years, countless trips through the rez and all the "open range" roads, many close calls... many people have told me it was just a matter of time and that I'm luck it was a horse instead of a cow.  Cows tend to be heavier and the ranchers will demand payment. 

This isn't the end of April, but it is the end of this post.  Melissa's siblings are packing their bags... and will be arriving tomorrow to surprise Chris for her birthday. That's a story for another post.