Tradition! Tradition!

Although hectic and busy as usual, it's been a weekend filled with family traditions.  And for some reason I have that song from The Fiddler on the Roof running through my head (it's got a catchy tune, don't you think?)... so I'll start with... 

The Papa.... the Papa!

Bill sat and listened to General Conference on Saturday, taking careful notes on the messages shared and spiritual promptings that he had.  In between sessions, he worked like a madman helping get the house in order (which means he dusted and wiped down the sofas -- a couple of my least favorite jobs) for our semi-annual Conference Sunday Luncheon.  He attended the Priesthood session alone, but with anticipation of attending the next one in six short months with his beloved son, Taylor.  Later that evening he assisted the Easter Bunny in finding places to hide the girls' baskets.  (Which, by the way, I have done the past few years... and can I just say, I'm better?  The girls found them in mere minutes this year.)

Tradition!

The Mama... the Mama!

On Saturday I attended Lexee's track meet in Windsor (only a 90 minute drive one-way), missing her first event because, of course, they were an hour ahead of schedule (when does THAT happen?).  I stood in the very cold and windy weather for three hours (getting a nice sunglass sunburn... you know, raccoon eyes) before heading for home with Lex in tow.  That evening I couldn't resist watching The Ten Commandments while I made and cleaned up dinner.

I think I watched it because it reminded me of my childhood.  This was one of two shows that we were allowed to watch on Sunday while I was growing up (we had a "no Sunday TV" rule).  It was such a treat when it (or The Sound of Music) came on and we could spend the evening in front of the television.  And I absolutely loved when the Red Sea parted... the intense walk through the middle... the Egyptian army coming after them... what a thrill.  Mauri watched it with me until she fell asleep.  Bill and I recorded the end (she missed the whole Red Sea part!) so she could finish it at her convenience.

On Sunday I arose early to put the ham in the oven and start preparing for the luncheon, which we have held every conference since we've lived in CO.  We invite various ward members over for lunch and socializing in between the two sessions on Sunday.  The group changes here and there, but there are a few families (3 of our neighbors and some good friends) that are there almost every time.  After the first session (loved it), people began arriving and a yummy lunch of ham and cheesy potatoes (Tradition! - for Easter) and various pot-luck sides and desserts was consumed.  I told Bill we were taking pictures (we never have), but we all got too involved in our discussions of conference talks and life in general.  One exciting bit of news... our recently released Stake President was called and sustained as an area Seventy.  It's pretty neat to hear the name of someone you actually know... over the pulpit... at General Conference.  Afterwards we listened to the last session of conference, then talked about how we can improve as a family in some of the areas mentioned.  We decided that we need to share our testimonies more, and have decided to make that the focus of our FHE lesson as we rotate it each week.  Whoever is giving the lesson will choose a gospel principle they have a strong testimony of, then share a message about that topic, concluding with their testimony.  Shilo's turn is tomorrow night.

Tradition!

The son... the son!

We miss Taylor but it's comforting to know he is hearing the same messages from the leaders of the church that we are, at the same time we are hearing them.  It is truly wonderful to live in an age where communication is so available (it would be so hard not to have that weekly email... and it's so immediate.  Not the one-month span of time between writing and receiving an answer that Bill dealt with back in the day).  A friend of mine said that when her sons served missions (she has 3 RMs), she would count Fast Sundays until they returned rather than days because that made her feel not as overwhelmed by the length of time they would be gone.  It's a more manageable number -- 24 vs. 730.  I decided that I would count General Conferences (even more manageable!).  4 down, 0 to go.  Now just to get the next 5 1/2 months to fly by...  according to Elder Syddall, the time is flying by.

Tradition!

The daughters... the daughters!

They colored eggs (and cracked a few in the process)

and got their baskets ready for the Bunny.

Sunday morning they hunted them down in record time.

After conference, we measured their growth.  Our measuring post is in the basement, which is a good excuse for not getting it finished, don't you think?

Youngest to oldest (Tradition!)...

Mauri was thrilled with her 1" growth since last conference, 2" in the past year.  She's now as tall as Shilo was at age 7.

Speaking of which, Shilo was next.

Wow!  That girl has grown 3 inches in the past year.  She's the same height Taylor was at age 14.  
And she's less than an inch away from Lexee...

... who doesn't want to grow any more... and nervously awaited the results of the accurate measuring of her father...

...to find out that she has only grown 1/2 inch the past year. She's about 1/8 inch away from the last mark we have for Britt (who I don't think we've measured since April '09 -- but hasn't grown much since, if any. When we met her down in Las Vegas, we measured her and Lex back-to-back... it was darn close and we even thought Lex looked a little taller. Since neither of those girls ever wear heels, maybe Lex had on higher flip-flops?).

It's so fun to measure every 6 months and compare and congratulate the kids on the growing they've done.

As for Britta... we Skyped her this week... asked some serious questions and talked for over an hour.  
I stole this pic off of her facebook today (I'm so sneaky):

...higher education... independent living... roommates... friends... boyfriend... we miss her too!

Tradition!