Marvelous Mother's Day

My May babies share Mother's Day depending on the year. This year Natalie's birthday, May 10th, fell on Mother's day. She decided to have her friend Shelby Rees spend the night Friday to help celebrate her b-day early so she could spend Sunday celebrating---well, me! Can a mother ask for better Mother's day gift than a thoughtful daughter?

There was lots of pizza and pop, and she helped make the carrot cake.

12 Candles this year! She is a new Beehive and HAPPY to be out of primary (I would gladly follow her into Young Woman and be a teacher in there and give up being primary president!)

After singing the birthday song to her, the real singing began. Natalie has been a hummer and singer since she was 1 yrs old. So this year she wanted the PS3 game ROCKBAND

She and Trevor christened the Rockband game with Blue Oyster Cults: "Don't fear the Reaper," with Trevor on guitar and Natalie on the drums.

She went to lead vocals and got a great score (no surprise there)

I think that mic will be glued to her lips for the next week.

The next morning we were off to the school for Mayfair. Shelby and Natalie continued celebrating with cotton candy, colorful braids

And girlfriend paint tattoos

The boys and I went to work. Like last year, I sliced 4 big bags of onions, moved onto the cookbook fundraising table and then onto the Burger bar to sell hot dogs and hamburgers (I didn't smell too pretty afterwards!)

Trevor and Brendan were busy with the Scouts to build the Rope Bridge, also a fundraiser. Kids pay to test their agility and ability to cross the bridge, 5 feet off the ground, between two tall pines.

The Scout masters rely on Trevor to run the show.

Thank goodness he is a monkey, agile climber, knot expert AND has a lot of patience.

I kept hearing him say "pull the string with your right hand...your other right hand..."

Love this shot of him posed on the tree commanding his scouts to pull the rope tighter.

After spending 4 hours helping children across the bridge, Trevor played in his High School Ensemble. Trevor does well on the guitar, but the Music teacher insists Trevor play his clarinet instead. Trevor has a natural talent with music. He wrote his own music in class, taught himself to play the piano and is now trying to teach himself how to play Natalie's violin.

A woman sat down by me and said "you have really good boys. I can't believe they are willing to do things for the school & community without getting paid." Can a mother ask for anything more on Mother's Day weekend than to see her children serve unselfishly?

Brendan's Birthday was on Monday, and he was out there pulling his weight as well, instead of running around with his friends at Mayfair and wore his uniform despite the humidity.

The sun was hot, the rope left fibers imbedded in his hands and yet he was still smiling.

Monday night for Family Home Evening & dinner we celebrated Brendan's b-day. We had lots to celebrate. Brendan just got Second place in Rome competing against other school's in a math competition. My Brendan boy-- who used to know the year and age of everyone in our ward when we lived on Guam-- put that numbers ability to good use and got the Silver award against hundreds of kids.

For his b-day, I made his favorite baby back ribs, beans and fries and the smile kept getting bigger.

Brendan also completed his Deacon Duty to God on Sunday, Mother's Day and is now a Teacher.

Can a mom ask for a better Mother's day weekend than to see her son live up to his priesthood responsibilities?

Brendan, like all boys, is dying to drive, so he got a Racing wheel and game for x-box his B-day.

It even has life like pedals for the gas and break

Everyone tried it out for FHE. It wasn't a spiritual message unless you consider:

Mark 1:11 "And there came a voice from heaven saying Tho art my beloved son, in whom I am well pleased. And immediately the Spirit DRIVETH him into the wilderness."

There are days that I want to kill my kids, but this weekend after the nice cards, cute MOM necklace, pretty smelling lotion (to cover the onion sent), foot massages, I could really echo the sentiment: Behold my children in whom I am well pleased! I couldn't ask for anything more!!