Verity turned 43!

I had a spectacular birthday, and I'm so grateful for that.  Jason, Rhiannon, and Wade, for one reason or another, had a tough day that day and still tried so hard to make it a happy one for me.  I love them!  Jason got me a beautiful bouquet of flowers and a gadget to play music from my phone in the van, and the kids got me a new Yoda key chain!  We had a birthday dinner last night at Classic Burger and it was a lot of fun.  This year I got a birthday shake...instead of cake. It was delicious!

Another really fun thing was that I got spoiled at work.  Thanks to Facebook, another teacher, Kim St. George, found out it was my birthday and brought in a cake, a beautiful purple and blue orchid plant, and a lovely card.  I was SO SURPRISED when I walked into the staff room because I assumed no one knew, haha!  

I'm excited for this year and thankful for all the people who remembered me on my birthday, whether it was a text, a Facebook birthday wish, a phone call, or other thoughtful gesture.  So fun!

Playing catch-up: Wade's 14th Birthday and ordination!

Wade's 14th birthday on October 21 was a happy day.  It was a busy weekend with the high school's Homecoming dance the same evening as Wade's birthday, too, but I think Wade felt the love and enjoyed the day!

We opened presents in the morning, something I don't think we've ever done before but Wade requested.  His giant gift, a trip to a Warriors game with his dad in December, would happen later, and he was spoiled with other fun gifts, too.

The gift that touched my heart was Rhiannon's.  It has started to sink for both kids that this time next year will be a little different with Rhiannon at college, and the thought made them both sad.  So it was important to Rhiannon to surprise Wade for his birthday and do something out of the ordinary, especially since she'd be gone that night with friends to a dance.  

Rhiannon treated him to lunch at Jack in the Box and then drove him up to the Indian Wells Brewery and bought Wade his choice of special sodas there.  I think there were a few other things they did, too, but her insistence on getting away with her brother was very touching.  These two are best friends, and my heart squeezes a little to think of the adjustment they'll have to make when Rhiannon isn't living at home.

The next day Wade was ordained to the office of teacher at church!  He is very excited to be with friends in the teachers quorum.  We kept the event small but I know it meant a lot to our home teacher  Allen Robins and Wade's Scout leader David Foster that Wade invited them personally to participate.

We love Wade and are very, very proud of him!!  

Rhiannon, Ben Washburn, Bishop Ephraim Washburn, Wyatt Porsch, David Foster,
Jason, Jacob Williams, Allen Robins, Wade, and Britt Farley

Christmas 2017--Vacation/Stay-cation

Today is Day 9 of our Christmas break and we are really enjoying it.  Some highlights so far include:

seeing the Last Jedi movie in 3D
playing games with the Littons
ordering our traditional Golden Dragon take-out
eating delicious soup and rolls with the Zobells
enjoying a 1-hr musical sacrament meeting on Christmas Eve Day (Rhiannon did a beautiful job playing a piano solo for that)
driving around town to see Christmas lights
lots of family phone calls and video FaceTimes
a lovely, peaceful relaxing Christmas Day
doing a few household tasks like decluttering and raking leaves
watched Dunkirk
devoured a tasty Christmas ham and mashed potatoes dinner
a bit of golfing for the boys
having fun with our new phones!
making Amazon wish lists

Earlier this week Jason and Wade drove up to northern California for Wade's belated birthday gift to see a Warriors basketball game!  They drove up, saw the game, stayed the night, ate good food, and checked out a cool museum on the way home, too.  They had a great time!

Rhiannon and I enjoyed our own stay-cation while the boys were gone--we shopped, got haircuts, watched recorded This is Us episodes, slept in, ate dinner at Subway with the sister missionaries, and went to the movie theater to see The Greatest Showman.

We made a list of a few more things we need/want to do.  It's so nice to realize we have several more days together to play, sleep, party, rest, and plan for 2018!

Wade becomes a teenager!

Wade turned 13 on October 21 and got to celebrate his birthday for a couple of days.  

He got a donut for breakfast in the morning...

An excused-absence lunch break with his mom... (we got McDonald's and ate at a park on base near the school.  Fun!  I need to do that more often with him!)

A Baskin Robbins ice cream cake and Papa John's pizza for dinner  (we amped up the fun and brought the party to Howard and Sandi's house.  We loved doing that with them, and they really appreciated it!)

We waited to do present opening that night when Dad got home from a business trip to Italy (we were so glad to get Jason home!!!)

And then Wade got even MORE spoiled when he had some friends over the next afternoon, and his dad drove him and friends down to Ontario for a hockey game.  It was the first time for his friends to see a hockey game, so he and Dad enjoyed doing that with them.  (THANK YOU to Dad for doing this for Wade, especially after just getting home from an international flight and a "few" time zones the night before!)

With JoJo, Lars, Nick, and Tucker

WE LOVE YOU, WADE!!!!  Happy 13th Birthday!!!

16th Birthday celebrations!

Rhiannon had a VERY HAPPY sixteenth birthday!  It was on Memorial Day this year and we had a ton of fun stretching it out for a few days, too.

Highlights:

--Bishop Washburn getting the whole ward to sing "Happy Birthday" to Rhiannon at the ward Memorial Day breakfast

--Swimming with friends

--an envelope F-U-L-L of notes, cards, and special letters from family and friends to commemorate her birthday.  Jason's letter made both me and Rhiannon cry.

--Cinnamon cake

--Friends "stealing her" to go get ice cream together in the evening.  She had no idea they were coming!

--Dating emergency kit funnies (pepper spray, anti-gas pills, etc)

--A tremendously successful birthday party with friends a few days later.  She had 12 guests and they swam, ate, laughed, and played games together.  Guests were Nathan, Tamara, Nik, Thomas, JenAi, Ethan, Jacob, Kevin, Brisa, Sydney, Izzy, and Emily.

--Thoughtful gifts

--Perfect first "group date" with Nik Duque, Wes Johnson, and Kalie Hedman (they went jeeping in Wes's car and got donuts afterwards).  She said it was a BLAST!!!

Here are pictures for proof!  Happy 16th to our lovely Rhiannon!  We love you!!!

  

  

  

  

  

A fantastic group of teenagers.  They're welcome over here any time!

Playing Werewolves of Miller's Hollow--probably the highlight of the night!  They were here til 10:30 or 11 playing that.

First Date fun!

Sweet 16!!!!!

Tomorrow is the big day!  We are so excited to help Rhiannon celebrate this milestone birthday.  We have a few things up our sleeves (sorry, no car, haha!) that we know she'll love and enjoy!

This little baby's birth was scary, too early, and 100% crazy, but since that fateful day she has brought us nothing but happiness and peace.  So grateful she is a part of our family!  So excited for what awaits!

Jason turns 41!

Jason's birthday this year was a lot quieter than his big 4-0 last year.  It was on a busy Wednesday with the usual drumline/Crossfit/Scouts activities going on, so we had dinner together and then scattered.  Jason grilled and had some veggies, with pineapple for his "birthday cake" this year.  He was super sweet and said he didn't mind if we got pizza in his honor, even though he wasn't eating it.

The one thing we surprised him with was a Blu-ray copy of The Martian, which we hope to watch this weekend sometime.  That brilliant idea came from Wade--yay!

Jason is the foundation and rock in our home--I am so appreciative of all that he does for our family and the way he's constantly surprising us with his humor, smarts, and love!

Rhiannon and I sent a few loves his way on Facebook:

From Rhiannon: Happy birthday to the best dad ever!!!!! ❤ You always crack me up, work super hard and keep surprising me (which I thought would stop happening a long time ago, but it still happens) Love you Dad!!  (He's the one trying to steal the cake)

And here was mine:

I was going to type out a lengthy, sappy, embarrassing love note to this guy and spread it all over Facebook for his birthday. I was going to shower him with praises and extol all his virtues. But that's not how he rolls. So I'll keep it short and sweet and say, "Thank you for taking this selfie with me, even though you hate selfies. And thank you for all that you do for me and the kids--I fall more in love with you every day!"  Happy Birthday a little early, Jason! I love you! XOXOXOXOXOXO