Have to say

I have to say, my favorite breakfast lately is instant oatmeal.  It's quick and easy, which I kind of need because I usually have a little Henry demanding breakfast at the same time, and it's yummy!  I especially like the fruity kind.  I like to make the oatmeal and then take it upstairs to my chair where I feed Henry and possibly fall asleep doing something or other on my tablet.  It's cozy and pleasant. :)

It's been warming up around here.  By the evening it feels a little hot upstairs.  Last night it was up to 77 up there.  We turn on the cooler until it gets to 75, and then by morning it's 68 and it feels like we need the heater again.  I'm happy for the warmer weather and hoping it doesn't get hot too fast.  We're thinking of getting a little play house to put in the backyard.  We also need to figure out how to make it so little ones can't escape from the backyard!  And I've been thinking about the fruit trees we planned to plant back there.  I wonder if we'll get around to it this year.  I just don't know.  And speaking of which, Jeremy's dad had to cut down most of his fruit trees because they died.  I think they got those horrible bugs like the ones that are killing the trees in our backyard in Globe.  Anyway, just recently he got some new trees.  I'm hoping they'll work good!  One of my favorite memories at that house was standing under the plumcot tree and eating plumcot after plumcot right off the tree.  Oh, they were so good!  Alas, he couldn't find one of those this time. Darn!

Just as a passing note, Joe and BreAnna are still living in the basement at the house the Aaron and Kenzie are renting.  Aaron and Kenzie's new house is almost done.  It's really close to that little pond that was near Kimberly's old house in Pima.  I think that Joe and BreAnna will probably not be invited to move into that one.  I'm not sure why they're still there.  It sounds like BreAnna wants to move back to Globe, but that's not where Joe's job is.  Anyway, it's a head scratcher.  I'm so glad for Aaron and Kenzie!  And I really wish Joe and BreAnna would move somewhere far where they can't rely on everybody who's been paying their way so much.  It worries me.  Also, I haven't seen them since Christmas Eve.  Funny that we live so close to each other.  But Joe works all week and then they go spend the weekends in Globe.  Really, as much of a pain in the bum as those weekly family dinners turned out to be, I really miss the weekly visiting.

I don't remember if I mentioned it or not, but Benji is doing band and really loving it.  They start in 5th grade here, so the band he's in is a year and a half ahead of him.  The band teacher, who I'm pretty darn sure I know from flute tooting in years past, is giving him a short lesson on Mondays and Wednesdays after school.  He's so excited about it!  He's playing drums.  He's been working on snare drum.  On Wednesday they were learning a new song, and Ms. Kei, the teacher, pointed out to Benji that he'd need to learn to do a suspended cymbal at one point, and she didn't have time to teach him yet.  (Look that up if you don't know what I'm talking about. You've heard it before, even if you didn't know what it was called.)  Well, on Friday they had a substitute, and he taught Benji how to do it, and he came home so, so excited!  His voice got a little squeaky telling me how awesome it was and demonstrating it over and over.  It delights me to no end to see him so happy and excited.  He cannot wait to surprise his teacher today. :)

I have really been enjoying our new ward.  Some Sundays I spend most of my time sitting in the mother's lounge, but even that has been fun.  I've made some new friends in there and had a great time visiting.  One of them is Jacklyn Trickey from St. Johns, who is married now and I can't remember her name.  I didn't know her before.  A lot of the people from St. Johns who live around here know my younger siblings but are too young to have known me.  Really, it's fine.  It just makes me feel old!  Ha ha!  Anyway, I love her!  She's great fun to talk to.  And at least Jeremy Hunt is in our ward - he's a year older than me. Ha! ;) I finally made the connection which guy is Jordan Pulsipher last week.  I really should get to know his wife (not that I even really know him - ha! Age gap.).  She seems nice.

Anyway, another cool thing about our ward is Sister Whetten.  I'd forgotten what a cool lady she is.  She is really getting old, but she is still so sharp.  She always contributes something meaningful to the Sunday School lessons.  She is someone I really admire.  And she likes me!  She gives me a big smile and hug every Sunday. :) It makes me feel special.