Summer and Spencer

SUMMER:
Summer has really been into reading church books. I had gotten a bunch of church books out of storage a couple of months ago and put them on our bookshelf. They were kind of for decoration to fill the empty space, but Summer took notice and started picking them up to read. She read a Sheri Dew book, President Hinckley book, and Camilla Kimball's biography. It is just so wonderful that she chooses good things. While she was reading Camilla's biography she was constantly stopping to tell me things about her. I am so grateful for a daughter like her. She just radiates goodness (despite her fights with her brothers).

She has been doing amazing with piano. I think that some people just have that gift, and I definitely think that is one of her gifts, not mine. She has a phenomenal teacher that expects a lot from her, which I love. She hates to practice, but I am glad that she is obedient because she is wonderful to listen to. I am so grateful for Aunt Nita (from church) making it possible for Summer to have piano lessons. She wanted to do this for Summer to help her get over the loss of her kitten. Aunt Nita is such an amazing lady that I am in awe of.

SPENCER:
Spencer has been either glued to the TV to watch college basketball or outside practicing basketball. He said, "Mom, I like to ride rides at Disneyland with Dad, but I like to play basketball with you." He said, "Mom, if I give you a starburst, will you promise to play basketball every day with me so that I can be like Jimmer" I gladly accepted the Starburst and told him that I would do what I could. My brother pointed out that his middle name is James/Jimmer. And it dawned on me that Spencer's middle name is James too (after my Dad), so we've been calling him Spencer Jimmer Spendlove, which he loves. I ordered Spencer a Jimmer t-shirt jersey. He was super excited to wear it to school, but then BYU lost a game. Suddenly he didn't want to wear the jersey because he said that he was embarrassed. I asked him why and he said because BYU isn't good any more since they lost. We had a good chat that everyone loses and that you can still be an amazing player and lose. I think it sunk in. He proudly wore it to school the next day, among all of his SDSU fans (his teachers). Stuart has mentioned with how cool it would be to have a son play college b-ball. It would be super cool.

I am stoked about BYU basketball and think ALL of the players have done an amazing job in the big dance.

How Nephi sees some of us.

I was asking Nephi today about his primary class and what friends were there. I didn't recognize one of the names, and so I said, "What do his parents look like" so that I could place who that was. He said, "His mom has a white booger in her nose (nose ring), his dad has a lot of pictures on his arms (tatoos), and his grandpa looks like a crab." I was like a crab! "Yeah you look like a pink crab and Daddy looks like a red crab that are getting married." So I asked him what his grandparents look like and this is what he said, "Black Grandma looks like a bat ray, Grandpa with hair looks like dolphin, White Grandma looks like a dolphin, and your Grandpa (my Dad) looks like a penguin." These are all compliments of course, as he loves all of the creatures at Sea World.

Where's Nephi and Summer and Spencer playing b-ball

I had to run by the church today to pick up something in the Relief Society closet. I brought our basketballs so that we could shoot some hoops. I have really been trying to teach Spencer the correct shooting form. Any ways, Nephi kept leaving the gym and I kept having to find him. One time he left for a very long time. I searched EVERY WHERE (well, almost) for him, including outside. I was terrified, upset, etc. The kids and I went looking a second time. I opened the chapel doors, and Nephi was standing at the backrow with the sacrament water tray, holding it like the deacons do to pass the sacrament. My terrified, frustrated heart just melted. I know that he shouldn't be getting in to the sacrament stuff, but it was so darling that he wanted to be like the deacons. He had even put the water cups in the trays. We put back the tray and he informed me that he also ate the bread.

The kids finished playing b-ball. Summer made 51 shots and Spencer made 23. They have had a definite interest in b-ball since going to the BYU/UCLA game, which I hope continues. Everyone but Stuart (who had to work) went up to a movie theater to watch the BYU/SDSU game on the big screen. It was opened up to BYU alumuni and anyone else interested in attending. We had a blast and were cheering the entire game. I was super proud of BYU.

With all of the events with Davies and the honor code, I have never felt prouder to be a BYU cougar. It feels really great to have graduated from a school that stands for what we believe in. I am so proud of Davies for owning up to what he did, and hope to see him back on the team next year. GO COUGARS!!!!