week 15

Well, blogger's gone and changed stuff again.  It's going to take me a minute to figure it out but for now, here's week 15.  I know I'm a bit behind :)

Spring break fun

 Spring Break was lots of fun!  We were blessed to have our cousin Aubrey come up for the week from Medford.  My girls LOVE their cousin Aubrey.  The three days that she was here just flew right by with tons of fun activities.  The fun started with a stop at Rice Hill.  Have you ever been there?  In the tiny city of Rice Hill, there's an even tinier trailer on the side of the freeway that is always crazy busy...even in the wintertime.  I don't even know the name of the place...just that we always stop there for ice cream.  The picture below is the ice cream sizes.  Can you imagine ordering a large?  We got the girls each a small and despite my doubts, they finished the entire thing!  If you are ever driving down I-5 heading south from Eugene, STOP THERE!

That night, we took the kids bowling.  We went to Springfield's very own "Timber Bowl."  It's the tiniest, most out-dated bowling alley in the area but we love it!  The girls appreciated not only the bumper bowls but the ball launcher.  They racked up some pretty decent scores with these two helps.

The rest of the week was filled with lots of hot tub time, playtime outside (despite the wind and rain) and board games.  We were sad to see Aubrey leave.

For the older girls, Spring Break was all about the Hunger Games.  Casey and Charlotte went to see it on Wednesday.  Jillian flew through the book in one day and I took her (along with Charlotte) on Friday.  It was the second time for me.  We LOVED the movie!  It followed the book really well and kept us on the edge of our seats the whole time.

Now that Spring break is over and the kids are back to school, I'm cleaning my house, catching up on bills, and every other thing that I let go over the week.

Here is week 13!

Grandma Bea's 100th!

The second Saturday in March we had a big celebration for Casey's Grandma's 100th birthday.  Grandma Bea raised her family here in Springfield. served in the church for all of her life, and is now living in a nursing home in Eugene.  She is a truly GREAT lady and even though she doesn't always recognize us, we hope she felt loved!  This picture that Charlotte is standing next to is probably the last time we've seen Grandma Bea play the piano.  The Westover's musical heritage comes directly from her.  Music makes Grandma Bea who she is.  Even at 100, and with seriously failing faculties, she recognizes the church hymns and can even start them for us...right on key.  I am so grateful that my girls have her in their family tree...and that they get to visit her often.  I hope they will always be proud of their heritage.

Here is Casey with his Grandma.  His fondest memories are of birthday parties at Grandma Bea's house.  Apparently, she always had a birthday dinner/celebration for each one of her grandkids' birthdays.

All Lydia wanted to do was hold Grandma's hand.  The funny thing is that Grandma Bea didn't want to let go when it was time for Lydia to leave.

There were over 100 people there...but this is most of the Westover clan (that came from Mel).  All of Casey's siblings either flew in or drove in for the big day!  It was an awesome weekend!

These are the handsome Westover men!  My girls are obsessed with their uncles!  (Especially uncle Jeremy...he's just as crazy as their dad....he's the one in the other blue shirt.)

Finally, here is week 11...kind of a boring week really (after the last few weeks of crazy) but sometimes boring is good!

Week 10

One amazing weekend.

I feel this great need to record the major events that happened this last weekend.  As of today (Monday), Casey and I are still shaking our heads, wondering if everything that occurred over the last 2 days was real, or just a dream.  I needed a place to record my thoughts and this blog seems the best place.

It all started with  my parents' arrival on Thursday night.  They took Allison out to dinner on Friday...to celebrate her baptism.  She (of course) went to Hometown Buffet...which perhaps is one of our least favorite places to eat in town but she loves it!

On Saturday, we scrambled to get everyone ready for the baptism which was at 11.  Our nerves were on high alert however, for a different reason.  Casey had been asked to attend a 5 minute face to face interview with Elder Jeffrey R. Holland 20 minutes before the baptism started.  Elder Holland was in town to re-organize our Stake presidency and the interviews were the first phase of the process of finding the next President.

Because he knew he would be scrambling to get from that interview, into his whites, and then to the baptism, we got Casey and Allison dressed early for some pictures in our front yard.  Allison has been so excited for this day!

Can you see the nerves on Casey's face?

This beautiful baptismal dress has been worn by all of the Westover girls...Allison's aunts (Charlotte, Maria, and Andie) as well as every single female cousin on the Westover side (of which there are many).  We have had this dress in our possession for a while because we were the last ones to have girls.  Lydia will get to wear it in 3 years...and then...I guess we start passing it along to another generation?

After pictures, we gave Allison a few gifts...including a set of her own scriptures and a necklace and baptism book from her grandparents.  Grandma Walburger gave her a new CTR ring.  She felt so loved!

Finally, we nervously made our way to the Stake center.  Casey immediately went to his interview while Allison got re-dressed in her gown.  We took a few pictures before the baptism.

We were Soooo blessed to have my parents here this weekend!  It's almost like the Lord planned it that way!

Casey finally re-emerged...looking very relieved and relaxed.  The baptism was great!  There were 5 kids getting baptized so it was crowded but there was a lot of love in the room.  Afterwards, we gathered at our house for a little family luncheon (soup, sandwiches, and brownie sundaes).

Here is were things started to get crazy.  After cleaning up and saying goodbye to everyone, we sent the kids out to the hot tub and we were lounging in the family room with my parents, talking about how relieved Casey was that the phone had not rung.  It was already 2:00 and we figured that by now, if someone from the stake was going to call, they would have done it.  Not 5 minutes later, the phone rang.  Casey turned white as a sheet.  As he read the caller ID, he turned even whiter.  President Lewis was on the phone, requesting our presence at the Stake offices to meet with Elder Holland.  I almost burst into tears and declared that I had no desire to meet Elder Holland and would just stay home.  Of course, we knew I couldn't bail out now, so sick to our stomachs, we took the VERY LONG drive to the Stake Center.  (Casey insisted on giving a homeless guy on the side of the road some money...in the hopes that it would bring him good karma.)  When we got to the Stake Center, no one was there.  The waiting area was empty so we were left to sit until some one came out to get us.  After a few minutes, we heard a booming voice from inside the Stake President's office saying, "send the Westover's in!"  Yep, it was Elder Holland.  I just about died.

Thankfully, sitting at the Stake president's desk was Bishop Ennis...the current Bishop of the Springfield 2nd ward.  Casey gave him a hearty handshake and declared that he was so very glad to see him sitting there in that seat.  Elder Holland sat us down, gave him a worthiness interview and then asked Casey to serve as a counselor in the new Stake presidency.  Being so very relieved it was not the Stake President calling, Casey enthusiastically said "yes."

I had to say goodbye to Casey and I went home to tell the family.  There were tears on the part of my mom (of course) and confusion on the part of my little ones.  Didn't they just get their daddy home a few months ago from being Bishop for five years?  Would this mean he would be gone as much as he was then?  We talked a little bit about sacrifice and what we have to sometimes give up when we serve the Lord.  I think they are okay with it...and we are so very grateful that we got nine glorious months of "normal" with a husband and father to sit with at church and to be home almost every night.  Now, the "game face" comes back on and we get right back into the same kind of schedule that our family had for five years.

The next day was amazing and crazy and glorious, and exhausting.  First, we got to meet with Elder Holland for over an hour.  (just the three men and their wives) He talked to us about tending to our marriages and putting our relationship first, above all else.  He told us a few heartfelt stories from the early days of his marriage and some of the things he wished he would have done differently.

After the meeting, we went out to a VERY crowded chapel and gym to find our family.  When the time finally came for Casey to take his place up on the stand, I was so proud of him.  He didn't seem nervous at all when he bore his testimony...even though an apostle was sitting right behind him.

Following the meeting (and after a final hour of enduring restless children rolling all over the ground, pinching each other and complaining about being hungry) we went to the Relief Society room for the setting apart.  There, the kids got to meet Elder Holland and shake his hand.  He talked to the families (mostly the children) about sacrifice and supporting their fathers and grandfathers.  Despite having been pretty ornery during the last hour of the conference, the kids did pretty well in this intimate setting.  (perhaps it was because an apostle was sitting just a few feet from them).  Elder Holland personally set Casey apart in this new calling.  It was perhaps one of the greatest moments in either of our lives!

We are home now, and pondering all of the events of the weekend.  We feel overwhelmed to say the least but we are still basking in the sweet spirit that we felt over the last 2 days.  I hope that that sweet spirit can stay with me as we get back to the hectic schedule that we have come to know so well.  (This Sunday he has 13 hours worth of meetings.)

a birthday party

Allison's party was a huge success!!  It was a Lego themed party all the way!  I know that sounds strange for an 8 year old girl, but our girls are seriously obsessed with Legos.  We did a Lego cake, (see week 6 below for picture), Lego gift bags, a Lego game and Lego sugar cookies. 

The day started with bouncing.  One of the benefits to owning an event company is that the girls can have a bounce house whenever they want one.  Since it was a beautiful day, Casey agreed to bring one out for the party. The kids were able to bounce away as other guests were arriving.

After eating pizza and decorating their lego men sugar cookies (also see below), we went out on the deck for some pinata smashing.  Once the whole line of kids had taken a whack at it, Casey let it be torn apart and the kids scrambled for the candy.

After the pinata was present opening and cake eating.  Her friends were so generous with their gifts!  She felt very blessed, I am sure.

The grand finale to our party was a half hour spent playing in the hot tub.  They laughed and splashed and LOVED it!  Again, we were blessed with gorgeous weather so the hot tub was even more fun!

 Finally, we ended the day with more bouncing.  The older girls (who didn't go in the hot tub) spent their time doing tricks while Casey tried to catch them on camera.  This is the best one!

 Here is week 6 in review...mostly stuff that I've already written about...but here it is nonetheless.

It's great to be 8!

Our Allison is 8 years old!  How we love this little girl.  Sure, she can drive us NUTS sometimes, but she is such a tender and sweet girl.  Allison loves to ride her bike, paint with water colors, play Lego Harry Potter on the PS3 and play the piano.  This year, she started voice lessons with her Aunt Charlotte.  (Charlotte did us a huge favor because she doesn't like to take kids as young as Allison...but Charlotte, (and Casey and I) was anxious to hear her singing voice.)  I am told she is doing really great..though she refuses to sing for me.  Allison is our crazy child.  She is so very goofy...kind of like I imagine her dad must have been at her age.

Allison is going to be baptized next month and we are so proud of her.  Because we only have birthday parties with friends every 4 years (age 4, 8, 12, and 16...we just have too many kids to do a friend party every year), Allison is anxiously planning her party.  It is not for a few more days so on her actual birthday, Grandma Walburger invited us all over for dinner and cake!

Grandma Walburger made us a cake that was coverd in chocolate candy.  Since Allison and I practically share a birthday (they are only 2 days apart), I got sung to as well but Allison blew out the candles!

For her birthay, Allison got a brand new bike.  She is the most amazing bike rider.  On our ten mile ride last Saturday, she led the entire way, never complained and beat us all back to the car.  And that is riding a bike with a tire that is slightly "taco-ed."  (Yes, I may have backed over it with the car.)  She was positively thrilled to get a brand new purple bike!  Happy birthday to our Ally-pal.

Here is week 5!!