Bullet point week

I'm doing a bullet point post today.  I think it will make it quicker and it's 8:58 and I don't want to spend more than 5 minutes on this computer.

• Came home one day from work and found Benny working out like the stud he is.  Man, he's a hard worker.  I am so proud of the will power this kid has.  He's amazing.

• What's coming to a place near me?

I am so excited I can hardly wait!  I know it is a year away or more...but really!  The whole family will be going to see Les Mis.  We'll see about wicked, but Kenzie and me for sure.  Oh, I just realized that in October of 2018 Jordan won't be here...that makes me sad:(

• My dear, sweet grandmother passed away this week.

She was my last living grandparent and I am feeling her loss deeply.  Grandma always lived in one place and her home was the permanent base for us as we moved around frequently when we were young.  Grandma's house was special.

I can smell the dove soap and see the beautifully folded, fluffy towels in her pink bathroom.

I can remember the hours spent in her blue carpeted living room and her beautiful decorations.

I can smell the delicious meals she cooked for us on holidays, like this Easter Sunday.

I feel a tangible loss of identity with the loss of this beautiful woman.  She will be missed sorely.

• On mother's day I was trying to capture some pictures of my kids.

 

It's always okay when I try with a few of them, but when I put all five in the picture I get stuff like this:

Until I say, come on guys...it's mother's day.  Just one good picture.  Then I get this:

Pretty cute kids...even my blind Ben.

• I caught one of our bear visitors on film (there's been two that have been hanging around).  This one was out our back sliding glass door and decided to come see us one night as we were watching a family film.

The bear actually seemed pretty friendly, but I still wouldn't want to be on the other side of the glass door.  I did get a little too close for comfort earlier this spring with the two bear visitors walking out to my car.  When I saw them, I backed away very slowly.

• A view of my bike ride the other day.  While I hate climbing hills, I always love the views at the top.

On another ride this week, I got caught in a hail storm.  That was no fun...but I did survive.

• Busy week for Kenzie.  She had open mic night with the theater troupe from school.

She sang the song Stone Cold, by Demi Lovato.  This is a very difficult belting pop song.  You have to be very brave to sing this and she was singing it well at home.  Bummer though, we thought they'd have a piano and I would accompany her but she had to use a karaoke track that she wasn't accustomed to.  I think that kicked off the nerves, and then she wasn't too sure of how the belting was going to go in a small room with a microphone so she backed off due to her nerves.  It was the first time in a long time I have seen Kenzie nervous while she was singing.

Then, Saturday she had inductions for the troupe.  This is when all the freshman that have put in the hours and time become part of the troupe.  And then Saturday evening she had to perform Come thou Fount of Every Blessing for the stake seminary graduation.  She was much less nervous for that and did a wonderful job.  I'm just glad we get to relax a little.  I say we because I was playing the piano for her on all this and it may just be more taxing on me to perform in front of others than her.

• Brad had surgery this past week to get all his hardware out.  Here's an xray of the leg after he had all the hardware put in:
  
  
   Here's a picture of his leg right after the surgery with his hardware out.
  
  Still a small fracture in his leg.  It's been 10 months since the initial injury.  This has been a LONG recovery process.  Glad the surgeries are done.
  
  
  • Our momma cat died this week...run over by a car.   Jordan and Kenzie buried her for us.  I thought that tough momma would live for a long time.  I'm glad she left us two mousers.