February 2026

March 24, 2026

February 2026

February came and went so quickly that I've struggled to document it in time!

My beautiful, second oldest niece got married! Jake and I took the kids to school and enjoyed a trip out to Phoenix to watch and celebrate Cassidy and Heber. They are the most beautiful couple! After the kids got out of school, we took them back to Goodyear for the reception and it was divine. Sarah went all out with food and decor. She decorated the cultural hall at their church and you couldn't even tell it is normally a basketball gym looking space!

I am serving in the church as the girls camp leader. This is so perfect for me and I'm excited to volunteer my time for this. It's Gwen's first year of camp, and she is a homebody so I feel like this is a recipe for success for Gwen to have the best time.

Gwen and Emily participated in their piano cavalcade recital. They each played two songs in a massive concert with two students on each piano. It was a really fun show. We now know that THIS is the recital to invite all the grandparents to, so Marilyn and Dennis, Walt and Vonnie, Jan and Chris--plan on this next spring! It was such a beautiful night and Wade remarkably handled sitting decently well!

On Valentine's Day, I ran in the Mesa Marathon's 10k. It was so fun to run with some friends. These women included me in their running group and I'm thankful for them! It was a fun race and I look forward to doing it next year and for years to come! The girls did the kid's fun run, and they liked it a lot. Our favorite part of the run was the popsicles at the end. They are our new favorites. Creamies brand popsicles forever!

Jake and I were able to accompany Gwen in the temple for her first session of Baptisms for the Dead in Mesa. She loved it and wants to go often.

Emily and Gwen's school had their annual carnival. I took Wade to the park right next to the school, and the girls and Jake went and enjoyed the carnival. It was a great way to make the best night happen. I get pretty anxious about following Wade around in big crowds, and the carnival is WILD! But he isn't able to go on all the rides, so it was just perfect skipping it and taking him to the park instead. This is Gwen's last official carnival! Onward to junior high!

Gwen played in the championships for basketball. They lost and she was so sad, but she played awesome and her coach is our favorite. I've raved about Theresa before. She's an ex-college coach and she is so SO good at her craft. She helps Gwen on and off the court and we love her.

G also had such a cool musical experience. She was able to be part of a regional elementary school choir. One Saturday, over 100 students handpicked from the area all got together and put on a show for us! It was incredible! She experienced music teachers that she'll have in junior high and high school and it made her really excited for next year. She's been nervous, but now it's all excitement!

Emily is loving her new activity day's leaders. They meet on Wednesday evenings and when Em gets back, she's always exhausted but happy. We are so thankful for the group of friends she has!