Ana's track meet

As a sixth grader, Ana got to participate in the district's 6th grade track meet on Thursday, May 16. She ran the 100 and the 100 relay, and participated in the softball throw.

Ana and her cooling towel watching her classmates participate in races.

Ana running the 100.

Ana running the 100 relay.

 Passing the baton to Lilli.

Softball throw. 

Winnie eating her lunch while waiting for the softball throw to be finished. 

 Andrea telling Ana she did a good job after her events.

Easter

We made it back from Manti (see previous post) to have an Easter egg hunt and dinner at Grandma Scott's house on Sunday, April 21.

 Winnie running to her next egg in Grandma's back yard.

Miriam on the lookout for eggs.

Rebekah finding an egg at the base of a poplar tree.

 Ana poking her head out of the playhouse while searching for eggs. 

Winnie, Miri and Bennet opening their eggs to find nickles and candy inside.

 Ana and Bekah with their eggs.

 And because we were out of town right before Easter, we spent the evening after Easter coloring and decorating our eggs. These emoji stickers might be my favorite.

Trip to Manti

When we found out that Seth's cousin Patrick would be getting married in Manti, we decided we needed to make a family trip out of it for two reasons: (1) Seth's great-grandpa lived in Manti, and Seth has memories of spending time with him there. (2) We wanted to have the chance to go to the historic Manti Temple to perform some ordinances for ancestors.

We left home right after school on Thursday, April 18 and got our rental home after 9 that night. The next day, we met Grandma Hendricks' sister Shirley. She lives in Manti and has several family history-related items at her house. She shared information about ancestors and let the girls check out her cool stuff.

 Ana, Bekah and Miri sitting on Shirley's couch with pictures of Christian and Mariane Larsen behind them. 

 Shirley showing the girls the people on their family tree that she's talking about.

Winnie trying out the butter churn. 

 Bekah playing the conch shell Shirley got on her mission to Samoa.

Miri and Seth looking at the rocking horse that belonged to Grandma Hendricks' brother Joseph Rigby Larsen. He died of scarlet fever when he was almost 2 years old. 

Shirley and her sister, Grandma Hendricks. 

Seth helping Ana try out a Native American drum.

Then we went to the temple and did baptisms for the dead with Ana and Bekah.

Selfie outside the temple.

We left Bekah in charge of the girls back at the house while Grandma Susan, Seth and I did a session at the temple. Then we had dinner with Grandma Hendricks, Aunt Cathy, Uncle Greg and Austin at our house.

The next day we had breakfast and saw some unexpected visitors on the back lawn.

I thought Grandma Susan was kidding when she said there were deer back there. Turns out she wasn't.

We went to the temple for the sealing (our girls walked around the cemetery and pioneer park across from the temple grounds while we were inside), then back to the house for a little while before driving to Central Valley for the ring ceremony and reception.

 Seth dancing with Winnie after the ring ceremony.

Winnie inhaling to keep a flower petal on her nose. 

Miriam before the luncheon. 

Rebekah at the luncheon. 

Analee at the luncheon. 

Couple selfie at the luncheon.

 Winnie with dandelion rubbed all over her face. There was a playground right outside the church where the festivities were held, so the girls spent a good amount of time there. 

The next day was Easter Sunday. We took a picture in the living room of our house before walking to church.

 Rebekah, Winnie, Miri, Andrea, Seth and Ana.

 Winnie with the bouquet of flowers she picked in the yard.

 Seth and Bekah walking past Great-Grandpa Larsen's home in Manti on the way home from church.

 Winnie looking at the camera while the other walk home from church.

Family picture on the corner of Great-Grandpa Larsen's home in Manti before driving back to Idaho Falls. Ana, Miri, Seth, Winnie, Bekah, Grandma Susan, Grandma Hendricks.

Miriam is 9!

Miriam celebrated her birthday by opening a big ol' LEGO Fantastic Beasts set, then going to school. We had her family birthday dinner on Friday, March 29. We love this funny, loud kid of ours.

 Miriam the 9-year-old with her cake.

 Miriam said she wanted a cake with the sun setting over the ocean. Okay?! Ana and I did our best (and added some candy decorations we received at the school carnival.

Miriam eating her Caesar salad, pasta with marinara sauce and Grandma's breadsticks for dinner.

Rather than making and smashing a pinata, Miriam opted to hide goody bags around the family room for her sisters and cousins to find. The weather was too cold to do it outside.

Miriam opening presents. She received the LEGO set and a Marauder's map bandana from her family. She received $25 hidden in a pickle and mustard sandwich from Grandma Susan and Grandpa Dennis. She received a rock art kit and a kids' charades game from Grandma and Grandpa Scott. She received a LEGO Friends set, a Harry Potter LEGO minifigure and sour watermelon gummies from Aunt McKall and Uncle T. 

Miriam getting ready to blow out her candles. 

Scott family reunion

Our family always looks forward to the Scott reunion in Stone every March. (Most people say, "A reunion in March?" and "Where is Stone?" Well, we hold the reunion in March because that's when my grandparents were married, and Stone is basically in the middle of nowhere.) We were unable to go last year because Grandpa Hendricks' funeral was held the same day. To make more a day of it (on Saturday, March 23), we stopped at both the Holbrook and Snowville cemeteries to see the graves of our ancestors. (And BONUS! Analee didn't even throw up on the way down like she usually does! The ups, downs and curves through Arbon Valley usually do her in.)

I brought photos of the ancestors' whose graves we were visiting. This is me telling about George Grow and Sarah Scott, my great-grandparents.

By George and Sarah's graves. Look at all the snow in Holbrook!

 And compare that to the lack of snow in Snowville! At Walter and Jiammia's graves (my grandparents).

William and Maria's graves (my great-grandparents). 

Esther's grave (my great-great-great-grandma). 

 Jesse and Sarah's graves (my great-great-grandparents).

Winnie pretending to be baby Jesus.

Rebekah's jazz festival and the Fairview carnival

Back on Saturday, March 9, our family spent the day running to Rexburg to watch Rebekah's jazz band play, then coming home and preparing for the elementary school carnival which was held in the spring for the first time. Seth took Winnie around to the games while I supervised student council members running games. Ana helped with a game, then went around with her friend. Miriam ran around with her friends, too.

 Rebekah playing with the jazz band.

Rebekah playing her feature in "God Bless the Child."

Seth watching Winnie play bucket ball and the spring carnival.