While i was home - April

Golly, i am behind. like, SO behind it's sad. 

Here is a very brief summary of  my time at home in April broken into sections: Family, sundays, Karl, and work

1. Family A: Lady.

this dog. when i first came home i wanted nothing to do with her, but then i started feeling guilty because she was always so lonely! And, let's be honest, she's pretty cute. 

so then we were homies. 

until she almost killed me. 

allergies. 

then we were civil to one another. mostly i used her as a workout tool. I'd chase her around and she'd chase me and we'd catch balls and sticks. it was healthy for both of us. 

when Jenae got home, it was like Lady's christmas. every. day. SO EXCITED. HUMAN INTERACTION. FAVORITE HUMAN. BEST FRIEND HUMAN. SO EXCITED.

also, my parents LOVE THIS STINKING DOG. like seriously, they LOVE it. not that it's wrong to love an animal, i just don't understand pets, so their adoration for this dog is funny to me. My mom refers to herself as 'grammy' and my dad as 'grandpa Jamie' to this dog. 

as if it were an additional grandchild. 

hahahahaha.

they buy it toys and beds and it's kind of cute/ i roll my eyes and tease them about it a lot. haha. 

but i like her, too :)

2. Sundays

the best days. they were like my battery. recharge. 

I love the rose bush that my daddy panted outside my window because i told him in an off-hand remark that i'd always liked the idea of a rose bush outside my window to wake up. and The edelweiss he planted, too, because it reminds me of the sound of the music and that he loves me and that we like to sing together. i love my daddy. 

I love going to church with Jonathan on sundays.

 I love driving to church on sundays. 35 of uninterrupted singing at the top of my lungs. or 35 minutes of uninterrupted praying out loud with no inhibitions. 

and, i loved Sundays because it meant i could see these two:

These two left on missions for our church during my Khazad-dum summer in 2013, 

and they both came home while i was in Rexburg winter semester. seeing them again felt so happy. 

i ruv dees humans. 

and i love this little temple:

unintentional matching attack-the-camera poses, two years apart. this is why we're friends, Nikki.  

i also sunday NAPS. one of the only times Jenae willingly snuggles with me. haha

also, precious candid nap shot of my parents:

1. Family B - Jenae/WeaSeL

 I've mentioned that Jenae is perfect, right? she wins everything. she GRADUATED FROM HIGH SCHOOL. But before then, she was spending every second of her free time being insane and winning every award in sight. 

This was at Scholarship night. 

she got 5 local scholarships! a deserving student if there ever was one. 

Mah best frizzle.  

my parents really are incredible. 

They've raised 8 wonderful children, and Jenae is crazy talented. she's got a bit of each of us. Dad's roots, Mom's brains, Rebecca's drive, Allison's enthusiasm, Katrina's work ethic, Donny's athleticism, Derek's charm, Jonathan's sincerity, and my strange sense of humor. 

This was when she won state for one of her like, thousand FFA competitions. 

you think i'm exaggerating. 

i am, but not by a lot. 

Jenae's winning partner, Virat, as they made a cake for an english project. they crack me up.

3. KARL :)

my favorite part.

But you'll have to read about it on my other blog in a few posts! The new one for me and Karl's story.

it's a good bit :)

4. Work!

At home i'm a paraprofessional aide for children with special needs. 

I LOVE IT.

I feel so teacher-y and Laura Ingalls Wilder a la "These Happy Golden Years" if you know what i mean. 

I never asked the parents of my students if i could share their faces or names on the internet, so i won't, but i was in a clasroom with 5 boys aged 6-8, and they completely stole my heart while i was there. All 5 were adorable and sweet and so bright. 

they each had things that made them difficult to love at times, but their smiles and sincerity made up for it ten fold. 

we spent our mornings ding centers, and the center i usually stayed at was manipulatives, because it was the closest thing they had to art, and i felt like i could actually talk to them while they played. We built our friendships as we built towers. 

On reduced days i got to help my mom out in the library with all the new books. mmmmm. new books are right up there with Harry Potter, Pizza, and Crocs, on my list of favorite things. 

speaking of new books, i've sent the past 3 years looking out for Hardback excellent quality copies of all the Harry Potter books with their dust jackets at thrift stores. With the help of my mother's prowess, i FINALLY have my OWN set! and it cost be about $21 all together!

5. BONUS JONAS. 

some extra April things:

Stephanie and Connor came to visit Fresno, and they stopped in Madera t have dinner with me!!

I LOVE those two! Steph and i took a picture in my room, next to my scribbled on walls that we both love. 

Walking past our house 4 times a day helped me appreciate it's simple beauty. 

That one time that i made a grocery list for my mom and she literally got me everything on it. 

EVERYTHING. 

she found a super cheap flight to Provo a day early for Derek's utah reception, so i got a whole extra day with my Karl boy :)

That was April! A happy, simple, kind of slow month :)