Happy Easter

On Sunday, we had our very first Easter dinner in this house and it was wonderful.

Ron and Diane came to dinner. The kids were so excited when they rang the doorbell. Jared ran up to Diane and said, "I miss you!" over and over!

All the kids helped with the cooking and cleaning and we even had the table set before we left for church!

As we sat down for dinner, I looked at the table and realized how many people actually contributed to it. Ron and Diane brought the ham, veggie tray, and dessert. Bobbye gave us the dining room table and chairs, and the beautiful crystal pitcher holding the water. Three of the bowls on the table were inherited from my Aunt Mary a few years ago. Jessica gave me a gift card so I could buy this new tablecloth after Christmas. I bought the glass goblets and white cloth napkins on the recommendation of my friend Sherrill. One of the crystal bowls was a wedding gift. And best of all I pulled out some of my Grandma Schofield's silver to use to serve side dishes!!! It's amazing to me how many different people bless our lives day to day and sometimes we don't even realize it.

My testimony of the Savior continues to grow. This Easter Sunday I was again grateful for my Father in Heaven who sent his Son to earth so that my family can be together forever. Because, after everything else, that's all that really matters.

10 Reasons Why I Love My Dad

1) He loves his family more than anything in the world and shows it.

2) He is brave and adventurous. He travels in and out of the United States and doesn't seem to have any fear of doing it alone. I admire that quaility a lot!

3) He likes to read and introduced me to some great books in my youth. My favorites: the James Herriot books.

4) He made sure we went on nice family vacations. We went home to Colorado to see family, visited Branson Missouri, Natchez Mississippi, California, the Grand Canyon, etc. Dad likes to spend time with us. One of my favorite memories of my dad is when he was planning to take my brother, Theo, on the motorcycle up in the mountains for an overnight campout. I begged to be included and so we took the car and went. The next morning, Dad fried bacon and then cooked potatoes and eggs in the bacon grease. It was DELICIOUS. I can still remember how cool the mountain air was, the sunrise beaming through the trees and that amazing breakfast.... YUM!

5) Dad always made sure we had what we needed as kids. We didn't always get what we "wanted", but we got what we needed!

6) He took me out for Jack in the Box breakfasts on Saturday if I got out of bed early enough. Not always easy when I was a teenager.

7) I learned my love of flower gardening from my dad. He taught me how to compost at an early age. In Texas, he and I did the front flower beds together. I remember my sister Sheralyn volunteering to do the inside work on Saturdays, but I liked to be outside. (Okay, I didn't like to work outside when it was hot, which is a lot of the time in Texas. Dad may have had to drag me out of the house more than I remember.) We still talk about our flowers. He has a great rose garden!

8) Dad is a big train enthusiast. He knows all about steam trains and has passed that love on to several of my children.

9) He taught me how to swing a hammer. Dad had us kids help build the fence along our property in South Jordan, Utah. We didn't finish by the time we moved and I can't say we did the best job, but I know how to hammer and even helped Shane roof our last house.

10) Most of all I love my dad because he loves me. I wish I lived closer to him so I could goof off with him or work alongside him like the old days!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY (yesterday) DAD!!! You are the best dad any girl could ever have!!!!