Alicia turns 12, meets, stake conference

 This girl is in YW!!  It couldn't happen soon enough for her.  She got it in her head that she had matured way beyond primary about a year ago.  The timing of her entry into 1st ward YW was interesting since our ward divided and we still haven't been to our new ward.  She got to go on a overnight beehive retreat and now she won't be with very many of the girls that she had so much fun with.  She also is dying to get her temple recommend and wants to call the bishop to have her interview.  I just can't bring myself to let her call a bishop that is trying to put a whole new ward together in 2 weeks.  Mario says to just call him if she cares that much.  My response to that was, "Then YOU just call him."  He hasn't.

Alicia's tastes are still unique.  She really loves bats right now.  I went to the toy store and bought this for her cake.  I brought it home and was washing it in the sink before putting it on the cake and Audrey looked over from the table and thought I had lost my mind.  She thought it was a dead bird that I was trying to rescue.  We laughed a lot about that.

 The kids did wonderful in their meet.  Audrey got 1st in the 800 meter.  This race looks so hard to me.  Ian is one of 2 freshman that keeps getting invited to the varsity meets.  That boy can do anything he sets his mind to.

It's always fun to see your kid on top of the number 1 on the podium

Ian wasn't supposed to be there but thought he could get away with at least sitting on it.

Ian is quite popular with the ladies.

 Ian and his friends came to the temple to do baptisms just as Mario and I were coming out after doing a session.  We decided to stay with them and Mario did the baptizing.  I had one of those mother moments looking at them through the glass in the baptistery---just gratitude for who he has become and for the friends he's chosen.  A lot of gratitude!

Ian, Jefferson, and Chad

He had a little time after stake conference before he had to go back for interviews--and this is what happened  It was much needed.

It was stake conference weekend.  This means Mario is mostly here, yet not.  He did a fabulous job with all 3 of his talks.  They were so inspiring and motivating.  I wouldn't be surprised if the HP stake has the highest temple attendance in the valley for the next while because of what he said about that.