I Love the Mountains: Birthday, Birthday "Coming to Earth" day

My mom is writing a letter about birthdays for March...and a birthday month it is!

Our girls used to sing along to Scripture Scouts:

"Birthday, birthday, coming to earth day

Pink and wrinkled and small.

Birthday, birthday, it was the first day

I was anyone at all..." (from Scripture Scouts)

Happy Birthday to Val,

Zach,

Savanna

Bob,

Gloria, the First Vision, and Spring!

Last week, we had a fun and glorious "hop in and out" to see all the things that Amber is doing to prepare their house for two new arrivals.

We walked with Toby and Jake and Amber

to see the famous neighbor "jumping dogs," German Shepherds, that would pop their heads over maybe an eight foot fence, to see who was there.

(Sometimes these videos aren't supported. Don't worry. Just a funny big dog jumping 8 feet to say "Hello!")

Then, on the way to the airport, we got to watch two little sisters wiggle and kick each other and do gymnastics on a twenty-second week ultrasound. Their doctor

donning cheetah-striped-almost-Elton-John glasses and neon-orange tennis shoes with teal and lime green socks ("These are the only things that I get a choice in what to wear, so I need to make them count!") told us that he is hoping to send his daughter to visit us to see if that will make her as nice as our daughter.

We like Amber--enough to pull desert weeds and line kitchen drawers, feast on shrimp and quinoa, and tinker with toilet handles, whether we succeed or not. We learned from the Gordon B. Hinckley and other prophet biographies, and from our very own parents that this is exactly what grandparents do!

We landed home in time to witness a tea party of the year, with a red-haired princess turning FIVE.

With three friends and two cousins, the number was just right.

Everyone should use a hat

or scarf or feather to accent and maybe add an exclamation point to a sunny (or rainy) day!

As we think about an earthly visit from two heavenly friends, we remember that intelligence cannot be created or made, just added upon...we rejoice in our happy friends, who add to our intelligence and faith.

(The second link features the keynote speaker, director of humanitarian affairs, who will address May 2017 BYU Women's conference--excellent speech to a FAIR Mormon Conference: "This is a Woman's Church."

Very well worth the read!)

In celebrating birthday FIVE (which is happening in more than one household this season, Happy Birthday, soon, Amelia, and then April!) Kristen and Zach hung balloons from the ceiling to add to Dr. Wilkes' smiling colors.

A few days earlier, posted on social media, I found a friend, a returned sister missionary, who had shared with us her testimony about balloons.

Years ago, as the only member of the Church in her family, she attended a young women campout where they released balloons with a list of three things that they wanted to do "someday!" This young woman wanted: to serve a mission, find a returned missionary, and marry in the temple. Her final goal was documented in front of glowing Guatemala spires.

I am grateful for colors of springtime that document goals, small and glorious, that we plant and then watch grow and harvest, one spade full or water droplet at a time.

Weeding a xeriscaped Las Vegas back yard, I learned that my best secret might be water

("I want my life to be as clean as earth right after rain!")

and kindness to loosen the grip, then grasping as close as possible to the roots with a gentle pull. Perhaps the theory will work with life's other pesky problems!