The end of the school year looms...

Last Monday we got to see the kids perform in the annual Spring Concert at school

-- Kayla playing with the band...

 ...Rachel singing with all the Kindergarten and 1st graders (I love it when she's on the front row; it's much easier for picture taking:)).

This is the best one I could get of Kyle because he was in the back row blocked by other heads while singing.  He was chosen from his class to receive the singing award.

An end of an era came to our little church branch last week also.  Our Sister Missionaries have been replaced with Elders!  We have had sister missionaries for several years; we're going to miss them!

(see the difference betweent the photo above and below?  That's because we got a NEW camera!!  We're still trying to figure it all out but I love it so far.  We've got a family trip coming up and our other camera seemed to be dying a slow death.  So it was time for a new one!)

Still speaking of Sister Missionaries, the sister below just finished her mission and came back to with her mother to visit us on her way home.  We sure have had some awesome young women serving the Lord in our midst. 

This collage below is for my family members in Utah who had to miss out on Braden's graduation dinner.  I forgot to take pictures after the first few minutes, but you get the idea.  We missed you all!

Yesterday at the school was the end-of-the-year awards assembly.  Each of the children received recognition for varying achievements.  I was feeling happy to call myself their mother.

In the sweetest moment of all, Kayla, as a 6th grader leaving elementary school, was given 2 flowers to give to special people.  She gave one to her 4th grade teacher who is retiring :( Sad face because I wanted her to teach Kyle.  And then, she asked her teacher if she could walk down to the kidnergarten classes and give the last one to Rachel (the K classes left halfway through as the assmbly was very long).  It was especially sweet to me because Jason and I have been really concerned about our responsibility to teach our children not to "fight and quarrel one with another" (Mosiah 4:14), and to "teach them to love and serve one another" (The Family: A Proclamation to the World).   Even though they argured once we were at home and had a few little issues, it brought me peace for a moment:) and touched my heart.