Another Lawyer in the Family!

Well, it's official!  Brian is an attorney now!  He's all sworn in and everything.  Our baby boy is all grown up!  Yesterday he was sworn into the NM State Bar in Santa Fe.

A Movant is the lawyer who makes the motion before the State Supreme Court for the admission of the Admittee to the State Bar.  The dad was honored to act as Movant for Brian.  He said, "Chief Justice Vigil and members of the Supreme Court, it is with extreme enthusiasm and a whole boatload of pride, not only on my behalf, but on behalf of Brian's wife and his mother, that I more the admission to the State Bar of my son, Brian Douglas Decker..."

They were both cute, cute cute!

Brian taking the oath.

Brian's nose itching while taking the oath.

The NM State Supreme Court Justices

The new lawyer outside the Supreme Court Building

Easter Weekend!

We were lucky this year.  Easter weekend just happened to be Stake Conference Weekend.  We had a wonderful Stake Conference.  I feel spiritually recharged after General Conference, Time Out for Women, and Stake Conference three weekends in a row.  Now I just hope I can hang on to my resolve.

Brian and Chelsea had planned to go to Elko this past week to see Chelsea's family.  Sadly, Brian's first training for his new job got scheduled for the same week, so they weren't able to go.  They were able to come spend Easter weekend with us, though, and that made it even a nicer weekend!

Susan played in a Solo and Ensemble event.

After she played, she received some tips from the judge.  She got a 2!

Some of the potatoes we used for the potato salad had sprouted, so we planted them in the garden!

Coloring the eggs!

This was Susan's most beautiful blue egg!

We smoked the turkey on Saturday night.  On Easter morning, we took it off before Stake Conference.  It looks as good as it tasted!

We hid some eggs for Susan and Chelsea to find.

For Chelsea, the hunt was a competetive event!

Easter pictures!

We got leis from singing in the choir in Stake Conference.  Can you tell who the choir director was?

Easter dinner--smoked turkey and the works.

Do you know what I love about deviled eggs at Easter time?  I love the colorful spots on the whites.  That, and I just plain love deviled eggs at Easter time!

Sound Alliance and Vocal Union!

Last night, BYU-I's "Sound Alliance and Vocal Union," performed at the El Morro here in town.  Ordinarily, I wouldn't blog about this, but we housed three of the girls that were performing, and one of them just happened to be Marilee Decker--Mikell's wife!  How's that for cool!  She was originally going to stay with someone else, but when we got our group, their director said he should have sent the Decker with the Deckers.   Someone said it was Marilee, so we asked if we could take her, since she is our niece!

Marilee is the girl in the red shirt that is wearing glasses.

Time Out for Women!

This past weekend was "Time Out for Women," in Albuquerque.  Carol, Heather, Chelsea, Susan and I went together.  It was a nice weekend.  I very much enjoyed the speakers, and most of the music.

Spring Has Sprung!

The hyacinths are in bloom!

The Bradford Pear in all its glory!

Peach blossoms that still haven't frozen!

Edging the lawn for the first time of the season!

Baby tulips are starting to bloom!  (I took this picture about five days ago.  Now a cluster of about 7 tulips is blooming!

Mowing for the first time of the year!

Done!  Doesn't it look great!

Goodbye, Christine.

We lost a wonderful friend this week.  Christine White passed away on Friday.  Christine is the mother of one of my students--Eugene White.  Eugene has autism.  Eugene has had lots of behavioral challenges, as well as communication challenges.  He was sent to the perfect family for him.  His mother was a loving, huggy, sassy woman, and his dad is firm and loving, and he expects the best from Eugene.

Chris had breast cancer.  She was undergoing chemotherapy, and on Friday, she had a cardio embolism and she died.  She died way too soon.  She will be loved and missed by lots of folks, but especially by her good husband and children.  Good-bye, Chris.  You leave with lots of love.

Fear Not!

I fell in love with this version of "Let Us All Press On" in Conference this past weekend.  I think I've listened to it on lds.org about a jillion times already.  I find myself singing it all the time.

https://www.lds.org/general-conference/music/2014/04?lang=eng&session=4&song=3&media=video#watch=video

People Read the Gallup Journey in the Darndest Places!

The dad read the Journey on the steps of the Capitol Building in Washington DC!

I Love General Conference Weekends!

I think my favorite weekends of the year just may be General Conference Weekends!  What an amazing opportunity we have in this day and age to hear the words of the prophets as they speak them!  What an amazing time to be on the earth--to be here when there is a living prophet to lead us and guide us.  I am so grateful for a Heavenly Father who has made it so easy for us to come back to Him!

It was great having Brian and Chelsea here with us this weekend!  It made the weekend even better.  Here are some of the things we did this weekend!

The dad sharpens all our knives every General Conference!  I love sharp knives!

Chelsea is working on a counted cross-stitch picture.  I think the only time she ever works on it is during General Conference.  Brian is playing with Play-Doh.

Susan playing with Play-Doh.

I'm finishing up hand-quilting a Mystery Quilt that I started clear back in, I think, October.

Susan made us a tasty and delicious cheesecake!

Brian tore out pages from workbooks for my class next year.  It will save me a TON of time next year!

Doug collated pages after Brian tore them out!  They got the whole workbooks done!

For Saturday afternoon's dinner, we had fondue, shabu-shabu, and Korean barbeque!  It sounds fancier than it actually is.  It was tasty and fun, though.

The cast-iron pan is the Korean barbeque pan.  You lay thin strips of meat on domed top, and the flame underneath cooks it.

We went shopping and bought nail polish during the Priesthood Session. 

I finally finished quilting and binding this one.  It's obviously a scrappy quilt.

Hey!  It works!

I'm glad Steve and Angela turned us on to "Ticket to Ride."  We love this game!

The second time we played it, I didn't love it quite as much.  I learned that Chelsea can very competitive!

The dad made me a pot holder.

More Play-Doh!

After the last session on Sunday, we made pitas.  Then we had grilled chicken/pita sandwiches.  We ate, then Brian and Chelsea left for home.  Another great Conference Weekend was over.