HeAPPENINGS

Even with our busy lives and many other stories we could share, there is one that we are most thrilled about. This morning Addy attended the baptism of two students in her Primary class. The Bishop announced that the rumors were made official. Gilbert is getting a Temple!!! President Monson announced it on Friday, April 25th. He said, "It is my personal priority to make sure members of the Church have access to the blessings of the temple. It is here where members learn of their divine origin and destiny; where they are strengthened spiritually as individuals and as families. Temples are sanctuaries from the storms of life." There has not been an announcement made concerning location, but the rumor going around is that it will be on Greenfield and Pecos, just 3 miles away. Wherever it ends up, we are thrilled to have another House of the Lord in our area.

It was also announced that a Temple will be built in the Gila Valley - near Safford and Thatcher.

Here's a link to the official news on the Church web site: http://newsroom.lds.org/ldsnewsroom/eng/news-releases-stories/president-monson-announces-two-new-temples-in-arizona

When we started discussing how we would tackle the backyard, we decided to do it in phases. Our main priority was getting a sprinkler system and grass in and then slowly add trees, concrete and a play area. Thanks to some unexpected money, we decided to go ahead and purchase a swing set and wood chips. We found a play set at Walmart that wasn't too expensive, but required some labor. We thought that we could handle it - it took about 12 hours to assemble. Here's some pictures of the assembly... we'll post some of the finished product later.

Things have been a bit busy around here. Between projects on our home, Addy's school projects and Ryan's Church calling, we don't have much time to update the blog. We've got lots of fun photos and stories of things that have happened, so check back next week to see what's been going on.

Ryan is a happy man. He finally got his own lawn mower, weed whacker, and hedge trimmer - all electric. He was so excited to mow the lawn for the first time and insisted on getting his picture taken for our blog. Besides the new toys, it is exciting to be able to go in our backyard without coming in covered in dirt.

Addy has been continuing painting after a break to write a paper and put together a presentation for her class. She started painting the lighter green and is anxious to finish

Sometimes Ethan seems to ignore what you say, but if you say 'walk' or 'play place' he instantly goes to get his shoes. He loves to go to McDonald's or the Mall's play place. One time we were at San Tan Village and he explored the water play place - not in swim clothes. He got soaked and loved every minute. We decided to go back today in proper swim wear. He had a great time running through the water and galloping around.

While getting him ready, Addy noticed how skinny he is getting. He no longer had that baby/toddler belly. He is starting to look like a little boy - weird.

After going to Disneyland, Ethan quickly became obsessed with Buzz Lightyear and insisted on watching Toy Story at least once a day. Ryan got tired of watching the same movie over and over, so he introduced Ethan to many others. Now he insists on watching several movies each day - or at least until we finish home projects. His favorites include Toy Story 2, The Incredibles, Chicken Little, Monsters Inc., Ice Age and many more. He has also started lying on the floor to watch his movies. Addy has plans to make some comfy bean bags to help teach him to sit further from the TV.

Ryan came home from basketball Wednesday night clinching his side - never a good sign. Each time he leaves, Addy reminds him to play safe due to his prior history. Other people say that Ryan can get a little aggressive on the court. Wednesday was no different. He went to save a ball from going out of bounds and ran into the chair storage at the Church. He was very proud of his pretty bruise.

Later that week, Ethan was upset when Ryan picked him up and leaned over and bit Ryan's back. He was sure that Ethan broke skin - through his shirt and garment top. He did, but it was mostly healed by the time we got around to taking pictures.

We just wanted to send a shout out of congrats to our friends, Spencer and Christina. They had a baby boy today! We haven't met him yet, but are excited to do so. We know that you'll be amazing parents.

Emerson R Harrison - 8 lbs 14 oz - 21.2 inches

During the holiday season we made several attempts to take a family photo. Every time we tried, Ethan refused to cooperate. After seeing several M&M commercials, we thought it would be fun to morph our family into M&M's. Here is our family photo...

Not in the earthly sense... don't get us wrong; we recycle, turn off lights we aren't using at the moment and have switched some of our lights to more efficient ones. We have finished painting the darkest green in our kitchen and living room. It looks good and will look even better when we do the rest of our kitchen remodeling (a few years down the road). The sod was also laid in the backyard today. It looks 300 times better than before. We're getting excited to add trees along the back wall and wood chips for a future play area. Addy can't wait until the grass is ready to be walked on so Ethan can go outside when she is getting dinner ready. Ryan is anxiously waiting to get a lawn mower and other fun yard tools.