Category: Adventurous kids

Mark

We are at the phase where Mark has a pretty full life unaccompanied by me, but I have ways of staying current with his activities.

Recently, Mark’s friend made a 50 day countdown to graduation video. I took a screenshot of Mark from the reel because it shows him in his weightlifting class which is one of his favorites.

Here is Mark with his calculus class celebrating Mr. Newbold being named teacher of the year. Mark is doing great in this class.

During spring break, he stayed with my parents and spent a lot of time with cousins. He was most excited to tell me about all of the stumps he helped remove from my parents’ gardens.

He is working hard to prepare for his senior piano recital, and lucky me, I get to hear him practice a wide range of repertoire each day, including works from Chopin, Joplin, Scarlatti, Mendelssohn, and Sinding, plus hymn arrangements. Here he is accompanying a violinist. He’s a fantastic musician.

Richard and I had a flight during the Saturday evening session of general conference so we weren’t home to view it. When we walked in the door, it was clear that Tim and Mark had been watching conference together because this traditional block tower was sitting in the middle of the room. Mark has built one during each conference for years. Yes, this is just a simple block tower, but on that night, it was a symbol of his commitment and his testimony.

I am so happy to be Mark’s mom.

A tender day

Today I have some tender feelings about Tim leaving home again. This morning I helped him carry out a couple of boxes and a duffel bag he is taking to his new apartment and we said goodbye in the dark street before he left for work. I’ve had some tears throughout the day, but I’ve also felt gratitude for the tender mercies that led to this moment.

We’ve loved reconnecting with Tim these past 3 months since he returned from his mission. He is delightful company, so funny and musical and capable, so we will miss him. But hello, since we live close to Provo we will see him soon.

For the first couple of months after his mission he worked some odd jobs, including raking leaves, moving furniture, building shelves, building and selling Christmas trees, and shoveling snow. Since early January he has worked full-time in a cabinetry shop in Provo. He builds custom cabinet doors. This move to an apartment in Provo is more progress in his search for the next right step after his mission.

Tim will attend BYU in the fall, but since he would like a career in cabinetry, he is taking time to explore that career before he launches into college. Tim thinks through decisions thoroughly and chooses his own sequence and pace. This has been his pattern since he was a little boy, and he is a remarkable person because of it.

I am so proud of our Tim.

Together

Paige and Mike arrived in town on Wednesday, and Daniel and McKenna dropped by last night. As soon as they walked in, I realized that we had all of our kids together in our home. It’s been two years and several weeks since we have enjoyed time together like this.

It was a busy evening, with a friend visiting and preparations for my parents’ anniversary party. Daniel played through a Christmas songbook on the piano, and eventually several of us sang along. Paige and Mike played a game, Tim and Richard watched a movie together, and I moved from room to room, enjoying the sight.