MUSIC, CHICKENS, AND GRANDKIDS

This month has been absolutely wonderful, but also a whirlwind of activity. So this is part one of May.

My spring piano recitals were one giant celebration of rock and roll music. My music theme this whole school year has been "Music Rocks!" and the kids lived up to it! They played all kinds of rock and roll favorites including "Piano Man" by Billy Joel, "Benny and the Jets" by Elton John, "Paperback Writer" by the Beatles, and many others! It was fun to see their personalities shine through their song choices!

Another adventure this month was Scott and GJ getting chickens. Their enthusiasm for the project has been a bit contagious. They purchased a coop, Scott built roosting boxes, and GJ and I picked them up. GJ named her chickens "Little Red" and "Lady Cluck." Scott went full unique with the names of his sweet chicks. He named them after the midwives in Moses' story: Puah and Shiffra. We are so excited to have eggs soon-ish.

Picking Up the Chickens

Look at that smile! He's so excited to be a chicken dad!

And my sister can talk about nothing else! That is true joy on her face!

Our kids have been super busy too! Red Skittle turned 7 years old and finished 1st grade with perfect grades! Red Jellybean is already 3 months old and smiling! Katia and Skylar discovered that their new baby will be a GIRL and Mango is keeping everyone smiling! We are all so excited!

Happy Birthday dear Red Skittle!

Red Jellybean is so chill!

It's a GIRL! I'm sooooo glad that Mali gets a sister!
I love my sister. My daughters love their sister, respectively!
It's a grand tradition to have a sister!

I always smile when Katia sends me pictures of Mango!

Red Skittles performance of "Bugz"

And froyo afterwards...

Grin!

She's got style!

(Apparently it can be 100 degrees outside
and she still wears her favorite hat.)

This cutie is so fun to cuddle!

A laugh!

Getting to eat lunch with mom at school...

Learning to make sweet rolls

Reading to her friends!

Digging with Dad

She's such a big helper!

Mother's Day!

Hiking to the Shoshone Falls

Mango loves her new baby cousin!

I'm also still loving being the music leader in Primary:

We are so blessed! Stay tuned for my DeGooyer antics!

OUR COLORADO DAUGHTER GOT MARRIED

 Scott and I have always considered Sheila, our Colorado daughter. We are so grateful for the time she got to spend as "ours" in Kentucky, and we truly admire the young woman she has become. And now... our Sheila is a bride! 

GJ, Ken, Scott, Sheila and I flew to Arizona so Sheila could marry her army man! My sister was the perfect mother of the bride. Ken was so pleased to see his baby girl married. And Tyler was blessed to be married to such a beautiful (inside and out) girl. It was so fun to be included.

Cactus pictures for my father who couldn't make it.

Dad loves Arizona and it's cacti.

I told you she was beautiful!

Scott made her bouquet!

What a handsome enlisted man!

The whole group!

Ken and GJ with their daughter and new son!

Kentucky Parents with their Colorado Daughter and Son!

Mr. and Mrs. Rydalch

Aren't they perfect?

I love these two soooo much!

The wedding was only days after our phenomenal European trip, but we were so glad to make it back in time. Coming home was exhausting as our plane was delayed about 4 times. We definitely needed about two weeks to recover from all the excitement.

Congratulations, Sheila and Tyler! We are sooooo happy for you and your new adventure together!

GALLIVANTING

The second half of our European adventure began after our river cruise. We stepped off the boat in Basel, grateful for the memories we’d made and excited for what was next. From there, we made our way to Bern. The highlight was attending a session at the Bern Switzerland Temple, the very place where my parents were sealed over 60 years ago. Being there, I felt such a profound connection to my mom and dad.

Standing where my parents stood...

I love the temple of the Lord!

Ian and Alicia

From Switzerland, we boarded a train that carried us over the majestic Alps and into Italy. The scenery was almost unreal... but I couldn't get good pictures through a window on the train.  I loved the snow-capped peaks, rolling green valleys, and tiny villages tucked into the mountainsides. And as if the view wasn’t enough, I had over four uninterrupted hours to write poetry. (April is National Poetry Month, and I had set a goal to write a poem every day of our trip... and I did.)

(If anyone wants to read my poems, let me know.
I'll either post them here or send them your way.)

Our next stop was Milan, where we visited the awe-inspiring Duomo di Milano. I can honestly say my breath was taken away. No picture could ever prepare you for the scale and detail of that cathedral. It was beyond majestic. We explored every part of it, including the rooftop. And while the views were incredible, I also discovered something new about myself: I’m scared of heights. Still, even with a racing heart, I wouldn’t trade that experience for anything. It was magnificent in every sense of the word.

WOW!

Up on the roof...

Up on the roof...

Still on the roof...

Spectacular!

Our besties!

Milan was amazing!

From Milan, we settled into an Airbnb in Florence. And from there, we took the quick trip to Pisa to see the famous Leaning Tower. I was surprised by how amazed I was... Pictures truly don’t do it justice. Seeing it in person, tilting so dramatically, was really cool! We continued on to Lucca, where every street seemed to hold another beautiful church or historic building. 

It's really leaning....

More in Pisa

Silly husbands!

Orange Trees everywhere

In Lucca

Our final full day was spent in Florence, and it was nothing short of incredible. We could have easily spent an entire week there and still not seen it all. One of the most unforgettable moments was standing before David by Michelangelo. There’s something about seeing it in person—the size, the detail, the perfection—that leaves you in awe.

It was amazing to see the veins in his arms and legs.
I can't believe this was carved from one GIGANTIC block of stone.

We spent the rest of the day walking… and walking… and walking—over 12 miles in total—as we tried to soak in everything we possibly could. We wandered through gardens, explored churches and cathedrals, admired the charming houses perched along the Ponte Vecchio, and stopped for an authentic pasta lunch in the cutest little restaurant. Every turn revealed something beautiful, something historic, something unforgettable.

The houses are behind us...

One of the gardens

Wysteria Tunnel

A castle for my grandson

I want Scott to plant these sweet flower bushes in our front yard

An UPRIGHT piano
So unique

Florence

My favorite guy!

By the end of it all, we were completely exhausted—but in the best way. There was a moment of stress in Florence as we worried about whether Ian and Alicia would be able to make it onto the flight home with us, but everything worked out. We all boarded the plane, hearts full and suitcases a little heavier, and made our way back to United States.

It was an amazing trip filled with beauty, meaning, laughter, and just enough adventure to keep things interesting. And while we were definitely ready to come home, Scott and I already miss Europe, and hanging out every day with Ian and Alicia.  What a wonderful trip!