Rock-A-Bye Baby

 My dear sweet Elders!

Happy 7 months Landon and almost 7 months Mason!

How was your Birthday?  We missed you at home but thought about you lots and made a cake on Sunday in your honor.  Did you both get the package from home?  I know Mason said he did and was going to open it on his birthday.  Not sure about you Landon, if you haven't I am sure you will eventually.

Spoiler alert if you haven't already opened it, but read on anyway (Landon).  Back in late November Rob Curtis got a hold of us with something he wanted to send you.  Grandma and Grandpa were heading down this way at the time for Thanksgiving and since shipping internationally is so expensive I had Grandpa pick it up for him, so I could send it in your b-day package.  It was very sweet of him to think of you.  He has a special place in his heart for his former Deacons, and I know you will cherish the vail that he personally handmade for you for a long time.  Back in January when we saw Caleb, I called Tara to tell her how Caleb was doing.  She had informed me that Rob Curtis was very ill, and in all honesty at the time they didn't even know if he would make it.  I don't know all that is going on, but I wanted to let you know so you can remember him in your prayers.  He is still in the Intensive Care Unit at a hospital in Seattle and is slightly improving but still has many issues.  Just thought I would let you know, especially since he sent you something so special.

I had a nice birthday and I really appreciate your kind notes.  Made my day!  For my birthday, Dad and I went to a play at the Hale and he also took me to lunch at Molly's (we hadn't been there since we went with you two:)  I also went to lunch a few days after with some friends from the ward.  It was a good birthday besides the fact that I am not liking getting older:(

Jacob had a Bantam basketball game on my birthday too.  They put up a good fight but in the end didn't win.  Jacob is number 12.

Gracie thinks she is a photographer with my phone.  Here are a few pictures I found on my phone this week.  The one of me in the middle, I did know she as taking.  She wanted to get really close to my face.  Hahahaha...when did 2 year olds start taking pictures????

Here are just a few cute pictures of her on Sunday.  She is a character and keeps us on our toes.  She is really in to snuggling me right now (which I don't mind).  Do you remember Alexa (Amazon's Eco dot? ) The other night she had "Alexa" play Rock-A-Bye Baby and she then crawled onto my lap and pretend she was asleep.  Funny girl!  

We've had an escapee with the chickens.  Rosie the white hen keeps flying out of the coop.  So Dad and Jacob had to clip her wings again.  Not sure we are great farmers but we try.  At any rate we sure like all the eggs we get from these critters.  

 Do you remember Joseph Norris from Auburn?  You played basketball with him at Upwards?

He's in the Provo mission and serving in Spanish Fork.  When I was a lunch with my friends, I ran into him.  He remembered you guys and is enjoying serving a mission.  I imagine it's weird to be on a mission in Utah, but it probably has it's perks.  He's super tall and so was his companion.  

Here are a few other tidbits to pass along: 
-Mill Pond got a new bishop this week.  It is Bishop Casperson!  One of his counselors is Brother Winkler (if you remember him)
-On Facebook I saw that Jarom Saunders is going on his mission soon (I think this week).  He is going to Frankfurt, Germany (I thought that was interesting)
-The Eagles won the Super Bowl (beating the Patriots, sorry Landon).  I didn't even know who was playing until the game started this year.
-We went to the temple yesterday with Lydia.  She had found some family names.  The Provo City Center temple was so busy that we went to Payson.  One of the names she found was two siblings with the last name "Mason".  Guess it's a family name (from Grandpa McKinney's side way back)
-Saturday night we went to a BYU mens volleyball game.  Caught Jacob doing the fight song, I think he is slowly being converted:)

That is about it for this week.  Hope this finds you both doing well.

Love and miss you!
LOVE, MOM