Apples and Onions

So our family has a little tradition that we do at dinner.  Each child takes turns telling his/her "apple" or "onion" for the day.  As you can imagine, the apples are the good things that happened during the day- and the onions are the not so great things that happened during the day.  This post is about our family's "apples" and "onions" for the month of February.  Thankfully, there are definitely more noteworthy apples than onions from the Lloyds...


Nathanael and Lindsay Ann continue to go to school and work hard.  One apple for our family is that they were able to come down to be here for Zachary's baptism at the beginning of February.  I was so grateful for their help in getting the January decorations down and putting up the Valentine's decorations.  A couple of weeks later, they came down for the long weekend so that Nat could have his eyes checked and order new glasses.  Another apple was that we decided to go see a movie while Nat and Lindsay were here.  It was basically about soccer- and so all the boys loved it.  We always enjoy having them come visit.

Lindsay Kaye has been very busy in her new area.  One of my apples for the month was seeing a post that she and her companions did.  They sang, "Love at Home" in harmony to a ukele for Valentine's Day.  It was really cute.  I was also pleased that she finally received her Valentine package.  I do candy bar posters for the kids each year and I do a smaller version for the missionaries.  I also included a few Valentine treats for her companions.  Lindsay Kaye continues to work hard and enjoy her mission.

Ethan had a couple of apples and onions this last month.  His first apple was celebrating his birthday with his friends.  It was a couple of weeks after his actual birthday, however, he planned a fun late night with a lot of his friends.  We had a lot of kids come and everyone seemed to really enjoy themselves.  Travis and I were impressed that most of the activities and games planned were interactive.  They were able to visit and connect with one another.  Another huge apple for Ethan was that his 5 v 5 soccer team took first place as the season champions. The other team he was on as placed second. (He double rostered.) He was so excited!  Travis told me that one night, Ethan kicked a volley into the upper corner to score and helped his team win.  His soccer skills have been improving even more this year.  Ethan still loves soccer, but one of the onions this month was that he decided to not try out for the high school soccer team.  He is so busy with Chamber choir and work and school that he decided that the pressure of high school soccer and even the pressure of just doing what needs to be done to try out was too much.  Another onion that Ethan would say he had was taking the ACT test.  For some reason, he was really worried about it.  The test ended up not being as bad as he thought it would be-  he actually felt pretty good about it.  We'll see.  Ethan also had a choir concert that was amazing.  His Chamber choir really is very good.  I have heard many Chamber choirs over the years and Travis and I have agreed that this is probably the best high school Chamber choir we have heard.  After the concert, Ethan said that he felt really good  about this performance.  He said that all the kids seemed to really put their hearts into doing their best and performing well.

One apple for Clarissa was that she participated quite a bit in our Young Women's New Beginnings night.  She loved singing with a group of girls and introducing a new Beehive.  Clarissa loves to help and be involved. Another apple for Clarissa is that she was "Student of the Day" this last month.  She got a treat and was nominated by her teachers. Clarissa's onion was that her science project lost in the district competition.  She seems to always move on in the science competitions, but her projects never get past district.  Oh well!  She was not really surprised.  She laughed because she was listening to some of the other projects-one of which was a studentwho had built a working satellite.  She thought it was funny that she was competing with students who put their heart and soul into these projects and have done some incredible things!  I am so grateful that she can win gracefully and that she can also lose gracefully. She is genuinely happy for others when they are successful.

Zachary had the biggest apple of all this month!  He was baptized on February 3, 2018.  It was a beautiful day.  He had asked Clarissa and I to speak.  Clarissa gave a wonderful talk on the Holy Ghost and my talk was on baptism and the covenants that we make when we are baptized.  I also had asked Lindsay Kaye to write a note to him that I read at the end of my talk.  Travis, Nat, Lindsay Ann, Ethan, Clarissa, and Zachary sang, "He Sent His Son" while I accompanied.  Zachary had asked Travis to baptize and confirm him and he asked Nathanael and Ethan to be the witnesses.  It was such a wonderful privilege that all of our family were able to participate in this special ordinance-even Lindsay Kaye serving a mission.  After his baptism and confirmation, we invited the extended family over for soups, fruit, and cake and ice cream to celebrate his 8th birthday.  We ate and visited and just enjoyed the day.  The weather was gorgeous and everyone seemed to get along so well.  Another apple Zachary had this month was that he got the Bronze metal in his class for all the minutes that he read in the reading contest at school.  That was a big surprise to me!  He felt very pleased.  Zachary also got to attend his first Cub Scout Blue and Gold banquet.  It was a carnival theme and Travis said that he seemed to have a lot of fun!  So Zachary had a pretty great month full of apples.

I have two "moments of joy" this last month.  The first one was that I felt such overwhelming joy to have my two oldest sons, Nathanael and Ethan, be worthy and willing to be witnesses at Zachary's baptism.  The other "moment of joy" was overhearing a conversation between Ethan and Travis about him not trying out for high school soccer.  Travis had hoped that Ethan would at least try- but Ethan had decided that he had made up his mind to spend most of his time doing things that bring him a lot of joy.  Travis told Ethan that he understood why he made his decision and told him that he wanted Ethan to know that Travis was not disappointed in him and that he loved him so very much.  I am so grateful and blessed to have Travis as my eternal companion.  Our children are so blessed to call him father.  He supports his kids with the apples and onions of their lives.   

Those that Came Before

Lots going on in the house of Lloyd...January was a full and busy month with lots of good things happening.  Here are the noteworthy events from the happy new year 2018....


Nathanael and Lindsay Ann were able to stay with us for part of the Christmas vacation which included New Year's Eve and New Year's Day.  New Year's Eve was a Sunday this year and so we went to church and that night, Nat and Lindsay came over as well as my parents.  We played games and had snacks.  It was really fun to be together and enjoy each other's company.  We were able to ring in the new year with bagpipes, pots and pans, a guitar....It was awesome!  Our tradition on the first day of the new year is to go sledding and then have hot chocolate or go see a movie as a family.  It was not a difficult choice because we did not have snow this year.  We decided to go see the popular Disney movie, "Coco".  We first decided to go to lunch.  I was in the mood for hamburgers and so we went to a family favorite restaurant but  they were closed.  So....we tried a new burger place out-Habits and it was delicious!  We then rushed to the movie.  I really did not know what to expect with this movie and I enjoyed it a lot more than I thought I would.  I love the theme of  families and remembering our ancestors.  I was also surprised to see Nathanael get emotional during the movie.  The movie reminded me of our own heritage and how important traditions are in keeping our connections with each other strong.  Nat and Lindsay then headed back up to school and got ready for the new semester.


Lindsay Kaye was transferred for the first time in her mission.  She is now in a town called Chula Vista.  It is very close to the Mexican border.  She describes the area as beautiful and breathtaking.  Lindsay Kaye is now in a trio companionship.  One of her companions is a bit autistic.  Lindsay will be perfect for showing love and compassion for her.  Also, I am sure all three of them working together will be very successful.  I know that it was hard to leave her first district as she has become close to those she works with-but she has a testimony that she is where she is supposed to be in this new area.  One thing she noticed is that some of the elders in her district are not as obedient as they should be.  She has expressed some frustration with one in particular.  He made her so mad that she "roasted" him is (how she put it) . She told us that this week she is going to be doing a training on being obedient.  I know that this will be a challenge for her- but I also know that she is really good at kindly helping people to do what they are supposed to do.  I am so grateful for her example.  Lindsay Kaye is honoring those that have gone before her in striving to be obedient in all things.

My oldest boy at home right now just turned 17!!!  What???  Ethan is continuing to work really hard and is very busy.  He still works at Little Caesar's Pizza to earn money for tour.  He loves singing with the Chamber choir and has really enjoyed getting to know the other members of the group and making new friends.  One highlight for him this month was the Chamber choir singing in the district's Masterworks concert.  The chamber choirs from the district all learn and perform a major work.  For example, Nathanael got to sing Faure's Requiem, Lindsay Kaye performed Rutter's Requiem, and Ethan sang Bach's, "Magnificat".  I love to go to these concerts because I love how my children have the opportunity to learn amazing classical works.  They learn to appreciate the work and the musicality of these great pieces.  It also reminds me of when I was in high school because these are the pieces that we learned and performed at our concerts.  One that really stands out was "The Chichester Psalms" in Hebrew.  It was extremely difficult to learn but so satisfying and delightful to perform.  As I mentioned, Ethan turned 17 in January.  For his birthday, we had birthday crepes of course- and the went to Black Bear's Diner for dinner.  Afterward, we came home and we had cheesecake (his favorite) and ice cream. Then he opened his presents.  He did not ask for a lot this year- but I think he was pleased with his gifts.   Ethan also got invited to the Girls Preference dance.  He went with a really good friend.  They did their day date on Friday night and then had dinner and went to the dance on Saturday night.  He had a blast!  He also went down to Mesquite to a soccer tournament with his friends.  They had a tough group but they are such a neat group of young men.  They always have a good time no matter the outcome of the games.  One of the highlights was going to the St. George temple to do baptisms.  Travis said it was such a powerful experience.  I am so grateful for the good friends that Ethan has and the good influence that they have on one another.  One goal Ethan had for 2018 is to learn to play the guitar.  He has been practicing and watching videos etc. and he has learned two songs already!  He has such a great voice that it is really fun to listen to him sing and play.  It seems that he has inherited an aptitude of music from those who came before.

Our Miss Clarissa has been working really hard this month as well.  She is in musical theater this semester and has been taking voice lessons to help her gain confidence in her voice and help it to become stronger.  She practices every single day.  It has made a huge difference.  Clarissa had her voice teacher help her choose a song that would be the best for her to use for her audition.  She sang, "My House", from Matilda.  She was so excited and pleased to get the part of Babette in the musical "Beauty and the Beast".  Clarissa's science project also went onto the District competition for the third year in a row!  She was excited!  I think it is because she has such a talent for presenting in front of people. Clarissa.  She is honoring those who have gone before by working hard and doing her best even in adversity and disappointment.


So now we come to my baby, Zachary.  He turned 8 years old this month.  He had been counting down the days for a long time to his birthday.  On his special day, we had our birthday crepes, and he took donuts to share for his treat at school.  That night, we went to Zupa's for dinner and then he got to play in the bounce house at Classic Skating for a school kick off for a reading contest.  We then came home and he opened presents.  Once again, he did not ask for much- but he was very happy for what he got.  That Saturday, we had invited his friends over for a Minions birthday party.  We did minute to win it games as part of the boys (Minions) helping Gru steal the "best candy in the world!" by accomplishing certain tasks.  Ethan wrote a little note describing the activity as if he were Gru.  He was very clever and the boys had a great time!  I was excited because I had to run errands before the party and everyone else at home got the house ready.  It was wonderful!  We got everything done in two hours.  I guess we know what we are doing now that we have had a few birthday parties over the years:)  One thing that stood out in my mind about the party was that after Zachary opened up his presents, he wanted a picture taken with each one of his guests with the gift that each gave him.  Zachary was so happy!  Because Zachary turned 8, he now is part of the cub scouts.  He was able to go to his first pack meeting.  He had a really good time with his friends.  Zachary also had ancestor day at school.  He chose his ancestor, William Lindsay, who was born in Scotland.  William came to Utah with his family after joining the LDS church.  He settled in Heber.  He was an amazing example of strength, courage, and faith.  Zachary brought a picture to show of him as well as the Lindsay kilt, and he also wore a child-size Lindsay kilt that Travis and I bought in England years ago. It took a bit for me to convince him that it was not a skirt and that it is cool to wear a kilt.  He did a great job on his presentation and learned more about those who have gone before him.

I think my "moment of joy" was just after the movie, "Coco", ended.  We were all very touched and I had such a feeling of gratitude for our family chain-all those who came before and my children continuing that chain.  We had a wonderful conversation about the importance of knowing our family history and how important it is to continue that legacy that they left us.  We can honor them by continuing to make right choices and keeping our covenants no matter what trials we face in life.

Awesome Year!!!

There is a reason that I have not posted for a few months.  A lot happened in the last few months and I have just been trying to survive and adjust.  And yet, it has been an awesome year.  Here are the noteworthy events from October, November, and December....


The biggest noteworthy event for Nathanael is that he got married!!!!  On October 19th, Nathanael and Lindsay Ann were married in the Salt Lake Temple.  The weather was absolutely perfect!  Who knew that it would be in the low 70's on that day.  Gorgeous.  Travis went with Nat earlier and then I came up with the kids a bit later.  For some reason, the place we were going to park had just been filled.  I don't know what else was going on that morning because that was unusual.  I drove around trying to find a parking spot.  I found a parking spot in a little parking lot but the credit card machine would not work and time was ticking.  I decided to leave the vehicle and run.  The temple workers were so sweet and told me that it was all right and to just take a deep breath.  The sealing was short and sweet.  After the sealing, Travis and I moved the van to a spot that was free.  We then went back and waited for the newlyweds to come out for pictures.  After taking pictures, we headed to Michelangelo's Italian restaurant for the wedding luncheon.  The food was amazing.  We had a nice time just visiting with guests and enjoying the delicious food.  After the luncheon, we were waiting for Travis to come bring the van and we had a chance to chat with the owner.  He is a temple worker and was there at the groom's desk and helped Nat that morning.  It was a neat connection.  We then headed back to change and decorate for the reception.  They had the reception at the Vista in Cedar Hills.  When we got there, I had a couple of friends who were already setting up.  We had a lot of the decorations- but Lindsay's family was bringing the food and the rest.  We had done as much as we could do and found out that Lindsay's family was stuck on the freeway.  There had been a huge accident involving multiple vehicles etc.  It was time for me to go back home and change for the reception and her family came just before we left.  I didn't think they would be able to get everything finished.  However, when I got back, it was pretty much done.  We were ready when the reception started and the sunset was awesome!!!  We had a good turn out despite that it was Fall break.  Lindsay and Nat had taken a dance class to learn how to waltz for their first dance.  It was so cute because you could tell that he was really counting in his mind and concentrating.  Zachary was running behind the refreshment table when he tripped on the plug and pulled it out right in the middle of the dance-so the music stopped playing! Travis hurried and plugged it back in.  Ha!  Ha!  They cut the cake and left for their weekend together.  It was a beautiful day and I was so grateful for all those friends and family who helped us.  Lindsay Ann's family and friends helped to clean up.  We were done in no time at all.  One thing that impressed me was that Lindsay Ann did not get flustered or upset when her family was stuck on the freeway.  She was anxious and concerned, but she showed a great deal of maturity and handled herself extremely well.  Honestly though, the most important thing of the day is the sealing in the temple.  That is all that really matters.  You want the reception to be nice and go well, but that is not the most important thing.  I am so grateful that they both live worthily so that they could go to the temple and be sealed.  We are thrilled to have Lindsay Ann as part of our family!!

Our sweet missionary Lindsay Kaye has adjusted really well.  She has been gone for four months now. One noteworthy event for her was that she was able to work with a young man who got baptized on the last day of the year.  It was pretty awesome!  We also were able to Skype with her on Christmas Day for a couple of hours.  It was such a treat to be able to see her and talk to her.  She looks so healthy and happy.  She has told us that serving a mission was the best decision that she has ever made.  I am so grateful for the woman that she has become.  Lindsay Kaye is such a great example to me.

Ethan has been extremely busy and had some awesome experiences the last few months.  He first took a sweet young lady to Homecoming.  They seemed to have a really good time.  Then he sang in the Disney concert at the high school.  He was Mickey Mouse.  He also played soccer and their team did really well.  He also participated in the Madrigal Feaste where he was one of the Royal court. Ethan continues to work at Little Caesar's Pizza.  One noteworthy event for Ethan was in October when he got to go with the rest of the youth in our ward to a special dinner at the Governor's mansion for reading the Book of Mormon by a certain date.  Elder Rasband and his wife were also invited.  He was able to speak to the youth and he asked them some questions.  He called on Ethan to answer a question and I guess that Ethan gave a really great answer -so Elder Rasband continued to call on him.  When they were leaving, Elder Rasband told him that he was very impressed with him.  That was just what Ethan needed to hear.  An apostle of the Lord told him personally how impressed he was with him.  It was awesome!

Clarissa has enjoyed voice lessons and was able to participate in the fall musical at school.  It was "Legally Blonde Jr.".  She was able to be a girl in the salon and Chutney-the villain!  She was awesome! Her teacher told her that she needed a great character actress to play that part.  As a Mom, it is so wonderful when your child finds his/her passion.  I love watching Clarissa's shows.  She seems to just light up when she is on stage.

Zachary has had some noteworthy things the last few months as well.  He played soccer of course- and also got to play flag football for the first time.  He absolutely loved it!  He would come home and practice catching a football.  During one of his games, he lost a tooth while running down the field.  (It was really, really loose).  Then on another game, Travis was able to come for the first part but had to leave to run Ethan's soccer practice.  He handed me the video camera and just after he left, I looked up to see Zachary running down the field and scoring a touchdown-his first one!  It was awesome!  However, the video camera was having problems and I was not able to catch it on camera.  Rats!  So with his new found love of football, Zachary has become a big fan of BYU sports and has become Travis' sports buddy.  Zachary has kept busy playing futsal with his little soccer team.  He always has a positive attitude no matter the outcome of the game.  I love that about him!  Zachary was also picked as the Eagle of the Month at school for being optimistic and positive.  Right on!

I had been asked by my mother-in-law to make a calendar for her Christmas gift.  As I went through the year pulling out pictures, I felt overwhelmed with gratitude.  Our year was wonderful.  We were able to do some fun things as a family.  We had some big changes that were awesome-Nat getting married and Lindsay Kaye serving a mission.  I could not be more pleased with the choices my children are making and the people that they are becoming.  I will look back at 2017 as an awesome year.

Wake Me Up When September Ends

Another month has gone by and to me it seemed to be very busy and also very long.  Hence, we used the song, "Wake Me Up When September Ends" as the title of this post.  You would think that because it was so busy, it would have gone by quickly.  Not this year.  There are reasons why it seemed to go by slowly.  Sleeping through the month might not have been a bad idea....  anyway, here are the "noteworthy" events from the Lloyds this last, long month....


Nathanael and Lindsay Ann celebrated their 1 year anniversary of becoming "a thing".  They have both been extremely busy with school, work, and wedding plans.  They also went up to Salt Lake to do bridal portraits before the beautiful flowers all got taken out after conference.  I helped Lindsay Ann with her hair and even though I am not even close to a professional-I don't think I did too badly.  I also got to go up with her, Nathanael, and her parents to help for the photo shoot.  I just really can't believe that my oldest son is getting married!  After the pictures, Lindsay's parents took me to dinner at a Mexican restaurant that I had never been to before. I love Mexican food and this little place did not disappoint.  It was a great day.

One of the reasons this month seemed so long was that this is the first month that Lindsay Kaye has been gone.  One down-17 to go.  She celebrated her birthday in the MTC and left for San Diego the next morning.  I was able to send her a package to arrive the same day that I sent it.  I packed a lot of her favorite treats in it-including cotton candy and a cupcake for her birthday.  She had asked for a new dress and I spent a lot of time looking for something that she would like that is missionary appropriate.  I think she liked it because she wore it the next day as she arrived in her mission.  I also sent her a cheap pink "Happy Birthday" tiara and sash that she could throw away.  They were kind of silly little things but I knew that she would appreciate the thought.  Lindsay Kaye called us early Tuesday morning from the airport and we were able to talk to her for a while.  It was such a treat to hear her voice- but it really made me miss her again.  She arrived safely in San Diego and then we had to wait another week to find out when her P-Day was and how she is adjusting.  She had had a wonderful experience at the MTC.  She and her companion were able to teach a young woman who has now chosen to be baptized.  Wow!  Lindsay is now living in Santee, CA and she and her companion work with a YSA ward.  There is a young woman in that ward that is deaf and needs some more friendship and interaction.  Lindsay feels that she is there to help this young woman.  It is just a testament to me that the Lord knows each of us individually and answers our prayers.  My favorite thing about Lindsay Kaye is her courage.  It took a lot of courage and faith for her to follow her impression to serve a mission.  It also took a lot of courage for her to do the things that she needed to do to get ready to serve.  She has recently said that going on a mission was the best decision she has ever made.

Ethan has been very busy with soccer, school, and work.  I have been able to go to a couple of  Ethan's games and have been amazed at how good he has become.  I really don't know where he gets his speed.  He is also working really hard in school and doing really well.  Work is good but also a bit frustrating to find a schedule that fits with all the other commitments he has.  This last month, he participated in a choir concert held on September 11th to honor those who lost their lives that day as well as those who survived.  It was pretty amazing and very touching.  I felt that Ethan was also moved by it.  He also was asked to the Sadie Hawkins dance and had a really great time.  The theme was "Around the World" and he and his date were Canada.  He then turned around and asked another young lady to Homecoming which is coming this next week and so will be in the blog next month.  Exciting!

Clarissa is doing well in school and has made the Fall musical and has been busy with rehearsals.  She has also just started voice lessons and seems to have improved quite a bit after only 2 weeks.  Clarissa and I were able to spend some quality time together the last couple of weeks and it has been fun to be able to hang out with just her.  Last week, my sister-in-law had extra tickets to the women's session of general conference.  Clarissa and I got to go up to the conference center for the meeting.  We found a great place to park that was free and our seats ended up being a lot closer than I have ever been.  The meeting was wonderful and some of the messages were things that I really needed to hear-especially later that night.  After it was over, Clarissa and I were starving and she wanted a burrito from a local taco fast food restaurant.  The weather was terrible and it poured and poured all the way home.  I was grateful to get off the freeway safely and we were almost to the taco place- which was also close to home.  I got in the left turn lane and waited for the vehicle with bright lights to  pass because it looked like there was a large gap after that vehicle before the next cars etc. came.  I watched the vehicle pass and then started to turn-right into another car!  I have been driving for 27 years and never even had a ticket.  I have never caused an accident.  In fact, because Ethan is a new driver, I have been extra careful about following all the rules and laws.  I could not figure out how I did not see him.  The young man got out and yelled at me and swore at me.  I apologized and asked if everyone was okay.  A few minutes later, he apologized to me and asked if I was okay.  The police came, the ambulance, a firetruck etc.  His car had to be towed but my van was still drivable.  I have gone over it and over it in my mind and cannot figure out how I did not see him.  I felt so stupid and frustrated because this is the last thing that we need right now.  However, as I have pondered it over and over and over again, I wonder if his lights were not on or dim.  Clarissa also felt like he did not have his lights on because she said that it was really dark around his car.  Unfortunately, I cannot prove that he did not have his lights on- but it can be proved that I hit him.  Boo.  At least no one was hurt and it was close to home- so Travis came to be with me as I was in shock.  I had a really difficult time finding my phone app to call him.  I feel a bit anxious still when I have to make a turn but I am determined not to let it cause me not to drive.  That is unrealistic.  As Travis tells me, I need to move on and reread the talks that really spoke to me that night.

Zachary is also playing soccer and loving it.  He is also playing flag football for the first time and is having a really good experience.  His coach is chill and lets everyone take turns at different positions etc. He even lost a tooth running down the field during a game! Because this is a new thing for Zac,  he is obsessed with all things football.  Nat taught him to play a football video game that now Zachary cannot get enough of and he got to go with his brothers and Dad to a BYU football game in Logan.  Even though his team lost, Zachary is always positive and still had a really good time.

One "moment of joy" that really stuck out to me this month was when Travis was teaching us the Family Home Evening lesson last week and we talked about doing better on our Sunday worship and keeping the Sabbath Day holy.  After we had discussed some things, Zachary shared with us that he was feeling very happy inside.  We explained to him that this was the Holy Ghost.  Since then, he has had a much better attitude about doing scriptures and prayer etc.  So even though this month has seemed to go by slowly, there have been some really wonderful things that have happened and I guess it would be good to be awake and not miss those important things...