Birthdays, Proms, and Performances Oh My!

 April was a full and busy month at the Lloyd home.  Lots of notable events .  So here is the latest...

Nathanael and Lindsay Ann are still enjoying living in Scotland.  Nathanael celebrated his 25th birthday.  I cannot believe that I have a 25 year old!  I have a memory of waiting in my hospital room for Travis to put the car seat in the car.  I was holding Nathanael and he was crying and I couldn't seem to comfort him.  So I just started singing, "My Heavenly Father Loves Me" and he immediately stopped crying and listened.  Music always has been and always will be part of who he is.  I am so grateful for the man that he has become and continues to be.  Lindsay Ann finished her course work and only has her dissertation left to complete.  So exciting!  She has decided to do her dissertation on Tabernacles.  In the meantime, they are enjoying the sights in Scotland.

Logan and Lindsay Kaye continue to work hard and plan for their future.  Logan celebrated his 24th birthday at the beginning of the month.  I am so grateful that he is part of our family.  I have come to love my kids' spouses as my own.  It was fun to have them here to celebrate our Easter traditions with us too!  

Elder Ethan has been working hard in his new area.  He enjoys that he is close to the temple.  He also is grateful that they are able to get out more and have contacted a lot of new people that he hopes will continue to progress.  Elder Ethan also got his Covid vaccination and got  sick from it because he already had Covid.  So that was not fun-obviously. He also had the opportunity to go to the zoo.  He had a really great time there. I am amazed by his example of always doing his best regardless of the circumstances.

Clarissa has had a full month.  She was asked to go to Prom with someone that she did not know well.  They have a lot of mutual friends.  For their day date, they went to an Escape room.  She had a lot of fun and they really got to know each other and have some great conversations.  The next night was the actual dance.  Clarissa did a fabulous job on her make-up and Lindsay Kaye helped with that a little bit too.  Lindsay Kaye did Clarissa's hair and I did her nails and picked out her accessories etc.  She looked gorgeous! (Logan did us proud and cleaned his gun when her date came to pick her up.) She ended up having a really good time with this young man and making a new friend.  I am grateful that she got to go and have this more normal high school experience.  She also performed in her COPA spring concert.  Her solo was Belle from Beauty and the Beast and she did a great job.  I love being able to watch her perform.  I am amazed by her talent and so proud of her for her work ethic.  She works harder on everything she does almost more than anyone I know.

Zachary has been playing soccer and he is quite a defender!  He always has a great attitude win or lose.  In activity days, they did rock art pictures.  His picture depicted all the members of our family.  I have put it in our kitchen on display because I love it so much.  I am so grateful to have him in our family.  He brings a lot of joy to our family and keeps us young!

It has been a month of many blessings and opportunities for growth and making memories.  I am so grateful for each of my children and their examples to me.

MMMMMMMM

 March was a lot less hectic than it has been in the past. Thank goodness! However, we still had some notable events here at the Lloyd home...

Nathanael and Lindsay Ann continue to enjoy living in Scotland.  Lindsay Ann has been working really hard on her projects and assignments.  She has decided that for her Master's degree dissertation, she is focusing on Tabernacles.  It is very cool.  

 

Logan and Lindsay Kaye continue to work and are both starting to feel better after dealing with health challenges for months.  Logan is studying hard to earn his EMT certification.  He has also been working on his Music.  We will just have to see where life takes them.

Elder Ethan was transferred to the Missouri side of Kansas City.  He loves to be close to the temple and is learning to get to know the people in this new area.  He has worked really hard at being a good Missionary-it is hard to believe that he only has a couple of months left!  He made some really great friends in his last area and he is anxious for them to continue to progress.  It has been a more difficult experience than he anticipated with COVID -19 affecting so much-but he has also seen so many Miracles.

Clarissa and her friends decided to do a group date for MORP- even though they did not have the dance.  She asked a really good friend and had a blast.  They went on the date as Beauty and the Beast.  We had gone to a party store to get some simple horns for her date to represent the Beast. We also picked up a tiara for her.  She wore a yellow blouse and Lindsay Kaye did a Belle hairstyle.  She was so cute!  We had to laugh though because neither of us realized that the tiara had the number 60 in the design.  Zachary noticed immediately.  She just went with it!  They went to the dinosaur museum at Thanksgiving point and then to someone's house for games and food.   Clarissa also got asked to Prom-which was a great surprise!  I am so pleased that she can have some normalish like high school experiences.  She also sang in a recital for COPA.  She did so well that I got chills and Travis got emotional.  Super talented chicklet!

Zachary performed in his first school play.  He was Munchikin #1 in a kids version of "The Wizard of Oz".  He did a great job on his lines and seemed to have fun participating.  The Spring soccer season also just started.  His team played a rival team recently and they won!  He made a Monumental defensive play to keep the ball out of the goal and his team got the Momentum after that and pushed through to win.  It was awesome to be there and see him play so well.

Our family celebrated St. Patrick's Day on the Sunday before March 17th this year.  We had our feast of corn beef and cabbage, soda bread, rainbow jello, and fruit.  We had lemon-lime refrigerator cake for dessert.  We also had a small treasure hunt and talked about some ancestors from Ireland.  On the actual day, Zachary had Lindsay Kaye put green freckles on his face.  That was my family's tradition growing up.  I was so pleased to see that he wasn't embarrassed to continue that tradition this year.  I was just really grateful to spend time with my family and celebrate our heritage.  I am so grateful for their legacy of faith and sacrifice.  

February in a Flash

 February seemed to fly by at our house...

Nathanael and Lindsay Ann are still living in Scotland as she works on her graduate degree.  They are enjoying their time there- but have been frustrated with not being able to go out and explore more as they have been on strict lockdown again.  They are enjoying that the sun is coming out a bit more and wild flowers are starting to bloom everywhere.

Logan and Lindsay Kaye continue to work.  Logan is busy working on his EMT class.  One really exciting thing is that Lindsay Kaye earned her Associate Degree in Humanities and Social Sciences.  This means that all of her credits will transfer to wherever she and Logan land.  It is quite an accomplishment.  We decided to celebrate Fat Tuesday in honor of Logan and his hometown of New Orleans.  We did a crawfish boil.  He is an amazing cook.  The food was really good!  I also tried to make a King cake.  I am thinking that I should submit my picture to the Pinterest fail website because it did not turn out the way I expected!  It tasted good-but looked very off!  Ha! Ha!  It is fun to have new traditions to celebrate with the family!

Elder Ethan is still in his same area that he has been for the last two transfers.  He has continued to work hard to find those who are ready to make covenants.  He has specifically been working with a man who has read all of the scriptures and seems to really like what he has learned.  Hopefully, he can receive his own witness of the truthfulness of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.  

Clarissa has been working hard on learning to drive.  I have been able to take her to see my old schools and Travis' old schools and the house where Travis grew up.  Last weekend, we went to see my Grandparents' homes where my parents grew up.  That was really fun-although it made me miss them so much that my heart hurt.  They were such a wonderful influence in my life.  She also drove on the freeway for the first time.  She has been not wanting to do that at all-but she did really well.  Clarissa also performed in the choir's Movie Knight.  She sang,"I'm The Greatest Star",  from Funny Girl.  She was so fun to watch.  She is so entertaining with her facial expressions and her singing was fabulous!  I was so proud of her because she was so nervous about doing it.

Zachary has had a great time playing Jr. Jazz basketball.  His class also won second in the school reading contest and first in their grade.  He was happy because they got to have a pizza party and a doughnut party.  We have been reading Harry Potter together.  Currently, we are on the fourth book.  One thing that I have been impressed with Zachary this month is that he has pushed through his fear and had a couple of really fun experiences because he did not give in to his anxiety.  Our family went to East Canyon this last month.  Logan and Lindsay Kaye took Clarissa and Zachary sledding.  Then, Logan took Zachary sledding again because he wanted to go.  This time, the hills were bigger and Zachary went down even though they were a lot steeper.  I love that he and Logan do things together.  I think that Logan is a great big brother to him while his brothers are not here.  I think Logan likes having a little brother too. 

It has been really nice to be able to spend time with my family.  We have created new memories and strengthened our relationships.  I am so impressed by how solid and faithful my children are.  They have exceeded my expectations of who they have become.  They are such good examples to me.  They are solid and strong and stand up for what is right.  I am in awe.  Mostly though, I am extremely grateful to my Heavenly Father for giving them to me.

Life Goes On...

I had decided that I would try other forums for our Family History and felt impressed that I needed to go back to this blog.  So I am documenting our life in this crazy and unexpected time...

The month of January has been hard for Nathanael and Lindsay Ann.  Scotland went back on strict lockdown.  That means that everything has shut down and there really are no jobs available for Nathanael to get.  It also has been frustrating for Lindsay Ann as she has to do a lot of work online instead of on campus.  They have been able to see a few things this month-just not as many as they would like to visit.  They just keep going and try to enjoy the experiences that they can.  For example, it snowed at the beginning of the year in the middle of the night.  Nat and Lindsay Ann went out to enjoy the snow and Lindsay Ann made a snowman that ended up on the local news.  

Logan and Lindsay Kaye started the new year visiting Logan's family in Louisiana.  They had a great time there.  Lindsay Kaye earned her Associate Degree so that all of her credits will transfer to wherever she ends up with Logan.  She and Logan have had some health issues and so they are trying to figure that out.  They have been to many different kinds of doctors-just not for Covid.  They are working right now as they are deciding what they are going to be doing next and where they are going to be.  

Elder Ethan celebrated his 20th birthday this month.  I was so excited for him to get his package because we had got him a KC soccer jersey that was only $20 and was just like one he was looking at on P-Day for $120.  He said that he had had a wonderful birthday.  He and his companion also got Covid-but one tender mercy was that they quarantined just as they started having symptoms and were done with their quarantine in time to attend the baptism of a young lady they had worked with.  It was a small miracle.

Clarissa got to perform in COPA's Winter Concert.  She even had a little solo part-which she did really well.  That first performance though was interesting.  The costume lady decided to have her change her costume right before her performance- but it took too long and she missed about 1/3 of her song and was not wearing all the costume pieces because the costume people messed up on that too!  Despite this, she handled herself well and of course, the show must go on.  She continued as if nothing had happened.  The other performances went much better and the costume lady realized that she had made a mistake. She also got to perform in Lone Peak's production of , "Hello Dolly".  She had fun with her friends and really likes that musical. Clarissa also got to go on her first date.  A young man that she is good friends with asked her out.  He is from Australia and is a really good guy.  They went to Popeyes and grabbed dinner.  Then they and the two other couples they were with went back to his house and played some really fun games.  Then they did a cookie contest...she had a blast.  At the end of the date, he brought out all of her favorite chocolates like Kit Kats etc.  It was so sweet.  I am so grateful that she had a wonderful experience.  She was happy that she got to do something that normal teenagers do in high school.  

Zachary celebrated his 11th birthday.  Of course, it was Harry Potter themed.  I texted each Mom individually and asked if they would feel comfortable having their child come to our home for a party.  There were kids who had already had Covid.  One Mom was concerned- but everyone ended up coming and having a lot of fun.  We had the wands choose the wizards first.  My Dad had made the wands out of the branches from his snowball bush.  He stripped the bark, sanded them, had them dry out, and then stained them.  They were each unique because of that and imperfect-which made them so cool!  I love that he did that and the kids were so amazed by them-especially Zachary.  We then had them sorted into the different houses.  They we had Defense Against the Dark Arts by having them play a Werewolves game that Travis' sister had made with Hogwarts characters.  After that, we did Potions by making Butterbeer.  Then the kids had Charms using Sparklers.  Finally, they played Quidditch.  It was fun and successful.  It was my last party that I was in charge of for my kids.  When they turn 12, they get to do late nights instead.  I honestly felt kind of relieved and also a bit out of sorts because we are moving into a new phase of life....

                                                                                     

Even though things have been so different these last several months, we are grateful for the things that we are able to do and enjoy.  I am also so grateful for each of my children and their spouses.  They are solid and unwavering in what is right and have been able to discern truth through all the confusing philosophies of men.  I have had many moments of joy and I am looking forward to the events coming up this year .

Blip

Okay.  I cannot believe that it has been six months.  I feel like the last several months have gone by so fast-it feels just like the highlights were just blips in a crazy time.  I will do my best to include all the wonderful blips that have happened in the Lloyd home....

Nathanael and Lindsay Ann ended up living apart for the summer.  He had had surgery and then took the MCAT  so he stayed with us.  He also volunteered at a health clinic interpreting Spanish for the patients.  He ended up doing really well on the MCAT.  We will see what the future holds for him and medical school.  Lindsay Ann spent the summer interning in Zions National Park.  She worked really hard and her project turned out really well.  We went down in August to visit her and had such a wonderful time.  We went to a dinosaur museum, Brigham Young's summer home, the St. George temple visitor center, and then Lindsay Ann took us to a few places in Zion.  It was a wonderful trip.  After the summer, they went back to Logan for their last undergraduate year at Utah State University.  Lindsay Ann also applied and was accepted for a Master's program in Architectural Conservation at the University of Edinborough in Scotland next year.  So Nat and Lindsay will be moving to Scotland for a year.  So exciting!

Lindsay Kaye turned 22 in September.  Then she had one of the biggest experiences of her life!  She and Logan were married in the Manti temple on October 12, 2019.  The sealing was absolutely beautiful.  After the sealing, we went to a pavillion not too far from the temple and had a luncheon.  We had mini croissant sandwiches, pasta salad, chips, grapes, rainbow jello salad, brownies, and lemonade.  The luncheon was chill and enjoyable.  On the way down to the temple, I had had a migraine that exploded really fast.  I took something to help the pain- but not soon enough and I didn't eat enough and so the medicine made me sick as well.  Travis gave me a plastic bag in case I threw up-which I did and then realized that the bag had holes in it.  We pulled off to a gas station and cleaned up.  Thankfully, there was a gas station right there because we were about to enter a stretch in which we would not be able to have a way to take care of things.  We finally made it to the temple and the sweet sisters got me some soda crackers and gave me a small plastic bag to take into the sealing room in case I needed to use it-which I did not!  So after the luncheon, we all went to my brother's home to set up for the reception.  I was so very worried about getting it set up in time and making sure that everything was okay.  Friends and family were so kind to help me out.  We got set up in great time to be ready for the reception.  I have to admit, it turned out more beautiful than I expected.  We had gold overlays on the tables with purple table runners.  Then we had a cake stand on each table with candles around it on mirrors.  We then had a picture at each table and finally, a bouquet of flowers on each cake stand.  Lindsay Ann did the bridal bouquets and also the table bouquets.  She is very talented at that and did a beautiful job!  We had also strung some lights and I painted a metal trellis thing that we put flowers on and lights for a little arch.  We had a smore bar where my Dad had built the boxes for the rocks and sterno cans. We had apples with homemade caramel sauce, jambalaya, and mini corn bread muffins.  My family and friends really helped out and Logan's family helped so much!  They sent his sister a few days ahead of time to help.  She was such a blessing!  She helped me get the last things for the reception and then of course, she made most of the mini corn bread muffins.  I was so grateful!  The only thing that I felt bad about was that it got really cold at the end.  Travis' sister let us borrow their patio heater to set up by Lindsay Kaye and Logan- but I should have rented a few more ahead of time.  By the time I thought that we might need them, they were all booked.  Nevertheless, it turned out beautifully.  My Mom's birthday was the next day and I was sorry that we were not getting together for it.  She told me that the best present was the day before when her children were at the temple and helped with things and that it turned out so well.  It did not take too long to clean up and my brother and sister-in-law whose backyard we held it in said that it was really fun. We left feeling really good about things and our relationships with our friends and family and Logan's family as well.  I was so grateful for all the help that was given and how it turned out.  After getting married, Logan and Lindsay Kaye moved in with us.  We love them both so very much.

Ethan is now Elder Ethan Lloyd.  Elder Ethan entered the MTC on July 10, 2019.  I still am missing him a bit but I would not want him anywhere else.  One cool thing was that when we were taking pictures across from the Provo MTC, we wanted a picture with the whole family and so we were discussing how to do that when Ethan's very best friend happened to drive by.  He jumped out and offered to take a picture of our family.  He just was driving by wondering if he would see anyone he knew- and there was Ethan!  It was such a tender moment.  He entered the mission field in August.  Homesickness kicked in a bit when he got there- but he adjusted and is so happy.  We have really enjoyed being able to Skype with him often and hear how he really is doing and what we can do to help him.  He also has been called to be a trainer.  He is taking this responsibility very seriously as you can imagine.  His first baptism was the week of  Lindsay Kaye's wedding reception.  He was able to baptize a child about Zachary's age.  Ethan is working hard and enjoying his service.  He started out in Kansas City on the Kansas side but then was transferred was to Santa Fe in Missouri. 

Clarissa is now  a Sophmore at Lone Peak.  She turned 15 on the first day of school.  She recently got braces and got her driving permit.  Clarissa has been so busy with school and her extracurricular activities.  She had a speaking line and a little solo line in the production of "Cinderella".  The show was really cute and was so well done!  She also participated in the Disney concert this year with the Show choir.  We had so many come tell us how they could not stop watching her because she was so good.  My parents even mentioned that she seems like she could work at Disneyland if she really wanted.  I know that Clarissa has these talents to do her part in building up the Kingdom of God.  Clarissa was also able to participate in the Face to Face with Elder Gong in November.  She was part of the youth choir.  She was then asked to sing the new song she learned at the Face to Face at our Relief Society dinner.  She was really nervous, but she did a wonderful job.  Clarissa has had a hard time lately with her anxiety.  We decided to hold a family fast for her and the very next day, I was able to get her into see a doctor to help.  This doctor has been a good fit for her and a blessing.  The Lord is very aware of her and I hope she can recognize the blessings and tender mercies that she has been given.

Zachary started the fourth grade.  He played flag football this year-which he loves.  He also decided to stay with the competetive AA soccer league.  His team just totally came together really easily.  They have done very well their first season together.  Zachary has really come into his own as a strong defender.  Zachary was Spider-Man for Halloween.  He is his favorite Marvel character.  We did our regular Halloween traditions.  Zachary tried out for the school play for the first time.  They are doing "The Wizard of Oz".  He gets to be a munchkin.  He was so nervous to try out.  He worried about it for days- but still went through with it.  It was a good lesson in that even though you might be scared to try something new, you need to push through that anxiety and try it anyway.  If you can learn to do that, you will be able to have some great experiences and develop talents.  Finally, I was so pleased that Zachary received the Eagle of the Month award for communication.  His teacher said  is very respectful to others and is sharing his thoughts and ideas as well.  She said that he is "coming out of his shell".  Zachary has a tender heart and has a great sense of humor.  He also earned his Bear award in cub scouts.  He worked really hard and was able to finish strong. 

Lots of big things happened this last six months.  We are all still kind of adjusting to the new situations but we feel so very blessed.