Easter

Ugh! No real photos from Easter this year. I guess that means we were just enjoying each other's company! We hosted dinner and had both Grandmas, Allie & Zac for dinner. Tradition ham with cheesy potato casserole and green beans.

After dinner, we decorated sugar cookies with everyone.




And ate a fancy little cake Grandma Susan brought, and a traditional Italian Easter Pie.


Earlier in the day, Grandma Cope and Lexi decoupaged eggs (just like Martha did on her show that mom & I attended the week before). We cut out little pictures from magazines and glued to our heart's content.

Macy's Flower Show

During Spring Break this year, Matt's mom was able to come out and spend several days with us. It was so nice to have her here and we were able to do lots of fun things. Extra special thanks to Allie for lending us her car for the week!

The first thing we did, on a rainy Saturday, was head down to Macy's (the largest Department Store in the world, apparently) for their annual Flower Show. Flowers flowers everywhere. And packed with people, too. But the displays really were amazing and we even met the Florist of the Day who had made an amazing tree trunk topped with oversize mushroom caps and decorated with hidden gems like fairies and butterflies. Of course the girls loved it. And they gave us their card and told us to contact them if we wanted good seats at the Rose Parade in Pasadena in 2011. That's the same day as Lexi's 7th birthday, so we might actually have to think about going! :)

Mama's Birthday

For my mother's birthday this year I requested tickets to the Martha Stewart Show. We went last year at this time and it was lots of fun. And, thankfully, my request was fulfilled, so my sister Allie, mom & I saw the show on April 7. Emeril Lagasse was one of the guests and gave us a saucepan from his line of cookware (by All-Clad- which are all the pots I already have and LOVE). We also saw Rupert Everett who spent some time planting flowers with Martha. I find it really fascinating to attend a taping because you see all that goes on behind the scenes. Like the fact that Martha doesn't look up at her directors often enough and has them scrambling and waving their arms and shaking cue cards furiously trying to get her attention. I also got a cookbook during the commercial break for being such an enthusiastic audience member. Boo yah.

After the show, we took mom to lunch at Elmo. Happy Birthday, Mom! We're glad you were born!

Hace Diez Anos

10 years ago, while I was serving as missionary for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, the Madrid Temple was dedicated. It was a glorious time. All of the members and missionaries from all over Spain had the opportunity to attend the dedication. So during this past General Conference weekend, my mission presidents (along with lots of help from some of our missionaries) put together a reunion and tried to find all of our missionaries. I was able to fly out to Utah for the event and it was a most wonderful time. The experiences you have & the circumstances in which you find yourselves bond you to fellow missionaries in a way that is different from any other relationship. I love these people. It makes me (joyfully) cry to think about them. I love Spain and the miracles I saw there. It was a large part of my life that shaped me & I think about it almost everyday, if only for a brief moment.

Many thanks to Erin for watching Ella during the Hermanas luncheon. And to Lari for putting me up & lending me a car. And to Liz for picking me up at the airport. And to Richard & Joan for taking me back to the airport. And to all the elderes y hermanas that made the extra effort to be there. It was so fantastic to be with you all again! Until we meet again....

Hermanas at the luncheon



Kari, me & Anfissa


Me & Jamie


me & Hillary


The group of Elders & Hermanas I went to Spain with- and ended up serving with (almost) all fo them at some point. Haven't seen this whole group together since a mission council I went to in 1999.


Me & Presidente Clate Mask, and Kari


Kari, Hermana Mask, me & Nici (with her 4th baby)


Nanci (who also married a man who served in Bilboa at the same time Matt was there).


Ella just climbed up on Hermana Mask's lap (maybe the chocolate was influential?)


me & Rebecca- my MTC comp.

More Utah Photos

Other fun things I did while on my whirlwind trip to Utah:

Ice Cream at the BYU Creamery with Liz!






Breakfast with Angie (sadly, no photo! How did I forget that?!)

Dinner with Byron & Erin (who I set up on a date years ago at BYU!) at Cafe Rio. Ella fell in love with Erin and wanted to go home with her! The last time I saw them was when they came to NY for my mission homecoming. It was so great to see them again after all these years.


Breakfast with Grandma Cope (who was in Utah for her mission reunion also!) and Sheridan (my neighbor in NYC who is back in Utah now- we miss you!) at Flour Girls and Dough Boys.



A conference session at Liz's apartment






And Ella waiting to board the plane in SLC. We had to walk out onto the tarmac and climb the stairs into the plane. Wish Lexi had been there for that experience!

Turn off the TV

Next week is TV-Turnoff week. Some of you know that we don't own a tv. It's really not that bad of a situation to find yourselves in. Try it out!