A Wray update and Easter

So my Wray diaries leave a lot to be desired...what do you do? There isn't a much to tell really. We are doing well here. It feels more and more like home every day. I got a job at the hospital here and am working 1 or 2 nights a week. It has been a nice cut back that is for sure. We have made a few friends at our little LDS branch and a few at work. Mostly we just keep to ourselves like we always have! ;) Dax and I have followed Robert to almost all of the ball games that he gets to go cover. That has kept us busy and has been fun. High school sports are fun to get into, especially when you know the kids you are cheering for. We went to enough games that we know a good chunk of the athletes and their families and it has been fun cheering for them. Dax is nearly famous at the ball games because he is....well he is just Dax. He is loud and crazy and in good moments completely delightful, so he has become friends with EVERYONE! He is my little ice breaker and because of him we have friends at ball games that help me keep him entertained when it is just too long, and take him to the concession stand for treats, and just do kind things for us everywhere. That is mostly what I have found here...the people are mostly just good and kind. We feel very lucky to be here in such a good community. Our little house is working out good for us. There are a few small spaces, but love grows best in little houses right? We have a big, fun yard that I am loving. We are trying to get our grass green and we are even getting a little garden spot ready. Hold your breath and hope that it works out please! I am no gardener, but we have a space and I guess you have to start and learn somewhere, so here is to learning if nothing else! Life is good for us and we can not complain (or we shouldn't at least...I wish I never complained! ) Dax is growing up to be quite the little human. He keeps us running and laughing constantly. His imagination never ceases to amaze me. Just this morning he woke up and asked if he could be a super hero today and keeps going around imagining himself doing things and saying "I saved the day!" We love that boy.

We (and when I say that I really mean Robert) haven't really had many days off since we got here. They do Saturday ball games here, so we are doing something most Saturdays and he works Monday through Friday just like regular. But, we got good Friday off of work so we decided to take advantage of our one day off and went to Denver. We stayed Thursday and Friday nights and went to the temple, ate out at restaurants (yes that is a novelty now!) and played. We had a really fun time and it just kept going all weekend long through Easter. One of our Denver highlights was going to the aquarium. It was a lot of fun and Dax LOVED it. He still talks about it. We got to feed some sting rays and pet them. Dax got a sea horse painted on his arm. We got to see a mermaid show with the scary guy from Finding Nemo (a person in a scuba suit). We saw "Crush" and "Nemo" and "Dory" and sharks and lions and treasure chests and so many fun things.

On Saturday morning we headed to a baseball game-we still can't get a whole weekend off! We enjoyed a nice day of sunshine and ball games and got home in just enough time to prepare lessons for Sunday, open Easter surprises from various grandmas in Utah (all of which he loved), and go to bed. When we woke up the Easter Bunny had definitely found us and Dax thought he was in heaven with all of his new fun things and, of course, his mountain of candy.

Easter present from Grandma Lovell

Easter from Grandma and Grandpa Clove

Cheese Ball!

Thanks grandmas and grandpas for the fun presents

What the Easter Bunny left...what was he thinking? That is way too much stuff!

When we went out to go to church we found that another Easter Bunny had visited and left eggs on the front lawn. We have met a very nice family out here named the Valko Family. They have a son, Jaden, who is a junior that wrestles and plays baseball so we have seen them quite a bit at the games. They also have a daughter, Alyssa, who is in 8th grade that Dax loves. They woke up early and came and hid eggs for Dax before going to their church. Dax loved it and it was so nice of them. We also went to their house later in the evening for strawberry shortcake and a fun visit. We really like them and they have been so kind to us since we have been here. We will for sure remember them when we think of our Wray days.

After church some of our friends from the branch, the Echeverrias, came over for dinner and a little egg hunt. They have a little boy named Vander that is just a little bit younger than Dax. They are about as different as two little boys could be, but they are somehow pretty good little friends. I guess opposites attract sometimes. We ate yummy food, found eggs and candy, rocked out at the piano (oh ya I got a piano and I love it!!! The best part is that it was free and it is beautiful-it makes me happy), decorated Easter eggs the old fashioned way, and just enjoyed the nice warm day.

I love holidays and they have proved to be some of my hardest days out here because everything holiday to me is associated with family and I miss everyone so bad at these times. But, I decided that if I am never at home for a holiday again, I need to figure out our own family traditions so they can still be fun and memorable. Dinner wasn't as yummy as mom's and the eggs weren't as pretty as they seem to be at home, but it was our feeble attempt to make a memory and we did. The few weeks before Easter Dax and I sang songs at the piano. Dax loves music and can remember songs so well it is incredible really. One of my favorite Easter songs is "Did Jesus Really Live Again" out of the Primary Children's Songbook. As Dax learned the words to that song and started to understand more what nail prints in Jesus' hands meant he asked a lot of questions and was very thoughtful about what happened when Jesus died for us and how he "woke up" and left the tomb. I don't know how much he really understands, but I think he understands more than I know, but it was humbling for me this Easter to watch my two year old be so thoughtful of the simpleness of the message of Easter. It helped me be a little more thoughtful and helped me to be a lot more grateful this holiday that I know that Jesus died for me because he loves me and my little family. How blessed I am to know that Jesus really did live again and made it possible for all of us to live again. What better gift in all the world could we be given than that? Here is to trying to remember it and focus on that all year and not just at Easter. I am so grateful for a loving Savior and kind Heavenly Father who sacrificed so much for me to enjoy my life here and to have the hope of an even better life to come. What a Happy Easter!!