April - The Month of Growth: Gardens, Games, and a Mission Call

April has a way of convincing us that winter is finally over... at least long enough to get us outside. We happily reacquainted ourselves with our backyard, tackling the annual spring rituals of weeding flower beds, prepping the garden for planting, and chopping what felt like an endless supply of firewood.

One of the month's highlights was watching Nate graduate from stacking wood to cutting it. He learned how to safely use a chainsaw this spring, and I'm pretty sure he enjoyed every second of it. There seems to be something deeply satisfying about turning a fallen tree into a perfectly stacked woodpile.

When we weren't outside, John and I rediscovered another favourite pastime: board games. Scrabble has officially claimed the title of our game of choice. Even more satisfying? I'm still undefeated. The pressure, however, is mounting. The higher the climb, the harder the fall, and John is becoming increasingly determined to be the one who finally hands me my first loss. For now, though, I'll gladly enjoy my winning streak.

Without question, the biggest news of April came from Jessica.

Mission call day is one of those moments every Latter-day Saint family dreams about, but somehow ours unfolded in the most Jessica-and-Nate way possible.

Jessica received the email while she and Nate were at the gym. Instead of opening it herself, she handed her phone to Nate.

Yes... Nate read her mission call before Jessica did.

As if that wasn't surprising enough, Nate managed to tell someone else at the gym where she was going before Jessica had even read the letter herself.

Then came the phone call.

"Mom. Dad. You have five minutes to get to the temple lawn... or I'm reading it without you."

Nothing motivates parents quite like a mission call countdown.

We made it just in time, and together—John, me, Sam, Paisley, and Jess—we learned that she had been called to serve in the Angeles Philippines Mission, beginning September 30.

There were tears, hugs, laughter, and more than a little disbelief that the little girl we've watched grow into such a remarkable young woman is about to head halfway around the world to serve.

April gave us dirty hands, competitive Scrabble games, and one unforgettable family memory we'll be talking about for years. If the rest of the year can keep up with this pace, we're in for quite the adventure.