Utah Here We Come!

 We are headed to Utah for Ashton's graduation from BYU, April 23.  This is Easton's first flight that he can remember so he is super excited.  This picture is taken in our seats on the airplane just getting ready for take off.  For our flight out to Utah we were on a newer plane where each seat had their own TV to look at.  That's cool because you can watch TV or order a movie.  I watched The Secret Life of Walter Mitty, kind of a weird movie but it was a great time killer!

We traveled around a crazy looking storm in Oklahoma.  The clouds were ominous looking and there was lightning going off all over the place.  We were a little bumpy but it was kind of cool to be on the edge of the storm.

We LOVE Flying!

This is a set of missionaries that were waiting to board the plane in Atlanta.  They had just arrived from Columbia and they had a layover in Atlanta on their way home to Ogden and Idaho Falls.  They were just the cutest Elders and you could just tell that they were so happy to be heading home.  I took this picture and texted it to their Moms!  I know Moms dig stuff like that!

Happy Easter

Some bunny got a new suit! Easton is looking quite dapper in his spiffy Easter attire. I love to see my handsome dressing up for a very special day. We of course attended our church meetings and were blessed to hear talks and musical numbers about our Savior.  The Primary sang a song for Sacrament meeting and I played the piano for that. 

The Easter bunny came!

We ran into my friend, Amy Day at church today and her little boy, Austin was wearing a suit that had been Easton's Easter suit quite a few years ago.  We just had to take a picture of the two handsome guys.  Oh, how time just flies on by.  I remember Easton proudly wearing that suit and it really wasn't that long ago....sigh.

Watching Movies in Style

We discovered how to watch a movie "in style" the other night. We were planning on seeing the movie, Captain America but when we got there to buy our tickets it was sold out. Bummer. We bought tickets for the later movie and waited another 45 minutes.  When we walked into the theater we had the biggest surprise.  The seats were ALL beautiful leather recliners with cupholders.  They were so comfortable!  We used the electronic buttons to recline the seats into just the perfect spot for each of us.  I loved the foot rests and the large seats.  It was truly an awesome experience.  We found out that this was the theatre used for the 3D movies and that we were watching the 3D version of Captain America.  We wore our big, black glasses and enjoyed the visual effects.  I'm not really a fan of  3D movies, they just kind of bug my eyes after a while and everything feels a little blurry.  It almost gives me a headache.  Oh well, I'm weird!

Easton and his friend, Colin.

Strike!

A little bowling fun during Spring break with Easton and his two friends from school.  Stephen and I enjoyed driving the loud, rambunctious group and watching them be goofballs.  I think their were a few very funny moments.  When I wasn't looking Easton rolled two balls down the lane.  One of them got stuck in the gutter and stayed there for quite a few turns.  When it was Junaid's turn he rolled his ball, it made it's way to the gutter and hit the other bowling ball that was just sitting here.  It made a huge CRACKING sound and ricocheted off in the other direction.  Both balls went rolling down each gutter, hitting none of the pins as they disappeared.  The boys were laughing hysterically!

The boys are in the Hurricane Simulator.  The wind blows at amazing speeds while you stand inside a glass tube getting destroyed by the raging breeze!  The boys were laughing like crazy.

Check out this video of the boys in the wind tunnel!

And a little nourishment at Steak and Shake!  Hamburgers and fries for everyone...

Great Weekend

It was a spiritual feast this weekend as we were blessed to listen to the LDS General Conference.  There were so many amazing talks and I look forward to reading them in the future issue of the Ensign.  For the first time in Carroll family tradition the Boys' Club (Priesthood Session of Conference) took place at home!  I know that's just crazy but Stephen and Easton decided they would watch it from the comfort of  home since it was being broadcast.   Stephen says he got more out of it this way because there were less distractions.  The Priesthood session was taped and they were able to stop it and have a few discussions.  It has been my tradition to go out to dinner with my daughter during priesthood but, unfortunately she doesn't live here.  I headed out and left the Boys' Club on their own and had a wonderful dinner and shopping outing with my friend, Michelle Baumgart.  We needed a good catch-up since I don't see her very often. 

As is tradition around here we always have a warm batch of cinnamon rolls come out of the oven during the Sunday morning session of conference.  There was a very impatient group around here waiting for their cinnamon rolls this morning.  I have to say they were superb, just the right amount of warm, gooey sweet rolls with a smooth cream cheese frosting.  Add a cold glass of milk to that and it just doesn't get much better.  We had a lot a cinnamon rolls left since there are only three of us at home now so we took some to a family that Stephen Home Teaches.

Picture Hanging Nightmare

I bought these pictures at the beginning of January and had just the spot for them in the dining room.  I have stared at them for months now and hanging them up has been added to my to do list weekly. I have really struggled with hanging these pictures because I knew they had to be hung in an exactly straight line and I wasn't sure how I was going to do that without destroying my wall.  My style is usually not one of symmetry, it's easier that way. One of my piano students asked me how come all my pictures were on the floor.  I told her it was the latest trend, everyone just puts there pictures on the floor under the wall that it show be on.  I knew I had to tackle this project and get it done!

Gathering all my tools; my hammer, nails, level, screw driver, ladder, and measuring tape I felt as if I was ready for the task!  I started in the Family Room where I wanted to hang Dallin's and Landon's matching missionary bulletin boards where we put pictures of their mission experiences.  This was a challenge because I wanted them to be level and symmetrical plus, each picture had two hooks on both sides of the frame and the directions recommended not using picture wire to hang them because they were very heavy.  I had a plan for the first one and got to work with a masking tape method that I saw on Pinterest.....FAIL!!!  The tape pulled the paint off the wall, I unexpectedly hit a stud, the picture ended up crooked and I pretty much demolished the wall.  I threw a temper tantrum and I kind of left my picture hanging mess on the floor for a few days before I could get the courage to make another attempt at destroying my wall.  

I decided to tackle the picture in the living room because I thought it would be easier and I could hang it with picture wire.  Success!!!!

 Then I moved on to the Dining Room wall where again I could hang the picture with wire. It was pretty successful....there's only one extra hole behind that picture.  Success!!!

The matching dining room pictures proved to be more of a challenge because there were two of them, it had to be centered on the long wall, it was pretty high up there, and they had to be equally level.  I did some problem solving in my head and came up with the "thumbtack method" of picture hanging.  I taped a thumbtack to each of the hooks on the frame with the point of the tack facing the exact spot it would be as if the picture were hanging.  I then measured where to put the picture and drew a level line where the top of the picture would be.  Stephen helped me hold the picture in the exact spot on the wall, lining up the top of the picture with the level line and also testing it with a level.  Then we pushed the picture against the wall and when we pulled it away there were two perfectly placed dots on the wall from the thumbtacks where the screws would go.  After putting the screws in the right thumb tack holes, the picture was hung and I was so excited to see that it was perfect....seriously, it was perfect.  I repeated the procedure for the matching picture and the method worked flawlessly again!

With the success I had in the dining room I was feeling ready to head back to the family room and tackle those dang bulletin boards!  Using my thumbtack method I had both on the wall in less than ten minutes and they were level and even and they looked awesome.  Woohoo!  I did it!  DONE!

Another Project

You'll be happy to know that this African Style mask that Easton had to make for his Social Studies class was due on Friday.  And guess what?  We went to bed at 10:06!!!  We worked diligently for the last two weeks getting the paper mache done and then adding the paint details and hair.  I'm so proud of Easton for not waiting until the night before to complete this.  With a little help and pushing from me he was able to finish at a reasonable hour the day before it was due.  Now that's saying something!  And he got an A!!!