These are a few of my favorite things . . .

1. Al Turco
2. Linda Turco
3. Linda Turco's food.
4. Being invited to the Turco's home for dinner (or brunch!)


We've made some good friends here - and one of our favorite couples is Al and Linda. They are a delight to be with - and Linda is a FABULOUS cook. We've been invited to a many-course dinner (Italian, of course), the most incredible brunch I've ever had, and, last week, a barbecue.


The cook in her kitchen. She is such a bubbly, fun person.

Ivy, hanging out on their deck.

Richard's friend Darin was in town and came with us. I think he'd marry Linda if she weren't taken. He LOVED her food - and ate plenty of it! (But then, so did I. )

Posing for the camera. There was another family there (whom we had never met) because they are moving out of state as well. To put it as politely as possible, their children were terrors. Mine seemed like they were drugged and doing Yoga compared to theirs - and that's saying a lot.

Cooper playing in the yard. I should have taken pictures before it got dark, obviously.

Al had (with a smile on his face) had enough. He gathered the kids together and politely informed them he'd throw them over the fence if they screamed again. Cooper happily reported on the drive home that he had, indeed, screamed again and Al had NOT thrown him over. He thought that was very funny.

All of us - well almost all of us. McKenna was at home finishing some homework so that she wouldn't fail her social studies class (seeing as the next day was the LAST day of school) and Ivy was on the other side of the table refusing to have her picture taken.

Girls' Sleepover

If you recall, last fall we went to "The Berkshires" in western Mass. for a ward activity. The Lazenby family owns a beautiful home out there (with tennis courts, pool, hot tub, tramp, etc.) and make it available for family and friends constantly. So a couple of weeks ago, all the moms and Activity Day girls went out for a sleepover. Very fun! We ate lots, played games, swam and chatted (the moms, until 1:00 am). So here are some pictures, but the best isn't here because it wasn't taken by me, because I was busy doing a back flip off the diving board. I CAN STILL do them! So, maybe if Margaret e-mails them to me I'll show you my talent!

There were 21 girls and 13 moms. At one point, we were all around the pool and two repair guys were working on something to do with the pool just feet away. They were there for a couple of hours. We were tempted to tell them we had all fled Texas and settled in Mass.

A great weekend - if you don't consider the HEAD LICE problem!!!!! One of the girls brought it with her and, luckily, my girls (or myself) didn't get it. But my head has been itching ever since!!

Just last night, McKenna came home from a sleepover there with the YW and their mothers. (I didn't go - too much going on in order to move in less than a week) - and I made her use lice shampoo the minute she walked in the door. I know (once the Lazenbys were informed) that they cleaned the house thoroughly, but I'm paranoid!

The Last Day of School

The kids were excited for the last day of school - June 18 - and that lasted about one day. They miss their friends and teachers. We were SO blessed to have ended up in Butler Elementary School boundaries. We could not have asked for a better school

Cooper and Isaac - he's also in our ward. His parents just bought Cooper's bunk bed for Isaac, so he and Cooper are going to have a late night so Cooper can see that his bunk bed is happy at his friend's house.

Maia and her very special Chae Bin. Chae Bin arrived from Korea just before school began and Maia has been at her side since then, helping her with everything. Her parents had requested that she be put in Maia's class next year, but were saddened to find that we were moving. They are planning a cross-country trip this summer and will be in Utah. We're making plans to meet up with them there.

Cooper and Mrs. Ruddock. This teacher thankfully raised three boys of her own, so she knew just how to love Cooper, and he loved her right back! He has LEARNED so much this year - more than any of my other children did in kindergarten. It's been awesome.

Maia and Mrs. Filippi. Again, we were blessed with the perfect teacher for our child. Maia felt very comfortable and safe with Mrs. Filippi and knew she was genuinely cared for.

The kids with Mr. MacDonald - the world's BEST principal. On the second day of school he had every child's name memorized (he knew my kids' names on the FIRST day) and from that day forward made every child believe he or she was his best friend. He played basketball with them, swung them, shared cookies, or just sat and chatted with the children. On bad weather days (we had LOTS of those) he met each car outside and personally opened the doors for the children and sheltered them with an umbrella while they collected their belongings, then shut the door behind them. Each and every afternoon he was outside the school to help "deliver" each child to their parents.

One time Maia's dad (NOT HER MOTHER) forgot to pick her up from school, for OVER an hour. It was the last day of school before Christmas vacation and every teacher had left school, but Mr. MacDonald, of course, stayed behind. He had tried calling (but Richard didn't pick up because he was on a business call) and so was just ready to take Maia to his house and feed her lunch when her daddy remembered her and ran to school. He knows Austin's and Tessa's names as well - because they would pick her up from school ocassionally. Of course he knows Ivy too. He made every family/student feel like they were special. This is a man who loves his job and has made the world better because of it.

On the Seventh Day . . .

Here's a look at (most of) the kids' Church classes. We have an awesome ward, and it's been such a good experience for our children to be "one of the few" Mormons in town. I'm listing everyone's names for my own record, not because I want to bore you with them!




You'll recall I told you about Cooper's class. Obviously he and Spencer are so alike. The girls are all angels. I'll have to get another picture with their teacher Janae Romney - but she's been out of town.
Cooper, Spencer Kelly, Grace Christensen, Camille (Milli) Sundahl, Summer Westover



McKenna's Sunday School class is taught by Dave Sundahl. He has his degree in ancient scripture and language or something like that. Great guy! Because there are so few youth, this class is for 12 - 15. Austin had an awesome teacher, Dave Boyce, for his Sunday School as well.

Dave Sundahl, Kimber Lane, Allie Romney, Kara Dame, Heather Lane, McKenna, Bennett Peterson, Zach Boyce

Maia had two great teachers over the past year. Her first was Meryl Leahey, an amazingly strong woman in the face of great prosecution by her husband. The second is the team of Brian and Jackie Fisher. I visit teach Jackie.

Back Row: Jackie Fisher, Caleb Peffer, Alex Dame, Luisa ?, Reagan Haight

Front Row: Natalie Peterson, Emma Lane, My Maia

Front - Jackie's daughter Eden


With Sister Fisher

Tessa's class is taught by Tom & Sherri Lowery. More great people. They were out of town this week, so I've got to be sure to get their picture on Sunday.

Aleah Peffer, Jonah Sundahl, hmmm, can't tell, Bennett Lane, Victoria Beecroft, Tessa, Kira Bradford

The Green Team

Spencer's parents are the soccer coaches and were looking for another kid who could actually kick the ball and recruited Coop for the spring season. It's hysterical to watch because not only does Cooper fall a lot (his cleats are a full size too big - Spencer's old ones), he is an agressive player (surprised?). So, parents on the sidelines are CONSTANTLY asking us if he's okay, if he needs to be taken off the field, and how'd he learn to play. We just explain he was born liking to play with balls and doesn't really notice injuries unless there's a lot of blood. To the contrary, there's a boy on his team who had to come off the field THREE times in one game because he had DIRT on his knees!!! I'm not exaggerating!!!! His parents BOTH came to him and coddled him telling him it was his decision if he still wanted to play and continue to get dirty or to go home!! I am FLABBERGASTED at how many adults on the team baby their children. -- And then there's us shouting "hop up bud!" or chuckling as he slides and rolls.



We went to dinner with Spencer's parents the other night - and Denise was so funny. She's in the Primary presidency and remarked that they'll miss us in more ways than one. Now that Cooper will be gone, all the attention will be back on Spencer and his misbehavior. She has appreciated how Cooper's wigglyness has taken the focus off of her son. The two boys are in the same class and have a saint of a teacher - Janae Romney. She LOVES the boys and they return the favor.



I substituted in the class a few weeks ago. I finally sent Spencer out into the hall because he wouldn't quit talking. A few minutes later I hauled Cooper to priesthood to enjoy some daddy time. When I came back it was just me and three girls. We were having a fun lesson, and I kept saying "Spencer, are you ready to come back in yet?" He nonchalantly said "no, not yet. I'm not done." He was making paper airplanes in the hall. Soon after, Cooper was brought back to class with his daddy escort and behaved like an angel from there on out. The boys are two peas in a pod.



Spencer and Cooper hatching some subversive plan

I tried to put in a clip of Cooper's soccer practice here, but after 12 + hours it finally unlocked the processing (unsuccessfully) and let me save the page. I'm just publishing it as it. Anyway, all you have to do is imagine him running fast and playing hard with a smile on his face. He loves soccer.


Ivy likes to go to Cooper's soccer practice, because there's a very fun playset at the field. In this video, they're just leaving practice. I don't know if Ivy was upset with Richard or not, but she doesn't seem to want to talk to him here. Surprise surprise. Anyway, when she "calls" the other kids to come to the car, she is whistling like her dad does!

More Fun with Evelyn

We spent Sunday morning (Mother's Day) in Concord because we were trying to squeeze in so much sightseeing. Concord is my favorite place here - it's beautiful. Cooper came with us.

At Walden Pond

Cooper wasn't much taller than Henry David Thoreau, so he decided to climb up on his shoulders.

A Walden Pond

We would have left sooner, but . . .

somebody just had a few more rocks . . .

and sticks to throw.

At the edge of the Concord River near the North Bridge.

The Concord River from the North Bridge. This is where we want to have our family portraits taken. We're also hoping to canoe down it in the next 10 days!! (In between packing and school and stuff!)

A big beautiful tree by the North Bridge. Boy + Tree = Climb

2 old moms + tree = climb? The camera went dead on this picture so we couldn't do a retake, even though I wasn't looking. Cooper could climb higher than I could!!

This was the same day as the Swan Boats. This is near Boston Common - it's in front of the State House.

Mother's Day in Belmont. Richard and the kids made breakfast - and they even made us beautiful crowns because we were queens for the day! We had pretty placecards and notes waiting for us too.

Queen Evelyn

MAD, MAD, MAD, MAD because she didn't have a "princess crown"!!! She WOULD NOT cooperate for the prayer even. Tessa finally made her a crown because Ivy wouldn't even take a bite of her food until she had one on. I should have taken an "after" picture, because she perked right up once she was a princess. Let's hope she'll always be so easily satisfied with a printer-paper crown!!

Everyone is laughing at her here because she's making such MAD faces about the crown.

Evelyn & Hailey Came to Visit - In May

My friend Evelyn Drew, from Cedar, and her daughter Hailey came to visit for a week. We had such fun!! Here's a bit of what we did . . . more to follow.

We drove to Newport, RI to see the MANSIONS. They were actually the "summer cottages" of the wealthy in the late 1800 and early 1900's - the one behind us is 148,000 sq. ft.!!! These were honestly used just a few months out of the year. For about 7 years, Evelyn and I went to the Parade of Homes together in St. George & Provo, so the Newport trip was a must! We, of course, giggled and talked the whole drive - so much so that I didn't notice the speed limit. It's very LOW in Newport, and the officers are very stern, and they don't care if your friend tries to explain that we haven't seen each other for a long time, and we were just busy chatting, and on and on . . . . He did, however, give me a break on the amount over I was going, so that I didn't have to return and appear in court!

The gate to one of the "cottages." It was BITTERLY cold day so we didn't walk the grounds very much, but all the homes are on the coast. It is amazingly beautiful. This would be a PERFECT week-long trip for a group of girlfriends. There are 11 mansions - we quickly saw three in one day. It's a definite MUST if you're ever in the area. I can't even begin to describe the insides of these places - couldn't take pictures inside, but you can check it out online.

At the Boston Public Gardens - so postcard perfect. This is the pond where we rode the famous Swan Boats.

Out for a ride - saw swans and ducks and turtles. All the trees and shrubs were in beautiful bloom!

Maia couldn't resist using her spending money on a stuffed swan and some other souviner.

Keeping the Swan Boats company on the water.

The events of the famous Make Way for Ducklings book takes place in the Boston Public Gardens. The kids had fun on the statues commemorating the eight ducklings. Can you name them all? Jack, Kack, Lack, Mack, Nack, Oack, Pack, and Quack - I think I got them right.

McKenna didn't want to come with us. What is up with my kids and not caring if they miss out on opportunities????

Maia, Tessa, and Hailey!

We stopped at THE Parker House Hotel - known for its Parker House rolls and also as the invention place of Boston Cream Pie! I bought one for all five of us ($10 apiece) (It's part of the experience of Boston, right? That's my justification) but of course we couldn't eat them all. So we took the leftovers home, but Richard didn't know what they were the next day and threw them away!!!!