April 2018

April continued with Soccer Games. 

Each game better than the last.  

Papa told Peyton that he would pay her a dollar

for every goal she scored.  Only, he didn't know that she 

was going to bleed him dry.

Week after week, he handed her a wad of cash.

She bought a watch and a new sweatshirt on Amazon.

 Our new office furniture arrived in 12 large boxes that weighed 2 tons.  We worked really hard for an entire week putting it all together.  Our backs were broken, but our new chairs roll so nicely and our new phones are magnificent.  It looks 100% better now that we have added a darling rug and family photos.

 One Saturday, while we were on our Saturday Date, I said to Raleigh casually...  "I wish our back hallway was cuter."  He sat silently for a few minutes and then he said,  "Let's go to Home Depot, I think I can come up with something."  And by 2:30, our back hallway was cuter.  I continue to say that there is nothing that he can't do.  And for next to no money too.  But, the best part of him is that he gets excited about the things that I get excited about.  And he makes life like a billion times more fun.
We renewed our recommends this month and in my interview with the stake president, he was asking me 1,000 personal questions so he could get to know me better... (my interview was at least 3 times longer than everyone else's and Raleigh was getting nervous)...  anyway, I just went on and on about how wonderful my life is and how happy I am and how blessed I am that I get to be married to someone who treats me so well and loves me so much.  And then in Raleigh's interview, the stake president thanked him for making his wife so happy.

 For about a year the light fixture in our back hallway has been leaking a yellow substance.  We NEVER use that light....  like EVER.  And so, when I would notice the yellow stuff below the light,  I would clean it off and move on with my busy life.  I knew that there must be a reason for the leakage, but it was one of those things that I would have a fleeting thought about (I need to tell Raleigh to look into this leak and work some magic to put an end to it) but then I'd forget about it until the next time I would notice the mess.  So while we were re-decorating, Raleigh took the fixture down, so that I could clean it really well and so that he could try and fix what seemed like a very complicated problem.  As soon as the light came down...  so did the package of Chick fil A sauce that some brainless child had thrown up there....A. Year. Ago.  And the FOUR times over the course of the year, when we actually used the light down that hall, the sauce would heat up and melt down the wall.  Just the sort of thing that would happen in a Nasty White Trash House.  (Otherwise known in the Lund Family as a "Huffman House"....  we are Huffman's for sure).  I can not believe that we were that disgusting for so long.  And worse that being disgusting...  I cannot believe that we didn't have a raging house fire rendering us homeless.  I imagined our story being on one of those Farmers Commercials.

"Chick fil A House Fire"

We know a thing or two because we've seen a thing or two...  

"We are Farmer's bah bah bah bah bah bah bahhhhhhhhh" 

You'll have to imagine four black hooks above each of the slats and four fabulous picture frames up above since a photo shoot failed to happen in time.   Also I have ordered the cutest black and white checkered runner that should arrive any day now.  So. Much. Better.

 Allie has wealthy friends.  For her friend Maddie's 16th birthday, they flew in her dad's puddle jumper to San Diego for the weekend.  I was a nervous wreck.  I could hardly concentrate at work.   She was good to send me as many updates as she could during the flight, so that I didn't have a panic attack.

I have a group of women who work for me.

The leader of the group is Leona.  

When she first started working for me, she was painfully shy.

If she had to come in and talk to me, it seemed like it was going to kill her.

She couldn't look me in the eye.

She seemed afraid of me.

I- on the other hand felt completely differently about her.

For reasons I cannot explain, I was allowed to see straight into her soul.

And I was filled with what I can only describe as the "Pure Love of Christ" for her.

Anyone who really knows me knows that it takes a 

very long time to 'get in' with me.  

I do NOT easily let people into my life.  

I do not trust people.

Mostly because most people are NOT trustworthy.

I do not make friends easily at all. 

Mostly because in my experience people suck, especially women.

And I for sure don't want people touching me.

My husband jokes around with me all the time saying

"you only just started letting ME in last week."

So, given that this is my personality

(a trait that I am NOT proud of... but because it is a 

powerful defense mechanism that I rely heavily on,

I am not inclined to work on changing it right now)

Anyway,  given that this is my personality, it seemed SO WEIRD that I 

was so drawn to Leona.  Like when she would come into the office

I could hardly stay in my seat....  I just wanted to jump up and hug her.

SO WEIRD.

Over the year, she and I have formed a wonderful friendship.

She has shared things with me and I with her.

She is hysterically funny.

She is the hardest working woman I have ever met.

She is honest, kind, thoughtful and everything she does is done to perfection.

She does not gossip, she doesn't have time for that.

She is not on social media and so she in not unkind or judgmental of anyone.

She just loves people.

She is humble and meek.

If someone would have told me a year ago, that in the upcoming

months, I would have on my short list of good friends, a woman from 

"THE CRICK"

I would have never believed them.

But, I am so blessed that she is in my life.

An unlikely friendship.

That has shown me that there are, in fact,

wonderful women out there.

 In April, we plant our garden.  Well....  Raleigh plants our garden and I sort of help.  And the kids look for worms and rolly-polleys.  This year we planted watermelon, pumpkins, green beans and cucumbers.  I really hope we are successful this year.  I love when we can see little green sprouts.

Parker's Valentines Day package finally arrived.

We thought that it was lost.  Which would have been a tragedy

since a VERY personalized tie was among the contents. 

When he sent us this photo, we were SO relieved.

He comes home in FOUR months.  

I cannot believe that we have all survived the last 2 years.

There were days, that I wondered if we would.

But, it is getting so close, we almost don't feel ready.

I will just be so happy when he is back in the USA.

 Allie started her very first job this month.

She works at Frostop on the Boulevard.

I thought she would do alright...  she is only 15 afterall.

But, she is ROCKING her employment.

Her first week, she worked 5 out of 7 days.

 We stopped in for ice cream after one of the soccer games.

She took our order and didn't overcharge us.

 And then she wheeled out a mop

 And actually started using it

 I didn't even know that she knew how to mop.

She obviously doesn't know how to clean a room or

hang up her clean clothes....  but somewhere she 

has picked up this skill from some place other than 

our home.

Peyton enjoyed several field trips this month....

With her best friends.

She is SO social and popular.... with all the boys especially.

 Quincey came over to cut Ryker's hair.

And KK ran in and changed her clothes so that they could be twins.

It is SO fun to have cute big sisters.

I set some pretty great goals for April.  And I have been so happy with the progress.  I love setting goals where I can see results right away.  It motivates me to keep going.

My lesson went very well this month.  I was a bit nervous because the topic was heavy.  My ladies came through again with their participation and took the material from a 2 to a 10.

We are onboarding 5 new homes this month out at the village.  I have been a crazy person trying to coordinate all the photo shoots and making sure the homes are staged and stocked and ready to be launched.  I love bringing on new homes.  It is thrilling.  It's pretty fun to be apart of such a classy organization.  I truly am proud of our homes and our homeowners.

Raleigh had to go to North Carolina for work that last week of April.  It was a really fast trip.   As he was leaving, he asked what I wanted him to buy while he was there for my souvenir.  I said...  "if you could find a shirt that says"Raleigh" on it, I would love that.   HE BOUGHT ME 4.  (PS...  he assures me he wasn't mad when this photo was taken.)

I enjoyed April with it's warmer weather, but if I am being honest...  I am SO glad that it is over and May is here.  I AM SO EXCITED for May.  Ahhhhhhhhhhh...  SO EXCITED!!!