Pictures

Some recent goings on at the Evans residence. It's only the first week of summer and yet...

Fast Sunday Pão de Quiejo. Mmmmm. There are only a few things in this world that make Robert so happy that he says out loud, "They're still warm?!  I love you, Mom!"

Robert's current Sunday School class. The teacher took this photo because one of these boys would be moving with his family to New Orleans after church. So many boys. I count ourselves super, super lucky to have this group at this time. Robert has good friends at church. That means a lot to me. They challenge him to live the gospel more fully. 

Alex's new hairdo. He bleached his hair a couple weeks ago and recently got it cut by his favorite stylist ever (also pictured).

Matthew discovered he had nose hairs while we were waiting for James' haircut to be finished. We started coming to this stylist because she's a newer member of our ward and really friendly with the boys. The haircuts are very reasonably priced and they include a wash, which the boys find novel and luxurious all at once. Those salon shampoos leave their hair soooo silky and soft. They love it!

This is a house finch nest on the light near our garage. The finch eggs are blue and about the size of jellybeans. The brown speckled egg and hatchling are of a different species called a cow bird. They lay their eggs in other nests and let other birds raise their young for them. It's a fascinating and curious evolution. It made Matthew cry when he first learned about cow bird moms swapping out host eggs for their own. He couldn't tolerate the thought of an adult killing one baby to give her own baby a home. A lot of things make Matthew cry. He's doing better today, though. He just needs a little more time than the rest of us to recover. His heart isn't quite as calloused as the rest of us. It's hard. I appreciate the reminders, though, that compassion is a gift and Matthew has been blessed with an abundance of it. 

James was playing around with some filters on my phone's camera. 

This one blows my mind. I think I knew a kid who pretty much looked like this in elementary school. 

Matthew trying on a goatee and sunglasses. 

James again, I believe. 

Here is Matthew practicing the piano this week. 

The boys and I attempted to make Sister McNabb's unbelievably delicious caramel popcorn Chex mix. Success!!

Matthew couldn't find his church vest, so Bobby helped him with a tie. It's a man-sized tie on a little boy's chest. The knot was HUGE! Matthew loved it. I thought he was so darn cute. Had to take a picture. 

Our ward had a service project last week at Sola Gratia Farm. James, Matthew, and I dug in the rock hard soil to fill in some gaps in the plastic row cover. Bobby and Robert plucked very dry weeds from other rock hard soil. Man, we could use some rain out here! Alex was in heaven entertaining some of the youngest ward members and keeping them away from the perfectly ripe strawberry patch nearby. He found some leaky irrigation hose and recruited them to help him build a little city out of mud.

Robert doesn't like anyone to take pictures of him. That said, he allowed me to take this one picture to show my friend that Robert is almost taller than Bobby. Robert is proud of his height and strength. He's proud of his mind, too, and loves to be perceived as smart.