From Angela

My favorite memory of April is of something that I remember April doing for me. I had asked Sarah if she could fix my hair for my wedding, but Sarah couldn’t be there the morning that we were going to be sealed in  the temple (I think Sarah was in Rexburg for school?) so April fixed it for me. It was so nice of April to step in when Sarah wasn’t available. And she did a great job.

I remember when I first met Julie, I knew that she belonged to our family. I felt like she was my sister. I felt that she belonged and knew she was supposed to be a part of our family.

I remember when I first met Amy I felt the same way with her as I had with Julie - she just belonged with us! Amy is such a sweet person. I always felt that she was so sweet. I felt like she was a sweet person all-around from the very beginning.

April girls.

Happy Birthday Julie!  It is hard to remember life without Julie.  She came into my life as a dance teacher.  I was in total awe in her class -- not only of the way she moved, but the way she made each class a journey.  It was a well crafted masterpiece. Something from the warm-up would lead to something in the technique section which would build into something bigger across the floor, and then then there it was: a beautiful pattern with all the class elements coming full circle as the pinnacle of class.  I was amazed even then.  And then later as I tried my hand at teaching, I was twice astounded.  (I found that my class more resembled a head-scratching twisted backtracking desert trail!)
 But that is Julie.  She does so many things with such grace.  I remember also having the end of the semester review with her -- to discuss grades and attendance.  She was so loving and talked to me like a sister -- even then.  I think I cried or was trying not to cry -- not because of my grade :) -- because I could just feel her love for me and her concern for me and what I was going through outside of class.
 That has not changed in all my interactions following. Her life is well crafted just like her class... We all can see the amazing things she does.  When you know Julie -- you feel like you have a cheerleaer on your side.  She always builds me up.  Which is funny -- because I always feel so far behind her!  
Energy.  Spiritual power.  Grace.  Love. 
I love you  Julie!

And Happy Birthday to April!  My first memory of April is of her smiling eyes and her sweet giggle.  I remember seeing April and Mike -- this newly wed couple as such a perfect pair.  These are still the things I think of  when I think of April.  But I am so grateful for the time that I have had to sit and talk with April, to watch her in action as a mother, to get to know her at a deeper level. 
 I admire her fortitude.  Her absolute integrity.  She stands tall in her own shoes and makes tracks!  I always learn from her wisdom and foresight.  She has so much depth and strength -- yet such a tender heart.  I can think of many times when I have seen her serving and picking up the slack for me or for others -- without saying a word.  She works hard but she is quick to smile and laugh and enjoy life. 
Strength.  Leadership.  Service.  Love. 
I love you April!

There is so much to say about these beautiful ladies.  I could fill a book with all the ways I wish and hope to be like them.  2 amazing examples of motherhood and of sisterhood and womanhood :)

**And may I take just a moment to thank Rachael for getting this started.  Not just because some of the words have been about me -- although I truly appreciate the love I have felt from those words -- but also for the opportunity to write down some of my feelings that would not otherwise get expressed exactly.

Happy Birthday, Julie!

Memories of Julie are full of long talks! Julie and I have had long talks about things we think and feel for as long as I can remember. I watched their marriage and the way they loved their children for inspiration on how I wanted my own family to be. Julie is sweet and loving and accepting. There really is nothing like the two years we got to be neighbors for bringing you close to my heart. Tender memories of playing with Susan and being there for Tia's birth. My earliest real solid memory is of the first family reunion at Bear Lake the summer after you were married. I remember skiing so hard on the big waves that my back was sore and you and Raymond taught me how to stretch it and I stretched too long and got stuck bending over. :) I remember all of us standing around the campfire together at night. You are always willing to try everything and make sure that it's not just the boys who do the cool stuff (e.g. climbing ropes in Hawaii). I love you, Julie!

Happy Birthday, Amy!

The first time I saw Amy was at a Dancers' Company concert. She was so much fun to watch and I asked Nathan after who she was and told him he should date her. He laughed at me. Then sometime later in the semester I ran into him on campus and he gave me a big hug, picking me up and swinging me around. I went back to my apartment and called Mom to see if she knew what was going on! She said, find out who he's dating! He had been with Amy. :)
I remember Amy telling Charity that there was "magic" in love and finding who you wanted to marry. Thanks, Amy, for the magic and fun and laughter you bring to our brother and the rest of us! Happy Birthday!

Just love

Thought the title should be changed up a bit. :) This is a kind of fun prompt-- Everyone remembers different things! So here I go, in order of birthdays.

It's kind of hard for me to peg a first memory of Amy, other than that the first time she came home with Nathan I was really excited and I made a little bouquet of somewhat smelly flowers to give to her. It is equally difficult to come up with a favorite memory because there are so many! I've actually lived with Amy almost more than anyone! At least I remember living with Amy more because I was older the times she stayed here. She's been an awesome friend to me though. I believe we both learned to single ski the same summer, and we have had fun watching So You Think You Can Dance together. I also really liked the time she made up a song for me to sing to boys who couldn't take a hint, "I...do not like you...no no no no no no" haha. I think you probably had to be there. Of course we all know that Amy has an awesome sense of humor so we've definitely laughed a lot together. She's pretty fantastic!

Coming up with a first memory of Julie is even more difficult, because I was very young when she and Raymond got married. I do remember thinking she was pretty well perfect. I totally idolized her. I remember telling her (I think...maybe it was someone else) that she was FOR SURE going to the Celestial Kingdom. I also liked when I would visit them and people would ask if I was her daughter because I thought she was so pretty and liked the thought that other people might think I looked like her. Probably my favorite memory is also when they were living in Provo. Julie was making an apple pie and let me help her. I don't think I got to help cook all that much at that point and I felt important. Plus then she made a little leaf with the crust to put on top and it was pretty and fancy. I liked that a lot.

It's sort of hard to choose favorites with April too, but I remember when she and Mike were in Provo still and they would play games with Andrew and I a lot. Harry Potter Uno was a favorite. That's also where I was introduced to Pride & Prejudice. I watched it with them, and then later read the book (I know, wrong order). I also had a lot of fun with April and Mike in Hawaii, and Nauvoo. I've definitely had a lot of good conversations with April. It was also fun when we got our ears pierced together :) it made it more fun to me not to feel like a pariah. April definitely made that whole thing more fun, and has given me some fun earrings since! :)

Three very fantastic ladies born this month! Love you all!

April love...

It was a good title so I'll stick with it.

I guess since I’m from Idaho that makes me a participa’tator’, as well as a repeater of cheesy tator jokes. So I will contribute to this family history, which I think is a great idea. I guess my thoughts of April went this way because of the original idea which was about priesthood. I remember every Testimony meeting at church April would stand up and say she’s thankful that her Dad’s the Bishop. I probably inappropriately teased her about it at the time but I think she was proud that her Dad was a worthy priesthood holder. Looking back I think was very sweet and very touching.

When Julie came into our family she made me feel welcome and comfortable which normally would be perceived as our duty as the in-laws to do that for her. I was and am very impressed by that and it inspired me to make more of an effort to be welcoming to my in-laws when I got married.

I first heard about Amy in letters from siblings while on my mission and was impressed before we ever met in person. She is such a doll! She’s got a great sense of humor which is great because I love to laugh. Unfortunately, I think I’m scarred for life at the memory of watching her drag face first across the beach sand behind our boat. Yikes! Hopefully someday we will be able to launch parasailors right off the back of the boat. Then we can make it up to her.

I think April, Julie, and Amy all fall into the category of supermoms that can and do do anything and everything. When I see moms like that I think that maybe you guys should come and do some of my stuff.:) I am a better person because of these three amazing ladies and am very thankful to have them in my life.

April, love . . .

Guess I'll start first since this was my idea. Recall that the prompt is "First/favorite memories of April, Amy, and Julie." I'm starting with April, super glad for the opportunity that I gave myself b/c I had to share some words at April's engagement dinner and didn't have any idea until the day of. And I did a terrible job - luckily, April doesn't remember much about it. :) So here's to redeeming myself for my own satisfaction. Ha!
April, I think, has always marched to the beat of her own drum. I don't think she ever felt compelled to do anything just because other people were doing it. And she didn't back down from doing anything she took it in her mind to do even if it was possibly weird.
A prime example of this is something that she did in 6th or 7th grade I think. We lived in Boise at the time and April's best friend was Deanna Foutz. I have no idea where they learned it, but they sang a little song called "The Hairy Blues." Lyrics are as follows:

I've got it all over my belly,  I've got it all over my back. You better watch out, I'm gonna have a hair attack! I've got the hairy blues, I've got the hairy, hairy blues.

They had some actions, too! April sang it with gusto. The memory of it totally makes me giggle. One other fun fact, that may be surprising to some of you - April played football with the boys in elementary. It's true. :)
Julie had me impressed from the beginning. My first recollection of her is that she dared to mock Raymond.  I enjoyed it b/c before Julie entered our lives Raymond was just an idol (at least to me). I loved him a lot - how could I not? He proudly claimed me as his birthday present every time he introduced me to someone! But everything Mom said about him painted him in the light of perfection. Kind of hard to relate to, y'know? She made fun of him, and it humanized him for me! It simultaneously made both Julie and Raymond relatable.
I have been racking my brain for very specific memories of Amy, but I can't really think of any that are specific! Nathan and Amy got married during my freshman year at BYU, and I plunged head first into dating after I arrived there. As was inevitable, I had many dating woes that needed talking over and Amy was a sympathetic and helpful listener having fairly recently just exited the dating game herself. And I don't recall that I met her that night, but the first night I saw her was onstage with Nathan and the rest of Dancer's Company. I was instantly in love with her hair (duh), but we found out later that we unknowingly witnessed hers and Nathan's first kiss; he stole one behind the cowboy hat that was part of his costume for a dance they did to Aaron Copland's Rodeo. *gasp*