How to Catch a Leprechaun

By BEN MAAS

My family and I can't catch a leprechaun. It's in an ancient castle. We get a flashlight. We get a motorcycle. We get lunch. We trick it. We eat our lunch. We made a trap. It gets trapped. We got it for a pet. We got all of his gold. We got to buy a playmobil. We also got all of his magic. It was fun looking for him. We found very good clues.

*This is VERY edited with spelling.*

We've just had one leprechaun visit so far this month. Someone came and turned our milk green! I wonder what they will do next?!?

The past 20 hours...

...have been just delightful! It's been beautiful here. Annie proclaims several times each day that, "This is the perfect day to go on a walk!" Yesterday, we didn't go on a walk and instead rode bikes in the street and played outside all afternoon. Dad came home from school early (yippee!!!) and found 3 children covered in a mud (they are making a dam) and a wife relaxing outside in her chair with a book. Fabulous afternoon.

Kids go in tub. Quick and yummy dinner (quesadillas with pepper jack cheese and leftover cranberry chicken dipped in BBQ sauce and broccoli on side). Kids all asleep by 7:10. I finished my book and headed to a friend's for a massage. W.O.W. This was my first *of many* time to visit this friend, and I much enjoyed my therapeutic massage. She went from head to toe and addressed each tight spot on my body. Different from anything I've had before but was so yummy!

I came home to a husband that was laughing so hard, he had tears running down his face. That's what he gets for sneaking mint M&Ms!!! We quickly fall asleep...and wake up...8 1/2 hours later!!! No children came downstairs!!!! Ben woke up and went to Legos. Annie and Emily played with plastic Easter eggs.

We were out of milk, so I told the kids last night I would make pancakes. Ummm, even though I didn't know I was going to sleep until almost 8am! Ben and Annie to school and then I went to my chiropractor appointment - without little Emily! Andy has late class on Thursday (thus, no alarm set this morning), so he kept Emily for me. It was fabulous. I lay on a massage table for 15 minutes before having adjustment. I walked out of his office almost delirious, my body was so relaxed!!!

Now I need to do my dishes from last night and the laundry I've avoided for the last several days... BUT - as I type this, Andy is at an interview for a Summer internship, so this day could turn out to be even more fabulous!!!

The Past Few Weeks...

...at church!

1. Our little family sang in church a few weeks ago. A friend asked about 6 weeks ago if we would be willing to do sing sometime. I hesitantly said yes. 2 weeks later she gave us a date. So, every night for the last 3 weeks we have practiced I Love to See the Temple. We even drove 2 hours to the temple Friday night (and 2 hours home) to get more into the mood. ***Must have a little history, Ben is TERRIFIED of being in front of people at church. He pretended to sleep through the Primary program in October and has NEVER gone up to sing for Christmas, Mother’s Day, etc. Andy and I have been so nervous/dreading this opportunity. This morning was the absolute happiest Sunday morning I think we’ve ever had! We practiced the song about 10 times. Ben knows both verses and corrects Andy and I when we get them backwards. Annie knows about 70%. Church finally comes. It’s our turn and Emily only wants to play with the microphone. Andy picks her up and she screams/cries through the whole song. Ben came up to the podium without us having to drag him but wouldn’t look at the congregation; he just scowled at the bishopric. Annie stood on the platform and sang at the end. Alas, it is over. I’ve never pretended we are perfect, but it went much better than I was expecting! Amazingly, both Andy and I’s primary classes went better today than they ever have before. I had such a great time with my 7 10-year-olds, devouring the scriptures. It was fabulous.

2. The Heir of Slytherin: Last week our lesson was about Abraham and his covenants with God. I was supposed to teach them about what an heir is and that when you are baptized you are adopted into the tribes of Israel and thus become an HEIR to Abraham's blessings. So, we played hangman to get the class started. (I put on every body part I could think of, but the poor little man hung before they got it.) One of the kids said, "Like the heir of Slytherin?" YES!!! So, we proceeded to talk about Harry Potter for a bit and tried to make the distinction to Abraham. I'm a cool Primary teacher!

3. I'm giving a talk next Sunday on the blessings of the Sacrament. I'm pretty sure I know where I'm going with it, but I'm open to great suggestions if you have any... Here's the plan (if you don't go to church with me)

• there are laws, God is bound when we follow commandments blessings follow
• quick overview that Jesus instituted Sacrament to remember him
• preparing for Sacrament (Elder Oaks's talk from 2009)
• personal blessings - including answers to prayers

Any other ideas????

4. We sure love having Andy sit with us each week. And driving to and from church together. And taking beautiful walks around our neighborhood as we did today (with the sun SHINING!!!).