The Plague

Drugs, drugs, drugs, drugs! The flu hit hard at the Houghton house this week, and Tess and Levi were comatose on the couch for days!  After holding out all week, I (Marta) got it as well and I am struggling to stay alive!  With the help of Mom, boxes of tissues, ibuprofen, sudafed, and other modern medicines, we might all pull through.

Belle the cat has been enjoying her increased inside-cat-freedoms, while we all lie around!

 In the meantime, Mom and Dad remain healthy, but sleepy

especially on this quiet Sunday afternoon.

 Marta and Tess are looking forward to being healthy again, and attending the Band field trip to Disneyland and the Hermosa Beach St. Patrick's Day parade this coming week.

 Mom, Tess, Marta, and some friends did spend Saturday at a conference called Time Out for Women in Visalia.  We heard from some great speakers and felt uplifted by the music and inspiring messages shared with us there.

Marta

Getting Your Ducks in a Row

Marta challenged me to write a post that fit the duck pictures and title she had inserted.  I think the pictures and title stem from a comment Mark made that emphasized Marta's need to get her SENIOR PROJECT in order before she romps off to Disneyland with the Sonora Golden Regiment Band.  And you might say that this first picture has some distinct similarities with the band. . .lines, streets. many participants, a leader, and noise, to name a few.

Golden Regiment Band

Marta's first duck picture.

Luke's official pre-mission
picture.  Love the stripes?

Now, "getting your ducks in a row" typically refers to putting things in order--in preparation for a significant event.  We have a number of significant events coming up in our family--Marta's SENIOR PROJECT being one of them.  Others include a trip to Utah to visit Luke and help him "line up his ducks" in preparation for his mission (he will only be home from school for a week before he needs to leave on May 1!)  Oh, and then there are the graduation and getting ready for college ducks for Marta.  The rest of us have our own duck situations, but they don't represent the significant milestones that Luke and Marta will be experiencing this Spring.

Being involved in the Young Women's program at church for almost all of the last eight years has often made me feel like this mother duck.  I was released from that responsibility on Sunday.  Not sure if I can get used to not having a brood of ducklings following along behind me!

And this picture reminds me of how it feels (like I'm underwater) when I haven't done what I need to do (Marta, note this) to "get my ducks in a row!"  It also kind of symbolizes how Tess and Levi are feeling.  They both have the flu.  Tess is especially down and out.  I think she's slept 44 of 48 hours for the last two days.  I hope she gets to feeling better! 

Can I tell you that bugging kids to get their SENIOR PROJECTS done makes me crazy?

Denise

February Frazzle

 First of all, I'd like you all to know that today was a Snow Day for the Soulsbyvillans!!  I'd also like you to know that this storm was completely unexpected, so unexpected in fact, that swim practice was held in the blizzard, which everyone expected to blow over.  As soon as school got out yesterday, it was a mad rush to the cars and buses, as students scrambled to get home in the slush that was quickly building into a couple of inches of snow.  Sonora cleared out fast, but some people were stuck on blocked or snow covered roads for hours.  Fortunately for Tess and I, we have some family friends who live about a mile away from the high school.  After fish-tailing while trying to get out of the parking lot, we opted to wait out the storm at their house and we were both very grateful for the warm house and food.  It was an adventure, and the best part of that adventure is that  today is a snow day!

 Now I am going to go back a few days and fill in some gaps in the calendar.  It has been crazy here!  A week-and-a-half ago, our family traveled to the Marin Headlands for a few days and enjoyed the beauty and sunshine of the beach and the bay.  We returned to school for a few days, during which I (Marta) discovered a serious poison oak rash (blisters and all), we celebrated Valentine's Day (notice the cleverly cut carrots below), swimming continued, and Marta and Tess went on "El World Tour" with the band and performed at all 6 of the elementary feeder schools in the county.  When the weekend hit Mom took a trip to San Francisco with her friend Jayna to see "Wicked" and visit the temple, Levi and Dad spent a night in the "snow" (there wasn't much left) at the Klondike Derby, and Marta and Tess held the fort down and made a very colorful cake (see pic. below) with the help of our friends Ariel and Brenna.  When everyone finally got back in the house Saturday night, we had a family meeting and Mom and Dad let us know that Dad was going to be released from his calling at church (2nd counselor in the bishopric).  We were all getting excited because after 6.3 years of him sitting on the stand, we'd finally get to sit with dear old Dad in church!  Of course, that's not what Heavenly Father had planned for us, and we found out that Dad had also been called to be the new Bishop of our ward.  Fortunately for Dad, I knew right away what he needed to be Bishop, so by Sunday morning we already had a nice stash of candy for his desk :)  On Sunday, Dad was sustained as Bishop Houghton and his two counselors were called as well.  Monday we spent the day cleaning out files and manuals in Dad's new office, and playing basketball at the church.  We also had the families of the 1st and 2nd counselors in the bishopric over, and enjoyed dinner and FHE with them.

 Anyway, I guess you could say that our family is embarking on a new chapter in life, and it's only getting more exciting.  We receive letters from Eliza and calls from an increasingly mission-anxious Luke all the time, and church, swimming, school, work, and retaining walls occupy the rest of our attention all too well.  

But it's days like these- when you're stuck at home for a while and Mother nature reminds you that she can control life more than any school project or swim practice- that time seems to hold still and give you a breather.  I love snow days!

Teasers #3-7

 &

Happy Valentine's Day everybody!!

Love,

Marta

Teaser #2

Sunglasses Unite!

TEASER!

Sorry, time is currently in short supply, so we will be posting one picture a day until we can do a real post and tell you all what we've been up to...

Lots of Love,

Marta

You Sneaky Luke...

My dear older brother is terribly sneaky.  Without telling us, he sent in his mission papers.  And then, to make it worse, he posted it on Facebook and blocked it from us.  I got home from a band shindig and Marta and I were told to call Luke.  So we did.  He tells us he needs to read something to us and to listen closely.  Sneaky Luke.  We had no idea.  Until he read something along the lines of "you have been called to serve a mission."  Then we freaked out!  Eventually he told us where he was going.  England Birmingham Mission.  It is there, but you cannot read it, because I have to draw this out somehow.  To be sneaky.  So here is a hint. First, he will go here:

Sneaky...  Second, the name of mission within the country on the sign above starts with:

and ends in ham.  I am so sneaky!

To make it easier, I guess I can tell you.  He is going to the England Birmingham Mission.  In fact, he is to report for service on May 2!  Basically, it was like, "I wonder why Luke wants to talk to Marta and I..." and then I said, "Whoa!  Luke is going to go to England for two years!"  We are all very excited to see him get to do something he has planned for for his whole life and to have two siblings (children for Mom and Dad) serving missions.

With Excitement,

Tess