Primary

I really love working in the Primary and being with my children each Sunday. And when it comes to Primary presidents, we hit the jack pot. We also practiced our Mother's Day song with Mary at the violin. She played beautifully. 'Crying Mama' kept the kids happy although I'm not sure it actually improved their singing much. Oh well! I'm learning in baby steps. Following church we had a family dinner to celebrate Mary just one more time.

Party Hangover

Mary had two soccer games this morning, starting at 8:00! She scored FIVE goals! It was very impressive, actually. Then we got cleaned up and went out to lunch at Olive Garden. We hit a few stores to get Mary a couple more birthday presents and spent the rest of the day recovering from all the partying.

We were too tired to try an make this family selfie work. Ha!

Mary Turns 11

We celebrated Mary's birthday with cinnamon rolls for breakfast and lots of pool toys for presents. This evening we had Mary's Amazing Race birthday party, which was really fun. I love this sweet, fun, creative, and valiant little lady. What made my mama heart happy was to watch how grateful she was during all the celebrating. Lots of thank you, hugs, and smiles that said, "thanks so much I love this creativity".

The party started with Would You Rather questions. Once everyone arrived, the amazing race began!

 Here's the amazing race progression:
1. Broke up into groups of 2 players, created a team name. We had the Chicken Canon Creators, Ninja Cows, Fuzzy Bananas, The Shorties, and Purple Penguins
2. Read the first Route Info to find scattered shoes in front lawn and have partner put them on.
3. Locate team colored string on outside tree and find the coin at the base of the tree with the birthday girl's birth year.
4. Do the first road block-one person builds a marshmallow launcher.
5. Launch three marshmallows into the basket on your teammate's head.
6. Detour-choose 1 of 2 activities-either a nature scavenger hunt or ball on a spoon relay race
7. Find hidden colored eggs and put together a puzzle. (This was hard) The photo was of a baby Mary sleeping--leading to the next task in her bedroom.
8. Pop the team color balloon on her bed and unscramble the letters to form a word; Mozart (next challenge at the piano)
9. Feed each other 11 gummy bears using chopsticks, one chopstick each.
10. Another Road Block-one person must eat M&M's until they find the smiley face at the bottom of the cup. There were tons of cups (and maybe some girls who have given up M&M's forever)!
11. "Junk in the Trunk" -tie the box onto your waist and jump up and down until the orange ball pops out. Race to the finish line.

Then it was a crepe bar, singing, candles, presents, a Kahoot game of how well you know Mary with prizes, a soccer movie, werewolf, and a sleep over with cousins once the friends left. It was one of the best parties I've thrown thanks to all the help from my mom and Sarah (helping me do last minute stuff I didn't have ready).

Phew!

Max's Mission Call

We FaceTimed Max as he opened his mission call this evening. Scotland/Ireland mission! How exciting! He will be amazing, no doubt!

Would You Rather?

Just getting ready for Mary's party today with this Would You Rather game. Cameron's response to Would you rather be able to fly or be invisible?, made me giggle: "Fly! So then I could fly up in the sky and see Jesus and say, 'hello!'". He's too much.

Ben's Work Out Buddy

Cameron spent an hour this evening working out and he had the sweat to prove it.

Teeny Tiny Tooth

Last time we went to the orthodontist he told us he would put brackets on the new teeth just barely poking through the gums. Well, he wasn't kidding. The tooth on her left had come down enough that it was no big deal fitting a bracket on, but the one on her right seemed impossible. BUT because she has good dental habits (woot! woot!) her gums were healthy enough to be lifted allowing the bracket to be fastened. We celebrated with a shake and some fries that she ended up not wanting to eat because her teeth were sore. I can't imagine why.

I think we had another three comments on her lashes today. If I had a dollar for every time we heard that!! Maybe we could pay for these braces!

At least it didn't hurt to lick the ketchup. 

Crying Mama

Got this ready today to use next week in primary. Crying Mama cries happy tears when she hears beautiful singing.

Gary's Funeral

On our date last night Mary sent me the following series of texts from my mom's phone. Following soccer games and pictures this morning the kids put together a really nice funeral and buried Gary.

Annie conducted the funeral.

FriYAY!

Fridays and I have a long history together. I loved them as a child, I LOVED them as a teacher, and I still wake up and feel a little bit of carefree excitement when Friday rolls around. Today was no exception. The sun peeked through and it was glorious!

I took the kids to school this morning and stayed for the assembly. Cameron's class sang a spring song, Noah got a reading award, and Mary's class made pancakes on the librarian for good behavior. The cousins all played after school and put together an adorable lemonade stand for the soccer games. I believe they made around 35 dollars (Grandma so graciously donated the 15 dollars worth of supplies). Cameron played great and then we topped it off with a date night.

Happy FriYAY!

Mary's Party Invites

It's only a week away...my little girl will be 11!

Gunite!

Things are really starting to take shape. This is exciting stuff!

Now I know the reason for the big wood pieces they put up around the pool yesterday.

Following violin we head to Costco to pick up pictures for Mary's class photo session on "The Best Part of Me" (I love this project). Shopping with this crew is actually really fun, especially with all the samples.

One day I want a swing like this...and a Vitamix, and about a hundred other things at Costco. Oh boy...stick to the toilet paper lady!

Some days are tough...

Some days I just want to drop all of the music lessons, and free myself of the complaining and hours of monitoring and encouraging at the piano. Then I remember all the time and money we put in to developing these talents, and I think ABSOLUTELY NOT! Keep clunking those keys sweet ones! We are doing something amazing here, I promise! Really. I promise. Don't forget that F#!

The Easter Bunny...

was a day late, but that's okay since we won't be able to use it for a while anyway.

Cameron said, "Mom, don't you want to take a picture of me?" Why yes! I'd love to, but just because you want me to.:)

Rebar is in!

Trying to relocate some more plants and trees.

Happy Easter

We spent the week studying the life of Christ, so I decided to make a treasure hunt reviewing some of the things we learned and watching another video from this year's Easter campaign. Here was this year's Easter Egg hunt clues (they had to look for the next clue using the underlined word as a hint):

Good morning sweet children!

Happy Easter to you!

To find your Easter baskets

Simply follow each clue.

To help you remember the real reason for this day.

You need to recall what we’ve studied along the way.

For Christ’s priceless gift is the real reason for cheer.

Not just on Easter, but each day of the year.

On the Sunday before Easter Christ entered the city of Jerusalem on a donkey. He rode triumphantly just as a king would do. Believers reverently laid palm leaves on His path as a sign of honor. 

On Monday Christ went to the temple. Merchants were buying and selling goods there. Because the temple is such a sacred place Christ commanded them to leave. The people in the temple must be clean and holy.

On Tuesday many important city people followed Jesus. They tried to trick him with their questions. They wanted to accuse Him of a crime and get Him punished. But Jesus gave inspired answers that we can read about in the scriptures and they could not trick Him.

We do not know exactly what Jesus did on the Wednesday before His death, but we do know that He was always doing His Father’s work. Jesus spent His life on earth helping, teaching, and loving all of Heavenly Father’s children. His perfect obedience to Heavenly Father was a symbol of His gratitude, love and reverence for Him. Show love to your earthly Father (and our Heavenly Father) by doing something kind for Him or each other. When complete, Dad will hand you the next clue.

On Thursday, Jesus observed the passover meal at the Last Supper with His Apostles. Following this special event He went to a place known as the Garden of Gethsemane. The word Gethsemane means olive press. Olives from the trees in the garden were pushed upon to make oil. Jesus prayed to Heavenly Father in the Garden of Gethsemane and performed the atonement, where He paid the debt of every sin the world has ever known. He also felt all pain, heartache, and suffering anyone has ever felt so that He could more perfectly help us. This pain pressed on Him so much that He bled from every pore. This was an act of complete and perfect love.

On Friday, Jesus was taken by authorities and accused of a crime He didn’t commit. He was to die by crucifixion. They put a crown of thorns on his head to tease and make fun of Him for being a “King”. They hammered nails into his hands and feet and lifted him on the cross. Jesus died on the cross. They put His body in the tomb. 

On Saturday, Jesus’ body lay in the tomb. His followers were sad. Although He explained that He would rise again, they were unsure of what would happen. The city leaders rolled a big stone by the door of the tomb to make sure no one would take the body. They also put guards at the door. 

On Easter Sunday, something glorious happened. Read about it on the Holy Week and watch the Prince of Peace video on hope. Then you will receive the final clue.

People need water to drink in order to live. The Savior and His teachings are often called living water because we need Him and His direction to have eternal life. On Easter Sunday the living water was no longer in the tomb. The tomb was empty. He had risen. We will all be able to live again because of Him. 

The kids made us a treasure when my mom was babysitting last night. Wasn't this so sweet!? What a great surprise.

Second Egg hunt in their comfy clothes at Christine and Jared's house after Easter dinner. Yes, he managed to throw another egg up and knock this one down.

Grandma and Grandpa sharing an Easter message.