"Serving" Others...

 

     I had to blog about this!  For FHE we focused our attention on serving others.  We had noticed over the past few weeks that our family could really benefit with a good reminder! :)  We had President Ed J. Pinegar (Pres. of the LDS Manti Temple) as a guest speaker in our ward a few months back, and he shared this idea and his family's experience with us.  After hearing about it I knew we had to try it! :)  After we had our family discussion/lesson on service, it was time for our family activity!  I had purchased dowels and taped plastic spoons to the end of each one. The dowels had to be quite long so it was impossible for the individual to feed themself.  We taped a dowel and spoon to each persons hand and then sat a plate of jello (tried to make something that was easy to clean up) in front of each person. The rules were that you could only use the arm that was attached to the stick and spoon.  

   Oh my gosh!!!!Adam and I laughed so hard  as we watched the girls try to put a piece of jello on their spoon, and then try to get it into their mouth! I had tears running down my cheeks at times! Finally, after a few minutes of them struggling, the light bulb came on for Kaitlyn!  She realized that the only way anyone was going to eat jello was if someone else "served" it to them.  I loved watching the girls laugh hysterically and have so much fun!  From the picture you can see that it is definitely a kitchen table activity!  Jello ended up on the floor, in peoples laps, and even on the walls! They are still talking about it!  I found out from Makell's school teacher that she even shared the fun experience with her class. You will have to try it! :)   

Kourtney aka Our "Utensil"

Kourt just finished performing in the school musical Beauty and the Beast.  From the beginning to the end, it has been a several month process for her.  Kourtney has spent many days practicing before and after school.  There were even a few 7 hour Saturdays thrown in there as well.  When she first told Adam and I that she was going to be a "Fork" and a "Villager", we weren't quite sure what to think?  A fork?  We were so excited and surprised when we finally had the opportunity to see her perform!  I think she is the cutest fork ever! :)  The fork, spoon, knife, and plate costumes turned out really cute!  She also played a villager which made for several back and forth costume changes throughout the performances.  I think they ended up performing eight different times throughout the week.  

Kourtney and Belle... aka Rachelle.  Rachelle lives in our ward and was one of my beehive girls.  She is such a sweet girl and very talented! She was a perfect Belle!  Kourt loved performing with friends.

Members of the cast had to arrive forty-five minutes early so the make-up artists could get everyone all fancied up!  All that make-up made her look sooo grown up!  She hated wearing foundation and eye "goop" as she called it. :)  They were very generous with the make-up!

I usually take the little girls every year to watch the schools yearly performance.  This was by far my favorite!  Not because Kourt was in it, but because they did such a fabulous job, and the costumes were amazing!  I didn't get a good picture of the main cast in their costumes when they had become "human again".  :(  They were impressive!

She had a great time!  We loved watching her!  Great job Kourtney!

Celebrating 93!

My grandmother just celebrated her 93rd birthday! She is one amazing woman! I asked her if she felt 93 and she told me, "Yes, every bit of it!" lol :)  She still is fairly independent even with losing most of her eye sight and the challenges she has faced the past few years. The family got together for dinner,cake & ice-cream, and an evening of visiting. 

We decided to get a picture with all the "Alice's". All of us in this picture were named after my sweet grandma!

Grammy Great - Alice V.

Grammy Ann - Alice Ann

Myself - Analice

Kourtney - Kourtney Alice

Daniel's little girl - Alice 

I love this picture!  I love taking my girls to spend time with their Great! I am so grateful my girls have a special relationship with her. One of my favorite things grandma does with my girls is; reach up to hold their cheeks in her crippled old hands and say, " I hope you know how much your Great loves you!" 

When ever it's time to leave from our visits, she will follow us to the back door and holler, " I love you...a bushel and a peck!  Come back and see me!" When the girls were just little they had no idea what that meant.  I explained that Great was telling them that she loves them a whole lot and then even a little more! An old time saying. :) .

We also celebrated little Alice's 1 year old birthday a well! That year has sure gone by fast! They share the same birthday month. Since we hadn't celebrated Jared's yet, it became a celebrating for three!  

My brothers and I share many memories of grandma and her house when we were our kids ages.  The great grand-kids still play with the same bucket of toys we did when we were little. There is not much that has changed over the years at grandma's house.  The great grand-kids still play down stairs in the unfinished basement,  the back yard is still used as a sports field, and Easter egg hunts.  

  

I Love these people!

Oh how I love these people! When I was younger I remember trying to picture my life as a wife and mother, and wondered what it would really be like.  It it is better than I could have ever imagined!   Each one of these individuals add so much joy to my life and my journey!  Adam and I usually go out to celebrate Valentine's the weekend before or after.  We have found that restaurants are just too busy that night of and the waits are extra long!  So, our official Valentine's Day is spent as a family.  We have a little tradition that we started several years ago and look forward to every year.  It's our family date night, that consists of a red and white candle light dinner. Dad always surprises each of us girls with a flower and escorts us to dinner.  I love to see the excitement and even a little shyness that comes along with it!  Adam has set the standard high as to how a boy should treat his daughter!  As a mother and wife, I want my family to always know how much I love, adore, and appreciate them!  They are the best!    

Makell's favorite things about school

Now that the school year is more than half over, I asked Makell what her favorite thing about school was? Her response was: "I have two favorite things! They are centers, and when you come to my school to help". Oh...that made my day! :) 

Job Shadow Day...

Kourtney had a taste of what having a real job and work schedule was like! 5:30 came early! :)  It was Job Shadow Day for all seventh graders, which meant they had a free day off of school to experience the "ins" and "outs" of what it is like having a real job!  To be honest I'm not sure who was more excited this morning, Kourtney or Adam?  Adam was excited to spend the day with his (not so little) girl. I am so grateful for the hard work Adam puts in everyday to support our family! I think Kourtney will have a new appreciation for her dad and all he does for our us.

"Let us reflect gratitude for our fathers. Father . . . is ever willing to sacrifice his own comfort for that of his children. Daily he toils to provide the necessities of life, never complaining, ever concerned for the well-being of his family. This love for children, this desire to see them well and happy, is a constant in a time of change." 
Thomas S. Monson

"Stuck On You"

These Science Fair projects come around way to quickly! Just ask Adam, he will tell you! lol! This year Kaitlyn and her friends decided to do their Science Fair project together. They decided to test what type or brand of band-aid stayed on the longest.  These girls had so much fun sticking bandages to each other.  Several of Kaitlyn's bandages stayed on longer than nine days.  Pretty impressive after getting wet several times, rough housing, and just everyday activities. They decided to give their project the title of "Stuck  On You".  They worked really hard and it turned out super cute!      

The finished project!

If you are curious or wondering, the Nexcare waterproof 3m band-aid was the best!   

These girls are so silly!  I wished I would of had my camera to take a picture of these girls as they sat in a circle with each of them taking hold of the person's bandage they sat next to.  They all counted to three and then ripped the other person's bandage off!  If you can imagine there were loud screams giggling!