FHE Activity

Marshmallow Toothpick Sculptures

Summer's Bridge

Rachel's Sheep

Heather's Collapsed Thing

Gwen's Molecule

Kelly's Three Caterpillars

Michael's Kite with a Boy and a Dog at the End

Naomi's Box and Broken Red Ant Leg

Aunt Zella

Aunt Zella passed away last night. We will all miss her and were so very sad to hear of her death.

She was kind, generous and loving :)

Can't you just tell from her smile what a sweetheart she was?

One Fun Day

Yesterday morning, I was privileged to attend the temple marriage of Tim and Fatema. Isn't she a beautiful bride? She attends the Deaf Branch in our ward building and is my friend from seeing her smiling face in the halls at church on Sundays :)

Here are the bride and groom with their mothers outside the temple.

I picked up Summer and she went with me to Fatema and Tim's reception. Isn't is a lovely cake? They had it at an Indian restaurant's banquet hall and lunch was delicious. Even though I didn't know I didn't know Fatema's family, they were so kind to me. Her mother was especially gracious.

After the reception, Summer and I went to my friend Tammy's 80th birthday party. She was my first friend as a newly married and relocated to California girl. She lived across the street from us and we had such fun being neighbors. We have a special kinship because we both have birthdays in Feb. (her party was a month after the fact). She is well loved and it was one big shindig! She had guests from as far away as Finland :)

When we got home, Rachel had saved some of the snail cookies for us that she made. They were too delicious!

Last, but not least, Summer, Rachel and I went to Anthony's Eagle Court of Honor. Long time readers may remember meeting Anthony (he's a friend from our ward) here. His Court of Honor was a very nice occasion, as fitting a very nice young man.

It'll be even better tomorrow...

...but Stan set up the telescope tonight to give the kids a chance to look
at the almost super moon.

Stan...

...gave me roses :)

Nineteen years ago today...

...Stan proposed :)

I had known for a while that I wanted to marry him, so when he asked me, I didn't hesitate and said, "Yes!" (obviously). Here is our engagement picture.

He was a darling from the get go. He had a couple of thousand dollars in savings when we got engaged. He used almost half of it to pay off the credit agencies that were after me (!) and the rest he spent on my rings. My mother had an engagement ring with an emerald and I really liked the idea of a colored gemstone, so that is what we looked for when we went shopping. I picked my favorite setting and we decided on an emerald, too. I wore it for a day or two and Stan kind of sheepishly admitted that he didn't like it. The stone was too dark, so back we went to the jeweler's. I chose a tourmaline that was flawless and we left the ring there to have the stone changed. After I picked it up and wore it for a few hours, I noticed that the guy who changed the stones had cracked it! How annoying!

We had to go back and choose another tourmaline, which wasn't quite as perfect, but I still think it is lovely. The saleslady was glad to see us go get married, already! So was I :)

TGAAD

So, I have decided to go on TGAAD from my birthday this past month
until my birthday 2012.

You can see my profile near the bottom of this page.

Wish me luck!

Happy Pi Day!!!

THE Princess

Last night, Naomi was in bed, hugging her stuffed princess doll. She told me that she loved her princess. I asked her who my princess was and she said, "Me!" I went on to tell her that all her sisters were my princesses. She is my littlest princess and I love her very much, but she is not the only princess in the house. This is how the conversation went -

Mo - Then what is Michael? Is he the king?

Me - Michael is Prince Charming.

Mo - Is Daddy the king?

Me - Yep, Daddy is the king.

Mo - Are you the maid?


This morning, to reiterate the "all your sisters are princesses" idea, I asked her who my princess was. This is what ensued -

Mo - Me!

Me - How about my other princesses?

Mo - Me!

Me - What about Kelly and Gwen?

Mo - Me!!!


I apparently have more explaining to do...

Birthdays, Birthdays, Everywhere

During my most recent unintended blog hiatus, we had three birthdays. Stan starts each year off on a happy note with his January natal celebration.

Happy Birthday Stan!

Instead of a cake, he wanted some exotic fruits. I had fun shopping for them. All cut up and arranged, they were as pretty as, if not prettier than a cake ( at least the ones I decorate!).

We had pineapple, horned melon, blueberries, mangoes, kiwi and bananas.
It was really yummy :)

My birthday came next. My family made me some of my favorite foods for dinner - roast chicken, asparagus and scalloped potatoes.

Amanda bought me a Dairy Queen birthday cake. It was mint Oreo - mmm.

Michael gave me this card with my gift. I thanked him and asked, "What is it - a ladybug or a strawberry?" He replied, "Neither one. It is an apple with bruises!"

My sister Claire gave me a too good to be true gift...Happy Birthday to me!

Last, but not least ( in more ways than one) Naomi turned four! It made me realized that we really don't have any babies anymore, even though I tell all the kids that they will always be my babies, not matter how big they get...

Heather, Gwen, Kelly and Michael went together and bought her these hat and gloves from the dollar aisle at Target. I made her a cake with lots of her favorite color on it - PINK!

Happy Birthday Naomi!!!

Girls in Ocean Science

Heather and her friend Hannah went to the Ocean Institute at Dana Point for a conference a few weeks ago.

This is the boat they went on. The saw dolphins (including babies)
and sea lions.

I had to torture them before I left and make them get behind the picture board thingy. They were troopers!

I don't know...

...which smile is bigger - Kelly's or her pancake's.

She did it!

Heather took part in the Nixon Library Geography Program for seventh graders. She had to memorize the location of everything on the lists below.






For the test, the docent showed her an unlabeled map of the world and gave her names of 35 different places. Heather had to point each one out. She got a perfect score :)

The other day...

...a cloud decided to take a nap in our back yard.

Reading the Book of Mormon

Last night, I gave Michael and Naomi each their own copy of The Book of Mormon. They are reading with the parent suggested goal of finishing before they are baptized. I think Mo is a little young, because she whipped right through words I know she can't read, but she wanted to start if Michael was starting.

Michael on the other hand, worked very hard and read the introduction to 1 Nephi 1 last night. This morning he was a bit overwhelmed by the first verse, understandably. Considering that he is reading words like - mother, book and little - it is a long verse. I told him to just read as much as he was up to and if it takes three days to read that first verse, it is ok. Big journeys start with small steps...

...or in some cases, they start with lighthearted little jumps
and you start over later :)

If you would like your own copy of The Book of Mormon, you can get one here!

I love you, too, Michael!

Michael recently got a small white board. I like how he uses it :)

Dancing the Night Away

Summer went to a Midwinter Dance last month with Robert.

Michael and Naomi are getting ready for their own turns as teenagers on dates by practicing their dance moves.

Über-Randomness

I am catching up for the last few weeks. I still have a huge folder of pictures from our camping family reunion, but am ignoring them for today...or maybe forever...anyway, here is what I have for you now...

Naomi "graduated" from Nursery and is in Sunbeams.

Summer received this book for Christmas and (with a little help from her redheaded sister) made little animal pillow thingamabobs for her five youngest siblings.

Stan brought me flowers :)

At the above mentioned family reunion, there were puzzles and games purchased by the grandparents. My mom promised a 750 piece jigsaw puzzle to my brother Matt, but Heather didn't know and was hoping to take it home. I made her give it up because it was already spoken for. Matt could see the longing in her eyes and was kind enough to mail it to her when they were done with it. (Thanks Matt!)

Last Monday night for FHE, we made mango lassis and started the puzzle.

This is how it looked at bedtime.

We ate around it for a few days and finally finished it Thursday, sort of. We are still missing one piece - arghhh! I am guessing it either fell on the floor and got swept up, or someone ate it in their breakfast cereal...

Finally, Gwen looks cute even when you only see her teeth and the tip of her nose!

Time is flying...

Happy 15th Birthday Rachel!!!!!

She had a trifle made from Quick After battle Triple Chocolate Cake, chocolate pudding, toffee bits, bananas and whipped cream.

Mo-isms

This morning, Naomi said she was thirsty. I pointed her in the direction of a cup of water by her dad's side of the bed. She looked at the bottles of soda on the kitchen counter and said, "No, I am thirsty for soda."

Later this morning, I heard Michael and her playing at being wild animals. Michael said, "I am a monkey!" and Mo countered with, "I am a pimpanzee!"