Fun at Grandma and Grandpa's

just a few of my pictures to document my trip.

Ken has the good ones of the Anniversary Party.

Halle loved "Marshmellow" the cat. She wouldn't leave her alone.
She got books out and had Grandma read to her.

Then had a horsey ride from Grandpa.
Friday night when everyone was together, she insisted that Grandpa ate with her in the kitchen and not at the table in the dinning room with everyone else. What a good Grandpa.

Hanging out eating...that's what we do best at Mom and Dad's.

(Mom, Dad, Alan, and Tina)
Ken holding baby Lux, and Darin getting ready to lick frosting off his fingers.
Derek standing guard at the kitchen and monitoring the intake of Grandma's famous cinnamon rolls. Valyn, our newest family member (Ken's fiance), taking it all in. She fits right in and we love her already!

Susie and Ken almost ready for the party.

Derek and Krewz making sundaes at the "soda shop"

Susie and Kara in the kitchen getting ready to start scooping.

Maddie and Halle enjoying the ice cream.

50 Years of Marriage

Halle and I made a very quick trip to Utah this weekend to celebrated my Parents 50th Wedding Anniversary! It was so good to see my family. I hadn't seen my brothers for over a year. Sad, but true, when we live on opposite sides of the country. Susie and I have been planning and making preparations for this day since March.

Susie wanted to make Mom and Dad a keepsake book and write the story of their lives from birth. We had our Aunts and Uncles write childhood stories and memories and let us borrow pictures. All us kids wrote our stories and submitted pictures. We even had good friends send in their pictures and memories. Susie came out in June and we spent a weekend working our tails off to get the book done. 88 pages later and an extreme lack of sleep, we got it done. It was worth every second! We gave it to them during breakfast Saturday morning when everyone was gathered around. They opened the box, opened the front cover, and tears immediately started rolling down Mom's cheeks.

50 years of marriage is a huge milestone. Our parents have shown us that love, commitment, service, and dedication will bring to happiness to marriage. We have a wonderful example to follow.

The "party" was fun. We choose to have a 50's theme, because they dated in the 50's. We decorated with Rock and Roll and a good old fashion Soda Shop. We kept it simple by serving sundaes and cookies. Everyone loved it! They had a great turn out. They had friends from all stages of their lives show up. People drove a long way to celebrate with them. My parents are very special people. They show their love for life by getting involved, serving, and loving those around them. In return, we found out there are A LOT of people who love them. I was so glad I got to celebrate with them. The time was too short to see everyone I wanted to, but I was able to be with my parents on this special day.

(Ken was the photographer for the occasion, I will have to get the pictures from him and post them later.)

BUSY

Over the past few weeks my life has been consumed by Primary. Every October the children at Church put on a special program. It was my job to write the program for 70 kids and work in 9 songs. They talk about what they have learned this year and they sing songs they have been working on. The theme this year is "I Know My Savior Lives". The theme song is my favorite. Listen to it here if you haven't heard it before, the video isn't our kids, but the song is the same. I love hearing these little kids belt out "I know He lives" and "I know the the Savior loves me!" It really is priceless, and chokes me up every time. This Sacrament Meeting is my favorite meeting we have all year.. These cute kids have such a special spirit to them and they are so close to the Savior. You can't help but feel His love while listening to them.

It has also been my month to do Sharing Time with these Primary kids. So that has kept me busy thinking and planning. I'm grateful for our leaders in Salt Lake who spend so much time writing our manuals. It makes my job a bit easier.

I also started my "job" this week. It was SO nice not having extra kids all summer. A much needed break for me and my own kids. Halle was excited to have her buddy Aiden back and his new baby brother Madden. So 3 kids under 3 these days (2.5, 1.5, and almost 3 months). Not much will get done. I just have to plan on that and if by chance something does get done, it's a bonus.

Aaron interviewed at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) this week. It's the #1 Pediatric Critical Care Hospital/program in the country. I was proud of him for being granted an interview. Even more proud when they said, "With your CV and your accomplishments, you will be able to go anywhere you want." I guess we have to wait until Dec. to see it that is true.

Next week Halle and I are headed to Utah for a very quick weekend trip to celebrate my parents 50th Wedding Anniversary. I'm excited to spend time with the family, not so excited to fly with my WILD Halle.

All that, several birthday celebrations, dentist appointments, kids school, homework, golf, scouts, dinner, laundry and there you have it...my busyness in a nutshell. Me and some of my girlfriends celebrating Heather and Jessica's birthdays. It's so good to have such great friends. Notice I chopped my hair. It was FINALLY long enough to donate to Locks of Love.

Food for Thought

(Lemon and Crab Capellini with feta...seriously so good!)

I'm a planner. I love meal planning. I sit down before I go grocery shopping, make a menu, and make sure all the needed ingredients get on my shopping list. So this week I planned my menu.

Sun: Grilled Lime Chicken, cilantro lime rice, and fresh cor-bean-avocado salsa

Mon: BLT's
Tues: Lemon and Crab Capellini w/feta, rolls, salad
Wed: HOT DOGS
Thur: Pork Chops baked in apples and stuffing, green beans
Fri: Panini's, tomato soup

I knew Wed. would be busy, so I did something I don't do very often...I put Hot Dogs on the menu. Hayden has become a picky eater lately, most nights we have to force him just to try something on his plate (unless it's pizza). So I thought he would be thrilled to have hot dogs tonight. Wrong. He cried and threw a fit because he wanted tacos like the neighbors. Solution, "go to your room until I'm ready to talk to you."


Sunday in Primary we introduced a service project we are going to be doing with the kids. Arkansas Rice Depot has a program where they collect individual servings of dinner foods, breakfast, lunch, and snack foods. Everyday after school kids who would other wise not have food for dinner or the weekend, can go to the Counselor and get a back pack of food these kids can prepare themselves. It breaks my heart to know there are thousands of kids who don't know if they will get a dinner after school or any food on the weekends. So the service project we will be doing is collecting the food and filling individual bags to go in backpacks.


After I got all the kids plates filled tonight, I went in and talked to Hayden. I reminded him of all the kids who don't get dinner a yummy at night, and how excited they would be just to have a hot dog. "but I want tacos!" I wish I could just say, "go to bed hungry", but I don't have the heart. I left the room. A few minutes later he came out and ate...a hot dog.


Aaron keeps telling Hayden that someday when he's on his mission or away at college he will be wishing the had his mother's homemade food. Someday he will appreciate it...someday

All By Her Self

With the big kids in school, and me not babysitting until next month, this cute little girl has been left a lone woman at house. What has she enjoyed doing this week?

Conquered potty training!

Play date with her BFF Sidnie

Picnic at the part with buddy Aiden

Hours of taking care of her baby, "Purple"

(yes, she has named her baby "Purple" because she has a purple outfit)

Wore pajamas almost everyday (she's gotten really picky about what she wears!)

Ate way too many M&M's (motivation to go potty)

Made a "fort" with the couch cushions...everyday

Got her fingernails and toenails polished

Walked around the house asking where "my guys went" (the big kids)

Got her 30 minutes of Dora in every morning

Went to Sam's with Mom

Took a nap EVERY DAY!

Talked my head off.

She definitely was not bored at all!

First Day of School

School is here, and we are ready! Caite woke up singing a cheerful "first day of school" song she made up.

Cinnamon rolls for breakfast. Not the breakfast of CHAMPS, but a special treat to start them off.

Isaac...the 4th grader. Getting in one last rip stick ride before catching the bus.

Caite...the 1st grader.

Hayden...the Kindergartner
ready to go. They all picked out the same uniforms to wear...not on purpose though.
waiting for the bus.
Hayden was SO excited to ride the bus, he could hardly wait a minute longer.

Off they go!

They all had a great day. Their teachers will be wonderful. I hand picked Hayden's and Catie's.

It's going to be a good year.

Good for Something

"You are good. But it is not enough just to be good. You must be good for something. You must contribute good to the world. The world must be a better place for your presence. And the good that is in you must be spread to others."--President Gordon B. Hinckley

So the question is...

"Have I done any good in the world today?
Have I helped anyone in need?
Have I cheered up the sad,
or made someone feel glad?
If not I have failed indeed.
Has any one's burdens been lighter today
Because I was willing to share?
Have the sick and the weary been helped on their way?
When they needed my help was I there?"

There are things we can do daily to better ourselves and better the world around us. We can be "actively engaged in a good cause". That good cause doesn't always need to be some big charity event, but more often than not it is the small and simple things we do for others that spreads our goodness.

I have been the recipient of much goodness. I have good friends, family, and neighbors who often volunteer some act of service or an encouraging phone call. I as well try my best to share goodness...often in the form of baked goods. I want my children to learn to love others and to serve them. I want them to show kindness to kids at school. I want them to help when no one else offers.

I'm trying to teach by example, I fall short many times...but I try. A long time ago we started asking the kids at the dinner table, "what did you do for someone today?" for the first few weeks we got, "I don't know." I would love to say that after a while we started getting good answers, but the truth be told, I stopped asking. So, starting Monday after a "Share your Goodness Family Night" we will be reinstating the "what did you do for someone?" dinner conversation.

My hope is that I will be more focused on service and in turn my kids will be mindful of it and act on their goodness.