Kid Pictures

Here are some new pictures of the kids.

Armor of God

We had our Family Home Evening lesson on Monday about the Armor of God. I printed off three pictures (a firefighter, police officer, and army person). We talked about what they wear and have to help them and keep them safe. Then we told the kids it's just as important for us to have on the whole armor of God. We read about the armor in Ephesians and then the kids tried on our make believe armor of God when each verse was read about each part of the armor. The kids loved it! Here are pictures of them in their armor. And another one taken in the middle of FHE of the kids making forts out of the pillows- this is usually how it goes :)

One Less Tooth!

Claire lost her first tooth yesterday! I think she is one of the last ones in her first grade class to loose a tooth, so she was ready for this to happen. It happened at church. She was in primary and it fell out! All of the kids were crowded around her trying to see the tooth. Silly kids. Anyway, the tooth fairy wasn't prepared with money on a Sunday- bad tooth fairy- so we told Claire that the tooth fairy doesn't work on Sunday- she needs a day off right? So she will come tonight. Claire thought that sounded fine and she is excited for tonight! She keeps asking question like how does the tooth fairy get into our home.... something I've never thought about. I need to do a little more thinking about the tooth fairy. Anyway, we are excited to have her come tonight!

Pretty Pretty Princess?

I was busy last week and didn't have a chance to post our Family Home Evening, but we did have it. We talked about prayer again, but that's because I've noticed that our prayers have become repetitious. So, we talked about the basics of prayer how we thank Heavenly Father for things- because he's given us everything. I told the kids they need to be observant of the little things each day that they are given and thank Heavenly Father for those as well as the big obvious things. Then we talked about how Heavenly Father can help us with every thing and that we can ask him in prayer to help us. Last we talked about how it's important to pray for other people too. We need to think of people in our lives that need some extra help and pray for them- I want my family to think about other people not just ourselves. Then to get the ball rolling we asked for the kids to think of three things they are thankful for and three things they could specifically ask help for from Heavenly Father. This turned out well because I could actually see them thinking of different things. Anyway, we then had blueberry cobbler- yum, and played Pretty Pretty Princess (Claire got to choose the activity). Here is a picture of Will and Shawn as a pretty princess! Hehe!!!

2010 Book Club

Here is the new book list for my book club this year. I've already read some, and I'm excited to read the rest!

January The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman

February A Child Called It by Dave Pelzer

March The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls

April The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian
by Sherman Alexie

May The Screwtape Letters by C.S. Lewis

June Three Cups of Tea by Greg Mortenson

July To Be Announced

August The Goose Girl by Shannon Hale

September The Life of Pi by Yann Martel

October The Road by Cormac McCarthy

November Graceling by Kristin Cashore

Heavenly Father Answers Our Prayers

This was our Family Home Evening Lesson last night. It went well. Everyone was good and listened and participated. I don't expect them to be still and silent. I mean Will is upside down on the couch most of the time, but he is listening.
I got the lesson from an old primary sharing time manual. I copied the pictures of three different stories (Daniel and the lions den, the city of Enoch, and the Pioneer story) I made two copies of each- one was for a visual ad while I told the story and the other I cut up into a puzzle. So, I told the story of each picture and how the prayers were answered in each example. Then I emphasized that if all of these peoples prayers were answered Heavenly Father would surely answer our prayers. He doesn't just pick and choose who he answers he answers every ones prayers- maybe not in the way we want, but in the way that is best for us. Then the kids took turns picking a puzzle piece of the cut up pictures- I had put clues on the back to help them know which picture it was and they put the puzzles together. The puzzle was to see if they listened to the stories. I was impressed. Will even got the puzzle clues and knew what story went with each piece. So, that's it- we also had brownies 'cause dessert makes everything better- and works to bribe the kids to be good :)!

Boys Will Be Boys, or so I'm told

Will and his cousin Gavin being boys,..... and boy are they good at it!




Speaking of another boy- here is a picture of Shawn during the Christmas break. This is a bad picture I need to get a better one, but he's been growing a full beard for the past two weeks. And still no signs of shaving- such a boy ..... I mean .... such a manly thing to do (imagine grunting and car sound effects here and maybe the sound effect of an explosion). My manly man who is, and forever will be, a boy- but who I'm grateful for to teach my cute little boy Will how to be a boy- 'cause I really don't get it :)



Can you see the scruff?

Christmas Break

I'm back tracking a little. I've already mentioned New Years and forgot to mention Christmas. We had an awesome Christmas break! Shawn got the whole week off, so we got to do a lot together! We went sledding twice, went to see the zoo lights, and went to the Dino Museum in Lehi. Here are some pictures of Christmas and the Christmas break!


Christmas Eve- all ready for Santa to come! Claire kept saying all day- Can I go to bed now? And then when they were finally in bed she came to the top of the stairs and very seriously made the announcement "I'm asleep now Santa can come"- I told her she's not asleep if she's talking about it. They had made a tent in Will's room to sleep together -I think it took longer to get them to sleep with them sharing a room, but they finally went to bed after only one more excitement of a possible Rudolf siting out of the bedroom window! Will woke up saying he saw Rudolf! I love it!




Christmas afternoon after all the Santa presents had been opened! They received way too much, but here are the main things they asked Santa for:
Claire asked for a Live Pet (The White Tiger one) and a Hannah Montana barbie and horse. Will asked for a bakogun shooter and a spaceship. Vivi was happy with anything. They all got what they wanted plus a lot more- I would have to say they were spoiled by Santa and family, and don't need a single toy for another year :)


The most beautiful Christmas present! This is just the wrapping paper. Claire made this for me and Shawn at school. Isn't it pretty. I had to take a picture of it. Inside she made a book about the Night Before Christmas- which was equally as good as the wrapping paper- I've just never received a gift so beautifully wrapped!



Sledding at Daybreak with The Cousins!!!



Will really got into sledding - "but not too fast" he would say.



Me and Claire sledding at a park in Sandy- she loves to go as fast as possible!



Shawn, Claire and Will in front of a T-REX at the Dino Museum in Lehi. This museum was so amazing. We loved it!


They had the coolest play areas at the museum. Here Claire and Will are playing in the water/sand area where you can make dams and then have the water break the dam and bury all the Dino's. This was the best- they loved it!



Zoo Lights! These were amazing- they move- I didn't know, but it was sooooooo cold. We did stay for an hour and had fun, but we were glad to be back in a warm car at the end. Vivi was such a trooper- I had her so bundled though maybe she didn't even know it was cold.


Kids at zoo lights


My parents went with us to see the lights!

We had an amazing Christmas and break!

New Years!!!!

My mom and dad are the best. They took all of our kids (all three) for New Year's Eve- all night. They slept over. Shawn and I had the entire night to ourselves. It was amazing. Thanks Mom and Dad and Emily (I know you played with them :)) We ate Chinese food and then saw a late movie and then went home to a very quiet home and slept the entire night- I can't mention enough the fact that we slept the ENTIRE night! We didn't wake up until 9 in the morning. That hasn't happened for 6 years :) Really thank you Mom and Dad. We love you and so do the kids! Here is a picture of them on New Years- no pictures of us we were too busy enjoying the night!

Resolutions and stuff........

I missed family home evening last week due to too much Christmas activity. We did the 12 days of Christmas each day last week (see entry below) and every night was fun, but seemed like a FHE activity EVERY night. By the time Christmas was over and the next Monday rolled along I couldn't think of anything to do- or maybe didn't want to think of anything to do. Anyway it's a new year and I've started the new year determined to be consistent.
Elder Bednar's talk More Diligent and Concerned at Home
inspires me every time I hear or read it. If you haven't read it it's amazing. I've heard over and over in college and in just general life stuff how important it is to be consistent for those "important things". What ever our important thing is we need to be consistent. Whether it's health related like exercising, work related, or family related like FHE the key is to be consistent. Family is important to me so I will have FHE each week. It's such a great time to come together and learn from each other.
I've also decided that Bon Jovi's song (whom I love) It's My Life will be my theme song for the year. Really it's my life, but also my kids lives, and it is now or never. I really need to start running to that song too.
So FHE tonight was rushed because we have late swimming lessons on Monday and didn't have much time before bedtime, so it consisted of us bearing our testimonies to each other. This was also stated in Elder Bednar's talk. I think it's a great idea to share what we believe. Plus it gives Will and Claire an opportunity to practice speaking for themselves. It went well, that's all we did and then had rice crispy treats and off to bed.
So, here's for consistency- my family night ideas might not be fabulous but we will do them, and I hey, I may even try to be consistent about exercise..... maybe....

The 12 Days of Christmas

We did the 12 days of Christmas for the kids this year. I found out recently that the 12 days of Christmas originally is supposed to start on Christmas and end 12 days after. Anyway, we start on Dec. 13th and end on Christmas eve. I guess it doesn't mean anything- it's just our own way to count down the days until the big day!!! This year we made a big paper Christmas tree with paper ornaments. Each night the kids turned over an ornament and we got to do whatever the ornament said. The kids loved it. They couldn't wait to see what we were going to do each day! Here is the list of what we did this year.

Counting down from 12 days left:

12- Read a new Christmas book
11- Everyone pick out one new ornament at the store
10- Go see Santa
9- Play a game together- any game they choose
8- Make a Gingerbread House
7- Pick out family presents for each other
6- Watch a Christmas movie together and eat popcorn
5- Extended Family Christmas party
4- Special lesson about Christmas
3- Look at Christmas lights
2- Make Christmas Cookies for Santa
1- Open one present under the tree!