"To the world you may be One person, but to one person you may be the World"







Tuesday, August 23, 2011

Veggies and stuff

A new school year... a new goal.
I have been consciously trying to make sure I and my family eat more fruits and vegetables... 5 a day baby.

I had the BEST idea. I bought this "Whole Foods" book, not because I am starting a crazy diet... but because it has a section where it lists many common fruits and vegetables with a brief description of how that fruit or vegetable helps us. At dinner time I have been reading my kids the paragraph about whichever fruit or vegetable we are eating, so they understand specifically what wonderful thing it does for their body.

I think its actually helped us all want to eat more of these amazing things God made "for the benefit of man".

Friday, August 19, 2011

Boat Races

Often before an Excitingly-Big event I am found in the dining room poster painting a banner for the occasion. This always gets the kids excited, and usually they want to help me with my poster... "Um, NO." But then I cut a sheet from our huge butcher paper roll for them... and we all stand around in the dining room making posters together.
What BIG scouting even was I glitter-painting for this time...
The Raingutter Regatta!!
At Pack Meeting this month all the boys got to make their own boats to race. They used their own lungs to power the boats...
Look how stinkin cute the homemade sail is below
Even siblings got to make their own boats and race (unless ofcourse the siblings were party poopers and sat in the corner doing homework instead).
Den Winners Below
Cub Scouts is just plain fun.

Tuesday, August 16, 2011

We ♥ Schnitzel

Another thing on our summer to-do list...
"Sound of Music" Night

Bruce set up the big screen and projector to watch it.

And what is Bruce slaving away on below?

Hint:
"Cream colored Ponies and Crisp Apple Strudel...
Door-bells and sleigh-bells
and Schnitzel with Noodle..."
(yes, that is SCHNITZEL in the making)

Since we have had the "Sound of Music" soundtrack in our car for years, and its one of Lily's favorite... I decided how fun to actually make "Schnitzel with Noodle and Crisp Apple Strudel" like in the song. I wanted us to experience what those things really are.

After researching the recipe for Austrian Schnitzel... here is the photo I took of our "Sound of Music" dinner that we ate while watching the movie in the background. It was really yummy. (Beckam kept saying over and over, "this is gooood chicken, even though it was pork loin)

"Schnitzel with Noodle"
And as promised:

"Crisp Apple Strudel" for dessert
(made from scratch of course)
It's always fun to watch a movie on the projector with a baby around, she loved the lights on the projector...
"Move it Sophie. We can't see the movie!!"
♥♥♥
This was honestly such a fun family night with just our family (and cutest special guest 4 yr old Beckam), that Ashlin and I are already planning the next "Dinner and a Movie" night... we're dreaming up some Island Movie so we can make an Island theme dinner... any suggestions???

Monday, August 15, 2011

Sisters

This afternoon I looked around the corner and saw Lily and Sophie having a "Picnic" in the living room. I almost cried because I was again so happy with our choice to drive Lily to a separate school for Kindergarten where they offered it for "Half Day". It was a tough decision, but I did it because kids grow so fast and I wanted more time with Lily (my special story in post below)...

But I didn't fully comprehend what a blessing that for a full year longer Sophie gets a playmate. And since Sophie wasn't talking yet last year, she was really too little to "play"... how tragic that Sophie almost missed out on this blessed time during each day with her big sister.

A New School Year

After spending a million dollars on school supplies...
another year has begun.
First day of school 2011

I want to record what a special, sacred and stressful experience I had a week before school started:

Lily started Kindergarten this year, and even though I WANTED to send her to half day kindergarten, our neighborhood school only offered it full day. I looked in to driving her somewhere else, but going to a different school stressed me out and I wanted her with her older siblings. That was what I was pretty much planning to do, even though she was still on the wait list at Benjamin Franklin.

Then 2 weeks before school started, one night I was feeling a little down, depressed and stressed and a little off, but I didn't know why. I decided to spend extra time on my own reading scriptures because I hate feeling out of sorts like that. While reading scriptures at 1am, I had the distinct thought that I should really consider taking Lily to Benjamin Franklin again. (Which surprised me, cuz I had really decided against it) I couldn't decide which school curriculum I liked better, and as I was laying there weighing the pros and cons, I had the distinct thought that Lily's education did not matter as much as my relationship with her. I felt it so strong that that night I made the decision that I needed to change her. I even distinctly felt I should sign her up for morning kindergarten so that she could have time with just me while Sophie napped in the afternoon. Immediately all that depression and anxiety I had been feeling all night left and I felt peace and excitement to have another year with Lily.

Now 3 years ago I sent Logan to full day Kindergarten and he loved it, and I felt no guilt about it. But Logan had gotten plenty of attention from me. We had a very special bond, we are still "snuggle buddies" to this day because of time we spent every day laying in his bed together reading books while his older siblings were at school and baby Lily napped. But poor Lily was totally jipped of that experience with me. I had so much work to do daily with our land development project last year, that daily while baby Sophie napped I would put a movie on for Lily so I could work. Our land development project is through so that this next year I will be able to have that special alone time with Lily.

The whole next week taking her out of our neighborhood school and arranging her to go to the new school for half day I was stressed about the last minute change and felt weird taking her to a different school then her siblings. I had to keep reminding myself of the feelings I had that night reading scriptures.

Now that school started last week, I am SO thankful I followed the prompting. It has been so special for me and Lily to have alone quiet time together (we snuggle in the bean bag with a blanket every day after homework to read books while Sophie naps). Sophie also gets more time to play alone with her big sister, and how priceless is that. I know with all my heart that God is real and that He will direct our lives if we always seek Him. I know that he loves each of us and He knew what was best for Lily and me. I am so thankful He loved and cared enough about our family to give me guidance that night in my room at 1am, which totally changed what I had thought we were going to do.

I know God hears and answers our prayers. I love him. It is a sacred thing to feel guidance from Diety for my own personal private decisions.

Tuesday, August 2, 2011

110 Crazy

What are these CRAZY girls doing outside
in the 110 Degree Arizona Desert??
Look at the awesome customers that happened to stop by when I was there with my camera.
Cha-Ching

Emma and Makayla decided yesterday they wanted to have a Lemonade stand today, even though I warned them it would be SO hot. After one hour they called me and begged me to come and get them because it was SO hot, so I did.

Though I am going to have to say it was still worth it. They were so cute in hyper planning mode for the last 24 hours. This little lemonade stand took at least 10 phone calls between them, they made cupcakes yesterday, Emma begged us to wake her up at 7am this morning so she could spend 2 hours on the poster, a grocery store trip and all kinds of planning going on...

The anticipation of the event sustained their excitement for a full day, and they made $9 each.

Logan, Lily and Bailey were so happy when I loaded them up in the car to bring "The Lemonaders" some customers. (I gave them each their own dollar... then they formed a line to purchase treats with their dollar bills in hand so cute)

It is just so endearing sometimes how small of things get kids so excited.