Helping

I took Dallin, Emma and Logan with our cub scouts to "Feed My Starving Children" (in Tempe) to  help pack food that is sent to starving children around the world.

I was so impressed with this christian organization.

This is a GREAT family activity. We are going again. You can bring children 5 and older!

 Everyone had a job: Scooping food, bagging it, weighing it, packing it. 

My kids didn't complain about going, but I don't think they thought they were going to enjoy it as much as they did: 

They told stories about where the food is going that broke my heart. I knew that we could bring money if we wanted to donate. But it wasn't until we got there that I saw how even a small few dollar donation is helpful. You always hear about horrible things happening in the world, and wish there was a way you could help. This was so easy and you really felt helpful.

One of my naughtiest cub scouts said to me while we were packing food, "I feel really warm inside, like I am doing something good." And it made me cry, because I could feel it too, and I was so happy for him that he could feel proud of himself for doing something good.

Click her to to make an appointment!

*Ashlin just registered, and is taking a group of 25 friends there. She told everyone to bring $10, what they would have spent going to a movie... But instead they can give $250, which feeds 3 homeless children for a year.

Truck Drivers

Logan, Lily, Sophie and I were bored. So we made these cute little dump trucks from a kit I had. They took 2 days, ha ha. One night they picked colors and painted them. The next day we assembled them.

But my favorite is the little truck drivers they drew inside the cabs.

Logan's truck driver:

Lily's girl truck driver in a pink dress:

Aaaaand our favorite... 

Sophie's truck driver:

Sophie on her own told me his name was "Stinky".

ha ha ha

The thought of Sophie growing up is the saddest thought ever. I don't know how we are going to live with out a little one around that makes us laugh all the time. And draws the cutest little people with hair that sticks up and arms that come out of their necks.

 ♥♥♥

PS- Ashlin's post below, that I found on my birthday while up at the cabin made me cry. I actually found it while still in draft form. I went to my posts to edit something and there was a new draft at the top called "Happy Birthday Mom" (she later changed the title). I was so surprised, so I clicked on it and saw it half way done. I could tell by the auto save just a few minutes earlier that she was at home working on it while I was up at the cabin (she had left a day early). It was such a touching wonderful surprise. Emma walked in, saw me crying, and said, "What happened??" ha ha. Thank you Ashlin, I love you too!! How nice you are to your old chubby imperfect mom.

Thirty-Eight and Still Way Great

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This blog post is going to be a little different, because my mom won't be the one creating it.

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I love to read my mom's blog, she is so clever and crafty in the way she displays our family's events. However, she tends to miss one very important thing...    her. 

Today is my mom's birthday and instead of my mom sharing the sweet things her kids and husband did for her on her special day I wanted to share how much we appreciate her.

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I have never met anyone like my mom, she truly is a unique woman. She holds every quality I hope to have when I grow up and am asked to do the things she has done. 

My mom was blessed with so many gifts that enable her to do so many different things, I honestly am overwhelmed when I think of all that she does. She is busy all day with six kids and their friends and her church callings and the unimaginable amount of service she provides. There is no way just one person can do all that, even my mom. That is how I know she is so close to her Heavenly Father. He guides her every action and she allows Him to shape her life. You can feel His love when you are around her, it obvious that she centers her life around His will. 

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My grandparents are fantastic and spunky people. My mom always speaks so highly of them and the life they lead. I look at my mom and see them in her.

My grandpa is always looking for fun unique things to do as a family and is always so sweet with his grandchildren, he loves little kids. My mom is the same way, we are constantly having get togethers and parties and crazy activities with everyone we know or don't know. My mom has always had a special connection with kids, they love her and she loves to be around them.

My grandma was quite the character. She was crazy and stubborn, but her fiery passion was also found in her ability to love and serve. Whenever we went to grandma and grandpa's house she had little gifts and endless amounts of food. She was constantly fussing over the babies, making sure they were as happy as everyone else. The life my mom lives teaches us that true happiness comes from the way we serve. Her heart is full of love for everyone she meets. We sometimes tease her about the friends she makes in the grocery store check out lines, but her ability to connect with people is simply amazing. She is filled with patience and faith daily. 

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It is hard for me to talk about my mom without crying, I constantly wonder why I was so blessed to be given a mother who spends her life teaching us how to live the way our Father in Heaven would want. She has lived a life that I want to follow. I want to serve like she does, I want to love others like she does, and I want the courage she has to share her testimony with anyone. I want to grow up and have people say "wow, you are just like your mom" because that would mean I have a lived a life to be proud of.

I love you mom, Happy Birthday! -Ashlin
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Football Camp

Dallin just had his 2nd EFY reunion party at our house last night... Isn't he so social?

But he's been doing more than just partying with Isaac.

The day after I took Emma to her dream week... I dropped Dallin off for a week in Prescott for football camp. I knew his schedule was going to be: wake up 4:45am, work out, eat, work out, eat, work out, team meeting, sleep, wake up 4:45am... for 5 days. I knew he would be fine, but I of course was a little worried. Truth is, when I saw all those boys and Dallin walking in to them, I got teary and kind of cried as I drove away. I love that boy.

 He ended up really enjoying camp. He said it was hard, but he never thought he couldn't do it. He did come home with strep throat though. He came in my room in the middle of the night crying that his throat hurt so bad.

He's had football every morning at 7am all summer. Its been so great for him. I have learned that he is a happier boy when he exercises a lot. 

Oh yes, and right before dropping Dallin and Emma off we went swimming at our friends. And why were my older kids so excited to go?? Because they had heard rumors of... ZIP LINE over their pool! ha ha.

Time To Blossom

 Lacy's mom asked me if Emma wanted to be room mates with Lacy for this 5 day long camp for young ladies called "Time to Blossom". I had never heard of it. But it sounded really cool. Emma was one lucky duck and a week after getting back from Grandkids camp in Utah... she had another week long camp. This time at the Scottsdale Hilton for 5 days. 

Joanna, Lacy, Emma and I all went out to lunch to "Zupas" on our way to drop them off. Lucky for them,  they were room mates with 2 other sweet girls from their junior high.

 The weeks schedule looked amazing with lots of youth speakers like Ardith Kapp, John Bytheway, Mindy Gledhill (and concert).  Joanna and I left them at that hotel with lots of hugs. I walked away so excited for Emma and a little jealous that I wasnt staying at the Hilton for 5 days with lots of friends and a packed schedule of great speakers, food and fun, ha ha.

 They sent us some funny pictures and texts like...

"We have some fun!"

Mindy Gledhill spoke and sang for them. We love her and have listened to her for a few years... so Emma was excited to meet her. She has her arm around Emma below.

 

 After 5 days... Lacy's parents and Bruce and I drove together to pick them up, and see this little performance they did for the parents with a slide show of the week. 

They looked tired! It was 5 days of not a lot of sleep, ha ha. Then the 6 of us went out to eat at Grimaldi's. And the girls told us all about their week. I thought it was a spiritual camp like EFY, and there was some of that, but it seemed more about self confidence and teenage motivational speakers, and service projects and fun. Emma loved it. (even though Logan said "by the name of it, it sounds like they are going to talk about puberty all week." ha ha ha)

Play Time

 ☀AriZona Museum 4 Youth☀

While Logan and Emma were gone in Utah for a week at grandkids camp, The Footes and us went to the childrens museum in Mesa. Such a great place. We stayed for hours... right through lunch time. But they were so busy creative-ing that they didn't even complain of hunger. Dallin is such a trooper. He got home from football, then jumped in the shower and came along for lack of anything better to do. It was him, two moms, two 7 year olds, and two 3 year olds. He hung out with Alyssa and I for a long time. He's chatty. Then he found lots to do; like crafts with Sophie and laying under a table listening to audio on what different dreams mean.

{Miss Lily's house}

The Cakes

That cutie Sophie kept telling me she wanted a dolphin cake for her birthday coming up. (Which cracked us all up since she hated the ocean, ha ha) So ofcourse we planned a family swim "dolphin" party... and Sophie helped me make her cakes. We drove to the cake store to get some decor for our "ocean". Then I took all the kids to SWEETIES candy store in Chandler. We found no dolphins, but we found chocolate rocks and chocolate sea shells. And fishies.

We made little ocean scene cupcakes...

Aaaaaand a dolphin cake.

 Of course I had Ashlin draw me some jumping dolphins to cut out and poke in our cake. Sophie was so excited. And that made all the time worth it.