Family History

We added a new element to our Family Home Evenings.  One person is assigned "Family History Moment".  It has been a lot of fun to see what the kids come up with.  They can share a memory about an extended family member that is special to them.  Or they can do some research in FamilySearch and teach us about an ancestor.  One day they were SO INTO what Jason was teaching them about their family tree.  It was pretty adorable I had to grab a picture.  (if you are counting kids we are plus one - Lincoln, he is Brock's friend and is with us more often then not these days).

On that note I also just finished my first "round" of family history work.  I have sealed my last stack of names I have currently found and am excited to go back and start some new research and find some more.  I never really thought I would catch the Family History bug, it was something I resisted for a while.  But now I love it.  It feels strange to go to the temple with out one of my own names.  I feel their presence in my home and in my life.   I am grateful for their influence.

General Conference

This year for General Conference we did some of our usual stuff...

I made scones,

we did "guess who's coming to dinner". 

I didn't make a lot of our other snacks or treats because we are cutting back on any "extra's" right now.

But this year we added a fun element of service and anticipation.  We took our "guess who's coming to dinner" on the road.  It was kind of like 12 days of Christmas, or 15 Day of Conference.  We did it to our friends/neighbors, the Weister's, and a family I visit teach.  Each day around dinnertime we door bell ditched a clue and a picture of a prophet.  It was really fun.  Then on the last day we revealed it was us.  This is a great new tradition.

Feeding of the 5000

Every year I have been in charge of this huge stake project with St. Luke Methodist Church called, Feeding of the 5000.  Every year it about kills me.  I always think it will be easier then last year, but I am always wrong.  But every year it comes together and goes great.  This was my last year, I have been release as a Ward Missionary and Just Serve Representative and am now in the Primary Presidency.  

The day of the project is always a blast.  I go around and take pictures of people at the booths at the stores.  I am so grateful for people who are willing to serve.  It makes everyone's job so much easier.

But the BEST part of Feeding the 5000 is going and serving with my kids.  I will still do this every year.  This is the first year I did it with all 4 of them and it was fantastic.  We worked for 2 hours, asking people if they wanted to buy items for the food pantry.  This build so many great skills, and they love to do it.    I was so proud of them as I watched them approach strangers and ask them to help us.  Noah was adorable, people seemed to be drawn to him and ask him all sorts of questions about the project and he did a great job answering them.

Feeding the homeless

One Sunday evening several families went down town to feed the homeless.  We provided all the food and all the service.  Our family was assigned a vegetable tray.  Everyone got involved and we pealed and chopped vegetables for about 100.  It took a good 2 hours - but all four of the were really involved and excited to help.

However, when it came time to go it was cold, rainy, and windy outside.  I didn't want to MAKE my children go help if they were just going to be miserable and whinny the whole time.  So I game them a choice.  Madison chose to brave the cold with me and we went and served.  The other three stayed home with Jason, but they helped load and unload the car and cleaned up our chopping mess. 

It was a great time. 

Madison made friends with these "bridge people" that is their house and Madison truly became friends with them.  She just won them over with her charm.  When we left she said, "wait I have to say bye to my friends and ran back to say bye."  They all said, "Bye Madison".

 

Noah's Wolf

Noah got his Wolf at the September pack meeting. 

He is pretty adorable.

Noah turns 9

Noah turned nine this year.  After you turn eight you only get a birthday party every other year.  He was pretty upset last year knowing that he wouldn't get a party "next" year - but when it finally rolled around he was a good sport about it.  His birthday fell on a Sunday this year.  We let him open his presents before church - cause we are cool like that.  

He picked out this really cool Lego Ninjago set he had been eyeing for a while.

For his birthday dinner he chose breakfast - panekakers specifically (Danish Crepes)  with pudding and whipped cream.  Then his cake was a chocolate trifle.

Although he didn't get a "party" on Friday night one of his best friends came and slept over.  Their plan was to play x box all evening.  SADLY the power went out right as they were about to start playing and it stayed out almost all night.  We ended up finding the glow sticks, ball, and cones from Brock's birthday party and played in the street.  That was fun too.  When the power finally came back on at about 10:00 pm I let him and his friend play x box until 11:00.

Noah is such a joy in our family.  He is talkative and smiley and happy.  He always has a joke or a story to tell.  You can often find him reading a book.  He still likes legos and drawing.  Currently he has gotten into making all sorts of potions from old water bottles he finds on the way home.  While he is getting older and too cool for some things (like he didn't want me coming to school to eat lunch with him) he is always sweet to me and says, "bye mom, love you" when ever he leaves the house or car.  Noah also loves babies and little kids.  He loves to make them smile and laugh and they seem to love him too.

Madison turns 6!

 Madison turned 6 back in August.  She had been planning a Moana birthday party for MONTHS.  She planned the whole thing and picked out her cake.  It ended up being a crazy busy weekend for me and I just didn't have it in me to make the cake - LUCKILY my very good friend AND visiting teacher makes wedding cakes and I called in a favor.  Hannah is the best!

She wanted everyone to paint their own "heart of Te fiti"  We collected and washed a bunch of oval, flat shaped rocks.

And got all sorts of different shades a green for painting.  We also got some glow in the dark paint to spray over at the end.  It isn't the heart of Te fiti if ti doesn't glow!

She also made an obstacle course in the back yard - you had to get your heart of Te fiti to Te Ka.

First we painted.

  Then we did the obstacle course, then we had mac and cheese for dinner.

 Then cake and ice cream

 

 The group: Ivy, Sohie, Madison, Megan (back), Delaniy, Jessa, Kaylen, Jackson, Aspen, Zoe, and Lucia

Then we opened presents.

And finally we watched Moana and had pop corn

Some of the kids rocks.  I LOVED them. 

On the day of her birthday I went to school and had lunch with her.  If your mom comes to lunch with you - you get to go out to recess early with 2 friends.  So fun.

Madison got the surprise of her life for her birthday.  If you remember back in February we went to Disneyland.  Madison fell in LOVE with this Naula stuffed animal and picked it for her souvenir.  She loved it!  She loved it so much and despite her parents telling her not too, she snuck it into a gas station bathroom at a random gas station on the way home somewhere in Nevada... and left it there.  Oh the tears that were shed.  I tired to track it down but couldn't.  It was a good life lesson to learn, so I told her she just lost it.  

Well, for her birthday, I figured that miracles do happen, so I ordered another one from Disneyland.  I told her her birthday present was a surprise.  I think I was more excited to give it to her than she was.   But the surprise was pretty exciting. 

 When she opened it she was THRILLED.