Good Friends!!

 I'm so happy that my kids have good friends.  It was never important to me for them to have tons and tons of friends.  What I wanted was at least one great friend that I felt comfortable and could easily talk to the parents with.  You know so, basketball games or pick-up and drop-offs or school events where not awkward.  That is what they all have now.

There is a small community pool right across the gravel road from the school.  Leah and Blake would just walk over after school with their friends and swim.  One week they went every day.  When Cora got home I would go up and chat with what ever parents where there.  It was fun.  Last weekend was the Grade 9 Grad.  Leah and her friends all wanted to go.

They came to our house right after school and hung out, toured the farm and then ate dinner and got ready.  Of course Leah wanted spaghetti, Caesar salad, French Bread, Fruit and we made Nathan's Chocolate Cheesecake.  I felt a little like Kita.  I had one mom text and ask if I could help her daughter get ready and then a few more girls that asked when they where there. I have no idea how to do hair.  Good thing they just wanted some straightening and some curling.

There was one more but she left early to help serve at the Grad Banquet.

After I dropped them all off we waited for Meghan to arrive.  Cora was so excited she was coming down.  Meghan is a big reason I let Cora has get a phone.  I'm so glad they have kept in touch.  And I love her parents.  Meghan's mom and I sat through many basketball games together.  I missed her this last year.

The next morning we went to the parade, then they just played games and hung out for the rest of the day as I helped Dave put in windows.

The girls went and checked cows for Dave and while out they picked up a lot of twine.  I asked Blake to get a few pictures of them together.  He took 26 pictures just of them getting off the quad.  It is a hilarious play by play.  He must have just been snapping away.

That is just a few to give you and idea.  We loved this last one of Cora.  She looks so proper.

I waited as long as I could Saturday night to take her back.  She lives four hours away and they didn't want the fun to end.  After Cora said, "I think I have good friends here, and I do, I have fun with them. But then Meghan comes."  She can totally be herself with her.  Both girls friends got right in and did dishes, they asked to help get dinner ready, they don't mind Blake hanging out.  I don't feel like I need to be around when they are there.  I feel very comfortable with them.  None of them are whinny or are afraid to speak up and just ask for something.  I am so glad that they have just good friends in their lives.

Photo Class

Cora has been taking photo this semester.  These are just a few of my favorites that she has sent me.  She is loving the class and learning lots.

Not sure why so many in black and white, but she said it was the assignment.

She has a list of photos she has to get.  Such as elderly person, trash, reflection silhouette and so on.  She got really high marks for this reflection one.  She was told it was very unique and they really liked her idea.

Silly String Fight

A couple of weeks ago a friend of mine put up pictures of her kids having a silly string fight.  It looked like so much fun.  I went and got some for FHE.  Then Dave ended up going out of town on a business trip.  So I decided they could do it last Friday.  Blake could barely wait until Cora got home from school and had eaten.  He was so excited.  They each had two cans.  I'm totally doing it again.  But I want bigger cans next time. :)

What a Weekend.

I have been both dreading and looking forward to this last weekend.  We had made quite a few commitments.  All made months ago and all opportunities that only come once a year or even less.  We knew it was going to be crazy, but we wanted to do them all.  So we bit the bullet and made it thro.

Months ago Cora heard on the radio that Imagine Dragons where coming to town. She did some research and got dates and info.  She then approached us and asked me if there was any way they could go.  (She said she really didn't thing we would say yes )  Dave wanted to find out more about them before he agreed.  In his research he found out that 3 of them are active members.  He liked their songs, and said they could go.  

So after months of anticipation and the girls saving up for T-shirts, Dave took them up.

Dave thought he was going to feel out of place, but he said it was great.  They all had a good time.  Girls got their shirts and had a blast.  As Dave, Cora, and Leah where out having a good time, I told Blake to pick what he wanted to do and where to eat.  He decided he wanted to go bowling.

I had just signed the kids up for the 'Kids Bowl Free' program, so that worked perfect for me.  We bowled our two free games and went to eat. 

He choose Five Guys.

After eating we grabbed a few groceries, a blizzard, and went home to watch a movie.  Blake wanted a late night since the girls where having one.  We went to bed at 11:30.  The girls got home at 1:20 in the morning.  I woke them up at 6 the next morning so we could make it to Ladiesfest. They where a little tired.

Ladiesfest is an 8 K run.  The last 1.5 K is all up hill. We signed up in March.  It is a race for breast cancer.  They take 800 runner and it fills up with in an hour and a half.  This year we registered as Team Velora, for my Grandma Smith.  It was fun to run with my girls.

When we moved almost a year ago I told my friend that when her daughter got married I would be there to help.  So after the run we went to pick up the cinnamon buns for the wedding.  We headed to my parents house to shower and keep them in a cool place.  My parents was closer to the reception than our house.  We then spent a very pleasant 6 hours doing nothing but hanging out.  The girls went for ice cream with their cousin, I sat and chatted with my parents.

While we where away, Blake and Dave worked around the farm.  Blake mowed the lawn.  Dave did some paint touch-up on our car.  They both cleaned up a lot of wood around the house area.

It's looking so good.

We had a guy come measure for the shingles and he was just walking around on the top like it was no big deal.  In the wind.  It was making me nervous. The boys meet us at the the reception.  It was a pretty easy reception.  Not much to do in the kitchen.  The bride was beautiful and it was a wonderful wedding.  Next morning was church.  Good testimony meeting.  Dave had a meeting before about the church farms and after with the missionaries.  Those are his new stake assignments.  Leah and I had BYC after.  We ate dinner and watched two episodes of Bones.  We quickly measured some things at the house so I can look for some stuff this week.  Then we headed to the stake center for YW recognition night.

Our stake YW presidency decided to recognize the girls for working on their Personal Progress.  They have a light snack.  This year was cool.  Make your own cookie pizza.  But each fruit was the same color as the YW values.  Cookie and icing white for Faith, blueberries blue for Divine Nature etc.  Neat.  There is a short program, then each girl receives a flower the same color as the value they have completed.  Cora had also completed her Personal Progress this year.  In addition to her flowers they gave her a beautiful glass square with an etching of the temple in the middle.  It is really quite remarkable.  After chatting with friends we arrived home very late.

 It was an early morning again.  :)  As Dave was emailing me pictures we found this gem on it.  Apparently there was a nice picture taken back stage last night.  Weird kids.  I love them to death.

It was quite the weekend, but we would do it all again.

PS Sorry this was so long, but there was a lot that happened.