Easter

Thursday night Dave got back from a short business trip he had been on.  We were very excited to see him.  At the hotel restaurant they had these tiny packages of Tic Tacs.  He brought some back for the kids.

Blake made me a beautiful bracelet.

My kids doing chores.  A lot of times they will make a game of it.  This time they hopped up the stairs in plastic carrying the boxes.  It was funny to see them jumping and tripping.  But they got all the garbage from the house. 

 This was the last of the boxes from electrical. It's all done! So that's exciting.  Our office was a dead room.  We were concerned as it was a whole room and we could not figure out what was going on.  Dave had the guy that helped us come back out.  He said he had an electrical map for us, but we didn't have it so they walked around trying to remember what was done.  Finally it was determined they would have to cut into the wall in the office and string new wire.  About 5 minutes after the guy left he drove back and said he thought he remembered another outlet.  Sure enough there was a slight bulge in the wall.  Our drywallers had gone right over it.  Dave ever so very carefully cut around and we now have power.  So glad he remembered that spot and that we didn't cut the wall.  It would have been a huge repair.

Leah spent an hour and a half curling her hair one day.  It looks great, but she will have to get up really early if she plans to do that for school.

Last week a friend of mine blogged about how they were taking each day before Easter to do an activity and some reading to help her kids understand the importance and greatness of this holiday.  She then bore a beautiful testimony.  Reading her posts and testimony each day has really inspired me and made me wonder how much my kids understood.  Can anyone ever really understand the full impact of the Atonement?  It is such a huge yet also simple concept.  Thank you Jess for getting me thinking.  

We decided to have our Easter meal on Friday.  We spent the morning cleaning, Dave was working on the stair railings.  I felt we would have more time to eat and discuss this day.  Of course we had ham and potatoes.  For dessert we made cookie dough ice cream. We then went through Matthew and discussed Jesus Christ riding into Jerusalem, some of the parables he taught,the last supper, the trial, crucifixion and the Resurrection.  It always amazes me that He could ride in being cheered and blessed and in a matter of a few day be mocked and crucified. And I always feel so bad for Peter. After dinner we had planned to watch Handel's Messiah from the Tabernacle Choir, but we could not get it to play.

Saturday was a beautiful day.  In the morning the kids sat down to play a game of cards.  They ended up playing or 5-6 hours. If Dave or I needed something we would call, one would come then back to cards.  Eat then back to cards.  At one point it was so nice they played out on the deck.

After lunch we did our Easter egg hunt.  I hid them pretty hard this year.  They had to look, it was fun.  We always do our hunt early, I just can't do it on Sunday.

That evening Dave took Blake to A&W.  They had a special boys night out as Cora, Leah and I watched the Women's Broadcast.  Once again it was wonderful messages.  Cora was not feeling great, man this cold is a bad one this time around, so we watched it at home.  

Sunday we had a cheese and a chocolate fondue for dinner. I remembered reading that the Atwood's do this sometimes on fun occasions and thought I would try.  It turned out really good.

The rest of the day was spent watching a movie and Leah on the ukele, Dave on the guitar, kids singing and it was all perfect.  Leah talked about the Atonement for FHE last night and I have printed out a few talks to read on car trips.  The sacrifice that Jesus Christ made for me is truly awing.  I know the mistakes I make and that I put him through that pain is distressing to me.  But because of Him I can try again, and be a better person tomorrow.  This is always a humbling thought to me,I love my Saviour very much.

Wonderful Weekend

Daylights Saving hit us pretty hard this time around.  I had been up late waiting for Cora Saturday night, then had early morning meetings Sunday.  Monday it was dark and we woke up after Cora needed to leave for seminary.  She ended up being half hour late.  All week we seemed to be dragging and just barely getting up on time.  We even had a few early nights.  Well, early for us now days.  It was still 9:30, but we were not catching up.  We were all really looking forward to this weekend.  Friday Cora had a spare first period, Blake and Leah had no school.  We blissfully slept in.  Saturday also was wonderful, we didn't have to get up super early for anything.  Sunday we headed up to my nephews priesthood ordination.  Their church did not start until 1.  Glorious 1.  I would hate to do that on a regular basis, but this time it was fantastic. We slept in, got ready, the kids watched a movie, and we headed out.  It was a nice day.  Jason gave a very special blessing and it was nice to be together after wards.  Wonderful food.  As we were traveling back we needed to stop for gas.  Whoops!! Guess we should have planned a little better.  Cora had been deleting pictures off her phone the whole way.  She was doing a clean up and had some funny jokes and things she was entertaining us with.  We pulled up to the pump and a few seconds later and Cora yelled, "Meaghan's family".  Before I got a chance to ask when she got that picture, Cora had jumped out of our car and into the van next to us.  We were a little surprised.  Turned out it was Meaghan's family.  How cool is that.  We live five hours apart and just happened to pull up to the same pump at the same time in the middle.  We had a lovely visit.  It was the perfect end to a great weekend.  We all slept great last night and are ready to face this week.

Irish Concert

Last night was our community Irish Concert.  I have never been before.  I guess it was the 75th annual concert.  That is pretty cool.  Leah had a few numbers in it.  There was a chili dinner before so Dave and I went to that first.  I believe the proceeds went to the library, a good cause.  After dinner we still had some time, we went on a little walk.  As the bands were setting up we visited with some other parents.

The junior high and high school bands played 3 songs together. Then a few on their own. They had never played together and it sounded awesome.  Great band leaders, the wife is the junior high leader and the husband is the high school leader.  I really like them both.

Dave thought we should have Leah playing the flute all the time.  She has great posture, only when she plays.  Leah and Tayler also sang.  They sang a song from Rigoletto.  I love that movie.

Leah's musical ability is still very awing for me.  It doesn't take her long to learn any new instrument she picks up.  Her singing is phenomenal.  And she loves to perform.  Leah has no stage fright.  They sang acapella and she was dead on.  I have a hard time not sitting there grinning like an idiot when she is performing, because I am so proud of her.  I would like to jump up and yell every time, "That is my daughter!"  I have not talent musically at all and love to listen to all she does.  It was a nice evening

St Patrick's Day and Picture Clean Up

Happy St. Patrick's Day.  I have no idea why I enjoy this day so much.  Maybe it is because you can have so much fun but it is not mandatory.  Wear a little green... make a green lunch....

I do love making the green lunch.  I forgot to get a picture of Cora.  She had awesome sock also.  Socks are really my girls' thing.  LOVE fun socks.

It hasn't really snowed for months, but today it did for a bit.  It is sunny again now and will probably melt soon.  But this is what it looked like as Leah was getting on the bus.

And this is what Leah wore. So prepared.  She said everyone needed to see her socks, so shorts it was.

Last week Blake made himself a little fort out of boxes.  Sunday he ate his breakfast in it.  It is quite humorous to watch him climb in and out.  Especially when Leah tried with all those long limbs.

Leah and Blake were very excited about their FHE pictionary win.

I had parent teacher interview with the high school yesterday.  All of Cora's teacher said that she needs to speak up more in class, she is very quite, but doing well.  Also they are amazed by her kindness and compassion.  They said she is wonderful to have in class and they enjoy watching her interaction, and that her work ethic is outstanding.  All were very impressed.  That was a very proud parent teacher interview night for me.  She is an amazing kid.  And it is all her, I don't know how I got to have her come to our family.  She has so many things she is interested in.  One night after seminary and school, she helped Dave try to see what was wrong with the Tahoe, then quickly ate and went off to rugby.

Another day it was school, change oil, drama and then YW's.  Cora is loving rugby.  At school a friend asked if she liked rugby better than basketball.  She is quite known for promoting and doing all she can for basketball, so I guess some are curious.  She just said there was a time for basketball and a time for rugby. :)  I have been reading lots to try to learn the game.  I am still so confused, but learning.  She loves the rough tackle of rugby and then will get so so excited to watch her favorite Disney movies.

This is the start of Tarzan.  She was beyond happy to dig out the VCR and watch it.  The only problem with all these interest is she doesn't know what to do after high school.  She wants to do it all, except sit behind a desk.  We have ruled out a few at least.

Blake has been wanting an xbox for about 4 years.  He started an xbox collection jar in our kitchen.  He looks them up all the time and will report price and new games.  Every time we go shopping he will go and just look and scan them all.  Last week I was buying something else at Best Buy and decided to look myself, even tho Blake was not with me.  I found one that came with the kinnect and 3 games.  Usually it comes with one and it is a game I wouldn't let him play anyways.  And all three were good games. So with all that and the sale they were having that day it was about $250 off.  I tried calling Dave to see what he thought, but he was in a meeting so I came home.  At home we talked about it.  Decided that while yes, most of the money from his cow, that we just sold, was for mission and college, the kids needed to see someof it now so they felt it was worth it and that there was a pay off. So with the little he gets now from his cow and what was in the xbox jar (which together did not equal a lot) Dave decided that we should get it for him.  We headed back to town with Blake, not telling him why.  As usual once in the store he went to look at xboxes.

Then I told him that the reason we came to town was to buy him an xbox.  It took a lot of convincing.  I don't think he really believed we were going to do it until it was in the trunk.

He was one very happy kid.

New Beginnings

Hey, look I found the picture from our Leap year meal.  Leah folder our napkins cool, but they blend in to the bowl.

The past Tuesday we had our New Beginnings.   It went really well except my poor balloons.  And I guess I need shorter YW so you can see my balloons. :)  I didn't want to go over the top with decor.  I like to keep things simple.  I got 3 balloons in each value color and a matching gift bag.  I filled the bag with candy for the anchor then each Young Women and our guest speaker went home with one.  But just over half way through filling them we ran out of helium.

All the speakers were amazing.  Listening to them, I just kept thinking how I could never have said what they did in such a great way.  Each girl talked about a Value and Leah introduced Emry, who is our upcoming Beehive this year.  After we did a Ice Cream Sandwich Bar.

Quite a while back I had seen on Pinterest where they had ice cream sandwiches, then you had lots of choices of what to roll the sides in.  Like mini choco chip, marshmallows, sprinkles, etc.  I thought how fun to make your own with different flavor ice cream instead.  I had assumed all that ice cream would be expensive so I put it off.  This time I found some on sale.  I made chocolate sugar cookie and my councillor made regular sugar cookies.

I think everyone enjoyed it.  I even had one person that had nothing to do with the activity walk by and help himself.  That was a little odd.

Since being in YW's every time we have refreshments I have done this butcher paper table.  This time I had not labeled it all ahead of time and my councillor was teasing me that she didn't know where to put everything.  It is such an easy way to say what we are serving and do the clean up.

It was a perfect night.  We kept it to an hour which I like and then mingled a bit after.  Excellent, excellent speakers, great refreshments, just sad balloons.  

Kub Kar

This was Blake's last Kub Kar Rally.  I'm so glad our stake does it again.  I think it is a wonderful father son activity.  Dave felt he had gotten a little flak last year from helping Blake to much. I said not to worry about it, that was the point of the project, but he was determined to not touch Blake's car this year.  So they built two.  Side by side.  Once again Blake loved every minute he got to spend with his dad and using the  power tools.  The only things Dave did was the first time they used the scroll saw he did some then turned it over to Blake.

We always cut our own wood pieces.  We have been given some pretty whompy blocks in the past.

Drawing design on wood blocks.

Seeing what it looks like with wheels.

Lots and lots of sanding.

Looking good.  Now for paint.

Primer first.

I think Blake said he won most of the rounds at the ward practice rally, but his car was a little heavy.  At the stake one he only won a few and didn't place at all.  At the end Blake and Dave raced their cars together.  Blake thought that was awesome!!

They have had fun.  Years 1, 2, and 3.  He keeps them on display in his room.  All pretty cool.

Ag-Expo

I had not planned on going to Ag-Expo this year, and ended up going twice.  A few days before it started Dave asked  if they kids and I would want to go with him on Friday  His work had a booth and he wanted to check things out.  Then Thursday when I was getting groceries my dad called to see if I wanted to meet him there.  It was fun to hang out with my dad.  We were pretty fast this year.  Natalie was not there and we didn't wait for any boys to play on tractors.  I was not sure what to do with all the extra time, we missed them.  Then Friday Blake and I met Dave at his work and went again.

I got a shirt for everyone.  I knew Cora would love the saying on hers but she said, "Wow it's so pink!" 

Dave's shirt is not new, but he wanted us to all get a picture in our farming shirts.  We so cool!!

Blake was having a blast.  He got so much SWAG.  He is so proud of all the hats he got.  He picked up lots of notebooks for himself and his sisters as well as stickers and those squishy ball things

I even managed to get my dad a yard stick.  They day before they were out.  We saw tons of people walking around with them.  I really think it has been three or four years he has been trying to get one.  It was our first stop Friday morning and we were successful.