Monster House!! {2010}

This was written last year and tonight I am planning on doing it again. =-)

WIll post more then to see what our family comes up with!!

Something fun I stumbled across in Bloggersphere this week, and it only cost $4!

We got some black posterboard, and an orange plastic tablecloth.

We {The Royal "We"} drew a set of scary eyes, and cut them out.

Then it was time to tape them up, and cover the windows with orange plastic tablecloth

The afternoon sun hits the front of the house, so it isn't so impressive until.... dark!!

And then....

Bwaa Haa Haa Ha!!! Scary Monster House!!

Chaser's Golden Birthday!

We had fun celebrating Chase's Golden Birthday!!! For more on this see our family blog

Goodbye Summer

My Mom and I took Tommy & Chase on a little trip last weekend to Park City to eek out our last few hours of summer.

For more on this trip head over to our Family Blog!!

Back 2 School Eve

We had a good night Sunday night letting the kids try on 3 of their new school clothes outfits. They had fun. To read more go to our family blog!!

The Blessing of Friendship

Heavenly Father sure knows how to bless me! I am blessed with good friends, who inspire me to be better and to do good.

Birthdays are a funny thing the older you get, it really isn't about receiving, it is all about giving, and giving the right gift to the right person.

To read more about this fun gift head on over to our family blog.

Scout Camps 2011

JT spent a week at NYLT (National Youth Leadership Training).

Tommy & Dal went to Day Camp at Camp Jeremiah Johnson

JT went to Maple Dell with the ward. That's a funny post.

for more pictures see our family blog here.

Family Reunion 2011

We found a great cabin in the Timberlakes area of Heber, Utah and spent 3 days and nights there. It was so great to see my aunts and uncle. I especially loved seeing my cousins and their wives- and children.

To see lots more on this post hop on over to our family blog

here

If you cannot get into it and would like to- contact me on facebook, and I will be happy to send you an invite!

A Few New Posts

To see some of our end of the year school fun- hop on over to our family blog!

www.honest2goodness.blogspot.com

To get access to our blog send me an email or a message on facebook, I'll send ya an invite!

A Little Family History

On Saturday we went to the Maeser Cemetery in Vernal where my grandfather is buried. We knew he was buried near his mother and father and a brother, and that the cemetery had a lot Colton's there, but the last time we were there we weren't sure how we were all connected. This time we had Jim's handy iPad and voila, we were able to figure it out!

For more about this post hop on over to my family blog. If you would like access just send me an email and I will happily send you an invite!

Dal's Riding Lessons

Last Fall we had the good fortune of finding a brand new love for my 10 year old Dalton. I was particularly pleased because I grew up riding, and I loved watching him fall in love with something I've loved since I was very young.

For more on this post and to see a video of him loping for his first time hop on over to our family blog here.

This week was Teacher Appreciation Week- I am a room Mom for Tommy's class, his teacher Mrs. Gibbons is a fun, young teacher!

Some other doors to remember for years to come:

As a sidenote; Mrs. Gibbons got married earlier this year, and as a wedding gift we put together a book from her class "How to Have a Happy Marriage" Each child wrote a bit of advice and drew a picture for her. It was so cute! Some of the advice was "Eat Chicken!", "Have lot's of babies", "Help Each other", "Have lot's of birthdays", "Take turns driving".

For more on our family hop on over to our family blog here.

Happy To Help

This is Tammis Boam. She and I met about 8 years ago when she came with her husband, Dale, while he interpreted for General Conference. We only met a few times so I was pleasantly surprised to get an official letter via email from Women's Conference to help out with the Thursday Night Service Project. She was asked to oversee putting together 8,448 Newborn Kits. These kits will go to new Mom's all over the world who are in need of blankets, and diapers, and clothing to dress their baby. At the Humanitarian Center we were able to watch a video that showed recipients of these kits. Some people bring their babies home wrapped in newspaper! I feel so blessed!

Tammis put together a group to help her. She asked me (And 6 others) to find 2 helpers and we made up 1 of 6 stations. She also had a teams of runners, boxers and palletizers.

Here is our station. All ready for the willing and helping hands from BYU Women's Conference to come and help. We had a fun time setting this up on Wednesday Night.

Each kit received 4 pins and 4 diapers.

A Newborn cap.

The layettes were long yellow baby tee shirts, and each kit had a teeny pair of booties too!

Station Number One!! My awesome friend, Tanya Mealey, me & my sweet Mom!! We rocked it!! Because of our position we started our kits last, and we ended first. Do you know what that means?

We (with the help of Women's Conference participants) made 1,408 kits!!

The 3 of us were the only ones allowed "inside" our station. Our job was to make sure the kits were assembled in an organized way. We had two lines of 8 or more people that ended at a "Quality Control" table. Volunteers there checked to make sure that the kits were in order, no more, no less. Then one of us put an official card in the kit.

The kit was sealed.

Thrown into a mail bin, where a runner would wait for it to fill up and then take it to the boxing station. 8 per box. And then the box was sealed.

And put out on a pallet~

And onto a truck. And taken straight to the Humanitarian Center.

In 2010 the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints distributed 78,000 Newborn kits.

I feel very blessed to have been able to help put these together knowing that the next person who sees these kits will be a new mother. Our group was able to make 48 additional kits. That number may not be very impressive, but I'll bet those 48 Mom's will appreciate it!!! Our group made a total of 8,496 kits. In 3 hours. From start to finish. Unbelievable!!

Seeking The One

I am very blessed this year to be able to help with "the" Service Project at BYU's Women's Conference.

BYU Women's Conference is a 2 day affair. It's huge. I haven't been since my interpreting days, back when I was blessed to go and interpret for various workshops around campus. I haven't been since I was a Mom. I am looking forward to going and seeing the various workshops through new eyes.

I am looking forward to the Service Project. It is amazing what a group of so many women can do in so little time.

My Mom, my friend, Tanya Mealey and I are going to be Station #1 of the Newborn Kits. I am excited! The volunteers were able to meet up at the Humanitarian Center and tour it together. What a sweet experience that was!! (Will post about that soon) and we had a fireside, where among other things we learned about "Seeking The One". Today when I saw the above picture of the Savior by Liz Lemon Swindle, called "Seeking The One" I loved it because it looked like he was in motion, and actively searching. A few minutes later I saw this full version.

We are so blessed to have such phenomenal artists these days!!

The Real Reason

Easter started this year for us on the Monday night before Easter Sunday. As a family we each took a day of the week and we discussed what Jesus did during his last week. There was a sweet spirit here that night, as we learned more about Jesus, and his life, and his friends and his enemies.

I was pleasantly surprised several times through the week as I was approached by my children who would say, today is the day he was at the Temple, or today was the day that he spent with his friends in Bethany,

I also heard "Today was the Last Supper". On Friday I spent the morning doing some yard work. This is very new for me, and we have no grass in my back yard, so I actually was using a shovel to "till" our back yard. It was not easy, and although it was no comparison to what the Savior did on that Friday 2,000 years ago when he was crucified. Because my thoughts were of him, my work was easier. It was an unexpected and appreciated blessing.

One of my very favorite scriptures of all time is in John 20:14-15. The story is so real and the picture it creates is so clear. I've never seen an artist give justice to the picture in my mind. This chapter takes place Sunday morning. The Savior's body has laid in a tomb for a day.

His disciples and friends, I am sure, were confused and lost and wondering what the future held for the believers. They had heard Him teach, and knew that He would live again, but they did not understand what that truly meant.

They had never seen it before- without the Savior there to perform the miracle. They understood where He was and knew they would see Him again, but surely they didn't know when or how. When Mary went to the tomb, she went to grieve, it was early in the morning before sunrise. When she noticed the stone rolled away she ran to tell the Chief apostles. They ran back to the tomb and seeing the linen lying where his body had been- they left. She stayed. She was heartbroken. She was overwhelmed. She cried. Anyone who has ever lost a loved one understands this. No wonder she didn't recognize Him when He spoke to her. Until He said her name. And then she knew.

"Jesus saith unto her, Woman, why weepest thou? Whom seekest thou? She, supposing him to be the gardener, saith unto him "Sir, if thou have borne him hence tell me where thou hast laid him and I will take him away." "Jesus saith unto her Mary. She turned herself and saith unto him, Master."

When I first saw this picture I didn't like it. I like the concept of it, but I thought her head was back too far. However after reading the account in John, and knowing her grief and pain, I get it. I appreciate it. I have grown to love it.

Hoppy Easter!!

~Sweet Easter Memories~

~2011~

For more on our Easter festivities click here

Melting My Heart

Sunday mornings can be a little stressful around here, half of the time Jim has early morning meetings and I have the job of getting me and 5 kids ready by 8:25- to be at the Church by 8:30. As you can imagine we are a

flurry of baths and towels and looking for matching socks and church shoes, and fixing collars and buttoning shirts, and combing hair- as I was taking a dripping Saylor from the bath to get dressed I passed by this sweet scene in Chase's room, thankfully I had my camera handy.

I love my boys. I love that they help me!!

For a picture sure to melt your heart click here

Working Hard!

My kids are learning how to earn money. Our awesome friend, Andrea, gave us an opportunity to deliver phonebooks at 10 cents per book. We got our first batch of 504 books last Tuesday, we spent 2 mornings and one late afternoon working on them. Not bad. We averaged about 100 books per hour. The boys planned how they want to spend their money and quoted Kid History 1-4 the whole time, so it was a good time.

For more on this post hop on over to our family's blog

Cutest Cowboy Ever!!

Last week was "Hh is for horse" day at Chase's Pre School. They all got to dress up like Cowboys & Cowgirls.

For more on this post click here

Runny Stets Gretched

Tommy has had a student teacher for the past several weeks, Mrs. Hoffer. She had a great time teaching in my awesome Tommy's class. She decided to have a good old fashioned poetry reading. So the kids all learned a poem and practiced it at school and at home. The poem Tommy recited to me at home on several occasions was The Box Turtle by Douglas Florian- but that isn't the one he recited at the reading!!

To read the poems and see a video of Tommy reciting Runny Stets Gretched go to our family's blog!

April Fool's Breakfast

I am not a fan of lying. In fact to say it is a pet peeve of mine would be an understatement. Even on April Fool's Day. but I don't mind tricks or mild pranks (that don't include lying), and did you see that mild part?

For more on this post see our family blog

iPad Adventure

On Aprils Fool's Day my cute husband decided to try and see if he could score an iPad, so bright and early Friday morning he headed to the Gateway, stood in line hoping for the "golden" ticket. And guess what?!

More on this at our family blog here.

Easy dessert

Want an easy dessert that looks nice?

Brownies

Cool Whip, straight outta the tub. It would be so much better home made, but this works too.

Chocolate pudding, then repeat. Brownies, Cool Whip, Pudding x2 top with cool whip and Toffee bits (near the chocolate chips). Voila, simple, easy, looks pretty, tastes great, what more could you want!

Link to our family blog here

Something that we have done through the years that has really worked well for us, and will serve our children well as they grow up, live, work and lead in the world is this.

More on this post Click here

Great KSL Find!

Last Fall I picked up this sweet little table and chairs for $35 on KSL. It was just what I wanted to give Saylor for Christmas. Jim picked it up in Salt lake on his way home one night. I was pleasantly surprised at how sturdy it is. The colors weren't bad, but I didn't love them. I decided it'd be fun to refinish it before I tackle my Kitchen table & chairs that are waiting out in the garage for me.

I made sure I finished it for her for Christmas. She loves the little set!

To see more crafts that I have blogged about go to our family blog.