The 2011 journey continues:
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| 4th grade field trip to the Bean Museum at BYU, 12/8/11 |
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| Up close & personal with the dinosaurs - Natural History Museum at BYU, 12/8/11 |
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| Parker, Charles & Brayden, 12/8/11 (they thought it was really funny to be sitting on an allosaurus' pelvic bone) |
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| Parker is really having a hard time with the lack of snow around here this winter. He's even asked on several occasions if he couldn't please go spend the winter with Kyle in Montana. (To this we've had to sadly tell him that they haven't had much snow either!) On this particular Sunday morning, I had come home from a meeting to find him all dressed up nice & sharp in his sunday-go-to-meetin'-clothes (much earlier than usual for a 1:00 church time). Sometime soon the snow began to fall. A little while later I was startled when something hit the window I was standing by. I looked up and there was Parker, calling us out for a snowball fight. I declined. (Now I wish that I hadn't passed this up.) But he enjoyed the dusting of snow as much as he could over the next 30 minutes or so. That day he was particularly grateful for God's gift of snow. So was I. (As a side note, a month later, he was once again bemoaning our lack of snow. That night it was his turn to say family prayer. It was short & sweet, with a simple prayer for snow. I looked out the window during the night to see snow falling. It was beautiful the next morning.) 12/4/11 |
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| Playing at the park with Kaleigh & Addie after school. 9/9/11 |
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| Running in a dress-up race at your Kindergarten Fall Festival. 10/19/11 |
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| Kyralyn as Minnie Mouse, 10/19/11 |
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| Showing me all the different ways you go down the slide. 10/19/11 |
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| And the pole. 10/19/11 |
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| Fall Festival. 10/19/11 |
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| Your own Kindergarten "First Thanksgiving Feast." 11/22/11 |
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| With your friend Ellie the Indian, 11/22/99 |
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| We went to see Tate on his birthday. We arrived just after his Mom & Dad had finally gotten him to sleep. They were so kind to go get him. He came out of his room resting on Michelle's shoulder until he turned his head. The moment he saw Kyralyn he leaped out of Mom's arms and into Kyralyn's. Good catch girl! Then he covered her faces in kisses. 11/16/11 |
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| Happy 1st Birthday, Tate! We love you. |
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| (12/8/11) In December, we had a Relief Society Christmas celebration. In years past we've had dinners, musical programs &/or speakers. Sometimes we've done it officially for Christmas, other times we've done it in November to stay away from the crazy December schedules (like the time my cousin Kim came to share her uplifting message centered around the message that "Life is not about waiting for the storm to pass, it's about learning to dance in the rain.") |
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| This year we decided to celebrate Christmas with a service activity & desserts. Sarah gave a beautiful message centered around the idea that "wise men still seek Him. We all worked together on creating a Christmas "cheer" to give to the residents of a local long-term care facility for adults. And we finished up the evening with treats & lots of visiting together as friends & acquaintances. Great job Sarah & Andrea! The card & Toblerone bar on the plates were our gifts to each other. Thank you Joan for creating the beautiful cards and showing us how to wrap the pretty bows. |
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| These are the funnest decorations! They are called "kissing balls." Thanks to Ashley for the beautiful decorations. We usually keep our activities decorated very simply. But every now & then we "go all out!" It is a visual treat to be surrounded by beauty. We have very talented women in our ward and I am grateful for the times that I get to partake of their abilities! |
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| This activity came at an especially busy time for me. I was really struggling with making the effort to get there. The women who help me in leading our Relief Society always strengthen me with their own courage, love and willingness to serve amidst their own busy lives. I wanted to support these women who had put so much time and effort into making this activity happen so I slowly got dressed & prepared myself to be "social" for the evening. Turns out it was the best thing I could have done! Being there, with friends and other women, listening to a message pointing my thoughts to Christ, and working to serve someone else that I didn't even know were the buoy that my soul needed at this time! This activity truly served as a light to my heart. |
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| This was the "Christmas cheer" that we made to give away the next day. The back of the star has a poem about a star that I was once given by a friend. I wasn't planning on going to the care-center but I did. And yet again, my soul was anchored in truth and lifted up. The people that I got to visit with for even just a few minutes were so "cheered" by our small token of love. And I do love to listen to their stories. One lady, looking very much asleep all curled up on her bed, rolled over to say thank you & it was a pleasure to put another blanket on her cold body. Another lady, sitting under a blanket in her wheelchair, adored Kyralyn and told us all about her family. One gentleman made us laugh as he talked with us of his wife and Christmas. I spend a lot of time "making" Christmas. I am so grateful for the times & experiences that remind me of what "makes" Christmas. |
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| Dallin's Country Fair project. 12/12/11 |
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| I am reminded often by my kids that if I won't let people take pictures of me, than they don't have to let me take pictures of them. So I guess I will stop running away from the camera. Maybe I will crawl. |
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| Dallin wanted to celebrate a part of his birthday with his friends. He made up the invitations and planned it out. They all went over to play basketball games at the church. Thank you Paul for supervising this! Then they came back to our house for pizza. Every time a birthday party comes I offer to let Dallin take 1 or 2 friends somewhere - like to the play centers, a game, the pool or the movies. He would rather celebrate with as many friends as possible! (Even if it is a week later). 12/19/11 |
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| Mud Pie for dessert. |
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| A unique, yet very desired, gift. For the past several weeks he happened to be able to share a snack at Eric's house - homemade bread. He has been telling me that I need to make bread like Beverly. (Doesn't he remember the years that I did make bread regularly? Guess not.) When Beverly called for some gift ideas I was digging around for something to tell her. Then, just before I hung up, I remembered Dallin's plea to his own mother! What a funny birthday gift...but it was a favorite! |
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| Jake, Stetson, Dax, Dallin, Kyralyn, Eric, Brayden, Jace |
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| Happy Birthday, Dallin! 12/19/11 |
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| 5th grade Wax Museum. We thought about black paint but he opted for a pale-skin Jackie instead. 1/27/11 (Happy Birthday Paul!) |
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| While I was at the store, Dallin called to make sure that 1/2 C butter was 1 square. I asked why. When I got home I had a delicious peanut butter cookie. Nice job for your first all-by-yourself cookies! 3/2/11 |
