family picture 2020

family picture 2020

Sunday, May 22, 2016

corsages and boutineers

A month or so ago, I decided that I was going to start making all of my kid's corsages and boutineers for school dances.  I thought it would be a lot of fun and it was!!  I am definitely going to do this from now on.

Kami actually ended up making the boutineer for her date:


I made the corsage for Caden's date:




Maddie also got into it and made boutineers for our waiters (I wish I had a closer shot of those because they were great) - more on the waiters in a different post:


We all really enjoyed this and were really pleased with how they turned out!

Abe's end-of-year Kindergarten program


For weeks, Abram was excited about the kindergarten program that they were getting ready for at school.  So I was surprised when, day of, he suddenly didn't want to go to school at all!  Nerves were really getting to him!! He looked pretty nervous for his first couple of numbers as he sat there in his "walrus nose".   (Abe in blue):





The theme of their program was about animals, so all the kids got to pick some sort of animal nose to wear, and Abram and his best friend Dallas picked walrus noses:)



kind-of looked more like some sort of a rodent;)


Abram with his teacher Mrs. Williams:


I was worried that Abe would be too nervous to stand up and say his part, "My name is Abram Gee and I did a report about Serval Cats" but when the time came he got right up and spoke out and did great! And by the end of the program he was back to his smiley little self:) He is standing beneath his report below:



On the way home, Abram said how glad he was that he went to school.  He said that he felt a lot better when he got to school and his best friend, Dallas, told him that he was nervous too:)

Sunday, May 15, 2016

SLC



I don't think that I ever posted these pictures of Maddie going to SLC with her cousins her age and with my parents!  My parents have a tradition to take all of their grandchildren to Utah for General Conference, and they like to do it in age groups.

I sure love that my parents spend meaningful time their grandchildren and that they make deliberate attempts to spend time with them! She had a great time!!


l-r: Sadie, Maddie, Emmie and Gracie



Mom and dad took them to visit the Smiths, a couple that served in their mission with them, and this is mom trying out Sister Smith's fancy car:)


Mom and dad with the Smiths:

mom and dad with the girls:

Last ballroom recital


Isabelle had her last ballroom recital of the year, and boy was it a long ordeal!  She had to be there at 10:00 am and didn't get finished until 9:00 or so.  They performed at two separate shows and we only attended one of them.  She has enjoyed ballroom so much and has made some really good friends.  On this particular day she made a new friend:


Last student council assembly

Shawn, Pace and I headed over to the last assembly of the year.  All of these lasts of the Senior year are really starting to get to me!


I love all of these kids; they are really REALLY great kids!!:

l-r: Matt Sommer, Max Moore, Ethan Sans, Joseph Dummar, Sarah Christensen, Junior Hernandez, Isaac Richards, Kami, Maryn Tueller, Hailee Hammond, Taylor Christensen.  Mr. Snelgrove

Group hug:

Fists in the middle:

With her very best girlfriends; Hailee, Annie and Maryn:

And it's stuff like this that makes me get teary:


Sunday, May 8, 2016

random stuff that brings me joy

I sure am appreciating my Mother's Day!  Everyone is pampering me so much that I have time to sit down and catch up on this sadly neglected blog.

Just a few things.

1.  I love how Isabelle, Nolan and Abram like to read books together.  I believe this was a Harry Potter book that they were reading here, but they have been through MANY novels together:


2. Soccer is in full swing with 3-4 games every Saturday between Maddie, Abram and Nolan.  Abram is older for his age and is therefore playing really well in his age bracket.  He scored 10 times Saturday, which we were getting a pretty big kick out of!

3. Isabelle got picked as the best essay from her class for her DARE program and therefore got to sit up front during the graduation.  We're just glad that she passed; we were a little worried;)
She's the girl with an empty chair on either side of her:


4. Pace spent an entire week wearing a tiger mask that he was given in nursery, and growling at everyone.  He even had to sleep with it:


Some other pictures that I sent Shawn during the day because they were cute to me, of Pace eating and sleeping with his stuffed animals:



Pace is quite the outfit coordinator lately:


pink

There are so many beautiful sunrises and sunsets around here, and sometimes I just can't resist taking a quick picture.  What a way to start a day!


cousin pics

My Nephew was here last weekend on leave from the Marines for 20 -something days.  I was glad that we got to spend time with him because now we won't see him for the next three years:(  He is getting reassigned to some place that has not yet been revealed once he gets back after this break.

l-r: Maddie, Caden, Kami, Abby, Levi and Eli:




FHE relay

Quite a few weeks ago, Nolan was in charge of a fun Family Home Evening activity.  He put together (with the help of Shawn) a fun relay.

We took turns running the course while someone timed us.  First we went on the swing:



Then raced up the hill:

Ran a zig-zag course following a garden hose:

Leaped over the canoe:




Ducked under some saw horses and got on a bike and raced around the rest of the yard to the finish line:



...and the person with the best time was Shawn:) - closely followed by Nolan and Caden

That was a fun evening.

Sunday walk

I took this picture when my mom was here- she came up to watch the kids when Shawn and I went to Texas and then ended up staying for the week and heading home with Eli when his semester of school ended.  I sure appreciate her!

l-r: Caden, Kami, Eli, mom, Abby, Isabelle and Abe in the back


Monday, May 2, 2016

May day

This year is flying by - I can't believe that it's already May!  Happy May Day yesterday, everyone:)  I actually happened to notice the date, which is unusual for me, and started remembering how my brother Matt would always remind me of May Day growing up.  We would make a basket, put some flowers into it, and hike up through our fields to a widow lady's house.  We would place the basket on her doorknob, knock, and run.  I remember her catching us once, and getting invited in for a tasty treat.  She was a great cook.

With those memories in mind, we sat down and made some baskets and delivered them to neighbors.  I thought it was a great family Sabbath activity!