Teacher Appreciation Night

Tonight for mutual our Miamaid class was in charge of a Teacher Appreciation Night. Each of the youth invited their favorite teacher to come for a night of ice cream sundaes and fun. 

This event was a little hard to plan for, not knowing how many youth would actually invite a teacher, and not knowing how many teachers would actually show up. (A little stress was definitely involve in the planning of this activity) But out of the 30 youth that attended tonight we had 10 teachers show up . The night ended up being a big success!

Today my time was spent decorating... 

Shopping for as many sundae toppings as you could possible think of...

and finishing up these frames that we gave to all of  the teachers as gifts.

For our program we had the bishop speak. He talked about President Hinckley's "B's" one of them being "Be Smart" and about how much our church values education. The kids had pictures taken with their teacher and then ate ice cream sundaes with them. I printed up a little questionnaire for the kids to ask their teachers while they ate and then after dessert they brought their teachers up front to tell a little of what they had learned. A lot of the kids found out some really funny things about their teachers.

To finish out the evening the Youth sang the EFY medley song. I loved it! They did awesome. 

Thanks for all your help on this activity Kim.

Now it's on to our next one :)

4th Grade- Salmon Summit

I was able to go on Alaina's 4th grade field trip today, The Salmon Summit. It was alot of fun! The 4th graders have been learning all about Salmon for the last few months. Over the past couple weeks their class got some real hands on learning by raising salmon of their very own.

  

Here's Alaina's baby Salmon she has raised since it was a egg.

Today was the big day. Time to set them free! Back into the Wild.

Here's a few girl's in Alaina's class. All of them sad, to see their fish go :(

We had a great time down by the Columbia River. The class moved from station to station learning different things about salmon, the river and nature. We made salmon life cycle bracelets, learned about forest fire fighting, how rivers and dams make electricity, Lewis and Clark, swimming safety, hydroplane racing, water pollution, and then all of the kids got to go inside of a giant salmon to look at the murals painted on the inside of it. It was really cool. All of the presenters made it really fun for the kids. Great field trip!

Mother's Day...

Tonight as this Mother's Day is coming to an end, I've got to say...my family pulled it off... I feel honored :)

It all started late last night when I arrived home from working at a Highschool prom. As I walked up to my front door I noticed a little note taped to it which read... "Happy Mother's Day! Come on in and see if you can guess what your very first Mother's Day gift is." As I opened the door I saw a perfectly clean house. YIPPEE!!! It felt so good to come home at the end of a long day and see the house spotless. Thanks Guys!

This morning Dan and the kids let me sleep in until 9:00, while they whipped me up some breakfast in bed. YUM! Along with breakfast they brought in all of their gifts and surprises they had made at school, which are always my favorite, especially the papers they write where they fill in the blanks about mom. (A couple of the lines in Alaina's card read... Who generously gives hugs, loving kisses, and lots of chore. A Lover of her family, rabbits, and my DS. Who would like to see New York and a clean house.) Too Cute!

The kids took turns giving me their gifts while Hudson accidentally stepped his foot in my eggs and then ate my toast. (It gets a little crowded, even in a king size bed, with 1 mom, 5 excited kids, 5 gifts to be given, and a breakfast tray.) Here's a picture of all my Mother's day loot.

The kids spent the next few hours in the playroom planning and rehearsing a Mother's Day skit to preform for me. It turned out really cute. They went all out, with costumes, sound effects, refreshments and everything. After their play and lunch it was off to church and then home for dinner. I thought my Mother's Day was pretty much over at this point but there was more...

Lately I've been wanting to take some cute spring pictures of the kids, and what better day to request some picture taking cooperation, then on Mother's Day? Tonight after dinner all of the kids let me take a few snap shots of them, and they turned out great.

I thought it would be fun to mark this Mother's Day post with a few "then" and "now" pics of the kids. I grabbed a picture of each of them when they were around 2 yrs. old and then the pictures I was able to take today. I just can't get over how big and grown up they are getting. I know everyone says this but, it is amazing how fast time goes by. I remember bringing each one of them home from the hospital like it was yesterday.

So here's my babies... and my not so babies.

Probably my favorite part of today was right before bed when Dan called all of the family into the living room for a little Mother's Day family home evening. They all sang me a Mother's Day song, and then we played a "get to know you game" revolving around "How well does the family know MOM." Questions were asked and answered about such topics as what my favorite color was, what my dream vacation would be, where was I born, my most embarrassing moment, what sport do I like the best, which of dads features did I fall in love with when dating, and the list goes on. It was fun to see the kids guess at the answers and then to discover the correct answers on those they got wrong. Then Dan conducted a silly song to get the kids wiggles out and after settling them back down took a moment to give a really good message about how to treat and take care of a Mom. He first read this poem to the kids.

I love you, Mother,” said little John;

Then, forgetting his work, his cap went on,

And he was off to the garden swing,

And left her the water and wood to bring.

“I love you, Mother,” said rosy Nell—

“I love you better than tongue can tell”;

Then she teased and pouted full half the day,

Till her mother rejoiced when she went to play.

“I love you, Mother,” said little Fan;

“Today I’ll help you all I can;

How glad I am that school doesn’t keep!”

So she rocked the babe till it fell asleep.

Then, stepping softly, she fetched the broom,

And swept the floor and tidied the room;

Busy and happy all day was she,

Helpful and happy as a child could be.

“I love you, Mother,” again they said,

Three little children going to bed;

How do you think that Mother guessed

Which of them really loved her best?

Dan took a moment to talk about the difference in just saying I love you, and in showing love and appreciation to moms through our actions daily. I totally agreed with that message :) I feel so loved and appreciated when my kids actually do what they've been taught, when they go the extra mile, give service and are kind and loving to each other. I can't think of a better gift to give a mom.

Dan then went on to relate thoughts from a Thomas S. Monson ensign article about how Christ took one of his last breathes by uttering the words "Behold thy Mother". It was really special because when he was talking to the kids and bearing his own testimony about the importance of treating their mom with the same kind of love and respect that Christ showed his mom a couple of the kids got a little teary eyed during his message and made some very sweet comments.

It's impossible to put into words how special this evening really was. I'm hardly doing it justice. But the point is... I was really touched. I really appreciate that I have a husband who would take the time, on his own initiative to teach and train his kids to respect, love and honor their mother.

I am so blessed! I adore my children and as hard as it is to let them grow up I really do enjoy seeing them learn, grow and develop. Using the things we've taught them and going off and making choices for themselves each day. I am the luckiest wife ever to be married to "Dan the Man". Today I feel re energized and re focused on being a better mom.

Thanks for an awesome Mother's Day!

What am I going to do with all of this free time on my hands?

Today the kids soccer season came to an end.  Ky and Hailey both played in a soccer jamboree today and now 6 games later, 8 hours out in the sun, t-shirts, metals, 1 tailgate party with Ky's team for lunch, and 1 pizza party with Hailey's team for diner tonight, it's all over. 

Ky played his 3 best games of the season today. He was the super star of the team! It was awesome!

GO TEAM!

Hailey had a great season and can't wait to come back for more next year!

Good Game! Good Game!

Alaina's last baseball game will be next week. So I'll be loosing 5 practices and 3 games per week. What am I going to do with all of the free time on my hands??? :)

Alaina’s 10th B-day “Late-Over”

What the Heck is a "Late-Over"?

It's the kind of party you let your kid have when you don't want a full blown sleep over, but you don't mind hosting the kids till 10 or 11pm before kicking them out.

Alaina opted for a late over Birthday Party this year, with Grandma Rose's house as the venue.

A Relay Race in the back yard started off the night and was a big hit! Go Girls, Go...Faster!

After putting on a lia and a flower in their hair, the girls had to get a hula hoop around their circle twice without letting go of their teammates hands, then end with a Hawaiian hula dance to say that their team had finished the race.

A little craft to kill some time.

After dinner is where the real fun begins...

Ever hear of doing your make-up blind folded. How about doing someone else's make up blindfolded. How about doing someone else's make up blindfolded as fast as you can so that you can pass the baton to the next teammate who in turn paints the next face all sorts of shades of Red, Blue, and Blush, and so on and so on down the line till YOUR TEAM FINALLY WINS THE RACE!!!

Heck Yeah! This was a blast to watch as the girls went nuts on each other in a mad dash to do the best makeover they could in the shortest amount of time possible.

It was funny. Even Dan had to try his hand at it.

Can anyone say "Glamore Shots!"

SCORE!!!!! Alaina gets her own DS from Mom, Dad, and the Kids.

Make a Wish!

And before settling in for a movie in the theater, the girls had to show off the Hannah Montana Hoedown. Some were superstars who had way to much practice for their own good, and others were barely keeping up. But regardless....they were all having a blast.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY ALAINA!

We love you and are glad you had a fun Birthday!

Kase wanted to "MAKE" some money...

Kase's new Motto...

When you don't have any green dollars... MAKE MORE!!

Right before we were heading out the door to run errands Kase went to grab his wallet just in case he wanted to buy something at a store. After noticing he only had coins left in it, and no green dollar bills he came up with a quick solution to the problem.

He grabbed one of his older siblings green dollar bills and headed to the copy machine, to get himself a little spending money. It was like an ATM, as far as he was concerned. 

Seriously.....You should have seen how serious he was about the whole thing. "Mom, can you please cut this out to be the same size as this one" he says as he brings me the scissors and the original bill. 

Dan was in the room and nearly applauded the little stinker for "thinking outside the box" and finding a way to "make money out of thin air". That is the entrepreneur in Dan coming through. BUT.... after explaining what happens to kids who make fake money like that, and how going to jail would really suck for a 5 year old....Kase shrugged and said "Oh, so how can I get some real monies in my wallet. I want to buy something at the errands!?!"

Gotta Love him!

Miamaid’s Crazy Hat… Un-Birthday Party

Tonight for mutual we had an Un-birthday party to celebrate all of the girl's birthday's for the year.

Spring has Sprung!

I have always wanted daffodils in my yard. I think about it every spring when I see all the beautiful tulips, daffodils and other spring flowers starting to bloom in other peoples yards. I think, man I'll have to remember to plant some bulbs this fall so I can have spring flowers growing in my yard. Then next Spring comes and I think "Crappy"!  I never went out and planted in the fall. Shoot! Maybe next fall :(

Well, after only 11 married years of forgetting, this last year, In the Nick Of Time, I remembered to plant some daffodils. The kids helped me plant them along a couple of my fence lines and have been very excited to see if they would grow. 

We've been waiting all winter and.... ta-da. Spring has finally sprung! This is what they looked like last week. Just a couple in full bloom.

And now this week we have tons. Yeah!

Now I get to pick my own little spring bouquets whenever I want, and can quit stealing from my neighbors :)

Ky's 9th Birthday Bash

Ky chose the Court Club for his birthday venue. Rock Climbing was first on the list, and the kids loved it. The goal was to grab the chicken dangling from the top, and return to the sidelines bragging about how fast, or skillfully you accomplished that goal. For a while the boys were climbing only half way up and then coming back down. But after Hailey made it to the top before any of the boys, their manly ego's kicked in. They weren't about to be out done by Ky's little sister. 

When it became to easy for them to make it to the top they threw in a few challenging obstacles of their own. (Here's Ky climbing the wall blindfolded. Some of the other boys tried to climb the wall carrying a ball in one hand.)

Next was the Ice Cream Cake, Presents, and Birthday Spankings.

And lets not forget about the Real Reason Ky wanted the court club. Check out the killer action sequence my stud of a photographer husband took. 

On your Marks... Get Set...GO!

That's right....One of the kids Chickened Out. 

Happy Birthday Ky. We love you. We are so proud of you!

You're Awesome!