Miss Kaylee has been busy getting projects done for her Personal Progress program. The first of the summer we drug out all of the old jeans from the basement and started cutting away. Then yesterday Kaylee decided to pull it all out again and start sewing. She sewed and sewed and sewed.
AND by the end of the day she had it all sewn together. It looks awesome! Here she is modeling her one of a kind quilt!
I’m so proud that she can sit and sew all by herself!
Tonight I based a lot of our lesson off of Elder David Bednar’s talk, “More Diligent and Concerned at Home”. I started out by showing the following two images.
Some of the kids guessed that it was Jacob’s paints mixed together. Some of them were curious about where I had taken the pictures. I told them that it was only a tiny piece to something bigger. We then discussed how small pieces don’t give you the full picture. They can share detail with you, but the bigger picture is missing.
I then showed them the “big picture”. It’s actually a very large painting that we have hanging in our piano room.
We then talked about each individual brushstroke that comprises this painting. Each is vital and important in creating the masterpiece, yet each can not stand alone. I shared some of Elder Bednar’s talk and then asked what some of the brushstrokes are in our lives. We discussed the masterpiece that we are each creating for our individual souls. No one prayer will define us, but many a prayer will create who we are. No one act of service will completely tell the world that we are kind, yet one act after another will certainly show others who we really are.
I finished by challenging everyone to take a look at the brushstrokes that they are painting in their lives. I asked them to think about their bigger picture that they are trying to create for themselves. I also gave them each a littler reminder for their bulletin boards.
We finished the evening off with a big game of “Masterpiece”. It is an art game that is a definite favorite from when I was a child. :)
We spent the next day at a lake near Heber.
Four of the sisters on the jet skis. :)
Aunt Erin insisted on a photo in front of this beautiful sailboat.
Innocent Aunt Janie came up to shore on a board with Rebecca. Take a look at who is lurking in the water….
Lexi and Kaylee attacked in a full out mud war. Janie, ever the sport proceeded to give it right back at them
Yes the water was fun, but the mud sure entertained as well!
I have had quite a few shoots over the summer, and usually don’t share them on this blog,
BUT I loved this one from Monday….
“A good snapshot keeps a moment from running away!” Eudora Welty
For the fireworks we went into Heber to a park. The boys played A LOT of games! Stephen is one of eight kids, which means there are always plenty of players for games, especially now with all of the in-laws and grandkids. They played a big game of kickball. They also played one game that was like the old fashioned marble game, but with tennis balls. It seemed like they played that one forever!
Rebecca was obsessed with Brooks. I don’t know how she lugged him around everywhere!
Ashley wanted some pictures with her Aunts for her scrapbook. So on the night of the fourth she proceeded to pose with each of them. Here are Stephen’s sisters in order from oldest to youngest, HOWEVER, I am missing Janna. She was probably off videotaping the games. She is our family videographer. :)
We took pizza and treats to the park. It was fun to just sit back and relax. Stephen called his parents and everyone was able to talk with them. Missed having them there, but grateful for all of the family that were there. :)
We just got home from the celebrations down at my parents’. One night they had a huge family dance for everyone in Sanford. It was so cute watching boys ask Jerrica to dance and her big eyes and bright smile. Ashley was another story. She was quick to take the boys’ arms and twirl herself around on the country dances. She would whisk the boys all over the dance floor.
She told one boy, “you are a fast dancer”. He replied, “I think YOU are a fast dancer”. She then told him, “I’m only a fast dancer so that I can keep up with you”. :)
I smiled hearing all of the conversations that were had out there on the dance floor. I went from, “you girls need to talk and find out things about the person you are dancing with” to thinking it would be better if my girls just danced and didn’t talk!
LOVE family dances and how they learn. I noticed in Rebecca’s journal today how she went on and on about how good her dad is at country dancing and how much she enjoyed dancing with him at the family dance. :)
We did a game where we had to swing everyone in the family from one side to the safety of the other without touching the ground.
Aunt Lael made her own course for Brooks.
Most of the kids did the spider web challenge where each person had to get to the other side without touching the web. Nor could they all use the same hole to go through. It was interesting to see who the leaders of the group were.
It was a great team building afternoon. We can do ANYTHING when we work together!
