Photo Shoots

I did some fun photo shoots last week.  One was this cute little newborn...

Another day I did baptism pictures for this bubbly, little girl....

After each shoot I think, "oh that's my favorite age to do".  But then I remember families and the fun challenge of trying to get EVERYONE looking good, especially with BIG families and decide that I like the challenge...

I just LOVE taking pictures!  I love meeting people and capturing moments of time.

I usually have the little girls come and do a few practice shots before someone comes for pictures (that way I have my settings all set).  The older kids were home for spring break last week and I had Kaylee come be my model for a few test shots.  She's like Ashley and just can't sit still.  Nathan had some rap music blasting and she was getting down.  She told me that my clients would probably pose better if I had music going for them to dance to...

 

I started getting a little frustrated with all of her movement, SO I told her to just hold still AND not to move AND not to breathe AND I actually liked the shot...

 

Oh how I enjoy photography!!!

Copies

I put copies of the conference sheets AND the egg testimony lesson on 4shared.com.  You can download all of the copies there.  It's my first time trying this, SO let me know if you have a problem downloading them.  Here are the links-

Conference Page 1

Conference Page 2

I need to reload the FHE egg testimony lesson and will have the links here as well, hopefully tomorrow...

I'm still having problems with resolution on these.  I had made them years ago and thus they aren't on my computer.  Scanning is hard because I laminated the pages for some reason and the shine on the lamination translates into poor scans, BUT I think you can still read them...

Egg Testimony FHE

Testimony2

Testimony3

Testimony Eggs FHE

We did this last night and thought I would share since it's a fun FHE to do during Easter time with eggs.  I put it together years ago when I was in a FHE group that would make lessons for each other.  I had seen the eggs done in a Sharing Time and just combined it into a lesson from what I could remember from the Sharing Time -

The object lesson is done by taking three eggs - a normal one, hard-boiled one, and then an empty one.  You can draw faces and dress up each one.  Then you talk about them.  Eggna (empty egg) never goes to church, she seldom prays.....  Eggatha (hard-boiled) used to go to church but now sleeps in, she is too busy for... Eggbert (normal egg) he goes to church and tries really hard to listen and learn, he prays and keeps the commandments...

Then you open the eggs to see what is inside.  Eggna is empty because she didn't put anything inside of her, she has nothing inside....  Eggatha had the principles inside her to build a testimony but stopped doing them and turned hard inside...Eggbert is usable.  He is in a natural state and can be used in any number of recipes.  The Lord can use you for good because you have a healthy and strong testimony....

Kaylee said, "The yolk is like the light within us..."  I love that girl!

Anyway, we then talked about how to build a testimony and how you can have a testimony of so many different aspects of the gospel.  Stephen then challenged the kids to share their testimonies on the next fast Sunday.  It was a fun lesson!

Random

Are you ready for another random one?!?!

I have gotten comments and emails about scripture reading with the kids.  We read as a family every night before bed.  Stephen is so good about ALWAYS doing this.  I'm the bad one that will sometimes say, "oh Stephen can't we just go to bed tonight" to which he will quickly say "oh let's at least get in  a verse".  I know I'm bad and he is good and I am grateful for him.

We then send the kids to bed and they have 30 minutes to lay in their bed and read.  I LOVE this time because the non-readers turn into readers because they want to stay up an extra 30 minutes.  My readers are in heaven with the quiet and their good book.  It is during this time that the kids read in their own scriptures as well.  I think it is such a good, peaceful time to reflect on the day and just relax.  It is also building a habit of reading their scriptures. 

Next thing I wanted to share was our conference notebooks...

These notebooks are for each of the kids to take notes and write down their thoughts during conference.  Yes we do the conference packets, but I think it is important for the kids to personalize it and write down thoughts that they want to remember, especially as they are getting older.  The same notebooks are pulled out each conference.  This way they can reflect on feelings and thoughts from previous conferences, AND they have ONE book that all their notes are in.  I know that these books will become more and more valuable as they get older.

In the front I glued two papers.  One lists four ideas in preparing for conference.  The very first idea is to write down a question, concern or problem that you want direction on.  The other paper is on note taking.  It talks about writing down what the speakers are saying along with your thoughts and impressions.  At the end of the talk summarize what it means to you and what you can do better in that area.  It talks about including songs and lyrics that stand out to you.  At the conclusion, you conclude you notes, promptings, and goals.  Use these notes during personal scripture study and goal setting.  That is basically the jest of the two papers, but I think they are important reminders.

Another comment is on the tomato starts.  They DO need transplanted and you will see a HUGE difference when they are given a bigger container to grow in.  Local nurseries sell the plastic containers in various sizes for just a few cents a piece.  I save containers and reuse them.  I have A LOT of the generic square plastic ones and then a few nicer ones.  The plastic container helps so that they don't dry out as much as they do in the peat containers.

Ash is our plant whisper.  She talks to them, telling them that it is snowy outside and that they have to stay in a little longer.  She tells them if they are the tallest or the smallest.  She is known to say, "WOW you have another leaf coming out!"  You can kinda see in this picture how big they are getting.  They will go outside soon in the Wall of Waters.

AND my favorite lens that I have on my camera all the time is the Nikon 50mm 1.4.  LOVE it!

I think that answers a few questions.  Email or comment if you have another and I will try to answer it.  I do enjoy all of your sweet comments and emails!  You are all so nice!

Puff Paint

The girls and friends tried a little puff painting.  They made it, mixed it, painted it and microwaved it.  You take 1 Tbs of salt and 1 Tbs of flour and mix that with a little water to make a paste.  Then put in drops of food coloring to make the colors.  The muffin tin looked so pretty after they finished their concoctions.

They painted with Q-tips.  When they finished they would stick it in the microwave for 30 seconds.  That puffs it and dries it.

Kaylee's friend Analise had painted clouds and a sun.  The puff paint was perfect for the dimension of those clouds.

Ashley did fun raindrops on hers that looked good with the puff paint.

I was trying to find where I found this, but can't remember, its somewhere out there in a kids' craft blog. 

Spring Break

Every year we go down to my parents for spring break, BUT this year my parents were in Arizona.  So we stayed here and had a "Friend Vacation"

It was filled with friends and more friends.  I am so grateful for so many good friends that my kids are surrounded by.  I love seeing them giggle and laugh when they are together.  I am grateful for friends' mothers taking my kids and creating such a good time for them.  Thank You!

We did see a few movies.  One with friends, one as a family and then one Stephen and I went to for a date night.  I don't think that I have ever been to the theater that many times in one week!  We did really enjoy this one with the Wright family...

Art Sports with the Mason's was a blast.  The kids are always soooo exhausted when they leave that place.

We did an Amazing Race around the YMCA.  The four older kids played racquetball, ran a mile on the track, swam laps and made free throws.  Another tiring day for them. 

We did a couple of projects, played basketball, soccer, AND mixed in a little spring cleaning.  It was a fun break, but I think that all of the different playdates with friends is what made it great for my kids.  Thank you friends!

Swim Meet

This boy is so fun to watch.

He swims like it's effortless, but I know very well how much effort goes into each movement in the water!  He took first place in the backstroke and third in the front.

 

He is my swimmer, which makes me proud since I am a "drowner".

Let's Go Fly a Kite...

Oh my goodness it is windy!  I picked this kite up at Costco a couple of weeks ago, and Ashley has been dying to fly it, AND today she flew it ...

Isn't that such a fun picture?!?  She would run, giggle, and move her hands up and down.  I think she had the record for keeping it up the longest.  It's that determination of hers!

I also loved this picture that I took from the back door of Stephen helping the girls get the kite all set up...

I wish that I would have snapped one of Jacob.  He was so good to help each of his sisters with little tricks and tips to keep the kite flying high.  Thank you Jacob for helping them AND thank you bright parrot for entertaining the girls for such a long time!

Mean-iac

We don't say maniac around here, we say mean-iac.  For some reason the little girls think that "meaniac" is a word.  Their definition would be someone out of control being REALLY mean.  SO, quite frequently I hear Jerrica say, "Mom, Ash is being a meaniac!"  OR "Why does Nathan always have to act like a meaniac"

I think that I'm going to create our own Thompson dictionary of all the random made up words that actually mean something to us.

Photography and Flash

I really try hard not to use my flash if I'm trying to capture the moment.  If the flash fires and makes everything bright you really don't get a "feel" of the time of day or the lighting when the picture was taken.

Kaylee and her friend were watching their movie late at night.  You can see in the catchlights of their eyes that the only light source was the TV off to the side.  They have very small catchlights!  I didn't want a big bright flash in their face because then it would look like mid-day.  SO I turned my ISO up to 1250 and shot away....

To me it reflects exactly how my eyes saw them up in the loft that night.

Same with Rebecca reading by her lamp.  If the flash would have fired you wouldn't have even been able to tell that a lamp was on.  It would also have alerted her that I was taking pictures.

Birthday cakes are another perfect time to turn off the flash and capture the mood of the candles...

Pictures don't always have to be nice and bright.  The shadows and lighting help in portraying the moment.  SO, my photography tip is to turn off your flash and try to achieve the lighting as you see it!

Rapids

The girls and I had a little date night this week and it was only fair that the boys had a date night.  They went up and watched the Rapids play.  The Rapids are Colorado's professional soccer team.  They actually won the MLS Championship last year.  Nathan was quite excited for the game, Jacob not so much.  BUT Jacob was a good sport and enjoyed the evening with them.

Kaylee went to the movie with friends.  AND I sat in my bed snuggling with my three littlest watching Jimmer do his thing.  He is so amazing!

MArch MaDNEss

LOVE this time of year!  Stephen, the kids and I all filled out our own bracket.  The winner with the most correct teams wins $20.  Nathan highlights each one that is correct as the games are played.  Stephen's bracket is looking really sad because of all the under dog teams that he picked.

It so fun to sit and watch the games with the kids.  The older kids are sooo into the games this year.  I just LOVE it!

Disney On Ice

I took all of my girls on a little date last night.  I had visions of taking a cute picture of me and my girls using the timer on my camera, BUT it didn't happen.  Instead I have this cute picture of Jerrica and Ashley ready to go in their princess dresses.  Jerrica carried around the Disney postcard all day saying it was her ticket.

It WAS a really cute performance, BUT I kept my eyes on the girls' expressions.  I love watching them watch......

St. Patty's Day

Any reason we have to make our days a little out of the ordinary, we take.

I do green lunches for the school kids on Saint Patrick's Day, but the little girls sometimes don't get the special green treats.  SO today I made sure I had extra for them.  It was a beautiful day so I packed them in a fun sack and sent them out to the clubhouse.  I loved watching them eat their treats, giggling about who knows what, and teasing Shadow with their food.

  Then they came in and helped make a fancy shamrock table covering for dinner.  A sweet blogging friend, Susanne had shared this idea with us.  I grabbed out the newsprint roll and the girls went to town with their pepper stamps.

   

We also did our lucky plate for dinner.  I taped a $5 bill on the bottom of one of the plates just for ONE lucky family member. 

My favorite quote of the day was Ashley asking if we could go to a store.  I asked her why, to which she replied, "So that I can find lots of people to pinch"

She's 10!

Today was Kaylee's actual birthday.  We just celebrated with her friends a little early.

Since she turned 10, we told her she could get her ears pierced.  I took her out of school for a little date and we headed off to Claire's.  Of course I had my camera in my purse and took a picture of her looking into the mirror after the lady had finished.  I LOVED her sweet, little smile....

We then headed over to Jamba Juice for a little Razzmatazz.  I so enjoy Kaylee's personality and talking with her. 

When we got back to the school and took in a treat to the kids, they got to ask Kaylee questions and talk about her.  They all told me about what a prankster she is and how she gets them every time, until she gets the giggles.  She has such a funny sense of humor.  The kids also went on about how fast she, and how she plays with the boys basketball and soccer.  I stood there listening to them thinking, ya that's my Kaylee!

Kaylee, you are such a sweetheart.  Always quick to help another or to make someone smile.  You are incredibly athletic and have coaches, refs and parents commenting on how good you are.  Basketball and soccer are your favorite sports right now.  Yet, you enjoy running too.  You are also getting good on the piano.  Dad and I enjoy listening to you practice.  You put so much emotion into your pieces.  You also enjoy sewing, crafting, and cooking.  The family loves when you make your famous brownies and other desserts. 

We just LOVE you soooo much Miss Kaylee Elizabeth!  Happy Birthday!

Simple Things

"It is the sweet, simple things of life which are the real ones after all."

Laura Ingalls Wilder 

 

3.14

Today is Pi Day since the date is 3.14 

Kaylee and Nathan celebrated pi day at school today.  The eat a TON of round foods, wear pi shirts, play games, and do activities all centered around pi.

 

Our family celebrated with a berry pie for dessert tonight!

PJ Pizza Party

This week I was consumed with getting ready for Kaylee's birthday party.  We do every other year friend parties and this was a friend party year for Kaylee.  We invited 14 girlfriends from school, soccer, and church.  13 girls came!

My sisters had made PJ pants for birthday parties before, and I thought if they can do it, I can do it too.  It was tricky finding that much flannel at a good price.  I needed two bolts and usually you only see part of a bolt of fabric for sale.  I finished everything on them except for the elastic and hem.  As the girls arrived we measured waists and length, AND then sweet friends of mine helped finish them at the start of the party.

I let them make t-shirts to go with their pants with fabric markers.  They LOVED drawing and writing all over them.  We also played games, ate pizza, and had our own little spa.  I had washcloths that we wet and heated in the oven to steam the girls' faces.  There were also face masks.  We then all did fingernails.  I had lots of different polish and then decal stickers that they could choose from.  I wish the picture wasn't so bright and you could see the decals on the top tier of the nail polish.  They were really fun fingernail decals.  I also had Skittle lip gloss for each girl.

We also spent time playing in the paraffin wax.

I really wanted to play with fondant and make this cake.  I gathered Polly Pocket accessories from our basket to use.  I even bought those new jumbo marshmallows to cut in half for the pillows.  BUT Kaylee wanted her favorite layered dessert cake and you can't argue with the birthday girl.  It was probably better that way because we had so many games to run around to on Saturday that I would have ran out of time.  I do believe I WILL file the cake idea away to try for Becca's birthday...(The idea is from Cake Central)

Kaylee has so many sweet friends.  I am grateful for each of them and how happy they make Kaylee in their own way.  This is a picture of two friends from school and yes that would be my Kaylee that can't make a normal expression, trying to be funny!

It really was a fun night and there is NO way I could have done it without MY friends that helped, AKA- Kim, Angie, Heidi and good ol' Stever!  Thank You!

Sanford Basketball

I grew up in a small town and basketball was BIG.  This weekend the girls team played in the state championship.  We met my parents for the Friday night game.  It was so fun to see all of the town there cheering on the girls.  I LOVE how small towns get behind their teams.  It is just neat to see that unity of a community. 

My cousin Doug's daughter plays on the team and is just amazing!  She is so small, but oh so good.  She can hit three pointers with ease and doesn't hesitate to drive on anyone.  I was really glad that Kaylee could watch her play because Kaylee is so small, yet has that same fire as Tori.

The coach's daughter also plays on the team and I loved seeing this picture of the two of them in the Pueblo Chieftain this morning.  The emotion in the picture is awesome....

Playoffs are so fun to watch.  It would have been fun to just stay there and watch the other games with Stephen and my parents, yet the little girls reminded me that they were there too.  Thanks for inviting us mom AND for getting the tickets!  I'm glad you enjoy basketball as much as I do!