Christ Countdown

I have always loved a good countdown, especially at Christmas time.  I can remember making the red and green paper chains as a child.  We have quite a few countdowns – LINK

This year my sister Alesha called me up and told me about a countdown she had put together.  It sounded perfect for the season.  She had found youtube video clips (nothing over 2 mins) and scriptures to represent Christ’s life.  She also had plenty of ideas for treats and pictures to go along with the countdown.

I immediately was all into doing this!  I thought it would be fun to put on the kids’ pillow each night so that they could use it as part of their nightly scripture study.  The kids’ LOVE youtube so the videos were a plus!

Some of them contain challenges to do such as “texting five people that you love them”, or “make someone smile today”…

The treats range from a candy cane, to a bag of goldfish for the “Fisher of Men”, to a loaf of bread for the miracles day.  Speaking of which is tomorrow, so I need to get baking or head over to Kneaders.

The church has a slew of pictures that can be downloaded and printed for personal use.  I had fun finding pictures that would match some of the days. 

I feel that if I’m feeding my kids visually, physically, and making them actually DO things that they will learn.  They will be fed and find the true meaning of Christmas.

Thanks for the countdown Alesha!  Our home has been filled with wonderful conversations of Christ.

Nativity Painting

A few days ago for a family activity I got out paint and paper.  I told the kids that EVERYONE was participating and then they could have a special treat.  Here is the LINK to what we were trying to create.

Each of the kids’ paintings were so different even though we were using the same colors and instructions.  I absolutely loved hearing their conversations as they painted away.  I’m grateful the older ones humored me with the project.  I’m grateful that they were there so the younger ones could learn from them.  These projects are fun for younger ones, but can be somewhat of an inconvenience for the older ones.  However, when they are all together it is a time of learning and loving.

Anyway, just had to share.  SO thrilled to add these to our Christmas decorations to pull out each year.  Someday Kaylee’s kids will come to our house and see this special painting hanging up.

Ashley’s 10th Birthday

Ash had another birthday.  This year was a family year.  This also was the year she could get her ears pierced.  She had it done a couple of months before her birthday, which we were informed was not fair because the older girls had to wait until their birthday.

The big girls soon lost their resentment and were quick to help me make a fun cake for her birthday.  I started to worry as they were downing the vanilla wafers that we wouldn’t have any left for the table on the cake.

Ashley has always loved fashion.  She has notebook after notebook filled with pictures.  If we ever see anyone that is stylish, Ashley is quick to go up and let them know with a sweet compliment.

A few weeks ago Ash had a mall party.  I told her at breakfast about a dress that I thought would be cute to wear.  She informed me that she already had an outfit picked out for the occasion.  I smiled as I saw what she had put together.  We of course had to take a couple of pictures since her birthday was just around the corner.

Besides being a fashionista, she also enjoys dance, acting, violin, and piano.  Ashley has always loved reading and can usually be found with a book in her hand.  Harry Potter has been a favorite.  I wish that I had the money.  I would fly her and I down to Florida for a Harry Potter trip together!

Ash is also an American Girl doll crafter and Lego lover.

I am always surprised at how mature she is socially.  She can read people and understand them.  Her comments are spot on with others.  My favorite is how she is so genuine with her compliments.

We are so lucky to have Ashley in our family!  Love you to the moon!

Mummy’s Chocolate

Tonight I was craving chocolate and asked Ashley if she had any Hershey’s in her Halloween candy.  She came bouncing down with a full size Hershey candy bar and handed it over to me.

Kaylee seeing this commented, “Ashley isn’t that your favorite candy bar?”

Ash didn’t skip a beat and replied, “Yes, but I love mom more than I love this candy bar.”

Absolutely love this girl!!!

Made in China

This morning Jerrica was sitting at the table eating her breakfast.  She had just read a label on something and said …

“Mom, everything is made in China.  I bet if you turned the Earth to the other side there would be a giant tag that says, Made in China”

I reassured her that the Earth is NOT made in China, but if you did turn the Earth to the other side you would FIND China.

#DateNight #RedRocks #BrianRegan

So there is this gorgeous venue situated above Denver and nestled amongst giant red boulders.

It seats 8,200 and has an incredible view at night because of the Denver city lights just above the stage.

Then there is this really funny guy named Brian Regan.

AND this really good looking guy named Stephen.

You mix in an absolutely gorgeous Colorado evening and it creates the PERFECT date night!  Sure do love you Stever!

Posters

I love the posters in the church magazines, the New Era’s Mormonad and the Friend’s Bright Idea!

As soon as I see them, I rip them out and put them on our fridge.  Not only are they awesome reminders but also they serve as conversation there in the kitchen.

So rip those pages out and tack them up.  I promise they will do more good on your fridge than in your magazine!

Girls Camp

Girls camp came and went in July.  So grateful that the girls have each other up there.  Of course they had their friends too, but there is just something about a sister that you can always go to!  They were so exhausted when they got home.  Here are a few pics that I got off of Facebook from the leaders…

They came home with super cute crafts, treats from their secret sisters, deeper love for their scriptures, stronger testimonies, and LOTS of stories about everything!

Crush Conversation

The little girls got in the van from school and Jerrica immediately starting talking about a boy in her class.

“Mom, Cade is so creepy.  Every time I look up he is staring at me.”

Ashley, “Jerrica he is not creepy.  He just probably has a crush on you.  And believe me I have experience with this because I have had a lot of boys crushing on me!”

Oh to have the confidence that Miss Ashley has!

Ears Pierced

Ashley has been wanting to get her ears pierced FOREVER!  We have told our girls that ten is that age that they can do it.  Chose ten because then they can take care of them on their own, and it makes the tenth birthday a little more exciting.

Ashley won’t be ten for a couple more months, but we decided to pierce a little early.  I have a feeling that she will be a jewelry girl, especially since she already wears a necklace daily.  These earrings will just be an extension of accessories.

We were excited that the girl doing it had RED hair!

My fashionista IS a fashionista.  I would try and remind her to do her ears each day and would always be met with a “I got this mom!  I’m keeping track on my chart and haven’t missed a day yet”

Yes Ash, I’m sure you do have this like everything else.  You are beautiful!

“UP” Back to School

I have had a few people message me about the Seven Up Back to School thing we did for our dinner.  Here is the link with the download.  AND here is a cute pic of it …

Then I saw in the New Era a FHE lesson that was also using an UP theme.  So we are planning on doing it this coming Monday.  You can find it in the Sep issue.  It’s an object lesson with egg, salt and water.  You put the egg in the water and talk about being weighed down.  Then by adding a few grains of salt that egg actually lifts.  Of course you point out the salt in your life that can lift you out of despair.  Great lesson!  I wish I could link it but the current lesson is still the August one online.

Anyway, hope that helps you that have asked.

Elitches

Stephen came home one night with eight tickets to Elitches.  We decided that we wanted to do one last hurrah before school started.  However, I looked at the calendar filled to the brim and thought that there is no way we would be able to go because of our schedule.  I was so determined to make it work though because we don’t have much time left with ALL of our kids together.

I decided that we would leave after high school and club scrimmages on Saturday.  UGHH soccer!!!  That would mean we would get up to Denver at 1:00.  It doesn’t close until 10:00 so I figured we would have plenty of time .

The day before I was talking with the little girls asking them if they were excited to go.  Jerrica said, “Is this all the way in Denver”.  I told her it was and then she said, “Why do we have to go all the way to Denver for burritos?”  Ashley and I smiled at each other as we explained where exactly it was that we were going.  I think it’s funny how we assume everyone in the family knows what we are talking about, but that usually isn’t the case.  After she realized we would be doing rides and not eating burritos, she was super excited.

We actually started out on the water side.  I love this next series of photos of the little girls…

We pretty much stayed together, except for the Minderaser ride.  A little too scary for ME!  The little girls were sweet to stay with me and do other rides.  I’m sure it didn’t scare them!

One of the girls pointed out the mirrors that the workers use and of course I thought it was a great idea to get selfies of ourselves.

The old rickety roller coaster is STILL just that!

I don’t know why we thought it would be a good idea to get wet, even though we knew we were going to be there well into the evening.

Love how Rebecca pushed Stephen into the waterfall part…

Ashley LOVED the swings!  We did them over and over while the kids were on the Minderaser.  The later in the day that it got, the lack of lines there were.  We would get off of these rides and go climb right back on.

My cute lifeguard posing by a sign that he thinks should be law…

The little girls begged their brothers to do the tiny roller coaster.  They of course consented and made those little girls feel like they were the queens of the coaster.

Night was our favorite.  I was a little worried about the crazzies around, but I actually didn’t see any but my own.  In fact there really weren’t any people, so rides were AWESOME without any lines!  I’m guessing since it was so hot during the day that most people did the water side, were tired, and then headed home.

At any rate, we kept going strong.  That meant piggyback rides by the three older siblings.  I tried to get Stephen to carry me to no avail.

This was a favorite at night along with the ferris wheel to see all of the lights around Denver.

It truly was the perfect day! 

I savored every minute with this sweet family of mine.  SOOO grateful that we fit this into our weekend!

We kept doing this ride over and over as the older ones did Minderaser.  As we were standing in line at the swings Ashley told me that we need more days at Elitches, more days of eating cotton candy, more days of swinging, more days pretending to fly, …. and I couldn’t help but think of how I need MORE days with these kids that are growing up so quickly.

Thank you for the incredible day Stephen!!!