Strong Warriors

I take online courses through BYU-I to finish my Bachelor's degree and this semester my class is on The Family: A Proclamation to the World.  It is divided up into 6 sections that they call Cores and the study of each core takes 2 weeks.  This week is the first week of Core #1 which is on the Plan of Salvation.  I have been able to study and read a lot of material to learn the things I need to know for the test next week.
 
And when I say lots of reading...I mean LOTS of reading.  Most of it has been interesting and I have enjoyed but some of it has gone COMPLETELY over my head, so I don't know how that really helps me...

Anyway, in one of the powerpoints was a quote from President Benson that I really liked. 

" What remains to be seen is where each of us personally, now and in the future, will stand in this fight- and how tall we will stand.  Will we be true to our last days- our foreordained mission?"

I liked that.  It made me think of a strong warrior holding up their shield and spear and ready to go into battle no matter how much larger the other army is. 

I like learning.

Father/Son date

 For 3 years now we have had season tickets to the BYU home games.  Mike takes turns taking one of the kids with him, or me, to each game.  We LOVE it!  It is the highlight of Fall for the kids to get to go on their date with Dad to the game.  Although it is a big chunk of money, it is worth it for us.  We decided long ago that memories were important and this is one of the memories that will last the kids their whole life!  Besides that, what is better than a WHOLE day to spend talking to their Dad?

Yesterday was the big rivalry game between BYU and Utah.  Usually I dibs this game and am Mike's date, but because it was Jonathan's birthday we thought it would be fun for him to go.  He had a blast!  BYU lost epically, but Jonathan didn't care!

No matter what

It doesn't matter to us that our team lost today.  (And oh Man, did they ever lose!!)  What matters to us is that we cheer together, wear our blue proudly together and love our team together!

GO BYU!

A few of his favorite....presents

 It was so fun to see Jonathan opening his presents from his friends at his party....he LOVED every gift.  Of course at that age, it isn't hard to love them all....they are all toys! 

with the alarm clock from Mom and Dad that he has been asking for for FOREVER

He likes my Pez so much that I decided to get him some for his very own collection.  I got him 4 Star Wars Pez and he was so excited!!

A dart gun...and he actually got 2 of them!  So now he can have wars with his Dad!

Lego Hero Factory....he ended up getting 3 of these, which is fine because he LOVES them!

Look out World! He's 8!

 One of Jonathan's favorite shows is Phineas and Ferb, so it was a no-brainer for me of what the theme should be for his upcoming birthday party.

 Part of the fun of planning a party is planning the cake.  I looked and looked and looked for a Perry the Platypus cake that I would be capable of making.  Let me tell you....there are some very talented people out there that can make some deluxe cakes!  Not me though.  I need to keep it simple.  I finally found a design that I knew I could achieve.

Jonathan doing his best Perry pose

 When the kids arrived, I put them to work coloring pictures of Perry, Phineas and Ferb, and Dr. Doofenshmirtz.  Then we played pin the tail on Perry.

Jonathan did pretty well

As did most of the kids....but Sidney?  ha ha... not so much!

 

Then we grabbed Jonathan's legos and all the kids got to work making "Inators" that would put Dr. Doofenshmirtz to shame.

We had the "Flying-car-inator", the "Gun-inator", the "Gas-inator", the "Find-Atlantis-inator" and more...

but the best would have to be Sidney's "Pig-and-Dog-inator" (and yes, she did name it herself)

Make a wish!

What a bunch of sillies!  Love these kids!

Birthday dinner at Cracker Barrell

What is our favorite thing about birthdays?  Eating out, of course!!  Jonathan chose Cracker Barrel for his birthday dinner.  Yum yum.

While we waited for Mike to order (no, really.), we had time to do the golf tee puzzle thingy.

Even Jonathan did it.  He got down to 4...which apparently means he is an "ig-nor-a-moose".

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Ha Ha Cracker Barrel...you are funny.

Our other favorite things about Cracker Barrel?  Playing checkers while daddy pays the bill...

...and sitting in the rocking chairs!

Edible eyeballs

We are off track and in an effort to keep my kids from killing each other, I often try to think up activities for them to do to stay busy because let's face it, they just can't read library books for 8 hours every day.  Wouldn't that be nice?  (That is like my DREAM!!)  But no, they won't do it.
I thought it would be fun to start a kind of "cooking club" and I invited my friend's two daughters that are in Rachel's class and also off track.  With Rachel having Aspergers, she has a hard time in social situations and making conversation, so this is also an opportunity for her to socialize with girls that she likes that could be friends and for me to sort of monitor the convo and keep her on track and help her with verbal and nonverbal cues. 
It has been lots of fun and we have made some yummy food.  Last week we made chocolate chip cookies with 4 different kinds of chips in them.  This week we made some cookies that I found on Pinterest.  They are oreos dipped in Almond Bark and then you put a gummy lifesaver on it and a mini choco chip in the middle of that and it looks like an eyeball.  The kids had so much fun making them and they taste yummy to boot!

thinks she's big...

Yes...my child thinks she is big.  So big in fact that she gets to go to SCHOOL. 

The first day of preschool is a momentous day.  I have been through this a time or two and it's all downhill from here.  Next thing I know she is going to be wearing make-up and driving or *gasp* DATING! 

....but...isn't she cute?? 

 Jonathan and I had a mini photo shoot the other day because I needed to make invitations for his baptism.  This kid is pretty great!  I am proud of the young man that he is.  He is a sensitive boy who loves others and is very caring.....unless it's to his sister Rachel....then all bets are off.  For reals.

Anyway, he was quite photogenic and I got the shot I wanted!!  Can't wait to see the invites when they are all done now!!