Piano Recital

For the fact that she did NOT want to do recital, there was a double booking at the facility and we had to be squished in a small practice room, the pianists had to sit out in the main area until their turn, and that it felt like the first row of the audience was looking right over your shoulder...she didn't do to bad. :)

My kids and art

I love that my kids enjoy creating things. I love that they are enjoying the Arts like I do. Their talents take them in a little different direction than my love of the Arts and my talents, which of course is great. Kenzie early on liked to draw and doodle, and she wanted to be able to draw as well as her dad. We found out about a gal in our area that teaches art classes, and we signed her up. It accomplished two things, gave her something to do off track and helped to develop her talent. She has been going to these classes for several years now, and this year Cassidy has started as well. Cassidy also has a knack for drawing, and has done some wonderful things. Cutter is following right along, and has fun with the girls, and a friend that I watch that has great artistic skills as well. He also had the opportunity with preschool to go and paint ceramics. His frog is very cute and very unique.

The picture above with the kids was taken earlier this year at the Reflections award assembly at the Junior High.

Cutter's



Cassidy's




Kenzie's

PIERCED

 
It is now official. My Cassidy has pierced ears. She has wanted it done for quit sometime. In fact, her aunt gave her a gift certificate for her birthday last year to get it done. But, I am a stickler. There is this little rule at our house that we came up with with McKenzie that you had to be eight to get your ears pierced. Many reasons for it, mostly, I wanted them to be able to take care of them properly themselves, so eight was good. For Kenz eight came and left, and it didn't happen. Not with Cassidy. She is a different girl than her sister (aren't we glad that Heavenly Father made us all different! :) ) and she has wanted it for a long time. But this rule...I know that Kenzie would not have cared at all if her sister would have had it done long ago when she wanted it done at first. But, would it come to bite me in the future? I can just hear it now... "Oh yeah, well you didn't make Cassidy wait for her ears to be peirced so why can't I ___________ ?" So we waited. She is so excited, and so cute, and she cried and is such a girl. Don't tell though, I did give in by a month and a half! SHHHHHHHHHH!

My new thing

 

For many years now I have wanted to start making bread. I wanted to use the food storage that we are encouraged to have. What good is wheat, if it just sits there as wheat? I wanted to offer more nutritious options to my family, without having to buy the real expensive bread from the store (that is just not as good as homemade!), I wanted to feel a little more domesticated. But,in my mind there were always big obstacles. The biggest was we don't own a wheat grinder, and they are not cheap. Next, not sure if my Sunbeam Mixer had enough oomph to make bread, and in my mind it would be a great time consumer. I remember mom making bread, and it was such a long process, with a lot of kneading, and waiting, as a small child it seemed like an all day affair. I was still thinking of things as they were some 30-35 years ago. And frankly, with the number of children that revolve through our door on a daily basis, in my mind it just wasn't feasible. But a friend one time was telling me about her bread...that she makes in her bread maker...humm...Well, I thought, I have a bread maker. So it sat and festered there in my mind. But, still that didn't solve the problem of the wheat grinder. I went to a couple of bread making classes, and the interest was peaked even more. But again, I had it in my mind that I had to do all or nothing. NO WHEAT GRINDER,etc, etc. Then after another conversation with my friend, I found out that she had been doing this for over 8 years, and when she started out, it was with flour purchased at the store, and she worked her way up to what it is now. Step by step, precept upon precept... Sometimes things have to hit me over the head! I was encouraged. I could buy the flour from the store and not have guilt. I could gradually work whole wheat into my family's diet. I could save my sheckles and eventually buy the grinder. So I invited her over, and she taught me how to do it. I CAN'T BELIEVE HOW UNBELIEVABLY EASY IT IS!!!!! Dump the ingredients in the bread maker, let it do the kneading. Put it in a bread pan, let it raise once, and bake it. Easy! So, here is a picture of my small step into the homemade bread world. It is so delicious, and so healthy, and I did it! (I'm still working on having it nice and rounded on the top).

What a girl!

This girl is amazing. Now that she is in Young Women's she has been working hard on her Personal Progress. Setting goals, reading scriptures, writing in her journal and learning. For her Choice and Accountability value project (a project that they decide to work on that requires at least 10 hours of work) she decided to earn all the money for her Oakcrest camp this year. She is quite the babysitter, and there are several families in the ward that love to have her sit for them. Back in November she decided to save her babysitting money. She had many babysitting jobs, and just kept saving and saving. When it came time in March to go and register for Oakcrest camp. She had the $95 all saved. She is now saving for other things, including spending money at Oakcrest.

Another amazing thing about this girl: Last Sunday we got to church just a few minutes late, and snuck in the back. As the Bishop got up and announced the program, he reminded us that Kenzie was supposed to give a talk that day. We all had forgotten. I looked over at her and whispered, just go bear your testimony. She took the long walk up to the stand, sat for a minute next to the couple that was also speaking until the Bishop finished. She then got up, and not only shared her testimony of Faith (the topic she was to speak on) but also related some experiences that she had had. She shared the story her Grandmother has shared with her about her own testimony growing about Joseph Smith. She talked about Joseph Smith and the faith that he had to go to the grove and pray after reading the scripture in the Bible about if any of ye lack wisdom, let them as of God. She shared a time that we had lost my glasses, and were running late, and we prayed and found them instantly, thanks to Heavenly Father and our faith. She spoke from the heart, she spoke loud and with confidence, and then she bore her testimony. C and I were just in ah. It was the most beautiful, last minute, talk from the heart ever. Afterward so so so many ward members came up and said what an amazing job she did. Our Primary President just went on and on about it, and how she loved it because you could hear her, you could feel the spirit, and it was right from her heart. Her Sunday School teacher ranted and raved to me over her, how well she did, how much she loves Kenzie, and that she is the sweetest girl. The 2nd Counselor in the Bishopric was beyond impressed. He used the word "suburb." Another friend also gushed over Kenzie to her, and told her what a great job she did. And there were so many others as well.

She is truely an AMAZING girl, and we love her dearly!