Craft Break

Scott and I have been the Webelos leaders in our ward since last fall. I have to admit I was pretty nervous to be involved in scouting when we first started. But as we learned the program and planned fun activities for the boys we started to love it. We had a handful of somewhat challenging but pretty amazing boys. They never ceased to surprise us and we all had fun each week. (Scott was just one of the boys.)

Last month I received a new calling and I'm now serving in the Relief Society Presidency. However, Scott and I have not yet been released from scouts. It's been a challenge trying to keep up with everything but I refuse to just give up on the boys. This week we had our Blue and Gold Banquet for the boys. Our Cubscout Masters did a great job! I helped by making a campfire cake.

We're also planning a spring activity for our ladies so I've been looking for simple crafts we could do. I love the subway art prints. I created one using the words from my favorite hymn. So simple and so cute!

I have to take a break from the business of life and just create, occasionally.

Celebrate!

Christmas came and went. I had big plans to bake goodies and do amazing activities with my children. And then... the flu bug hit us. All of us. The good thing was that it was Christmas break so we didn't miss any school. The bad thing, it was Christmas break! We spent a lot of time cuddled up together watching movies.

Morgan got hit hard on Christmas Eve. This was the first Christmas in MANY years that Scott actually had the day off. Good thing. Instead of waking up before the sun and trying to open presents before he left for work, we slept in and waited for Morgan to feel well enough to sit up.

 Before the illness struck, we managed to make some gifts for the teachers and our favorite neighbors.

We did get to spend some time with Brit and Levi. They have big changes coming in their lives and will be moving closer. After being hundreds of miles apart, we are extremely excited!

And then, Christmas was over and it was suddenly Super Bowl Sunday. How did that happen?! 

We've even had a little snow to play in. 

Soon winter will be gone and spring will be blowing in.

Christmas is Coming

Our little town starts the Holiday Season with a community celebration. Everyone comes together at the Town Hall for a nice dinner and Christmas music. A group from the Methodist church played the bells and then the school choir sang for us.

They sang Away in a Manger with chimes, Silent Night with sign language, and a few more Christmas songs. The choir also taught the audience how to do a Russian dance to a song from the Nutcracker. It was a very entertaining performance!

The kids did a great job! The choir director was wonderful and made singing fun.

Now we're ready for Christmas!

So Thankful!

We were so blessed this Thanksgiving! Brittany and Levi got to come home and Scott actually had the day off. It was great to be together as a family!

We had a wonderful feast with the best turkey EVER. We had a super yummy pomegranate salad, real mashed potatoes, sweet potato casserole, and pumpkin pie, cherry pie, and Butterfinger pie for dessert. I was too busy cooking and filling my belly to take pictures. It was a glorious day!

 Yes, that is my dessert plate. Brittany managed to snap a picture before I gobbled it all up. It's a good thing Thanksgiving only comes once a year.

Friday, we needed something to do that did not involve any stores. Lucky for us, the Museum of Idaho was open. As we drove in to town, Zane kept saying we were going to the Museum of Natural History. Not quiet that far of a drive.

We spent a few hours looking at the guitar display, learning and exploring the history of the guitar, as well as some local Idaho history. The kids had a great time and are anxious to go back. Maybe at Christmas time...

There was a fun room where the kids got to climb a mountain to look in the eagles nest, crawl through the beaver dam, sit inside a teepee, and make a meal in a real log cabin. They loved exploring and playing. I love that the museum has many hands on displays. It was good for my HANDS ON kids.

It's so wonderful to pause and think about all that we have to be thankful for.

We are so blessed!

Singing for the Veterans

Zane came home from school with a sign-up sheet to join the school choir. He was adamant that he wanted to join. I asked him several times, just to be sure. 

He was sure. 

He has been staying after school, twice a week to practice for the big Veterans Day program. They sang the Star Spangled Banner, with actions, and a few other patriotic songs. It was a frigid morning but they sang their hearts out in front of the school. 

Thank you to all our Veterans and those who serve now to preserve our freedoms! 

God bless America!

Happy Halloween!

The pumpkins from our garden did not grow very big. (I guess that's what happens when you plant so late.) Luckily, our neighbor's pumpkins grew big and they had lots of them. Thank you for sharing!

Zane wanted his to look like an alien villain that Superman might destroy. (Dad helped him carve that up.) Morgan wanted hers to be winking and have a stitched mouth. We did our best to create their visions.

 We have a Spiderman costume and a Batman costume. What did Zane want to dress up as? Superman, of course. Stores were selling out fast but we managed to snag one. He looked so tough! Morgan struggled to decide on what she wanted to be. She finally said she wanted to be a minion, from Despicable Me, but it had to be a girl. We found some stuff at home that worked to create her costume. And the thrift store had a long sleeve yellow shirt and a pair of safety goggles that were easy to paint. She looked so cute!

We let the kids choose - trunk-or-treat a the town hall or go knock on doors. They both said they liked knocking on doors better. Since it's a school night, we only went to a few neighborhoods. They didn't bring home as much candy as last year and I'm okay with that.

AND... We made monster cookies using some cool monster eye candies. I think Zane ate them as fast as he frosted them. I finished my burlap wreath and hung it on the back door. It looks so pretty against the red. And as the temperatures begin to drop, I had to cut a few of my flowers and bring them inside to enjoy a little longer. However, I think summer is officially over.

Maize Adventures

Brittany and Levi were excited for us to come enjoy some of the fall celebrations in Logan. They had a full schedule planned and we managed to do most of it. That meant dinner was at 9:00 on Saturday night but we had SO much fun.

We went to the American West Heritage Center and found many things to do. There was a huge slide on the hill, ponies to ride, animals to pet, a fun little train, a dark straw maze, and the HUGE corn maze. The big boys wandered around in the corn, made a few new paths, and found their way out. Brittany and I actually followed the map and found our way. I was impressed with her mapping skills!

Morgan wanted to go back for the "Haunted Hollow" when it got dark. Instead, we went to the Pumpkin Walk. We rode the shuttle bus to the park where the displays were and that was half the fun. It was getting cold and the line into the park was LONG. But the displays were amazing this year!

We had a wonderful weekend!