Wednesday, August 10, 2016

cub scout cooking and carnival

I helped out with a couple of the bears requirements.  One was a cooking elective - they made a snack and lasagnas for their family.  They also put together a cookbook, which I made a cover for and collected the recipes to print out.  


They also had to do a carnival and a homemade appreciation award for at least one of their leaders.  We went ahead and made a gift for all of the cub scout leaders.  They made these trophies filled with starbursts.  


Mother's Day

I spent a little time getting these pictures ready for the primary kids to give to their moms.  Luckily, someone else did the flower pens, so I just had to print out the pictures and get the pens in place.  They turned out pretty cute.  


We had the kids fill out surveys too, which I loved. Here are some things the kids said about me:

Savannah - Mom and I like to eat pizza.
If I could go anywhere in the world with her, we'd go to the zoo with all the animals we can look at.
I love my Mom because I do.  

Weston - My mom's job is cleaning up.  
My mom really loves flowers.  She likes to eat flowers.  If she had time, she would like to pick flowers.  Mom is really good at picking flowers.  (I think he was stuck on flowers...)
If I could go anywhere in the world with her, we'd go to the farm, to play in the hay.

Owen - Mom is really good at cooking.  
She likes to eat Twix.
If I could go anywhere in the world with her, we'd go to my grandpa's house.

Jared - My Mom's job is being a mom and staying at home.
If she had time, she would like to sleep in and relax.
I love my Mom because she helps me in really important things.  

Alex got some of my favorite things - Twix, Snickers almond bars, and yogurt pretzels.  He also made breakfast and dinner (which was another breakfast food - crepes).  The kids made a few things at school too.


These were all great things, but my favorite part of the day was listening to Nathan speak in church.  It was his first talk to the congregation (another opportunity for turning 12 - the youth 12-18 years old are asked to give short talks in sacrament meeting).  Here is his talk (un-edited):

Mother's Day talk

        Hi my name is Nathan. First of all, happy Mother's Day to all the mothers out there in the congregation. I love my mom. She is fun to be around, especially on Sunday because she is tired and laughs a lot. One of my favorite times with my mom was when we were at big five or sport authority.  We were tired and were laughing together. There are certain things that I ask my mom and things I don't ask her. For example, to earned more time on my kindle, is a one my mom would let me do. An example of not to ask her is to go hiking or go to the beach, as well as board games. Overall I love my mom. 
        My topic today is about how my mom has helped me through teachings and example understand who your Heavenly Father is, what his characteristics are and how she has helped me become like Heavenly Father.  My mother is a great example of Heavenly Father and you should look at you mothers to learn to be an example of Heavenly Father. My mother has been an example of Heavenly Father by loving me and caring for me. My mom makes dinner, washes my stinky socks, and even cleans my room when she asks me four times before that. By her doing all this it shows me that Heavenly Father loves me too because he sent her here for me. She does all these things with love for me. And now I believe that Heavenly Father sent mothers for us with love. When my moms comforts me I fell like the spirit guided, by Heavenly Father, is standing next to her telling her what to say.  Elder Jeffery R. Holland spoke on mothers in the October 2015 General Conference. He stated "Prophesying of the Savior’s Atonement, Isaiah wrote, “He hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows.” A majestic latter-day vision emphasized that “[Jesus] came into the world … to bear the sins of the world.” Both ancient and modern scripture testify that “he redeemed them, and bore them, and carried them all the days of old.” These words our used in others ways and can describe someone else besides Jesus. This can describe mothers. Our mothers have delivered us. Have borne us. Have carried us. All these things Jesus has done as well. This shows that mothers are an example of Christ and Heavenly Father. 
        A couple months ago when we had family prayers we started to get irreverent. Our mom then made us just be quiet and sit still for a little bit. If we did not do that we were sent to our beds. In doing this we were more reverent during prayers. Like my mom the 2000 stripling warriors's mothers taught them to remember that God would deliver them. Alma 56:47 says, Now they never had fought, yet they did not fear death; and they did think upon the liberty of their fathers than they did upon their lives; yea, they had been taught by their mothers, that if they did not doubt, God would deliver them. Like the stripling warriors my mom changed me and made me a better example of Heavenly Father. 
        I know that mothers were sent from our Heavenly Father because he loves us. I know that Heavenly Father loves me and I appreciate my mom for doing all the things she does for me and in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.


I posted these on Facebook:



I am grateful for both of these good moms!

May pre-school


Gifts for the pre-school moms (chocolates, sugar cookie recipe, cookie cutter, and photo flowers in a milk jar vase)


They liked the honey on toast for our bee and ladybug theme.

They helped make decorations for our party - zoo animals

We had turkey salad sandwiches, watermelon, carrots, goldfish, strawberries & whipped cream, and cupcakes for a lunch party.  They also did some zoo bingo and played with elephant party blowers.


It was simply fun!


I made a scrapbook for each of the kids too with pictures from the year!  


Monday, August 8, 2016

Just Serve

We participated in a community service day.  (Alex and Nathan were on a scout camp-out.)  The boys were pretty good helpers - we didn't gather a large bag full of trash, but we got every cigarette butt and little pieces of trash in the neighborhood.  The boys got a kick out of the trash grabbers and wearing the bright vests.   


it's not all fun and games...

Owen and Savannah will be embarrassed by this later, but we found it kind-of funny.  They both wanted to brush their teeth at the same time, on that stool.  Neither one of them would budge - stubborn kids. Savannah really has some lungs on her.  






Yes, I documented a tantrum.  It's part of life.  

Ben Franklin at the wax museum


first haircut!

Here are a few pictures from March and April - Savannah's hair was getting out of hand, and she wouldn't let me brush it.  I had never cut her hair, so I was a little sad to chop it off, but she needed it.  She even got her mixer toy stuck in her hair one day...
  

She's looking a bit like a punk rocker in the pictures here...

I didn't intend to cut it so short, but I wasn't quite satisfied with it, so I kept cutting more.  I may have even cut some more after the last picture here.

It looked so cute after we fixed it the next day for church!