Lake of the Ozarks Day Two

Day two and our final full day on the lake found ourselves being lazy and enjoying a slow and simple life in our nice and spacious condo. For the two week vacation we have had jammed packed days full of lots of fun adventures and Grant and I were ready to just sit and be still; to use the time to relax and gear up before our long drive home and back to reality. Madeline and Spencer enjoyed painting pet rocks, Grant and Anthony enjoyed time watching the original Tron movie, and I enjoyed a relaxing morning on the padio overlooking an amazing view listening to Mormon Tabernacle Choir while updating the blog world about our amazing vacation. At one point all the kids were watching tv in their own rooms, but the kicker was they were all watching the same show but they each had a remote that they could control. Grant and I thought that was really funny that the kids would get a good kick out of the fact that they had their own tv with their own remote. They didn't care that they were watching the samething, it was all about the remote. Too bad that in reality they will not have their own tv in their rooms, the kids are lucky enough to have their own rooms. After spending half the day relaxing and just lounging around we emerged from our condo for lunch. After lunch the kids went off with Grant to try one of the 7 pools here and Mommy enjoyed a nice relaxing nap. Though we didn't do anything amazing and didn't see something spatacular I enjoyed this day the most. It was nice to slow things down rest and relax and spend time doing the simple things. However, all great things have to come to an end. After all the fun and the relaxing time we had it was time to pack the car and to get ready to leave early in the morning.

This vacation has been a blast and I am so glad that we took the two weeks to be together as a family. I feel that lots of memories were made and that great times were held by all. I am so glad that for two weeks there was nothing in our way or nothing to distract us from spending time together as a family. Getting back to reality will be hard, but I will count my blessings at being able to take the vacation that we did and to be able to give the kids a magical and memorable summer. We were able to see lots of new and different country and we were able to learn and be edified along the way. This vacation is just what the doctor ordered. And this is one doctor orders that I was glad to follow.

Lake of the Ozarks Day One

We arrived at the Lake of the Ozarks on Thursday evening. This was the last stop in our vacation and we were here on the lake to relax and get ready for the journey home and the entry back into the real world. I was able to find a three bedroom 2000 square foot condo for not too much more then a hotel. When we got to our condo the kids went crazy as they went through exploring their new temporary digs. I have never seen more excited kids about a hotel then ours. They began to claim which room was theirs and Grant and I went through opening the various doors stunned by all the closet storage we had. Grant and I looked at each other and said we could comfortably live here. The walk in closet in the Master bedroom is big enough to be considered a small bedroom. I wouldn't know what to do with that much storage at home. Day one at Lake of the Ozarks was spent with shopping (mainly for me) at the outlet malls for a couple of hours. The kids did very well considering it was shopping and enjoyed the snow cone treat at the end. I was able to get a few things for myself and get the kids started in the winter wardrobe. After our shopping exersion it was time for lunch and then off to walmart to get some beach toys and then head to one of the many beaches that surround the lake. After a few wrong turns and a few mishaps in trying to read our map we accidently found ourselves at a beach. Well the beach is no Florida or Carribean beach but the kids were excited to swim in the lake. For it being Madeline and Spencer's first time to swim in a non pool atmosphere. The water was a bit on the dirty side so I cautiously told the kids to keep their mouths shut and not to swallow any of the dirty lake water. I on the other hand do not like to swim in a non pool atmosphere so I was content taking pictures of our kids splashing around in the dirty lake water. Spencer of course enjoyed himself and proudly protested when it was time to leave. Madeline enjoyed floating around going wherever the waves took her. Anthony enjoyed floating out to the bouy and then floating back. Anthony has been working hard on the back float for scouts and the lake was good practice for him. Overall the kids were just excited to be able to swim in the lake that they didn't even notice or seem to care that the water was anything but clear. Oh yeah about the beach, there wasn't a beach so those beach toys that we bought our just Lake of the Ozark souveniors.

These two exersions plus the deathly heat wore use out for the day and we were ready (except for Spencer) to head back to the condo for dinner and a good nights rest.

Merimac Caves

Saint Louis was only three hours away from Lake of the Ozarks. Since we had to check out of our hotel in Saint Louis at 11:00 and we couldn't check into our condo in Lake of the Ozarks until after 4:00 we needed something to entertain us all. We saw a pamphlet advertising Merimac Caverns that was on our way to our next destination. Grant and I thought that would be a great place to stop stretch our legs and give us something fun to do besides sitting in a car the whole time. The cavern was also a welcome relief from the hot temperatures outside because inside the cavern it stays at a constant 60 degrees that is so much nicer then the 100 degrees outside. Back in Springfield we went to a small not as popular cavern; the cavern was nice but not catch your breath away like the Merimac Caverns. I am glad that we were able to take the kids to one of the many cavern tours that they have in Missouri. Nature is so beautiful and when you leave nature alone it does some magical things. Their is some history with the Merimac Caverns. History states that Jessie James used the cave to hide out during one of his many bank robberies. When they were exploring the cave they did find weapons and other items left behind from Jessie James. They have the items on display at the caverns so that was nice to see. Also during the civil war the Confederate troops would used the cave to make their gun powder so that was neat as well. The cave is seven stories tall and we got our exercise as we walked up hill, down hill, up stairs, down stairs during our hour long tour. However, it was the best exercise ever because the views and the formations that we saw were breath taking. The kids even enjoyed the cave and were so enthralled in it that they didn't even complain about the time it took. The only down thing was that we were not prepared for the temperature drop so we didn't have a jacket for Madeline but using body heat from Daddy we managed through the tour. Stopping at the cave was a nice treat and made what could be a mundane road trip into a magical one and was able to hold our kids over until we arrived at our next destination.

Spencer Swims Alone

Since we have been on vacation and if we were staying in a hotel with a swimming pool Grant would take the kids swimming to allow them to burn some energy and stretch their muscles. During this time Grant has been working with Anthony on his Aquant badge for Webelos and helping Madeline and Spencer become more comfortable swimming on their own with a life jacket. Anthony has done really well on his badge and has gotten more comfortable swimming without any aide. While in Saint Louis, Grant was at the pool with the kids and as costum Madeline and Spencer waite at the stairs as Grant takes a turn with Madeline and then a turn with Spencer. During this time Spencer told his Daddy this is how it is done and off the stairs he went and he started swimming on his own with his life jacket. Since then his confidence has grown and he is swimming all over on his own. Out of all three of our kids, Spencer is the most comfortable and least fearful of water so I don't think it will take him long before the life jacket is off and he is swimming with no source of aide. Madeline has come along way too. Madeline is the most fearful of water of our kids and since being on vacation she is now at the point that she will let go of Daddy's hand and swim on her own with a life jacket. She does like her dad to stay close and there are times that she will reach out just to make sure everything is okay. I am so proud of our kids they and Grant have been working hard on being more comfortable in the water. The kids have sure enjoyed their time with Daddy in the pool. It has been a nice break from Grant's crazy work schedule; I am sure they are soaking up the time they have with their Daddy. Their swimming time has given me a break as well; so it is a win win situation for all.

Saint Louis

This morning (July 26) happened to be my birthday, I don't remember a time that I was on vacation for my birthday. Because of the fact that when you are on vacation you lose track of time and what day it is, it took a bit of time to realize that it was my birthday. The kids were all excited to be able to tell me Happy Birthday and they were all excited to give me their gifts and cards as well. Celebrating your birthday brings excitement when you celebrate it through the eyes of your children. This day we were bound for Saint Louis and so off we went for the 3 hour drive from one hotel to the next. After many u-turns because of missing our exits and at times driving in circles trying to figure out where we needed to be headed we made it safely to our hotel. It is custom for our kids when we get to a new hotel for them to check out the space including the bathrooms. We also like to gather many pamphlets and plan our stay in whatever city/place we are in. After our customs were completed, the kids were anxious to try out the swimming pool and I was ready for a nap-sitting all day in a car can sure make you exaughsted. After our priorities were taken care of it was time to take Mommy out to dinner for her birthday. The only place nearby where everyone can find something that they liked was Olive Garden. We filled our tummies, but because it was a birthday we needed a treat but our tummies were too full for a treat. We decided to get it to go and Grant and I being the sneaky parents that we are enjoyed the very yummy white cake with Lemon filling after the kids were asleep. The kids picked out their own cards for me and you could really see their personalities shine through their cards. Grant did not help them but let them chose the card of their choice. Spencer's card had his personality all over it. Spencer loves letters, especially the letter "S" and he also loves the Wiggles. So he found the perfect card with lots of "S" as well as the Wiggle colors spread throughout; being a birthday card was not a priority for him. On the front of the card it says "Yessss" in nice big letters and the letters are colored in Wiggle colors. On the inside of the card it simple reads "You did it!" This is a Spencer card. Yes I made it to another year. Spencer was so proud to show me the letters "S" on his card as well as all the wiggle colors, he was very proud of his card and I was proud of his card too. Madeline's card was decorated with butterflies and on the inside was filled with her drawings. Anthony's card was sentimental but you could tell the words were from the heart. After I read his card I looked up at him and in his eyes you could tell he agreed with the author's words. Being a mother is hard and at times I wonder if I am doing a good job. Something I have learned from being a mother that at times the reward doesn't come until years later. I have this fear that I am going to screw up my kids, that they are going to see my weaknesses and that they are going to be louder than my love. However, Heavenly Father sprinkles moments like these that tell me that despite my many weaknesses I am a good mom and that my kids are truly happy and feel my love for them.

The next day we were off to explore Saint Louis. We noticed that the Saint Louis Zoo was free and hey free is always good so off we went to the zoo. It was definitely hot but the kids enjoyed going to a zoo that was different than the only zoo that they have ever known. They like looking at the animals some were the same and some were different. After we had sweated a lot and drank lots of water we saw the peguine exhibit and it was indoors. Now we know that penguins need a cold environment and at that moment we needed a cold enviornment as well. It felt so good in the penguine exhibit that I was willing to spend the rest of the day with the penguins. However, the kids quickly got over that and were begging to outside where it wasn't so cold. We were able to spend a couple of hours at the zoo before we headed over to the arch. Grant and I have seen the arch before but my beautiful pictures that were taken in the old fashioned camera (the one with film) didn't turn out so my main goal was to take nice beautiful pictures with my digital camera. This time I was guaranteed to get some pictures and I am proud to say that my goal was accomplished. Grant took the kids up to the top of the arch and I graciously stayed on terafurma and watched the stoller. The kids had a blast sitting in a small cramped cart and being wheeled up hundereds of feet just look out some tiny windows and seeing all of Saint Louis hundereds of feet in the air. Me on ther other hand had a nice safe and peaceful experience watching the many visitors coming and going throughout the museum that they have there under the arch. After my family safely joined me we took the kids through the museum where they could answer questions from the exhibits and in the end earn a Junior Ranger badge. This made the museum exciting for them and not a drag. The kids enjoyed racing from one exhibit to another answering the questions and then quickly moving on. This was okay for Mommy and Daddy because we didn't really have much time as we needed to be at our Riverboat cruise.

Speaking of our riverboat cruise it wasn't all that it was hiped to be. Sure the heat didn't make it fun, but I would have expected more (food, entertainment, etc.) for the money that you spent. We had a very knowledgable captain that shared with us the history of the various archeitecture buildings and bridges that we passed along the way, but for the most part we sat in the heat as the boat putted along at 15 miles and hour. The boat was an old paddle steam boat that they used in the late 1800s and early 1900s; so the nastalgia was neat, but nastalgia can't hold your attention or make the heat a pleasant experience. We finished up the day around dinner time and we were all hot, tired, and hungry. We cooled off in the car on our drive back to the hotel, filled our tummies with left over food from Olive Garden and we washed off in the swimming pool. After all our priorities were accomplished it was time to accomplish the last one, and to bed we went.

Church History in Missouri Part 2

The next day after touring Adam-Ondi-Ahman and Far West we went and did Liberty Jail and Independence Visitor Center. I have never been to either nor was I familiar with Church History in Missouri so I was excited to be able to not only see Church History but to learn more about Church History. When we got to Liberty Jail, Grant went to get Spencer out of the car and Spencer said in a distressed voice "No more stories Daddy." By this time in our trip Spencer had endured three days of nothing but stories and plays in Nauvoo that he was pretty much tired of it; but he was a trooper and did good at Liberty Jail and Independence.

At Liberty only part of the jail was still intack, they did have to add some rocks and stones over time. To project the jail, they built a rotanda around the jail as well as the Visitor Center. I have only seen pictures so I thought that they built a replica of the jail so I was surprised to learn that it was real thing. As you go through the tour they play audio recordings depicting the events that took place in Liberty Jail. As I sat there and listened my heart filled with gratitude for the Prophet Joseph Smith as well as a deeper respect for him and the person of character he exemplified. I think that is what I have gained most from this trip is a greater sense of character the Prophet Joseph Smith exemplified. He truly was and is a remarkable person who exemplified charity in every sense. Anyway back to Liberty. It was humbling to see the jail that the prophet spent so much time in. The room is really dark and due to all the layers of rock, stone, and wood that they put as safety measures one can see and almost feel how cold it was in there. Knowing now the hardships that the prophet endured, the sections from D&C that came from his time in Liberty mean more to me. The Prophet definitely experienced trials during this period of time, but he never lost his faith in the Lord and in the healing power and strength that comes from the Atonement. His example and the lessons I learned from Liberty fortified my strength and courage to take all my trials with the exact faith, strength and courage as the prophet. If he could endure such crucial treatment with such courage and love; then whatever trial I am asked to endure I can do the same. Liberty Jail was a place on confinement for Joseph Smith, but I think it was in a way a place of freedom for him as well. It was in Liberty Jail that the Prophet learned, and what me must all learn, is that when we place our faith in the healing power of the Atonement our trials don't confine us but give us freedom. I have seen this with experiencing the many trials of Madeline's health. Sometimes the trial seems to great but when I remember that my Savior Jesus Christ already took this upon Him and that I need to turn it over to Him, and not hold onto it, I feel freedom. I feel peace. I feel joy, despite the fact that my trial still exist. The Atonement takes away the worry and gives me room to see what my Heavenly Father wants me to see and to learn what my Heavenly Father wants me to learn so I can return as a valiant Daughter of God. Liberty Jail will hold a special place in my heart for there I learned and gained a stronger testimony of the "Liberty" one can receive when we give our trials over to the Savior.

As soon as you walk through the doors of the Independence Visitor Center you feel like you walking through the front doors of the Temple. The Spirit is in abundance there and the purpose of life emenates from the walls there. The first tour that we did was about family, and when our tour was done I looked in the eyes of each of my children and in their eyes I saw a gift; they are truly a gift and I saw some areas that I could improve on to take advantage of the gift that has been given to me. I also saw how Satan in such suttle ways distracts us from our gifts. I just wanted to hold my children a little closer and a little longer and to savor the time I have with them and make those moments my priority and to kick Satan's distractions to the curb because after all it is the moments that I have with my family that I can take with me to Heaven and when I get to the other side I want my room bursting with moments; for it is in the moments that we find true joy.

Other parts of the Visitor Center were filled with interactive displays for the kids to learn more about Church History and various prophets in The Book of Mormon. The kids really liked these interactive displays and Grant and I were able to captialize on these moments and to talk to our kids about the prophets from The Book of Mormon and hopefully in some small way bear our testiomny to them of the gospel principles that they taught us.

Down stairs they have a Church History tour for you to walk through and in a small way experience life like they did when the Saints lived in Independence. Since Spencer was all "storied" out and Anthony and Madeline were done listening they along with Grant played in a little log cabin play house that they had there. I went on the tour and gave Grant the shorten condensed version afterwards. The Saints in Independence had it hard, I just cannot complain anymore when I feel that life is hard after my experiences in Independence. Despite the hardships that they faced they never lost their spirit of love; that was intriging to me. It caused a lot of reflection in my life and I realized that at times when life gets hard the spirit of love goes out the window and without that spirit I just have this impassable obstacle in front of me. However, with the Spirit of Love abound within you don't see the obstacle you just see blessings and joy. In Heaven there won't be any obstacles because we will all be filled with the Spirit of Love. This is a goal that I have set for myself to fill my home and my heart with spirit of Zion which is love so in my journey through life I will see the blessings and joy that surround me and not my obstacles. Obstacles our Satan's tools to distract us from our eternal goal. There will be obstacles in my life, but if I fill my heart with love (the spirit of Zion) then my obstacles won't be "obstacles" but they will be opportunities of blessings and joy.

After our walk through the visitor center we took a few moments and walked across the street to the Independence Temple site and were able to see a couple of the cornerstones. As I stood there up on the hill I could see in my mind the Temple of God and though there isn't a temple there yet you can still feel of the spirit that comes from the Temple.

This pretty much filled up our day and the kids were ready to head back to the hotel and enjoy some time in the swimming pool. This church vacation has been amamzing and such a testimony building experience. I am so grateful for the opportunities that I had to see and hear such amamzing things. I am so grateful for the early Saints for their faith, courage, and most of all for their Testimony. Despite all their hardships their testimony shined and they never lost sight of the eternal goal. I am so grateful to be apart of a great pioneer heritage and legacy and I hope that I can carry the testimony of our ancestors into the hearts of our children so that the legacy of our ancestors will never die but continue on forever; then when the day comes that we all gather around the dinner table in Heaven there will not be any empty chairs.

Church History in Missouri

After our funfilled and packed few days in Nauvoo we headed south for Missouri to tour some of the church sites there. First on our list was Adam-ondi-Ahman. I heard it was off the beaten path and it was. Our route took us along some nice country roads and through some really small country towns. We were surrounded by pretty nature filled with lots of rolling hills, lots of trees, and lush green corn fields. This was all nice and "magical" in a way until we started to hear "I'm hungry." We realized that the nice view of rolling hills, groves of trees, and the nice corn fields was not going to satisfy three hungry kids' tummies. We also began to notice that as we went through each town all we would see were a couple of run down gas station with a maw and pa store attached; well that wasn't going to work either. We saw on the map that if we continued on the road that we were on that it would take us to what looked like a decent size town, a town that would have at least a few fast food joints that would appeal to our kids' tummies. However, this would take us away from our route but we saw that if we took a side road that it connected the road we needed to be on and the road we were currently on. So with a good plan in place off we went and after a few minutes we arrived at our destination and found a few good places that our kids were excited about and that Mommy and Daddy could stomach. You know it is a decent town when you see a Wal-Mart across the street.

We continued our journey through the nice country side driving up hills and down hills enjoying the view out our windows. As we were driving through some rough roads we were wondering if we missed a turn, but alas there was the sign pointing to our destination Adam-ondi-Ahman. We got out stretched our legs walked over to the look out space told the kids the purpose of Adam-ondi-Ahman took our pictures of the corn fields that will one day serve a glorious purpose and back in the car we went; but not before we were eaten alive by hungry bugs-I guess they like the smell of burger king that resonated from our bodies. Next on our stop was Far West to see the cornerstones that Joseph Smith placed for the temple that was supposed to be built there. So a quick journey up the road and off a beaten path we arrived at Far West. It was another good place to walk around and stretch our legs. We were able to see the four original cornerstones right where they were placed by the Prophet Joseph Smith as well as a nice monument that the Church has put there. We took our pictures read the plaques and off we went. At this time we decided to head for our hotel and see Liberty Jail and Independence the next day. Our kids were done with Church History for the day and were ready to splash in a nice pool.

Joplin Missouri

On our way to Springfield we saw that we would go by the outskirts of Joplin so we decided to get off the main road and to drive around the inner skirts of Joplin. At first there was nothing to see, but then as drove up to the top of the hill right before us as far as our eyes could see was total and complete destruction. It really was breath taking and heart breaking at the same time. The only tornado I am use to is the one that hit Fort Worth about eleven years ago; there was damage but there wasn't a wipe out. What we saw looked as if a bulldozer came through and flatened everything in a one mile wide and six mile long area. What broke my heart the most was to see children's toys and people's belongings scattered around and at some houses you would see a small pile of belongings in front of what use to be there house. How does one start over? I could imagine how overwhelming it could be to stand in front of your house and see that it is totally gone except the foundation, and knowing that somehow someway you need to start over.

I guess you do it with any other challenge that we face in life, no matter how small or how big it is all the same. You do it one step at a time only concentrating on your current step and not the other steps before you. With each step we need to remember our Savior Jesus Christ knowing that in the Garden he suffered for our pains and griefs and with a open hand extended He is there ready and willing to help us climb and accomplish each step.

My heart goes out to the people of Joplin. While there we saw groups helping with clean up, we saw people at their homes gathering what they could and sorting through the mess. It sure puts in perspective that things are things and should not cloud over what matters most. After that experience I wanted to hold my children a little closer and a little tighter, to not get frustrated easily, and create more moments that bring us together; because after all my family I get to keep for eternity my things stay here.

Springfield and Branson Missouri

Well it is Summer Vacation time and the Cooper Family couldn't be more ready to leave behind our crazy busy life and spend two weeks of fun together. I know Grant is ready for a break from work; he has been putting in some serious hours at work for the past couple of months. For the past couple of months it has felt that we are constantly going from one thing to the next with no time to breath, and so it will be nice to be able to breath and maybe slow things down a bit.

Stop one of our two week trip was Springfield and Branson Missouri. We picked this location because it was a good stopping point on our way to Nauvoo, which is the main purpose of our vacation but I will get to the details of that later. We got to Springfield a little later than wanted due to the fact that after we loaded the last little bit of luggage and got our kids all buckled down for the long trip, the car didn't want to start. We jumped the car and off to the auto parts store we went for a new battery, but the auto parts store was closed. No problem we had a few things that we needed to get done and so we dropped of the library books (tired of paying fines to our great city) and we were able to find an auto part store near by. Grant got the best battery and after 30 minutes the old battery was out the new battery was in and we were off; not on vacation though. Grant forgot to scan in his receipts from a recent business trip so since we were near work we stopped by there so he could scan in his receipts. He wasn't gone too long because they wouldn't let him through the guard gate with shorts on, so errand number two was checked quickly off of our list. Then the organized person that I am forgot about Madeline's medicine at the pharmacy and so we drove all the way back to our house to pick up the medicine, but before that we got breakfast to go or more like brunch. So an hour and a half after we had wanted to be on the road we were finally leaving for our two week packed full of fun things to do vacation.

Day one of the road trip was pretty smooth for a road trip goes. The kids enjoyed their toys and movies that they packed and Grant and I enjoyed the peace and quiet. Actually the car was pretty quiet, no conversations really. Grant and I went to bed around 1:00 in the morning the night ( or morning of) before and got up around 6:00 to get ready to head out by 7:00. We figured why we didn't talk much was that we were too tired to think. We did a lot of munching to stay awake during our trip.

In Springfield we planned on visiting an underground cavern as well as visiting the first Bass Pro Shop; but when we learned that the underground cavern was a driving tour (you sit in a tram and they drive you through) and the big museum at Bass Pro was closed (making just like any other Bass Pro Shop) we were looking for new plans. We grabbed a bunch of phamplets and while doing so realized that Branson was 45 minutes away from Springfield, so why not play around in Branson too.

We toured a self guided tour of a near by Civil War Battlefield. They had 8 points of interest that you could stop at read some plaques about what happened at that point. Luckily this was able to be done all by car. The first point had a little walking tour for you to go on taking you past what use to be someones mill and home. Of course the mill and home are no longer standing but they had plaques marking their location. It was getting pretty hot so for the rest of the trip we just drove to each location and read the brief paragraph for that location and then briefly explained it to our kids. Anthony has a love for the Civil War so he was excited to see the Battlefield. For me it was a neat to reflect that 150 years ago there were thousands of troops marching on those hills and fighting in the valleys and after it the battle was over, the Confederate troops won but not without many casualties on both sides.

After our Civil War Battle tour we hopped in our car and headed for a tour of a nearby cavern. It was a small cavern and not a popular one which can be nice when you are in a tour. In fact we were the only ones, which can be good or bad. Our tour guide was friendly and very knowledgable, in fact at times too knowledgable. At one point during our tour Spencer says nice and loud "Mommy I want to go home." I think Spencer was speaking what was in everyones mind. The kids enjoyed seeing the rock formations and some fossils of long ago ocean life, but when talking to kids think less is always more. After our tour was over it was time to each lunch. At lunch we had to alter our plans alittle due to the fact that it was getting late. I had wanted to do one of those duck tours where you get a car that can drive on land and in water, but time was running out for that. We had also wanted to tour another cave, but decided to do it later on in our trip. Madeline wanted to go to a butterfly museum, the museum was closed but they had a glow in the dark exhibit that was opening up during the evening hours. One we got to Branson we headed off to a local mall for Madeline to fulfill her desire of going to Build a Bear. Madeline didn't understand that souveniors are something that you get that you cannot get from where you live. Madeline had her heart set on a bear of Build a Bear being her souvenior and there was no changing her mind. It was also a good place to burn some time waiting for the Buttterfly night show to open.

The Butterfly night exhibit was really neat. They use black lights so everything glows in the dark. The first activity that we went to was a bunggie cord maze. They put bunggie cords everywhere and you had to work your way through them to get to the other side. We did have help though; we had a nice fairy that would guide us along the way. The kids really enjoyed the maze and after a few times of doing it had the path memorized and did it with ease. There was also a movie that you could watch talking about nocturnal animals with focus on the insects like lightening bugs. This movie proved borning for Spencer; but Madeline who loves butterflies loved the movie. After the movie we went to see if we could find sleeping butterflies using our lanterns. The room was dark with uses of black light sprinkled throughout. We were given some homemade lanterns to help us find our sleeping treasures. When butterflies sleep they are hard to find because they hide or blend in ( a defense mechanism), but we were able to catch a few sleeping butterflies. We had to be really quiet so as to not wake up the sleeping beauties. Our fairy guide showed up during our tour and was able to get the kids to join her in hula hooping. Madeline and Spencer were not interested but Anthony and Grant were game for it. I learned that Anthony can hula and he is pretty good at it. He just kept going and going, he would do small tricks like jumping while still being able to hula. I would say he was able to hula for a good couple of minutes. After our butterfly tour we headed downstairs for the mirror maze. I have never been on one before and at first it was a bit intimidating. I wanted Grant to go first to guide the way. Because of the way they use the mirrors and because it is also in the dark you are not sure which in the correct path and which will lead you smack into a mirror. Anthony took the whole thing like a fish to water. He just crused right through leaving us all in the dust as if the maze was in complete light. Spencer followed him while the rest of us walked the maze with our hands out in front on us and walking at a slow safe speed. It didn't take long for Anthony to figure out the pattern and off he went with no problems, I think he even came back for us. Grant figure it out pretty fast but was staying back with Madeline helping her through.

After our trip to the butterfly museum it was time for some minature golf. This was Anthony choice of activity. The minature golf place was called Pirates Cove so it was set up in a Pirates decor; other than that it was like any other minature golf. Spencer had a blast and as usual it is always entertaining to watch him try to get the golf ball down the course and into the hole. A lot of times he would just pick the ball up and walk in down and sit it next to the hole and with the club knock it in. Spencer also would get excited when any of us would get the ball into the hole and would always cheer for each of us. Some of the course was under a cave and some were next to running streams of water, and some just had challenging hills to get over. The kids had fun and it was a fun activity to share as a family. Of course when we play minature golf we never keep score, this helps with us trying to teach our kids that it doesn't matter what order you came in just that you finished and had fun. We ended the might with a blizzard/milk shake treat and then headed back for the hotel. We were gone from 9:00 in the morning to 11:00 at night. It was a day packed full of fun and the kids had no problem going to bed that night and neither did Grant and I. The next day we were off to Nauvoo, but that is another post.

Nauvoo 2011

Grant's maternal (Thompson) side of the family was having a family reunion during pioneer weekend in Nauvoo. The purpose of the trip was not only to gather together as a family and strengthen our ties to one another; but to also learn about our pioneer heritage. Grant's family on both sides has deep pioneer heritage (mainly Joseph Knight Sr. and Parley P. Pratt) that is felt all throughout Nauvoo. Grant and I were excited about about the reunion being Nauvoo and being able to not only share with our children their pioneer heritage but the heritage by all those that lived in Nauvoo.

Nauvoo was beyond words and a very testimony building experience. We were able to see all the sites and learn how life was like for our pioneers, we were able to play like pioneers, we were able to enjoy the shows, and the highlight was teh Nauvoo Pagent. Trying to record our trip would make for a very long blog post, and so to simplfy I will just hit the high lights.

Thursday July 21: Started out with watch "Plain Anna Amanda." The play was very entertaining especially to the children; however under all the entertainment and laughter the play had a very good meaning behind the play. The play centered around a girl named Anna Amanda who was on a mission to be someone important. You see Anna Amanda was given a nick name of Plain Anna Amanda and to her she felt like she was not important. By the end of the play she realizes she is important and special because she is Anna Amanda. Anna Amanda learns that she doesn't need to try to be anyone else, she just needs to be herself.

After lunch and a good fun at pioneer pasttimes, we were off to show on Parley P. Pratt. It was neat to bring our children to this play and allow them to learn about their 5th great grandfather. The show was about one of the missions that Parley P. Pratt took to England with several members of the Quorum of Twelve Apostles. Chills ran up and down as they bore their testimonies and shared their experiences. Inside I was saying "Amen." While watching you couldn't help but feel the Holy Ghost testifying to you that the gospel is true and through the gospel one can find true and lasting happiness.

The rest of the day was spent visiting the different sites. We visited the bakery where we were given a free cookie at the end of the tour. We saw the printing press and learned how the printing press was opperated. We went to the blacksmith and saw how a black smith worked and how they prepared the wagons for the journey west. At the end of the black smith tour we were given a "prarie diamond" ring. We made a stopped at John Taylor's home and learned more about the third prophet. We were able to learn what a devoted father and disciple of Christ he was. Our journey wasn't over yet. We made our way down to the tin shop and learned the business of the Stoddard family and how they made a living making tin pans, bowls, laddles, candle holders, and lanterns. Finally we ended our tour at the gun shop where we learned about Jonathan Browning and the contributions he made in helping the saints to defend and protect themselves. By this time the kids were exghausted and Spencer was asking to go back to the hotel. We checked into our hotel quickly and went off to the camp ground to enjoy dinner with the whole family. We ended our very full day with a play "Rendezvous in Old Nauvoo put on by the Senior Missionaries. We sure packed are day full and the kids had no trouble going right to bed.

Friday July 22: Grant and Anthony got up real early to join the family on a pioneer handcart trek. Grant said that they had a good time and enjoyed themselves. Anthony took a turn in help to pull and push their handcart. Madeline, Spencer, and I stayed behind. Infact, Madeline and Spencer were so tired that they didn't even wake up until Grant and Anthony returned from their one mile trek. After the trek the rest of the family was off to do a couple of sessions in the Nauvoo Temple. However, the Grant Cooper Family went off to visit the Joseph Smith sites. There we were able to see the first house that Joseph and Emma Smith lived in when they arrived in Nauvoo as well as the Mansion House where Joseph and Emma were living when he Joseph left for Carthage. We were able to see the hotel that Joseph built to house those saints and others coming into Nauvoo from various places. We ended our tour at the Red Brick Store where we learned more about Church History and the events that took place there. From the tour my eyes were opened to the deep love and compassion that Joseph Smith had for the people whether they were members of the church or not. Joseph Smith showed deep charity for others despite the persecussion around him. We rounded out our day with another play "Sunset on the Mississippi" put on by the Younger and Senior Missionaries.

Saturday July 23: Grant and Anthony woke up early again to go off geode hunting. We learned that Keokuk and the surrounding area is the geode captial of the world. I will do a separate post about their hunting experience. Afterwards we joined the rest of the family in Carthage. If you were unsure if the prophet was indeed a Prophet of Lord; touring Carthage Jail can change any doubt one would had. One could definitely feel the spirit in Carthage and a neat experience for us parents to be able to teach our children about the testimony and legacy of the prophet Joseph Smith. I hope our children in some way were able to feel the spirit and feel and understand the spirit of the Prophet Joseph Smith. Before dinner we went and saw "High Hopes and Riverboats" a play put on by the younger missionaries. After the play we met Grant's parents for dinner and then it was off to the Nauvoo Pagent. I have to say the Nauvoo Pagent was the high light of our week in Nauvoo. The Pagent tells of the history of the Saints in Nauvoo from the time they arrived to the time they were forced out. The Pagent also centers around the Nauvoo Temple and the purpose and blessings of the Temple. At the end the whole cast gathered around to sing "The Spirit of God" as they were singing they lite up the Nauvoo Temple in the distant hills. The spirit was so strong, chills were running up and down my spine, and the tears were wanting to run. All I have to say is the Gospel is true; our Savior Jesus Christ is real and His love is real and unconditional. The Temple is true, the blessings of the temple are amazing and full of peace. I am so grateful for the temple and the blessings the temple provides for our family. As I look into the eyes of my children and husband, love overwhelms my heart as I see eternity through their eyes.

I am so grateful for our trip to Nauvoo. I am grateful for the spirit that is felt throughout Nauvoo, and I am really grateful for the testimonies that were born by the missionaries as each site we visited. Their testimonies strengthened mine and I know that my children walked away with their knowledge of the gospel strengthened. It was neat to be able to teach our children about their pioneer ancestors to be able to walk the streets that they walked, to hear their testimonies, and to feel their love for the Savior and his Gospel. I hope as their Mom that I was able to teach them about the strength that their ancestors possessed and that through the strength of their testimonies they were able to endure their trials and to reach the Salt Lake Valley. I hope that they were able to see in some small way that our testimonies see us through our trials and that it is through our testimony of our Savior Jesus Christ that we are able to find true happiness despite what goes on around us. Nauvoo was a great testimony building experience. I know my testimony was strengthen as well as my resolve to be better and to keep the legacy of our ancestors alive in our lives.

Our Newest Lawn Mower

Sleeping Beauty

Want to know what an Angel looks like when sleeping?

A Date at the Park

Shortly after school got out ( I know I am really behind) Madeline asked me to go on a date to the park. I wasn't shocked that Madeline wanted to go to the park, but I was surprised that she asked me to take her. You see Daddy is her favorite person and the one that she loves to go to the park with. I said yes, but have to admit that I put the idea aside. A few weeks later, Madeline asked again and after kicking myself for forgetting we wrote in in the calendar. The day came and luckily the weather was perfect. We went to a nearby park that is her favorite and again lucky for us not very many people were there, which meant Madeline was comfortable running around and exploring the park without fear of getting ran over by some wild kid. It was a lot of fun we pretended that we were exploring the world in our express train, and boy the adventures we had on our magical bus. Before we left Madeline had one important thing to do and that was show me that she could walk along the retaining wall. When she got to the middle she held up her arms proudly declaring I did it Mom! It was such a fun treat to go to the park and spend that special one on one time with Madeline, I am so glad that she asked me to go with her.

A Project of Love

Back around January e-mails went out announcing the Thompson Family Reunion being held in July in Nauvoo. Amongst the details were a few assignments needing to be volunteer for. One of them was a Family Book with updated pictures of everyone and a brief paragraph about what is going on in each families life. I thought that would be a really neat project and something that I would love to do, and besides I already have a binding machine at home; so I quickly volunteered for it. I then put the project on the back burner as I had time and there were other things going on that needed my attention. Though it was on the back burner I didn't forget about entirely. As time grew closer to the Reunion I sent out the e-mails requesting the information and as the information came in I began putting the books together. It was really neat to see what everyone is doing and how life is treating them. I decided to add another book into the bunch and that was a coloring book for the kids. I got this idea from when I helped with the Cooper Reunion and putting together coloring books for that one. Our kids enjoyed it a lot I thought why not do one for both sides of the family. I found the coloring book nicely tucked away on the hard drive and began editing and adding a few pages. I took out the Cooper side of the family and added more pages about the Thompson/Baker ancestors. As I researched the family I gained a deep love and appreciation towards these family members who gave up a lot for the gospel. Many of the ancestors left nice comfortable lives for the gospel and some never saw their family again. The one common thread they had amongst them all was a deep love for the gospel and our Savior Jesus Christ. They had that eternal goal in mind, they saw it and they lived it. Through these books I realized my roll as a mother is to carry on these traditions and beliefs of these ancestors to our children so that they can live their life with the same conviction and testimony as their ancestors; and hopefully they will carry it on to their children. The temple resonated through my mind as I worked diligently on these books. I am grateful for the power and blessings of the temple that take family members today and bind them with family members that lived long ago. I am grateful to be apart of an eternal family who loves and loved the Lord and who let their testimony shine through their actions.

After all the information was put together and all the pages were created to be just right the printing began. In my mind this project seemed but a small and simple task but as I picked up the printing and as the color pages were printed off at home, I was surrounded by mounds and stacks of paper and things got to be a bit overwhelming, this was no longer the small and simple project in my mind. The kids and I worked together at organizing all the stacks of paper and then making an assembly line; and then they simply entertain themselves and I punched and bounded away. Though at first things felt a bit overwhelming things turned out to be just right because of a little bit of team work-but if you think about family is all about team work none of make it back home to our Heavenly Father without a little team work.

I am so grateful that I was given this opportunity to put these books together and to be reminded of the richness in ones life from being part of an eternal family. This richness doesn't come from man, but from living the gospel of Jesus Christ.

Ceramic Fun

It has been extremely hot here in Texas, makes you sure miss the weak of snow and ice we had earlier this year. With all of Madeline health issues, being outside in this heat is not an option; and frankly who would want to be outside in 107 degree temperatures. It seems that all there is to do in the summertime here is water activities and we are getting pretty burned out with water parks and pools. I was discussing with my friend about what activities to do with the kids while their Daddy was out of town on business and she came up with the brilliant idea of taking the kids to the pottery place. Brilliant idea I thought. The kids love it there and best of all it is indoors. This time I was feeling a little generous and allow the kids to each pick their own piece of pottery to paint and I just helped them. Madeline and Anthony really got into the project with color schemes and all; and well Spencer he was just out to see how many layers of paint he could safely put on top of each other. By the end lets just say that Spencer had a very colorful Lightening McQueen or "race car" as he calls it. After our painting outing we went out for lunch and then quickly came back home to our nice cool house.

That night we Daddy called to talk to the kids they each were all excited to tell their Daddy about the fun day they had painting. I am so glad that we went; it was a good time had by all.

Fourth of July

For fourth of July we were still staying at the Gaylord Resort. For breakfast we decided to treat the kids out to eat for breakfast. The place we chose was right next to Lego Land which we had tickets for after breakfast. The restaurant was not prepared and we ended up waiting for an hour for our food. We were not the only ones, a lot of people just walked out and left which I felt bad for the manager because you tell she was trying really hard and feeling the stress. By the time we got our food we had to rush to eat so we could make it to Lego Land. When we went up to pay for our breakfast the manager gave it to us for free, which was a nice bonus. This time going to Lego Land was a bit different because I had Grant and we were able to do the rides and enjoy more of the attractions. This time there weren't school field trips, but I was a little worried with it being a holiday that there was going to be a lot of people. Surprisingly when we got there it wasn't too busy which made it nice because the kids were able to participate in more of the hands on activities. Towards the end of our visit the place started to get crowded and lines started lining up; but there was one thing that needed to be done. Spencer wanted to go see Bob the Builder movie in 4D, so while Madeline and Anthony played around in the jungle gym, Daddy took Spencer to see Bob the Builder movie and boy was Spencer on cloud nine. After Lego Land we headed back to the hotel for a little bit of down time before going to the pool to work on Anthony's aquanaut badge. After our swimming venture it was time to eat dinner and head for the firework show. The nice thing about staying at the hotel was that it was near where the fire works were being shot off. Madeline does not like the sound of fire works so we watched them right outside the lobby while the boys went to the top of the parking garage for a front view of the fireworks. We were going to stay that night, but after we all got back to the hotel room we all felt tired and just really wanting to go home. We decided to quickly pack up our things and leave that night and beat the morning rush the next day. It was nice to get away and spend sometime with each other, and it was nice to come home to my bed the bed that my back loves and feels the most comfortable with.

Gaylord Vacation

With Grant's crazy summer work schedule we thought as a family we could use a break and some time together. So we decided to go away (really it was just 30 minutes from our house, but we were away from it) for the fourth of July weekend. A nearby resort was a promotional deal going on to get people to come to their hotel and try out their new water park. The money was the right price and the water park looked like a fun idea so off we went. We have never been to this hotel so we didn't know what to expect. Because of the handicap pass we were able to get valet parking for the same price as self parking. Right there we felt like we were rich and famous. Well we proceed to take out our luggage and a very nice employee comes and helps us load our luggage onto the cart. We then get our care squared away with the valet person and proceed to take the cart, but then that nice employee said he has to stay with the carts and that someone would be up to our hotel room to deliever our luggage. Grant and I said Ohh, see we are not use to that. We are use to having to hunt those carts down or to take our luggage to our room in several trips. Grant immediately finds an ATM machine because you know you have to tip those people. A side note we didn't tip the valet person every time they retrieved our car, instead we tipped the lucky person that retrieved our car when it was time to go home. The hotel room was nice and fancy, the beds nice and soft, and most importantly they had HGTV I was in heaven. Other things that we enjoyed was walking around the hotel. Inside it is decorated to look like a mini San Antonio with a replica of the Alamo and a mini Riverwalk running through. They have lots of benches for people to sit and relax. Of course they have lots of restraunts and bars for you to enjoy a lovely dinner, if you don't mind spending what it would cost in two weeks worth of groceries. Because it was fourth of July they had a balloon man, Uncle Sam on stilts, and a golden cowboy that was made to look like a statue. He was so good at what he was doing that you didn't know he was real until you sat by him and he would say "hi" or put his arm around you. He scared so many people! Of course our kids were not interested in going anywhere near him. The only down side was that I got food poisioning that kept me up all night in really bad heart burn pain and caused Grant to drive around looking for a pharmacy that is opened at 3am. Because of said food poisoning I was able to stay in bed watching all the HGTV I wanted. We were able to go to the water park at any time we wanted and go swimming in their two pools that they had. The kids were in heaven with all the swimming fun they could handle. They were also excited because they were able to watch disney cartoons in the morning. The magic of a hotel. Hotels have disney cartoons, Mommy and Daddy don't; that is why hotels are a special treat to our kids. There were times that we enjoyed playing board games, working on projects, or reading books in our hotel room. It was a nice quiet weekend where we were able to spend it together as a family with no work or other responsibilities getting in the way.

Oops!

Grant came in from mowing the back yard saying Oops. When Grant comes and tells you Oops you know something not very good happened. Well this Oops moment was no different than the others. While trimming in the dark ( I know we were trying to hurry up with the lawns before it got too dark) Grant said he hit a rock and that rock hit one of the glass window panes on our back door. Luckily it is double paned so it was just the outside one that was shattered. With darkness upon us Grant was outside cleaning up the mess before the window completely shattered and glass went flying everywhere. I enjoyed watching him and taking pictures, I like to capture all the moments (the good and the Oops) in our family and the kids had fun watching from inside and being amazed at the cracked glass. After a bit of time Grant was able to get everything all cleaned up and then put a piece of plywood covering the window until we can get it taken care of after our vacation-isn't that when things like this happen when you are busy trying to get ready to go on a 2 week family vacation.

Notice how Grant "the engineer" is cleaning up the glass mess with sandals. I guess we should trust him, because after all he is a Jedi.

Cars 2

Yep we went and we loved it! Don't go to the movies very often was shocked at how much snacks cost. The kids loved the 3D part and I think they enjoyed the glasses just as much. Since then Spencer wears them around the house as if they are his actual glasses (silly kid). Mommy and Daddy enjoyed the movie as well, the kids just like the action and well us parents were the only ones that got the jokes. Going to movies is a rare thing so the kids were extra excited that they got to see Cars 2 and they were surprised that they were able to even get snacks.

The Simple Life

Can life get any better than this. Working on a book while sitting in the sunshine listening to your favorite music; I think not.

Silly Spencer

Words cannot describe how much we love this crazy silly boy. Everyday he makes us laugh with his personality. So grateful to have Spencer in our family, he definitely keeps us on our toes and makes us laugh everyday.

Views of our SMALL Garden

They say great things come in small packages

Anthony's Room

When Grant's parents left for cooler temperatures they decided that they would just go ahead and get their own place. This left us with an extra room. We contemplated doing many things to our extra space from a play room, to a craft room, or even a family room. But in the end we decided to allow Anthony to have his own room, a place where he can build his lego designs without having his brother go through destroying everything to pieces. We let Anthony take the lead in decorating his own room and as each of ideas came true the smile on his face would get bigger and bigger. He has really enjoyed having his own space and has stepped up to the challenge of taking care of his space and being responsible for his things.

I decided to add a special touch to his room. I had Anthony give me a picture of his favorite Star Wars ship and luckily I am married to Super Man he was able to draw it perfectly on paper. From there I added my touch through water color. It was definitely a labor of love but totally worth all the work it took when Anthony saw his picture hanging above his bed. I have enjoyed decorating his room, it has been a fun out let for me. While doing Anthony's room, I have been working on Madeline and Spencer's room. Madeline's Spencer's room is almost ready for picture taking just a few more touches. It has been fun working with the kids in decorating their spaces and helping their personalities comes out through the decor in their room.

My Sweet Angel is 7

I cannot believe that my Madeline is seven years old. Who knew seven years ago the daughter I gave birth to six weeks early and weighing only 4 pounds would be where she is today full of life, spunk, and personality. Madeline adds so much to our family that I think our family would be rather dull without Madeline's spunky personality. Madeline has a great love for life and she is game to try just about anything. Madeline loves to have fun and enjoy any activity that is presented before her. Madeline loves her family the most and feels most comfortable at home in her room coloring and drawing whatever her imagination leads her. Though Madeline has had her share of health problems and challenges she does not let it get in her way or stop her from enjoying life. She takes all her challenges in stride and just goes with the flow. What I enjoy the most about Madeline is hearing her testimony. She loves to bear her testimony any chance she gets, even in sacrament meeting. She especially loves to bear her testimony about the Resurrection and returning to our Heavenly Father someday. I feel that she has a special love for the Resurrection because of what it means to her; know that there will be an end to her challenges and that one day her body will be whole again. At one time we were talking about the Resurrection and she was asking me questions and I was doing my best to answer. The spirit was so strong during our conversation and then I was prompted to tell Madeline what the Resurrection means to her. I told her that when Christ comes again her heart will be whole and healthy, that she won't be sick anymore, and she won't have any ouchies. Madeline sat there for a moment and with a big grin on her face said "an no more IV's." Yes, Madeline no more IV's. I am so grateful for a loving Heavenly Father who allowed his Son to come to earth to not only atone for our sins and burdens but to willingly give his life for us and then to be resurrected on the third day. Because of this love my daughter too will be resurrected and her body will be whole and she will have no more IV's. I look forward to that day where I can share in Madeline's joy and excitement and to tell her you did it; you over came your challenges with grace, strength, determination, and faith.

Madeline is such a simple girl who enjoys simple things. All Madeline wanted to do for her birthday was to go to Build a Bear and have dinner at Golden Corral. Done I can handle that. However, being her mother I wanted to give her a little more. There is nothing that will bring Madeline more joy than her Dad. Madeline and her Daddy are close and have a close and loving relationship. Madeline has won her way into her Daddy's heart and is there to stay, and I think Grant wouldn't want it any other way. Grant was not able to take the day off from work due to his major projects going on, but he was able to take some time to surprise a little girl for lunch on her birthday. We went to Madeline's favorite place to eat Chipolte and there she found her Daddy and boy did her face lit up with excitement. I think it was in that moment that she felt loved on her special day. Later on in the day, Daddy met us at Build a Bear where Madeline was in paradises. With the money given to her by her parents and Grandma Gates, Madeline was able to pick out the perfect bear and the perfect accessories for her growing collection. After our bags were full, it was time to fill our stomachs. During our dinner outing Grandma and Grandpa called to wish her a happy birthday which brought a smile to her face. After our stomachs were full we came home to a pink cake with pink frosting and pink, green, and purple nerds; which was all requested by the birthday princess. I found some bling bling candles that I knew would add the perfect touch to her cake. When it was all said and done, Madeline's cake screamed Madeline as it should. Overall I think Madeline enjoyed her special day and I think she felt loved by her family as we gathered around the table singing Happy Birthday.

We love you Madeline and our eternally grateful that you are apart of our family. You bring so much joy, happiness, and blessings to our family. As your parents we are grateful that you are our daughter for eternity-the best blessing of all!

Father's Day 2011

Grant is such a wonderful husband and father who works really hard for his family and the kids and I wanted to make something to show our love and appreciation for him. Awhile back I found these bare books where you can order blank books ready for your children to draw and write on. I thought the kids could make a book together telling their Daddy what they mean to them individually. To simplify this project and make it easier on the kids we used the words DADDY to describe what he means to each one.

Anthony:

D: He is the real deal

A: My Dad is awesome

D: I love him very deeply

D: I can depend on him

Y: I love you

Madeline:

D: He goes on dates with me

A: He plays with me anytime

D: He is the best dad

D: He helps make all my dreams come true

Y: I love you

Spencer:

D: He is dedicated to our family

A: He listens to Anaconda with me

D: His desire is for us to be healthy and happy

D: He devotes his time to helping me be a great Spencer

Y: I love You

Now I know that Spencer's answer sound kind of deep for his age well he did have a little help as he sat there with a clueless look on his face when I would ask him want he wanted to write; but I am sure that if Spencer could understand what I was talking about that he would have agreed with everything that I wrote. The kids were also having a hard time coming up with words from DADDY so I went through the dictionary and wrote any word that would be fitting and let them choose from the list to make their sentences. I thought they did a great job.

Well I just didn't want to get Grant a sappy gift, I wanted some humor in it as well. Grant is a hard person to shop for because he has everything that he will really needs which isn't much because he is a simple man; so I really had to think outside of the box. The thought came to me to make him some tie dye pajama pants. I thought the kids would enjoy tie dying and Grant would get a kick out of the pants. First I went to the fabric store and bought plain white fabric to make him his pajama pants. I let the kids come up with the design using rubber bands and I dyed the fabric. My original plan was for them to dye the fabric but being knew to this I didn't think of gloves and the kit only came with one pair. Next time we do tie dying I will remember this so the kids can be able to participate in the whole thing.

The kids were so excited to show their daddy their gifts and I think Daddy was excited to receive them. Grant of course loved the book and got a kick out of the pajama pants; and I am glad they fit him.

We are truly blessed as a family by having Grant in our lives. I couldn't ask for a better spouse who loves me unconditionally and who shows so much patience and charity towards me. I couldn't also ask for a better father, there is nothing he won't do for his children. They are so important to him and you can tell. He is completely hands on and will play with them even if it dress up with his daughter, a star wars battle with Anthony, and a good old wrestling match with Spencer. They get so excited when daddy comes home from work. They meet him at the door and mob him with hugs, such a nice site to see.

All Tired Out

Spencer was just too tired from all the fun excitement of the day that he didn't have enough energy or strength to climb all the way up on the couch.

Art Project Fun

With some poster board covered with foil, random shapes and sizes of tissue paper, glitter, and a little bling you have an art project and when you have an art project you have fun happy kids. This was something that I found and it helped beat the summer time blues which are when it is miserably hot outside to do anything, even the pool water is too hot. Spencer of course thinks art projects are highly overrated so he was off entertaining himself; at least the other two kids enjoy by crazy and fun project ideas.

LegoLand

Legoland recently opened up in our area and the kids, especially Anthony, has been wanting to go since he saw it under construction. I knew that Legoland would be a popular place with kids and could easily get over crowded. With this is mind I thought it would be a good idea to go on the last day of school. The district that our kids our in got out of school a week before any other district. With this knowledge I thought our chances of it not being over crowded were good. I also wanted to further my chances of it not being over crowded by pulling the kids out of school early. Spencer got out of school at 11:00 and since it was the last day of school and they were just playing games I didn't think it would hurt to pull Anthony and Madeline out of school at 11:00. I was pretty proud of my plan and the kids were excited as well. We get to Legoland and my plan of it not being over crowded completely unraveled. I didn't know you could justify having a field trip to Legoland and I want to know what school district/parents have the money to pay for a field day to Legoland. There were kids everywhere, and big kids at that. The parents of course see this as an opportunity to visit with their friends and are not paying attention to what their kids are doing. I panic a little bit because of how easily Madeline can get hurt when you are surrounded by unsupervised kids; but I quickly think we are here and we just need to make the best of it. It was a bit of a challenge to be able to participate in a lot of the hands on activities due to the crowds of kids that seem to have forgotten any decent amount of manners, but when we had a glimmer of hope we took it. The kids were able to build and design their own cars and then take them to a race track to race each other. The kids were also able to build a building in any way they wanted and then push a button that similated an earthquake and see how their building held up. They also had a little theatre that played 10-15 minute cartoons with legos of course and the movies were played in 4D. We saw Bob the Builder and Spencer was in Heaven. In the end Spencer found a slide and it was in heaven and Anthony took Madeline around in the jungle gym doing a good job keeping a close eye on her and helping her when needed. Overall the kids had fun despite the crowd of kids. They also had a few rides but with me being one parent and having two kids that needed to go on the ride with an adult we were not able to do the rides. However, I am sure we will come back and we will probably have Grant with us and then we will be able to go on all the rides.

End of the Year Parties

At Madeline and Anthony's school all the grades have their end of the year parties on the same day and time. Each grade has a certain location on the school and all the classes within that grade have a combine party filled with lots of activities for the kids to do and food to eat. Each grade's party revolves around a theme as well; it just happened that first and third grade both used the Hawaiian theme. With their parties being on the same day and time it is a challenge for me to be in both places at once. Spencer and I started out at Madeline's party and when she was tired we went over a joined the end of Anthony's party. I like it that this school is open to siblings and allows younger siblings to participate in school functions. It sure makes it easier in the fact that I don't have to try to find a sitter who isn't involved in their child's end of the year party too. Spencer had fun playing all the games and activities with Madeline and he especially enjoyed the prizes and food. Spencer is still all about the food and toys don't hurt as well.

First Grade Award Ceremony

Madeline successfully finished first grade and boy it was a tough year with lots and lots of health problems. There were a lot of first this year and Madeline accomplished everyone of them with flying colors. We had to work hard, but the important thing was that we made it and in the end was able to receive the A honor roll certificate. This year the first graders did their award ceremony in the individual classrooms, so it was a little more personal then if they did them all together. Again a video was done of their favorite memory and what they liked about first grade. Madeline's voice is quiet and it is really quiet when she is on camera, but the important thing was she did it and didn't shy away from the camera. Luckily for us and our posterity Madeline's teacher typed up what each child said. I don't think I really listened to Madeline's video, I was more thinking about my little girl who came into the world fighting at such a small size and now still a little girl who doesn't have to fight so hard and just accomplished first grade with all A's. Madeline is really amazing! It is neat to walk beside her watching her accomplish all her accomplishments in life knowing how hard she fought to get here and to be where she is today. I am so grateful for a caring and understanding first grade teacher who took the extra time Madeline needed and met her wherever she was. I am also grateful for caring principles and staff and her school who make the school environment work for Madeline and allow Madeline to take the lead when it comes to school. Without this first grade might have just floundered. Congratulations Madeline, you are definitely a superstar! You made it through first grade and now the adventures of second grade await you!

Party Time-Spencer Style

With the end of the school comes lots of events to attend to. So far I have been able to go to all the kids events. This has been a challenge as I have kids in two different schools and a lot of times they hold end of the year events on the same day. Luckily all the stars have aligned in my favor and I was able to attend all their award ceremonies and school parties. It meant that I spent the day at school, driving back and fort between schools, and when Spencer got out he joined me for the remainder of the day. The first of my long day of events was Spencer's preschool end of the year party. The teacher kept it really simple, which was great. All the kids were able to play on the playground, draw with side walk chalk, and blow bubbles. Then they were able to enjoy some yummy juice and a bag of trail mix. Spencer was just giddy that I was at school with him and loved running around and being silly. His personality really shines at times, and his party it really did. After his party we were off the Anthony and Madeline's school to spend the remainder of the day with them.

Third Grade Award Ceremony

With all the days that school was out for the snow storm, the last two days of school ended up being all day instead of half day. Because of that the third grade award ceremonies were combined. They put together a video of the kids telling what they liked about third grade and their favorite movie. Apparently this was the first year for the third grade teachers to try this format and they have a few bugs to work out. The video was hard to hear and for the most part you could tell that the kids were talking but you couldn't hear or make out what they were saying. Thank goodness my child's voice carries because I know that my child liked all the fun challenging and hands on activities that they had in third grade and his favorite memory was when they were able to build volcanoes and watch them erupt. The video was the award ceremony and then the teacher handed out A honor roll, A&B honor roll, and Good Citizenship certificates in the classroom at a later time. Congratulations Anthony for graduating from third grade with flying colors and on the A honor roll! The adventures of fourth grade await you.

Crossing over to Webelos

At the end of May, Anthony had his last pack meeting before summer break. That night Anthony received a couple of arrow points and several activity pins and belt loops. Anthony has a goal to get all of the academic belt loops before he crosses over into Boy Scouts. At the end of the time, Anthony went into the time machine as a Bear and came out a Webelo. Congratulations Anthony, we are so proud of you.

Spencer Working?

Laundry Can Be Fun?

We were able to purchase a new washer and dryer, I didn't know laundry could be a good source of entertainment for the kids. Don't worry it didn't last long and now laundry is an evil word.

Our Little Hawaiian Girl

Wow it has been a whole month and more since my last post, and things have been BUSY!!. Before the kids got out of school I laid out our summer plans with excitement, had the summer schedule made and I felt really good about our schedule and activities; and then WAM life hit us. This time life did not hit us with any health problems so despite the fact that life has been really busy I can count our blessings that we have all be healthy. Grant at work got hit with two projects at the same time. One of the projects is in Maryland and one here. The project in Maryland takes him away from the project here. Since school has been out Grant has either been in Maryland or working 12 plus hours a day and a few hours on Saturday. I have been busy being a single parent and trying to not only keep up my responsibilities but also Grant's. The kids have been a lot of help as we have all worked together to support Daddy. Anthony has learned to mow the lawn and together we are able to get both lawns mowed. Anthony has done good with keeping the garden watered and together we work on cleaning our above ground pool. I have to admit that things do get a bit lonely around here and at times I want to pool my hair out; but through all that my heart is filled with gratitude because my husband has a job and is working hard for his family. I have been reminded that my Heavenly Father loves me and hears the pleadings of my heart; and most of all I have learned that I have the strength to rise to any challenge. I didn't think I could do this, but with Heavenly Father helping to carry me and the team support of our children I can conquer this challenge. However, don't get me wrong I will be ETERNALLY grateful for when Grant finishes his two projects and can return back to his family.

Now with that all out of the way, lets get on with the title of the post: "Our Little Hawaiian Girl." One of the last projects that Madeline had to do for school was to trace her body and dress herself up as a Hawaiian girl. Madeline really enjoyed this project and though I was a little annoyed that we had a project to do the week before school got out, in the end the project ended up being a lot of fun. My frustration probably was from the fact that I was more ready for school to be out than the kids. Madeline enjoyed going out on a date with her Daddy to find materials to make a "modest" Hawaiian Girl. Madeline and I worked together on the decorating Madeline and putting all the final touches together. This project really pointed out how tiny Madeline is compared to her classmates. In the end Madeline was a really cute and modest Hawaiian girl.