Madeline's Baptism

Here it is August and I have yet to write about Madeline's baptism; things have been busy on the home front this Summer.

Madeline was baptized on her eighth birthday, just like she wanted.  In our stake they have Child of Record Baptism every Saturday before Fast Sunday.  Since Madeline has medical needs that need special attention she was able to get permission to have her own private baptism.

Madeline's baptism was one of those moments that will be seared into my memory forever; it was a moment where I was proud to be her mother.  Prior to her baptism we broke up the Fourth Article of Faith into four separate Family Home Evening lessons, we did this a month before her special day.  During this time we also talked to her about what she could expect to happen at her baptism and she even practiced with her Daddy a few times.  The one concern we had was if Madeline would allow water to touch her eyes.  Because Madeline cannot close her left eye, she doesn't like to get water in it, and to be baptized you have to be completely submerged in water.  As her parents we took this concern to the Lord and knew that because Madeline was making a righteous decision He would be able to help her and there wouldn't be any concerns.  Come baptism day, Madeline was a champ and the water was not a fear for her.  Because of her baptism Madeline is no longer fearful of water.  She now goes under water when swimming and she now prefers showers to baths; it is so amazing to see what the Lord can do when we turn our heart over to him.

One of the things that I did for Madeline's baptism was make her baptism gown.  I knew that there wouldn't be a jumper in the closet that would fit her.  I didn't choose just any white fabric to make her dress, I made her dress from my wedding dress.  My wedding dress was hanging in my closet safely wrapped up and it was just taking up space.  I knew I was no longer going to be able to fit it and with Madeline as tiny as she is I knew the likely hood of her being able to wear it one day was probably a slim chance.  I used everything from the buttons, lace, and material.  It was neat to be able to pass something so special to me to Madeline.  I have enough material leftover to make the boys their temple ceremonial packets.  My dress will no longer be tucked away, but will now be handed down to each of my children for them to treasure as well.

Back to the baptism:  Madeline was beaming on her special day, you could tell she knew she was making the right decision and she knew that her Heavenly Father was proud of her.  She was a breath of fresh air and a reminder to me of how simple, pure, and joyous the gospel is and the joy and excitement it can bring to your life.  Anthony gave the baptismal talk and he hit it on the nail and our Home Teacher gave the Holy Ghost talk and reminded us all who the Holy Ghost is and the important gift he is in our life.  When Madeline was baptized, me being the tough person that I am held back the tears.  It was a pure miracle to see our daughter baptized.  Eight years ago we didn't know if we would see this day; eight years ago we were overwhelmed with issues dealing with her heart and the steps it would require to give her a chance at life.   Now fast forward eight years later and she has overcome all those stumbling blocks with dignity and grace and with resounding faith in her Savior Jesus Christ.  Watching Madeline come out of the water, was like watching an angel emerge.  As her mother it was a pure gift and all the hard times that we have endured together were worth it in that moment.  In that moment I saw what I was fighting for.  The countless doctor appointments, therapy appointments, surgeries, hospital stays, and the hours of uncertainty, were all clear to me the moment she came out of the font.  Sometimes it is easy to get caught up in the day to day living that we sometimes forget what the eternal picture is; the goal that we are all striving for; the very reason we came here to earth.  After Madeline was baptized we had a brief testimony meeting and we were all given a gift to be able to hear Madeline bare her testimony.  Madeline loves to bare her testimony, and to hear her testimony of baptism, the love of our Savior, His Atonement, and the opportunity to return and live with Him; put everything into perspective.  My focus was sharpened and my resolve made stronger.  It was Madeline's testimony that I felt my Savior's love, I felt His arms wrap around me, and I heard him say I knew you could do it.  I knew you would take care of my special daughter.  Madeline is a gift that keeps on giving.  I am so glad that I listened to my Heavenly Father and Savior Jesus Christ.  I am so glad I trusted in them the day she was born and I was overwhelmed with fear of having to take care of a special girl.  I am so glad for the lesson I learned early on that all I needed to do was love her and allow the doctors to do the rest.  It was this lesson where everything was put into perspective to me.  I didn't need to get wrapped up in all the medical issues, I just needed to love her; and loving her was something I could do.

Here is Madeline's own words about her Baptism Day:  "I felt special on my Baptism day.  My Mommy took out her wedding dress and made a dress for my baptism.  We went to the Stake Center and my favorite part of the program was Anthony's talk, my big brother.  And then I got baptized by water.  And my dad confirmed me a member of the Church after I was baptized.  After I was confirmed I felt the Holy Ghost.  When I felt the Holy Ghost I felt happy.  While Daddy was changing I shared my testimony.  And my testimony was about baptism."

Aquarium

While Grandma and Sabrina were here from Utah we took them to a couple of fun places.  We went to the money factory.  The government makes money for the United States in two places.  Washington D.C. and Fort Worth Texas.  Pictures are not allowed so I don't have any to show you.  It was interesting to see how they make a dollar bills and to get a look at the new 100.00 dollar bill.  The tour was about 45 minutes, Spencer got bored but remained calm and went with the flow and well Madeline fell asleep.  Anthony of course being the history buff that he is enjoyed it and I was relieved that we made it out without a scene.  The other place we went was to the Aquarium that is at a near by mall.  It is a small aquarium.  We don't go often because it is pricey and well how many times can you look at fish before getting bored.  We figured it has been awhile and since Grandma and Sabrina haven't seen it that it would be something.  Besides what else do you do when it is well over a 100 degrees outside.  It is miserable enough for us Texans who are use to the heat, but Grandma and Sabrina who our accustomed to Utah weather it was a whole knew planet.

Madeline's Birthday

At the end of June, Madeline turned 8 and she couldn't be more excited.  For us 8 is an important year for you are baptized.  Madeline has come a long way in her eight years and has overcome a lot.  Things are starting to slow down for Madeline health wise and the surgeries are getting further and further apart.  It is nice to say that the Children's Hospital is no longer our home.  We still have our doctor's appointments but they are the standard check ups and we can handle those.  It is nice to be able to see that Madeline is doing so well that she can start to enjoy life and be a carefree girl.  We had a lot of family in town for her birthday and a lot of cousin fun.  There was playing in the pool, playing build a bear imagination, monkey cupcake eating, and opening lots and lots of presents.  Of course the biggest thing that happened on her birthday was her baptism.  I think Madeline was sung too several times that day and each time she would have a big smile on her face.  I am certain Madeline felt loved and special on her very special day.

I will post about Madeline's baptism shortly as soon as I can put my feelings from the down on paper, it was one the spiritual highlights of my life.

Father's Day

Father's Day was fun this year, but when you have a daddy like Grant it is always fun.  Our original plan was to get Daddy a pocket knife since he lost his, but guess what showed up in the washer one day....a pocket knife.  Now Grant could always enjoy a knife, but when it comes to picking out a knife I am not an expert.  I am more of butter knife or plastic knife person.  I didn't think Grant would want to carry around a plastic knife so back to the drawing board.  I have seen at grocery stores candy bar arrangements, but the only problem I would have to shell out 50.00 dollars for one.  Now last time I checked candy bars were not that expensive so I am pretty sure they were making a good profit off of a simple thing that someone could make.  I decided that the kids were going to make Grant a candy bar arrangement.  Grant loves flavored dark chocolate so we splurged a little and we each picked out a different flavor candy bar.  I knew Grant needed another bucket for outside work that he does and that is a perfect container to place our yummy chocolates in.  Now the problem was I didn't have anything to attach the bars too or to put them in.  Now I didn't really want to pay money for sticks or shell out money for Styrofoam, so I came up with the next best thing.  Sticks and rocks from the backyard.  We begin putting together our flower arrangement and filled in the extra space with special notes for our Daddy.  Feeling satisfied with our work I started to take the present to our secret hiding place and discovered that the bucket was a lot on the heavy side.  I guess rocks do weigh a lot.  With Anthony's help we get the present (barely) to its hiding spot.  Now our next problem was getting out of the hiding spot on Father's Day.  I wasn't in the mood to try to carry the heavy bucket again.  Being the smart person that I am decided that we would give Daddy a treasure hunt through the house to his present and let him pick it up.  Anthony had fun writing simple clues and we all had a good laugh when Grant realized what is present was and how heavy it was.  Eventually the rocks and sticks returned to their natural habitat, the bucket is doing its job outside, and Grant has taken the chocolate out of the house where it is nice and safe for him to enjoy.  We are really blessed with the best Dad and Husband one could ask for and it is always nice to celebrate the reasons why we love him so!!

Summer Fun

Summer is off to a great start!  For the most part our days are simple and relax, and after a crazy school year it is nice to be able to relax.  Madeline still has feeding therapy and that takes up three days during the week, but when we are not at therapy we are chilling at home.  Instead of going on a big vacation we are going to fill our summer with lots of fun activities in the area.  Staying cool during the summer heat is fun in it self and so a lot of our activities involve pool time, indoor crafts and activities.  This year I made a summer fun board and put it up in the office.  Our board is filled with lots of activities that we want to accomplish this summer.  There is no schedule which makes things a lot more relaxing. Each weekend we pick three or four activities that we would like to do the following week, and sometimes the activity of choice is playing with Legos and other toys.  It really has been nice to relax at home, spending time together doing simple activities.

1.  Outdoor Movie Night
2.  Science Experiments
3.  Celebrate National Chocolate Ice Cream Day
4.  Washing the Car
5.  Harvesting our Corn
6.  Going Bonkers (Indoor Play park)
7.  Swim fun with Cousins
8.  Aquarium with Cousin Sabrina
9.  Roasting Hot Dogs in the Backyard

Museum Exploring

The First of June we were able to explore the CR Smith Museum for their kick off to summer family day.  The best was that the admissions was free, and everything is better when it is free.  This was the first time for Grant to be able to go to this museum, and the kids enjoyed showing it off to their dad.  They had a fun weather exhibit and the kids enjoyed learning about weather and making weather.  They also had the flight simulator going and the kids enjoyed flying the airplane.  This time the volunteer running the simulator let the kids fly like they wanted even if it meant they crash, nose dive, or go around in circles until they were dizzy.  Because it wasn't controlled the kids enjoyed it more than last time.  They also had science experiments and they were able to make their own air paper rockets.  After all the fun we enjoyed some cookies and juice that they had for the families.  The kids do like going to this museum and I like that it isn't well known so it isn't overly crowded.

Fourth Grade

Anthony loved fourth grade this year! Anthony enjoyed his teacher, and I know his teacher enjoyed him. On the last day of school the fourth graders had a talent show. Anthony decided to play the piano. Anthony played Fur Elise and he rocked the house, or school. While he was playing I looked over and saw that his teacher was crying. You could see the pride in her eyes for her student, now that is a good teacher. In fourth grade Anthony discovered history and a love affair has begun. Texas history and the Civil War were introduced and Anthony soaked up the information like a sponge. He would read every book he could get his hands on, as well as listen intently to everything his teacher said. Highlights for fourth grade were making The Battle of the Books Team and coming in first, spending the day in Austin, learning the recorder, participating in two talent shows, safety patrol, and library helper. Anthony loved every minute of school, and we are looking forward to fifth grade. Though Anthony enjoyed school, he was glad to have a break and enjoy his summer.

Second Grade

I know it is July and I am now writing about the end of the school year. I think this year I was more excited about school being over than the kids, well Madeline was probably excited too. This year was hard, but we did learn a lot. For Madeline we learned how Heavenly Father can help us have courage and do hard things. Going to school for Madeline was hard. Often times it was too overwhelming and she would feel lost. She struggled to understand what was being taught. However, we worked together and we got though the year. Madeline finished out the year with home bound services for half of the day. It helped Madeline to go to school knowing that she only had to go half the day, for her that didn't seem so overwhelming. I know Madeline liked her teacher and I feel that her teacher did a good job within the confides that she had. However, in the end second grade was not a year I want to repeat or live again. Learning became a stress for Madeline and was no longer a joy. I felt like my voice was being heard on deaf ears and that despite how loud I spoke my daughter's needs were not being met. With all of this in mind we as her parents have decided to homeschool Madeline. This decision did not come easy and came after lots of prayer and reassurance from my Heavenly Father that this is something I could do. Heavenly Father put the right people in my path to answer all my fears and to give me the confidence that I needed to proceed forth with homeschooling. Madeline and I are excited for the next adventure in our life. Homeschooling will give Madeline the stress free schooling that she needs. A place where she can learn at her own pace and in her own way, a place where she can thrive, a place where she can find joy in learning. Hopefully this year I won't be counting down the days until summer on the first day of school.

Mother's Day

Mother's Day is a difficult day for me not because I don't love being a mother, but I don't like attention on me. I have never been one that likes to be in the spot light. I would rather do what I love to do with the reward being the joy I feel in my heart as I go about serving my family. If it were up to me we would pass right over the day, but the kids do love celebrating and I do love to see their joy. I do love that in our family we spend the weekend together as a family doing fun things as a family. For record keeping purposes this is how the weekend went down. As a family we spent the day cleaning the house and getting little projects out of the way. It is always nice to have a clean house for the sabbath. After we worked hard together we went out to dinner and then we came home for some yummy ice cream. On Sunday I was blessed with the wonderful opportunity to sleep in. While I was sleeping Anthony enlisted the help of his dad in cutting out letters that spelled out Happy Mother's Day with cut out flowers. They put their beautiful arrangement on my chair in the living room. I am not one for breakfast in bed, but I did get to pick anything I wanted for breakfast and it was made to order. I was then presented with flowers from the garden and three lovely homemade cards. After dinner we enjoyed Family Home Evening singing songs and spending time as a family, and it was simply perfect.

What I love about being a mother is often times hard to put in words. There are the smiles, the giggles, the hugs, and the refrigerator worthy art work. There are the teaching moments, the laughing moments, the bonding moments, and the moments to share. However for me it is the moments of service, the service I am blessed to render to my children on a daily basis. Through this service I feel immense love and it is that I love that brings me the greatest joy and the greatest reward. I love how everyday I wake up to service and I go to bed filled with love, and no one can take that away from me.

Spencer is Five

I cannot believe I have a five year old. I don't know why I had it in my head that Spencer was three, but I did. I think it is because he went to preschool and that is what three year olds do. Anyway I am happy to say that I now realize that he is five and am excited to not only move on from baby stage, but toddler stage as well. Spencer was in a Special Ed preschool program, mainly because at three the light bulb hadn't gone off. Well a few weeks ago they tested him again to see his progress from when he entered the program at three to now. Spencer tested at average to above average and he also met all of his goals for speech and no longer needed speech services. This was all exciting for us, and since he met all goals and expectations he graduated from the program. This meant that Spencer's last day of school was the end of April. So Spencer is ready for Kindergarten, I just don't know if Kindergarten is ready for Spencer.

Spencer is starting to understand birthdays and so it is fun to see his excitement for when his birthday rolls around. A few years ago I decided that friend birthday parties seemed like a lot of work and expense and didn't seem all that necessary, so now we celebrate as a family and the kids have just as much fun.

Spencer spent his morning taking his sister to therapy and then Daddy was able join us for lunch at McDonalds and then surprised us by taking the rest of the day off. While Madeline had school with her home bound teacher, Daddy and Spencer had fun in the backyard. For dinner we headed over to a local pizza buffet and then after dinner we went home for some birthday cake and chocolate milk. This year Spencer picked out a Cars 2 birthday cake. In fact a few days before his birthday I took him down to the party decoration store and let him pick out all his supplies; I think he thought he was pretty big stuff.  He loved having everyone sing Happy Birthday to him and he really loved getting hyped up on sugar. After cake it was present time or more like kids watch a movie while Mom and Dad exercise patience in putting together the toys, cause you know a boxed filled with lots of pieces divided up in lots of bags is no fun. We decided this year to get Spencer Knex Mario Kart tracks where he could build his tracks and race his Mario Kart cars. I think it was a nice idea, but when it came time for us to piece these all together, our idea was not so hot. It felt like Christmas morning. Grant an I did managed to piece everything together and it actually worked afterwards and the kids had fun racing the karts and trying to trip each other up with swinging mushrooms and jumps in the track. Grant and I decided not take the track apart, I guess we figured we would never get it back together. Spencer enjoyed getting cards in the mail, a call from Grandma and Grandpa, and a surprised visit from Aunt Katie with his favorite Cars 2 balloons and some yummy and fun candy. I think Spencer's day was truly a magical day and I am sure he felt loved on his special day. I always find great joy in celebrating my children's special day.

Twister Fun

A lot of time during the week after dinner you can find our family having a few fun rounds of twister. This is especially a favorite for Spencer when he is in charge of the activity for Family Home Evening. Of course the most coveted position is being in charge of the spinner, cause when you have the spinner you get to determine how we are going to play. So of course one never knows how one round from the next will be and of course we all get a kick out of who will be the first to get twisted.

Feeding Therapy

I have never heard of feeding therapy until Madeline, but then again I haven't heard of a lot of things until I had Madeline. Due to circumstances beyond our control Madeline has developed some eating fears that have stopped Madeline from eating like she should. These fears were starting to get in the way of her eating and she was losing weight and not gaining. Madeline is already tiny for her age which means she is the last person that needs to lose weight. Madeline's tummy doctor put Madeline into feeding therapy, great we thought now there will be light at the end of the tunnel in regards to her lack of eating. I never realized how involved this feeding therapy is and how much time it would take. For about a week after starting I was completely overwhelmed and for a moment thought things were just fine with her fear of eating. However magic occurred and no I wasn't able to say the magic words and everything disappeared. We still have our therapy sessions three days a week, but the magic was my perspective. This perspective has been a huge testimony building experience for me.

I have gained a perspective of the power of the atonement. When all this hit I immediately got on my knees and poured my heart out to my Savior. Through these daily and constant outpourings to the Lord, I was reminded of the power and love of our Savior and his atonement. I began to see that my schedule didn't change and at times the demands increased but my heart was at peace and life had a sense of ease about it. I realized all this one night during my evenings prayers. As I was reviewing my day with the Lord, I realized that I did everything and that it was easy. I wasn't stressed or frazzled, I was relaxed. I was told "I cannot change things and I cannot take them away, but I already took upon myself the burdens that you feel and if you let me have them I will make things seem easy to you." I am so grateful for the atonement and more importantly I am so grateful that through the atonement I can have true and real joy no matter what life throws at me.

Some people say that I am a super woman, but I have to disagree. However I can tell you who I am. I am a mom who finds strength in the atonement, and who knows that through the atonement I can do all things. I am a mom who knows that she is a Daughter of God, and who is loved unconditionally by our Heavenly Father. I am a mom who knows that my children are still His children and that I am a partner with him. I am a mom who has an eternal perspective who knows that this life is not the end, but just the beginning. I am a mom who knows and understands that every trial and every obstacle is an opportunity for me to learn and grow. For the knowledge and growth that I gain in this life is what I need to return back to His presence. I am a mom who knows this and much more. I am not a super woman, I am a mom who knows and understands who she is and her relationship with her Heavenly Father.

So I will gladly take our three day a week therapy schedule because I know that through the power of prayer and the hope of the atonement I won't find a burden, but I will see, find, and feel joy!

Easter

Our kids didn't have Easter baskets to gather their eggs in, but I did find Halloween buckets and though Halloween and Easter are two worlds apart they did do the trick in a pinch.

With us going up to Oklahoma and then onto visit the Kansas City, Missouri Temple I didn't really plan much for Easter. We usually do our Easter baskets and egg hunts on Saturday leaving Easter Sunday to learn and talk about the Resurrection. With us being in the car all day on Saturday I figured it would be pretty hard to have an Easter Egg Hunt and Baskets. I figured the kids wouldn't miss it for one year. I love Easter time, I love teaching my children what Easter is all about and that it doesn't have anything to do with Easter bunny and Easter Eggs. We still were able to keep our tradition of studying the last week of the Savior's life during the week leading up to Easter Sunday. I enjoyed each night being able to gather as a family reading the words from the scriptures, looking at the pictures that corresponded with the story, and then being able to apply the message the Savior was teaching us to our lives. I loved the testimonies that were shared and seeing them grasp the knowledge of the significance of our Savior's Atonement, Death, and Resurrection.

Since Madeline was born, the Resurrection takes on a whole knew meaning to me. Because our Savior Jesus Christ was Resurrected we all have the opportunity to be Resurrected. Not only will we be Resurrected but our bodies will be restored to perfect order. I still remember the day when Madeline and I had an impromptu conversation about the Resurrection and I was able to share with her what that will mean for her. You could see she was taking it in when a smile from ear to ear came across her face and a sweet expression of "no more ouchies." Happiness filled my heart when I was able to tell her that is right, no more ouchies. I look forward to that day as Madeline's mother to be able see her Resurrected body to hug her and to say "You did it!" You overcame your challenges with faith, courage, dignity, grace, and determination. I am so grateful that the Savior didn't quit. I am so grateful that He loved me so much to give me the greatest gift of Eternal Life; that through him I can walk back to the presence of my Heavenly Father and dwell with him forever.

Our kids did get their Easter Egg Hunt in and did find their Easter goodies; but not from me but from the kindness of Grant's cousin and their family. They included us in their Easter festivities and so all the cousins were able to participate and enjoy and wonderful Easter Egg hunt filled with lots of goodies.

Easter Weekend was a wonderful weekend filled with good memories and good times with family.

Madeline in her Easter "skirt" that I made her. I thought it turned out great and I see more skirts like that in her future.

Kansas City Missouri Temple

When I heard the announcement of the Kansas City, Missouri Temple Open House I knew I wanted to go. I did a quick look to see how far it was from us and when I saw that it was only eight hours I knew that was a feasable drive. I saw that the Open House fell on a weekend that the kids had Friday off so I saw it as a golden opportunity to take the kids through a Temple. I knew with Anthony being ten I knew he would remember the Temple and with Madeline being eight she would probably remember as well. I also saw this as a good opportunity to teach our children what life is all about and that everything we do points toward the Temple. I knew that this would help give our kids a good foundation to their testimony of the Temple and the importance of keeping ourselves worthy and ready to enter the House of the Lord.

Shortly after Grant was talking with his cousin and learned that they were planning on going to and so we decided to travel together and make it a family affair. Our kids love playing with their cousins and so the excitement grew with the knowledge that they would be able to play and spend time with their cousins. Grant's cousin invited a few people from that they knew and since they didn't have room in their van we took Joseph with us. Now Joseph and Anthony are the same age and in a lot of ways are twins. They enjoyed talking and playing the whole way up and the whole way back. We had a few mishaps along the way which put us leaving Kansas City Missouri at 8:00 in the evening. With the help of snacks Grant and I were able to make the 5 hour drive home arriving in Oklahoma at 2:00 in the morning. We were so grateful for 11:00 church, this gave us an opportunity to get some much needed sleep.

The highlight of the trip was being able to take our children through the sealing room and to show them where Grant and I knelt 12 years ago and where our Eternal Family began. The highlight grew when we walked into the Celestial Room as a family. As we stood their together as a family I caught a glimpse of Heaven. It was neat to be in the room together knowing that we are an eternal family. I can't think of anything better to help our kids understand and to know that everything we do is to get to the temple; to partake of the covenants and blessings that afford us the opportunity to walk back into the presence of our Heavenly Father. I have a strong testimony of the temple. I love going and I love more the feeling I get when I am inside the the Lord's House. I truly feel His presence. When I walk through the doors I truly feel as though I am walking home. I hope this experience will help build in my children the same love and testimony of the Temple, because the temple is what it is all about.

Austin Field Trip

The day finally arrived for the much anticipated field trip of Anthony's school career. At the beginning of the year we learned that in the Spring the fourth grade class would make a trip down to Austin to visit our capital in conjunction with their study of Texas History. From the beginning of the school till now Anthony has developed a love for Texas History and has soaked up every word from his teacher and from various books that he has read. He loves to talk about what he has learned and especially loves to learn more. So going to Austin was a special treat. Anthony was so excited about going on his field trip that he had no problems going to bed at 7:00 and waking up at 4:45. In fact he suggested it and set his own alarm clock. He was also excited to know that he Dad was going with him and that they would be able to do the activities together with no one else in their group. I don't think Daddy could eat breakfast fast enough for an excited ten year old boy; nor could the bus driver drive fast enough. Before the tour of the capital they toured the Bob Bullock Museum where they could learn through interaction exhibits more about Texas History. This was a self guided tour so the various groups split off on their own to explore and learn. After lunch they headed over to the Capital where they had a tour guide waiting for them. During the tour the tour guide would ask various questions and with every question Anthony's hand was the first to be raised with the desired answer. The tour guide picked up on real quick how sharp Anthony is and had to tell him that we need to let the other kids answer a few questions. However, if no one would answer the tour guide would ask Anthony if he knew the answer; which of course he did. Grant said it was neat to see his excitement for learning and for history. One of the parents commented to Grant that Anthony sure knows his Texas History which Grant replied that is what happens when you take your history book home over the Christmas break to read for leisure reading. After the tour of the Capital it was time to head home. Shortly outside of Austin they stopped for dinner before making the three hour trip home. They all left the school at 5:15 in the morning and returned home at 8:30 in the evening. Anthony had a full day with lots of learning, experiencing, and not to mention lots of walking. He had no problems going to bed that evening, in fact he asked for it.

I know he enjoyed himself immensely because the smile of his face said so. I am so glad that my children are able to experience such good learning opportunities.

Conference Weekend

April's General Conference was March 31- April 1. I love Conference, I love hearing the words of our prophet and leaders. I get a sense of encouragement and a refocus on what the eternal goal is all about. To help the kids gain a sense of appreciation and love for Conference we make it a weekend of celebration. It is my hope that through these wonderful memories and traditions that we have will instill in my children a love for General Conference and listening to the words of our prophet and leaders. This year I made a prophet board. When the prophet or member of the 12 spoke the kids would place their picture on the board, draw what their tie looked like and then after they spoke we would each write what we thought their message was. The goal is to use this board during the next six months reviewing and studying their messages in our Family Home Evening. The kids really loved the board and would get excited when it was their turn to put up a picture. In addition to our Conference Board we did our usual traditions of donuts for breakfast on Saturday morning, pizza for dinner on Saturday, and a yummy treat after daddy returned from Priesthood Session. This year we were treated by the visit of Grant's cousin who was in town visiting. It was fun talking and visiting with him. This year while Grant and his cousin went to Priesthood Session the kids and I went over to some friends house for lots of fun and games. After Daddy returned home we had a yummy treat of smores straight from our fire place. The kids loves making smores and jump at any opportunity to do so. It was nice to hear what Daddy learned and what he felt as he listened to the words of our prophet that were specific to him.

It was a nice weekend and it was nice to hear the inspired words of our leaders. As I prayed leading up to Conference to prepare my mind and heart to hear the words of our leaders; I knew that there would be talks that would be for me. That answer certainly came true and was a testimony to me that my Heavenly Father is truly aware of me and knows exactly what I need to hear and when I need to hear it.

Conference weekend is one I look forward to every Spring and every Fall.

Spa Day

My Sister, Katie, has been planning a spa day for Madeline to celebrate Madeline accomplishment with getting her casts off. This past Saturday was the day. Katie did her research and found what color of nail polish Madeline would like, what kind of fun nail stickers, and even what treats she would enjoy. It was my job to talk to Madeline and prep her for her special day. Madeline enjoyed her spa day and enjoyed the special treatment that she got. I loved watching my sister serve my daughter and to shower her with love and kindness. I was reminded of the blessings of service and how it is through service that we can really bring a smile to ones face. What a treat for Madeline to enjoy! It was just the treat in getting your nails painted but the treat in the time that my sister took to gathering materials that Madeline would love. It was definitely all about Madeline, and by the look on Madeline's face she knew and felt it too. That day I would catch Madeline looking at her nails and from time to time she would comment on how it was the best part of the day. One time she was talking to me about how she dreams at nice about the good things in her day and that night she was definitely going to dream about getting her nails done. As her mother that was music to my ears.

I know Madeline will remember her spa day and I know that it will make having her foot cast a pleasant memory. Thanks Katie for your love and service you did for Madeline.

Camping-Spring Break

This year for Spring Break we followed Cooper Family tradition and went camping. Spring is our rainy season and so booking our camping trip months in advance we never know if we are going camping in the rain or not. As the time approached I checked up on the weather and for a time it looked like we were going to go camping in the rain. With this in mind I planned activities and meals that could easily be done inside the tent. I also went on a treasure hunt through the house and found jackets that could endure the rain. However, the week of our trip the weather changed (it does that in Texas a lot) and our rain chances were low or non existent. We were excited, camping in the rain is a challenge for two adults not to mention three kids. This year we chose to go camping at Eisenhower State Park in Denison, Texas up by the Red River. The kids were excited and everyday for a week (at least that is what it felt like) Spencer would ask if we are going camping and everyday I would have to tell how many more days. When it came time to load up the car, we had three excited kids that were eager to work and get the car loaded and ready. We were packed and loaded in a couple of hours and it only took daddy a hour to get the canoe up on top of the van and tie it down. Here is how the week went down.

Wednesday: Was the day we checked in and set up shop. We discovered that the campsites were close together and were not very large. The campground was already full (why does everyone copy my ideas) so it was a little tricky to find a spot that would accommodate our large tent. We have a pretty good system when it comes to setting up and the kids all know what to do and get to work. We can usually have everything set and ready to go in about an hour. After dinner the kids enjoyed watching a movie (I know ruffing it) while Grant and I enjoyed sitting around our non existent fire and talking. Later on Grant and I enjoyed a good game of Phase 10 before we called it a night.

Thursday: Thursday morning we spent some time working on some artist Webelo scout requirements while Daddy and Spencer played games in the tent. Around lunch time we took off for a nearby Wildlife Refuge where we had a picnic before we went looking for the different wildlife. We were able to spot several different kinds of ducks, Egrets, turtles, and lots of splashing carp. We enjoyed walking down one of the trails and the kids enjoyed filling the pockets with rocks in hopes of starting a "rock collection." We were able to spend three hours there looking at different wildlife and being out in nature. It was a true escape from the hustle and bustle of realty and it was nice to connect and be a family. That night I was able to down load a star map app on my phone. The star map uses GPS and you point your phone up at the sky and it shows what star constellations are there and also planets. As we were star gazing we noticed two bright stars. We knew these were planets and it was nice to use the star map app and find out that the planets were Venus and Jupiter. We also found Mars and a couple of other planets. The kids really enjoyed looking up at the night sky and seeing the different constellations. Coming from the city we don't really get to see lots of stars because of the lights and pollution. Though it was cloudy that night we were still able to see some through the app on my phone. In that moment I felt the love of my Heavenly Father for me. To think that I am surrounded by all of his creations and to know that the very creator of this universe is my Father. It was a wonderful way to end the day.

Friday: The boys headed off early in the morning for some boating and fishing. Madeline doesn't like the canoe with the wind so we stayed behind. I spent a little bit of time cleaning up and getting things ready for the day and then afterwards we went for a walk together. It was so nice to push Madeline along in the stroller and listening to her talk. I just really enjoyed our time together. After our walk we came back to camp and made some lunch and enjoyed a little lunch together. After our lunch, Madeline wanted to draw so I got out her coloring pad and together we sat in our camping chairs drawing what we saw around the campground. While Madeline drew I read a book and listened to her as she talked about her drawing. It was simply amazing to spend a few hours with her and no distractions. After the boys returned they ate lunch and then off we were to Eisenhower's birth home. Anthony loves history and anything to do with it. I knew he would love taking a tour of his home and would soak everything up. The tour was short enough that Madeline and Spencer didn't get bored. It was nice to learn about President Eisenhower and to see what life was like for him and his family for the 18 months that they lived in Texas. Hearing how hard life was for them, made me appreciate even more my life and how blessed I am. After the tour we went to a nearby Ice Cream place for a little treat before heading back to camp. After we got back from camp we decided to go on a little hike before it got dark. To help Anthony accomplish some scout requirements we had him pick and lead us on the hike. The goal was to pick a trail that would lead to a fishing pier so the kids could do some fishing. Grant and I weren't aware of any of the conditions of the trails and so we were unprepared for what we encountered. Anthony picked a good trail with pretty views, but we were not prepared for the mud and rockiness of the trail. Madeline is still recovering from her foot surgery so she uses a stroller a lot. Well the trail was not friendly for that and so Grant carried the stroller with Madeline in it trying to navigate through the thick mud puddles. I wore flip flops (totally not prepared) and trying to keep it together through the mud and trying to guide Spencer (who loves mud) through mud puddles was a fun challenge. In the end I gave up on keeping Spencer out of the mud and let him enjoyed it and in the process my flip flops broke while navigating through the mud. It was a great time to laugh as a family and the kids did enjoy fishing and Grant being the gentleman that he is gave me his sandals as we walked back a different way to the car. Our hike will definitely be a good memory in our family.

Saturday: Saturday was the day we packed up and headed home. We were going to go to a little Frontier Village/Park and tour some log cabin homes, but we were feeling tired and just ready to go home. I guess that gives us another reason to head back up to Sherman/Denison area in the future. Once again the kids know what their assignments are and together we worked as a team and got our campsite picked up and our car loaded with no problems. This time it only took Daddy 30 minutes to load and tie down his boat. We all cheered for him and congratulated him on a job well done. I guess it has become a game in our family to see how long it will take Daddy to load and tie down his boat.

We couldn't ask for a better camping experience. Our kids love going camping and look forward to every Spring Break as we head out to the camp grounds. It is nice that we pick a different State Park every time and get to explore not only the campground but the area around the grounds. I mostly look forward to the time with my family. I enjoy adding bricks to the memories and it is my hope that when they leave home they will have a house full of brick memories.

Celebrating Dr. Seuss

I love to celebrate with the kids and as a family we try to celebrate the little things. One of the things that is a tradition for our family is to celebrate Dr. Seuss's birthday on March 2. In years past we make our own cat in the hat treat with gummy life savers, frosting, and circle crackers. While we enjoy the treats we watch a Dr. Seuss cartoon and read some Dr. Seuss books. This year I decided I was ready for a change to and to do things differently. I thought it would be fun to decorate our office with fun Dr. Seuss colors and food fitting of a Dr. Seuss book. This year on the menu was Green Deviled Eggs with Ham and Turkey sandwiches. Added to this was fruit kabobs (don't really know what book that could come from, but it sounded good and simple). I then added chips to complete the menu. For drink we had strawberry lemonade to represent a Pink Yink in my drink. The kids had a fun treat with crazy straws to enjoy with their drinks, that just seemed fitting for a Dr. Seuss party. With my time mainly devoted to helping Madeline with school and helping her to stay, I didn't go to great lengths to make treats for our party. I just went to the grocery store and bought some yummy bright colored cupcakes and cookies. The kids enjoyed them and they fit right along with the decorations and the fun Dr. Seuss colors. While we ate dinner we all enjoyed watching Horton Hears a Who. It was definitely a fun Friday night party. I am so glad that my kids enjoy Dr. Seuss, there are lots of good lessons to learn from his books.

Blue and Gold Banquet

Anthony had his Blue and Gold Banquet with his scout pack a few weeks ago. The pack has a goal for the boys to earn their rank by Blue and Gold time. Grant is Anthony's Den Leader this year and they have been working hard since school started at getting the requirements done for the Webelos badge. Grant was proud to have all eight of his boys earn their Webelos badge. I as Anthony's mom was proud too. Anthony sure loves scouts and I know he is learning a lot of good character building traits that will serve him well when he gets older. It is so refreshing to see him enjoy something that is so important. I love it that he and his Dad get to do it together and that they have memories to build upon with each other. Grant was part in charge of Blue and Gold this year, the decoration and cake side of things. We had to be there early to help set up and decorate so by the time the event actually started the kids were bored and ready to go home. They did good at enduring the award ceremony of all the dens, I think it help that they were able to enjoy lots and lots of cake. By the time we finish with clean up we were tired and glad to see another successful Blue and Gold Banquet complete.