Kindergarten Graduation!!

Today was Kindergarten Graduation for Aaron!

He was so excited for me to come and listen to him sing with his class. The girls came with me, I was worried when we were in the classroom instead of the gym because it was so cramped and hot. Steven's class is right across the hall and as soon as he saw us, he came over and got them. I went over to his class to make sure it was alright with his teacher. She said no problem, they really weren't doing anything anyway, just playing around. Imagine that!! They had way more fun with him anyway.

Aaron's class started out by singing some songs they had been singing all year. They sang songs with the days of the week, and months of the year. Also one with their alpha friends.

Afterwards, they were presented with their graduation hats with smarties as their tassle because they are so smart!!

Then we watched a slide presentation of pictures taken throughout the year. Mrs. Bauer served cookies, (the best part for Aaron). Then we went to find the girls. Thanks Steven!!

Congratulations, Aaron. Now you are a First Grader!!

Guatemala Trip

Just thought that I would check out how blog posting works, and give you a little information on our trip to Guatemala. We packed in a lot of stuff in the 9 days we were gone. 4 days of travel, 3 days of service in the village, 2 days of sight seeing, and a little bit of shopping mixed in. Donna will probably post little stories about it here and there, but I have to get in on some of the action.

When we first got there, we went to the Temple before we could even check in to our room, because it was the only opportunity we would have. It was pretty cool doing sealings in Spanish, and being able to understand a few words now and then.

The travel to the village was quite interesting, from small twin prop planes to 15 passenger mini vans over some pretty rough mountainous roads.

I think that the service was more beneficial to us, than the people in the village. They were a very friendly and humble people. Comparing their circumstances to ours was very enlightening.

I wrote a little poem about it, and here it is:

The Expedition

I ventured forth from my comfort realm,
Postponing the life I lead,
To further the work of a noble cause,
Giving help to those in need.

The help we give, I think to myself,
Will enrich another’s way,
But as we begin to work with them,
My idea begins to fray.

They are humble, and kind, and loving,
And welcome us in their home.
They share with us the little they have.
Reality starts to come.

When looking through someone else’s eyes,
And seeing the life they lead,
Relating to what I think I know,
It begins to plant a seed.

The worldly things we think we need,
That we try so hard to gain,
Are not what makes us who we are.
They have made that very plain.

The life we live, and the things we do,
The way we treat those we meet,
Unfolds the people we really are,
And if our lives are complete.

I take with me the lessons I’ve learned,
Enjoying the strides I’ve made.
But returning to the daily grind,
My new goals begin to fade.

Let Me Start at the Beginning...

I guess I should start at the beginning when it comes to our trip to Guatemala. I hope it's not too boring...

I believe it was in November that Doug first started to mention the Service Expedition to Guatemala. They had a contest at Beneficial Financial, where he works, to all their agents in the field to sign up so many vst's (voluntary service term policy) humanitarian service life insurance policies. They then decided to open it up the home office. So Doug started passing out pass along cards to show people they could sign up for a free $5,000 life insurance policy for their missionaries. Of course we signed up our boys, because not only was it for missionaries already out in the field, but potential missionaries as well. It was funny to see the different reactions to the idea. Some were afraid of it, "I don't want to die on my mission". Some thought it was a cool idea, like us.

Anyway, I was excited for him to get the chance to go. He really went to town with this, I was surprised at his enthusiam. He made up little trays for the cards and called a couple of businesses to see if they would display his cards on their counters and such. He even thought about standing in front of the MTC (Missionary Training Center) in provo on a missionary report day. (He didn't actually do that, he just thought about it) Anyway, he got a couple to agree to putting them out, but really didn't get much response. What worked the best was when Holly (our niece, Merlin & Delores' daughter) came over for Thanksgiving. We knew she was talking about a mission and was taking a missionary prep class at BYU. She was excited about it, she took the cards to school and posted the information on the missionary prep web site. She said that her missionary prep teacher told them that if they died on their mission they would get automatic exhaltation! She thought that was so cool, not only would she get automatic exhaltation, but her parents would get $5,000 for free!! She advertised it as such!!

Somewhere in the middle of December is when he realized that the trip was for two. I was really surprised. I was so excited for him to go, not me! And yet...I was intrigued with the idea, could I really do something like that?

The contest lasted till the end of the year, Dec 2007. It was funny to watch Doug keep checking to see if he was still the leader. Midnight, Dec 31st, he gets on the computer one last time and sure enough he won!! I was nervous, scared, excited, and not sure, all at the same time.

So we want to say thanks to Holly for her enthusiasm, she's the reason we won. Our kids for their strength and willingness to take care of everything, including my mom, while we were gone. They were truly amazing!! Jon took time off from work and came to live back at home, so he could take care of everyone.

While the timing of the trip was very difficult for me. I had to leave my children and my mom and go so far away, miss my baby's first birthday, sleep in the jungle, I also had to get over my fear of the unknown and find my own inner strength. I have learned so much by trusting in my Heavenly Father and leaving it all behind to experience something I probably never will have the chance to do again! It was truly an amazing, eye opening, and a learning experience I hope I will never forget!

Aaron's Walking Field Trip

It's funny how they don't go on any field trips all year and at the end of the year they go on two in one month, well in only a week and a half! (It would have been 3, but they got rained out on the day of the Chalk Festival one.) Anyway, I sent Shawn to this one, because I knew he would enjoy eating the frozen custard, (and it would have been too much of a temptation for me). They, the whole kindergarten, walked down to Nielsen's Frozen Custard and learned how they make the custard.

Aaron had this to say about it...

"I liked it, I got to eat ice cream. We went into this fridge that you could walk into. It felt cold. They made two kinds, chocolate and vanilla. I picked the chocolate. It was yummy and cold. The walk was so long my feet couldn't even move!!"

They sure were bushed when they got back! Kids laying all over the ground!! Aaron was awfully red in the face when he walked in the door!! He was one of the lucky ones to have remembered to bring a water bottle. It was worth it to have, to have to carry it around.

Shawn had fun taking tons of pictures, I think he took over 50! A guy after my own heart!!

Kimberly's 2nd grade class went to Nielsen's today, as well. Shawn said she showed up as they were leaving. He said he didn't even think to get a picture of her, bummer!! She said both kinds of custard looked so good, but she couldn't resist the chocolate one!

Look Who's Walking!!

Natalie will be 13 months old tomorrow. While she's been taking steps for about 3 months now, it's been only the last couple of days that she has really caught the fever. She is walking all over the place now! She's standing up in the middle of the room, and unless she's in a major big hurry (where she will immediately drop to her hands and knees and crawl like mad) she is walking. It's pretty cute because she still walks with her hands up and she has that smile on her face of self satisfaction. It is amazing at how fast these little ones grow up!

Like I said I am experimenting with video clips, the last one was one someone had sent me over email. This one I took with my digital camera. I am having way too much fun with all of this!

"Kindness Begins With Me"

I have decided from time to time I would stick little stories or thoughts about our trip to Guatemala. I also am experimenting with adding video clips on here as well.

So the very last day in the village of Chimaxyat, Doug was trying to perfect learning the numbers 1 through10 in Q'eqchi' (one of his hobbies is to learn how to count to 10 in different languages). I was going through the packet we got at the beginning of the week. I was talking to Maria (a native to the area who spoke English as well) about how to read the language and surprised myself by being able to read some of the higher numbers (11 to 20). Anyway, my point is...in our packet was printed the primary song, "Kindness Begins With Me". I asked Maria to teach it to me and she did! The women thought it was pretty funny to hear me sing this song, but they did say I was doing it right! I think it's fun to watch the woman behind me mouth the words while I sing it. I only wish I would have learned it earlier in the week so I could have taught it to some of the kids before we left. Wouldn't that have been fun?!!!

Anyway, here it is...

Seminary Graduation!

We attended Seminary Graduation for Melanie tonight. They had a nice program with speakers and a musical number. The graduates then were presented their certificate by their bishop and were congratulated by their Stake Presidency. Melanie said she felt very intimadated when the Stake President leaned in and said, "We expect great things from you!" All she could say was, "okay".


Afterward they served refreshments. We got the graduates from our ward together for a group picture. But not before one with Mom and Dad!

Way to go, Melanie!!

We love you!!

Primary Talent Show

So a couple of days ago, I had the Primary President stop me in the halls of the school to ask me what my little ones were going to do for the talent show this Saturday! Since this was the first I'd heard about it, I had no idea. She said that Aaron had signed up to do "rolling", Kimberly signed up to play the piano???? (She doesn't play the piano that I know of), Emily was displaying some art work as well as sing. She needed a talent for Tiffany. She appologized that I hadn't heard but since she'd been announcing it for 3 weeks she wasn't too sympathetic to my dazed look. (I don't think she realized that I had been in Guatemala and missed the last 3 weeks .)

So she calls me later and I still haven't had the chance to get with the kids and figure it all out. Finally, yesterday I found out that Aaron's "rolling" was actually somersaults. Okay. Emily was singing "I Just Can't Wait to be King" from Lion King. Kimberly was going to play the piano. I asked her to show me and she was planning on making something up as she went along. Then she wanted to sing to the song bank. I hadn't planned on dragging our digital keyboard, I told her to try again. She decided to sing "Jesus Wants me for a Sunbeam" As we are walking to the church to perform, she sings it and doesn't really know the words. Oh great!! It was really hilarious and ironic that she wouldn't know the words since it is the most picked song we sing for Family Home Evening. The reason they pick it is so they can jump everytime we say "beam". Apparently, she doesn't really sing the song (or listen to it for that matter) She didn't know all the words. When we couldn't come up with another song she wanted to sing. I just went over it with her a few times and she did fine. Whew! Tiffany, as cute as can be sang "Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star".

They all did pretty good and I am so glad it was a low key talent show. I guess I need to pay more attention to the announcements in church!

GET READY FOR SCHOOL!!!!

"Time to go" "Are you ready?" "Quit playing" "Where's your shoes?"

I will be so happy when school is out in two weeks. I am so tired of being the biggest nag in the whole Western United States!!!! I get them up at 7am, you'd think they could get ready by 8:30, 8:45 even, but no!!

We have prayer at 7, then it takes half an hour just to get them to get off the couch to start getting ready. Then once they are up, they eat and play. I am constantly following them around, "are you ready yet? Get ready for school!"

I've tried the tactic of shoving them out the door ready or not. All that results in is lots of fighting and tears (on both our parts). I've tried the 15, 10, and 5 minute warnings. I've tried bribes. They all seem to work at first, but not for very long.

Homework patrol is the other nagging thing. Sure we will be reading and a few other things here and there over the summer, but nothing like the rigid schedule of school days. Don't get me wrong, I think I'm finally getting to the point where I don't mind school, schedule is nice. But it's definitely time for summer vacation!

I am looking forward to getting some things done around the house that I can only do with the kids home. They help with the work, as well as the tending. I was just thinking... I guess I am just trading one list, for another. I don't have homework patrol, tough schedules, etc. during the summer, but I do have spring cleaning lists and things along that nature. By the time we hit August comes, we'll be ready for school to start again, maybe!!

Maybe I need to learn to enjoy the moment and quit wishing and waiting for the next thing to happen. It's not as if time isn't going too fast already!!

Aaron's First Field Trip

I must say I was mighty sad, feeling guilty and sorry for myself that I couldn't go to the Zoo with Aaron on his first field trip. There are all sorts of reasons I had to stay behind. I had decided I would just take the girls with me and meet them there and follow them around. Then I realized that I couldn't be gone that long from Nana. Then when we got up that morning is was rainy, so it wouldn't have worked to take the girls anyway.

We did however walk down to the school and "see him off". He was so excited to be able to ride on the big yellow bus. He even got to pack a lunch and eat it there. We wrote his name on and put stickers all over his lunch bag so he would recognize it in all the lunch bags at lunch time. But in the rush to get to school that morning, I neglected to get a picture of the bag, oh well. We waited for the bus to pull out and waved as he drove away. He said it rained and he got wet but he liked seeing all the animals. His favorite were the rhino's!

With Aaron off to school, the girls and I have started walking again. We don't go everyday, yet, because it's not always warm enough and I'm not always as ambitious as I should be. But we like to be outside and enjoy the warmer days.

Is This The Same Baby??

Hi, I have been wanting to do my own blog for several weeks now, but haven't for lots of reasons. I've been trying to come up with a good name for the last couple of weeks. I've finally settled on this one because even though we only have 11 kids, if you count us (Doug an I) that does make a Baker's Dozen!!

Anyway, I wanted to start with this because I did this on Sunday and was amazed at the change in the looks of this sweet little girl in just a "do", hair do to be exact. So this morning when she woke up with bed head, I took a picture....

Then I did her hair, Wow, what a difference a "do" makes!! It's the baby hair blues, where she has so much hair I have to "do" it everyday or she looks like the before pictures. Who can stand for their baby to look so rag-a-muffin-like?? She sure is a cutie patootie though, isn't she!!??