Eight is Great

Here she is. Darby on the last day of being seven. Last night she was so excited she had a hard time falling asleep.

There was no school toady due to a Teacher Workday so we had the whole day to celebrate. She spent the morning in her pjs playing with her sisters.

Jason still had to work though, so Darby decided to open her presents on Daddy's lunch break. She got her own set of scriptures and a case. She also got her baptism dress. She got a gift card from her grandparents too.

The birthday girl chose BBQ for her birthday dinner.

It was so tasty that she managed to get the BBQ sauce from her ribs all over her face. Brendan said he was so full he was in a food coma.

After dinner we went to the PX and she got her ears pierced. While I filled out the paperwork her hair was pinned back and she got to hold the teddy bear for security.

She started to get REALLY nervous. You can see it on her face.

But she was so brave! Hugs from Dad!

Here is how she looks with her new garnet (her birthstone) earrings. So pretty!

At home we sang Happy Birthday and had cupcakes.

Happy Birthday Darby! You are artistic, creative, friendly, brave and just a little bit wild. We sure love you!

GirlDay Weekend 2018

It is the end of the quarter and so the kids have a day off tomorrow. it seemed the perfect time to celebrate GirlDay. This year we are going away for the weekend to Great Wolf Lodge. We left right after school got out so we arrived too late to actually do much other than activate our Magiquest wands, play a little and then go to bed. The girls each got a special set of birthday wolf ears to wear for the weekend at check-in.

I told the kids that the sooner they slept the sooner tomorrow would come. Apparently, that didn't work for the youngest. She told me the next morning that she hardly slept at all. This face is in reaction to my telling her that she would have an early bedtime.

We did some magi questing, then swam the morning away in the water park, stopping for lunch.

After that, the girls chose to go to the Kids Store to do some crafts while Brendan went to Magiquest. Jason took a nap. The girls made friendship bracelets and colored stick puppets.

We swam some more and then went out for a birthday dinner. We were in the lobby for balloon twisting time.

We tried this BBQ place that was near GWL. Holy cow! The best BBQ I have ever had! I'm going to be dreaming out that brisket chili. The kids especially loved the cool straws they got. I think they are coming home with us.

We did a lot of Magiquesting this trip. Brendan completed almost all 4 relic quests. Eva completed 1 1/2.

Jason helped Darby and I helped Paige. We didn't move as fast and she wanted to end sooner than the other kids but we still managed to complete one whole relic quest.

On our last day there we got the Tipping Bucket. It is a huge container filled with ice cream, candy, sprinkles, cookies and chocolate syrup. We tried to get one yesterday but we were too late and so they were closed. SO ice cream for lunch today it is!

Headed home. Goodbye Great Wolf Lodge!

FHE with the Missionaries

We like to have the missionaries over as an example to our kids. The sister missionaries are especially fun and, since we have girls, good role models. We like to invite them over on Mondays so we can have FHE with them. This time they actually texted and asked if they could come over and have a lesson on baptism with Darby since she will be eight soon. What a great idea! It was a good lesson and made her excited for her baptism next month.

Switcheroo

These doggies are so weird. Stella frequently squeezes herself into Buddy's small crate. Buddy, on the other hand, prefers to sleep in her large one. Why do I even bother?

These Girls

I finally mended the pajamas that Grandma Caren made for them last Christmas. They love their nightgowns and wear them frequently but each had a hole in the seam somewhere. Now they all match tonight. They are adorable.

This long-suffering pup is getting a bit of "over-loving", as we like to call it. They have turned into total dog people since we got one.

A New Presidency

On January 2, 2018. President Thomas S. Monson passed away. He will be sorely missed. He was a great prophet; kind, compassionate, funny and wise. It had been hard for me to see his health decline. At the last General Conference, he wasn't able to speak as much as in the past. It wasn't a great shock when he passed but still very, very sad. The First Presidency was disbanded and we all waited to see who would be chosen to lead the church next.

On January 14th, a new prophet was called. Russell M Nelson was called to be the next president of the church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. Dallin H. Oaks and Henry B. Eyring are his counselors. He held a live press conference on January 16th for all members. I was able to watch it. When President Nelson got up to speak I felt this overwhelming sense of love from him. It hit me so hard that I cried. The Spirit let me know that this was meant to be and that President Nelson is meant to be in charge now. I feel like new and exciting things are in store for the Church. I am excited for our next General Conference.

My Hair Stylist

Paige had taken to brushing my hair and "styling" it during family scripture study. Its a rule that she has to be in the family room while we read, but its hard to keep her listening since they are big words and she can't read yet. This keeps her focused a bit. And my head is tough from years of tight ponytails and sleeping in sponge rollers as a kid.

Fur Everywhere

I knew dogs shed but I hadn't counted on the amount. Stella, being part husky sheds A LOT! I find her fur everywhere. Since we have dark couches it is very apparent. And since Buddy is black, most of our dog beds are a dark color. So I bought her a new bed today. Its just her size and color. I hope its durable enough for her digging and chewing.

I also got a couch cover that is cream colored. It will help with fur since I can wash it and the doggie smell that emanates from old Buddy dog.

Daddy's Lunch Date

FBES has started something new at lunchtime. In an effort to help with cafeteria behavior, they began a program called Fine Dining. Each class gets a mark for good behavior. When your class reaches a certain number of marks you get to eat on the stage with the principal and invite your family. The kids love it. Paige's class just earned theirs. Jason went to lunch with her and she LOVED it.

Because I am usually making dinner, Jason reads with her for her homework on most days. I love to see this. She is making good reading progress too.

Missing Specials

You'd think that the kids would be excited about a two hour delay for school but this girl is sad. That means she misses library and art, two of her two favorite classes.