Random Happenings

I got an annual family zoo pass for joining a credit union a couple of months ago. We were finally able to use the pass and even got Lou to go with us. We went on an overcast day this October towards the end of the day. It was perfect! The animals were more active than I've ever seen them. We only ran into about 5 different families the whole time we were there! I love the tiger in the background!

 

PUMPKIN WALK at the BENSON GRIST MILL

 

The kids performed some Halloween songs with a few fellow K12 classmates. We had another great outing together with everybody behaving quite well! It was fun for them to see all the displays, do free crafts, look at the booths, collect candy from the candy cannon, etc.

 

Emma loving up her little brother!

 

MAGICAL SCIENTIST Show at the Magna Library
Lou joined us for this event last Monday for FHE. The kids had a great time. Gehrig and Damian were each able to help with part of the show.

 

 

Liam's first solid foods. . .we just tried this last night (October 22nd--5 months old). Gehrig got it on video. The kids all had to be there for it! You can tell how much they love their little brother! And how much he didn't love the experience! I think he's going to be my hardest to teach. He's not happy about it at all, but he seemed to need it. . .ugghh. . .now it gets complicated! :)

 

 

Liam sleeps in Emma's room now. At first, she would bring him in to me at night (getting him up with the slightest bit of noise). I had to convince her that I would hear him so that she didn't get him up unnecessarily. She's such a good little Mamma. Anyway. . .he usually wakes up for the day around 7. I often find her reading to him and keeping him happy until I'm ready to face the day! I love how he's holding onto her.

 

 

Damian cleverly built the conference center during General Conference. Can you see the organist off to the side? We LOVED Conference! My family always looks forward to conference weekend. I got more out of it this time than ever before with children!

 

 

April 2011 General Conference

We always enjoy staying home to listen to and watch the apostles and prophets speak to us! This was the most enjoyable Conference I think I've had since having children. They were so good to quietly play and listen. I would ask them questions about the talks and they were able to give me enough indication that they were listening to satisfy me. :) Twice a year isn't enough! :)

The man asleep on the couch is Kevin, a man who has practically joined our family this year (used to be our neighbor but now lives with his dog in his car).



Lou's friends Wilson & Monica invited us to a Brazilian Barbeque after Conference Sunday afternoon. They feed about 20 missionaries every Sunday. We had a great time and enjoyed the good food! (All of the children were with us, but they didn't all make it into the picture, obviously.)

When Wilson met Lou, he said he had twin in Brazil. He couldn't wait to get them together and now, several years after knowing Lou, he was finally able to get them together. There is a resemblance, but not so close as Lou's actual twin, Len! :) Brother Ricardo Sant'Ana is an Area Authority (7th quorum of the seventy) for the Church in Brazil. He has quite an interesting and inspiring story. It was so neat to spend time getting to know him.

Conference Weekend

I look forward to Conference Weekend every 6 months, almost like it's Christmas. I heard more during this conference than any other previous (since I've had children). They're growing up!! I spent the week trying to think of creative ways to help us have an enjoyable time and still listen. Here's Emma (sporting her new dance costume) putting a puzzle together. . .

Damian and Gehrig had a blast creating these little "guys". . .

And eating sugar cookies (frosted and decorated by themselves).

We copied a couple of ideas from other blogs and Ensign articles to come up with the most effective plan I've had yet. The night before conference, the children and I thought of different topics that we might hear addressed at conference (love, sacrament, scriptures, prophets, family history, etc.). Then, they drew pictures to go with the topics and we taped them all over the room where we were listening. My creative friend, Annette, made up a great game with pictures and stats on the prophet and apostles (which we played several times before conference to become more familiar with them). We used those pictures to paste on the topic pictures the kids drew whenever we heard them speaking about a certain topic. And. . .whenever the children heard key words and yelled them out to me, I threw them a smartie (not a whole package--they'd have been sick). These things helped them listen more than they have ever listened before. A funny side note: the following Sunday in Sacrament Meeting, Emma heard the word "eternity" and called it out to me (expecting a smartie to come flying at her). :) I was so happy to know that they were listening and are still listening!
I let the boys play with their building blocks during one session, but it wasn't the most effective thing we did. . .(it's hard for them not to talk when they're playing).

One of our favorite Conference traditions is Sunday morning breakfast. The microscopic piece of cantaloupe came from our garden (it was the size of a baseball). Can't wait for the next conference to be "fed" again (spiritually)! :)

General Conference Weekend

Here's my little Conference project!

I think I made 18 bows and about 6 headbands. What fun! Doesn't Emma look cute?

I tried to keep the boys occupied during Conference with latch hook kits and hat knitting! It worked marvelously with Gehrig, but Damian had a hard time staying focused. We enjoyed hearing from our leaders (what we heard with all the distractions)!