Golf Camp

Spencer and Jessica just finished golf camp. A little reluctant at first, they actually enjoyed learning a new sport in the end. They had an award ceremony on the last day. There were five different awards for each age group: "Best Driving", "Best Putting", "Best Chipping", "Best Ironing" and "Best Sportsmanship". Spencer won "Best Chipping" for his age group. (Don't ask me - I'm not familiar with golf --Spencer tried to explain it to me.) Jessica won "Best Sportsmanship" and I wasn't surprised. Whenever I got the chance to watch her, she'd be joking around and laughing with her counselors and friends about not getting the ball close to the hole, etc. She made friends with everyone in her group and seemed to be very well-liked. That's my little Jessica!

They provided lunch everyday and even offered one to Alex and Logan. On the last day, Spencer and Jessica also received a golf shirt. They had a fun time! In early August, I've signed them up to participate in a tennis camp with the same sports organization. They are looking forward to it.

Spencer's group was trained by experienced golf professionals

Spencer and his group are learning to "drive" the ball

Spencer likes golfing

Jessica and the girls in her group

Jessica had a good time at golf camp even if it isn't her best sport

Alex and Logan hanging out while we waited for golf camp to end

Spencer eating the lunch they provided & showing off his "Chipping" medal

Jessica with her "Sportsmanship" award

Julie's Birthday

My sister Kim surprised me by coming up to visit for my birthday this year. Well, it wasn't a total surprise as she actually gave me a day's warning, but it was fun to see her and her children. The kids always love seeing their cousins and her baby Ethan had grown so much since I saw him last April.

On the morning of my birthday, Kim and I took the kids to IKEA for breakfast. IKEA is a giant new furniture store in town but they also have a cafeteria that sells yummy breakfast plates for $.99 - A pretty good deal! After we ate, Kim and I put our kids in the supervised play area so we could browse the store. Allison was very sad because she wasn't tall enough to go in the play area. She cried for a long time until Kim bought some candy to help take her mind off it. It worked! We had an hour until we needed to pick up the kids and when we did, we noticed that they still had a lot of energy. So we went to "Caesarland" to eat pizza and let the kids play. They played for several hours and never seemed to get tired! By about 3:00, Kim and I were pretty tired so we went back to the house and let them jump on the trampoline with the sprinkler underneath the remainder of the afternoon.

A little later, I injured my foot as I was walking downstairs to put the wet swimming suits and towels in the washer. I lost my footing and fell down pretty hard on my foot. Joshua wasn't home from work yet and my sister and I were in the middle of getting ready for my birthday BBQ dinner. I think I sat on the stairs and cried for awhile. By the time I made it back upstairs, my foot was starting to swell. I thought it could've been broken but I wasn't sure. It hurt really bad and I couldn't walk on it. When Joshua got home, we decided he'd take me to a nearby Urgent Care. I slowly hopped to the car with Joshua's help. He eventually carried me because it was too hard to hobble or hop. They took X-rays of my foot at the Urgent Care and the doctor said it wasn't broken, probably just some muscle damage. By then my foot was pretty bruised, turning black and blue. The nurse wrapped my foot in an ace bandage and told me to keep it elevated the next few days. Since then, I still keep it in an ace bandage and it's still really bruised (I don't like to look at it). I haven't walked very much on it because it swells really easily. Most of the time I stay off it and keep it elevated. The kids and Joshua have been very helpful! I hope it gets better soon because I'm ready to run around and have fun this summer! I'm just thankful it's not broken and extremely glad it happened after our trip to Cedar Point.

Since I didn't slept very well the night after it happened, the next morning I was so exhausted! I'm so glad Kim was still here. She was extremely helpful with my children and took them out most of the afternoon so I could rest. She also helped with dinner and other things around the house that day. I felt bad that she came to have a fun couple of days with us but ended up spending most of the time taking care of me. But I'm sure grateful to her! Thanks Kim, for helping me out!

Thanks to everyone who called for my birthday. I was touched that all my siblings, my parents, in-laws, and Joshua's brother Joseph called and/or left messages. It meant a lot. I'm also grateful to those who sent well wishes through email and e-cards. I also have a few friends taking me out this week to celebrate. It's nice to be remembered on your birthday. It really means a lot!

(Enlarge the picture by clicking on it -- You can see some of the bruising on my big toe! Yuck!)

CEDAR POINT!!

We (meaning Joshua, Spencer, Jessica and I) went to Cedar Point last Monday, June 18. Our bishop's family was kind enough to watch Alex and Logan so we could spend the whole day riding rollercoasters that they wouldn't be tall enough to ride. Cedar Point has a record-breaking 17 rollercoasters, more than any other amusement park. We had a total blast!! Any family and friend thrill seekers are encouraged to make the trip up here next year and go with us. We have decided to make it a tradition and go every year as soon as we can after school lets out for summer. And, all of our children must be at least 48" tall if they want to go with us. That is the minimum height for all but about 6 of the rollercoasters. Alex may be tall enough next year -- We'll see!

Jessica's favorite ride was Top Thrill Dragster which is one of the tallest and is the 2nd fastest (120 mph) rollercoaster in the world. She also loved the Millennium Force which is this massive, colossal rollercoaster and voted no. 2 of the "Best Steel Rollercoaster in the World" in Amusement Today (Top Thrill Dragster was No. 7). Joshua, Spencer and I loved the newest ride that debuted last month, called the Maverick which has a 95 degree first drop, two separate launches, 10 banked turns and reaches a speed of 70 mph. We were glad to be at the front of the line when the park opened because as soon as it did, everyone raced for the "Maverick". It was the farthest ride from the front of the park so even though we started out running with the crowd, we ended up race-walking and huffing & puffing by the time we got there. But it was good we rode the Maverick first because the line was horrendous the rest of the day.

Another of my favorite rides was Skyhawk, a gigantic swing that goes back and forth up to 125 feet in the air at a speed of 60 mph. in both directions. I could've ridden that over and over. I also loved Wicked Twister, a U-shaped, 90-degree steel rollercoaster that launches without warning up to 72 mph and goes up and down a twisted track about 5 times back and forth. Spencer and I got in the "front row" line (separate from the other line) for Wicked Twister. In our opinion, the best place to be on a rollercoaster is the front row! When it was almost our turn, the coaster had a malfunction and needed to be shut down. The operators told us they didn't know how long it would take. We were disappointed but decided to stay close and keep an eye out so when it reopened, we'd be right there. We went on the Giant Ferris Wheel which was next to Wicked Twister. After that, we went on the Space Spiral, also next to the rollercoaster, and as we were coming down we noticed Wicked Twister was running again. Spencer and I ran and got in the "front row" line again, which was really short by then. Daddy and Jessica decided not to go with us. They were getting a little tired of riding rollercoasters all day. It was probably 8:00 pm by then. We had been going for 10 hours straight! Whew!

It's nice that Cedar Point is only 2 hours from our house. It makes it possible to drive there and home in one day. We talked to some people in line with us for Millennium Force that traveled all the way from Seattle just to ride the Millennium Force after seeing it on the Travel Channel's "Best Rollercoasters in the World". They are big-time thrill seekers and travel all over the U.S. to ride the biggest and best rollercoasters. Sounds fun!

(*Anything in blue is a link)

Liberty Fest 2007

One of our favorite family activities of the summer is Canton's annual "Liberty Fest". This year it took place on June 16 - 17, 2007. It included many activities such as a Friday night "movie at dusk", a parade, fireworks, games, rides, an art fair, a car show, performances, food and much more at a local city park. I took many pictures as we enjoyed all these activities. See below!

Joshua and I were interviewed for a local newspaper as we waited for the Liberty Fest parade to start. See the link here -- http://hometownlife.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070621/NEWS03/706210556/1020/NEWS03

Logan's First Year of Preschool

Logan had a great first year of preschool! We discovered that he is a very friendly, social and outgoing kid and he really flourished this last year in school. In March, I wasn't sure if he'd still want to go to school after his best friend Connor moved. They went to school together every Monday & Friday and were two peas in a pod. His teachers were concerned as well since they were connected at the hip in the classroom and Logan regularly told everyone that he'd be moving with Connor. But he did fine after Connor left. I prepared him for several months before he moved so it wasn't such a huge shock to him. It was good to see that he was able to adjust to a big change in his life. Most of my other children have a hard time with big changes so it was refreshing to see that Logan handled it well and continued to look forward to going to preschool every week.

During Logan's last week of school, he went on a field trip to the farm, had a Father's Night party at school and had an end-of-school family picnic at the park. He's sad it's over and wants to go to the same preschool again next year. He liked his teachers and some of the same friends will be in his class again next fall. I volunteered in his class twice a month and each time I took him to school he'd say, "Are you going to school with me today?" I loved seeing him interact with his friends & teachers and will volunteer in the class again next year. (His last year before kindergarten!!)

The 2006 - 2007 School Year Has Ended

Another milestone has come and gone, especially for Spencer and Alexander. Last night we went to Spencer's 5th grade BBQ and graduation at his elementary school. I can't believe he'll be going to middle school next year! I've shed a few tears the last few days. It's been nice having Spencer, Jessica and Alex in the same school this last year. I never had to worry about Alex with his two older siblings in school with him. It was nice having them on the school bus together and Spencer was the "safety" for Alex's kindergarten class.

I had a long conversation with the school principal at the BBQ last night and she told me how impressed she was with our children. She said they were always well-behaved. She was especially impressed by how seriously Spencer took being a "safety" this last year. She supervises the 5th grade "safety squad" and said he was probably her most responsible and dependable leader on the squad. She also told me that she appreciated how involved Joshua and I were in the school and what a big difference that makes to the teachers and most especially our children. It was a really uplifting conversation and I'm glad to have talked to her. It's nice to know what others think of your children once in awhile (especially if it's positive).

Alexander had his kindergarten graduation this morning at school. The kids demonstrated some of the things they learned this year and sang some songs. Alex has had a wonderful year, full of great friends and an unbelievably supportive and compassionate teacher. Boy, will I miss the children's teachers this year. They were very lucky to have such amazing and terrific teachers. I'm tearing up just thinking about it. Spencer, Jessica and Alex gave their teacher a bouquet of flowers this morning with a lovely card they made. I also took a picture of each child with their teacher (see pictures below). At the end of the day, all the classes (K-4) lined up in the halls and waited for the bell to ring so they could give the traditional "5th grade clap-out". When the 5th graders came out of their classroom, all the school kids, teachers and parents clapped as they walked the halls. I was in tears!! I can't even believe I caught a decent picture of Spencer as he walked by since I couldn't even see straight.

It's been an amazing and memorable year for me and the children. One we'll always remember. I've had a pretty emotional day today thinking about it. I took the kids to McDonald's for lunch and to see a movie after school to celebrate the end of the school year (it was a half day) and the beginning of summer vacation. I'm excited for the summer. We have some fun and exciting things planned. I'll keep you updated throughout the summer so keep coming back to my blog to see what we're up to.

Soccer Season Has Ended

Spencer's last soccer game was today. He's sad that it's over for the season. But I believe they only lost once out of about 12 games. They smashed almost every team. Spencer scored several goals each game and many of the parents on the team commented to us about his athletic talents on the field. After the game today, there was a team party with an award ceremony at Pizza Hut. His coach gave him "The Terminator" award because he said Spencer was the "toughest player on the team" and "never had any reservations about going against other strong players from opposing teams." He also said he was the "fastest player on the team." Pretty good compliments, huh? They sure made Spencer beam from ear to ear.

One of the parents told me at the party that they overheard Spencer on the sidelines today impatiently tell the coach, "You need a good player in there now! I need to go in!!" He exudes confidence when he's playing soccer. I love it! He wants to try out for the middle school team next year.

Spencer is the "Terminator"!

The coach and assistant coach giving Spencer an Award.
Spencer's trying not to smile.

Getting a handshake.
Coach Barron is also our bishop.

State Quarter Update

Thanks to everyone who has donated state quarters to Spencer's collection! He now has a total of 39 state quarters.

BUT WE STILL NEED YOUR HELP! Keep an eye out for these remaining 6! They have been hard to find. (Updated 6/14 -- The two states in red we have found thanks to a parent of a student in Alex's kindergarten class!)

California
Idaho
Indiana
New Jersey
Texas
Utah
Wisconsin
Wyoming

(2008 is the release year for Arizona, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Alaska and Hawaii)

HELP ME!

Alex's Kindergarten Farm Fieldtrip

Alex's kindergarten class went on a field trip to the farm last week. I helped chaperone and Logan tagged along too. We took a wagon ride, milked a cow, held baby chicks and fed & pet a lot of baby goats. The farmer showed the children how to sheer a sheep. Then he asked if someone wanted to be sheered -- Alex volunteered! The farmer stood behind him and told him to face forward. He started snipping away behind him, pretending to cut his hair, but Alex didn't flinch. The farmer laughed and said that most of his volunteers ran away, so he took a tiny snip off Alex's hair! (See picture below)

We ate lunch at the farm before returning to school. It was sweet seeing Alex with the friends he talks about all the time at home. He seems very well liked in his class. There were 4 boys who fought to sit next to him at lunch!

Happy Birthday Jessica!

Jessica turned 9 years old this last Saturday, June 2. We had a laid-back Saturday morning. That week (Thursday May 31 - Saturday June 2) our neighborhood advertised a sub-division garage sale that we decided to get in on it since our basement was filling up with tons of baby stuff, clothes and toys we had outgrown. It was lots of work getting it organized and pricing everything but we thought it would be nice to make a little money with it instead of getting rid of everything. I couldn't believe how much stuff we had and most of it was still in really good condition! We filled up our garage and most of our driveway with our second-hand goods. So, even though it was Jessica's birthday on Saturday, we decided to keep it open that day too since Thursday and Friday we had averaged about $150 a day. We thought Saturday would bring us just as much money.

We opened our garage sale at 8:00 and Josh sat outside waiting for customers while I made the breakfast Jessica requested -- Pancakes, bacon, sausage and scrambled eggs with cheese. After breakfast, Jessica, Spencer and I walked down the street to look at some other garage sales since it was a neighborhood garage sale and lots of other homes were also having yard sales. We wanted to size up our competition and see if we could benefit from other people's junk. Right away, Spencer found a scooter for $5 and Jessica fell in love with a small teddy bear priced at $0.30. When we got home, Grandma and Grandpa Williams called and Jessica opened their present while talking to them on the phone. She was so excited to get 2 Webkinz pets from them -- A Chihuahua and a white Persian Cat.

In the afternoon, Spencer had a soccer game and Alex had a birthday party to go to. Jessica and Logan stayed and helped me with the garage sale. We closed the garage sale around 3:00 pm (just in time for a pretty big storm to hit) and Jessica's best friend, Emma came over to go with us to "Shrek the Third" for Jessie's birthday. We really liked the movie. There were parts that I thought were hilarious! Spencer sat next to me and I embarrassed him by how much I laughed during the movie. He kept looking at me and sighing while covering his face. Oh well, I'll have to get use to that. He's getting to that age where parents are embarrassing.

After the movie, we went home and I made Jessica's favorite dinner, Hawaiian Haystacks. Afterwards, she opened her presents and we had chocolate cake and ice-cream. I forgot that she had requested chocolate pudding instead of ice-cream but she was forgiving. She's not much of an ice-cream kid. Can you believe that? The rest of the kids can't get enough of it!

A Memorial Day Trip to the Zoo

For Memorial Day, we went to the Toledo Zoo with our friends, the Larsen and Selthofer families. We had a great time! Hope you also had a great holiday!

A New Logan Hairstyle

Look who gave himself a haircut!

If any of our children were to sneak a pair of scissors, hide in the living room corner, leave a trail of freshly cut hair around the room and hide in the basement until discovered, it would've been our curious and sometimes mischievous little Logan. Last week, Logan had a friend in his preschool class who massacred their hair with a pair of scissors at home. I think this is where he got the idea. But, I just got through telling his teachers the day before that none of my kids have ever thought about cutting their own hair before. I'll have to eat my words when I take him to school on Friday. I've heard that curiousness is often a sign of intelligence. Let's hope it all leads to straight A's someday!!

A Pirates of the Caribbean Review

I know many of you could've predicted that we'd see "Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End" the opening weekend. We saw it at a Friday matinee since the kids were out of school for Memorial Day weekend, although we would've loved to see it last night at a Thursday night screening, we just didn't want to pay for a babysitter. We regretted bringing our littlest one -- Logan started getting bored about half way through the movie so I ended up missed little chunks here and there seeing as I had the pleasure of sitting next to him. There was a lot more story lines to keep up with in this swashbuckling sequel than the other two, so sometimes I felt a little lost because of my fidgety friend, but Joshua caught me up during the slow periods. All I can say is it was a very entertaining movie and we loved it!! (Although maybe a little too violent for the kids.) If you see it, make sure and stay through the credits. There is an important scene at the very end. Almost our entire movie audience cleared out of the theater during the credits except for a few groups of people who were probably waiting like us to see if it had a funny bit at the end like the other two movies did. We were glad we stayed.

A Quick Summary and Review -- by Julie Dyal
Director Gore Verbinski jumps into this sequel feet first. Like rapid fire, he sets up one new story element after another -- Jack Sparrow, Barbossa, Will Turner and Elizabeth Swann must visit the Pirate Lords and their council; the Black Pearl has to reach the underworld; there’s a new mythological explanation for successful piracy which factors into the real method behind Barbossa's return. Individually, I think each story line is extremely entertaining and enjoyable, I just think that maybe there was one too many stories going at once, each running into the other on screen. Most of these new plot lines lead the story in many distinctly different directions, which is a lot for one little movie to try and do especially when there are associations and betrayals left over from the last movie. So, in fact, this is not a little movie after all - It's actually almost 170 minutes but it feels very jam-packed.

As much as I love Johnny Depp’s performance as Jack Sparrow, it's interesting to realize that Kiera Knightley’s character is actually the primary character in this movie. I think she almost took charge of the film, figuratively and literally. She was forceful and persuasive and even flawed at times -- almost an ideal heroine.

I encourage you to go see it. It's not exactly the movie I expected to see but the entertainment is definitely worth the price of admission. There is a lot to keep up with in this film so make sure and really pay attention when watching it. The non-stop pirate action that "Pirates of the Caribbean" brings to the screen is always exciting and fun to see, but I was also pleased to see it still had the all-important slapstick humor and romance that I'm very fond of in these films. In my opinion, the most lively scenes come not from the sword but from the dialogue which makes this trilogy so enjoyable to watch. I give it 4 out of 5 stars.

Another Trip to Walt Disney World

Yes, yes ... I know what you're going to say. That I've been to Walt Disney World twice this year already -- Why go again (making it 3 times in 6 months)? All I can say is that I'm a DISNEYWORLD FANATIC and I'll go whenever I get the chance! So, when my parents told me they were going to Orlando this month for a conference and also to spend a few days visiting Disneyworld, I thought I'd tag-along, especially after I came across a non-stop plane ticket from Detroit to Orlando for only $125.00! All my other sisters, Erin (who lives in Provo), Kimberly (from Columbus, Ohio) and Kristen (who lives 3 hours southeast of Orlando in Fort Lauderdale, FL) also came, without their children I might add, and we had a last-minute mini-family reunion. It was sort-of like old times and very different without all of our kids but we had a great time! I'm so glad to have a supportive husband who said -- "Go and have fun... I'll take care of the kids!" What a great guy!!!

On my favorite ride, "The Hollywood Tower of Terror" at Disney's MGM Studios, my sister Erin and I were picked out of a group of people to ride again without waiting in line. As we were coming off the ride, we were pulled aside by a manager who told us that they saw us on a TV monitor putting our hands on the outside the ride which was extremely unsafe. We defended ourselves by saying we didn't think we had, but after a few minutes he convinced me that I must've done it without even realizing I had. We apoligized and told him we'd be careful next time and began walking away when he started laughing and said he was only kidding and that we were chosen to ride again. We laughed and laughed for a long time. He was really funny! He said, "Why did you believe me?" And I said, "Why wouldn't I? I only knew you as the ride manager!" He took us up an employee elevator and directly to the front of the line to ride again. That made our day!! We took a picture with him -- See below.

It was sad to leave and say goodbye to everyone but this trip will always be a fun memory. It was an exhausting trip though - I averaged about 5 hours of sleep each night and completely hit-the-wall on the afternoon of the last day. I came home and took a 5 hour nap and then went to bed at 9:00 pm that night! Whew! I brought home some souvenirs for the kids and they said I should never go back to Disneyworld ever again without them. It seems that I'm raising some Disneyworld fanatics just like I am!

(Because I have so many pictures, the slide show below might run slow ... mine did. Give it a little time to set up and it will rotate through the pictures.)

Spencer's State Quarter Update

Thanks to everyone who has donated state quarters to Spencer's collection! He now has a total of 35 states but needs 10 more. He's done pretty good, huh? Some have asked for an updated list of states he still needs for his collection. Here are the ones we are still looking for -- (updated 6/9)

Washington
California
Idaho
Wyoming
Utah
Texas
Wisconsin
Arkansas
Illinois
Indiana
New Jersey
Delaware
Maine

(2008 is the release year for Arizona, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Alaska and Hawaii)

It's starting to fill up! Only 10 more!
(And then 5 more in 2008)

Happy Mother's Day!

HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY!
by, Julie Dyal

I've been thinking today about how much I admire my mom and all the important lessons she's taught me. It's hard to capture how I feel about her in words but I'll try and express my feelings for her right now.

My family is truly blessed. Who and what we have become is due in no small part to our mother. My mom is an extremely selfless, caring, intelligent, loving, generous and beautiful woman. To her children, she is the glue that holds us all together. And to her grandchildren, she is the perfect "Grandma" with an immeasurable abundance of patience and love that is constantly available. They will always be aware of how much their Grandma loves them! She has always been and continues to be a good example to me and I hope to be able to emulate her in any way.

Whenever I need her she is always there for me. Even though we live 1300 miles from each other, she's but a phone call away and always makes herself available for me. I have never had to wonder if my mother loves me. She has shown me with every sacrifice she's made as my mother. It's funny how some things take years to finally realize and appreciate. I had no idea how many sacrifices a mother gives to her children until becoming one myself. Even now, now matter how old we are, it's second nature to my mom to take care of us, her husband and grandchildren. I'm grateful to her for always being there to support me and help me figure things out when I need her help. In my patriarchal blessing it reads, "Turn to your earthly parents in every occasion of need and you will find inspiration, direction and sustaining love." I thank them for their wisdom and guidance, and even as an adult, I will always need their counsel.

I will always be grateful for my mother's valuable teachings. They have made me who I am today and will continue to make me a better person in the future. Many people have touched my life profoundly, but no one has made a bigger impression on me as she has. I love you Mom!

A TRIBUTE TO MOM
By, Joshua Dyal

Hardly a day goes by in my life that I don't have the occasion to think of something that I learned from my parents, but today being Mother's Day, it gives a wonderful opportunity to put into words some of those thoughts.

I learned a great deal from my mother. She has always been an incredible example of patience, of faith, of hard work and sacrifice---and keeping a cheerful demeanor throughout it all. It wasn't until I was quite a bit older that I recognized many of the sacrifices; all the time, all the energy and effort and worry---that was put into the work of raising me, my sister and my brothers. A big part of the reason that it never occured to me until much later in life that it was a sacrifice of any kind was because of the happy way in which my mother made those sacrifices; never complaining, always glad to be able to spend the time with us.

One extremely formative memory that has stuck with me vividly for years is when I was in my room in our little house on Bryan, Texas and hearing my mother speaking to someone on the phone in the ward---the phone was in the kitchen, right outside my room. I very clearly remember my mother telling the sister from the ward that it seems that so many mothers in the ward loved it when school started again and their children went back to school, but that she felt the opposite. She loved having her children around and would much rather have spent the time with us in the summer than send us to school without her.

Never in my life have I doubted the depth of the love my mother has for us her children. And her example is something that I've always kept with me as something to aspire to as a parent myself. I love you, Mom!

I Love My Mom!

A mother’s love is something

That no one can explain,

It is made of deep devotion

And of sacrifice and pain,

It is endless and unselfish

And enduring come what may

For nothing can destroy it

Or take that love away…

It is patient and forgiving

When all others are forsaking.

And it never fails or falters

Even though the heart is breaking…

It believes beyond believing

When the world around condemns,

And it glows with all the beauty

Of the rarest, brightest gems…

It is far beyond defining.

It defies all explanation,

And it still remains a secret

Like the mysteries of Creation…

A many splendored miracle

Man cannot understand

And another wondrous evidence

of God’s tender guiding hand.

Anonymous

May 13, 2007

Julie and the kids on Mother's Day

A Word About Gratitude ....

This week was Teacher Appreciation Week at school. The kids were encouraged to do nice things for their teachers this week. Jessica really got into the spirit. She wrote lovely notes to her teacher and also wanted to give her gifts and flowers. I was touched by her thoughtfulness. One of my friends had this quote on her blog --

"Walk with gratitude in your hearts, my dear friends. Be thankful for the wonderful blessings which are yours. Be grateful for the tremendous opportunities that you have. Be thankful to your parents, who care so very much about you and who have worked so very hard to provide for you. Let them know that you are grateful. Say thank you to your mother and your father. Say thank you to your friends. Say thank you to your teachers. Express appreciation to everyone who does you a favor or assists you in any way. Thank the Lord for His goodness to you." -- Gordon B. Hinckley

I haven't always had a grateful heart. In fact, when I was younger, I took many things for granted. As I've gotten older, I think I've become a much more grateful person. My moments of gratitude happen most when it's quiet and I'm by myself, when I listen to inspiring music or watch inspiring movies/shows, when I'm outside enjoying nature or when I'm doing fun things with my family. It use to be easy for me to get discouraged and think of the things that are going wrong or how I wanted my life to be different. I really had to work on changing this frame of mind that seemed embedded in my framework. I had to and still need to constantly discipline myself into remembering all my blessing on a daily basis.

I challenge you today to make some time to be grateful for at least 3 things in your life. Appreciate them and vow not to take them for granted. Live in thanksgiving daily! My three things --

1. My wonderful family and a merciful Heavenly Father for providing a way for me to be with them eternally.
2. This beautiful world that we live in -- The trees, flowers, warm weather, stars in the sky at night...
3. For my health and the health of those I love.

School Spring Carnival

The kids had a Spring Carnival at their school tonight. We ate dinner, played lots of games and tried to win some raffle prizes. Jessica had her heart set on winning a "Webkinz" stuffed animal basket. Joshua and I wanted the "Outdoor BBQ" or "At the Movies" baskets and Spencer wanted the "Zap Zone Laser Tag" gift certificates. Alas, we didn't win any of them. But we did have a fun night!

Logan's Playgroup Project

I've been busy all week on a project that I thought would take a single afternoon. It turned out to be a 3 1/2 day endeavor! I should've known better because that always happens to me. I'm too much of a perfectionist which can sometimes be a great thing and sometimes extremely frustrating! Last September, I helped arrange and organize a weekly playgroup for Logan where the mothers take turns teaching a letter of the alphabet. When it's her week, the mom comes up with a mini-lesson plan, craft, game and snack that is centered around the letter of the week. Now it's May and we've finally made it to the end of the alphabet. I have the letter "Z" next week and since we're almost done, I thought I'd do something a little bigger than I usually do. I came up with a game called "zoo bingo" and made cute bags for each child with some of my leftover sewing fabric so the kids can keep and take home their game pieces. On the back of the bags I sewed on their name. The kids will use animal crackers to cover up the animal picture that is called out during the game. The first child who gets six in a row wins the game! I'm going to get some books at the library about the zoo to read to them and for our craft, we'll make a crayon rubbing of a zipper and make the letter "Z" with playdough. What we're willing to do for our kids, right?

Mother's Day Party at Logan's Preschool

Logan invited me to a Mother's Day party at his preschool today. The children sang songs for the mothers, presented a pendant and portrait to their mom and at the end, they served their mom refreshments that they helped to make. It was really sweet. There was one moment that made me teary-eyed. The children were interviewed individually by their teacher and asked the question, "Why is your Mommy special?" Look at Logan's answer below (Logan D.). His teachers came to me after class and told me they thought his answer was very touching. Logan is a very cuddly, fun and loving boy. I sure love him!

Logan's answer to "Why is your Mommy special?"

(click on image to enlarge)

Singing to Mom

Mommy's portrait - by Logan
He was successful in capturing the image of me after waking up in the morning and if I forgot to take off my make-up the night before.

Eating Refreshments

Logan and Mom

The pendant Logan made for me