tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-62237363930796280002024-03-19T01:40:53.709-07:00Making Life Fun!One memory at a time.Unknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger62125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6223736393079628000.post-77880239728230164542016-06-26T07:29:00.001-07:002016-06-27T10:09:29.926-07:00YW Camp 2016 DESTINY - A Brightness of Hope - Nephi Breaks His Bow<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; line-height: normal;">
I got to go to YW Camp this past week and it was AMAZING! The Stake really knows how to put on an epic experience that is both spiritually and fun. I got the privilege of teaching Destiny. Destiny is the spiritual rotation at camp. It's held in the Sacred Grove. I have always LOVED it! There is definitely a unique spirit there in the woods. I shared a little bit about it on Facebook and had a few requests for my talk so I decided to just post it here for easy access. These are my notes so please ask if you have any questions.</div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">About Me:</span></div>
I met my husband after I met his sisters at Girls Camp! They were super cool and had just moved from Huntsville, UT. So I asked the other girls in the Stake, “Do they have any brothers?” We were married shortly after he returned home from his mission in Puerto Rico. We have 5 kids. (Names and Ages)<br />
<span style="font-kerning: none;">SIL Suzanne cancer- traumatic event gives perspective. See more clearly things that make you happy and things that make you unhappy. Brian changed jobs. Start Gritty Bowmen. Explain what I do. Podcast, Slave, ;) etc.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Choose to be afraid or choose to Press Forward. Satan wants you to be afraid and lose hope. When you have hope in the future you trust in the lord’s light. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "symbol"; line-height: normal;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span> †</span><span style="font-kerning: none;">Hope lights the way in front of you, even if the path seems dark.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">In Tune with Nature when Hunting: Animal Marking, Scraping on trees, droppings, prints, wind, cracking branches</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "symbol"; line-height: normal;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span> †ì</span><span style="font-kerning: none;"><b>While weak hope leaves us at the mercy of our moods and events, “brightness of hope” produces illuminated individuals. Their luminosity is seen, and things are also seen by it! Such hope permits us to “press forward” even when dark clouds oppress (see </b><a href="https://www.lds.org/scriptures/bofm/2-ne/31.16,20?lang=eng#15"><span style="color: #157ea7; line-height: normal;"><b>2 Ne. 31:16, 20</b></span></a><b>; </b><a href="https://www.lds.org/scriptures/nt/heb/6.19?lang=eng#18"><span style="color: #157ea7; line-height: normal;"><b>Heb. 6:19</b></span></a><b>; </b><a href="https://www.lds.org/scriptures/bofm/ether/12.4?lang=eng#3"><span style="color: #157ea7; line-height: normal;"><b>Ether 12:4</b></span></a><b>; </b><a href="https://www.lds.org/scriptures/nt/col/1.23?lang=eng#22"><span style="color: #157ea7; line-height: normal;"><b>Col. 1:23</b></span></a><b>). Sometimes in the deepest darkness there is no external light—only an inner light to guide and to reassure.” –Elder Neal A. Maxwell, </b>“Brightness of Hope”, Ensign, Nov. 1994, 35 </span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">^ Use quote on glow stick arrow handout.^<br />
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Have girls read 1 Nephi 16:17-20</span></div>
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<span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none; -webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(1, 145, 188); color: #0191bc;"> </span><span style="font-kerning: none;">17 And after we had traveled for the space of many days, we did pitch our tents for the space of a time, that we might again rest ourselves and obtain food for our families.</span></div>
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<span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none; -webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(1, 145, 188); color: #0191bc;"> </span><span style="font-kerning: none;">18 And it came to pass that as I, Nephi, went forth to slay food, behold, I did break my bow, which was made of fine steel; and after I did break my bow, behold, my brethren were angry with me because of the loss of my bow, for we did obtain no food.</span></div>
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<span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none; -webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(1, 145, 188); color: #0191bc;"> </span><span style="font-kerning: none;">19 And it came to pass that we did return without food to our families, and being much fatigued, because of their journeying, they did suffer much for the want of food.</span></div>
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<span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none; -webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(1, 145, 188); color: #0191bc;"> </span><span style="font-kerning: none;">20 And it came to pass that Laman and Lemuel and the sons of Ishmael did begin to murmur exceedingly, because of their sufferings and afflictions in the wilderness; and also my father began to murmur against the Lord his God; yea, and they were all exceedingly sorrowful, even that they did murmur against the Lord.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Nephi’s Bow - Everyone lost hope. Even Lehi. HANGRY. Have you ever been hangry?</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Read Nephi 16:21 - bows lost their spring</span></div>
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<span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none; -webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(1, 145, 188); color: #0191bc;"> </span><span style="font-kerning: none;">21 Now it came to pass that I, Nephi, having been afflicted with my brethren because of the loss of my bow, and their bows having lost their springs, it began to be exceedingly difficult, yea, insomuch that we could obtain no food.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Explain importance of unstringing bow. Simplify below. </span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b> Unstring your bow when you're not using it.</b> If your bow uses natural materials on the back and belly, you need to unstring it when it's not in use. The reason is because natural materials deteriorate over time. When your bow is strung, the belly is under compression, and over time that compression will make the bow weaker and weaker, and it will take on set. If you leave it strung, you're reducing the life of your bow.</span><span style="font-family: "symbol"; line-height: normal;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Nephi 16:22</span></div>
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<span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none; -webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(1, 145, 188); color: #0191bc;"> </span><span style="font-kerning: none;">22 And it came to pass that I, Nephi, did speak much unto my brethren, because they had hardened their hearts again, even unto complaining against the Lord their God.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "symbol"; line-height: normal;"> †</span><span style="font-kerning: none;">What do we do when we don’t feel hope?? feel bleh, complain, murmur, feel fear. </span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Nephi 16:23</span></div>
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<span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none; -webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(1, 145, 188); color: #0191bc;"> </span><span style="font-kerning: none;">23 And it came to pass that I, Nephi, did make out of wood a bow, and out of a straight stick, an arrow; wherefore, I did arm myself with a bow and an arrow, with a sling and with stones. And I said unto my father: Whither shall I go to obtain food?</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">How long do you think it took him to make a wooden bow? How long do you think it took him to find a straight stick?</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b>Straight Stick - Have girls go search for five minutes to find one </b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Show obsidian rock and talk about the fact that he had to make an arrow head too. </span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Why didn’t he just use the same arrows that were for his steel bow? Why did he make AN Arrow out of wood? </span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Talk about limbs and the difference. When you bend a piece of wood it’s pretty easy, but a piece of steel would be much more difficult. So he had to pull back a wood bow a lot farther to get the same amount of pressure/spring behind it. Which would require the wooden arrow to be much longer. Show a wooden arrow and a carbon arrow. Briefly talk about the fact that they use carbon for compounds now. (This will be important later on.)</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Nephi 16:24</span></div>
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<span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none; -webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(1, 145, 188); color: #0191bc;"> </span><span style="font-kerning: none;">24 And it came to pass that he did inquire of the Lord, for they had humbled themselves because of my words; for I did say many things unto them in the energy of my soul.</span></div>
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<span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none; -webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(1, 145, 188); color: #0191bc;"> </span><span style="font-kerning: none;">25 And it came to pass that the voice of the Lord came unto my father; and he was truly chastened because of his murmuring against the Lord, insomuch that he was brought down into the depths of sorrow.</span></div>
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<span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none; -webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(1, 145, 188); color: #0191bc;"> </span><span style="font-kerning: none;">26 And it came to pass that the voice of the Lord said unto him: Look upon the ball, and behold the things which are written.</span></div>
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<span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none; -webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(1, 145, 188); color: #0191bc;"> </span><span style="font-kerning: none;">27 And it came to pass that when my father beheld the things which were written upon the ball, he did fear and tremble exceedingly, and also my brethren and the sons of Ishmael and our wives.</span></div>
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<span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none; -webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(1, 145, 188); color: #0191bc;"> </span><span style="font-kerning: none;">28 And it came to pass that I, Nephi, beheld the pointers which were in the ball, that they did work according to the faith and diligence and heed which we did give unto them.</span></div>
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<span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none; -webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(1, 145, 188); color: #0191bc;"> </span><span style="font-kerning: none;">29 And there was also written upon them a new writing, which was plain to be read, which did give us understanding concerning the ways of the Lord; and it was written and changed from time to time, according to the faith and diligence which we gave unto it. And thus we see that by small means the Lord can bring about great things.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "symbol"; line-height: normal;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span> †</span><span style="font-kerning: none;">As we are steadfast and exercise our faith in Christ, our hope of His promises grow. That hope of His promises helps us to press forward and endure to the end. <br />
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Nephi 16:30-32</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">30 And it came to pass that I, Nephi, did go forth up into the top of the mountain, according to the directions which were given upon the ball.</span></div>
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<span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none; -webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(1, 145, 188); color: #0191bc;"> </span><span style="font-kerning: none;">31 And it came to pass that I did slay wild beasts, insomuch that I did obtain food for our families.</span></div>
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<span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none; -webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(1, 145, 188); color: #0191bc;"> </span><span style="font-kerning: none;">32 And it came to pass that I did return to our tents, bearing the beasts which I had slain; and now when they beheld that I had obtained food, how great was their joy! And it came to pass that they did humble themselves before the Lord, and did give thanks unto him.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "symbol"; line-height: normal;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span> †</span><span style="font-kerning: none;">Hope increases as we understand and feel God’s love for us personally. <br />
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Do you think Nephi knew that God loved him personally? He had a bow and AN arrow and a sling with stones. What about his brothers and their wives and parents? Do you think they knew?</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">President Uchtdorf talked about The Infinite Power of Hope.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Infinite. Never ending power of hope. </span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">I love president Uchtdorf’s stories. He shared this one at the latest conference. <b>(Simplify- share in own words. Then pick and choose the rest to share based on the spirit.)</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Toward the end of World War II, my father was drafted into the German army and sent to the western front, leaving my mother alone to care for our family. Though I was only three years old, I can still remember this time of fear and hunger. We lived in Czechoslovakia, and with every passing day, the war came nearer and the danger grew greater.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Finally, during the cold winter of 1944, my mother decided to flee to Germany, where her parents were living. She bundled us up and somehow managed to get us on one of the last refugee trains heading west. Traveling during that time was dangerous. Everywhere we went, the sound of explosions, the stressed faces, and ever-present hunger reminded us that we were in a war zone.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Along the way the train stopped occasionally to get supplies. One night during one of these stops, my mother hurried out of the train to search for some food for her four children. When she returned, to her great horror, the train and her children were gone!</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">She was weighed down with worry; desperate prayers filled her heart. She frantically searched the large and dark train station, urgently crisscrossing the numerous tracks while hoping against hope that the train had not already departed.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Perhaps I will never know all that went through my mother’s heart and mind on that black night as she searched through a grim railroad station for her lost children. That she was terrified, I have no doubt. I am certain it crossed her mind that if she did not find this train, she might never see her children again. I know with certainty: her faith overcame her fear, and her hope overcame her despair. She was not a woman who would sit and bemoan tragedy. </span><span style="font-kerning: none; text-decoration: underline;"><b>SHE MOVED</b></span><span style="font-kerning: none;">. She put her faith and hope into action.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">And so she ran from track to track and from train to train until she finally found our train. It had been moved to a remote area of the station. There, at last, she found her children again.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">I have often thought about that night and what my mother must have endured. If I could go back in time and sit by her side, I would ask her how she managed to go on in the face of her fears. I would ask about faith and hope and how she overcame despair.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">While that is impossible, perhaps today I could sit by your side and by the side of any who might feel discouraged, worried, or lonely. Today I would like to speak with you about the infinite power of hope.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">The Importance of Hope</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b>Hope is one leg of a three-legged stool, together with faith and charity. </b>These three stabilize our lives regardless of the rough or uneven surfaces we might encounter at the time. The scriptures are clear and certain about the importance of hope.</span><span style="font-kerning: none; text-decoration: underline;"> <b>The Apostle Paul taught that the scriptures were written to the end that we “might have hope.”</b></span><span style="color: #157ea7; text-decoration: underline;"><b>1</b></span></div>
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<a href="https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/72811048/Book%20of%20Hope%20Candy%20Wrapper%20.pages.zip">Book of Hope Candy Wrapper / Book of Mormon </a></div>
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I found this cute idea on Pinterest. They're made of Hershey's Nugget's Candy.</div>
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So I made my own candy wrapper. <a href="https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/72811048/Book%20of%20Hope%20Candy%20Wrapper%20.pages.zip" style="text-align: center;">Book of Hope Candy Wrapper / Book of Mormon </a></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Hope has the power to fill our lives with happiness.</span><span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none; -webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(21, 126, 167); color: #157ea7;">2</span><span style="font-kerning: none;"> Its absence—when this desire of our heart is delayed—can make “the heart sick.”</span><span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none; -webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(21, 126, 167); color: #157ea7;">3</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">>TALK ABOUT LEHI’S DREAM AND HOW HE HAD “HOPE” THAT HIS FAMILY WOULD MAKE IT TO THE TREE OF LIFE. BUT HE WAS “HEART SICK” ABOUT LAMAN & LEMUEL. (This is the theme for camp.)</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Hope is a gift of the Spirit.</span><span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none; -webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(21, 126, 167); color: #157ea7;">4</span><span style="font-kerning: none;"> It is a hope that through the Atonement of Jesus Christ and the power of His Resurrection, we shall be raised unto life eternal and this because of our faith in the Savior.</span><span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none; -webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(21, 126, 167); color: #157ea7;">5</span><span style="font-kerning: none;"> This kind of hope is both a principle of promise as well as a commandment,</span><span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none; -webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(21, 126, 167); color: #157ea7;">6</span><span style="font-kerning: none;"> and, as with all commandments, we have the responsibility to make it an active part of our lives and overcome the temptation to lose hope. Hope in our Heavenly Father’s merciful plan of happiness leads to peace,</span><span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none; -webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(21, 126, 167); color: #157ea7;">7</span><span style="font-kerning: none;"> mercy,</span><span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none; -webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(21, 126, 167); color: #157ea7;">8</span><span style="font-kerning: none;"> rejoicing,</span><span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none; -webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(21, 126, 167); color: #157ea7;">9</span><span style="font-kerning: none;"> and gladness.</span><span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none; -webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(21, 126, 167); color: #157ea7;">10</span><span style="font-kerning: none;"> The hope of salvation is like a protective helmet;</span><span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none; -webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(21, 126, 167); color: #157ea7;">11</span><span style="font-kerning: none;"> it is the foundation of our faith</span><span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none; -webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(21, 126, 167); color: #157ea7;">12</span><span style="font-kerning: none;"> and an anchor to our souls.</span><span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none; -webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(21, 126, 167); color: #157ea7;">13</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">But Why Then Is There Despair?</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">The scriptures say that there must be “an opposition in all things.”</span><span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none; -webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(21, 126, 167); color: #157ea7;">15</span><span style="font-kerning: none;"> So it is with faith, hope, and charity. Doubt, despair, and failure to care for our fellowmen lead us into temptation, which can cause us to forfeit choice and precious blessings.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">The adversary uses despair to bind hearts and minds in suffocating darkness. Despair drains from us all that is vibrant and joyful and leaves behind the empty remnants of what life was meant to be. Despair kills ambition, advances sickness, pollutes the soul, and deadens the heart. Despair can seem like a staircase that leads only and forever downward.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Hope, on the other hand, is like the beam of sunlight rising up and above the horizon of our present circumstances. It pierces the darkness with a brilliant dawn. It encourages and inspires us to place our trust in the loving care of an eternal Heavenly Father, who has prepared a way for those who seek for eternal truth in a world of relativism, confusion, and of fear.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">What, Then, Is Hope?</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Hope is not knowledge,</span><span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none; -webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(21, 126, 167); color: #157ea7;">17</span><span style="font-kerning: none;"> but rather the abiding trust that the Lord will fulfill His promise to us. It is confidence that if we live according to God’s laws and the words of His prophets now, we will receive desired blessings in the future.</span><span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none; -webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(21, 126, 167); color: #157ea7;">18</span><span style="font-kerning: none;"> It is believing and expecting that our prayers will be answered. It is manifest in confidence, optimism, enthusiasm, and patient perseverance.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">There may be times when we must make a courageous decision to hope even when everything around us contradicts this hope. Like Father Abraham, we will “against hope [believe] in hope.”</span><span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none; -webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(21, 126, 167); color: #157ea7;">30</span><span style="font-kerning: none;"> Or, as one writer expressed, “in the depth of winter, [we find] within [us] an invincible summer.”</span><span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none; -webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(21, 126, 167); color: #157ea7;">31</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Faith, hope, and charity complement each other, and as one increases, the others grow as well. Hope comes of faith,</span><span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none; -webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(21, 126, 167); color: #157ea7;">32</span><span style="font-kerning: none;"> for without faith, there is no hope.</span><span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none; -webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(21, 126, 167); color: #157ea7;">33</span><span style="font-kerning: none;"> In like manner faith comes of hope, for faith is “the substance of things hoped for.”</span><span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none; -webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(21, 126, 167); color: #157ea7;">34 </span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Hope from Personal Experience</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Each time a hope is fulfilled, it creates confidence and leads to greater hope. I can think of many instances in my life where I learned firsthand the power of hope. I well remember the days in my childhood encompassed by the horrors and despair of a world war, the lack of educational opportunities, life-threatening health issues during youth, and the challenging and discouraging economic experiences as a refugee. The example of our mother, even in the worst of times, to move forward and put faith and hope into action, not just worrying or wishful thinking, sustained our family and me and gave confidence that present circumstances would give way to future blessings.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">With Nephi I declare: “Press forward with a steadfastness in Christ, having a perfect brightness of hope, and a love of God and of all men. Wherefore, if ye shall press forward, feasting upon the word of Christ, and endure to the end, behold, thus saith the Father: Ye shall have eternal life.”</span><span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none; -webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(21, 126, 167); color: #157ea7;">39</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">This is the quality of hope we must cherish and develop. Such a mature hope comes in and through our Savior Jesus Christ, for “every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as [the Savior] is pure.”</span><span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none; -webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(21, 126, 167); color: #157ea7;">40</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">The Lord has given us a reassuring message of hope: “Fear not, little flock.”</span><span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none; -webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(21, 126, 167); color: #157ea7;">41</span><span style="font-kerning: none;"> God will wait with “open arms to receive”</span><span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none; -webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(21, 126, 167); color: #157ea7;">42</span><span style="font-kerning: none;"> those who give away their sins and continue in faith, hope, and charity.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">And to all who suffer—to all who feel discouraged, worried, or lonely—I say with love and deep concern for you, never give in.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Never surrender.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Never allow despair to overcome your spirit.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Embrace and rely upon the Hope of Israel, for the love of the Son of God pierces all darkness, softens all sorrow, and gladdens every heart.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Of this I testify and leave you my blessing in the name of Jesus Christ, amen.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Talk about Aron & quote about “When there’s carbon in the air there’s hope.” </span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Bear testimony</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Hand out Arrows, Bracelets and Book of Hope - </span></div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6223736393079628000.post-57656169225780153302016-05-15T17:55:00.003-07:002016-05-21T13:42:08.219-07:00Harry Potter Baby Shower We had a great time celebrating Amy and Jered's upcoming arrival yesterday! Thanks to a lot of help it was a smashing success! Here are the highlights.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqWr6N-Lmj_Koc86EuCHaOU4KmR_KA_hSeL7lUj_uHcLHp9fHND_gGulWZWQVsLLmZbn1N6NQ58XM7dpMOP1KgPtGTR87hNnvBzYp9E5rBMxZBOACBBwXxsnMRWLpE6TAn4fy5hUXus29H/s1600/Screen+Shot+2016-05-21+at+1.03.18+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqWr6N-Lmj_Koc86EuCHaOU4KmR_KA_hSeL7lUj_uHcLHp9fHND_gGulWZWQVsLLmZbn1N6NQ58XM7dpMOP1KgPtGTR87hNnvBzYp9E5rBMxZBOACBBwXxsnMRWLpE6TAn4fy5hUXus29H/s640/Screen+Shot+2016-05-21+at+1.03.18+PM.png" width="494" /></a></div>
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After some initial frustration with this invitation, I finally got it to look how I wanted to. I used Pages. You can download an editable version <a href="https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/72811048/Daily%20Prophet%20Baby%20Shower%20Invite%20Generic.pages.zip">here.</a> You're welcome. ;)<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpOOFH16Akyq1gajwqlwlBbwklZhj4HD0-zxz2KF42p4LOhnuJQrphXB7aPtroQPde_1enJ1ZRQBOiQNEkQ0DrUZ005BVDcMtsL5eFjYUD5Hbl0QsDZ8_iRzOyUKnehup9c9gh4f8SqtP1/s1600/IMG_2765.jpg" imageanchor="1"></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyCokw-QvxI-NXU3fMezVtemoWJwxHep7wX1S7tYvfhMl-J2Bjy-6UUmIzxg8HTGm2llBYL8iwBrb2MOx1hZIc3tGsWTpJQQdIafZtT7lK3VYgYSAQ5k8jIsafJacJI_yQAQ6hQmarXGf0/s1600/IMG_9511-1.jpeg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyCokw-QvxI-NXU3fMezVtemoWJwxHep7wX1S7tYvfhMl-J2Bjy-6UUmIzxg8HTGm2llBYL8iwBrb2MOx1hZIc3tGsWTpJQQdIafZtT7lK3VYgYSAQ5k8jIsafJacJI_yQAQ6hQmarXGf0/s640/IMG_9511-1.jpeg" width="480" /></a><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpOOFH16Akyq1gajwqlwlBbwklZhj4HD0-zxz2KF42p4LOhnuJQrphXB7aPtroQPde_1enJ1ZRQBOiQNEkQ0DrUZ005BVDcMtsL5eFjYUD5Hbl0QsDZ8_iRzOyUKnehup9c9gh4f8SqtP1/s640/IMG_2765.jpg" width="480" /><br />
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My SIL Suzanne made the sign with help from my dad. Aren't those shoes awesome?!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvVxXhydXuQ-ULo2E2NQ-BkXiaxwUbUnjp2nEjThJfqXlXdFzFyJAtDOU06rfkRhy6gmIdmMw8V8IrYA9aFffgAj_FWn_JqxGebHZMcusgN9muqufNu18H4ayQror85mYAOgiYt-6fcq6B/s1600/IMG_2783.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvVxXhydXuQ-ULo2E2NQ-BkXiaxwUbUnjp2nEjThJfqXlXdFzFyJAtDOU06rfkRhy6gmIdmMw8V8IrYA9aFffgAj_FWn_JqxGebHZMcusgN9muqufNu18H4ayQror85mYAOgiYt-6fcq6B/s640/IMG_2783.jpg" width="480" /></a><br />
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Audrey and Suzanne (and Audrey's husband) made the fireplace. We knew we needed something to cover up the piano. This idea was another Pinterest win!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2_lTIDivqJnRLK-kK6jnb0dmy3v3i3jYavL3Eh5aJW4KsM-5h0pwZpr04RvXT-d8CMEJqSlZH9D-sb8Pi_D4GMfMYuEo3l16JDGlvszXULYkXzjJmP2EL8YFP9wyEr02wtR-Zi8dCVc4T/s1600/IMG_2794.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2_lTIDivqJnRLK-kK6jnb0dmy3v3i3jYavL3Eh5aJW4KsM-5h0pwZpr04RvXT-d8CMEJqSlZH9D-sb8Pi_D4GMfMYuEo3l16JDGlvszXULYkXzjJmP2EL8YFP9wyEr02wtR-Zi8dCVc4T/s640/IMG_2794.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
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The airplanes were pages from an old Harry Potter book.<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7HEOgWsurusSgYLG9MAcRYX1eL2z0FEcM9wO7F_zWM7lkdOUnaeJjRsQmy_8RAiOhi5jp-fgpW7qxR-UdSu_CYzPFgIVPehGjcXFGynZYkzuCYPuGArxlrhlz6P-N4I55hEuLVkuR7Nnz/s1600/IMG_2793.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7HEOgWsurusSgYLG9MAcRYX1eL2z0FEcM9wO7F_zWM7lkdOUnaeJjRsQmy_8RAiOhi5jp-fgpW7qxR-UdSu_CYzPFgIVPehGjcXFGynZYkzuCYPuGArxlrhlz6P-N4I55hEuLVkuR7Nnz/s640/IMG_2793.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
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The Owl Post is where people wrote their inscription on the books they brought instead of a card.<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjM3Pz6TA40iCqzZUKnfczn8DvN4y5mTug6wcry8UT5ycl8B6z6sQ0u-0vK0Vm2keiDPcbAGXLWLLTAcXbfVZ8ZJ4D6JShove7G-ohFoJHqDmEX6pCW-lJaB76HdW8HnQGoQFqp9X5VM1iI/s1600/IMG_2792.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjM3Pz6TA40iCqzZUKnfczn8DvN4y5mTug6wcry8UT5ycl8B6z6sQ0u-0vK0Vm2keiDPcbAGXLWLLTAcXbfVZ8ZJ4D6JShove7G-ohFoJHqDmEX6pCW-lJaB76HdW8HnQGoQFqp9X5VM1iI/s640/IMG_2792.jpg" width="640" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhN6DISZLPAac1_0nJEyJImtDkc6tYTwMxsduRKFlcD-LTMJATyeXp_ZUga9GCsgmjG1BD03ghYrLus49ZJLysW9ZIzV_3Vod5d6gTAK3F4ffZxpoa9u4B_nKm4jF6okFPldP5z8EjDfVZH/s1600/IMG_2791.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhN6DISZLPAac1_0nJEyJImtDkc6tYTwMxsduRKFlcD-LTMJATyeXp_ZUga9GCsgmjG1BD03ghYrLus49ZJLysW9ZIzV_3Vod5d6gTAK3F4ffZxpoa9u4B_nKm4jF6okFPldP5z8EjDfVZH/s640/IMG_2791.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpWE9K1e4CxQrADM8VY9HydPGwW3sVjQKxzF5QaAIByF9mvIfr6OJ_J1xAVPNk3_EifKklQbPFFbsOYrNO5mTOzsWCjSKNfYAeumF6BhxZPpgrY2JA1vel-ksRGXlkxO-dBDWXpwKL1OtP/s1600/IMG_2805.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpWE9K1e4CxQrADM8VY9HydPGwW3sVjQKxzF5QaAIByF9mvIfr6OJ_J1xAVPNk3_EifKklQbPFFbsOYrNO5mTOzsWCjSKNfYAeumF6BhxZPpgrY2JA1vel-ksRGXlkxO-dBDWXpwKL1OtP/s640/IMG_2805.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtd4UIqWVuIPkVuFlexanF3ab-VcIYy_6JpMQShc3-Z_Es_59T52TlMSNGfDdi6lwldVUT998yvv_CT45dnuu1jMGPgWNRQWGgKo5U_fkccC-uMKzb0ki7Bwzoeha0TPrJwWU7RFbGyyaC/s1600/IMG_2782.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtd4UIqWVuIPkVuFlexanF3ab-VcIYy_6JpMQShc3-Z_Es_59T52TlMSNGfDdi6lwldVUT998yvv_CT45dnuu1jMGPgWNRQWGgKo5U_fkccC-uMKzb0ki7Bwzoeha0TPrJwWU7RFbGyyaC/s1600/IMG_2782.jpg" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgy9XAKUjbOsXtn1QfT53Xq849StFXlJL5eNfDchxNfgjzMozzAtCz8KkwEM6_wpDFgX_I1rQp08V4wvz-3G_EiqDQqA5BsQTRQY38wHnqxSIE4wBsQhOMRJ7qTjIMTbxe-iau1ZoSleSY9/s1600/IMG_2781.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgy9XAKUjbOsXtn1QfT53Xq849StFXlJL5eNfDchxNfgjzMozzAtCz8KkwEM6_wpDFgX_I1rQp08V4wvz-3G_EiqDQqA5BsQTRQY38wHnqxSIE4wBsQhOMRJ7qTjIMTbxe-iau1ZoSleSY9/s640/IMG_2781.jpg" width="640" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWf86TjpXcNgaxj6boQLsvzpTLZk3OpbFTKJJU0VQF5L6zRJ5iI7aLuXFGhYcojRFCDz820HJIT27FI5kS0_lbUIXKF1-uoKvsPIVeEm8m1Vxiwhxo-gYys4683Us8YJ6fvOsF3Peb0q9N/s1600/IMG_2780.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWf86TjpXcNgaxj6boQLsvzpTLZk3OpbFTKJJU0VQF5L6zRJ5iI7aLuXFGhYcojRFCDz820HJIT27FI5kS0_lbUIXKF1-uoKvsPIVeEm8m1Vxiwhxo-gYys4683Us8YJ6fvOsF3Peb0q9N/s640/IMG_2780.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibq-wFxeW3nRizJ_oLMuCw3Z9ZzcDimdlHHovyrnZFBnL5s0QBon_Dvy5L-l8xv1Tgo7oTOxSvj0uqL-_2N925GYlV2wh7bYDTRHoRAhg84ygyry2dur3Ixbh3piw1WzABhUv3CgS1SrIB/s1600/IMG_2775.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibq-wFxeW3nRizJ_oLMuCw3Z9ZzcDimdlHHovyrnZFBnL5s0QBon_Dvy5L-l8xv1Tgo7oTOxSvj0uqL-_2N925GYlV2wh7bYDTRHoRAhg84ygyry2dur3Ixbh3piw1WzABhUv3CgS1SrIB/s640/IMG_2775.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijVUq0KkEVy4IUxcf3QjD12i8rMqE88voM_mNLNK-ACavNLp9LTvm2Jb58sNEewv6feYzMrZKePYx841BeBY7O9STmTvJhRlVUGNWTbE1Ra5StDuRGUEYMqQuMfvtQ37EFt2sla2ZDsegW/s1600/IMG_2776.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijVUq0KkEVy4IUxcf3QjD12i8rMqE88voM_mNLNK-ACavNLp9LTvm2Jb58sNEewv6feYzMrZKePYx841BeBY7O9STmTvJhRlVUGNWTbE1Ra5StDuRGUEYMqQuMfvtQ37EFt2sla2ZDsegW/s640/IMG_2776.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
Aren't these little guys adorable? Suzanne made them.<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEih0vBt-qdINU9Biif2lR6r0-M6aGric3IFdoKcBUHJBjb8vjDsZd9QnadeF3zeJN4Bw-_ufEoCuamKH2NGk2EVH2kZ9QEZrcIYeuGhXp9PSBL7F66hooeaCD3onMc537-BI2jRjPkPzZMM/s1600/IMG_2779.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEih0vBt-qdINU9Biif2lR6r0-M6aGric3IFdoKcBUHJBjb8vjDsZd9QnadeF3zeJN4Bw-_ufEoCuamKH2NGk2EVH2kZ9QEZrcIYeuGhXp9PSBL7F66hooeaCD3onMc537-BI2jRjPkPzZMM/s640/IMG_2779.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgckSaIaKkbvtAcAbMKdTpY7ZQtWoKlfgu1qNNueSEs-CjGXd_7wodbVuygrVF9C7LtBTztew1-V5npd9Zj87ql4-7WCRJ3ruN2-x4LrTEk7_QRKoyikjrfkfuTm5o1tzDzXg0MRPhw7y7C/s1600/IMG_2778.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgckSaIaKkbvtAcAbMKdTpY7ZQtWoKlfgu1qNNueSEs-CjGXd_7wodbVuygrVF9C7LtBTztew1-V5npd9Zj87ql4-7WCRJ3ruN2-x4LrTEk7_QRKoyikjrfkfuTm5o1tzDzXg0MRPhw7y7C/s640/IMG_2778.jpg" width="640" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjinrZKBqLgt5t3I_Lc-PlYbQYu3ec8gw23467PxwvFYRVBUmPnZyU4RdFgHoPtpilHgdN_ohpVTVJ3P5gZNMSjP8q3u1_CEQUfkCqBVGXRGYRmq79MfH95dRmjqk4Prb44BMy6buqCxh4X/s1600/IMG_2777.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjinrZKBqLgt5t3I_Lc-PlYbQYu3ec8gw23467PxwvFYRVBUmPnZyU4RdFgHoPtpilHgdN_ohpVTVJ3P5gZNMSjP8q3u1_CEQUfkCqBVGXRGYRmq79MfH95dRmjqk4Prb44BMy6buqCxh4X/s640/IMG_2777.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
We had an idea for a mobile made of floating keys. Each guest could write a little note for baby Ezekiel as he sleeps.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhP3KA-2FXjKNILM4I-M0uZMCs80lhDt5mBN0I0KmrqRqotX0h-vbedKhApze-0XpTNZvc78S6LHPTUrvUWohyphenhyphenQ4sMHIhjoGuT9qE0Y3gUP6Q2zYwFV_z3QG2b7Nj18Ulmns3ft11TRKBVe/s1600/IMG_2790.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhP3KA-2FXjKNILM4I-M0uZMCs80lhDt5mBN0I0KmrqRqotX0h-vbedKhApze-0XpTNZvc78S6LHPTUrvUWohyphenhyphenQ4sMHIhjoGuT9qE0Y3gUP6Q2zYwFV_z3QG2b7Nj18Ulmns3ft11TRKBVe/s640/IMG_2790.jpg" width="480" /></a><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiyt14bvjsUMPTJLg2cQeDeICCeVyu1quSw9R4XqcSsjI5-sDSozcPPSys5s4Q0U8bkRUqt4wI4Br8-BlIn1qPzCY_FaqBVmanOEikAyoGyQSOH_zJ2jfFjOmMfw3ui-0v5nuy4GPWH4LD/s1600/IMG_2785.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiyt14bvjsUMPTJLg2cQeDeICCeVyu1quSw9R4XqcSsjI5-sDSozcPPSys5s4Q0U8bkRUqt4wI4Br8-BlIn1qPzCY_FaqBVmanOEikAyoGyQSOH_zJ2jfFjOmMfw3ui-0v5nuy4GPWH4LD/s640/IMG_2785.jpg" width="640" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGftY_S1ur3gJonR24boQvulZleg5fvV9BUF0szCMm9t62QkO4Kbox8m9UmKeCMwAN9o3JZyy4bEpDUNBEB49S3quttb03FOgHxjqr7pEV0ADBxIHTBjw8_cZzqXdYoCZAO-h8vSfj7yGP/s1600/IMG_2784.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGftY_S1ur3gJonR24boQvulZleg5fvV9BUF0szCMm9t62QkO4Kbox8m9UmKeCMwAN9o3JZyy4bEpDUNBEB49S3quttb03FOgHxjqr7pEV0ADBxIHTBjw8_cZzqXdYoCZAO-h8vSfj7yGP/s640/IMG_2784.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVdtO7GR_wO1mgAkAXjaNZ5dpr9YsNVrtaHucZQpk06lGhJC62UHPE1mk0zjItiZbSjtGTG53sRdfxwCy9kN0AZeF7fisBR59lpxJ2qPA2IOZjZo-lyUO3XY2i7v8Xk7fpgtXW9KqWseOA/s1600/IMG_2786.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVdtO7GR_wO1mgAkAXjaNZ5dpr9YsNVrtaHucZQpk06lGhJC62UHPE1mk0zjItiZbSjtGTG53sRdfxwCy9kN0AZeF7fisBR59lpxJ2qPA2IOZjZo-lyUO3XY2i7v8Xk7fpgtXW9KqWseOA/s640/IMG_2786.jpg" width="640" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKgU6_T_Vd4wWEKvD85Vjbm8ISsD_hQbVJogBODZB9ZLIq6irD6jPCytYngFosSwmbeW0HiiLkDVC-PxuokFyLPeLPCqQM-mhbbitISVYawXOe_50Xntd2ctsBD4FPlJJLenDfKUWMl8At/s1600/IMG_2787.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKgU6_T_Vd4wWEKvD85Vjbm8ISsD_hQbVJogBODZB9ZLIq6irD6jPCytYngFosSwmbeW0HiiLkDVC-PxuokFyLPeLPCqQM-mhbbitISVYawXOe_50Xntd2ctsBD4FPlJJLenDfKUWMl8At/s640/IMG_2787.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgi_vuc3ZXDoyORAI2P-NCSPTkAslYJzm1Zh7ZvDL99DG_S9d0r2p_KvkNTz6FW-TX51HALEZk_OBOGg_WND2U7wmW7_25DdZkqDejdj2pUcgNNsH6cB31aiPgMMSFD9cMlhML0tdh-hJTI/s1600/IMG_2769+%25281%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgi_vuc3ZXDoyORAI2P-NCSPTkAslYJzm1Zh7ZvDL99DG_S9d0r2p_KvkNTz6FW-TX51HALEZk_OBOGg_WND2U7wmW7_25DdZkqDejdj2pUcgNNsH6cB31aiPgMMSFD9cMlhML0tdh-hJTI/s640/IMG_2769+%25281%2529.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
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This clock was another thrift store score! Suzanne made the cloth banners. Audrey's pompoms were just the right splash of color that this table needed.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiH0cf2ycCw0aZ1tAZASwq66pf2ITu-0_0Mvdp1IY11t70sinKZZQRI78qBDi5y9C8NDXOpFGsBGy5RGRfbCdikZi5eHaGJgqvSHg1AgAaKaig71ZMQ57uyH9Xnb9JpCvjm_2jnPjzp-400/s1600/IMG_2771.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiH0cf2ycCw0aZ1tAZASwq66pf2ITu-0_0Mvdp1IY11t70sinKZZQRI78qBDi5y9C8NDXOpFGsBGy5RGRfbCdikZi5eHaGJgqvSHg1AgAaKaig71ZMQ57uyH9Xnb9JpCvjm_2jnPjzp-400/s640/IMG_2771.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
The golden snitches turned out amazing! Lauren did an awesome job! The feathers really made them look like they were flying! I just love the signs too!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAlEzY1VxN5DLIfsIJ9IEmMw-Obb4HJY-kHGgtHLn1Fm0AShF_lDtqobX-kZPO12vQK8T92oLEiNYtIGQ_3FSa_4jWjPDxOV4x1hKHUz0nOu1c75UT3yhe9q6b4oQkBh9Pklb0MI5TnWni/s1600/IMG_2771.jpg" imageanchor="1"></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEju5D4xixnP4uDosqaDegQh6MkLyYRb0TukKXQiSo5B1z8KNgumj8fZpMI5r5O776rwQqeVW680uVWmxpbFOvN7eKNsOy85WVXlXuDA6BQFrIzgraCk3-c8YofiE6S7DZJYZL3A3ZzMcpsj/s1600/IMG_2796.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEju5D4xixnP4uDosqaDegQh6MkLyYRb0TukKXQiSo5B1z8KNgumj8fZpMI5r5O776rwQqeVW680uVWmxpbFOvN7eKNsOy85WVXlXuDA6BQFrIzgraCk3-c8YofiE6S7DZJYZL3A3ZzMcpsj/s640/IMG_2796.jpg" width="640" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqHdeloWmqvph7JcM__zNxBclibZp9O1gW9VPFmt0ynv0xh9-P9WsbqFbw8tkvStB30uHhUT4bGPOo2FsjmIuwPUKZaRqFJDQ8gfYBEyzXl6D0hyiFq5Pixe57uYjEhPr8ZPMw20V-f4I-/s1600/IMG_2797.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqHdeloWmqvph7JcM__zNxBclibZp9O1gW9VPFmt0ynv0xh9-P9WsbqFbw8tkvStB30uHhUT4bGPOo2FsjmIuwPUKZaRqFJDQ8gfYBEyzXl6D0hyiFq5Pixe57uYjEhPr8ZPMw20V-f4I-/s640/IMG_2797.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdOmeh5e5p6Ebct49lpw61-60kMdm8njs1uMBZRnggVcVZ3UDCikliHQM2Ooxt4yIsTJf-1e7AKmJmuABlgn8fxgQAfrCj7KiHug9RgFp7wSQ_NVHtVXuVlF-V9_7eQF6Oxkb6XkOxyXW2/s1600/IMG_2772.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdOmeh5e5p6Ebct49lpw61-60kMdm8njs1uMBZRnggVcVZ3UDCikliHQM2Ooxt4yIsTJf-1e7AKmJmuABlgn8fxgQAfrCj7KiHug9RgFp7wSQ_NVHtVXuVlF-V9_7eQF6Oxkb6XkOxyXW2/s640/IMG_2772.jpg" width="640" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgn1kbLh77HC_jXFcYzYCvu22ktu2Nb-i5i0PlDljpuiFe6OA30HsGV7nYD5jOVj8Fkvy9HW4vwPNHpdrPEqRuN_W3DCGw-niG-9VYJCVNa0NwiBe5Kl_wMOiC2YRgE4JToSPUOv7jS52ta/s1600/IMG_2774.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgn1kbLh77HC_jXFcYzYCvu22ktu2Nb-i5i0PlDljpuiFe6OA30HsGV7nYD5jOVj8Fkvy9HW4vwPNHpdrPEqRuN_W3DCGw-niG-9VYJCVNa0NwiBe5Kl_wMOiC2YRgE4JToSPUOv7jS52ta/s640/IMG_2774.jpg" width="640" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjE_Biudz4IHE9sXZqNoq0dQqMhBPRm3PArydJMVCry2spGeDm4b6mJOAQ425qzCG9OMafIOEHaELIOeQAoOAzFdDWpS8iUsPghPisYLF6zsGriqEq104fZbA37bnVLosjWDAN-wV0aZx9b/s1600/IMG_2798.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjE_Biudz4IHE9sXZqNoq0dQqMhBPRm3PArydJMVCry2spGeDm4b6mJOAQ425qzCG9OMafIOEHaELIOeQAoOAzFdDWpS8iUsPghPisYLF6zsGriqEq104fZbA37bnVLosjWDAN-wV0aZx9b/s640/IMG_2798.jpg" width="640" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNH813vOou4T4zVeCor2koGS_C3_KQts_PHRzapVc9gv_QdQJHiyAV72Wb0nmI6kG9n8ViJ9DgeEsFub_Nwh5S048RYLkMbgTjDYpj1nO_PqIB-Px19S0qSIol_AniB6ZyhSnO0v10CHgj/s1600/IMG_2770.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNH813vOou4T4zVeCor2koGS_C3_KQts_PHRzapVc9gv_QdQJHiyAV72Wb0nmI6kG9n8ViJ9DgeEsFub_Nwh5S048RYLkMbgTjDYpj1nO_PqIB-Px19S0qSIol_AniB6ZyhSnO0v10CHgj/s640/IMG_2770.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhk-3diyd8vDg9wupLpZ7cXIYop6_dFolx3HYsCjVdS4aWQ71YIRBpjXDgqmZ5pBk4jc7shEGuZ2o488vCQ7NCVirHAOQN9FWb0Wz8Knf16kspC8WqnyzBMxIqQtU_1yv7NpGJdhYxo7b8j/s1600/IMG_2767.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhk-3diyd8vDg9wupLpZ7cXIYop6_dFolx3HYsCjVdS4aWQ71YIRBpjXDgqmZ5pBk4jc7shEGuZ2o488vCQ7NCVirHAOQN9FWb0Wz8Knf16kspC8WqnyzBMxIqQtU_1yv7NpGJdhYxo7b8j/s640/IMG_2767.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
Frozen Butter Beer<br />
Cream Soda, Ice Cream, Rum Extract and Butter Extract. We found a recipe online and then tweaked it slightly. Instead of whipped topping we opted for ice cream.<br />
Here's the basic recipe.<br />
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Frozen Butterbeer<br />
1 2-liter of cream soda<br />
1 tsp. rum extract<br />
1 tsp butter extract<br />
1/2 cup butterscotch caramel ice cream topping.<br />
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Scoop spoonfuls of vanilla ice cream (or salted caramel and omit the butterscotch caramel.) to the top of the punch bowl. Next time I would also add a scoop to each glass before ladling butter beer on top.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaEAQDhgV0wpJ5DaVhmuOuXF0rGO3sQu97LyxskUfF9m_xcPSxw-jAEmAvG15l-4n_C_WINNjRBBBZiyG5jp2Amu9vENupnTCFTLUp20mhutW1-fYzh1bu2i75ut2grilquVTXJiypfu58/s1600/IMG_2773.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaEAQDhgV0wpJ5DaVhmuOuXF0rGO3sQu97LyxskUfF9m_xcPSxw-jAEmAvG15l-4n_C_WINNjRBBBZiyG5jp2Amu9vENupnTCFTLUp20mhutW1-fYzh1bu2i75ut2grilquVTXJiypfu58/s640/IMG_2773.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
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One of the most fun parts of the party was the "Pop's Quiz". I had filmed Jered unbeknownst to Amy and asked him some Daddy-to-be questions. We filmed Amy's responses as well and I combined it in this video.<br />
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For every wrong answer she had to eat a Bertie Botts Every Flavor Bean.<br />
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6223736393079628000.post-7938445562529560092015-11-20T20:43:00.002-08:002015-11-20T20:47:06.722-08:00Polar Express PJ Party and Parents Night Out!!! <h2>
<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(200, 38, 6); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; color: #c82606; font-family: "kg eyes wide open";"><span style="font-size: x-large;">Polar Express PJ Party and Parents Night Out!!! </span></span></h2>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large; font-weight: normal;">I always wished someone would host a Parents Night Out/Kids Night In Party at church. </span></h2>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">So I decided to host my own. I am the Activity Day Girl (8-11year old) leader. As part of their Faith in God program they have to plan a quarterly Primary activity and I thought this one would be perfect. </span><br />
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The week before our activity we planned out our night and bagged popcorn and made posters. </div>
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<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; line-height: normal;">
Handout Ticket Polar Express Tickets!!! On the back side I printed the following information. </div>
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<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: 'KG Eyes Wide Open'; font-size: 14px; line-height: normal;">
All Aboard The Polar Express PJ Party! On at . For Ages 3-11 years old. Please feed your children before they come. Hot, hot, hot chocolate and snack provided. We will be making a cardboard box train. Please bring a box for each child and a small pillow and blanket that will fit inside it. They will be sitting inside their boxcar to watch the movie. BOXES WANTED! To register please contact: </div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">I started by stalking Pinterest for some fun ideas. We narrowed it down to <a href="https://www.pinterest.com/katesue23/polar-express-train-pj-parent-night-out-party/" target="_blank">these</a>. </span><br />
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I found really great activities <a href="http://www.firstchurchsimsbury.com/polar-express-pj-partyparents-night-out.html" target="_blank">here</a> that I adapted.<br />
<ul>
<li style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">Elf Costume Relay Race</li>
<li style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">Reindeer Scavenger Hunt</li>
<li style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">Playing Santa’s Sack Relay Race</li>
<li style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">Playing Conductor Tag</li>
<li style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">Playing Paper Snowball Fight </li>
<li style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">Deer, Deer, Caribou (Duck, Duck, Goose)</li>
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<span style="font-size: x-large;">ALL ABOARD<span style="line-height: normal;"> </span></span></div>
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the Polar Express PJ Party Parents Night Out -<span style="color: blue;">As the kids were dropped off we had a parent sign-in table with names and contact and emergency contacts on it. As well as some rules for the parents to go over with the kids. </span></div>
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<span style="color: blue;">Train Rules: 1. Have Fun 2. Stay inside the gym. 3. Hands to yourself 4. Follow Directions 5. Have Fun!</span></div>
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We also handed out <a href="https://docs.google.com/file/d/0By3ucBEiEdoOTklnT3I3b2psN2c/preview" target="_blank">Golden Polar Express Tickets</a> that they had to get checked by "The Conductor" (me) as they entered the gym. </div>
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Read Polar express Book</div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica";"><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-size: 12px;">Listen for certain words (we chose North Pole and Polar Express) and PASS THE BELL </span></span><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; color: blue; font-family: "helvetica"; font-size: 12px;">- we did this as the children came. I had a speaker with a microphone attached so they could all hear really well in the </span><span style="color: blue; font-family: "helvetica";"><span style="font-size: 12px;">gym. We had it sectioned off. This was actually one of the best parts of the night and the kids REALLY enjoyed it! But, sadly I didn't get a picture of it.</span></span></div>
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Visit the Engineer Shop:</div>
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<li style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica";"><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-size: 12px;">Create a train out of large cardboard boxes (We asked everyone to please bring a box that your child can fit in to decorate). - </span></span><span style="color: blue;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica";"><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-size: 12px;">This</span><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-size: 12px;"> was a big hit! After reading the book the kids were all VERY excited to decorate their boxes. </span></span></span></li>
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<li style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">Play with train sets -<span style="color: blue;">In one corner of the gym we had a round table with wooden train sets on it. This was an ongoing activity. Anyone could opt-out of the other activities to do this or the coloring table. </span></li>
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Visit the Entertainment Car: </div>
<ul>
<li style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">Elf Costume Relay Race - <span style="color: blue;">I had a few Santa and Elf aprons that we used. We ended up combining this activity with </span></li>
<li style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica";"><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-size: 12px;">Santa’s Sack Relay Race - </span></span><span style="color: blue;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica";"><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-size: 12px;">We had a giant red sack, a pillow case, and another festive looking bag filled with wooden toy kits that were donated from Lowe's. (You could also try your local Home Depot.) Which I forgot to handout until half of the kids went home. </span></span></span></li>
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<li style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><a href="http://bloomdesignsonline.blogspot.com/2012/12/reindeer-hunt-and-free-tags_4.html" target="_blank">Reindeer Scavenger Hunt</a><span style="color: blue;"> - Before everyone came we put the 9 little reindeer cards all around the room. It was a really fun activity! I would definitely do this again. </span></li>
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<li style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">Playing Conductor Tag - <span style="color: blue;">We actually ran out of time to do this one. </span></li>
<li style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica";"><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-size: 12px;">Playing Paper Snowball Fight - </span></span><span style="color: blue;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica";"><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-size: 12px;">You should have seen the kids' faces </span><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-size: 12px;">when</span><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-size: 12px;"> I started crumpling up my stack of </span><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-size: 12px;">recycled</span><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-size: 12px;"> white paper and throwing it at them and yelling "SNOWBALL FIGHT!" It was HILARIOUS! HAHAHA! SO much fun! I would definitely do this again. </span><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-size: 12px;">The</span><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-size: 12px;"> kids were really fast at cleaning it up and moving onto the next activity too. </span></span></span></li>
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My nephew has his game face on! ;) </div>
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I love how this little guy had an armful of ammo! He is the youngest of 5 boys. He knows how to hold his own. ;)</div>
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<ul>
<li style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica";"><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-size: 12px;">Deer, Deer, Caribou (Duck, Duck, Goose)- </span></span><span style="color: blue;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica";"><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-size: 12px;">We saved this for the end of the night as parents were picking up their children while we cleaned up the other half of </span><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-size: 12px;">the</span><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-size: 12px;"> gym. It was SO MUCH FUN that I kind of wish that we had started off the night with it! It </span><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-size: 12px;">could</span><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-size: 12px;"> have gone on and on and on. The parents ended up having to stay an extra 15 minutes </span><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-size: 12px;">because</span><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-size: 12px;"> the kids all wanted a turn. ;) Bummed I didn't get a picture of it either.</span></span></span></li>
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Ongoing Activities:</div>
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Elf Bowling- <span style="color: blue;">I made a set of Elf Bowling pins a few years ago that I brought.</span></div>
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Wooden Trains</div>
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Christmas Tree Coloring Contest</div>
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Additional Ideas:</div>
<ol>
<li style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">Decorate Christmas Cookies 2. Polar Express Snow Globes 3. Pass the Present Game (Hot Potato) </li>
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We watched the Polar Express Movie and doing the following activities. </div>
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Visit the Baggage Claim:</div>
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<li style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica";"><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-size: 12px;">pick up their baggy of popcorn -<span style="color: blue;">Hint:</span></span></span><span style="color: blue;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica";"><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-size: 12px;">Talk with your local movie theater to see if you can get leftover popcorn donated. Most of the time it gets thrown out anyway. </span></span></span></li>
</ul>
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Visit the Dining Car:</div>
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<li style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica";"><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-size: 12px;">Hot, Hot, Hot Chocolate and make Graham Cracker Trains </span></span><span style="color: blue;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica";"><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-size: 12px;">- I loved the graham cracker train snacks </span><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-size: 12px;">found</span><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-size: 12px;"> <a href="http://artsymomma.com/2010/12/polar-express-movie-craftsactivities.html" target="_blank">here</a> </span></span></span></li>
</ul>
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We actually used chocolate chips because they didn't roll around on the plates as much and Gummy Soda Bottles instead of candy corn because it was leftover Halloween Candy.<br />
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At 7pm we watched the movie. In retrospect I don't think I would do that again. Most of the kids had already seen it and some of the little ones got scared. I think they were all having a grand time playing games and stopping for the movie was more of an inconvenience. They were only interested for about 30 minutes. Thank goodness I had the microphone and speaker for reading the book because our speaker on the TV was NOT cutting it! Be sure to make sure you have adequate sound for a large group of noisy kids. </div>
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At 7:30pm we had our snack and then we had a SPECIAL DELIVERY!!! This was the HIGHLIGHT of the night! I found the idea <a href="http://keepinitkoolinkinderland.blogspot.com/2012/12/i-truly-believe-fun-freebies.html" target="_blank">here</a>. Our special delivery was a box from "North Pole Santa Claus Lane". It was full of snow and bells with a little tag I found <a href="http://s66.photobucket.com/user/craftysoon/media/tags/belltag.jpg.html?src=pb" target="_blank">here</a>. But the best part was that it was still cold! Even the bells inside the box were cold! I love creating Christmas MAGIC!!! The twinkle in the kids' eyes was spectacular. Even the older kids thought it was fun and tried to figure out how it was so cold. ;) </div>
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I asked the Young Women to come and help prepare the plates of graham cracker trains and hot chocolate and anything else I forgot. THANKS GIRLS! I also had some very awesome women come and help me that I couldn't have done it without! </div>
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Special thanks to my Best Friend Tonya whom I didn't snap a picture with. I couldn't have done it without'cha! Thanks for being my sidekick! </div>
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A few months ago when trying to come up with party plan for Brandt's 5th birthday I was brainstorming and I asked him if he wanted a Dragon party or Planes or Minions or maybe Campfire? He piped up and told me he wanted a Gritty Bowmen party. I thought it was BRILLIANT! I knew it would be very little work for Mom but packed with tons of kid fun! I'm all for a Martha Stewart look with Sandra Lee shortcuts. </div>
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Gritty Camo Cake and Cupcakes</div>
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See my previous "how to" post <a href="http://livelaughlofts.blogspot.com/2015/06/gritty-bowmen-birthday-party-camo-cake.html" target="_blank">here</a>.<br />
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It was even Camo on the INSIDE!!!<br />
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He loved it!<br />
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Step 2: </div>
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Gritty Archery Contest</div>
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Who doesn't love to have a little friendly competition? Especially when Uncle Brian is around to give you pointers. ;) Cory Miller of xXx Archery made him his very own green string and he went around the house telling all of his siblings that "green is Cory's favorite color too". His birthday definitely wouldn't have been as successful without the one on one attention he received at the bow shop. Thanks Cory!<br />
https://www.facebook.com/grittybowmen/videos/vb.716093161771138/878558962191223/?type=3&theater</div>
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Step 3: </div>
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Gritty Guns and Ammo (Super Soakers and Water Balloons) </div>
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That face cracks me up! </div>
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Step 4:</div>
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Invite your Gritty Heroes. Daddy, Uncle Brian and our friend Mark -- The Gritty Bowmen and Gritty Scotsman </div>
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That's a tired group of kids! They played hard and finally held still after hours of play. But once they had a little sugar in them they perked right up. ;) </div>
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It was the perfect summer day and definitely a birthday to remember.<br />
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<u><b>5 things about Brandt on his 5th Birthday</b></u><br />
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1. He loves to be "tucked in" at bedtime. When he was a baby I would sing a swaddle song and swaddle him up and he would kick and giggle with joy and relief that it was swaddle time!<br />
2. His favorite color is green.<br />
3. He has a really big head.<br />
4. When you give him a smooch he wipes his lips off and then lovingly tells you "you can't wipe kisses off, just the wet" in order to make you feel better about the fact that he just wiped your kiss off.<br />
5. His Daddy and his Uncle Brian are his heroes.<br />
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https://www.facebook.com/grittybowmen/videos/vb.716093161771138/878558962191223/?type=3&theater</div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6223736393079628000.post-41384226644878191152015-06-12T15:01:00.001-07:002015-06-12T15:38:22.708-07:00Rainbow Frosting Cupcakes<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
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I enjoyed making the Camo Cupcakes (<a href="http://livelaughlofts.blogspot.com/2015/06/gritty-bowmen-birthday-party-camo-cake.html?m=1" target="_blank">found here</a>) for my sons birthday last week I was inspired to try them with different colors. </div>
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Instead of Camo colors I used neon colored frosting (Kroger brand) in lime green, hot pink and teal. </div>
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I made these for Teacher Appreciation Gifts and a gift for the bus driver. He happens to be the same driver for both my kids' schools. </div>
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I used this <a href="http://www.silhouettedesignstore.com/?page=view-shape&id=20744" target="_blank">3D cupcake box</a> design for my Silhouette. </div>
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6223736393079628000.post-80200751888764545852015-06-08T17:52:00.001-07:002015-06-12T14:34:35.846-07:00Gritty Bowmen Birthday Party - Camo Cake and Cupcakes<span style="font-size: x-large;">How to have a Gritty Bowmen Birthday Party.</span><br>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Step 1: </b>Let them eat cake! Camo Cake.</span><br>
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…and Camo Cupcakes!<br>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHyuGWgX0j4-WowGfSzYCpJuPY-rGdZjxWBC2RuaKJGp-lbwghc-A_PLQTq5wWRWHdoYkSA-WYicU3XJF6IVcSz67QCIAcxGx1dRlPjOsNZ9MqMWannw1vpY0NBufMu1JxelE0mgWM-B7l/s640/blogger-image-1304813443.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHyuGWgX0j4-WowGfSzYCpJuPY-rGdZjxWBC2RuaKJGp-lbwghc-A_PLQTq5wWRWHdoYkSA-WYicU3XJF6IVcSz67QCIAcxGx1dRlPjOsNZ9MqMWannw1vpY0NBufMu1JxelE0mgWM-B7l/s640/blogger-image-1304813443.jpg"></a>First, take a pound of butter out of the fridge and set it on the counter. You'll thank me later when it's time to do the frosting.<br>
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I found two tutorials that I used and kind of morphed them into one. The <a href="https://thecraftymamablog.wordpress.com/2012/08/03/camouflage-cupcakes-tutorial/" target="_blank">Crafty </a><br>
<a href="https://thecraftymamablog.wordpress.com/2012/08/03/camouflage-cupcakes-tutorial/" target="_blank">Mama Blog Camo Cupcakes</a> and <a href="http://savingdougssanity.blogspot.com/2010/05/how-i-made-camouflage-cake-inside-and.html" target="_blank">Saving Dougs Sanity camo cake</a>.<br>
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For the cake I used 2 Pillsbury Devils food and 2 Classic white mixes. I followed Crafty Mama Blog instructions for dividing the mixes.<br>
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1: White batter.</div>
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2: White batter with green food coloring and a dash of chocolate batter.</div>
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3: Equal parts chocolate and white batter.</div>
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4: Chocolate batter.</div>
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I ended up with extra batter that I used for the cupcakes I made next. I followed the Saving Dougs Sanity instructions and just spooned them into the cake pans. I didn't bother with putting them into pastry bags. I used two 9" round springform pans and one 6" round springform pan. I filled them to 1/2 to 2/3 full. I spooned the remaining batter into cupcake liners. I ended up with 18 cupcakes. Some of them were just plain chocolate. </div>
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Let the cakes cool and then cut the tops off. You can see how great they look inside! </div>
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I used <b>my favorite buttercream frosting recipe</b>. It's super easy to make and it's real quality ingredients. I made a lot of frosting for this cake. Cut in half as needed. I find that I prefer to have extra frosting versus having to make a second batch. EVERYONE LOVES THIS FROSTING! </div>
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<b>My Favorite Buttercream Frosting </b></div>
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2 cups - 4 sticks (room temperature) butter (if I'm in a hurry I nuke it in the microwave for 20 seconds)</div>
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12 cups powdered sugar</div>
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1 tsp. salt</div>
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1 tsp. vanilla</div>
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1/2 tsp. almond extract </div>
<div>3/4 heavy cream (to start with) (If you're in a pinch you can use whole milk too. But start with 1/2 cup instead.)</div>
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Whip with wire whisk attachment. As necessary, add an additional Tablespoon of cream (and another and another) until you get the desired consistency. The trick here is to let it mix for a minute or two and add a little more as necessary. Let the frosting mix for a minute or two more to really get the flavors incorporated and to make it fluffy. You want your frosting to be able to stand firm when piped out, but be spreadable and fluffy too. </div>
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Divide the icing into 3 bowls. 1 white, 1 white with green food coloring and a little bit of cocoa powder and 1 white with cocoa powder. Mix until you get chocolate frosting. I cheated and added 1 tub of Betty Crocker Dark Chocolate Frosting to give it an even darker color. </div>
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You should now have 1 white, 1 army green, 1 chocolate. </div>
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<b>For the cake:</b> I did a chocolate crumb coat. Next, I piped on a blob at a time in random fashion all over the cake. I thought that I would be able to follow the <a href="http://www.cakecentral.com/tutorial/20211/quick-easy-smooth-icing-using-a-roller-melvira-method" target="_blank">Melvira Method </a>of using a high density foam roller to smooth it out. But I wasn't comfortable doing it straight onto the cake. I attempted to use parchment paper and roll over it, but each time I pulled the paper off it pulled some of the frosting away with it. I decided to just leave it as it was. If I were to do it over knowing it wouldn't work I would have piped it on a little smoother. </div>
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At this point I had lots of beggars that wanted some frosting. But I told them to scram and wait until the party. </div>
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I ran over to Wilco Farm Store for the <a href="http://www.schleich-s.com/en/US/" target="_blank">Schleich</a> toys. </div>
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<b>For the cupcakes:</b> take the 3 pastry bags and insert all of them into 1 large pastry bag with a star tip. Starting at the outer edge pipe a swirl until you get to the center and you're done! I was THRILLED with how fantastic and delicious these turned out! </div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6223736393079628000.post-65521629351932821262014-12-23T06:52:00.001-08:002014-12-23T06:52:41.242-08:00It's that time of year again!!! Brody is back!<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6il4hhi3qJP9T0_S6fdrRr6dfaNSh1xcNpMnGSjPNVX_h-9CirnWftPgEoFr9S5hSR1QIzZH56x_AkUSwITsMLP7NuqenT_6Vs3_43HTrhK9t-OtQtv7UsW_8xCysoSP466pjgV1P8LtA/s640/blogger-image-1392531340.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div></div>Brody showed up a little early this year. He usually only comes a week before Christmas but this year he came 10 days before. He brought along a little magic with him. A North Pole! <div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgD2VcqaxisSyd4MEwk65iMvcpwUpfvNIzSBJKtXZhfBrGEJJ8Y3Ovx34UYFgq5pKuT3G9Qms84v9yyK3JUn7mX_5u75UKJa0oA6dbgr-lvtWoIZvGtNW_wTF89ABPYqFKkUYDr37pZrob7/s640/blogger-image--310536482.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgD2VcqaxisSyd4MEwk65iMvcpwUpfvNIzSBJKtXZhfBrGEJJ8Y3Ovx34UYFgq5pKuT3G9Qms84v9yyK3JUn7mX_5u75UKJa0oA6dbgr-lvtWoIZvGtNW_wTF89ABPYqFKkUYDr37pZrob7/s640/blogger-image--310536482.jpg"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">The kids found him after school. Brandt and I went out to get the mail at the same time and when we all came around the corner there he was. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDNEStvAS5q57ps5zguM5Ks8UiaYTwoFj39piOmu0TPN14v7J1NzSGZl_cgSWG0yDHgw68Ri8eKoeighkExxWoQV1vuK3RaOkNLODPsMR6YfxnTfjDdlUyG50g9hK7dyLVZ1yxdnEu7xYt/s640/blogger-image--1672705037.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDNEStvAS5q57ps5zguM5Ks8UiaYTwoFj39piOmu0TPN14v7J1NzSGZl_cgSWG0yDHgw68Ri8eKoeighkExxWoQV1vuK3RaOkNLODPsMR6YfxnTfjDdlUyG50g9hK7dyLVZ1yxdnEu7xYt/s640/blogger-image--1672705037.jpg"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiwRF0Ka1y1pcsyLgBTDm1DZ6TVHf0KMXI5a3H-gsiRY8yvLSHA1prpmYKRUNaRQSM2aw1IaVU9Wz39_JbRUrUmxNM8qaEJsHKhdwTxQvIMbee8cGkc18LKZJm1hhzkpeHPVbmKc-6vUQn/s640/blogger-image-1894354504.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiwRF0Ka1y1pcsyLgBTDm1DZ6TVHf0KMXI5a3H-gsiRY8yvLSHA1prpmYKRUNaRQSM2aw1IaVU9Wz39_JbRUrUmxNM8qaEJsHKhdwTxQvIMbee8cGkc18LKZJm1hhzkpeHPVbmKc-6vUQn/s640/blogger-image-1894354504.jpg"></a></div>I love how it glows and casts a crackle on the wall. It's really cool!</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6223736393079628000.post-27113563436202933182014-09-30T08:03:00.004-07:002014-09-30T08:03:51.104-07:00How Do I as a Young Mother Teach My Children of the Commandments<div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">I love Fall. I love the Trees and the changing leaves, I love the colors and the crisp air. I love acorns and helicopters. But I love pinecones. I’m not sure what it is about them, but they bring me joy. I can remember being in grade school and we used plaster of paris in a mini foil pie pan and stuck a pinecone in it. Then we got to use glitter to decorate it and make them sparkle. Glitter runs in my veins so perhaps that’s why i love them so much. Pinecones have great potential. They start out small, but can turn into beautiful grand noble trees. Each small pinecone that drops from the Mother Tree has the opportunity to grow into it’s own straight and strong tree. When you cut down a tree and look at the rings the ones that are closer together are when they really had to work hard to grow and the ones when they are wider and further apart were times when growing was easier. </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">When I told the kids what my subject of my talk was McKay said, “Maybe we should write your talk for you Mom.” Then they proceeded to tell me how I teach them about the commandments. </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">1. Set a good Example</span></div>
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<li style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; margin: 0px;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Scripture Study Texting Group</span></li>
<li style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; margin: 0px;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Try to sing a song and learn a new article of faith and pray on our way to school.</span></li>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">I TRY. That’s it. I’m trying. Some days I try more than others. When Alaynee overheard me saying this part of my talk she started singing, “</span><span style="color: #30393a; font-size: 13px; letter-spacing: 0px;">I'm trying to be like Jesus; </span><span style="color: #30393a; font-size: 13px; letter-spacing: 0px;">I'm following in his ways. I'm trying to love as he did, in all that I do and say.” and I thought, exactly! That’s exactly it. I’m trying. </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">We pay our kids for good grades and this year McKayla asked if she could have an extra $10 because she got all A+’s. Bryce responded do you want $10 less if you get an A-? But then he surprised her with an extra $10 and he told her that was not because she worked to get all A+’s, it was for her effort. I am trying to put forth more effort. </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">At the RS Conference last night Sister Linda K. Burton spoke about the 10 Virgins. As a 12 year old Beehive my Aunt Martha and my Mother were my leaders. I remember Aunt Martha taught us a lesson about the 10 virgins and gave each of us a little picture of them to stick in our scriptures, which I still have 25 years later. It has always been a favorite parable to me. As a young Beehive I don’t think I quite understood why the 5 wise virgins wouldn’t share with the 5 foolish virgins. Sister Burton clarified this point last night she said, “the oil of spiritual preparation cannot be shared. Drop by drop we add to our store of oil.” Sister Neill F. Marriott said “by simple, consistent, acts... such as prayer, scripture study, FHE, great things are brought to pass.”</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Elder Uchtdorf spoke last night and said, “God knows each one of us. He LOVES you. He knows of your times you’ve fallen short. He knows when you were helping to reach out to others even as you’re struggling yourself.”</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">How do I reach out to my children and teach them of the commandments if I am not striving to keep them myself? It begins with me. I’m trying to add oil to my drops of awesome lamp so that I can then share my knowledge with my children. This past year I have not done well as well as I perhaps could have. I am trying to be kind with myself because I was growing a person and it’s a big job. There is a time and a season for everything they say and I have felt that now is the time for me to do more. </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">I am choosing one principle to work on and trying to make it a lasting change so that I can build upon it. How do I teach my children of the commandments? It begins with me. </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">I am part of a group of 4 sisters that started a scripture study group. It is unique in that we send each other a text message of what we are pondering that day. This has really helped me to be more consistent. It has been a gentle reminder to do it. On occasion my phone will start buzzing like crazy and I’m so happy that it does because we are trying. Each of us is trying. </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Elder Uchtdorf said, “You are always a Child of God. You are a child of Heavenly Parents. Divine origin alone does not guarantee you a divine inheritance. The promised blessings of God to the faithful are glorious and inspiring. It takes more than a spiritual birth certificate or a Child of God Membership Card to qualify for these incomprehensible blessings. But how do we attain them? The Savior has answered this question in our time. He said, “Except ye abide my law, ye cannot attain this Glory for straight is the gate and narrow the way that leadeth unto exaltation. Receive ye therefore my law.” For this reason we speak on walking the path of discipleship. We speak of obedience to God’s Commandments. We speak of living the gospel joyfully, with all our heart, might, mind and soul. And yet for some of us, obedience to God’s commandments doesn’t always feel very joyful. Let’s face it. There may be some that may seem harder or less appealing, commandments that we approach with the enthusiasm of a child sitting in front of a plate of healthy, but hated vegetables. We grit our teeth and force ourselves to comply so that we can move on to more desirable activities. Perhaps at times we may be asking ourselves, do we really need to obey ALL of God’s commandments? My response to this question is simple, “I think God knows something we don’t.” Things that are beyond our capacity to comprehend. Our Father in Heaven is an Eternal being with a host of experience and knowledge infinitely greater than ours. He not only knows what is best for you, he also anxiously wants you to choose what is best for you.”</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">When I heard that, “our Father in Heaven is an Eternal Being with a host of experience and knowledge infinitely greater than ours”. It reminded me of my Grandpa Joe. He’s 85 and He is a Jack-of-all-trades. He has done every job it seems like.He can do electrical and plumbing, he knows how to milk cows and even won a contest for de-boning a goat in under 9 minutes. He worked in a rock quarry and had muscles like Arnold Schwarzenegger. He owned his own Body Shop and a million other jobs. He has a host of experience and knowledge infinitely greater than ours. This past year my parents were falling a tree. Grandpa stood back and watched them as they attempted to do this on their own. Even though he perhaps knew the best way to do it. At some point they came to him and asked him how they should continue. Just like we need to do with our Heavenly Father. </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Parents must bring light and truth into their homes by one family prayer, one scripture study session, one family home evening, one book read aloud, one song, and one family meal at a time. They know that the influence of righteous, conscientious, persistent, daily parenting is among the most powerful and sustaining forces for good in the world. The health of any society, the happiness of its people, their prosperity, and their peace all find common roots in the teaching of children in the home. (L. Tom Perry)</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">I don’t know about you, but doing everything I am supposed to do feels like a daunting task. If I try to do it all I have a mental breakdown. But I think about it like Dave Ramsey. Baby Steps. I work on doing better at one thing at a time. </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Plan a day and time. Be flexible. But persistent. </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">I can’t tell you the number of times we have had to change family prayer. We had to work on that for months before we found something that would stick. Family Home Evening with an actual lesson seemed as thought it happened once a quarter, if that. We spend lots of time as a family doing things together, but it was lacking instruction. We are striving to do it weekly and now it’s happening about once or twice a month. I am trying to keep positive thoughts about this and not get down on myself because I am doing the best that I can. Not the best that someone else can. I try to read scriptures in the morning before school. Even if it’s just 1 verse it’s better than nothing. We are doing it. Another drop of awesome oil in my cruze. </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">I drive my children to school in the morning for two very important reasons. The first is that I don’t have to get up earlier than I absolutely have to and the second reason is so that I can have a set time everyday for 5 minutes of instruction. Sister Swertfeger said that she had her seminary students sing each morning and how it invited the spirit into their day. I thought that it was a great idea, but nothing seemed to work until we started to sing in the car on our way to school. We sing a practice song which is an article of Faith song. Then a song of choice. Followed by a quick prayer. It may not be the most reverent place to some, but we’re doing it. Sometimes, I would forget. Then we would drive by the Swertfeger’s house and I would remember. It has been a small act that is a big thing. </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">We are trying to be CONSISTENT. If I forget 3 days in a row does that mean I’m a terrible Mom and I should give up? nope. Just keep trying. Sometimes when we have FHE my boys are unruly. I have been known to kick them out of FHE so that we could have a lesson in peace. I’ve also been known to just want to give up in the middle of a lesson. Don’t Give Up! Take a break. Then come back and finish. It’s like exercise, sometimes you’re so happy to do it and it feels great. Other times it’s the LAST thing you want to do, but you force yourself to do it anyway and then you’re glad you did. </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">“A little bit steady, makes a lot.” Dave Ramsey</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Times are very different today, but while times may change, a parent’s teaching must never be devalued. Many activities link the values of one generation to the next, but perhaps the most central of these activities is parents teaching children in the home. This is especially true when we consider the teaching of values, moral and ethical standards, and faith.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">I try to teach our children the commandments in small and simple ways. Often this is on the go and I truly thank heaven for the gospel library apps! </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Elder Uchtdorf said, “If you truly believe God knows best how to exalt and glorify his children does it make sense to embrace and follow his commandments? Even the ones that appear difficult? Should we not cherish the light posts he has given that guide us through the darkness and the trials of mortality. They mark the way back to our heavenly home. by choosing heavenly Father’s path You lay a divine foundation for your personal progress, that will bless you throughout your life. </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Part of our challenge I think that we imagine that God has all of his blessings locked in a huge cloud up in heaven refusing to give them to us unless we comply with some strict paternalistic requirements he has set up. But the commandments aren’t like that at all. In reality heavenly father is constantly raining blessings upon us. It is our fear, doubt and sin that like an umbrella block these blessings from reaching us. His commandments are the loving instructions and the divine help for us to close the umbrella. So we can receive the shower of heavenly blessings. We need to accept that the commandments of God aren’t just a long list of good ideas. They aren’t “life hacks” from an internet blog or motivational quotes from a Pinterest board. They are divine counsel based on eternal truths given to bring peace in this world and Eternal life in the world to come.” </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">I know that as I have felt particularly stressed in the past couple of months that when I can’t seem to cope I have felt the desire to reach for my scriptures to help me feel calm and peaceful. </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">“So we have a choice. On the one hand there’s the opinion of the world with it’s ever changing theories and questionable motives. On the other hand there’s God’s words to his children his eternal wisdom, his certain promises and his loving instructions for returning to his presence in Glory, Love and majesty. The choice is yours. The Creator of the seas, sands and endless stars is reaching out to you this very day. He is offering the grand recipe for happiness, peace and eternal life. To qualify for these glorious blessings you must humble yourself, exercise faith, take upon you the name of Christ, seek him in word and deed and resolutely stand as witnesses of God at all times and in all things and in all places. Once you understand the true nature of God and his commandments, you will also better understand yourselves and the divine purpose of your existence. With this, your motivation for following the commandments changes and it becomes your heart’s desire to live the gospel joyfully. </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">When we treat god’s commandments and our part in building the kingdom like something to check off on a to do list we miss the heart of true discipleship. We miss the growth that comes from joyfully living the commandments of our Father in Heaven. Walking in the path of discipleship does not need to be a bitter experience. It is sweet above all that is sweet it is not a burden that weighs us down. Discipleship lifts our spirits and lightens our hearts it inspires us with faith, hope and charity. It fills our spirits with light in times of darkness and serenity during times of sorrow. It gives us divine power and lasting joy. Whether you’re 8 or 108 there is one thing that I hope you truly understand and know... you are loved. You are dear to our heavenly parents. He knows you he is mindful of you. He’s not waiting to love you until you over come your bad habits. </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">He knows of the times you have held onto the fading light and believed even in the midst of growing darkness. </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">He knows of your remorse for the times you have fallen short. </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">He knows of your successes. He loves you. </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Brothers and sisters, I am trying to teach my children the commandments one small drop at a time. I have a deep love for my children and I want them to succeed in this life and the pathway to get there is by following the lightposts of the commandments. </span></div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6223736393079628000.post-3303378528178253362014-08-21T11:31:00.003-07:002014-08-21T20:47:19.674-07:00The Relief Society Activity Night (Enrichment) Lesson that changed my life <br />
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A couple years ago as the RS Activity Night Coordinator I gave this lesson. It has had a lasting impact on me and the women I gave it to. It was so wonderful that my sister gave it to her ward as well. I think you could easily adapt it for a FHE lesson too.<br />
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You'll have to excuse my photos. I was in a hurry that night and sent these pictures from my phone to my sister. I wasn't intending to blog about it, so I didn't take better quality pictures. These were just real quick "on the fly" shots.<br />
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I gave each sister a cute little white bucket that I found in the wedding section of my local Dollar Tree. 3/$1.<br />
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I bought a larger bucket for the object lesson so that all of the sisters could see it.</div>
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I also bought real old fashioned lemon drops as their "drops of awesome" to put in it.<br />
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Finally I bought honey sticks to pass out as well. I bought red paper grass to line each bucket and I found a pdf picture that I made thumbnail sized and laminated and tied to each honey stick with a ribbon. <br />
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Here is a link to the picture that I used.<br />
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px; text-decoration: underline;"><a href="http://hangaribbononthemoon.com/2012/12/10/be-anxiously-engaged-pollinate-the-world-with-the-pure-love-of-christ-handout-and-poster/" target="_blank">http://hangaribbononthemoon.com/2012/12/10/be-anxiously-engaged-pollinate-the-world-with-the-pure-love-of-christ-handout-and-poster/</a>Be Anxiously Engaged in Doing Good</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Here is my talk:</span><br />
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">I have been trying to figure out what I wanted share with you tonight and as I prayed for the right words the answer finally came. The answer was to spend more time on Facebook. ;) Only kidding. I had been on FB the other day and read a post that Jessica Moyes posted. So I guess the answer wasn’t really Facebook it was given to me through another friend and that is often how our prayers are answered isn’t it. This post I’m going to share with you couldn’t have expressed my own thoughts and words in a more perfect way. </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px; text-decoration: underline;">Drops of Awesome By Kathryn Thompson</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">This post has been in my heart and on my mind for over a year now. I’ve talked about it. I’ve prayed about it. I’ve taught about it. I was waiting for the right time to post about it and now feels like that time. It’s a post about a tiny little moment that completely changed the way I see myself and others. As I think about it and act on what I learned, I find that I am changed in significant ways every single day.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">It was a sunny school morning and I was walking Magoo to the bus stop. I don’t often walk him to the school bus. He’s in second grade and pretty independent and I’m usually busy getting myself and his sisters ready. I’m semi-nocturnal and I sleep later than I should most mornings.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">When it’s time for school, he says goodbye and heads up the hill to the bus.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">As we got half way to the bus, Magoo reached out and grabbed my hand in an uninhibited way that I knew wouldn’t happen many more times. How many 12-year-old boys do you see swinging hands happily with their mommies?</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">I squeezed his hand, felt the rare Seattle sun on my face, and told him I loved him. I was nearly perfectly happy.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Nearly.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Just at that moment, the thought came into my mind, <i>That’s awesome that you’re walking him to the bus stop and putting on this “mother of the year” act today. What about yesterday and the day before that? You hardly ever walk him to the bus. He’s probably holding your hand because he’s so desperate for the love and attention you haven’t been showing him</i>.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">My bubble had burst. <i>I am a crap mom</i>, I thought, as I looked down into his smiling face.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Then another thought came. <i>Kathryn. What is wrong with you? You are being an awesome mom in this moment. Your child is happy. You are loving him and caring for him. He’s well fed and dressed. You’re walking to the bus stop in the early morning and you’re already wearing a bra for heck’s sake. Do not rob yourself of this moment’s joy because of what you failed to do yesterday or what you fear you might not do tomorrow</i>.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">This started me thinking of all the times I do something good while beating myself up for all the times I haven’t been perfect.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><i>You’re worshiping in the temple? Woopty freakin do! How long has it been since you came here last? When are you likely to come again? You’re not good at this. This is a fluke.</i></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><i>Wow. So you cleaned the kitchen today. Want a cookie? That dirty rag has been on the counter for a week and those dishes you so righteously cleaned are from breakfast three days ago. You are embarrassing.</i></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><i>That was really nice of you to offer to watch your friend’s kids while she had surgery. Remember last week when you knew your neighbor was suffering from depression and you drove right by with a wave because you did not want to get sucked into the drama? You don’t really care about people. Not all the time.</i></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">How destructive are these kinds of thoughts?</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">As I said goodbye to Magoo and started to walk back home, my mind started to shift.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><i>Drops of Awesome!</i> I thought. Every time you do something good, something kind, something productive, it’s a drop in your Bucket of Awesome. You don’t lose drops for every misstep. You can only build. You can only fill.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><i>----> Ask a sister to come up and help you fill the bucket with drops of awesome. Each time she hears you say it have her put a drop in. Be sure to tell the Sisters that we are all going to help fill this bucket and promise them it will be full by the time you’re done. </i></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">I walked Magoo to the bus. Drop of Awesome!</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">I fed him fruit with breakfast. Drop of Awesome!</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">I told him I loved him. Drop of Awesome!</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">I wore a bra and brushed my teeth before schlepping it up that hill. Two Fat Drops of Awesome!</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">All day long I chanted these words in my head. I picked up that tootsie roll wrapper off the front porch instead of stepping over it for the eleventy hundredth time. Drop of Awesome! I unloaded one dish from the dishwasher when I walked through the kitchen on my way to the bathroom. Drop of Awesome! I texted my sad neighbor to say I was thinking about her. Drop of Awesome! I had a critical thought about one of my kids and I brushed it away and replaced it with love. Drop of Awesome!</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">When I started thinking about my life in terms of adding these little Drops of Awesome for every tiny act of good, I found that I was doing more and more of them because it’s a lot more fun to do good when you’re rewarded with joy, rather than being guilted about every failure in your past.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">By the end of the day, I had realized something important. If I was spending time with my kids, really listening to them with attention in the moment, then <b>I was a good listener</b>, regardless of the 50 other times I’d brushed them off or multi-tasked while they were talking over the past week. If I was engaged in sincere prayer with my Heavenly Father, really communing with him and seeking his will, then <b>I was a person who engages in sincere prayer</b>, regardless of how my prayers were (or weren’t) yesterday and the day before that and the day before that.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">As I added up these Drops of Awesome, I found that in those moments I actually became the person I had always wanted to be.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Have you ever said any of these things: “Well, I guess I don’t work out anymore,” because you missed one workout? Or, “I always fight with my brother. Our relationship is broken.” What about, “I’m kind of a nag to my spouse.” Or “I gossip and I always end up hurting people I love.” “I can’t stop spending money. We will never get out of debt.” “My house is always a disaster.”</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">These things are lies, depending on the next decision you make, the next Drop of Awesome you put in your bucket. You may have done these things or have a hard time with them but they don’t define you and you can change this very instant. You may not think you can change permanently but you can change the next choice you make. And as you change that one next tiny choice, you may think, I got this one Drop of Awesome but I may never be able to get another one again.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">And that’s okay.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">You made the right choice once. And in that moment you were the person you want to be and that is a triumph. For one night, you were a person who went to bed early. One morning you woke up and the first words out of your mouth were positive so you were a morning person in that moment. Bam! Drop of Awesome.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">You do not need to wait three months to be who you want to be. Pick up ten things right now and say, “Drops of Awesome! I am someone who takes care of my house. That is who I am. I have proof.”</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">In the end, it’s really about allowing yourself to feel joy and allowing yourself to be proud of the small victories of life. This builds momentum and you want more drops in your bucket and when you don’t get as many, you pick yourself up and say, “What can I do next?”</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">--> Ask Sisters to share something they have done today to fill their Bucket of Awesome. Walk around and put “Lemon Drops of Awesome” in their buckets! </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Now, there are a whole lot of religious implications to this because, as a Christian, I believe that you are not the only one adding these Drops of Awesome to your bucket. Christ commanded us to be perfect, but through His atonement, He is with us every step of the way.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">As an </span><span style="font: 14.0px Georgia; letter-spacing: 0.0px;">object lesson </span><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">when I was teaching this to the teenage girls at church, I gave them each a small dropper and I put a 2-quart bowl on the table. I told them that throughout the lesson they would get the chance to put drops in the bucket for every Drop of Awesome they could think of that they’d done. I promised them that we would fill the bowl to overflowing by the end of the lesson.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">With about 5 minutes to go, we had barely begun to fill the bowl and the girls were looking around at each other nervously. The promised overflow did not look likely. Were they not awesome enough?</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">At that point, I pulled out a large pitcher labeled ATONEMENT and poured water into the glass bowl until it was spilling out all over the table and the towel the bowl was resting on. The class went silent.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">When we are in a relationship with Christ, striving as God’s sons and daughters to do His will, He pours more into our buckets than we can ever hope to imagine. He can fill us to overflowing with peace, with joy, with perfection, with Awesome. And then what do we do if our bucket is overflowing like that? Where does the Awesome go then?</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">I pulled out an identical bowl, twice the size of the original. Our capacity for joy and light <i>increases</i>. And we just keep working, one tiny drop at a time. And we don’t compare today’s drops to yesterday’s or tomorrow’s. And we live and we love and we repent when we do wrong and we allow ourselves to be glorious, beautiful, and dare I say perfect in Christ, children of God.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">I believe in a God who loves us and roots for us and cheers for every Drop of Awesome we can manage. Our victories are His victories and He wants us to feel joy. Not later, when we no longer make mistakes, but right now.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">I’m gonna close this uber long post out with a scripture from the Book of Mormon. I know many of you do not share my faith but I think you’ll find truth in these words:</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">“Now ye may suppose that this is foolishness in me; but behold I say unto you, that by small and simple things are great things brought to pass; and small means in many instances doth confound the wise.” (Alma 37:6)</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Small and simple. Tiny drops. Go forth. Be Awesome.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Kathryn Thompson blogger of <a href="http://www.daringyoungmom.com/"><span style="color: #1c00ad; font: 10.0px Helvetica; letter-spacing: 0.0px; text-decoration: underline;">www.daringyoungmom.com</span></a></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">If you remember from our recent Conference Elder M. Russell Ballard talked about some other tiny drops. Drops of honey. </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Honeybees are driven to pollinate, gather nectar, and condense the nectar into honey. It is their magnificent obsession imprinted into their genetic makeup by our Creator. Over its short lifetime of just a few weeks to four months, a single honeybee’s contribution of honey to its hive is a mere one-twelfth of one teaspoon.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Though seemingly insignificant when compared to the total, each bee’s one-twelfth of a teaspoon of honey is vital to the life of the hive. The bees depend on each other. Work that would be overwhelming for a few bees to do becomes lighter because all of the bees faithfully do their part.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">The beehive has always been an important symbol in our Church history. The beehive symbol is found in both the interiors and exteriors of many of our temples. This podium where I stand is made from the wood of a walnut tree grown in President Gordon B. Hinckley’s backyard and is adorned with carved beehive images.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">All of this symbolism attests to one fact: great things are brought about and burdens are lightened through the efforts of many hands “anxiously engaged in a good cause” (<a href="http://www.lds.org/scriptures/dc-testament/dc/58.27?lang=eng#26"><span style="color: #1c00ad; font: 13.0px 'Lucida Grande'; letter-spacing: 0.0px; text-decoration: underline;">D&C 58:27</span></a>). Imagine what the millions of Latter-day Saints could accomplish in the world if we functioned like a beehive in our focused, concentrated commitment to the teachings of the Lord <a href="http://mormon.org/jesus-christ"><span style="color: #1c00ad; font: 13.0px 'Lucida Grande'; letter-spacing: 0.0px; text-decoration: underline;">Jesus Christ</span></a>.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">These simple, daily acts of service may not seem like much in and of themselves, but when considered collectively they become just like the one-twelfth teaspoon of honey contributed by a single bee to the hive. There is power in our love for God and for His children, and when that love is tangibly manifest in millions of acts of Christian kindness, it will sweeten and nourish the world with the life-sustaining nectar of faith, hope, and charity.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #30393a; font: 13.0px 'Lucida Grande'; letter-spacing: 0.0px;">The symbol of RS is Charity Never Faileth. Charity means “</span><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">generosity and helpfulness especially toward the needy or suffering”. </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Sister Marjorie Pay Hinckley was a great example of this. She said, </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">“I don't want to drive up to the pearly gates in a shiny sports car, wearing beautifully, tailored clothes, my hair expertly coiffed, and with long, perfectly manicured fingernails.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">I want to drive up in a station wagon that has mud on the wheels from taking kids to scout camp.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">I want to be there with a smudge of peanut butter on my shirt from making sandwiches for a sick neighbors children.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">I want to be there with a little dirt under my fingernails from helping to weed someone's garden.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">I want to be there with children's sticky kisses on my cheeks and the tears of a friend on my shoulder.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">I want the Lord to know I was really here and that I really lived.” </span></div>
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<span style="color: #181818; letter-spacing: 0.0px;">― <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/226482.Marjorie_Pay_Hinckley"><span style="color: #1c00ad; letter-spacing: 0.0px; text-decoration: underline;">Marjorie Pay Hinckley</span></a></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Which takes us to another type of drop. Drops of Oil. A wise Sister I know said these words. </span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font: 12.0px Helvetica; letter-spacing: 0.0px;">“</span><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">The time truly is far spent for us to prepare. I'm reminded of the parable of the ten virgins. If the oil of the wise virgins is likened to spiritual strength, there's one huge reason why they could not share with the five foolish. The wise virgins carried with them the fruit of a full growing season . . . of pruning and fertilizing and weeding and caring for a vineyard. In their <a href="http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.sandypondstudios.com/pics/clay-cruse-oil.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.sandypondstudios.com/html/clay.html&h=456&w=300&sz=25&tbnid=p20V6MFSwBWywM:&tbnh=128&tbnw=84&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dcruse%2Bof%2Boil&zoom=1&q=cruse+of+oil&usg=__o_TCrsa_KkbYOfI8127SH_Tgl8Q=&sa=X&ei=WP01TcyKBJSosQPYs4yxBQ&ved=0CEEQ9QEwBQ"><span style="color: #1c00ad; letter-spacing: 0.0px; text-decoration: underline;">cruses</span></a>, they carried the sunlight, the rain, the warmth of nature's God and the labor of the harvest. Bringing the vineyard and the oil press along to the wedding just wasn't an option. Because of their preparation, they had a smooth ride when the bridegroom came. We cannot transfer the hours spent in study, the thoughtful and fervent prayers, or the sweet moments when God reaches down and touches our minds and hearts. We can bear testimony, witness of truth so the Spirit can touch hearts and others can be changed and influenced by the power lent to us because of our faithfulness and preparation . . . but they must pay for their own oil in the end.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Now, it's true that the foolish virgins were able to go and buy additional oil. It was a costly, time-consuming trip . . . which ended in missing the bridegroom's arrival and wedding feast. For some, who realize their shortage earlier and go for oil sooner, making the trip and paying the price could result in enough oil to see them through . . . just as experiencing dramatic hardship and trial can <a href="http://lds.org/scriptures/bofm/alma/62.41?lang=eng#40"><span style="color: #1c00ad; letter-spacing: 0.0px; text-decoration: underline;">soften hearts as well as harden them</span></a>. The peril lies in the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Race_condition"><span style="color: #1c00ad; letter-spacing: 0.0px; text-decoration: underline;">race condition</span></a> that exists when preparation goes undone.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">~Annalea Eastley </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Sisters, I’d like us to focus on the “Being Anxiously Engaged in Doing Good” this year. I don’t want you to focus on what isn’t being done. Instead of making a “To Do” List I want you to make a list of “What I Accomplished Today”. One of the commenters from the “Drops of Awesome” post said that she and her sisters and mother were all doing this. She said that “Some days I write down lots of things like folding laundry, making phone calls, bringing dinner to a neighbor etc. But some days and I think these are the days I need it most, the most I can manage are things like--I got out of bed. I fed my kids. I made it through another day without selling my kids to the gypsies! I give myself credit if I resist negative thoughts about myself and I keep a tally next to that for every single time I have that negative thought throughout the day. It has helped me see my role as a mother as something important when I write down, “took care of my children by feeding them.” “Made my daughter laugh.” “Took advantage of a teaching moment” or “created a little corner of cleanliness in my bedroom.” I have truly come to believe that this is the way the Lord sees us. At the end of the day, he is not thinking, “I’m really disappointed you didn’t get your dishes washed.” No. He is looking at all the things we DID do! It truly has been a life changing experiment for me because it has helped me see myself the way the Lord sees me. </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Sisters as we go throughout the rest of our year I know that if we focus on “Being Anxiously Engaged in Doing Good” that we really will pollinate the world with the pure love of Christ and it starts with you. Start by putting some more “Drops of Awesome” in your bucket each day. Then once it starts to over flow you can fill your husband’s bucket with love and so on and so on. Let’s help one another by filling our cruses with oil and being prepared so that when that day comes we are like the 5 prepared Virgins.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #333233; font: 14.0px Georgia; letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Let us also remember the honeybees “</span><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Though seemingly insignificant when compared to the total, each bee’s one-twelfth of a teaspoon of honey is vital to the life of the hive. The bees depend on each other. Work that would be overwhelming for a few bees to do becomes lighter because all of the bees faithfully do their part.”</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Simple, daily acts of service collectively considered make a huge impact! </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">“As you create a home, don't get distracted with a lot of things that have no meaning for you or your family. Don't dwell on your failures, but think of your successes. Have joy in your home. Have joy in your children. Have joy in your husband. Be grateful for the journey.” </span></div>
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<span style="color: #181818; letter-spacing: 0.0px;">― <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/226482.Marjorie_Pay_Hinckley"><span style="color: #1c00ad; letter-spacing: 0.0px; text-decoration: underline;">Marjorie Pay Hinckley</span></a></span><br />
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com16tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6223736393079628000.post-79244420500177617852012-06-04T19:18:00.000-07:002012-06-04T19:18:01.907-07:00May Lofts Herald Entry<br />
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">We had a great little vacation and ran off to the Beach with Shalah, Mom, Lexie, Sheri and all the kiddos. It was a lot of fun and a much needed little get away! The kids all had a blast with their cousins! We played in the water (I use the term “we” very loosely here. ;) and flew the kite, got some squeaky cheese, visited a lighthouse, went letterbox hunting and to the Marine Science Center and even got in a little shopping at the Outlet Mall. McKayla said her favorite part was the day we went home because we crammed in so much fun stuff. One of the highlights of the weekend was giving Mom her iPad. I caught a few great pictures to share. She was very surprised and a little teary-eyed when she read the engraving. It says, "Dear mother, all flowers remind me of you. Happy Mother's Day 2012". </span>The other highlight was getting to meet baby Brayden. What a cutie! </div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">For my Mom we did our annual Mother’s Day Yard Clean up and Planting day. We were surprised at how great the turn out was this year. Everyone came! He got the pond, creek and bathtub fountains all up and running and then we put him on Traeger duty. We had a great day. I got to hold baby Helen and I think she is just sooo cute! It could be that she looks like my sisters and I more than any other one of our kids combined. She is so sweet too. She always smiling and cooing and happy. </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">I had to speak in Sacrament Meeting on Mother’s Day. I am not quite sure why I have had to speak twice in the past 12 months and Bryce hasn’t had to speak since we moved into our house about 12 years ago. Hmmmm... I might have to look into that one a little further. </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"></span></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6223736393079628000.post-87943936233815433242012-05-13T19:01:00.000-07:002012-06-04T19:02:03.596-07:00Mother's Day Talk- Honor Thy Mother and Father<br />
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<span style="font: normal normal normal 19px/normal Times; letter-spacing: 0px;"><b><i>Your Mother and Mine</i></b></span><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><br />
Well, a mother, a real mother<br />
Is the most wonderful person in the world</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">She's the angel voice that bids you goodnight<br />
Kisses your cheek, whispers, "Sleep tight."</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">The helping hand that guides you along<br />
Whether you're right, whether you're wrong</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">What makes mothers all that they are?<br />
Might as well ask, "What makes a star?"</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">Ask your heart to tell you her worth<br />
Your heart will say, "Heaven on Earth."<br />
Another word for divine<br />
Your mother and mine</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">~Wendy Moira Angela Darling</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">The love of parents for their children and children for their parents is one of the strongest influences for good in the world. Many people have been motivated to live good lives because of their love for their parents. How you live your life may bring honor or shame not only to yourself but to your parents as well. You can choose to commit to honor your parents by living righteously and expressing <a href="http://lds.org/topic/gratitude/"><span style="color: #1c00ad; font: normal normal normal 13px/normal 'Lucida Grande'; letter-spacing: 0px; text-decoration: underline;">gratitude</span></a> to them.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">Since today is Mother’s Day I will mainly focus on Mothers, but you could easily insert Father instead.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">Our Parents Care About Us</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">Our parents love us and want what is best for us. Think of how much time and effort it takes to raise a son or daughter. </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">My mother taught me how to crawl, how to walk and how to talk. The alphabet and my numbers. She taught me how to use a spoon, and how to use the potty. She taught me how to use my inside voice and encouraged me when I needed to speak up a little. She taught me to look both ways before I crossed and to watch out for strangers. She taught me not to play with sticks because someone could get their eye poked out... and she was right. </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">As I got older, she pointed out the girls in the Laurel class that I should look up to and the values and characteristics that I should emulate. She also taught me more practical things like how to sew a button, what I should and shouldn’t wear and how to tweeze my eyebrows (thank goodness). She taught me how to fold a fitted sheet (even if I still can’t fold them as perfectly as she does.) She taught me that even an old red barn looks better with a fresh coat of paint and that glitter has magical powers and it can make everything look sparkly and new. She taught me that choosing the right isn’t always easy, but it is best. </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">I distinctly remember a time when I was a Mia Maid when the friends I had were gradually making different choices and I made the choice not to do those things and over time they weren’t my friends anymore and I was very lonely. She told me that friends will come and go but she would always be my friend no matter what. </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">She taught me what to look for in a husband and how he should treat me. She taught me that good things come to those who wait and patience is a virtue. </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">Just last month she taught me by example about reaching out of our comfort zone and doing hard things. She teaches me of my ancestors and the rich heritage I am blessed to be apart of. </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">When I became a mother myself it was only then that I caught a glimpse of all that she has taught me whether by her words or by her example.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">Our parents have made a commitment to help us live a happy, healthy life. When our parents try to guide us, they are trying to help us be our best and be worthy of exaltation with our <a href="http://lds.org/ensign/2003/05/the-importance-of-the-family?lang=eng"><span style="color: #1c00ad; font: normal normal normal 13px/normal 'Lucida Grande'; letter-spacing: 0px; text-decoration: underline;">family</span></a>.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">Heavenly Father Wants Us to Honor Our Parents</span></div>
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<span style="color: #3c424d; font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Georgia; letter-spacing: 0px;">Henry B. Eyring taught </span><span style="color: #3c424d; font: normal normal normal 18px/normal Georgia; letter-spacing: 0px;">“</span><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">Now, here is my counsel to children. The Lord gave you a commandment with a promise: it is found in <a href="http://www.lds.org/scriptures/ot/ex/20.12?lang=eng#11"><span style="color: #1c00ad; font: normal normal normal 13px/normal 'Lucida Grande'; letter-spacing: 0px; text-decoration: underline;">Exodus 20:12</span></a>. “Honor thy father and thy mother, that thy days may be long upon the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee.”</span><span style="font: normal normal normal 6.7px/normal 'Lucida Grande'; letter-spacing: 0px;"><sup> </sup></span><span style="color: #496fae; font: normal normal normal 9px/normal 'Lucida Grande'; letter-spacing: 0px; text-decoration: underline;">5</span><span style="font: normal normal normal 6.7px/normal 'Lucida Grande'; letter-spacing: 0px;"><sup> </sup></span><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">It is the only one of the Ten Commandments with a promise. You may not have parents that are living. In some cases, you may not feel that your parents are worthy of the honor and respect of their children. You may not even have ever known them. But you owe them life. And in every case, even if your life is not lengthened, its quality will be improved simply by remembering your parents with honor.” (Henry B. Eyring, “Our Perfect Example” Oct. 2009)</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">•How do you honor someone? By showing them respect, obeying their wishes, listening to them, asking their advice, and following their example.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">Throughout my life my Dad has shown me a good example of how to Honor my Mother and my Grandmother. He would do small things like dropping her off at the door on a rainy Sunday morning. Or by opening her car door, rubbing her feet at night, filling up the gas tank in her car. Cooking her dinner. By teaching my brothers how to treat their Mother and Sisters with respect. By taking the day off of work so he could hold her hand at the Dentist office. By encouraging my Mother when she has to do hard things like speak in church. And the countless times he walks into the room and says, “Hey Beautiful”. My Father has taught me how to Honor my mother.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">My Grandpa has taught me how to honor my mother and my Grandmother. My Grandpa used to take my Grandma Donna to antique shops and art galleries. He would drive her to thrift store after thrift store. But what I remember as a young child Grandpa would come with Grandma to “Grandparents Day” in Elementary School. Now, I’m sure that this probably bored Grandpa to tears, It was a monumental task because there were about twenty grandchildren at Park Place at one time, so it was an all day excursion. Grandpa went anyway because it was important to Grandma. My Grand father taught me how to Honor my mother and my Grandmother. </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">Finally, my <b>mother</b> taught me how to show respect and honor to her. </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">My mother taught me how to speak to her in a respectful manner. She didn’t allow us to treat her disrespectfully or backtalk. Even as toddlers we didn’t tell her “no” and get away with it. As a teenager I remember my Mother took my sister, Carrie and I on a rare trip to the mall. As my sister and I got out of the car we hurried in ahead of my Mom and jokingly said that it was “so that we weren’t walking next to our “Mom” because it wasn’t “cool”. She taught me a valuable lesson that day that I haven’t forgotten. She told us to “get back here” and “that we would not disrespect her like that”. We tried to tell her that we were only joking, but she cautioned us that it wasn’t even acceptable to treat her like that in jest, because it could become habit. I didn’t realize at the time that we were probably testing the waters and I’m grateful that she was smart enough to realize it and didn’t allow us to dishonor her. I also realized that I didn’t care what other people thought, but I cared what my Mom thought and I realized that treating her like that was rude and hurtful. </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">As I got older it really bothered me when I would hear my friends or cousins or girls from my ward talk to their Moms disrespectfully. I remember telling my mom I didn’t like that they were speaking to their Mom like that about how I was surprised their mom let them get away with it. She told me I should say something to them the next time I overheard them treating their Mom that way. So I did. Every time I said something, my friend knew they had been rude and they were ashamed for their behavior. I doubt it changed their behavior all the time, but at least while I was around they spoke more respectfully and in a respectful tone of voice to their mother. My Mother taught me how to honor her. </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">President Gordon B. Hinckley:</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">“Be true to your parents and your heritage. Regrettably there are a few parents who act in a way that does serious injustice to their children. But these cases are relatively few. No one has greater interest in your welfare, in your happiness, in your future than do your mothers and fathers. … They were once the age that you are now. Your problems are not substantially different from what theirs were. If they occasionally place restrictions on you, it is because they see danger down the road. Listen to them. What they ask you to do may not be to your liking. But you will be much happier if you do it” (“Stand True and Faithful,” Ensign, May 1996, 92–93).</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">When I was about 13 years old I witnessed this truth for myself. I asked my brother, Brian if I could share this story with you because although it wasn’t something that happened to me personally, it affected me directly. When Brian was 16 years old he wanted to hang out with his friends non-stop, as most teenagers do. He wanted to go to the football games every weekend and there was a girl there that he liked. I don’t remember all of the details at the time, but I do remember that Brian and Mom were fighting a lot and that the atmosphere in the home when Brian was home was contentious because he didn’t want to be there. Now, keep in mind that Brian was still a good kid that wanted to do what was right. He just didn’t see anything wrong with going to do these things with his friends and he didn’t have any intentions of doing anything wrong. But, my mom could see the potential danger and one night they had a big argument and Brian disobeyed my parents and he went to the football game anyway. That night my parents were waiting for him when he got home and they had another argument. My mom stopped in the middle of it and asked him, “Who are you and what happened to the boy I raised? What type of man do you want to grow up to be?” The following evening there was a fireside at Bro. James Bean’s house that Brian attended that changed his life and my entire family. This is what happened in Brian’s own words. <br />
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<span style="color: #30393a; font: normal normal normal 12px/normal 'Lucida Grande'; letter-spacing: 0px;">“</span><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">I found myself sitting on the floor of James Beans house listening to him teach the gospel and to teach the law of obedience. That night the spirit pierced my heart. Brother bean explained how much a parent loves their child. He told us that our parents loved us more than anyone else--just like our father in heaven loves us. A parent's love for their children is boundless... they would die for us. Then he said that we could "never go wrong" if we listen and obey our parents. He admitted that we may not have as much fun as we otherwise could have, or that sometimes we might miss out on a fun time with our friends. But he promised us that we would find true joy and peace in abiding by the counsel and direction of our parents. </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">I knew this was true. I knew deep in the heart... deep in my soul that my parents adored me (still do). And that if I were to trust in their wisdom and follow their counsel that I would be blessed beyond measure. I resolved at that moment to obey my parents and to follow their counsel. The first step toward obedience was honoring the grounding I got from going to the football game without permission.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">I started looking for ways to help out around the house. I began to seek my parent's counsel when I needed help with things. I spent quality time with my siblings. We rented kid movies and popped popcorn while my friends went to the football games and to school parties. I worked hard on being patient with my younger brother and my sisters. I volunteered to help my father when I saw him working. Little by little I began to feel differently about myself. I developed a rich relationship with my parents and learned to trust in their judgement. I learned fist hand that a parent's love for their child exceeds all imaginings. And if a child will but follow the counsel of a wise parent they will be blessed with a rich and full life.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">To this day, I still seek the counsel of my wise parents and cherish their love for me. I have been truly blessed.”</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">My brother, Brian truly showed me how to honor my Mother. He confided in her and he sought her counsel and he and my Mother developed a special bond. Let me tell you, Boys, if you want to know what a girl is really thinking, ask your Mom. Brian had the best dating coach he could ever have. Brian taught me how to honor my Mother. </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">My husband has shown me how to honor my mother and my mother-in-law. For Mother’s Day this year he had the idea of giving his mother an iPad so he arranged for all of the siblings to pitch in. Last weekend we went to the Beach with my MIL and gave it to her. He showed me how to honor his mother by taking the time to teach her how to use her new iPad. He also has honored my mother, his mother-in-law by taking the time to serve her. Yesterday, we had a big family yard work party as a gift to my Mom. Not only did he do it, but the other son-in-law’s took the time out of their busy schedules to help out as well. I don’t know very many son-in-law’s that would do that. My brothers-in-law and my husband show me how to honor my mother and mother-in-law. </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">•How can honoring your parents help you enjoy greater blessings and happiness in your life? Our parents can teach us how to succeed at our goals and how to receive the blessings they have received. Because of their experience, our parents can also help us avoid many of the mistakes they have made or seen others make.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">We Can Honor Our Parents by Living Righteously</span></div>
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<span style="color: #1c00ad; font: normal normal normal 13px/normal 'Lucida Grande'; letter-spacing: 0px; text-decoration: underline;"><a href="http://www.lds.org/scriptures/nt/3-jn/1.4?lang=eng#3">3 John 1:4</a></span><span style="font: normal normal normal 13px/normal 'Lucida Grande'; letter-spacing: 0px;">. </span><span style="color: #496fae; letter-spacing: 0px;"> </span><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"> “I have no greater </span><span style="font: normal normal normal 6.7px/normal Georgia; letter-spacing: 0px;"><sup>a</sup></span><span style="color: #496fae; letter-spacing: 0px;">joy</span><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"> than to hear that my </span><span style="font: normal normal normal 6.7px/normal Georgia; letter-spacing: 0px;"><sup>b</sup></span><span style="color: #496fae; letter-spacing: 0px;">children</span><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"> </span><span style="font: normal normal normal 6.7px/normal Georgia; letter-spacing: 0px;"><sup>c</sup></span><span style="color: #496fae; letter-spacing: 0px;">walk</span><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"> in truth.”</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">We Can Honor Our Parents by Expressing Appreciation for Them</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">by President Spencer W. Kimball:</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">“No gift purchased from a store can begin to match in value to parents some simple, sincere words of appreciation. Nothing we could give them would be more prized than righteous living for each youngster” (The Teachings of Spencer W. Kimball, ed. Edward L. Kimball [1982], 348</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">Testimony</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">I testify of the importance of honoring our parents and of the blessings we can receive by doing so. </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">Consider the consequences of your actions and how they will affect your parents. Show appreciation to your parents and also to think, when you consider some action, “Am I doing my best to honor my parents?”</span></div>
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<li style="color: #1c00ad; font: 11.0px 'Lucida Grande'; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span style="color: #878279; letter-spacing: 0px;"><a href="http://www.lds.org/manual/preparing-for-exaltation-teachers-manual?lang=eng"><span style="color: #1c00ad; letter-spacing: 0px; text-decoration: underline;">PREPARING FOR EXALTATION: TEACHER’S MANUAL</span></a></span></li>
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<li style="color: #cc8204; font: 11.0px 'Lucida Grande'; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">LESSON 42: HONOR THY FATHER AND THY MOTHER</span></li>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"></span></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6223736393079628000.post-40356747069452727792011-12-19T10:48:00.000-08:002011-12-19T10:48:21.354-08:00Brody The Elf Marshmallow Fight/Dance Party<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg85G7MVQvKgPOFlM0JdmoMUHPnpzN86jfxBIFpiwmwznJF33da-zC0ODFRz-utenOPrs8_KMQ9XjymvAHfX3jyV8nzfSqS4PKg17QpF9_ZXiaOngY4svMPATBE-lh6v1odAEfwgjZzLY_3/s1600/IMG_1647.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg85G7MVQvKgPOFlM0JdmoMUHPnpzN86jfxBIFpiwmwznJF33da-zC0ODFRz-utenOPrs8_KMQ9XjymvAHfX3jyV8nzfSqS4PKg17QpF9_ZXiaOngY4svMPATBE-lh6v1odAEfwgjZzLY_3/s320/IMG_1647.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Alaynee woke me up bright and early (5:30am) to come and experience the magic of Christmas. She wanted me to see what Brody had done last night. Mom was a little slow to stumble out of bed so she came back in and this time she asked imploringly, "Mommy, will you <i>please </i>come and see what Brody did!" So of course I woke right up and we tiptoed into the dining room and found him and Barbie having a Dance Party. They had the Christmas music playing and marshmallows everywhere. </div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEil6QMaPkhT2jjPMNtoRT5cfYgAawwPjPrvwHr8Sw3F9E7adlxrASa3lBAPJpHAbHIR0mMrEoU7yF_E72-0PlQs9DuZfPK5YFUiQOjG-tB4Pep5gT7E1LFZo5JiQaMo_3DjSV16SRLFEAlu/s1600/IMG_1648.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEil6QMaPkhT2jjPMNtoRT5cfYgAawwPjPrvwHr8Sw3F9E7adlxrASa3lBAPJpHAbHIR0mMrEoU7yF_E72-0PlQs9DuZfPK5YFUiQOjG-tB4Pep5gT7E1LFZo5JiQaMo_3DjSV16SRLFEAlu/s320/IMG_1648.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiiB0FWeAod-EwNn1-Lwr3nZdfufmfBe8RB2SnB5zJ6X8XCDK3drrJAIqDOri7P8Uda2f6RvygSkRAIvFDsqm6rITHNtBopLI2LTveAsM6WuuluVWYJXDeM5UUJryMntGIvvJZvt2DPUT5/s1600/IMG_1644.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiiB0FWeAod-EwNn1-Lwr3nZdfufmfBe8RB2SnB5zJ6X8XCDK3drrJAIqDOri7P8Uda2f6RvygSkRAIvFDsqm6rITHNtBopLI2LTveAsM6WuuluVWYJXDeM5UUJryMntGIvvJZvt2DPUT5/s400/IMG_1644.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhH_3uLGYB9rxnqJj_kpVS7M8Fwv8-hRzXCo76Iasnb9FwruC8NOUkQvNbInCldHGB-Yj8dIeSthsRtFQ6Xn02ejb8YHTBXRUBHYwVhUJuz5H_jTEHze70KZF6C9473wY3VaKwsEgVoTv5U/s1600/IMG_1645.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhH_3uLGYB9rxnqJj_kpVS7M8Fwv8-hRzXCo76Iasnb9FwruC8NOUkQvNbInCldHGB-Yj8dIeSthsRtFQ6Xn02ejb8YHTBXRUBHYwVhUJuz5H_jTEHze70KZF6C9473wY3VaKwsEgVoTv5U/s640/IMG_1645.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">He even left a trail of marshmallows from their room to the dining room table.</div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbKN50-CJs4-XHoS00j9tzFIthpYIzmnu7LfN05b02ivK24XqA3LHFKUftJIH5RTDHj0bXymqqyimrLzuSk-C7WHdfEEaQLV5dQPy4BlUbTBakUG5-RB74Oj8DHMnhn3DHD3KwxgnGnq_F/s1600/IMG_1646.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbKN50-CJs4-XHoS00j9tzFIthpYIzmnu7LfN05b02ivK24XqA3LHFKUftJIH5RTDHj0bXymqqyimrLzuSk-C7WHdfEEaQLV5dQPy4BlUbTBakUG5-RB74Oj8DHMnhn3DHD3KwxgnGnq_F/s400/IMG_1646.jpg" width="300" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaOIGxgEEkP4KEJeaD5zCszZiUcAJ0nYH5fVxE0Dfb1KCidjwkVyy0r7-8ekgPanDTuxnwuGMutvgcGPfV08HIiD0ov0VRIYvkvR9sMmv8t6-UO6CfdXLilZF10Mmadu4uIUgRcq4E1hc8/s1600/IMG_1649.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaOIGxgEEkP4KEJeaD5zCszZiUcAJ0nYH5fVxE0Dfb1KCidjwkVyy0r7-8ekgPanDTuxnwuGMutvgcGPfV08HIiD0ov0VRIYvkvR9sMmv8t6-UO6CfdXLilZF10Mmadu4uIUgRcq4E1hc8/s320/IMG_1649.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Miss Alaynee-ous sure does love having him here! She carries him all over the place and she put Barbie next to him on the shelf so he'd have a buddy. I cannot express how much I love this little Elf for bringing the anticipation and magic of Christmas to our home. </div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6223736393079628000.post-63431346775560038552011-12-19T10:30:00.000-08:002011-12-19T10:32:46.895-08:00Brody The Elf- Gone Fishing Day 1<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcbYVPlTS6lHTGX5KF4MDDEfxNsreqmFzrc7KhvEtSb7zRHHqgkci_W9mfcBhYLzxMyOz2082YOaQdH26D93dZ1t2bHZleXNGCUGWzp6cn0T1OGiH8GaKNOu0WrJLXqTyZDbcmDimrrLjY/s1600/IMG_1637.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcbYVPlTS6lHTGX5KF4MDDEfxNsreqmFzrc7KhvEtSb7zRHHqgkci_W9mfcBhYLzxMyOz2082YOaQdH26D93dZ1t2bHZleXNGCUGWzp6cn0T1OGiH8GaKNOu0WrJLXqTyZDbcmDimrrLjY/s640/IMG_1637.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Brody left a note that he was "Gone Fishing". </div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZzVLEq0F1OIAqSebKbamA5-xUTSUv7vL_Eib2UlT-mCclZin0rdSYWmIlclWCP7HYQYNHZyq5YDa4rm12ThRd7rLSDI7Rr1zGd6VVF9bptTuEHfJRhJDjxyMud8h_bjaBTCNIegToh89f/s1600/IMG_1638.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZzVLEq0F1OIAqSebKbamA5-xUTSUv7vL_Eib2UlT-mCclZin0rdSYWmIlclWCP7HYQYNHZyq5YDa4rm12ThRd7rLSDI7Rr1zGd6VVF9bptTuEHfJRhJDjxyMud8h_bjaBTCNIegToh89f/s320/IMG_1638.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">The kids were ecstatic that Brody showed up last night on our doorstep. </div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihostKs31TbN2xFFavxveHse_PW8UTgI0x3RMj0GGv8nn1QCOvxx7616N9F6BcmdIwrYAoDA1ZaB0vgqb9IX5KkLIkAwaUehglOjaltKlhdmWrpAJdWgg3QEcGoAJ3TZjIZYTgvfncMrg3/s1600/IMG_1640.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihostKs31TbN2xFFavxveHse_PW8UTgI0x3RMj0GGv8nn1QCOvxx7616N9F6BcmdIwrYAoDA1ZaB0vgqb9IX5KkLIkAwaUehglOjaltKlhdmWrpAJdWgg3QEcGoAJ3TZjIZYTgvfncMrg3/s320/IMG_1640.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2zd4rTM194t5LYe2ozUr-xIazd-URuvyFb903UVygM5PAbX3IicOW_hGU1Ol4rmYlphVXyMkeEYsjOt0rXT7T2Fve2ZxNGBSxBuQ5-kzyuJYwAVQpem-qmqOIwQBbwAfAYWDOOAkdKGSe/s1600/IMG_1643.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2zd4rTM194t5LYe2ozUr-xIazd-URuvyFb903UVygM5PAbX3IicOW_hGU1Ol4rmYlphVXyMkeEYsjOt0rXT7T2Fve2ZxNGBSxBuQ5-kzyuJYwAVQpem-qmqOIwQBbwAfAYWDOOAkdKGSe/s320/IMG_1643.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">They found him first thing in the morning because they woke up and had to go potty. McKayla did a double take before she sat down. It was pretty funny!</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6223736393079628000.post-81831148406945272482011-12-19T10:06:00.000-08:002011-12-19T10:06:52.641-08:00Homemade Omnidroid Robot Costume -The Incredibles Robot Costume<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpGGiBeVaXu2yQIk_0Cf-e2KckgH1BknFs2azdOYzt4W71bS6GMzmegAmPA9YWST7VUYMHWm6d1v4JqT7AeaOL2CsmWuQ_FtJ8SgEjKRP_mMiOE4FWAuLkqWnEEnja-7TgfHLFhxwwPeNy/s1600/halloween105.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpGGiBeVaXu2yQIk_0Cf-e2KckgH1BknFs2azdOYzt4W71bS6GMzmegAmPA9YWST7VUYMHWm6d1v4JqT7AeaOL2CsmWuQ_FtJ8SgEjKRP_mMiOE4FWAuLkqWnEEnja-7TgfHLFhxwwPeNy/s400/halloween105.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEvQGuvYstj6NiVds2Z0ZaY153H3yXCnIigR800P4GCKuEO0_NBgZ7j7UOJd29OvNSuCEG3rPqjbAm58JQc0-a3GQ79uOfqbaotnteenuAS129Fb9-aLtVz_PbQL6cZuTV-WThxVmlXpPl/s1600/halloween100.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEvQGuvYstj6NiVds2Z0ZaY153H3yXCnIigR800P4GCKuEO0_NBgZ7j7UOJd29OvNSuCEG3rPqjbAm58JQc0-a3GQ79uOfqbaotnteenuAS129Fb9-aLtVz_PbQL6cZuTV-WThxVmlXpPl/s640/halloween100.jpg" width="425" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKsJJbOb6qq5EEMxBH1WEHHb9uQWDqwQnmYvRWSgVelktgXSoFKsX2iVoM1BituC2UxizA1IpWjNsFvHzjFDgX-TNxYG9rcl4N5CNopowNVnwv5759cSsr6bj9LEcuOFK_L4qMiOHByLbl/s1600/halloween102.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKsJJbOb6qq5EEMxBH1WEHHb9uQWDqwQnmYvRWSgVelktgXSoFKsX2iVoM1BituC2UxizA1IpWjNsFvHzjFDgX-TNxYG9rcl4N5CNopowNVnwv5759cSsr6bj9LEcuOFK_L4qMiOHByLbl/s640/halloween102.jpg" width="426" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRL2HyW4RS4B9uJzXjkVuKQoPBQ37yxWWlZLSMthk9SsiVESbPHL3yTKEWqIGllxbmjiNeMwrDwRMGrkinC8RabxfQ4si9KBN5fkmUkuBauBnEiwKpPduCjPxwC0Y9xTlzYK2H_6Ui4Lz8/s1600/halloween103.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRL2HyW4RS4B9uJzXjkVuKQoPBQ37yxWWlZLSMthk9SsiVESbPHL3yTKEWqIGllxbmjiNeMwrDwRMGrkinC8RabxfQ4si9KBN5fkmUkuBauBnEiwKpPduCjPxwC0Y9xTlzYK2H_6Ui4Lz8/s320/halloween103.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">My daughter actually came up with the idea herself that she could be The Robot. I instantly had a vision of what it could look like in my mind because I had experience with a giant paper mache ball before. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEDg1lSfEoE5ZanCPCZ3-agbIhZGNJdf_bGf_3YML5LabQeNbliW_YKP8fBE7wbpS-w-sNf5rwY-DQUfzdi4qn1ViADNppnbSh_XTy3SzCq49-zJ9xy02Za75GYd_yhJkwADFCixQFjO1o/s1600/109_0974.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEDg1lSfEoE5ZanCPCZ3-agbIhZGNJdf_bGf_3YML5LabQeNbliW_YKP8fBE7wbpS-w-sNf5rwY-DQUfzdi4qn1ViADNppnbSh_XTy3SzCq49-zJ9xy02Za75GYd_yhJkwADFCixQFjO1o/s320/109_0974.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">I was Mike Wazowski when my daughter was 1. My husband was Sully and my daughter was Boo.</div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5uFBpZGjlZuKZR6d9N3KUoAiRAWO9Cbqh7c2dPsyAyJZAXRqGZQZKzV4skq0RD_IRyoIP_KN27g32mmbZE_9lqaVPnBN0FwqiY9q8ytMFDolryhPltqK_eT_h-64fAILwzj779UOKggb7/s1600/109_0983.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5uFBpZGjlZuKZR6d9N3KUoAiRAWO9Cbqh7c2dPsyAyJZAXRqGZQZKzV4skq0RD_IRyoIP_KN27g32mmbZE_9lqaVPnBN0FwqiY9q8ytMFDolryhPltqK_eT_h-64fAILwzj779UOKggb7/s320/109_0983.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Unfortunately we were poor college students and had very little money so I had to use what I had on hand for leggings and longs sleeve shirt. It would have been so much cooler with green. But, as it was the impact was fantastic! </div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">This costume was very inexpensive and simple to make. I started off by busting out my Core Secrets Exercise ball. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMEYOjaIAdzlIJxu461VdPWBHM5zBO_sk0uVSuEm1t-1KjD8tuXMdOi8MDNJCQI2tH-t6KTd6rso2eBHqjAhh0qTj2HHr0ezIvVYch1PqYQhdtdyhPmH7JKw9DbZJ1TbSkBOBVkXJL5qmp/s1600/IMG_1482.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMEYOjaIAdzlIJxu461VdPWBHM5zBO_sk0uVSuEm1t-1KjD8tuXMdOi8MDNJCQI2tH-t6KTd6rso2eBHqjAhh0qTj2HHr0ezIvVYch1PqYQhdtdyhPmH7JKw9DbZJ1TbSkBOBVkXJL5qmp/s320/IMG_1482.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Pretend like it's all blown up and big. </div><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">I didn't do this tutorial as I went along because I was too frantically trying to get it finished. SO you'll just have to use your imagination. Next I Paper Mached it. If you're not familiar with Paper Mache it is really messy and fun. You rip strips of newspaper and then dip them in a flour and water mixture that is the consistency of pancake batter. As you pull it out of the mixture you slide it between the fingers of your other hand to remove some of the excess mixture. There are several recipes and different mediums to use, but I find this to be the simplest, cheapest, most sturdy method and quick too! I prefer to use Newspaper Strips because newspaper is thin too. Just Google or Youtube it if your not sure what to do. Then you just cover the entire ball. I did a layer and let it dry and repeated four times. I wanted it to hold up. This took me about a week of my time because I'm a busy gal. I let it dry overnight and then put a new layer on in the morning. Oh and I set the ball in a flat bottom bowl to keep it from rolling around all over the place.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh37EFSsZc3mIrFOnRT_JlAJ9VKEKVJqPvVhajSjjfnmkEaiRlwKUSGgnFZcI4szZEbaXIWIgeN5-no0QfSRt5f3fNZgJW4454rEh7_6VKMM8FiPqA2I5CHa4kwnO5ggFQzlC7OQukzAh0q/s1600/IMG_1486.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh37EFSsZc3mIrFOnRT_JlAJ9VKEKVJqPvVhajSjjfnmkEaiRlwKUSGgnFZcI4szZEbaXIWIgeN5-no0QfSRt5f3fNZgJW4454rEh7_6VKMM8FiPqA2I5CHa4kwnO5ggFQzlC7OQukzAh0q/s320/IMG_1486.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Be sure not to cover your plug hole! You need to be able to let the air out when you're all finished to let your ball out. Several people thought that you would have to pop a hole in your exercise ball in order to get it out. This will be the bottom of your ball where your body will go through so it can be fairly big and open. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUZtDKAHFbCDgBYro0u7QUG0NMiG9FRT_aqD-LftfnwkkEuiKcsf2FJPZIvN3Be-imayQsbQXi_ehtNpd7SDFjceGB0mDSzOKZ4Je2YIC-TEg7LNgxud-HXFwR-60LAYH_JLMK-HViaO1E/s1600/IMG_1499.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUZtDKAHFbCDgBYro0u7QUG0NMiG9FRT_aqD-LftfnwkkEuiKcsf2FJPZIvN3Be-imayQsbQXi_ehtNpd7SDFjceGB0mDSzOKZ4Je2YIC-TEg7LNgxud-HXFwR-60LAYH_JLMK-HViaO1E/s320/IMG_1499.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Once it's completely dry it's ready for paint. Take the ball out first! It'll kind of stick to the sides so just reach your hand inside and help to peel off. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaqAjP-thb2sEOzhmxSJ7bPqz0FrU2Y6RfNPSIuqN5yFo9Wh8lH-3OVMkYsKOm0ncotgrWIuhs1lYJqBABOmEnQsrf5kFyE7pRXb8wLiEwaqEPqcwxM8Ru5jpPjtweqv5MgrjzR1PMEMS2/s1600/IMG_1497.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaqAjP-thb2sEOzhmxSJ7bPqz0FrU2Y6RfNPSIuqN5yFo9Wh8lH-3OVMkYsKOm0ncotgrWIuhs1lYJqBABOmEnQsrf5kFyE7pRXb8wLiEwaqEPqcwxM8Ru5jpPjtweqv5MgrjzR1PMEMS2/s320/IMG_1497.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgr5YrkB5NxmVAVURbQ8rB2CmSVmDlKXrvYV6oB9wLzR6Q8aZs-9SvjGPU9lFRDZUPlenVCu-aJk3x1zJDEDsWq6oHBcs9HL1OYFhbJn17yesaywIV9KAYKphbpDzcH9HwCXL03FlVM9dP7/s1600/IMG_1498.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgr5YrkB5NxmVAVURbQ8rB2CmSVmDlKXrvYV6oB9wLzR6Q8aZs-9SvjGPU9lFRDZUPlenVCu-aJk3x1zJDEDsWq6oHBcs9HL1OYFhbJn17yesaywIV9KAYKphbpDzcH9HwCXL03FlVM9dP7/s320/IMG_1498.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: center;">YOU ABSOLUTELY MUST DO A PRIMER COAT! I made the mistake of going through about four cans of green spray paint when I made the Mike Wazowski costume before I decided to go back and do a primer base. The newspaper print just shows through. I usually use a brush and acrylic craft paint for the primer coat. I find it to be a good solid coat and I don't have to use so much spray paint. I chose to use white as the base because I wanted the silver metallic to really pop and be very true to color. When I did Mike Wazowski I used a pale yellow base. I painted in stages. I painted the ball before I put on the arms and then again after I put on the arms.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjY7Uk0zVbgSgle3Ul6no0TlyfdjU8sG8akRR11uPDyFdgRJARqgulHC9kiVnsGy_x_nCpjDH7pnbDUEOOFas5haHf9eoTOv9MAh6jbdyJD7DhR2s5G2gb1HLKOEu36lebLvNoNC9tASkao/s1600/IMG_1494.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjY7Uk0zVbgSgle3Ul6no0TlyfdjU8sG8akRR11uPDyFdgRJARqgulHC9kiVnsGy_x_nCpjDH7pnbDUEOOFas5haHf9eoTOv9MAh6jbdyJD7DhR2s5G2gb1HLKOEu36lebLvNoNC9tASkao/s320/IMG_1494.jpg" style="cursor: move;" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: center;"> I found two things at Home Depot that I couldn't live without! Silver Metallic Spray paint by </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: center;">Rust-Oleum. It claimed to be 2x the coverage. I found it to be pretty accurate. I used almost two cans. I also found Chrome duct tape by Duck brand. This stuff was a lifesaver! </div><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Once you've got it all painted you're ready to cut out the holes. I started by cutting the head hole first using a razor blade or an exacto knife. I started with the head because I wanted the rest of the structure to be as sturdy as possible when I cut it out to give me the most strength.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxI4mLxnBKAkNI6uTaURE2TQ_E3zcWUSmKZ9T91YfoVmm2Cplv_RBUTwHSMJDdZd7gQVMn_Y1QsmbX0Hkspdu-XItUMi4h-Uw8dCL26XfRw-2aV3K3JMTxoqWFRCXluKXkCqA8osz6GHry/s1600/IMG_1488.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxI4mLxnBKAkNI6uTaURE2TQ_E3zcWUSmKZ9T91YfoVmm2Cplv_RBUTwHSMJDdZd7gQVMn_Y1QsmbX0Hkspdu-XItUMi4h-Uw8dCL26XfRw-2aV3K3JMTxoqWFRCXluKXkCqA8osz6GHry/s320/IMG_1488.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">I measured my daughter's head and took a rough guess. On my ball there are circles which actually came in very handy! I just cut along the circle that I thought was the size of her head. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgi6rjoONNEtbTpRl35HS6QBZ0Gmgvy34XQGlDyVJsMxofqmxPDedyvD-kbxEhdB4x_CkVrONdPtxmcXRTpO-N1-orOzFLt2o8um8HoMusxrE8tjtOCUoya0c392C5s7VqezWuAzfddWCHL/s1600/IMG_1489.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgi6rjoONNEtbTpRl35HS6QBZ0Gmgvy34XQGlDyVJsMxofqmxPDedyvD-kbxEhdB4x_CkVrONdPtxmcXRTpO-N1-orOzFLt2o8um8HoMusxrE8tjtOCUoya0c392C5s7VqezWuAzfddWCHL/s320/IMG_1489.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">I used my handy dandy chrome duct tape and wrapped the edges so it was finished. Then I taped in a headband.</div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuRK6x7RZg3OVQ4sPVCGGKAxMNsVf3XBiAy5Mcl7VALFN_zgZo2-oS0LF3PD-898RIL0DgTp2M1dz1KFYRojlp7VCNV2sNUeS2b_HONEXZA2xMKFdI_wMy-ywlEnMQinA9lwB5Ew2cquyl/s1600/IMG_1490.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuRK6x7RZg3OVQ4sPVCGGKAxMNsVf3XBiAy5Mcl7VALFN_zgZo2-oS0LF3PD-898RIL0DgTp2M1dz1KFYRojlp7VCNV2sNUeS2b_HONEXZA2xMKFdI_wMy-ywlEnMQinA9lwB5Ew2cquyl/s320/IMG_1490.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5J1EAuKmyCr_gsHGuUbcIMjzsajImlK4kHRGw5l9ZxyFZ0QHvWFVIEuHJU9zuuUZkbZ5IuPh3nLSZ87ktXX8otWvZB7B64HvPW1zHKRW3Zrzce5t0HzbXuzeSduK2H7CRWc5bl0t3HhnP/s1600/IMG_1492.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5J1EAuKmyCr_gsHGuUbcIMjzsajImlK4kHRGw5l9ZxyFZ0QHvWFVIEuHJU9zuuUZkbZ5IuPh3nLSZ87ktXX8otWvZB7B64HvPW1zHKRW3Zrzce5t0HzbXuzeSduK2H7CRWc5bl0t3HhnP/s320/IMG_1492.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">The other detail I think added a lot to her costume was the headlamp. It actually was very helpful for Halloween night too!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyY4gPxYywSh6tlqDZjGE97c5A9M-unYBTti2FkBmbtu1FEztdi8NnkJHa-lhCvmH81BCBedESk3Fmt1FbuW9PsUtRMjhd6Xq2qd8k8cVpCVeXEyx1CO8FsNhbxngX-i99ZwntvEmxRImb/s1600/IMG_1504.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyY4gPxYywSh6tlqDZjGE97c5A9M-unYBTti2FkBmbtu1FEztdi8NnkJHa-lhCvmH81BCBedESk3Fmt1FbuW9PsUtRMjhd6Xq2qd8k8cVpCVeXEyx1CO8FsNhbxngX-i99ZwntvEmxRImb/s320/IMG_1504.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">This is the top where her head came through. You can see I had to add strips of duct tape because the head hole was a little too large for the costume to stay on. I slipped it over her head and figured out where her shoulders could come out. This is just a guess and trial and error thing. I cut X's and then went back and made them circles. Be sure they are kind of a tight fit for your dryer ducting to fit into. Better to be too small than too big. Here is the inside view.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvzH__-2Jcm1eTmwu9fkgD8CZbliDkZ2Megi_N4SHDRD3GXu-HTmj3Addq6YxU7yX1mgcVzaJFcrfhgfHWJV_R3wuD8QBGkLCr2rUDRvxjS7_TVs1Ol4-mA4YHPysRmwvp4UH2j9BcOPPL/s1600/IMG_1503.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvzH__-2Jcm1eTmwu9fkgD8CZbliDkZ2Megi_N4SHDRD3GXu-HTmj3Addq6YxU7yX1mgcVzaJFcrfhgfHWJV_R3wuD8QBGkLCr2rUDRvxjS7_TVs1Ol4-mA4YHPysRmwvp4UH2j9BcOPPL/s320/IMG_1503.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibvw8a1ZKxNADGtK-vtx2pAjAQYO8WwYqG56mYW-1A6m9ZWtepogXwGlIFFPzso3hYUuTHtx6mICNQMeYHPhSZ4CDcsOjspgOiksZZOmpitoOajAWt7z0FjkVka3JU3_CqiGvUxhNhC8Gr/s1600/IMG_1505.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibvw8a1ZKxNADGtK-vtx2pAjAQYO8WwYqG56mYW-1A6m9ZWtepogXwGlIFFPzso3hYUuTHtx6mICNQMeYHPhSZ4CDcsOjspgOiksZZOmpitoOajAWt7z0FjkVka3JU3_CqiGvUxhNhC8Gr/s320/IMG_1505.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLDLZrkJRcAU41RQRqzvB9mPZZfyLwHQ33WfZXWCu0yhHSNE4bgEMg9c7PMTrMiYED6Jen0FTfTdo0T7ECXdOKPflMGqsERoIMJZzGbKcGA6Bad4g6sfz0E1FNymrY4S1sWl_yGjznuqdh/s1600/IMG_1501.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLDLZrkJRcAU41RQRqzvB9mPZZfyLwHQ33WfZXWCu0yhHSNE4bgEMg9c7PMTrMiYED6Jen0FTfTdo0T7ECXdOKPflMGqsERoIMJZzGbKcGA6Bad4g6sfz0E1FNymrY4S1sWl_yGjznuqdh/s320/IMG_1501.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">I used the chrome duct tape to secure it to the exterior and interior.</div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEictovTt2_cEBFpfGDP__Kf2u5HwqHETOp90zPJJHD60AipX1xtez8RTvKJqOME1xWJt4RBkqjL1-g7PsICeAHI0k4sHyQjKuPkIenUAeVmtQ9VoT-aLcLfK3yoqPhyphenhyphenmBwCBghJA9nPbWDX/s1600/IMG_1502.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEictovTt2_cEBFpfGDP__Kf2u5HwqHETOp90zPJJHD60AipX1xtez8RTvKJqOME1xWJt4RBkqjL1-g7PsICeAHI0k4sHyQjKuPkIenUAeVmtQ9VoT-aLcLfK3yoqPhyphenhyphenmBwCBghJA9nPbWDX/s320/IMG_1502.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">My dryer ducting was originally white, but you could have saved time and a step of painting by using silver. I got this for free so I used what I had. I think there was about 25 ft. but I didn't use that much.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiS3mO1hyphenhyphenHaH0G2IMUESrw20x49-4avpuoh9pJhVYFK6_fwT3fcE0F9IXUch6JsUV1BUQXmkj-S7ZRU5SO1VMGaCjG6GGuLiGX52J2np8rdfGVn52i1EO22kb2DCZMo4GdER3f6a9wegjN-/s1600/IMG_1512.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiS3mO1hyphenhyphenHaH0G2IMUESrw20x49-4avpuoh9pJhVYFK6_fwT3fcE0F9IXUch6JsUV1BUQXmkj-S7ZRU5SO1VMGaCjG6GGuLiGX52J2np8rdfGVn52i1EO22kb2DCZMo4GdER3f6a9wegjN-/s320/IMG_1512.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Then it was time to put on the claw parts. This was a joint effort by my husband and I. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVPZ5nyGUKaNBSKumb8taOATIsOZWh9aGZQK88w2UIKTgf81QbIp6FJDOZjGUZ6uO4jyvoeQp_JLmKhfR1RYP4s-t6UtftID7_o7uaBTqT9UlEyS2Ow1B06lZNkz8ekQBYkA3gg7pMdbd4/s1600/IMG_1507.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVPZ5nyGUKaNBSKumb8taOATIsOZWh9aGZQK88w2UIKTgf81QbIp6FJDOZjGUZ6uO4jyvoeQp_JLmKhfR1RYP4s-t6UtftID7_o7uaBTqT9UlEyS2Ow1B06lZNkz8ekQBYkA3gg7pMdbd4/s320/IMG_1507.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">I cut out the cardboard X shape by just free hand drawing. Then I bent it a little to give it the effect of being a pincher.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj372z7gAUDU575i9Q6Z95hE7JiPIISgOt4JhfSPaVpSIgtpK1VHpbuXX3JDC5B_bZu-FRzK_5vwZGUUX3Xul1BUzsRcuPJLGgZycXGjXpHa-Og1ptgKosU6nn4DI7h2jjryMBmxYmwn6cr/s1600/IMG_1508.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj372z7gAUDU575i9Q6Z95hE7JiPIISgOt4JhfSPaVpSIgtpK1VHpbuXX3JDC5B_bZu-FRzK_5vwZGUUX3Xul1BUzsRcuPJLGgZycXGjXpHa-Og1ptgKosU6nn4DI7h2jjryMBmxYmwn6cr/s320/IMG_1508.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">It was Daddy's job to figure out how the heck to attach them to the dryer ducting. Thank goodness he is a man and thought of zip ties. I think I need to utilize this amazing tool much more often! They need to go into my crafting supplies box so I remember them.</div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLG4UknSuJoQlz-MKhIV1QYJceANhHsOTG1r7JBGEDKnaJVUj2n1W-pmxdjbGEoeN8K7ZdcKhHJ_AyVfyS6I7JxZmChFCc7XjJ1-KvBv2aP_YdeH-wcKS54ngxfgqxwZ1UN9nqBQfcMZnl/s1600/IMG_1509.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLG4UknSuJoQlz-MKhIV1QYJceANhHsOTG1r7JBGEDKnaJVUj2n1W-pmxdjbGEoeN8K7ZdcKhHJ_AyVfyS6I7JxZmChFCc7XjJ1-KvBv2aP_YdeH-wcKS54ngxfgqxwZ1UN9nqBQfcMZnl/s320/IMG_1509.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNoSpsD8N5etY4aaM3nRy3Z-WcLyb52rT5za5iw4gJERm6oVF8j_EzJbG-yU9DTXXrxH6s9sFCM9NsD7XndriKSnDIW6l-abIsVjPb4e02CJ-8OhPgfZ7eHIBi88k355uKA1pm_Gs9FVE7/s1600/IMG_1510.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNoSpsD8N5etY4aaM3nRy3Z-WcLyb52rT5za5iw4gJERm6oVF8j_EzJbG-yU9DTXXrxH6s9sFCM9NsD7XndriKSnDIW6l-abIsVjPb4e02CJ-8OhPgfZ7eHIBi88k355uKA1pm_Gs9FVE7/s320/IMG_1510.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Once secure it was time to paint all the arms. We only chose to put pinchers on 4 of the six and shortened the two side arms so that she could stick her arms in and actually hold her candy bucket. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpGGiBeVaXu2yQIk_0Cf-e2KckgH1BknFs2azdOYzt4W71bS6GMzmegAmPA9YWST7VUYMHWm6d1v4JqT7AeaOL2CsmWuQ_FtJ8SgEjKRP_mMiOE4FWAuLkqWnEEnja-7TgfHLFhxwwPeNy/s1600/halloween105.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpGGiBeVaXu2yQIk_0Cf-e2KckgH1BknFs2azdOYzt4W71bS6GMzmegAmPA9YWST7VUYMHWm6d1v4JqT7AeaOL2CsmWuQ_FtJ8SgEjKRP_mMiOE4FWAuLkqWnEEnja-7TgfHLFhxwwPeNy/s320/halloween105.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Then VOILA! You're a The Robot! Oh and the silvery pants she wore were hijacked off a Disco Barbie Costume from about 10 years ago. I'm sure you could find some or sew some or spray paint some. </div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKsJJbOb6qq5EEMxBH1WEHHb9uQWDqwQnmYvRWSgVelktgXSoFKsX2iVoM1BituC2UxizA1IpWjNsFvHzjFDgX-TNxYG9rcl4N5CNopowNVnwv5759cSsr6bj9LEcuOFK_L4qMiOHByLbl/s1600/halloween102.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKsJJbOb6qq5EEMxBH1WEHHb9uQWDqwQnmYvRWSgVelktgXSoFKsX2iVoM1BituC2UxizA1IpWjNsFvHzjFDgX-TNxYG9rcl4N5CNopowNVnwv5759cSsr6bj9LEcuOFK_L4qMiOHByLbl/s640/halloween102.jpg" width="425" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">THAT LOOKS TOTALLY WICKED! </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6223736393079628000.post-51759664672522634092011-11-15T18:48:00.000-08:002011-11-15T18:48:06.140-08:00An Incredible Halloween!We had a fantastic Halloween this year. We were The Incredibles and The Omnidroid 10,000 Robot.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJXSWYRclf-g5qQBmMrH0qR7afn-GB7M8sqVyjNSuJcZQ3arE2DWfxUAohZPXtEvr5hh0hAAM2DPcRh-2rhh_ffjnAUnQg_GMEthlNMDlQ9qTo_uEbAFHWS0idKj2ryL-_qu92LcS-XoZY/s1600/halloween083.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJXSWYRclf-g5qQBmMrH0qR7afn-GB7M8sqVyjNSuJcZQ3arE2DWfxUAohZPXtEvr5hh0hAAM2DPcRh-2rhh_ffjnAUnQg_GMEthlNMDlQ9qTo_uEbAFHWS0idKj2ryL-_qu92LcS-XoZY/s320/halloween083.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
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I usually start thinking about what we're going to be for Halloween the day after Halloween of the previous year. I had been wanting to do the Incredibles for quite a while, but we had a problem. We have two girls, not just one. So I started asking the girls who would like to be another character from the movie? I suggested one of them be Mirage or "E". I happen to think being Edna Mode would be hilarious! Neither of them were thrilled and so I suggested they could both be Violet. My oldest piped up, "How about the Robot?" I knew instantly it was going to be a FANTASTIC costume... and cheap! Which was good because I was on a pretty strict budget this year. I started searching for Homemade Incredibles Halloween Costumes and came up with some pretty great ideas and used some of my own as well.<br />
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To begin I hit up my favorite local thrift store Red, White and Blue. I needed red leggings, black underwear, red long sleeve shirts and black boots for each of us. I knew I wanted my costume to cover up a bit more than that so I was looking for shorts or a skirt. I hit the jackpot with a black swimsuit skirt. My daughter saw that I had a skirt and she wanted one as well, so I figured why not? I found a dance skirt for her. A few red shirts and some leggings later we were set.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQSovEinyqEpx-_wiPYmQZZku4cHqXeh8L9wAbFWkdKr6dqe0B8Izh-xcA7NerbxRhsuWQp763H67WRGNybA3OPVtxORgvyydwxGGJmzIqYZSvroUY6CKIgGR8PMsv1EiZp-fVw3BW4Np-/s1600/halloween089.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQSovEinyqEpx-_wiPYmQZZku4cHqXeh8L9wAbFWkdKr6dqe0B8Izh-xcA7NerbxRhsuWQp763H67WRGNybA3OPVtxORgvyydwxGGJmzIqYZSvroUY6CKIgGR8PMsv1EiZp-fVw3BW4Np-/s320/halloween089.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div> Next we needed some symbols. I had read about someone using felt and I thought it was a great idea! I found a free printable logo <a href="http://www.brandsoftheworld.com/logo/the-incredibles-0">here.</a> I did have to sign up to be able to print. I then cut it out, but it came out a lot smaller than I wanted. So I resized it and cut it bigger. I used Tacky Glue to fuse the pieces together, but I wasn't thrilled with how it turned out so I ended up sewing it together and it turned out fantastic!<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5DsRU6L_J79Qfu1Rg2LYYNOFAYCjBFznS571_kcrj_NlWVjrCObQJthYMwxT51cPevz-KGA9ycx6Sh4fO-NIqouzjI7I54kbteSPEXfUzsY2ql4nHL6wH-vkrMnb3nChivos4D_Yz4Qxy/s1600/IMG_1469.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5DsRU6L_J79Qfu1Rg2LYYNOFAYCjBFznS571_kcrj_NlWVjrCObQJthYMwxT51cPevz-KGA9ycx6Sh4fO-NIqouzjI7I54kbteSPEXfUzsY2ql4nHL6wH-vkrMnb3nChivos4D_Yz4Qxy/s320/IMG_1469.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Here it is small.</div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWGvHGN_SC101NxqpSyYMVKJQXcR1rDEgycpqcfSkrlhyphenhyphenmK_WQ_BbiV_gci_7pNI-I3lm6kTtvDj_O-q9UQ2U0fD2cjCj1wqwkJI3kxsQwk1SieGIJiFPQVHWw7Pl1Z9CYA7yjBHYSzeWM/s1600/IMG_1470.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWGvHGN_SC101NxqpSyYMVKJQXcR1rDEgycpqcfSkrlhyphenhyphenmK_WQ_BbiV_gci_7pNI-I3lm6kTtvDj_O-q9UQ2U0fD2cjCj1wqwkJI3kxsQwk1SieGIJiFPQVHWw7Pl1Z9CYA7yjBHYSzeWM/s320/IMG_1470.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">I think it turned out much better in the larger size!</div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhug3mSRNvtmNwRubsT7qI57ahZFHUXXHpLNe1N8nZJPxSqbantdtuINQG67k4UVi4mQsuYYvOHkQCFKTFOHfa9mHnUwjPwh-2-xnF0sbVYVPhZKyArfP6H20qHop0Jkynl4MfSA60b5xmO/s1600/IMG_1471.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhug3mSRNvtmNwRubsT7qI57ahZFHUXXHpLNe1N8nZJPxSqbantdtuINQG67k4UVi4mQsuYYvOHkQCFKTFOHfa9mHnUwjPwh-2-xnF0sbVYVPhZKyArfP6H20qHop0Jkynl4MfSA60b5xmO/s320/IMG_1471.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2A_xgXQC1n2gg4qCI7dgL31C6oi_R6_uhirjoQxSbnJJfPXj7GVF-3bIiXYfcHz6_aYC976VydCZIvFxiYQmEt9R9kd0ZgIgu5a1Vo1T_pbradyrqWZNEFPzjcMQcF3ijp3OWYFaZTS4f/s1600/IMG_1460.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2A_xgXQC1n2gg4qCI7dgL31C6oi_R6_uhirjoQxSbnJJfPXj7GVF-3bIiXYfcHz6_aYC976VydCZIvFxiYQmEt9R9kd0ZgIgu5a1Vo1T_pbradyrqWZNEFPzjcMQcF3ijp3OWYFaZTS4f/s320/IMG_1460.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">I know you can't tell from the picture, but the outer edge of color is actually an orange/gold color. The i in the center is a much brighter yellow. </div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi32zZH-EvTIDh-wJVAsn1UzObmRb9a85nCvMZnmd_6iaPcqiiEcHIhcT72sXrvGbx0rZ8aVrkzqT47gsaqqXS_vVaidmK5-_AlwxUoIriD4Z_VbH986FECS_ATYNwW8sVbSTSM2SpGzaVE/s1600/IMG_1458.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi32zZH-EvTIDh-wJVAsn1UzObmRb9a85nCvMZnmd_6iaPcqiiEcHIhcT72sXrvGbx0rZ8aVrkzqT47gsaqqXS_vVaidmK5-_AlwxUoIriD4Z_VbH986FECS_ATYNwW8sVbSTSM2SpGzaVE/s320/IMG_1458.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">I don't have a big fancy camera, so this is the best I could do. ;)</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfFdvGhZsLXOVZWuPozG0f3eBfrW9SvkMRDPsohhjfNHKX0RigzGSCFDMp03kp927fICJzPn3lg7HX3iYydyUnntDjfJPmLkFTCcHnL_ydxqP2jRIo6fCFmyGX2BlFEUpflsxX8fv_0P1Y/s1600/IMG_1473.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfFdvGhZsLXOVZWuPozG0f3eBfrW9SvkMRDPsohhjfNHKX0RigzGSCFDMp03kp927fICJzPn3lg7HX3iYydyUnntDjfJPmLkFTCcHnL_ydxqP2jRIo6fCFmyGX2BlFEUpflsxX8fv_0P1Y/s320/IMG_1473.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">I knew I wanted our red workout shirts to be usable once we were done with Halloween so I bought this double sided fashion tape to stick on our logos and it worked fantastic! I used it to stick my shirt to my skirt so it wouldn't have a gap and so it would look like all one piece. I also used it to stick on my belt and Violet's, as well as her black ribbon collar. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtDUnBAP_zltQGvQKe0jYq7gOUwpfpjpXradK64cydDmMo_rbfSn0tE_2W7vXs3_mt3WTj-sEnG4SqbSnTqEACcyOK6sgqxddC2FIIDI3qwAxL7BY0lNUaSaEkNIgYGqa0Ucs3dVFGSCWG/s1600/halloween097.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtDUnBAP_zltQGvQKe0jYq7gOUwpfpjpXradK64cydDmMo_rbfSn0tE_2W7vXs3_mt3WTj-sEnG4SqbSnTqEACcyOK6sgqxddC2FIIDI3qwAxL7BY0lNUaSaEkNIgYGqa0Ucs3dVFGSCWG/s320/halloween097.jpg" width="213" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkvDpTO99YYzlhwIvjBuwqd3Mu82xcDTQnk6tyA5ddn2DDYGdqiZbsNh-33fLETexC48DufOdgGH-92EoJaO3BC-tCsg-mJDmPFT1xjyMp_2Ck4kV8VeR41S0SuJmy-b7n3WajAh56bPB6/s1600/halloween112.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkvDpTO99YYzlhwIvjBuwqd3Mu82xcDTQnk6tyA5ddn2DDYGdqiZbsNh-33fLETexC48DufOdgGH-92EoJaO3BC-tCsg-mJDmPFT1xjyMp_2Ck4kV8VeR41S0SuJmy-b7n3WajAh56bPB6/s320/halloween112.jpg" width="213" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">I didn't have time to sew her a collar like I did for Dash. I found an old red pajama shirt for him and I wasn't planning on taking the logo off so I could do whatever I wanted to it. I took off the original collar and used it as a pattern to sew on a new black one. It was a good thing my mom explained how to do it or I'd have wasted a little time. I found a picture diagram <a href="http://www.independentliving.org/fashionfreaks/jackets/smnj5-w.html">here</a> for you. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">The other problem I ran into with Dash was boots. I just couldn't find any decent black boy boots that were in my budget and not just covers. But, I had an idea to cut a pair of black socks to be shoe covers. I got the idea from another person that used black shoes and just pulled up their socks. I took it a step further and put the sock over the shoe so it looked like a boot. I used an old pair of my friend's husband's black gold toe socks. I put the sock on over his shoe and figured out where to cut the tip. I turned it inside out and sewed it at a slightly rounded angle and voila! In order to make them a little less slippery I added some lines of hot glue across the bottom. It turned out great! If I hadn't been finishing up the day of our party I'd have made them a little nicer so I could have kept them. We used them for our ward Trunk or Treat and then on Halloween. By the time it was all over he had a hole in the bottom of his socks. But, in a pinch they were perfect!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMSV3j2qj-qmsk6iGFmHOD0aKiv5r1vwTX-qfblduV0jp_rrp8UjPyEC6jyW5np7nc07vDDlPCM55j2Xb4BydYb3vZJFb1jbNJ2K3siyowb9n_Dz74DSjlw4GAsXyI7uLsYvLXxFrInkBG/s1600/halloween107.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMSV3j2qj-qmsk6iGFmHOD0aKiv5r1vwTX-qfblduV0jp_rrp8UjPyEC6jyW5np7nc07vDDlPCM55j2Xb4BydYb3vZJFb1jbNJ2K3siyowb9n_Dz74DSjlw4GAsXyI7uLsYvLXxFrInkBG/s320/halloween107.jpg" width="213" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">I also had to sew some black shorts for his costume. I just wasn't satisfied with anything I had found. I used my daughter's volleyball shorts as a guide. They were a little too big for my pattern size so I used a pair of ratty old leggings. Since I'm doing this tutorial after the fact I can't find the leggings, so you'll just have to imagine them. ;)</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRVjcZH5VcamP3HhYFMVnZEJATVmG-RfGouJC7EeaxSgJJLVwzrXuU2_ekuu-nGDvAfHlq9GYB6pltQOm9IPxbOgXMl2OMvvkTLxSv5H-np_XGv-SWNLNRFsTb1xGWceaJS5PePshPNtSK/s1600/IMG_1461.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRVjcZH5VcamP3HhYFMVnZEJATVmG-RfGouJC7EeaxSgJJLVwzrXuU2_ekuu-nGDvAfHlq9GYB6pltQOm9IPxbOgXMl2OMvvkTLxSv5H-np_XGv-SWNLNRFsTb1xGWceaJS5PePshPNtSK/s320/IMG_1461.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Please excuse the chocolate smears. I knew if I didn't just take a picture of them now I'd never get around to finishing this tutorial.</div><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRZAAjmffEsfiaO6I-QfeHbfGTC8oxUcYU6niGw2LrabAWHy3DXR6qFNFpydWI31xbRmNf2LTI3KGEll2oTI1ZCQ9Mjufn3_Ye8sU64g45EFo9Xy2bk4KNFEp_neXHh6AkeahQ37Ubo4xs/s1600/IMG_1464.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRZAAjmffEsfiaO6I-QfeHbfGTC8oxUcYU6niGw2LrabAWHy3DXR6qFNFpydWI31xbRmNf2LTI3KGEll2oTI1ZCQ9Mjufn3_Ye8sU64g45EFo9Xy2bk4KNFEp_neXHh6AkeahQ37Ubo4xs/s320/IMG_1464.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">If I were to sew them over again I would make them a little longer. </div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2hlQH-k2ojYAgdqQg6ByU_NdwS5OuvE2_dwrwd-BoAjhJCFWSuULyUhS-dGktF4KHMKUJw8yS1eJumIxY_9DCQ6khiu0RRtqo60NMnZunL7diQ3_nk7DOKHrXFSZXNezvTWljlyI-fFMp/s1600/IMG_1467.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2hlQH-k2ojYAgdqQg6ByU_NdwS5OuvE2_dwrwd-BoAjhJCFWSuULyUhS-dGktF4KHMKUJw8yS1eJumIxY_9DCQ6khiu0RRtqo60NMnZunL7diQ3_nk7DOKHrXFSZXNezvTWljlyI-fFMp/s320/IMG_1467.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Here is the comparison with my daughter's shorts. See... way too big for a template. But I was able to use them to figure out the easiest way to sew them.</div><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkZvdjIPtKHMLZAVS50ALWKOkpcJNTc7f0kd6pKdZ1XYYqTV3DxaOM4UqJnmKh92eQ2ku3XAtCtklDow0MPVp8eWyQj0sbJJ9OzKJIeNNz8yI5st8a5yYKn-0P_Rv87ehzbEX49UbcW0wm/s1600/IMG_1465.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkZvdjIPtKHMLZAVS50ALWKOkpcJNTc7f0kd6pKdZ1XYYqTV3DxaOM4UqJnmKh92eQ2ku3XAtCtklDow0MPVp8eWyQj0sbJJ9OzKJIeNNz8yI5st8a5yYKn-0P_Rv87ehzbEX49UbcW0wm/s320/IMG_1465.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">The fist line is where I cut my pattern, but if I were to do it over again I'd have made them a little longer. That was it! </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEik7dwWPxIDcNfS-3EMdSGw7fH422wG0w7x9RN6QHtMs2OP-Jj3ZdHdV2bpn7gGj-0HqYCUNWbT3MAW1TA-FnX9q5cO9bgSYCbKZsWxxmHtaP5rZN_GLaLvvB18T6WP4xvt32rnmpqwovea/s1600/halloween106.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEik7dwWPxIDcNfS-3EMdSGw7fH422wG0w7x9RN6QHtMs2OP-Jj3ZdHdV2bpn7gGj-0HqYCUNWbT3MAW1TA-FnX9q5cO9bgSYCbKZsWxxmHtaP5rZN_GLaLvvB18T6WP4xvt32rnmpqwovea/s320/halloween106.jpg" width="213" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">I think it turned out great! </div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMSV3j2qj-qmsk6iGFmHOD0aKiv5r1vwTX-qfblduV0jp_rrp8UjPyEC6jyW5np7nc07vDDlPCM55j2Xb4BydYb3vZJFb1jbNJ2K3siyowb9n_Dz74DSjlw4GAsXyI7uLsYvLXxFrInkBG/s1600/halloween107.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMSV3j2qj-qmsk6iGFmHOD0aKiv5r1vwTX-qfblduV0jp_rrp8UjPyEC6jyW5np7nc07vDDlPCM55j2Xb4BydYb3vZJFb1jbNJ2K3siyowb9n_Dz74DSjlw4GAsXyI7uLsYvLXxFrInkBG/s320/halloween107.jpg" width="213" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3aDokhYzh4sc2CEaIiwLxYWFGhNUswX9kAPFL8dgw9kg0ThyphenhyphenPYFzHbmUM4Nq5xVWsUnRF8zHjxVg45ZYyRX4Ya3fptQ0nrE3_7yKXtTzd1HBwMX_s4quyySqXc1eHoWZtcAs6kKh0nWaQ/s1600/halloween110.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3aDokhYzh4sc2CEaIiwLxYWFGhNUswX9kAPFL8dgw9kg0ThyphenhyphenPYFzHbmUM4Nq5xVWsUnRF8zHjxVg45ZYyRX4Ya3fptQ0nrE3_7yKXtTzd1HBwMX_s4quyySqXc1eHoWZtcAs6kKh0nWaQ/s320/halloween110.jpg" width="213" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkvDpTO99YYzlhwIvjBuwqd3Mu82xcDTQnk6tyA5ddn2DDYGdqiZbsNh-33fLETexC48DufOdgGH-92EoJaO3BC-tCsg-mJDmPFT1xjyMp_2Ck4kV8VeR41S0SuJmy-b7n3WajAh56bPB6/s1600/halloween112.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkvDpTO99YYzlhwIvjBuwqd3Mu82xcDTQnk6tyA5ddn2DDYGdqiZbsNh-33fLETexC48DufOdgGH-92EoJaO3BC-tCsg-mJDmPFT1xjyMp_2Ck4kV8VeR41S0SuJmy-b7n3WajAh56bPB6/s320/halloween112.jpg" width="213" /></a></div><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Now for Jack Jack.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: -webkit-auto;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiay5YtHqsZkIHu0DAG4m22ztBu3PzChrsXKU5x-RHlC13NSK1-CPK1rw-Z527fL_YZxX49zumlzSYehoIYP5r5_ymdV_Jn1qHYTUJ7xCJlZ4C-4YpwC5Faktr2MW90vtgq2pGehNf5_YEW/s1600/halloween124.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiay5YtHqsZkIHu0DAG4m22ztBu3PzChrsXKU5x-RHlC13NSK1-CPK1rw-Z527fL_YZxX49zumlzSYehoIYP5r5_ymdV_Jn1qHYTUJ7xCJlZ4C-4YpwC5Faktr2MW90vtgq2pGehNf5_YEW/s320/halloween124.jpg" width="213" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihAlJ5DiBEu9BTQqsk3Idoe3HNe5DuoVZQPKJqMWntze7w1M8YSoBIjleQsfAOBLah0CkTc1FZsIPk9lMdTLWtwvhT8V1HT9cmsKGlOx898ZIMJLjG8GUWNpQqzBkVtFV-AftsrwAIPb4V/s1600/halloween125.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihAlJ5DiBEu9BTQqsk3Idoe3HNe5DuoVZQPKJqMWntze7w1M8YSoBIjleQsfAOBLah0CkTc1FZsIPk9lMdTLWtwvhT8V1HT9cmsKGlOx898ZIMJLjG8GUWNpQqzBkVtFV-AftsrwAIPb4V/s320/halloween125.jpg" width="213" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">I just used a pair of fuzzy bugs (foot pajamas) and used fabric paint to paint the bottom of his feet, sleeves and collar. Then taped on the logo. His was a piece of cake! </div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7fwEQrNHZjFuXXuc2yoWgwGvdOh2JLHUmBvDyPupw0R21eY7v-F2iyfiG5o8DIzIvru_l57owyIvmil5ocnNQsLE0Apg-LSipURj9vFQFFrqK5I2F38Uiehi38Qzb5kwDVK22f4wa2xQn/s1600/halloween126.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7fwEQrNHZjFuXXuc2yoWgwGvdOh2JLHUmBvDyPupw0R21eY7v-F2iyfiG5o8DIzIvru_l57owyIvmil5ocnNQsLE0Apg-LSipURj9vFQFFrqK5I2F38Uiehi38Qzb5kwDVK22f4wa2xQn/s320/halloween126.jpg" width="213" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4mt7-aVfv-ByMRT1pEWOI6noTzc8xuYBNIIvKptn0-nXPJC62INg3s5zJW6APEjDtpP2nJ1xbyHLIW_8aK93v1e4N6UJIsxc-RoqMHpE7J0ixub0LJpnwUOgTqhgO6YlXN2J1Q5-7vTns/s1600/halloween127.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4mt7-aVfv-ByMRT1pEWOI6noTzc8xuYBNIIvKptn0-nXPJC62INg3s5zJW6APEjDtpP2nJ1xbyHLIW_8aK93v1e4N6UJIsxc-RoqMHpE7J0ixub0LJpnwUOgTqhgO6YlXN2J1Q5-7vTns/s320/halloween127.jpg" width="213" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Bob Parr and Elastagirl. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhy0yO6i4vXdTHWF47h7wi-Tz88bBzzflhy89oFfsjzlQB25EjhSYov1AbYuJAa2lxQ7BbfTw6Nl_tiPSJKXAK0Ybepj_-gQGHM87GIftaVfmc0bfvaFxIOheaL0vaPjd9basSs5sKSezFn/s1600/halloween121_2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="304" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhy0yO6i4vXdTHWF47h7wi-Tz88bBzzflhy89oFfsjzlQB25EjhSYov1AbYuJAa2lxQ7BbfTw6Nl_tiPSJKXAK0Ybepj_-gQGHM87GIftaVfmc0bfvaFxIOheaL0vaPjd9basSs5sKSezFn/s320/halloween121_2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEKMN4TQDCEt83wZ4mu2pyuKitcjY_r7tYMLC1st5LFRDh-LgdtqAUdinPfA5kcSZll-Wft-obBSCjLt8xedfICp7kfQ4LZLBXs1B79avhN6rcZIxpdAbp0pHhkfK_ba97G2igmrW3YYlS/s1600/halloween120.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEKMN4TQDCEt83wZ4mu2pyuKitcjY_r7tYMLC1st5LFRDh-LgdtqAUdinPfA5kcSZll-Wft-obBSCjLt8xedfICp7kfQ4LZLBXs1B79avhN6rcZIxpdAbp0pHhkfK_ba97G2igmrW3YYlS/s320/halloween120.jpg" width="213" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">My husband was not exactly comfortable wearing tights and a speedo, :) so he went as Bob Parr. He looks pretty Incredible to me.</div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQNBu67G4bT7dEfavTZd7PU-DRra6CsCE97NMO9djLIlJqs-sGCiz5gEwGUxB1l1k7IMFWj1hr2na-_9JUqP4k69AO9NFXD99Dc2mB12IgW7hLHmVhFUIngpir3tVwTlG_V9dvpqh8lPhK/s1600/halloween117.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQNBu67G4bT7dEfavTZd7PU-DRra6CsCE97NMO9djLIlJqs-sGCiz5gEwGUxB1l1k7IMFWj1hr2na-_9JUqP4k69AO9NFXD99Dc2mB12IgW7hLHmVhFUIngpir3tVwTlG_V9dvpqh8lPhK/s320/halloween117.jpg" width="213" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">This is me trying to look stretchy.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgc3KCjBAkD1udLzrITANtShVPbyxq8DEqEWvBAO9GxJNNfx9_B2-qqp_l8VotVtG4uCjIOsj9Mrug6hS8ItuB8MxvD7sJUzD0oH6LKsfGk5NbR9hMdlQlf3o9gI87lzRjC_SOpK9k5PgS1/s1600/1031111731.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgc3KCjBAkD1udLzrITANtShVPbyxq8DEqEWvBAO9GxJNNfx9_B2-qqp_l8VotVtG4uCjIOsj9Mrug6hS8ItuB8MxvD7sJUzD0oH6LKsfGk5NbR9hMdlQlf3o9gI87lzRjC_SOpK9k5PgS1/s320/1031111731.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">That's it for The Incredibles. Stay tuned for instructions on making The Robot. </div><br />
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</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6223736393079628000.post-52338384560114561372011-07-12T09:03:00.000-07:002011-07-12T09:17:18.926-07:00Kids are freakin' adorable!Yesterday morning my baby woke up at 6:58am. Which, I have to admit angers me, as it is an unholy hour. I realize it is only two minutes away from my usual alarm clock going off at 7am, but in my bleary eyed stupor it felt so wrong to be awake with a screaming child wanting his breakfast. I begrudgingly threw the covers off and stumbled two steps over to his crib, scooped him up, turned and took one giant leap and flopped/body slammed the two of us back in bed. While this little piggy had breakfast I do not open my eyes and I tell myself to go back to sleep. When he was finished he sat up and peeked over the side of me and leans over and gave me the most sweet little open mouth baby kisses ever, complete with sound effects. Now my heart melts and I am not only awake, but gloriously happy to be so. It is tender moments like this that make me so happy for the opportunity to be a Mother. I am reminded of when McKayla was two and she came in and gave me a kiss and told me, "Happy Birthday Mommy. I love you." No one put her up to it and we were all surprised that she remembered on her own. It was the best present ever.<br />
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</div><div>Then this morning the baby and I played for an hour and a half before I hear stirring in my room. My 3 year old had woke up and decided to climb into bed with me at 7am. Which is why I was no longer in my bed. I abandoned ship you see. He comes bursting into the living room and says, "Mommy look what I found." I absentmindedly reach over and take said object from his finger only to realize all too late with a shudder, "Is this a booger?!" To which he replies proudly, "Yep I found it in my nose." GROSSSSS!!! Thankfully there was a kleenex handy. </div><div><br />
</div><div>Then my husband stumbles in the room and asks me if I heard what he just did to him in the bedroom. Then Bryce proceeds to tell me that he said, "WAKE UP DADDY!" Bryce rolled over the opposite direction and then Blake goes, "LALLERLALLLERLALLERLERLA!" Bryce rolled back over with a grin and flopped an arm over him and tickled him back. Hmmm, I wonder where he gets the teasing from?</div><div><br />
</div><div>So you see, my kids are freakin' adorable. </div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6223736393079628000.post-28502701158667733702011-07-10T18:01:00.000-07:002011-07-12T07:55:16.126-07:00Pioneer Day- 24th of July -LDS Ward ActivityWhile blog surfing the other day I came across this freaking awesome blog called <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times;"><a href="http://twoshadesofpink.blogspot.com/2011/07/make-your-own-old-fashioned-games-make.html">Two Shades of Pink</a></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times;">. I LOVED her old fashioned games, she is super crafty and keepin' it real with her infertility story and God's hand in all of our lives. (I'm warning you now you're gonna need some kleenex. I'm just sayin'.) Anyway, I was reminded of the pioneer day games we did for a Church Primary Activity. I was going to link her to it and as I searched my old blog I realized that apparently I never actually blogged it. I'm not sure how that happened because I would have sworn I did. Anyhoo, I decided to just go ahead and blog about it now for the benefit of all. If by some miracle I find it on my old blog I'll link it to this post. </span><br />
<div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times;"></span><br />
<div><div><div style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';"><div><div><div style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';"><br />
</div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';">I LOVE PIONEER DAY!!! The first year was really our "trial and error" year and I learned a lot! The second year was much better. The first year we had it at a members house and that was fine, but it was really unnecessary. The second year we held it on the lawn at the church. That worked out much better for bathrooms etc. </span><br />
<div style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';">We invited the ward to our Primary Activity and asked the Activities committee to be in charge of hot dogs and hamburger dinner.<br />
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</div><div>Let's see we had a bunch of different things. We made signs out of red and white checkered table cloth fabric with black paint that said what each station was. This added touch just MADE the day. It created the atmosphere of fun. We got the yard stakes at Home Depot and wrapped the fabric around the backside and stapled them on with a staple gun.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaaBQ7VaaWH0rOfq_aER0ry0aNKUeXG1dKeS5SLUAVc6eryjASIopE1cI6eAaPXcEnB5HXUmpW4iOdKkr4tv5e_9FlsFqTjZBTYu4IgKNYfn8guXVXUnVU_sTTjF1_3GztIl-wHDLbP8iF/s1600/IMG_0977.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaaBQ7VaaWH0rOfq_aER0ry0aNKUeXG1dKeS5SLUAVc6eryjASIopE1cI6eAaPXcEnB5HXUmpW4iOdKkr4tv5e_9FlsFqTjZBTYu4IgKNYfn8guXVXUnVU_sTTjF1_3GztIl-wHDLbP8iF/s320/IMG_0977.JPG" style="cursor: move;" width="320" /></a></div><div><br />
</div></div></div><div>Here are the different games we had.</div><div><br />
</div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="text-decoration: underline;">Watermelon Eating Contes</span>t -My sister made these FANTASTIC BIBS out of green place mats and red and white gingham ribbon. They were SO CUTE!!! </div><div><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUffZAAlZwW2qowrMndKpK_4jH00yWMMN3GsciU570KFO1jDFMuNscTwHSNsBjhvmNHO1_9nG1ewxE2OLfuIdxPqhquAp4rXRjgNKCDil3zXDPKCbesVcqEj54EY-u8CbQmRFfAn7PS9xe/s1600/IMG_4131.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUffZAAlZwW2qowrMndKpK_4jH00yWMMN3GsciU570KFO1jDFMuNscTwHSNsBjhvmNHO1_9nG1ewxE2OLfuIdxPqhquAp4rXRjgNKCDil3zXDPKCbesVcqEj54EY-u8CbQmRFfAn7PS9xe/s320/IMG_4131.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMDbySPCJjeAfxlDn4RawWi5Hg6n645oX06zePCYBa5YbCqXNuyvx3-gxUIkY2xDGWz4XcY8omz3oWsy5bHzkZBm5dCs2u6HlrpOEkQoycJu7TIW_DrqbX7iQDg2GkN5xZ7XhsPZyFEQzF/s1600/IMG_4133.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMDbySPCJjeAfxlDn4RawWi5Hg6n645oX06zePCYBa5YbCqXNuyvx3-gxUIkY2xDGWz4XcY8omz3oWsy5bHzkZBm5dCs2u6HlrpOEkQoycJu7TIW_DrqbX7iQDg2GkN5xZ7XhsPZyFEQzF/s320/IMG_4133.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEP3haH5EMpjzPMr0d6pDjl8N-Ol8d-c9Rs83o_N-i6stuT5ITPDtcBp840SPhtyI41p0F5xJfZ2bJBmP8s7CSrRkmcmgsqcCiWl5YMltpbdm5eYmm5V3tCa_TtZKCDX_JLorH_XovlFZs/s1600/IMG_0926.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEP3haH5EMpjzPMr0d6pDjl8N-Ol8d-c9Rs83o_N-i6stuT5ITPDtcBp840SPhtyI41p0F5xJfZ2bJBmP8s7CSrRkmcmgsqcCiWl5YMltpbdm5eYmm5V3tCa_TtZKCDX_JLorH_XovlFZs/s320/IMG_0926.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">These were rubberized place mats. They helped keep the watermelon slice from moving all around the table.</div><div><br />
</div><div></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="text-decoration: underline;">Water Melon Seed spitting contest</span>-Lay out a tarp and people spit a seed and then use masking tape to write their name and mark it where the seed landed. The Dads loved this one! It was a little tricky to find a non-seedless watermelon so I would suggest buying a bag of watermelon seeds at like home depot garden center.</div><div><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCu3auHR_KC-YZqnSR5aP4Qf8xXAmMn492xT6gDckME9Qda5bKjOhxdjzvJMhlPhxKjiF1DWd1w-RiyWzNa9GsEbsO-nV0uyMuVwWL0f1CgbR42t-x-g1HPbtK4onjz5-625-3XnBQvcNj/s1600/IMG_0962.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCu3auHR_KC-YZqnSR5aP4Qf8xXAmMn492xT6gDckME9Qda5bKjOhxdjzvJMhlPhxKjiF1DWd1w-RiyWzNa9GsEbsO-nV0uyMuVwWL0f1CgbR42t-x-g1HPbtK4onjz5-625-3XnBQvcNj/s320/IMG_0962.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div><br />
</div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="text-decoration: underline;">Sponge Toss</span> at the bishop or bishopric member. Get a giant peanut shape sponge from Home Depot and a bucket of water. Then I made a bulls eye out of that craft foam paper (Joanns/Michaels) and pinned it to his shirt. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_YjReR6A_5fFREQ9MYxh72mGe6kui418B6lidcB7xxESmtdOYUxYwfwnNbZsspp5P2Db1evDxZKaQ9ppVl80z_7UcYaozenC2WYZu44QlkMHNf0mCASXpqgw9tADNkPVqyBU-f3gxLVAe/s1600/IMG_4130.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_YjReR6A_5fFREQ9MYxh72mGe6kui418B6lidcB7xxESmtdOYUxYwfwnNbZsspp5P2Db1evDxZKaQ9ppVl80z_7UcYaozenC2WYZu44QlkMHNf0mCASXpqgw9tADNkPVqyBU-f3gxLVAe/s320/IMG_4130.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><div><br />
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</div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="text-decoration: underline;">Joseph's Stick Pul</span>l -Do you know this story about Joseph Smith and him winning all of the stick pull contests? The object is to pull your opponent up onto their feet. You put your feet against theirs and pull. </div><div><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZTFa1XwptlSsIqla2T9JrCT_y31nRFCv-H9LGnifagZnHkTLeioLsg3QLFLPwBoqWw6JOq_7_UrFaSEOnb_aEqJn1NxDPhF6BUJbBka4MROLMer3Wadh71baxzo9Wn23FpZtwju9mbm17/s1600/IMG_0956.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZTFa1XwptlSsIqla2T9JrCT_y31nRFCv-H9LGnifagZnHkTLeioLsg3QLFLPwBoqWw6JOq_7_UrFaSEOnb_aEqJn1NxDPhF6BUJbBka4MROLMer3Wadh71baxzo9Wn23FpZtwju9mbm17/s320/IMG_0956.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
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</div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="text-decoration: underline;">Gunny sack race</span> I got the sack at a local feed store and they were over size so I sewed them smaller.</div><div><br />
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</div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="text-decoration: underline;">3 legged race</span></div><div>Panty hose works great to tie legs together without chafing.</div><div><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaIi1ZJDcYZcbf7Fd1jeZ3t0c4NKrSj3-nd0rYnZNfVhKCqGSgXse2PZhBTcKqz9VapI7Xt9oIzCVawlELwiZ3qm6bYnABKVSx7fpgeMQHj4j3eUAO9c98hQENuBfFQ49KESSFLo2kdtbw/s1600/IMG_0975.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaIi1ZJDcYZcbf7Fd1jeZ3t0c4NKrSj3-nd0rYnZNfVhKCqGSgXse2PZhBTcKqz9VapI7Xt9oIzCVawlELwiZ3qm6bYnABKVSx7fpgeMQHj4j3eUAO9c98hQENuBfFQ49KESSFLo2kdtbw/s320/IMG_0975.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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</div><div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="text-decoration: underline;">Apple Bobbing</span></div><div>Pretty self explanatory but use a cute galvanized bucket if you've got one. It just adds to the ambiance. </div><div><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="text-decoration: underline;">Egg Toss</span> - Two people make a team. Each team has a hand towel. They each hold an end of it so that the long part is stretched taught to catch the egg. Team A is tossing the egg to Team B. Then Team B catches it in their cloth and tosses it back to team A. Then both teams take a step farther away from their opposing team and toss again until one of the teams doesn't catch their egg continuing to step apart after each toss. (Just make sure they don't get too close to the cars.) </div><div><br />
</div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="text-decoration: underline;">Egg Race-</span> Hold an egg on a spoon and walk as fast as you can to the other line without dropping your egg. If you do drop it then you have to go back and start again.</div><div><br />
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</div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="text-decoration: underline;">Tug o War-</span> Spice it up by having the Deacons against the Beehives or the Smith Family against the Jones' Family. Make sure you use a fat diameter rope like Silver Dollar size because when we went to a ward activity once where they used a 3/4" rope and there were some kids that got rope burns and it ruined the whole day for them. We asked Ward members if anyone had a rope so we didn't have to buy one. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEir6uebJJUz_pIOETlF6PurbKjR7r8gph8H-lmIO-AUrIzIBP0y991tHb2s4VzHgUKwWglZTtdZiAjxQOVbs1MNk2PV2k4ZB35aeNcG4JBKW6HQ-g2e1Hvl5sh4xjCVuEqx9I01O_4uCBkN/s1600/IMG_0963.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEir6uebJJUz_pIOETlF6PurbKjR7r8gph8H-lmIO-AUrIzIBP0y991tHb2s4VzHgUKwWglZTtdZiAjxQOVbs1MNk2PV2k4ZB35aeNcG4JBKW6HQ-g2e1Hvl5sh4xjCVuEqx9I01O_4uCBkN/s320/IMG_0963.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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</div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="text-decoration: underline;">Panning for Gold</span>- We bought sand and a kiddie pool and spray painted rocks gold. If they found a gold nugget they got to redeem it for a piece of candy. </div><div><br />
</div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="text-decoration: underline;">Log Necklaces</span> -Using a magnifying glass the kids could burn their name into a cookie sized log cut out. Like they get at boy scouts. This one wasn't a huge hit for the amount of work put into it.</div><div><br />
</div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="text-decoration: underline;">S'mores-</span> both years we had s'mores they weren't really as huge of a hit as I thought they would be. I loved having them, but I didn't love having to get the firepit and worry about someone getting burned. If we did this again I would suggest putting them on a cookie sheet all put together and baking them in the oven. They did this at an activity I went to and it was super easy and super fast and delicious! Plus you don't have to worry about the fire.</div><div><br />
</div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="text-decoration: underline;">Cupcake walk</span> - We just asked women in the ward to sign up to make them. I think we had like 12 dozen and probably only needed half that. You definitely need a person in charge of this booth. </div><div><br />
</div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="text-decoration: underline;">Face Painting</span> - I made a poster-board of simple face paint images that I found online. This saved LOTS of time when the children got up there. You will need at least two adults in charge of this booth and be prepared for a line. I know it's not really Pioneer-ish, but the kids love it and I do too and it's my party so I did it anyway. ;)</div><div><br />
</div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="text-decoration: underline;">Fishing Game</span> - You throw the pole over the fence (the line has a strong bag clip or oversized black paper clip on the end) and they won a bag of a REAL goldfish. I bought feeder goldfish that were like 10 for a dollar. We bagged them up (my local fish store let me buy bags and rubberbands for pennies) and put them in a cooler. This was BY FAR the kids BIGGEST highlight! We also had small bags of goldfish crackers just in case the parents were not okay with the real deal. Not one parent complained, in fact they were AMAZED at us for making it so special. </div><div><div style="font-family: Times;"><div><div style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';"><div><div>One of my FAVORITE THINGS was while we ate dinner we had a sister in our ward share a pioneer story all dressed in pioneer dress and bonnet. (Get a microphone and speakers if you can.) Then we had a brother in our ward dress in his civil war clothes and come and talk about old fashioned guns. He fired them off a few times with blanks and they were a big hit! He also shot off a cannon for us. IT WAS FANTASTIC!!! I would recommend doing this first while people are still coming. The first year we had them speak at the end and it was a waste of their time because people were leaving. Plus, while we were waiting for people to show up some people were ready to start playing the games and others were still eating. So doing it at the start was really a great way to have an opening prayer and bless the food and really get it off and running. Then we had different stations. The teenagers ended up leaving early like 7:30pm to get ready for the Friday night stake dance. I think we started at 4pm. We also had some families with smaller children leave at about 7:30pm to put kids down for bed. I would suggest holding it from 4pm til 7pm. My only concern was that it would be too hot. The year after I was no longer Primary Pres. they held it in the morning and just invited the kids and that was fine too. </div></div><div><br />
</div></div></div></div></div><div>Well, I think that about covers it. Feel free to ask questions if it doesn't make sense. I'll try to answer them the best that I can. </div></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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</div></div></div></div></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6223736393079628000.post-75905661766309442812011-06-29T19:27:00.000-07:002011-07-12T09:07:01.006-07:00Brandt's First Steps to GrandpaFirst Steps to Great Grandpa Joe (aka The Hat Grandpa)<br />
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Grandpa Joe wasn't able to make it to my house for the Father's Day bbq so we finally got to give him his cards and sing him a little song.<br />
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The kids and I sang "When Grandpa Comes"<br />
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It's always fun when Grandpa comes,<br />
when Grandpa comes hooray!<br />
He always says the kindest things,<br />
and in the kindest way.<br />
He has a wrinkly, twinkly smile<br />
he's happy all the day.<br />
It's always fun, for everyone<br />
when Grand-pa comes!<br />
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Then as soon as the song was over Brandt took his first steps to Grandpa! It was so cute! Then he just took off! Grandpa and I watched him try to RUN, not walk, around his living room! He had a great time trying to climb up and down his 3 stairs too.<br />
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Here he is with Grandpa just one short year ago and now he's bee boppin' all around!<br />
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We also had our home teachers come over and the kids wanted to challenge them to a game of woodchuck. It's a lawn game where you literally throw a baton at a block of wood. The kids had a great time slaughtering them the first game, but they quickly redeemed themselves for game two. We decided to leave it at a friendly tie and call it quits, but it was a lot of fun.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6223736393079628000.post-40396452698258975812011-06-29T18:52:00.000-07:002011-07-12T09:07:47.885-07:00Hand-me-down Fashion Show<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjc8sf2-6ZCThmFOWwx4jKaBs_mT-KLZYRNVBDdyglMH8Q_S0xjJxgudjLN0iDJmH3JVeHhh7ZzME8ansXwMImveZGTB0vQAhFClPXes3BkSUqDgZyeQJeOwch6ERszAc40AoffswpHCFPs/s1600/IMG_2775.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjc8sf2-6ZCThmFOWwx4jKaBs_mT-KLZYRNVBDdyglMH8Q_S0xjJxgudjLN0iDJmH3JVeHhh7ZzME8ansXwMImveZGTB0vQAhFClPXes3BkSUqDgZyeQJeOwch6ERszAc40AoffswpHCFPs/s320/IMG_2775.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg80eclj3KO91u-4zhxyLB4Cd4qnzX0IuTzq0k99YJX25NFbieUIn6rQjxEW_NDwHNQnLTP4tIksW05G8tAqXERzdqqzSjT5or1TZY4QPkcXCDTFw62ZxSovNMPwmSTG2oEc6Qc4eic-iCT/s1600/IMG_2799.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg80eclj3KO91u-4zhxyLB4Cd4qnzX0IuTzq0k99YJX25NFbieUIn6rQjxEW_NDwHNQnLTP4tIksW05G8tAqXERzdqqzSjT5or1TZY4QPkcXCDTFw62ZxSovNMPwmSTG2oEc6Qc4eic-iCT/s320/IMG_2799.jpg" width="148" /></a></div>I know that as we strive to become debt free we have been blessed by wonderful opportunities to save money. One way that we save a lot of money is by wearing hand me down clothes. A friend of mine gave us some clothes and when I got ready to have McK try on the clothes I thought, let's make this fun and we had an impromptu fashion show. It was great fun and I highly recommend doing a closet purge and trying on the stuff as you get rid of it. Make it fun! We even decided to change hair styles as we went along. It was a very fun morning!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6223736393079628000.post-34055380423509069562011-06-29T18:19:00.000-07:002011-07-12T09:09:03.129-07:00A day in the life...Kisses, Cuddles, Karate Kid, Cookies and Company<br />
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Today I got blasted with kisses and cuddles from Blakey. He just wouldn't stop snuggling and he would hold my cheeks and kiss my lips and say, "Mommy, you're my friend."<br />
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Later, I told McKayla Auntie Char was coming for a visit from Utah and her response was, "Oh, is that why you're making cookies?"<br />
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We watched The Karate Kid and Alaynee got a little nervous when Ralph Macchio gets jumped on Halloween by the guys dressed up as skeletons. She grabbed the blanket to cover her eyes and said, "Mommy, I know good guys always win, but I don't wanna watch!" It was priceless!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6223736393079628000.post-53136190270421684862011-06-29T18:09:00.000-07:002011-07-12T09:12:01.713-07:00House PartyThere is a company called House Party that if you apply and become a hostess they send you free party packs. It is great! They do it all over the country and I have had some very great experiences and parties. The latest one was an Expo Washable Marker House Party<br />
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Cali and I had our Expo washable dry erase marker party. The kids rode around the gym and played and colored and drew on their new white boards and it was great! I caught myself a few times because I was about to say, "Don't let the little kids get the markers or they'll ruin their clothes." But then I reminded myself... they're washable! That is so nice to not have to worry about that anymore. Now my kids can practice their alphabet and writing their name without Mom freaking out!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6223736393079628000.post-59855365575171232862011-06-23T01:46:00.000-07:002011-07-12T09:09:53.287-07:00Hide and SeekFHE, <a href="http://livelaughlofts.blogspot.com/2010/12/brody-elf-day-two.html">Homemade Oreos</a> and Hide and Seek.<br />
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Okay, so I'm not really sure how I should be posting this 100 days of summer. For those of you that have been using blogger let me know some cool way to do it. If I were doing it on my mac website I would just make my own separate page for all of these posts with it's own navigation bar link at the top. But, I'm not sure how to do that here yet. I'll have to work on that.<br />
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Hide and seek started off with just the kids playing. Then I could hear the two middle children searching for the oldest and not having any success at finding her. So I took pity on them and went to help out. Then I decided to help my little 3 yr. old boy do some hiding. We hid behind the little playhouse first. Alaynee found us and we yelped and she jumped. Hahaha. We had so much fun. What cracks me up about it is that the little ones will say, "I'm over here!" or "Come find me!" The anticipation is just too much! After a few rounds the kids wanted to search for Mommy so I ran to the front and looked around for a bit before I frantically jumped onto the roof of the playhouse. I was partially hidden by a douglas fir branch. They hunted and hunted and Blakey actually looked there first, but didn't look up. Next, Alaynee came looking and didn't see me either. Finally, after me making some noise for them they figured it out. Then they wanted to copy me and climb up there and we pretended not to know where they were.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6223736393079628000.post-1206294829787225192011-06-23T01:27:00.000-07:002011-06-23T01:27:21.291-07:00100 Days of SummerI saw this really fun blog of activities to do for the summer at pinterest. <a href="http://pinterest.com/momadvice/100-days-of-summer/">Here</a> is the link. Anyway, I'd like to do my own version of something like this but I'd also like to record it on my blog so that at the end of the Summer when I think it has flown by I'll remember that we did do some fun things.<br />
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So to start off, yesterday we didn't do anything SUPER amazing, but we did go to the library and pick up the Summer Reading Packets and saw Auntie Jojo and Uncle Jeff's purty new fence and deck! It looks amazing and I'm thoroughly amazed at the amount of square footage it has added to their house by expanding their outdoor living area. Uncle Jeff's new traeger looked all shiny and new too! Dallas was loving his new space. They had to have a short fence due to the city code, however, they were smart and figured out a way to have a hinged portion that folds up when they want some privacy. They also plan to put a door from their kitchen to their deck instead of the window that's currently there. It's going to be awesome! I can't wait! As soon as she blogs about it I'll put a link to her website directly. But, the photos she sent to my phone will have to do for now.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmfgg9YJsjjwv-zcb60WvDblAmKNcaVW6SJOBoSlGC155oB2ujjgBNsUk3qawKWERaq-egbbjp_BMfBkEMisJ16jnIh8Nae0Tu3Pzy_gLsvTfdhbF2vbetciJdlswhdmuC-uVX89lPZkXt/s1600/IMG950288.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmfgg9YJsjjwv-zcb60WvDblAmKNcaVW6SJOBoSlGC155oB2ujjgBNsUk3qawKWERaq-egbbjp_BMfBkEMisJ16jnIh8Nae0Tu3Pzy_gLsvTfdhbF2vbetciJdlswhdmuC-uVX89lPZkXt/s320/IMG950288.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">See that window there? That's going to be a door out of their kitchen. </div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhobrZa_z78uTheFV9UgVd_8IDXBt2oKKs8CuElBoprFWjn_b9noTtna9K5NBKoKqPl12EfosCntXqVzLEUL-Ok0_UbK7_idxs4Tc4-WKtstw6EXVrIWJEKikw7UjsnH69AwAZ8galU7zH-/s1600/IMG950029.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhobrZa_z78uTheFV9UgVd_8IDXBt2oKKs8CuElBoprFWjn_b9noTtna9K5NBKoKqPl12EfosCntXqVzLEUL-Ok0_UbK7_idxs4Tc4-WKtstw6EXVrIWJEKikw7UjsnH69AwAZ8galU7zH-/s320/IMG950029.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Here is the fence hinge I was talking about. On the far side or short end where you don't see any tall fence they have a drop in insert. It really was extremely private! Their "yard" just went from virtually un-usable to a really neat space! They should submit their before and after photos to Lowe's Creative Ideas magazine or something! What do you think?</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">After our adventures out and about we came home and played in the kiddie pool and sprinkler slide for three hours! McKayla was so cute, when we came inside she said, "Mommy, thank you for letting us play outside in the sprinklers ALL DAY!" </div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6223736393079628000.post-18385876021299747782011-06-06T22:19:00.000-07:002011-06-07T13:24:12.425-07:00My baby boy is 1!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLrtJVQNCOy1-OLU0maVVJl6mOd6WCWuErg9QZxV0Z0atuGuOER2pzBCy6YWlOou-4byys-CTIR4OMQF_nFx-MteAPXjpZAPP57MKt4qff_uiEixe4m1iQwgVtPFJYm7wiKz0HsIDCy9B3/s1600/IMG_0086.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLrtJVQNCOy1-OLU0maVVJl6mOd6WCWuErg9QZxV0Z0atuGuOER2pzBCy6YWlOou-4byys-CTIR4OMQF_nFx-MteAPXjpZAPP57MKt4qff_uiEixe4m1iQwgVtPFJYm7wiKz0HsIDCy9B3/s320/IMG_0086.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Brandt-ster is one! </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrqPELiZCgFUdYn4NmbrtjZIyv1hM6bF3MmxhL322B4d8_n_MTz-cDVaeYVqfRPf3BN8b2Or0p3jY8U9a-YjHlTLlkQuVg0GRDlzsB-foECBC0VdaGaZ4Og3yfHag5LnslwkDDnemeN1no/s1600/IMG_0064.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrqPELiZCgFUdYn4NmbrtjZIyv1hM6bF3MmxhL322B4d8_n_MTz-cDVaeYVqfRPf3BN8b2Or0p3jY8U9a-YjHlTLlkQuVg0GRDlzsB-foECBC0VdaGaZ4Og3yfHag5LnslwkDDnemeN1no/s320/IMG_0064.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">He and his brother had on their dinosaur shirts.</div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjg3ejhDSNBMuMpEEUq8fgcQZ7SXyWOp6a1FQS-HE18RMLEQPnHvDz3xEffTfQYa_kNrEVzkoNPcHQoAI95FvnrnpO_w7mV6C8zFopJiE2BO9BmerzRyNcBLHJq-7jbhGATBunH_auQ6Ldw/s1600/IMG_0067.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjg3ejhDSNBMuMpEEUq8fgcQZ7SXyWOp6a1FQS-HE18RMLEQPnHvDz3xEffTfQYa_kNrEVzkoNPcHQoAI95FvnrnpO_w7mV6C8zFopJiE2BO9BmerzRyNcBLHJq-7jbhGATBunH_auQ6Ldw/s320/IMG_0067.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Hangin' out with Daddy.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBO2KAEuunrcP-KMTQ46LwUjNCV8oTd80COV9VEkx-HkRJl7zADCxs-MEQVqRGVTklG9A4QW_sQSCixLFVDKU7sTdhcOA5VzwkCXhJpYWufmmTobMB0M7WwUlp-WCHkGD-DZBrczyjZ4pP/s1600/IMG_0071.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBO2KAEuunrcP-KMTQ46LwUjNCV8oTd80COV9VEkx-HkRJl7zADCxs-MEQVqRGVTklG9A4QW_sQSCixLFVDKU7sTdhcOA5VzwkCXhJpYWufmmTobMB0M7WwUlp-WCHkGD-DZBrczyjZ4pP/s320/IMG_0071.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">He wouldn't let go of his Spidey ball. McKayla gave it to him for his birthday. Which is funny because he's been playing with it for months now. But, hey, now it's officially his. He loved it!</div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUbf1pwZLM8NcKKCH3LaiNbh9mO5mFp8iqspM42FLEjToneVpHt8v3ZaMP_P6Bs9qNGhshVouO57rEyNHoFzEalQP9u-PEaXtCIsmqN9PGC1dUwoc_lISm9eIHrRpDtgwe6YMBGoapkpvq/s1600/IMG_0069.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUbf1pwZLM8NcKKCH3LaiNbh9mO5mFp8iqspM42FLEjToneVpHt8v3ZaMP_P6Bs9qNGhshVouO57rEyNHoFzEalQP9u-PEaXtCIsmqN9PGC1dUwoc_lISm9eIHrRpDtgwe6YMBGoapkpvq/s320/IMG_0069.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Ack! Apparently he didn't notice that he was being choked to death because there was cake!</div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitYE-xuQ6AMV4Wt4UN_YY0HJd11K9kAInrW4l6vtS0YOMmKPJtEizAwbhCsEmesEOJbBlbe0778_rs8X3vmKWWx2qJ0WIcHJZORyhkhPVvNRADiibOeimwlUMGy4zAyUb1CXworbNW9LxH/s1600/IMG_0070.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitYE-xuQ6AMV4Wt4UN_YY0HJd11K9kAInrW4l6vtS0YOMmKPJtEizAwbhCsEmesEOJbBlbe0778_rs8X3vmKWWx2qJ0WIcHJZORyhkhPVvNRADiibOeimwlUMGy4zAyUb1CXworbNW9LxH/s320/IMG_0070.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Once it was out of reach he figured it out though!</div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiF8m6WPVBZZgzF7zyXTP4D0nvhrDeaphzFQxNTS9B8L6v7lxAPoHG0InlBaGT38w5wwU_RTQKDs45r9gRCRZ0e_8S3HFPJpxlk0qgJQ68JxEEtBwgeygjxYUMRcEqxwMMgTLZYfnn7G9Mj/s1600/IMG_0072.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiF8m6WPVBZZgzF7zyXTP4D0nvhrDeaphzFQxNTS9B8L6v7lxAPoHG0InlBaGT38w5wwU_RTQKDs45r9gRCRZ0e_8S3HFPJpxlk0qgJQ68JxEEtBwgeygjxYUMRcEqxwMMgTLZYfnn7G9Mj/s320/IMG_0072.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Tada! Happy Birthday Buddy!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrREltC18-nUMsHcnyg_1ss9nu2twcFnXXsVVaXF8jK_83dQiDuo8rPnq6myk8-1Rw6w3eUIv63fdVkkHOx4n3pFjMChfGpUb4XC0HPC1XXrksZzRs2UUc3NR_roO4yuO_ZVxmtVcaZblh/s1600/IMG_0062.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrREltC18-nUMsHcnyg_1ss9nu2twcFnXXsVVaXF8jK_83dQiDuo8rPnq6myk8-1Rw6w3eUIv63fdVkkHOx4n3pFjMChfGpUb4XC0HPC1XXrksZzRs2UUc3NR_roO4yuO_ZVxmtVcaZblh/s320/IMG_0062.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">I found the cutest dino cake that I've been wanting to make for awhile now.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">You can watch the video demo <a href="http://www.howdini.com/howdini-video-7073677.html">here.</a> My kids love to watch the demos and fantasize about what they'll make for their next birthday.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTZZ1vxIqdNSibk5Mw1SozFFFxwWptuJhalYZW0iKb_bbJe247kZr0-jckCqaGdEV3_yxdcqqR4HsdyRejoHKIsFeVN8etgwEsisKd4NcbQcuFnSwIaj165cenjBgSW7Z7frPHsI0FDXY5/s1600/IMG_0079.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTZZ1vxIqdNSibk5Mw1SozFFFxwWptuJhalYZW0iKb_bbJe247kZr0-jckCqaGdEV3_yxdcqqR4HsdyRejoHKIsFeVN8etgwEsisKd4NcbQcuFnSwIaj165cenjBgSW7Z7frPHsI0FDXY5/s320/IMG_0079.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">He got right down to business! Hey if you can't shovel fast enough just use two hands! </div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5NrhM3FGOl7h5xJZslUFpgNHOH6RXkDkzAPdL5N2uPv9D9B-O5AjzRX85FtmaD0NXkNc46Uk_DMlFL7m8X8xfSAjUaLt_Uk72oh2bz0ww7qbRd4nxpJQko1gX-NwlHmbynQVANs24boK1/s1600/IMG_0083.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5NrhM3FGOl7h5xJZslUFpgNHOH6RXkDkzAPdL5N2uPv9D9B-O5AjzRX85FtmaD0NXkNc46Uk_DMlFL7m8X8xfSAjUaLt_Uk72oh2bz0ww7qbRd4nxpJQko1gX-NwlHmbynQVANs24boK1/s320/IMG_0083.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Or you can abandon the fork all together and just use your hands. </div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLrtJVQNCOy1-OLU0maVVJl6mOd6WCWuErg9QZxV0Z0atuGuOER2pzBCy6YWlOou-4byys-CTIR4OMQF_nFx-MteAPXjpZAPP57MKt4qff_uiEixe4m1iQwgVtPFJYm7wiKz0HsIDCy9B3/s1600/IMG_0086.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLrtJVQNCOy1-OLU0maVVJl6mOd6WCWuErg9QZxV0Z0atuGuOER2pzBCy6YWlOou-4byys-CTIR4OMQF_nFx-MteAPXjpZAPP57MKt4qff_uiEixe4m1iQwgVtPFJYm7wiKz0HsIDCy9B3/s320/IMG_0086.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">YUMM-Y! </div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSqTHLJT3gFXDv8tQXVb8T9bRyNyl32TQdBMYbw2fyskWJmHfoMvqd0KOAmRVchKN1XsiSuzwBkqiIrqX7Q2SiR997N3wi26883E06W_TD6EfHrcA5AiCgSPVU6uijRVfnczeonlM-_44R/s1600/IMG_0089.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSqTHLJT3gFXDv8tQXVb8T9bRyNyl32TQdBMYbw2fyskWJmHfoMvqd0KOAmRVchKN1XsiSuzwBkqiIrqX7Q2SiR997N3wi26883E06W_TD6EfHrcA5AiCgSPVU6uijRVfnczeonlM-_44R/s320/IMG_0089.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Goin' back for more!</div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzat9T3aCO545wi9QwDKgpT-bPmS-OTxuSZMJKstU7zew_XnaIaUHqt5bZt5tFFCcQ8V5NvHKA_wgqhdldoklRp5SJYk7HIosBvsA2HNpixPqKWkmzD-Xn-GwsBKllFYUqKFlrZuYdOB4H/s1600/IMG_0090.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzat9T3aCO545wi9QwDKgpT-bPmS-OTxuSZMJKstU7zew_XnaIaUHqt5bZt5tFFCcQ8V5NvHKA_wgqhdldoklRp5SJYk7HIosBvsA2HNpixPqKWkmzD-Xn-GwsBKllFYUqKFlrZuYdOB4H/s320/IMG_0090.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Making funny faces at Mommy! </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Oh what a sweet boy. We (the kids and I) had a blast making his cake. We had a great day.</div><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6223736393079628000.post-67701896512543640762011-06-02T17:20:00.000-07:002011-06-02T17:37:34.946-07:00Annual Mother's Day Flower Planting Work Party!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div> If you throw on the word "party" after work then it just makes it all better. For Mother's Day each year we have a yard clean up party day at my Mom's house. Last year was the first year that all of the girls went with Mom to buy her flowers the day before. This year we decided instead of traveling for an hour to my favorite nursery, <a href="http://www.fesslernursery.com/">Fessler's Nursery</a> (which has an AMAZING plant supply, is high quality and HUGE variety) we opted to go down the road to <a href="http://www.yelp.com/biz/serres-greenhouse-and-farms-oregon-city">Serres Farm</a>. They have good quality stuff, but not a huge variety. It has more than the regular store though and it's close to home and therefore it was good enough for us. Next year I'm going to try to remember my camera for this part of the expedition because it's always lots of fun to see us jammed into the car with flowers all around us.<br />
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Cali and Jeff were excused due to Cali's allergies, she just can't recover from a day in the yard for at least a week. Brian and Suzanne were just plain not invited after we found out Abi was puking. ;) That combined with the fact that they are also bottle feeding 16 puppies and taking care of a very sick Mama that had to be taken to the ER again. We decided they needed a little break.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJQHUuS1BnpBBGQUFZrk7discMQX9HYuXWh-pr3uG9uyWsHGJNT2ZnQh4TDDu7LXAt8ku1_NOUndJZNW2IGPbdxjwcmI9ma2PSRaFNzwKLChjSHf5gt0h988_W2m-ug3LmU4Bf9Dj5XJ3H/s1600/P1030188.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJQHUuS1BnpBBGQUFZrk7discMQX9HYuXWh-pr3uG9uyWsHGJNT2ZnQh4TDDu7LXAt8ku1_NOUndJZNW2IGPbdxjwcmI9ma2PSRaFNzwKLChjSHf5gt0h988_W2m-ug3LmU4Bf9Dj5XJ3H/s400/P1030188.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Happy Belated Mother's Day Mom! </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihYU6gOzUbGdY5LjfZIOxrhzqaK7wDqngW-yga7SLWImVwmw68a5KHAbzmWs14Fxi1yAQ529HvmF-omuLWbP29SO43cCH2WtgSIvTRqYhGjO7lYTfBVzbxDXW0GkmiCGAgGcLV52sGD4bb/s1600/P1030187.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihYU6gOzUbGdY5LjfZIOxrhzqaK7wDqngW-yga7SLWImVwmw68a5KHAbzmWs14Fxi1yAQ529HvmF-omuLWbP29SO43cCH2WtgSIvTRqYhGjO7lYTfBVzbxDXW0GkmiCGAgGcLV52sGD4bb/s320/P1030187.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Carrie was less than thrilled to be in the photos after working out and then coming to work, but she was a great sport anyway.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg820GExtd7glnMkcRl8ZYVdxELT_rDHAgfaXUDhEJw4CiX_wiQIFWoTz8Lqa_tROQoxjPWd5ZsVu8_GlPgC5t2kuYh0HbsjGVb7d5aX6GTxE3MxmblqzESyheDQcetEl3zQ3XLVM9EPxoE/s1600/P1030190.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg820GExtd7glnMkcRl8ZYVdxELT_rDHAgfaXUDhEJw4CiX_wiQIFWoTz8Lqa_tROQoxjPWd5ZsVu8_GlPgC5t2kuYh0HbsjGVb7d5aX6GTxE3MxmblqzESyheDQcetEl3zQ3XLVM9EPxoE/s320/P1030190.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg820GExtd7glnMkcRl8ZYVdxELT_rDHAgfaXUDhEJw4CiX_wiQIFWoTz8Lqa_tROQoxjPWd5ZsVu8_GlPgC5t2kuYh0HbsjGVb7d5aX6GTxE3MxmblqzESyheDQcetEl3zQ3XLVM9EPxoE/s1600/P1030190.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a> I think I only touched the wheel barrow long enough to take the picture and move it out of my way so that I could plant in the bed</div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyfKmolSZ-k2yFCjp0MXsYPLNmItbW_ctjm1n45Gdso4EA_sxAESFY1Wn5hKzZXYOPUQm93usi0UQ1Cx7y4kcjMhZQ1cCYGKNq7W6K9pW4MTerUbaT1sKlGa5_gxZhuicJ3LlHPGTjg7ch/s1600/P1030194.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyfKmolSZ-k2yFCjp0MXsYPLNmItbW_ctjm1n45Gdso4EA_sxAESFY1Wn5hKzZXYOPUQm93usi0UQ1Cx7y4kcjMhZQ1cCYGKNq7W6K9pW4MTerUbaT1sKlGa5_gxZhuicJ3LlHPGTjg7ch/s320/P1030194.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Dad moving the rose bush over a foot because every year it keeps getting attacked by the fern.</div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaBQmyF1BMSChgMpbgxFk0t4IRH8gdQBHeRpHsMHNAyzvJ55Pkcq8XtQyBeynsQY-C7Ywiba8K4NooczE19fCvhexiODGmqsYWg0M-slCvrblPx3oXK1JcUdg8zRTDL62dzn0ICr8VUsgi/s1600/P1030196.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaBQmyF1BMSChgMpbgxFk0t4IRH8gdQBHeRpHsMHNAyzvJ55Pkcq8XtQyBeynsQY-C7Ywiba8K4NooczE19fCvhexiODGmqsYWg0M-slCvrblPx3oXK1JcUdg8zRTDL62dzn0ICr8VUsgi/s320/P1030196.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">I was crossing the creek and almost fell in.</div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgJnvHeROhCi-yqxW3OuA5_LEAsLR7-4_cMfgsZEnsYUvV3gobIcrIpl-lzbCjUZOQt2gFbzPTuCtJti3RHMcnmgWkAhuF7QpsDbxTCTpEpsaVxhIfiCiEn__3WBLYczwYHC6QxMOVkHWq/s1600/P1030199.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgJnvHeROhCi-yqxW3OuA5_LEAsLR7-4_cMfgsZEnsYUvV3gobIcrIpl-lzbCjUZOQt2gFbzPTuCtJti3RHMcnmgWkAhuF7QpsDbxTCTpEpsaVxhIfiCiEn__3WBLYczwYHC6QxMOVkHWq/s320/P1030199.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">First we had to weed the beds.</div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjq6xWkaYBg_AYC8mviQtxAbxDxidUKY_wlBBdIzcLCKSiBqhZaDTwhqWWkQzCT_Y6VoaCGdsZMn_ICkUyIH9TpeZ1aYiRGqBrNtCDjGLoUEiA9wScLi6t1mTpXNbuMj8aHSTJNxCNcCss8/s1600/P1030200.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjq6xWkaYBg_AYC8mviQtxAbxDxidUKY_wlBBdIzcLCKSiBqhZaDTwhqWWkQzCT_Y6VoaCGdsZMn_ICkUyIH9TpeZ1aYiRGqBrNtCDjGLoUEiA9wScLi6t1mTpXNbuMj8aHSTJNxCNcCss8/s320/P1030200.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Travis was on weed whacking duty. Ugh!</div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEUy0gioErPIk7-VrvqYfmSniBuL3ZDlaonJB0uxp7jJ0Cp095_lc9AdpzkDu3UjMm-jyCJoki__E_Ljcm7AQ97wG3sbtYSydijI0xYnti2LP9XyDAgeBCFsQ0K4XWMZ0eCgngEn-zFc3x/s1600/P1030201.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEUy0gioErPIk7-VrvqYfmSniBuL3ZDlaonJB0uxp7jJ0Cp095_lc9AdpzkDu3UjMm-jyCJoki__E_Ljcm7AQ97wG3sbtYSydijI0xYnti2LP9XyDAgeBCFsQ0K4XWMZ0eCgngEn-zFc3x/s320/P1030201.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Way to go Trav.</div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqt22-sSwo8aRfUayRpOS0QrZX5Ryt5WU_KkQZn3hST81iLTlQN7zaI5jtHccNF8_uh4wqmHgiyiLD17bLcOkJszYNREgErlWKCKVw1t1D5RtOOAolYTGNzVFSut5vDdTRlZ5loeIZPh2-/s1600/P1030203.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqt22-sSwo8aRfUayRpOS0QrZX5Ryt5WU_KkQZn3hST81iLTlQN7zaI5jtHccNF8_uh4wqmHgiyiLD17bLcOkJszYNREgErlWKCKVw1t1D5RtOOAolYTGNzVFSut5vDdTRlZ5loeIZPh2-/s320/P1030203.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">The flower colors this year were inspired by the burgundy Japanese Maple trees in Mom's yard. </div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-FlrMyCJmYyFd1dIZZkpj5XPbGCRAeVwxBAeVWSkt6KJNgo94rQvO6ecX5PgTywGUQmE0XdQ31eT3cjpmQwa2lNacqqjVUiyRuG71DCjPX1mHzWJkzDAylj1gE_s5XZu83QpkjQpqlXyJ/s1600/P1030204.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-FlrMyCJmYyFd1dIZZkpj5XPbGCRAeVwxBAeVWSkt6KJNgo94rQvO6ecX5PgTywGUQmE0XdQ31eT3cjpmQwa2lNacqqjVUiyRuG71DCjPX1mHzWJkzDAylj1gE_s5XZu83QpkjQpqlXyJ/s320/P1030204.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">We planted the pots for the patio too. Bryce was practicing rubbing his tummy and patting his head.</div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnYYGJB57IwGh-ytiq6pyY3Wth-Avm73edFUXhK9BXnM-dcp3V06iJFxNZDsWa_9KuMa18W2yH6VwGEmEAkNc_rjOoiEUNj0ChlYEvv0PGpdzY1tiPVvCDUx6WgGC0jIEh-F4qaMKPCm4Q/s1600/P1030205.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnYYGJB57IwGh-ytiq6pyY3Wth-Avm73edFUXhK9BXnM-dcp3V06iJFxNZDsWa_9KuMa18W2yH6VwGEmEAkNc_rjOoiEUNj0ChlYEvv0PGpdzY1tiPVvCDUx6WgGC0jIEh-F4qaMKPCm4Q/s320/P1030205.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Now it's time for the layout. We fiddled around forever! There are Martha Washington Geraniums, Royal Burgundy Geraniums, Black Velvet Petunias, White Licorice Plants, Burgundy Columbine and <a href="http://liveplants.narod.ru/black_barlow_columbine.html">Black Barlow Columbine</a>. The Black Barlow is really cool! </div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbmvcVUQYwHS8xnR-9rncdrNhOUcVhfa5P98MUgCamVL7vhazuQQxLChk-NMFDYhgZgDi88h6iypF-u4VBI0ldQkBWqXng38bHUz6ApKYpse3Y-p57Iu1Xdhp17iwJZq0ygzsnzcWgFb2n/s1600/P1030206.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbmvcVUQYwHS8xnR-9rncdrNhOUcVhfa5P98MUgCamVL7vhazuQQxLChk-NMFDYhgZgDi88h6iypF-u4VBI0ldQkBWqXng38bHUz6ApKYpse3Y-p57Iu1Xdhp17iwJZq0ygzsnzcWgFb2n/s320/P1030206.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Brent was on kid duty. He took his job pretty seriously. Ha!</div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifm98Qq_EyQ6rTq4Xo9-7IXvQ9xuzsWlnlu3klj5xgjbMmezbK31sP_sK8aZuS6Qwq2uWJ9_CWzR4sYpoYjj8vQo7HWGd3JpPiRFIH6pDOWUdNdJMNA8roP-VcokhsNKLl-1K_qsTaC3C8/s1600/P1030208.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifm98Qq_EyQ6rTq4Xo9-7IXvQ9xuzsWlnlu3klj5xgjbMmezbK31sP_sK8aZuS6Qwq2uWJ9_CWzR4sYpoYjj8vQo7HWGd3JpPiRFIH6pDOWUdNdJMNA8roP-VcokhsNKLl-1K_qsTaC3C8/s320/P1030208.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Carrie, Mom and I spent all this time deciding on where to plant.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbDV6dLjaOEN6KXea9krSjkH87Q_exU4T43RB6oP48NU9XF_LYz7I2z2oDHPcVRUZ8b3MXfHdb_KRxUILa844VYsQgm9hDFsLru1mpuQr4gTQ9p_3BI8G-Hxlgi-GcjbhgP3SCnApfsR21/s1600/P1030209.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbDV6dLjaOEN6KXea9krSjkH87Q_exU4T43RB6oP48NU9XF_LYz7I2z2oDHPcVRUZ8b3MXfHdb_KRxUILa844VYsQgm9hDFsLru1mpuQr4gTQ9p_3BI8G-Hxlgi-GcjbhgP3SCnApfsR21/s320/P1030209.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Then we finally went to work!</div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbg-U-HJUEuL6f_bYIyCtS4Y9NyiG01PpysujgcoL2bXaSOVcKSSm0D6HMeuM0yBw5ZYEJx8ZJkCtYuJXYbRfw1leeuIgpVvqXdXgQC50D7Q2xEaDIs6nucMietXwjzPQ8xbfhHsvDPlj8/s1600/P1030210.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbg-U-HJUEuL6f_bYIyCtS4Y9NyiG01PpysujgcoL2bXaSOVcKSSm0D6HMeuM0yBw5ZYEJx8ZJkCtYuJXYbRfw1leeuIgpVvqXdXgQC50D7Q2xEaDIs6nucMietXwjzPQ8xbfhHsvDPlj8/s320/P1030210.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">We set them out in the other bed and the next thing you know we turned around and Bryce and Travis were done with their beds! </div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiR0Cg9rzQo3VU-pY1DuZSLSBdNFcP8sZ6bJNAGdE2Lq5o6rhhGfAnpNdioChvzxTosgdX8uWMfXOpQdwWGHsyx6Bzb2Wp5hFkDzo1CCaj0nWF405Sfky0VGw6TKtBQD6ZXj0uQVOLa9GBQ/s1600/P1030211.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiR0Cg9rzQo3VU-pY1DuZSLSBdNFcP8sZ6bJNAGdE2Lq5o6rhhGfAnpNdioChvzxTosgdX8uWMfXOpQdwWGHsyx6Bzb2Wp5hFkDzo1CCaj0nWF405Sfky0VGw6TKtBQD6ZXj0uQVOLa9GBQ/s320/P1030211.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Here they are. I loved the <a href="http://www.gardencrossings.com/plantname/Impatiens-Super-Sonic-Cherry-Cream">Super Sonic Cherry Cream Impatiens</a>. The name made them even more fun! </div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTDERIeRVWJKPg9JoMqY2Yu3dqd6j4TjmCfIgDlJuiFF_bIBAr1yXK5b36D61nQt-yAK4pTcFt04ielvyNYJnKA5Kd-jGgd5UQhmjoWi308GHloku-ARDbAnAhFp82jOZd2s_sQfHFkFDW/s1600/P1030213.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTDERIeRVWJKPg9JoMqY2Yu3dqd6j4TjmCfIgDlJuiFF_bIBAr1yXK5b36D61nQt-yAK4pTcFt04ielvyNYJnKA5Kd-jGgd5UQhmjoWi308GHloku-ARDbAnAhFp82jOZd2s_sQfHFkFDW/s320/P1030213.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Cassie, Donna and Addie were on lunch duty. Thanks Cass!</div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj85OR-cCZ66BEJTx8lkvPwtaHP03sslnQKucX16LNT2nUUrdB2X7eKMjrQAhH2FwheLS59oEK8SS49ZeYuw518QKjH0QukDvpHMRo-dFOalCP3GQEu35vUToBpyFMLsrziyFXg3Vjwniyy/s1600/P1030215.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj85OR-cCZ66BEJTx8lkvPwtaHP03sslnQKucX16LNT2nUUrdB2X7eKMjrQAhH2FwheLS59oEK8SS49ZeYuw518QKjH0QukDvpHMRo-dFOalCP3GQEu35vUToBpyFMLsrziyFXg3Vjwniyy/s320/P1030215.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Hallie and Avery came to play because they could tell there was a commotion up the road and they needed to check it out! The kids were all playing in the sandpit. When it was time to leave my Mom informs me (with a chuckle) that she thought about telling me that Duchess uses it for a litter box, but decided what could it hurt? Nice Grandma! ;) So far none of them have any sort of defects so I guess she was right. </div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9LZ0sK406FnevyOlBT1FmvBdlJg2XbHQqvc3EtqbG0vIVVT8yOl9wrhmBhyphenhyphenBZFPq_Ka9P_fhaqfB_G09Ztv-C0oRiM3eBSM6j3qeTVr1UQXDKcabFxUqNRr3ApCw9BlaYOzLqaK6IutfP/s1600/P1030217.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9LZ0sK406FnevyOlBT1FmvBdlJg2XbHQqvc3EtqbG0vIVVT8yOl9wrhmBhyphenhyphenBZFPq_Ka9P_fhaqfB_G09Ztv-C0oRiM3eBSM6j3qeTVr1UQXDKcabFxUqNRr3ApCw9BlaYOzLqaK6IutfP/s320/P1030217.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGi_c0jPHBEhWSzDwFJE5f09082CL6a-PhWaAsBOf-w0TPMrdJEiPslpPbZi2EiGtJXxQ6HbVR0kHatYHjV6Jp3BPX1wbYFmtHWJ7upY5j69M7mc3bYkj8x5tmh3v8bwQ0E2wN10NFfpm1/s1600/P1030218.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGi_c0jPHBEhWSzDwFJE5f09082CL6a-PhWaAsBOf-w0TPMrdJEiPslpPbZi2EiGtJXxQ6HbVR0kHatYHjV6Jp3BPX1wbYFmtHWJ7upY5j69M7mc3bYkj8x5tmh3v8bwQ0E2wN10NFfpm1/s320/P1030218.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Bryce and Carrie</div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-IyKygqPsz-kgKwqqgqjFD5RtshyphenhyphenDVjbKId96wszTwGTH30Tf2arrqc7gHvdTC0tFG_ytbezAOz5WMFDqjJyB7Lxe3vHcKXXKq9qvm1Pqn_2pcBlmewv_QJphQtPuiM6t7yRrjdzjGTNv/s1600/P1030219.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-IyKygqPsz-kgKwqqgqjFD5RtshyphenhyphenDVjbKId96wszTwGTH30Tf2arrqc7gHvdTC0tFG_ytbezAOz5WMFDqjJyB7Lxe3vHcKXXKq9qvm1Pqn_2pcBlmewv_QJphQtPuiM6t7yRrjdzjGTNv/s320/P1030219.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Trav and Bryce finishing up, we tried to get them to look up at the camera multiple times.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIoK_EXNyDWsYewyVWZeP2WOYf4Bo5lMcA9_WR74yTIjMaG_FOpJDvHOZm3VhYmE9_Pa-sHFWfO-War2hZNSCyvi7NZ3PG3_jZI11qrr7NOm7CKwOPw7ImgKoMSQee7GPSpO_p9oqOF_Ue/s1600/P1030220.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIoK_EXNyDWsYewyVWZeP2WOYf4Bo5lMcA9_WR74yTIjMaG_FOpJDvHOZm3VhYmE9_Pa-sHFWfO-War2hZNSCyvi7NZ3PG3_jZI11qrr7NOm7CKwOPw7ImgKoMSQee7GPSpO_p9oqOF_Ue/s320/P1030220.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">At least Travis finally cooperated. So Bryce got a muddy handprint on his bum. </div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0VfS_VfxW2HqxA0gABNwHWqDKVGhCf7H5eT8jnTJszNxqXaIgwzxUthuljv7xUJJamLqrI25y7gN2-BSY13eT5VRdS-eW5vQGKHKex0VVI2ZgifIPwuBj4ywFp4EqhOXrhy0Re0huaazc/s1600/P1030222.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0VfS_VfxW2HqxA0gABNwHWqDKVGhCf7H5eT8jnTJszNxqXaIgwzxUthuljv7xUJJamLqrI25y7gN2-BSY13eT5VRdS-eW5vQGKHKex0VVI2ZgifIPwuBj4ywFp4EqhOXrhy0Re0huaazc/s320/P1030222.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Here are the Super Sonic Cherry Cream New Guinea Impatiens and Royal Burgundy Martha Washington Geraniums</div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwmpC9OS8ClZejz3rlwzDBWycotaL_Kgs67dx8Mky-2ndHShEcznEkbNj7cIQ3V_JqxitT0ip5DNHDz5Dq3NPOdGsnVDSiaOqFPrWWhBj_Vt7bJ6XVx9yQeCZV0XRhZIAIkNF8s7PgA3mN/s1600/P1030223.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwmpC9OS8ClZejz3rlwzDBWycotaL_Kgs67dx8Mky-2ndHShEcznEkbNj7cIQ3V_JqxitT0ip5DNHDz5Dq3NPOdGsnVDSiaOqFPrWWhBj_Vt7bJ6XVx9yQeCZV0XRhZIAIkNF8s7PgA3mN/s320/P1030223.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Ta DAA!</div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5l42tdMJ-25L1buoOGfI4kEmkbe2zRJuKXrRUPOowPXzgtrc0XVy1i2lUrfuPUcXRb_98-nVs1-IXRNvVynXWRpk5HcFS_l-vnwSeHrMLLVJPLkDn6sHDgTof43C40tGO3TlMcv-_HI8M/s1600/P1030224.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5l42tdMJ-25L1buoOGfI4kEmkbe2zRJuKXrRUPOowPXzgtrc0XVy1i2lUrfuPUcXRb_98-nVs1-IXRNvVynXWRpk5HcFS_l-vnwSeHrMLLVJPLkDn6sHDgTof43C40tGO3TlMcv-_HI8M/s320/P1030224.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">More of Travis and Bryce's handiwork.</div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-sdKAg0PUbSnKComs0G8gcw6UEqwm_nSmoh-meE-fJLuV6NU1LwNbc3KqQj1C6tF6nxntj9Z3flW4qdRzlRf3Q5IO7VQBWnudypziNnBzY260GfNtS_3PE43Ec_zTm4noH20EfxH2uEM_/s1600/P1030225.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-sdKAg0PUbSnKComs0G8gcw6UEqwm_nSmoh-meE-fJLuV6NU1LwNbc3KqQj1C6tF6nxntj9Z3flW4qdRzlRf3Q5IO7VQBWnudypziNnBzY260GfNtS_3PE43Ec_zTm4noH20EfxH2uEM_/s320/P1030225.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Good job guys.</div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtlG7SCkH1o_V6JgnXfYHYQx5zVVI4pgsTHblA7iW-bQ59YotzrpSmBnqnVH1hr9a3bxmbcQqKAv22Kwv5ANMoaVTD-h3lZZ4JsILhfqDVyz0we7qdtzSt0AGxInaLVnfsvF9_N7Szdthl/s1600/P1030226.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtlG7SCkH1o_V6JgnXfYHYQx5zVVI4pgsTHblA7iW-bQ59YotzrpSmBnqnVH1hr9a3bxmbcQqKAv22Kwv5ANMoaVTD-h3lZZ4JsILhfqDVyz0we7qdtzSt0AGxInaLVnfsvF9_N7Szdthl/s320/P1030226.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Here it is after.</div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOM2k4A4kk_CCWbCninvLweiUITafquuT9aIzKhS6sXtthrSLrhrnRNeTsRbFjUwtH0A7-rOIr-hLHGHF3LVufOlSZ4vLq2HD6v2PIQYbGZiLUY7dJl4OwJPlAXfn01EfHZ23vYl_eLQLw/s1600/P1030227.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOM2k4A4kk_CCWbCninvLweiUITafquuT9aIzKhS6sXtthrSLrhrnRNeTsRbFjUwtH0A7-rOIr-hLHGHF3LVufOlSZ4vLq2HD6v2PIQYbGZiLUY7dJl4OwJPlAXfn01EfHZ23vYl_eLQLw/s320/P1030227.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">The End</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1