Week 17: First Swim

This week we...

...had our first swim of 2012. It was so nice and hot we couldn't resist.

...took a washcloth nap time with baby. Lainey loves to play with my washcloths. She frequently cleans out the drawer in the kitchen and plays with them in the family room. Lately she has been using them as blankets for baby. This is her taking a nap with her baby; blankets for baby and blankets for Lainey.




...missed our neighbors. The fence is finally up. It seems we've waited so long to get it going and then, once started, to get it done. But now we miss being able to cut through the backyard to the neighbor's house. We have a fenced in backyard and area for the kids to play, but no neighbors. The other night I caught Jason climbing the fence to talk to our neighbor, Steven. It was so funny to me. So I took a picture even though it was getting a little too dark.

  
...sent mail over the fence. Our little friend Danica, who now lives behind the fence, sent us some mail. Claire found a little grocery bag by the fence and sure enough there were some cards and candy inside for the kids. What fun! We even put together our own bag and sent it flying back over. That was almost just as fun. :)

 Danica Airmail

 Danica's cute package

Benjamin checking on our return package

...had some nursery rhyme time with Paul and the Kindergarteners. It was really sweet to see them all performing nursery rhymes for their parents. Paul wasn't scared or nervous. He sang all the sangs and did all of the motions.

 Here he is with the whole group

Here's a close up of Paul and McKayla Slaugh

She's in the PM class

We played on the playground after the nursery rhyming was done. Jason got some cute pictures of the Lainey.

I absolutely LOVE this last one. I love the blurriness of her body and it made me think of how we either say or hear this a lot as parents of young children, "They grow up so fast." We all know its true...the time goes by so fast, they grow so fast, they change seemingly overnight.

...had the circus in town. The kids really wanted to go, especially since it was just behind our development at the stadium. I let them know that we didn't know how much it cost, and prepped them that we probably wouldn't be able to go. This was Paul's prayer at breakfast one morning: "We're excited for the circus. Help us find out how much it costs, and if it's too much money, that we won't be sad, but we can have fun walking down there." Classic!

Week #16: Forever Strong & Time Out

This week...

...we held our 4th annual Grandkid Luncheon. I think it turned out very well this year. We chose the field for our picture backdrop.

I love how Keaton is popping Austin's cheek
(in the back on the left)

I make them suffer through picture taking.
Then they're free.

All the kiddos enjoying the food.

We caught Allie helping herself to the Skor Cake.
And why not? It's delicious!

Shelly and Rylan
I made her wear that cute hair bow.
I thought she looked so cute.
 This is Lainey getting tired...
Find the first pair of available arms and stay there.

Our theme was Forever Strong-the life and teachings of Coach Larry Gelwix. They made a movie about Coach Gelwix and his Highland Rugby team a few years ago. I loved how it inspired me and knew that would be our theme this year. 

He started the team because he didn't have a sport to coach in the spring. Out of the first six players that tried out the first year, only one had any athletic ability. They have won the National Championship 19 times, finished second five times, and third once. His win/loss record since 1975 is 379-9. He has a strict honor code that the players sign - no lying, cheating, stealing; no drugs, alcohol, or immorality. The kids and I brought out that the honor code sounds a lot like the commandments and the For the Strength of the Youth Pamphlet. 

He has many "Gelwixisms" that he uses constantly with his team...these are the ones that I focused on:

Be forever strong on the field,

so you can be forever strong off the field.

Don't do anything to embarrass

you, your family, or your team.

 

Championships aren't won at the tournament,

that's just picking up the trophy.

They are won in February, March, and April.

Here's a few others I liked, but didn't have time to use:

It's not about building championship teams,

it's about building championship boys.

Good decisions don't make life easy,

but they do make life easier. 

You have two years to serve the Lord, 

and a lifetime to think about it.

Practice doesn't make perfect,

practice makes permanent.

Larry Gelwix is currently serving as the Mission President for the California Fresno mission. Cool! I wish I could be in his mission

...I went to Time Out for Women in Spokane with my sisters. It was so much fun! This was my first year and I already can't wait until next year in Seattle.

Cherice, me, Shelly, Julie (my SIL), Diane (Julie's mom), Delyane (Julie's SIL)

Cherice Loves shoes

She tried on many pairs

  These are the ones that I wanted Cherice to buy

(modeled by Shelly)

This is where we ate dinner.
It was delicious and fun; my first Melting Pot experience.

Before we left Spokane, we sampled some of Celebrations' delectable cupcakes. Yum!

...We worked on the fence before I left for the weekend. Jason's dad and friend, Tim, helped us out a ton.
 

 ...Jason put the whole fence up while I was gone. This is what I came home to. They did start staining on the right side, but the left still has to be done, and the gates.