Memorial Day

Mike has a tradition on Memorial day to take the kids downtown to the courthouse. Today Madi was to tired so just Will and Mike road there bikes down. Little does Madi know that Mike took Will to Panera Bread to continue with the tradition.

So today a tv station aired a story about some family of mine. My step cousin (My grandma married her grandpa, but we have known each other since we were like 5 or something) is in the military. Her husband also is in the military. They are both deployed right now. Her aunt has taken in her kids and they did a great story on them.



There is an article from Military.com about her husband and some of the things he has been doing.


http://www.military.com/news/article/despite-doubts-troops-save-afghan-boy.html?wh=wh

Testimony of the Book of Mormon

Madi at the Talent Show

Madi tried out for the Talent Show and made it! She was so excited! Her Piano teacher came and they played together. She did a really good job.

A New Excercise Adventure

So March is my birthday month. And this year I knew I was ready for a change. I want to improve my life and I know that it won't happen over night (no matter how much I would like for that to happen)! So I made a commitment to myself that March was the month to make the resolutions to take the time for ME and try to improve those things that I feel need improvement. So I was looking a book I bought a while back and realized that it has 31 chapters and at the end of each chapter is a exercise to work on.

I was like oh I can do that through the month of March!! Yea. So upon reading the introduction, sure enough that is exactly what she suggests!! And as some of you may know I love Emily Watts!! She is and has been such an inspiration to me.

So today I started my journey this month. You can read about it here if you would like. Now to be fair to the author I will only have the chapter title. I will work on the suggested exercise at the end of the chapter and writing my thoughts. I suggest you go and get this book! Or any of the many Emily Watts books! Really go get one they are that good!!

Look who is being all crafty!!

So it is valentines day! Happy Valentines Day to you!! Over the last couple of days we have been in full valentines day mode. Madi had found these cute crafts to make at Michael's Crafts and Gifts. She was really excited about making them for her class mates. She also wanted to do regular valentines day cards as well. Good thing we had two days off of school so she could get them all done!!




For the kids teachers I found this idea from Martha Stewart. It was for Christmas cards so I just adapted it for Valentines Day. The Teachers loved them. There are 24 kids in each of their classes so I put 24 clothes pins on.

Two years ago we made Paint can Valentine holders and Madi loved hers. It was getting to be all beat up and she wanted a new one. So Here is Madi's!And Here is Will's
I was at Will's party so I walked down to see Madi and her teacher had already hung her wreath. I guess the kids were really excited to place there card on the wreath. Doesn't it look great!!

On Saturday the kids have basketball games. We were in charge of Will's treat. So I found this
project. We made them for Will's teammates and Madi's. I had so much fun making them we decided to make them for their Sunday primary classmates too. It was fun watching all the kids "rock" out to them!!
Breakfast was fun today. Mike made Pink milk! (can't rellay tell but it is pink and strawberry! YUM!)

I made Toast and eggs. It was fun! I thought it was a cute idea!
I even had fun with the sausage! At church today we had a speaker talk about love and how appropriate it was that the theme this week was love. He told the story of St. Valentine. I think I found the story that he read.

St. Valentine's Story

Let me introduce myself. My name is Valentine. I lived in Rome during the third century. That was long, long ago! At that time, Rome was ruled by an emperor named Claudius. I didn't like Emperor Claudius, and I wasn't the only one! A lot of people shared my feelings.

Claudius wanted to have a big army. He expected men to volunteer to join. Many men just did not want to fight in wars. They did not want to leave their wives and families. As you might have guessed, not many men signed up. This made Claudius furious. So what happened? He had a crazy idea. He thought that if men were not married, they would not mind joining the army. So Claudius decided not to allow any more marriages. Young people thought his new law was cruel. I thought it was preposterous! I certainly wasn't going to support that law!

Did I mention that I was a priest? One of my favourite activities was to marry couples. Even after Emperor Claudius passed his law, I kept on performing marriage ceremonies -- secretly, of course. It was really quite exciting. Imagine a small candlelit room with only the bride and groom and myself. We would whisper the words of the ceremony, listening all the while for the steps of soldiers.

One night, we did hear footsteps. It was scary! Thank goodness the couple I was marrying escaped in time. I was caught. (Not quite as light on my feet as I used to be, I guess.) I was thrown in jail and told that my punishment was death.

I tried to stay cheerful. And do you know what? Wonderful things happened. Many young people came to the jail to visit me. They threw flowers and notes up to my window. They wanted me to know that they, too, believed in love.

One of these young people was the daughter of the prison guard. Her father allowed her to visit me in the cell. Sometimes we would sit and talk for hours. She helped me to keep my spirits up. She agreed that I did the right thing by ignoring the Emperor and going ahead with the secret marriages. On the day I was to die, I left my friend a little note thanking her for her friendship and loyalty. I signed it, "Love from your Valentine."

I believe that note started the custom of exchanging love messages on Valentine's Day. It was written on the day I died, February 14, 269 A.D. Now, every year on this day, people remember. But most importantly, they think about love and friendship. And when they think of Emperor Claudius, they remember how he tried to stand in the way of love, and they laugh -- because they know that love can't be beaten!

Hope you have a wonderful Valentine's Day!!

BEEP!

Last night I went upstairs to go up to bed. I checked in Will's room but he was not there. So I went into my room and there he was in the middle of the bed. Well, I come over and rip off the sheets. Will sits up and looks around startled. Then looks right at me with the biggest cheesy grin and eyes squinting and says "BEEP" Looks around again eyes closed this time and says "BEEP". Then he lays down and pulls the cover over him. I was so shocked and then I started to laugh. Then I just decided to leave him there and go to sleep. Well after a few minutes Mike starts it. "Beep" Then for the next few minutes all we could do is laugh and Beep! So Beep!!!!

Conversations from the Van #7

So we were on our way to dinner and the kids were talking to each other about their old principal, Mr. Keller and their new principal, Dr. Fether. Then Madi says, "Did you know Sister Keller is a Dr. now?" (in our church we call each other brother and sister. In our ward there is a wonderful lady, Sister Keller, and the kids love her!) I said: "Well she has been a Dr. for a long time now." And this is the following conversation!

Will: Is Dr. Keller married to Mr. Keller?
Me: No Dr. Keller is not married, she has never been married.
Will: Why has she never been married?
Me: She never found Mr. Right.
Will: Well that's Daddy!!!!
As we pull into a parking space and the laughter dies down.

Will: And in a few years, I will be Mr. Right!

There really are Angels Among Us

Yesterday on the way home from school Will was hit by a van. He stepped out onto Sandridge and the van hit him head on. He was thrown to the ground on a snow bank sitting up on his butt. His shoes were knocked off of him. Apparently the van had some damage, kind of looked like it hit a telephone poll. When I got to him he was surrounded by some kind people. The Grandmother of one of Madi's class mates was holding my and covered his legs with a blanket to keep him warm. Her son called 911 and waited at the scene as well. The police and ambulance showed up quickly and kept him calm and reassured. Madi was very shook up and crying. Kirsty Sayer my neighbor and friend took her for me and went to get my coat. I got into the ambulance with Will who was being so brave. When we got to the hospital he was taken care of by several nurses. They kept him on the board and in the neck brace as a precaution. Kirsty came by with my purse and Madi. She took Madi to the Lakes so she could have fun with some kids to try to keep her mind off of all that was going on. She was still upset and concerned for her brother. While we were alone he finally broke down and cried. His first question was, "Are they going to cut me open?" With a quivering lip he was trying hard to hold back tears. I said no you are going to be fine. A few minutes later again tears rolling done his cheeks he asked, "Am I going to die?" I lost it, I said no no no no you are fine they just want to take some pictures so they know that you are ok. He then asked if we could say a prayer. I said the prayer and reassured him that when daddy got there he could give him a blessing. The doctor came in and took him off the board but left the neck brace on. He then ordered a CT scan to make sure that his liver was ok. Mike then came in and gave Will a blessing. He seamed to be reassured and less scared. Kirsty and Aaron showed up to give me my phone and let me know that Madi was safe and doing well. The grandma that came to Will's rescue came to the hospital to find out how he was doing. Will was then taken back to the CT. He was really upset about the IV that they put in. It hurt his arm and he was really uncomfortable. He did an amazing job. They gave him the contrast and he was not liking that feeling. Once we got back to the room he was just plane tired and wanted to go home. He kept telling me he just wanted to go to his bed and snuggle in his blankets. Finally the test results came back and nothing was wrong!!! So they took the brace off of Will and instantly he was back to his old self. Telling jokes and being adorable. They told us we could go but Will's pants were soaked from being in the snow. Mike took his coat and rigged it as "pants" for Will. The nurses gave us some weird looks but hey it worked and kept him warm for the ride home. Will was excited to take a short ride in the wheel chair. He thought he would get to keep it for a while, silly boy. As we were waiting for Mike to pull the car around a brother from our Ward, Brother Kelly came to the ER to check on Will. He got to push Will out to the car. When we got home we got him set up on the couch and Mike went to go get Madi. Once we were all together I was getting dinner ready and madi came running in and needed a bowl. Apparently Will still did not like the contrast because that all came out! But luckily that was it. We were all able to have dinner and relax a little. Will is home today from school. He is really sore but we are so thankful that there is no other serious injuries.

Angels were watching over him. There is no other explanation on how he could go flying and have been hit hard enough to damage a van but no harm was done to him. The Angels that showed up to help him! The angels that helped me and took care of my needs. The angel that called and were concerned for Will. I am trully grateful for my son and for all those special angels that watch over him!



I have been doing some research for a project and came across this song a few days ago. I woke up at 4:00 this morning and remembered it!

It's Girl Scout Cookie Time