Missing Young Womens

Today I was officially released from being the Beehive Advisor in Young Womens. Brother Scott Horsley told me on Mother's Day that I was going to be released. I have been in this calling pretty much since we have been in the Standley Lake Ward of the Arvada Stake and it is our first family ward which has been almost 3 years! I have LOVED every minute of my calling!! First, I think it is cruel and unusual punishment to tell me on Mother's Day that I wll be released. Scott told me after I went to get my Mother's Day pie which they do every year. He pulled me aside into the YW room and told me! The waterfall of tears started to come. He asked me if I was okay and if I was okay with being released and my answer was no. I will stay that I had a feeling that I was going to get released, but it actually kind of blindsided me because I thought it was going to be later. I found out later that as I went to go get my pie Scott went to tell Shane about him releasing me and basically trying to get preped for my reaction; Scott was nervous about it. Scott did have some reassuring words and being the master scriptorian quoted part of this scripture to me, Ecclesiastes 3:1
To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven. After getting a grip on myself and having the days after to contemplate it I realize that it was time. I can't be selfish. I have to let other women in the ward feel of the sweet, strong, virtuous spirits that the YW in our ward are and that they as well need to be enriched by other women. It was been a wonderful blessing and opportunity to watch these YW grow and mature, to be strong, steadfast and immovable in their beliefs in the Gospel of Jesus Christ! I truly have been blessed by being with them.  When they announced my name on Sunday, one of my YW, Megan Dorny, looked over at me and made a sad face, running her finger down her face like a tear. Again I started to cry. I do feel that I made a connection with these YW. I found another one of my Beehives, Abbie Speed, after church and said, "So now you'll have your mom and your advisor" and her response was, "Yeah, but I'll miss you" I also got a hug from Megan after church.  Abbie's mom said that she thinks Abbie is more sad that I'm gone than she is for her being the advisor. I found this quote by President Gordon B. Hinckley that totally reminds me of the YW.
I have said many times that I believe we have the finest generation of young people that this Church has ever known. They are better educated; they are better motivated; they know the scriptures; they live the Word of Wisdome; they pay their tithing; they pray. They try to do the right thing. They are bright and able, clean and fresh, attractive and smart. These are very substantial in number. More of them go on missions than ever before. More of them marry in the temple. They know what the gospel is about, and they are tyring to live it, looking to the Lord of His guidance and help.
Claire Heeb did a school project/paper about me, which I thought was so sweet and I was honored that out of all the people she could choose to do her paper on, she chose me for her inspirational person project.
Sarah Parker was excited to tell me this story. She was walking home from school and some boys were behind her trying to get her attention. She had one earbud in from her iPod, but could hear them and was trying to ignore them until they were just gettig on her nerves. She finally turned around and said "What do you want?" The group of boys pushed another forward, he walked up to her, stroked her arm and said "I lost my teddy bear, will you sleep with me?" At first Sarah was taken back by this than she glared at him, smiled big, got right up in his face and said "NO!" pushed him, turned on her heel and walked away. Her mom asked her when she told her, did you look back to see if he was okay since he feel off a small bridge into bramble and weeds, She said, no, his comment was rude and innappropriate! Her mom was worried that this would cause the boys to retailate at school, but Sarah said that if they saw her in the halls they would quickly look away or put their head down as they past her. I was SO excited to hear this story and that she wanted to share it with me.
The strength to stand up for what is right these girls has amazed me everyday! I was SO grateful and blessed that I was able to spend 2 days out of my week with them and I was as excited to teach and associate with them as they were to see me! I truly love these virtuous YW!

White Food

So my littlest stinker for the longest time had an aversion to white food! I know, crazy, right? Everytime I'd give him a banana in one of those mesh teethers he'd eat it, but once I cut it up and put it on his tray he wouldn't touch it, even when I tried to put a piece in his mouth he would clamp shut! But I think we have finally gotten over that. I had some pears which finally rippened so we ate them yesterday and today. I cut Declan up some and he gobbled them down.

S-T-O-P

When we walk or drive Corin asks about all the signs and wants to know what they say. We hit a few Stop signs when we drove to Preschool so he knows them very well. Lately he's been fixated on Stop signs and since we've been working on our letters it was the perfect opportunity to spell the word Stop. We talked briefly about the letters one day and  practiced writing the letters just randomly along with other letters. All he needed help with was the 'S' so I make him dashed lines to trace (do it with other letters to when he needs it)and we talked through how to make the other letters.('T' is a straight body with a long hat, 'P' is a straight body with a head). He wanted an octagon because that is a shape of a Stop sign, so I made him one (not very good, but he was fine with it) and he wrote stop inside it, with me making a dashed 'S' so he could trace it since he was having a bit of troubles getting the proper "squiggle" to it and writing the other letters all by himself.  

May 18, 2010

He wanted to spell the word Stop. So I dashed out a 'S' for him and all on his own he wrote the next letters, correctly and in order. He did it 3 times!

May 18, 2010

He made a Stop sign all on his own and wrote Stop inside all on his own!

May 19, 2010

Corin is left handed, just like me, so one challenge he had was that he made the sign itself with the paper horizontal, but when he went to to write Stop he had the paper vertical. Something I'll have to work with him on. When I write however, being lefthanded my paper is VERY turned. So I have a hard time writing on a chalkboard at church. When were writing the day before I've noticed that he started switching hands to make parts of the letters because he seemed confused and "twisted" in a sense, trying to figure out how to get the parts all made since I think sometimes he hand was blocking his view. I wouldn't mind at all if he was amidextrious, but it will take a long time for him to write if he has to keep switching hands to make a complete letter, so we'll work on keeping it in one hand. When he holds a crayon in his right hand it looks awkward, like he doesn't have complete control.

Happy Mother's Day!

It was a wonderful Mother's Day! The primary went up on the stand to sing songs. Corin REALLY wanted to talk in the microphone so he started climbing up the pulpit. Yeah, thats my child! He almost took a header off it, but good thing Scott Horsley was there (2nd Counselor in the Bishopric) and pulled him down. After when got home from church and changed we went to Shane's mom's grave. We took a picture of her with us and some tulips. Corin laid the tulips all around her grave. He told us about the temple and the angel Moroni that was on her headstone. We talked about where she was living now and sang I Am A Child of God and Give Said the Little Stream as we sat around her grave. It was a wonderful, peaceful moment there. Than we went over to my parents' house for dinner.

No idea why Corin made such a goofy face when he was asked to smile. Oh well.

JAMMIES!!

May 1, 2010

Who doesn't love jammies? They are SO comfy!! My Aunt Gloria (so Declan's great aunt...that makes her sound really old, which she's not) sent these cute jammies to Declan as a gift when he was born. They are size 12mon and he can fit into them! They are SO adorable, I LOVE them! Even Shane commented on how cute he was in them.

Corin was also out growing his jammies, so found on Target clearance rack these jammies (he is in size 4/xs in boys!) I decided to buy them a size bigger so he could wear them longer! Thats the GREAT thing about jammies, they can be big. I just took one picture of him wearing a pair (I bought 3)

April 28, 2010

Sportin'

This is Adam's favorite sport so I thought I'd take a picture of Declan rockin' a shirt! I'm not sure if he'll see this however. I've tried multiple times to get him to look at the blog of things I thought he'd especially enjoy, things that I have posted with him specifically in mind, as is the case with this picture, and than told him to look at them multiple times, but he has never commented either here, on FB, by email or text, so I don't know. This is the last shot of trying.

Well...maybe grass isn't SO bad...

Today we did some prep. work on our garden and put Declan in the grass. He kind of wimpered a bit, but than was fine. Here are the adorable pictures of him in the grass.

And of course he had to try eating some nature

A side comment: I bought these shoes a few days ago so he could get used to walking in shoes. It's SO funny to watch him because he looks like his feet are full of lead. But he is getting more used to it.

In Disguise

Corin got these glasses in his party favor bag from his friend Nick from his preschool class birthday party today that was held at Pump It Up! He had a GREAT time playing with his friends from school. When I got the invitation I was nervous about going since we had never been to a party that weren't friends with already, but decided to say yes anyway. I was glad I did! Nick's mom Renae is such a nice lady and out of the 6 that were invited from the preschool class only 2 came! She told me that Nick was excited that he was able to invite friends from school to his birthday party since he has seen his big brother do it. When we got to Pump It Up Nick yelled "CORIN!" He was excited to have Corin come. It felt do to know that my kid is liked by others. I got to chat with Renae and the other mother Jill (Jaxon is her son) a bit. Nothing too in depth, but still nice. I've seen these women from the beginning of school getting their sons and have never really chatted with them, just hellos or smiles. I actually feel that I'm somewhat reserved. I drop Corin off and pick him up never really interacting with the parents, so this was good for me and good to get out of my comfort zone. It helped that Nick's family was so nice and open. Shane picked us up and Corin told him all about jumping and fighting. They had a boxing ring inflatable with a helmet and gloves, Corin put them on and boxed with a few kids, Nick being one of them, except they decided not to put on the gloves (Nick said they were too big and didn't fit him) and box. I was a little worried, but it was in good fun and Renae was laughing the whole time and Grandma was taking pictures. It got a little too hard towards the end and we broke them up, but it was nothing mean.

Fire Station

Today the fire station which is just down the street from us was having there annual open house starting at noon. Even though this afternoon Corin has a birthday party (1-3pm) to go to for a friend from his preschool, we decided to take a walk down there. Corin was excited to go and since we got there right at noon it wasn't crowded and we could do everything before Shane picked us up to go to the birthday party and take Pippin to the vet. for his check up and shots.

We took a ride on an old firetruck. I wasn't able to get a good picture; Corin has a goofy grin and Declan turned his head. Oh well, use what I got.

They had an obstacle course for the kids to go through. Corin wanted to do it and me to go with him, but I couldn't drive the stroller through the grass so one of the firefighters took him through it. It was SO nice of him! He was also the firefighter Corin asked if he could sit in the truck. They were letting kids get in and he was standing by it, but he asked anyway.

Corin just sat chillin' in the truck. He could have stayed in there all day!