Kids.... they can drive me nuts, but I do love them

This is a random blog about my kids and the things they say and do that amuse me. I have other more inspiring ideas to blog about, but I am too lazy to use that kind of mental power after all.

-Jacob has been fascinated by Heavenly Father and how much He knows. Jacob has also decided that Jacob knows as much as Heavenly Father. Jacob says he also knows as much as our karate instructor. Who knew? I guess Jacob doesn't suffer from any ego issues.

- I am pretty sure the character of Flint Lockwood from the "Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs" movies is based on Jimmy. Jimmy has a brilliant mind, always learning, absorbing facts and wanting to know how things work. He is constantly taking things apart. He is a smart kid. And he constantly cannot find his shoes. I am sure Jimmy, like Flint, will one day discover how to make permanent shoes so that he will never lose them again. He will be our mad scientist that makes some huge discovery. It won't be too hard since Jacob already calls Jimmy a "scientist" and, as we already discussed, Jacob does know everything.

- What happens to girls at around age 11 that causes them to take FOREVER in the shower and getting ready? It's not like there is make-up to be put on, legs to be shaved, or hair to be dried. So why does getting ready in the morning take so long? What does one do in the shower for 25 minutes? I mean, I like a hot shower or bath as much as the next person, but I also like to not be a prune. And how is it my fault one is late for the bus when said person is the one who took forever getting ready? What has caused this mysterious change in my otherwise sweet daughter? Will we ever get her back?!

- Marshall and I have started this fitness program called "Just 6 Weeks". It is designed to help one improve their sit-ups, push-ups, squats, etc in just six weeks. The cover of the app looks like this:

My girls have Kindles and their accounts are connected with Marshall's. They had seen this picture for a few weeks. They asked this week if they could start the program with us and so we got it all set-up on their Kindles. And they were amazed that this picture is the cover of the app. Why? Because when they saw the picture on their Kindles, weeks ago, they thought it was the cover to a book I was reading! Right... because I always read books with naked men on the cover. Seriously?! What do they think of me? We had a good laugh over that.

- I find it amazing that my other daughter seems to be haunted by a ghost. It does no harm to her, just the people around her. Someone will get hit, kicked, or punched and she has no idea how it happened, even though she was the only other person around. Conclusion: it must be a ghost.

Despite it all, I love my monkeys. They keep me laughing, crying, and on my feet!

Angry Birds Blue & Gold

I love my calling. I never thought I would love it as much as I do, but I think I have one of the funnest callings in the church.

Last year I was called as Cub Master right before the Blue & Gold Banquet. (Amazingly, I didn't kill our bishop at the time.) Since there was little time to plan, I just went with what had already been decided and did my best to do my calling that I was clueless about. But in the back of my mind I knew what I wanted to do the following year for the banquet.

It took some planning and making of various decorations, but we pulled it off and it turned out to be an awesome success. We had an Angry Bird themed banquet. To save on the budget, I made the decorations that I got ideas for from the Internet. We had our traditional pizza dinner with home made root beer and kept it all low key. It was great!

We started the banquet with letting the boys decorate cakes, one for each den. It was all done in true boy style with lots of candy and scary colors. The boys had a blast. Then we had our dinner and a little program, followed by playing a real Angry Birds game. I had had my leaders save empty food boxes and containers and had one team stack them up and hide stuffed green piggies in them. I had the other team us a sling shot to launch stuffed Angry Birds and plastic balls at the box structures. It was awesome and everyone had a great time.

I love my calling as Cub Master. It is a blast. And I am even more excited to have my Jimmy in the program now as well. Cub Scouts is all about the boys.

Cake decorating. Love the colors!

Stacking boxes for the game.

Rachel and Marshall launching Red

Table decorations and coloring sheets

Food table

Jimmy's Birthday!

I realized I never posted pictures of Jimmy's birthday for those of you who don't do Facebook. Man, what a nice mom! Jimmy had a great birthday. Darci took him out to lunch the Saturday before his birthday, then we had his party at the karate studio, and dinner out at a Chinese buffet. Jimmy was so excited to speak to one of the waitresses in Chinese, but then clammed up when the chance came. Our waitress was more than happy to speak with him.

Monday, his birthday, was also Martin Luther King, Jr. Day. Jimmy thought it was so cool that school was closed just for his big day. We all know how much Jimmy loves school. (insert sarcasm). We celebrated by going on an awesome hike with Marshall's parents and  his brother and wife and their kids. Then a bonfire at Grandma's followed by a bbq. Sweet! Jimmy had a great day.

Ever the inquisitive mind, Jimmy got a big book with "5,000 Facts about Everything", a science kit to make glow-in-the-dark stuff, a BB gun (which he picked out to buy with his birthday money from all his grandparents), and more wax for his Hot Wheels car maker. Needless to say, there has been a lot of experimenting and what not going on around here ever since.

Since he is now 8, aside from getting baptized, which you already read about, Jimmy is now a Cub Scout. I held Cub Scouts at our house this past week to introduce all our new little Wolves to the program. They were so cute and excited. I have caught Jimmy reading his Wolf book throughout the week, anxious to learn more about scouts. It makes my calling as Cub Master even that more awesome to see the boys so excited to join.

Anyhow, we love Jimmy and he is a part of the family. Whether or not he survives the next 8 years and all his experiments is still debatable!

 Cutting the cake with a Samurai sword

Minecraft Legos! (I don't understand the big deal about that game)

The big book on everything!

Love this shot of him from our hike.

 Happy Birthday!

Jimmy's Baptism

Today was a very special day as it was Jimmy's baptism day. I cannot believe he is 8! He was so excited/ nervous for his big day. He did a wonderful job and it was great to have his father baptize him. I really cherish having a worthy priesthood holder in the home.

We had a lot of friends and family show up for the baptism, including neighbors, cousins, grandparents, aunt and uncle, Primary teachers, and even school teachers. Yes, both of Jimmy's school teachers came and gave him gifts. His one teacher gave him a $2 bill, not to spend, but to use as a bookmark in his scriptures so that he can remember that, just like the $2 bill, his scriptures are rare and precious. His sweet Mandarin teacher gave him the Book of Mormon in Mandarin. She even wrote her testimony in the inside, but Jimmy will have to keep learning Chinese to decipher it. What special gifts and wonderful teachers!

Jimmy's Granddad McConkie and Marshall both were able to bear testimony and teach some doctrine. It was wonderful. Granddad talked about how Jimmy now has been reborn and is new. Also how he has to think of others now. Marshall paid Jimmy a tender compliment by telling him that he is the most giving person he knows and Marshall knows Jimmy will not have a problem thinking of others. It is very true. Jimmy has a heart as big as his endless appetite and is always giving up things for others.

It was a beautiful special day and I am so glad we could share it with friends and family. The Gospel is true and no greater happiness can be found than through living it.