Fashion Show

I read an article once that stated it is important to have many types of friends.  It stated that you should have friends that are single, friends that are married, friends that are married with kids, friends that are foodies, friends that are book worms, friends that like to go out.  Anyway, you get the point. :)  I have one friend that is amazingly creative and fashion savvy (among other things).  It is so fun to talk clothes and make-up and sewing projects with her.  She came up with this fun idea to go to a fashion show in Cleveland.  It was a blast!

  

 Check out these crazy shoes!

Marilyn got hit on by a guy while we were there! Ha!  She's still got it! :)

Dayton Airforce Base

This has been a bucket list item for Dave and I.  It was like heaven for Dave.  He could have stayed all day long.  It was pretty cool.

 

Side note:  We ate lunch under a pavilion.  Corbin said very nonchalantly, "Mom, you have a spider on your eyebrow."   me: "Hmmm? What?"   Corbin: "I said you have a spider on your eyebrow."  me: "WHAT!!! (screaming ensues)  Sure enough, a huge black spider came to make friends with my eye brow.  I hate spiders.

Book of the Week

HEAVEN IS HERE
(May 14, 2012)

How could I not read this book?  I've read Stephanie Nielson's blog and love it.  And I loved this book too.  It is what it is.  It's basically a journal of her life right before and up until a year after her accident.  I love that she loves, love. :)  If that makes sense.  She loves her husband.  She loves her children.  She loves God.  It is made clear in this book.  I kind of wanted to know why the plane crashed though (didn't you?!!).  And there was no clear answer in the book.  Also, this book emphasized to me the importance of human interactions and support from family and friends.  She had so much support around her, like a little cocoon of love. 

Book of the Week

MAY 2012 GENERAL CONFERENCE ENSIGN
(MAY 7, 2012)

A few years ago our Relief Society presidency challenged the women in our ward to read the entire General Conference Ensign.  I've read  every General Conference edition since.  I love knowing that we have prophets in our day and age.  The same as it was in the Bible.  I love reading the words and knowing from them that God is real. That He has a plan.  That He loves His children and that through Jesus Christ we can all return and live with him again someday.  When I have days that are hard, that message is sometimes the only thing that can get me through. 

Book of the Week

NUMBER THE STARS
(April 30, 2012)

My son, Trevor, read this in his 3rd class.  He loved it.  I love Lois Lowry and wanted to read it for myself.  I'm glad I did.  I just really like her writing and this book actually had a nice complete finish to it.  It is a book about the Holocaust and the effects of it in Denmark.  It is amazing the bravery and compassion that some people possess.  I think they were able to smuggle over seven thousand Jewish people out of Denmark and into Sweden to safety. 

Sweet Moses!!

A bunch of friends have mentioned to me that this ice cream and soda shop is cute and fun and yummy.  I have to agree.  We will go again. 

The Sweet Moses Ice Cream shop

Trevor INSISTED on a double scoop of ice cream.  He used all the important manipulation tools that children have, including: the fact that he was old now and could handle it; puppy dog eyes; maybe a few tears...

He was not able to finish this monstrosity.  Maybe next time... :)

Favorite sister missionaries

Did I mention I love these sisters missionaries?  I do.  Our family has had so much fun getting to know them and having them over for dinner.  They are kind and dedicated and loving and are a great example to my children.  I want them around all of the time!  Sister Bills is leaving today and we are sad.  We are so glad she is coming back in June for a visit!  We can't wait.  We are SO GLAD Sister Tokanaga is not finished yet!  We get to keep her for at least another 6 weeks.  Yay!!

Book of the Week

MESSENGER
(April 23, 2012)

I really love the way Lois Lowry writes.  I love her style and what she chooses to write about.  Her concepts are always deep and meaningful.  I love that.  I don't love her endings every time, though.  This book would have been SO GOOD had she not stopped writing it in the middle.   The plot was intriguing and different.  The character development was going so well, and then...nothing.  It is as if she ran out of time or energy to finish this book and all of a sudden it just ended. There is so much more to this story that I felt was left unanswered.  But maybe that was the point...I don't know! 

Mother's day

I loved my mother's day!  The kids made me a cute note on the Lite Brite that said, "Happy Mother's day mom!"  They also made me little cards.  Dave made breakfast and dinner and Ashlyn made me the necklace I am wearing in this picture.  I was kind of spoiled.  And I kind of loved it.  The kids also custom designed a necklace for me from Origami Owl.  I adore it. 

Chagrin Falls!!

 Day out with Corbin and friends...

 We ate popcorn, ice cream and had bagels for lunch. 

 

 

 We fed the ducks and geese.

ALOHA!!!

We attended a Luau that our missionaries and ward mission leaders put on at our church.  It was such a fun event and the decorations and food were amazing!  Our family got asked to help participate in the hula and haka and it was a lot of fun!!!

 The missionaries came up with THE CUTEST skit.  It involved a plane crash and two lost travelers.  I have to say that Sam and Katie were the BEST actors of all time!! 

 These are pictures of the kids performing "Pearly Shells"

Pearly Shells, Pearly Shells

From the Ocean, from the Ocean

Shining in the sun, shining in the Sun

Covering the shore, covering the shore

When I see them, when I see them

My heart tells me that I love you

More than all those little pearly shells, pearly shells.

Such a cute little Hawaiian song!

  Me and the sister Missionaries (my most favorite people ever)

 Dave got asked to cut and then husk a coconut. 

 He readily agreed.  :)

During the skit, the coconut water accidentally got spilled on the stage which resulted in an angry chastisement from our Bishop (yikes!) and a demand for Dave to rent a steam vac and clean it.  We are confident Dave will be called as the next Building clean up coordinator due to this incident. :)

 Dave and some other guys in our ward performing the Haka.

 The missionaries in our area.  We LOVE them!!

Side note:  Ashlyn won 3rd place in best Hawaiin costume.  It was exciting! :)  She won a gallon-sized jug of fruit punch and my kids drank it all in one day.

camping at Hocking Hills!

Dave had the week off last week so we took our first ever family camping trip with just our family! Don't get me wrong...we go camping at least a couple of times a year but we are usually with extended family or friends.  This time it was just us and it was so fun.  I've decided we need to go on one family camping trip a year.  Last week the tradition officially started.

So, when we were hiking in Hocking Hills, Dave and I thought we stepped out of the real world and into a Disney movie, no joke.  The trees and grass were lush and green.  There were birds chirping in the distance.  You could hear the trickling of a nearby stream and then as if on cue...a dear came trouncing by!!  We saw Bambi!  We were waiting for Sleeping Beauty to make her appearance as well.  

 We ate tin foil dinners!  YUM.

 We saw butterflies up close.

 Ashlyn felt very zen. :)

 The kids threw hundreds of rocks into the water.

 A cardinal loved our campsite and made regular appearances for food.

 The rock formations were AMAZING!