Alex’s first sleepover/Family Movie Night

Tonight is Alex’s first sleepover. His best friend Jacob is spending the night and they are super-excited!





It is also our first family story time and movie night. For tonight’s movie we chose Cars and I also got books about the movie from the library. I wanted to do a themed dinner, but I couldn’t find wheel shaped mac and cheese. We did have a leaning tower of tires aka chocolate covered donuts.



For the craft the boys each painted two Cars posters. I bought two sets complete with paint for a dollar each.

We are extremely picky about the cartoons our children watch and we will only have pre-approved cartoons for family movie night. We plan on doing family story time and movie night once a month.

Marie-Anne

Boulder City Hoover Dam Museum

We went to Boulder City to go to the Boulder City Hoover Dam Museum.



Afterwards we stopped at McDonald’s.

Library’s Summer Reading Program

Alex has completed the library’s summer reading program.



He is quite proud of his gold medal!

Marie-Anne

Meadows Mall

Yesterday we went to Meadows Mall to walk and let the kids play. I had fun playing with the settings on my phone’s camera.

Marie-Anne

Children’s Museum

This afternoon we took advantage of the Target Arts & Wonder Free Family Event to go to the Children’s Museum. We took Tamie and Jacob with us. It was very, very, very crowded, but the kids had a lot of fun.



Target Arts & Wonder Free Family Event also has free museums tomorrow. To find the free museum in your area check out the website below:

http://sites.target.com/site/en/company/page.jsp?contentId=WCMP04-031764

Marie-Anne

H-E-Buddy Summer Reading Program

Here's another Summer Reading Program:

http://www.hebuddy.com/content/pdf/readingclub.pdf

Marie-Anne

Twin Falls, Idaho

Mon.

We left home at 2 am on a road trip to Twin Falls. Both kids stayed up late and slept almost the entire trip!



We stopped at a rest stop that had info about the Pony Express, Sabrina and I walked around while Frank and Alex napped.



Later we stopped at another rest stop next to a creek where we all stretched and walked along the creek.



We arrived about lunchtime. After visiting with Uncle Robin and Aunt Vivian in their orchard we went to Grandma Donna’s house to rest up. Then we had dinner with Grandma Donna and Aunt Vivian. We enjoyed looking at family photos. Aunt Vivian is the family historian and she has lots of great stories to tell.

Tues.

We went to have lunch with Grandma Donna. We enjoyed a very good meal, but the kids were getting restless so I took them in the courtyard.



I let Sabrina play in the sprinkler, but not so much that her clothes were too wet.



Aunt Vivian took us to the Twin Falls, which the town is named after. It was absolutely beautiful!





Shoshone Falls was even more impressive! We spent a little more time here.

Sabrina fell asleep on the way to Centennial Park under the Pillar Bridge. Alex was the only one to get out at the play ground; we adults were tired so we did not mind at all.

The evening was spent at Uncle Robin’s and Aunt Vivian’s. Both kids loved the attention they got. Alex told me, “Aunt Vivian is great. Uncle Robin is great. Grandma Donna is great.”

Wed.

We had brunch with Aunt Vivian and Grandma Donna at IHOP. After that we started the long trip back.



We stopped at Humboldt National Forest to stretch and for a quick photo op, (plan on going back sometime). The scenery changed so many times during our trip-it was all so beautiful! It was a great trip. I’m glad we went.

Marie-Anne

Family Day at Lake Mead

We spent family day at Lake Mead. The tide was in and the rocks were sharp so we didn’t stay at the beach for very long.





The kids have beach shoes, but we adults do not.



Then we had a picnic. It was fun.

Marie-Anne

Border's Summer Reading Program

Alex read his 10 books for Borders’ Summer Reading Program! Yesterday we took him to get his free book. He chose Johnny Tremain, which is over 300 pages. You should have seen the look on the clerk’s face as he rang us up. I just shrugged and told him there were no beginner readers to choose from. While I’m thankful for the free book, I wonder why the reading levels of the books don’t correlate with the ages of the participants.

Marie-Anne

Barnes and Nobles Summer Reading

Alex read his 8 books for Barnes and Nobles’ Summer reading program. He chose Gorillas Gentle Giants of the Forest as his free book. The lady asked if he wanted another reading passport- I didn’t know he could get more than one free book!

Marie-Anne

Mt. Charleston

Today for family day we had a picnic at Mt. Charleston. We had a fun time at the visitors’ center and hiking. The view was spectacular.







Marie-Anne

Praying Mantis

I have wanted a praying mantis since a friend of mine caught one. Today I finally found some! I caught four and saw another one on the bush. After showing them to Alex and Frank I let all but one go. I did some research and now that I know how to take care of it we have a new pet! Alex will be helping to take care of it as part of his science class. He will also be learning about the life cycle of the praying mantis and its prey.

Marie-Anne

Yet another wonderful day at Lake Mead

After the puppet show, Alex and I took our friends Tamie and her two boys to Lake Mead. It was another fun filled day. We had a picnic then headed to the water. The boys all enjoyed themselves immensely. None of them wanted to leave.





Marie-Anne

Fratello Marionettes Carnival of Animals

We had a surprise when we got to the library for story-time. The parking lot was almost completely full. I had to p[ark in the back and I never have to do that. I had completely forgotten about the Fratello Marionettes Carnival of Animals. It was wonderful! It was so packed that those who came after us had to stand. I had never been to a puppet show like this before. If you get a chance it is worth seeing.

Marie-Anne

Legos

Alex loves Legos! He got a new 137 piece set and put it together completely by himself.

From One Father to Another

Lord, as one father to another, I seek your guidance, as my example and guide.

Help me to be firm to correct but have tenderness at all other times. Help me have the strength to teach my children courage to stand and the humility to play catch or even play house.

As I seek your wisdom, help me to provide counsel when necessary and the wisdom to hold my tongue as life teaches its wisdom to my growing children.

As you provide for me, help me to care for the little ones under my care. May Thy word guide me and Your Spirit lead me.

From one father to another.

Amen

(Written by Frank)

Happy Father's Day!

Florida

We visited family in Florida. The kids had a great time getting to know their cousins, playing the Wii, going to the mall,



playing in the pool,









going to the Science Center,





playing on the slipNslide,





playing with dogs (Sabrina put all the dog toys in the kennel and then walked in and shut the unlocked door.),





and playing in the ocean. We adults are worn out.

Frank’s Getting Out of the Boat Party

Yesterday Kelly, one of our Sunday School teachers, threw Frank a surprise “Getting off the Boat Party.” Friday was his last day on the job; he is now a full-time pastor.

Is our church big enough to support our family? No. Is our church organization paying our bills? No. Do some of our family and friends think we are crazy? Yes. Is it God’s will for him to quit? Yes.

We’ve known for about a year that God wanted Frank to quit his job. Sadly we let well-meaning friends and family talk us out of it. God didn’t tell them His plan for us. Like Peter, we looked at the wind and waves… the church is so small…what about insurance… Unlike Peter we looked at the wind and waves before jumping out of the boat.

During Conference God told us again that he wants Frank to be His employee and only His. This time we acted. Frank gave his notice and got off the job that had been taking him away from what God wants him to achieve. As Frank said God doesn’t want him working for ashes.

If God created the universe, and He did, surely He can take care of us. If God is our Father surely He wants to take care of us- He wants us to trust Him.

Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than meat, and the body than raiment? Behold the fowls of the air: for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are ye not much better than they? Which of you by taking thought can add one cubit unto his stature? And why take ye thought for raiment? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin: And yet I say unto you, That even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. Wherefore, if God so clothe the grass of the field, which to day is, and to morrow is cast into the oven, shall he not much more clothe you, O ye of little faith? Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed? (For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things. But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you. Matthew 6:25-33

Either God’s Bible is true or it isn’t. Either we believe God or we don’t.

God is not a man, that he should lie; neither the son of man, that he should repent: hath he said, and shall he not do it? or hath he spoken, and shall he not make it good? Numbers 23:19

This thing is bigger than just our family. Everybody at church knows about it. Our family knows about it. Now you do too. The believers and the unbelievers alike are watching to see what God will do.

Natural History Museum

Today we took advantage of Bank of America’s Museums on Us program to go to the Natural History Museum. This is one of Alex’s favorite museums. I’ve lost count of how many times we’ve been there, but the kids love it.





They have added an Egyptian room since the last time we were there. It was pretty nice.



Marie-Anne

WebRanger

A while back Alex became a Jr. Park Ranger at Lake Mead. He was so excited about it that I decided that he will work on becoming a web ranger over the summer. He started tonight and has already completed 15 of the 50 activities. He wanted to do more!

The reading is above his level so I read it, but he did the activities on his own. Most of the activities he did were labeled easy, but he also did a few of the medium ones without any trouble. He has not attempted any of the hard activities.

Once he completes all activities he will receive a patch. It’s free and educational so check it out:



Marie-Anne