Grandpa and Grandma Come to Visit

We loved the visit from Grandma and Grandpa. It was so much fun. They flew down from a snowstorm in N. Dakota to sunny AZ to visit. We went to the river and Grandma climbed a tree with the girls. We also caught some fish in buckets and climbed all over big rocks.




Grandma made bubbles and big bubble makers with the girls. They made bubbles as big as they were. We went swimming with Grandma too.

Anna helped Grandma pick out stiches on the swimsuit Grandma fixed for Elise. Anna said, “I just love picking out stiches.” She really enjoyed helping Grandma at that. Elise loved showing Grandma how well she can say her letters. Grace liked relaxing on Grandpa’s lap playing games on the tablet with him.


Grandma made cookies with words in them with the girls and we dyed Easter eggs. It was even Grandpas birthday which the girls loved celebrating with him. Anna and Elise even decorated his chair and wrapped him a present. They put re-lighting candles in his birthday cake too as a surprise.

Grandpa read them, “Hyrum’s  Red Shirt.”

Soccer

Anna and Elise are now playing soccer and it is great to watch. We hope you enjoy this video.

What was your Favorite Christmas Gift?

The other day someone asked the girls what their favorite Christmas gift was. They thought about it for a moment. Anna said, "My Frozen stickers." I was surprised, as that was probably the smallest, least expensive gift she got. She really does love them and sticks Elsa and Anna stickers on her dresses and papers and such all day. She loves them. For a child it is all about the simple joys of life. They don't need anything big or fancy.

Elise was also asked the question and in her cute little Elise voice she said in excitement, "The sparkly headbands that I gave to Anna." I was humbled and touched, I thought she would say something she got, yet she mentioned the one thing she gave. That was Elise's favorite, most memorable gift for Christmas. The gift we let her go to the store and pick out, wrap up, and give to her sister. That is what she remembered and was most excited about. That was her favorite Christmas gift.

I guess I can learn from these little children to take joy in the small simple things of life and to remember that joy comes from giving, not getting.

You can’t catch me I’m the Gingerbread Man

Elise decided she wanted to bring reindeer puddings and gingerbread men for her preschool snack. At night Kent made a few batches of gingerbread men (Stub Toe Joe cookies – a mild type of cookie similar to gingerbread) with the girls.

Mama promised the girls she would put the gingerbread men away as soon as they were done cooling because we had read a story about ginger bread men running away. But Mama forgot to put three of them away before bed, two gingerbread men and a small gingerbread bear; she accidentally left them out!! Uh oh!

The next morning Mama said, "Girls, did you eat your gingerbread men I left you on the table?" The girls said, "No, mama, we didn't." Mama said, "Then where are they?" Then we spotted a note on the table....

We ran to the raisin container and we only saw this.

Oh no! We ran to the doll bed and only found this and a few raisins.

We ran to the Christmas tree and up in one of the branches we found this. Darn they got away again! 

We ran to the scale and found this.

But don't you worry we finally caught those little running men in the drawer that holds the girls tea party stuff. They were getting ready for a party with raisins and tea party set. The girls ate those little cookies up as fast as they could so they could not get away again!

Grace's First Birthday Party

Grace's had her first birthday this week! She almost enjoyed her birthday as much as her sisters enjoyed her birthday. It is amazing that it has been a year since she was born. We just love this little, cute girl. She brings so much joy into our lives. I made her a chocolate pudding cake with whipped topping and a yummy potato ham soup for dinner. She ate so much of her dinner she wasn't hungry for the cake, but enjoyed playing with it anyway. Nana and papa came over to help us celebrate and she recieved a very fun package from Grandma and Grandpa Slack. Happy Birthday little Gracie.

Opening Presents

Eating Cake

Two Girls in a Boat - Then and Now

Then

Now

Phoenix Temple Open House and the Agave

We went to the Phoenix Temple open house. This is the 2nd Temple open house that we have had the privilege to take our girls to, this year. It is a beautiful temple and like the Gilbert Temple has the agave symbolism throughout the temple. The girls really liked seeing it. Elise especially liked the baptismal font that was "sitting on the oxen's backs and the oxen had horns." She clarified to me that they were not real oxen but just pretend oxen.

Anna especially liked seeing the sealing rooms. Her part in the sacrament meeting program this year goes: "Temple marriage is a priesthood ordinance and strengthens my family." When we saw the sealing room I told her it was here that temple marriage takes place and showed here where the bride and groom kneel over the alter to get married. I showed her the mirrors that represented eternity. She was very interested and loved it.

The Phoenix Temple uses the agave flower as a design throughout the temple, just as the Gilbert Temple used the agave plant as it's theme. I have been thinking about why these temples use the agave plant and it's flower, I don't know exactly but I have learned a few beautiful things about his plant. 

1) The agave can represent new life, eternal family, and the influence of generations. As new leaves come forth, the old ones die away. On many agave, the older leaves leave their imprint on the next generation of leaves and the newer leaves also leave impressions on the older.  

2) The agave plant only blooms once in it's life. Throughout its life it builds up and stores energy/ starch in it's center. When the agave is fully mature, it gives all, literally all, of it's energy and strength to raising it's tall beautiful arm to the heavens to glorify God. Then with no energy left it dies. What a beautiful image. 

This morning during my early morning run, I ran by an agave plant with it's flower reaching the sky in all it's glory. I stopped to look at it and I thought: it truly is fulfilling the measure of it's creation.