Saving Money

http://www.rd.com/advice-and-know-how/saving-money-during-hard-financial-times/article58346-2.html

Father and Son Campout

This weekend Mark and Danny took Collin to our wards Father and Son campout. Mark said that Collin had so much! Collin looks so old in these pictures that it makes me want to cry.

Roasting Marshmallows

Last weekend we went over to my parents house and roasted marshmallows in their back yard. Mark roasted them over this little fire pit that my dad has. The kids loved it! We had Owen that night and he was so funny! He kept stealing marshmallows out of the bag that my mom was holding when she wasn't looking. Don't you love Collin's stylin' Hulk pajamas? My dad bought them for him and he thinks he is the coolest kid around when he wears them.

Japanese Gardens

Yesterday Mark and I got brave and took the kids to the Japanese Gardens at the UW arboretam. It was so hot and of course Quinn refused to sit in her stroller so we were all so tired by the time we left but it was absolutely beautiful. The kids loved seeing giant gold fish and turtles in the pond and crossing the water on the stone bridges.

Talent Show

Collin & Gracie sat in the back and pigged out on junk food the whole time

Collin in front of his display


Collin's "pretend" cooking pictures

Tonight was our ward's primary talent show. All the kids were so cute! Collin's talent was cooking. I had it all planned out to make cookies and take pictures and put together an awesome display for him but I was so tired that I just took pictures of him pretending to cook and then bought cookies at the grocery store. I know, totally lame, but I think that we fooled everyone. Collin was SO excited and talked the whole way there, but then acted super shy once we got inside. I could barely get him to look up let alone smile for the pictures. He really did have a blast even though you wouldn't know it by looking at him.

Visiting Teaching Activity

Our relief societ recently had a visiting teaching activity. Someone from our ward sang the most beautiful song from the broadway Wicked. Scroll down and check it out at the very bottom of the page. They also gave us this poem which I love!

The Awakening

"I'm only a visiting teacher," she

said, and her head hung low.
"I'm really not very important, I

guess I'll not go.
I'm sure that no one will miss

me, no one will really care.
I'll see to my work this morning,

instead of going there."

So she hurried around all morning,

her home was polished and swept;
then stopping to rest for a moment,

she sat in her chair and slept.
And scarce had her eyelids fluttered,

before a vision came to her sight;
And standing there before her was a

personage clothed in white.

She saw in His hands the nailprints,

His brow where the thorns had lain.
His side where the sword had pierced it;

His face with its look of pain.
"I gave you some work to do,"

it seemed she heard Him say,
"You thought it of no importance,

so you stayed home today."

"You did not deliver my message;

you did not feed my sheep.
You only slept and polished

and stayed at home to sleep."
"Oh, Master," she cried, "Forgive

me, that I should fail to see.
Had I done it unto the least of these,

I'd have done it unto thee."

-Anona Tomlinson Peterson

Central WA Softball Team

http://blog.oregonlive.com/breakingnews/2008/04/the_best_tale_of_sportsmanship.html