Our Little Family

Thursday, May 22, 2014

Bragging on Kate...still!

Ok, I know it's been a little Kate over-kill right now, but it is my blog, and she is a senior, and she is graduating from high school, and she is pretty amazing, so a couple of more posts, then I might move on, or link you up over to her blog, where she can tell you how great she is...HA!HA! Anyways, I tell you Kate is pretty terrific, and some of these pictures are from one of the Scholarship Banquets, where she was awarded as one of the "Comcast Leaders and Achievers" and awarded with a $1,000 scholarship! She was the winner from our school! We were invited to a luncheon at the Capitol, where they awarded all of the winners. It was really nice!

She also won a laptop! (lucky girl!)

Kate was also awarded a Sons of Utah Pioneer's Scholarship, and the Honors Diploma, and a few enrichment cords, for attendance, and activities, and the National Honor Society Hood!

(Sometimes a mama has got to do a little bragging!)

Wednesday, May 21, 2014

Kate's last Show Choir Concert

When you are graduating from High School, a lot of things come to the end, and some are hard to say goodbye to. And one of those things is Show Choir! My heart has been overwhelmed when I see my girl up on that stage, accompanying a whole choir! I get so nervous, I can't play in church, I can barely play for my family for family home evening, because it seems, that no matter how hard I practice, once people start singing, I fall apart! Thank goodness that hasn't been the case for my Kate! She's done a fantastic job, and I'm sad to see it go.

Kate and Kaitlyn have been friends, ever since the Turner's moved into our ward, when Kate was 4! We did pre-school together, and much more...then we moved away in 4th grade, they picked right back up as friends in Junior High, and have stayed pretty close ever since!

So grateful for the times we've had! Also grateful for this cute Kelsie (aka best friend)! She's going to be Kate's College Roommate!!

Monday, May 19, 2014

A big day!

Sunday, May 18th was a big day at our house! Kate and Afton both received their Young Womanhood Recognition Award and Medallions! and Kate graduated from Seminary! Kate was asked to do a musical number for the program that was held at the Stake Center, for those who graduated from Seminary in our Stake. She played a piano solo "Let Us All Press On" and did a beautiful job! Her friends, Kelsie and Hunter also spoke. They did a great job! The Spirit was so strong, and you could feel the testimonies that they've gained and grown during their lifetime and in Seminary. Kelsie, Kate, and Talyia...these three have been good friends for a while now! They are both in our ward and they have been there, loved, and supported each other since 4th grade! How grateful I am for them!

Jessica McCubbins, Talyia Fordham, Hunter Hoffman...great friends!

Talyia, Kelsie, Jarom, Katelyn, and Kate...part of our ward that graduated!

So proud of both of my girls! I am so grateful for the programs in the Church, to help us grow, and become better people!

Monday, May 12, 2014

Madre's day

I am so blessed to have these kiddos in my life! They are my life! They are my joy! They are my light! Each year on Mother's day, I force my kids to take a picture with me! Jocelynn is growing up so fast! She is now a young woman!

Afton keeps me laughing and keeps me grouchy! I love her so much, and I'm so proud of her!

This girl of mine is all grown up! She amazes me every day!

I turned around one day, and my little boy was taller than me! What a man he is becoming!

I am so blessed and so glad that they are mine! There are no better kids in all the world! They make me proud in everything they do! I love to see and hear their minds expanding, and their testimonies grow! I am so blessed to be a mother!

Friday, April 25, 2014

Easter and Days off of school

Since I'm still playing cath-up, I thought I'd share some pictures from Easter Sunday, and some days that we had off of school, when we visited the Salt Lake Temple Grounds, and had a picnic at the Gilgal Sculpture Garden, and enjoyed a beautiful spring day!

Sure was beautiful!

Saturday, April 5, 2014

Afton is 16!!

Afton turned 16 on President's Day this year...which meant NO SCHOOL! She had a surprise birthday breakfast, with about 10 of her friends. We had cinnamon rolls, and chocolate chip pancakes, and they all had a good time visiting with each other.

After her friends left, we opened presents, and got ready...

to go to the Grizzlie's Hockey Game...which was packed! Who knew! It was our first time at a hockey game. We had a good time, but it wasn't as exciting as some hoped it would be.

We then headed up to Midway for the Ice Castles...it was supposed to last a lot longer, but since we haven't had a very wintry winter, it was going to be the last day. We stood in line for what felt like hours! It might have been only 90 minutes, but it was still long, and then the snow went down, and it was cold!

The ice castles were really pretty. The big highlight was getting their pictures with Anna and Elsa from "Frozen", but I'm not sure where those pictures went! It was fun! We were glad we got the opportunity to go.

We had a fun day celebrating Afton's 16th Birthday! I can't believe how fast time has gone by, and what a beautiful, smart, wonderful young lady Afton is. She has determination. She has a testimony. She makes herself giggle, and us too! And I'm so glad I am blessed to be her mother.

Tender Mercies and The Prom

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Do you know that Heavenly Father hears and answers your prayers? And blesses you in ways you didn't even think of? Well, I do. I know He answers our prayers, no matter how silly in the whole scheme of life, they are. Kate was asked by Jordan Jenkins to go to this year's Prom, he is the Student Body Historian, which is really fun, since she is Senior Class Historian. He filled her car with balloons, and had the letters of his name, in them. With a poster with "PROM?" It was really vute. They stole her keys from her bag, during their student government class. She thought I already knew, since I was at the school subbing that day, but I had no idea! Heavenly Father answers our prayers, even when we think he doesn't. Jordan was recently called to serve in the Toronto Canada Mission, CHINESE speaking, he leaves sometime this summer. They had a group of only 2 couples, but they had a really good time. They had pizza on the golf course, then drove to Provo, and did a rope's course. They then went to Ikea, and did some version of hide and seek. They didn't get home until about 5:30, and left again around 6:45. Kate found her beautiful dress at a local store called "My Best Friend's Closet", they sell both new and used clothes. We had another beautiful dress, but it was white, and not "poofy", not what she wanted, so we decided it would be fun to go and look, and we were blessed with a very tender mercy. They had some dresses, outside, that we saw first, she saw this one, and loved it. It was marked $150.00, not bad, I guess, but still...there were other dresses out there that were marked $10.00, we took all of the dresses she liked, and some she didn't, and took them in, to try them on. We were then also directed to the brand new dresses, which she looked at, but really had her eye on that raspberry sparkly one. She tried on the raspberry sparkly one, and it fit beautifully! It was also altered a little bit, to be more modest. She loved it! She tried on other dresses, but she already knew she found the one! The one was only $10.00!! There were some beads that were pulled off, and the extra piece, on the back, to make it more modest, was coming loose, but those things we knew we could fix, and for $10.00, we figured she could change her mind if she wanted...but she didn't. She was happy with it, and it is beautiful!! Another tender mercy...we'd been looking for shoes, nothing was quite what we were looking for, until we stopped at Wal-Mart one day, there were some silver sparkly ones, but they were a kids size 6, she tried them on anyway...they fit! $7.00, on clearance. We are blessed. We decided we could splurge on hair, so I bought extentions, and clipped them in, with the help of a professional,we had them blended in, and she looks so beautiful with long hair (with short hair too, but long hair really is nice!) I spent a lot of time fixing those beads on her dress, putting extentions in, stressing out, and in the end, it was all worth it. She had a wonderful night and looked like a million dollars, though really I know it's her inner beauty shining through. She is the hardest worker I know. She has such integrity, she is kind, thoughtful, and always willing to help. She is wonderful, and amazing. They hold the Prom, at the Capitol Building in Salt Lake.