It's Great to be 8!

We officially have an 8 year old! In our family, 8 years old is a special age. When you turn 8, you have the option to become a member of our church; The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. If you choose to do this, then you get to be baptized!

This is an exciting time for us! I've planned an event or two in my day, but nothings quite pulled on my heartstrings as much as this one. It's made me stop and reflect back on the past 8 years and realize how fast life flies by, and what's important, and what is not. I'm so thankful for this time i've had to plan this upcoming night out with my girl. It feels like just yesterday when I held her and dressed her in her tiny, perfect, white dress to receive her baby blessing. Where did the years go?

Baby dress & Baptism dress

So in a few short weeks, she will be getting baptized at our HOME! What a special thing for her to be able to say she did. Right in this very pond that we catch fish in (Don't worry, it's well cleaned…we think) We like to keep it real in our family too, I guess! I'm excited to watch it happen, and to be able to look out my window every day and know my girl got baptized in "that" pond. Isn't it those types of things that turn a house into a home?

Really, i'm just so excited for her. She is the kindest, most considerate and compassionate person I know. She may not be the best at keeping organized, or staying motivated, keeping her room cleaned, or putting her shoes away (haha), but you will never meet a kinder soul. I treasure her with all my heart and am so proud of who she is becoming. I just can't believe 8 years is finally here though. Somebody pinch me. Don't get me wrong, i'm not an "everything is roses" type of mom, but there's just some moments in life that make you take a step back and reflect.

I'm excited to see where life takes her, and how she grows. She will do wonderful with this next step in her life, and we're anxiously awaiting August 6th! Love you sweet girl! Now please stop growing up!

4th of July Blowout Bash!

Both mine and my husbands family's are insanely patriotic. Mixed with that, and the fact that our daughters birthday is on the 5th of July, I guess it became inevitable that we celebrate by throwing an enormous bash. This is our third year and running on this party and it is loads of jam packed, Star-Spangled fun! It's exhausting but always worth it in the end to celebrate so many things we love and be with those we love as well. After having returned from a third world country just 1 day before this party, let's just say we truly appreciated the meaning of America this year. Here's all the fun we had for memories sake and to benefit anyone out there looking for some fun party ideas. First up; The FOOD

Mini Jello

Our traditional cookie hamburgers. Also pictured; food baskets and patriotic lining for the grub

RWB Fruit Salad

Layered punch & Cracker Jacks make you feel real patriotic!

We grilled up Hamburgers, and hot dogs and after we ate, we started playing some games/activities. I had a service project for the kids to write letters to our troops and we collected items that they requested, and sent a whole bunch of toothbrushes/toothpaste/floss from all of these kids dads.

Package for US Troops

Next we got into some serious All-American game playing! These kids were true competitors

After, we played Messy Tug-of-War, which was basically a disgusting mess of pudding and every type of Red, White, and Blue gummy that could be found on the store shelves.

One of our favorite things to do in the summer is blow up Diet-Coke with Mentos. A huge waste of $$, and a major mess. The American way. Each kid got to take a geyser tube and pack of Mentos home. If you have not checked out the Steve Spangler Science website yet, you need to do it ASAP. The Halloween party kit is killer too!

The fun didn't stop there...

Look at this cute baby!

No doubt, one of the kids favorite things we did was rent this dunk tank. It makes me so sad that I couldn't get better pictures from this party. I feel like there was so much fun on this, and all over, that I missed. Being in charge of everything and trying to take photos is not recommended. Next year, I need to hire some help if we do this again!

Pretty table setting

Probably the crowning "piece of fun" from the party was this waterside and slip-n-slide. I couldn't help but giggle out loud watching everyone go down it. Insanely fast, maybe a bit dangerous, and the ultimate toy for a kid. Definitely my favorite part of the night was watching my mom go down it with her dog! The kids didn't quite know if that was weird, or completely awesome! hahah Major win for the slip-n-slide. #godblessamerica

We also had Sno-cones, complete with a menu made by the Birthday girl...

A piñata filled with glowsticks, kid fireworks, poppers, and all things 4th of July. Thank you Summer!

 And a pie-eating contest for the books. It was hilarious! Thank you Holly!

And let's not forget the dad's that participated in the pie-eating contest now. Yes, this happened.

Here are some of the party favors, however this picture is awful, but don't want to forget the idea. A friend of mine made up these firework fun bags. Probably the coolest things in them were these 3D firework glasses. I found them at Hobby Lobby, and I saw this same link on Amazon prime before the 4th. I bet that will come back up next year. They were INCREDIBLE! Let me tell you! So much fun and made the firework show total 3D. Mix these bags with a Playlist from the party, and some poppers, and we had the ultimate take home loot!

And let's not forget the whole reason we even had this party. For this sweet girl here. This Ice Cream Sundae cake was something we made for her last year, and she really wanted it again, so we made that happen. The firework candles are the finishing touch and I got those on Amazon Prime.Really make the "wow" factor.

Happy Birthday to the All-American girl

We finished the night off strong with kids fireworks…and then the big show that will be even better next year. I'm a little scared to see it! lol. Happy Fourth of July! I love this beautiful country we live in.

& GOD BLESS AMERICA

Dominican Republic Service Trip

Another family Humanitarian trip has come in gone for us!  Each year, it gets harder and harder to make it on these trips, but in turn, each year, it is harder and harder to leave.

 I learned so many beautiful life lessons this summer in the short week we spent in the Dominican Republic. I pray that my children did too. Even if they didn’t in the moment, I pray that they will look back and it will all make sense to them one day.

All over the world, there are those who suffer; people looking for temporal relief because of their circumstances, and people looking for someone to help lift their spirits. I believe this was the Lord’s call for help to each of us who have plenty; “If thou wilt be perfect, go and sell that thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come and follow me.” (Matthew 19:21) I know that the Lord does bless us for our service, however, I am positive that what he meant by having treasures in heaven, meant that the relationships we build while doing this service far surpasses any earthly thing we can own. It’s those relationships, and memories that are our treasures. I can’t think of a better thing to be rich with.

This week has surely brought that to our family. I have loved watching my kids teach me lessons. Watching my son hand deliver his hard earned dollar bill to a woman who needed a new home, watching my daughter feed all the animals bread instead of the humans-giving it with all her heart, watching my husband reconstruct the mouths of the Dominican people and leaving them with more confidence then they could have ever dreamed. I loved being with my nephew, brother-in-law, best friends, and old friends from previous years. I loved watching my son take selfies with the locals, my kids experiences Primary class in another country, painting and taking down homes for those in need in the Dominican, delivering baby packs to the hospitals, watching childhood at its best with races in the streets and piggy back rides from “the big boys”. I loved playing baseball in the middle of the mountains with the sweet Dominican boys who had no idea how poor they were. Mostly, and above all, I loved that each and every member of my family could give all that we had and be taught in return. I am so thankful for this experience we had. I know that love is not measured by language, by color of skin, by money, or by status. All love is your time and sincerity. I am not an eloquent writer, but I hope my thoughts and feelings can be conveyed in just a small way.

Here are my favorite photos from our trip. I came back with over 2,000 pictures. Photographs are my words. They express what I’m thinking and seeing better then I can say it. Here are some of the memories (and people) I hope we can always remember from this trip to the good old island of the Dominican Republic.

And for next time: Some of the games I want to bring to play with the children and things that worked best are: 

-Hot wheels cars, and chalk to draw tracks and race down ramps

-Pie face game!

-Polaroid camera & Film

-Super soakers

-Church bags for sacrament mtg with coloring books, crayons, and CTR rings

-Treats, toys and things for the animals…I want to get more involved with helping the animals next time as I have a major animal lover for a daughter and there is such a need for this

-Punching balloon balls

-UNO

-Beads