Up Up and Away

Sadie turned 9 last weekend and to celebrate her last year in single digits. She and I spent the morning enjoy the desert views from a most spectacular view point!

Up we go

Our shadow

Absolutely a wonderful way to celebrate my girl's special day!

 

New Year New Skills

The girls are learning how to sew with Grandma. I am so thankful for not only the skills but the memories they are creating.  Take a look at Sadies finished PJ's, I think she did a beautiful job:

 

Teagan and I also completed the archery course we were taking this weekend!  Love the walking course, and the smile on Teagan's face when she hit a bullseye!

Hope you can keep a secret...Sadie turns 9 this weekend! She wants to go hot air ballooning in lieu of a party.  Can't wait for her to see the balloon, complete with a birthday banner and cake and sparkling cider when she lands!  Sunrise in the desert should be spectacular!

~ DeAnn




 

Archery 101

This weekend we took an archery course! I'm in love. I loved archery as a kid and apparently since my daughter reminds me on a regular basis I am not 5yrs old, I still do!  Next weekend it is archery 202! 

 

It was fun to spend time with Teagan and our friend Amy learning a new skill, can't wait til the next class.  Until then its bow hunting time :)  

Child Talk

Kids say the funniest things, here are a from our home:

  Watching the black smith work with metal using his hammer to shape a piece of metal. Child tells the blacksmith "I think its dead now"

 Hiking down the mountain when we got caught in the dark. One child says, I can't see. The other says, watch mommies jacket. (that was black)

Who doesn't like Christmas?!  Child quickly responds  "Jewish people"

Love to reflect on the humor to brighten a dull moment in any day.


 

Thank You

We had such a nice Christmas, from cards, to visits and gifts.  Part of our holiday season is to show our gratefulness by our thank you notes. I try to make this is a fun event. The kids pick out the note cards, we sit at the table together and share a snack and decide how best to express our thanks. 
One child will often write a thank you for a family gift for all of us to sign. Then they write their individual cards too. Its great practice on so many levels: the basic writing skills, the expression of gratitude and appreciation.  Clinically writing a thank you note has been shown to:  give people energy, improve student grades and makes both the giver and receiver happier.
Seriously, have you ever been unhappy when you receive a thank you note? 

Thank you :) 
 

Holidays are full swing! I hope you are having fun and enjoying them.  Our computer died, hence the lack of post, but we are all plugged in :)

Last night we had a fun night with our Tiara club the topic was being grateful, the venue was a PJ party.  After our brief lesson and game on being grateful, the night was filled with minute to Win-It games but in lieu of prizes the girls were able to choose a cause to give their winnings to!

The grateful discussion was followed by a laughter filled gift exchange of random objects: tp, potato, toothbrush, can of green beans....in which the recipient had to look at their gift giver and thank them and finding one nice thing to say about the gift they received.  They couldn't wait to then go pick random gifts and do it again. 

The games:

1.  Stringing cranberries

2.  Trimming the tree

3.  Snowball fight

4.  Cranberry cup toss

5.  Snowball toss into the wreath

6.  Putting in order the tins filled with different number of bells.

7.  Jingle bells rumpus, we put bells into paper plates with holes cut out, taped to their rumps and

     they giggled and jiggled trying to get them out.

8.  Ornament sorting.

 



1st place goes to team Penguins and they chose to give their winnings to help families in need.
2nd place goes to the Reindeer who chose to give their winnings to help feed orphans in Africa.
 

Family Field Trips

Corn mazes, pumpkins, flashlights whats not to love about fall! We do a lot of things with just the family. Partly because of the size of my family, what I've found is the girls become each others BFF's when they are each others playmates.

Corn maze at night

Most museums have free days, so we try to take advantage of the free days, this month we went to the Mesa Art Museum for Youth, and enjoyed their Show Me The Money exhibit.

Friends come and go, but family is always there.