Mason is 10!

When our kids turn 10 they get a "real" birthday party--more than just inviting another family over for dinner. Mason COULD NOT wait for his party!

But first, the traditional donuts & presents in bed (accompanied by traditional low-quality pictures!)

Then I had piano lessons, but those are boring, so no pictures there! And then the boys arrived!

Lincoln, Cameron M, Trevor, Ewan M, Zak F, Mason, William K, Geoffrey F, Josh B, Sammy, Joe B

They started off by making pizzas...

...followed by a treasure hunt, compliments of Stephen & Elise. They had so much fun writing the clues, and Elise had so much fun hiding them--and she really hid them!!

There is a gigantic pine,
It's not too hard to climb,
Elise reads there,
"Cause way up there,
She'll be away from the whine.

It was built for a bit of fun sport.
It serves as a really good port
For imagine and play,
It passes the day.
It is really amazing, this fort.

They smell so fragrant in May,
The purple blossom display.
There is a good chance
On one little branch
The clue that you seek does lay.

(We have a 500' lilac hedge...it took a long while for them to find this one! And I went inside to get the pizzas out of the oven, so no pictures.)

Behind the house there's a deck.
It's rotting away like a wreck.
There is something under,
It might be a blunder,
But it's probably something to check.

 (This one also took a really long time for them to find...over 20 minutes crawling around in the mud under there!)

When you're asleep in your bed
A fire you truly would dread
Make sure you're not slow.
Quick out the window!
Or else you might find yourself dead. [the boys' window well]

 My party helpers! Elise & her dear friend Kieva F. (No pics of the next few locations...)

They lay when they make a loud noise.
Then out to collect go the boys.
Open the lid
To find what they did.
That's where they find eggy joys. [the chicken coop]

The rain on the roof may look blue,
But there's more to be seen that the hue.
There is a down spout
Where the water goes out.
That's where you'll find your next clue. [the water spout]

It's "Sarah and Rachel's" play house.
It'd easily house any mouse.
Attached is a slide,
Use it as a guide.
Find the clue, and don't be a louse.

It's just a little black box.
You couldn't fit in a fox.
In goes the mail
From the man's pail,
I hope that he brings me new socks. [the mail box--Mason got new socks for his birthday]


The weather outside is a fright.
But the fire, it makes a delight.
All that you seek,
You'll find if you peek
In the hole where the flames are alright.

[Kieva and Elise giggling as the boys discover the final resting place of the presents]

Birthday boy!!

My grandma always said that every party should have some sort of hunt. My mom frequently had us make our own pizzas at parties. I combined the two, threw in a white elephant gift exchange, and the party was a hit!

I'm not a fan of my children getting all sorts of presents (some of which I would rather they didn't have) and people spending unnecessary amounts of money on them, so I was glad when Mason decided to have a white elephant gift exchange in lieu of him getting lots of presents. :) If people didn't have something lying around the house there was a $10 limit on a gift. And everybody went home with something new (to them)!

As always, Elise made the cupcakes. I got the glory job of lighting the candles and carrying them to the birthday boy. :)

Happy birthday Edison!

Sammy is 8!

My dear, sweet Samwise Gamgee turned 8 last week!

We, of course, started with the breakfast of birthday children: donuts in bed!

My kids don't get a "real" birthday party until they turn 10 (ya know, the kind that you actually plan for), but we did meet a bunch of homeschooling friends at our church building for some sock dodge ball and lunch. As is always the case, Elise made his cake--actually, two different cakes, she is that awesome. The kids played and we moms talked and planned. Gotta love good friends!

This is kind of a lame picture, and it only shows the older girls of the 26 kids there...

And then, the most exciting part about turning 8! Better than a party, better than a Scout uniform, better than new scriptures!

On Tuesday night, when I was tucking Sammy in, he told me, "I've been looking forward to being baptized my whole life!" He paused in thought, "Well, not my whole life...only as long as I have known about it."

We held his baptism early Wednesday morning since Stephen's parents didn't get into town until Tuesday evening, our bishop was flying out of town around noon and I was leaving later in the afternoon. We got permission to Skype with my parents since they couldn't be in town, and that was pretty special!

Many of our same friends from Sammy's party made the trek to the church for his baptism, and around 16 of them sang in a special musical number. He listened to the speakers in rapt attention as Grandma Jones told how Jesus had to walk about 60 miles (or to ballet three times!) to go to John the Baptist to be baptized, and Stephen told the story of Elijah on the mountain and how the Spirit of the Lord was not in the tempest or earthquake or fire, but in a still small voice.

Sammy wanted to bear his testimony, and nothing could prepare me for his sincere tears and thankful heart as he bore a brief, sincere testimony. He turned to me at the end of the baptism and told me, "I'm so glad I could make these promises with Heavenly Father. I'm so glad I can always have the Spirit." This boy is ready to keep his covenants!

After the baptism and confirmation (which Grandpa Jones performed--Sammy thought since Stephen got to do the baptism that Grandpa should get to do the confirmation) we had a light brunch, and then the kids all went off to play and we moms did more talking. Then home and off to the airport for me!