Cole's Ambassador Activity

Uh oh - here comes trouble!! Cole's grade had an Ambassador Activity with a cowboy theme. It was so fun!!! Cole wore his cowboy hat that my parents bought him when he was 4. I'm shocked that it still fits. 

Our group started out in the gym. They talked with the students about being friends with everyone and about being a team. Then, they had a relay where they had to pass these little eggs down the line - one over the back of the head and the next under the legs. It was crazy!

Next, we had a potato sack race. I had to laugh at Cole trying to go as fast as he can. (Sorry the video is sideways - I guess I turned it the wrong way.)

After that, we had a relay where you had to put on a cowboy vest and a hat, get a stick horse and run down and around the boxes and then run back and trade off to the next person. Our team was crazy!!!

Next, we went to a station where we learned how the words we use with each other "stick" to us. We talked about examples of words that would be kind and words that would be hurtful. Then, we headed to a station where we talked about setting goals and how to make our goals be achievable. After that, we had had a barbecue and learned about manners at a buffet barbecue. Then, we went to a station where we learned how to introduce ourselves to someone new and how to shake their hand and to start a conversation.

Our last station got a little crazy as we learned some square dance moves. Cole and his buddies really got into it (alright - they were really making fun of the whole thing, but I'm going to say they were learning and participating).

At the end of our activity, the group leader (me!) gets to give an award to the best boy, the best girl and the best overall. The leaders of the activity tell us group leaders to give it to someone who is behaving, participating and really engaging in the activity. Well, this time, Cole won the overall prize (and got a full size candy bar to boot). He earned it and, despite the fact that I am biased, he deserved to get it. Way to go Cole!!!

I LOVE getting my volunteer hours in by helping with these Ambassador Activities. I get to see Cole (or Reagan) interact with their friends, compete with other groups and I get to see their teachers in a new way. I love that our school does these and helps the students to be ready for social situations and to be friendly with anyone.

Sophia's School Play

Reagan's bestie, Sophia, decided to audition for her school play. It was High School Musical II. For her first play, she didn't want to try out for a main part - she would rather be in the ensemble and learn and see what she thought.

Well, we went to see her in the play and she was great! She sang well, danced well and her costumes were fabulous!

Sophia has already decided that next year she will audition for a main part. Great decision because she would be amazing! Reagan was so proud of her BFF - we all were!!!!

Way to go Sophia!!!!!

We're Visiting a Bookstore?

The Young Men/Young Women activity for this week was to visit a rare bookstore. The YM leader actually had told the parents that the bookstore was super cool, but not to tell the youth. I had also spoken with him individually and knew what a fun time they were in for. Reagan was good to go (she is pretty trusting of her leaders that if they want to take her there, she will go), but Cole.... not so much. He kept asking "We're visiting a bookstore?" and "It's all the way in Provo?" He wasn't excited to go. 

Add to that the fact that when all of the youth gathered at the church, had a prayer and divided up into cars to head to Provo, Cole and three other Deacons were playing basketball in the gym and didn't even hear the leaders say to get into the cars. He called me from the church and said that they had been left by the leaders. I told him I would come and get him and that we would have to have a talk. He called me a few minutes later and said that one of the other dads was going to drive them to meet the group in Provo. They are lucky because I certainly wasn't going to drive them after they had failed to stay with the group and had caused themselves to be left behind. Oh well - they are young still and should have paid more attention. On the other hand, their leaders should have counted before they left the church. Luckily, the other dad drove them down there.

Boy! What would Cole have missed if he hadn't been able to go? Moon's Rare Books isn't just a bookstore - it's a sort of museum of rare things. They had a chair that Brigham Young actually used. Reagan was able to sit in it (that's a picture of Brigham on the wall above her). 

They also had the original web used in Charlotte's Web when Charlotte had spun "Some Pig" in her web. So cool!

Perhaps Reagan's favorite, though, was all of the Harry Potter memorabilia that the store had. They had an original copy of the first book and it was signed by J.K. Rowling herself. Another was signed by Daniel Radcliffe. Then, they had various pieces of memorabilia from the movie - Hogwart's robes from a few of the characters in the movie (Luna Lovegood and Draco Malfoy).

Some of the Young Women took a selfie with one of the robes. They are all into Harry Potter and thought that this was pretty cool!

Another favorite was a hoodie that many of the cast and crew had signed. Awesome!

By the time the kiddos came home, Reagan was abuzz with details about how cool this bookstore was and how she HAD to take her friend Sophia (the biggest Potterhead we know) back to this place. Cole thought it was cool, but wasn't head over heels about the place. Turned out to be not just "a bookstore", but something really cool!

We had a talk with Cole about how he is no longer in Primary - he is in Young Men and it is his responsibility to stay with the group. He and the other boys shouldn't have been in the gym - they should have been with everyone else so as to not be left behind. To his credit, his YM leader called me the next day to apologize and took full responsibility for them being left behind. I assured him that Cole bears a great amount of responsibility for the situation and that we had spoken with him. It all worked out, but there was a huge, group text of all the parents talking about how the Deacons' parents may need to buy those backpack leash things that people put on children so they don't run away. I laughed and said I would gladly buy one if they thought that would solve the problem. Oh well - Cole needs to be better and so do the leaders. It's all good - we are all learning :)

Hale Center Theater - An American in Paris

I've posted about Hale Center Theater before. Well, this performance was one that our friends, the Shapiros, couldn't make with us. So, we ventured out alone :)

We got to our seats and looked out over the audience only to realize that Steve was seated right behind our SIL Annie's sister. So funny. Well, we thought we weren't here with friends, but we actually were :) 

There was a lot of dancing and music in this play. It wasn't one of Cole's favorites, but that's ok. We enjoyed it anyway. Also, one of our favorite things about HCT is that they send you an email a couple of hours before the show. You can click on that and pre-order your intermission snacks. This is brilliant! By the time we all stand in line for the restrooms, there is no time left to stand in line for intermission snacks. So, now, we hit the restrooms and then head over to the snack counter where a tray with our names on it has all of our snacks. We grab the snacks and head back into the theater. Perfect!

Yes - we missed the Shapiros this time around, but will look forward to our next show when they will join us again.

Reagan Goes to the Opera

So, I guess our local opera company allows choir groups to come and be in the audience for their final dress rehearsal before the show opens. Reagan's choir was able to score tickets for this, so, they headed to the opera. There were not enough tickets to allow parents to come, so I had to drive Reagan downtown and drop her off and then come back in 2.5 hours to get her. By the time I drove home, I would have about 40 minutes before I had to get in the car to come back downtown to get her. I tried to meet up with my sister or some friends to have dinner and hang out downtown, but no one was available. I ended up driving out to my parents' house and visiting with them for an hour or so before I headed back to get Reagan.

I was able to score a parking spot right in front of the theater, so, I saw her right when she came out. She had a great time and enjoyed the opera with her friends. She saw Mozart's The Magic Flute. I'm grateful for her teacher who set this all up and I'm glad she was able to visit the opera. We have seen many theater productions, but I don't believe Reagan had ever seen an opera before this. I'm glad she liked it! I'll have to pay more attention to the operas that are being performed in our area.

Back to the Temple

We continue with our goal to go to the temple at least once a month for Reagan and Cole to perform baptisms for our ancestors. We were able to do January (right after Cole received the Priesthood and could go to the temple). February, we went to the Laie, Hawaii Temple and now, here we are in March. Look at us go! (I should probably hold off on the celebrations until we are further in the year - who knows what craziness the rest of the year could bring.)

I'm so glad that we have a temple close to us. Actually, we have many temples close to us. When I was growing up, there was one temple in Arizona - way down in Mesa. Now I think there are 3 in Arizona (maybe more). When I lived in New York, the closest temple was in Washington DC (a 6 hour drive). From our house now, within an hour drive, we can be at ten different temples. If we drive 2 hours, we can include another 4 temples in that list. I love to drive and see these beautiful buildings that are sacred to me and mean so much. Plus, they are building more. There will be a temple in Tooele (by my parents), a temple in Saratoga Springs (by my friend Jenn) and more and more are announced each year. I LOVE it!!!!

Wicked!!!!!

I know we've seen it before, but we love it! This may be Steve's favorite Broadway show. So, when Wicked came back in town, we had to go! I love that we have a new (well, fairly new) venue in town that gives us more opportunities to see shows. Until recently, the Capitol Theater was the only place in town to see a Broadway show. Then, the Eccles Theater downtown was built a few years ago. They  have some shows that we aren't interested in, but there are some that we love. We saw Lion King here  and now.... Wicked!!!!

Of course it was amazing!!!! We had a great time and, at intermission, we even bought cupcakes from "Elphaba's personal bakery". They were chocolate with mint green frosting and a chocolate ganache in the center. Delish!!!!

I'm so glad that we live in a city where theater productions come. I was talking with Reagan's choir teacher and she said she grew up an only child in a tiny town in northern California. She said that there were no theaters nearby and so she didn't get to see performances at all growing up. Well, Reagan and Cole certainly can't say that. We've been able to see so many shows and travel and see more! I love it!!! We are going to take advantage of every opportunity we get!

Cole's Arkansas Presentation

In Cole's 6th Grade class, each student is assigned a state and they have to put together a report about that state and give a presentation about their state to the class. Cole was assigned Arkansas (not his first, second or even third choice, but ...). He completed his report and then put together his slideshow for his presentation. I went to his classroom to watch.



Cole did a great job on his presentation and received As on his report and on his presentation. Way to go Cole!!!

Sweet Notes from Reagan

Reagan is honestly the sweetest girl! She leaves us little notes and kind words all the time. Here are just a few examples.

Steve and I went to a four hour class to get our Concealed Carry Permits to have guns. We left Reagan and Cole home alone (we've only begun doing that) and put Reagan in charge (which Cole wasn't too happy about). When we arrived home, this little note was on the kitchen counter:

Then, on another occasion in January, we woke up to find this on the fridge:

Each of us had our own, little note. Here is mine;

Here is Steve's:

Here is Cole's:

Then, one night, Cole wasn't feeling well. Reagan left him this note:

On Valentine's Day, we awoke to each of us having a note from Reagan:

I chuckle how she signs her first and last name on some of them (just in case there is another Reagan roaming around our house leaving love notes for people???) but overall, I'm so touched by how sweet and thoughtful she is. We love her so much!!!

Reagan's Ambassador Activity

Reagan's grade had an Ambassador Activity and it was so fun! There was a 70s theme to it and it cracked me up. My group (which included Reagan and her friend Natalie) rotated first to a room where the students dressed up and role played at getting to know someone in a conversation and asking good questions to allow you to find out more about that person. Next, we rotated into a room where they were told about money and how to save and how to plan for money (ideas like interest rates and bank fees). Then, we rotated into a room where we talked about being polite at the movies and we had some movie trivia.

After that, we rotated into the gym where the teachers taught the students some 70s dance moves.

I had to laugh because the kiddos had no idea what they were doing and where these moves came from :)

Another rotation that we went to was in a classroom where they taught the students how to write a proper thank you note. They asked the students to write a thank you note to another student, to a teacher or to friend.

Turns out that Reagan wrote her note to me! She is so sweet! It was a very thoughtful note and it meant the world to me. 

Our final rotation was into the choir room for yoga. One of the teachers led them through a yoga practice and then a meditation. They do need to reduce their stress and figure out how to care for themselves. Loved it!!!

I'm so grateful that their school puts these activities on and that I can usually finagle an invitation to come and help. xoxoxo

Oh - and PS - Reagan received an award for her service during the first half of the year on the Ambassador Council. A new council started after Winterim and so, Reagan's time serving has concluded. She enjoyed it and learned a lot and served a lot as well. Good job Reags!

Valentine's Decor

When all of the Christmas decorations come down, it's time for Valentine's Decor. We don't have nearly as much decor for this holiday as we do for Christmas, so, the house seems a bit bare :)

I don't think we have any new decor this year. Maybe a candle or two from Bath & Body Works, but really .... nothing else that is new.

I really enjoy decorating our house and Reagan and Cole get excited when we start opening the bins and unwrapping things.

I still love those three, white trees in the dining room. After the Christmas teal and silver, I love to put hearts on them and to put the little sayings "I Love You" and "Meant to Be" and "You and Me". So cute!!! Of course, we have to have our gumballs.

I love walking around the house to see our decorations. They just make me happy :)

Honolulu - Day 8

We were up a bit later today - around 8am. Steve went to work out while I showered and started packing up. I asked if the kiddos wanted to go to the pool early, but they were content to stay in, have breakfast (a combination of left overs we had in the room) and watch their iPads while I packed. Steve returned and showered and we finished packing and left to check out. We left our bags with the bellhop and went to the pool. The kiddos wanted to spend some time in this smaller pool that was in the middle of the hotel towers. We grabbed breakfast sandwiches at the grill by the pool and sat down. That didn't last long as the pool was cold! Plus, being in the center of the towers meant not much sun. So, we bailed and hit our regular pool. Cole, Reagan and Steve headed out to the lagoon while I stayed at the pool. We ordered some food from the nearby grill and ate by the pool.

Later, Steve went and picked up Dairy Queen and brought ice cream back for everyone. Reagan and Cole LOVED eating their ice cream in the pool - silly kiddos. Then, as our time came to a close, we dried off, let the air out of our tubes and our crocodile, packed up our snorkel gear and returned our towels. It was time to get cleaned up before leaving for the airport. The hotel had a courtesy suite that we had reserved from 5:30 - 6:30. We picked up our bags from the bellhop and went to the suite to shower up and pack away our pool toys.

After we left the courtesy suite, we went to the front desk where our shuttle would pick us up. Since we still had 30 min or so, the kiddos and I went to the ABC store for them to buy some gifts for their friends. They also get a gift on each trip we go on.... so they can remember the trip. Cole chose a blue watch that had turtles on it. Reagan chose a snow globe thing with sand and a hula girl in it. Then, they each bought some items for their friends - pens or jewelry or flowers for their hair. Fun!

By the time we returned, our shuttle was only minutes away. We loaded up and headed to the airport. After we checked our bags, we still had 2 hours until our flight left. We found a chicken place and had dinner. Then, we boarded our plane and settled in for the red eye flight. We arrived in Portland and only had a 40 minute stopover. By 8:30 am, we were back in Salt Lake.

Boy that red eye is rough. It was a fairly cheap flight when we used miles, but we couldn't get seats on the non-stop. We did discuss doing that next time, though. It does make a difference.

Salt Lake is still snowy and cold and windy (the wind has been crazy lately). Maybe we should have stayed in Hawaii :)  It was wonderful to sit in the sun and be by the pool and on the beach. Mostly, it was great to be together as a family without the distractions of daily life and school and work. Still, it is great to get home and to have more space, laundry machines and all of our clothes, facilities and conveniences.

We LOVE Hawaii and I hope we don't go another year before visiting again. Aloha!!!!!

Honolulu - Day 7

We were up early today as we were scheduled to pick up our rental car at 7:30. Steve went to get the car and then returned to the hotel to pick us up. Not sure what was on our agenda today, I brought swimsuits, snorkel gear and tubes, dress clothes and supplies. We just have the car for one day, so, we have to make the most of it.

We headed toward the Dole Pineapple Plantation. We have been here before, but not done any of the activities. We've just hit the gift shop and watched how they cut and core the pineapples.

This time, we decided to take the Pineapple Train around the plantation. Even Steve and I haven't ridden the train before.

After the train ride, which was surprisingly informative, the kiddos wanted to hit the Pineapple Maze. Steve and I didn't exactly think that would be fun, so, we gave Reagan and Cole my phone and let them hit the maze. We waited for a while and then decided to get some Pineapple Whip ice cream. We texted Reagan and Cole and asked how long they would be. They answered that they had no idea since they were in the maze and didn't know where they were going. Ahh - right. Well, we decided to eat anyway. The lines for food were SO long. By the time I came out with our ice cream and some french fries, the kiddos were back. They had been out in the sun, lost in the maze and were tired.

There was a hen with 7 of her chicks walking around eating whatever they could find. We shared our french fries with them. Then, we saw about 4 cats walking around. Not sure why they didn't bother the hen and her chicks, but whatever. After a while, we hit the gift shop and took some pics and then got back into the car and headed further around the island.

We had checked to see if there were any surfing competitions going on that day, but we didn't see any. One year, there was a huge competition going on and we sat on bleachers and watched. It was so cool - there were jumbo-trons showing us the surfers and music blaring on speakers. The kiddos remember it even though it was years ago. No such luck this trip, we drove up the coast and saw surfers, but no events. We considered stopping to play in the waves, but the kiddos wanted to keep going.

We had decided to stop at Kuhiko Grill for their famous coconut shrimp. We've been there several times before. Unfortunately, we think it has been sold. We stopped at where we though it was (and compared pics from online with the scenery there) but it is not 7 Brothers Grill (or something like that). Coconut macadamia nut shrimp was on the menu, so, we ordered that to go and then drove on.

Just a few miles down the road was the Laie Temple. It is so beautiful! The weather was a bit cloudy when we arrived, but it was still gorgeous. When we first booked this trip, Cole asked if we  could go to the temple. We weren't sure if we would make it (it is on the other side of the island), but we said we would try. You'll remember that Cole is a newly ordained Deacon and has been able to do baptisms in the temple since January. Before we left, I grabbed Reagan and Cole's temple recommends (Steve and I carry ours in our wallets all the time) and I printed off some family names (of our ancestors who are in need of baptisms to be performed for them) just in case we ended up making it to the temple.

We found out that the baptistry doesn't open until 2 (it was 1:15), so, we walked around the temple grounds and took some pics. Then, we took our clothes into the bathrooms in the Visitor's Center and changed into dress clothes. We went to the door of the baptistry. There were already four youth sitting there, waiting for the door to open. The door didn't open at 2. By 10 after, Cole rang the doorbell again and, finally, a guy came and opened the door. (I guess they are a little more casual here - like most of Hawaii.) They brought all of us in and had us sit in a little chapel inside while they got everything together. Turned out that they didn't have enough people to staff the baptistry. Funny. We wanted Steve to baptize Reagan and Cole for our ancestors. Well, so, we started with that, but then, they didn't have another guy who could baptize, so, Steve baptized like 15 other people for their family names. He probably did 50 baptisms. Then, it was time for Reagan and Cole to be confirmed for our ancestors. Steve wanted to do the confirmations for them, so, they had to find another guy to take over the baptisms. They finally did find a priest. Then, Steve went to do the confirmations for our kiddos and then, they needed him to stay and help do more confirmations for others (with another man). So, Reagan and Cole and I left to go to the office to get our family cards recorded and Steve stayed to help with the confirmations. (At our home temple in Draper, they have an office area in the baptistry so that the youth can record their own names - with help from the workers there - and then they can keep their family name cards to remember the names they did work for. Here, there is no office area in the baptistry. We had to go to the main area in the temple and Reagan and Cole had to wait in the waiting area while I went back to the office and had them record our family names and give me back the cards. Just different routines I guess.) Finally, they had enough men to do the ordinances in the baptistry and Steve could leave. Well, we had a good experience in a different temple and we were able to serve our ancestors - and others.

We changed back into our casual clothes and continued around the island. We decided to hit Hanuama Bay to do some snorkeling. We were 6 miles away (or so my gps said) when we stopped to get some drinks and snacks at a convenience store. We got back in the car and resumed our trip but ended up way away from where we wanted to go. I seriously don't know what happened. By the time we would make it to Hanuama Bay, it was only going to be open for another hour. Plus, we had to get the rental car returned by a certain time. So, we decided to bail on Hanuama Bay and head back to the hotel, taking in the gorgeous scenery as we drove.

The kiddos were pretty tired after our day in the car, so, they just vegged out while playing on their iPads. Steve and I watched some tv and we decided to eat in and try to eat the food we had left before we leave tomorrow.

What a great day for our last, full day in paradise.