Hats off to a good cause

Sunset had Hat Day a week or so back.  The kids can pay 1.00 to wear a hat for the day.  The money raised is given to a charity.  One of the kids on Student Council has a mother who is battling cancer so this year they decided to donate the money to the Cancer Society.    The cowboy hat(s) were chosen in large part because Emmrey has been wearing one to and from school for the past week (more on that later;) And Karsyn just decided to go with it as well.  Yes, that is a skirt Karsyn is wearing....another fashion trend that has appeared lately.....hmmm?

C.A.N. You say NEON

Cody has a program called C.A.N. which stands for Change Attitudes Now.  At the end of third grade, students are given the option of joining the program and are eligible to be a member from fourth grade up to graduation.  It encourages positive life choices as well as a pledge to stay drug free. Students who choose to join the club are issued an ID card which gives them discounts etc. at local businesses as well as exclusive entry into many activities sponsored by CAN.  This past month, Bailee and her friends attended a CAN dance at the middle school.  She hasn't gone to any of the "school dances", mainly because the very first school dance in 6th grade, she was asked to go as a date (with a nice kid, but still...a DATE) and we soon realized this was pretty common.  So we decided to hold off on that for now ....I mean come on, she was only 11 then:)  The CAN dances are a little different because you have to be a CAN member and kids really just go as a group to have fun with friends.  Although we did have the talk with Bay about when a boy asks you to dance...you accept (even if he's not the coolest kid:)  Of course if he is disrespectful and a total creep, that's a different story...which led to the talk about what is appropriate and how she should expect to be treated.  Anyway, the theme of the dance was NEON and the girls were ready to go.

 

They had a fun time and came back to our house after for a sleepover.  They were nice enough to let the little sissies join in with their silliness....at least for a little while:)

Fighting Hunger

The 5th graders recently joined with King Arthur Flour in a campaign to fight hunger.  Representatives from the company came to the school and showed the kids how to make bread.  They were then given some flour and recipes to take home (to make bread with).  The idea is that they make a bread item for their family and then another to donate to a local charity that helps with food donations.  Karsyn of course wanted to make her bread with her best buddy... Now I am NOT a bread maker.  I enjoy eating it, but I am no expert on making it:)  We spent a Friday afternoon(and evening) turning the kitchen upside down with flour:)

 They both wanted to make cinnamon rolls to give to their families.  I really just supervised and guided when needed, but for the most part these 2 took the reigns and this was the result of their hard work:) 

 These were the loaves they took to school to donate.  For them it was more about spending time together than learning anything...which was a good thing, because I don't have a lot of wisdom to impart in this area.  I learned that I definitely could use some lessons myself.  Although I don't know how often I would make homemade bread...it takes a looong time.  Grandma Shirley would be proud (of Kars, not me)

Heart Mountain Relocation Center

I have a small list of things I would like to do/redo before we move.  One of those things was to visit the Heart Mountain Interpretive Center.  The original Camp opened in August 1942 and imprisoned more than 14,000 people during its three-year existence. The last internees left the Heart Mountain Relocation Center in November, 1945.

 

 Through photographs, artifacts, oral histories, and interactive exhibits, we experienced life at Heart Mountain through the eyes of those Japanese and Japanese Americans that were confined here during WWII. The center does a beautiful job of commemorating the resilience of the Japanese people, but it is impossible to not be emotionally overwhelmed at their unjust treatment.

 We then went up the hill where they have a self guided walking tour where you can see the location of things such as the swimming hole, high school, hospital and original barracks.

{View of Heart Mountain in the back}

 The center is housed in buildings meant to replicate the original barracks which are barren and depressing from the outside, while inviting and rich in history on the inside.  I am so so glad we got to take the girls here and hope that it will forever leave an imprint on their heart.

For Sale

I have been somewhat in denial about this move.  So you can imagine that the day our realtor came by and set up this baby in our yard, it was a bit surreal.  This sign has been in our grass since the first week in April, and is a constant reminder that we are really moving {unless I decide to pull it out and call the whole thing off;} 

 

  I see it everyday as I pull in and out of the garage.  Every time I am at my sink in the kitchen I see it glaring at me...and I ask myself  "Are we REALLY going to leave this house.....Our very first little house?"

After only a week on the market, we had several people interested, and at this point we have it under contract.  You would think we would be jumping for joy that things have gone so smooth, but we are sad.  When our realtor told us that the couple who made the first offer were thrilled about the playhouse for their little boy (and another on the way), I was happy to know some other children would love it like ours do, but my heart ached as well.  Have I mentioned how hard this is??

(Emmrey with neighbor kids-just the other day)

One Day Without Shoes....

Today Kars and Emm "put their bare foot forward" by going without shoes for the day.  

For the past few years, our school has participated in this global event to raise awareness of children who lack access to education and good health.  The kids are allowed {with parent permission} to go shoeless at school, with the exception of gym and recess.  They can also donate money to help buy shoes for local children.  It's a great opportunity to teach kids to think beyond themselves and experience a day without something we often take for granted.

www.onedaywithoutshoes.com

Not your typical Easter

Easter was a little different for us this year.  It was the beginning of our Spring Break and we had made plans to visit Cheyenne/Wellington to get more familiar with the area.  I had made appointments with some schools on Monday morning, so we knew we would have to either travel on Saturday or Sunday.  I decided it would be a great idea to attend church there to get a feel for the ward we may end up in.  I also discovered that Wellington was holding a community Egg Hunt at Harvest Farm and felt this would be perfect for getting a feel for the community. SO.....we headed out early Saturday and arrived in time to find the farm.  It had rained on us most of the drive, but when we entered Colorado, the sun was shining and the temperature had risen a good 13 degrees.  Once at the farm a strange storm blew in and I do mean BLEW!!  The girls humored me by having a picture taken with the Easter Bunny in an over-sized chair.

They had the hunts staggered by age group, but as the weather changed, so did the plans and soon they were rushing them right along.  Emmrey's age group was a swarm of little kids all vying for the plastic eggs.

Apparently, certain eggs had special prize tickets in them.....nope we didn't find any.

Then it was the 10-12 year old group.  Bailee was a good sport and buddied up with Karsyn..... it's not as if she can't pass for 12 anyway:)  There group wasn't quite as big.  Here they are waiting for the signal to go!!

They made out pretty well, but were a little dissapointed to find Tootsie Rolls in every egg:)  It was a little more hokey than I had pictured, but what do you expect from a town of 7,000 people (who probably all showed up)

The next morning we were surprised to see the Easter Bunny did find us at the hotel.....

The girls were excited about the surprises they found ...our bunny didn't leave a basket full of candy, but they did get a few special treats too:)

We went to church in Wellington and were overwhelmed by the welcome we received there.  We were even invited over for Easter dinner by 2 different families.  We accepted the first offer and it felt strangely comfortable.  I am not sure where we would have ended up eating dinner otherwise and it was nice to learn a little bit more about the community.  It was a beautiful day...actually felt like Spring:)

 We got back to the hotel room pretty late, but just in time to have our egg hunt. So what do you do when you are staying in a hotel for Easter....hunt for eggs in the room of course!!  I wanted to spread it out to the hallways, but since our eggs had money in them I was afraid someone else might find them first:)

So it definitely wasn't your typical Easter, but one we will remember no less!!

Sunday Naps

With the exception of Mark, none of us are really nappers around here.  Actually, Emmrey loves to sleep..she just likes to play a little more:)  Lately on a few very rare occasions,  the girls all fell asleep on a Sunday afternoon.  Bailee was exhausted from a sleepover the night before ....hmmm ...can't imagine why?  She also seems to be going through a growth spurt which is making her a bit more sleepy:)

 It really doesn't take much for Emmrey to nap.  She has been our only kid to ask if she can "go to sleep" or "if it is time for bed?"  Once she settles into a blanket with a book or something calming...she can go out pretty quick!

Kars is the one that is most shocking.  This kid never sleeps during the day....not even on long road trips.  Heck she hardly sleeps at night;)

 Nothing more precious than a sleeping baby...even if they are not babies anymore:(

Get Hoppin'

Emmrey had her first Music Program before Spring Break.  Since it was right before Easter, it was fitting that it was about a little bunny who wouldn't hop.  It was called Get Hoppin' and they put it on along with the 1st grade classes.  Emm had been practicing the songs sooo diligently and was teaching them to us as well.  She sooo was hoping to get the part of Baby Bunny, but our music teacher had made the decision that only 1st graders would have speaking parts this time......complete bogus if you ask me:)  Nevertheless, she gave it her all on the risers ...singing her heart out.  She was acting kinda funny about me taking her picture after (very unlike her), but finally relented and let me take one of her AND with her little buddy Grant:)

Pretty cute!!