Jonah's Birthday

There are days in your life that are just particularly special and this was one of them.  We started the morning with Noah receiving his Patriarchal Blessing.  This is a special one-time blessing which gives you a glimpse of all the things Heavenly Father has in store for your life.  It was an amazing moment to realize how much Heavenly Father knows Noah so well and really knows him much better than I do. 

Then at church, Jonah was released as Deacon's Quorum President and was ordained to the office of teacher.  [Isaac wanted to know why he couldn't be a teacher.  I explained that it was a special job to be a home teacher and watch over our neighbors.  Isaac definitely understood what a home teacher was and was pretty excited for Jonah.]  My parents and Grandma and Grandpa Hickman joined us as he was ordained.  Then we had Jonah's birthday dinner afterwards. 

We were so pleased with both boys for making good choices and living a life that makes it so they can have moments like these.  It was a good day.

Funny Isaac

Isaac is truly a joy to have around.  I can't keep up with his mind and imagination and enthusiasm.  Here is just one example:  We got this box in the mail and he fell in love with the pattern inside.  So, he had to find a use for it, right?  He had me type this sign on the box.  At first I thought he would be donating items to other boys and girls.  When I responded about how sweet that was,  he clarified that the donations were for HIM.  And if I wanted some stuff, then I could make a sign, too.  He puts this box out into the hall daily.  We've tried to leave some fun things in his box.  Is this encouraging him?

It's been the strangest winter.  We haven't had any snow.  I haven't shoveled our driveway even once.  One day this past January, we got just a little bit (which you can see) that was gone by the next morning.  Well, Isaac got all dressed up in his snow clothes and headed out only to discover that none of his friends could play.  He was SO sad!  He moped around the front yard and cried and wouldn't come into the house.   Noah finally bribed him with a promise of playing games on his iTouch because he felt so bad for Isaac.

Alma

Our ward held a two-day long Book of Mormon read-a-thon.  To break it up, they had members of the ward come in and read sections to the youth.  Trent went on Friday night and read the part of Alma.  I snapped this photo right before he left.

January iTouch Dump

LDS Movie Studio

Jonah's casting photos for a call back to be a Spencer W. Kimball look-alike.

Christmas Break

For the next few weeks, we played, saw movies, and hung out together as a family.  One fun thing we got for Christmas is a Soda Stream.  After some experimenting, Trent created this recipe:

Trent's Easy Soda Syrup

2 cups sugar
1 cup water
2 packages of Kool-Aid

Stir sugar into water until dissolved. Bring sugar and water to a rolling boil.  Remove from heat.  Stir in Kool-Aid packets and let cool. 

Use 1/2 cup of syrup with 1 liter of carbonated water to make flavored soda.

Refrigerate remaining syrup.

Christmas Day

We started Christmas morning in Perry.  We stayed for church and Christmas dinner.  After dinner we headed back to AF for another round of present opening.

The boys waiting to see if there are any presents under the Christmas tree.

 Isaac

Grandma Tams

All three boys at the end of a great Christmas day.

12-23(24)-2011

We spent Christmas with my parents this year.  We arrived on Thursday along with Laurel's family.  Kevin and Amy joined us the next day.  We enjoyed our time together.  We made Belgian waffles, caroled, saw Christmas lights (those Willard Bay lights are quite the eclectic experience - complete with Disney, Native American Indians and a tank), opened presents and spend Christmas Eve in Paradise at the family farm house (circa late 1800s).

In the car on our way to Perry.

Isaac unwrapping his book at Grandma & Grandpa Tams' house.

 Grandpa Tams peering around the corner - Christmas Eve.

Christmas Eve in Paradise.  Isaac waiting.

Jonah modelling a Christmas bow in Paradise. 

Noah sharing his iTunes GC (little did he know that he would get an iTouch the next day).