Happy Memorial Day Weekend!

Our Mansfield Thiots
Schools out for the SUMMER!!!! There are three little girls who are smiling a lot today.  On Thursday,  Brooklyn became the first 6th Grade Graduate in our family.  Addison became the 3rd 4th Grade Graduate and if you can believe this,  Miss Harper is going to 2nd Grade next year!  Yippee for Mansfield Schools that finished before Memorial Day.  Let the summer fun begin!!!!!!  Ricky scored some sweet tickets to the golf Tournement in town, the Colonial.  Dick has dreams of playing a round of golf on that beautiful course, but until that day, he loved going with Ricky to watch.  Way to go!

Our Medford Granges
Have you ever wished you had a rewind button on life?  On Tuesday morning, Tatia was rushing about getting the bigs ready for school and she ran into her kitchen chair and broke her toe,  OUCH.  Oh she wished she could live that second again, and SLOW down and miss the chair.  She has been in a lot of pain, but is not a complainer.  Charlie's nursery teacher is a podiatrist and was able to put her toe back in place and using some snazy red tape, tape it onto her next door neighbor toe.  She was told to stay off of it as much as she could.  He he he.  A mama of 4 little's couldn't find time to stay off of it.  I was so happy that a dear friend brought her dinner one night and so glad she has friends who took her little's while she went to the doctor.  Blessings abound in Medford Oregon.  Jake and Tatia celebrated 11 years of marriage this week and Jake planned an "easy" hike for the whole family to go on to celebrate their family turning 11.  I loved that.  What a lot of beautiful hiking places Oregon provides! 

Our Carmichael Thiots
The Oakland California temple has been closed for the past 18 months being renovated.  They have been hosting an Open House for the public to come and see prior to the redidication in another few weeks.  Charlie's famly and some friends made reservations to attend on May 25th.  They have been so excited and looked forward to it all month.  I loved these pictures, but I especially loved the bottom one.  Please don't mnd the overflowing trash can, but notice Mister Callum who caught a glimpse of the gorgeous temple, all lit up as they came out of the restraunt where they ate dinner.  I just want to grab that little boy and tell him how much I love the Temple too.  Thank you Charlie for taking your famly to the Open House.  They will rememeber it all their lives.  What treasured memories!

Our LA Thiots
A few years ago, Pierce bought this incredible lego set of the Disneyland Sleeping Beauty castle.  He has been waiting until Adelaide and Jackson were old enough to help him build it.  Well, as you can see with over 4,000 pieces, it was not a quick afternoon project and has taken them many hours and what fun they have had building it together.  Almost as much fun as going to Disney.  I'm so proud of what a great job they did and am amazed!  Way to go LA Thiots! Tuesday is going to be Mister Jackson's three year old birthday.  I'm not sure there is a funner three year old on the planet right now.  He is delightful and how I love that little guy.  Happy Birthday Tuesday!!!!!

Our Oak Lawn Thiots

 Kara finished school on Friday and she and her mama headed to NEW YORK CITY for the weekend.  I hope they are having a wonderful time there.  Sky and Elie have been finding lots of fun things to do while she is away.  I'm excited they are coming for a sleep over tonight.  YAHOO!  They went to the mall where Elie loved climbing the wall and sliding down on her tummy.  She went to the pool for the first time this year and loved the water.  She came to my house on tuesday and made cookies with grammy.  I love the darling aprons tatia made me years ago for my little grands to help me bake.  She is a great beater licker and wanted really bad to crack the eggs.  Maybe next time Miss Elie! 

We Plano Thiots
My friend Letitia came on the train on Wednesday and spent the day with me.  We did a bit of ministering to a mutual friend of ours and enjoyed one of Wendy's 50 cent frosties.  We added one of Elies' cookies and called it a cookie Sundae.  YUMMY! Letitia wrote notes to her sisters and we had a nice time.
We added a new baby to our Big Birks Family this week.  Chip and Elycia added sweet little Justin Gale to their family.  He weighted in at 8lbs 9 oz and is 20 inches long.  Just perfect and his siblings couldn't be happier to have him join the family.  Congratulations Payson Birks Family!
Dick has been working harder than ever and how he can survive on so little sleep is a mystery to me.  I'm happy to report that right his minute he is taking a sunday Happy Nappy.  Nobody deserves one more than he does.  How I love you Dick Thiot! 
Dick and I were blessed to be asked to attend the training for  the Self Reliance Initiative last Sunday evening.  This coming Tuesday is the opening devotional.  We are both looking forward to be able to be a part of it.  I've loved learning more about it through Aunt Bonnie and Uncle Dennis' missionary experiences serving with it.  What a blessing!  Tonight is seminary graduation and I get to stand guard at the refreshment table until it's over.  Yahoo!  We had a Seminary Sacrament Meeting today and it was fun to speak with my co teacher and two of our students.  How I love Seminary.  I must admit, I don't miss waking up quite so early for the summer time. 

On Friday I got to make the schedule for the temple.  Our shift cordinator was out of town.  I worked on it all day long and when I went to print it, this is how it printed.  OH MY!!!! That is not helpful, but something that was helpful, is the wonderful man I am married to forever, helped me and made it print of beautifully.  Thank you Dick!  You have super powers when it comes to the computer.  I'm grateful for how you bless my life.  One more week of doing the scheudle and I'm back to being a worker bee again.  I'm much better at that.  Hope you have had a nice week.  I think of you and pray for you often.  SLY Robynn

Mothers Day and Birthdays!!!

Our Mansfield Thiots
I love this new photo of our Mansfield Thiots in the field of bluebonnets.  This is a snapshot of the original and not as clear, but you get the idea.  The original is hanging on my wall.  I love it.  We met up on Monday night with Skyler's family at Chuys's to celebrate Graypa's Birthday and a belated Mothers Day.  It was so much fun to be together!  We loved it.

Our Medford Granges
Tatia's family has a fun tradition of taking a mothers day picture.  Baby Charlie was snoozing in the stroller when they took this daring posed one on the Rock, and I love the crazy posed one when he woke up.  Tatia said it's much more what their family life is like.  Lots and Lots of fun!  Way to go Tatia!

Our Carmichael Thiots
Charlie and Keelie had a blast this week at Fort Bragg.  It was 5th grade camp and Charlie won the lottery in getting to attend as a Parent Volunteer.  He stayed in a cabin with 12 boys, but Keelie was in his group during the day time.  They loved the hikes and especially the night hike and time spent in the tide pools.  It was a magical week together that they will never ever forget!  Way to go Charlie!

Our LA Thiots
Stacy's birthday is tomorrow and so Pierce wanted to sneak her out for dinner to spoil her.  He got a sitter and took her to her favorite spot and they loved spending the evening together.  We are so blessed to have Stacy in our family!  Way to go Pierce for finding her!  Happy Birthday tomorrow Stacy Elizabeth!!!

Our Oak Lawn Thiots
Miss Elie and I had an extra fun Tuesday this week.  Skyler had told me that she had learned to finger paint earier in the week and I couldn't wait to try it outside with Graypa's shaving cream.  She loved it and was so good.  She also had a bit of drawing time where she drew a picture of me.  I loved that too.  Ever since Miss Elie learned to climb out of her crib during napping time at my house, naps have ceased to happen.  I must say, I may have learned the trick.  She had a quick tubby and was cozied up in a towel (with diaper on) and fell fast asleep.  What I didn't realize at the time, was that Miss Elie saved the day by taking a nap.  I was going to meet Sky at 4:00 to give her back and when she fell asleep, I postponed our meet up time.  What I didn't know at that time was that, her nap would save the day for the Women's shelter meal.  I had signed up earlier in the month to take four loaves of french bread.  I was to have dropped it off at 4:00 and had totally forgotten.  At 4:02, my phone rang with a reminder phone call and if Miss Elie hadn't been snoozing, I would have been on the road and would have missed being able to serve those sweet sisters and their children bread for dinner.  So Thank You miss Elie for falling asleep and making a quick trip to Walmart with me which made delivering bread possible!

We Plano Thiots
Dick's birthday often falls near or on Mothers Day.  He was born the day after Mothers Day and this year that was the very same.  Something kind of magical happened.  I was looking out my kitchen window as I was loading the dishwasher, and out in the street in front of our house was a bouquet of white balloons.  They had lost their floatability and had landed right where the birthday boy lived.  I told Dick I thought his parents had delivered them from heaven above to their favorite son on his special day.  I loved it!  Addison asked me is Angels could really deliver balloons, I'm sure they can do what ever is needful.  Our kids went together and purchased Dick his dream gift for his special day.  An Apple Watch, oh my how that made him smile!  He has loved learning all the tricks it can do and is enjoying it.  Thank you sweet and thoughtful kids! You may notice on our mantel a box of Wheaties, his team for the Stake Golf Tournment came in first place and they brought home the Wheaties Award!!!!! WOWSERS!

On Wednesday, my final lesson I taught in seminary, I came home from seminary and found this cute balloon waiting for me.  Dick congratulated me for surviving my first year of teaching seminary.  Yahoo!  Friday was the seminary breakfast where the Bishops from the three wards come together and make breakfast for the seminary kids and teachers.  In the past pancakes and bacon have been on the menu but this year they changed it up a bit.  Cold, Sugar Sweetened Cereal was a HIT!  The kids were thrilled and Cinnamon Toast Crunch was the favorite followed by Coco Puffs.  What fun it's been this year to serve with these cute kids.  We didn't have a single day this whole year when all the kids were in attendance to get a great class photo.  Oh well, this was a great one and I loved each and everyone one of them.  I found this quote by President Hinckley referring to seminary in the fact that it seems like a great sacrifice but how it truly is an investment.  I've always been an early bird, so i knew getting up early wouldn't be hard for me, but preparing lessons was a challenge.  I told my class that I was sure I have learned far more than any of them did and I hope it will forever be in my heart as it has built my testimony stronger of the Savior Jesus Christ.  Did you know each section of the Doctrine and Covenants are his words except for Section 138 and the two Declarations to the Church.  It was a blessing to learn to love these scriptures and these kids.  They will forever have a space reserved in my heart.   I hope you have had a wonderful week too.  SLY Robynn

Miss Penny's Baptism Weekend

May the 4th was a very special day in our families history.  Our Penny Elaine Grange chose to be baptized into the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.  It was a beautiful day in Medford, Oregon.  Graypa and I were able to arrive the day before and we loved being there.  Aunt Lani also flew in from Salt Lake on Thursday.  She and Penny have a very special connection.  You see, Miss Penny's middle name is Elaine.  I love that they both share my Grandmothers name.
Penny's baptism was scheduled for 4:00 in the afternoon.  Another little girl in her primary class was also being baptised and it was wonderful to see them both there dressed in white.  Penny wore the special white dress that I had made from a pretty white night gown that was my mom's.  It makes 8 of my mom's great granddaughters who have been baptized while wearing it wrapped in Gigi's love.  Penny's daddy was able to baptize her and both Bumpa and Graypa were the witnesses to be sure she was baptized correctly.  It was wonderful!  Jacob gave Miss Penny a beautiful blessing as he confirmed her a member of  The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints and recieve the gift of the Holy Ghost.  I am so grateful that I could be there with Penny and her family.