Happy Birthday Kessiah!

I'm not sure how I feel about being the Mom of a teenager!  Part of me is scared...knowing that this is only the beginning of teenagers for me!  Part of me is excited...it has been fun watching her grow and learn and develop her talents...we are in for many more wonderful experiences.

We made a change in her school curriculum this fall and switched from one online school to another.  She has enjoyed many aspects of the new style of learning through Williamsburg Intermediate although math continues to be a challenge for her!

This fall I needed to change piano teachers for Kessiah, I think it was a good change for her and will push her.  She also started taking violin this fall, she doesn't like being a beginner at something!  It will be fun to see what she does with her musical talents!

She enjoys 4H.  This year she is signed up for cavy, sewing, photography, and outdoor adventures. She won some good ribbons at EXPO for her indoor exhibits.

She has loved being able to go to Young Women's activities over the past year and had a great time at camp this summer.

Kessiah is turning into an amazing young woman and I am so blessed to be her mom!

We gave her some fox socks as a gag gift...she has a love/hate relationship with a popular song called "What Does the Fox Say?"  And Nana & Papa gave her a new bedspread.  She had a 4H hike on her birthday.  Ryan took the girls and picked up a new bike for her birthday on the way home.  I made a delicious chocolate cake...it was yummy!

Thanksgiving Week

Monday:  We finished the Book of Mormon as a family a few weeks ago...that means we get to eat at Golden Corral for finishing the Gold Plates!  So that's what we did for dinner! The cotton candy made several children very happy!

Tuesday:  A pretty normal day except that Ryan took the day off...as well as the rest of the week.  He took Corbin with him to run some errands for a good part of the morning and early afternoon.  Corbin loves to go in Daddy's truck!

I loved the hat that Mason came home from preschool wearing!

Wednesday:  We did some things to get ready for our Thanksgiving feast.  Kessiah, Jenessa, Sienna, and Logan all had different food assignments!

For dinner we had a "crazy dinner"  We allotted everyone $3.00 and went to the grocery store and told them to buy something for dinner!  I told them they could not go over the $3.00 limit but they could combine their money.  If we do this again, we might need some more guidelines since half of our meal ended up being dessert!  But it was fun!

Thursday:  Feast Day!  Food preparation in the morning and Ryan started to put up the Christmas lights...as well as doing a little online shopping!  The girls were very helpful getting everything ready.  Logan even helped Ryan get the turkey in the brine on Wednesday

The turkey and fixins' were delicious.  I am so thankful for this wonderful (and often chaotic) family that I have been blessed with!

We made our annual thankful tree during the first part of November .

Ryan and I have been doing more online shopping this year...but the draw of a few Black Friday sales drew us out on Thursday evening.

Friday:  A few more Black Friday sales to hit in the morning.  Ryan took the girls ice skating in the afternoon.

Saturday:  Kessiah's birthday!  Ryan took the girls on a 4H hike.  Ryan picked up Kessiah's new bike on the way home at Walmart...we tried to pick it up on Friday but we left it so they could assemble it for us.  We enjoyed Papa Murphy's pizza and a delicious chocolate homemade cake for dinner.  Kessiah watched The Hunger Games movie with Ryan and I while the rest of the kids went into our bedroom to watch Harry Potter.

3 more weeks of school until Christmas break!

Our Week in Review

Saturday:  Saturday evening we had a LEAP homeschool group family dinner/dance.  The kids got to perform on the piano during dinner, we did the dances we have been learning during our weekly meetings, and we had some time to free dance to some music.  A fun evening!

Dancing with my boys!

 Earlier on Saturday Ryan had taken Kessiah and Jenessa to the 4H Photography meeting and then we met at Peter Piper Pizza for Sienna's soccer party.  Afterwards, we went to the mall and Sienna got her ears pierced!  She is so excited to do these things she has been wanting to do for so long!

Jenessa and Sienna both made the all-star teams for soccer...they were supposed to have a game on Saturday...but it had rained most of the day on Friday and continued to rain on Saturday so the games were cancelled...too bad...those all star games are fun to watch!

Friday:  Jenessa got 3 teeth pulled in preparation for getting braces sometime next year.  The poor girl was so woozy when she came home that she couldn't even stand up...that was probably in part to the fact that she didn't eat breakfast before she went to the dentist!

That afternoon, I took Kessiah to the Pioneer Home where with the rest of the HCHE student council she put on a talent show for the residents.

Thursday:  After our Thanksgiving party at LEAP homeschool group, I took Mason to Scottsdale for an eye appointment.  The doctor said he was looking pretty good and I don't have to take him back for 6 months!  Yeah!  We have never gone 6 months between appointments!

Thursday evening I took Sienna and Jenessa to Relief Society...the activity day girls have been collecting items to take to a women's shelter and we got to go take a tour of the building.

The first of the week was pretty calm with our normal activities.  Mom and Dad left on Monday morning.  It was sure nice to have them here for Sienna's birthday and baptism...and well as the other things they helped with...teaching Logan to ride a bike, helping me finish my Christmas stockings (finally!), sewing pajama pants for all the kids, taking Mason to preschool on LEAP day...and of course doing my dishes!

Sienna's Baptism

Sienna was baptized on November 17, 2013

It was a great program.  (If you can overlook Corbin throwing a fit and being taken out by a wonderful ward member and hearing him scream in the hallway...that's just the way it is with young children!) My Dad gave the baptism talk and I have the Holy Ghost talk.  I only got a little teary eyed when Sienna was in the font with Ryan...I think it hit me that this was my last daughter and I wouldn't ever have this view again!  One of my favorite parts was my children singing the song "If the Savior Stood Beside Me"  I love that song!

Our Week in Review

Saturday:  Sienna's 8th Birthday!  Wow!  She has waited a long time for this!  I think having 2 older sisters makes her always want to be older than she is...she is also the youngest in her Primary class and so the youngest to get to go to Activity Days...she is super excited!

Saturday was also our last soccer games of the season as well as soccer parties for Mason and Jenessa.  It cooled down quite a bit this weekend...making me really glad this was the end of the season!  We were glad that Mom and Dad were able to join us for these games.

All my soccer players had the same number this year!

 Friday:  Mom wanted to see my kids open their presents from her...so on Friday evening we made hot chocolate with marshmallows and let the kids open presents from Nana and Papa...including pajama pants that she had made for all of them earlier in the week.

Earlier:  Nana and Papa got here on Tuesday evening.  It was so nice to have them here!  Papa was great during the week about getting Logan on his 2 wheel bike...that is something that Ryan and I have had a really hard time getting to! 

Mom helped me finish my crocheted Christmas stockings that I have been working on for YEARS!  I finally have one for each of us!


Monday:  Veteran's Day.  As part of a school project, Kessiah needed to do a fundraiser to earn money for a charity that helps people in Mexico with obtaining clean drinking water.  She got together with a friend who is also in the same school program and they did a bake sale...they made over $100...so we'll call it a success!

Soccer 2013

Sienna was a ferocious little player on her team

 

Jenessa played goalie the whole season and helped keep her team undefeated!

Mason was a huge help to his young team...he was always willing to go out and play when his coach called him.