Clark County Fair 2013

On the train.

He finally decided he liked the cart on day 4.

Playing with the stick pony in the Kids Corral.

The classic Connor shot on the cart hauling trash.

Caleb worked about 8 hours a day in the ice cream booth.  

I take this picture of Cody and Jessie Culler/Hardy every year I think.

Putting on a puppet show in the Kid's Corral.

Cayden thinking that there is going to be really loud music.

The returned missionary hauling beer in his Budweiser cap and with a Rockstar.

Riding the train.

Our favorite clown friend PJ!

Pizza!

Ho-hee!

Yum-O!

I was really wanting something yummy for dinner the other night so I was looking at my Pinterest pages trying to find an idea.  I saw this and decided that it was just what I was needing.  I L.O.V.E monte cristo sandwiches and this was a good substitute that didn't involve frying!  They were delicious and didn't cost $17.50-that's how much 1 sandwich costs at New Orleans Cafe at Disneyland.  There used to be a restaurant here called Bennigan's that made them but they closed down years ago.  Total Bummer!

A Little Peek at How Connor Serves Others

On Fast Sunday in March one of the older ladies that Connor takes care of got up and bore her testimony. She told of her week and how she had  a really bad day.  She said that she was in a lot of pain and was really frustrated.  She has a sunflower thing in her front yard that spins when the wind blows and she said that when she is having a bad day she likes to sit and watch it spin and it helps her feel better.  That day in particular she was feeling poorly and was watching her sunflower spin when a big gust of  wind blew it right over.  She was very distressed and hobbled out to try and fix it.  Just a minute later she heard the sound of an engine and then the voice of a nice young man who said, "Sister Whipple, do you need some help?"  Connor fixed her decoration and talked to her for a few minutes and went on his merry way.  Unbeknownst to him, he had brightened her day and helped an older lady feel loved and understood by the Lord.  She didn't say his name over the pulpit but he knew it was him and he was so proud of himself!  Ssitting on that bench he was just beaming!  He leaned over to grandma and said "that was me!".  He then asked his grandma if he should go up and bare his testimony and tell everyone that it was him.  Grandma of course told him no that he shouldn't do that and after the meeting he got lots of compliments from lots of people because they knew that it was him that helped Sister Whipple!  He is always on the look out for ways to help people. He takes his work very seriously and wants to help any one he can.  He cleared up some ground at Brother Jones' house so they could get his garden ready.  Brother Jones is almost 90, mostly deaf and blind and not really all that well.  His daughter lives with him and takes care of him and his son, Tracy who is extremely mentally and physically disabled.  I saw the daughter, Melanie, when we were getting our recommends signed at the Stake Center.  She told me how they just love Connor and they were so glad and grateful that he came to help them get the garden ready.  This is the same Brother Jones that Connor went and sang Christmas Carols to over the holidays.

Scout Activities

On Saturday, January 26 the young men in our ward went on their 2nd Annual Brian Head Ski and Snowboard Trip.  Even though Don was not in Young Men anymore he volunteered to go.  They needed him to help drive and he wanted to go skiing so that worked out really well!  They had to get up really early in the morning to meet up with everyone and leave by 5am.  They were able to take lessons in the morning if they wanted and then head to slopes or just ski all day long if they wanted.  Caleb tried snowboarding this time and he said he liked it and was able to go down the bunny hill later in the day.  They headed home around 4:30 and stopped for dinner.  I can't find any pictures of this so I don't think any got taken.

Caleb and Cayden got to participate in the merit badge pow wow that our ward held in February.  There were 3 Wednesday's where they attend different merit badge classes and by the of those they could have 3 merit badges done.  Cayden needed to go to a town board meeting so he went with Sister Boren to one in March.  They both need service hours for their citizenship in the community merit badge and they are taking care of those by volunteering at the fair.  Caleb got his 8 hours done over 2 days and Cayden started his and has 1.5 hours done.  This is really not a hard thing for them to do mostly because they love the fair and any time they can be up there-even when it is not even open yet and even when it is picking up trash or emptying boxes of toilet paper, they are happy to do.  Caleb is really close to having all his merit badges for his Eagle and just needs to finish a few and then figure out a project.

Caleb has been excited about going to YM every week-a fact that I am grateful for.  Right about this age, 14-15, Cody decided that he was done with YM.  It was hard for me not "force" him to go and there were sometimes I insisted but it was a weekly battle to get him to go.  Most of the time I lost.  Caleb usually remembers and doesn't fuss about it at all.  He even goes when it is a deacons activity even though he is a teacher now.  The deacons have a campout atleast once a month and because all the boys are supposed to get their camping merit badge, they all need nights of camping. Brother Barlow invites everyone who want to to go camping with them even it is only his garage or backyard.

Connor has been going to young men activities this year since he turned 16.  That hasn't happened since he was 13.  The youth leaders and others in that ward are very helpful and have accepted him for who he is and he feels much more comfortable there.  He even calls it "my ward" when we are talking about it.  He went to his first campout EVER by himself in February.  This really is a huge deal.  Even when he was 11 and 12 he only went on maybe 2 campouts and Don went with him both times.  Grandpa took him out and stayed with him until about 10 but then Connor stayed the rest of the night by himself and had a great time.  He did most of their cooking on his dutch oven cooking stuff he got for Christmas.  He has been going to some of the Wednesday activities too once in a while.  I really am grateful for that ward in accepting him and loving him and allowing him to be who he is.  That ward is smaller than ours and there are less youth and that makes it easier for him as well.

What Kyle was Eating for Lunch

Well yes, that would be crepe paper he found in the craft closet.  

 I corrected that immediately and put him in his chair for some real lunch.  He loves to say "cheese" to the camera. So in honor of the "cheesy"grin and the yellow crepe paper Kyle had a cheesy tortilla for lunch.

Track and Field

At our high school if the kids participate in a sport during the year then they don't have to take PE the following year.  Caleb decided that he wanted to do track and field.  He does the discus and the shot put.  They have practice every day after school.  He has been to 3 meets so far.  The first meet was in Las Vegas and it was so very cold!   Don and I went in to see him and we took Kyle with us.  We almost missed seeing him though because we went to the wrong school!  In our defence it was the school that was posted on the schedule but they changed it!  We looked all over Arbor View for 30 minutes and called and called and called him before I finally called his friend's mom to ask her if she knew where it was.  She told us where to go so we hopped in the car and drove clear across town  and got there just in time to see him throw.  We were not prepared for how cold it was so Kyle and I stayed in the car and watched from there.  Don did go in to see him though.  He has had 2 other meets and one of them was out here thank goodness.  The other was in Vegas and Kyle and I drove in just to get him and bring him home because the field events are held first and he would have just had to sit around until 8:00 or so.  We did get an In and Out run in though so that made it worth the effort to drive all the way in there.  

Soap Box

I'm going to get on my soap box here for minute because this is my blog and I can!  I feel very sad/frustrated, irritated, angry about these women who are causing such ripples and contention in the church.

The first thing that is bugging me is this whole "wearing pants to church" issue.  Give me a break!  I do not feel like going to church in pants and I like going in my "best dress".  I like to get dressed up and wear skirts and dresses and feel like I am appropriately showing respect to the Lord by dressing that way.  What is that saying-an outward showing of an inner commitment?  Now I don't think that those who wear pants to church are wrong and I know there are some people/places where that is the norm orpeople can't afford it and that is fine.  I have the blessing of being able to afford and wear dresses so I will.  The pioneers had usually 1 dress for the week and one dress for church and they still kept that one dress for church clean and saved it for Sunday because they were going before the Lord and they knew it.  If you feel acceptable before in the Lord then it really doesn't matter what you wear but don't make it a federal case.

The second that that has me irritated is the whole movement to let women say the prayers in General Conference.  Again-give me a break!  Who are these people that have time to worry about these things.  This has become news-worthy?

The third thing that is bothering me the most is this whole thing with women wanting the Priesthood.  Are you kidding me?  You really want more responsibility, more accountability and feel less important/less valued/less effective because you don't have the priesthood?  WHATEVER!  I do not have time to worry about these silly little things.  I have much more important things to worry about like my children with diabetes, or the math teacher whose daughter was killed last week in a car accident, whether or not I am doing my best in keeping my covenants and commandments, the young family where the dad died at 7pm and his new baby daughter was born at midnight, and my relationship with my husband, my children and my Heavenly Father.  Not to mention the starving children, the homeless, the sick, the sad, the lonely-the list goes on and on and on.  Why do we make mountains out of molehills and worry about petty things when there are so many other things that need focusing on?  I put motherhood and priesthood on the same level.  I don't think one is better than the other and I don't think that to be important to the Lord we all have to be the same and have the same.  Do we believe what we say we believe or not?  Either you believe that the true church has been restored to the earth and is the same church that the Savior led when he was here or you don't.  Either you believe and sustain the prophet or you don't.  You can't have it both ways.  UGGHH!  This is such a waste of time and energy and brain cells.  I do believe that we are equal before the Lord but that we are not all the same.  There are men and there are women.  Each is given their own stewardship and responsibilities and both will be held accountable before the Lord.

That is all.