My Country 'Tis of Thee

A couple weeks ago, on November 9th, Shawn's school class {and the entire 2nd & 3rd grades} put on a choir/music performance celebrating our country. They sang and danced to songs that were a tribute to our country such as: My Country 'Tis of Thee (that was the main one they performed), Yankee Doodle Dandy, a medley of all the armed forced songs, and more. Here are a few of the kids getting ready for the concert all dressed in their res, white, and blue!

Shawn is the one in the front in the red and white striped shirt.

Shawn was so excited because he for to play the Glockenspiel for one of the songs! Here he is playing it {although we could only see the back of him} :)

They did a great job!!! And a fun way to remind us to celebrate our country and all our freedoms that we get to enjoy because of living in this land!
God Bless America!!!

I Know My Savior Lives

Sunday, October 31st, was the Primary Program in our ward. The theme this year is "I Know My Savior Lives" and I just love this picture I found online and hung in my boys room:

The kids did such a wonderful job with their program! I loved to hear their sweet stories and testimonies of the Savior. And especially when they sing - it really brought the spirit into our Sacrament Meeting that day!

It was so much fun being in Primary this year and getting to know all the MANY kids in our ward. We have so many wonderful kids in our primary! I loved being able to be in there and see them learning and hear them sing with their beautiful voices each and every week. I am surprised how much I have learned and how my testimony has grown being a teacher in Primary this year. Yesterday (Nov. 7th) in church I got a new calling (Young Woman's Secretary) and although I am very excited for the new calling, I am also sad to be leaving the wonderful people I worked with in Primary, and also all the sweet children that I have grown to love. I was so glad I got to at least be in there for the last 8 months to help our children learn about the Savior and his love for each one of us! I know He lives!!! And I am very grateful for the testimony I have of Him and for all that He has done for me and continues to do for me in my life. We are very blessed to have the gospel in our lives.

Halloween.....Trick or Treat!

Since Halloween was on Sunday this year, Our Ward/Neighborhood had our annual "Trunk-or-Treat" at the Park on Saturday night. This year was a little different since we didn't do it at the church parking lot, it wasn't technically a "trunk" or treat. We all set up little card tables, etc. instead around in a big circle at the park and did it that way. Also, our activities committee did a FANTASTIC job and decorating the whole park and making it a really fun and festive party for everyone! There was our usual chili cook-off (so of course there was dinner!), they set up an area for a cake walk for all the kids, they had a little mini graveyard set up with some cool strobe lights/black lights to make it really cool, also they had some awesome "houses" out of cardboard boxes decorated awesome with black lights shining on them too for the kids to run around and play in. Over all it was a very fun night!

Here are the boys all ready to go in their costumes:

After they were done "table"-or-treating, Connor didn't waste any time breaking into his bucket of candy! Heaven for a 2 year old that's not used to eating hardly any sweets! :)

Our table for the trick-or-treat. Don't you love our Mr. Potato Head pumpkins?! We ran out of time to carve this year, and heard of this idea and decided to try it! I think it's fantastic! No pumpkin carving mess and they tuned out so cute! The kids had fun doing it too! :)

This was at the little cemetery they had set up. The kids were playing in it and I tried to get a picture, but it was dark and there was a strobe light there making it hard to get a clear picture.

All the kids so happy with their loot from the party.

We all had a fun time! Sunday (actual Halloween) was a nice relaxing day. The kids had their Primary Program at church and then we got to just hang out around the house, watch Halloween movies, and the kids put on their costumes to open the door for trick-or-treaters that came. It was a fun day together as a family. I thought the kids would be bummed that they didn't get to go trick-or-treating around the neighborhood Sunday night, but they seemed okay with it. I think they got enough candy from school Friday and the Ward party Saturday that they feel they got enough!
Hope everyone had a Happy Halloween!!!

Halloween.....School Style

The kids had their "Fall" Party day at school on Friday October 29th. I don't know why they can't just call it Halloween. So dumb! Anyway.... the kids were all so excited to wear their costumes! Here are the kiddos before heading to school. Shawn (8) was a red ninja, Brady (5) was Buzz Lightyear, and Connor (2) was Woody.

"You've got a Friend in me!"
They had so much fun both dressing up from Toy Story - it was cute!

My three little boys....although, not quite so little anymore.

Since I do Daycare from home, the 5 kids I babysit of course were there Friday as well and dressed and ready for school in costumes. I tried to get a picture of all of them together in front of our pumpkins in our yard, but it's a little hard to get 8 kids all 9 years and under to all look and smile at the same time. So this is the best I could get before we had to head off to school. I think it turned out pretty cute anyway even if they all aren't looking/smiling. :)

The kids all had so much fun at their school parties! I wasn't able to go help in either of their classes since I have little kids at home, but a friend of mine (whose son is in Brady's Kindergarten class) was able to go help out and she was nice enough to get a few pics of Brady for me! So thoughtful of her! So, here are some pics of Brady's Kindergarten class and their festivities.

They made these darling scarecrow necklaces out of candy:

They got to taste test a bunch of different pumpkin things such as pumpkin pie, pumpkin seeds, etc. I'm not sure if Brady liked them or not according to the looks on his face in these pics!:)

Getting his hands painted black to make some "bat wings" for a little craft they did:

Story Time

They did a little parade with the morning Kindergarten classes. (The whole school did a parade later in the afternoon, but am Kind. was already home by then.)

Having fun with the googly eyes they all got (Brady also had some vampire teeth he was putting in his mouth):

Mrs. Wright's AM Kindergarten Class

I think it was a fun day for all the kids! They sure came home with lots of goodies and treats!