Thanksgiving Day

We had Thanksgiving Dinner with the Taylor family this year. It was held at our church and the food was of course delish! My parents are awesome and cooked the turkey, stuffing and made the gravy.
Jack was a great helper and at had fun at the same time picking up the garbage.

Ruby absolutely LOVED the dinner. She sat in her chair the whole time and ate and ate and ate some more. She enjoyed herself!

Luc had fun playing basketball!

Thanks Grandpa for the cupcake in the face! It made Jack's day:)

Jackers Crackers...My Buddy

Jack you have said so many funny, cute things the past couple of months. I know that do not remember all of them, but there are a few things I want to make sure I get written down.
First, your "boo" is your ultimate favorite thing. It is getting pretty nasty from where you love to suck on it. You are doing good to have it only be an at home blanket now. Sometimes you like to take your little "boo" to school in your backpack.

These are a couple of your art projects from school. You do not like me to throw anything away and are always triple checking to make sure that I have scanned your pictures and that we have a record of them.

This is your self-portrait. Do you see any similarities?!?

In October I received a new church calling. One day Jack was getting in the car after school and saw a bunch of books and paperwork. He asked what all the stuff was for and I told it was for my new calling. This is how the conversation went...
Jack: What's your calling?
Mom: I am going to be the Primary President. You know like what Jeanette does.
Jack: Why?
Mom: I guess that Heavenly Father thinks that I need a new calling.
Jack: And He's going to let you do it!
That's exactly how I felt at that time too!

One day after Lucie had just gotten her hair done Jack walked into the bathroom and said, "wow, Lucie you look beautiful!" How sweet!

While we were driving in the car a couple of weeks ago all of sudden Jack gave a big sigh and said "wow, I have a big day tomorrow." I said oh really what do you have going on? Jack replied with, "I have school, show and tell, and playing!"

Jack's favorite lines to use are "oh my heavens" and "are you serious."

Lucie's Graditude Turkey

Lucie made this gratitude turkey at school. Everyday during the month of November she would write an "I'm Thankful" note. These are the things she said (in her words)...

1. muffins
2. hats
3. for my baby (i think she is referring to Ruby?)
4. my family
5. for terky (luc, i love that you are spelling on your own now...it's the best)
   
6. for pop ups (she learned how to make pop up cards in art class in November)
7. for school
8. my house
9. for colors
10. for rubys
11. my teacher
    
12. for grades
13. for dolls

I love your list Lucie! It makes me smile and reminds me of things that I need to be grateful for. Love You, Mom

Merry Christmas

Merry Christmas

I am grateful to have a couple of quiet minutes to write down a few thoughts from our Christmas season. December has come so quickly and I feel like I have not been prepared with having everything wrapped and organized for delivery. There have been several times this month when I have been frustrated with myself that I have not been able to get my act together and get everything organized! Oh well, I realize that things will get done when they need to.
This past week I have had some really awesome experiences that have allowed me to feel the true spirit of Christmas...
I had the privilege of attending an activity girls dinner. The girls acted out the nativity story and then sang and signed the song Silent Night at the end. The spirit touched me and testified of the truthfulness of the Christ's birth. Half of the girls participating that night come from inactive or less active homes. How special that they had this opportunity to bring their families and act out the most important story in history and that they had the opportunity to feel the spirit. I am thankful for good activity day leaders who fulfill their callings that gave us a sweet moment like this.
Trent and I attended the temple this week and did sealings. We had 2 family names from Trent's side of the family to do while we were there. The sealer shared some amazing thoughts that night and I was touched as Trent and I each had the opportunity to give others the gift and opportunity of eternal life.
We had stake conference with the visiting authority Elder Lund. Both sessions that I attended I learned so much about how to be a better individual and inspiration/guidance for my calling. I was grateful for the instruction and opportunity to receive spiritual nourishment.
This life is about finding and living by the true principles of the gospel. Even in the busyness of December I am thankful for the many moments that I have had to feel the true spirit of Christmas. I am thankful for my 4 friends who remind me everyday what things are truly most important in this life.

Grandma's Funeral

My grandma passed away on Tuesday November 17th.
It was a bittersweet good-bye.
I am so happy that she is grandma again, that she is complete and that she gets to be with grandpa again after 24 years apart.
It is sad for selfish reasons that we cannot go visit her or take her to lunch at Magleby's. That we don't have grandma here.
Last Wednesday was our sad day. Lucie went to school, but her teacher called mid morning and said she was having a hard day. I went and took a walk with her and then decided that she would come home for the rest of the day and we could be sad. We shared memories of grandma together.

Grandma's funeral was so nice. It was a perfect tribute to her. I am thankful for my dad and that he was able to conduct and giving closing remarks for his mom. It was a good family day.

The coloring is always kind of funny in pictures taken in churches. This is one of those pictures. I was joking with my family that the ghost bubble on my head was grandma wanting to be in the picture!

All of my dad's family.

Ruby was tired by the end of the funeral and luncheon. She just wanted to chill out and play with the flowers.

The Stones

President and Sister Stone were Trent's mission president's for the last part of his mission. We love to go see them and visit. Trent and I always feel so rejuvenated after visiting with them and have a renewed desire to do better. I am thankful for their friendship. Lucie and Jack were so excited to go to their house to see and maybe ride their horses.
Ruby was a little unsure about Tacoma sniffing her.

Jack decided he did not want to sit on the pony. Instead he explored the pasture.

President Stone was so sweet to help Lucie sit on the pony.

Some of the scenery we saw that day. Beautiful white trees from a fresh dusting of snow.

Schoonie Family Service Project

Trent's sister organized a family service project. It was part of a larger service project that sugardoodle.net was doing to collect cards and blankets for the Ronald McDonald houses. All of Trent's family participated and then shared what they did through pictures on a web album. It was an awesome project and our friends loved participating.
We made cards for FHE...

And then we delivered on a Saturday. It was such a simple thing, but it brought so much joy. Service is such a blessing.

Halloween 2009

Halloween Week was kind of busy for us. It was my first week with a new church calling, class parties, and a booth to run at a school carnival. I was grateful at the end of the week when everything was done, went smoothly and I could breathe!
We had a lot of fun at Lucie's school carnival. It was probably one of the best Halloween activities and we had a really fun night as family. I was really impressed because Lucie and Jack both went through the spook alley. We also enjoyed lots of cotton candy and hot dogs, played games, went through the bounce houses, and Lucie had a fun time seeing and hanging out with her friends.
Jack's class party...singing a Halloween song.

Jack and the "cat and the hat"

My 3 friends

My 5 friends

Halloween Carving 2009

Ovards
invited us over for our annual
pumpkin carving.
Lucie and Jack did a great job of cleaning out their pumpkins and picking their designs. Lucie wanted to carve trick or treat and I said yes. Trent thought I was completely crazy because we are not the most creative people and usually we do the basic face (jack and ruby's pumpkins), but it turned out and I think it looked fabulous!
It was a fun night and Noelle made yummy peach cobbler for desert!

Jack loves to pose for the camera...here are the many faces of Jack. He cracks me up...my little buddy!

HAPPY belated HALLOWEEN!

Grandma and Grandpa Schoonie Visit

Trent's parents have had lots of things happening in Utah this year...baby blessings, family reunions, weddings, baptisms and we have been very lucky to not only see them every month but also have them stay with us. Ruby knows and recognizes both grandpa and grandma.
October was there last trip to Utah for the year and our little friends are missing them this month. Jack keeps asking us when grandpa and grandma from Colorado will be coming. Yesterday he asked to call grandma to ask when he could see her again.

Trent with his dad and brother. Checking out London pictures.

Temple Square Visit

Last weekend we went up to Temple Square. We had such a good time walking around and enjoying a pretty nice weather afternoon. Our friends were not too excited when they found out where we were going, but once we got there they had a really good time.
We took a tour of the conference center. The artwork that they have hanging in there is incredible. It has been a couple of years since I last went in the conference center and when you go for conference there are so many other things going on that I don't think I fully appreciated the architecture or artwork.

Full of energy!

Admiring the waterfall.

We went to the church museum and they have a replica of the Angel Moroni there. It is placed perfectly because you can look at the one in the museum and then look out the window and see the Angel Moroni on the SL Temple. Jack did not believe me that the one in the museum was the same size as the one on the temple because it was so huge!
At the museum our friends had a fun time playing and learning at the I Am a Child of God exhibit, looking at the prophet exhibit and the SL tabernacle exhibit. Lucie loved a replica of the Liahona. In her words...it was blue, sparkly, and it looked like the real Liahona, but it wasn't.

Annual Provo City Service Fair

So, we were a bit bummed this year because pretty much the whole reason the adults go to the service fair is to support my dad because he usually works at his department's booth. At the last minute they changed who was going and my dad had to stay at the office. Our little friends were extremely excited to go. Jack had been asking in his prayers for 2 days that Trent would be able to get all of his work done and come with us. Alas, we went...

I am not quite sure what she was mad about. I happened to capture this little action in another picture and thought it was definitely one of those memory pictures:)

The girls trying to stay warm in the sun. It was a bit chilly.

Jack asked us if he could have his picture taken with a fireman. There was a fireman right by us who agreed, but then Jack had this reaction.

And then I stood by him to get this photo.

The fireman doing a demonstration.


I was really glad that Trent was there to take Luc and Jack up in the bucket. It goes up a little too high for my liking.