Our time in Mesa

We spent the last two weeks in Mesa. The premise of being there was that I could be a help to my sister. And I believe we were a help. But we did take advantage of being up there to enjoy ourselves.

One day when we had my sister's daughter with us we went to Sonic and everyone got their own Strawberry or Cherry Limeade. The twins were suppose to share but Nellie didn't want to share so Rose ended up with my Route 44.

Tues we went to the Arizona Museum of Natural History. I remembered they have dinosaurs there and knew that would be a huge hit with our four year old. Of course it was. Wish I took more pictures. I didn't know that there were so many dinosaurs that have been found here in Arizona. I hadn't been to the museum since I was a in elementary school. I am so glad we went.

When we left the Museum on Tues, Al then announced that he wanted to go to the place with the live fish and sea animals. I knew he was talking about the aquarium but I wasn't going to take him 2 places in one day and going there in one trip would be expensive. When I mentioned his request to my brothers they suggested the Bass Pro shop in Mesa. They have fish there. So that is what we did for our outing on Wed. Well Al, although found the place interesting, was very keen to point out that it was no aquarium.

Al finally broke me down and on Thursday we went to the Sea Life Arizona Aquarium at Arizona Mills mall. It was a larger aquarium than we had visited previously but I didn't feel like it has as many interactive activities. Al was in heaven the girls really enjoyed it too. The first time through we didn't see the octopus, and after a lot of tears we went back in and asked if they had an octopus. Turns out they do and they told us where we'd find it. So we went all the way through again. I need to remember that on thing like this that my children will regain interest again and do it all over if we just take a break and come back again. Each time through it took us about an hour with my children's short attention span. 

Friday we hang around the house and then their cousins had a sleep over with them that night. First one of its type.ll

New Nibbling and time in Mesa

My sister had her baby on the 5th. His name is Theodore and we are calling him "Teddy".

We went up to Mesa to see our new cousin and to help my sister out in any way I could.

his cousin (on the other side of the family) Maggie was born the same day at the same hospital

NOT TWINS

As they were getting ready to be discharged from the hospital he has what we started calling "breathing attack episodes"

It  was scary. He would stop breathing and turn blue.

Many theories were given why this was happening

eventually they moved him to Cardon Children's Hospital.

He still hadn't been home yet. They monitored him for seven days and found nothing.

Finally after being 13 days old he was release to go home for the first time. They are going to have to keep a monitor on him for a month but at least they are home. I think my sister handled the whole thing very grown up. I am grateful that prayers have been answered and they are now home as a family.

2013 Arizona Monsoon Season

The Monsoons are in full season here.

As a reminder here is a picture from about a week before Monsoon season started. 

See what my backyard looks like in the height of the heat of summer.

Now take a look at these photos from this year's monsoon season

see how lush and green it is

pic of the waterfall on the mountain behind our house

Where did our mountain go? Almost wouldn't know there was a mountain there.

And take a look at that rain fall and that uncut overgrowth. 

It is time to get that push wacker out.

Singing Time Brain Teasers

I have been up in Mesa with my kids for the last two weeks. I thought I had prepared a lesson for tomorrow (it is currently 11:50 on Saturday night) but I can't remember what it is. Since I do not want to show up to church and look at my folder (which is there since I gave it to the sub and asked her to leave it there)  and then realized I never finished my lesson plans. I can't remember for the life of me what they were so I had to start from scratch tonight.

Next Sunday (5th Sunday- last Sunday of June) the Primary President wants me to use the ENTIRE time reviewing and singing with the kids. I plan on doing a "Jeopardy" like game. Each song is going to be a category. That is going to be most of the time and we are going to spend a little bit of time relearning the patriotic songs we sing at the ward 4th of July Breakfast- "My Flag, My Flag" and "My Country Tis of Thee". I did request that the Presidency member who would have Sharing Time plan a short (5 minutes) lesson to give me a break and to break up the singing for the kids because they are not going to want to sing the ENTIRE time.

So this Sunday:

I was thinking about brain teasers- like the ones below

I once did something similar. I had a brain teaser of the song on one page and another page with the song title. They then played concentration with them. I like the idea that the children have to figure out what the song is.

So I have spent my time tonight making up my versions of Brain Teasers with the 2013 Primary Program songs. I did them for the songs we're doing and I tried to find what most people are doing for their "You choose" songs so that everyone can use them. Can you figure them out without looking at the captions?

I am a child of God

My Heavenly Father Loves Me

If the Savior Stood Beside Me

The Sacred Grove

We Thank thee O God for a Prophet

When I am Baptized

Families Can Be Together Forever

A Child's Prayer

These are the others I included for those who aren't doing the same songs we are. If you are doing something other than this just ask and I will try to find the time to include your needs in here.Or make your own, I am sure many of you are much more creative than I am at thinking of these.

We'll Bring the World His Truth

Children Holding Hands around the world

Follow the Prophet

Joseph Smith's First Prayer

Upon a Golden Spring Time

Praise to the Man

The Priesthood is Restored

Stand for the Right

the Golden Plates

This is my Beloved Son

This is my Beloved Son

Book of Mormon Stories

Again if there is a song you would like me to try to add, comment and let me know I will try. 

You can either click on the pictures you need/want and "save as" to your computer they should be in a 8.5*11 size or click here to download all in a zip file

I hope this helps someone. Enjoy

Disclaimer (confession)- picture of the children around the world I swiped from fellow chorister site. Check out her ideas too.

Fast Visitors

My best friend, Amber, came to visit with her son. It was just for the weekend. She was in Arizona for her Grandma's funeral and after all the family stuff was over she borrowed a family car to come see us. We were so happy to have them. We had so much fun together. I'm looking forward to their visit later this year.

Making Cookies

We had fun on Monday making us some Valentines Cookies. We then delivered them to our neighbors and friends after a FHE lesson on loving our neighbors. 

Happy Valentines day

and

Happy Birthday Arizona

Trip to Texas: the Great Wolf Lodge

I had only seen this resort on GroupOn. And when we were looking for things to do my husband found them on a list of great things to do with toddlers. 

Great Wolf Lodges are a chain of resorts that have an indoor water park. For those from the Arizona area, the indoor park is on the scale of SunSplash. It also have an outdoor section for the summer and good weather. It wasn't open while we were there.

It has a huge area for smaller children. And a bunch of slides for older children and adults. It has a hot tub area for adults only and a wave pool and lazy river for guest of all ages. I was impressed with out much water area there was to do.

Al though he was in heaven, but the girls.... took a while to be okay with being in the water. I do feel that by the end of the visit they were enjoying their water time, but they still didn't want to stay in all the time.

The girls were so cute in their suites. If you ever do something like this, or do public swimming areas in general bring colored swim clothing for boys and girls make spotting children so much easier.

The girls favorite part was chill'in on the chairs with their 

water bottles. 

Al was big enough to stay up late and go to story time both nights we were there. After story time the second night Violet the Wolf was there to meet and greet the kids. Him and I got ice cream too while we waited for story time.

By the end of each day our children were so tired. They could hardly stay awake to eat dinner.

Overall we had a bunch of fun. The food was expensive and not impressive at all. But for the winter deal we were able to get it wasn't too bad of a price for what we got. I don't think I could ever go and spend their "normal" full price. It just sounds way too expensive for the fact that they are going to nickle and dime you, just like any resort, to do any of the extras. In a way I've been spoiled by the cruising experience of a resort like feel. Where sure extras are extra but there is so much already included that you don't actually need a many of the extras. We will probably do it again someday, maybe in 2-3 years when Al will be big enough to ride the large slides. Maybe we can talk my sister's family into going with us.... maybe.

Fountain Hills fountain picnic dinner

we all brought sandwiches and various other foods to the park at the Fountain Hills fountain.

The older children were more interested on playing on the play ground than eating.

It was cold and as it got darker we were even colder waiting for the fountain to go one last time that day.

Isn't' that a lovely sunset, but the best caught on camera but beautiful.

Finally the fountain came on and we watched and went home. It was down right freezing.