FHE Fire Safety

Last week we had a very traditional FHE on pornography. The kids took to it extremely well and I was so proud of how seriously they took it. Of course it was a very toned down version and put in the most simple form, but they did wonderfully. We used the new video from LDS.org for a help and when it was over they asked to watched it again. I was proud of that FHE. 

I was also proud of our untraditional FHE we had tonight. Beckett is learning about fire safety in preschool and we decided to carry it over to family night. We came up with a family plan if there is a house fire and practiced getting out of the house. The kids really enjoyed "jumping" out of the window and wanted to do it over and over again. 

I just love Beckett looking at Kyle. 

It's so hard taking a picture of four wiggly boys. 

FHE two weeks in a row. I'm feeling pretty good about that and can feel the spirit in our home growing. We aren't perfect at it, but we are trying our best.

It's no wonder we are counseled to hold a weekly meeting. Hopefully we can keep it up. 

Fall Fishing

We headed to Pocatello today to check out the new Wellness Complex and for some fun fall fishing. Although the dock was a little narrow and I was sure one of my kids was going to fall in, it turned out to be a really great time. We caught a total of four fish, which allowed everyone a chance to reel one in and Tayden got two. Grandma Karlson, grandma Mennear, grandma Packard, Ashley, Jeff, Sharlee and Aimslee came too. It was really great spending time with everyone. 

The kids got a little bored of fishing so while Scott and I cleaned up, my mom and Grandma took the boys to the beach portion of the lake. They failed to tell my mom they couldn't play in the water and got soaking wet. I flew off the handle and acting quite rashly. I'm actually way disappointed in myself and how much I lost my cool. But, we made it out in one piece and had a good time fishing. So we concentrated on the positive for the day and moved on. I have learned a lesson though. Keep a change of clothes for everyone in the car for everyone at all times. 

I really love my people. 

Best picture I could get of the boys. I've learned to take what I can get. 

Love his little foot. 

Checking out the dead fish.

Cache loves selfies. And I love taking them with him. 

Dad doing his thing. 

Ky crashed half way through. 

The gang. 

Becketts fish. 

Caches fish

It was a great day. Idaho life is great. 

Gems

We decided to start taking full advantage of everything Idaho Falls has to offer. Which is more than one would think. So we spent Saturday afternoon adventuring at Gem Lake. It was more fun than we expected and we weren't near enough prepared. I thought the kids could dig around in the sand, do some exploring and head home. I didn't realize the water would be so tempting, how foolish of me! But Scott and I decided to be fun parents and let them get soaked, clothes and all. 

It was a fun time, but next time we'll be bring our swimsuits, towels and more sand toys. 

That was yesterday's gem. Today's gem is my favorite. We had stake conference today. And since 3 out of the 4 boys are less than quiet, we made the decision...that I'm not proud of, not to go. We told Tayden about the conference and he got it mixed up with General Conference. He told me it was okay we weren't going we could watch it on TV and he would set up some quiet stations downstairs. 

We watched some talks from the April 2015 conference on the TV and the boys did their quiet stations. After the talks we asked the boys what they learned, and you know what... They actually listened! We were impressed with their answers and their simple testimonies that the things we heard were true. We spoke about temples, eternal families and Joseph Smith. We spoke about how some people don't know the truth, but how blessed we are that we do. I knew in that moment the things we were teaching our children were sinking into their hearts and I was so proud of my family. 

This weekend was a good reminder that gems can be found in our day to day doings and our normal surroundings if we just look. 

Pre-k a Day 1

Beckett had his first day of preschool yesterday. He has been waiting all summer for it to start and it was well worth the wait. He loved it. It was a parent orientation day as well. So the parents had a introductory meeting and the kids did some fun activities. I was so impressed with his teacher and her program. I have a feeling that Beckett is going to thrive this year. 

It was a special day for him. I loved watching his excitement as he embarked on his very own new adventure. Many times he is following in his brothers footsteps, but Preschool is his own. He loves it and I'm excited to watch him spread his wings. 

Fair fun

As I was talking to my friend this week, I swore we weren't going to the fair. A million people, plus four boys and a stressed out dad did not sound like a good time. But when Scott proposed the idea to me and promised up and down he wouldn't stress out and we'd have fun, I decided to go along with the idea. 

Turns out he was right. It was fun. The kids enjoyed petting the horses, looking at the cows and goats, eating fair food dinner and dessert and they even walked away with a goldfish. Quick story about the goldfish. Tayden saw the win a goldfish game and we decided to let them play. As we were standing in line two kids, about ten years old, asked the boys if they wanted the fish they just won. The boys were estatic and quickly said yes. I thanked them for their kindness and they were on their way. It's so good to see good kids. 

Even though there was a legion of people, I'm glad we went. It was reminiscent of my childhood and made me love Idaho even more.