Spring Music Program

Peyton's first grade music program was about bunnys making good choices. Naturally, his speaking part was "Here are some bunnies making good choices."

Happy 3 Months Old!

Jack is now 3 months old and is so much fun. He is such a good baby. He'll sit forever watching his brothers and sister play around him and smiles every time he sees them.

A Win for the Underdogs

This will put a smile on your face!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9lp0IWv8QZY

Just some background- She's from a very poor village where she's spent years caring for her mother. She was bullied by kids in school and continues to be picked on by kids who all think she's odd.

Kid Updates

Tyler won these tasty treats at his school carnival. He is a great help around the house and with his younger brothers and sister. He pulled off a super clever April Fool's joke on his teacher and the assistant principal.
Peyton is getting ready for the 1st grade program in which he has one of the coveted speaking parts. He's lost another two teeth and has three more loose. He is doing so well and recovering great from all the medication and treatments (see "updates on Peyton").

Jack is SO sweet. He's such a good baby. He sleeps through the night and has started to smile and make cute little sounds. He is the most content little boy.

Bailey is something else. She changes clothes ten times a day and can get her brothers to do almost anything she wants. She loves chocolate and High School Musical.

Trey is a ray of sunshine. Last Tuesday he hopped on a bike without training wheels and took off. We registered him for Kindergarten last week. He loves to golf and is a little upset that by planting some new bushes, I took away his bunker.

Easter Sleep Over

Sunday afternoon Robert's sister's kids came down for a sleep over. I figured we'd spend Monday going to the Sea Center and to the local Natural Science museum. What I didn't realize is that they are both closed on Mondays, even with the kids all out of school. Needing something to do, I packed up all 10 kids (between the ages of Jack and 8) and we headed to the beach. It wasn't nearly as crowded as I thought it might be which was a pleasant surprise. We parked and unloaded and the kids started playing. I'm pretty sure that the people around us were placing wagers amongst themselves on how quickly I'd lose one of the kids. I was quite pleased that I managed to bring home as many as I took.

Go Aeros?

Yep, the Aeros, Houston's minor league hockey team. We had some fabulous seats courtesy of Robert's kind co-worker and it was so much fun. The boys loved the hockey and Bailey loved the cheerleaders.

Bayou Wildlife Ranch

We took the kids to a fantastic little wildlife park in Alvin. The kids loved it and highly recommend it!

Brazos Bend State Park

So, we were told that this state park was loaded with alligators but, not to worry, the lazy things always stayed on the banks resting in the sun. We confidently walked our five little children onto a small platform across from some alligators resting on an island in the middle of the lake. Within minutes one had hopped into the water and was swimming (with fair speed) towards us. We quickly gathered the kids and headed over to the next platform. We were there only a few minutes when another alligator felt motivated to leave it's sunning spot and head our direction. This one came up on the bank right next to us. It even opened it's mouth and started making the spooky growling sound that they apparently make. So, a word to the wise: Alligators do conserve as much energy as possible and will stay away from people, that is unless the people are 5 little rodent sized kids!

I absolutely love this. It is beautiful.

http://www.eastvalleyproductions.com/blog.cfm?postID=31

once you open it, click on the arrow to start the slide show.
You'll love it too, I promise.

Scan #2

Peyton had his MRI yesterday.

http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/ourpeyton

Doing Some Thinking

So, I've been trying to figure out how to be less busy with less important things to allow for more time to do more important things (i.e. reading with my kids, exercising my brain that occasionally feels like its withering away, being a better visiting teacher, being more prepared for Sunday School and Relief Society lessons...). I'm guessing this problem isn't uniquely mine since more and more conference addresses and Ensign articles seem to be addressing this. Robert came home with the following and while searching for it on the internet I came across the poem that follows it. The authors of both are unknown (but quite clever!).

Satan called a worldwide convention of demons.

In his opening address he said, “We can’t keep Christians from going to church.”

“We can’t keep them from reading their Bibles and knowing the truth.”

“We can’t even keep them from forming an intimate relationship with their savior.”

“Once they gain that connection with Jesus, our power over them is broken.”
“So let them go to their churches; let them have their covered dish dinners, but steal their time, so they don’t have time to develop a relationship with Jesus Christ.”

“This is what I want you to do”, said the devil:
“Distract them from gaining hold of their Savior and maintaining that vital connection throughout their day!”

“How shall we do this?” his demons shouted.
“Keep them busy in the nonessentials of life and invent innumerable schemes to occupy their minds,” he answered.
“Tempt them to spend, spend, spend, and borrow, borrow, borrow.”
“Persuade the wives to go to work for long hours and the husbands to work 6-7 days each week, 10-12 hours a day, so they can afford their empty lifestyles.”
“Keep them from spending time with their children.”

“As their families fragment, soon, their homes will offer no escape from the pressures of work!”
“Over-stimulate their minds so that they cannot hear that still, small voice.”

“Entice them to play the radio or cassette player whenever they drive.” “To keep the TV, VCR, CDs and their PCs going constantly in their home and see to it that every store and restaurant in the world plays non-biblical music constantly.”

“This will jam their minds and break that union with Christ.”
“Fill the coffee tables with magazines and newspapers.”

“Pound their minds with the news 24 hours a day.”

“Invade their driving moments with billboards.”

“Flood their mail boxes with junk mail, mail order catalogs,sweepstakes, and every kind of newsletter and promotional offering free products , services and false hopes.”
“Keep skinny, beautiful models on the magazines and TV so their husbands will believe that outward beauty is what’s important, and they’ll become dissatisfied with their wives.”

“Keep the wives too tired to love their husbands at night.”
“Give them headaches too!”

“If they don’t give their husbands the love they need, they will begin to look elsewhere.” “That will fragment their families quickly!”
“Give them Santa Claus to distract them from teaching their children the real meaning of Christmas.”

“Give them an Easter bunny so they won’t talk about his resurrection and power over sin and death.”
“Even in their recreation, let them be excessive.”

“Have them return from their recreation exhausted.”

“Keep them too busy to go out in nature and reflect on God’s creation.”

“Send them to amusement parks, sporting events, plays, concerts, and movies instead.”
“Keep them busy, busy, busy!”
“And when they meet for spiritual fellowship, involve them in gossip and small talk so that they leave with troubled consciences.”
“Crowd their lives with so many good causes they have no time to seek power from Jesus.” “Soon they will be working in their own strength, sacrificing their health and family for the good of the cause.”

“It will work!”“It will work!”
It was quite a plan!

The demons went eagerly to their assignments causing Christians everywhere to get more busy and more rushed, going here and there. Having little time for their God or their families. Having no time to tell others about the power of Jesus to change lives.
I guess the question is, has the devil been successful at his scheme?
You be the judge!

Does “busy” mean:B-eing U-nder S-atan’s Y-oke?

I knelt to pray but not for long,
Had too much to do.
I had to hurry and get to work
For bills would soon be due.

So I knelt and said a hurried prayer,
And jumped up off my knees.
My Christian duty was now done
My soul could rest at ease.

All day long I had no time
To spread a word of cheer.
No time to speak of Christ to friends,
They'd laugh at me I'd fear.

No time, no time, too much to do,
That was my constant cry.
No time to give to souls in need
But at last, the time to die.

I went before the Lord that day,
I stood with downcast eyes.
For in His hands God held a book;
It was the Book of Life.

God looked into His book and said
"Your name I cannot find.
I once was going to write it down...
But never found the time."

Some Mid-March Happenings

March isn't even over, but it's been eventful...

Peyton got a tooth knocked out at basketball, the kids and dad built a project at a Lowe's kids clinic, Jack's turned into a blankie baby and last but not least, two of Peyton's webkinz tied the knot (thanks Grandma for pointing out they couldn't be married if there hadn't been a ceremony. It was bizarre, yet terribly entertaining!).

First Family Picture

Peyton was the spotlight child in his school class last week and needed to send in a family picture. He insisted we have one with Jack so at 7 o'clock Sunday night, just before bed we took this one. Jack and I are still in church clothes, everyone else in pjs and our lovely backdrop is our school room. But here it is, our first family of 7 picture.

Downtown Aquarium

The kids had so much fun at the Downtown Aquarium. It was nearly completely empty so we rode the rides over and over again with now wait and went through the aquarium a few times. The favorite? The ride that takes you up and then drops. The kids couldn't get enough of it.

Happy Birthday Trey!

On March 11th, our little Trey turned 5. I took dirt pies up to preschool to help celebrate and then we had a little family party that evening. He is so excited to be old enough to start kindergarten in the fall. So big so fast...