Playing Catch-up

I've been neglecting my poor blog, so I'll make up for it with a lengthy post.

Can I just say, LAVA HOT SPRINGS!!! Last week, we spontaneously decided to go to a local hot springs. Unfortunately, the main 'family pool' was closed until the next day, so we went up the street to some 'soaking pools'. It was like a very nice, but very affordable, spa. The pools temp ranged from 104-112. The floor of the pool was little pebbles- so it was like a massage for your feet. Very nice. Very relaxing. Highly recommend it!

Saturday morning, we had a Primary activity about Provident Living. I was curious to see how they were going to teach children about something they could barely pronounce. However, I was pleasantly surprised at what they did. Each of the kids got a sticker as they entered the cultural hall- red, blue, green, and yellow. Then, they divided into groups according to their stickers. From there, they visited 4 'stations' for about 15 minutes. Our first stop was the nursery room where we learned about service. They gave each of the kids a Lysol wipe and had them clean the toys. At the end, they gave them each a paper heart to take home. When they did some service, they could leave the heart behind. (When we got home, Lexi helped me unload the dishwasher without being asked and Maci cleaned up the living room! It was great!!)

Station #2 was learning about gardening- providing for our families. We planted pea seeds. Station #3 was learning about taking care of our bodies. We talked about eating good foods and exercise. Then, we played some relay games. The last station was about budgeting money. The leader had a stack of 20 'coins' and several cups. Each cup was labeled with something- savings, tithing, house, food, and car. Our house payment was $4. The car was $2. And so on. We each had a dolalr at the end, so we could 'buy' some grab bags with gum, bouncy balls, and pencils. The girls had a great time!

Sunday, Howie and the girls gave me a box of chocolates and a card. It was signed with each of their names. Howie helped Lexi draw a picture of our family. It was sweet. I am happy to be a mom. I'm spoiled with good children.

Yesterday was a little windy, but we went to the park anyway. We played Hide-n-seek for awhile. then, the girls started chasing the birds and squirrels. Next thing I know, they've picked up pinecones and are throwing them at the squirrels that are just out of reach. I had a good laugh.

This morning, we decided to go have a 'free trial run' at the local gymnastics center. They had a GREAT time! The teacher was amazed that this was Lexi's first time at gymnastics. She has no fear and picks up on things quick- not to mention she's very flexible! Maci, unfortunately, got my graceful genes. Enough said. :) But both of them had a great time, and today is way toooo windy to play outside, so the gym was a great idea.

So, that's our little catch-up for now.