March 2014

OK, so I'm looking at my list of all the posts I wanted to do in 2014 that I simply never got time for! There is no point in starting another year when I'm a full year behind, so I'm going to quickly tell you all that I missed in 2014 only I will do it one month at a time because that's just how far behind I got!!!

One of the first things I missed was telling you about Charity's 12th birthday! This is the second birthday we went all out for in our decorating efforts. I even put a little extra effort into making her cake look extra nice. One of her favorite gifts was a big soft fleece blanket just like the one mom and dad have - only a different color.

Around that same time Melodee came home with a super cool project she had made in school. It was a little cabinet she had made with rounded drawers. I was very impressed. I love the natural look of it. Melodee is a very creative and talented girl.

I love those little drawers! Way to go Melodee!!! 

Of course the very early spring weather brought some really good snowman days.... We always try to take advantage of our snowman building weather.

The girls were busy for quite a while and when I went out I discovered that they had built a snowman family!

Only a few days later, the entire backyard had changed, the snowman family had turned into puddles...

Taking advantage of the warm streak the men decided to work on the root cellar. In 2013 we had mice get into it and destroy the insulation, so some repairs were needed. We decided at this time to put in a cement floor... Here is the floor going in. Once the floor was finished, the walls were refinished and HOPEFULLY mouse-proof forever more!!!

I am so thankful to have the root cellar back in commission.

One thing Chad and I do often, especially when we are shopping or away from home, is purchase what we need to have an impromptu picnic and then if we have time, we will locate a new park or a favorite park where we can eat and enjoy our surroundings. We have discovered many new areas that way! With the warmer weather, we found occasion to once again go exploring, this time down by the river in Medicine Hat...

It was a little chilly, but as you can see, the river was glorious! There were still chunks of ice in it.

Usually we don't celebrate St. Patricks Day more than wearing something green to avoid getting pinched, however in 2014 I decided to do a little something extra and make an occasion of the day. I decorated the dining room using green plates, streamers and balloons, and then prepared green foods!!! The kids thought it was great and Breanna had even come home from school with a bright green St. Patricks Day hat!

It was so much fun! After eating we traveled to the city where we went swimming in the wave pool where we played games, splashed each other and swam. We even ran into a few people we knew from church!!! 

There we are, one group picture with each parent (since someone had to take the photo) ☺ It was a great event. I have come to the conclusion that any occasion is reason enough for a celebration. Those are the fun moments that make up our most treasured memories, and the more we have of them, the stronger our family will become! Good memories are such a blessing!!!

A few days later, we took Charity to the temple where she got to learn about the special work that is done there. She did baptisms for about 30 people. Her dad did the baptizing, and mom got to be close by where she could see and feel the joy of the experience. Here she is as we eagerly anticipate our arrival at the temple...

Of course, given the quick temperature changes that we experience in our part of the world, the day was a fair bit colder than it had been the previous week. When we arrived at the temple, we had cool ice sculptures on our hubcaps!

Also this month Beth and Melodee got to spend some time taking a chilly horse back ride...

They don't seem to care what the weather is like as long as they get to play with their horses. ☺

One last thing I want to tell you about that I actually have pictures of in March is how we spend each evening as a family. Here we are...

Each evening we gather together either in the living room or in the family room with our scriptures and we read and discuss a verse each from the scriptures. We really enjoy this practice, for it has blessed our family in immeasurable ways. It's not always easy getting everyone together, but we have all experienced the blessings of family scripture study. I testify that reading the scriptures together as a family consistently every day yields blessings of the greatest kind. We LOVE being together, learning together and sharing our ideas and thoughts one with another. It has strengthened our family, cementing us together in love and unity one toward another. I am so thankful for our time spent together learning from the scriptures and for the spirit of love that this practice brings into our home.

And there you have it, a month filled with bright smiles, happy faces and joyful experiences. I am so thankful for my family. They are a continuous source of joy, filling my heart and my days with happiness.