Eagle Project

Keno and Elder Bennett

An Eagle project for the Boy Scouts is a big thing. Young men can do an Eagle project once they are are a Star Scout. However, they usually do them between the ages of 14 and 18.  They have to have them done by the time they turn 18. It is must be something to benefit the community. There is an approval process from the Boy Scouts and then the work can begin. The project its self must be 40 man hours. That means the Scout plans it all out, and the day of the project they run it. If you have 20 people there and they work 2 hours, the 40 hours have been met.

My son Kameron had his project this past Saturday.

Aunt Cathy, Grandma Granger and Sharon 

He organized a day for people to come and make Pillow Cases for Mary Bridge Children's Hospital.

Each child receives a pillow for their stay. One lady who came said her daughter is at Mary Bridge and it really means a lot to the kids to get a pillow case. 

The pinning station

We were there from 10:00-3:30 and we made 168 pillow cases!

Many people are making them at home and they will be collected in a few days.

It was a great day! It was awesome that many people came and dedicated  their time for this great cause!

Thank you all!

Kameron thanks you, too!

Perspective

Sadie pulled out our little pool the other day.  It was very nice outside! Near 70 degrees...and for April, that's VERY nice.  

So the pool is out and we had a dry spell of a couple of days. 

Then it rained from Tuesday night through Thursday.  

For those of you who pray for 'moisture' on the dry side of our state of Washington, this is the amount of water we get on this side of the mountains.

Just a little perspective for you...be specific in your prayers...

Uncle Gerry- the Mountain Man

The Mountain Man--as he is known in his studio-Gerry Granger and his wife Sharon, 

came to the States for a visit. 

Keno's Uncle Gerry is a painter, oil painter that is.

He has been painting for about 20 years.

He went to his first class with some friends and never quit.

Turns out he is quite good ---and you know what? 

He has another talent, too.

He has enough patience to teach.

After about 3 years of learning he took on his first students and he never quit that, either.

He is very generous. He gave most of his paintings away.

I have really enjoyed getting to know them more and especially for the kids to 

know their {Great}Aunt and Uncle.

The best part is that he brought his paints with him to give all beginners a starter lesson!

Sadie and I had a great time with Gerry in Grandma and Grandpa Granger's garage.

We learned some simple techniques with a Monochromatic color scheme.

Sadie just asked if we could go to Uncle Gerry's home for another lesson! 

We'll work on that...

Thank you!!

Sadie's is pink and I did the blue.

Sharon and Gerry Granger

creative slump

This is my 7 year old...

always moving...tree climbing expert...princess at heart...creative monster!

She loves to paint, draw, sing, dance, play, brush hair and organize her stuff.

But THIS day it appears she is in a creative slump.

She {really} wants to sew and so I taught her a few simple

stitches. She has put together a simple pillow and a doll from kits.

She is wanting to make an apron.

We found some fabric,

and away she went.

And then I heard...Mom! can you help me?

This is what I saw when I came around the corner:

So she drew out her design and I found a button and off she went again. 

I love her independence!

Here are her creations {today}:

scarf

hat

apron with a pocket.

She took the pictures herself, too!  

Awesome!

Fabulous Flowing Watercolors

Fabulous Flowing Watercolors is the title of my watercolor class I am taking. Cheryl Renee Long is my instructor. She has a unique and colorful touch to her paintings and I am really enjoying the time in class and the motivation to produce something for the next class. I would encourage you to go through her website and see the variety of her work.  Beautiful!

I have really enjoyed experimenting with different techniques and trying to push myself to go beyond my comfort zone.

Here are a few of my paintings:

Snow

Mountain Sunset

Wild Sweet Peas

Wise Old Tree

Daisy Exercise

Sunlit Daisy

Colorado Aspen

little reminders

So I taught the lesson this past Sunday in Relief Society. 

It was on the Plan of Salvation. I had a great time reading and re-reading the lesson. Trying to come up with different ideas to help the ladies connect to the principles taught by President Joseph Fielding Smith.

Part of the lesson was discussing what happened in the Garden of Eden.

Eve's decision to partake of the fruit so mankind could learn from their experiences and we could come to earth to get our bodies. We honor and respect Eve's choice. 

I cam e up with an activity to help see that we all have choices. 

With every choice there is a consequence--good or bad. I used my choice and consequences rod.  If the sisters were willing to share an experience where they recognized a choice they have had placed before them and then shared the consequence with us, 

they received a {True & Faithful} bookmark. President Smith's favorite phrase was {True & Faithful}. 

Give and receive.

It was a fun exercise. Sometimes I forget that others have choices and have difficult challenges face them. I can relate to them better when I hear that we have been on a similar path.

While I was making these cute things I had a fun a-ha moment for myself... 

When I made these little bookmarks, I used my Sillouette cameo and I had a huge amount of letters piled on my art table. I made about 24 of these and I debated whether or not to toss these cute letters or save them to use later. Well, my art table is not always tidy.{I'll admit it} With my daughter and 2 year old son coming in and out during this whole process, I lost some of those letters. So I ended up tossing the lot. I gathered as many as I could and away they went.  Before they went away, I wondered how I would even sort all that huge pile out and reconnect the words. It seemed overwhelming, with paper everywhere and cutters and kids and glue...{you get the picture}. 

The thought came to me:  I would just start with one letter and go to the next. I knew what the words spelled and I could do it.  Life is kinda like that...seems overwhelming, but I know what I need to do to spell happiness and spiritual peace in my life...I can do it. 

Well, the next week after making the bookmarks, I would find these cute letters here and there. I wasn't a bit annoyed. Cute little stocking feet dragged them here and there, upstairs and down. 

Each time I saw a letter, it reminded me to be {True & Faithful}.

{From small and simple things, great things come to pass. Alma 37:6-7}

Ahhhh...soccer

Our older kids played soccer growing up.  They started when they were little...school age...and continued up until they were middle school/Jr. high age.

 

Keno and I didn't know much about the game when the boys were young. However, as the years went on we watched all those games practices and all those games and saw many coaching styles. We grew to love the game!

 

Go Sounders! 

 

I will admit, it can be a frustrating game.  The better team can lose and it is frustrating seeing the ball go back and forth with not much progress sometimes.

 

So now it is Sadie's turn!

 

 

She is not sure if she likes it.  It is intimidating to get in there to kick the ball when there are so many other feet around trying to do the same thing. She is getting it, though.  But she prefers playing goalie right now.  Go figure!

 

Did you know that a soccer game is rarely cancelled?

Thunder and/or lightening are the only things that will cancel a game around here.

So yes, some games look like this...

 

 

If you are curious, the ball doesn't roll very well {at all} when it is a mud pit like this. It's a good thing we switch sides at half time.

 

We have had a lot of fog around here lately.  Which is pretty rare. It's pretty eerie and cool at the same time to see the kids playing with those huge lights and fog behind them in the trees.

 

Two more games and then the season ends. It will be interesting to hear if she would play again. Pretty sure I'll put her in again next year. All that running is great!

 

One thing I do know...Sadie is in it for the trophy.