I think I know

what Layton will be getting for his birthday!  A bike!

He has started riding Mandy’s and has become a real pro at it.

The cutest part is that Mandy and Dallin are the ones that taught him how and they are just as proud of him as we are :)

Go Layton!!

They sure have…

some big boots to fill!

Just want to say how grateful I am that they have the father that they do.  He sets such a wonderful example of dedication and hard work.  If they turn out even a little like him, they will have done well.

Yay Dallin!

Dallin made it on the A-B honor roll this past nine weeks!

We are really proud of him!

Both he and Mandy had perfect attendance and so got gift certificates for a free kid’s meal at Texas Roadhouse.  We sure enjoyed using those up!

Shelf Reliance –Thrive Consultant – Food Storage

A few months ago my very good friend Kylia introduced me to a new product line called Thrive from Shelf Reliance.  Thrive is a food storage line of products that is really more than just food storage.  Why?  Because these are products that you can use everyday!

They make it so easy for you to build up a supply of food.  Why build a supply of food?  Job loss, natural disaster, sudden high expenses, and more.  Having a food supply on hand is like having food insurance.  Should you have several months where you are unemployed, or perhaps get injured and are unable to work for a while, or for whatever reason are unable to purchase food, with a good food supply, you can rest easy knowing that no matter what happens you can feed your family.

With Shelf Reliance, you can determine a monthly food budget, set up a list of foods that you want to add to your food supply, and then they will send you foods from your list each month that are equal to that budget amount.  Don’t know what you need to have in your food supply?  They even have tools to help you determine that and can generate a food list for you. 

I’ve been doing the monthly shipment thing now (they call it your “Q”) for several months and I’ll be honest, I’m actually having a hard time adding to my food storage.  Why?  Because my kids just want to eat it!  I think this company’s best products are it’s freeze dried fruits and vegetables.  My kids love eating the veggies and fruits right out of the can.  They are so tasty and crunchy.  I love having them as snacks myself.  The best part – the ingredient list.  It is usually just one item long.  My favorites so far are the pineapple, corn, peas, peaches, and pears.

I’ve actually found that my kids are choosing to eat these healthy snacks and as a result I am buying less snacky type food at the grocery store.  They are eating healthier and I am spending less money at the grocery store.  It’s a win-win!

So because I’ve learned to love these products so much I decided to become a consultant for it myself. 

Take a look at the website to see all the types of foods and other products available. (Click on the logo to go to the website)

The prices available to you at a party are better than the prices listed on the website.  Usually by 5 to 10 percent.  So a party is definitely the way to go.  And as a hostess you get to earn free food!   It is super easy to host a party.  All you have to provide is the place and the plates.  I bring all the food for tasting!  If you are interested in having a fun night with your friends and tasting some good food,  I would love to do that with you!  Just e-mail me at ksjarvis77@gmail.com to get started!

Aunt Becky’s Temple Day

A week ago Saturday, I was so happy to go to the temple with my Aunt Becky.  My Aunt Becky is my second mother and she has been working towards this day for quite a while now.

The temple is such a special beautiful place.  It is a sacred place to learn and come closer to our Father in Heaven.  The spirit there is always so sweet and peaceful.  Stepping into the temple is like entering another world.  You leave the hustle and bustle of our crazy everyday life to enjoy the peace and quiet atmosphere of the temple.  It is one of my two most favorite places on earth.  The other being my home with my husband and children.

I am so happy that she got to experience the temple for the first time and I know she’ll be a frequent visitor!

And a special thanks to Laurel for being such an awesome friend and watching my kids for me that day!

A message from Dallin…

And I second that!  Have a wonderful day and weekend!

Bowling

We took the kids bowling for the first time and they LOVED it!  They were so cute and they loved having Daddy teach them how to bowl.

Watching Layton’s ball roll down to the pins was like watching bowling in slow motion, but at least he had fun.

By the end of the session, Dallin had actually gotten pretty good at it and even got a strike!  And the ball didn’t even hit the bumpers along the edges.  It was pretty awesome!!!

Journal Treat Jar

On the first Sunday of the this year, Sister Roberts gave a talk about keeping journals.  It was really fantastic and inspiring.  Then while in Relief Society, she shared a few more ideas about journaling with your children.  One idea that I just loved, was having a journaling cookie jar.  She explained that when her boys were small, she had a special cookie jar that she kept well stocked with animal crackers.  Each time she and her boys sat down to write in their journals, they would eat a few cookies from the journal jar.  She said her boys LOVED journal time and would beg to write in their journals – mostly so they could get cookies, but also because it was a time that they sat down to do something together as a family.

So I decided to use her idea and try it with my own kids.  So here we have the Journal Treat Jar:

I decided to call it a “treat” jar rather than cookie jar so that I can change out what kind of snacks I put in there to hopefully keep them excited about it.  This is just a $5 canister that I picked up from Wal-mart, a piece of ribbon and a little title card I made on the computer and printed out.

To go along with it, I also made an “idea” jar filled with questions for times that they need an idea to write about.  These I also just made on the computer, printed out and then laminated them to hopefully keep them in condition to be used over and over.  Here is a sampling of some of the questions I put on them:

 

To get us started, I bought a few notebooks and stickers and let them decorate their journals to make it their own.

And then we started writing!  Layton of course doesn’t write anything, instead he draws a picture about whatever subject he chooses.

We only write in them once a week and they are loving the experience.  And I am loving what they are writing.  During our last journal time, Dallin pulled a card from the idea jar and was asked to share a memory about Mama Doris (my grandmother).  This is what he wrote:

I thought it was so cute and I am so glad that we have it recorded to go back and look at it over and over.

New Year’s Eve

This year we celebrated New Year’s Eve at home.  Just us.  And I loved it! 

We started the evening with games!  Twister:

Apples to Apples:

And Sorry:

Then after a traditional meal of Waffles (that is a tradition handed down from my Grandmother, Mama Doris) we headed outside for a few fireworks.

And some fun with sparklers:

Then we headed back inside for a New Year’s toast of sparkling grape juice!

And then the kids had their last hooray for 2011

and were in bed by 9:00.  That’s my kind of New Year’s Eve :)