Suzanna's baptism!

Suzanna got baptized yesterday!!!



It was such a nice day....even the weather was pretty nice! In the morning Jake and I went to the temple so the kids got up and watched a movie. The rest of the morning we worked outside. Jake went and bought some onion and asparagus plants and we planted them in the garden boxes. We're really excited about our garden this year...we took out the strawberry plants this year because they were taking over, and we decided to try asparagus. This is what else we are planting...peas, bush beans, watermelon, pumpkins, cucumber, zucchini, lettuce (romaine, spinach and swiss chard), peppers, tomatoes and onions. Hopefully we'll have a great harvest!




Suzanna was so excited to get baptized! We have been having the last 6 Family Home Evening just for her and Jake has been going through the 6 missionary discussions.

I think one of the things she was most excited about was making a baptism quilt! We went shopping for the material a few weeks again and then spent this week cutting, and sewing and tying! It was a lot of fun and she really loves to sleep with it! I hope Suzanna remembers that just like her quilt can make her feel warm and happy so can the Holy Ghost, as long as she keeps the commandments and is in tune to the Spirit she can feel warm happy feelings!

The baptism service was at our Stake Center and was very nice. Elaina and I did a piano duet and there were 2 speakers. Suzanna was the only one from our ward and was baptized in the Relief Society room and then we went into the Primary room for the confirmation. We filled the whole room with family and friends! Afterwards we had all of the cousins (from the Farris and Martin side) for a picture. We are so lucky to have big supportive families!!!

After the baptism Suzanna got to decide where to eat for dinner...and she waited until we were in the car to tell us! She thought it was so cool to keep it a secret until the very last minute!

We all ate a ton! We had a lot of fun and the kids were very good and loved eating at Chuck-a-rama!!!

Our Primary is having a Senior Primary Field trip to the temple in June and I wanted to figure out a good spot to take the primary kids pictures when we are there. So, after dinner we went over to the Boise Temple to take a picture and walk around the temple. It's so beautiful, I love to go to the temple!

We are so blessed to have Suzanna in our family! She is really a ray of sunlight and such a good example to everyone! We are so proud of her!

Suzanna's 8 years old!!!

"You've had a Birthday, shout Hooray!" Suzanna turned 8 today! She woke up a little early, all excited to open her presents!

She was really excited to get the movie "Tangled" and the long Rupunzel wig and barbies!

During the day, while the kids were at school, I had a meeting and then went out to lunch for Heidi's 40th birthday. While I was gone Elaina made Suzanna a cake! She is such a great helper and really enjoys cooking and helping out!

I got Suzanna out of school early so we could work on her baptism quilt...she was so excited!!! For dinner she wanted macaroni and cheese, watermelon and strawberries.

Here are some of Suzanna's favorites right now...

1. Favorite food: macaroni and cheese and sandwiches

2 Favorite color: hot pink, black, lime green and baby blue

3. Favorite things to do: spent time with family, and play with friends, and go to church

4. Favorite scripture story: Daniel and the lion's den

5. Favorite song: "Children all over the world"

6. Favorite friend: everybody!

7. Favorite subject in school: art

Makenna lost 2 teeth.....finally!

We had another busy week....it was nice because the kids had Monday off for President's Day!

Makenna's two front teeth have been really lose lately, she finally agreed to try and pull it out and she did (all by herself)!!!

We visited Great Grandpa in the rehab center that he's in right now. It was really nice to talk with him and the kids were really good (at least for awhile)!

John was really quiet and calm until he had reached his limit. I think this pictures, that Makenna took on my phone, says it all....

If Makenna is not coloring or drawing, she is taking pictures of everything. Here are some that she took at the rehab center...

For the rest of President's Day we played with some of our Farris cousins. It was a pretty nice day and so the kids could play outside. We love our cousins!!!!

If you noticed everyone had a buddy to play with except Elaina...in the car when we picked them up to play John said to Elaina, "Elaina you don't have a friend, but I have a friend!" with a smirk and a smile. What a silly boy!

Elaina has been doing so well in school, last week we finished her 5th grade math course and so she gets to advance to 6th grade math! She is so excited! This week we did some science experiments and finished up our chemistry unit, we really enjoyed it!

All of the 2nd graders did a Famous Person Report. Suzanna got to research about Pocahontas, write a report about her, make a poster, and then give an oral presentation in class. She did such a good job and was so proud of her poster!

Makenna ended up pulling out her other loose tooth, she loves that she has a big enough hole to put a straw in it to drink!

Elaina had Activity Days this week at church. She's in the older group of girls and this week they got to act out a story from the scriptures. Her group decided to act out when Nephi and his brothers go back to Jerusalem to get the brass plates (Elaina was Lamen).

The scouts had our annual Blue and Gold Banquet this week. The whole family was invited and they served us dinner, which was so yummy! The boys were asked to decorate a cake for a cake decorating contest, Travis didn't win but he did a good job!

Jake came across this quote by Elder Richard G. Scott this week....

"When you face adversity, you can be led to ask many questions. Some serve a useful purpose; others do not. To ask, Why does this have to happen to me? Why do I have to suffer this now? What have I done to cause this? will lead you into blind alleys. It really does no good to ask questions that reflect opposition to the will of God. Rather ask, What am I to do? What am I to learn from this experience? What am I to change? Whom am I to help? How can I remember my many blessings in times of trial?"

Valentine's Day and LOTS of sugar!

Happy Valentine's Day!!! Elder Joseph B. Worthlin said,"Love is the beginning, the middle, and the end of the pathway of discipleship. It comforts, councils, cures, and consoles. It leads us through valleys of darkness and through the veil of death. In the end love leads us to the glory and grandeur of eternal life."

"Love is in the air...everywhere I look around!!!"

There's nothing like a little sugar just after breakfast!

We had a nice morning getting ready for the parties. This year has been nice because all of the parties have been at different times. First was Travis' party...the kids glued their valentine's into scrapbooks, made flowers and had treats (including smoothies, YUM!)

Elaina loves getting involved and helping!

Suzanna's class also had the kids organize their Valentine's in a little scrapbook.

John loved the ice cream!!!

After Suzanna's class we had afternoon recess....John loves to play with the kids and run around....

Makenna's class was very simply...the kids got to decorate cookies and look through their Valentine's.

John loves Makenna's classroom and playing with the train set and kitchen.

Our friends brought their stroller and John wanted to ride in it....I think with all of the events that day he was a little tired! (he rarely holds still so we thought it was so funny that he just sat there for quite awhile!)

After school we had a nice evening at home and a great family home evening together! I'm so grateful for all of my kids and for a wonderful husband!

Elder Robert D. Hales said, "Each of us already know we should tell the people we love that we love them. But what we know is not always reflected in what we do. We may feel unsure, awkward, or even perhaps a little embarrassed. As disciples of our Savior, we are not merely striving to know more; rather we need to consistently do more of what we know is right and become better. We need to remember that saying "I love you" is only the beginning. We need to say it, we need to mean it, and most consistently we need to show it. We need to both express and demonstrate love."