Skirball Cultural Center

In honor of completing our study of the Holocaust, and Tanner needing to experience something cultural for a school assignment, we headed out to the Skirball Center in LA.  We took the older kids to the Museum of Tolerance earlier this year, but it wasn't a place I wanted to take the younger kids.  I still wanted them to have an experience that went along with all the stories we read about the Holocaust.  We focused on looking for the Heroes who stood up to the Nazis to protect their Jewish friends.  There were so many awe inspiring stories we found of everyday Heroes who risked their lives to help others.  I tried to take a positive look at this difficult time in history for my little ones.  I had heard of the Skirball Center, but this was our first visit.  It is a Jewish Cultural Center.  It was really neat!  The kids had a great time!  It is very kid friendly.  We will certainly need to visit this place again when we study ancient history...

They have an awesome Noah's Ark Hands-On Exhibit.  So cute and creative!

Cute Puppet Theater under the rainbow at the end of Noah's ark...

A replica of the inside of a Synagogue...

A fun tribute to the many Jewish immigrants to America...

 There was a Roy Lichenstein Art exhibit.  We liked the part where you could put yourself in the artwork!  

There was also an archeology exhibit on the roof of the center!  So fun!

 It was a beautiful place with these beautiful people!

Utah Trip

In February, we took a quick trip to Utah.  I had placed a large order with Green Smoothie Girl of healthy food storage items, and it was going to cost an arm and a leg to ship it.  Since Ladd's parents house in Utah is sitting empty, I figured we would go fill it up for  a few days, pick up my order, and visit with friends!

So much snow in Springville!  So fun to see the V Family for a few hours and see their new house!

We also got to see my BFF from high school really quick-it seems like whenever I see Jenn it is not for long enough!

We also made it up to the C Family's house.  The kids got some more snow time in, lots of Lego time, and Ladd and I loved just hanging out with Suzanne and Tyler.  Tanner got to go to a Leadership Conference put on by Williamsburg and loved meeting some of his teachers and meet Josh and Dallin's Utah friends!

These boys look like they are on a mission. Don't mess!

It was a quick trip but I felt good about the fact that I did well driving in the snow (for the most part-we'll try to forget about my detour through the Ogden mountains in a snow storm!) and tackling a long trip with 4 kids on my own.  Ladd flew up to meet us after a few days-but I did a considerable amount of driving on my own.  I actually felt pretty relaxed and calm when we got home, not exhausted and overwhelmed!

 These 2 had fun playing in all the boxes we got from our food order when we got home...

Catch Up Time!

Between keeping up with 4 kids, a busy calling, not sleeping much, staying on top of school, and dealing with an often uncooperative computer, my poor blog has not been updated since JANUARY! I do love my blog, so I am making it a priority today-even though I have had to be very patient with this computer!   Here is an update from past few months...

I am still nursing Felicity, but it has not gone as smoothly as it did with the other ones, so she does get a bottle on a regular basis.  The kids enjoy helping feed her every once in awhile!  And she LOVES her bottle!

 We spent a few days enjoying the enormous amount of snow Big Bear got this year. Perfect Snowman Snow!

 This picture cracks me up.  Totally looks like it is just clothes and the body inside disappeared!  Its just a really petite body in there!

 Snow fort...

Tan got hungry..

 

I tried to get back into my pre-pregnancy juicing habits-it lasted a few days!  So time consuming but I love getting all those veggies in!  I am still working on getting a lot of those pre pregnancy habits back-like exercise!  Sleep always wins out!

Hunter still loves to take selfies with his bubs!

 Or just pictures of her whenever he has a phone in hand...

 Charity got a sleep mask that she has been asking for for a long time!  She loves it although I don't know that it helps her get to bed any quicker...

Ladd got to go on a dream golf trip with his dad.

Here he is with Jim Furyk (pro-golfer)

And here is Peyton Manning eating lunch at a table right near them.  

 Ladd also got to hear Condi Rice speak, see a bunch of other pro-golfers, and some other high profile people. Plus, watch and play golf. Can't get any better for Ladd!

  Pinewood Derby!  Hunter made sunglasses out of his pine this year.  It was a fun derby and I can say I feel very accomplished doing 6 cars in a row and won't miss not being a part of next years Pinewood Derby!

Hunter went on a cub scout trip to a Ceramic Art Museum.  He really loved it and has been asking me to sign him up for a pottery class.  I need to find one while he is still interested-they are not easy to come by I am learning!

Speaking of art, Little Miss Crafty made these cute Valentine's lights for her Valentines party.  She loves Valentines day, so we had a little after school party with a few girl cousins and friends.

All bedazzled for the party...

 

 We had a stake conference where Elder Dallin H Oaks came to speak.  I was very impressed about how he took the time to shake about half of the congregations' hands (there were about 1400 people there-thats a lot of hand shaking!)  He said it is what he believes the Savior would do if He were there.  A ward member happened to get this picture of Tanner shaking Elder Oaks hand.  So cool!  Elder Oaks told Tanner he is looking forward to seeing him in the mission field in a few years if he is still alive. ;)

 A new activity for this little cutie is swinging!  I think she likes it!

C looks so grown up with her big girl ponytail!

Felicity is 10 months, rolls to wherever she needs to get to, can get herself to a seated position, loves to eat, joins in on any conversation with yelps and purrs, finds the smallest piece of whatever on the carpet and instantly inserts into mouth, and is known to melt many hearts every day.

Can you see why I love to blog?  Its an excuse for me to look at my cuties all over again!