Conference Weekend Fall ‘09

It was so nice to have Jared watch Conference with us this Saturday.  I think this is the second Conference since we got married that Jared has been off of work to enjoy it with me.  I was also overjoyed to find out that we can watch conference on this random infomercial channel that I’ve never spent any time thinking about.  Though all of the talks were wonderful and interesting, of all the talks on Saturday morning, I’d have to say Elder Bednar’s was my favorite.  It was totally how I feel about families and the influence parents have on their children.  Christian was really good this session because I had given him and Jared bingo sheets that my friend Sherrada had given me.  It was awesome to watch him listen and get excited over words that were spoken on his card.

After the morning session we hopped in the car and headed to Mesa to visit my friend Sherrada’s family at her parent’s home.  They had a beautiful spread there with snack things like veggies, fruits, cheeses, meats, crackers, meatballs,…etc.   Then we all watched conference together.  I thought it was really neat that Christian could see that other families watch conference too.  I remember being young and having all of the neighborhood kids knock on the door and want to play during conference.  I seriously thought we were the only family in the ward who watched conference…they never even reminded us or asked us about watching conference in primary.  Though it’s good for kids to recognize that their family has different values than some other families I think it’s good for kids to see that they have similarities with others.

After the afternoon session we had a little Birthday Party for Damien Sherrada’s sister Kalei’s little boy.  It was very cute because they let him pray for the pizza and in his prayer he said a lot of things of thanks that Christian could come to his party.  I thought it so sweet.

Here’s Damien blowing out his candles.  My favorite part of this video is that he gives his little sister Jordan a love after he finishes!

Here’s Damien showing his (soon-to-be) age.   

Christian enjoying his cupcake

Lydia acting distressed after getting all sticky  

Jordan stripped down to eat blue frosting 

Damien eating his cupcake (he swirls the frosting off with his finger first and then eats the cake last) 

After the Party the Men got ready to go to the Priesthood session and us Girls and the kids got ready to go to Ladies Night Out at Deseret Book.  Christian was a little concerned that he had to go with the girls but then I told him that when he’s older he can go with dad to Priesthood sessions.

Here’s a picture of the boys at Ladies Night Out

I was surprised that we were still within the first 100 women when we got there because there were sooo many women there.  It was crazy!  We ended up over by the children’s books and read books to our kids.  It was a little frustrating because a lot of moms just would leave their children over by the children’s books and go talk with their friends or wander around the store.  All these kids were surrounding me and leaning on me trying to look at the book I was reading.  Christian must have felt a little possessive of me because he decided to sit in my lap and he never sits in my lap lately.  I felt a little bit like Mary Poppins or something like that.  I really don’t mind kids I know crowding me but I really do like my space when it comes to other people’s children that are allowed to roam free.

Right before the end I got in line with Sherrada  and we picked up our door prize for being in the first 100 women.  I never went in Salt Lake to Ladies Night Out but it was really fun to go with the girls.  I’m glad they invited me! 

My door prize

For the Sunday sessions we stayed home.  My body started aching horribly in my joints and I knew I was coming down with a bug.  It was nice to just relax at home as a family and listen to conference.  I was so proud of myself for not falling asleep once during either session but I did take a nap in-between so maybe that’s why I didn’t fall asleep.  I am so thankful to have a living prophet and apostles that guide our church with wisdom and a testimony of Jesus Christ.  Elder Holland’s talk was particularly striking to me, it was so powerful.

I loved conference weekend!

Missionaries for Dinner

(No, they were not on the Menu)

Monday the missionaries came over for dinner (it was my great idea to choose a Monday to get someone else to do the Family Home Evening Lesson).  Afterwards, as I suspected they would, they gave us a lesson that even included visuals.  They  gave the lesson based around a quote from “The Family: A Proclamation to the World” which is the same exact spot that I am assigned to speak on the Sunday after Conference.  It’s “Happiness in family life is most likely to be achieved when founded upon the teachings of the Lord Jesus Christ.  Successful marriages and families are established and maintained on principles of faith, prayer, repentance, forgiveness, respect, love, compassion, work, and wholesome recreational activities…”

Then they put a nail in a little board and told us that it represented Christ and then they had six other nails and asked Christian to name some things that keep our family strong.  Jared prompted him on various things and he came up with things like Prayer, FHE, Games, Forgiveness, Family Dinner, and Love.  Then the missionary asked Christian to try to get the nails to balance on top of the nail in the board without touching the board.  Christian tried and then Jared tried…after a while one of the missionaries showed us how to do it….

 

 

 

I was pretty impressed and so was Christian!

Then they talked about continuing to do all the things that keep our family strong are important and that if we keep Christ in the center of our home we will be happiest.  I really agree with that.  It’s the days that I lose my focus on what’s really important that I am more easily frustrated and quick to find fault and lose my temper.  I’m so grateful for my family immediate and extended.  I really do love them all.  I’m so glad I can be with them forever if we all stick together and follow the Saviors teachings.

Another Day at the Zoo

So we went to the Phoenix Zoo again on Wednesday.  Fry’s has been doing a “Free Fry Wednesday” at the zoo through September.  The last time we went the zoo was pretty empty (though it was 105 degrees which probably accounts for the lack of people).  This was not the case this time….it was so packed!!!  There were so many cars in the parking lot I had to park really far away and walk.  Thank goodness I brought the stroller…I just can’t carry Christian once he starts getting tired.  This zoo is so huge it would probably take three days at least to see everything!

We decided to look at areas we didn’t see last time (though it took longer this time because of the people there).

We started in a more desert area.

Here is a rhinoceros iguana 

And some huge tortoises! 

The next area was supposed to look like a Columbian Village…

Here’s Christian climbing the cute frog statue.

After we stopped for lunch we went into the Phoenix Zoo’s “Monkey Village” which has an open area for the monkey’s that’s gated off so that the monkey’s don’t get out and everyone is told not to touch anything…not even your own face…then they have sinks at the exit/entrance and instruct children to wash their hands as they leave so as not to get sick. It is gorgeous and green inside (which is something that I really miss) and you’re right by the monkeys which is really neat. This little guy was right next to me and so much fun to watch!   Then we went over and saw the orangutan's. 

This little girl was so sweet to watch. 

Here’s my little sweetheart peeking out of a tree like a bird.  I am so glad I get to go on fun adventures with him.  He’s such a darling little guy.

  

Day at the Circus

My whole life I’ve wanted to go to the circus and used to love watching the movie “Jumbo” with Doris Day and Jimmy Durante and anything on TV that showed a circus but I’ve never had an opportunity to actually attend one physically.  Jared came home from Fry’s about two weeks ago with a child’s free ticket to the circus for this past weekend.  We decided to grasp the opportunity and go since we’ve both never gone (probably due to the fact that we’re both from the tail ends of large families). 

 

  

The tickets were only available one hour before the show started so we got there right at ten to get our tickets. This circus was for the Shiners organization that has various orthopedic and burn hospitals around the country for Children who need costly treatments.  So they had a lot of volunteer clowns that were shriners walking around the grounds before and after the show.   They had some fun free things like clowns painting simple things on the kids’ hands and making balloon animals and such.  Christian picked a lady bug and a sword.  Go figure.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

They also had elephant rides for a cost there.  It was a little expensive for a ride but I figured “how many times in your life do you have an opportunity to ride an elephant?”  Riding an elephant has been one of the things Christian has mentioned that he “wants to do someday”.

“Hi Mom”

   “This is a pretty slow ride…”

  “Check out how high up we are!”

 

  Here’s Christian waiting for the show to begin.  He was being such a good boy!

 

Here’s an album of all of the shots of the acts.  No video’s were permitted so I only could take stills.

View Full Album

 

This is a shot of Christian and I after the show.  It was pretty hot which is my excuse for the flat hair.  As you can see I’m getting bigger all the time.  I wonder how much good my exercising does when my body just hangs on to any weight it can.

   

I’m so glad we went.  It was an experience that I hope Christian remembers.  It was great fun!

Exploring the Zoo

I am so lucky that though I really don’t know many people here in AZ that I do have one good friend from high school and college who’s family moved here while she was on her mission so that she came back to her family here instead.  I had a great day Wednesday.  She invited Christian and I to join her, her sister, their kids, and her mom to the zoo.  We had a great time!

This zoo is rated one of the top 5 zoos for kids in US.  They are doing some construction that should be done soon which is good because I’m intrigued to see the fisher price petting zoo area.  It looks amazing (they’re fixing the water line so it’s closed off in that area).

       There are also a few different children’s playground areas.

 

There is a children’s walk where there are some gorgeous statues of various animals.

Isn’t this elephant statue just gorgeous?

Christian enjoyed the lion.   

   Here are all the kids in a clamshell. The closest I want my boy to one of these!  

Peek-a-boo!

 

I was really impressed with the openness of the habitats that the animals were able to roam about in.  It was beautiful.

Isn’t this area for the monkey’s beautiful?  If you look close, you can see the monkey swinging from the rope.

   

You can come up very close to these wallabies though they don’t want you to touch them.  It was amazing to be so close.

This is probably the best shot I’ve ever gotten of a zebra… usually all I get is the backside view.

Checkout this area for the African herbivores…it was so incredible to see them all roaming freely among each other.  

Aren’t giraffes simple beautiful?  It was nice to see them all mingling together.

I love this area for the cheetah…it’s so lush looking!

This area for the flamingos reminds me of paradise.

 

One thing about the zoo during this month in AZ…it was HOT!  It is great that this zoo has a splash area for the kids to play in.  Christian had a blast in there!

  

Thank you for inviting us Sherrada we really enjoyed it!

Lizard Friends!?!

Saturday night when I was about to go to bed I was in Christian's bathroom washing my hands and low and behold a lizard popped out of the drain and wiggled quickly across the floor and under the vanity. Of course I screamed out of shock...it happened so quickly!!! Jared came in the room and we could not figure out where the little creature went to put it in a jar and take it outside.

I was freaked out thinking about all of the family and friends of this lizard living in my bathroom and asked Jared to set a spider trap and just see if it could catch the thing (thanks for the idea Rachel).

It worked!

So for any of you with lizards...spider traps may work for you. I feel kind of guilty about it because I would have rather been able to give the lizard it's freedom (though not it's freedom to roam my apartment) and put it outside. Now it's stuck on a spider trap forever.

I guess we'll have to see if any more lizards pop up (I hope not, at least for a while).

I hate creepy crawling things!

So I was in the hall bathroom and I found something interesting……

I accidentally stepped on this….I guess it’s an albino lizard.  YUCK!  At first I thought is was a piece of a plastic grocery bag—then it started moving!!!  I realized on closer examination that it was a lizard that either was dying already or I squished it.  I feel disgusted and terrible.  For now it’s in a jar so that Jared will be able to tell me what he thinks. I think I’ll call the management and see how common this is.  I really don’t know what to think.  I knew there would be lizards here…but in my bathroom?  Yuck! (I hope there aren’t any friends or family hanging around).