Rachel's baptism

I have been forgetting about the blog lately.  Usually I am thinking, what needs to be done next in the kitchen? What organizing project needs to be done at home?  (Not to mention our yard...we've got a mess on one side of the house!) A whole week will roll around and I'll think, oh, I haven't updated the blog.  I have plenty to update, that's for sure!  This is what we did after summer vacation was over and school was in session.

The end of August for a particular young women's activity we made a care package for one of our young women who recently started college.  When thinking of items to put in a package, I thought of this idea.  Thanks Melissa for sharing it on your blog!  Go here for the instructions to make your own personalized hand sanitizers!  I bought the transparency film at Staples in their copy center for $1.05.  

I bought some hand sanitizer
at Bath & Body Works.  I used a 20% off coupon so got 5 of these babies for $0.80 each.  Not bad! 


In addition to some hand sanitizer, chocolate covered pretzels and almonds, the young women made a big sign (folded up sort of small) and some personalized magnets.  I think packages are so fun! I've promised them already to my boys when they are on missions.


We started Labor Day weekend early (except for Lee) and headed down to North Carolina to Daniel and Amy's for a couple of days.  I could not believe how much homework Clark and Cal had for missing two days.  One of my friends from Missouri recently moved to North Carolina.  It worked out for me to go and see her.  Thanks for the great visit Jenny!  I loved seeing you!
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While we were at Daniel's, he took us to the Neuse River Greenway.  It was pretty warm out and most of my kids did not want to go, but that was not a choice. 


There were SO many little frogs along the path!!! Oh and Darrell found a vine and started swinging on it.  I wish I would have caught it on video! The vine broke too quickly.  It would have been fun seeing Darrell do a Tarzan swing.








Cousins Cousins!










It was also Eric's birthday.  I love it when we can celebrate birthdays together.






While we were there we also went swimming twice, watched movies and had a fun time visiting. The main reason we came down though was for Rachel's baptism!!!  So a little side story.  See the cute boy I am holding?  That's my nephew Blake and I am sure you've seen pictures of him before. After the actual baptism we went back into the chapel.  Blake wanted to sit with me so I held him on my lap.  My niece Kylie wanted to sit by Blake so she climbed up on the pew to sit by him.  Blake thought that Kylie was sitting on my lap too, and he did not like that.  I got up to take him out, but his dad grabbed him from me and took him out.  Afterwards I held Blake again and he just wanted to stay with me.  When it was time to go I told him I had to leave and I was saying bye.  He looked at his mom (Lois) and said: Bye Bye Mom.  Blake was ready to go with me! He was very sad when I left.  Full-out crying sad.  It was so cute.  We must have been good buds up in heaven!  I am glad my nephew loves me! A few weeks ago we went to IKEA with Blake and his family and when it was time to go Blake wanted to go with me.  Poor Jeff had to grab him from me and we left the store hearing Blake crying because of my departure.  He is such a cutie.  Anyway, that was a long-side-track-of-a-story.

Me, Blake and Shanna, and Daniel with his family...minus Ila.


Here's the gang that made it down for the big day! What is funny is that this is only FOUR of my siblings together.  Six of us are not there, nor my parents who are serving a mission in Texas.  We make quite a group!


Congrats Rachel on your baptism!  You are such a great girl!