KELSEY

Well, to tell the complete truth...I've been busy and getting to blogging is harder and harder at the end of the semester (darnit!!!)  I feel horrible that I missed posting on the exact day of Kelsey's baptism....HORRIBLE!  I feel even worse that I didn't get all the pictures I wanted to get.  What WAS I thinking?  I really don't know...but being gone Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday isn't agreeing with a coherent have-it-all-together weekend for me!  Oh well....it reminded me a bit of my wedding day.  Kelsey was baptized by the proper authority and that is REALLY all that matters.  No matter all the funny mishaps of my wedding day, we are still married for time and all eternity by the proper authority in the proper place!  So....all the mishaps and pictures missed don't REALLY matter in the eternal scheme of things (just in the mother of the year, keep a scrapbook of life type ways).

But...

I have to admit....I had a GREAT weekend last week!  Some may say that it is because of the many family members that came to town!  And I would have to admit...that is PART of the greatness of it all.  Having family around ALWAYS makes things better.  Oh, and Kelsey had a birthday.  That is part of the fun too.  But having it be her 8th birthday made it just perfect.

Kelsey chose to be baptized on April 2, 2011 at 1:30pm at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.  THIS is what made my weekend GREAT!!!!!

Kelsey was most excited and that made a lot of the difference.  She felt special and felt something big, she said, when being baptized.  Her smile said it all.  My mom made her a beautiful little white dress (that Kelsey was so excited about). 

So....here is her day!

She and I have been planning this day for quite some time.  She drew the picture for her program front, she made sure she asked the people she wanted to lead the music, play the piano, sing, speak, etc.  She even decided EXACTLY what she wanted to have for refreshments afterward...a lunch!  So we did it all....and got it ALL ready...except the programs.  Boy, oh boy am I more than glad the we know people at church who own a printing shop.  I called my friend early (sorry to them - late risers on the weekend) and she said she'd come through for me.  Whew!  "I'll put out that fire for you!" she told me.  How lucky I am to have good friends!

My mom, sister and niece, and sister came Friday night.  We were ALL so happy to see them.  They helped with prepping the food too. 

And off we went.

The program was fabulous!  Why?  Just because my daughter was getting baptized!!!!  I couldn't help feeling so parently and proud and all that warm fuzzy type stuff.  I think I liked most having her sing with me and my friends a musical number "Baptized."  I enjoy singing with my friends, but having Kelsey with me...that was the ticket!!!

She beamed all day.  "Mom," she said after coming out of the water and while we were getting her back into her pretty dress, "I feel so spiritual!"  She had a smile that I will not soon forget!  These are special days and I am glad I had good friends and family around to spend it with me....and with Kelsey too.

She had Nana and Papa come with her cousins, Shyla and Bryson.  People at church came.  Claire Webb brought her a flower and that made Kelsey feel so special.

I still hate that I didn't get a picture with just me and Kelsey....sigh!

It was a great day!  Afterward we went home and played with cousins and and family!  Ellie, my sister's little girl, was the highlight of the day after the baptism.  My kids adored her and even Jordan had some fun with her.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

********************

Kelsey's Spring Program

(April 7, 2011)

I got to go alone!  I usually make sure the boys (the entire family) comes to support their sibling, but this time I just went alone....no fussing, just watching!  It was a lot of fun...short and sweet and to the point.  I enjoyed watching Kelsey interact with her friends, sing the songs with gusto, and dance her part.  Once I figure out how to upload the videos from my new camera (I think it makes them larger files than blogger can handle and I don't know how to fix that or make it where it works, darnit!) I will upload them.

 

 

 

 

 

********************

Lifelong Learning Day at EIU

(April 16, 2011)

Mrs. Fatheree, Kelsey's 2nd grade teacher has an activity each Spring where she takes some of her students to Eastern Illinois University.  The first year she did it was Spencer's 2nd grade year.  It was pretty small then...only about 8 students.  It isn't school sanctioned, just an extracurricular activity where the parents bring their children and tour the school.  This year, 3 years later, there were 27 students from just about all of the 2nd grade classes.  The first year they just toured the buildings.  For us they went to activities within different departments.  It's all about showing the students that learning doesn't end when they graduate from high school.

I had fun being with Kelsey again.  I love spending time just as the two of us.  

We participated in a mineral activity, saw some pretty cool plants in the greenhouse, and then got to see some pretty cool physics experiments (Kelsey's favorite).  In one of the buildings they had snakes on display...NOT Kelsey's favorite, but she was interested.

I missed the very small window of opportunity of Kelsey actually TOUCHING this snake

 

 

Here Kelsey got to see how physics works with ice skaters...how when they are twirling the go faster when their arms come in and slow down when they put them back out.  She thought it was pretty fascinating!

 

Here are all the students with the university education majors that led them around for the day

Another fun day!  I am glad that Mrs. Fatheree spends time helping her students to realize that they can go so far in life, learn ANYTHING they want to, and BECOME anything also. The sky is the limit, and furthering their education is the way to get there!