Food Crawl

We took Alicia on a food crawl for her 14th birthday! We started out with italian appetizers from Carinos! Then we had a chinese main dish from Panda Express. We finished with a mexican dessert from Garcias. The girls had a great time!

Italian nachos and mozzarella sticks= YUM!

Chinese food is Bailey's favorite! 

The girls had never had fried ice cream or chocolate chimis. Both were delicious!

At Garcias they sang Happy Birthday to Alicia! Perfect way to end the fun!

Family History Youth Conference

Our Stake had an awesome Family History Youth Conference. Bailey is a youth family history consultant for our ward, so she was able to help plan it. On Friday evening they met for a yummy dinner of soup and bread bowls. Then the kids met in the chapel for a kick off of the conference. They showed some videos of the importance of the youth getting involved in family history work, did a "Who Has My Name" demonstration, and a brief background of Ephraim Hanks. Then they separated into 4 groups and rotated through some activities. There were games in the gym, learning how to use FamilySearch on computers, Family History Twister, and a Temple video and learning how to interview grandparents in the chapel. They ended the night by watching Ephraim's Rescue.

Giant cookies for dessert!

The games in the gym were funny. They had to crab walk across the gym, chew up a cracker until they could whistle, put an Oreo on their forehead and get it into their mouths without using their hands, walk back on newspapers, and spoon feed water to their next teammate.  

Their relay team won! 

Twister with these girls was hilarious to watch!

Annie, Madi, Marlee, Bailey, and Emily 

I love Bailey's face in this picture.

On Saturday, they came back bright and early! They started the day off with a great breakfast, and then started their rotations between 4 more groups. They had a quilting service project in the gym, a Temple video and song practice in the chapel, a Jeopardy game, and an awesome demonstration by Brother Seedall. They gathered back together in the chapel to hear President Fuller speak to them. They sang the song they had been practicing. It was the 2014 theme song, 'Come Unto Christ'. It was so awesome, that President Fuller asked them to sing it at the Saturday evening session of Stake Conference that night. Then they ended the activity with a great lunch.

The quilting service project!

Bailey liked it, so now of course she want to learn how to quilt. Is there anything this girl doesn't want to learn how to do?  

Saving everyone in Brother Seedall's room!

Jeopardy! 

All the girls wanted their pictures taken with the cute missionaries!

Bailey, Elder Eldridge, and Savannah. We took this picture to send to Sawyer. Elder Eldridge's first name is Sawyer too, and he's from Texas!

This was the last activity we would do as a stake, because the stake was split the next day at Stake Conference. We'll miss being all together, but at least they got to go out with a great activity.

Winter Photo Shoot

My friend Jenni is working on getting her photography business up and going. She took Bailey out to practice some winter shots. I think they turned out so cute! Jenni did a great job of capturing Bailey's personality and using the things she loves in the pictures.

A few of her favorite things! 

This is one of my favorites!

I love this one too!

Love! 

Thanks for the fun time and great pictures Jenni!

Over the Hill!

Happy 40th birthday Mark! He got an I-pad mini for his birthday, and celebrated with a dinner at Texas Roadhouse!

A new I-pad mini!

Bailey got him a case for it! 

The Hearts of the Children Shall Turn!

Bailey has caught the family history bug! She started looking up our ancestors on my Dad's side of the family. She entered a bunch of names into the FamilySearch website, and got over 120 temple ordinances ready to do. She is so excited, because she has barely scratched the surface. She got some friends together, and they went and did baptisms for 25 of the people. It's a whole different experience to be doing this work for her own family. 

I now invite the attention of the young women, young men, and children of the rising generation as I emphasize the importance of the Spirit of Elijah in your lives today. It is no coincidence that FamilySearch and other tools have come forth at a time when young people are so familiar with a wide range of information and communication technologies. Your fingers have been trained to text and tweet to accelerate and advance the work of the Lord-not just to communicate quickly with your friends. The skills and aptitude evident among many young people today are a preparation to contribute to the work of salvation. I invite the young people of the Church to learn about and experience the Spirit of Elijah. I encourage you to study, to search out your ancestors, and to prepare yourselves to perform proxy baptisms in the house of the Lord for YOUR kindred dead. Your love and gratitude for your ancestors will increase. Your testimony of and conversion to the Savior will become deep and abiding. And I promise you will be protected against the intensifying influence of the adversary.

--David A. Bednar

Bailey, Alicia, Emily, Chase, and Kaden

Happy New Year!

We kicked off New Years Eve with a Stake activity. We went roller skating at Starlite skate, which was a lot more fun than me and Bailey expected. Then we went back to the church for lunch, and to learn about the 2014 theme. I LOVE the new theme: Come unto Christ, and be perfected in him, and deny yourselves of all ungodliness. -Moroni 10:32

Emily and Bailey roller skating! 

The theme of the activity was Duck Dynasty. Bailey, Taeloni, and Emily enjoyed the photo booth.

Pictures with the missionaries! 

The party really got started that night :)! Me and Bailey went out and got snacks for our New Years celebration. It was so funny, because it was just the 3 of us, but by the looks of how much food and snacks we had, you'd think we were hosting a full on party! Yep, we know how to do it! We watched a  movie, and played games. Then….5….4…3….2….1…Happy New Year!

Elder Varvel ringing in the New Year!

The whole clan celebrating!

This girls can PAR-TAY!

Cheers!

What's a party without poppers!

Even Reeses and Oreo had tons of fun…. can't you tell?!?

 The night ended with Bailey sending about a gazillion selfies to my phone! I seriously thought my first act of the New Year was going to be to beat her, because she was being so annoying!

Here's to a great 2014!