Katelund's pretend birthday...

This weekend, Grandma and Grandpa Mann and Stefani came to visit us in order to celebrate Katelund's birthday a little bit early since they will be in Vegas for her actual birthday. We had so much fun!!! We went to a place in Pisgah Mountains called Sliding Rock. It is a huge natural rock formation that is in the shape of a huge water slide. It is INCREDIBLE!!! We had a great time even though it was freezing!! The water was 50 degrees, but it didn't matter too much to any of us because we all kept doing it over and over again. After Sliding Rock, we went to a campground by the river and grilled hamburgers. We were so cold at that point because we were all still wet so Grandpa saved the day and built us a nice warm camp fire. It was perfect. Then to top of the day we stopped to get ice cream on the way home. It was such a fun weekend. There is just nothing better than to have friends and family come and visit.

Procrastination

We now have the key to our condo so we can start moving in. Unfortunately, I am not exactly where I should be in the packing process. I have found a really good reason everyday to put it off. On Monday, I had to babysit three kids and celebrate a birthday with one of my friend's daughters. On Tuesday, I actually got quite a bit down, but I also had tons of laundry to do. On Wednesday, it was beautiful outside and the pool was calling our names. I also had to prepare for the personal progress activity that I was in charge of. This morning I woke up to find Cloey sick with a fever. She has thrown up and just been wanting to be held (and I am just find with that) :). But, above all my other reasons for procrastinating, the one that tops the list is my constant need to read just one more chapter in Harry Potter. It's addicting, I'm telling you!!! I am almost done with the book and it is just SO HARD to put down so that I can pack another box. And now, of course I have found another reason to procrastinate by blogging about it. I guess I better get busy, I'm running out of excuses. I told Cloey that I wanted to take some "sick pictures" of her. Those were the best she could do. :)

Pooped Out!!!

Can I just tell everyone how sick I am of cleaning up poop and pea! I am so ready to be completely done with potty training Cloey. This last week, she has pooped in her swimming suit twice while we've been at the pool swimming. I guess she just doesn't want to lose one second of precious swimming time. The other day, she squatted down on the carpet and pooped right in the middle of the living room. By the time I realized what she was doing, it was too late. I just don't get it. Sometimes she is so wonderful about it and then other times I think she just forgets that she is not wearing a diaper. It is so frusgrating!!!!

Happy Pioneer Day!!!

When I was going through some old Ensigns awhile back, I found this poem in one of them that I fell in love with. I cut it out and put it in the front of my primary binder. It has really stuck with me ever since I first read it. Here it is....

Faith to Follow
by Lisa South

I dream of being a Moses,
an Esther,
A Nephi--
And despair that I
Don't have that
Greatness in me.

But then
I remember--
God doesn't require greatness,
He requires faith;
And some of us must have
The faith to follow.

I love to learn about the pioneers. I have had such incredible experiences as I have read and studied about their struggles, sacrifices, obedience, and faith. I often wonder whether I would have had the faith to follow. The faith to leave my home and travel 1200 miles across mountains, icy rivers, blizzards, and unknown trails. The faith to sacrifice loved ones and bury them along the way. The faith to press forward to Zion, a place that no one had ever seen or heard of. The faith to follow a prophet. The faith to follow my Savior.

This last Saturday I had the opportunity to go to the temple with a sister in my ward. She is almost 80 years old and she is a woman of tremendous faith. She is seriously an angel!!! As we talked for the 2 1/2 hours that it took to get there, I felt as if I was talking to a pioneer woman. She has experienced so many trials and sufferings in her life, but she continually exercised her faith to follow. I am so grateful for such incredible women in my pioneer heritage, in my extended family, and in my ward family. My mom gave me a mug awhile back that says it perfectly, "Here's to good women. May we know them. May we be them. May we raise them."

Harry Potter Madness

Ever since Cory went and got the new Harry Potter book (Friday night at midnight), we have been going back and forth about whose turn it is to read. He will read for awhile and then as soon as I see him put it down, I run, grab it, lock the door behind me (if he doesn't get to me in time), and read as much as I can. We go back and forth like this everyday. You'd think that I would get ahead of him because I am home all day, but I just can't justify sitting around all day and reading when I will be moving in a week. I tell myself that after I pack a couple of boxes then I can reward myself with a chapter worth of reading. At night, Cory gets the book after the girls go to bed, and the problem with that is that he will take a flashlight into bed and read until really late so he gets really far ahead of me. It is so adorable!!! I think that his love for reading (especially Harry Potter books), is something that makes me so crazy about him.

More River Rafting

On Monday, I went with some of my good friends and their kids to Pisgah Mountain to do some more river rafting. We had a blast!! I am so grateful for such wonderful friends and for the opportunity that we have to live in one of the most beautiful parts of the country. The picture with the girl screaming and her arms and legs spread out is one of my really good friends, Marie.

More pictures

Ward Pioneer Camput

This last weekend, we had a ward pioneer campout at our Bishop's house (he owns 20 acres of land). It was so much fun!!! I actually sewed the girls pioneer outfits and then borrowed one from my sister-in-law for me to wear. We had a campfire program on Friday night, and then on Saturday morning we played pioneer games, had handcart races, a couple's three-legged race (Cory and I kicked everyone's trash!!!), a Primary parade, and a great breakfast. It was a great activity!!!

Night Swimming

Last night, Katelund fell asleep on Cory. After she'd been asleep for about 10-15 minutes, she started to kick in her sleep. It took us a few seconds to realize what she was doing; she was swimming. We were both laughing so hard!!! Cory started saying "kick harder Katelund, come on swim to Daddy." She kicked harder and faster and then she started moving her arms around as well. It was so ADORABLE!!! She is doing so well in the pool. That is all that she wants to do these days. We put her in her floating swimming suit, put her goggles on and she swims her little heart out all over the pool. The worst part is getting her out of the water. She is definitely her daddy's little girl.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY ETHAN!!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU!!! HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU!!! HAPPY BIRTHDAY DEAR ETHAN HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU!!! We love you so much Ethan, and we wish that we could be there to celebrate your big day with you!
Love Always,
Katelund, Cloey, Aunt Melissa, and Uncle Cory

My Girly Girl

Love at Home

For Family Home Evening this week, I taught a lesson about showing love for one another in order to have more love in our home. I cannot believe how much it has stuck with Katelund. We played a game where we spun the bottle and whoever spun the bottle had to think of a way to show love for the person that the bottle spun to. She LOVED the game and she hasn't stopped talking about it since Monday night. She has also been sharing with Cloey, helping me cook, putting the clean dishes away, and saying "I love you" every hour of the day. It has been so cute!! There has definitely been lots of love in our home this week. :)

Double Trouble

Katelund and Cloey wrote on the door with crayon this morning. For their "punishment" they had to clean it with Magic Erasers (the best thing ever invented). Who'd have thought that it would turn into such a fun thing for them. So much for punishment.

Cloey decided that her baby needed to go to timeout today. Her baby got in a lot of trouble, but afterwards she got a lot of LOVE!

Pool Time

Cory gets really frustrated when we all go to the pool together because it drives him crazy how scared Katelund is of the water. Well, yesterday when I took the girls to the pool, I guess Katelund decided it was time to get over her fear. So here are the pictures to prove it. She was SO EXCITED because she said, "she was swimming like Little Wormaid"

Freedom

On this fourth of July, I find my thoughts turned to the freedom and liberty that we have as a people. I am thankful and humbled to live in this time on earth where I do not have to pay such a high price for the freedom that I so effortlessly enjoy. I couldn't imagine what it must have been like for the Pilgrims and all of the others who left their homes and the land they knew, to search for a better life where they could freely worship without the hand of injustice upon them. I couldn't imagine what it would have been like to send my husband out to fight only to hope and pray that he would come home trimuphantly, even against all odds.

I couldn't imagine what it must have been like to have finally found a place where I could worship without ridicule and then to find out how untrue that would be as my family and fellow saints would be kicked out of our homes over and over again. As mobs would pursue us, destroy our temple, kill our prophet, and leave us with nothing except faith and hope that freedom would come in the Lord's time. I couldn't imagine having to walk 1, 280 miles across mountains, freezing rivers, and snow-covered prairies in order to search for the freedom that was so forcefully taken. And even today, I couldn't imagine how difficult and painful it must be to send a husband out to fight a war that doesn't have an end in sight. It is in moments such as these, that I realize that freedom is a gift, a gift from a loving Heavenly Father. It is a gift that comes with pain, sorrow, joy, suffering, peace, and triumph.

Today as I was reading my scriptures, I came to the part in Mormon where Mormoni finds himself alone. The Nephites have been defeated and all chances of his freedom seem to be lost, but then he writes the words of his father and in this verse I learned what freedom really is..."Know ye that ye must come to the knowledge of your fathers, and repent of all your sins and iniquities, and believe in Jesus Christ, that he is the Son of God, and that he was slain by the Jews, and by the power of the Father he hath risen again, whereby he hath gained the victory..." Freedom is knowing that the ultimate price has been paid. That in and through our Lord and Savior we will come to know that freedom from sin is the ultimate form of freedom. A freedom that will always and forever be a victory. A victory that allows each of us to someday return home triumphantly.

Katelund's Birthday Wish List....

1. a new teddy to replace her "old one" (how could she betray Teddy like that?)
2. a pink bike
3. an orange bike
4. curtains for her room (what 3-year-old asks for curtains for her 4th birthday?)
5. a sleeping bag (random)
6. beads to make necklaces
7. any other random thing she sees in the store that she wants

Sleeping Beauty

Singing Time

Have I ever written about how much I love teaching children? This week for singing time, I was asked to teach the whole time in both Jr. and Sr. primary. I really wanted to use the time to review the program songs for the year, but I also really wanted to use the time to teach them some prioneer songs (especially since they are some of my favorite songs to teach). I really wanted to teach them as much as I could about the pioneers while incorporating the songs. So...I got online and spent about an hour or so studying up about the trail and all of the significant places and events along the way. I got some posterboard, cut out the states, and went to work. I had so much fun doing it and I learned a TON!! It only took me about 4 hours (due to my children).

Anyways, I put velcro on the significant spots and then I made up riddles for each location that would teach the children about what happened there and then give a clue as to what song we were going to sing that related to the information. After singing each song, I had a child come up and move either the handcart or wagon to whatever spot they wanted to visit next. As the children came into the room, I was all dressed up in pioneer clothes and I told them that I was Sister Mann's 5th great grandma and that she asked me to teach them about the trek that I was part of it. The kids LOVED it !! It was so cute because in Senior primary they just couldn't stop asking questions, they wanted to know more and more (good think I studied up so much). It was a teacher's dream. It reminded me why I love teaching children so much. They are just like little sponges, and they just can't get enough. They love to learn. It was just what I needed because I have been feeling a little burned out in my calling lately. It is just hard to keep up the creativity every week for 4 years, but today I was reminded why I love it so much!