Museum of Tolerance

Mike and I want to be the type of parents that teach our kids beyond what they could find in a book. The world is their classroom where they can learn, love, and grow themselves. 

So I took this opportunity on our way to disneyland to stop and stand witness to the San Bernandino shooting. There's no nice sugar coated way to say it. 14 people died and 21 people seriously injured. 2 people caused the nation to hurt for why? I don't know....Intolerance. Hatred. Miscommunication. All things that my kids never witness outside our little utah home. Don't get me wrong my kids are not dealing with adult issues but I wanted to show them that this evil that once killed a perfectly innocent being thousands of years ago still walks this earth today. That we, they, each one of us need to be the change so the hurt can stop. 

As we stood there looking at the 14 stockings, the candles, balloons, all the signs, while Mike read aloud the stories of each person who died that day. I was in tears. My kids were in tears. Mike was choked up while he read. Our hearts ached for these people. We folded our arms and Mason said the most sweetest prayer I ever heard. 

This experience opened the door for our family to further expand this lesson by attending the Museum of Tolerance. 

This L.A. Museum is one of my favorite. I feel like I have a spiritual connection to the stories of the Holocaust; I just can't find the link yet. 

Here we learned about the intolerance and hatred to the Jew's. The crimes against innocent people who did nothing to deserve this treatment.

When we had to walk the tunnel to either a work camp or the gas chamber Mike, mason, Hailey, and I teared up. They couldn't understand why anyone would do this. 

Lily kept saying they should have fought. And maybe they should have. But then again my Lily is one tough cookie. 

While we were at the museum we had the chance to hear Harry David tell his story . He was one of the babies smuggled out and put into hiding with another family. His parents were killed when sent to a concentration camp. He told everyone in the theater about how smugglers used the code word "tea" for blonde haired kids and "coffee" for darker hair kids to those who places the kids. So the smuggler would say," prepare for your shipment of tea" and that person knew to prepare for a blonde child. It's amazing to hear him speak!

When we entered the museum each family member got a child's name whom we carried with us along the tour. Along the way we would learn about "ourselves" and what happened to us. After each exhibit each one of us hoped and prayed even harder that the name we came out alive; that that little child survived. Out of the 6 of us 4 survived. 

Mike tells me as we walked back to the car that I know how to start off a vacation. With everyone in tears. 

After thinking about it. Yup I do. I seized the opportunity to teach my kids, my husband and myself about the history that is repeating itself. My kids gained a further understanding that God made us all different and that's a perfect plan. Mike told me later that night that he was always for keeping our troops here in America. For the US to mind our own business and worry about our nations problems first. But after seeing how so many Jews looked for refuge from England, USA, and other countries and no one wanted to butt in; this just lead to more deaths. He's proud that America is looked at as a big brother. That we help everyone so things like this don't happen again. 

I'll say it again. Yup I know how to start family vacations off.

Red Rock Lake

These post I am writing are very long over due.
But it's better late than never so I'm writing them anyways so I don't forget.

This past summer Mike and I wanted to travel with our kids and enjoy some of Utah's hidden treasures. This time we went to Red Rock Lake. One of  Mike's childhood places where his mom took him. So we packed up our summer water toys and enjoyed ourselves.

 No lake experience is complete without a frisbee

Our kids had so much fun.

Lily wanted to make double sure she wouldn't drown that she wore a floatie tube on her floatie gecko.

Mike was trying to make a long water bed. It didn't work out.

Especially since our girls kept splashing at him.

 But I don't fear. He can handle himself very well.

 Ducati is such a doll face.

 Here lays Me and Mike in red dirt at the red rock lake.

Funny Bunnies

Having bunnies is so fun.

They lick our cheesy Cheetos fingers

They steal pizza bites

They drink your coke thinking no one is looking 

Funny bunnies

Manti Pageant

This summer we went to the Mormon Miracle Pageant. But everyone in Utah just calls it the Manti Pageant since it's in Manti. This is my first year attending. I've lived in Utah half my life and never went to this event. So I'm very thankful that Mike helped someone who then paid him for his assistance since this was the exact amount we needed to pay for the gas to get to Manti.

We stopped off at Walmart to pick up some snacks and drinks while we waited for the show to start.

Me and my sweet lilybear. I see so much of Mike in her but moments like this I see my cheeks and how our eyes crinkle when we smile.

 While we waited for the show I felt the spirit to much that my heart was already filled by the time the show started.

Lily and Ducati made lots of friends. They talked to everyone that came close to us and wanted to know their role in the show, how they learned their part, how many times a certain family attended, etc.

Our girls talked to the missionaries who gave them pictures of Jesus. They were so excited!

Mike and I laughed that one of the big stigma's on homeschoolers is that they are socially awkward. I'm not even sure what that means since most kids we see are on their phones/texting while our kids are off talking to people. Maybe that's the awkward part. :) 

Anyways while watching the show about Joseph Smith and the story of the Book of Mormon I teared up a lot. I was amazed at how hard everyone worked to make this pageant amazing to all people.

A special moment to me was there was a woman who was driving on her way back to Louisiana and see an amazing building from the freeway. So she just had to come see it. She had no idea what was happening or what the Book of Mormon is or that the building she seen is the Manti Temple. She just wanted a picture of this beautiful building so I gladly took her picture in front of the temple and told her to look it up on-line. Manti Temple on LDS.org.

This is a horrible picture. My cellphone doesn't do well with night pictures but I wanted to remember this moment so I'll take a bad picture over no picture any day.

A few special moments

I'm not sure actually when these pictures were drawn but obviously it was this year. And I'm glad I took a picture of them since I don't know where they are now.

Anyways Lily and Ducati both drew Mike. We thought they were so cute!

Ducati and I had a mommy/daughter date. We went yard sale shopping and went out to lunch.

 Look at this smile. She's so beautiful. Ahhh!!!! She's so adorable!

Lily and Mike went on a Ninja Date. Literally there's a place where the set up is learning how to walk on walls, swing over pits of foam, jump on tramps, etc.  They loved it!

One day while driving....somewhere.... I looked out my window and noticed in the mirror my little Lily copying me. It is something small but it's a mommy moment of gratefulness that she's adopting something from me.

 And the one and only time I curled my hair. I'm not a fan of it so I had to take a picture to remember this day.

And a temple picture. Working at Temple Square has it's pro and con's.

And this is a HUGE PRO!

I love looking out the windows and seeing the Salt Lake Temple. I catch myself staring for minutes that last longer than they should. I remember being sealed inside. I remember the stories of all the Pioneers who helped build this temple. Just being close to the temple I can feel the spirit and feel such a peace. I love it!

Water Park

This summer went to a water park and enjoyed the heck out of it.

We found a great deal on KSL that we were able to get into this water wonderful for half price.

We're all about cheap activities.  

And in our luck Mike only had to work half a shift so he was able to come with us.

He stood out among the swarm of pool moms.  

Our kids love playing at waterparks.

 Mason pretending to be a croc in the shallow end.

This is what happens when we tell our kids that it's time to leave.

Pouting time!

They still haven't comprehended that pouting doesn't help their case in staying longer or returning again. Haha..... one day they will understand this.

Either way we had an amazing time enjoying Utah's summer sun.

Halloween

Halloween is a tricky holiday for us.

We don't really get into this holiday. We don't decorate. We don't do crafts. We're not fans of being scared. So Halloween sort of gets skipped by us. However this year we had a fun holiday. 

Our family enjoys dressing up. But since we still are saving for our trip in December this year's costumes were easy/cheap/homemade/ or reused. 

Hailey was a pirate one day and Red Riding Hood another. I guess it depends on her mood. (We had everything already but the cape. It cost around $11 from eBay.)

Cati was a fairy princess. (Kid to kid $2 costume)

Lily was a butterfly. (I made the wings for $4)

Mason was a ninja. (He borrowed mikes karate uniform) 

Mike and I were Dr.Who and the Tardis.

We had all of his costumes already and I ordered my dress from ebay. Since it cost me $18 I plan to wear this tunic dress all year round so it's a win/win for me. 

Anyways our ward throws an annual Halloween party so Lily and her BFF wanted to match. So I made her friend a matching costume with the leftover material. They loved being twin butterflies.

Photobomber Cati

The ward party had a potluck, face painting, games, a haunted house, and trunk or treating.

Then their school held a Halloween party as well the next day. So everyone went to school dressed up ready to party.

They loved it! When they got home they talked with their friends and enjoyed the fact they got to wear costumes to school since most public schools didn't allow costumes.

Then the night before halloween our neighbor held a Fall Festival party. They don't celebrate halloween so this is a nice substitute. When I first heard that I thought was a little odd but whatever. We're all different and that's what makes life interesting. 

At her party we roasted hot dogs/ sausages, made s'mores, played games, chatted about Star Wars, enjoyed the toasty fire, and just spending time with friends.

One fun memory was a jump rope contest. Mike and another adult held the rope and counted while kids took turns seeing who could get the most jumps. One teen got 41 and held the record for a while. Mike took a turn so this teen held the rope for him. Once mike was reaching the 30's this teen turned the rope so fast that it was breaking the sound barrier. Even though the jump rope was going so fast that we couldn't even see it flying through the air Mike still held his game. 

He kept up with the speed that the teen gave up and felt defeated by Mike. He challenged Mike again to a dual but Mike declined and walked off the jump rope champ. Haha! Mike can beat any teenager!

Then halloween came along. During the day we cleaned our house. Which the kids thought was lame. Oh well! 

Later that evening we went trick or treating. Our girls got themselves tons of candy. Mason stood home and passed out candy. 

As we walked around the neighborhood Mike and I chatted with other parents while our kids ran to doors. It was a fun night. 

So this years halloween was really fun. It goes to show that we don't need scary, spooky, decorations, or crafts to make this holiday fun.