4th of July FUN!!

We LOVE 4th of July!!
Some of our activities that are quickly becoming tradition.

*3rd of July fireworks at the Cumming Fair Grounds with friends!*

*4th of July Ward breakfast at the Foster's, including...
Breakfast
A talk on Independence
Games
Water Slide
The FAVORITE ... The Spontaneous Water Fight
(usually started by the Bishop)*

*Lewis' BBQ for Lunch - BBQed meat,
veggies, potato salad, melon & pie for dessert*

*Southgate Village neighborhood BBQ and fireworks (BIG/REAL fireworks) -
we watched them from our 2nd story porch this year!!*

*Watching the 4th of July celebration from the Capitol on PBS!*

4th of JULY!!! One of our FAVORITE things!
Some of our BEST memories!

Honor FREEDOM!

Freedom is a GIFT; Honor it!!

Freedom of the Press

Freedom of Speech

Freedom of Religion

A few of the freedoms we are honoring this month.

HONOR Freedom your own way this month.
It is one of the greatest gifts we have been given!

SUMMER! One month gone, one month to go!

So... SUMMER break is half gone and what have we done?

Scout Camp for Caleb
Cub Scout Camp for Ammon
Girl's Camp for Haleigh and Steph -Steph as Stk. Camp Director
Recover from camp exhaustion (still recovering, but the experience was SO worth it)
Football conditioning for Caleb
Basketball camp and all day tournaments for Caleb
Trips to the Library
Swimming at the pool
Trips to Lake Lanier

What's to Come?

EFY next week for Haleigh
Trips to visit family
Get ready for school
Volleyball practice begins for Haleigh to try out for the High School Volleyball team

AND THEN...School Starts August 10

Seminary and High School (brand new school) for Haleigh
Last year of Middle School for Caleb
3rd grade for Ammon at a brand new elementary school

CRAZY how time flies when your crazy - I mean - having FUN!!

Lemons to Lemonade

When life gives you LEMONS make LEMONADE
Nothing says SUMMER like a glass of lemonade.

LIFE is a bunch of little lessons.
The question is ...
Does the little life lesson become
a BITTER
or SWEET experience?

Some BITTER feelings include
*Fear*
*Anger*
*Harsh judgement*
*Guile*

SWEET feelings include
*Knowledge*
*Peace*
*Understanding*
*Truth*

The best way to change BITTER lemons
to SWEET lemonade
is to add SUGAR.
The best & purest sugar (don't use the artificial stuff!)
is service or good works.
It is through good works that you come to appreciate the
truly SWEET things in life.

Fear turns to Knowledge
Anger turns to Peace

Harsh judgement turns to Understanding
and
Guile turns to Truth


Make LEMONADE today!
You'll find it very REFRESHING!

MAY - the CRAZIEST month of the year!

May is busier than December
From field trips, to end of the year parties, to sporting events and recitals.
There is so much that goes on the month that school gets out.
Haleigh with her best friend Kelsey on the bus
during their 3 day 8th grade trip to Savannah.

Ammon's field day at Daves Creek Elementary

Caleb's spring football training.

Haleigh, Caleb, Ms. Lydia Culpepper (their teacher) and Ammon
after their piano recital.

Ammon at his gymnastics demonstration.

It will be nice to have things slow down a bit now that school is out.
But then again, SUMMER brings
Scout camps, Girls Camp, EFY, Family vaction and trips,
Football conditioning, Basketball clinics, Volleyball camps,
Maybe LIFE just doesn't slow down.

Planting for Mother's Day!

What a better way to spend the week before Mother's Day!
I had been wanting to plant flowers in my flower beds and planters
for weeks. After busy weeks of Girl's Camp planning and trying to
keep up with the long list of things to do, I made time on
Tuesday, May 5 to do my flower planting.
Little did I know this would be my therapy for a very difficult weekend,
my first Mother's Day since the death of my Mom.

I went to Lowe's garden department. I always go straight to the back
of the nursery where they sell the distressed plants.
I find a thrill in the bargain prices and the ability to nurse something
back to health, a trait I got from my mom.
(I think they are all doing QUITE WELL!)

I enjoyed walking through the rows of blooming plants while
brainstorming about what flowers I would put where
and how they would look together.
I had been wondering what I could do for my mom for Mother's Day.
I spotted an area with bright pink Gerber Daisies.
They were so bright,cheery, and BEAUTIFUL!
When I saw they were planted in a pink,
breast cancer awareness pot I knew
THIS was my Mother's Day answer.
I carefully selected a plant with 6 blooms, one to
represent each of my Mom's children, my siblings, of course.
I planted it with a variety of pink and white flowers and have enjoyed
having it right outside my kitchen door.

The daisy blooms have gone for now, but there are more on their way!
Happy Mother's Day MOM! I love you!

May Mantel

BLOOM Where You're Planted
Side note: I really love having the kids do the
lettering on the smaller signs.
They do such a good job and we get 4 different "fonts"!
Sun- Ammon
Air - Me
Water - Caleb
Soil - Haleigh

In any situation we may be in we will grow.
HOW we grow is the true lesson.
Hopefully we will not only grow but BLOOM in the process.
For a plant to grow and thrive it needs four elements.
-Sun - Air - Soil - Water-
We can apply these four elements to what we in our own lives
in a myriad of ways.

It has been invaluable for me to realize that there is a difference
between things artificial.
and things real.

Artificial blooms can be beautiful.
They require little to no maintenance and
do not require water, air, soil or sun to continue
in their 'beautiful' state.
BUT they do not grow!

Real plants and blooms require constant maintenance.
They require planting, supervision, watering and pruning.
The plant grows, blooms and is beautiful.
Through time the blooms fade and need to be cut off
so fresh, new blooms can grow.
Real things are constantly changing because of growth.

I have learned to be patient with my everyday life
when it is not always "blooming".
I try to remember that my life is a living thing,
requiring constant maintenance, nurturing care
and even a bit of pruning.
Opportunities will come, bloom and then be gone.

In each of life's opportunities I tell myself.
"Bloom where you're planted,
through just doing the best that you can and
taking the time to nurture what you have been given."