Okay Im going to try again.....

S I stumbled upon a GREAT idea on Pinterest the other day! Its called "Random Acts of Christmas Kindness." So I am going to do one at least everyother day with my girls. There were ideas such as pay for the persons meal behind you in the drive through, Tape quarters to arcade games, rake a neighbors leaves, take donuts to a construction site, leave a dollar in quarters in a row of vending machines, make sacked lunches and hand them out to homeless people and so on! I am soooo excited!! I LOVE doing service, but even more I LOVE watching my children give service. It makes me soo proud!! So I will be posting everyday or every other day with what we did, how the kids liked it and (hopefully) picctures! So STAY TUNED....

Okay I am back!

Like many other things (okay everything) in my life I failed to follow through with my blog. But here I go again. i am going to try harder and do better. I have tons and tons of pictures and my goal this week is to put them up. i am also going to try to focus more on service. Okay, so new goals for this blog- make it about kids, service and EVERYTHING Mindi Gledhill...ahaha. And then also to at least post every week. That is my goals. I know, i am such an overachiever ;) Here it goes....
Sheree
BTW- Mindi Gledhill is possibley going to do a Christmas tour to peoples homes and I WAS NOMINATED!!!!!!!!!
mindigledhill.com

Adventure #18 Gateway Fountains

The girls went swimming, well running through the fountains at the gateway with their cousins! We had such a blast! We also went out to lunch me, my sis in law and our 6 KIDS UNDER 5! haha...it was fun though I promise. We went on a special day at Chillis where kids eat free. So,all together we paid 20$ for 2 adults and 6 kids and appetizers and drinks!! Our original bill was 50$!!

Adventure # 17 OREM SUMMERFEST!!!!!!!!!!

Let me aagain preface my entry by saying a little something! I LOVE that Orem has a FREE fair! I mean seriously, I dont think anywhere does that anymore! Even the tickets for the rides were 15$ for 20. And each ride was only ONE ticket! I was seriously blown away at how cheep this adventure could have been (yes, I said COULD have been...we ate a LOT of good food :) )

The girls had so much fun riding the rides. Even "I" is big enough to ride the rides with her sisters. They wanted to ride and ride and ride all day long. It was so cute how much they loved handing the man their tickets. "A" and "J" even went on a kiddie roller coaster! "J" was by far te smallest kid on there. The other moms were looking at us like we were crazy, but I was a proud momma!

We will DEFINETLY be coming back every year! What a good time! One of my favorite parts was that there was no alcohol served. I always hated the combination of children, rides and then random drunk people when I went to the rodeo in Houston (Dont hate me Cami! I do love everything else though), so this was a breath of fresh air. Good, wholesome, family fun!

YUMMY!

"J"s ring she got ffrom the fair! Are you loving her chipped black nail polish?

Adventure #16 SLUMBER PARTY!!

I have to start off by saying that everytime I say "SLUMBER PARTY" out loud or in my head I say it like the my little ponies say it in a movie "A" has! Its like little girl mixed with a valley girl and totally over excited!

Anyways, We got all the blankets and pillows out and watched  a movie! The girls loved it!

Adventure #15- SLIP and Slide!!

The girls and I set up our SLIP and Slide. it was hilarious! None of the girls knew how to run and slide down. They would run up to it, then stop and slowly get down on their bellies and army crawl down the slip-and-slide! it was seriously sooo funny!

Video of Cole- my teacher

I was trolling facebook again tonight and I saw that Cole's friends and family put up a video of Cole's story. This boy and his family move me. I can't really put into words what i felt as I watched the video of Cole. His parents are amazing examples to me. When we did the bake sale fr Cole I sincerely saw the light of Christ in their family. Their love for each other and this boy is so incredible and so withstanding of any struggle it is inspiring. My testimony was strengthened when I read from the babysitters blog fundraisingforcole.blogspot.com how not many things stir a smile with Cole. one of the few things is when he stares at two specific pictures. One of his parents and one of the temple. This little boy is so close to our Heavenly Father, and such an inspiration to me to remember what is most important in my life. He teaches me to keep my eyes and heart fixated on my family and Heavenly Father.  Please watch the video and donate money to them directly through their blog or attend their upcoming benefit concert. It will be held July 22 at 5pm at the Grove Theater in Pleasant Grove.

Adventure #14 Root Beer Floats

Yesterday was such a beautiful day. The weather was seriously PERFECT. So, after a long day of errands we decided to get our neighbors downstairs and have Root Beer Floats. "A" was so confused when I told her we were going to put ice cream and pop together. haha. And then she went around telling everyone "We are going to put ice cream in a cup and then ROOTBEER in the cup and the we are going to EAT it!!" It was like she thought we just discovered some great new practice...haha. But it was really nice, we sat under the carport, ate and talked to the neighbors. Tons of fun and tons of calories!!

Adventure # 13 Drop off to Food Bank

I know that I already had the Food Drive as an adventure, but taking the food to the food bank was a whole other adventure in itself. "I" and "J" were asleep, but "A" and I went into the Food Bank got a cart and brought it out to the van. Together we filled the cart completely. It felt good to be there donating. Representing our friends and family that helped raise a whole cart full of food to those struggling. One guy that was helping us said "you are really teaching your daughter something special." I almost started to cry. I am soo grateful for the oppurtunity to serve and for my children to serve with me.

Adventure # 12 Movies and Calories!

It is not very often that I brave the movies with the girls. I'd say I have probably gone to the movies with the girls maybe 6 times. But Pooki loves to take them and they usually go when pooki babysits. But today i braved it!! We saw HOP, the girls loved it. Pooki got each girl 2 boosters and stacked them so they could see (don't tell them but it was also so they couldn't get down.) They were so cute..during the movie "A" kept getting s excited that she would shriek! "I" even sat in her booster for about 75% of the movie eating her own stack of popcorn (I know I am a horrible mom and should not let her eat that) and Raisinets! Yummy! Nothing like "MOVIES AND CALORIES!! 

Adventure #11 Salt Lake City Library

I know..I know I already did an adventure to the library. But that was the PROVO library and this time we went to the SALT LAKE CITY library. Going to the SLC library is much more then a trip to read. The architecture there is amazing...I am able to enjoy some cultural diversity and some beautifully unique characters (sorry i know i know i love the abercrombie blondes in provo too haha). I saw one homeless man crocheting a purse with grocery bags. It was amazing!The kids got to read in the caves they have on the children's floor and were able to play outside by (and in..shh don't tell anyone) the fountains. They also watched "BABE" in the storytelling room. I guess every Friday in June they will be having a free movie for kids! This time we were the  only ones there..but that made it even better. I didn't have to worry about getting the stink-eye from so overbearing parent with perfectly boring children.
The girls also enjoyed spending time with their cousins there. "A" has a cousin her age and "j" has a cousin her age too..they are BEST friends! Soo cute!!

"J" and her cousin and best friend!

I think this pic captures "J" beautifully!

"I"..Yes i had "J" and "I" in matching outfits (my head down in shame).

My niece..the stinkin cutest!

"A" going up the cool stairs at the library..she couldn't figure out how t slide down these railings! Pretty sure they did that on purpose!

"J" and "I" Colored on my couch with permanent markers!

So...I decided to post this so that i can look at it and laugh instead of cry.

I don't know if any of ya'll know this about me but I have permanent marker obsession! I LOVE to write everything in permanent marker. So, I was really excited when i found this pack of five mini permanent markers that go on your key ring. That same day I was in the kitchen doing the dishes and the girls were in the living room playing. I should have known better when it was so quiet. I cant be too mad though...I shouldn't have left them for so long and I shouldn't be stupid enough to keep permanent markers lying around!

See..I feel better already. Blogging is my therapy;)!

Adventure #10 Drive through Provo Canyon

I could not resist heading back up to Bridal Veil Falls today. The girls were excited as well to return to "climb" the mountain. After going to the Falls we took a drive through Provo Canyon. It was so beautiful. It is this time of the year that I am sooo grateful to be in Utah. It was a sunny 70 today with a refreshing light breeze and everything is so green and blooming! We saw Deer Lake, Provo River, all the mountains and even horses (the girls' highlight).
I also wanted to include this quote about service that really stuck out to me when I read it the other day....
"Nobody made a greater mistake than he who did nothing because he could do only a little." - Edmund Burke

Adventure #9 SIDEWALK SLEDDING!!

I was trying to think of something to do with "I" outside since she can not walk yet, but never wants me to hold her either and I thought of SIDEWALK SLEDDING!! The girls had so much fun taking turns riding the sled over our whole yard, driveway and sidewalk. Totally wore me out!! Time for bath and bed! Ignore the look of homelessness my children have in these pictures...we had a LONG day of dirty outside fun!

Adventure#8 Memorial BBq Food Drive

I know, I know my titles are basically ridiculously long and wordy! haha...anyways...today is Memorial Day. And it was the day of our long planned and many hour labored-for BBQ. I was excited to see the turnout there was just the right amount of people (Holla Nelsons, Banks, Annisis, Hunts, Barrios', Clarks, Gilberts and Lilywhites)! Everyone came with bags packed with canned foods for the Utah Food Bank.  Thank you everyone for being so generous!

While I was searching all over the Utah Food Banks website I found some interesting facts. 1 in 8 children live below the poverty level. 350,000 Utahns risk missing at least one meal a day. The site said that the average person that comes in is a marrried, emplyed parent who is stuggling for a short period. It is so sad to think of children starving right near us. With all the wealth our country has and our abundance of resources it is hard to believe that children in my very own community are going without food.
It makes me so grateful for what I have. I love my family. I love my husband especially! He is willing to go to work 55 plus hours a week and go to not one but TWO schools to better our lives and to make it possible for me to stay home and raise our children. I am grateful for Shaun's great job. I am grateful that we are not in desperate times like so many are around us. After Memorial Day, I am reminded how grateful I am to be an American and how grateful I am to those that have either died or put themselves at risk for me everyday. I am also reminded after the BBQ how grateful I am that lately my eyes have been opened to the good in people. So, many people were willing to come and bring canned foods and help me with setup and cleanup. And while we are talking about things that I am grateful for let me just say.... I am so grateful for the knowledge of the gospel, the atonement and the Plan of Happiness. I am so grateful, too for the knowledge that I have that Heavenly Father loves me and that he sees me and all my imperfections and loves me anyways and sees my potential as a daughter of God.

Adventure # 7 Hike and Clean up Bridal Veil Falls

I loved this adventure! We hiked up the beautiful trail to Bridal Veil Falls. "A" was so cute with her gloves and grocery bag hunting for garbage on the trails. I was really impressed that there wasn't much garbage at all! The trails, river and waterfall were so beautiful. I was so sad when my camera died after like 2 minutes into the walk to the actual trail. Oh well! A and J also took their shoes off and played in the little pond at the bottom of the waterfall! They are crazy though, that water was freezing and it wasn't warm outside! Kids are fearless in the name of fun! This day was seriously filled with beauty....from my kids discovering the outdoors to Heavenly Fathers beautiful creations. Even the hike with 4 kids under 5 was so beautiful and rewarding! We will be going back lots this summer.