Footwear and a flick...

One of our upcoming summer activities the twigs are most anticipating is "Trek." We felt the need, after seeing pictures of handcarts plunking down steep river rock covered trails, to get the twigs some appropriate footwear now and start breaking them in.

The twigs have some relatives who would get a smile out of this picture. One of them worked at REI for a time and said REI stood for "Reinvest Employee Income."     :) 

I suggested that our girlie send a picture of her new boots to her Aunt Marti and daughters. The girlie rockin' these boots would bring a smile to their faces just as quickly as a pic of the girlie in a gorgeous prom dress.      :)

After the favorite footwear was chosen, we headed up the canyon to watch a wild ski movie. Wow, I love this beautiful world!

A whole city of rocks...

We lucked into a sunshiny day in January and had a captivating audio book to listen to (Okay for Now by Schmidt) so we took off to find some rock cause you know, we love rock. 

I was grateful that the girlie was willing to take the hit and "walk" the dog.    :)

We went to the City of Rocks (Castle Rocks) and were joined by Scott and April. It was like food for my soul.

This was the entrance to a "pre-historic human shelter." Places like this stick with me, leaving me hugely grateful each night for a soft bed, warm blankets, and a roof over my head.

The back side of the shelter enticed the twigs to do some bouldering/scrambling.

Figuring out the best way to the top...

 

...where they could hurl ice sheets off the boulder.

Scottie and the Mr. swapped Bishopric stories.

My favorite story, however, was Scottie's interpretation of pictographs he shared in a Idaho lava tube a few years back with a pictograph expert. If you get a chance to ask him about it, do. It's a hoot! 

A park ranger found these pictographs just a few years ago at the City of Rocks (Castle Rocks).

Loved taking a ramble out yonder with these people!   :)

I "heart" you...

Valentines morning we woke up to this...

Our girlie got up in the middle of the night to sneak around and give us a "heart attack."    :)

She's a keeper! Love ya'll and Happy Valentines!

Mmmm...I love how Tolstoy said it!
“A quiet secluded life in the country, with the possibility of being useful to people to whom it is easy to do good, and who are not accustomed to have it done to them; then work which one hopes may be of some use; then rest, nature, books, music, love for one's neighbor (and family) — such is my idea of happiness.”
-Leo Tolstoy

But Mother Teresa was probably closer to our reality.
“What can you do to promote world peace? Go home and love your family.”
-Mother Teresa

His "I'm getting an idea" face...

I'm blessed to have funny funny brothers.

Here is one of them on the far right of the picture...

One can only guess this must be his "I'm getting an idea" face...

Our girlie has the cutest giggle when she's being teased.   :)

Love my funny funny brother!    xoxo

Our girlie's journey...

Last Fall our girlie was on cloud 9! She completed her Personal Progress Program and earned her Young Womanhood Recognition.

She brought balloons for the girls and leaders to release and showed a power point presentation of family, friends, and leaders to say 'thank you' for their help along her journey. Here are just a few of her slides...

This picture was taken by one of her awesome leaders.

 

Value Project for Faith

Value Project for Divine Nature - she totally loved camp even with its 72-hour weekly schedule (12 hours a day, 6 days a week). No sleepin' in during the summer.

Her Value Project for Individual Worth was to participate in the Stake Broadway Musical Review. We couldn't imagine how to fit the rehearsals into her schedule but she made it work and ended up with new friends and great memories.

Her Value Project for Knowledge was a cute scripture bag sewn out of a place-mat (it was her first project and she used that little bag all the time). By the time she finished all her projects that little bag was worn out and the decorative bow was all that was left of it.

Value Project for Choice and Accountability

Value Project for Good Works

Value Project for Integrity led her to being a two year Dance Company member. She's loved it!

Value Project for Virtue was to read the Book of Mormon. She's read it twice now and is on her third time. You gotta love the "good news!"

Another girls camp photo by her leader. Thanks Sister Welch!

She's now working to earn her "Honor Bee" and one of the requirements is to help others work on their Personal Progress. She's decided one of the people she's going to encourage is her good ol' mom!   :)

We love our girlie!!!  xoxo

It's an honor...

Our girlie had an experience to remember this week. She was inducted into the National Junior Honor Society. Our school has a beautiful induction ceremony that celebrates and informs about the aims of the NJHS.

We love the woman at the microphone. She has had a profound influence on our children's education over the past 9 years through Grade School and Jr. High School. She is a professional in every sense of the word.

"Five main purposes have guided chapters of NJHS from the beginning: to create enthusiasm for scholarship; to stimulate a desire to render service; to promote leadership; to encourage responsible citizenship; and to develop character in the students of secondary schools. These purposes also translate into the criteria used for membership selection in each local chapter."

The Branch Bros were in the NJHS too and in the National Honor Society. I'm grateful for this country, for this community. What great opportunities the twigs have been given to learn and serve, to become contributing citizens who make a difference in the lives of others just as these administrators and teachers make in their lives. It's an honor.