Dance Festival Six Stake Practice

This Dance Festival has been so much fun! However, Geoff and I were VERY SURPRISED (to say the least), at the routine we learned tonight (and have to teach to all the kids in our ward in two weeks). It's quite the dance routine...something I imagine the BYU Cougarettes performing at a halftime show. We quickly went from Country swing to Modern Jazz.

This picture shows only half of the people in the Gym...and these represent only the leaders. I find it amazing to think that thousands of youth will be doing this dance. It is a huge production! We are just beginning to get a glimpse. I think it's a blast. Geoff is still deciding (at least on the Modern Jazz routine).

Anyone who wants to see the dances can click on "Dance Festival" on our Neyman links on the top page (right) on the blog.

Projects Projects Projects!

I love this picture! We are preparing 100 "cubie" kits to hand out to the members of the Relief Society. Justin and I (and a few helpers) have been wrapping little colorful yarn balls to put into the kits. By Sunday we will have wrapped 800 balls! And to think, that is only part of the kit!

Here is a picture of some of the patterns we have sewn so far. The world is the limit. It's really quite fun! I do find it a BIG STRUGGLE how to divide my service time and reading time. It's one of the few times I wish I were a vampire and didn't need sleep or food!

And here is a picture of the finished product. Too Cute!

Max has got the moves!

Max really loves to dance, and will randomly start dancing even if there is no music. He cracked us all up this morning with his dance moves, and fortunately I had the camera to film some of it.

Popcorn Popping

Almost every day Max pulls out the popcorn popper and pleads for popcorn! I don't think he likes to eat it as much as he likes to make it, but it makes for a good snack anyhow.

Christmas Day Secrets, by Justin

This is one of my favorites songs to listen to Justin play on the piano. He has such a natural piano ability...just like his dad! The filming is skiwampus because I'm trying to keep Max from playing too...as you can hear!!! Really, I'm not beating him!!!!

A day full of Science FUN!

On Tuesdays, Justin goes to Coltin Wrights house for Science Club with 7 other home school boys his age. Bob Wright teaches the class (He's great!). They are studying Electricity and magnetism which is a HIT for all the boys. They love it.

After Science club, we all went to the park, and then a few came over to our house to excavate in Justin's home made sedimentary rock. He had previously made some fossils and buried them in a sand mixture (with a few unexpected surprises that I threw in) and hardened it all with Epsom salt. They had a blast excavating.

Science is such fun!!!

A warmish, SUNNY Day

As I drove home from Tuesday Science Club with 5 boys in my car (Justin, Max and friends), we all decided we couldn't pass Berber park without stopping...it was SO SUNNY and beautiful outside. It's still a little nippy, but with the sun out, it feels warm to the soul!

We were ALL so HAPPY to be here!!!

FHE Service Project

For Family Home Evening, we spent time together sewing plastic canvas toy blocks for children who don't have sound or site stimulation. The "cubies" will be bright will basic patterns and will have noise makers (bells, rattles) inside for sound. We're making them for the LDS Humanitarian Center.

The project was perfect for the boys...they all really enjoyed sewing the patterns on the squares. (Justin has been sewing squares everyday since then, and is quite good at it. He sews a little bit every day and loves it.)

I'll post pictures of the finished product when we complete a cube.
We'll do this service project again soon, for sure. It was a hit!

Night Time Fun

Night time routines are so fun when Geoff is around!!!

Breakfast for Two

Max was absolutely adamant about having Cheerios with Rice Crispies and granola for breakfast. He ordered (demanded) the same menu item for Fluffy...his friend. I couldn't resist. Max is so polite and gracious. He ALWAYS says please and thank you, even if it's not necessary. And if one of us fail to remember our P's and Q's, Max quickly fills in for us. He really is so grateful. He melts my heart!

Saturday FUN day with Scott's

Today Geoff was representing Energy Savors at a booth in the Green Show, and so the boys and I joined Holly Scott and her kids for a day filled with LOTS of fun!!!

Our first event was a show called Sounds Like Fun. It is the second of a series of five shows that are created to help familiarize kids with the instruments of the orchestra. The people who put the shows together are so fun and really tailor their production for the kids.

Today we learned about the String Family. We learned how the instruments are made, what they are made from, and what the parts are called. We also learned about the unique characteristics of each instrument and the different ways you can play each one.



This string quartet all play in the Boise Philharmonic Orchestra and were absolutely awesome! The music they played was beautiful, upbeat and fun.

We can't wait to attend the next one about woodwinds!

We were all very hungry by the time the show ended, and headed over to a restaurant called Donnie Mac's Trailer Park Cuisine. This was Holly's suggestion because she knew the kids would love it. I must admit, I was a bit concerned about the kind of food we would be offered!
This place is hilarious! The owners have totally decorated the inside with anything that resembles trailer trash. The entire time I was there I would look up to notice something else so creative and fun in their decor.

The kids especially loved eating in the trailer trash car!

It was definitely a hit with the kids, ...and ME TOO. I was pleasantly surprised with our food. I had a big green salad that had real greens and fresh veggies that was very tasty, and the kids choose Mac N Cheese that had noodles with real cheese. WoW! We'll definitely have to come here again. (They even recycle their oil for bio diesel!)

Our last stop for the day was at Boise State University for Engineering Day for Kids. BSU puts this event together once a year to help educate kids about the world of science and engineering. It is all very interactive and kid friendly. Since we arrived a little late, we didn't get into some of the really COOL classes, but we were able to ...

play with OOBER BLOCKS...

play with a million wooden blocks!...

Meet and listen to Barbara Morgan (Astronaut from Idaho who flew aboard the shuttle in 2007) share her experience of flying to the moon. Her pictures from space were breathtaking to say the least. ...

And finally, attend a class about Rockets and Satelites.

The very best part about this class was that Max (as soon as I sat down) fell asleep for the entire show. Ahhhhh! I loved it.

Another Scare...another healthy heartbeat!

Last week, Geoff and I had another baby scare, which we thought might be the beginnings of another miscarriage. So ONCE AGAIN, we were so relieved at our Prenatal appointment today when we heard the healthy heartbeat of our baby.

If this little baby makes it through (which we all really hope he/she will), it will be nothing short of a miracle. With each new day, I gain a greater appreciation for the delicate nature of life. Creating children, helping them into this world healthily, and keeping them here is all SO MIRACULOUS!!!

What a roller coaster ride we have been through with this little one!

Blog Testing?

This is a test to see if I know how to blog. JaNae will be very proud.

Geoff

MAX--Justin's ANTITHESIS

Tonight while eating Hawaiian Haystacks for dinner (I included chicken in the dish for our little carnivore), Max kept eating and laughing, eating and laughing. I didn't catch on to his joke for a few minutes, and was just enjoying his cute little laugh. Then I figured out that with every bite of rice & chicken he took, he'd throw a piece of broccoli or squash out the back of his high chair and just snicker out right. He was getting such a kick out of his joke! About this time, he had created a nice little pile of vegetables on the floor behind him. HA HA HA. Justin's Antithesis in every way!

My new FAVORITE BOOK

Nancy Moore gave this book--The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane--to our family for Christmas. We read a chapter or two every night until we got about 2/3 done, and then couldn't put it down! Not only could we not put it down, but I could NOT stop crying the entire last 1/3. It is so difficult to read a book aloud (to a boy) while you are crying!

This book is amazing, and my new FAVORITE BOOK! The story of a rabbit who learns to hope and love. It hit so close to home for me. I absolutely loved it. Everyone should read it, and read it again to their children/ grandchildren.

Thanks Nancy!

Ward Dance Specialists

Geoff and I were just called as our Ward Dance Specialists for a Dance Festival that occurs every four years here. The participants include all the youth ages 14 -18. It is actually a production that includes 6 Stakes in the area. Each Stake learns a different style dance. Our Stake will be learning and performing Country Swing.

So Geoff and I will spend a month learning the routines for 3 different dances, then will teach them to the youth in our ward every Wednesday night until the actual Dance Festival. It's a major production, and SO MUCH FUN for the youth.

I'm especially excited to have a good excuse to go dancing with Geoff every week for the next several months. I might even get to buy some PINK cowboy boots!!!

Science Circus

Our circuit of library shows in the Boise area are always so good. Today we joined the Wright's and went to the Nampa Library to their Science Circus. The guy was very funny and so good with the kids, and showed several experiments that taught mathematical/science principles.

Not complete without the bed of nails!

Justin's friend, Colton, reminds us a lot of TJ Neyman--Justin's cousin. It was a fun morning!

Baby Celebration

After receiving the news about the baby being healthy and strong...we had to celebrate. It wasn't really a birthday, but a babyday! We're all very excited!

Good News Again

We met with another wonderful midwife today, Colleen Goodwin. She is an incredible person and talented midwife, and owns a beautiful birthing center that she and her staff work from. While there, we had an ultrasound to confirm the due date and well being of the baby, and the baby looks GREAT!

We do have a new estimated due date: July 31

So since all my babies have been born late and on (or within a day of) one my siblings' birthdays, I am guessing that this child will be Russell's baby and born on Aug 7th.

We have a baby!

Today we met with Rose and Ian Penwell, who may possibly be our midwife team for this pregnancy. The wonderful thing about their visit, is they pulled out their doppler, and we heard for the first time our baby's heartbeat...healthy and strong!

It was really quite a miraculous moment for both Geoff and I as we both had somewhat talked ourselves out of expecting to hear the heartbeat. We were so pleasantly surprised...to say the least. We celebrated all day.

We really do have a baby on the way!
Estimated due date: July 27th