Ella's First Temple Experience

On June 15, 2018 we took Ella to the LDS Houston, Texas temple for the first time to perform baptisms for the dead. We gathered 30 names and Ragnar, Ella, and I did 10 baptisms each. It was a beautiful summer morning and I was so grateful she has a desire to be righteous and be worthy to be in the Lord's home. 

This temple is special to us as it is the temple Ragnar and I got married in. It has been inoperable for 8 months due to Hurricane Harvey flooding. It reopened a couple weeks before her birthday and we were so excited! 

Ella is a kind hearted, loving girl who always wants to do what is right. She is smart and creative and it was a special day to be with her.

The kids came with us and stayed in the annex with my mom and sister while we did baptisms. They took a few pictures before we went in. 

Channing always loves a good picture! 

From silly to charming! That's our 3 year old! 

Cavin is a sweet kid. 

We are lucky to have these cute kids!

Family selfie!

Our eternal family! 

I was so grateful my mom and dad were able to participate with us. My dad helped confirm us and my mom came in for a little while and helped with my kids. It was neat to have them there with us. 

We loved our morning with Ella and hope she always has a desire to follow her Savior. 

Channing Dance Recital

On June 9th, Channing finished out her ballet season with her dance recital. She was very excited as she loves to perform. 

She danced to a beautiful song called "Braver Still" and did a wonderful job.

She looked beautiful. 

Grandma and Natalie came to support Channing at her recital and she was exited to have them there.

Channing and her best friend Avery always love to dance together. She is lucky to have such a good friend. We enjoy watching Channing dance and do something she loves.

Lake Charles Weekend!

The first weekend of summer we headed to Lake Charles to meet Daphne halfway for a fun day out. We went to a beach in Lake Charles that was pretty vacant and we enjoyed the sun!

The sand was pretty white and soft and we made a sand castle.

The kids enjoyed digging with the shovel. 

Daphne brought her dog Cortex who seemed to have a nice time in the water and the kids are getting more and more comfortable with him. 

Brother and Sister! Always great to see her! 

A beautiful family day! 

After the beach we went over to Millenium Park. It was a super hot day but the kids enjoyed the splash pad and if it would have been cooler they could have played at the park for a long time! 

We cooled down with Sonic slushes and then hit the road! The kids were all out within a few minutes of driving home. They were exhausted. It was a fun day! I don't love the beach as there is so much mess and sand, but we did have a nice day!

End of Year Performances

The end of the year is such a busy time!! The kids all have plays, performances, award ceremonies, field days, etc! Channing began with her "Pajama Party" play.

She had a part and she rocked it! She was animated, loud, and clear! 

Her friend Mallory and her are in the same class together and will be again next year! 

Everything is always about Avery, her best friend. She loves to hang out with her! The play was cute and it was short and sweet which was perfect!

Cavin performed in the "Pirates" play a couple weeks later. 

He was a handsome pirate and played the part of purple beard. He only said one line but our quiet, shy boy actually was very loud and clear. It was great!!

The songs were pretty good and I was glad that this year I got to see two new plays since they usually reoccur each year and I've seen them several times between kids. 

That same evening I enlisted my mother who went to Ella's orchestra concert as I couldn't be at both and Ragnar was working.

My mom said she did a good job. 

She also had an awards ceremony for 6th grade the following week. 

She received an award for A/B honor roll, Super Reader from her reading teacher (no surprise there), and Excellence and Dedication in Science. I am glad she is liking school and hopefully she will use her smart brain and really learn to apply herself, because she has the ability to do great things!

Lastly, Ella had her piano recital. She performed the "Star Wars" theme song.

She did a good job and I hope this summer she will have more of a desire to practice :)

Ella is 12!!!

Birthday season wrapped up with Ella's 12th birthday. She had a full day of festivities. We woke up and had donuts together. 

Our family seriously loves donuts!

We did presents early so she could use some of them later at the pool :) 

She got a lava lamp, fins, an LOL doll, beanie boos, an amazon echo dot, design sketch books, and other fun gifts. 

We went out for a big lunch since she had her party later. She chose Olive Garden and ate LOTS of breadsticks! I'm afraid I gave my carb addiction to the kids!

That afternoon, she went with a few friends to celebrate her party at the pool as it was opening day. Jaemi, Evyn, Helen, Mackayla, and Addy came. She has some cute friends who are really smart and they are great at pushing her to be better!

She loves art, so we did a painting cookie cake. She loved it and the weather was perfect.  

The next day we celebrated again with my brother Chris who shares her birthday and my niece Charlotte whose birthday is a few days later!

Ella is an avid reader! Like, that is ALL she wants to do. She loves books and I cannot get enough for her fast enough. She is really picking up the cello and learning it quickly. Her piano has suffered this year, I think due to the fact that she is picking up a different instrument, but she still takes lessons. She has thrived in 6th grade and has transitioned well from elementary school. She is not very organized, but she is very creative. She loves to come up with ideas and has a sharp mind. She LOVES art and music and is always wanting to listen to music. She also loves to sketch and draw and right now wants to be an interior designer or fashion designer. She is a good kid and is a great big sister. 

Channing turns 7!

Channing has been very excited about her birthday! She loves to celebrate and have a party! She was able to go with some friends the weekend before her birthday to celebrate her! They went to Mudpie to paint and then we went for dinner and dessert at Chick fil A. 

The girls were SO giggly! They had a great time, but by the end I needed some silence! They loved to make each other laugh and smile. Ellie, Channing, and Avery painted a butterfly and Mallory chose a turtle. They are a cute group of girls! Channing has a good group of friends.

On her actual birthday a couple days later we got our usual donuts and she got enough to share with her class. Then after school her grandparents came over to have dinner with us at Culvers.

She LOVES  Descendants, so I attempted an Evie cake from the movie. She was thrilled even though it was just a simple cake. 

She was making sure we did everything right! 

Then we got to open presents. She asked for LOL dolls, a Hatchimal, an enchantimal, a nail salon kit, The Greatest Showman movie, and jewelry. 

Then her DREAM came true. On Saturday, I took her to get her ears pierced. She was so excited and has been asking for years. When we got to Claire's she got really nervous but braved it and only cried for like 30 seconds. 

She is our girly girl and is all about fashion so she picked glitter heart earrings!

She is growing up so fast!! She is 3'11 and 54 pounds. She is becoming quite a good reader and has become so much more confident this year. Her teacher has really helped her feel like she can do anything and she is outgoing and really blossomed. She loves anything regarding fashion, clothing, jewelry, makeup, and shoes! She enjoys dancing in ballet. She did Destination Imagination club this year. She learned to ride her bike, tie her shoes, and swim. She declared her 6-7th year as monumental! She is a great singer and loves to sing everywhere. She also is always talking, is a talented/creative artist, and has incredible handwriting. We love our orange headed girl and all the sass she brings to the family!