Analee's baptism

Yesterday marked a very special day for Analee. She had previously made the decision to be baptized as a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, so she and three other young people entered into the same sacred covenant at our stake baptism.

Seth performed the baptism and confirmation, and many of Analee's relatives were there to stand in the circle: Seth, Grandpa Scott, Grandpa Dennis, Great-Grandpa Hendricks, Great-Grandpa Wirkus, Uncle Jon, Uncle T, Uncle Kent, Uncle Jim and our bishop, Kim Schuldt.

The Spirit was very strong there during the meeting and ordinances. I had told Miriam to pay attention to how she felt during the baptism and confirmation. I said that if she felt happy, warm, at peace, calm, etc., that was the Holy Ghost telling her that what Ana was doing was right. She reported afterward that she did, in fact, feel the Holy Ghost.

We're so proud of Analee and her choice to follow Christ's example, and we're so happy she's a part of our family.

Seth and Analee before the baptism.

Andrea and Analee before the baptism.

Our family outside the stake center following the baptism. (I swear I didn't intentionally stand on the sidewalk so I'd look 10 inches taller than Seth.)

Sweet Grover sisters.

Rebekah's new pet

Rebekah with her new pet.

A little while ago, Rebekah implored Seth and I to discuss the possibility of her getting a hamster as a pet. I was on board with it, having had my own hamster as a kid. Seth didn't have any experience with hamsters, but he was easily won over.

Years ago, Seth's Aunt Cathy had given us a bunch of hamster care items, and I had stashed them in our crawlspace just in case we ever wanted to get such a rodent. So when Bekah got the green light from us, she and Seth went under the house to see exactly what we'd need to get for a hamster to come stay with us.

Basically, we had everything but the hamster.

Seth helped Bekah do some hamster research, and she had picked out the breed she wanted before I took her and her sisters to the pet store. Then she came home and put her new pet in his home.

The white winter male went a few days without a name (we referred to him as "Mr. Hamster" in the meantime), but Bekah finally picked out "Oshawatt." Our girls don't have much experience with Pokemon, but apparently Rebekah has decided that Oshawatt is the cutest Pokemon, so her hamster is deserving of such a name.

On the downside, this unusual name is hard to remember, so sometimes Miriam calls him "Rocket Jaw" instead.

Oshawatt, so far, has proved to be a great pet. He's happy to let the girls hold him or run around in his ball. 

So, for your viewing pleasure, here are some videos Rebekah has shot on her camera of her little furball.

Memorial Day weekend

Despite our lack of fish during the opening weekend at Henry's Lake, we had a great weekend with family in Island Park. We drove up Friday evening to park our trailer outside Grandma and Grandpa Hendricks' cabin and spent time with cousins before going to bed.

(In the duration of our trip, the cabin had many travelers: Grandma Susan, Grandpa Dennis, Grandpa Hendricks, Aunt Rachel, Uncle Justin, Cooper, Kelsey, Hudson, Uncle Kent, Aunt Melissa, Emma, Charlotte, Uncle Jim, Aunt Anne, Parker, Hailey, Mack, Tav, Uncle Doug, Chelsey, Lakota. Not everyone stayed the night, and not everyone stayed in the cabin, but we had a lot of people to play/visit with.)

Saturday morning, it looked mild and beautiful at the cabin, so we packed up the girls and our poles to do some fishing from the shore.

Unfortunately, the weather at the cabin wasn't the same at the lake. It was windy, windy and cold.

Rebekah huddled up.

Winnie sporting multiple hoods.

And optimistic Miriam.

Analee decked out in gloves and a coat.

Seth working on the girls' poles and hooks.

Seth tried to keep the girls' poles cast, but every time he'd get one cast and work on another, the wind had blown the first hook all the way in to the shore ... and it was usually twisted up in weeds and sticks. So after a valiant 45 minutes of trying, we packed up and headed back to the cabin. The rest of the day was spent watching movies, going on walks and four-wheeler rides, roasting hot dogs and playing games.

On Sunday, we attended church with 2,000 other people in Island Park (but we made it there early enough to pick out seats) and took the girls and Seth's cousins to Mesa Falls.

Winnie wearing Seth's hat as he carries her down to the falls.

The crew on the walk.

Seth (holding Winnie), Analee, Bekah, Miriam and Tav looking at the falls.

Miriam wearing an elk antler in the visitors' center.

Monday's weather proved to be the best of all. We loaded up Grandpa Dennis, Uncle Jim, Mack, Tav, Seth, Bekah, Ana, Miri, Winnie and myself up on Grandpa Hendricks' boat and took it out on Henry's.

Rebekah enjoying the sun.

Analee and Miriam eating gummy worms and fishing.

Winnie (the only one on the boat without a pole) playing with a string in the water.

Grandpa Dennis performed a wedding ceremony for Mack's and Bekah's fishes. Then they had them kiss.

Winnie loved the boat.

But Uncle Jim was the only one who reeled in a fish. He gave it to us to take home, and it was the most delicious trout I've ever eaten. (Props to this recipe.)

However, there were a few bugs there.

Thankfully, they were harmless.

To see more pictures from our Memorial Day weekend, start here.

Ana is 8!

Because Analee's birthday fell on Memorial Day weekend (again), she got to string out her birthday festivities over several days.

First, we had a birthday dinner for her (and Grandma Susan) on May 21st. Our family was there (of course), along with Grandma Scott (Grandpa was in Washington helping Uncle Ethan install an electronic gate), Aunt Jessica, Grandma Susan (Grandpa Dennis was teaching a gun class), Aunt Rachel and her family, and Aunt Melissa and her kids (Uncle Kent was in Asia).

The soon-to-be-8-year-old. She chose pizza for her dinner.

Unwrapping a BB gun from her parents.

A Lego fairy set from the Wildes.

A maxi skirt from her parents. (She had picked it out before.)

A whole $25 from Grandma Susan!

Grandma Scott is making a dress for Analee to wear after her baptism. Ana showed everyone the pattern and scraps of the fabric.

Thank goodness the weather allowed for us to picnic outside.

Grandma Susan reading cards from the girls.

She nailed her first two shots with the BB gun.

Grandma Susan and Analee blowing out candles on their cakes. 

Analee's pyramid cake. She wanted her party (held later with friends) to be ancient Egyptian themed, so her cake followed suit.

To see more pictures of the birthday dinner, start here.

The day of Analee's birthday, we were in Island Park attending church and visiting Mesa Falls. Our Memorial Day weekend certainly deserves its own post, but here's a picture of the cute girl on her actual birthday:

At the Mesa Falls visitors' center.

The weekend after her birthday, we hosted her ancient Egypt party for friends.

Analee with the decorations for her party. She thought it would be fun to string balloons across that had her name and some Egyptian symbols on them.

First the kids played a game of Freeze Dance to ... what else? "Walk Like an Egyptian."

Seth blasted the song from the speakers he has in the shop, hence the kids dancing on the cement pad in front of the shop.

Then the kids lined up for a game of "Pin the Nose on the Sphinx."

Analee going first.

Not too shabby.

Then the kids got to decorate Egyptian collars (paper plates with the middles cut out and spray painted gold) and cuffs (toilet paper rolls cut down and spray painted gold).

Lined up at the table decorating.

Jacob jumped into Analee's picture with her Egyptian jewelry.

Group picture of everyone in their jewelry (minus Miriam who was sulking because her collar ripped).

After all that working and playing, everyone was ready for a picnic lunch.

Followed by presents.

And then we played a few more games.

"Mummy Wrap." You and your partner try to wrap one of you up in an entire roll of toilet paper faster than anyone else.

Egyptian obstacle course/relay race. The kids had to cross the Nile (a blue tarp with stepping stones), build a pyramid (plastic cups in the sandbox), crawl through a pyramid (our Disney princess tent covered in brown paper) and write their initials in hieroglyphs. (See below.)

The kids who had finished their turn with the obstacle course found a way to entertain themselves as they waited for the rest of their teams.

And lastly, everyone got to decorate mummy cupcakes.

Thank goodness for marshmallow fondant.

The weather was beautiful (unlike the rest of the rainy, rainy week we experienced), the kids were fun, Analee was thoughtful and grateful ... a perfect party.

To see more pictures from her party, start here.