Girls Camp!!!

As the ward camp specialist, I got to go to girls camp last week with our Young Women. We only had 6 girls attend out of 11 or 12 of our active/semi-active girls. The first day, we took the traditional camp pictures in our ward camp shirts (one of our girls didn't get to camp until the second night):Here's what was on the back of our t-shirts:

Our group on the hike (the girl on the far right isn't one of "my girls"); one of the girls didn't have to go on this hike because she went on the overnight hike the night before most of us went to camp:

OUR SKIT!
We did a cute little skit about being virtuous, with all of us as bugs. Our characters were (left to right) Caterpillar, Lady bug, Spider, Grasshopper:
Worm, Ant:
And me as the Bee (you can't see the big stinger on my butt, which was pretty funny):

We haven't had much rain down here lately so the river was too low to go canoeing. Everyone was super bummed about it. Instead, we brought the girls to the water park. We didn't stay long, as it got pretty crowded with little kids and the girls got bored after only 10 or 15 minutes.

My SIL, Becky, was our camp nurse. It was so fun to have her there. We hung out a lot and even stayed in the same cabin.

Other things we did:

• Attended a lot of classes (first aid, fires, survival, sanitation, etc.)
• Family home evening lesson and game
• Went to our stake president's house for water balloon volleyball, water relay games and pool games (only the girls participated but it was fun to watch)
• Craft time (made cute little holders for pass-along cards)
• First Aid Olympics
• Used buddy burners to cook bacon and eggs (ours worked really well this year!)
• Sang "Get Your Elbows off the Table" a LOT, as well as "Here we sit like birds in the wilderness waiting to be fed" for our cooks!!! I got caught with my elbows on the table twice and had to stand up and run around the table. When I was a YW, we'd have to stand and sing a song in front of everyone.

It was an awesome camp--I just wish it could have been up in the mountains, without the heat and humidity. :)

Brenna's 1st Birthday!

Jared had to work but I went to Brenna's birthday swimming party on 6/6. There was tons of food, including a huge three-layer strawberry shortcake from Cocoa Bean in Hammond (awesome!). The kids and some of the adults swam; I did not. There was also an inflatable water slide for the little kids. Brenna was over-the-top cute, especially eating her own Mickey Mouse birthday cake. Here are some of the 300 pics I took that day (yes, that many pics just in just the three hours I was there):

{The big girl in her birthday shirt--it had Mickey Mouse on it and said "Happy 1st Birthday Brenna!"}:

{Havin' fun in the pool with her daddy and Uncle Tim}:

{Just floatin' and relaxin'}:

{Me & the birthday girl}:

{She was so ready for the cake she started grabbing at it before Becky even put it down!}:

{Getting a little more messy}:

{And even more messy! Totally demolished the cake!}:

{She even got icing in her eyelashes}:

{Opening presents. Someone gave her that headband and she KNEW she was cute!}:

{How cute is the look on her face?}:

{"Talking" on the phone she just opened}:

{Paw-paw (my dad) put that bow on her head}:

{Big sis was there to help celebrate, too}:

It was a really fun party. I can't believe she's one! She should be walking before too long. She'll walk if you hold both of her hands and walk behind her. If you let one hand go, she looks up and you and fusses and waits for you to hold both hands again before she'll take another step. Silly girl! She really couldn't get any cuter, though--especially with a bunch of teeth coming in, ha ha!

Catch-up #2 {May}

First off, I have to say HAPPY BIRTHDAY to Jared! I love you, babe! He had to work today but he was able to come home a little early. I've just let him relax and watch TV since he got home and now he's playing Lego Star Wars. I'm making a special dinner (a cheesy shrimp pasta) and some dessert for him. He got his birthday present early--something he bought for himself, ha ha, which is good 'cause I would have had no idea to get him that--a wicked awesome drill kit (it hammers and screws at the same time?). He seemed pretty excited about it so I'm really glad he bought it.

OK, back to catching up. May began with a youth dance--our 2nd one since being called to Young Women and Young Men. We have fun dancing together!

That first week of May, I was visited by an old friend of mine:
We were friends throughout jr. high and high school; we both played clarinet in band and both played percussion in the same drum & bugle corps all four years of high school. Then, we roomed together our freshman year at LSU and were in the Tiger Band together. We had so much fun! We lost touch after that first year of college, however, when she left LSU. After college, she ended up moving to Colorado and getting married and I moved to Utah and got married. We had both searched for each other online but were never able to find each other...UNTIL we both joined Facebook. I was so happy when I got a message from her! She ended up flying to Louisiana to visit family and go to the Jazz Fest and she came to my house to see me. It was so cool seeing her again. She is truly one of the sweetest, most genuine people I have ever known. Not a mean bone in her body. Anyway, I'm thankful for Facebook for putting back in touch with so many people I hadn't talked to in years. Really cool!

My dad's and brother's (Tim) birthdays are both the first week of May and our family went out to eat to celebrate them both. Tim is now 30! Some pics from the restaurant:

On Mother's Day, we had my parents over for lunch; I made a really yummy crockpot chicken dish over rice and cupcakes for dessert. Dad had to leave for work a short while after we ate but Mom stayed for a while. That night, Ben, Becky and the girls came over and we played Guitar Hero.

{This is the picture blanket Kiki and I had made for Mom with pics of all her grandkids; she loves it.}:

Last week, I had some of the young women come over to watch the American Idol Finale results show. We had all kinds of snacks and had a blast watching it together. The video of us screaming when Kris won (watch below) is hilarious!


The next night, Jared and I drove to Hammond to go to Belle's pre-school graduation, then we went to my Mom and Dad's house to eat dinner and see Maw-maw (she stayed at my parents house for a few days). We all hung out for a while, then we drove home.

{The girls sure did love the spaghetti my mom made!}:

Not too much else going on the rest of the month. I just have Enrichment tomorrow, we're having a family over Friday night, and we have a wedding reception to attend Sat. night. I'll post next month! :)

Loooong catch-up! {April}

I was just gonna stop blogging because, it seems to me, only a couple of people were looking at it and those couple of people pretty much know everything I do or keep up with me through Facebook. However, Jared said he misses my posts and wants me to keep posting. Plus, I really don't add many photos or videos on Facebook. So now I'm gonna attempt a really short version of our goings-on for the past couple of months, then I'll start posting more again.

The first week of April, we finally got rid of the uncomfortable twin bed in our TV room (and moved the elliptical into the master bedroom) and got a new sectional couch! One problem: We couldn't get it to fit through the door to the TV room! I have an extremely ingenuous husband, though, who figured out how to take part of the couch off, get it into the room and put it back together so that you can't even tell it was ever taken apart. It's so much more comfortable to watch TV now, and 1,000 times better for my back and neck! Here's a pic of the couch in the room:

The Strawberry Festival in Ponchatoula was the first weekend in April. I hadn't been to it in about 12 years and couldn't believe how many people go to it now! Jared saw one of his drivers from work who lives in New Orleans and we saw some people in our stake who live in Mississippi. People come from all over now. It use to be much smaller. It was pretty fun, though. We got there early enough to watch the parade, then we rode a few rides (my fave was the Chainsaw, pictured below) and, of course, had lots of great food--boiled crawfish, crawfish pie, seafood baked potato, strawberry beignets, chocolate covered strawberries. We just had a great day together, just the two of us, and I loved it!

Even after eating all that yummy food at the festival, we still went out and ate a huge meal at Texas de Brazil with another couple--all you can eat meat, baby!

The second week of April, we did some major shopping--new desk chair and mat for my scraproom, Wii (with Wii Sports), Wii Play, Wii Fit, Guitar Hero World Tour band w/ extra guitar, Lego Star Wars & Lego Indian Jones. We have spent many hours playing Lego Star Wars together and have a lot of fun playing it together. I've had fun playing Guitar Hero with friends and family, too. Jared doesn't like to play it as much as I do.

Easter Sunday, we went to my SIL's parents' house after church and had dinner and the kids hunted eggs in the house because it rained most of the day. Here are some pics and videos from the day:

{Belle had gotten into some of her Grandma's chapstick and rubbed it all over her face; Ben about had a heart attack when she came out, thinking she had burned her face or something}:

{Just some funny videos of Brenna; she is mostly the sweetest, most cuddly baby but can be pretty feisty at times, ha ha}:

The weekend after Easter, Jared flew to Utah for business and stayed a few extra days to visit family and friends.

{He got to see his little brother perform in a piano recital and they got to hang out quite a bit}

{He went and visited my sister, Kiki, and her kids}

{He drove up to Idaho with one of his sisters and one of his nieces to visit two of his other sisters and their seven kids}I was quite jealous of his trip to Utah but I was happy for him that he was able to spend some quality time with his family and see a niece we hadn't met yet (I still haven't met her, boohoo!). He was also able to visit one of his best friends, who was one of his mission companions, and he was there for one of our nephew's birthday party. It was a great trip for him. I can't wait 'til we both go in July!!!

While he was partying it up in Utah, I participated in the Day of Service. Our ward cleaned a park in our town. I picked up branches and stuff and helped paint a fence. It felt good to do some service. That pretty much sums up April, besides all the youth activities and other normal stuff we do.

AI Top 7

I just realized I never posted my comments from last week here.  This is what I posted on Facebook last Tues. night:

Disco night--always a scary thought but it wasn't as bad as I thought it was gonna be. Most of them, I thought, put their own spin on it.

1. Lil [I'm Every Woman by Chaka Khan]--Not updated or original and not the best vocals. It was too much like the original but she paled in comparison to Chaka Khan so it was a flop for me.

2. Kris [She Works Hard for the Money by Donna Summer]--GREAT arrangement! He really made it his own in a style that is so....him. Glad he was back on the guitar; his vocals were really good.

3. Danny [September by Earth, Wind & Fire]--Good song choice for him (for having to pick from disco). I thought he gave it a touch of his gospel flare and contained his usual high energy. Great vocals and riffs.

4. Allison [Hot Stuff by Donna Summer]--I really liked the slow beginning and her vocals were awesome. She made it current and I liked the arrangement.

5. Adam [If I Can't Have You by the Bee Gees]--Great version, so original. LOVED the beginning but didn't totally love the middle-end--too much screaming/screeching for the soft feeling of the rest of the song--but I liked it overall. And I respect how he gave Michael Orland props for helping him come up with the arrangement.

6. Matt [Stayin' Alive by the Bee Gees]--I wouldn't have picked that song but I liked the little bit of R&B feel he brought to it with all his riffs. I thought his vocals were pretty good and I found it to be very entertaining--I liked the dancing/movement around the stage.

7. Anoop [Dim All the Lights by Donna Summer]--I didn't really know that song and didn't like it or the cheesy band arrangement. I didn't mined the vocal arrangement, though, and I thought he sounded great (if you could separate him from the band). It was just a flat performance for me, though.

My top three: Kris, Danny, Adam
My bottom three: Lil, Anoop, ??

I'll be shocked if Lil doesn't go home and I think Anoop will probably go but, who knows, it could be Matt.

AI Top 5

Rat Pack standards, Jamie Foxx as mentor.  I thought Jamie Foxx was a great mentor--I really liked that he cared enough to bring Matt back in to give him some real feedback.  I have to say, though, that every time I see him, I always see Wanda (from In Living Color)--makes me laugh every time!

1. Kris [The Way You Look Tonight]--Loved the suit, loved the rendition, LOVED the last note!  It was a great performance with really good vocals--showed range and passion.  Not my fave performance of his, though.  Really good but I wasn't blown away.

2. Allison [Someone to Watch Over Me]--Vocally, it was a great performance but I just didn't get the feeling that she really connected with the song.  I kind of agreed with Simon that it seemed a little "mechanical".  It was a teeny weeny tiny bit on the boring side for me.  I can't say I didn't like it, though--just wasn't my fave of the night by far.

3. Matt [My Funny Valentine]--Great rendition but not the best vocals--a bit pitchy at the beggining of the song.  I loved the arrangement, though, and thought the ending was super.  I felt an emotional connection and liked it for the most part, it just didn't blow me out of the water.  I was shocked that Simon thought it was "absolutely brilliant."  I do love me some Matt, though!

4. Danny [Come Rain or Come Shine]--I thought it was an awesome arrangement.  I loved it from the first not he sang.  Great vocals, he sounded amazing, and I adored his version of the song.  The ending was FABULOUS.  I'd buy that song in a minute and listen to it over and over again.

5. Adam [Feeling Good]--It was very smart to use the stairs as an entrance to the stage--it looked awesome and fit the mood of the night.  I LOVED the beginning of the song but then it got just a bit too theatrical for me.  And the tongue wagging--EEEW!  I can't stand it!  I wasn't in love with the last part of the song.  I'd rather watch that performance again, though, over Allison's and maybe even Kris' or Matt's.

My bottom two: Allison and Matt
My fave of the night: Danny
Who I think will go home: Allison (only because I just don't think she's made a real connection with enough of the viewers)

This is hard because I really like everyone left in the competition.  I will be sad to see any of them go.

AI Top 7

Quentin Tarantino as mentor--not my favorite; he bugs me and I didn't agree with some of the suggestions he made (like to Anoop and Danny). I liked all of the performances but didn't TOTALLY LOVE any of them.

1. Allison "I Don't Want To Miss A Thing"--There were a lot of flat notes in her lower register in the beginning then, in the middle of the song, a lot of her vocals seemed forced. It got better towards the end. I thought it was a good performance, not great.

2. Anoop "(Everything I Do) I Do It For You"--I think it was a good song for his voice and his vocals were great--very controlled and in tune.

3. Adam "Born To Be Wild"--A bit too theatrical for me and on the cheesy side; it was definitely energetic, though! Simon hit the nail on the head when he said it was like watching the Rocky Horror Show Musical. I definitely didn't like his performance tonight as much as I did last week's. There had to be a better song on the list for him to choose!

4. Matt "Have You Ever Really Loved a Woman"--Loved his voice on this song and his version of it but it wasn't his best vocal performance--he tried to do too much; but I liked it OK for the most part.

5. Danny "Endless Love"--It was a beautiful, emotional performance. Great vocals after the 1st verse. I really liked it.

6. Kris "Falling Slowly"--Very heartfelt and sweet; I really liked it. It started a tiny bit rough but his vocals just got better and better as the song went on; I love his falsetto.

7. Lil "The Rose"--Once again she changed her hair completely! It made her look older, which fit the old-fashioned song she chose. At least she FINALLY made a song a little more her own and she sang OK--except for that last note, ouch!

My top 3 (almost too hard to choose this week): Danny, Anoop, Kris
My bottom 3: Lil, Allison, Matt

I think Lil might go this week but wouldn't be surprised if Allison did just because she doesn't seem to have as big a fan base as others. I hope they all bring better game next week!

Princess Party & Family Dinners

I've been meaning to post these videos from a dinner at my parents house two Sundays ago:

Brenna not wanting to stand on the ground--hilarious!!!


Ben playing tea party with Belle--he's crazy!


Brenna doling out kisses--she's so sweet!


A quick clip of Ben's British tea impersonation:


Last Sat., I had a busy day! We had to be at the church at 8am for a youth basketball tournament. I stayed until noon and cheered on our girls (who smoked the other team--there was only one other girl team); Jared had to coach one of our boys' teams (he coached the younger team, who lost all their games, but our older boys won the tournament). I drove to my parents' house for Belle's 4th birthday party--a princess fashion show. It was so cute! After the party, I drove home and was home for maybe 20 min. before I had to go to someone else's house to watch a Young Women broadcast. Here are pics from the party:

{Belle, in one of her princess costumes, after jumping on the trampoline}:

{Belle modeling one of the dresses on the runway}:

{Hamming it up}:

{The super cute cupcake cake}:

{Ben & his girls}:

{Brenna playing after the party}:

The next day (Sunday) was also very busy. Jared had to be at church early for meetings and I got there a little early to play sacrament prelude music. We were at church the normal 3+ hours, then went home for a VERY quick bite to eat, then went to a Catholic church were I sang in the Livingston Parish Adult Choir. We left straight from there to go to my SIL's parents' house for a birthday dinner for Belle. We had steaks an all the fixins. It was a very busy but very fun weekend. We sure were pooped by the time we got home Sunday night, though!! Some pics from Sunday:

{Belle petting the bullfrog her Daddy caught for her}:

{Brenna & her Uncle Jared--both cute! :) }: