My Crafty Side Returns

My crafting dry spell is over - I finally got around to making this cute wreath with the help of my crafting friend, Melissa - a mere 6 days before Halloween! However, all that matters is that it is up in time for the cute trick or treaters coming by, right?

On another note, Megan has finally cut her top 4 teeth. She is back to her normal, happy self after a couple weeks of screaming torture for the Rimington household.

A Fulfilling Moment

I have spent the last 10 months working with our primary kids, each month teaching them a new song about the gospel of Jesus Christ. It all came to fruition today for their primary program. I remember opening up the manual for this year's program about this time last year and was a little surprised at some of the song choices. All good songs of course, but some of them I wondered if the kids could learn thinking that perhaps they might be a little too difficult.

However, I dove right in and discovered a most fascinating phenomenon. Not only did they learn them easily, but with gusto - like they really believed and knew what they were singing to be true. They are a testament to me that our children have been saved for this last dispensation on earth - they have stronger faith, stronger testimonies, and a determination to do what is right, especially when they are going up against so much evil in the world today.

I thought my generation was strong, and to be truthful, we are because of the kinds of things we had to face growing up, but I firmly believe that this generation coming to the earth right now have been saved for a very special purpose - and as always, the best has definitely been saved for last.

I have no doubts in my mind that these children will be ready and have the tools to go out into the world, especially when they are learning such incredible primary songs and hymns that they will take with them. I have the honor of being in their presence each Sunday and being witness to such sweet spirits.

I was touched several times during their program today, especially when they testified that "I Know That My Savior Loves Me - I Know He Lives." These children not only knew this to be true, but proceeded to sing their hearts out so others would be able to know this too.

I also think music has a special way of allowing our spirits to "hear" and feel things our Heavenly Father wants us to know. What better way to combine music with gospel principals for our children in these latter days. We learned some great songs when I was in primary, but we definitely weren't learning hymns, and some of those songs were 'I am Like a Star Shining Brightly' and 'Give Said the Little Stream.' You know these kids are special when the prophet wants our primary children to be learning songs like 'Come Follow Me.'

I've said it before, and I'll keep saying it - I love being in primary, but most of all, I love being the primary chorister and wish this calling would last for a very long time. I am so lucky to be a part of something so wonderful.

UEA = Are you sure the kids can't be educated too?

So, the girls were home from school for UEA (I think it stands for Utah Education Association, or as others like to refer to it, Utahns Entering Anaheim)

We had the cousins over for a night and had a some fun at the Black Island Pumpkin Farm. Before heading out, I made them dinner with my infamous frozen ravioli and hash browns from a bag. They said I was "the best cook ever...and should go into the restaurant business." Aaron even informed me he will be dreaming about the ravioli because they were so good. I think I'll have to have them over more often for my cooking ego boost.

The pig train is a hit every time.

These two were inseparable. So cute :)

Grandpa explaining the rules before entering the corn maze so we didn't lose anyone.

Corn box anyone?

They had a ton of these fun slides.
...and some tire swings too (in the shape of horses - how cool is that?)

Even Megan got in on the action.

Last week was also Megan's first birthday. I blinked and she went from a cute cuddly baby into this even more adorable toddler that gets into everything. She adds such a sweet and bubbly personality to round out our family as our little caboose.

Going in for the kill (that is a homemade rainbow cupcake by the way)

Success!

Presents too? Life could not get any better :)

Top Reasons Why Disney is NOT the most Magical Place on Earth

If you haven't read the post below this one, read it first, then move on to this one.

Reason #1: This is not a magical place of relaxation. We literally walked between 5 to 10 miles a day. Don't the scouts do a 50 miler for one of their badges? I think we all just earned one of those - and the blisters to prove it. We crashed into bed each night and had to drag ourselves up each morning for another round of walking torture.

Reason #2: Mickey's Not-S0-Scary Halloween Party is Not-So-Fun when the Mickey fans come in droves to accumulate their Disney candy. I mean, really, we had to wait in line for candy. Where is the fun in that?

Reason #3: Why do parents keep their kids up way past their nap times and bed times to enjoy their Disney Adventure? I know, I know, we were guilty of this too. I had to remind myself that I was not allowed to get mad at my three-year-old for throwing a tantrum, when she was just overtired and yours truly had inflicted it upon herself.

Reason #4: Not the best place to have a stomach bug. Luckily, the one day we decided to sleep in and relax at the house swimming in the pool before heading off to the Halloween Party was when Alicia and her cousin Jake decided to start throwing up. Thankfully, she was better by the time the party rolled around.

Reason #5: Trips are sometimes a bit emotional, especially since this trip was meant to be done with my dad at our sides. He was excitedly planning the trip along with the rest of us two years ago when he wasn't able to go to Disneyland with us. Just two days before we were to head out with grandma and grandpa, he contracted a very nasty and painful case of Shingles. This was supposed to be his Disney redemption trip.

No one told me about this part of losing someone close to you. All of the things you had planned to do with them in the future. When the events roll around, and they are not there with you, it is really difficult.

One of the days we were at Disney World, there was another family about the size of ours all wearing red shirts that said, "In memory of..." then it listed how they were related, i.e. grandpa, dad, etc. It certainly put things into perspective when I realized we weren't the only ones missing someone on our trip.

We really had a wonderful time though despite the crowds, massive amounts of walking, and other such pleasures. Guess we'll have to start planning for the next Disney trip. Not for at least 10 more years though in my book. (In John's book, 2 more years and then Disneyland - we'll see if I still remember the top reasons why Disney is not so magical, or if I've forgotten by then - kind of like having a baby, right?)

Hi-Ho, Hi-Ho, It's off to Disney We Go

Come with me as I reminisce about our magical journey into the depths of Mickeydom. After two years of planning and saving, our week-long trip to Orlando with all but my brother from the Meldrum clan finally arrived. We rented a house literally five minutes away from Disney World and I think I will never be able to rent a hotel again after discovering how much I love having a private pool, hot tub, several bedrooms to go around, and a full kitchen so we could actually enjoy our breakfast, versus trying to eat cereal with warm milk around the hotel room's teeny tiny table with only 2 chairs.

We spent many hours in the pool. In fact, we decided to spend our first day in Orlando resting and getting adjusted to the time change by spending the entire day swimming (literally).

Cousin Jake with Alicia and Kimberly

I was afraid the girls' favorite part would be the swimming, but they quickly fell in love with Disney World, starting with our first day at Epcot.

The gang

The girls' favorite ride of all the parks was found here - Test Track where you ride in a car that makes you feel like you are at a race track.


Okay, I should clarify. This was Kimberly and Alicia's favorite ride, Not Natalie's. She definitely did not care for the speeding car and tight corners. For the most part though, she thoroughly enjoyed the bigger rides, like Splash Mountain...

(she's in the second row right behind my sister's head)

Megan was back with my mom's friend, Lynetta while we were on this ride. I must say, attending a Disney Park with Grandma Meldrum and her best friend of over 20 plus years came in really handy for us! On a side note, my mom's best friend ironically lost her husband to a massive heart attack literally two months before my mom experienced the same thing. Coincidence? I don't think so. I think they were meant to be friends so they could go through the experience together.

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We really liked Animal Kingdom because it was a lot more relaxed than the other parks, except for the dash to Expedition Everest first thing in the morning. This new roller coaster goes backwards for part of the ride, which is a really weird sensation.

...here we are racing to the famed mountain...


Magic Kingdom was a little more fast paced with the added bonus of being more crowded than the other parks. We went with the flow and still enjoyed ourselves immensely.




For the most part, Megan did really well and took her naps in the stroller.


and when she wasn't napping, we went through a lot of park maps because she kept doing this to them...

and you know you've spent way too many hours at Disney World when your kids all do this on the ferry ride back to the parking lot...

It was for a good reason though.

We wanted to stay and watch this...

and the fireworks shows too of course.

I think my kids are still trying to catch up on their sleep (as are John and I). Or perhaps I'm still on Florida time because I'm zonked by 9 p.m.

Truly, it was a magical time, a trip with memories that will last a lifetime.
That being said, I'm Disneyed out for awhile.

Here are a few more pics to enjoy -