I've Got a Love-el-ly Bunch of Coconuts. . . . . . .

Now that I have activated my blog again, I have been going through my days thinking:  "I could blog about that", or "I can blog about that." Finding the time to put it all into the computer has been another story.  Tonight, however, I think I have both, an idea and the time. 

We try to have Family Home Evening every week, and because we own a trucking company and Doug is gone on Monday nights frequently, we have the lesson/scripture/family business part on Sunday, then follow up with the activity and treats on Monday.  Tonight we were able to do both and I had the presence of mind enough to capture some of it in pictures.  I told Doug that since I'm now a "blogger"  (up from Coos Bay, Oregon for those of you who have heard the Ray Stevens "Haircut" song.  lol (look it up on YouTube and you'll get it)) I need a good camera.   He said he would put that on my Christmas list.  lol  Tonight, after a very good lesson from Doug, we had a great activity compliments of Bountiful Baskets from yesterday.  We received 2 coconuts in our basket that excited everyone.  They were anticipating the creamy milk, the sweet meat, and planned to use that as our FHE treat. Doug got out the power tools, a hand drill and a saw, (because we had never opened a coconut before) and I looked on the Bountiful Basket facebook site and learned how to open them with a knife.  After our very stimulating lesson and thought (as you can see in the pictures below), Doug took one of the coconuts and proceeded to drill two holes in it at opposite ends to drain the "milk" into a cup, Austin and Cody used Cody's homemade machete' knife to knock a crack in the shell and pour the water from their coconut into a bowl.  Both were effective ways of accomplishing the same thing, , and we found out that it is not milk inside the coconut, but flavored water.  Everyone tasted a bit with great anticipations and it tasted bitter. The kids were disappointed, but willing to taste the "meat" and see if it tasted like the stuff you put on a German chocolate cake.  Sadly, it was also a bit bitter.  I think the fun of this activity was definitely in the journey (opening the coconuts) because the end result was a disappointment.  Luckily I was able to save the treat by melting chocolate chips and letting them dip pieces of the coconut into it, as well as the strawberries I got yesterday.  That seemed to soothe the disappointments.                                                    


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I know Austin in listening. . . . at least I think I know he is listening. 




Cody is trying out his machete' knife on the coconut, before Doug takes the drill to it.  (He made it himself. . .eek!)



Austin giving it a whack.  It took a couple of tries.



Cracked that baby!!  Water is clear though, not milky. . . hmmmm.

Cami pretending to be Kung Fu Panda imitating Master Shifu, Mady imitating Po with facial nerve paralysis.  lol



Dalyon just needs a hula skirt.  ALOOOOOOHA!!



There is nothing like experiencing something new together. 





A New Start

A few years ago I set up this blog thinking that I would document for our friends and family the things that our family is doing. I made it through one post and told myself I would "phone a friend" to help me figure it all out. Well, as life does, things got away from me and I haven't tried again until today. What has made me think about it again was my friend Raelene at work. Her daughter went to Taiwan to teach English and blogged her whole experience. After she was back, Raelene put her whole blog into a book and had it published. I thought that was a super way to journal and scrapbook and save your life history with pictures! So, here I am again, giving it a go. I still have the intention to call my friend and get some pointers, so I should get better and better at this as I learn and practice!







News of our family begins today with Camille's baptism last Saturday, February 5, 2011. I'm pretty sure it was one of our shining moments as a family. It was a private baptism for us, meaning that there weren't any other children getting baptised in our ward that day, so it was just us, our extended family and our ward family. The program ended up being just our family: Cody said the opening prayer, Mady gave the talk on baptism, Austin baptised Cami (which for me was very good. My oldest baptising my youngest. . cool!), I gave the Confirmation talk, and Doug confirmed her a member of the Church, then Dalyon gave the closing prayer. I am grateful to Maria and Jim Hall and their family for singing "Jesus Once Was Little Child", and we all sang other songs. The spirit of baptism is amazing, and add all the rest and you have an incredible day! I'm so proud of all of my children for being there and being worthy to participate in such an ordinance. It was truly one of my best days. It was also special for Cami because she was baptised the same day as one of her very best friends, Jessica Perry. Although our stake had us seperated into wards for the programs (Jess is in another ward), the girls were still able to get photo's together. Even the weather cooperated and the wind quit blowing for the day! Cami was excited too, because her cousins Sammy and Olivia came down from Tooele with their Dad and Grandpa Beutler. She says "It was the bestest day ever!!"









You know, I think I'm getting the hang of this blogging thing.