Dos de Mayo Party

So, I am left as the lone Activities Committee Member at church but I can’t believe how smoothly everything went tonight. The Elder’s quorum was in charge of helping me set up. We have never accomplished it faster than this.  It took a total of 30 minutes to set up 10 tables with 8 chairs each, plates, cups, napkins, silverware, a Piñata, 3 serving tables, 2 nursery tables, and a dessert table.  We have never had a whole hour to go home and get ready but this time we did-thank you to all for being such willing and wonderful helpers!!!

In the morning I had to to run to about 3 stores and my little helper, Tristan Xian, came with me.  My wonderful friend Jackie provided the sombrero that we needed for a game we were going to play and Tristan instantly put it on. I’m telling you this girl loves accessories from any country and isn’t afraid of wearing them. So my little Xian walked around all over Provo looking like this….

WE LOVED IT!!!

I had another wonderful friend, Terri, provided my outfit. Last time we went to Mexico she asked for a Mexican style blouse and that is exactly what I needed to make me look more authentic. Where would I every be without my wonderful friends?? Let’s never find out!!!

Heavenly Father I think, helps me with every single activity in one way or another.  This time it came in the form of my table cloths.  I had gone to one dollar store and found colorful rectangular ones that I was going to have to cut up to make fit on the round tables. As Tristan and I were running around town I was close to the other dollar store when I realized I needed a little bit more tissue for the paper flowers we were going to have the kids make. When I found the aisle with the tissue I turned to find 10 different color round table clothes. I couldn’t believe it and I had not planned in anyway to go to this dollar store but just happen to remember the tissues as I was driving by it. I love that HE is there for us in all things, big or small, it never matters, he’s just a wonderful Father always there for all of his children’s needs! So, it saved me tons of time not having to cut the rectangular ones and having so many different colors available. It made the gym look so bright and festive, exactly what I wanted!!! So here are some pictures of the tables and my flowers too.

We set up 10 tables but later had to put up 2 more. We had a great turnout!

Tristan started and finished her dinner at the dessert table.

We taught the kids how to make paper flowers. And there’s Tristan still wearing her sombrero. Luckily, The Fuchs showed up and also helped me teach the other kids how to make flowers since they had been through it all the night before. We love that our friends supporting us and attending our activities. They know about half our ward already so it’s like seeing old friends every few months.

Side note: Nate is on a 25 day cleanse, no joke, I believe this was day 11 with no food and he came to support us anyway with all this great tempting grub all around him-we love you guys, you rock!!!

Then we did The Mexican Sombrero Game. It’s sort of like musical chairs, but not, when the music stops and you are caught with the sombrero in your hand you are out.  This game did not turn out the way I pictured it in my mind-does anything ever?? The first 8 kids that got caught with the sombrero ran to their parent’s arms in tears.

We had two different age groups doing this game: all kids 7 and under and kids 8 and over. 

Thankfully, no one in the second group ran into parent’s arms in tears. Each group had a Christensen child win. We had brought back prizes from Mexico when we were there in January. I didn’t get a single picture of the winners with their prizes, so sad!!! One day I’ll get it all right-hopefully!

Then it was time for the Piñata.

We lined them up and one by one they did their best to get the piñata to break. Even though my love is no longer on my committee he is still there helping me every step of the way….I couldn’t do it without him!!!! Thanks My Love!!!!

Everyone seemed to have a great time.  We had so many people help and clean up….we just have such an amazing ward family!!!!

We went home exhauster and elated at the evenings activities. Can’t wait for the next activity!!!!

Friday Friends

It’s Friday Night and we have our little gang of friends coming over- The Fuchs and The Browns, The Lloyds had a big birthday bash to attend so we didn’t get to see them, boo hoo.  Tomorrow is a big day for us because we are having a Dos de Mayo Party at the church so, I had all the kids help me make Mexican Paper Flowers. We had to make 30 of them, for the center piece,  before the end of the night. We had many willing helpers. We made big ones, flat ones, fluffy ones, and even super crumbled ones but each was beautiful in its own way.  I appreciated all the help we got and I felt so bad that I didn’t get more than this one picture of my wonderful helpers. Naomi, Mia, Tristan, Paris, Gracie and I worked until we had 27 done and we couldn’t make anymore. Jared and I finished the last few ones plus a few extra after everyone left. 

When the kids lost interest in the flowers they went upstairs to open up a beauty salon, this is what they ended up with.

Tristan the girl with the crazy style that included tights, clips, rollers of all sizes, a head band and a pacifier to complete the hairdo.  It looked awesome!! 

You can see some of our flowers in this picture.

I caught Paris in action with Naomi’s hair.

They took a small cup and wrapped her hair around it and came up with this awesome Cindy Lou Who doo!!!! Naomi, you look awesome!!!

It is truly a joy having all of these kids get together on Fridays!!  They all just play great together. It’s always so much fun seeing what they come up with next to entertain themselves and US!  

Caramel

Originally Tristan was going to do her new earrings from Mexico that her daddy bought her as her Show & Tell, but they were quickly forgotten when Caramel came into Tristan’s life. She talks to it, cuddles it, mothers it, and even sleeps with it.  So she couldn’t wait to Show & Tell it.  All of the kids wanted to touch her, but she only let a few actually hold her, most just touched her head.

Here she is mothering it. Always making sure she is warm and comfortable.

On this night we almost thought we lost Caramel forever. The girls were as usual carrying her all over the house.  Tristan came down and said “Mom you have to come see Caramel swimming she is doing it so funny.” When I went to look she was swimming on her side not able to hold herself up. I noticed there were bubbles in the water. Paris said “See mom we are giving her a bubble bath.” I said “What, you can’t use chemicals to clean a baby bird, she could die!”

We took her out of the bubble water and into a clean sink to wash her off but she was not really responding. The girls were just crying for their baby duck and Paris felt the worst since she was the one who gave her the bubble bath. I thought for sure she would not make it.  The girls called daddy and asked him to come home-he was working late. He raced home and all three of them (Tristan, Paris, & Daddy) rubbed her until her feathers started to dry. Slowly, very slowly she recovered. Paris was so worried about her she took her to bed with her and at 1am I found Caramel tucked in Paris’ armpit. I put her in her box next to Paris’ bed because I thought for sure Paris would crush her at some point. She is a crazy sleeper.

The next day she was fine and everyone was happy she was well and had recovered.  They all played with her all day. Tristan really wanted Naomi to come over and hold her but, we just didn’t get a chance all day. I will regret this for a long time.  That night Tristan came up from the crawl space when it was time for bed. She had Caramel in a small box and said look daddy she is sleeping really funny.  Jared took one look and knew she was dying! I heard him say “Honey I think Caramel is sick she looks like she is dying.” Instantly Tristan is saying “No Daddy!!! look she is opening her eyes, she is just really really tired.” The more we looked the worse she got.  Tristan’s first words were “Naomi didn’t get to see it!!” I felt horrible about that!! Again the girls started crying and this time we knew she wasn’t going to make!! Tristan kept asking us to take her to a vet. She couldn’t move her lower body at all and her head kept plopping down when she tried to lift it. We knew there was nothing to do but wait until she passed on. The girls cried themselves to sleep. I had just blogged about Caramel and kept picturing her in the sink taking a swim which made me SO SAD and also susceptible to tears.

Everyone slept terrible. I checked on Caramel about 4 times that night but she hadn’t moved from the last time she had closed her eyes. In the morning I heard chirping and I was hoping that by some miracle she was alive, but it was just the birds outside. Tristan woke up crying which made us all cry again. My Love took her box outside and Paris put a flower in the box with her.

After school My love came home to bury Caramel. The neighborhood kids all heard about it and came to watch. Tristan cried the whole time. she just loves every animal no matter how big or small. I remember once how upset she was when I told her I had to kill the mouse in the garage before there were more of them. She reminded me how Jesus wanted us to take care of all the animals even that one mouse and not hurt it. She has such a tender heart when it comes to animals.

So on Thursday we buried Caramel.

 

Tristan found this heart shaped rock months ago so we used it as her headstone and wrote “We Love You Caramel” on it and we all signed it. Jackie and I were just talking about pets a few weeks ago. She was going through the tragedy of losing each pet and how traumatic it was for her and her sisters. Here I am living it first hand with my own children. Pets are hard to have!! I had a dog named Baby that I loved so much. She died in her old age (Okay, my sister ran her over, but she really was very very old)  so it was almost a blessing to us all when she died because she was in so much pain. I have never experienced one like this so it broke my heart!!!!

We Loved You Caramel, and we know you felt the kid’s abundant love for you even if it was just for 3 days!