Disneyland Announcement

Tonight we told the girls we planned a trip to Disneyland over Presidents Day Weekend.  They were 'over the moon' excited!  The Disney ears, hats, pins, and stuffed animals all came out to celebrate.  This is how we found Brenna when we checked on her.  I think she's excited!

Sculpting through Aubs Eyes

 One of the great joys of having an adult child is being able to see them through a different lens.  Not that our role as parents has been fulfilled, but it has shifted to a different level, a higher level. We are not involved in that child's day to day tasks and decisions,  but get to to experience more along side them the joys and sorrows of life. We love seeing Aubrey grow, expand her vision, problem solving skills, capabilities,  and develop her talents, passions, and Christ like attributes.

This sculpting project was one experience we got to share along side her last semester and it is a memory we will always cherish.  There was a lot of chipping away, re-molding and re-working.

And there were trials along the way, including this major breakage when the piece was near completion.  When I opened the text on my phone and saw this picture with the following message,  "Been here since 5 and I just broke it.  The lesson deepens".  

Ugh.  My heart sank for her.  I wanted to cry.  I wanted to fix it for her, so she didn't have to experience the pain and frustration.  I wanted her to know it would be okay and to not give up, though I didn't even know myself if it could really be repaired.  

That is when my spirit was lifted.....I remembered the Savior, and I knew that she had been taught her whole life about Him and had worked hard to develop her own personal relationship with Him.    Though I knew she was hurting, I knew our Savior,  the Master Sculptor in our lives, would help her through this trial. He could help her in ways that I could not.  I didn't know how, but I knew He would, and my trying to 'rescue' or 'limit her pain' would reduce her ability to fully be taught and succored by HIM.   

Words can not express my love for the Savior.  I know that He lives and is aware of us individually.  As parents, Robert and I's deepest desire is to help our girls 'Come Unto Christ' - that they may feel of His love and use His atonement in their everyday lives.

As our girls mature, and grow into women, there is "No greater joy than to hear that my children walk in truth" (3 John 1:4)

Head to the Mountains

With the normal gloomy and grey January skies down here in the valley, Robert and I have really been wanting to escape up to the mountains to take in the blue skies, fresh air, and beautiful views. We found a small opening in our afternoon today and we totally went for it.   Regardless of the season,  the mountains are a place of rejuvenation and adventure for us. Even when we were teenagers dating in LA, we would take our boogie boards up Angeles Crest in the winter to sled and play in the snow. The mountains are one of our favorite places, and it was super fun to be up there today!

Our own little piece of heaven up there in those mountains today.

STEM Fair Project

For their STEM Fair projects this year, students were encourages to answer a  question they have wondered about or solve a problem they have in their daily lives.  Brenna chose our family's high tech problem of sliced green apples turning brown. Her project was titled

Keep Calm and Eat Apples.

I happened to catch her doing her presentation for the district judge.  

Her hypothesis was that placing the apple slices back together and securing them with a rubber band would keep the slices from oxygenating, but that proved to not be the case. The solution to this Miller Family problem - Lemon juice.  Just a small squirt of lemon juice on the apple slices kept them from oxygenated and hence turning brown before you get to eat them at lunchtime.  Good job B!

Half Birthdays

The girls have a 'thing' about celebrating their half birthdays.  It's something we neither promote or denote, but let the girls celebrate in their own ways.  With Brenna's half birthday coming up, she asked of we could buy donut holes for her classmates and then proceeded to cut them in half before leaving for school.  

After school, she made her own 1/2 birthday cake  

Complete with frosting, piped flowers, and candles.  Happy 1/2 Birthday B!  We're excited to celebrate again in July!  Love you girl!

Shopping

Today we spent the afternoon shopping, most people know that I am not a shopper.  It's not something I've really ever enjoyed, but I do it when necessary.  With Aubs wedding coming up in less than 8 weeks, the girls and I hit the mall in search of dresses.  

We may not have found dresses, but we did find some cool furniture.  Maybe that should have been on our list.

Gale Center

The Gale Center is a small interactive museum that teaches about the history of our town - South Jordan. Click here for more info: Gale Center

 I've been bringing the kids here since they were little, and today learned that even young teenagers still like to hang out at the Gale.  

Shopping at the little store with their baskets

Weighing and tallying up food costs at the register

Boxing it out with the Famous Fullmer Brothers

Emi & Mia - Beating to their own Drum

SoJo Hobos

B hanging her laundry out on the line to dry

Brenna and Mara cooking up a meal for all of us...and the cat.  So grateful for this little town we live in and all those (including my Shields ancestors) who worked hard to make it what it is today.  

Donuts by the Dozen

The girls and friends made donuts today after going to see Moana.  The kitchen was a disaster zone for much of the afternoon, but Brenna and Anjie were awesome at decorating each of the small donuts with frosting and tons of sprinkles.  I think they were already eaten before I got a chance to grab a picture, but they were some good lookin' and good tastin' donuts.  Thanks girls!

Sweethearts Reply

Kayla came home to find a fun surprise in her room. Her friend Wesley, had replied to her date request for the upcoming Sweethearts Dance in February.  We sure love all of our girls cute friends and the joy they add to our home and lives.  

Emi HSM Dance

Emily''s dream to dance to a High School Musical song came true, as she participated in this years Bingham Dance Company workshop and performance.  She had quite the fan club cheering her on tonight.  Way to rock the stage girl!

Brenna's HSM Dance

Back in December, Emily and Brenna had signed up to do a workshop and performance with the Bingham Dance Company.  Back then, B was totally fine with no casts or boots.  Fast forward a few weeks and here is our Brenna performing to the High School Musical song "I Want It All" - boot and all.  That kick line is quite a sight to see.

Brenna Broken Again....

 Yep.  Here we are again.  Broke bone #7 for this girl.  Ugh.  Brenna actually broke her foot en route to Mexico during a pit stop in Phoenix.  We spent an evening at KTR (Ninja Warrior type Trampoline Park) playing with cousins.  They had several 'warped walls' that run up, and at some point Brenna decided to run down one, falling and twisting her foot near the base of the wall.  She said it hurt, rested for about 2 minutes, and was then back out there with her cousins playing and running around.  When we got home that night, we could see it was swollen so we iced it and got her some ibuprofen.
Next morning,  as we were heading down to Mexico, we stopped and got an ace bandage to wrap her foot up with.  Onward we went.  While in Mexico, walked with her foot angled outward and periodically mentioned that it hurt some. but it did not slow her down from building. climbing up on scaffolding, dancing on the house roof, playing soccer with the locals, and running from the waves at the beach.

After our arrival home, 12 days after initially falling at KTR, I took her in to get her foot checked.  <BROKEN>   And broken right near the site where her tendons come together on that side of her foot, which could require pinning to reattach.  Her doctor sent the X-rays off to be reviewed by a Radiologist.  Their readings of the X-rays were not in alignment, so they were sent off to 2 additional Pediatric Orthopedic Surgeons - one who felt surgery was necessary and the other who felt healing may takes place, but the time table she would need to sat 'booted'  would be double what the original doctor had recommended.

So, here we are.  Brenna is now outfitted with a designer black/yellow BOOT and it will be several more weeks before we know the full extent of the injury and how the healing process is going.  This girl is sure a trooper with broken bones and injuries.  No complaining, no whining......she just goes forward with her normal happy disposition.  A big Thanks to her awesome pediatrician for caring for  her and all of her sisters through ALL of their many alignments and injuries the past 15 + years.