Spencer's Eight Year Old Pics

I just realized I never posted Spencer's pictures Ashley Elliott took for his birthday.  What a handsome guy!  He loves his bow ties and wears them every Sunday to church. 

The Rest of March

Man, I am behind!  March was a very busy month with two boys' birthdays.

The beginning of March brought us a visit from Uncle Logan!  He was living in Seattle for a few months, while the rest of his family was in Utah.  They have since moved to Costa Rica for the next 18 months, so we were so glad we were able to see him before they departed.  (We wish we could have seen the entire family!)  We went and had a picnic and hike around Palouse Falls, then came home and played, set up the trampoline (yay for Spring!), and just enjoyed being together.

It was a beautiful day and Palouse Falls was beautiful.  We had a great time hiking around and kept a tight hand on the kids near the steep edges.

 Sunday after church, we took Logan up to Greenwood Memorial Terrace, where Anneca is buried.  It was so nice to be able to take him to that special place.  

Here are a few pictures of the kids attempting to tie Uncle Logan up.  Wrestling and blindfolding fun!

 The kids had a blast playing with Uncle Logan and we all loved having him here.  They definitely did not want him to leave!  We will miss them while they are so far away, but look forward to (hopefully) visiting them in Costa Rica next year!

Kylene and Spencer had their Spring Recital at Eastern Washington.  Kylene did her first duet.  Both did wonderfully.

 Kylene also had her school music recital.  They performed songs from all over the world.  She had a little dance part with a few other girls during one of the songs.  She worked and worked on it.  The top, left picture is with her fourth grade teacher, Mrs. Ayersman.  We LOVE her and I am so thankful she was placed in her class this year!  Bottom left is her with Ashlynn, Emersyn, and Kenzie. Top right is her best friend, Jeanessa, and bottom, right, is the amazing Zack playing the drums!

 Our Stake had a service project before the General Women's Broadcast on April 28th. Kylene made this reversible purse/bag.  We donated lots of them, along with hygiene kits we assembled to a local women's shelter.  She was thrilled that she used a sewing machine and made it.

This should go with Skyler's birthday post, but here it is anyway.  This is the invitation Kylene made for Skyler's birthday.  I just thought it was cute, and sweet that she helped him make it

And, I think that's all folks!  Just in time to get started on April's update:).

Happy 8th Birthday, Spencer!

I think it's safe to say Spencer had a great eighth birthday.  It was on Monday, March 23.

We celebrated with friends the Saturday before at "Strike Zone", an indoor Nerf arena in Coeur D'Alene.  He was so excited about going there, and it did not disappoint.  Everyone had a great time, including the adults!

 Sunday morning, he and Skyler both got their "birthday breakfast-in-bed".  We decided doing it on a weekend would be better than Monday morning before school.  We had forgotten to do Skyler's the week before, so they got them both at the same time, in the same room, just in their own beds:).  They chose pancakes.

On his actual birthday, we celebrated by having Family Home Evening, more presents and more cake.  Fun, fun!

I love these "photo shoot" pictures the kids took on Monday.

 Perhaps his favorite present was his scriptures.  It was so sweet to watch him open them, be so sincerely thankful, and see him get a little teary-eyed because he was so overjoyed.  What a tender heart he has!

The Thursday following his birthday, Spencer had his special eighth birthday date with mom and dad.  We went to the Spokane Temple, then he chose to eat at an all-you-can eat buffet.  He was in heaven at the endless jello, chocolate milk, and the miraculous selection of food and, naturally, he had a tummy ache afterward:).  That was also his first night of Cub Scouts, so we headed to the church afterward for fun and (more!) treats. 

 

Then the next week the family started arriving for his baptism!

While Grandma and Grandpa Barney were here, they gave him his birthday present: a treasure hunt to a new backpack and a special 8th birthday gift.  Here he is on the treasure hunt all over his room for the gospel messages and "treasure".  He was beside himself with excitement.

 

He said his eighth birthday is definitely his favorite so far.  It was the birthday that never seemed to end.  It really is great to be eight!  We love you so much, Spencer, and are so thankful you are a part of our family! We look forward to all you will accomplish with your tender heart and wonderful ability to listen to the Spirit.

Spencer's Baptism

Spencer was baptized on Saturday, April 11.  What a beautiful, unforgettable day.  It was such a sweet experience to see him be baptized and confirmed a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints.  How we love this tender-hearted child.  He was so ready and so excited for this special day.  He said how "warm" he felt after being baptized and that he felt a "shock" when he received the Gift of the Holy Ghost.  So sweet.

We had so many family members and friends come to support us.  Family members who made the trek to Spokane were both sets of Grandparents, Lee & Ilene and Jan & Wes; the Alva Barney family (Alva, Wendy, Mikayla, Patricia, Rebekah, Alaina, Sam, Lee and Kyler); the Parvin Mudaliar family (Parvin, Maile, Alohi, Bridget, and Caleb); and, Aunt Jana Clark and some of her crew (Jana, Stephanie, Daniel and Katelyn).  We loved having them all here!

Here are a few pictures from this special day.

All the cousins who were here sang "I Know That My Savior Loves Me" during the baptism.  Here they are practicing at our home beforehand.

And, a few more pictures from the day...

The Edge's also came to support Spencer.  They looked so great all in matching outfits, Alva took a few pictures of them afterward, too.  They turned out great!

Happy 6th Birthday, Skyler!

Skyler turned six on Monday, March 16th.  For his party, he decided he wanted to go bowling with the Edge's.  We had a great time at Rosa's, eating pizza while we bowled, then opening presents and having cake and ice cream.  It was Andon and Zack's first time bowling.  Everyone had a great time, especially the birthday boy! Even the adults showed off their bowling skills.:)

We are so thankful Skyler is a part of our family.  He is full of joy and determination, and has a service-minded heart.  He is an organizer and builder right down to his core, and he spends hours building.  He has enjoyed his Kindergarten year at home with mom, and  I have loved being his teacher!  The last two months, his reading has really improved, and he is officially a reader!  It is so fun to see him decode a word and realize he can read it by himself!  He also has impressive coloring, writing, cutting and art skills.  He will spend long mornings in his room listening to a book on CD while building a Lego set or building a castle with blocks, Trio blocks, and army men.  His favorite books to listen to right now are Magic Tree House.  His favorite friends to play with are his siblings:).

We love Skyler!

Here are his six-year-old pictures taken by Ashley Elliott.  What a handsome boy!