Welcome to Cooleyville

We finally ran out of room here and can't add any pictures.  So if you want to keep up on what's happening in Cooleyville (I actually post every day, I know shocker) then come visit us here.

We hit another milestone today.  Princess E decided that she wanted to do her first fast today.  She was determined.  We talked to her about how we need to start it with a prayer and then not talk about how hungry we are for the rest of the day.  She started off great.  after we said the prayer she promptly went into the kitchen and started putting ice into her water bottle.  We reminded her that water was out as well.  Her reaction was  "WHAT?? I can't even have water??"  She went a few hours with minimal complaining.  I thought I would give her the option to just do 1 meal since it was her very first time.  I offered it a few times and each time she turned me down.  So then we went to church (1 pm) and we were having a linger longer pot luck after so the church smelled delectable.  Sooooo hard when church is so late.  I thought she was going to have a really tough time.  But she held strong.  Wouldn't take any of the snacks I brought just in case.  Determined to do it.  We met as a family in the nursery (where I was subbing) and closed our fast and went in to the pot luck.  She was amazing.  She did announce on the way home that she wants to wait until she is older to do it again though. :)

On Saturday the girls and I walked the neighborhood selling girl scout cookies.  (only sold 4 boxes but that is another story)  At our next door neighbors house they were out doing yard work and their dogs were out with them.  We have seen the dogs in are yard quite a few times.  One is a little yappy chihuahua that has actually chased Princess M up the tree before.  The neighbors told the girls that they were nice dogs and loved to play with kids and that the little one actually lived up the street but would come "play" with their dog every day.  That even after they put their dog in its pen each night that they see the little chihuahua on the other side of the fence "playing" with their dog.

So after we came back home the girls wanted to play outside and for probably 2 good hours they just played on the front lawn with those 2 dogs.  They came in, dinner, and bed.  King J and I were watching TV and we could hear that little dog just yapping away.  It was dark and I said,  "it sounds like that dog is right outside in the driveway."  It stopped after a little while and I didn't think any more of it.

Well last night as the girls were getting ready for bed and in their room I hear that little chihuahua out there again.  I turn on the porch light and look out the window expecting him to be at the bottom of the stairs.  Nope, he was in the middle of the driveway looking right up at their bedroom window yapping his head off as to say, "hey friends, come out and play with me.  Please, Please, Please"  It was the funniest thing.  What a smart dog to know exactly where the girls were.  

I think they have a new best friend.

For probably a year we have had a rotating chart for FHE.  It is really simple, just 2 paper plates, one with the edges cut off, with a brad in the center holding them together.  There are 4 categories, lesson, song, treat and prayer.  We decided a when we started it that it was something for each of us to look forward to and know who would be in charge of mostly the lesson each week. 

The girls have loved it.  When it is their turn to do the lesson they usually choose a picture from the GAK (gospel art kit) and tell us about the picture.  Or we play a game.  Well yesterday Princess E came home from church and told us that she had the lesson for this week all planned out.  She was holding a stack of papers.  So after dinner was done and we had time before the Home Teachers came we had FHE.  (we often have it on Sundays because Girl Scouts is every other Monday)

She handed out "scripts" to each of us and told us we were going to do a play.  Then she assigned each of us a part.  We then all did a reading of Chapter 7 of the Book of Jacob.  She had highlighted each of the parts in different colors.  After we were done we told her she did a great job with her lesson and how did she get the idea.  She said that they had done it in their class and when it was all over she had asked the other kids if she could have their "scripts" so she could do it for FHE.  She was short one so she went to the library and had another copy made. 

What a smart girl.  King J and I were so impressed that she thought of it all on her own.  A very memorable FHE for sure.