Monday, March 30, 2009
Silly Weston
Weston decided to push on the back of the cart and climb in only to find that after it closed, it was VERY hard to get out! I was out shopping with my friend Kim Meyers at Tai Pan when this happened. We had a good laugh!
Draper Temple Open House
Our family had the opportunity to tour the new Draper Temple before it was dedicated. I got a call from my wonderful sister-in-law, Debbie, who thought it would be great if we could do it as a big LeBaron Family group. We reserved tickets to the open house in December and were scheduled to go in February. I was excited to share this experience with our children because it's not often that you get to tour a temple as a family. Due to illness and schedule conflicts many family members were unable to attend. It was a beautiful temple! At one point during the tour we entered a sealing room where a couple is sealed for time and all eternity. We got to sit down and a couple briefly told of the importance of the sealing power within the walls of this room. Afterward we were able to see our reflection in the two mirrors across from each other representing the generations of our family who have come before us, and those who will come after us that can be sealed together in the temple. It also represents our life before this life and the sealing power that binds our little individual family together through eternity. Weston held a brochure of the temple in his little hands and would find each room that we were currently in, in the brochure. Rob walked with Hayden and explained many things to him as he was full of questions. Bastian walked with Uncle Joe for most of the tour and Abby walked near me holding Annebel and Shelby's hands. She loved the beautiful chandeliers, and we all marveled at their beauty in the Celestial Room. The Spirit was there. I was inspired by all the artwork of the Savior in the temple. Someone not of our faith cannot go through one of our temple open houses and not KNOW that the Savior is central to our beliefs. I want to get a great big picture of the Savior and hang it in our home.
After the open house, we walked to the nearby stake center and saw a beautiful collection of paintings of the Savior. We feasted upon the complimentary cookies and drank from the mini-water bottles that were provided. It was a wonderful day.
After the open house, we walked to the nearby stake center and saw a beautiful collection of paintings of the Savior. We feasted upon the complimentary cookies and drank from the mini-water bottles that were provided. It was a wonderful day. Science Fair
Hayden and Kaden Nelson did their project together. We decided on "The Can Crusher Experiment."
As you can see Hayden makes an AWESOME mad scientist. Here is how the experiment is done.
Step 1. Start by rinsing out the soda cans to remove any leftover soda goo.
Step2. Fill a bowl with cold water (the colder the better).
Step 3. Add one generous tablespoon of water to the empty soda can (just enough to cover the bottom of the can).
Step 4. Place the can on the burner of the stove while it is in the “OFF” position. It’s time for that adult to turn on the burner to heat the water. Soon you’ll hear the bubbling sound of the water boiling and you’ll see the water vapor rising from the can. Continue heating the can for one more minute.
Step 5. It’s important to think through this next part before you do it. Here’s what should happen: you’re going to use the tongs to lift the can off of the burner, turn it upside down, and plunge the mouth of the can down into the bowl of cold water. Get a good grip on the can near its bottom with the tongs held so that your hand is in the palm up position. Using one swift motion, lift the can off the burner, turn it upside down, and plunge it into the cold water. Don’t hesitate… just do it!
Step 6. Wow... and you thought that you had nerves of steel. The can literally imploded. How does that work?
Step 7. Don’t just sit there... get back to that stove and do it again! Each time you repeat the experiment, carefully observe what is happening in order to try to figure out how it works.
How does it work?Let’s start by clearing up the big misconception. That “stuff” coming out of the can when you heat it on the stove is NOT steam. Contrary to popular belief, you cannot see steam. Why? Because steam is a colorless, invisible gas that is 400 degrees F. If you were to accidentally touch steam, you would be faced with severe burns. What is that gas that we see? It’s called water vapor.
Here’s the real scoop on the science of the imploding can: Before heating, the can was filled with water and air. By boiling the water, it changed states from a liquid to a gas. This gas is called water vapor. The water vapor pushed the air that was originally inside the can out into the atmosphere. When the can was turned upside down and placed in the water, the water vapor condensed and turned back into the water. Water molecules in the liquid state are many, many times closer together than molecules in the gas state. All of the water vapor that filled up the inside of the can turned into only a drop or two of liquid, which took up much less space. This small amount of water cannot exert much pressure on the inside walls of the can, so the pressure of the air pushing from the outside of the can is great enough to crush it. The sudden collapsing of an object toward its center is called an implosion. Hey, air pressure is powerful!
As you can see Hayden makes an AWESOME mad scientist. Here is how the experiment is done.Step 1. Start by rinsing out the soda cans to remove any leftover soda goo.
Step2. Fill a bowl with cold water (the colder the better).
Step 3. Add one generous tablespoon of water to the empty soda can (just enough to cover the bottom of the can).
Step 4. Place the can on the burner of the stove while it is in the “OFF” position. It’s time for that adult to turn on the burner to heat the water. Soon you’ll hear the bubbling sound of the water boiling and you’ll see the water vapor rising from the can. Continue heating the can for one more minute.Step 5. It’s important to think through this next part before you do it. Here’s what should happen: you’re going to use the tongs to lift the can off of the burner, turn it upside down, and plunge the mouth of the can down into the bowl of cold water. Get a good grip on the can near its bottom with the tongs held so that your hand is in the palm up position. Using one swift motion, lift the can off the burner, turn it upside down, and plunge it into the cold water. Don’t hesitate… just do it!
Step 6. Wow... and you thought that you had nerves of steel. The can literally imploded. How does that work?Step 7. Don’t just sit there... get back to that stove and do it again! Each time you repeat the experiment, carefully observe what is happening in order to try to figure out how it works.
How does it work?Let’s start by clearing up the big misconception. That “stuff” coming out of the can when you heat it on the stove is NOT steam. Contrary to popular belief, you cannot see steam. Why? Because steam is a colorless, invisible gas that is 400 degrees F. If you were to accidentally touch steam, you would be faced with severe burns. What is that gas that we see? It’s called water vapor.Here’s the real scoop on the science of the imploding can: Before heating, the can was filled with water and air. By boiling the water, it changed states from a liquid to a gas. This gas is called water vapor. The water vapor pushed the air that was originally inside the can out into the atmosphere. When the can was turned upside down and placed in the water, the water vapor condensed and turned back into the water. Water molecules in the liquid state are many, many times closer together than molecules in the gas state. All of the water vapor that filled up the inside of the can turned into only a drop or two of liquid, which took up much less space. This small amount of water cannot exert much pressure on the inside walls of the can, so the pressure of the air pushing from the outside of the can is great enough to crush it. The sudden collapsing of an object toward its center is called an implosion. Hey, air pressure is powerful!
It's Always Fun For Everyone When Sarah Comes
My neice, Sarah, came for a sleepover and I taught her how to curl her hair in ringlets. She was an attentive student and is very proficient at it! Whenever Sarah comes, our whole family has fun. She is a year and a half older than Hayden, and Hayden loves to play Super Smash Brother's Brawl with her. Abby, of course, loves having another girl around. Bastian and Weston love attention from Sarah, and I'm pretty sure she loves all the attention they give to her. Being the baby of her family, it is a very different experience coming to our house when she gets to take the role of oldest AND wisest. We love you Sarah!
Saturday, March 28, 2009
December 2008 Top Ten
10. Weston was playing with his good friend, Isaac Bradshaw when I heard him making some pretty interesting sound effects. "Chshshsh, I'm woman Spiderman." When I questioned him as to the sound, he said that he was turning from man Spiderman to woman Spiderman.
9. Abby thinking about her future said, "I want 4 or 5 kids because that's how much I think I can handle."
8. One day after picking Bastian up from kindergarten he was anxious to get home. We were dropping off the other carpool children (Ryen Hansbrow and Kye Bradshaw) when he was coaxing me to hurry saying, "I am TEN ELEPHANTS HUNGRY!"
7. Every time Weston sees a commercial, he runs into the master bedroom and tries to drag us to the TV saying, "I want that big dinosaur for Christmas, yeah," or, "I want that truck with a merry mote (remote) for Christmas," or "For Christmas I want those helicopters that fly with merry motes, yeah." He often says "yeah" after making a statement. It is the cutest thing.
6. Abby had just thrown up and was looking VERY pale. Despite her feelings of nausea, she pulled out a little humor and said while raising her arms very monster-like, "I'm the sicky ghost. I'm going to get you sick. Ooooohhhhh." Abby is a joy to be around even when she's sick.
5. While making dinner we were having a discussion about the different roles of men and women. Holding the priesthood came up and Hayden said of me, "You're never going to hold the priesthood." I told him he was right. Rob, pointing to himself said, "Sometimes she holds a BIG part of the priesthood--an overweight part of the priesthood."
4. Weston rubbing his leg said, "I have a headache on my leg."
3. After much persuasion from Abby, I entrusted her with the secret that I got Rob and ipod for Christmas to which she said, "I CAN'T WAIT to tell Dad." I fell for it and gave her a look of shock and disbelief. Laughing she said, "Just kidding, just kidding!"
2. We needed to run to the store and I told Weston to go get his boots and coat on. After a couple of minutes I said, "Okay, let's go." I rounded the corner to the mudroom to find Weston on all fours with boots on his feet AND his hands. "We've got to go," I said, to which he replied, "But I'm a doggy."
1. After apologizing to Hayden for raising my voice he said, "You're a good mom but just like the stock market goes low sometimes, so do you."
9. Abby thinking about her future said, "I want 4 or 5 kids because that's how much I think I can handle."
8. One day after picking Bastian up from kindergarten he was anxious to get home. We were dropping off the other carpool children (Ryen Hansbrow and Kye Bradshaw) when he was coaxing me to hurry saying, "I am TEN ELEPHANTS HUNGRY!"
7. Every time Weston sees a commercial, he runs into the master bedroom and tries to drag us to the TV saying, "I want that big dinosaur for Christmas, yeah," or, "I want that truck with a merry mote (remote) for Christmas," or "For Christmas I want those helicopters that fly with merry motes, yeah." He often says "yeah" after making a statement. It is the cutest thing.
6. Abby had just thrown up and was looking VERY pale. Despite her feelings of nausea, she pulled out a little humor and said while raising her arms very monster-like, "I'm the sicky ghost. I'm going to get you sick. Ooooohhhhh." Abby is a joy to be around even when she's sick.
5. While making dinner we were having a discussion about the different roles of men and women. Holding the priesthood came up and Hayden said of me, "You're never going to hold the priesthood." I told him he was right. Rob, pointing to himself said, "Sometimes she holds a BIG part of the priesthood--an overweight part of the priesthood."
4. Weston rubbing his leg said, "I have a headache on my leg."
3. After much persuasion from Abby, I entrusted her with the secret that I got Rob and ipod for Christmas to which she said, "I CAN'T WAIT to tell Dad." I fell for it and gave her a look of shock and disbelief. Laughing she said, "Just kidding, just kidding!"
2. We needed to run to the store and I told Weston to go get his boots and coat on. After a couple of minutes I said, "Okay, let's go." I rounded the corner to the mudroom to find Weston on all fours with boots on his feet AND his hands. "We've got to go," I said, to which he replied, "But I'm a doggy."
1. After apologizing to Hayden for raising my voice he said, "You're a good mom but just like the stock market goes low sometimes, so do you."
Saturday, March 7, 2009
Sister POWER!
When sisters get together great things come to pass. Teresa flew in from Seattle and Shelly flew in from Phoenix and Cherisse, Allison and I drove to my Mom's house. We all pitched in and helped her organize her house. Teresa is an absolute whiz at organization and getting rid of things. Below from left to right is Mom, Teresa, Cherisse, Annalee, Allison, me, Shelly, and Cherisse.
Teresa quickly tackled the garage..... and won. How does she do it?
Sarah helped clean.
So did Amanda and Rachel.
Here are Cherisse and Annalee going through the 40 pictures that Shelly and I hung on the walls.
Shelly measured meticulously so the pictures would look uniform on the wall.
My mother found many treasures that she had been searching for....and many treasures she was NOT searching for.
Kerry came and helped too.
It was a very successful weekend. There was much laughter and fun had while with my sisters. It was great to come together and help my amazing mother.
Teresa quickly tackled the garage..... and won. How does she do it?
Sarah helped clean. 
So did Amanda and Rachel.
Here are Cherisse and Annalee going through the 40 pictures that Shelly and I hung on the walls.
Shelly measured meticulously so the pictures would look uniform on the wall.
My mother found many treasures that she had been searching for....and many treasures she was NOT searching for.
Kerry came and helped too.
It was a very successful weekend. There was much laughter and fun had while with my sisters. It was great to come together and help my amazing mother.Losing 236 Pounds
I checked a book out at the library by Don Aslett called Lose 200 Pounds This Weekend. It is a book about decluttering your life. He talks about how “stuff” can take away our freedom, waste our time, make us feel hopeless and depressed, make us fight all the time and make us inefficient. It is making me want to GET RID OF MOUNDS OF STUFF! I started the dejunking, decluttering process just before Christmas and gave myself a goal to lose 200 pounds by Valentine's Day. My total pounds lost was 236! I started with my children's bedrooms, one bedroom at a time. The owner of the bedroom got to help with this task because my goal was to declutter AND teach each one of my children how to get rid of the things they don't need or use. They each got to keep 7 shirts and 7 pants (not including summer clothes because those are packed away) and give the rest to charity or to someone who needs the clothes more than we do. We are so blessed and they now get to feel the joy they receive by sharing the wealth. They also got rid of any toys that are broken or that they don't play with. This was by far the hardest part for ME, not them. When they would say, "I don't want that toy anymore," I would say, "Are you sure?" It killed me because I knew when they had gotten each toy and how much it had cost. A few toys weren't even a year old! It was a powerful reminder that overindulgence runs the risk of less playing and a desire for even MORE stuff! Here is Abby's pile laid on her bed. Imagine how packed her closet was with all this stuff. This is nothing though. Bastian and Weston's closet was the worst.
Here is the pile she decided to get rid of. She could barely hold that basket there while on the scale because it was so heavy!
Here is her closet after we were finished. Doesn't that just make you FEEL better? It does me!
Here is Bastian and Weston's room. Their closet was FILLED with stuff!
Weston had a hard time holding the "give away pile" as you can see by the pained expression on his face.
This is Bastian and Weston's closet after the cleanse.
Hayden's turn brought out the treasures that I posted in a previous entry.
We found the game Battle Tops in the top of his closet that was forgotten about. The kids played it during a short break from the organizing.
Hayden's closet afterward looked the most bare out of all our closets. That's what happens when you're the oldest and you don't have any second hand clothes trickling down from your siblings.
The last project was the basement playroom. We made three piles labeled: keep, give away, and throw away. Weston was the only one that had a hard time parting with toys. He wanted to keep the broken ones, and the ones he NEVER plays with just because, "these are our toys."
Working together was so enjoyable. The kids would say and do the funniest things. Each one has a GREAT sense of humor. Rob and I often comment to one another, "We have really GREAT kids." It was a excellent feeling to be rid of our unneeded excess. I can't tell you how much easier it is to keep the house clean, or for the kids to put things away by themselves because the task doesn't seem so intimidating.
Here is the pile she decided to get rid of. She could barely hold that basket there while on the scale because it was so heavy!
Here is her closet after we were finished. Doesn't that just make you FEEL better? It does me!
Here is Bastian and Weston's room. Their closet was FILLED with stuff!
Weston had a hard time holding the "give away pile" as you can see by the pained expression on his face.
This is Bastian and Weston's closet after the cleanse.
Hayden's turn brought out the treasures that I posted in a previous entry.
We found the game Battle Tops in the top of his closet that was forgotten about. The kids played it during a short break from the organizing.
Hayden's closet afterward looked the most bare out of all our closets. That's what happens when you're the oldest and you don't have any second hand clothes trickling down from your siblings.
The last project was the basement playroom. We made three piles labeled: keep, give away, and throw away. Weston was the only one that had a hard time parting with toys. He wanted to keep the broken ones, and the ones he NEVER plays with just because, "these are our toys."
Working together was so enjoyable. The kids would say and do the funniest things. Each one has a GREAT sense of humor. Rob and I often comment to one another, "We have really GREAT kids." It was a excellent feeling to be rid of our unneeded excess. I can't tell you how much easier it is to keep the house clean, or for the kids to put things away by themselves because the task doesn't seem so intimidating. Family Lunch
We had a fabulous family gathering at my house with family that we don't get to see very often....even though we don't live very far from each other! My Aunt Melba, cousin Marlene Safesten, her husband, Curtis Safesten, first cousins once removed, Linde and Heidi, first cousins twice removed Jacob and Olivia, my mother, my sister, Allison and my two sons, Bastian and Weston were there. We had fun visiting and eating Cafe Rio salads. They were gracious guests. Now if only I could get them to come more often......
Back row from the left: My mom, Allison, Linde, Jacob, Aunt Melba, Marlene.
Front row: Bastian, Weston, me, Heidi and Olivia.
Some have said that I look a lot like Heidi and I can't think of a greater compliment!
Back row from the left: My mom, Allison, Linde, Jacob, Aunt Melba, Marlene. Front row: Bastian, Weston, me, Heidi and Olivia.
Some have said that I look a lot like Heidi and I can't think of a greater compliment!
Sledding with the Routts....and Grandma Bastian
The Saturday after Christmas Day we went sledding with my sister, Allison, her husband, Bill, and her daughters, Amanda, Rachel, and Sarah. My mother came also, though she did not take her turn sledding down the hill. We all ate lunch together at my house before heading to the sledding hills in Salem.
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