My Niece!

Make a Smilebox scrapbook

Blind for now!

Well...this morning,
I got up as usual...
I got dressed as usual...
I got the girls breakfast as usual...
I checked my email as usual...
I had the thought "I probably should get my glasses and put them on"... I got up to do that, and got distracted...and ended up not putting them on right away.
When I remembered that I was going to go get my glasses and put them on it was about 30 seconds too late. As I stood up, Kaleigh yelled, "Mom,you can't wear your glasses anymore!" I quickly replied "Why not?" She said, "cuz Ema just broke them!"


After questioning her on how it happened etc, I still only have myself to blame because I allowed myself to get distracted from my objective.
I took them into the place where I bought them to see if they still carried the frames and to see what it would take to fix them. I found out that had it happened a day later, they wouldn't have been covered. Today was the last day of the warranty for my frames!
Usually I would have had some contacts to use...but no...my last pair tore a few weeks ago so I've been strictly glasses. Now, I'm strictly blind until my new frames come in!

Rachel's Haircut!

For everybody who hasn't seen yet...
Here is my new haircut!


Thanks to Lila
of
Lila's Chop Shop

Family Fun Time!

Today was a long but fun day! The Bates family and The Reece family joined us for some site seeing around the "Boro." This area is rich in US Civil War history. Grandpa Reece loves to walk around historical sites and read all the information he can. We had my nephew Braxton with us and as we were reading through all the pictures and walking through the museum, we noticed that one of the Generals during the Civil War had the same name as him! We had to take his picture by General Braxton Bragg!


The little gift shop was full of fun little trinkets and books (more than one could possibly read in a lifetime I think) Braxton picked out 2 soldiers on horses to play with! There was an announcement that a caravan tour would be starting shortly and we decided to join up and hear the most detailed and informative tour we could take about this war. It was a long tour but the kids found things to keep themselves occupied during all the talking!

Emalee and Tanner seemed to find every little patch of dirt and amused themselves digging in them all! Some of the other kids played tag in the back ground away from the talking. Braxton was quite the little listener. The caravan tour was only 4 stops but lasted about 90 min. It was a hot humid day, and the weather was threatening to go bad at any minute.
All in all, the kids took it quite well I'd say!

From the battle ground, we went to the little village called Cannonsbourgh. (Cannonsburgh, the original name of Murfreesboro, is a reconstructed Southern village.) Every time my parents have come, they've wanted to walk through and see it, however, every single time they've gone to see it, the buildings have been locked up! No different this time either! Sorry guys! We just circled the grounds and looked at the old buildings. The kids found a train car they climbed on for a few minutes.

The different buildings at Cannonsbourgh are:
* Gristmill
* One-room schoolhouse
* Town hall
* Log home
* Little white country church
* Large collection of antique farm equipment
* General store
* Museum
* Blacksmith's shop

Through out the day we kept telling the kids there was fun stuff coming up but they had to follow directions to get to do the fun stuff! Well...we cut it as close as we possibly could! Murfreesboro has a fun little Discovery center.

(Here is a link for you to check out more stuff than what I got pictures for if you want! http://www.discoverycenteronline.org/exhibits.htm)

We got there and had about 40 minutes til closing time. Well worth it I think! Here are a few things the kids did that I was able to catch with the camera...

They dressed up like firemen and pretended to drive the big fire truck!



They played store at the little "farmer's market"



Play with simple machines... like inclined planes, and pulleys, and gears



Or pretend they're checkers at the local grocery store! Of course...Ema thought it was a phone and computer...not a food scanner...so she's pretending it's a secretary desk! ;)

Tanner liked playing on the slide...fun for kids...not so fun for the grown-ups cuz it meant running up and down the stairs to find them after they went down the slide!!! The first time Ema went on the slide...she "jumped" on and slid down...So not like herself...usually timid about big slides...especially ones that are tunnel slides that loop around! I guess she's cured for the now?!



This is the little choo choo train model that the kids could pretend to control and steer. Ema was in such a goofy mood today...oh my goodness! Check out this pretty face she pulled for the camera!






Well, our fun and learning never ends...but this post does!
We're glad you came along for the visit!
Click on the title to this post to see what other sites are around here in Rutherford County!

Kaleigh gets Baptized

Kaleigh was baptized a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints today. She has been looking forward to her baptism for a while now!

We had members of the ward help out with the talks, and family helped out with the prayers.
We started by singing When I Am Baptized just as Marley did for hers :) Then Aunt Michele gave the opening prayer.
Then, Sister Dunn gave a talk on Baptism. She talked about:

*Who gets baptized
(anybody who is 8 yrs old or older)

*How is the baptism done
(by immersion- completely under water by one in authority to do so)

*Why we are baptized
(To show faith, obedience, and for a remission of sins)

When we are baptized we make a covenant saying that we promise to:

Always remember Him
Always serve Him and to Keep His commandments
Always stand as a witness for Him at all times
Love and serve others
Repent of our sins

Our Heavenly Father Promises to:

Forgive my sins
Have the gift of the Holy Ghost
Give me Eternal Life with Him.

Sister Dunn encouraged Kaleigh to write her thoughts and feelings down in a journal so she can look back on them and always remember.

Sis. Fulton gave a talk on the Holy Ghost.
She reminded us that the Holy Ghost is a special gift and companion that can be with us always. We are given the Holy Ghost by the laying on of hands by those who are worthy. Sis. Fulton talked about how we can recognize the spirit, and allow it to help us. Sis. Fulton had me get up and bear testimony of the Holy Ghost in my life too.
From there we went to the font for the baptism where her father (Mike) performed the baptism.


Grandpa Reece, and Grandpa Arnold served as the witnesses for the baptism.

Others that came to see the baptism were the Kaelberer family, Sis. Norris (Primary Pres.), Sis. Arnold (Primary), Sis. Fulton (Primary Pcy) and her husband, Sis. Dunn (Primary Pcy) and Bro. Dunn of the bishopric, Bro. McDermaid of the bishopric, who conducted and presided, Grandma and Grandpa Reece, Uncle Nathan, Cousin Braxton, Grandma and Grandpa Arnold, Matt and Michele Bates with their kids, Zach and Tanner. Her sisters Marley, Merryetta, and Emalee were also there!



After she was baptized, she changed clothes to her dress. She was so happy and smiley she looked like an angel!


She was confirmed by her father as Robert Kaelberer, Matt Bates, Eric Dunn, Cory McDermaid, Grandpa Reece, and Grandpa Arnold completed the circle.


I don't think I'll ever know if Kaleigh was nervous. If she was she never let on that she was. I really think she liked being the center of attention for a few minutes. When Marley was baptized, I rushed her to change and to get back to the other room mostly because Mike had left his towel at home and needed to use Marley's towel. With Kaleigh, I let her take her time.
Even though we took our time, We still beat Mike back to the Relief Society room. She had lots of comments about how she looked in her dress. She just smiled and sat like a little lady while we waited.


Once Daddy was back in the room, Kaleigh was welcomed to Primary by Sis. Norris, the Primary President. She also said some words on behalf of Kaleigh's Primary teacher who passed away the week earlier. Then Bro. McDermaid welcomed her to the ward.

We sang the closing song of I Know My Father Lives, then Uncle Nathan said the closing prayer. It was such a wonderful day. We missed those of you who couldn't make it, and were wonderfully surprised by those who did!