May 6th 2015

Funny Kids Lately

Beth:  She got a new toy from her grandma for her birthday you can program to say some of your favorite things.  When asked what her favorite food was  I responded for her "I think it is strawberries"  Beth chimed in without hesitation "no candy"   Ha!  She totally understood the conversation and her response was perfect

Marianne:  She has been hilarious lately.  On our vacation she was playing superheros action figures with her siblings and Kate says to the bad guy figure "now you are dead forever"  without missing a beat Mari says "no Jesus can make you come back"  Love that girl
Also on our vacation the kids were talking about what they want to be when they grow up.  Marianne says she wants to be a mermaid.  The older kids tell her she can't be a mermaid.  I say leave her alone she can be anything she wants to be.  Several days later in the middle of the night Marianne wakes up crying.  She comes to my room crying and says "Mom I don't want to be a mermaid when I grow up" I tell her she doesn't have to be a mermaid.  She says she doesn't want to grow up.  She wants to be my baby forever.  So for a week or so she checks in with me.  Asking, can I just be your baby forever?  She asks.  Of course I say YES!!!  a million yes!
Today however she changes again.  "I just want to be a grown up mom like you when I grow up?"  I tell her I would love if she was a mom and I was the grandma.  Mari tells me "I don't know how to be a mom will you teach me?"  Sweetest girl ever.  I tell her of course "She says teach me to change Bethy's diaper and wash my blankie by myself and clean the whole house all by myself"  Yes Mari I will teach you all these things.  So I let her do the sticky tabs on Beths diaper and she exclaims "Now I Know How!"  This girls is a wonderful treat.  Right now she is reading Beth a book because that is what Mom's do and she is learning to be a mom  :)

February 23, 2015

Sam turned 6.
Weight: 41lbs- 19%
Height: 44inches- 23%

If you don't remember this is huge!  Sam has struggled to be above the 5%in height and weight since he got really sick around his third birthday.  Clearly he is healthy, and growing and making up for it.  I came home from his well check almost in tears at the physical proof this is that he is healthy.  My growing boy!

At six Sam is just the same kind hearted boy he has always been.  His sweetness is unbelievable.  He wants to be so helpful and kind.  He rarely complains.  He is quiet and content.  He reminds me so much of his Dad and I can already see him growing up to have a very similar personality as Jake.  Always content, quiet and serving those he loves.  Sam loves sports.  He watches NBA basketball during the afternoon when the girls take their naps like he is a grown up.  He plays soccer and cheers no matter who is scoring and comes away smiling.  He will be by your side if you are doing chores, feeling sick, fixing something, working in the yard, taking care of the little girls.  He loves being by your side.... unless you will let him play the xbox.  He seems to be a favorite of lots of the kids around him and I'm guessing that is because he is humble and laughs at whatever they say and never try to get attention for himself.  It is a pleasure to spend the days with him.   He still devours food especially hamburgers. His favorite color he says in dark blue.  He likes riding his bike, playing soccer, having friends over, watching sports, playing games, spending time with mom and dad, taking pictures, working on projects especially if they require tools.  But he still likes stuffed animals too and I think that is so great- I'll be sad the day by only boy doesn't want a stuffed animal in his bed to cuddle to sleep anymore.  Sam is great to his sisters and watches out for Beth and includes Mari and makes her happy all day.  I'm so blessed to be the mother of such a kind hearted boy.  He makes me proud every day.

Interview:
Fav Color: "Dark Blue"
Fav Food: "Hamburgers- mom you already know that"
Fav Toy: "That working set with tools" -Erector Set her got for his birthday
Fav Clothes: "Star Wars"
Fav thing to do: "Work
What else do you like to do?  "Soccer- that is the only thing I like to do"
"Mom ask what my favorite animal is".... "Huskie"
Fav Friend: "Jackson"
What do you like to do after school: "play video games"
What is the best part of being six?: "uhhhhh- getting to play soccer!"
What is your fav. part of school?:" Recess because of playing"
What is the best thing we did this year?  "School"
What do you want to be when you grow up?  "Fireman to save people"
What are you good at?  "Soccer and video games and making my sisters happy"

May 2nd 2015

Kate's baptism.

Kate was baptized May 2nd, 2015 in the Daniel's 1st Ward Stake Center at 9am.
She was baptized by her father Jacob Freeman and confirmed by him as well.
Those in attendance included.
Jake and Crystal Freeman with Sam, Marianne and Bethany
Calvin and Doris Freeman
Deb Anderson
Lisa and Rodney Sims, with Halle Maddie and Carter
Travis and Miles Terry
Great Grandma Elaine and cousin Eric Dahlin
Bishop Armstrong
Couselor Kevin Luke
The Primary Presidency, Deean Armstrong and Wendy Bangater
Shanna and Emilee Page sneaked in for a minute after her own baptism just minutes before in a different ward.

Janalyn Pearson with Mallory
Craig Anderson with friend Devan  came to our house luncheon after as well

Three other children were baptized from our ward in the same program. The Stake had approximately 20 children being baptized in the building at the same time.  It was very crazy.
These children were
jocelynn Smith- with her cousin who is not in our ward
and Jonathan Smith no relation

The Program portion we were assigned was the opening prayer- given by me Crystal Freeman
and the musical number which Kate did.  She played on the piano " I like to look for Rainbows" and sang the two verses.  She did amazing and beautifully and it was the best part of the program.

The talks and other prayers and musical numbers were given by guests of the other children being baptized.

The day was actually very stressful.  Organizing people, a luncheon, sick kids, and Bethany who won't sit for two minutes of church and had be out of the program most the entire time.
Luckily with lots of work, Kate seemed to be pleased with her special day.

When I was talking to her the night before she said she was not nervous at all just excited and she was really excited to see her grandparents from Iceland... i mean California she said.

After she was baptized and I was helping her get dressed and dry her hair she mostly had to say that she was surprised at how fast it was, perhaps she thought she would be under the water longer?

We had a luncheon at our house after with lots of food and decorations.
Kate opened a few gifts.  One was her scriptures with case and pencils from Jake and I, engraved with her name.  She loved them.  She has been reading them and highlighting scriptures she finds about the Holy Ghost.
She worked on a journal from her great grandmother as well and read a Holy Ghost book to her siblings as well as for everyone for FHE tonight.

And she was mostly happy and a delight the whole day.  She enjoyed the attention and felt very special.  The next day was fast Sunday.  She wore her white dress again and proudly prepared her scriptures to go to church.  At church she asked to bare her testimony and did so beautifully though we had not prepared.  She got to be presented to the congregation as well.

As I went to bed on Sunday after a weekend of family and spending time with kids who were happy and getting along I felt very blessed.   Blessed to have a husband worthy of the priesthood.  Blessed to have such sweet family and friends who support us.  Blessed to have four beautiful kids who were happy and sweet and have a sweet Kate to look up to.

My biggest regret of the day was not feeling like we had any time to take pictures because of the number of people getting baptized in the building.

May 2nd, 2015 April 9, 2015

Kate is 8.

Kate at 8.  She is growing up so quickly.  And I see so much of myself in her.  I took these photos for her 8 year old birthday pictures/ baptism pictures and I felt like I was looking in a time machine at myself.    Kate is very small for her age still, but that doesn't seem to bother her or harm her confidence.  She tries very hard to please and wants to be good.  She also gets frustrated easily especially when things don't go perfectly.  Kate does well in school and devours books.  For her birthday she got a huge selection of Rohl Dahl books and has read almost the entire set in a matter of weeks.  We go downstairs hours after tucking her in and find her either still reading or fallen asleep with a book on her face.  She is also very much the performer.  At her baptismal interview the bishop was so impressed with her answers and manner that he asked her to speak as the youth speaker the following sunday.  Other baptismal candidates have not been doing that.    At her baptism she sang and played the piano in a musical number, and the following Sunday bore her testimony with confidence and without any kind of fear or shyness.  This makes me so happy.  I want nothing more than for her to be proud and confident of who she is.  In these pictures you can see she is wearing high heels.  She asked specifically to get high heels for her baptism, and I agreed.  Kate asks for nothing and I'm happy such simple things make her happy.  She is usually a great big sister, and tries to be kind and helpful with her siblings.  She still is picky about food and the list of food she detests grows each week it seems.  She likes Chinese Food.  She likes the color teal, she loves Beanie Boo stuffed Animals, and books, and writing in her journal.  She likes playing outside with friends.  I heard from a friend that she had brought some trinkets from home of hers and was telling riddles and given out the trinkets for prizes at the bus stop just today.  This is very much Kate!  She can see when somebody seems to need a little love and tries to give it.  She is the only kids that doesn't always prefer me but will choose Dad to cuddle with or tuck her in at night or take her somewhere.  She is responsible and often has her homework done without me even asking.

Fav Color? "Turquoise because it is bright"
Fav Food? "Spagetti"
Fav Clothes? "Jean shirt with Jeans and other jean stuff"
Fav Friend? "Addy"
What do you like to do? "Skip Rope, Hula hoop, Playing with my Boo Babies"
What is great about being eight "You get to get baptized,  that is all"
What do you like about school "Math and Science"
What are you good at? "Making Friends"
What is the best thing you did this year? "Get baptized.  Get Boo Boo Babies.  That is all"
What do you want to be when you grow up "Art teacher because I like art"