Parties!

Since we started attending the Deaf Branch, our kids go to primary in the hearing ward that meets in the same building as the Deaf Branch.  They overlap their class times with our branch for that very reason.  Janelle has been involved with their Achievement Day program and has loved it.  I decided, however, that I would also like to get her involved in Activity Days with our neighborhood hearing ward in order to keep that connection with the girls in our area.  The leaders said that would love to have her and so she started a couple of weeks ago.  She has loved it since she is in with with several of her good friends.  I like it because I know I know the leaders well and one of them is our next door neighbor, which makes it nice!  Friday afternoon they decorated cookies and delivered them.  She will still attend the other ward's activities too but this will allow her to get to know even more girls.   

Friday morning Jenna and I helped out in Josh's classroom for an hour and a half.  That night Rick and I went to the Deaf Community's "Sweetheart Challenge."  We even won free movie tickets -- yeah!  Rick and I went out to eat afterwards.  I really do love spending time with my hubby!

Saturday Josh went to a birthday party for his friend, Kyson and Jaiden went to a "Valentine's Tea Party" for her friend, Amber Putnam.  Amber's mom is Teresa Putman (Jaiden's dance teacher) and so all of her friends from dance were there.  They were asked to dress up and bring their favorite doll.  Jaiden was SO excited and had a great time!  I took some pictures of her before she left and Jenna wanted to join in even though she was covered in chalk and cookies.  Rick went to the World Wide Training meeting at the Stake Center. Janika went to a party, Jase, Jared, and Janelle were off playing at friend's houses and so no one was home but me and Jenna!  And we were pretty much running all of the kids around to their various parties.

Janika went to a combined surprise party for four different kids at her school (Kade Derrick, Nate Gottfredson, Will Durante, and Kaylee Brooks) who were all turning 16.  The party was put on by their parents.  Kaylee's dad is the principal at their school so they were able to have the party at the school.   They played all of those awkward games that forces kids to come in close proximity to each other -- like passing oranges with your necks, and transferring lifesavers on toothpicks held in the mouth to one another (aahhh, brings me back to the good old days in LD's at Snow College where we played both those games).

 Janika said the most embarrassing one was passing a spoon attached to yarn down their clothes and on to the next person.  She said that they were all hooked together stretching out clear across the commons area.  They also played the "dating game" where each of the birthday kids asked three mystery kids of the opposite sex "get to know you" and other random questions and then chose one lucky winner for a combined group date to be held next month.  Janika was one of the girls' on the panel for Kade Derrick and he chose her for the date.  (maybe it was the description of her killer eye-lashes that won him over).  They are already friends so they are both excited about the upcoming group date!