Time with Just the Little Ones

Last week, when my teenagers were gone to EFY, I took advantage of the fact that I had my "little ones" ALL to myself.  They aren't really little anymore (Spencer is 10 and Hailey is 6) but in our family, they are the "little ones."  I can hardly believe they are getting that old and that my little Spencer will be a 5th grader this year.  It blows me away----- So, amidst all things I had to do with Kea Lani---I took the opportunity to go and PLAY with them.  On Tuesday we headed up to the Arizona Science Center and had a ton of fun!

       We built a very "balanced city" on this wobbly circle board.  We watched an IMAX movie all about prehistoric sea creatures (which Hailey loved because she is obsessed with dinosaurs and reptiles!).  They bought fun souvenirs from the gift shop with the money they earned washing/vacuuming my car---and we even laid on a bed of nails!  It was pretty cool--
      After we were done with the Science Center, we walked outside in 105 degree weather and headed over to the Doll and Toy Museum. It's in this darling little home that probably is well over 100 years old but has been preserved and is now part of the Heritage Home Collection in Phoenix.  I have always wanted to go through this museum but with my older kids, they didn't really want to do it.  So---away we went.  It cost $1 for my little ones to get in.  Do you love it??

This was probably one of my most favorite miniature collections.  It is a Millinery Shop and reminded me so much of "Hello Dolly" and the fun shop where Millie worked!  I just loved the attention to detail with all of the fabrics, ribbon spools, and lace.  I could have stared at that for hours!

 OK - so even though Spencer looks TOTALLY bored, he was having a great time!  I just didn't give him a chance to smile before I snapped the photo--ha ha!  This was our favorite doll house.  It was amazing and had everything you can imagine or would want in a doll house.  We all decided that we wanted to move in and live there.  I especially loved the wrap around porch---my dream.

 Spencer LOVED LOVED this collection.  His dad has a bunch of these old Star Wars guys and it was fun for him to check them all out.

This was one of the last rooms of the museum.  I thought it was really cute but Hailey said, "Mom, this is actually kinda creepy!"  ha ha---the more I looked at it, gazed into the blank stares of those dolls, and thought of creepy music from a horror movie---it sort of freaked me out too!  

At the end of the day, we got in our car and sang "Apples and Bananas" with every vowel or sound they could think of.  We  stopped for tacos and cinnamon twists at Taco Bell and slowly made our way home.  I didn't want that day to end.  I missed my teenagers that week terribly---but being able to focus on my little ones without wondering where the big ones were and what they were doing---was, in a word . . . delightful . . . and the best part, was that I was able to take my two little "dolls" home with me!

Neighborhood "Shave Ice Training" Weekend!

It's official . . . we have hired 20 employees, 3 shift managers, and one General Manager to run our shave ice store and this weekend we decided to do some quality training!  (my brother in law, Tony, created our logo.  He did such a great job!  We love it!!)

 We had each employee invite their own families to come and enjoy the shave ice treats they created (after 2 hours of verbal training :)  When we heard that many of the employees families weren't able to come, we quickly texted some neighbors and asked them to come down!  We needed pretend "customers" to serve!

 Poor little Hailey wanted to be a "worker" so badly.  She only has to wait about 10 more years . . .

 Here I am with some of our managers giving some instruction or listening to ideas (either way, Cassie looks shocked at what I am saying! ha ha)  Shiloh, the gal in the black shirt (far right) is our General Manager.  We had over 60 applications for her position and interviewed about 15 or so.  We even had Kohler and Kelsey sit in on the interview process so they could see what it takes to get a job.  All of us felt really good about Shiloh and we feel blessed to have her heading our team.  Cassie, Jake Hixon (far left) and Rebecca (not shown) are the other 3 managers and we feel confident in their abilities and personalities.  

 Here are some of the "minion" workers!  ha ha-----Nathan, Trevin, Wyatt, Keaton and Brandt.

 Kelsey and Breanne ----Kelsey can work in the store even though she is only 15 because she is the "owner's daughter" and that is allowed through the state.

More minions - - - Brandt and Natalie.

 Our house got "power-boxed" between midnight and 3 am the morning before our second training day which meant that some punk kids came and shut off 8 breakers to our home.  Our freezers were totally shut down and we lost a lot of our ice.  So, Tom had to go and buy a saw to cut some blocks of ice (that we had to purchase) into smaller blocks so they would fit on our shavers.  

 Because of the shortage of ice, we were making more "kid boogie boards" than the previous night.  (great rainbow Nathan!)

When Jake took his first bite of the night, he said, "Oh my gosh . . . I forgot how GOOD these things are!"  Then, he made a face that I asked him to recreate for a picture.  This is his "Oh My Gosh, I'm in Heaven" face!!

 Brandt sneaking in his first bite of white heaven ("kea lani!")

 Kohler is the only non-manager that is allowed to shave.  He had some training up in Utah with Tom and our cousins, Stef and Clint.  He is getting pretty good at shaving.  It really is an art!

 Here is Tom with some friends, Steve Beck and Scott Gillette.

 See the hibiscus flower clip in Kelsey's hair (pink shirt)?  The girls are going to wear those or plumeria flower clips in their hair.  So Hawaiian!

 OK - so don't mind my crazy facial expressions in these next two pictures, but we decided to make a couple of "Long Boards" for a tall teenage kid and his dad.

 This was the first attempt of the night to make such a large order.  The first one turned out ok until . . . 

Poor Trevin got it and the kids before him had poured too much syrup and with the 105 degree weather, when he put on the snow cap, it all collapsed into his shirt!  This photo was taken right before it collapsed.  You can tell Trevin looks worried!  It was pretty funny and we all laughed---of course, we made the kid another one and it turned out great.  The heat was a bugger, though.  Our ice cream was melting, our syrups were warm, and it didn't make for the best products of the weekend---but still, the kids all learned a lot!!!

We are getting ready in every which way, shape, and form.  All we need is our stinkin' construction permit from the Town of Gilbert.  We have been waiting for over one month for that thing.  We are crossing our fingers for this week so we can get in there, remodel, and get this store open!!!

EFY Week for my Teenagers!

Monday morning, bright and early, these 5 darling teenagers and I headed up to Flagstaff for Especially For Youth!

 Sarah Johnson, Hailee Hoover, Kelsey, Keaton Peterson, Kohler

 We got them all checked in and ready to go!  Don't they look excited?

 Keaton and Kohler went to EFY up at BYU last summer and had a really great time.  I hope this experience is just as great.  Many kids from around here go to Flagstaff EFY and they love it because they get to meet kids from the Phoenix area (ones they may have a chance of seeing again!)

 Here is Kelsey with her cousin, Sydne, in their dorm room.  They have dreamed of going to EFY together since they were little girls!

I couldn't be more proud of my kids and the righteous lives they are living.  They are not perfect and neither am I.  But they are really GOOD kids who are trying hard to do what's right.  In this world, that's a hard thing to do.  I am eternally grateful for their amazing friends who encourage them to hold tight to the iron rod and make good choices.  I can't wait to hear how things went during the week!!  (part of me wishes that I was 15 again and could go to EFY too!)

Kea Lani Training

Sooooo . . . last weekend we had our first training session with our managers for Kea Lani.  (our kids were the very first "trainees") but then we invited over our managers for some hands on instruction.

 I have mixed about 20 gallons of syrup and I'm not even going to publish how much sugar goes into those 20 gallons of syrup!!  Wowzers!

 Here I am with our new General Manager, Shiloh.  We had over 60 applicants for her position and both Tom and I felt very strongly that she was the one for the job.  We like her a lot and she has a ton of experience working for Jamba Juice which is a similar product.

 Kohler labeled over 68 bottles with our brand label and organized all the flavors.  Our kids really have been such a great help!

 Here's Shiloh making her first short board.  (that's our "small")

 Here's one of our shift managers, Becca - she has a cute smile!

Here's Cassie, another shift manager giving it a whirl!!

 This is Jake, another shift manager and yes . . . the only boy manager.  We love this kid and he took to shaving ice really fast!

 Wow- three beautiful colors with a cream snow-cap.  That's a beautiful thing!

Here I am making our "long board" (medium).  Yes . . . it's huge, I know!  That's the way they do it in Hawaii!!!!!  Everything is HUGE!

Happy Father's Day!

Happy Father's Day!

 We had Tom home from church meetings all morning so we could make him a nice breakfast.  It was heavenly having him around!  

 Then, after church and a delicious steak dinner, we did Hailey's favorite thing . . . open presents!

 Hailey and Spencer wrote their dad poems, colored pictures, and Spencer even wrote a story all on his own.  It was about his dad having armor on and being a knight, fighting a dangerous dragon to save his family.

 On the back cover of the story, he wrote, "Gospel Related"--then he wrote that the dragon is like Satan and his Dad is fighting him off to protect his family.  I thought that was very perceptive for a little 10 year old boy.  Tom LOVED the book!

When I asked Tom what he wanted for Father's Day, he said that he would really like another remote control helicopter.  Spencer got one just like this one for his birthday a few months ago but Kohler accidentally broke it.  Tom has felt bad about it ever since and asked if we could get another one for he and Spence to play with while Kohler and Kelsey are at EFY.  Fun, huh!

 Here's my own sweet daddy, with his granddaughter, Kelsey. I am so blessed to have a father like him.  I love him with all my heart!

 He just turned 70 years old and this is the cake Suzanne had made for him for his surprise party down in California last weekend.

 Notice the flags say, "70."  We know he can hit farther than that with his big bertha clubs (ha ha!) but that just is how old he is!

 I put together a photo book for his birthday with photos from all his children and grandchildren.  Each of his children also wrote a letter to him telling him how much he is loved and what role he plays in their lives.  It was very special and my dad got emotional reading each one.  I hope he will cherish that book for a long time.


Fathers, truly are SO special . . .