Faith 'n Family: April 2014

Mommy-Summer date: playing tag! She had so much fun giggling as I chased her and then running after me. When I tagged her I would scoop her up and twirl her around as she laughed and laughed.

Summer smelling my different oils: "I know Hevenly Father gave us noses so we could smell such yummy things!" Her favorite tonight: Lemon She put a few drops in the diffuser and sat and watched the water droplets jumping around in the water vapor. I love how everything is so magical to kids.

Summer comes to Colt after we had tucked her into bed: "Daddy, can I cuddle with your jacket?" She squeezed her eyes shut, and shrugs her shoulders, squeezing the jacket then goes and wraps it around her and promptly falls asleep.

Daddy-River date: Fishing together on Panguich lake. River learned how to cast in fly-fishing.

Daddy-Summer date: Daddy took Summer to the office and spent the afternoon with her. She got to color on the little red kid table in his office with little kid chairs. Play with the toys in his office and go out to ice cream with with a hamburger for lunch. I pulled in the parking lot right when Colt was walking hand in hand with her to get the ice cream. It was cute to just observe them.

Mommy-Silver date: St George. We went to several places, most notable: The Children's Museum. They have done a fabulous job there with full volunteer staff. It is a donate what you would like to at the end with no admission fee. We had such a good time, and her favorites were the castle complete with princess dress-up clothes and shoes! We also enjoyed the bubble-maker that you could make a bubble come up around you. The store was a great hit where she could go shopping and put groceries in a little cart and then I would put them on the counter and she would be the checker. We had a lovely time complete with Hamburgers :)

Mommy-River Date: Symphony of the Canyons with a Navajo Indian Piano Player. Impressive! River was so good during the entire 2 hour presentation and we met the concert pianist that signed her program with encouragement to keep practicing the piano. We knew several of the players: Bass, Cello, Viola, Violin, Trumpet, Trombone, etc. Between neighbors, family friends and Young Women in our ward we knew many of them. Jenny Bowman played the Viola tonight and I asked her what advice she would give River with the piano. After thinking about it she said "It isn't so much fun to start playing, but as you practice and get better, it is fun because you start playing neat songs!"

Mommy-girls date: St George to the Children's museum. It was fun going with all of them. The bubble that goes up around you takes several times to get the hang of of what speed to pull the string attached to a hoop hanging in the soap - it makes a bubble as you pull it up. River was persistent in trying slow and fast - fast makes the best bubbles.

The Children's Museum is right next to the water pad - it has a shallow pool with big rocks to jump off into that goes into a small stream with a waterfall to go down the stairs. It was raining when we left and we all ran to the car. After getting in the car Silver says "it sure would be fun to run through the rain here" River, Silver and Summer ran and ran through the water pad, waterfall, laid in the water with the rain coming down. We brought extra clothes to change into, but not extra shoes. We went to Old Navy and bought some flip-flops and then ended our fabulous day at Japanese Hibachi restaurant Sankura. Hibachi a large grill with 3-sided table surrounding. The Japanese Chef makes your food right in front of you. He flips eggs around without breaking them, flips them on his spatula and into his hat. He Flips his knives and even makes a volcano out of an onion, fills it with oil and sets it on fire. At the end of making our dinner, he flipped shrimp into everyone's mouths. River was a good sport, the first flip landed in her hair and she caught the 2nd one. We were at the table with 2 other couples. Me with River - 7 Silver - 5 Summer - 3 and Tanzi 6 months. At the end of the dinner the other couples came up to me and complimented our girls on how good they were.

We love to hike! We go up the canyon and take different paths to amazing spots! Silver Summer and I were hiking around and found a great sandy place with big hills - we had fun making sand waterfalls.

While hiking up a steep mountain Silver says: "I was born to climb!"

Hide and Go Seek! We love playing and looking for each other. We find some good places :)

I took River and Silver with me to Maverick gas station after Zumba for a Slurpee. Silver asks "WHAT is that YUCKY smell!!??" Coffee. Silver: Uh Oh! She then takes a deep breath and covers her mouth with one hand and her nose with the other. She was SO concerned about the 2nd hand coffee fumes! When we got out she says "Whew! I NEVER want to go in there again!" She knows that not drinking coffee is in the Word of Wisdom: God has asked us not to drink coffee to keep our bodies healthy and strong. It is of physical and spiritual benefit - Doctrine and Covenants chapter 89. (to learn more about Word of Wisdom click here) What a good example Silver is to me of avoiding sin and staying firmly on the straight and narrow.

River and Silver have been joining me at Zumba. I wish I had pictures of them doing their stretches! Silver is cute cute cute! with her one hand on her waist and the other hand reeeaacchhing over her head. River keeps up and tries to do everything - Silver does too but mainly just dances around :) Sweet times!

Silver: Do you know where is Daddy? I just want to hug him!

Silver: Tanz's cheeks are SO kissy!

We had a long week of throw up, diarrhea and achy-joints, hurting kidneys, tummy cramps etc. I started the ball rolling throwing up with diarrhea all night long. Colt left at 5:00 that morning and was gone through Summer and Silver's bout with it. Poor Summer...I heard her moaning and found her wiggling around on the ground at about 11pm. I picked her up and asked her if her tummy hurt..."yeah!" I asked her if she was gonna throw up..."yeah!" as I turned to take her to the garbage she threw up all over me - all over - shirt, pants, shoes, all over herself, on sleeping River - in her hair, all over her pillow, her bed sheets, her bed frame and the carpet. Sigh. Not to mention the other several spots on our way to the sink. It was a long night with 8 sessions of throw up - bless her heart! She was sleeping right next to me and I only managed to catch it once in the bowl. Bedding, sheets, pillows...the silver lining to all this was I got a new to us washing machine and dryer just the week before and gave it a grand welcome party to our home!

Then it was Silver's turn. She tried holding the tide back, but it exploded all over as we were driving. All over herself, the booster seats, the carpet in the car and the car's seats. She was a trooper sitting in it all the way home. After getting home and bathing her up and making dinner for everyone and getting them to bed I had zero energy for cleaning up throw up in the van. I just could not face cleaning up more vomit after mine, Summer's and then Silver's. Bless Colt's Amazing Heart! He cleaned up the van for me including vacuuming it out and washing out all the throwups. River and Tanzi came down with it the next day and I got to drive the Youth to their EFY fireside and spend the day to myself shopping. Aaaahhhh! When I came home Colt had cleaned up the whole house :)

Then Colt came down with it - probably from cleaning out the throw up. Silver was a trooper and would throw up without me even knowing about it in her little bowl she packed around with her. She cried hard that night saying "I just can't handle it" Daddy gave her a blessing and she was immediately able to go to sleep. She threw up several more times, but was able to "handle it" We talked with River about how sickness is part of the mortal experience. It was part of the experience that we came to earth to get. We appreciate so much Christ's sacrifice for us and his atonement. When we are resurrected with perfect bodies we will know what a gift it is that they don't get sick. We are all so thankful to be feeling so much better!

Tanzi Belle Henderson

Colt and I were brainstorming names in between contractions while I was in labor with Tanzi. We were just brain-dumping on the paper and both really liked it. It stuck when we saw her and went over the list again!

The traditional spelling of Tanzi is Tansy. The meaning of the name Tansy:

Greek: Eternal Life

Latin: Tenacious: Holding Fast - Keeping a firm hold (Hold to the Iron Rod = Word of God), tough, not giving up, cohesive: unity

Native American: Tansy = kind of flower - in the Daisy family. Perennial - clusters of small bright yellow cheerful blossoms.

After knowing Tanzi for 10 months now, this name fits!

She is cheerful (except when she is away from Mom or Dad!) Tanzi is a mellow and calm baby. A ready smile and a patient soul - she LOVES her sisters and is so much fun to play with.

Tanzi was given the middle name of her Great-Grandma Beulah Belle Bonham Finicum.

Grandma Nelda Finicum made this beautiful dress - the buttons on Tanzi's dress are from Beulah's button drawer. Pretty Special Indeed!

Meaning of the name Belle:

French: Beautiful

Hungarian and American: Intelligent

Spanish: Devoted to God

This picture is just SO cute!

Tanzi and her cousin Scotty were blessed on the same day.

Together on their special day.

Too fun that Silver and Judd were also blessed on the same day.

Tanzi had two special dresses on her day!

All pictures can't be smiles! Real life :)

So glad to have you Tanz! You are good in so many ways for our family - your sisters adore you and take such good care of you - watching out for your needs and helping you in any way that they can!