Pinewood Derby 2012

A most unusual thing happened at the Pinewood Derby this year...

Aaron won his first three heats!
He wasn't very happy about it, though. It was funny to see him come away from the second and third races so disappointed about his wins...then to see him so relieved when he only got second place in his fourth heat.


He ended up in 6th place and was just fine with that.
This boy doesn't have a competitive bone in his body, apparently.
I think he's so tender-hearted that he can't stand to be the reason that anyone else would feel like a loser. Very interesting.

At Parent Teacher Conferences, Aaron's teacher (who has taught five of the other kids) asked him if he feels pressure to measure up to all his older siblings. He looked at her blankly--didn't have a clue what she was talking about.

What a great character trait--to accept yourself for who you are and not worry about comparing yourself to anyone else.

Dating Organized

Happy Birthday to Quin!

I find it really hard to shop for an early January birthday. So if I don't find Quin a present while I'm Christmas shopping, it just doesn't happen. Luckily, he's a man of few material wants...coupons and certificates seem to make him as happy as anything. :)

I'm really excited about this year's gift--a dating schedule. We're specifically planned for the next two months AND have an outline for the rest of the year. Ang and Bruce nicely agreed to accompany us on some of our excursions--should be a lot of fun!

Here it is:

Quin and Alison Date Nights 2012

1st Friday
Sports and smoothie night

2nd Friday
Temple and Dinner night

3rd Friday
Movie and popcorn night

4th Friday
Fast food and Culture night

5th Friday
Surprise night

Christmas Vacation 2011

This is what I spent the better part of four days doing after the Christmas festivities were over. Yikes.


I'm pretty happy with how it turned out. The words and the idea of children looking toward God for the big board were the Primary President's inspiration. So great. Amy and Rachel were a huge help on colors and placement. Wow, am I glad it's done. It's just a bulletin board...but a project way outside of my comfort zone!

Close-up views

This is a one-of-a-kind painting of the Council in Heaven by Robert Barrett that you can get through the BYU Bookstore.

Sure appreciate the models and photographer that created this image of Children looking toward God. :)