Spring is on it's way!

Spring is coming... the sunshine is peeking through the clouds and the boys are snatching every bit of it!

A Fort with Dad

1 seven year old boy + a cold= a broken heart because he didn't feel well enough have an outside sleep over at grandmas.  

1 awesome dad + a couch cushion fort = 2 happy campers who watched "Finding Big Foot" in their fort until they fell asleep. 

Wax Museum

Matthew was Sir Isaac Newton for his 6th grade Wax Museum!

Isaac Newton: A Mathematician, a Physicist, a Scientist (1643-1727)

By Matthew Moody

Have you ever wondered about our world and universe?  Well, Isaac Newton did and learned a lot.  Isaac Newton was a mathematician, a physicist, a scientist.  Isaac Newton was an extraordinary scientist.  Newton discoveries told us lots about our world and universe.  He made laws of light, gravity and motion.  He taught us that white light is really every color combined.  Isaac was an amazing person.  We can still benefit from his discoveries today.

Isaac Newton was born January 4, 1643 in Lincolnshire, England.  His father, a prosperous farmer, died three months before Isaac was born.  As a child Isaac hated farming, but enjoyed making sundials and wind mills.  When Isaac Newton’s mother married again he left to live with his grand parents.  This make Isaac feel insecure.  newton went to school though he was poor.  He knew the importance but returned home when a plague broke out.  While at home he made wet important discoveries about light and gravity.

Isaac had an interesting personality.  He liked to be alone and didn't always share his discoveries at first.  in 1696 he became head of the  coin mint in which he was in charge of collecting coins and remaking them.  Lots of the coins were counterfeit.  e dressed up in disguises and caught the counterfeiters himself.Some say that Isaac Newton was not the best (some say) because he spent half his career trying to find the Philosopher's Stone.  Newton predicted that the world would end no sooner than 2060.  “This I  mention not to assert when the end of time will be, but to put a stop to the rash conjectures of fanciful men who are frequently predicting the time of the end and b doing so bring the sacred prophesies into discredit as often as their predictions fail.”  Isaac never married but was kind to his family and to the people he worked with.  just like some modern scientists Isaac was a Christian but didn’t let that affect his discoveries.

Isaac Newton was an excellent mathematician and physicist.  He invented the math form called calculus. He described laws about light and gravity.  Gravity, he said, was the attraction of the mass of two objects.  He said that light was made up of many colors as long as it was white.  Isaac said that something like a tree is green because it absorbs all of the colors but reflects only green light.  Of course he wasn’t rich so  that shows that anyone can make a discovery.

In conclusion, Isaac Newton was an amazing scientist.  Even with his interesting background he still went to school.  he shows us that you need to go to school.  He worded hard for money to get an education.  On March 31, 1727 Newton died.  Some said that he got mercury poisoning in one of his experiments.  Although he is not here we can still benefit from his discoveries.

Valentine's Day

I love Valentine's day! 

Each year I like to give Dallan and the boys a little something special.   This year I wrote a letter to each of them with a book I created with pictures and memories from the previous year. Each book turned out great; I think I'm going to make this gift a Valentine's day tradition.   

Matthew and Mitchell enjoyed celebrating at school, and I helped with the Valentines party in Matthew's class!  

Brian Regan

For Caleb's birthday he gave his brothers tickets to go see Brian Regan! They were so excited and counted down the days until the big night! We ate at 5 Guys on our way and enjoyed every minute of Brian's performance. Watching my boys laugh the night away absolutely delighted my heart. We did get rear ended on our way home from Salt Lake, but luckily we were in good spirits and nobody was hurt!

Thanks for the great gift Caleb!  We hope you got a good laugh in heaven! :) 

 It was a sold out crowd that night, we just got there a wee bit early! :)  

Science Fair: Rock Salt VS. Ice Melt

For the Science Fair Matthew and his best friend wanted to figure out which product was better: Rock Salt or Ice Melt. They tested each product over 24 hours on ice blocks. On half of each ice block they sprinkled the product and on the other half they used a more concentrated dose. They found the ice melted quicker for each product when it was more concentrated.  They also found that Ice Melt worked faster for the first several hours but at the end of 24 hours the Rock Salt actually melted more ice.

We have a Poet on our Hands

A Deacon and a Teacher!

When Matthew turned 12 he became a deacon and when Josh turned 14 he became a teacher! On Matthew's first Sunday to pass the sacrament Dallan and Josh passed with him.  It gave me a little glimpse of heaven to see them pass the sacrament together.   

The priesthood is such a wonderful blessing for each of us.

Josh's Birthday

I'll never forget the day I became a mother... the day my Josh was born.  Josh has a brilliant mind and a gentle spirit.  I am so honored to be the mother to such a wonderful young man.  

 Josh choose to go to Two Jacks Pizza for his birthday lunch, and he choose roast and potatoes for his birthday dinner.  For his cake he choose his favorite score bar cake! 

 Happy Birthday Josh!  I love you forever!

Losing Teeth

I love seven years old. The tooth fairy still comes and there is still magic in the world!

Caleb's 9th Birthday

Last week Caleb had his ninth birthday... his second birthday in heaven. 
We like to make his birthday a special day we all look forward to.  Last year we gave each of our boys special trunks so they can have a special place to keep treasures that remind them of their brother.   
Inside their trunks this year the boys found a picture of the Savior with this note on the other side.

To my wonderful brothers,

I wanted you to have a picture of the Savior in your trunk because I know it is through him that we can be together again.

Each time you choose to be

close to Him, you will also feel close to me.

I love you and am so proud of you.

Love, Caleb

Caleb also gives the family something fun to do together.  He knows it's important to continue to make happy memories together.  This year he gave the boys a special coupon to attend a special event that they've been hoping for!

It was a sweet and tender day as we celebrated Caleb and reflected on our sweet memories together.  I know Caleb is close and that he is still being true to his special mission.  As we celebrate another birthday without him here, I know we are also one year closer to being together again.
I love you Caleb.  Forever and ever.

San Francisco: BYU Bowl Game

Dallan and I had the wonderful opportunity to make a quick trip to San Francisco to attend BYU's Bowl game! We flew out the morning of the game, had enough time to eat and explore china town, then attended the game that night.  We flew back the next morning so we could continue enjoying Christmas break with our boys. We didn't love the score of the game, but we loved taking a quick trip together! 

 Thank you BYU athletics! We are blessed that Dallan has such a wonderful job and works with such amazing people!

AT&T Park was amazing!

 I loved the trolleys!

 and the View from our hotel room!  

Christmas Day

My favorite memories of this Christmas season: 

* Visiting the Sacred Gifts exhibit at BYU. The paintings were truly inspiring and touched my heart deeply. 

 * Seeing the lights at temple square. Temple square was magical to Mitchell. He covered his eyes until we got to the gate then took Dallan and I by the hand and asked us to "swing him in." Once inside the grounds he said, "I'm going to take my hood off because I feel like being reverent."

* Watching the boys Christmas programs and attending their piano recitals

* Watching Matthew prepare presents for his brothers.  

* Listening to the boys share what gifts they would give to Jesus this year

* Drinking magic hot chocolate and watching A Christmas Story on Christmas Eve

* Watching the boys build together on Christmas morning

Merry Christmas Caleb

Christmas Eve Nativity

On Christmas Eve one of our favorite traditions is acting out the nativity together...