Happy Father's Day

Father's Day is coming up SUPER soon!  And the primary was put in charge of handouts to pass out after sacrament meeting for all the fathers/father-figures.

We are keeping it simple.  Hershey's kisses attached to this Father's Day print-out.  So grateful for the Supermen in my life: My dad, husband, father-in-law, grandparents, uncles, bishops, teachers, friends... The list is endless!

Find the free printable HERE.  

To go along with the "kisses" theme, the primary kids are singing DADDY'S HOMECOMING for our special music number.  We're asking all the kids to wear their dads' ties to church to show off when they go up to sing.  Luckily, Mitch has a million dress ties so we'll be sure and have back ups for kids without access to any.

At the end of the song when everyone sings "A GREAT BIG KISS" the kids will have a little laminated lips picture hiding in their palms.  They can blow kisses out to show the congregation.

  

I've uploaded a bunch of different colors to Dropbox for easy printing.  Enjoy your kisses.  And spoil your fathers this upcoming special day!

Links:

Kisses (Red)

Kisses (Gray)

Kisses (Blue)

Kisses (Yellow)

Kisses (Green)

Hiking Trail Singing Time

I don't know if it's the primary songs we've been focusing on or the PERFECT spring weather we've started having this week, but I have fallen in love with the outdoors lately and have just been basking in its breathtaking beauty.  It seemed only right to incorporate this amazing feeling into my next singing time lesson.  

I found a huge roll of brown paper in our garage today and used it to draw out a hiking trail map.  It definitely brought me back to my son's Dora the Explorer television days.  On the trail I marked different unique locations that match up with one of our primary songs we're working on.  

Blossom Meadow - I Often Go Walking

Singing Bird Forest - My Heavenly Father Loves Me (first verse)

Creature Summit - All Creatures of our God and King

Butterfly Wings Pass - My Heavenly Father Loves Me (second verse)

End of the Rainbow - When I am Baptized

I plan to stick it to the chalkboard and throw a magnet on the back of our little Hiker Lego.  That way he can move across the map board as we practice each song.

The great thing about this activity is that you can totally customize your map to the songs YOUR PRIMARY is currently working on.  I just lucked out that all our songs right now have to do with nature.  Fist bumps for matching themes!

Also, I have just the thing if you're looking for an awesome, unique arrangement of My Heavenly Father Loves Me.  This is the reason we're also learning All Creatures of our God and King this month.  Hop over to my mom's blog for the free sheet music HERE.  It has a cello solo option and everything.  I can't wait to teach it to the kids!

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Paint A Bright Spot On Your Soul

For my Mother-in-law's Relief Society lesson this month she asked if I could help design the handouts.  I wish I could do this all day.  I had so much fun making these.  Here was the quote she chose to use.

During President Monson's memorial service his daughter spoke of the love he showed to everyone around him:

We do not need to be the President of the Church to notice another’s need and “paint a bright spot on our souls.” My dad acted upon his frequent feeling, “That would be a kind thing to do,” only to find it was the answer to another’s prayer. By following the promptings of the Spirit, our simple acts of service can also be answers to prayers, and we can carry on this legacy by serving others.

Feel free to steal this handout HERE.

2017 Through Our Eyes

As the year wriggles its way to a close we've started looking back on all of our fun memories. Here's our highlight reel of events of 2017.

Elephant Baby Boy Shower

I can't say that I've had any personal experience with street drugs, but I have recently discovered that planning a baby shower is completely intoxicating.  I was on the most amazing high this weekend helping my mom throw a party for my sister-in-law.  Now I'm pretty sure decorating and planning baby showers is my parallel to cocaine.  

DECORATIONS

I had some spare wood from our fence project this summer that I used for a little name sign.  Each letter block was stained and then painted with chalk paint.  

We used tissue paper pom-poms and an old dresser mirror frame to accent the gift table.  Don't worry.  This was before the party started.  She had more than three presents ;)

Party favors...

Encaged circus elephants.  Fear not.  No animals or toys were harmed during the baby event.

SNACKS

GAMES AND ACTIVITIES

Instead of a guest book, everyone came in and signed a story page.  This way baby Charlie can catch all the little love notes as he reads it someday.

I made little booklets with all of our activities so we wouldn't have to keep handing out paper to fill out between each game.

Feel free to download and print any of the elephant game pages HERE.

Game One: Baby Song Game

For our first activity everyone listened as I played a few seconds of songs with "Baby" in the title.  The guest with the most correct answers won a prize.  If I were to go back in time, one thing I probably would do differently is cut down the song list.  I got a little over-excited googling baby music.

SONG IDEAS:

ICE ICE "BABY" - VANILLA ICE

"BABY" COME BACK - PLAYER

"BABY" I LOVE YOUR WAY - PETER BRAMPTON

"BABY" - JUSTIN BIEBER

"BABY" ONE MORE TIME - BRITNEY SPEARS

MY "BABY" YOU - MARC ANTHONY

DON'T WORRY "BABY" - BEACH BOYS

ALWAYS BE MY "BABY" - MARIAH CAREY

"BABY" COME TO ME - JAMES INGRAM

"BABY" WHAT A BIG SURPRISE - CHICAGO

I'M YOUR "BABY" TONIGHT - WHITNEY HOUSTON

I CAN'T GET ENOUGH OF YOU "BABY" - SMASH MOUTH

HEY "BABY" - NO DOUBT

AMERICAN "BABY" - DAVE MATTHEW'S BAND

Game Two: B-A-B-Y-S-H-O-W-E-R Gift Bags

Each gift bag had a baby item that started with its letter.

B - Blanket

A - Aspirator 

B - Bib

Y - Yellow Rubber Duck

S- Shoes

H- Hat

O- Onesie

W- Wipes

E- Ear thermometer

R- Rattle

Game Three: BINGO

Everyone filled out their Bingo cards with baby items they guessed my sister-in-law would get as presents.  When we opened the gifts, people could mark items off as they guessed correctly.  First person to get five in a row and call out BINGO won a prize.

Game Four: Gumballs in the Bottle

Beside the guestbook was a baby bottle full of gumballs.  Closest guess to how many were inside got to take home the bottle.  

Now I need more friends to have babies so I can plan more parties.  I am addicted.  Admitting it is the first step...

And, finally, here is the 

"Okay-everyone-is-gone-Let's-stuff-our-faces-with-left-over-cake"

 photo.

Love you, Mom!  Love you, Elizabeth!