The Chapman Family: Lately.

Monday, May 24, 2010

Lately.

It's been a while since I've had time to post anything. I've got lots of fun things coming up that I'm sure I'll need to post about. And the computer is going into the shop tomorrow for a few days, so I thought I'd give a quick update on what's happened over the last few weeks around here.
Here is my boy eating a bunch of suckers. I just walked into the room finding him like this one day, I thought it was funny, and I wanted to take a picture or two, blue teeth and all!

And a few weeks ago, Trinidee wanted to cover each entire step with chalk. She got very dirty, as you can tell! I thought these pictures were blog-worthy.

We've had a crazy month, weather-wise, this May. We've had LOTS of rain, and not much warmth. Here's a nice rainbow after one of our storms.

My daughters each earned their "Bee-A-Reader" award at school. They are required to read at least 20 minutes a day, 5 days a week, and at the end of the year they get an award if they do it. My girls have been so good about reading, and I'm so glad they love it! Trinidee saw Bailee get her medal last year, and has been so excited to earn hers. She was SO happy to finally get her own!

On May 15th, I got to help Zazoosh Photography at the finish line of the Ogden Marathon. I was in this spot where the racers come after they've crossed the finish line. I helped herd them over to get their "Finish Line Photo" in front of this backdrop. And part of the time I helped shoot the pictures. It was a long and tiring day, but I can't complain. I hadn't just ran a 5K, half-marathon, or marathon! But I was pretty tired by the end of it. And I got to see a few of my friends who raced! :)

And that evening of May 15th, we had a "Block Party" in our circle. It was SO much fun! We invited anyone who wanted to come, not just the people in the circle. We had a good turnout! We had a BBQ, and shared side dishes & desserts.

We played tornado, mingled, ate, and played Rock Band on the garage after it got dark enough.

Good times! We're talking about doing it again, and maybe having a movie night outside.

I hope those of you that were there don't mind me posting some pictures of you and your kids.

I heart good neighbors. :)

7 comments:

Frank, Heidi and Family said...: I love all the updates. How cute is Ryker with his cheeks full of suckers? Congrats to your girls for earning their medals, Jackson always loves the Bee A Reader party. Thanks for hosting the neighborhood party, it was so fun and we definitely need to do it again.; May 25, 2010 at 6:59 AM
Amy said...: I'm so sad that we missed it! But the Jon Schmidt concert was really good though. I would love to come next time.; May 25, 2010 at 7:12 AM
Jessica said...: I love your kids. They are so adorable.

I'm sad we missed the block party. It looks like you had a great time.; May 25, 2010 at 9:10 AM
Melissa said...: Love those chalk pics of Trinidee! Thanks for hosting the block party - it was so much fun.; May 25, 2010 at 9:55 AM
Angie said...: We are sorry we missed the block party too. We hope you invite everyone again next year!; May 25, 2010 at 1:27 PM
Kelly and Megan said...: We loved the party too! We definitely need to make it a tradition.; May 30, 2010 at 2:15 PM
Jessica said...: So fun to see a few pics of the old neighborhood and neighbors. I miss everyone!; June 1, 2010 at 7:22 AM

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We belong to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. One of our apostles, M. Russell Ballard, described our beliefs best in his Oct. '07 Conference Address. (If you want to post this to your blog, feel free to copy and paste) Facts * • First, “Mormon” is a nickname for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Members are often referred to as “Mormons,” “Latter-day Saints,” or “LDS.” The term “Saint” means “member.” * • Second, the Church was restored in 1830 in upstate New York with Joseph Smith as its first prophet and president. Today it is headquartered in Salt Lake City, with President Thomas S. Monson as the present prophet. * • Third, there are now over 13 million members in 176 countries and territories. About 6 million of these are in the United States, making us the fourth largest Christian denomination in America. As one of the fastest growing Christian faiths in the world, we complete a new chapel every working day. Members pay a tithe, which is 10 percent of their income, making this and other programs possible. * • Fourth, local congregations are led by volunteer, unpaid members. Both men and women serve in assigned leadership positions. * • And fifth, Mormons are well represented in politics and government. (In the United States, for example, there are 16 members in Congress, from both political parties.) Members also serve in high and trusted positions throughout the world in business, medicine, law, education, media, sports, and entertainment. Faith Next, people need to know something of our faith as committed Christians with strong traditional values. Along with the Articles of Faith we need to emphasize that: * • We believe in the eternity of the soul, that God is the Father of our spirits, and that we can return to Him after death. * • We believe that Jesus Christ is our personal Savior, and we try to model our lives after Him and His teachings. We commemorate Christ’s atoning sacrifice in our Sunday worship services, similar to taking communion in other churches. We accept as fellow Christians all who believe Jesus Christ to be the Son of God and the Savior of all mankind. Many Christians do not understand that we have much common ground with them. Joseph Smith taught that Jesus Christ is the core of our belief, and everything else is an appendage to it (see Elders’ Journal, July 1838, 44). The name of the Church is The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. * • We believe the original church that Jesus established was lost and has been restored again in our day. The priesthood, the authority given to man to act in the name of God, with apostles and a prophet to lead us, has been restored as have all necessary ordinances of salvation. * • We believe in and we use the Holy Bible, both the Old and New Testaments. * • And we believe in the Book of Mormon and other books of scripture which support and authenticate the Bible and testify of the ministry and divinity of Christ and of God’s ongoing revelation to man. Indeed, the Book of Mormon is “Another Testament of Jesus Christ.” Family The next thing it is good for people to know is how family-centered our theology and our lifestyles are. Once again, simple statements are helpful to someone who is uninformed but curious about the importance we place on families. * • Mormons place particularly strong emphasis on family as the basic unit of the Church and of society. We have a deep commitment to marriage (defined as a union between one man and one woman). Polygamy, a limited practice in the early pioneer days of the Church, was discontinued in 1890, some 117 years ago. * • Families and individuals, whether members of our faith or not, can attend Sunday services in our chapels. Here we worship together, instructing one another from the scriptures. * • Latter-day Saint families are encouraged to hold family home evenings weekly, usually on Monday nights. This provides a regular and predictable time for parents to teach values to their children and to have fun together. We invite those not of our faith to adopt this practice with their own families. * • The Church has auxiliary programs for women, youth, and children as a support to the family. These programs provide such things as religious instruction, opportunities for Christian service, sports, drama, music, and Scouting. * • And there is also much focus on extended family, genealogy, and personal family history, providing young and old with a stronger sense of roots, identity, and belonging. The highest and most sacred ordinances of our faith relate to our families, both living and dead, and some of these ordinances take place in our temples. Fruits Now, even as someone begins to understand a few facts about us and comes to know us more accurately by our faith and the importance of family, it was the Savior who said “by their fruits ye shall know them” (Matthew 7:20; emphasis added). A church, or any way of life, should be judged by the fruits or the results that it generates. Here are a few examples based on United States statistics. But these would be similar throughout the world among practicing Mormons (by which we mean those who attend church and the temple regularly): * • One of the fruits is a longer life. Studies show that practicing Mormons are healthier and therefore live longer than the national average. In 1833 the Lord revealed to Joseph Smith the Word of Wisdom, which is the way to live in order to enjoy a long and healthy life. * • Second, those who are married in and attend the temple regularly have a divorce rate far below the national and world average. * • Third, we achieve an educational level that is higher than the national average. * • Fourth, over 70,000 members volunteer at their own expense to serve for 18 to 24 months in humanitarian efforts, Church service assignments, and full-time missionary service throughout the world. * • And fifth, we place strong emphasis on self-reliance and a solid work ethic. We encourage active involvement in our communities and in providing service to others. The Church continues to donate substantial money, goods, and services to humanitarian causes around the globe, including untold hours of labor donated by members to assist in disaster cleanup and relief.

Monday, May 24, 2010

Lately.

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