Zachary's Graduation and Party - May, 2015

It feels kind of strange for half of our children to be out of school, but as of Sunday afternoon, that has happened!  Our second oldest child, oldest son graduated as one of eight Valedictorians for his class of 19.

This class has been competitive from the beginning.  They loved trying to get the highest grade and do the very best in anything they did.  But they got along well, too.  They were and are a super-talented group in many areas - academics, sports, public speaking, art, and just in gifts and abilities.  

Zachary and the other Valedictorians gave a speech about one or two minutes long. They used the word SUCCESS, each taking one letter to come up with a word to be the theme of their speech.  The first person told about the word success.

Zachary was awarded his diploma by his dad because Joe had previously been on the School Board.  That was pretty neat!

Photo: The parents and the grad.

Photo: The graduate and his family.

Photo: The graduate with his mom's side of the family.

The graduates throwing their hats!  I really like this picture!

Photo: Zachary's Trinity Knotted Tie! He YouTube'd to figured it out!

Photo: The eight Valedictorians.

We had a graduation party the day before his graduation. About 40 people attended the party. It was a lot of fun!

We are so proud of this young man! He has truly been a joy to raise. We say he was born a little man. He really was.  And being almost 19, it's like we have been raising a young adult for several years. He certainly didn't need much parenting.  He sometimes "parents" me! Ha ha!

Photo: Grad with Grandma and Grandpa

I couldn't have made it in time for the graduation party, or any of the events during the few days before, without my mom!  My husband and family always help, but without her help, there would have been a lot of undone things and a lot of dirty things! Dad helped run errands, too! Thanks to both of them!

Photo: Grad with Grammy

We're proud of you, Zachary!  Congratulations on your graduation! We look forward to seeing where God leads you in the future!

Elementary Christmas Party - 2011

Thursday was the elementary Christmas party for grades PK - 5th.  The event is sponsored by our Parent-Teacher Organization.  This year's party was a snowman theme.

During the party, students decorate homemade theme-shaped sugar cookies at one of the stations.  I had bought mini chocolate chips for the snowman's eyes and mouth, but my daughter accidentally forgot about then while she was helping in that center.  Oh, well, the students didn't seem to mind!

Santa stopped by the school during the party.  Children had their picture taken with him and were given their pictures after the party.  This is my youngest child on Santa's lap.

Of course, we couldn't forget class pictures with Mr. Claus.  This is the 3rd grade class.  Each class rotates through four party stations, staying at each station for 25 minutes.  Pictures with Santa were one of the stations.

Each year after Christmas, I buy a lot of the supplies we will need for the next year's party.  I store the boxes for the whole next year.  It cuts the costs of party supplies by quite a bit.  I usually wait and buy the party plates and napkins right before the party.  I could buy them in advance, but it's always fun seeing the new designs for the season.  These plates and napkins were from Hobby Lobby.  The little snowman mug, snowman gift bags for the centerpieces, and marshmallow packs (they had the saying "Snowmen Come Unassembled") are all from Oriental Trading, as is the big snowman in the first picture.

This was one of the funnest activities we've ever had at the game station.  The classes were divided in half, then the snowman making group were divided into teams.  The teams selected one person to become the snowman and the others to create the snowman.  Students were given two rolls of toilet paper to wrap around the person, plus they were given construction paper noses, hats, mouth and bones. *Note: Be sure to leave a space at the mouth and nose for the child to breathe.

The other group of students played a "snowball" game with cotton balls.  After both groups of each class were done, they switched games.  They seemed to be having a great time!

My daughter and a friend read for the book station of the party.  They chose to read two or three stories from several different snowman books.

The children enjoyed hearing stories about the snowmen.

Each year the students make a homemade Christmas ornament.  This year they made paint stick snowmen.  I ordered plain paint sticks from an online company, that were actually a little shorter than regular paint sticks, then painted the top parts of them black and the bottom of them white.

The brim of the hat are front short tongue-depressor shaped sticks painted black.  The students used glue dots to secure the brim, finishing off the snowman with Sharpie marker drawn-on eyes, mouth, nose, and buttons (Several years ago they did this same ornament, but used foam pieces for those parts.  Both ways look great!).  Finally, add a fleece strip of cloth around the snowman's "neck" for a scarf.

The Christmas party is one of my very favorite events of the whole school year.  It's so much fun to "treat" the students to fun activities and special memory-making times.  

After the party was over, a small group of junior high students came to the cafeteria to eat lunch.  I had some marshmallows left over, as well as some hot chocolate.  I asked them if they wanted some and they certainly did!  They were really excited about it!  One of them commented how he remembered those Christmas parties and how much fun they were.  I thanked him for sharing his thoughts with me.  That is why it's important to me for the students to have a special Christmas party each year. I want them to have those special memories, and I want them to have some special keepsakes from their childhood that they can look back at when they grow up.  I want them to know that I, and all of the others who take the time to help at the party, care about them.  

So.....all that's left from the party are the memories.....and a few sugar cookies :).  Now.....on to thinking about next year's party theme:  Gingerbread Men!

More Birthday Celebrations....

Although Lauren spent her real birthday with the Texas Rangers in Arlington, we had her family party a few days later.  She decorated for the occasion herself.....hence all of the Rangers' "stuff"!

Grammy (my mother-in-law) made Lauren's cake.  Didn't she do a terrific job???!!!  So cute, and I think the Rangers' organization might be calling her soon!  After the party, we froze part of the cake for the next part of her celebration.....

...a weekend long slumber party! 

 Unfortunately this picture is without one girl who had to leave early.  Some of these girls are local friends and some are from out of town.  They all met at our Bible camp several years ago and have been friends ever since.  It was fun for them to get together for a fun-filled weekend. 

A special part of their time together was that the girls all were able to go to Bible class and worship Sunday morning, as well as fellowship luncheon that day.  On a side note, that's 11 people getting dressed and ready on our house that morning and no one was late.  That's success! :)

Good friends!  Great weekend!

A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for adversity. Proverbs 17:17

HAPPY 13TH BIRTHDAY, JACOB!

It's official!  Our third child is now 13 and we officially have three teenagers in the house.  It is really unbelievable how fast children grow up, isn't it?  It seems just like yesterday we were rushing to the hospital (click here to read about that) to have that third little bundle of joy and now he's 13.

(Our four children with their little 2nd cousin, Levi) 

Jacob spent part of his birthday his baseball game and at some of his younger brother's game.  That is actually where he has spend most of his birthdays - at least for part of the day, anyway - just because of when his birthday falls.  I specifically remember him sitting in a tiny chair at his sister's t-ball game when he was two.  I remember him holding his fingers up showing his age!

For many years we have celebrated Jacob's birthday in mid-May.  Originally it was because his school friends were always too busy to come to his party in June, but were able to come when we had it before school was out. 

(Jacob with Texas Rangers pitcher Nolan Ryan's statue.)

Instead of having friends over, though, the last few years Jacob has just wanted to go to a Rangers' baseball game instead of having a friend party, so we've just done that as a family.  For his "real" birthday on June 4th (or close to that date) we have an extended family birthday party and have a hamburger/hot dog cook out.

Jacob wanted a golf-themed birthday cake.  Using the Wilton ball cake pan, but only making half of it makes it really easy.  The grass making icing tip makes a perfect backdrop for the golf ball.  This was the third golf cake I've done - one for each of my boys.  I used to insist that the didn't duplicate parties, but with three boys they eventually have had to duplicate.  It makes planning easy for me, so I can't complain!

I bought sparkler numbers instead of candles.  As we sang "Happy Birthday", though, Levi started crying.  The sparklers scared him!  Poor thing. Aunt Lori should have thought about that! (So sorry, Levi!)

Happy Birthday, Jacob!  We love you and we are proud of you in many ways.  It is exciting watching you grow up and we know that God has great plans for you.  Thank you for the example you are to others and for the special person you are in our family.  We are blessed to have you as a son!  

Elementary Reindeer Christmas Party

Every year our PTO hosts the elementary Christmas party.  Because I like parties, it's become my job to plan the party each year.  I gather supplies and then have helpers at the school who help with the party.  This picture is great to me, because I actually had room for everything in the back of the new-to-us Expedition! That made toting all the "stuff" to school so much easier.

Santa came to visit the school today to take pictures with each student.  Our youngest son, Tyler, is the only one of our children still in elementary school.  That seemed so strange today!  The oldest three were exempt from semester tests, but got up early and helped with the elementary party.  They didn't complain and actually looked forward to helping today.  Thank you Lauren, Zachary, and Jacob!  I appreciate you very much!

A friend and I made the sugar cookies and the students decorated them at one of the stations during the party.  The reindeer plates and napkins were so cute!  (Hobby Lobby) The mug was for hot chocolate and the students took them home as a little gift.

 At another station, the students made popsicle stick reindeer ornaments.  I blogged about this craft on the recipe blog the other day.  Click here for instructions.

Students were able to make reindeer food to sprinkle out on the lawn on Christmas Eve.  We used oatmeal and colors sugar crystals.

Reindeer games were "Ring the Reindeer" using the five blow-up reindeers and the insides of small embroidery hoops.  I'm not sure any antlers got rung, but the kids had fun trying!  They also played Christmas word bingo.

The reading station featured several reindeer-themed books, such as the traditional "Rudolph", as well as "Olive, the Other Reindeer."

Tyler's class, as well as all of the other classes donned their antlers and red noses for the group pictures. The antlers and noses were also provided by the PTO as gifts for the children.  They were so cute, however, they were ready to take the red noses off....not too comfortable!

I'm known as the "Party Lady" by many of the kids.  That's okay.  I like that title and that job, but, most of all, I enjoy hearing the students laugh, play, and have a fun day that they will remember for the rest of their lives. 

Today, as the students saw their tiny little reindeer mugs, they were so excited!  Just a simple little inexpensive thing and they were excited.  They were proud to wear their antlers and play games, decorate cookies, and little to a story.  Today the students had FUN.  Today they were just kids.....not have to study and learn and try to make a certain grade (not that I'm meaning that is bad, but kids need breaks, too.)  Today special memories were made at Tipton Elementary.

Merry Christmas to all of you!

Tipton Elementary Chrismtas Party 2009

For the past ten years I've helped with the Tipton elementary Christmas party through our PTO (Parent Teacher Organization), but for the last six years, I've had the priviledge of getting to plan the whole party. While this might not be something many (or even most) people would enjoy, for me it is something I not only enjoy, but look forward to all year long.

This year's party theme was "Elves".  Each student was given an elf hat to wear for the party.  Early in the day the students got a visit from Santa.  Each student is given a picture of himself/herself and Santa. 

Each year, the students go to four stations during the party and come together at the end for cookies and hot chocolate.  This year at one of the stations, the students decorated sugar cookies.  After decorating their cookies, they took them to their designated seat in the cafeteria.  This is the cookie they eat at the end of the party.  This year the students decorated elf shaped sugar cookies.

I couldn't figure out why no one was making the cookies look like elves.  Little did I know that no one recognized that the un-iced cookies were elves!!  They thought they were stockings or something! After I finally said something, the last group was able to get a few real looking elf cookies.  So funny!

Another station is always a book reading.  This year the PTO purchased "An Elf on the Shelf" workbook, book, CD, and elf for the teachers to use during the month of December.  There are lots of worksheets and crafts in the workbook, so it's worth getting and using in the classroom.  The students never actually heard the book until the party.  They enjoyed hearing the book and learning about the little elf.

The next station is the ornament-making station.  This year's ornament was an elf (of course!).  The ornaments were so cute and the students had fun making them.  It's important for me for the students to have an ornament for each year of the elementary school.  Of course some of them make them in their classrooms, too.

Since the theme was elves, I wanted the students to "build" something in a center called "Santa's Workshop".  Last February I took the 4-H members to the Oklahoma Science Museum (formerly Omniplex) Lock-In.  One of the projects they made was a mousetrap catapult.  It "catapults" a ping pong ball!  I knew this would be a perfect toy for the students to build for this Christmas party.

Here's the finished project.  Each student was given their ping pong ball at the end of the day.  It seemed that 128 ping pong balls being flung all over the school wouldn't be a smart idea!  Of course, the students were warned to not catapult anything dangerous.  Marshmallows would be fun to try, though!

It's always fun when the students come together at the end of the four stations.  The enjoy eating their decorated cookie and drinking the hot chocolate.  They enjoy singing songs, too.

This year two my two oldest children were exempt from semester tests, so I recruited them to help with the party. Daughter, Lauren, and her friend were elves.  Of course I had to get their picture as elves.  Zachary helped in the toy workshop.

My younger two children are in the 1st and 5th grades and enjoyed attending the Christmas party.  It's Jacob's last elementary Christmas party.  Kinda makes me sad!  Tyler has several more to go, though.

Here's a family picture below with my children and I.  My husband actually helped in the toy making shop too, but he was gone by the time we took this picture.  He didn't dress up, though! I think it's fun to dress up and the students really like it when some of us dress up.

Santa walked up and down to school hall, which is connected to the gym.  Some of the junior high and high school boys were practicing and we were able to take a quick picture, interrupting their practice.  They didn't seem to mind at all!

My mind is spinning thinking about next year's Christmas party.  This one was a lot of fun as you can see, but, then again, they all are fun to me! 

Other party themes have been snowmen, reindeer, gingerbread man (my absolute favorite!), Oklahoma Country Christmas, and Santa.  Whatever is chosen, one thing is for certain:  Special memories are made in the lives of these students.  That's important to me and that's why I am so thankful to have the oppotunity to

 plan the parties for them.

This year at the end of the party, one of the teachers had the students sing "Jingle Bells" to me as a thank you for the party.  It was so sweet and they did such a good job!  I had lots of helpers during the party and they deserve a big thank you, too.

Two of the helpers are here visiting family for Christmas.  They are having a break from their missionary work in England and volunteered to help with the party.  (The link to their website is on my blogroll under "Lovejoys in Morley", if you're interested.) Thank you, Jed and Shiloh, for all of your help!  Shiloh actually baked half of the sugar cookies from me (and she didn't even know what they were while she was baking them - hee! hee!). 

Merry Christmas, Tipton Elementary!