Hidden treasures found while working on my filing goal.

I was going through a box of random file folders from the shed...insert groan...and found these envelopes from a Family Home Evening we did in 2005. There was a picture and a fill-in-the-blank letter in each one (except Darwin's...he must not have filled his out). The letter was titled "A Letter to Myself", and it was so fun to find them and read what we had written! I am going to type them up on here so eventually they will make it into a bound book. =) The letters are all dated January 31, 2005.

Dear Melissa,
Today's date is 31Jan05. I am 30 years old. I measure 5'3" tall. I really like to read books with my family. When I spend time with my friends, we often make stamped cards. Some of my friends are Wendy, Olga, Melanie. Here are some of my favorites:

• Song or musician:
• Television show: Survivor, CSI
• Game: geocaching, Sims, Skip-Bo
• Book: the 5 people you meet in heaven
• Food: Chocolate - the good kind
• Primary Activity: Singing
• Place to visit: family
• Hobby: reading, sewing, playing Sims

One goal I hope to achieve by the end of this year is to read my scriptures regularly. I know Heavenly Father answers prayers because when I pray I get answers. I well try to remember to say my prayers every morning and night. See you next year! Love, Melissa
(I didn't answer all of the questions...)

Dear Brooklin,
Today's date is 1-31-05. I am 8 years old. I measure 4 feet 7 inches tall. I really like to play with my family! When I spend time with my friends, we often play the gutar. Some of my friends are Ryann and Aly. Here are some of my favorites:

• Song or musician: cuntry
  
• Television show: The Parenttrap
  
• Game: Harry Potter
  
• Book: Narnia
• Food: Baked Potato
  
• Primary Activity: articles of faith
  
• Place to visit: Sis. Kearns house (Brooklin had just started going to girl's activity days at Tanis Kearns's house)
  
• Hobby: jumprope and read
  

What I most remember about 2004 is school because I was in 2nd grade but learned 3rd.

I was pleased with myself when I learned divtion because it was a challenge to accomplish. One thing I hope to learn to do better in 2005 is my cursive letters. If I could make a wish for 2005, it would be London wouldn't make a big mess in my room.

One goal I hope to achieve by the end of this year is to read for an hour nonstop.

The Primary's My Gospel Standards are important in my life. I plan to improve on the following standards this year: To seek good friends and trat others kindly.

If I'm ever discouraged, the scriptures can help me feel the Spirit. My favorite scripture story is James chapter 1 verse 5, If you ever lak of wisdom, let him ask of god. I know Heavenly Father answers prayers because I have felt the holly gost throu prayr befor. I well try to remember to say my prayers every morning and night.

Well, see you next year!

Love, Brooklin

P.S. I forgot to say that I really like crab and shrimp with melted buter.

Dear Caleb,
Today's date is 1-31-05. I am 7 years old. I measure 3'11" tall. I really like to be with my family! When I spend time with my friends, we often play games. Some of my friends are Charlie, TJ. Here are some of my favorites:

• Song or musician: Are you Sleeping
  
• Television show: Transformers
  
• Game: Hide and Go Seek
  
• Book: Things that Go
  
• Food: Mac & Cheese
  
• Primary Activity: play games
  
• Place to visit: Idaho Falls
  
• Hobby: writing practice
  

One thing I hope to learn to do better in 2005 is how to write cursive.

Well, see you next year!

Love, Caleb

Dear London,
Today's date is 1-31-05. I am 4 years old. I measure 3' 6 1/2 " tall. I really like to play with my family! When I spend time with my friends, we often play. Some of my friends are Kindee, Winter, Ferris, Jakob, Britney. Here are some of my favorites:

• Song or musician: 1o little indians
  
• Television show: Ponies & Dora
  
• Game: London's Clues (which I think is like Blue's Clues).
  
• Book: Sesame Street School Book
  
• Food: Mac & Cheese
  
• Primary Activity: eat
  
• Place to visit: Our Backyard (this was an indoor playground in Juneau...it isn't open anymore)
  
• Hobby: think what to do
  

What I most remember about 2004 is played eye toy because it was fun.

I was pleased with myself when I make my bed because it was a challenge to accomplish. One thing I hope to learn to do better in 2005 is eat my food faster. If I could make a wish for 2005, it would be I wish I could have the whole pony set.

One goal I hope to achieve by the end of this year is to go to kindergarten.


If I'm ever discouraged, the scriptures can help me feel the Spirit. My favorite scripture story is Joseph Smith. I know Heavenly Father answers prayers because he loves me. I well try to remember to say my prayers every morning and night.

Well, see you next year!

Love, London

Dear Isaiah,
Today's date is 31Jan2005. I am 2 1/2 years old. I measure 35 1/2 " tall. I really like to family evening with my family! When I spend time with my friends, we often play with toys in the nursery. Some of my friends are Sam, Caleb Kearns Lance and Hunter. Here are some of my favorites:

• Song or musician: Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star
  
• Television show: Dora the Explorer
  
• Game: Eye Toy Bubbles

Well, see you next year!

Love, Isaiah

It all started with a yellow keychain float...

About two months ago Darwin and the kids went out to play in the hot tub. I don't remember where I was at the time, but I wasn't home. Isaiah had found a yellow key chain float in the garage, and took it out to play with in the hot tub. Darwin asked him what he was playing with and he said, "Well, it's a yellow submarine." Darwin told him that there was a song about a yellow submarine and he was really surprised. He told me about it when I got home, and asked me to look for the song for Isaiah.

I looked first on iTunes, and while there were several renditions on Yellow Submarine, none of the versions were original...and I grew up listening to my mom's many vinyl singles and albums...so I wasn't going to purchase the KidsBop version! None of the iTunes versions had the funny banter and noises that the original Beatles Yellow Submarine had. I knew that there were CD's of their music, so I went to the store to see if I could find any of them in the oldies section...hehe. No luck. My next stop was Amazone.com. I was able to locate an album titled "1" that had Yellow Submarine on it, so I used 1-click shopping and began the wait. It took over a week for the album to get here. When it finally did, we ripped off the wrapping, skipped straight to track 15, and had a listen. Isaiah's face lit up. He couldn't believe that there was a song about a Yellow Submarine!

We listened to the rest of the tracks over the week. In fact, it has been almost the only music we have been listening to in the house for the past few months. Brooklin told me this week that there was a song by the Beatles that she liked, but it wasn't on the CD we have...Here Comes the Sun. She even added it to our shopping list for the week..." a CD with Here Comes the Sun" was written in between cereal and notebook paper. Lucky for us, "The Beatles Rock Band" video game came out a few weeks ago, and with that, all of the Beatles CD's are now available at Wal-Mart! We went out yesterday to look for it, but couldn't find the Abbey Road CD at Wal-Mart and were a little bummed...but we did purchase the "White" album, because it had a whole bunch of other songs the "1" album didn't have on it. Last night, we realized that we didn't have enough milk and bread, so Darwin and I put the kids to bed and let Brooklin stay up while we ran to Fred Meyer. We found an album called "The Beatles Love" and it had "Here Comes the Sun" on it. (On a side note, I also found a CD called "The Best of the Monkees" and bought that too! I really loved putting on my mom's records and dancing in the living room with my brothers when we were younger!)

Anyway, we didn't tell Brooklin we found her song. We just put it into the CD player this morning and watched. It was so cute! Her face started out puzzled...and then it just lit up!! She couldn't stop smiling. So we are in full Beatlemania...we haven't purchased The Beatles RockBand yet (we stopped at PS2...no Wii, no XBOX, no PS3)...but maybe santa will smile on us this year... =)

...Oh so soft and cuddly!

Do you remember these!!

Monchhichi, Monchhichi, oh so soft and cuddly!

I was at Safeway...the grocery store weird enough...and they had Monchhichis for sale! I so couldn't believe it! I went to get milk and bread, and came home with a little piece of my childhood. It was so funny, I kept touching them in the cart, because I couldn't believe they were in Safeway and I could buy them! I called my mom immediatly to tell her about them. One year I even dressed up as a Monchhichi for Halloween. I wore a brown sweater, brown pants, I put my hair up in a ponytail on top of my head, and my mom made me a bib and I even painted my nose brown (if I remember right). I've added a picture below of me when I was seven or eight holding a Hershey bear and my Monchhichi. MOM, if you even try to post a comment about why I was laughing in this picture, then I will have to beat you to it. =) I was laughing my head off in the picture because my mom said smile, and instead I.... well I cut the cheese...and I thought it was totally funny, especially because I was sitting on a wooden rocking chair and that seemed to amplify the sound.