My Point of View: All about Callie November 3rd & 5th 2016

Callie turns EIGHT November 3, 2016

Callie knew that most likely she would open a new outfit to wear to school that day.

She also opened a new DVD: The Little Princess. We recently finished the book and tried to check it out at our local library but they only had the old Shirley Temple version. We checked it out anyway. Katrina came over that evening and the three of us watched it on my bed. We got a good chuckle out of it.

Callie was planning on her birthday celebration being with the family the following Saturday after her baptism. However, during school I decided it would be fun to throw her a "little"

surprise party when she got home. I texted the neighborhood moms and their girls were all available. When I picked up Callie from school I told her we needed to find her some baptism shoes.

This gave Ava a chance to get the friends in place. They crouched behind the couch and yelled, "Surprise!" when Callie walked in. I learned the best way for the friends to not blow the surprise is for the party to be a surprise for them too.

They all brought a doll for the "little" party.

Callie had one special gift to open before the party began, Willa!

The dolls dined first.

November 3rd will now be Willa's birthday too!

Then it was time for the big girls to dine.

I am always so grateful for Ava's creative touch and help during parties.

The cake completely fell apart when I frosted it. I hurried and sliced it onto each plate.

This little friend cracks me up. At one point she exclaimed, I'm bored, can we put on some music and dance?

I told the moms in my text to not worry about gifts, especially with the late notice. Somehow they all brought gifts anyway.

Callie read each card so thoughtfully,

and showed much love and appreciation for each gift.

Then there was reverence for Callie's new scriptures.

Poe has since engraved her own mark on the cover (grrrrrrr). This left Callie in tears till Matt said, "You can now always remember your cat Poe who signed her name." It seemed to help.

Callie insisted on taking the gifts out of the packaging during the party. She got flustered and cut the string on the Barbie cord that is supposed to stay attached. She cried on the couch about that. I guess in some ways it is nice to see she is still a little girl;)

After the guests left we took Callie to the Library. She has been most anxious to get her OWN library card. Though the library requires kids to only be five to get their own card, we have misplaced enough cards for me to make her wait till she is eight. She was thrilled!

Like highlight-of-the-day-thrilled.

Dinner was at her first choice restaurant, Wendy's. The day was a success. Up next, her baptism day!

November 5, 2016 Heber North Stake Center

Our family all stood at the pulpit together and shared "Gospel Moments" from Callie's life. The following is the outline:

Instead of us telling Callie and April what the Gospel of Jesus Christ means- we want to share what Callie has taught US about the Gospel of Jesus Christ:

Graham: A couple of years ago for the Primary Program, Callie worked hard to memorize her speaking part. When she got up to say it in the microphone the leader started to whisper it in her ear. Callie whispered back, “I can do it myself.” Everyone in the congregation started to laugh. Callie waited till everyone stopped laughing, cleared her throat, and said her speaking part loud and clear.”

Being a part of the church gives us the opportunity to grow, speak up, and do things that are out of our comfort zone so that we can become more like the Savior.

(Read the scripture, “Thy Confidence shall wax strong in the presence of the Lord.” D&C 121:45)

Grayson: Callie likes to set out the scriptures sometimes to remind us to have family scripture study at night. She does this even though the scriptures are sometimes hard for her to understand. She likes the feeling she gets when we read them together as a family. Even when we don’t understand something completely the Holy Ghost can testify to us that it is true:

(Read Scripture about Holy Ghost. John 15:26)

Ava: This past September when me and my mom were going to the Stake Center to watch the General Women’s Broadcast for girls 8 years and older, Callie wanted to come with us even though she was still 7. She came and paid attention and even took notes! (Show notes). Some of the things she wrote down are: “We love the prophet, the Spirit, agency, for God, faith is trust, all will be well, don’t give up.”

We will all learn different things even if we are at the same meeting depending on what we need to learn if we pay attention.

(Find a scripture that tells about the Holy Ghost bearing witness)

Romans 8:16

Mallerie: When Callie was little and we would have family scripture study she would sometimes get offended and go into the hallway and slam the door. However, when it was her turn to read, my Dad would say, “Callie it is your turn and he would start a scripture for her to repeat after him, “And it came to pass…” We would hear Callie’s voice from under the door, “And it came to pass…”

Sometimes in the Church will get our feelings hurt and we will get offended. BUT we still need the nourishing word of God.

(Read a scripture about the nourishing word of God Moroni 6:4)

Katrina: When Callie was little she would carry around a grocery bag full of odds and ends. It was a big bag! One Sunday when I was helping her out of her car seat she tried to bring it into church. I told her she had to leave it in the car but she punched me in the face so I let her bring it in.

We all bring our “baggage” to church each Sunday to lay our burdens at the Lord’s feet.

(Read a scripture about laying our burdens at the feet of the Savior)

Mom: For Family Home Evening one Monday night we had a lesson on the Holy Ghost. It was around Halloween time and one of the kids had been given a sucker that looked like a Ghost. After the lesson the kids wanted to play a game where one person would go out of the room while the others hid the sucker and then the person would come back in and try to find it. When it was my turn to go out of the room I could hear the kids hide it and then they said, “K- nobody look at when mom comes back in.” I came back in and Callie was sitting on the bench and she could NOT stop staring at the Ghost. I saw she was looking up at the ceiling fan. Instead of looking up there I went over and turned on the fan and the Ghost sucker went flying around the room to everyone’s delight.

We should never turn away from the Holy Spirit because it not only will lead us where to go in life but also will help others also know where to go.

(Scripture Moroni 10: 5-6)

Dad: I got to be a Nursery Leader for Callie and Graham, after Graham left to Sunbeams she was still happy to stay in Nursery because Abby and I were in there. But when January rolled around and it was her turn to leave to the Sunbeam class she did not want to go! So she stayed in Nursery with us. We were released as Nursery leaders in June and so she learned she had to go to our Gospel Doctrine class with us or she could finally go to Sunbeams. She FINALLY decided to go to her own class

The Lord is patient with us (read a scripture on patience)

We had such a great group of extended family that came to support and love us.

The day was so gorgeous you never would have guessed it was November. We reserved the pavilion at the church next door and enjoyed the sunshine while we lunched.