My sister looked at me in the hospital and asked, “Will you be the funeral coordinator?” I told her I was already on it. Beck died a few hours later. I couldn’t grieve then, I went immediately into planning mode. I knew I couldn’t take away my sister’s pain, but I could plan a perfect funeral for her and Beck. Since it was a child’s funeral and there would be lots of kids around, I wanted to make sure the funeral was kid friendly. The collective family brain went to work.

For May’s “Service Saturday” we wanted to help a small family in our neighborhood. Last year, they were sealed together as a family in the Manti LDS temple on their 10th wedding anniversary. Chad and I were invited to the ceremony, and it was special to see the kids sealed to their parents.

It all started with sick kids and sippy cups. In an effort to decrease the spread of germs, I assigned each kid their favorite color of sippy cup. Elle was green; Crew was blue; and Croft was pink. They were not to drink out of any other color.

Every mom wants her children to read over the summer, but it is not always easy to motivate them.  I decided to head up a Summer Book Club last year for my daughter to keep her reading.  We invited 5 of her friends to participate that were all around the…

Elle drew a “No” symbol on a brown paper bag. Then I filled it with props: a straw, toothpick, ice (in a baggie), whistle, and the word BELCH. The kids drew out one prop at a time and then we discussed the manner.

Before I had children I was pretty judgmental of other moms. I was never going to have a messy car like the families I babysat for with french fries on the floor and crusty car seats. I was never going to have a messy house, like the family in my neighborhood with peanut butter and jelly smeared on their wall or laundry spread all over.