Happy 18th Birthday, Quincy!

Party festivities included 
7pm meet at our house for dinner. I made enchiladas, Mexican corn, and cilantro rice. 

9-9:30 private party laser tag at Fast Lanes

10pm+ dessert and games/shenanigans

The last two kids to go home left at 2:25am! We sent everyone home with a personalized deck of playing cards with 18 her friends on all the cards and everyone who she invited was on a card.They turned out amazing! 

My one regret is that I never took a group photo for her to remember. Here’s everyone who came:

Brightyn G (Ace), Luke D, Luke C, Gavin F (2), Gracie D (3), Parker O (4), Annalisa G (5), Zack S/ZShef (6), Millie K, Lily A (8), Baylee G (9), Henson (10), Zach V/ZVan (J), Quincy (Q of course), Ryan M (K), Luey G and Lance/Fancy are on the joker cards. Lance (joker) and David S (7) had other plans and didn’t make it. Quincy had a magical night and only two of the kids she invited weren’t there. She felt loved and celebrated all night. She was given a few really thoughtful gifts, her favorite being a 200+ song playlist made just for her (long live the mix tape!)The pic on the front of the cards was a random .5 of Quincy choosing wearing a ratty Van Halen tee getting a perm 🤣 it’s not thus exact pic, but now I can’t find it to upload to the blog. It was this same time though but she is making a silly face her tongue is out and since it’s a .5 photo it’s like 75% forehead and it’s really something else hahaha I love her and her authentic quirkiness. 

Zshef and Baylee came up with the idea of a “hear ne out cake” which is a trend where you add pics of celebrities or characters you think are hot but aren’t the popular opinion. Quincy started out with this and put Steve the nerdy pommel horse Olympian gymnast. Then she decided she needed Glen Powell on her cake and everyone agrees, so not exactly a “hear me out”. Then she added Theo James, which is also Baylee’s celeb crush and her cake just turned into “people Quincy thinks are beautiful” cake and included 2 Glen Powell as well as 2 Timothee Chalomet because Dune Timmy and Little Women Timmy are different breeds but both deserving of heart eyes lol. Florence Pugh, Ana De Armas and some dudes from outer banks (a show she doesn’t even watch but finds attractive) also donned the cake and were highly requested slices from a few party attendees 😂😂😂. In the end, Quincy said “I should have just put photos of everyone at the party on the cake. I have really attractive friends!”  

And that’s Quincy in a nutshell. She is drawn to beautiful people and she unapologetically tells them they’re beautiful. 

On her actual bday, Corbin and I made her a breakfast smoothie before seminary/school, then Aaron and I took her and Brightyn for bagels at Ozark during their 10:30 break before Ignite, Soren and Corbin and buddies offered to babysit and we took her to wrights for dinner, then she and her brothers went to the youth activity (white elephant party). Zach V came by and helped us make mango sticky rice (Saeng and Ben Ratsachack’s recipe using a video that is in Laotian. It was a good laugh and we tried our best) then we all watched 10 Things I Hate About You. 

You did it, Q. You made it to adulthood. I’m so proud of the person you are. 

Chamber Cello Section Christmas Party

Quincy and Henson planned a party for the cello section of Chamber orchestra at our house on Friday. They planned it right after finals but while little kids were still at school. I made a huge breakfast spread with egg nog bread pudding, sausage and hash browns, a fruit and yogurt parfait bar, smoked cheese charcuterie (thanks Bayles’s for the cheese!) and a steel cut oats bar. 

Lance R, Gavin P, Henson B, Quincy, Zack S, Nina K, Brock W, Millie K, Lily A (missing Tristan C, Charlie R, Abhinav, Ryan S, and Constantin S) 

These kids are so talented! It was fun for them to plan a party to just hang out and be together. 

They wore pajamas, planned a breakfast Smorgie, then legos and graham cracker gingerbread house duo contest 

Quincy and Nina teamed up for a triple decker, Millie and Lily made a pink church, Henson and Gavin made a house, and Shef made a Mario star. 






Legos for the people

These kids are so easy. They don’t need to be entertained, they come up with fun on their own. There was a nerf war, ping pong, just dance, and a few kids music jammed for awhile, and the first reggae orchestra was born, haha. They ended up staying for 4ish hours. Fun friends, fun party! 

Giving Machines Part 2

The Giving Machine greatness continued the following week with Sugar Creek Ward Orchestra performing. Aaron took each family member to pick out something to donate and the twins chose safe shelter. The miracle that we get the gift of being Bear and Esme’s forever family is not lost on us. We also donated a beehive, clean water, a toilet, 







On Sunday night we attended the Bentonville Stake Noel to hear Q’s friends Zach V play bassoon, Henson B play cello, and several of her friends sing in chamber and stake choir. Q left the performance with Luke D and went back to the square to meet friends for even more Giving Machine fun! I love that this group of friends always chooses something good and wholesome to do when they gather. Several of them pooled cash together and made donations. 

Our neighbors have also made visits to the machines with their kids to donate. 

We have really loved this new Christmas tradition for 2024 and hope it returns next December! 

Sadie C, Gavin F, Dane H, Henson B, Josh T, Kate K, Indy G, Quincy, Luke D

Merry Christmas! Light the World! 

Giving Machines in Bentonville

The giving machines have arrived on Bentonville Square! My kids have a few opportunities to play cello m and volunteer at the site. A few of Corbin’s friends  came to hear him and their buddy Neal play. Corbin got to show Charlie and Pfeiffer how to use the machines. I took a tiny video clip of him explaining what giving machines do and he’s so cute and smiley I can’t get over it. He is just too too cute! Hooray for service in all the ways! #lighttheworld

Quincy is a Certified Phlebotomy Technician and Emergency Medical Responder.

Quincy got an A in EMR! This is not an easy feat or a common thing. I talked to

Her teacher at friends and family day yesterday, and she told me many of the students are just trying to survive and are lucky to pull a C in this intense class. Quincy worked SO hard this semester. I’m so proud of her dedication and determination.  

Her final task was to have 30 successful needle sticks. She called on family and friends to stop by the Ignite building and lined us up to stick us. Her instructor sent me these pics. She told me she is so impressed with Quincy and that her attention to policy and safety  details and her patient bedside manner are a blessing. 

Big shout out to great friends who came through and were willing to trust Quincy to put a needle in their arm (and maybe a few of them possibly just wanted to look tough and heckle her a bit, but either way, she passed!). She did an excellent job and I’m happy to report I have no bruise on my arm. Corbin’s face was. Just for dramatic effect, haha! 

Another fun thing Quincy did this week was volunteer as a “victim” for a firefighter/first responder active shooter and mass casualty training. She spent 5 hours with this fake leg injury and “dying” over and over again. After the training, the fire captain found her and handed her 5 bucks for a sonic drink to thank her for taking the exercise seriously. She said she loved it and can’t wait for her first ambulance shift next semester. 

Way to go, Quincy! Next up, EMT! 

Eras Tour Dance Party

I saw an ad for a Taylor Swift dance party at JJ’s Live in Fayetteville. There is an 18+ party from 9-midnight but I noticed a they were offering one for “all ages” from 6-8pm. Aaron immediately was on board because he is the best girl dad ever. I told the little girls about it when they got home from school and they got to work making friendship bracelets. Bear made several for them to take, too. 

It’s Taylor swifts birthday today, which is why her “lucky number” is 13, and tickets were only $13. We are missing the biggest swiftie, Reese, a little extra since her 20th bday is tomorrow. She would have thought this was the greatest. 

Put a bazillion girls in sequins, glitter boots, light up bedazzled hats, fringe dresses, pink faux fur, and all the lacey sparkly things together in a room. It was a total love fest! Everyone just walked around complimenting each other, giving each other bracelets and stickers and legit saying things like “want to be friends? Let’s dance!”  Any newcomer without any bracelets was immediately pounced upon and showered with affection and beads. Aaron said “I’ve never seen anything like this before.” 

The eras tour saved America. You will never see women so inclusive, kind, complimentary, and supportive of each other than at a Taylor swift event. It’s just part of the code that you’re best friends immediately! We had the best time!