Mormon Helping Hands!!! 2011

One of our all-time favorite events of the year!! This time the Williamsport, PA Stake held the event in Lock Haven, PA. We hit the streets and 'literally' painted the town! Painting garbage cans, picking up garbage, mulching park beds, trimming and tidying - what a grand difference 450 hands can make in a morning!!!

There is nothing quite like the feeling of driving through the town seeing groups of yellow jacketed 'family' in force all around. The joy of working together to better the world lingers on through the day and year, fond memories forever!!!

These pictures document part of the day starting at the lunch we ended with and working backwards through the morning. Love to all the wonderful people who put forth their hands to help here in PA!!!

Suessical the Musical!

So much FUN! Oh, the things you can think...

when you think about the friends, family, and fun that come with five Hoffman kids performing with Loyalsock High!

A BIG, HUGE THANKYOU to those of you who came to see the show - the reward is in the sharing of course!

And the kids are really grateful for the 2 great, kind, inspiring directors they worked under and lots of fabulous friendships they developed in preparing for the show.

Especially fun for Isaac, Emily and Anna to have Mikela and Kate join them as Whos for the last few weeks of preparation.

Fun to see all the kids "grow wings' as they practiced, prepared, and grew through taking part in this musical.

Wow, so proud of the cast doing their very 'best'! The energy, amazing voices, good lighting and mics, vibrant costumes and overall talent really brought Dr. Suesses thinks to life!

Brilliant!

Suessical the Musical: READY FOR THE SHOW! Isaac, "Mayor of Whoville, with "the Bird Girls".

Show time!!!!

...turned into sick time as our family was voraciously struck by the 12 hr flu Thursday and Friday of performance weekend! The children performed Thursday night while mom & clara stayed home ill. The next morning the whole house was hit. As Mom went from room to room to rush children out the door she found moaning, groaning, suffering, sick children in every one. Kate and Mikela were the only ones healthy enough to head out the door with Mikela returning home from school soon for sick within a couple hours. Lots of praying and by afternoon Isaac, Emily, and Anna pulled themselves slowly from their sick situation enough to attend school so they could perform that night.

My parents had come into town to visit - a day early to play with us - but of course, we were all too ill! We put the house on quarantine and family visited through the windows as Mom & Dad dropped goodies on the front porch Friday - sick of not seeing us. He hee!

Very fun Mom and Dad and Kristi and Calt - thanks for the love notes all over the windows! My favorite: Share your talents and your money, but keep germs to yourself, Honey!

The show must go on! All 5 kids performed that night and we all showed up at the stake service project early the next morning (Mikela did stay home with Clara that morning for resting though). Here's to all our health!

and all Kate wanted for her birthday was....

Pretty pierced ears to wear pretty earrings! Oh, wow. After a couple years of begging... she got her wish come true. Mom admits, the birthstones sparkling on her ears look pretty - a little more grown up - but pretty on her Kate. Happy Birthday Katey!

We celebrated Katey with:
A pizza party, a surprise "Popovich's comedy pet show" at the CAC, a sleepover with a couple friends, fun breakfast and pierced ears in the morning!

Double Digits Day for Kate!

Yes, it has been one whole decade since this precious person was born! Kate was an extraordinarily beautiful baby and she has grown into a beautiful double digits girl. One's heart can't help but get wrapped up and full of love for Kate! She is vivacious, without guile, genuine, happy, involved, and full of love for her friends and family! She loves to READ (the Guardians of Gahoon series right now), play with her puppy Missy, loves to run, to play period, to help, to know what's going on (and she keeps Mom updated with gentle little info sentences), play the piano and the cello, and sing with her sisters, her heart is true as true, loyal to family and friends and to her testimony of the Savior. We ADORE you Katey!!!! Love, Mom

Mikela hits NYC!!!!

I WISH I had the pics in NYC, but the transformed Mikela pic will have to suffice. Mikela had the time of her life (young a life as that may be)being picked up in a limo with three precious friends (Leland being the birthday girl!) and headed off to NYC, princess style ;). TOO MUCH FUN!!! AND TOO MUCH SHOPPING!!! Lelands parents and grandparents that were the careful guardians for the day could not believe how much the girls loved to shop. Older and wiser they finally INSISTED that they go to the Empire state building to say they saw something in NY besides stores! It ended up being a 'high'light for Mikela! SHE LOVED THE WHOLE DAY and still has not come down! Picture features Mikela with her new FAVORITE NYC bag, her happening sandals, and stylin' shirt, close up are earrings and some high-quality nail polish to go with the outfit! Too much fun Mikela!

Kara came to visit!

Kara came to visit and with her brought LOTS of FUN, laughter, inspiration, TREATS (and left some for us to find later!), hard work (thank you Kara for helping!), and LOVE. We love you Kara! The Hoffman Crew

Esther's boots

Esther is unique in the fact that she likes 'jeans' EVERY DAY, no matter what! And a 'smooth' t-shirt (I still am not absolutely certain what this means). But every day for at least 2 years we have gone to great lengths to make certain there is a clean pair of size 6 jeans in the house - otherwise trouble. Esther wished so much for these boots for Christmas and received them and has worn them every single day since. :) I HAD to get a pic to keep of Esther and her 6 year old style.

First picnic of the season!

Freezin or not! Two little girls just a LITTLE EAGER for spring to bring warmth and extra sunshine. It was neither very warm nor very sunny, but children have always been good at pretend!