Simply Craig

Here is the  Scripture Treasure Box  that some you have been asking about! If you're wondering what a Scripture Treasure Box is, it's simply a collection of everyday objects that represent scripture stories or gospel principles. As you read a scripture together, you pull out the matching object and use it to help tell the story. It's a simple way to make family scripture study more interactive, especially for younger children. Our family loves pulling out a few treasures during  Family Home Evening . The kids get excited to guess what scripture story each object represents, and it often leads to some wonderful discussions. It's amazing how a simple object can help children remember a scripture story long after Family Home Evening is over. Here are some of the treasures we've collected over the years. Chicken  – The hen gathers her chicks (Matthew 23:37; Doctrine & Covenants 43:24) Baby  – Moses in the bulrushes (Exodus 2:1–10) Candle  – Let your light s...

I walked into the kitchen and immediately noticed something unusual on the glass oven door. There were strange markings all over it. My first thought? My kids are way too old for this. Or so I thought. I called everyone into the kitchen and began my investigation. One by one, I asked if anyone knew anything about the mysterious markings. Blank stares. Shrugs. "Nope." "It wasn't me." No one seemed to know a thing. Clearly, it was time to bring out my  mom detective skills . I lined everyone up in front of the oven and carefully looked each one up and down, searching for any clue that might reveal the guilty party. Avoiding eye contact. Fidgeting. Stuttering. A nervous smile. Anything. I also had one important question. "What did you write on my oven with?" Eventually, I discovered it had been done with a Wikki Stix—one of the prizes from the library's summer reading program. Not exactly easy to clean off... But it certainly could have been worse. Af...

Phew... What a morning! I know summer is officially over when the alarm starts ringing at  6:00 a.m. Back to the old routine. Lunches to pack. Backpacks to fill. Shoes to find. Hair to fix. And somehow getting everyone out the door on time. In the middle of all the morning chaos, I still managed to snap a few pictures before the kids left. Okay... Maybe more than a few. And yes... The camera may have followed them all the way to school. Some moments are simply too important not to capture. Our youngest was all smiles as she headed off for her very first day of kindergarten. She wore her new title proudly. Kindergartener. She couldn't wait to get there. Our sweet second grader was just as excited to see her friends again. She's kind, thoughtful, and such a joy to be around. Her teacher is one lucky person. Dawson headed off to fifth grade. He's always been the life of the party. In fact, I usually get to visit with his teacher on a fairly regular basis. Here's hoping ...

There's something about the beach that I love. Maybe it's the sound of the waves. Maybe it's escaping the Arizona heat. Or maybe it's simply being together without the distractions of everyday life. Whatever it is, we never seem to get enough of it. This trip was especially memorable because some of the biggest waves in years rolled into the Orange County coastline while we were there. Some reached nearly fifteen feet, and with high surf and dangerous rip currents, the lifeguards stayed busy keeping everyone safe. We admired the waves from a distance for most of the weekend. At least...  I  did. The boys, on the other hand, became a little more adventurous as the days went on. As their confidence grew, so did the number of reminders from the lifeguards to stay out of the dangerous surf. Thankfully, by late Saturday afternoon, the tide settled down just enough for everyone to enjoy the water a little more. The rest of our vacation was everything a beach getaway should be...