6-year old

This little man is 6.  Yes - he is six years old!  I can hardly believe it myself.  He of course wanted dinner at IHOP for his birthday.

 He also had a birthday party with friends - complete with a piñata!  I made one ... not sure I will do that again.  That was a time intensive, messy process, involving balloons, flour paste, newspaper, an odd shaped baseball, lots of tissue paper and a very sharp knife ... but it saved money and the kids LOVED it.

 With it freezing cold and snow up to our knees outside, we had to have the baseball themed party inside.  6 year old boys are so much fun!

 

baseball cupcakes

 
 Big D is officially a lego man --- he LOVES legos!

 Happy Birthday Big D!  You are a blessing to our family!  We love the way you roll your eyes at all of our craziness, how to play hard and long with friends, family and anyone willing to throw a ball, ride a bike or put legos together.  You are totally picky about how you dress - but you always look just right, even if it is always casual (if you have to wear a collar we know you like it loose!).  I love how you to love to draw, make paper airplanes, practice the piano and listen to good music.  I secretly love to hear it when you are disappointed that you have to go to school - I wish you could stay home and play with me all day too!  You love recess, tolerate school work, and love to learn (actively!)  You give amazing hugs and are genuine in your feelings.  You are not afraid to let us all know how you really feel!  You love to have your back rubbed at bedtime and you want to grow up so fast.  Can't wait to watch you play baseball this spring without the T!  You are an amazing 6 year old!

To celebrate the Olympics we had an Olympic themed dinner one night ---  a pineapple upside down cake for the 'Olympic rings',

 and perogies, a Russian potato dumpling - don't worry, I didn't make these!  You can buy them in the freezer section at the grocery - easy and delicious!  Not long after our little dinner, Miss Lilly rounded up the neighborhood one afternoon and had an Olympic tryouts session.  When I answered the door for a friend that afternoon I found the sign on our door advertising it.  They had a great time playing Olympics!

 Big D as my piano ninja - never know when he is going to practice, but when he does it is always amazing!

 Master S had his first performance as a trumpet player.  The Middle Schools 6th grade music classes perform for the incoming 5th graders to show them what band, orchestra and choir is like, as those are their choice for 6th grade.

 It was a great performance and loved how they showed off each of the instruments to introduce them.

 Miss Lily posing with her artwork on display at the school. 

 And showing off in the show -- love this picture of her!

Dad'd 60th

For January I got to go on a trip all by myself ... I went to surprise my Dad for his 60th birthday!  It was so fun to surprise him - he had no idea, even when my mom went to pick me up the night I flew in, he still had no clue.  She told him she was going to go to the airport to pick someone up, but wouldn't tell him who, and he decided to go to bed instead of going with her!  So, I slept that night in the house, and surprised him at breakfast in the morning.  Love my Dad!

I got to have lunch with him, check out a new building in downtown Boise and was there for some surprise parties my mom and sister-in-law had planned.  It was wonderful to see family and spend time with my parents.

I also go to see this darling little girl!  Little miss B.  Love her!

 And her little 'new' baby sister Miss K.  Oh, and their parents - it was fun to see them too :)

 Dad, sleeping off the surprises.  Happy 60th Dad!

the LONG winter

Winter!  Yes - it has been a LONG winter!  These are pictures from a snowstorm that occurred the weekend before school was to start back after the winter break.  Needless to say, we had an extra week of winter break!

 Not only was there LOTS of snow, but it got bitterly cold immediately after it stopped snowing.  The roads were awful for days! 

 It was -40 degrees with the wind chill for at least 3 days.  We have video on my google plus profile showing J.D. throwing boiling water up in the air one of those mornings.  It turned instantly to ice/cloud and floated away for fell to the ground.

 The kids have loved the snow!  We have gotten plenty of sledding in this year and Miss Lilly and Big D even made snow ice cream with friends one day when school was cancelled.

 Our neighbors have been wonderful, using their snow blowers to clear our driveway and sidewalks on days with the snow was crazy deep.  We are blessed to live in a great neighborhood with great neighbors.

 

 

 

Story of Potatoes

I'm an Idahoan at heart, and yes, I LOVE potatoes.  So, this story was of particular interest to me when I saw it on the www.lds.org website (for our church).  It is the story of serving your enemies and the faith and love that it can build.  It is a wonderful video of service and the power it can have in the lives of those receiving it, as well as those giving it.

http://history.lds.org?lang=eng

Monopoly

Monopoly - its a game that I dread playing.  I don't know why.  I'm sure it has nothing to do with the fact that it revolves around money, and/or the lack of it and the reality that I'm usually the one lacking it.  Or, it could be that whenever I played it as a kid, someone always ended up mad, or sad or irritated and incredibly poor.  It just doesn't create good feelings, unless you happen to be the one who is rolling in fake money, hotels and property at the end of the game, robbing everyone else of their pennies.  Yea - can you tell I really don't like that game?!

So, when my kids pulled it out this morning and all three decided to play together I winced a little, ok, maybe I winced a lot.  I just knew how it was going to end - and it was not going to end pretty.  I gave them the speech that 'only one person wins, do all three of you realize this?!' and 'someone will take your money if you aren't the one winning' and 'you can't cry about it!' and 'it is only a game!' and they all looked back at me and said things like, 'oh, we know mom' and 'we promise - we won't get upset' and 'we are just playing for fun'.  Uh -huh ...

They started out well, then Master S read the rules several times to remind the younger two that you can't just buy any property and you can't just put houses anywhere at anytime.  When Miss Lilly complained that Master S didn't want her to have any houses I knew we were starting to spiral.  The rules were read again.  Then things got a little more heated when Big D had issue with never getting the pot of money in the middle a few times, and the rules were read again.  At that point I told them they had 10 minutes and then it would be time to wrap it up.  Just before we got to the 10 minute mark, Miss Lilly was getting particularly frustrated that she had no hotels and Master S had more than a few.  I was preparing for the worst, thinking He would do the usual and read her the rules, yet again and then he totally surprised me.

He reached into the box and pulled out a stack of play money and said, "Miss Lilly!  I have been saving this for you.  Every time I got some money I put a little bit to the side so I could buy you some hotels.  I think I have enough to buy 3!"  Miss Lilly beamed!

I just about had to pick my mouth up off the floor - Master S?  Being nice in a game of monopoly!  And he didn't read the rules again!  Is this seriously happening?!  Where did he learn to save a little every time he earned money ... me? his dad?  Did we ever teach him that?  And then share that with his sister?  Amazing!

Every once in awhile I get a glimpse.  A glimpse of who my children are, who they are meant to be and I am in awe.  Monopoly still isn't my favorite game, but I think it has created a new favorite memory for me.  A memory of kids doing the unexpected, of rising to the challenge of being kind, of sacrificing for another, of playing the game, but bending the rules just a little, in an effort to make someone else smile. 

Christmas 2013

As I have been away from my family for more Christmases than I can count, the last few years I have decided to embrace it.  My children are old enough that Christmas needed to be where they were and not where I wanted to be.  So, last year we threw a Christmas Eve party - just to build more 'fun' into the evening instead of waiting and whining ... It was a great success and when we asked the kids again this year what was one thing that they really wanted to do at Christmas again, it was the party!  It was my favorite thing too!  I only wish my house was bigger and then I could invite everyone I know and love here in Indiana - that is the only reason I would ever want a bigger house!

 

 We had a gingerbread contest - with prizes for everyone, a big pasta dinner, read Luke 2 while the kids dressed up and acted out the nativity,

 The house was full, but it was full of lots of laughter, good conversation, good food and wonderful friends.

We finished with dessert, some ping pong and then everyone went home to sleep so Santa would come.  It is wonderful to feel surrounded by family, even if they aren't the people you grew up with, but people that you know and love - We have been so blessed to call so many 'family' here. 

 The kids opened the traditional PJs on Christmas Eve before bed and then, the next morning participated in the traditional 'scavenger hunt' that Santa leaves each year.

 Miss Lilly and her horse ...

 The boys and their micro-chargers ...

 Finishing up a Christmas breakfast ...

 And trying on the BYU t-shirts Grandpa and Grandma Y sent. 

We have been blessed with so much and are so grateful for this time of year to reflect on the most important things and spend time with the people that matter the most - each other!  Merry Christmas!