Girls Night Out

The girls and I drove down to Salt Lake on Saturday to spend some time with my sister. A storm was coming to we left on Sunday morning, earlier than expected, but we still had a fabulous time. My sister and her family stay with our Aunt and Uncle and so we crashed the party. The girls had so much fun playing with their cousin, Elsie. They did hair and make-up, and unbeknownst to me stayed up late watching movies! Those little devils! They were even excited to go to church on Sunday, because they got to go with Elsie. I got to go shopping with my sis and bro-in-law and I think I drove them crazy because I'm not use to so many shopping choices! I only dragged them to two stores though, so don't feel too bad for them. I got to visit my Grandma and Grandpa, which was sad (seeing them grow older and more feeble), but also good. Just so no one thinks I hate taking pictures of Lanny, he stayed home with his Grandfather...this was a girls only trip!



Kel loved sitting in the baby swing...it's not hers, but she couldn't get enough of it!

My Uncle snapped most of these pictures, including this one...it is my favorite from the trip. They are watching a video, and I love the tenderness in this picture. Love that my big girl is taking such good care of my little girl! I love cuddle time, it makes the world go round!



Good times, a movie and hair session!

No, I haven't beaten my girls, that's the mascara from the earlier make-up session!

Following My Fortune

So Aaron surprised us with Chinese from Jackson a few days ago. My fortune told me to come back later because it was sleeping. So I took Kessie's. Hers said, "To truly find yourself you should play hide and seek alone." So, not one to buck the system I thought, "Okay!" Let me just tell you, I learned a couple important things about myself.

A. I'm always up for a challenge.
and
B. I am amazing! I can't believe how good I am at hiding! I know my kids have said I'm hard to find, but wow! I rock!

Sooo...if you find me, please let me know, because I have lost myself....I'm just too dang good at this game!

Finally...but a sad finally

This last weekend was a big step in my little ones life. Kel has had some issues with her teeth because of how much she likes to nurse. I was completely oblivious until a couple weeks ago, yeah; I’m not winning the mother of the year award! So, we decided to wean her. Since she wasn’t a willing participant, I sent her and Daddy and the rest of the kids to Grandma’s for a sleepover weekend. It is so nice to have family close by that is so supportive. The older kids had a great time, and Kel, honestly, has done fabulous! Whenever she saw me, she would want to nurse, but then I’d leave and she’d be fine. She did have some major meltdowns when it was naptime or bedtime, but we have gotten through them. I went to take the kids lunch on Saturday, because Grandma was riding with Kessie and when I walked in, Kel smiled, came over to me and then proceeded to point and grunt at my chest. I told her “no”, so she tried to take my coat off for me. I told her “no” again, and she yelled at me and then went to play with Lanny. She’s a tough girl. I think everyone has done a better job at adjusting than I have. It has been hard to say good-bye to my baby, and hello to my toddler. It didn’t help that we also took her to nursery for the first official time, and she loved it! No crying, no holding on to my leg, not even a good-bye, she just walked in and started to play. Yeah, I’m feeling a little unnecessary. Okay, so I feel completely unneeded. Friday morning my baby was still nursing, and now she’s off to college…how did that happen. Okay, maybe I’m being a bit dramatic, but seriously, this has been a traumatizing weekend, show some pity! Kel has adjusted so well to all the new changes. She still has some moments, but we’re working through each step together. Since she has stopped nursing, I’ve noticed that she has increased in chatter. Before, she would just want to nurse all day, now she comes over and sits on my lap and “talks to me”. I love it. We read stories last night, with her doing the reading---yes, she’s a genius! She also has made up for the lack of close contact by ensuring that my arm is around her when we read and that I am not reading a book while we watch a movie. Last night I was holding her while she watched Ducktales and I was reading on the sly…apparently, not so slyly because she grunted and closed my book. After a few minutes, I started reading again. Wrong move, she grunted closed my book, and then threw it off the couch…okay, no more reading for me! She also gives me lots of kisses…maybe to let me know that even though I’m not as needed, she still loves me. I am so blessed!

In other news, Lanny lost another tooth…I swear, his tooth fairy is going to kill us. How would you like flying in freezing cold weather? P.S. Did I mention that his tooth was loose on the way home from school...yeah, he went in the bathroom and tugged on it until it came out...ouch! He also went skiing yesterday for the first time. He came home sunburned, sore, but very happy. I was really worried, since I have no coordination and I thought he might not be able to get the hang of it, but he did. And since you know Lanny, I’m sure you can imagine how he described his day…lots of hand gestures, sound effects, and animated shows of proper form. He was so excited, it almost made me want to go skiing…then I remembered that I like whole bones and thus will refrain from hitting the slopes. He gets to go again on tomorrow, so keep your fingers crossed that he doesn’t get cozy with any trees!

Kessie is doing great in piano. She started taking lessons from her school teacher. She loves to play, but with only two lessons behind us, she is already complaining about actually practicing what her teacher asks her to. Wow, now I know what it feels like, sorry Mom!

Louie is my fashionista. She loves having earrings and changes them up daily. We just bought her some more and I’ve had to curse a bit because as the bus pulls up, she is putting earrings in. She always looks super cute, but is late to everything. She has found that big, shiny earrings are not condusive to having a little sister. Kel ripped one out of her ear yesterday, but luckily, did no damage to Louie’s ear.

Here’s a saying I saw on the internet and had to make. I love it. The original was yellow and orange and teal, but I prefer something a little calmer…yeah right…some of you know that my window coverings are bright orange, green, and blue, so really that last statement was a lie. I painted it actually to match my coffee table! I am rather fond of how it turned out…now let’s see if I can actually follow the signs advice!

Another Hot Day

Yes, I could still see my breath, but wow, it was a beautiful day. Aaron called me and told me it would be in the negatives by the weekend, then he ordered me outside. It was quite a trial. Kel has never had snowpants on, and since I lost one of her boots, I had to put on boots that were four sizes too big for her. However, after a series of huge, screaming, tear filled fits, we made it outside. I tried to sled down the road with her (we live on a little hill), but Kel would have none of that. So we both got out of the sled and took a little walk down the road. It was fantastic to be outside. Apparently, I don't know when to quit because Kel was in tears again before we made it home, but we did have a nice time, in between the tears. I could totally handle winters here if the temps were always in the thirties, but alas, life is not meant to be easy. But, I'm still feeling blessed to have enjoyed a few minutes with my baby!

Bermuda Shorts

When we moved here, I understood that winter was a big part of this valley, however, I didn't expect the temperatures to be so devastating. For the past few weeks whenever I walked outside, even in the afternoon, my nose would fall off....that's how bitter it has been. The temps have had a hard time reaching zero. Therefore, I have been sporting a variety of different noses, whatever I could find lying around that had fallen off of other's faces...gruesome, but true. Did I mention it has been cold. Well, today we were transported to Hawaii. It reached 33 degrees. Wow! My kids were taking off their coats, they refused gloves and hats. They thought spring had come early, and yep, I had my own nose on! It was fantastic! The forecast is calling for two more days of heat and then the temps will plummet again back into the negative 28 degrees or colder.
Amid these below freezing temps we have still had to continue on with day to day life. School is never cancelled and I still need to get milk and bread. A couple days ago, Kel and I were going crazy in the house. I didn't want to take her out for no reason, but we had had enough of being inside. So I pulled out her Christmas present that she had still not opened. I blew up her swimming pool from her birthday and threw her present in it....she got some balls from Santa. We played for a good hour, and then when the kids came home we had 100 projectiles flying through the house...still can't find all the balls and I keep falling prey to sneak attacks. Everyday Kel plays in her ball pit and it gives us a bit of color in our presently white world. And seriously, she doesn't have a mullet, her hair was just being funny.

Last Thursday was the Pine Wood Derby. Aaron doesn't have any of his tools to help Lanny make one, so we used Lanny's car from last year. There were actually a lot of kids that did that, so I didn't feel too bad. Lanny was really excited, and Aaron went insane. He was calculating totals and shushing me, because, apparently, the Pine Wood Derby is big business. So here is the ironic thing. Lanny got first place! His car was never beaten and his fastest time was never topped. The other cars couldn't touch him. All the dad's were asking Aaron for advice and Aaron just laughed. Last year, Lanny did well, but this same car came in fourth. He was even beaten by a car that the wheels had fallen off of. I just turned to Aaron and said, "I guess they know how to build them in Cheyenne!" He didn"t appreciate my comment. I didn't take a picture at the derby because I figured he'd be somewhere in the mid to top range like last year, oops! So here is Lanny the next day, being a ham as usual.

Catch Up....

Here are a few pics that I wanted to share, but had to get Christmas up first. I have two super cousins serving missions right now. My Salt Lake family made a paper tree for them and asked everyone to make a paper ornament to go on it. So, I immediately flew into action....and if you know me at all, you know that is a lie. I barely got the ornaments to Salt Lake to have them sent in the package. But, they made it! I took pics of the kids with a mustache and beard and then printed them off. Then the kids got to add a Santa hat and decorate each of their pictures. I had to take the pics in two sessions, because Kessie was napping the first time. I took Lanny's pic and then Louie's, then I asked Lanny to hold Kel while I tried to take her picture. She is so smart, she had been watching. When I went to hold up the mustache and beard for her, she grabbed it and smacked it against her face! She knew what to do with it. I ended up taking like 30 pictures, because it was so hysterical! I promised my sister I'd put a few of them up so she could see my cute Santa's! P.S. Yes, I'm aware that my child's face is always dirty. Yes, I do own washcloths. No, I'm not going to clean her face...I pick my battles.

This is the very first shot I took of her! She is such a smart cookie. I ended up using it for her ornaments, I just love her eye peaking out!

 

 

In other news...Kessie made a gingerbread house at school and was so proud of it. While bringing it home on the bus, a little girl knocked it out of her hands and it crashed to the floor. Kessie was devastated, so I promised her that we would make some at home. We did, and I am really stunned at my children's creativity. They did a great job! Kel got in on the action by eating all the candy and "painting" with the icing. Kessie actually wasn't feeling very well, but she perked up enough to pull of an amazing house. Lanny made a manger and Kessie kept saying, "I like mine, but Lanny's is the most important."

This is Kel saying something to the effect of..."No more pictures, Mom!"

Louie used all of the gummy Sweet Tarts....I didn't care, but everyone else was a bit peeved. Her house was eaten first!

"Away in a Manger"



Kessie didn't want me to take this picture, because she wasn't done yet.



AAAAAh, Fabulous! Louie's then Kessie's then Lanny's!



Picasso Baby!


And I have one final pic to share. It's Kel with her Uncle on Christmas Day. She was having such a great time with him, and obviously....looked darling in his hat!



 

 

 

Happy New Year

I think the title is pretty self explanatory! And yes, those homemade party hats double as drink holders...I love multifunctioning party wear!