Snow days

We have had 3 snow days this year.  We LOVE snow days.  We spend them playing outside in the snow, shoveling neighbors' driveways (Brock is really into that), sledding, doing school work (I am the meanest mom), and drinking hot chocolate. 

My kids could play in the snow for hours.  On this day most of them were trying to build an igloo - some were more successful than others.

We also love our hill in our front yard - it provides a decent hill if we get more than 10 inches of snow.

Project Linus

Last fall I really tried to get our kids involved in service.  I fell off the service band wagon since the new year - it was time to try again.  Last week we went to a local Catholic Church and participated in a service project called "Project Linus" - making blankets for at risk babies and children.  I have gone to this event several times but this time I decided to take the kids, figuring they are old enough to tie knots at the end of fleece blankets.

When we got there some missionaries were there.  That is Sis Parslow and Sis McBride - I have worked with them a lot.

Krista and Andrea.

They also had blank quilt squares that the kids could color before stitching.  Jason helped the girls make a few.

The boys and I cut fleece.

Isn't he cute?

Together we cut and tied 4 blankets - it was a good way to spend a Saturday morning.

Building a tree house

The weather gets warm here in the winter - it's kind of awesome.  Warm as in - unless it is snowing -it is 60.  On one hand I love it, on the other it makes you think it is Spring - then you realize it is still January and then you want to crawl back in bed and die (did I say that out loud)....

Anyways... One warm day in January the boys and their friends wanted to make a tree house.  I knew they couldn't (our trees are not big enough) - but I wasn't going to tell them that.  I gave them some wood and tools and told them to have at it.  They tried for a good hour and a half.  They could never figure it out - but they loved trying and have a plan to try again next time it's warm - they just want me to take them to Home Depot first. ha

Having big kids rock.  I am loving this stage of life.

Beethoven

Noah had a famous person's project in school.  He picked Beethoven.  He really wanted to look just like him.  That is kind of hard.  He was semi happy with the final results - he said, "I kind of look like a crazy Beethoven."  Noah takes projects like this VERY seriously.  

Go Broncos

It is SO FUN to live in a city with a professional team that is well known and good!  As a child I had a good run with the Jazz from like 95 -97 with Stockton and Malone - but they could never deliver!  Now my kids are enjoying, to the fullest extent, the joy of winning national championships.  They love the Broncos and truly enjoy watching all the games and following their stats.  It is really fun.  We were so excited for them to go to the the Super Bowl.  Go Broncos!

Pine Wood Derby

Brock participated in his first Pine Wood Derby.  Of course it was a Bronco car.  They made it the shape of an airplane wing.  Jason swore it was the way his brother Matt always built his car and he always won.  Brock and Jason had a fun time building it and painting it and Brock was VERY proud of his car.  Unfortunately right before the race we had some wood chip off under one wheel that made the car wobble.  So we didn't win - but Brock didn't care - he raced great and was thrilled to have built it.

The next month we had the Rain Gutter Regatta.  Our Cub Scout Master is kind of really into us building stuff every month.  Needless to say, Brock and Jason have been spending a lot of time together.

The great Lego sort of 2016

January is always a hard month for me (January - March if we are really being honest).  They are also hard for the kids (probably just because I am in a bad mood).  Well  - we needed an activity  AND both Noah and Megan had been asking to rebuild past Lego creations that had gotten broken and the pieces were "lost" in the giant Lego tub.  So one day we decided to start sorting.  I knew that if everything got sorted we could easily rebuild all their old stuff.  Well, we sorted and sorted and sorted.  About 12 hours later (over the space of 3 days) we sorted all of our Legos into about 100 different categories.  It was intense - but actually really fun and very rewarding.  We were able then to pull out all of their old instructions and rebuild things.  It was also very rewarding to find out that we haven't really lost much.  When something calls for 26 very specific kind of pieces and I think "no way we have those still - I have seen them laying all over the house for the past year" and then we end up with exactly 26 - it made me feel like maybe we aren't as chaotic as it seems.  We kept things sorted for a few weeks - but eventually (for space reasons) we had to consolidate.  We condensed it down to about 10 different categories.

They still have their things built and it provided (and still provides) hours and hours of fun.  My kids love to build with Legos and also play with what they built - I love it.  (except Brock - he says, "I am not that in to Legos).

independence

This is a picture from the summer.  We (the neighborhood women and I) have started giving the older boys some independence.  This was their first completely solo bike ride/adventure.  They rode to a local "gully" where there is a pond and caught frogs (that bucket has about 20 baby frog in it).  It was awesome!  They were gone for a good hour.  We all can't wait for this to start happening more and more - they are so ready!

Christmas Toys

We do a simple Christmas around here. 

 Brock got Madden for the X-Box.

New Nerf Guns

And a Bronco's sweat shirt and beanie

Noah got Lego's,

Lego's,

And Lego's.  That's it - 3 or 4 different Lego sets.  

Megan also got Lego's.

And these things.  And also an 18 inch doll (like and American girl doll - but from Target.)

Beware - Madison wanted a picture with every present. (ever from her stocking)

Her most favorite present was this pink bear from Grandma Hanna.

She gets a "squishy ball" every year - she loves, loves, loves them.

Her doll

A Frozen jewelry box

A journal and sparkly markers.

It was a wonderful Chrsitmas and were still spoiled with presents from family, even though they are far away.  We all felt very loved and grateful.  Thank you.

Christmas cooking

I felt like this was our first real Christmas away from family.  Our first Christmas we had just moved here and I was sick for all of December - so we just had an easy Christmas - I kind of just wrote it off in my head as a missed year.  Than last year we were back in Utah for my brother, Daniel's, wedding.  

I was pretty stressed about it.  Christmas is a big deal in my family.  Most of my favorite childhood memories and my emotional connections to my family and heritage mostly center around Christmas - well, Christmas eve specifically.  I wanted the same for my children.  I couldn't recreate it with family - so I just recreated it with food.  ha.

Also, it became a proving ground for myself.  My whole life I have had other women provide me with a wonderful Christmas and wonderful Christmas food and treats - whether it be my mother, my grandmother, or my aunts - I have mostly been able to sit on the couch and socialize while other people did the planning, preparing, shopping, cooking, and cleaning for me.  I just assumed one day I would step into that role - and gradually over the years I did.  For example I would be asked to bring dip and a bag of chips and if they really trusted me I would be asked to bring jello.  But as a second or third generation member of the family I was never expected to do much.  But I always assumed that one day I would be one of the women in the kitchen.  But could I really do it?  Would I want to do it?  Would I be selfless enough to give my relaxing wonderful Christmas away and replace it making a relaxing and wonderful Christmas for other people?  I needed to know.  I needed to prove that I could do it - and that I could do it happily and love it.

Between Christmas eve and Christmas day I made: Sugar cookies (cut out and frosted), garlic cream chip dip, dill chip dip, French toast, garlic sirloin roast, breaded shrimp, garlic mashed potatoes, roasted vegetables, corn bread, ginger bread cake with Lemon pudding and fresh whipped cream, Aebleskivers, bacon, sausage, orange juice, hot chocolate (a really fancy from scratch kind), scrambled eggs, hash browns, fruit salad, spiral ham, funeral potatoes, dinner rolls, onion rings, caesar Salad, grilled brussel sprouts and asparagus, and french silk pie.  I LOVED every minute of it!  It was so much work - and so much cleaning (Jason did most of the dishes) - but I really felt great doing it.  I don't think I will ever do it again (that much if it is only our family.)  Jason is a minimalist by nature and all that food just for our family made his head spin.

We did have one family over for Christmas dinner.  The Neyenhuis' - they were a delight!