Family comes

Brock was ordained to the priesthood and Dane was blessed the first week of February.  Timing was perfect to do it at the same time so the family could come.  I was SOO overwhelmed with love when Daniel, Angie, and Brooke came with their kids!  They rented a suburban and all drove together.  They are so sweet and selfless!  It made the weekend so fun!  

I felt like a grandmother having her grandkids come.  I bought all their favorite snack and rearranged my whole house with all our toddler toys.  I brought out or train tracks and put them on the train table, got rid of all our tiny toys and legos.  Got out all the blocks, and cars, and dolls and brought up our play kitchen.  It was great!

They stayed at a hotel with my parents so we got to go swimming Saturday afternoon.  AND, shockingly, Brock got it and swam too!!!  Noah loves swimming at hotels becasue their isn't a life guard and he can do what ever he wants. ha

Brooke and Mikey

Daniel and Addie

Angie and Maya

And with out a life guard anyone can get in the hot tub!

It was also the super bowl so we had a super bowl party.

My mom was in charge of the food.

Everyone also got to go to Brock's young men's basketball game.  He had quite the cheering section.

Cute Mikey.

The Herbert's also came.  But that is it's own post!

Blessing Pictures

Dane was blessed at the beginning of February.  The next few posts will be about that weekend.  It was also the weekend Brock was ordained a Deacon in the Aaronic Priesthood.  We had lots of family come.  It was a great weekend.  After everyone left I took some pictures of Dane in his blessing outfit.  My mother bought the outfit.  He was blessed in a blue crocheted blanket that his great, great grandmother, Ruth Pehrson made.  His uncles and brothers were also blessed in it.  The white blanket he is laying on was the blanket his dad was blessed in.  He also wore the booties Brock was blessed in.  

Same as last time... way too many pictures... and some are the same just with different filters.  Enjoy

These one's aren't so pretty - but they show the blessing outfit better.

This is what Jason was blessed in, Brock, Noah, and then Dane.  I wish I would have taken a better picture to see the details.  Noah's was my favorite.

Our Winter Activities

2 of our winter activities just ended.  

Brock's indoor soccer ended (and outdoor soccer starts in 2 weeks!).  His games were far away and I just couldn't commit to getting him out to Aurora every week - so Jason graciously committed to being home in time every week and take him.  One week I took him though becasue I wanted to see one game.  Dane and Noah came with.

Madison's gymnastics ended last week.  She loves gymnastics and can't wait to do it again once soccer is over.  At home this girl never sits still - she is CONSTANTLY doing headstands, cart wheels and back bends.  Her gymnastics was during the boys' orchestra so Megan and Dane always came with (well.. Dane goes everywhere I go).  Megan is great to sit and read a book and Dane often slept.

My view:

Noah's drama class just started and Megan's dance goes until May and now that gymnastics is over the girls are taking piano lessons during orchestra time.  I worry sometimes that we might be over scheduled - but when I sit down and look at everything I feel like it might just feel that way from mine and Jason's perspective - given that there are 4 of them.  They each have an instrument and 1 other activity at a time- and often will go months with no activities (for example the last time Noah or Megan had an activity was summer).  I don't think that is too much .  They also do chess club at school - but that is all together so I feel good about that, I want more than anything for them to have a good relationship so an extra curricular activity that they all do together is a win win.  We just need to always be mindful and intentional.  We eat dinner together 5 out of the 7 nights - which I think is pretty good and we read scriptures every day and have family home evening every week.  So as long as we keep hitting those marks I think we are doing good.  

comparisons at bath time

Since I have the same bath for all my kids I thought these pictures are pretty good comparisons.  They are all at different ages (between 2 and 4 months). 

I put Dane in the middle of the boys and girls.

Brock

Noah

 
Dane

Megan

Madison

Noah's papers

I have been meaning to post about this for about a year - but kept forgetting to take pictures.  Last year we stopped having screen time on weekdays (BEST DECISION EVER!).  Noah had to come up with some new hobbies.  One thing about Noah - what ever he does, he does it ALL THE WAY - that is a nice way of saying he becomes obsessed :)

It started with origami - specifically star wars origami.  He would spend hours and hours making origami.  His teacher gave him a whole other desk and then a box under his desk just to keep his papers in and at home he had a whole box full.  It was pretty adorable.  He loved them.  He doesn't do it much any more - but he has kept his favorites.

After origami he went on to create comics.  He has invented many different characters and he puts up posters and flyers around our house announcing when he has finished a comic so we can come "buy" it - he has a store in his room.  He works on them all the time.  It is pretty precious.