Tis' the Season to be Jolly!

I just love this time of year!! We did a lot of fun things this December to help celebrate Christmas. From parties, to parades, to concerts, to gift exchanges, to baking, to decorating gingerbread houses, to parades, to visiting Santa's work shop, to caroling, to buying presents, to decorating, to hanging up lights and decorating the tree we had a very busy and fun December!! Hard to believe that Christmas has now come and gone but luckily the fun is not over yet. We are enjoying time with Matt and Camie's family, Andy home from work for more than a week, playing lots of games with the kids, going to museums, sledding and trying to keep a little order in our house. This is a great time of year!!



We had Matt and Camie's family over for Christmas Eve along with the missionaries who were darling with the kids. They were good sports to join in all the activities we had planned. We had a great dinner, a talent show, the kids had fun doing chimes, acting out the Nativity, opening PJ's from grandma and grandpa, reading christams stories and singing. The kids were sooooo excited and we found Lydia and Lucy tracking Santa's every move on the computer. It was a fun night and is the best night for putting kids to bed. They are so willing to go to bed!! Ha!






We were up by 7:00 and off to church by 9:40. It turned out to be a great day. The kids opened Santa gifts and stockings. Then we enjoyed a yummy breakfast and played with some of the new toys and after church came home to finish opening presents. This year Santa brought Lucy and Ethan bikes, Lucas got a tool box and tools, and Jane got a kitchen set. Santa also brought a basketball hoop to us. They were really excited! Matt and Camie came back for dinner and stayed the night! We had a wonderful day!! And if you can believe it, we didn't have a white Christmas!!!


Our guests for the weekend!! This picture is funny because Camie really wanted a picture of their family but Clayton really wanted to get in his PJ's once he got to our house Christmas night. So he came to his picture with his sweater vest over his PJ's.

Good Night

We put the boys to bed at night in their BEDS. When we went to check on them later this is how we found them. Apparently a sleepover on the floor seemed much more fun than the beds!

Ice Skating Lessons

We figured since we are living in Minnesota the kids would have to learn how to ice skate. I've never lived in a place where people know how to ice skate and play hockey as well and often as they might ride a bike. It's crazy!! There are ponds all over for skating and apparently they flood parks in the winter for ice skating (but as it's turned out it's been too warm so far - but I won't complain!!) The kids loved learning how to ice skate. OK, so Ethan didn't love it but that is because he was trying to be the BEST in his class even though the kids he was skating with had clearly taken many years of lessons and this was his first. So, being as competitive as he is it was frustrating to him. However, in the end all the kids were good skaters and I was amazed how quickly they picked it up!

Puzzles Puzzles and more Puzzles!

One Sunday afternoon the boys entertained themselves for hours putting all these puzzles together. They were pretty proud of their work!!

Now that's Love!

Anyone who knows me knows I don't like feet. I don't like to touch other peoples feet and I don't even like to touch my own. When I rub lotion on my feet I squirt the lotion on and rub my feet together just so i don't have to touch my feet. So, Andy was quite surprised when he saw me giving a full on pedicure to Lucy!! Yes, I touched her feet but yes we had fun together!!

Goodbye Teeth!

Ethan has been losing teeth like crazy lately. He lost his two front teeth and was pretty excited about it!!
E

The great big forrest!

Here is jane going into the great big forest!

This is funny because this is what our culdasac looks like. As you can see it's a small circle with some trees in the middle. Well, sometime this fall Jane discovered these trees and it's a magical forest to her. She thinks it's a great big forrest and to someone her size I suppoes it is. I also love that she is playing with her water floatie on. It's like she is in complete denial of the cold that was setting in. Summer was over and she wasn't ready to accept that fact!

When will winter arrive?

I am not going to complain but our winter has NOT been what we were expecting when we moved here. We had one snow fall in November and I think the snow might have lasted a week but I'm not sure. I am shocked! I really thought we would be sick of the snow by now but we are still waiting for it to come. It's been a rather warm winter. So, for all of you who thought we were going to die of the cold we have been pleasantly surprised with the weather here ...... so far!! These are pictures of our one and only snow fall this year. Right now there is no snow on the ground!

Halloween Fun

We had a great October celebrating Halloween throughout the month. Each party Jane seemed to have a new costume on. (that's what happens when you are the 4th child - your costume isn't planned - it's just grabbed from the costume box!)

We had a fun Halloween Party at Matt and Camie's house with our cousins. The kids had a great time playing some games, making crafts, and eating food!

Nice costume Ryan!!
Ethan and Lydia
The kids always love carving pumpkins and designing their faces.


We went trick-or-treating with some of the neighbors. It was really fun. Jane didn't last too long but the rest of the kids were out pretty late and came home with tons of candy.

When mommy is gone....

Andy always comes up with lots of fun games to play with the kids when I am out for an evening. He likes to play hide and seek with the kids a lot but on this night he introduced the flour game to the kids and they were highly entertained!! Thank goodness for a fun dad!!

All Grown Up!!

For Lucy's Birthday we surprised her and let her get her ears pierced! She had been wanting this for a while now but when it came down to it she found herself asking lots of questions trying to reassure herself that it would be OK to pierce her ears! But, she did it and did a great job!!!

Story Teller

Andy has always told me when he was a kid he would make up crazy stories and tell them to his mom or whoever as though they really happened. After hearing some of Lucas' stories I am starting to have a clear picture of what Andy probably did as a kid. I wrote down a few stories Lucas has told me that I find so funny. He tells me them as though it is really true and when I ask questions about what he is telling me he comes up with quick answers and funny details. I think he is in his own little world sometimes.

Several weeks ago Lucas happened to find a random truck he hadn't used for a VERY long time. it was missing 3 of the 4 wheels.
He said "Yeh, I saw them (the wheels) in your purse. You had them and they fell in a pond."
He said it so matter of factly it took me by surprise.
I said "Well if you saw them fall in a pond why didn't you get them?"
"Because there was a tall gate to protect the ducks so I couldn't get them."

And that was it. He had nothing more to say about the wheels, pond, or ducks and never cracked a smile when talking about it. I really think he thinks they fell in a pond.
hmmmmm.......

In October he said "Owen's dad is going to be Jesus for Halloween"
Owen is Lucas'cousin who isn't even two yet and can't talk.
"I don't think so."I said
"Yes, mom. Owen told me his dad had a Jesus costume"

Random......

Another day while eating lunch (most of the crazy stories come out during lunch time!!) he said,
"Did you know a shark almost bit me?"
"It did?" I questioned.
"Yes and I swam over and said miss me miss me now you've got to kiss me. Then the shark almost bit me and it was the kind of shark that can walk on land."

These are all so funny to me! So random but so real to him! He comes up with stories like this all the time!

Today Lucas was making a robot out of paper
"Oh, a robot," I said. "That's really cool"
"yeah, he comes in peace," said lucas.
"Oh, in peace?" I questioned
"Yeah mom, that means he's good"
"Who taught you that?" I asked.
"Ethan" he answered and then followed with "Ethan teaches me everything I know."

Well, isn't that great! He thinks ethan teaches him EVERYTHING. I guess my job is over!! ha! ha!

A few Lucas and Jane funnies!

Lucas says funny things all day long but I don't always remember to write them down. Yesterday he was thinking really hard about what candy to choose from his Halloween loot and he said,
"Do you think I should eat the light sabers (life savers) or whoopers (whoppers)?" It was so funny to hear what he thinks the candies are called.
For the record he went with the "light sabers"

Today he said, "mom who is our prophet?
I said, "President Monson"
"No mom that's not who I am talking about. I'm talking about our new leader."
I said, "Oh do you mean the president of our country?
"Who is that?" he asked
"President Obama" I said
"No mom. I'm talking about the new one. The one who lives in .....(long pause as his face is scrunched up and he is thinking really really hard) ummmm.....oh Jer....Jericho."
"Oh, Joshua"I said remembering he just learned the story of Jericho in pre school yesterday.
"Yes, he said with great relief. Isn't he our leader right now?"

I thought it was really cute. I explained he isn't alive and I could tell he was a bit disappointed to hear that.


Oh and one funny thing from jane today - she was talking when suddenly a strange sounding burp came bursting out of her mouth. It was so loud that Lucas and I stopped and looked at her and I was smiling "what was that Jane?" I said
She didn't miss a beat and said so matter of factly "oh no that was a bear!"

And by the way I have told a few people because I think it so funny but Jane loves to sing Super Woman and Justin Beiber. She gets in teh car and puts in her requests "mom baby song" or "i want to sing super woman" and the funny thing is she knows most of the words. It's so funny. She's becoming our little singer.