Winter - Highlights

Ah, winter . . . never blog about it. In all my blog years, I have never blogged about Christmas. We always have a fabulous time with family until the New Year, then we come home and hit the ground running. Gary works every night and weekend, craziness ensues, and suddenly it's the Fourth of July. Serious. No different this year. We had much go on this winter, and now that it's spring we are LOVING the weather, but the crazy is just down by a couple of degrees. I am taking two online classes, and though it's not a ton of work, it's enough. But I'm not complaining. Gary is awesome. He's downstairs doing dishes and singing. I love his singing. He's so dreamy. Here's a photo collection of the things I captured during those first blustery months this year.

Lissy loves her swing she got from Gary's mom. The boys love to change her settings, and she doesn't even mind. Noah's favorite is some crickets or something, and he calls it "manger."

Gingerbread house making! Post Christmas, yes, but we had a grand time. Noah had to do that to his shirt because his sleeve was wet. Of course.

Happy birthday in January, Gary! I made him homemade coconut pecan frosting, and he fell in love with a new thing.  And awww, look at Lissy in her 0-3 month clothes. Okay, it's not a fab picture, but she was so little . . . Besides the frosting, which seriously may have been enough for Gare he liked it that much, I also went on a date with him. We ate at Costa Vida and went and saw Sherlock Holmes. Might not sound like a big deal, but I can count the movies we've gone to together on one hand, so it was huge. It was awesome to feel like young kids in love . . . Lissy didn't make a peep and let us keep up the ruse.

Yes, I got him a Mandolin V-Slicer Plus for his birthday. I knew he wanted it, and he has already made some yumminess with it. Once again, what a man.

Andrew helped himself to this orange, and attacked it. I thought his method was hilarious.

Noah fashioned himself a bow and arrow out of the winter plant-life in the back yard.

We met up with my mom and sisters Hannah, Kayla, and Sarah at Crown Burger, then went to the Book of Mormon exhibit at the Church History Museum afterward. Of course Madeline and Violet came, too. Hmm, nice stuffed rat, Andrew. Noah and Madeline are both driving the produce truck!

Hannah and Kayla are hopping a ride to church.

Andrew through a portal in Lehi's ship.

Ah, this. So funny. The boys put on boots and knee pads and started moving the couch. I asked them why, and they said, "Exercise. We're getting exercise!"

Love the team work!

This boy changes his clothes a lot whenever he finds a new awesome thing.

This boy loves his baby. A whole lot.

Josh takes the camera and takes awesome pictures a lot. He also makes awesome videos. Here is one of the many in this super-hero series.

Grandpa had Andrew and Lilly's attention for as long as he wanted to keep showing them their favorite apps. One involved punching a cartoon cat. Don't know the rest, but they loved it.

Beckett and Sophie wanted in, too.

Happy birthday, Kayla! See this gal, sweet 16 . . .

Braden is an amazing cousin/kid. I forgot I gave Lissy to him for a long time, and finally he came into the kitchen where I was and said, "So, what did you want me to do with her?" She loved the Braden snuggles.

Noah and Braden made rhino creature power suits. Yes!

Easter 2012

Awww . . . cute Easter pictures. It's been a year, and unfortunately I don't remember much besides that the kids were adorable and excited. I also remember that for some reason we had a real struggle getting to church (probably part of it was Andrew's sensory issues acting up at the time), and I felt way less than spiritual as everyone got up and bore awesome testimonies. I felt like a loser-failure. However, during sacrament meeting, something whispered to me that I do have a testimony, and that it counts super-a lot in situations like those. So, I got up and shared an experience from my mission. At that time, I had been trying really hard to follow the rules and do a great job, but I came up short in a million ways, and it just seemed like I was hopeless. I was in sacrament meeting, crying inside about how I'd never make it, when it seemed someone whispered to me, "That's why He came, sister, that's why He came." So, yes, I try, and I stumble, but Christ is there. So, on Easter I shared that in my testimony, and though we'd had a crazy morning and I felt inadequate as a mother and as a person, remembering and sharing that experience lifted me and made me realize how beautiful the gospel is. Later on a sister in my ward sent me an email thanking me for my testimony - I guess I'm not the only one who felt that way that day! Anyway, on to the pictures . . .

My kids were all sweaty after running home from church, and Lissy lost the flower on her headband. Also, I couldn't get a picture of them all together, mostly due to Andrew. Argh. But they are so sweet . . .

See, sweet as sugar, loving big brothers.

And so you see what Andrew was doing . . .

Poor boy . . . here he is . . .

Josh tried to bridge the gap . . .

Look at her, all chubbed up after being so ridiculously ill only a month and a half prior.