Uneventful Fun

 These are pictures of what shopping trips tend to look like these days:

 

 

First Day of School

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Wow!  Where is the time going?  Kaitlyn starts 3rd grade today.  Porter starts 1st grade today.  They are so excited.  Austin thinks he is starting school too.  He has his backpack and his lunchbox completely packed.  Love my kids!  Feel so blessed!

Butterflies, Frogs and Chickens…

It is safe to say my kids are not fond of these things.

 

The Magic Star

Sacrament Meeting can be so frustrating…trying to get 4 kids to hold still and be quiet for an hour+ sometimes seems impossible.  So, I discovered this amazing new trick from a super-smart mom in our ward.  It is a magic star.  We draw a star (or cut one out if we are on the ball) and everyone gets to pick where they would like to sit during sacrament.  We place the star in their spot and if they can keep us from seeing their star for the whole meeting by staying seated on it, then they get a treat after church.  This has been working miracles with our 3 year old.  He gets so excited for his star every week.  Why didn’t I think of that?

I’m so lucky!

I had a wonderful mothers day.  I felt incredibly loved by my sweet family.  German Apple Pancakes for breakfast, gifts with a scavenger hunt, and I didn’t have to cook.  I just got to enjoy some of my favorite people.  How did I get so lucky to have all these beautiful people in my life?

Yurt Adventures

This year, for our Thanksgiving Break, we decided to snowshoe into a yurt and stay the night.  This was an awesome adventure and we all agree that it is something we have got to do again. We snowshoed in about 2 miles.  It was our first time snowshoeing as a family and everyone loved it!  My kids said “We would rather be doing this than going to Disneyland!”  They had a blast.  We roasted hot dogs and s’mores.  We spent the evening enjoying each other’s company.  The yurt was warmed with a wood burning stove and it was toasty warm… in fact it got up to 90 degrees so we had to open the door and let in some of the 16 degree air.

There is something about being out in nature away from all the distractions in life that is so good for the soul.  I feel so blessed to have eyes that allow me to view the wonders of this glorious earth -- the gorgeous sunset we were greeted with, the crackling of a warm fire, the contrast of the white snow against the evergreen trees and the way the snow sparkles when the sun hits it, and the majesty of the heavens.   It was my first time beholding the Milky Way.  It was like a haze of white smoke through the sky. I have camped a lot in my life but I don’t think I have ever seen that many stars.  I loved it!

Here is my family arriving at the yurt.

My four kids and me with the yurt in the background…

Kaitlyn, age 8

Porter, almost 6, probably had the best time out of all of us.  He tromped around in the snow for hours and hours and hours.  Winter is his favorite season.  His heart was happy as evidenced by the many, many smiley faces we found in the snow!

Cowboy Austin, 2 1/2, rode on the “horsey” and didn’t even mind getting bucked off a few [dozen] times.  He was a good sport.

Makelle, 9 months, stayed snug and napped for most of her hike. She was a champ.  I don’t think I heard her cry once.

Morning view from out yurt deck

Enjoying some breakfast!

What an amazing weekend with my favorite people!!

Annual Turkey Bowl

Okay, maybe it’s not a real turkey bowl…but this was our annual Turkey Day Bowling Adventure.  We went to our new bowling alley and it was nice, clean and not too crowded.  I won’t post our scores though…that would be way too embarrassing! 

Kaitlyn’s Baptism

Kaitlyn got baptized on November 5th.  It is hard to believe that 8 years have gone by since I became a mother.  We are so proud of Kaitlyn and her decision to be baptized.  Kaitlyn is such a good example.  She is kind. She is responsible.  She is amazing.  We are so glad she is in our family!

Thanks to all the crazies who joined us for the special day.  We love you all!