Snow is good for...

Purse party
Gourmet Cupcake table

food table

snowboarding fans!

A month ago our BIL, Ken called and told us about a ski/snowboarding deal Park City was having where you receive a 4 hour ski or snowboarding lesson, equiptment included for $25 per person. We signed the kids up and they had a great time. Of course they all wanted to snowboard. Kevin & Caleb were in a group with only 2 other kids so they got a lot of personal help. The instructor asked me if they skateboard. I said they have used their ripstics almost daily for the past 2 years. The instructor said they were so good on the snowboard they could skip level 2 and go to level 3 next time they come back for lessons. Skyler is not a skateboarder, so he struggled a little more. Because of his age he was put with the adults. He said it was fun and can't wait to go back. I am glad they had the oppertunity to go, but I don't think they will go back this season. While they were having fun on the slopes, Mark and I and his sister Deloris walked around looking at shops and checking on the kids. She had her 2 oldest come too. Brielle was in her stroller most the time and was such a good baby! She enjoyed being out of the house.

OK, for those of you who like to plan parties....

I was called back in November as the "Enrichment" Relief Society meeting coordinator. ( Just as sidenote, they officially changed the name of this night from Enrichment to Relief Society Meeting and to be honost, I liked Enrichment better. I think "meetings" should be left for Sunday otherwise the word meeting attached to it turns me off!!) I have never held this calling before and was thrilled when the RS president told me they had the "meetings" planned out for the next few months, so I didn't need to really do anything until March. Feb.4th I had a visit with the RS counselor who said, ok. now we need to plan the biggest event of the year for March, the RS birthday party! Oh, you couldn't of told me that a few months ago to let me get started. And here's the kicker... "There is no committee to help you. The committee we had has been disolved. You need to call people and ask them to help." NICE!! again, you couldn't of told me this before feb. 4th. In any case, I have an amazing ward. And because some of the details were already in place, this party on March 15th came together without much distress. I was told it was to be a Mother/ Daughter purse party and we needed to have a light food buffet and a gourmet cupcake table. My first line of business was to announce the event so we could start getting a head count for food.

Then I dusted off the cupcake cookbook I have had in my cupboard for the last 4 years and actually used it. I found 6 yummy recipes and began calling for people in the ward to help make cupcakes. I also called a few people to take care of a fruit tray a veggie tray, and a crackers tray. I took care of the saucy meatballs.

I also came up with the decorations. Being ready to enjoy Spring, I combined bright pink and green tablecloths with big purses stuffed with pink & green tissue. I grabbed the pink Gerba daisies from Brielle's room and stuck them individually in white vases. A friend came that night and put the tables together while I worried about the food. The RS President was in charge of the history table and I had my VT companion take care of games and prizes as she had actually been to a "purse party" with her mom. You bring your purse and then items are called off a list. The first person to announce they have one of those items wins a prize. We also weighed purses to find the heaviest and lightest purse. It was a fun night and I was thrilled to have my Aunt Candy join me. I am glad the night is over as we had 90 people show up. I will enjoy this calling now and will get a committe together for my futuer events!

Any vounteers??

Finally, a quiet moment...I think

Brielle strikes a pose

Our wintery backyard

I don't know many new mothers who can tell me the day of the week when asked! I thought about that today as I peeled around town running errands (kid free). It's Saturday! Brielle is in the hands of four wonderful caregivers! So... I had a haircut, stopped at the DI, filled the car with gas, and went grocery shopping. Yeah for Saturday!

Back at the ranch, Mark and I purchased a new tv with some of our tax return $ yesterday and so the boys took turns watching Brielle and helping Mark set up the set. Just FYI, we have had the same wonderful 27" tv for 13 years. We were pretty content with our little tv. But as the boys have brought friends over to play the Wii and watch movies, it has become a need. We will probably use the old tv in our room or office.

OK, I have a moral/ethical question. How many of you reward your kids for getting good grades on their report card? Mark & I came from big families, so recieving anything else but a verbal accolade for good grades was unheard of. However, the twins have been struggling in school, so we discussed it and decided to offer the boys $5 for every A. Skyler was thrilled because he has had straight A's for a couple years. The point was to motivate the twins. We haven't seen their report cards yet, but since making the offer I have never seen them get on their homework so fast and so often. Weigh-in on your thoughts.

Brielle is 6 months old now. She is doing an army crawl but gets on her knees every now and then. She hates to be on her tummy for too long. So, while playing with her toys on the floor, she'll lean over on her side. It's really quite funny because it looks like she's posing for a picture. She is also eating solids and so far likes all the food she's offered. (like mother like daughter). The best thing I heard this week was a comment from Caleb. He said, "I love to see Brielle when she wakes up because she always wakes up happy!" He right. She is a happy baby.

On a final note, we have had a pretty mild winter considering it started so early! However, when it snows 7" in one day and the boys have to shovel our drive plus the drives of 4 widows in the ward they are assigned to, it's nothing but complaining. I listen as I pour hot water into their mug of cocoa, let them have as many marshmallows as they want, then I glance out my kitchen window and enjoy my spot of peaceful beauty.

Happy New Year!

Caleb & Kevin protecting our tree
Monopoly game that only lasted 1 1/2 hours!

Helping Brielle open her gifts!

Fun at the mall

Brielle meets Santa and doesn't seem impressed

I hope everyone had a nice Christmas and New Year's Eve celebrations! We have been so blessed with good health and a warm home! We have enjoyed reading about your families and seeing pictures of your littles ones. Thank you for sending your Christmas cards and "old fashioned" greetings!

A visit to the mall to see Santa with Brielle a couple weeks ago was a something we hadn't done for a while. She was so good. This being Brielle's first Christmas, it was a fun experience for us. I am sure she was oblivious to the events, but just the same, we had a few toys for her under the tree. She let us open them for her. She sat in her bouncer and quietly watched us open our gifts. Then she fell asleep. Skyler got his ipod dock he wanted for his ipod. The twins recieved their extra warm mummy bags, and have been sleeping in them ever since Christmas.

After eating our breakfast Mark took the boys to a local shooting range and let them play with their new BB guns. I was opposed to this purchase, but they are almost 14 and Mark says he had a gun at their age. They were very excited about these but know they can not use them unless they are at the shooting range. We then played our new electronic Monopoly game and put puzzles together.

For New Years Eve, Skyler went to the youth dance and the boys went to a friends house until 10pm. Then we watched the ball drop on tv. Brielle hasn't been feeling well these days because she has been teething. She actually has a back tooth coming in right now. The boys all got their front 2 bottom teeth first, so this is new to me. She is 4 months old today, so I think she is on track with her teething.

Out of curiosity, did any of you make or give neighbor gifts this year? I gave out a few plates of treats, and a Santa doorknob hanger with a santa poem on it to those who shouldn't be having treats. A friend gave us a bottle of JOY liquid dish soap that said "Hope you have a JOYful holiday" I like those practical gifts. Did any of you have a favorite neighbor gift?

Thankful for the family

Cousins Rhea and Brielle
Anyone up for clogging?

Our eternal igloo! (Or at least all spring)

This past weekend we had the oppertunity to visit Mark's family for Thanksgiving. It was great to see almost everyone. With parents on their mission to New York, a brother in California and another brother in Nevada, we were fortunate to get the rest of the group together. Here Brielle meets her cousin Rhea for the first time.

For Christmas we will stay in our home where it's nice and cozy.

It's hard to believe Brielle is already 3 months old. I put on this new dress and I could swear she started to move her legs like she was clogging! She has been so much fun. So we had this incredible snow storm come though Sunday night and the boys (K&C) couldn't wait to start working on thier annual igloo in the backyard. Last year we had the mound of snow until May!

Yoda, really?

Several cute names come to mind when I think of our new little girl. When we're cuddling or I'm getting her dressed in the morning, we visit and I call her "pookie", "cutie pie", "cuddle-bug" or "Bri". But never, do I refer to her as "Yoda"! However, My husband seems to think it's funny that she somehow resembles the little green jedi knight! While looking at her, he'll use his best Yoda impression and say..."Cute, I am". (I can imagine my brother Andrew, who is an obsessed Star Wars fan coming up with this.) I just don't see it!

My only question is... whose side of the family is this look suppose to be from? On a side note, I tried to obtain a picture of the real yoda for a comparrison shot, but the picture was copyrighted.

Here's hoping all your children are living free of any sad nicknames!

Regression?

I know it seems odd to even ask, because there has been nothing but warm fuzzy feelings since Brielle joined our family, but I wonder, can her siblings still regress? Case in point, Kevin loves to play with her floor toy. It's all well and good, for now. I just hope he doesn't fight her for it later.

Parent teacher conferences were yesterday and for the most part all the boys are doing really well. Skyler brought home another straight A report card and he's in the thick of swim team season. His first meet was also yesterday which he came in first (out of 6) in the 50 meter freestyle. What can I say, I'm a proud mama. He's the swimmer at the top of the video that I zoom in on.

Mark had his cast removed and stitches taken out but is still on crutches, so while I am running around trying to meet teachers and vidotape Skyler swim meet, he's home with Brielle. I am grateful for that.

My infant and my invalid

My scouts
Scouts helping a little lady
sweet pea
my infant
my invalid

AS you can see from the pictures, Mark is "down for the count!" Last Thursday the boys were asked to attend the church dodgeball tournament.(Which, BTW, I have never heard of church dodogeball) Mark decided to take them and watch along the sidelines. After the tournament was over, the referees said the adults could join in the fun and play dodgeball with the kids. Mark said he had barely started to run when he felt a pain in the back of his leg. He said it felt like someone had hit him with a baseball bat! He said the floor started to move, like he was going to passout, and he hobbled over to the stage to sit down. A friend in the ward who is a nurse looked at Mark's ankle and said it seemed like he had torn his achellies tendon. After coming home with the kids, he drove to the E.R. and was told he had indeed torn his Achellies tendon and he would need surgery. He came home that night and went in to surgery on Monday. (To redeem myself as a good wife, the reason I didn't take Mark to the E.R. is becasue I didn't want to take Brielle into the germy hospital and I wasn't sure how long Mark would be there. Plus, Mark injured his left ankle so he could still drive. Mark is in a cast for 4 weeks and has his laptop here so he can still get work done. It has been a crazy week!

Brielle is a month old today and has been so much fun. It has been interesting to see her grow and adapt to our crazy family. The boys are very helpful as they like to pick out her outfits and put bows in her hair. We took her to the court of honor last Wednesday where Kevin and Caleb earned their "Life" and Skyler earned his first palm. We still haven't taken Brielle to church as we are trying to keep her healthy and away from anyone having the flu. We will take her to church for her blessing on Oct. 10th. I guess I could say I am grateful that Mark is an invalid right now as he can watch her while I run errands. Life is full of surprises. Not all of them are good, but we can choose to look at the positive.