6:30 am

6:30 am.  Avery at the piano.  Kal trying to burn our house down. . . oh. . .I mean helping Scott get the fire going in the wood stove.  I love these mostly quiet mornings,  I love how still mornings are.  I love that I haven't screwed up as a parent yet.  I love that, for the most part, the kids are happy and want to sit on our laps, perhaps cuddle a bit, before they have to start getting ready. 

 My favorite is Wednesday.  We all leave the house at the same time.  Scott and I to work.  Avery and Kal to school.  Lincoln to daycare.  I love the camaraderie.  Although we may not want to leave the house, we do so as a family.  

The mornings are when we try to get our scripture reading done and family prayers said.  It doesn't happen 100% of the time but, we make an effort and with any luck our kiddos will see it.  With any luck they will notice the difference on the days those 2 most important things don't happen and help us remember in the future.  In the mornings I remember that I love being a mom/wife and more importantly I love being a mom to Avery, Kal, Lincoln and  a wife to Scott.  

Adventures

So, my Mr. Kal truly NEEDS adventures.  He NEEDS to get outside daily.  He NEEDS to expend great deals of energy.  He NEEDS to exercise his curiosity gene and explore.  The last month has been a rough one with him and today I realized that his questionable behavior correlates with the winter weather we have been having.  We have not been outside nearly enough.   Today was far from perfect but, we had no angry outbursts, no openly defiant tirades, and no meanness directed towards siblings.  I'm not sure how far we/he actually rode bikes and he was in and out of the burley multiple times but, he was able to get enough of himself expended that he was happy.  Thus, I was happy.

On a side note.  Miss Lincoln was not photographed here as she was asleep in the burley when we finally reached our destination.  However, she woke up (right when my phone died)  and happily ran down the trail and threw her fair share of rocks off the side of the cliff only to realize that she was freezing and hopped back in the trailer!  To be perfectly honest, this ride kicked my can!!  I haven't ridden my bike since the summer and I completely ran out of gas.  Pulling a trailer with two kids that weigh a combined weight of approx. 75 lbs plus Kal's bike just about put me over the edge.  Despite all my huffing and puffing both kids kept yelling, "faster mommy, faster!"

Legos

Quite a while ago a favorite aunt gave us her oldest son's bins of Legos,  the "twenty something" had long since outgrown them.  They sat in our basement for years waiting for the kids to get interested.  We busted them out about 6 months ago only to have them be a huge mess maker.  So, I put them away, again.  Fast forward about 4 months and we were at Grammy and Gran Bob's house, the A-Dubs, Grammy, and my self sat at the kitchen for about an hour and a half just making "things."  And that was it.  We pulled out the Legos and have been making "things" ever since.  Most recently it has been a "tall tall tower" and "shooting guns" on ships or ships that turn into "shooting guns."  I love watching the kids create and work together, even Lincoln will get in the action.  That being said, we still have a ways to go.  Kal still gets frustrated and the Legos end up all over the house but for the most part it is a great indoor activity.  Thanks Aunt Berta!!!

The Nutcracker

Miss A and her friend Katherine from school and dance.

Miss Avery was a Chinese dancer this year, quite possibly the shortest dance of the performance but most likely the cutest!  Avery LOVED it and of course she did a great job. She was so fun to watch!  We sure love this girl!

Dad's Game

I don't get to watch a lot of Scott's ganes when we go to "watch."  Oh, I'm watching something. . . These little turkeys keep me pretty busy. Scott always appreciates the show of support. We sure love our dad!  GO EAGLES!!!

Ginger Bread Houses

We have made ginger bread houses for the last few years but his is the first time we have made them from scratch.  Okay they weren't from scratch cause we used graham cracker but you know what I mean.  

Miss L basically just ate the candy.  She found all the candy that was too "spicy" and just spit them out.  Even now as she sits on my lap while I type she is pointing out the "spicy" ones!

Our Final product!!

These little crackers were a pain in the @#$# to cut and kept breaking.  Next year I will leave them out for a few days to "soften up" before I try to cut them.

By my standards this icing was so GROSS to the taste but to the taste buds of a 9 and 4 year old it was delicious!

It was fun to watch Kal eat. . . I mean decorate his house.  As much candy as got on his house he ate as well!

This Little Girl's Best Friend

This is May May.  Our "Barn Kitty" who has spent too much time inside this winter.  Technically, she is Avery's cat but Lincoln LOVES her.  Lincoln wants to hold her, pet her, and carry her around the house.  May May is such a good sport about all of this and tolerates this all quite well.  Lincoln carrying her around amounts the cat being strangled by the neck as Miss L moves from one spot to another.  When Lincoln "pets" her she is basically laying on top of her trying to kiss her on the nose, eye, or ear.  All places that May May would rather her not touch!  Lincoln has taken a few swipes from the cat all of which were well deserved and yet Lincoln still pines for May May when she is outside or running away from her.