Let it Snow!

It's been a snowy - blowy week - Monday and Tuesday started out nice enough - we made it to piano lessons and back just fine, and the kids had fun playing outside and enjoying fairly nice weather.  However, on Wednesday it started snowing and dumped 4-5 inches on us.  Enough that my choir practice got cancelled due to snow  - but then it was warm enough for the next 2 days that most of that melted.  Then Saturday night it began again - in the afternoon, blizzard warnings went out on our side of town and it snowed all day Sunday - church was cancelled and we have all been house bound all day.  Now we are awaiting the news as to whether or not school is cancelled tomorrow.  

 Wednesday morning, we had a fun play date at the Young's.  Apparently we haven't been to play with them in awhile because Evie asked on the way over "Is Emery a boy or a girl?'  I explained that she was a girl who was 3 like Evie and she was happy.

Friday was a fun eventful day - with the break in the weather, Becky came down to hang out and play - she stayed with the kids for me while I went to get Tina at the airport and then we all had a really nice lunch together.  I got to show off my Valentine's day present and we had what tasted like a fancy sparkling grape juice along with our grilled cheese and tomato soup.  

Saturday morning, before the snow hit, I had a primary meeting - it was a nice breakfast and meeting about how to teach better - it was wonderful!  The spirit was so strong and it was so amazing to feel just how important these little kids are to our Heavenly Father, and how important our teaching is!  Eileen had an Activity Days Girls Activity - they went to go see the local high school production of Aida - which happened to star a great many kids from our ward.  Eileen had a great time and in the mean time, Anna, Evie and I went to Costco.  

Aaron needed a hair cut - here he is about half way through looking like Grandpa Jones!  

On Sunday, with Church cancelled, the kids wanted to hold their own primary - Eileen wanted to lead the music and do singing time, Anna prepared a talk and a lesson and Evie and Aaron gave prayers.  Daddy conducted and Mommy played the piano.  It was so fun to watch the kids get excited and wanting to have a church experience on the Sabbath, even if they couldn't go to the church building.  After, we had fun playing Apples to Apples together and doing other Sunday activities.  It is so funny to watch Evie play Apples to Apples - she doesn't really understand what is going on, but she has a BLAST anyway!  This is a picture from Anna's Lesson.

Evie gave us a bit of a scare earlier this week - Dan and I were downstairs and we heard someone screaming at the top of their lungs (when they were supposed to be asleep) I went upstairs to check on Evie (because she is the only one who screams like that) and she was sitting up in bed - half asleep, sobbing and half way to hyperventilating and screaming at Aaron "STOP THAT!!!! STOP MAKING THAT NOISE!!!!"  I went to her and held her and calmed her down and looked over at Aaron (who was still fast asleep) and explained to Evie that he was just snoring (he'd been a bit congested for the last couple days)  and it was ok and wouldn't hurt her.... I held her until she calmed down - tucked her back in and she fell right back asleep.  

Eileen has a new favorite stuffed animal - she got a new and bigger stuffed penguin who is also named Waddles (just like the small one) and she also has me making clothes for this one - I started out rolling my eyes and feeling rather silly - but then I kinda started having fun with it and enjoying trying to get creative and so the other day, I texted Dan "I'm pathetic - Waddles has more clothes...."  Eileen has been having fun picking yarns and I have been having fun making up new way to make outfits for this silly little stuffed animal..... 

Still Sick....

Well - I'm finally starting to feel back to my normal level of ickiness - but Dan is now sick - so sick in fact - that at 9:00 PM he's going to bed.  James woke up on Thursday night a bunch of times - he was running a fever of 102.5 and tugging at his ears - so Friday, we took him in to the doctor's office to make sure that there was no ear infection - his ears were fine and so all we could do was give him Tylenol and wait for the fever to pass.

Valentine's Day this year was rather uneventful - Dan did his best - the kids got bathrobes/pajamas which they loved and our usual Valentine's breakfast biscuits.  He got me a soda maker which looks like it will be a lot of fun.  I made him his usual heart shaped cookie - I tried to make Pink cupcakes for the kids, but Eileen turned off my timer so she could use it to practice piano and they burned....  We had plans to go out for dinner on Friday - even had a babysitter planned, but we didn't want to leave a sitter with a very sick and cranky baby, so we got some take out from Outback and had a night in.

Paul and Candace were out this way for a neice's baptism and they stopped by for dinner and games and playing tonight before heading home - it was fun to see them - the kids all get along so well together and we all had fun playing.  We also got to chat on Skype with Grandma and Grandpa Jones for a bit - the kids just loved talking to them and telling them all about their lives.

Eileen sang a musical number today in Sacrament meeting along with the other Activity Day girls - it was so funny to watch her - she kept taking her shoes on and off and dropping papers.  At one point she lost her place, then when she got to the chorus she just gave up finding her place and started singing - despite all her goofing off - she seemed to know the song well and sang it beautifully - but it was rather amusing to watch.  :)

Saturday we went to the baptism of a friend of Eileen's from church - it was fun to go and she had tons of nieces and nephews there, so the kids had a blast playing after.  I was glad to go support a friend of mine (her mom) and be there to try and help out when I could.

Now on to another week and another set of adventures!

Ickie Sickies :(

This week has been full of ickie sickies.  Eileen was sent home from school on Monday with a fever and though she never really acted sick, and we couldn't ever get a temperature over 99.6 from her - still she had to stay home on Monday and Tuesday.  Wednesday we had hopes that life was getting back to normal, but that night, mom got sick.  And could hardly leave her bed or eat anything for the better part of the next 3 days.  Which was kinda tough on Friday when Dan HAD to go back to work (he worked from home all day Thursday to let me sleep) and Eileen and Anna had no school.  But we survived - and mommy had to spend Saturday recovering..... Sunday - as fun as my calling in primary is, is always rather tiring - today is was downright exhausting!!  Standing up in from of 30 kids or so for the better part of 2 hours and trying to act excited and full of energy can wear a gal out when she is still recovering from a cold.... :)  

Anyway - other than that, our week has been full of the normal - i think - i don't remember much of Thursday, Friday or Saturday..... 

This week - I introduced Eileen to a children's fantasy series that i really like - and she has been reading them non-stop ever since - it is so fun to watch her get into books I love and talk about them with her! Anna is also trying to read - she always wants to keep up with her big sister - which is great for her since it pushes her to work harder - I'm not sure how much she understands, but it's great to watch her try.

Eileen had her 8-year old check up this Friday afternoon - she is growing well - she is beautiful, smart, silly, and healthy!

James is quickly growing out of all his clothes and breaking mommy's back... his doctor's appointment is on Monday - so we will see how well my big boy is growing.  We turned his chair around in the car (there is not a doubt in my mind that he is over 20 lbs and he was kicking the seat.)

James got this fun peek-a-boo book from Grandpa and Grandma Jones for his birthday and LOVES it - he watches eagerly through every page - then when he gets to the last page with the mirror, his whole face lights up and he then proceeds to eat the mirror.....

The girls had a blast playing and building on their day off - i just kinda watched in a stupor and took pictures when they told me too.  :)

Welcome February!

I can't believe that it is February already - we are all eagerly looking forward to Valentine's Day!

This week has been fun and busy.  I started out this week with a visit to a Chiropractor.  Monday morning I met with him and while he didn't want to do anything with my middle back because of my rods, he adjusted my lower back and my neck - and though a little sore, some things are already starting to feel better.  I went back on Friday and have high hopes for getting back into the swing of things!

Tuesday morning we went to a birthday party for a little girl who is being baby sat by a friend in our ward - her parents (between health issues and working multiple jobs to make ends meet) were unable to do so - so a few of us in the ward got together and celebrated with her.  We all had fun playing together, eating pizza and making a sweet young girl happy!

On Thursday, Anna fell asleep at school, and so her teacher sent her to the nurse who found her with a temperature of 102 degrees.  Dan picked her up and brought her home.  She spent the rest of the day napping, and was starting to feel a bit better by the end of the day, but we kept her home on Friday, and while she napped some - she felt good enough to build a big block castle....

Becky also came over on Thursday with Zoe and Adena - and we had fun making crochet flowers and chatting!  

Saturday was Aaron's second round of testing and hopefully he will be at Quest this coming year with his sisters.  Thankfully it was a much less busy day than last Saturday, but we did make a trip to Costco with all the kids for some necessary items.  

Sunday was it's usual peaceful/busy day - church was wonderful and after was nice and relaxing.  Now for another week!