Week ending 2-28-16

This wasn't the best week and I guess the fact that I didn't take many pictures proves it. It was nice weather though and we enjoyed playing outside a lot. We love our new house and yard. Besides that we were busy with school and the usual chores.

Monday night Kaitlyn was treats. She made cupcakes and had us make them into spring baskets. There were some jelly beans if we wanted them to be Easter baskets and some gummy fruits and veggies if we wanted it to be a picnic basket. 

Tuesday nights are a bit crazy with me taking 4 kids to activities, usually in different locations. They are all within a mile of our house, but I'm dropping off, coming home to tuck in a couple kids, then going back to pick up. Alexis has activity days at 4pm which I love because 1.) she can walk to it and 2.) she is home to baby-sit while I run the other kids to their activities. She reads to the 4 little kids and helps with tuck in time.

Nathan had Madalyn take a picture of him for his Twitter account. He's not on the blog much, so I included this picture.

Friday night the oldest 5 went to the LDS music festival where their Uncle had some music performed that he composed. I stayed home with the youngest 4. I first let them watch a short show. Samuel fell asleep at 5:15. He was wearing his church clothes because he quickly put them on when he saw the older kids dressing up, thinking he was going. I put him in bed, church clothes and all, and he slept until 7:45 Saturday morning!

Anderson and Makenna cuddle Saturday morning.

Saturday Uncle Morgan (from Florida) came over as well as Devon and Katie. I thought I took more pictures but I guess not. Here is one of Morgan with our newest nephew, Joseph. We did have a really good Saturday with family visiting, playing outside, and having time to relax.

Week ending 2-22-16

For those who didn't read last week's post, Kylie, Madalyn and Spencer went to Boise to read the Book of Mormon over the long weekend with the youth there. They rode up with our YW president and my sister Misty was bringing them home this Friday. Meanwhile, we had a quiet week at home with just the 6 little kids. It's always fun to have a few kids missing and change things up a bit.

Monday morning: Samuel playing with Anderson. 

I woke up to find this: Thomas and Alexis sitting at desks and reading their scriptures. They read all day and all day Tuesday. Alexis finished the Book of Mormon! She had started it Sunday night at 7pm and finished it Tuesday night at 7pm! She only took a few breaks to eat, go on a walk, and chat with me. 

Meanwhile Kaitlyn and Makenna had fun playing dress up. 

Monday afternoon: I pushed 2 kids in a stroller and Alexis pushed 2. Thomas and Kaitlyn rode their bikes. It was finally 50 degrees! All the snow in our front yard melted and eventually all the snow in our backyard too by the end of the week. 

Monday night we had my brother, Brady and his wife and kids over for dinner and FHE.

Yummy stromboli and homemade pizza. 

Tami, Brady, and Paige 

Tuesday: Alexis reading after lunch while eating one of Tami's delicious brownies. Anderson loses interest in the toy and goes for the brownie.  

After Alexis sits him up and gives him a toy, he still goes for the brownie. That's my boy! 

Just about finished! 

Victory dance! 

I was so proud of her. I've never attempted such a thing. I wanted to take her out just to run an errand with me or some special date time to celebrate but Nathan didn't get home until 9:30pm. So we had ice cream sundaes instead. 

Wednesday: Proof to Kylie that I did indeed bathe the kids while she was gone. 

Dance recital. 

Watching a conference talk. 

Thursday we got a neat storm where it was 50+degrees then dropped to 34 within 20 minutes. It started out sleeting and then changed to snow. It was super windy and there was thunder and lightning too. It was really fun and something I love about homeschooling/being home with my kids all day-- enjoying the spectacular weather phenomenon and excitement. 

Sleet coming through the back door. 

Piling up at the garage door. 

Anderson hanging out with a spoon and a baby doll.

Friday: The kids playing house in the school room. This was Kaitlyn's bedroom (on Kylie's desk with her bed under the desk.) 

Makenna's and Alexis's bedrooms. 

Thomas's bedroom.

Saturday we went to the Provo City Center Temple open house. I don't know these kids but Samuel walked right up and stood in the midst of them with his hands in his pockets. He was so cute. 

Week ending 2-14-16

Monday: Alexis made pink lemonade mini pies for her FHE treat. She thought they were adorable. She washed out the tiny tins and saved them for her baby dolls. 

Wednesday: Thomas's half birthday. Any reason for a party. :) We watched a cute Shirley Temple movie and decorated Valentine sugar and spice cookies. 

Spencer accidentally photobombed this picture. He was motioning for something. 

Saturday: With the 3 oldest in Boise for a week, we can actually fit our other 6 in our van. So I asked Nathan to take 5 of them to the park for the morning while Anderson napped and I got things done around the house. Turns out they were too freezing to stay at the park very long so they went to the library. I had a nice, short, much needed break... Until Anderson woke up. 

Kaitlyn getting in the van. 

Arriving at the park. 

Queens of the mountain. 

A common theme of all these pictures is that every kid had holes in their knees. I need to make a run to Kid to Kid but by the time I do it will be spring. I keep thinking we won't need pants much longer since it's mid-February, but maybe I'm wrong. I forget I'm not in NC anymore. 

This is after 7 straight days of melting. 

There has been snow on the ground since we got here 6 weeks ago. It's finally above freezing and starting to melt. I'm finally able to take a walk with the stroller because the sidewalks are clearing. These are pictures from my walk with Samuel on Saturday.

Playing "Babies watch a movie on Valentine's Day with chocolates." That's what they called the name of their game. All 5 played together all day. It was great. But without my older kids after them to clean up, it was also a mess. 

Thomas eating a leftover pink lemonade pie. 

Sunday: :Makenna with the rose Nathan got me. 

After church. 

This picture is for Kylie. Proof that I did the heart hairdos even without her here.