Blogging On

We aren't the most consistent bloggers (that's a euphemism for "we stink at this"). We are getting ready to move to Florida in June. It will be a busy summer. Divided between moving, seminars in Salt Lake and California, vacation and weddings, our summer schedule is full.

Lately we have done some fun things. The boys had a school's out party complete with friends, movie, pizza, homemade root beer, and cars they made and raced.

Party Pics

Janna and the kids made quilts for the stake celebration:

OK Rainstorm

Not So Sunny Florida

So I spent last week in Florida. The ranch is south of Orlando and is quite beautiful. Here is their website:

http://www.deseretranchflorida.com/

I like it when we have meetings there, especially during the winter because usually it is very nice weather there. However, last week was cold! Anyway, here are some pics...

Nice wildlife habitat

Good Bass Fishin'

Jungle

Swimming Hole

The Office

Master Builder

Andrew's class recently celebrated the 100th day of school. As one of their activities they were given 100 marshmallows and toothpicks. Both Andrew's teacher and I were astounded by what he made. None of the other creations could even compare. Maybe he will be an architect when he grows up.

Andrew showing Abby his creation.

Climbing the walls

Most often parents claim that their children drive them crazy or make them climb the walls. Not so at our house.

Andrew teaching Caden the fine art of climbing walls

Caden trying his hand (and feet) at it.

Andrew victorious with no hands!

Caden showing his guns and skill with only 1 hand!

Our trip to Nebraska

After a year and a half, we finally made it back to Nebraska! The 11 hour drive there went smoothly and we enjoyed visiting with many of our "old" friends while our Dad helped with year-end stuff. We got so caught up with visiting that we forgot to take as many pics as we had planned. Nebraska and our friends there will always hold a special place in our hearts!

We were ready for church early so we decided to take some pics. Here are the kids in our "little house" we stayed in on the ranch.


We had the kids watch a movie on the bed while I did Abby hair and while we waited until it was time to leave for church.

Andrew and Abby in the kitchen of our "little house."

Mom and Abby waitin'on the boys. We forgot to take pictures after church, but we enjoyed seeing all of our favorite branch people. We missed the Shears at church but got to visit with them on the way home.


This is Jan our favorite Post Master in Ashby. It was so good to see her again! We wish the Postal workers here were as nice and friendly as Jan--we miss you Jan!

Mom and Abby with our favorite librarian Vicky at the Hyannis Library.

Taylor with the Hyannis 3rd grade class. He was excited to see so many of his friends!

Taylor with his friend Shailey. They use to be the same size so we had to stand them up together. This is proof that Taylor has grown!


Taylor and Andrew with Mrs. Dyer. She will always be Taylor's favorite Teacher!!! And I will always be grateful for the amazing start she gave Taylor in school!

Abby loved Mrs. Dyer's rabbit. Now she thinks she needs a rabbit and a kitty.

:) Abby and Emily :) Friends forever :)

The Highlight of our trip was visiting Grandma Ruby and Grandpa Harry. We were surprised and excited that 2 of their daughters drove over to see us too! Here are the kids playing with their favorite tinker toys.

Abby and Carla playing with tinker toys.

Caden and his amazing robot creation!

Principle's Pick

Each quarter at Ranch Heights Elementary, the Principle picks one boy and one girl from each grade that he feels shows good citizenship. He picks children who are kind, good examples, excellent students and friends, children who make the school a better place to be. We are proud to report that 1st quarter Andrew was awarded the Principle pick for 1st grade and that 2nd quarter Taylor was awarded the Principle pick for the 3rd grade. Great job Boys!!! You make us proud!

A Pleasant Surprise

I'm sick. I have the flu. I really don't mind throwing up (I've done it enough to like it I guess) and usually it makes me feel better. Coughing is annoying but tolerable. I don't like being tired, but sometimes a good couple days rest gives me time to recharge mentally. What I truly don't like is headaches. I get them so rarely, but when they come I get annoyed quickly. And they make all the other tolerable things become intolerable, because the other things aggravate the headache. For example a cough coupled with headache causes shooting pains through the cranium...miserable.

It's 2:30 am, I can't sleep, so I do the most logical thing to do when you're sick with a headache and can't sleep: I watch the State of the Union Address (Hey, I'm already sick right?). Anyway, it gets over and I start watching the GOP response. Much less entertaining, so I flip the DVR to the American Idol episode I missed earlier in the evening. Dallas, nice. Aha, Neil Patrick Harris is the guest judge, bring back the controversy. For the record I can't stand Neil Patrick Harris.
24 minutes into the episode they start showing a segment with sad music and images of several people walking out of the judges room crying. Suddenly, I recognize the girl walking out of the room crying. Could it be!?! REWIND! Sad music, crying, walking out...yes, yes, it is her! JENNY! We absolutely love Jenny! This is special for me because Jenny would come over to our house when we lived in Utah and I'd make her sing for me. My favorite was when she'd sing Mandy Moore. It was angelic. I was so excited, I forgot about being sick for a short while. Jenny was on national TV! A short while later Janna must have realized I was not in bed and came to find me. I had to show her what I had found! She was excited too. That was so fun to see! We agreed that Jenny was our American Idol.
The lesson to be learned: ego maniacs with morals on loan from the devil himself are unable to recognize anything truly divine.

Disasters Happen in Pairs

So Abby has been potty training. And I must admit she is doing fabulous! In the past week she has never had more than one accident per day (ok, technically she did have two last Thursday but none on Friday so it averages) and has had a few days with no accidents. Bless her little heart there is hope. And not a minute too soon as her mother had promised (after the last failed attempt a couple months ago) to never ever make another attempt at potty training Abby...because it was a lost cause that would never come to pass and thus never to be attempted again so long as she lives cause it was a waste of time, effort and laundry soap (or something to that effect, you get the idea). Anyway, so today was (emphasis on was) a good day through the 18th hour. No potty accidents, dinner dishes were cleared, dishwasher started, kids in the tub, and the DJ on the country radio station was on a roll. Too good to be true, I should have seen it coming...
It was at this moment that Abby chose to ruin her perfect day in a rather....well.... big way. Screams from the bathroom. At that same precise moment I was straightening things in the kitchen and made an unwise choice. My hands were full, but one more thing lay on the counter....I could get it if I shifted the things in my arms and used my last two fingers, now freed from burden, to grab it. It was a marble paper towel holder. In hindsight, I really should have guessed that the two fingers I chose would not be adequate to bear the weight of a marble paper towel holder. It fell....and of course I, being one with above average reflexes, contorted my hips swiftly to knock the falling towel holder off its trajectory so it would scoot across the floor instead of smashing straight into it. Nice, except the oven was in the way. Glass exploded everywhere. I stared, looking at the gaping hole in the oven not recognizing it as MY oven. Was I dreaming? I went to get the shopvac. My wife came in and after initial shock made light of the situation. I cleaned up the kitchen disaster. My wife handled the bathroom disaster. I love my wife. Stay tuned for pics (of the kitchen disaster).

The carnage I found when I came to check on the bread.




It was Scott in the Kitchen with the Paper towel holder.

Black Eyed Pea - Abby's Bad Day

So a few weeks ago I come home from work and Abby (aka peanut or pea) has a black eye. According to Janna, Abby got into a fight with a shopping cart earlier in the day and...well.....the shopping cart didn't lose. Later, right after Janna made our bed, Abby was jumping on it and fell and hit her chin on our headboard resulting in an ugly scratch on her chin. Of course that night was our ward Christmas Party and, although we explained what really happened, I'm pretty sure there were a few who left with suspicions about our parenting methods. Anyway, here are some pics of our black eyed pea (the angle didn't get any of the chin damage).

Thanks Nana, the hats fit great!!!

OK White Christmas 2010

Below are some pictures taken on Christmas Day. We got our first snow on Christmas Eve and it was a big one for where we live.

The kids had a blast in the snow with their new snow boots.

Loadin' up the sled

End of the run

sled pusher down!

snow fight!

snowmen

direct hit!

Snow Angel

Snow Fort