Goodbye, January

hockey on the driveway
football in the backyard....in January!

Surprisingly, I don't know if I'm happy about January ending or not. It hasn't been as bad as I had expected. In fact, it's been a fun month for our family and we've had enough sunny days to get me through those terrible inversions. It got so warm that a lot of our snow melted and we've had grass in the backyard for football and a dry driveway to play basketball and street hockey. Jason and I were laughing at the kids last Sunday. Aidan was pulling Sadie around in the toboggan on the one tiny patch of snow we have in our yard. It was pretty funny...Aidan would like more snow. That, or he told me he'd settle for a trip to Hawaii so he can surf in the ocean. I'd settle for that too.

Jason, Sam and I went ice skating with the first graders last week. I pushed Sam in the stoller and he was sound asleep after only two laps. So I got to skate with Jason and Sadie...even though I could barely keep up with either of them. It was fun watching those little kids trying to balance. I felt bad for some of them that kept falling over and over again. They were all pretty good sports though.
Mrs. Wallin's cute first-graders
They all made matching stocking hats to wear on their ice skating field trip.

A beautiful January afternoon.

My favorite time of day is 3pm when the kids come cruizing down our sidewalk on their skateboards from the bus stop to home. There is just enough of a downhill that they can get going pretty fast, but not scary fast. Sam and I go outside to welcome them when the weather is nice enough to venture outside. At the beginning of the school year Cole and Aidan took turns giving Sadie a ride on their boards....they would sit on bums and straddle the boards. They can balance and steer their boards amazingly well from this postition and usually they take a detour in Marilyn Isrealson's circular driveway. I took a whole bunch of pictures in the fall of this daily ritual. Like I said, I really love it. I have since realized all those fun photos were accidentally deleted, with many other fall pictures. This makes me really sad, because Sadie is now taking her own board...just like her brothers. Maybe I will talk them into doing tandem again...at least for one picture.

About the only time I can really get something done is Sammy's naptime. I go full speed while he sleeps...at least I try to. But sometimes I have to just sit and stare at him and marvel at how beautiful he is, especially as he dreams.

I took this picture of Sammy smiling at me...just after he had pulled all of my clothes out of my dresser drawers.

January has been a great month for boarding as well. Cole makes the rails and jumps at the terrain parks look easy...but just ask Jason....it's not as easy as it looks. I won't even try boarding...the last time I tried it, over 15 years ago I was so sore I swore I wouldn't do it again.
Jason is so good about trying new tricks, however painful they may be, (grindrails included) out of love for his kids....and I'm sure, for the fun of it too.

Sammy has been loving this orange smelling play-dough. He's played with it all month. It's starting to get a little dried out though....time to make more. And time for February to begin!

just thinking....about my Aidan

the birthday boy!

all smiles at wolf mountain

our sign and the clever way he attached it to the lamp

my necklace

fun with Aidan's new creation--the zhu zhu pet house

zhu zhu going down the slide

zhu zhu car

I haven't been very consistent with my blog. In fact, I noticed yesterday that I had only posted like seven times in 2010 and most of those posts are like a photo dump of previous family activities. Pretty sad. But I also got into the mood to blog yesterday. Maybe I'll do more this year? It's 10:30am and Sam is already napping....that never happens. But like me, he was restless during the night. Anyway, I'm still in the mood. So here goes....oh, this will probably be long and boring to anyone but me.

Last night was one of those un-routine nights. As in, we didn't eat dinner (actually it was more like breakfast) until about 7 when I finally whipped up some bubblies (our term for German pancakes) and put them in the oven to bubble. At the time, nobody seemed too anxious to eat. This was about the same time Jason walked in from work...tired and probably hungry for something more substantial then bubblies, but he didn't complain. After downing the bubblies in what seemed like seconds. I whipped up some MORE bubblies after we decided one pan just wasn't enough for 6 hungry bellies. By the time we finished eating it was probably 8:30ish and I asked the kids to clean up the kitchen. Sadie (the queen of excuses when she doesn't want to do something) said her belly really hurt from eating too many bubblies. As Cole complained about Sadie's lame excuses I did something I normally don't do. I let her off easy and asked her to put her clean laundry away and to get into bed. Cole was bugged, but I guess we both let it go. I got into bed next to Sadie and listened to her read until about 9:30. After kissing her goodnight, I wandered into the kitchen to find Aidan still busily finishing his work. Cole had already finished cleaning to his standards, had come in to give me a hug goodnight, and gone to bed. Jason was in Sammy's bed. Both were sleeping and Jason was snoring. But Aidan had stayed working in the kitchen much longer making sure every dish and pan was washed, dried, and put away, counters wiped clean, and he was even sweeping the floor. I told him not to worry about sweeping and to go to bed. "No, Mom, I'm almost done. I just have to sweep this one part." Oh, he is so sweet sometimes...he really likes to do nice things for others. Then he asked me to get in his bed with him for a minute. I do this with all the kids sometimes...just crawl in with them before they go to sleep. It's amazing how much I get to hear and learn about them during these cuddly moments in their beds. Aidan talked until I drifted off to sleep. Then he had to wake me up to ask me if I was going to stay in his bed because he was turning off the light. That happens sometimes too.

Aidan just turned nine last week. I can't believe it. I know I shouldn't be sad, but I am. How many more years am I going to get to cuddle with my Aidan? and how many more years will he be so excited to tell me about everything in his life? Aidan has such an excitement for life and everything in it. I hope he never loses that because it's something really special.

I love how Aidan called me last week from Wolf Mountain to tell me how much I would love being there and what an awesome place it was for snowboarding. "You should come here, Mom, you would love it!" I wish I would have recorded the phone call and the joy and excitement I heard in his voice.

I love how after seeing me sad and teary last week he made a cute sign for Jason and me and hung it on our lamp to find as a surprise.

I love how he walked (actually he took his ripstick) his friend, Garrett, home last night so he didn't have to go alone.

I love his creations. Aidan never stops creating. Just this week he made an elaborate zhu zhu pet house out of cardboard boxes, and cardboard scraps, popsicle sticks, yarn, pipe cleaners, duct tape, pom pom balls markers, and lots and lots of hot glue. Sadie and Sam love it! He also made a battery powered car for the zhu zhu pets. Then he made me a cute necklace with ribbon, pom pom balls, pipe cleaners and shells...it's fun to wonder what he will be making next.

I love how when he bears his testimony at church he elaborates and always has a story to share.

I love his curly hair, his dark eyes that twinkle, his long eye lashes, and of course, his dimples.

I love the appreciation he has for nature and for animals.

I love his sweetness and sensitivity.

I love that he can spend time alone for hours and be perfectly happy.

I love that he didn't ask for anything for Christmas, but was the most excited on Christmas.

I love how he can read for hours at a time.

I love his tight hugs and slobbery kisses.

I love my Aidan.

Cocoa

Aidan grooming our new horse on Christmas morning.

We had something special on our front doorstep Christmas morning.....a miniature horse, named Cocoa. The kids were super surprised and super excited. They had no idea they would be getting a horse and asked over and over if it was really theirs. Cocoa has been the perfect pet and has given the kids hours of fun and enjoyment. She's small enough that they can all ride on her, even little Sam. And she's big enough to handle more than one rider at a time. She is friendly, calm, and gentle, but we've also seen that she can run when she wants to. We're having a lot of fun with her.

Grandma Murray and the kids with Cocoa on Christmas morning.

Cocoa shares the coral with Pepper...

and Avalanche. They seem to get along just fine.

A Bright Sunshiny Day!

Jason introduced the kids to ice skating on the canal a few months ago when the canal first froze over after bitter cold temps hit Cache Valley early. I've heard all about ice skating on North Logan's canal which was one of Jason's favorite childhood past times during long, cold winters. I never realized just how fun it could be until New Year's day when I finally decided to give it a try. It was so fun, in fact, that I talked Jason into going back a second time with me after the kids were done and after his foot had frozen from breaking through the ice into freezing cold water. Lyman Stevens was riding by on his horse when the two of us were skating together and told us to enjoy our afternoon date....and I SURE did!

New Year's day just happened to be a beautiful, bright, clear day. A great start to a new year!

You can't tell from the pictures, but the snow looked like feathers on top of the ice.

Sammy goes into a comatose-like state when cold, but Uncle Mike got him to smile

Smiling Sadie

Cole and Jonah

Sadie, Aidan, Mia, and Kaili

Love Kaili's smile

Kaili and Sam in the tobogan

It was too bright for Mia to open her eyes

Nathan opted for boots rather than ice skates

Jonah and Tristin

Aidan, Cole, Mia, Sadie, Nathan, Jonah, Tristin, Kaili and Sam in the sled

My four

A classic Aidan pose

My Beautiful Sam