The Most Adorable Bunny EVER

I never get tired of them playing with my phone.

Knowing Noah

There are so many things I love about our Noah, his gigantic heart being one of them. He's not the biggest piano fan around, but he does it, every day, probably to please his mom (because like I said he has this amazing loving heart). That doesn't mean he never complains however; it's still not his absolute favorite activity in the world.

Often he is the first one up in our home. He gets changed quickly and crosses off his morning to-do's. Many mornings he even helps get Cameron ready. The best big brother. When he gets his piano practice done before school, coming home to a basically free evening is his favorite (and mine).

He's the cutest carefully-concentrating bouncy-playing pianist I know.

Oh where, oh where has my little Nikki gone?

Often times I'll look around and wonder where Nicole has disappeared to. Sometimes, if I'm quiet, I will hear her sweet little voice playing Barbies upstairs. I watched her for a few minutes before she realized I was spying on her. She lined up a family to watch and cheer on the little barbie doll performing her gymnastics routine.

Boy Cave

Not long after this photo was taken Noah and Cameron gathered nearly every pillow in the house to heighten the walls. With a blanket for a roof they formed the most cozy and creative boy cave I've ever seen.

There are some people...

who are pretty much family.

It's another night at the open gym and a sleepover for the girls at the almost-cousin-Bennett's house. Love all these darling friends.

First Place!?

From DEAD last last year to first place this, Noah won the pinewood derby for the Bears den tonight. This is amazing to me since we kind of recycled his car from last year. Perhaps it was the not-quite-dried paint that added to it's speed? Surprising? I should say so.

The Activity Days girls made derby cars too and raced them after the cub scouts. Isn't that awesome! Boy did these girls love it!!!

Puzzles

I love a good puzzle. This one I found on Deseret Book reminds me so much of a Norman Rockwell print my mom hung in our childhood home living room. It had the Golden Rule written on it. This puzzle with Christ in the center is so beautiful to me. I used it to teach our Family Home Evening lesson on Monday, a refresher on our school theme of the year Choose Charity, in particular charity being the pure love of Christ. We finished it today and I'm thinking we may need to get a copy of it to hang on our walls, so that we never forget.

From my childhood walls

RRRR-rink

I went to a public affairs regional meeting. the kids went with Aaron to the school's ice skating fundraiser at the RRRRR-rink!

Good Moments...

When I pick Cameron up from school and he smiles out the door and into my arms.

When Nikki spends a half hour deciding on just the right outfit to wear for her first day of basketball practice.

When Mary breaks away from her favorite Kids Baking Champion show to photo bomb Nicole.

Mayie's 100th Surprise Birthday Party

This morning we attended the only 9:00 ward in the stake, the Tongan ward. The acapella Tongan voices were beautiful. Polynesians' tone is so rich and the harmonies are effortless. I don't think they are capable of singing off key.

Following sacrament we headed to the Center for Mayie's surprise birthday party. My great great aunt  looked just the same as I remember her 25 + years ago. 100 years old and she is still sharp and able to move easily. We got to see so many family members that we haven't seen in so long. It was a wonderful reunion.

The drive home wasn't awful...just a couple of stops to take chains on and off and some slower roads, but we were safe. We rolled back into town at about 11:30.

Cameron's paper man he made in sacrament. He said it was a valentine man with a big heart for me.

Smells Like Home

I don't know what it is, but the second I smell the air in the Bay Area I am transported to my childhood. And I miss it.

We swam at the hotel, explored Golden Gate Park, rode on a paddle boat, visited my old elementary school, ate tons of good food, swam with cousins, visited Linda and Joe, and took it all in.

I used to collect these in my elementary school and make a loud whistle by placing them between my thumbs and blowing on them. 

Fav Cousins

CA or Bust

I am going a little crazy with all of the political unrest. Today was President Trump's inauguration. I am hopeful that some of the issues that I feel are important will change with his new presidency. I am worried what his character will do for our nation and more concerned that we will never recover from the division that is so real and tangible among our people. I have learned that silence is appropriate at times and prayer is necessary always. I feel a lot of peace when I think on things of eternal nature. I'm very grateful for this knowledge and understanding.

So, to get away from all the turmoil, we decided to travel home to the big city, in the middle of all the protests and marches (hmmm...was this smart?).

My mom drove with us and we had a great time chatting and being together. The weather held up and we didn't need any chains nor did we experience any travel delays, despite being pounded by rain. On our way in town we stopped off for a bite to eat at the Basque Cultural Center. Everything was delicious, as usual.

It feels SO good to be home.

Killing Violin Time

On Thursdays I try and mix it up a little by playing at the park during part of Mary's violin lessons. It keep the complaining down.

Today Nicole started her new gymnastics class with her cousins too. She's still twirling and tumbling all over the house. Mary helped edit a video we made for Noah's report on his "special thing" (that sounds weird, but that's what the project is called). He chose to report on his hoverboard.

Beautiful Brace Face

Nicole and I left early this morning to get her "pre-braces" phase started. The goal of these brackets are to pull her front teeth forward for her to bite properly. She chose sea green and pink for the rubber band colors and enjoyed every part of the process. The assistant kept commenting on how well she was doing. And she really was such an incredible patient.

When leaving we called grandparents, stopped at Aaron's work to show everyone her new smile and then took her back to school. Since it was indoor recess all the kids from her class saw us walking in. They mobbed her when they realized she had something new and exciting to share. We made a quick visit to show cousins, luckily for us they were leaving the library.

Pretty exciting day for this little one.

2+4+love=family

This evening was Family Math Night at the school. Mary was a student helper and the activities were really wonderful.

A Full House and a Full Floor

Is there anything better than a house full of happy children? A girl scout and her mother rang our doorbell today selling cookies. When I opened the door the lady asked if I run a day care. With a giggle I answered, "Nope, these are just my kids and some of their cousins and friends." So sweet.

If there is one thing I can say I never quite figured out as a parent, it's sleep training children. I've tried songs, books, baths, lullabies, night lights. I've read books, told stories, and sought advice from friends and family. There always seems to be one or two children (sometimes 4) that have trouble falling or staying asleep and make their way down to our bedroom floor and into their "birdie nests", where they can magically fall asleep in a matter of seconds. Strange phenomenon.

"Ugh, another fort!?"

The itch to create your own special space begins around age five or six. I've read that developmentally speaking children create forts, dens, hideouts, clubs etc. to discover the world around them and become more independent. As they create indoor and outdoor forts they learn and grow in maturity, confidence, independence, social skills (cooperating and negotiating), cognitive skills (problem solving, planning, imagination, construction), even stress-release! Isn't this amazing!?

If only I could be more patient with all the messes!

Ninjas Are Undefeated

Noah's team's final game was today. They won 55 to 18. I love watching him play (he always has his tongue sticking out).

Let's give her some noise!

Nicole went with her friend and aunt to open gym night. Aaron and I went on a date. After practicing with her cousin on the bar, Nicole got the pull over! Coach Kidd announced that she was now ready to move up to the blue class! Wow! I'm so proud of our little one. I guess we'll be back to carpooling with cousins, and I'll be sure to go to her class a little more often.

Jill's Baby Shower

I hosted a baby shower for my friend Jill this evening. I love hosting parties and helping others feel loved is one of my very favorite things. Aren't these little bags my mom found the cutest favor you've ever seen?

Nicole + Gymnastics

Besides all her tumbling and tricks around the house, I rarely watch Nicole do gymnastics. Since her cousins moved up a level to a different class time, I have no one left to carpool with. It's a good thing they did, because I have been missing out on a lot of awesomeness. She sure loves everything about gymnastics. Her form and her concentration were incredible. But my favorite part was watching her peek over in my direction to see what I thought of all her work. Lots and lots of thumbs up!

Sweet Home

Home. My favorite place on earth. Making it a special place and loving the people in it is one of the greatest joys in my life.

Today I spent time shopping for some new pillows and decor to soften the walls and make it more inviting.

I love having this space to shape and influence. I get to choose the colors, the smells, the sounds, the things I want the children to keep as a part of them forever.

I came across these two decorations that I thought were beautiful.

Making home a haven where I can do God's work, teaching His children to hear His voice and cherish truth, is my treasured and holy calling.

Home. Heaven on earth.

Sometimes, the best kind of FHE's...

are put together as you go...a church video for the lesson, ice cream, hot tubbing, running back and forth between the snowy trampoline and the hot tub (well, Aaron and the kids did that one), and catching HUGE snowflakes with our mouths.

Yes! The snow is back! It rained all day and nearly melted the ice everywhere. I got so much done around the house while the kids were at school it was awesome! We keep checking online for school delays and cancellations.

Who's Your Favorite Idiart?

My sweet 16 year old niece, Rachel, loves Twitter. I still haven't gotten in to it much. I don't prefer it to other types of social media. I will probably start figuring it all out and then young people will decide parents are liking it more than kids, so they'll switch over to something cooler.

Today Rachel tweeted a poll...Who's your favorite Idiart? with the options: Josh, Rachel, Eliza, and Ben. I laughed so hard. Their school friends were casting votes and even Eliza promised a new Elo Show Part 3 if she won (someone played her old home movies of the Elo show at school and it's a joke between a lot of people at the school now). With Eliza down a few points and it being her 16th birthday dinner with family this evening, I voted for her ALTHOUGH, I truly have NO favorites.

Then Rachel tweeted that her aunt didn't vote for her, but voted for her other niece, and she'd like out of the family. It was hilarious. I love these nieces and nephews of mine. I'm so grateful for all 39 of them. They bring a lot of joy into my life.

Uncle Justin playing games with some of my favorite Idiarts