We've had a cold and snowy winter and I for one love it. I enjoy a hard winter and I am more appreciative of spring and summer after a winter that is worth it.
That said, I do not recall a winter so blustery and snowy that has blown snow through our doors -- multiple doors into our home, or inter our mailbox.
The kids had some fun in a tent Saturday afternoon, and I was able to snap a few pictures.
Hunter was sick a few days ago, so Lee Lee drew him a lion to take to bed with him. He slept with the lion all day.
Yesterday was Camo Day at school... and it quickly became my favorite dress up day we have had so far in Rangely.
Since it was Tracey's birthday, she did not wear camo -- but she would have been camouflaged in a garden.
My favorite first-born daughter turns nine years old today! Happy Birthday to my spunky, sassy, intelligent, mature little girl.
You have grown tremendously much this past year including trying new sports, facing your fears in order to try new adventures (water slides, roller coasters, and singing a solo in your school choir concert), and you really stepped out of your comfort zone when we moved to Rangely and you had to establish a completely new social network and circle of friends in our new town. You handled everything with an amazing attitude.
You are so creative and intelligent, I do not understand how you think of the inventions you do, the business plans you have, and tackle the arts and crafts projects you do. This year you have really come into your own as an artist and an individual.
You are an avid reader and bring a book almost every where you go. You read incredibly quickly and you remember the story and can re-tell it very well.
You are a wonderful big sister to all your younger brothers and sisters. Brady and Hunter really think they are little kings because of how much you care for them and spoil them. Caroline and Lee Lee look up to you so much especially how hard you work, your grades, your style, and your creativity... and Howard thinks you're awesome, which is why you are his favorite person to annoy.
Happy Birthday, Beautiful 9-year-old!
We love you like crazy.
We had a full week. After a regular week of work and after school activities Monday-Thursday, we had a dear old friend come visit Thursday evening for dinner and spend Thursday night. This was also the one Friday in January that I worked all day for a staff inservice.
Then Saturday we had Tracey's surprise birthday party (which was awesome but pretty tiring and we got home late) AND good friends from Rifle spent Saturday night and we had a leisurely breakfast at home Sunday morning.
Then I tried to fit all the tasks at home that I usually would do on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday into Sunday afternoon.
Yesterday we threw Tracey a surprise birthday party, and it was SO much fun and we had a great turnout, and she really was surprised, and I think a great time was had by all. The location was SO much, and her best friend from Rifle and her family even came up for the party, and spent the night at our house afterwards. Seriously, the best day of her life so far.
And here are a few pictures of the fun times...
This past weekend some of the kids had their first basement campout downstairs. It sounds like they had a great time.
I had an assignment for grad school asking that I create a name plate with the following information in a certain format including pictures of the following:
Favorite things from over Christmas break
Favorite place
Favorite fictional character/dinner guest
If you were a musician on tour, who would you bring as a surprise guest musician
Additional picture of my choice
Here is the name plate I create:
I walked into your bedroom with Lee Lee hot on my heels talking my ear off about something very important in her five-year-old mind. With a trail of wrappers on the floor, I noticed someone had gotten into bedroom stash of hidden candy.
I exclaimed, “Who has been into my candy stash?”
Lee Lee responded with, “I have no idea. But I think I know!"
... She is the one who wants to be a detective when she grows up. What natural skill!
As a part of my birthday celebration, I took some time Saturday night to watch a movie I have wanted to see for a few months now -- Ticket to Paradise with Julia Roberts and George Clooney. It looked like a funny romantic comedy, (which seems to be hard to come by these days).
It certainly was a cute, funny romantic comedy... but can I just say, movies are so different once you're a parent!!!!
This is about a divorced couple and their daughter graduates from school and then goes on a fun summer trip to Bali before beginning her job as a lawyer (they never talk about law school... so I'm not really sure what liberties were taken by the writers in terms of the reality of qualifications for becomming a lawyer... but I digress.
While she's on her fun summer trip, she meets a man in Bali, a seaweed farmer and she decides she is going to marry him (in four days time) and stay in Bali for the rest of her life.
The movie was funny... but so HORRIBLE!!! This is any parent's nightmare no matter how many jokes you incorporate.
The kids and I watched Cool Runnings on my birthday, which if you remember is about the Jamaican Bobsled team who goes to the Olympics. One of the bobsledders is very well-off and he decides not to tell his father that he is becoming a bobsledder and that he is going to the Olympics. I found myself pausing the movie to explain to our children that they can always tell us anything I hope they would not lie to us if they were ever in a similar situation.
Oh goodness.
Movies are so much harder now that I'm a parent.
