Sharing Time Out

Elizabeth got in trouble and had to sit on the stairs for time out.  Caleb was so worried about Elizabeth because she was crying.  I told him Elizabeth was in trouble, not him.  He insisted on sitting with her so she would be happy.  He just adores her!  I love this pic - totally sad Elizabeth and totally happy Caleb.  I wish it wasn't so blurry.  But I'm sharing it anyway because I thought it was funny.

Snow days

We had 3 snow days during the last 2 weeks.  I got lots of fun pictures (and lots of well-needed sleep in days!)

Katie catching snowflakes on her tongue:

Caleb pushed his green car outside and only wanted to sit in the snow in his car.  

Michael and I shoveled all the snow from our driveway into a big mountain and then Michael made a tunnel through it.

The tunnel collapsed eventually.  Then we got a HUGE snowstorm (OK, Utahns don't laugh - it wasn't huge compared to you guys, but it was to us.  We got like 14" which is a lot over here.)  So Michael and I shoveled the driveway again... TWICE and put it all on top of the old mountain.  Then Michael made a huge cave.

And of course, we had hot chocolate.  FUN snow days!  We don't get enough snow over here.

Thanksgiving

We had a relaxing Thanksgiving this year.  We try to keep it as easy as possible so no one has to cook a huge dinner.  We had our tradition of salmon for Thanksgiving, and also had turkey (deli turkey - the only kind anyone will eat anyway, plus it's easy), homemade mashed potatoes and gravy, rolls with butter and raspberry jelly, green beans, pumpkin pie, banana cream pie (everyone's favorite!), pecan pie, and sparkling grape juice.  Everyone talked me into getting out the china and goblets.  I didn't take many pics - too busy relaxing.  We normally go to a movie on Thanksgiving morning, but there weren't any movies we wanted to see so we bought a Wii game... Skylanders instead.  Everyone loved/loves it!

Elizabeth and Caleb helping make banana cream pie.  Helping = lick the bowl and spoon.  Elizabeth has decided she LOVES banana cream pie and wants that for her 7th birthday next year.

All of them waiting for dinner.

What a difference a year makes!

I just realized I haven't updated the pics of my kids along the side of my blog in over a year!  (Have I really had a blog for a year?!)  Look how much they've changed in that year!!!  I guess I don't see it since I see them every day.  Here are their pics from last year and now.  Who do you think changed the most over this last year?

Nathan:

Michael:

Katie:

Anna:

Lydia:

Elizabeth:

 Caleb:

Caleb's stories

Caleb had a bunch of stories to tell me lately.  I caught 2 on video and  thought they were so cute that I just had to share. I LOVE his imagination!!!

Lydia got her ears pierced

Lydia got her ears pierced on Monday.  She was SO excited and did amazingly well.  I was really impressed.  So far, no problems.  (Knock on wood - I had tons of problems and so did Anna.  I hope Lydia doesn't.)  She picked out pink pearls.  (It's hard to see that they're pink in these pictures, but they are.)

Gingerbread houses

Last year we started a tradition to make gingerbread houses for Christmas.  This year we tried and tried to find a time we could make.  But since Blake traveled so much during December, we never found a time.  So we decided to make them Sunday - yes, after Christmas.  It was still really fun... actually more fun because there was nothing else going on.  Blake made his super-duper-yummy-extra-soft gingerbread cookies.  My kids always want to eat the houses and candy and I think that's absolutely disgusting (we buy the kits because they stay up better, but they're SO HARD!) so Blake perfected a gingerbread recipe that's heavenly.  We decorate gingerbread cookies and eat those so we can leave the houses as decorations. 

Elizabeth and Lydia helped Blake make cookies.

 Assembling the walls.  Tthat was quite a feat with 5 helpers!) I should have done this ahead of time.

I think this is a funny picture - they wanted to eat the candy right NOW!

 Caleb "kneading" the frosting:

 I bought 2 kits this year - a gingerbread house and a gingerbread train.  They decided they would "pick teams" - the house team and the train team.

The Train Team:

 The House Team:

Caleb absolutely amazed me during this activity.  He wanted to "help" and I envisioned a disaster.  But he helped decorate just like the big kids - with amazing dexterity for a 2 year old!  I had a ball watching the kids have so much fun.

Blake finishing the cookies while we decorated.  He doesn't like decorating and prefers to cook.  That's what he says anyway.  I can't imagine choosing to cook over decorating (I avoid cooking whenever possible!), but if it's true then I'm glad we're both happy doing what we like.

 Time to decorate and eat cookies!!!  We all loved them, but I think Caleb MORE than loved them.  Mr. Picky ate FOUR!!!  (and wanted more, but I said no.)

And the finished product.  They turned out so cute and everyone had so much fun (especially me)!

A few closeups that the kids wanted me to make note of...
Anna made the wreath over the door and the front snowman.  Elizabeth made the second snowman and made sure it had BLUE eyes like she does.  Anna kept praising Elizabeth about how cute her BLUE-eyed snowman is.

Lydia put the lights on the top of the engine and Caleb did the caboose himself.  Michael put the frosting on and Caleb added the candies.  I just told him where to put them and he did the rest alone!!