Happy Birthday To Me!

Okay, I know my birthday was in September, but Brad's parents gave me money for my present and I finally found something that I couldn't live without.

I love this dress! Now I just need warm weather so I can wear it!

Draper Temple Open House

Last Night we took the kids to the Draper Temple Open House. It was amazing! The kids were so good and they asked a lot of questions. It felt so good to be there with my kids and I had flashes of the future when I will be able to take them back there to receive their own blessings. As we sat in the sealing room Sami and I talked about how someday she would be there with the man she loved. It was a sweet experience. Halfway through Ethan complained that he was getting tired so he sat on my mom's lap and not long after he was out, he was so cute!

Yes, We are Alive!

Over the holidays I got in a funk and didn't feel like blogging, but really we did do some fun things as a family. So hold on and enjoy the ride down memory lane.

Here are some of our December activities:

We visited my dad and decorated his room with Christmas cheer. I enjoy taking my children to visit my dad, they don't always enjoy it, but I am starting to see a change in them as they are starting to realize how much he likes to see them.

I love that my dad always has a smile on his face!  

We also took a trip downtown to Temple Square. We haven't been there for a couple of years so it was fun to take the kids and see all the lights.

We got to party with family.....

 

 

 

 

 

 

On Christmas Eve Brad made us an amazing dinner. It was also his birthday and so he usually gets some new toy to cook with. It has kind of become a tradition to have him cook his own birthday dinner because he enjoys cooking so much and he can go all out on that day.

 

 

 

 

I don't mind it at all when Brad cooks!

 

 

 

 

 

Jacob really enjoyed the Jello, in fact his face was stained red the rest of the night!

Of course then there was Christmas.

 

 

 

We all got new Jammies on Christmas Eve. Ethan was a little disappointed that jammies were all he got so he wouldn't cooperate for the picture.

 

 

 

The kids were all happy with their presents. It was a nice Christmas filled with lounging around in our jammies, being with family, playing games and Brad not having to work! I think it was one of the best Christmases yet.

January not much happened, but Brad did take Sami and Braden ice fishing with his dad and brother.

 

February has been a busy month. To start the month off we had a ward Valentines Dance. Brads dad is in a band called the Moonlighters and we had them come play for us. It was so much fun!

 

 

 

It was fun to go and dance the night away with my husband and get a few dances in with my boys. Who could ask for a better night!

 

 

 

 

 

Next we had my moms birthday. Sami and my nephew Andrew designed my moms cake and Sami helped me make it.

I let go of the control freak in me and let Sami do all the dots and stripes on the cake, she was so proud of herself and she had a lot of fun doing it.

The birthday girl and her crew!

I have been thinking a lot lately about my kids and what can I do to help them be more charitable and loving. I got the idea to make valentines for all the residents at the care center where my dad lives and then have the kids deliver them. I really want my kids to feel more comfortable going there and I thought this would be a good way to help that. I invited some of my family and friends to join in with us and it was a lot of fun.

 

The kids all did an awesome job and made close to 100 cards. When we went to go deliver them they were a little shy at first but quickly learned how fun it was to hand them out. They also enjoyed seeing how happy it made those who received them. This will definitely be a do again next year!

On Valentines day we went to Great Grandpa Hintze's 90th birthday party. We are so happy to have him in our lives.

 

They had a huge party and tons of people came to celebrate with him.

 

 

 

 

 

To serve as refreshments all the grandchildren were asked to make a cake that represented a memory of grandpa.

This is the cake Brad and I made. Our memory was from after we got married we went camping with the family to Snow Canyon in St. George. In the morning Brad and I laid in our tent and listened to Grandpa outside singing. He sings the best songs! The Jelly beans on the cake are supposed to be Easter eggs because they always went camping at Easter time and would have an egg hunt.

So that is what we have been up to. It has been fun!

"All I want for Christmas is my two front stitches!"

Poor Sami! Her first official day of Christmas break and not even half way through the day she trips while playing out in the snow and smacks her mouth on the neighbors porch! So we braved the blizzard that was going on outside and went to the doctors so she could get two stitches right below her lip. She was so brave and so was I, this was the first time any of my kids have had to have stitches so it was a new thing for me too. Sami was proud of herself because she didn't cry while they were stitching her up.

Sami got glasses!

Sami knew exactly which glasses she wanted and I think she did a good job picking them out. They are black with turquoise  on the inside. She has been so excited to go get glasses so this was almost as good as Christmas...... almost!

Ethan: Demon or Angel?

So about a month ago I had an interesting conversation with Ethan, here is how it went:

me: Ethan you have been kind of naughty and ornery lately, it makes me sad. I miss my happy Ethan who is nice and loves everyone.

Ethan: (straight faced) Your Ethan is dead.

Okay,.... what do you say to that? I couldn't help but to hide a little laugh, because where does he come up with these things? Is he seriously possessed? ( He has started to act better in the past month, thank goodness!)

Then this past week he was acting silly and I asked him this...

me: Who are you?

Ethan: (proudly) I Am A Child Of God! And he has sent me here!

Sami told me that in primary they ask the kids this question and they all respond in this manner. So thank you the primary leaders for changing my Ethan from and demon to an angel! 

The Great Adventures of Pengy!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A couple of years ago Braden got a stuffed penguin that he named Pengy. Braden loves Pengy, he used to carry him around everywhere. Over the years Pengy has been know to get himself into a little trouble from time to time, like jumping into the bathtub with the kids. Well this past week Brad went on a business trip to Boston and Pengy jumped into his computer bag so he could go along too. Brad documented Pengy's adventures and emailed them to the kids, who in turn had a blast seeing all he did.

The Picture above is Pengy sitting in his airplane seat.

 

Pengy looking out the airplane window. My kids were a little jealous cause Pengy has been on an airplane and they haven't.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Pengy in his hotel bed and getting into the hot tub!

 

Pengy going to Brad's meetings with him. All of Brad's colleagues loved Pengy and helped take pictures of him.

 

 

 

 

 

  

Pengy talking on the phone.

This is one of the side effects of hanging out with Brad so much, you can't help but become a phone user!

 

 

 

 

This is Pengy hiding in a Christmas tree and riding Rudolph!

Apparently Pengy has a sweet tooth. He finished an ice cream sundae and then ate a bunch of mini candy bars!

 

The kids thought this one was pretty funny, it is Pengy trying to win a friend out of one of those toy machines.

 

 

 

 

 

 

After a long trip it was back to the airport so he could bring our dad back to us. This is him going through the security check, luckily he behaved himself and didn't try to smuggle anything!

 

 

 

 

 

He did take a little time out to get a massage!

 

 

 

 

 

 

Waiting to board the plane.

 

 

 

 

 

He was so happy when he found a friend to talk to at the airport.

 

 

 

We are glad both Pengy and Brad arrived home safely. We missed them both so much!