January updates

This month:

• Had six snow day and two snow delayed days of school
• Kalia had an ear infection
• I had a sinus infection
• Caleb had a birthday
• Darwin taught all the kids how to change the oil in the car
• I crocheted....A LOT
• Brooklin made a very questionable cake
• Caleb and Isaiah got good notes from school for being awesome
• We made a trip to The Bass Pro Shop
• Kalia learned how to get ready for prayers

Caleb is 16!

Happy 16th Birthday Caleb Boy!  Looks like you will get your wish...snow day, no school on your birthday!  Love you!!

Merry Santa Day 2013!

This year we baked a ton of goodies to deliver to our neighbors for Santa Day.  As always...while we were out serving our neighbors, Santa stopped by our house and left presents for everyone!

Brooklin got a William Shakespeare Star Wars Book, an Iron Man contacts case, two new pairs of jeans, some notepads, an infinity scarf, a Bubble Talk game, and a "class ring".  We decided to buy her a ring she would actually wear beyond graduation...class rings are kind of ugly...so we got her a ring with emeralds in it because they are her birthstone.

Caleb got TWO guns!  One Nerf gun and one 12-gauge shot gun!  He also got a BSU jersey, an Xbox controller, an Xbox game, a Wheel of Time book, some ammunition, and a Star Wars calendar.

London got a pair of homemade fingerless gloves, makeup, a Nook HD and case, two pairs of jeans, a scarf, and an Elite book.

Isaiah got two long sleeve t-shirts, a Nerf gun, an Xbox controller, Minecraft, a remote control car, a Would You Rather game, finger lights, and a ninja sword pen that makes swooshing noises.

Kalia had a Bubble Guppie Christmas!  She got a singing Bubble Guppies playset, three pairs of pajamas (one was Bubble Guppies), a dress, some Bubble Guppies maracas, stuffed animal Bubble Guppies, an animal book and a very cute "hootie-hootie" from her Gammy.

The Annual Christmas Wishlists

(As always, I do not correct spelling errors.  I just type what is written)

Brooklin

• Geek Shirt
• Sweaters
• Long sleeve under armor (for running)
• Pocket knife
• Earings
• Books
• Sweat pants for running
• Books A Million - pretty much anything in there
• That one Shakespearean Star Wars book we saw, that was awesome.
• Acceptance letter to college

Caleb

1. Books      1b. Star Wars Books 
2. PS3
3. Kingdom Hearts HD 1.5 Remix
4. Kingdom Hearts Manga
5. Pants
6. Halo (or Xbox game for 4 people)
7. 2 more Xbox controllers
8. Headphones
9. A movie
10. Legos (A BIG one)
11. Angry Birds Star Wars II (for iPad)
12. A bean chair or circle chair
13. A trip to the gun range
14. Foozball table for the basement
15. Horse Shoes (the game)
16. Star Wars posters
17. Personal Rope
18. Bow Ties and Regular Ties
19. An under armor shirt
20. Mormon Ads
21. Lifeproof case

London

1. contacts
2. new iPod case
3. makeup
4. gun
5. pocket knife
6. kindle fire
7. The Elite (book)
8. Books
9. colored contacts
10. clothes
11. Catching Fire movie (if it's out)
12. Kingdom Hearts
13. Beehive necklace
14. Facebook
15. Converse
16. Head Phones (not)
17. Harry Potter/Hunger Games/Star Wars T-Shirts
18. Springy Circle Chair!!!!!
19. Ping Pong Table
20. BACON
21. earings

Isaiah

1. Kingdom Hearts books
2. Laptop
3. Legos
4. 3-D puzzle
5. Boxing gloves
6. Boxing gloves pen
7. Chello
8. Arctect set
9. slatwater taffy
10. Nook
11. Real tool set with would and nales
12. New knife
13. Minney TV
14. enlarged candey
15. Head phones
16. PS3
17. Bow and arowe
18. Gun
19. Hunters cetifacasho class
20. pagamas
21. pantes
22. Halo
23. Kirbey game
24. Cross bow
25. ipad
26. Art kit
27. skech book
28. Yarn
29. New snokol geer
30. shoes
31. cook book
32. iphone
33. desk
34. Air hokey
35. phos ball
36. ping pong

Kalia

     Although she can't talk very well yet to tell us what she wants, I am pretty sure anything with Bubble Guppies, Minions (Despicable Me), or Dora the Explorer on it would do.  She also loves candy, cheese, grapes, seaweed, cookies, crackers, and fruit snacks.  She really likes playing with her baby-sized legos and wooden blocks too.  

Kalia - 18 months

Our baby is finally old enough to go to nursery!  She did really good for her first day.  She got scared when one of the other kids started crying, but other than that it was a success!

Senior Pictures!

Can't believe this girl is a Senior!  She only has a few months left in high school and then she is planning on attending BYU-I.  (Application is in...waiting on an acceptance letter!)  She is an amazing, beautiful, talented, artistic, smart, athletic girl and I'm so grateful I've been able to watch her grow from a tiny infant into a wonderful young woman.  Love you B!!  (I had to put off taking her xcountry/track pictures since it got too cold.  I'll take them in the spring when it's warmer).  =)

School Pictures

I have been waiting for weeks for the leaves to change colors so I could take the kids's school pictures!  We haven't experienced full blown autumn weather for probably 12 years and I was genuinely excited to see the trees burst into color!  Alaska has two seasons (winter and not winter) and Hawaii only has one (springish summer).

I remember last time we lived here, that Virginia has some amazing and beautiful fall colors this time of year.  What I didn't anticipate (or remember, I guess) is that when the trees turn all these beautiful shades of red, orange, yellow, and brown, the weather gets cold and it rains a lot!  I started to doubt if I was going to get any pictures where my kids weren't wearing coats and donning pink noses.  Luckily, the past three days have been overcast and 70 degrees, which are perfect photography conditions!

You will notice that Brooklin is missing from this post.  She is a senior this year, and we have only been to one of the three locations I want to go to take her senior pictures. The ones we did today are great...but no sneak peeks yet.  Caleb is a sophomore this year, London is in 8th grade, Isaiah is in 6th grade, and Kalia is sassy...and sixteen months old!  I took these pictures about 2 blocks from my house in an empty sloping lot between houses.  I'm so excited that I didn't miss out on capturing these amazing colors...and my awesome kids.

And here are some of the trees around the neighborhood!  It is so beautiful here!!