Kids and a wedding!

January and February can be just drab months, but I love this time of year for one thing, and that is because I really start to see my kids progress academically right after winter break.  It's like it all starts to come together for them.  So here is the run down of what has been going on both academically and otherwise.

The month of January started with a bang this year...everyone got the flu that left us all coughing for weeks.  We were glad to see it go.  Skai became a favorite place to rest for Jacob when he was running a fever.  This is one of those moments that makes all the work that having a dog translates into worth it.

After recovering from all that gunk we celebrated and went ice skating at the rink that reopened in town.  They had these awesome traffic cones the boys could push around, and man I loved that.  No more bending over to help!  Maren really liked ice skating and so we decided to sign her up for an eight week lesson clinic.  She is loving it!

Jacob and Spencer really like to play with legos, but Jacob usually says he is not good at building things.  Of course being the youngest he is always looking at what big brother or sister has made.  But really for a four year old I think this is a pretty darn good snowmobile.  

Our school district decided to change the cut off date for kindergarten this year.  Jacob will be five July 16th, the cut off date is July 15th.  I was upset at the late news of this change, but in truth I am grateful for one more year before my little man goes to kindergarten.  He will be better off in the long run, and I get to put a hold on the inevitable, of all my kids being in school, and enjoy having one at home part time a few more years.  But on the flip side we have worked so hard with him to get his speech where it needs to be for him to be ready for kindergarten and he has had several major break through's more recently that have me scratching my head.  But it is what it is!

Jacob is really fun to play with, he loves to play hard.  We went up to the Mesa for one last family ski day, and he loved sliding off this mound over and over again.

For Valentines Day Spencer and Jacob helped me make superhero Valentines to give to friends at school.  They turned out really cute.  And were super easy, that is always a bonus!  Spencer wrote all his classmates names on his own this year, and Jacob wrote his own name on all his.  Spencer came home from school this day before Valentines saying he wanted to make a star wars box.  Thank goodness for pinterest!  We found a picture of an easy R2-D2 and viola.  The picture is out of focus, but you get the idea=)

When Spencer had his turn with the flu we did a lot of school work at home.  I asked him several times to show what strategy he used (basically show his work) for his math.  This was often his answer...  

A picture of him doing the work in his head..ha ha!

His teacher tells me math is his strongest subject, and he does it with ease.  

Spencer and Maren's classrooms often team up for field trips, and both teachers love science so they are almost always very cool field trips.  This one was to a fish hatchery, where we saw two different native fish species that they raise to reintroduce into the Colorado river.  They keep them in these huge "fish bowls" and the kids get to to watch them while they learn about them.  Maren's class also gets to care for a few of the fish from now until May when they will go to help put them in the river.  

Maren was being "kissed" by a razerback succor fish.  

We took the kids to a new skating rink they opened not too far from our house.  It was a ton of fun, and Miss Maren loved the limbo game they played.  She was one of the last ones out before everyone was eliminated.  She rocked it.  I love watching her confidence grow these days.  At her parent teacher conference a few weeks ago her teachers shared with me how they can't wait to see what she will do when she grows up.  It was very apparent they all love working with her.  

And Skai loves her willingness to share her seat with him.  Man is he huge!

  

Amanda created a historical fiction character that she first researched, then put together this presentation.  She choose to do a mormon pioneer from Scandanavia.  Her name was Sofea Maren Peterson.  It was loosely tied to our family history, and she did a lot of research from the family memoires we have.  She did a great job with her presention, and even tried her hand at a hardanger project that I had not finished years ago.

She also played a solo in her band concert on February.  She did fabulous, and has the high school band director asking about her.  Although he would like her to learn to play saxaphone so she can do jazz band:/

I think she was grateful for these distractions because out of the blue she hurt her ankle again and has been on crutches for several weeks.  She took a break from swim while that heals and has busy regardless.

Amanda made these sugar cookies for the kids to decorate for family night a few weeks ago.  And with the leftover dough she made a little treat for Skai.  All the kids have been taking turns helping me cook more.  And I am happy about that.  Although sometimes it takes more planning and more thought, it is nice to have company in the kitchen, and I am learning they are more capable than I give them credit for.

And these fabulous Young ladies are the young women I am so blessed to work with.  Notice among them is Amanda, who I have to hand it to her gets a double wammy of me at home and me at church. She is very patient with her overbearing momma!

We have welcomed three new girls in the past few weeks, so it has been a busy month of kidnapping and getting to know these ladies, and we love it!  

And last, but certainly not least, we traveled to Utah this weekend for my sister Michelle's wedding!  It was fabulous and wonderful and she was beautiful.  Maren helped by handing out bubbles with her new cousin Lindsey.  The bubbles and friendship were both an instant hit.  Amanda was supposed to help with the celebration the night before being a server, but ended up with strep throat...bad timing!  But she was able to be there for the temple pictures, and sing with us at the wedding dinner. 

Mostly it was just wonderful to be there to share in this wonderful event.  It was great to see Michelle so happy and to meet Ethan and his kids.   I couldn't help but think about almost 15 years ago to the date when Dave and I were sealed in this same temple. It was neat to be back and feel of the spirit that attends the ceremony.  I love the temple!