Snow Days 2012

Apparently, Brian and I cause all sorts of strange weather patterns wherever we move because - I kid you not - every time we move we hear, "It's never like this." (Rain, wind, fires, snow, heat, etc...) 

With this move, apparently it's the cold that has come along with this snowfall that is very abnormal. School was even cancelled one day, which is also rare. Of course, when school is cancelled unexpectedly, it changes all of my plans for the day as well. Instead of getting things done on my to-do list, I get to help keep my kiddos entertained.

This was the first day of the big snow and the kids had a good time playing outside.

Brian helped the kids build a snowman using the snowman kit Aunt Janna gave them. It warmed up enough that he tipped over later that night.

However, throughout the night, it got below freezing so school ended up being cancelled. I made a list of 15 things for the kids to accomplish to earn a prize from my bucket. One thing they had to do was dance to 2 songs each on Just Dance on the Wii.

Another thing they had to do was build marshmallow sculptures. I made some, too. :)

I've been "nesting" so while the snow was coming down, I was getting things done inside. I made a weekly rotation of the kids' books and separated out the baby books. It's been on my "to-do" list for a long time!

Now, there are not an overwhelming number of books on our Ikea spice rack bookshelves.

I also made Valentine pillowcases for the kids and finished a few other projects I'd been meaning to get to for a while (one was from when Wes was a baby!).

Wes' Valentine pillowcase has "puppies"...his favorite.

Also, in addition to crafting, I've been getting organized. Just a tip: did you know that a box of 16 crayons fits perfectly in a soap container? These are for our church bag...better than our current Ziploc bag situation. I bought $1 coloring books at Wal-Mart and accidentally bought a box of glitter crayons instead of regular ones...lucky Sydney! Another tip: we also keep an egg of Silly Putty and one toy car for each of the kids in our church bag. Between coloring, Silly Putty, and a snack, they are pretty content all during Sacrament Meeting.

Baby Girl Room

I never really did a "nursery" for my other kids before. Wes had a color theme of black, white, and red, but I never painted or anything. Sydney shared a room with Wes when she was born, so they had black, white, blue, and pink. This time I had to paint the room because the owners had a bright lime green color in there (a teen's room, I think) that just didn't feel calm enough for a newborn room. So, I went with black, white, grey, and lavender. (Can you tell I like the simplicity of black and white for my babies?)

The room is small, which works well for a baby. My sister is letting me borrow her mini crib until we require a larger one. I've never done a wall decal before, but I like the way it turned out. It adds a bit of whimsy. I also added a little wire bookshelf between the crib and chair after I took this picture.

This is to the right of the door as you walk in. To the left of the dresser is the closet. Behind that door is storage...currently kid clothes.

I made this mobile from paper by tracing and cutting the leaves from the wall decals and then attaching them to string. I then attached them to a branch I found on the ground at Wes' school that I painted black. I thought it was a fun addition.

I'm happy with the way it turned out and the simplicity of it. Hopefully the baby will get some good sleep in this room! (Fingers crossed...)

Post Christmas Activities 2012

After Christmas, we mostly just hung out and played but we went on a few outings.

Aunt Jennie helped the kids test out Lydia's new cotton candy machine she got for Christmas.

Grandma and Grandpa Hanks went to Seattle for Christmas so they stopped by to see us on their way to and from and to play with the kids for a bit.

We took the kids to Bounce to play one cold and snowy day.

Brian convinced Wes to try the Velcro wall.

Brian was a super helper in getting all the kids stuck on the wall.

Madison's turn!

It took some convincing, but Lydia finally decided to give it a try.

Brian wanted to have a turn, and he made a great effort, however, the Velcro wasn't quite sticky enough for an adult.

Wes tried out the boxing gloves which were a wee bit heavy for him.

My nephews were being American Gladiators.

One night, we bribed the kids to clean up the craziness at home. We took them to frozen yogurt as a reward.

LOVE this picture of my niece, Lanie. What a cutie!

Also in the days after Christmas, Brian helped Wes put together his X-Wing. Brian and I both agreed that Legos are not the same as when we were kids. They have so many more interesting parts these days. There's a lot more to the pieces. I don't think this X-Wing has been fully intact since that day, but Wes still enjoys playing with it!

Christmas Day 2012

On Christmas morning, Wes was up at 5am...not out of excitement, but because he had to go to the bathroom. Then, he proceeded to sniff for about the next hour since he was dealing with a little cold. Needless to say, he, Brian, and I were quite tired on Christmas day! 

The kids were all up early, but they had to wait until 7am to go downstairs. Such patience!

Off they go to see if Santa came!

Ta-da! Santa filled their stockings!

I love how Wes and Sydney are checking out what each other got in this picture.

Baby Ruby checking out her stuff with Grandma and Grandpa Swensen in the background. Sydney is drinking Gatorade from her new "Lyn" straw (her middle name) from her Aunt Angie and Uncle Eliot and family.

Wes got a little Lego pack in his stocking and promptly followed the directions to put it together.

I did a "12 Days of Christmas" for Brian and this was his 12th present on Christmas morning: a 12-piece puzzle with 12 reasons why I love him. Madison and Sydney wanted to help him put it together.

All of the cousins on Christmas morning.

Wes and Sydney. This was the best smile we could get out of Wes. He was pretty exhausted all day.

When we got around to opening presents, we went youngest to oldest. The kids were very patient as they waited for their turn. Sydney got a Barbie Princess and the Popstar play castle from Santa.

Wes got a Lego X-Wing from Santa. We spent the rest of the day just hanging out while the kids played! It was a fun Christmas and we were grateful to be able to spend it with family.