Makeshift Snowboarding ~ Sort of!

More Snow Fun

The kids have spent the better part of the day sledding in our back yard (and in the park across the street) with some friends of theirs. The trampoline that came with our house is semi buried in the ground and our sleds are stored underneath it -- so part of the fun for them was digging the sleds out from under the "trampoline snow fort". I was busy playing a game with their friends' mom--so I failed to take even a single photo of the sledding! =( "Bad, bad mommy"!!(I'm hoping they'll go out again tomorrow and I'll take some then). Pretty fun stuff!, it's even more fun now that three of the five kids can put their own snow gear on ~ there are few things more exhausting to me than the mere thought of putting gloves and boots and snow pants and hats and . . . on toddlers!

Silly Samuel

So, Samuel found a picture a few days ago . . . the picture of the oldest four kids with balls stuffed under their shirts, sitting next to me when I was very pregnant with Anna -- it was a very silly, highly pregnant looking sort of picture, all the way around. Samuel was explaining to Anna how the "ball" in mom's shirt was her! "See that big lump in mom's belly . . . that's you Anna! . . . but you got out ~ that means you fell out of mom's shirt!"

Birthdays and Blizzards!

They didn't occur together and I don't know that our big, fat, snowstorm should really be called a "blizzard"--but it sure has been fun! Last Saturday (the 24th) was Daniel's 7th birthday. Daniel had two friends spend the night (they even got to be here for the "birthday morning donuts"!~ which Daniel thought was pretty exciting!). Several more friends came over for a "Webkinz/Football" party. We played most of the games in the back yard and it was downright hot outside! . . . By Tuesday night it had started snowing and continued to snow for over 48 hours -- dumping over 30" of the white fluffy stuff outside of our house. It finally stopped in the middle of the night last night. So, this morning Kevin and Levi are outside shoveling (we didn't have to go anywhere during the storm, so they've just waited for it to finally stop falling).

Feverish~ly writing!

One of the benefits of being home this past weekend (instead of off on our field trip adventure . . .) is that we've had the fun of being part of Kevin's latest book. He is in the process of writing a super fun children's book. He's been reading it to our family a few chapters at a time, as he finishes them. The kids have been able to give him feedback and usually beg for the next chapter! It doesn't have a title yet, but I can't wait until it's finished and in print =)

Field Trip ~ Plan C!

So . . . for quite a while we had been planning to go on a "field trip" to the Sand Dunes this weekend . . . about 4 hours away from our home. (It seemed like a good excuse for an adventure in our travel trailer and it coincided with some of our current studies). Unfortunately, several things conspired against us and we ended up not being able to go. Much of our family has been fighting sickness for the past week and with the onset of cold weather last weekend, Kevin became very unexcited about the prospect of hauling the trailer over the snowiest mountain pass in CO (to get to the dunes). After several reconfigurations of our plan, we ended up settling for a short field trip today to the Western Museum of Mining and Industry (In CO Springs). The kids and I had been there a few years ago and enjoyed it ~ and we wanted Kevin to go this time! They have an amazing tour guide (Brad) who really loves what he does . . . it was a good choice and the kids were not disappointed.

Bookworms in training

Samuel and Anna love to pretend they're kitty cats lately. On this particular morning (first photo), they borrowed couch cushions, blankets and even Suki's dog bed to build "nests" (as they call them) for themselves and curled up beside the fire with their books!

A few more firsts . . .

We are waking up to our first "snow on the ground" day of the season (as opposed to the one at the tail end of summer that didn't actually stay on the ground) . . . there isn't very much of it out there, but it sure is pretty. The kids are delighted because it's enough to qualify for cinnamon rolls at breakfast! We reviewed our study of rocks recently and finally managed to produce a few rock candy crystals that were worthy of eating (a first!, now if we can just figure out how to get them to crystalize on the string instead of on the sides of the bowl . . .) We also tried a few new foods recently -- hubbard squash and mashed turnips (different nights!). . . the turnips were more popular than the squash, which frankly surprised me. Either way, we served them on our "Green Eggs and Ham" plate and even ended up reading Green Eggs and Ham as Sam scowled at his squash ~ we should have named him "Sam I am"! Kevin has a "first" of his own tomorrow -- an author book signing at a local bookstore. (I think this means I'm baking cookies today for him to hand out!)

Just thinking . . .

Just thinking today about one of my favorite worship songs (below). Have you ever had one of those moments, where thankfulness sinks into your heart and spreads out into all the little nooks and crannies ~ and you just can't get away from it? I'm so thankful today for a world that feels in nearly every way, that it's "all as it should be". I'm drinking in the laughter and fun and joy of everything in it . . . especially my sweet children and wonderful husband!

Blessed Be Your Name
In the land that is plentiful
Where Your streams of abundance flow
Blessed be Your name

Blessed Be Your name
When I'm found in the desert place
Though I walk through the wilderness
Blessed Be Your name

Every blessing You pour out
I'll turn back to praise
When the darkness closes in, Lord
Still I will say

Blessed be the name of the Lord
Blessed be Your name
Blessed be the name of the Lord
Blessed be Your glorious name

Blessed be Your name
When the sun's shining down on me
When the world's 'all as it should be'
Blessed be Your name

Blessed be Your name
On the road marked with suffering
Though there's pain in the offering
Blessed be Your name

Blessed be the name of the Lord
Blessed be Your name
Blessed be the name of the Lord
Blessed be Your glorious name

Blessed be the name of the Lord
Blessed be Your name
Blessed be the name of the Lord
Blessed be Your glorious name

You give and take away
You give and take away
My heart will choose to say
Lord, blessed be Your name

"Oh my, what have I done?!"

Our sweet Anna loves scissors more than any child we've ever had . . . and now we've officially had the "young child cutting their own hair" experience! ~ another first for us (and hopefully the last!) Below we have Anna apparently delighted that cutting ones own hair is not a criminal offense, as well as an action shot of Anna cutting out her drawing with the (now) infamous scissors!

Good Morning, Colorado!

The sky was absolutely beautiful a few mornings ago . . . I couldn't get to a good spot to capture it (without having window panes in the photo) -- next time I'll have to climb on our neighbor's playground equipment at 6:30 in the morning!