January 2018

We have had a germ filled January.  Caleb doesn't usually succumb to sicknesses.  He has been blessed with a super stregnth immune system.  One day, he told us that he felt "tired".  We tried to see if he would tell us that he was sick.  He couldn't explain what he was feeling.  After he came from school, he looked pretty weary.  He ended up with a fever and a host of other symptoms.  He laid on the couch for a couple of days.  Poor guy.  

After that, we all seemed to pass around germ after germ.  We finally feel healthy and rested, after a month and a 1/2.  

 Our winter has been so warm and dry.  We got our first snowstorm, in the middle of January.  Blake and Caleb were so excited to get out and play.  I love their outfit choice.

Josh asked for a game of Monopoly, one Sunday night.  We haven't had much success with the three older kids making it through an entire game.  I gave a small lecture about how this game is meant to annihilate your opponents.  If they committed to starting the game, they couldn't get sad and quit.  Also, I told them that I wouldn't allow any rude or gloating behavior.  We had a few tense moments but, we finshed the game.  (Dad was in bed long before we finished.)

 Kyle ended up missing out on his birthday cake and ice cream.  His lame Mama got her act together and we celebrated his 14th birthday.

 Katie and her friend Sophie worked on a science project, this month.  They evaluated different brands of microwave popcorn.  They were incredibly mature and did 99% of it, on their own.

I got Jeff 3 tickets to a Warrior vs. Jazz game.  The game was the day before his birthday.  It was cute to see these three boys so excited to attend the game.  

I love these two pictures.  Look at how these brothers look at eachother.  It's fun to see them get closer and closer.

Anniversary and stuff

For our 19th anniversay, we went on a double date with some of our friends, in an old ward.  They have their anniversary 3 days after ours.  We went to an escape room.  None of us had ever been.  It was more fun than we expected and even the husbands enjoyed themselves.  Here's a picture of Jeff and Thayne when they realized the next clue was under a fake poop in the outhouse.

 I enjoy watching the cross country team run past our house.  Sometimes they stop in for a drink or potty break.  For some reason, they all had light sabers.  

I read my scriptures up in Blake and Katie's room.  It gives me a space where I can focus.  Blake, normally, leaves me alone.  This day, he needed companionship and wouldn't leave me alone.  He asked me every few minutes if I was done.  I had to take a pictures of my little puppy.

This is Caleb's favorite stuffed animal.  

Wolfie

Wolfie sleeps with Caleb every night.  He is often found hiding in Caleb's shirt when Wolfie gets overwhelmed.  He picks which fingers go first when it's time to clip Caleb's fingernails.  

Caleb has many days where he doesn't want to join us for morning scripture study.  This moment, Wolfie was helping Caleb pass the time after he read his 1 scripture.

The love between a girl and her daddy!

Visit from the Miners

My sister came to visit, a couple days after Christmas.  We did a lot of things but I didn't manage to take very many photos.  

We went to the Christmas lights on Temple Square, after we went to our extended Clark reunion.  

Here: Holly is unwittingly saving the evening.  Caleb had a long day and was ready to go home, as soon as we arrived on Temple Square.  I asked her to hold his hand and she ended up dragging him around for the rest of the evening.  

We stopped to eat dinner at Crown Burger.

 Everyone had a turn holding baby Harrison.  

We went bowling and had lots of fun just playing with new Christmas toys and hanging out with cousins.

Christmas and a visit from friends

 Christmas!

Our kids actually slept in.  We told them 6:00 was the earliest we'd start and they didn't wake up until it was closer to 7:00.

Here's Josh showing his little brothers how to manipulate a transformer.  Those things are super frustrating. 

Here's Katie enjoying her new blanket and Kyle is trying to figure out his microscope.  

(Mom and Dad still have their presents to open.)

We kept the same idea for the sibling exchange.  They had to make a gift for their chosen sibling.  Katie sewed this whale stuffed animal.  She picked the fabric because he loves green and the shape because he loves whales.  We just found an big and simple image we could print from the computer and cut it out.  It was fun to help her learn some new tricks with a needle.

 Kyle made this fleece blanket for Blake.  He didn't have time to come to the fabric store with Katie and me so we picked something out that we thought Kyle would like.  When he was what we picked, he said, "Dark Gray Blue!"  (If you ask Blake what his favorite color is, he says, "Dark Gray Blue".)  We're not sure what it means but Blake  LOVES his blanket and sleeps with it, every night.

Josh had Katie.  He needed some help with ideas.  When Katie and I were picking out beads to give Grandma Venice, I paid attention to which beads she liked the most.  I snuck some into the basket and Josh made a bracelet.  (Don't think that Josh was being super awesome.  The kids get a little annoyed but in the end, its fun to see their reaction when their gift is recieved.)  The beads were already in this form.  Josh just needed to cut it to size, use the tools to attach a fastener and close it back up.  It was cool to see him learn a new skill.

I didn't get pictures of what Blake and Caleb made.  Caleb had planned on making Kyle a fish cup printed with his 3D printer.  We couldn't get it to work.  Blake was also going to use the printer to make an ornament, for Josh.  So, we found some baking clay, from an old project.  Caleb made a fish shaped ornament, for Kyle and Blake made a train shaped ornament, for Josh.  Josh's ornament said, "The Naughty List 2017".  Blake has been telling Josh, all season, that he was on the naughty list and that he was the only one who wouldn't get any presents.  Josh cracked up, everytime Blake told him.

The yearly Christmas morning Lego assembly.  

Josh and Kyle got float tubes, from Santa.  It makes me nervous knowing that they will try to get away with not wearing life jackets, every time. 

Our friends, the Thomases, surprised us with a visit on the 26th.  The adults knew a week in advance but the kids were surprised.  Katie got a little emotional when they appeared at the top of our stairs.  

Here's Blake showing Tifany all his new Star Wars toys.  He has always loved her.

 I know its a terrible picture.  Most of mine, are.  You try taking pictures of boys who are always on the move. 😏

Josh is being an AT AT (robot machine from Star Wars) for Landon.  He's such a good sport for all those younger boys.

 Noone has ever had better friends, than we do.  

LOVE LOVE LOVE!

More Christmas Prep

Kyle played his trombone, again this year.  Its fun to hear him come home whistling tunes and talking about music theory.

STAR WARS!

We went to see "The Last Jedi" on the day after it came out.  It was really fun to share the excitment and we didn't have to worry about anyone spoiling critical plot lines.  

The cast of BYU's Studio C watched it, in a different theather, the same time as us.  My kids were so excited to see their favorite actors.  

I snuck this picture as we walked out of the mall.  I zoomed in really close and I'm impressed that you can see faces.

We lucked out, again, this year.  We got tickets to the Mormon Tabernacle Choir's Christmas Concert.  It was fantastic!  We got to go with the Bonneys.

Super lame picture of Katie's Christmas program.  She's  two rows, straight down from the tallest girl, on the top row.  She's not looking at us.  She barely visible about the red hats. 

Christmas Eve!  

Christmas Tree ~ Christmas Concerts ~ Quiet Santa

I have a love/hate relationship with decorating for Christmas.  I don't enjoy removing all the normal decorations and replacing them knowing that in a month, I'll have to do the process, in reverse.  I love seeing the decorated house and I love how excited the kids get.  Kyle got me started on time by putting up the outdoor lights, the day after Christmas.  (There's still a little bit of elf left in that growing teenager.)  The younger 4 helped me with the tree.  Every year, I give them an ornament that represents something about the past year.  I love that tradition because it is like traveling through a memory book when they see their ornaments.  "Remember our trip to Newport Beach?"  Or, "Oh yeah, this was the first year I started basketball."

Kyle and Katie are still taking piano.  They despise me for it!  Katie said that she would give up all the presents, for her birthday, if I'd just let her quit.  

Katherine is on the Junior Elite Team, in her dance studio.  She practices 3 days a week, along with an extra day of tumbling instruction.  She is becoming so flexible and is such an expressive dancer.  I love watching her!  

She is second from the right, in this picture.

 I have heard such wonderful reviews about the Hale Theater's production of "A Christmas Carol".  We decided to go, this year.  It was wonderful.  I love, love, love, live theater and this show was phenomenal.  The Christmas Spirit was bouncing around, inside me!

 We went to a performance of "Music and the Spoken Word", with our friends.  They weren't doing Christmas music but, it was delightful anyway.  It's always an experience to hear a performance in the Salt Lake Tabernacle.

Our mall provided a "Quiet Santa" for kids with Autism, this year.  It was their first year and I made sure they knew how much it meant to families, like us.  We got a scheduled 15 minute slot in a room with noone else.  They had the lights dimmed and it was wonderful.  No waiting in line.  No stress for us to get him to talk, right away.  

Santa sat on the floor with the kids and played toys with them before asking any questions.  At the end, Caleb was on his lap and told him everything he wanted.  What a gift!

Tying Flies ~ Thanksgiving ~ Book End Sons

Kyle got a Fly Tying kit, for his Birthday.  He, also, got a fly fishing pole.  He is so excited to get out and use them, in the spring.  Spoiler Alert-I got the two boys a fly fishing excursion for Christmas.  They get 4 hours, alone, with a guide on the Provo River.  They will teach them how to use their poles, what the fish like to eat, what times of day are best, fish behavior, and much more.  In the mean time, it's fun to just sit and tie some flies.  

We hosted Thanksgiving, at our house.  It is always fun to share the responsibilities, with other cooks.  It's also fun to have family to eat with.

Caleb had been talking about a turkey leg, for weeks.  Jeff put it on his plate, and Caleb promptly changed his mind.  Blake decided that he wanted it, as well. 

Scroll down to see if he stuck with his convictions.

That face says it all, "What was I thinking?"

Katie was a great helper with decorating the tables.  

It was the best feast I've ever tasted.  Yummmm!

I love watching the relationship, between these two boys.  Blake softens Josh's heart and its great to see.  (For years, I've been able to convince Josh to do things he normally wouldn't do by saying, "Imagine what Blake would _______".