Cross Country Skiing at Northfork

When we lived in Iowa several years ago we loved to go cross country skiing.  Since we moved to Utah we have spent most of our time downhill skiing.  Jason has been wanting to learn to skate ski and heard about a day at Northfork park when they were doing free lessons.  So he and Andrew went up, rented skis and took a lesson.  I brought the other kids up after the lesson and rented some classic skis for Jared and Kaitlyn.  We thought we would have to take turns watching Skyler but then someone told us they had a sled we could pull him in.

There was fresh snow but it was warm and soon the snow was turning slushy.  It wasn't the greatest conditions for skiing but it was a great day to be outside with the kids.  Skyler loved his little sled and it was so fun being able to do something all together.  Skyler hates to have gloves on his hands but as long as we put licorice in his mouth for him he was happy.

Kaitlyn didn't like the cross country skis at first.  She was too young when we lived in Iowa so it was her first time.  She had a hard time learning how to turn without an edge.  Just when I was about to give up on her ever liking it she got the hang of it and loved it.  She couldn't stop asking when we could go again.

Christmas and the End of 2013

This was such a great Christmas!  Everyone was healthy and happy.  Jason got most of the week of Christmas off and it was just so wonderful to have fun together.  By Christmas Eve I had decided everything was not going to get done, thanks to the car accident, so I could either fret about it and spend the whole day working to finish up last minute things or just forget it and have fun.  I chose the latter and we had a gorgeous day at Snowbasin, our fun new Christmas Eve tradition.  It really is a great way to pass the time for kiddos that are really impatient for Santa to arrive.

In the evening when it was time for the kids to act out the nativity, Kaitlyn was really sad Skyler had gotten too big to be the baby Jesus.  Instead he was Joseph this year and loved to kiss the baby.

Then it was time for Christmas Eve pajamas.  (I know this picture is a little silly with Skyler poking Andrew in the eye!)

And finally it was off to bed.  Unfortunately morning came way too early.  Even though we told the kids they couldn't get up until after 6:00, Andrew and Jared woke up around 5:30 and woke Skyler up so there was no sleeping after that.  Skyler was exhausted all morning and didn't enjoy the presents too much that day.  Everyone else seemed thrilled with what they got.  I never get very good pictures at Christmas.  Maybe because that amount of excitement makes it impossible for my kids to sit still for half a second.  Here are a few that turned out.

My brother Ethan and his wife sent all the kids marshmallow guns.  They were a hit for everyone, including Skyler and Dad.  A couple days later these hats came in the mail from them in Germany.  Cecilia crocheted the hat for Katilyn and Skyler's came from the Christmas market.

We spent Christmas vacation playing with all the new Christmas toys, skiing, going to movies, dinner and the Christmas Village downtown.  The kids loved the new movie Frozen.  Andrew spent the new year at a church youth party at Weber State and the rest of us enjoyed a game night at home with Jason's mom and step-dad.  All too soon the holidays were over and it was time for everyone to go back to work and school.

Piano Recital, Skyler turned 18 Months, and a Wrecked Car

I'm finally getting around to writing about December and it's almost the end of January.  Kaitlyn performed in her first piano recital.  She was really nervous but did a great job.  The Christmas recital is always so fun in spite of the busy time of year.

Just before we were walking out the door for the recital it was the typical craziness of getting ready.  Everyone is asking where their pants, shoes, ect. are.  I told the boys their pants were in the dryer.  When they came back downstairs Andrew said, "Mom, I think you shrunk my pants in the dryer."

Then Grandpa said, "I think you and Jared have on the wrong pants!"

In December Skyler was 18 months old. He's really changing from a baby into a little boy right before our eyes.  He was 21 1/2 pounds and finally back on the growth chart at 3rd percentile.  

Do these two look like brothers or what?

Nap time with his blankets.

Skyler loves to smile for the camera now.

One day Kaitlyn wanted to help me with some Christmas baking.

I would love to say it was all picture perfect but she decided Skyler needed to wear her apron.  He didn't appreciate that so much.

A few days before Christmas, I thought I was almost ready.  The kids had just finished their last day of school and we hurried out to pick up a few last minute things so we could enjoy the holiday break.  Our outing turned out not so good when a driver in a  parking lot wasn't looking where he was going and ran into us.  It certainly wasn't the way I wanted to start the holiday break. But aside from being annoying and time consuming no one was hurt and after a few weeks in the shop my car looked as good as new.

Birthdays and Thanksgiving: November Passed in the Blink of an Eye

The last couple months of the year seem to have a way of sneaking away from me before I even know it.  In November we celebrated Jason's last 30 something birthday.  We tried to surprise him somewhat by taking him to Tucanos, a Brazilian restaurant in Salt Lake.  It didn't take him too long to figure out where we were headed though.  We met some of his family there and he loved introducing our kids to Brazilian food.  We found something everyone liked and even managed to get our picky eaters to try rice and beans!  The kids loved the Brazilian birthday song they sang to Jason.

I ended up with some really grainy iphone pictures in the lighting they had there but since I left the camera at home it was all I got.

The next week was my birthday and I knew that Jason had the kids up to something when they disappeared to Kaitlyn's room and were quiet all afternoon.  I was holding choir practice in the living room while Jason was busy decorating and getting food ready.  My parents were in town and some of his family came and Jason grilled salmon.  I felt very spoiled and what else do I really need for my birthday?  And this is what had kept the kids busy all afternoon.

On Thanksgiving Jason, Andrew and I  went to Ogden Regional and ran the Turkey Trot.  It's a very low key run but made for a fun way to get out and get a workout in that morning.  I won the race but besides getting my name at the end of a small article on the back page of the newspaper the next day, there weren't any prizes. Then I had to get home quickly to make dinner.  My parents had come to Utah for a family reunion with my dad's family and we were excited that they stayed for Thanksgiving.  I also invited my grandparents over for dinner.  We have spent a lot of Thanksgiving with my parents recently but it had been years since I had spent one with my grandparents.  I have to admit I was a little intimidated by cooking for two of the best cooks I know that have made countless Thanksgiving dinners from scratch.  The turkey got done way too early and we were scrambling to get everything else ready and on the table but other than that it was a success.  The kids even managed to keep busy without any cousins to play with (the down side to having all adults at Thanksgiving dinner!)  I loved getting to spend the day with my parents and grandparents. Again, these aren't the greatest photos (maybe I need to take a photography class?) but at least it's something to remember the day by.