A Late Discovery...

So I looked out on the deck the other day (about 5 days past Christmas Eve) and I found this...

They had endured a few cold nights. I'm not sure how Rudolf, Comet, and Dasher missed this thoughtful offering. As you can see (or maybe not, since they are starting to turn black from the frost bite) they were even peeled. I couldn't stop smiling. Kids are so darn cute!

Gingerbread houses!

Kathryn reminded me this Christmas, that last Christmas she made a Gingerbread house with her favorite Aunt Tricia. She wondered if she was going to do it again....so we called Aunt Tricia and asked if she'd be willing to come to our house and do it again this year. She, of course, was happy to oblige...what a good aunt she is!

They had a great time, and as you can see, there was no help from me. Tricia really is a good sport!

Christmas Eve...trying a new twist on an old idea!

Doing the Nativity every year is always interesting...never knowing for sure how it will pan out, like the year one of the kids used his staff as a weapon and started taking out some of the other shepherds and wisemen. Or even the year when we couldn't find a good stand in for baby Jesus, so they grabbed up the dog...we weren't sure it was okay to laugh! Well this year, my ever creative sister-in-law sent out the call to all adults. We would be doing the nativity for the kids....fun!

So Cherlyn made her post as the director...

(pending picture)

4 simply celestial angles! (and that's not even taking into consideration their singing!)

3 very well dressed wisemen (have you ever seen a wiseman with so much chest hair?)

2 perfectly aged Joseph & Mary (with an extremely quiet Jesus, who had a stong resemblance to a doll I use to play with)

1 brightly shining star (beautiful as always!)

and last but not least...3 very handsome shepherds (if we had know sooner we could have had a nice looking shepherdly beard)

We did give the kids the job of music and they did a great job!

Just thinking...

...how good life is...

...have a great day!

LOTOJA!

...that is LOgan TO JAckson!

These guys started just before sunrise in Logan Utah, to go on an all day ride. Allison and I, the official support group (which also included Thom's mom and dad this year) meet up with them in Preston, ID...Montpelier, ID...Afton, WY...Alpine, WY and then at the finish line in Jackson Hole, WY. We have a fun time and love being there to make sure they have plenty of apples, yucky drink mix-in, and butt butter :) They have enough fun that they always seem to want to do it again. We always love the stop off in Afton, where we get a little extra cheer from Tara and Kamryn. This year Kamryn decided it looked like so much fun she wanted to join us for the remainder of the ride and hopped right in to the official support vehicle and off we went for more fun! These guys really are amazing!

We are looking forward to lots of excitement and fun next year!

Love ya honey!

Moon Plant

Thom's mom grew up in upstate New York. A few years ago, after her mom passed away, she and her siblings went back to clean out the farm house and tie up loose ends. While out there on this trip, Chris visited an old Amish friend, who shared with Chris a start from her moon plant. Chris' children and grandchildren have enjoyed many-a-Sunday night sitting in her front yard watching this beautiful little weed looking plant perform it's magic. Chris had offered me a start of this unique plant right from the very beginning. I wanted one of my own, but not knowing the right place to put it, and not wanting to fail at my chance to care for this plant that had traveled all the way from New York, I never took a start.
While up visiting his family one night, early in the summer, Thom asked about taking a start to have for our own. He came right home and planted it in the perfect spot. He told me about his recent gardening endeavors and showed me what he had done. I was excited, but still a little nervous that we might not do it right. Well, I think that little plant likes it here, because after a few weeks it started sending up little buds. We were so excited! We have loved watching it this summer. This is how it works:
Right around dusk, the mature buds on this plant will split right up the side and you will start to see a little yellow pushing out.....

Over the course of about 2 minutes this bud will completely open up into a delicate yellow flower. It stays bloomed all night and by morning, it dies. It is incredible and a thrill for my kids to watch. The other night we had 4 blooms. We felt so darn proud of our little plant. What a joy it's been!

Hasn't been this quiet in a long time!

Everyone seemed to have something to do and someplace to go, so

we pulled out a little craft we had picked up for the two left behind.

Jacob and Kathryn must have spent an hour or more painting. All I could hear

were the sound of little people focusing all their creative genes (which, by the way, they clearly got from me :)) on this little project.

Happy Birthday Marissa!

While Thom and I were out of town, my sister Becky made the birthday thing happen! She made her a yummy cake! Also making sure she had some great presents to unwrap, including the super cute bag she gave her. She hung birthday banners and everything! The other kids may be hoping I'm out of town for their birthdays too!

HAPPY 13TH BIRTHDAY MARISSA!!!

End of School Fun...

We all remember from our own childhood, the last week of school is not a big part of making grades...but a great time! Our school had a theme for each day, including field day. On this day the big 6th graders have games and relays set up on the field and rotate kindergarten through 5th grade to each event. I went to help (watch really) and it was a great time. Maybe the most fun was watching Kathryn make her way to each event on her own schedule and seeing these 6th graders not sure what to do with this 5 year old who seemed to be running her own show. At one point she located the balloon toss and was helping herself to the water balloons, that these guys had spent a whole lot of time and hard work filling up. She was breaking them in a pretty quick fashion, and wasn't too concerned about these not so big 6th graders...finally the poor fellow just closed the lid on the water balloon box and sat on it. I should have been more help, but by the time I figured out what was happening it was too late, plus I was laughing so hard and I wasn't sure I wanted to place a claim on the 5 year old bully.

VOTE

CHRIS

...and so they did. Christopher won a spot on Student Council for next year. Wah Who for Chris!