Emma- Age 6

This is a little questionaire that I plan on doing with my kids every year on their birthday starting when they turn 3.
1. What is your favorite color? Blue
2. What is your favorite toy? Pinky
3. What is your favorite fruit? Kiwi
4. What is your favorite TV show? My Little Pony
5. What is your favorite thing to eat for lunch? Hot dogs
6. What is your favorite outift? My new dress from Grandma Callister
7. What is your favorite game? Freeze tag
8. What is your favorite snack? Fruit snacks
9. What is your favorite animal? Cats
10. What is your favorite song? "I Love to See the Temple"
11. What is your favorite book? Cat in the Hat
12. Who is your best friend? Maddie
13. What is your favorite cereal? Cheerios
14. What is your favorite thing to do outside? Jump on the trampoline
15. What is your favorite drink? Juice
16. What is your favorite holiday? Christmas
17. What do you like to take to bed with you at night?  Pinky
18. What is your favorite thing to eat for breakfast? Pancakes
19. What do you want for dinner on your birthday? Spaghetti
20. What do you want to be when you grow up? An artist
21. What is your favorite movie? Frozen
22. Favorite movie character? Elsa
23. What is your favorite scripture story? "About Nephi when he got the plates and built the boat."
24. What is your favorite primary song? "If You Don't Walk as Most People Do"
25. Where is your favorite place to go?  Blast Off

Is it spring?!

We spent a large part of the beginning of the week outside, with no jackets.  We made a couple of stops at parks.  The kids get so excited to go.  At dinner yesterday, I mentioned spring break and that we should plan and go do something fun.  Emma said, "Yes!  Let's got to the park!"  I was half expecting a disneyland request or something.  Why do I always forget that kids love simple things?

Chicken nuggets and slides and sunshine.  Who could ask for more?

We ended the week with waking up to this on Saturday morning.  It was beautiful.  Briggs said, "Mom!  It's Christmas!"  Which was just how Christmas morning was this year, waking up to a winter wonderland.  Suffice to say that I don't think spring is here quite yet.

The finished pinewood derby stands.  Jared is very talented and I'm so grateful that he likes to build things.  The boys were so excited to win these!

Don't you hate it when you forget to take your socks off before getting in the bath?  This is a family joke.  Anderson and Maddie were really not impressed by it, though.

It is hard to see, but the sunset made the jet streams look pink.  The kids thought they were pink shooting stars.

The other day after Emma got home from school, she put on pajamas since we were staying home for the rest of the day.  Then the kids played so well together for so long.  They were giggling so hard and making me laugh.  I let Anderson stay up from his nap for almost two hours because it was such a perfect moment.

Anderson is obsessed with phones, kindles, iPads, etc.  This is a selfie I found on my phone when I was putting this post together.  How is it that my 19 month old can run my phone better than I can?

I have never put a quarter in this horse that is at our wal-mart, but he kids still love to sit on it.  They are always critiquing the reins and stirrups, though.  Grandpa would be proud of their knowledge.

The girls went shopping with me for some supplies for Emma's birthday, as well as some baby shower gifts.  They were so silly and fun.

Megan and Angel.  They are like sisters to me.  We have literally grown up together.  I've know them since they were born, we went to Elementary School together, and we spent our pre-teen and teenage years being pretty much inseparable on the weekends.  We scared away lots of sunday school teachers with our nonstop talking.  We were there for each other to talk about our first hand holdings, first dates, first kisses.  They are the best!  They are both having their first babies, little boys, within the next 6 weeks.  I am so excited for them.  I'm also excited for those little boys- what incredible moms they will have!  

The girls went with me to Angel's baby shower, and my mom was able to meet us there and take them for a little bit.  after the shower we went to Hidden Treasures and had fun looking around.  Maddie found these numbers and wanted to pose with the number 4 since that is how old she is.  4 going on 14, that is. ;)

Emma turns 6 this week, so she went ahead and posed with the number 6.  She is so excited to be having a birthday.  I'm in denial.

We won a prize that included a large fake pacifier.  Maddie fell asleep with it in her mouth on the way home.  Made me laugh!

While we were gone to the baby shower, Jared's basketball team had their first win!  I'm so sad I missed it.  The boys were excited and I know Jared was, too.  Can't wait for the game this weekend!

I have always said that girls are more fun to dress up, but I was wrong.  Suits, suspenders, bow ties, etc. are adorable and so fun to have for the boys.

Valentine's

We were still fighting some coughs at the beginning of the week, so it was a quiet few days. 

Maddie and Briggs like to compare foot size.  They are almost the same!  Maddie's are a tiny bit longer, Briggs has her in width for sure.

Anderson suddenly seems to have switched from a baby to a toddler.  He is more willing to just hang out.  The other night he climbed up on my bed next to me and fell asleep.  

This was a little love survey about Briggs for his Valentine's party at pre-school.  I thought it was cute.

The girls really wanted to make these butterfly valentine's this year.  They took the coloring and decorating very seriously.  No two butterflies were exactly the same, that's for sure.

At the park, Anderson really wants to be independent.  He thinks it is funny to hide from me.  I don't think it is as funny.

Briggs sitting on the top of a huge boulder.  He didn't stop smiling like this the whole time we were at the park.

Maddie had to play "king of the mountain" with Briggs.  Luckily she doesn't really know how to play it yet.  Also, I love her fashion choices.  Always so unique.

Emma made a friend at the park and I barely saw her the whole time we were there.  She is growing up so fast!

Briggs was so thrilled to be at the park.  Pure joy.

Emma was invited to FIVE birthday parties from Thursday-Saturday the weekend of Valentine's.  It was CRAZY.  She made it to 4 of them.  During one of them, I stayed with the other kids since it was at Outer Limits, and we played arcade games and ordered a pizza.  It was fun.

I told her to put her game face on.  She took it very seriously.

The kids enjoyed all the notes they were able to make for each other, their friends, their school teachers, and their primary teachers.  I'm so grateful for so many good people in our lives.  Emma said that Valentine's Day is her favorite holiday.

We have been memorizing the 2nd Article of Faith in primary.  Thought it was cute that Emma was trying to write it down by sounding it out.

Paige was a good sport and rolled our kids in burritos.

Jared is amazing and built these trophy stands for me to use as awards at the pinewood derby.

Happy Triple Birthday!!!

It seems like the virus that came through our house a couple of weeks ago returned for round two this week. Mainly just a fever with a horrible cough. Briggs and Anderson seem to have gotten the worst of it and they are starting to feel better, with just a lingering cough. Because of this, though, we've had a nice quiet week with lots of time at home and cuddling.  I knew Briggs was really sick because he didn't ever touch his popcorn.  

The girls enjoyed lots of just sister time while the boys were napping so much this week.

The weather was amazing at the end of the week and it was perfect timing to get the kids outside for some fresh air. We went for a walk/bike ride around the neighborhood and EVERYONE was out, like it was a beautiful June evening. It feels like Easter should be next week. I'm worried about all the plants and flowers budding and then having it freeze again(which is really inevitable for southeast Idaho in February, right?)

Jared's little basketball team is improving, although the game this week was hard because they lost by quite a bit. The other team was really really good and it was clear they have been playing together for quite some time. His team still has five weeks and lots of time to get things figured out. He is doing such a great job with them.

The nice thing about Jared's birthday being just a few days before Valentine's day is that we can go on a good birthday date and count it for both and then spend Valentine's day at home with the kids and avoid the crowds at restaurants and other places that day. I'm looking forward to eating the delicious heart shaped pizza Jared always makes for our family Valentine's day dinner.

We went shopping for Jared (he needed some new jeans and shirts for work as well as some church shoes). We made a stop at the DI and scored the church shoes and a real leather bag($2!) for church. I also found some heels and roller blades for me and for Emma's birthday.

Then we went to dinner at a new place that was really unique and felt fancy. The kitchen was out in the open so we could see them cooking. It was fun and the food was good. The best part is that unlike Chili's or Applebee's, where we often eat, we didn't feel rushed to eat and leave.

After dinner we played a couple of rounds of blacklight mini golf. It was a blast. Dates with my best friend are the best.

Jared spent most of his day at church and his birthday afternoon cuddling with poor Anderson who was still miserable. Then we ate dinner with his family, opened presents, broke open the pinatas the kids made for Jared and had ice cream sundaes. It was a simple day but perfect.

I gave him a circular saw that he will be using in March while building the rest of our fence. Can't wait for that! All of you are officially invited to join the fun! ;)

Jared went with Emma, Maddie and Briggs to drop off his brother's phone at their house and they decided to doorbell ditch it there.  Things got a little crazy and Maddie fell and scraped her back up.  It was pretty sad but she has been so tough about it.

Last night I got to talk with both my dad and my brother Eric, who share Jared's birthday. All I can say is that February 8th must be a day for great men to be born. I'm so blessed to learn from each of them.

Golden Shovel

Went for a walk the other night with some really cool fog.

When I got to Emma's class, my neighbor watches Briggs, Maddie and Anderson.  As they walk over there, Maddie gets super protective of Anderson and it is adorable.

A couple that Jared home teaches gave him some wack-a-packs for the kids.  They are self-inflating balloons that start when you pound them.  They pop at the end.  The suspense was most intense for Maddie, she was hilarious.

Anderson is in an awkward growing stage.  He wants to use the potty, and he doesn't want to sleep in his crib anymore.  The result is that he doesn't sleep well every night.  This must have been one of them.  He was so out of it that he fell asleep in the grocery cart.  I couldn't believe it, he is such a light sleeper but he slept through it all!

We dog-sat McGraw for the morning this week, and I think he was more than ready to leave by the time Kendra came to get him.  He was a good sport, but he was either on a leash or wearing a costume of some kind(batman cape, etc.) the whole time.

The ground breaking for the girls' school was this week.  It was rainy and cold, but the kids were so excited.  They even had fancy gold tipped shovels for the kids to use.

Enjoying the rain in their umbrellas.

Maddie, Anderson and I walked Briggs to school in the rain Wednesday morning.

Anderson helped me make banana bread Thursday morning.  He was so involved in every step.  He knew exactly what we were doing and was so excited when the kitchen timer beeped.  So cute.

We got to spend the day with cousins playing at our house Thursday.  I was loving my niece's creativity in dress-ups.

We took the girls skiing Thursday night.  Maddie was SO excited and tried her boots and skis on so many times.  She was a pro by that night.  So thankful for good friends who loaned us so much of their ski gear.

Anderson can sit still for a couple of minutes now!  They are becoming better and better buddies.

Another month of homework and reading done!  We are starting to get the hang of it!  Also, this is her favorite new "ponytail".  

Paige and her cousin Ellie spent a couple of hours doing Maddie's hair and she loved it.

Jared started coaching a couple of weeks ago and we got to go watch.  It is fun seeing him doing one of the things he loves so much.

Our nephew had a game right after Jared's, so the boys were playing in between games.

Saturday night we went to Jared's parents' church for dodgeball and Norwegian kickball.  We had a blast.  The kids got to shoot around for a little bit, too.

Picking teams

Katy Perry halftime show.  My girls love a couple of her songs.  Luckily they lost interest during the songs they didn't know.

After halftime, Emma retreated into a bedroom to color on Grandma's iPad.

The boys love wearing football helmets during games, the Superbowl was no exception.