2018 - February & March

I don't have many pictures from these two months. I guess February is short and March went without much fanfair.

The boys, which included Eric, went on an overnight campout. Aurora, Neta and I (Xela didn't want to come) went and saw The Greatest Showman on a late Friday night showing (9:30 is NOT the usual go for us, when we do go).

I'm not a selfie person,
but I had to document this little adventure

In case you haven't seen that movie, it's WONDERFUL!!! Hugh Jackman and a musical, with great directing - we came out singing and then listened to the music all the way home. I will admit that I'm a fan of Hugh Jackman, but many of his movies have violence in them or darker story lines. This movie had maybe five cuss words, three of them the same word in one of the song's chorus, and has a family message. People leave happy because they've been uplifted. Yes, I loved the show and bought the DVD when it came out and the CD when I found it at a decent price.

That was February. Yay

MARCH

Xela's 18!!

Then my oldest daughter became an adult. Sad. Exciting. Terrifying. All at the same time.

I had touched base with Collin Burroughs, Xela's good friend and had him touch base with the others in her group of friends to plan a surprise party, at our house, where they could have pizza and then play the Wii or watch a movie.

Collin came over to help us decorate the living room for Xela. She got off work at eight and then I used our Life 360 app to track when she actually left Ace (I love this app). Aurora had planted 17 cookies with teachers and friends at school throughout the day for Xela to collect. The last one was at the door when Xela pulled in after work.

Aurora telling Xela to eat the last cookie
Xela was NOT up for another cookie

We also armed the guests with nerf guns.

Collin ready and waiting to fire
on one of his best friends

Xela was finally allowed in, after taking a bite of the cookie, and the bullets flew, we brought in cake and pizza for guests to share and opened a few presents. Then we, the family, got out of their way (which is harder for the siblings as they want to be in the middle of the action).

Presents

Aunt Kimmie gave Xela some luggage
full of Ramen, seeing as she was moving out.

Xela was looking forward to moving out of the house, moving next door into Patience's house, so she could figure out who she is and test out the independence thing a little bit before school. I was a little sad that she wanted to leave, but grateful it was only next door. She finished her move out while we were in Utah for General Conference (photos in the next post). Aurora and Neta were excited to have Xela's stuff out of the room and have a little space to stretch (Xela's art stuff felt like it was crawling out of her corner into every other space.

At some point, as I was cleaning up and Xela came into the kitchen and gave me a hug. That made

my day.

March 23 - 24

SNOW BUNNY

So Indiana was it's usual schizophrenic self and snowed in late March, so much so, and so near Easter that I decided we needed a snow bunny. The three youngest were in the back building a fort so I went to the front and after shoveling the walks, decided I'd get to work. Aurora came and helped me after a bit.

Aurora carving out some details for Buster

 Then we grabbed the food coloring and a carrot. :)

And added an egg. It was almost Easter after all...

And then one day later, this is Buster after Indiana didn't take its medication:

Not that I mind the warmer weather, but his life was a quick one. :)

And then March was over, photographically speaking. 

2018 January - Catching Up Again

Here I am half way through the "new year" and I haven't posted a thing from 2018. Such a slacker!

JANUARY

Snow and Sledding

In Indiana, you never know what the weather will bring, even after the forecasters share their scientific information. We didn't get much snow in December, so when it snowed enough in January to make land sled worthy, we went for it. Brookside Park, one mile from the house, has a great sledding area, which I think is supposed to be a very large retention pond, but I've never seen any water in it. Ever, in 14 years. That's where we went on January 6.

Ready...Set....

GO!!

This was our first run. 

Look at Ro go!!

(assuming the video works)

And here sits Eric, in the warm car
installing a tracking app onto the kids' phones

Neta heading back up for another run

See the hill in the smaller hill in the background?
There are kind of a two-for-one run over there
They had fun running down that as well.

Starting by the street, should give you a longer ride, right?

An attempt at a side by side.
As I recall, they split shortly after take off.

Face first....this could end badly.

Mom getting in on the action in front of the camera

Just before leaving, we convinced Eric to go down.
One and done for him.

Time at the Temple

Nate turned 12 on December 30. He received his temple recommend shortly thereafter and we were finally able to go do baptisms for the dead on January 19th. I love being in the temple, especially with my kids and especially on their first time.

Now, for some odd reason, I don't have a picture of Nate, but I do have a picture of Neta. We didn't find a sitter, so she came and sat in the lobby of the baptistry while I went in to watch Nate. When I came out, I had to use the bathroom and she told me of her own little bathroom adventure. 

She had to use the bathroom while we were gone and asked a temple worker where she could go. Well, because she is not 12 yet and does not have a recommend, she would have to use the restroom in the waiting room off the main lobby/recommend desk, which you can only get to, if you do not have a recommend, by going outside and entering the main temple doors. The sweet sister walked with Neta out in the cold, without her coat, and took Neta to the restroom, then walked outside again with her back to the baptistry lobby. I think it was the highlight of Neta's night. Service always makes people smile. 

Neta outside the temple with a smile

Not a super photographic month, January, but at least there is something to show for the beginning of 2018. :) 

2017 Catch Up - December

It's only February 2018 and I'm almost done with pics from 2017. Hooray!!!

First few days of December, I snapped a few pics of the regular kid craziness. Here you go:

Dec 9 - enough snow to make
A SNOWBALL

Dec 10 - I made some truffles
as Christmas treats. In the package of
generic brand mint Oreos, there was this
MASSIVE multi layer cookie.
I'd never seen that before.

Dec 15 - Painting this year's ornaments

December 16 - If you follow my facebook page, then you've seen this picture. We got the envelope on Dec 16, a Saturday and Xela was at work. I texted to let her know and she came home for lunch. She opened the envelope and we saw the letter, which made Eric and I tear up, awarding Xela $15,000/year for four years merit scholarship to her #1 choice school. Xela said "Guess I'm not going to BYU" finished making her quesadilla, packed up the papers, took them upstairs and then left for work again. We were so excited for her!!

There must not have been much photo worthy action until the 23rd, because I've got no pictures between the envelope and ...

MEET OPAL!

Since we fostered the dog, Pearl, earlier in the year and then had her die on us, the kids have been pulling for a dog. Eric had told the kids we needed to have a fence up so that any dog we might get, would be able to run around and not be stuck on a chain. Eric had been working hard to put up a chain link fence over the first few weeks of December and finally had it complete. We then looked into foster agencies for dogs, but hadn't found anything that would work.

Thursday, December 21, I got home from work and we went on the "worse date ever." How do you get such a great distinction? Go to the local pound and walk around for over an hour, looking and talking to two kennels full of abandoned dogs, amidst many other humans. Take a few out to "try on" and then come home empty handed because one of you doesn't want to commit without the kids (=me).

The following Saturday, as Eric and I were trying to figure out what to do that afternoon, Eric told me to decide whether or not we would go again to the pound. I hesitatingly said yes and we packed the kids into the van. We told them we were going to a movie, but then we turned the wrong direction and they kept trying to guess and we kept feeding false info.

One street away, we told them to close their eyes. We pulled into the parking lot, stopped the car and, with their eyes closed, I provided instructions: look but don't touch, may or may not get anything, only way we do get something is if everyone agrees. "Are we getting a dog?!" The bodies all perked up as smiles of excitement cracked up their faces as hopeful eyes broke open. Only one kennel was open and within an hour, we found Opal. She was being brought in from something and when we got her info sheet, it said "basenji mix." That is Eric's favorite kind of dog.

We asked to take her outside so the kids and Opal could interact with each other. They all had a ball and hearts were melted. We took her home after another 30-45 minute paperwork processing time. We took her to Petsmart to stock up on supplies and get a tag.

"Best Christmas ever!" ~ Graigry



December 30 - Nate's birthday! Nate was excited to turn 12, which in our house means your bedtime switches from 7:30 to 8:00 and he gets to be an official part of the Young Men program and receive the Aaronic Priesthood. Eric and I spent the majority of the day running around Indianapolis looking for a car until I finally said it was our son's birthday and I wanted to be home (I believe Eric left once we were done with cake and presents).

The Motor Speedway
If you look at previous cakes I'm sure you'll 
find a theme. He got a large rice krispie from 
Gma Scott and then Nate, Ro and Xela decorated it.
I thought we had more candles than we did, 
so we improvised. :) 

$50 and chocolate coins
Gma Hibbert sends those 12 yrs+
$50 on their birthdays.
Nate's came with some extra "cash" :)

What is that smile saying??

ERASERS!
Nate collects erasers,
so Gparents Scott & Kimmie got him
a rainbow or different pencil toppers

CAKE TIME!
Don't they look excited? 

December 31 - Good-bye 2017! New Year's Eve was on a Sunday, so after church, we planned to stay up later than usual. First, a family game of monopoly. Then when our friend/neighbor/guardian, Patience Gaydos she jumped in. When that was over, adults played Catan while the kids played a game (Avalon) that they'd received from Bekkah and Matt for Christmas (not an Eric game). Our game took long enough that they watch a movie while we finished and waited to welcome 2018.

I will say that I had some magical moments with the dice during our game of Catan. I would shake the dice in my hand(s) and say what I wanted. More often than not, I rolled it. Eric and Patience thought I'd tuned into some bewitching powers previously untapped. :)

MONOPOLY
(a game most suited for New Years - although
we played a speedier version)

AVALON
(from the kitchen, it sounded like they were
very much enjoying themselves)

PUPPY & SIBLING SNUGGLES
(waiting for midnight)