Cooped up entertainment

So winters are really hard for me with being in a little apartment and it's so cold outside in Rexburg. I don't think it would be so bad if I didn't have little kids. It just takes an act of congress to get everyone's coats, hats, boots, and gloves on (and get them to stay on long enough to get everyone ready) and get us out the door. And then it is so cold that we don't last very long out there. Even a trip to the store is such a chore! So we try to come up with interesting things to do indoors. Mostly our life is a day to day routine of monotony, but the kids seem to enjoy it alright. And I don't go COMPLETELY crazy :)

Hailey doing a little cooking of her own to keep her entertained long enough for me to whip up a simple dinner. She sure has gotten clingy and bashful lately. It's cute, but gets old when I can't pry her off of me long enough to clean a bathroom!

Someone stole Curt's tree stand for hunting (he heard that it wasn't the only one. apparently someone was going around stealing tree stands all over Island Park). So he decided to make a homemade one (and it turned out really good) out of crutches and a metal folding chair. Matthew enjoyed that!

And my entertainment is mostly crafting. The other day I kind of went a little crazy making bows. It was so much fun though! I think I'll do it again. And no, I don't know how many Hailey has but it's more than enough but never enough! :)

Thanksgiving 2010

It was our year to trek up to Montana for Thanksgiving. We had so much fun with all of Curt's family that we were able to see. This year I was able to meet Kim (Curt's second to oldest sister) and her family for the first time! They just moved up from Arizona. They have 6 kids from 18 yrs to 5 months! The day before we were going to go all of the roads going out of Rexburg were closed because of that huge storm, so we were really worried that we wouldn't make it, but the next morning the exact one we needed opened up and the drive wasn't as bad as I feared it would be. It did take us an extra hour and a half but we made it!

Hailey was super bashful the entire time. She kept trying to hide her face in my shoulder whenever someone looked at her and she would just peek out of the corner of her eye. It was way cute, but I wish she would have been more at ease. I had to hold her almost the entire time! Matthew on the other hand was so busy playing with cousins that I barely saw him! He has some GREAT cousins that play so sweet with him! I was asked multiple times by different people if he is in kindergarten yet and they couldn't believe it when I said he's only 3 1/2, because they thought that he was just so smart. I was flattered and I'd better not let it go to my head :) He IS smart though, and he was very well behaved this trip. It made for a very pleasant visit.

The only thing I am REALLY disappointed about is my lack of pictures :( We got the camera out and I got one picture and then the batteries died. Bummer. This picture is of Hailey and Brendon (I hope I'm spelling that right) who is Kim and Shawn's youngest. Like I said, he's 5 (almost 6 I think) months but he felt just as heavy as Hailey and he was only an inch or two shorter! He's going to be a big boy! Or Hailey's a tiny girl like her Grandma Venice. Hailey was using Brendon to hide her face in because so many people were trying to take pictures and making a general hoot over these two. They were way cute and loved to babble to each other, but I had to be careful not to get Hailey too close! all she wanted to do was pull that BRIGHT RED HAIR!

We had so much fun, but no matter how much fun a vacation can be it's always so nice to GO HOME. We are little home bodies.

Now bring on CHRISTMAS!

Ahhh music, chocolates, lights, sledding, decorations, cookies, gift giving, cards, cinnamon and spice, stockings, surprises, family, dinners, parties, boots hats gloves and scarves, "Hot coooocoooa" as Matthew says and all the other excitement and wonder of the Christmas season!!! woohoooooooo

Big Girl and her Big Brother!

Lately Matthew and Hailey have been actually playing together, sort of. Cute, but makes me nervous sometimes! Like when Hailey's laying on the floor and Matthew wraps his arms around her and plays "rollie pollie." She laughs, and I hover. One of Hailey's especially funny "big girl" things she likes to do to interact with Matthew is to plop herself next to him on his chair while watching a movie. She lasts about 4 seconds and then she begins pulling his hair, grabbing his ears and laughing uncontrollably. He is incredibly tolerant. He says "HAIWEY! My hair is NOT a toy! Silly baby doesn't know better."

And just because I'm so happy about it I have to show you the cute little nativity set I got for $2!

But I was wondering if I should paint it or leave it. I kind of like it how it is, but if I were REALLY careful then maybe it would be cute painted too. decisions...

Winter Fun

Winters are hard and long in Rexburg, but I think that they are especially difficult in an apartment because we get CABIN FEVER!

Good thing we like to play with toys...

and boxes (I think for Christmas this year Matthew will get presents and Hailey will get the packaging. She'll be overjoyed haha)!

When it's warm enough to step outside for a few minutes we sure do make the most of it!

And even when we can't go out there's not much that is more fun than sitting in the windowsill watching a snowstorm!

Friends

some things that I am REALLY going to miss about Rexburg when Curt graduates and we get wherever we're going are the friends and being so near to my family. We have been so blessed to have such great friends and family here to take care of us :)

This is Hailey's future boyfriend, Emmett. They already like to play footsie and hold hands!

Matthew and Bridger are really good friends! They like to wrestle, ride bikes, and they have been spending the month defeating all the bad guys of West Tisbury as Batman and Spiderman.

We love having friends that are as goofy as we are and that actually like us!! haha

Friendship's Flower
Helen Steiner Rice

Life is like a garden
And friendship like a flower,
That blooms and grows in beauty
With the sunshine and the shower.

And lovely are the blossoms
That are tended with great care,
By those who work unselfishly
To make the place more fair.

And, like the garden blossoms,
Friendship's flower grows more sweet
When watched and tended carefully
By those we know and meet.

And, if the seed of friendship
Is planted deep and true
And watched with understanding,
Friendship's flower will bloom for you.

We are so thankful for our dear and cherished friends (both old and new, near and far) and our wonderful family. We are so blessed.

Now that Matthew is one of the older kids in the complex he's expected to pull his weight a little more (actually pull the other kids' weight!) We're not sure where this sled came from. It's been outside since last winter! But it sure has been a fun all-season toy for the kids. It even made for a great makeshift swimming pool in the summer.

Chocolate milk holds a special place in our hearts.

And faces!

9 months?!!!!

I can't believe that my baby girl is going to be 9 months on Thursday!!! This time has gone by so fast! Hailey is such a doll and a treasure. She has got us all wrapped around her fingers and I hope it doesn't warp her future and make her become a manipulative, spoiled diva. :)

Hailey is teething. She has one tooth and the second one will cut through soon. She is also crawling like a demon and getting into EVERYTHING. Especially cords, outlets, and vents. So funny to see us try to get mad at her for doing something she shouldn't (because we really have a hard time getting serious with the angel face). Instead of "No. That is a no no Hailey." It's "Sweetie, don't play with that. It's an owie you cute little munchkin *giggle giggle*." ahhh, that will have to change.