Bridger's Pizza

One afternoon I came into the kitchen to find this....

 ....I guess it's safe to say, Bridger's not a fan of the crust!?  Hahahaha!  

Remodel

It's been a long time coming (like 11 years!), but we're FINALLY making some major changes upstairs.  Last November we scored a great deal on the same flooring we have in the basement, so we snatched up enough to re-do the entire main floor.  The boys had SO much fun ripping the carpet out and they were rockstars helping us remove trim and tack-strips and nails and staples all day.  I was pleasantly surprised at their willingness to jump in and help, and even Bridger was working that hammer and crowbar like a boss.  Since then we've been living in messy chaos, and the poor dog doesn't know what in the world's going on around here, but it will all be worth it when it's done.  We also opened up the opening to the kitchen a bit so that the fridge can open all the way now, and all the changes have facilitated a lot of electrical work and reworking of light switches and air vents.  It's amazing how many extra things sneak their way into a remodel job, but we're sure looking forward to the end result even if it will be a long time until it's all done.  And man am I grateful for a handy husband who can do anything we need.  I wish my skills were better, but he's also been nice enough to teach me some things along the way.

Friend to Friend

The pandemic has been hard on kids this past year.  Primary hasn't met in person that entire time and have only recently started having it once a month via zoom.  So when the Church announced a world-wide event we were excited.  Saturday was the first ever Primary Friend to Friend event online.  The boys all came in from playing in the snow to watch, and they loved every second of it.  I intended to fold clothes while they were occupied, but I got sucked in too.  In fact Tanner walked by and then stayed and watched as well.  It was so well done and now we're looking forward to more in the future.  And our favorite part was hearing from President Nelson at the end.    

Endless Snow

 This has for sure been the snowiest winter we've had in YEARS.  The boys are loving it and spend every chance they get out in the yard.  They love sledding down our tiny hill into the road (the neighbors don't love it quite as much ;)).  They always have plans for an igloo, and have especially enjoyed the ice the past week.  They've hunted out the best icicles and eaten their fair share of them.  The other day they got the bright idea to scale the back bushes since they were coated in ice.  Hopefully they didn't kill the bushes and I guess we're glad they had fun!

Ice Storm 2021

Early this morning we were notified there would be a late start due to weather.  It wasn't too much later they called again to say it would be a virtual day due to the icy road conditions.  So once again we had a house full as we pounded out school today.  Despite the crazy weather I couldn't help but go out and capture a bit of the incredible beauty of nature at work.  It was a bit of a trick getting into the frozen cars this evening to run out to the Church with Dean to do a little YM/YW prep.  In fact, Dean's broken two ice scrapers this past week.  This stuff is brutal!  Guess we'll see if tomorrow brings a little better weather. 

Mom Time

Last Friday night Dean had a previous engagement so it was just me and the boys.  Honestly they had been kinda awful the previous 24 hours and I really wanted to send them all to bed early, but a little whispering from the Spirit said not to punish them, but to connect with them.  So I conjured up the fun mom in me and told them we were doing something a little different.  We cleaned up the house and made room in the living room.  We pulled up yoga on the TV and dove right in.  After our yoga session I pulled out my stash of face-masks and they each got to pick what kind they wanted.  They begged to watch the "Aquabats Super Show" while our masks were on.  It was fun to mix things up and do something completely out of character.  We had lots of fun together and it was just what we needed.

A Teenager

Tanner woke up to a sweet surprise from Landon and Braddock.  They made him a poster board of Napoleon Dynamite and the two of them dressed in their FFA outfits taste testing milk samples that said, "This milk tastes like we should celebrate Tanner's birthday!"  It was SUPER cute and I loved watching them work together on it.  They also paired it with some balloons with some money inside.  Next up he got a hanging plant for his room and his bday balloon and shirt.  He said he was too old for a birthday theme but it ended up being Napoleon Dynamite themed anyway.  He didn't complain! ;)  We started the morning off with eclairs and fruit for his birthday breakfast and then shipped him off to school for the day.  That afternoon and evening were pretty rushed since we had to be to YM/YW Activities, so we scrambled to get an early dinner in so we could do some presents and cake before he and I needed to leave for the Church.  This kid sure is unique and he chose lobster tails, moon grapes, and star fruit for his meal.  After trips to five different stores we finally tracked down all three items and then googled how in the world to prepare them.  Hahaha!  It actually turned out really well and the birthday boy was pleased.  Bridger tried the lobster and said, "Yum!  I like that lobster thing!"  Hahaha.  Tanner asked for money this year instead of gifts, but his brothers all insisted they buy him a little something.  And I might have gotten a bit carried away grabbing some of his favorite treats.  We finished off the night with 7-Up Cake topped with a lemon glaze which turned out really easy and really yummy!  We'll definitely be making it again.  We topped the cake with a picture of Napoleon, Uncle Rico, and Kip and it made for the perfect cake for Tanner.  We sure love watching him grow up and become an incredible kid full of ideas, and personality.  He is quiet and shy and at the same time a natural born leader.  Honestly, he surprises me daily and it's so fun to see what he'll come up with next.  We have no doubt he's got great things in his future and we feel so blessed to be a part of it.  He's smart, funny, driven, hard working, and he pushes himself outside of his comfort zone to accomplish hard things.  He was recently called as the Deacon's Quorum President and I love seeing him step up and be a leader as he's reached out to other Young Men to help them feel comfortable and included when really that's all he wants for himself.  Happy Birthday Tanner you're the coolest and we love you like crazy (even if you're making us feel SUPER old!)!

 

My Little Old Man

Braddock is the worst at getting ready for school in the morning! Literally the slowest person I’ve ever met. Yesterday he had been sitting on the couch for 45 mins and wouldn’t do anything....still in pj’s, hadn’t eaten breakfast, the clock was ticking and the bus would be coming soon. Then we remembered it was 100 Day and all of a sudden he jumped up and got dressed lickity split! So after months and months of searching for a solution to my slow poke problem we’ve found it! I’ll just dress him as an old man every day! 👴🏼 🤣 #100daysofschool #oldschool