Catching Up.

When your computer crashes and is out of service for 3 weeks....the pictures get backed up. So, here's what we've been up to, from the most recent, back to where we left off in January.  Enjoy!

Playing Dress-up

Camping in the living room

Teething

Trying new recipes!  (This is homemade Chicken Cordon Bleu, and it was delicious!)

Spring Pictures

Photo Shoots with new outfits

and ALWAYS the tongue

This picture says 1000 words.  Andie: "Why do I have to do this?"  Ali: "In her own world and loving it"  Adalyn: "Don't touch Caleb...okay, I will poke him instead."  Caleb: "Along for the ride"

Eating Baby Foods....and loving it!  Note: Caleb was a small guy at 4 months, only weighing 12 lbs.  Now, he is 6 months and weighs 15lbs. 10oz.  He LOVES to eat and will stick anything and everything in his mouth!  Notice sneaky little Adalyn.  This also reveals how she likes to try and "sneak and feed" Caleb herself.  I don't know how many times I've turned around and said, "Adalyn, don't feed Caleb your crackers!"

Big gummy grin!

Ali lost her first tooth

Andie got a hair cut - 8 inches off.

Lot's and lot's of laundry.  Why is it all in bags?  Part of why we cut Andie's hair.  There was a lice breakout at school....and all the white kids in her class got it!  CRAZY!  I never wish ANYONE to have to go through that.  Even almost 2 months later, I still haven't returned all the toys to the girls.  They don't seem to miss them.

Plumbing.  Our downstairs bathroom sink kept getting backed up - so I took the situation into my own hands, unscrewed the bottom, plunged stuff out from the top and it works!  Again - something I do not wish to have to do again - but poor Shawn is so busy at school, I decided not to wait around for him to be able to do it.  Dad, are you impressed I did this on my own, and knew what to do?

Braiding.  The first time to comb through Andie's hair after the lice treatment....it took 3 hours.  I thought, "well, I'll braid it and then it will already be sectioned."  A neighbor, whose daughter also got the lice, then told me that "braids are like ladders" so, all that work to take it out the next day.  Oh well.

Creating.  I have another picture of this awesome art work from Ali.  I think it weighed about 5 lbs. with a gallon of glue holding on all her buttons.  I love it!

Making freezer jam. (I only did one batch, and it's already gone.)  We love PB&J!

Stocking Up!

Teaching.  At the beginning of the year, I pulled out the FHE board to mix it up a bit.  The girls have EMBRACED their assignments and hold us all accountable.  We now always have a lesson, activity and treat.  Before, we just had a lesson - but it has been so fun and a great change.  Here, Ali gave a lesson on choosing the right and she worked with Andie on the activity to make CTR headbands. 

Sometimes life is just crazy. 

Two things about Boys and Baths:  1)  This boy LOVES to be naked!  2)  Without a doubt, every SINGLE time, he pees as soon as he is in that water.  Silly Boy!

Ali loves to pose for the camera.

Crafting with Melty Beads

Sharpening color pencils.  I decided it's true love, when I took nearly an hour to sharpen all the colored pencils.  I even used the hand sharpener to even out the point, so hopefully it would be easier to use.  Why do we have so many colored pencils in the first place?  Well, instead of sharpening them when they were dull, the girls would just go open a new box.  DRIVE ME CRAZY!  But - they have fun, so, it really only bothers me a little.  :)

As you can see - life continues on, in a pretty normal way.  Shawn hopes to finish up his dissertation this week and get it turned in so he can start the review process and hopefully line up a defense date.  We are still looking for a job and we'll hit that hard again next week.  He had a second interview at Weber State University, in Utah, but just found out Friday that they are offering the position to someone else.  We were so sad - as we would have LOVED to live closer to family - but we can't be discouraged.  The day before we found out, I had just read an Ensign article in the March Ensign about raising resilient children.  I told Shawn, "Well - here is our chance to show how resilient we are!"  We both have faith and knowledge that Heavenly Father has a plan for our family and will put us where we are most needed.  It is a big test of our faith and patience, but all will work out.  We know it will, and so we will continue to press forward.

Have a great week!