March Wrap-up

This week was our two-year anniversary of moving to Colorado. That means we officially no longer have to repay our moving expenses to Ryan's company if we decide to leave. But, I'm happy to report, a move doesn't seem likely!

SPRING BREAK

Last week was Spring Break. Despite being in the 70s for the two weeks prior, it snowed and was windy and bitterly cold all week. We attended a St Patrick's Day party at the cultural hall of our old chapel one morning (complete with a bounce house, decorating green cookies and party music). Another day during the week, I hosted a play-date in our chapel's gym. The boys rode their scooters and did coloring pages. I think everyone had fun.

Ryan took the Friday of Spring Break off work, and we headed to Denver under a Blizzard Advisory. It took us almost twice as long to get there, and we saw lots of cars in the ditches. Lucky for us, we enjoyed a few hours at the Children's Museum with it almost empty and then checked into our hotel. While Ryan went to the temple, I took the kids swimming. He brought back brick-oven pizza and cheesecake for dinner. We ate and put the boys to sleep. Then we waited in the lobby with Kate for her to get tired. After tossing and turning all night, I got up early on Saturday and went to the temple while Ryan tackled the continental breakfast all by himself with all the kiddos in tow. But they got a compliment for good behavior, so I guess it was a success. After I got back, we checked out and went over to Krispy Kreme. We watched them make donuts for awhile, grabbed a dozen to take home, and started the trek home. The roads were totally clear, and it was an easy drive. We earned it after the trip there!

KATE

Kate is seven months old on Monday. She is still a smiley little girl and a complete joy in our home. I couldn't ask for an easier, happier baby.

If mom neglects her, she takes matters into her own hands

My favorite time of the day is getting her dressed each morning. She has the cutest clothes, and I love matching her shoes and bows to her leggings and tunic tops. She wears a lot of skirts, even not on Sundays. It is just too fun!

St Patrick's Day (she had matching socks too)

She now has four teeth - two on top and two on bottom.

She wasn't so interested in showing off her four teeth today.

She can sit on her own for about 20 seconds now. She is getting stronger and stronger, and she loves to roll and roll and pivot to get to anything that interests her. We are so grateful to have her in our family.

ETHAN

Ethan has had a cold for several weeks now, and just when I thought I couldn't take any more nose-wiping and whining, he FINALLY got better. His speech is still limited to nouns, but it is amazing how he can string so many words together and tell a whole story.

He face-planted after church on Sunday, so he has a fat lip in this picture. I took this picture when he said, "Picture, Dada, hop, bunny" and handed me my phone. Doesn't everyone know that means, "Take my picture to send to daddy. I'm a hopping bunny!"

He'll be 2-1/2 at the end of April. He loves choo-choos, wee-oos (everything with lights and sirens) and "dumps" - typical boy there, for sure. He loves to run, jump and kick. He particularly loves the trampoline and scooting on the plasma car. He still loves to escape out the front door and run down the middle of the street, and he only rides his scooter in the street too. It is a good thing we don't have much traffic on our road.

BRENNAN

(He won't let anyone take pictures of him, and I literally don't have any of him from this month. You'll just have to imagine his handsome self here.)

Brennan is finishing up his last year of preschool and really looking forward to going to school with Collin next year. I've signed him up for half-day kindergarten for the fall. He has had a good string of days this last week, and I dread it coming to a close. He can be such a sweet, kind helper... and he can be such a little obstinate, mean devil. He really thrives on one-on-one time, and I'm trying so hard to spend more time with him. It seems to make a difference, but there really is only one of me to go around, and I feel really stretched thin most of the time. He still loves to draw, and currently he is creating a book of Pokemon characters which he has me write the names for.

COLLIN

Collin is finishing up first grade. He seems to have landed right in the middle of the pack academically. He's a decent reader, and he enjoys math class. But it is all I can do to get him to read at home (usually only as a consequence) and do his math fact practice. He doesn't seem to naturally make connections with numbers. He doesn't like to do hard things, and he gets frustrated very easily. He does seem to be a really speller though. I'd say he does best with things when they are specifically taught but doesn't really enjoy figuring things out on his own.

After climbing the structure at the Children's Museum

He did a St Patrick's Day creative writing at school. He wrote, "If I found a pot of gold, I'd get a job as an engineer at Woodward." When I asked him why he'd get a job if he already had money, he said that he would pay for the job with the gold. Guess we haven't explained finances much to him.

He has started taking piano lessons again, this time from a boy teenager in our old ward. It has only been a month, but he is doing well and loves to practice and go to his lesson each week.

RYAN

Ryan has been really busy at work. He has at least one late phone call each week with China, and he's been helping with interviewing for new positions too. It's been a little crazy.

Super Dad!

He is also in the middle of remodeling our front room. We decided to move the last three stairs and the middle landing and remove our coat closet in order to open up the entryway and create a formal sitting room. He's also doing board and batten on the walls. It is going to look awesome, but we started in mid-December, so I'm just hoping it is completed in time for our temple open house and dedication. We are also going to lay hardwood flooring throughout the main floor, and it is already stacked all over the house to acclimate to our humidity. We are living in a construction zone! He is still serving as the Sunday School president in our ward, which seems to be pretty easy. He mostly just deals with staffing challenges and substitutes.

LINDSEY

(I guess I don't have any pictures of myself either. Brennan and I both avoid the camera.)

I am getting SUPER excited for the Fort Collins temple. I'm excited to live only 12 minutes away and be able to go during preschool/kindergarten hours. I spend all my time cooking, cleaning, doing laundry, and running kids here, there and wherever. I am currently (until Sunday, hint hint) serving as the Laurel advisor in the Young Women's. I love teaching every other week, and I love the girls. I am still reading like a crazy person, sometimes many books per month. I absolutely love my book club, which meets once per month. In January, I organized a monthly Brunch Bunch for women with small children to share a dish and chat while their children eat and play. Each month, I ask for a host, and now we are rotating homes. It seems to have really taken off. I also have started a craft group, where the women meet once per month at someone's home without children in the evening. Everyone brings their own craft and supplies, and we chat and eat a treat while we work. It has been fun.

CONCLUSION

And there you have it. We are busy and happy and looking forward to warmer weather. I'm terrified to have ALL four kids home ALL day this summer. I've bought the older boys workbooks to do each day as part of their morning chores. We are also planning to visit Mount Rushmore for the 4th of July week, and of course we'll be at the pool almost every day too. Hopefully, they won't kill each other... and I won't kill them!