and Holly was catching a nap the kids and I enjoyed the beautiful day. It was sunny and in the low 40s. The 8-10 inches of snow we had was perfect for packing so we packed and packed until...vwaa-lah, a snowman and fort appeared. Here is the evidence. Hopefully we aren't the only ones who had the chance to enjoy the wonderful weekend. :)
vacation with us last weekend. Don't laugh, it was 58 degrees and sunny on Sunday. The kids have been experiencing "family attention deficit" since they left. They had 10 days strait with some extra family around to lovingly give them loads of attention and now it's just Mom home during the day again.
The picture is evidence of the boys holding Holly hostage on the couch and making her read book after book. Check out the stack on her lap. Hopefully your days are just as love filled. :)
Tuesday evening all of us (minus Nathan and Bill) were back at Mom and Dad's house for dinner together again. That is when the cousins picture was taken. My nephew Joey will be four in April and Jesse will be two in July. To those of you doing the math, yes in July the kids will be a 5,4,3,2, and 1. Happy grandparents. Wednesday after James finished work around noon he took us down to the Smith's. We had a lovely Valentine's dinner with Kevin, Mary, G'ma & G'pa Zemke, Jordan, and Katie. I'm sure it wasn't too romantic for any of the couples in attendance but considering the amount of attention the kids lavished on them I'm certain they all felt well loved.
Thursday afternoon James and Holly came back down and we all headed back to Rapid City. We made one long stop in Mitchell and were back home by about 10:30pm. Home Sweet Home, Dad Sweet Dad, and Husband Sweet Husband. Ahh. :)
My two brothers and sister along with all our families did some sneaky planning and pulled off a surprise dinner for them at a nice restaurant near their house. Most of us arrived at the restaurant ahead of Mom and Dad in borrowed vehicles while James and Holly picked Mom and Dad up for a quiet dinner for four. Little did they know that it would actually be a boisterous dinner for fifteen!
The pictures show Mom and Dad's reaction-smiles of surprise and then the whole crew around the tables. Dinner was fabulous, the occasion was special, and the company was unbeatable. I love my family! :)
First off, it is ALWAYS windy here. When whoever named Chicago the "Windy City" obviously hadn't visited Rapid City. The winter winds can drop our temperatures from moderate 
to down right cold. The summer winds turn average days into scorchers as they drive out every bit of moisture. Second, it doesn't really snow here before February. Every Christmas spent here has been brown. Last year on December 26 we were playing Frisbee in the backyard in short short sleeves. That might be a nice feature for attracting some folks but have I mentioned that whole state is brown the entire time. Here we do really only dream of white Christmases.
Now you'll understand the rarity of the pictures in this post. The wind has stopped. It has been snowing sporadically the last few days and we currently have nearly six inches on the ground with more scheduled to fall over the weekend. The wind however has called in sick or gone missing or just decided to take a week long vacation in the tropics. This means we are white. Snow white to be exact. It has been a very light, fluffy, powdery snow that gently covers all below. The Hills that dot our town and surround us are all covered with beautiful pristine white coats of snow. The foliage everywhere looks as if a baker has decorated with a thick dusting of powdered sugar. Ah. Now there is justification for leaving our Christmas lights up until mid February: it looks beautiful.
Have a wonderful weekend. :)
It was sweet to see them caught up in each other. Makes my heart happy. Dancing helps keep you warm and since most of you are probably cold you should try it with someone near and dear to your heart. :)
(www.locksoflove.org) This was actually the third time I've chopped and donated it since we lived here, but this time is the shortest it's ever been. This is the shortest hair I remember having-ever. I like it a lot so far but I will admit my neck has never been so cold. Usually I end up tucking it behind my ears so it doesn't look as wedge-ish. Anyway, just thought I'd share. Stay warm. :)
She figured it out a few days ago and has happily been clicking and clicking ever since. The simple joys in life. :)
"fixed" it with some rubber gasket material and a couple of hose clamps. The plumber came and really fixed it with a soldering torch and a new water pressure regulator. All three kids thought this little "homeowner adventure" was grand. They told the plumber all about Mom's bucket and Dad's clamps and how the water was going "drip, drip." When the plumber was finished Evan even told him that he did a good job. Hopefully nothing is dripping in your house. :)
I'm not sure which faces are funnier, the pizza faces or theirs. Hopefully supper at your house is just as cheesy. :)
They "build" bunk beds, treadmills, walls, doors, tables, and anything else in the house that they can pound on for a few seconds before Mom is saying, "We only hit nails." Happy Saturday. :)
Last night was Lydia's last bottle night. How quickly she has gone from a baby to a big girl. This picture is from a few days ago when all three of them were listening to Daddy read stories at bedtime. The book of choice that night was "Who Are You Baby Kangaroo" and can actually be read by both of the boys. If you haven't read it or anything by the illustrator Clara Beaton you should check her out-she is really one of a kind. Hopefully you are all reading something just as enjoyable in your spare time. :)
Lydia is the crasher of all towers so the boys have learned to build fast. Here's hoping whatever you're building is just as fun. :)
Nathan marked half way through the school year at last weekend's quarter break. In September I never thought we'd get here but now it's all down hill from here. January and February also mean boys basketball for him. He is coaching the 4th grade team this year with Pastor and Jon coaching the 7-8. We are actually thin on boys in 5-6 so we only have those two teams. The building project is still plugging along. The weather is always a factor. If you want more about that check out his blog at www.stpaulswels.blogspot.com
I'm doing great here too. Last weekend I had an ear infection which is the first ever I remember. Ow! Now I know why babies cry when they have those nasty things. I've done another small sewing project for a friend and am looking at another shortly. Other fun stuff I'm doing to keep busy-volleyball on Wednesday nights with some ladies from church, taking pottery classes in March, and starting a real workout schedule with the thought/plan of run/walking a half marathon in June. Crazy?? Maybe.
Evan and Hans have big news, literally. They have new bunk beds. After watching the classified for about a year we found a set of very nice wooden bunk beds. They are from a military family in the area who were stationed in Germany for 12 years. The brand is Thuka if you want to check it out. They are big enough that hopefully they will last the boys until they head out on their own in 18 odd years. Otherwise, Evan is pretty much done napping which makes me a little sad since I loose my hour of quiet in the afternoons but it is fun to have some time with just Evan too. He is a very logical little boy and has a reason for everything. Most of his reasons crack me up. Hans is quickly trying to catch Evan in talkative-ness jabbers just as much.
Lydia isn't walking yet but it isn't so much because she can't as because she won't. If you try to get her to walk she just gives you this impish smirk and squats down as if to say, "Hmm. Not now." She does walk with her new pink push truck and she's a pro climber and gets up on everything including the bottom bunk in the boys room. Lydia's latest love in dancing. When any of the musical toys we have play their little ditty she bops along and restarts the music when is stops. She even bounces along with commercials on the TV or radio.
I think that catches you up and gives a pretty good picture of life here even without an actual picture. Hopefully I'll post again soon. Hugs to all! :)
Go sneak attack someone you love. :)
I keep finding more pictures that I feel the need to share. Sorry that they are all out of chronological order. These are from Lydia's birthday at my parents house. 
Thankfully the doll house isn't as big as the pictures make it look so it has found a home in Lydia's room. It does spend more time in the living room though. The cake pictures are just classic first birthday snapshots. I don't know if Lydia had ever even had cake before this. She certainly loved what she ate that day. Hopefully your dessert is just as tasty. :)
