Halloween 2015

We had a ghoulish good time this year at our ward's Halloween trunk or treat.

We took along our fierce Ninja fighter

And our sweet Care Bear.

Fierce.

Sweet.

Alina quickly decided that even a sweet good luck bear needed a few ninja moves to protect those cute cheeks.

The conundrum of choosing costumes is always a bit tricky for me. As a parent, I don't subscribe to specific brands and somehow our pattern of bringing toys into our home has never lent itself to my children latching on to one brand or another. Alina likes her care bear, but she also likes her no-name teddy and her Cabbage Patch doll. David was happy to be a super hero again this year, but he was indifferent between Spider man and Super man.

So we went looking for costumes with a wide range of possibilities. When David saw this light-up ninja costume, he was sold (the yellow edging all around the shield part blinked lights). It was the lighting feature, not the ninja, that was the selling point. But while he wore the lights, he played Ninja very well.

Sam and I were perusing a pop-up costume store on one of our date nights, and we came across this Care Bear costume. It was labeled as being for a 10 year old girl. Ummm. No. I would never let my 10 year old girl wear a costume that reaches the knees of my 2-year old. For our toddler, however, it was perfect. All of her cozy snow gear fit under the costume, and you have to admit that those round cheeks finish off the costume perfectly. I brought it home with a plan to alter it a bit. But once we put it on with the snow gear, we didn't need to alter it. Alina rocked the costume just the way it was.

After the trunk or treat, I let David knock a few doors while Alina warmed up in the back seat and I drove along with David. I thought Alina had fallen asleep in her carseat, until she passed up a piece of candy that she couldn't unwrap by herself. Upon turning around, I found that her fingers were capable of opening most of the sugary goodness on her own. Alina, didn't your mother ever teach you to let her eat all the best stuff sort it before you eat your halloween candy? Apparently she missed that part. She was happy as a sugar plum fairy in a cozy green care bear suit.

As for David, he was his independent self at the trunk or treat. Daddy stayed home with a stomach bug, so I was on my own. Passing out candy, hanging on to my care bear in an ice skating rink of a parking lot and keeping up with David proved to be too much. I finally handed my candy bowl over to be passed out by someone else, and held tightly to Alina after she took a nasty slip (good thing she was so well padded, or that fall from feet to back would have ruined our night). When it was time to pack up, I put Alina in her carseat, turned the car on for warmth, and went to find David. After several minutes of going from car to car (and a bit of a panic, wondering whose trunk he had climbed into) I finally found him inside the church hallway, with his candy spread out all around him. Apparently Alina wasn't the only one that missed the message of my lecture on saving the candy for the house. Thankfully, the trunk or treat is a group of friends that we associate with so their bags were safer than if we had just been going around to strangers.

Thanksgiving 2015

We just had our 9th Thanksgiving in Alaska. That means we should be getting good at some of our own traditions, I suppose. But it seems that while Christmas is laden with tradition, this holiday of giving thanks is a lot more flexible by the year. In 9 Thanksgiving holidays in Alaska, we have spent the day with 5 different groups of people. One of these years, it will be my turn to  host--but this was not that year. The weather is as fickle as we are at Thanksgiving Tradition.  Last year we had sheets of ice on the roads, and carrying food up a driveway and to the door was more than a little precarious. Another year was a major snow storm where we barely made it through the streets. This year we had wet roads with fog.

We were grateful to spend time with my second cousin Lindsay Weston and her sweet family. Lindsay is a beautiful and gracious host, and we always enjoy spending time with her family.

A table for the adults, then of course the kid table. Kenny and Lindsay Weston hosted, and their brother's family was there as well--Andy and Shalee Weston. It was a good group, and we really enjoyed the company.

This was the quietest, most well mannered kids table I have ever seen. I was so impressed with the appropriate level of noise and interaction at this table, which allowed for the adults to enjoy some adult time at the grown up table.

The kids had planned a super cute skit depicting--in completely original form--the pilgrims coming over from England. It began with 4 year old Kelsey shouting "Guards! Get them!" and it only got better from there. The Weston kids saved a spot for my kids to participate, but Alina was too little and David wasn't really interested. Until he found out they needed a tech guy. So he stood at the light switch and house lights went down then up with each scene change. (It was such a good reminder to me to let David shine where and how he wants. He's not a performer on stage as much, but he was bursting with excitement over his part as the kid that controlled the lights and fan.)

Lindsay had recently taken her kids to the high school play, so they didn't miss a single beat with what should be included in a grand production. Costumes? check. Memorized lines? check. Drama? check. Fan to make it windy on a stormy night at sea? check. Lights going up and down with each scene change? check.

Over the last week, I have reminded David several times that he is the family expert on the Pilgrims. We studied them extensively last year in our history home school curriculum, and he picked up a book by Rush Limbaugh that makes the characters come to life for him. He has read that book at least a dozen times, and many of the facts presented as historical fiction are well researched. David knows the story of the pilgrims really well. But he somehow doesn't know that he knows them. Next year I'll have to remember to pull out all of our short stories about he pilgrims so our  memories are a little better refreshed.

Easter

Grandma took time with each of her visiting grandsons to make a diorama with a part of the Easter story

David was super pleased to have the empty tomb with the stone rolled away.

At family night, Grandma and Grandpa asked each of the grandsons to tell about their creation.

It was a beautiful way to depict the entire Easter story--the Last supper, the Garden of Gethsemane, the Cross on Calvary, and the empty tomb on Easter morning.

I hope most sincerely, David, that you feel deeply the truthfulness of the story that you re-created in your project. I hope you always know that all things can be renewed through our Savior, Jesus Christ. I hope you know that our Savior will be merciful and kind to those who learn to obey His word. And I hope you always live with a heart that is open to feeling His love for you.

Easter Egg Hunt

My idea to have an annual Easter Egg Hunt with friends come from the tradition of my family. When we lived in Arizona, we would gather with my Grandparents and cousins for our Easter Breakfast and Egg Hunt. When my family moved to Utah, we continued the tradition by inviting friends over for the same festivities. While we were in Utah this year, Grandma and Grandpa organized their Easter Egg Hunt for grandkids. Lots of us had come to listen to my sister, Shayla, speak in church after her return from her mission, so the Saturday before was the perfect time to have this family favorite tradition.

Alina was perched in her high chair for the picnic. This girl loves her a good meal!!

Some of the pre-teen cousins with a few Uncles in the background.

I had to catch an incognito shot of David, since he was hiding from all the group photos.

I think this was the first day I put Alina in to two pigtails, and I couldn't get over her cuteness. Her chubby little baby self seemed to contradict that full head of hair that barely held in her pigtails, but the combination made me giggle each time I saw her.

Other than Alina, who casually wandered around while everyone else was waiting for the egg hunt to begin, somehow it ended up that David was the youngest in the egg hunt, so he got to be first in line. Thank you, Cousin Ethan, for acting as "bouncer" to all these little kids that were so anxious to get to those candy-filled eggs!

David was being very funny. He was worried that Ethan was going to block them from going to the egg hunt area, and he didn't like it one bit. Ever seen a 6 year old take on a 14 year old? I was getting a kick out of it. Ethan did a good job laughing off the 6-year old anxiousness. Charm is a great way to handle David's intensity, and Ethan nailed it in this instance. 

Ready, set, go. 

Aunt Capri helped Alina find a few eggs at her level.

As typical for this age, once the candy inside was discovered, Alina was content to sit down and eat her treasure. Rush to find others? Alina found that completely pointless while she savored the sugar in her egg.

She was happy. That was good enough for her and her mom.

David, on the other hand, knew just how to rush to find the eggs hidden all around the orchard. 

Alina eventually wandered around and found another egg or two, but each time returned to her spot to sit and enjoy the loot.

After the hunt, David sat and enjoyed his candy with some of his cousins.

This was a sweet freindship that emerged through the egg hung. 9-year old Kambria wanted to win over her cute little cousin, so she helped Alina find one last egg.

Kambria went even so far as to open some of her own candy-filled eggs to give Alina a few more eggs to hunt. Of course, Alina loved the attention and the sweetness of the arrangement.

David moved to the climbing tree to continue enjoying his candy. Not sure what he was saying to me this time, but clearly it was important!

Double the baskets, double the fun, right?

Afterwards Grandma pulled out her dying supplies and some of the many eggs that had been collected over the week from Claytons' chickens . . . fun times!

Such fun memories--and I love it that my kids got to experience this with cousins, just like I did as a little girl. 

Celebrating SIX!!!

 David was so excited to go ice skating for his birthday this year. As per tradition, we started the celebration a few days early and went on a family outing. We did this same activity for his 4th Birthday. For some reason, his memory of ice skating was such that he was anxious to do it again. We encouraged him to branch out last year and choose a different activity, but he's had birthday activity planner's remorse since he did. So this year there was no question--we were going ice skating!

David made two laps, and fell about 19 times. Or more.

For the first 14 falls, this is what he looked like after he got back to his feet. He was a real trooper and kept trying to stay up.

But after about fall number 14, David was growing weary of falling all the time. Next time we'll put him in pads. I could hear the thud of his little bones with each fall, and I knew it had to hurt.

Meanwhile, this one stayed on the sidelines with Daddy and was achin to strap on a pair of skates.

When we came to the Ice Chalet two years ago, Alina's birth mother had just contacted us by email, and I had written her back. I had set my heart on the fact that we might not hear from this birth mother ever again, so I had really braced myself to go on as if nothing had happened. Sam met us from work at the Ice Chalet, and told me that right before leaving work he had checked our email, and there was a very nice email from LW. My heart absolutely sung as I skated around this rink that night. Maybe, perhaps, possibly, it might be that this birth mother would stay in contact with us. I had nothing but 2 emails, but suddenly my guard was down. What if she chooses us? What if it's a baby girl? What if . . . what if . . . the possibilities swirled around my heart as I raced across the ice. My head was in the clouds, and my feet not much steadier. It was so fun to be back with Alina in tow and relive the excitement of the news that a birth mother had contacted us for the second time.

Right before we got off the ice (after only 2 laps), we convinced David to stand in for a picture with us. I was worried that David would become unsteady and that I would fall while holding Alina. Thankfully, everyone stayed upright while we captured the moment.

Once we had our shoes back on, we went down the hall a bit and found Baskin Robbins for a little birthday treat. Alina was not shy about helping herself to our ice cream with her tiny pink spoon.

David's birthday was two days after our ice skating activity. In all seriousness, he awoke that morning and said, "Well mom, I'm six now. I think if I go back to ice skate today that I won't fall as much, because I'm older now." I hope we make it back there soon, buddy, so you can start racing around the ice just like you want!