The Best Gift

Here we find Collin - reading. He loves to read. This is on our trip to Utah last week.

Here is a picture of Trent and me - as Miis. Aren't we cute? Pretty good likenesses I think.

Some of the shrubbery on McKenna's walk home from school.

McKenna's favorite photo subjects are the pets. This is an interesting view of Cruiser.

For her birthday, McKenna received a digital camera. Who'd have ever thought that it would become her constant companion? She has taken it everywhere with her. The pictures above are just a small few of hers. Yesterday her good friend, Kodak, took a major hit and received a life threatening injury. For all practical purposes, it is dead. McKenna was so sad. Being the wise parents that we are (or thought we were) I'm sure you think that we purchased the $25 - 2 year replacement plan. Well, no. But, when we replaced that camera today, and replaced the excitement in Kenna's trigger finger, you can be sure that it came with that ever important bit of extra insurance. We have learned!!! That look of surprise and sincere smile was so worth the canned green beans and ramen that we will eat to pay for it.

The Battle Continues

Collin is a notorious teaser. He has been tormenting his poor sisters for years. Of course, they tease him too. It leads to interesting "fights" here at home. They really do love each other. Collin says that it is his duty to tease them because he is the oldest sibling. I don't remember teasing my younger sisters. And if any of them say I did, I will deny it to my death bed. Anyway, McKenna has decided to retaliate with a different kind of warfare - mental intimidation.

Collin came home Saturday night to find this clown and saying hanging above his bed. He HATES clowns and she knows it. He especially detests clowns staring at him from above his bed.

He found eyes all around the house. There are googly eyes above several door frames.

There were eyes glaring at him in the shower and above the toilets in the house.

They peered at him at the top of the stairs and many other corners and crannies around the house.

It freaked Collin out. No one would tell him who put them there. It was driving him crazy and McKenna was laughing her head off - quietly.

What was learned in the round of "Sibling Battles"?

#1 Retaliation does not have to be physical. Go for the nerves.

#2 Mom doesn't get mad at us if we use our brains to tease our siblings.

Good Times

We went sledding on Suicide Hill in Rexburg last Saturday. It was so much fun. We were there with our Erikson cousins, aunts, and uncles. The conditions couldn't have been better. The snow was fresh and powdery; the weather was "warm"ish; and the sky was crystal blue. Absolutely the most perfect sledding day ever. Can't wait to go again.

Here I am crashing after forgetting how old I am. It was a lot bigger hill than I expected. But once I said I was going to do it I couldn't back down. It had to be done. The crash was worth the fun and the giggles.

Here is Trent acting more his age as the official safety guy.

Here comes Adri zooming by. She giggled the whole way down. Hold on to that sled kiddo!

This is Katy and Erin coming to a rest at the bottom of the hill. Check out the snow on Katy's face. They snowplowed the whole way down.

GOOD TIMES! GOOD MEMORIES!!

Just Doing Some Thinking

On my Facebook page I recently answered a huge question/answer thing about my first born. It got me thinking about the past 15 years of my life. I feel really bad because I don't actually remember too much. All those times that I thought to "write it down" and didn't are now gone. I know at the time I thought to myself, "How can I ever forget this?" and now I have. I wish I could remember the smell of those little babies and their first smiles, like I thought I would. I wish I could remember the times more vividly that the kids made the kitchen a disaster as they attempted to cook lunch for their summer picnics. But, instead those memories are not so clear anymore. Part of the problem is that I don't take pictures very often. McKenna got a camera for her birthday and she takes it everywhere she goes. She probably has over a thousand pictures on there and it has only been one month. Another problem is that I don't write in a journal. In fact, I have written about six times during the last fifteen years. So, I've resolved to do better.

I've decided to take more time to listen to the kids. Their stories are so funny. High school kids are just weird. Junior high kids observe the most interesting things. And who knew their could be so much drama in 5th grade. I can't wait. And, I'm going to take more pictures. Digital pictures don't cost a thing and I can fix them when they look terrible. I'm going to write more. I've finally come to the realization that my life is just a bore. It isn't going to get any more exciting than it is now and I like it. So, why not write about it. Who knows, if all goes well I might even scrapbook. Now, that would be something to talk about.