Scarlett and Isaac are here!!!

We had a snow day today! Curtis is working from home and we are both still in our pj's. I think some of the kids are partially dressed...
We:
- just ate grape juice snow cones.
The big news of the day is these two:


Scarlett Eve and Isaac Robert were born yesterday in Utah, Joel and Sara's twins are here!
Aren't they beautiful, like a carbon copy of Sara and Joel; beautiful and dainty, hairy and handsome! YAY we can't wait to meet you two!

Pure Joy...

It is pure joy to travel with 4 kids 6 and under. Pure joy sitting next to a 3 year old while nursing a baby on a full flight. It is wonderful to know that I have flashed total strangers. Delight would be the word to describe having a flight attendant named Rex with some very distinct mannerisms, and a high pitched voice, tickle your kids. And rapture on the faces of your beautiful children on the log ride.

Tuesday night in Minnesota

I really really really love it here. Even though it's cold and you have to pump your own gas. I love Cub foods with a passion, the selection of hot chocolate is completely out of this world. I love having a sisters-in-law, grandparents, and friends who don't mind a completely loud, busy family of 6 crashing at their houses. I also don't mind friendly waitresses who actually smile and can communicate nicely, it's amazing how one can take that for granted.
Tonight:
Ate at Famous Daves!
Swam in the pool
kids asleep
getting ready to look at homes tomorrow

Oh, and I have a STORY for you about JK blowing out on the airplane, and realizing I had not packed ONE diaper. no jokin.

We have looked at lots of houses and are hoping to narrow it down.

G'night.

Blessing pictures by JK

JCP has kindly redeemed themselves (a little bit anyway) by doing a great job on Janie Kate's pictures. She is even better in person because you can smooch those cheeks!

I hope I never forget...

I hope I never forget:
- how Janie Kate's hair smells and tickles my nose when I give her lots and lots of kisses.
- how Eli leans his head on my arm when we read stories together.
- how Curtis can make me laugh so hard, so hard that I snort through my nose.
- how Ethan's 6 year old teeth look, so huge for his little mouth, and so adorable.
- how Jonah says 'hold me mom!' and no matter how tired I feel I must hold that boy!
- how beautiful the trees are in New Jersey! covered with ice, snow, or leaves, they are breathtaking!
That is all.
Happy Monday.

1:45 a.m.

It's 1:45 Saturday night (well Sunday morning) and I have a hankering to blog. We had a snowstorm today so Ethan's basketball game was cancelled... but it hadn't even started to snow yet! Also a birthday party was cancelled for the kids because of the upcoming storm. And school was cancelled Tuesday because of some nasty weather that put a layer of ice on everything. I'm not complaining, but I think it's so funny that citizens of New Jersey are so quick to cancel. So we're waiting to see if church is cancelled, which is kind of a big deal because the Baptism Preview is tomorrow, and I'm also teaching Sharing Time. Part of me hopes that everything is cancelled, but another part of me just wants to get it overwith, and also a whole day inside with the kids might make me a little bit stir crazy. I have fallen twice this week because of the ice and snow, my tailbone took a beating this week! I hope my coccyx doesn't break off like my roomate from Ricks Allison's did. Weird that I remember that.

Three Awesome Women

I got Tagged! This is the sixth folder in my sixth picture file. Wow I am so excited to be moving back to MPLS mostly because of these three right here. Kayla, Sandy, and Kim planned a surprise baby shower for me this summer and this is them packing up all the goodies (which there were ALOT of). I love being with all of them, I can't wait to have Sunday dinner at Sandy and Curt's and, after all the kids and husbands have been fed, pow-wow with these three at the kitchen table. That is going to rock. Love you guys!

A few random thoughts

- The t.p. in this house sucks. Curtis wanted to try something new and bought a case of Scots? from Costco... it's HORRIBLE. I feel like I'm at the airport everytime I go potty!

- A few Sundays ago Ethan came downstairs from changing clothes a little too quickly after church. Turns out he had worn a complete outfit of regular clothes under his church clothes to church that day. Including jeans and socks. How uncomfortable is that? And how did I not notice? (Oh wait, just thinking about Sunday mornings makes the answer very obvious!)

- Dinner time around here is outrageous. It goes something like this:
Me: Ok guys, time for dinner, Ethan will you say the prayer?
Jonah: jumps down from his chair and gets batman
Eli: not IN his chair, he's in the family room whining about why his life is so unfair
Ethan: Over talking to Janie Kate in her stroller
Me: wait... wait... ask again
Ethan: ok
Eli: Slowly making his way to the table. Now he's too TIIRRRED!!
Jonah: Showing Batman to JK, oops LIL CAPOO ANNETS, Kashi um paba?
Eli: It's not fair that JONAH gets to sit by JANIE. Runs over and moves her stroller.
Jonah: Screams and pulls back
Janie: Does LIL CAPOO mean tug of war??
Me: Seriously thinking about uncorking that bottle of wine that a co-worker gave Curtis for Christmas. wait... we don't have a corkscrew...
20 minutes later finally we have a prayer that usually has the word doody in it.
Eli: I don't like this. it looks like worms... no POOP!!
Jo: HA HA HA
Ethan: HA HA HA... I have GAS!
Eli: HA HA HA
Jo: HA HA HA
Jo: Henry and Kyle at my school say: WE HAVE GAS! HA HA HA
Ethan: No they don't, you just copied me
Jo: Well they awe SIX!!
Ethan: No they're not, if they were six they would be in Alpine!
Jonah: I have to go potty...(runs to the bathroom hasn't eaten ONE bite)
Eli: I weally don't like this, I wish I could have CANDY
Me: Snorting sound through nose. Eating as fast as I can and still thinking about that wine...
Jonah: comes back way to fast, hasn't washed his hands
Me: totally don't remind him even though I'm a little grossed out
Eli: ok, I'm going to get some candy
Me: get back in your chair and eat your dinner! NOW!
Ethan: When I'm in ninth grade after I build the omnitrix I'm going to build a special suit that's metal underwear and when you push your weiney it makes metal go over your whole body... it will be a metal underwear suit!!
Me: um...(disturbing on so many levels)...
Jonah: Has gotten up and down from his chair at least 5 times since he went potty... now he's laying on the couch with Eli rubbing the food from the ONE bit he took into the cushions.

To be Continued...

p.s. Curtis: Is enjoying nice quiet dinners with adult conversation this week.

Janie Kate's a chatterbox

Janie Kate is learning that you have to make a ruckus to get attention in this family! (even sideways!)

A bunch of wannabe shepherds,one Christmas picture, chocolate fountain gone awry, and a nose picker

Christmas Eve=Bethlehem Supper
Costumes
Scones (new this year, with honey butter!!)
Feta, olives, pickles, blackberries (I'm sure the Shepherds had berries:), and summer sausage
only candle light
Read the Christmas Story from Luke (ok, we used one flashlight too)

Everyone opened one present
Cookies for Santa
Reindeer Dust (thanks Joni!)




Christmas Day started with:
Christmas music of course!
stockings on the couch
Opening gifts
Finding Santa's gifts downstairs!!

and at least 3 hours of video footage... (are we ever going to view that in it's entirety?)

Later:
Miss Jane came over and had brunch
Curtis fell asleep
Watched Home Alone 2

Being crazy in the family room:





Megan and I were determined to make the fountain work...even if it meant covering ourselves and the kitchen in chocolate... which we did very thoroughly



And one adorable nose picker, in front of the Christmas Tree