Winter Pleasures

I love the seasons in Minnesota. Yep, I'll even take the near zero temps. in exchange for snowy scenes, sledding, and all the winter fun. I've posted a few pictures that remind me what I've enjoyed this winter.

This is one of my most TREASURED gifts. Kalai and Malia handcrafted this little ornament for me out of "stuff" in our backyard. It's a little manger with baby Jesus. I love it! Kent and I love walking at night, but we also like to stay warm sometimes. We took each other on in one of our favorite games - Bonanza (or Beans) one night this winter. Tana happened by and thought it was picture-worthy. :)We visited Kent's mom and Bud in Illinois in December. They had a fresh snowfall...one that took their fall decor by surprise, I think. I loved the color contrast!
This view met me one morning a couple weeks ago as I carried a hungry Levi (and a sleepy me) into our kitchen. "His mercies are new every morning"
This flag hangs in Kent's mom's and Bud's front yard. I'd love to get one for our home someday.

Paper punching

One day on Christmas break, Kalai got out a book hidden away on one of the bookshelves. It gives ideas and includes four paper punches to make these and many other cute little creatures! I thought they were adorable and had to take a picture.

The talented males in my family

Kent and DJ like to play with Legos together. Here is one of Kent's most recent creations - a submarine. Isn't it impressive? I wouldn't even have the first clue on where to begin! Hot oatmeal was ready! It's my quick breakfast option. And I ran into trouble. The lid sealed on so tightly that my dad and Kent had to resort to some drastic measures. I had no suggestions other than to enjoy the photo opportunity!

Here the girls watch and wait...for their breakfast!
Another talented male...DJ put together his very own drum/bell set and entertained me while I worked in the kitchen. Isn't it creative!

Video of Alyssa and Tana's Tae Kwon Do Testing

The girls all work really hard at Tae Kwon Do. Every few months they are evaluated in a testing session. Here are a couple videos of Alyssa and Tana. They're fairly long so it might take a long time to download. Hope you enjoy.

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Holiday times

My honey and Me at the Macy's 8th floor animated display this Christmas. My parents came for a two week visit over the holidays. We enjoyed lots of eating, games, company, and just being together.
A beautiful view from our dining room window one morning. I love the fresh snow and the homemade snowflake.
After my cousin Katie's wedding, six of the nine cousin/sisters were together for lunch in Missouri.
Levi learned to crawl just in time for Christmas. He loved to make his way over to the tree and gaze longingly at the ornaments. He actually did succeed in grabbing this little bike. By the way, he now has two teeth and is pulling himself up on everything in sight. What a huge change from a month ago! And one of his favorite foods is avacado. Yum!

Lots of stuff

Last weekend we had a camp auction at our church building. Supporters of camp come to a nice dinner at which they bring items or services to auction off as well as funds to buy things. Our girls made scarves, cookies, a cozy basket, and offered babysitting hours. In the midst of this, we had four little ones staying with us for the weekend while their parents were gone. Here is a picture of them watching a Veggie Tales movie - an attempt to wind down before bed. Also, a picture of the turkey cookies Grandma Carol, DJ and helpers made for the auction.

Another day this week Tana and DJ were busy in the kitchen. Tana had a science experiment with acids and bases. The glasses with all the pretty colors were the end result of the experiment and I thought it looked neat. Meanwhile, DJ was making "soup" for us at the kitchen table. Notice the variety of meat!

Outings

In October, I met my cousin Carrie, her kids, and Aunt Chris at the Minnesota Zoo. This was Levi's first zoo trip, but he hadn't yet really noticed animals. DJ, on the other hand, had a great time!








We were walking to the park one day and I had the boys plop down in front of this tree for a quick picture. The sun was a little bright!









I threw this picture of my hydrangea plant in...just because. I love this flower and was so happy to have my plant bloom this summer.












Levi and Kent trading kisses.