Chess

The kids have really been into playing chess with eachother lately. I have no idea how to play chess but the oldest three seem to be getting the hang of it. When Brad came home for work he was helping Ryder beat Kade. And Tenley was wrapping socks for me for my Relief society sock exchange Christmas party, and Luke was humming songs like he likes to do. It was a dull and ordinary moment but it was the best moment of my day.

Kade and Ryder both had basketball games tonight. I missed most of Kade’s because of my Christmas party. Brad said he was fouled but made the shot and swished his free throw. He had a good game. And Ryder played great as well!

Ryder and Luke

Ryder and Luke were so happy all day today. It was the best. They made up games together and laughed and giggled a lot. I love it when they’re best buds!

Schedules

Well we’re back to reality! It was such a nice and relaxing weekend but I also really enjoy the routine. And I enjoy learning with my kids. They’re the best!

Good Intentions

Brad and I had plans to go to the Helena temple today. I was so excited to go. We haven’t been there yet since it’s been dedicated. We said goodbye to our kids and headed on our way but just 20 miles out of town one of Brad’s tires started losing air fast. We made it to the Ulm exit and pulled over at the gas station and you could hear the air coming out of a hole. So in his nice suit Brad changed the tire and we headed home to the tire store. We’ll have to try going to the temple again next week. 

We spent the night with the kids watching a Christmas movie and even though the day didn’t go as planned we made the best of it.

Christmas Time

Now that Thanksgiving is over we have lit the lights on our house and started to decorate for Christmas inside! It was fun to turn on Christmas music today and put up the tree. Ryder was especially excited and helpful in getting everything set up! I don’t think we’ve had it set up this early in a long time! This picture of our house was from our neighbor across the street!

Thanksgiving

We had such a great Thanksgiving! It was really low key and really relaxing. We slept in, the kids begged Brad to make waffles, and then we went to the church to play basketball. We thought about playing football but we woke up to snow on the ground so we decided to play basketball instead. We had a lot of fun. 

The kids played games when we got home and built their Kiwi Co experiments. Dinner was delicious and for dessert we had homemade ice cream and pecan bars. It was a good day! I’m so thankful for my family!

Thanksgiving Eve

I love holidays! And even though we stayed in town to celebrate Thanksgiving, I’m still so excited. Brad and Kade went hunting today so the rest of us met some friends at the jump place and then did some last minute grocery shopping. The boys got home in time for dinner and to cut up fruit cocktail. We’re going to eat a lot of delicious food tomorrow!

Lego Masters

The kids played legos all day today! Luke does such a great job building houses all by himself too. We’re still working on organizing the house but they definitely played more than organized!

Organizing

The kids and I started organizing the basement today. It definitely needs to be done! But it’s a lot of work. And it was hard to keep the kids focused because they kept finding toys and games that they had forgotten about and wanted to play with. Lol. It will get done eventually…

Cute Pictures of the Kids

We attempted family photos today but it’s not looking like they worked out very well. We got some good ones of the kids but as far as a family one goes, none of them work for one reason or another. Bummer! It was such a nice day for it too. Hopefully we can try again soon.

Kade and Ryder had a ninja competition today. Kade actually wasn’t able to go because he pulled a muscle so badly yesterday from his aggressive hiking. But Ryder went on his own and ended up having a lot of fun. I was proud of him for trying his best. 

Snowflakes

Brad and Kade went hunting this morning. They hiked a lot and Kade ended up pulling a glute muscle. Poor kid is in a lot of pain now. They came home around lunch and Brad almost finished putting up all the Christmas lights! He added the snowflakes today. The trees need some more but it’s looking so great!

Thanksgiving Parties

After co op today we got to have a Thanksgiving party. The kids are always so excited for the parties! We had yummy food, fun games, and I enjoyed chatting with the adults. 

This afternoon Kade got to watch how a deer is butchered. He said it was interesting. Now he needs to go get him a deer!

Kade and Ryder both had basketball games tonight. I loved watching them play! I had to miss some of Kade’s game but Ryder was aggressive and made one of his free throws!

Outdoor Walks

The weather these past few weeks has been sunny and not freezing so I’ve been enjoying walks pretty much every day! Ryder joined me today and I loved it. He was super speedy on his scooter.

Luke’s Friends that are Girls

Every Monday afternoon the three oldest kids have a ninja class so Luke comes with me to hang out and watch them. Lately he’s been bringing games to play with my friends sweet daughter. She is several years older than Luke but she has been so nice to him and is always willing to play games with him. I caught him with her and a few of her friends playing today. It was pretty cute! He looked like quite the ladies man!

Dessert with Friends

Our friends invited us over for dessert tonight and our kids had so much fun at their house! They had a bunny that Tenley loved and they had arcade games that my boys loved. And we enjoyed talking with friends. It was a fun night! 

18 Years

Brad and I celebrated our 18 year anniversary today! That sounds like such a long time. It’s crazy. And we’re happy. Which may be even crazier. The day was spent running around. Brad had to officiate at a baptism and I took the rest of the kids to watch Kade’s first basketball game of the season! His team played well and Kade hustled hard. It was a competitive game but they did end up losing. I’m excited to watch them this season! 

Brad and the kids made a lot of progress on the Christmas lights today. And then Brad and I got to go on a date tonight. We went out to our favorite restaurant. It was so nice to celebrate!

Healthy Kids

I’m so grateful that my kids have been staying healthy. I don’t know why it’s been so hard for me to kick this cold but it’s lingering. I’ve definitely been enjoying more rest than normal which I should appreciate. We still made it to co op today and I go to teach the kids about the digestive system. We did a fun and pretty gross experiment, but the kids should all know how the system works now!

Apple Cider

I was supposed to meet up with a friend for a walk this afternoon but I still wasn’t feeling well and the wind was blowing pretty hard so we canceled the walk and she came to my house with some apple cider for a visit. It was so nice! I’ve been craving hot drinks and hot soup the past few days. But I’m actually feeling so much better right now so I’m hopeful that good health is around the corner!

My Kids

I got hit with a weird bug this afternoon. Ryder had been throwing up over the weekend so I guess that’s where it came from. Luckily it didn’t last too long but from about 1-6:30 I was in bed and throwing up a lot. My kids took care of everything for me. Tenley even made dinner which was the sweetest thing. I hate it when my kids have to pick up my slack but they never complain. Tenley covered me with blankets when I felt cold and then made me some hot chocolate after I finally kept down some food. I have the best kids.

Sunshine and Hard Working Boys

The sun was out this morning and there wasn’t any wind blowing so we had to go for a walk. It was beautiful! Any day that starts out with a walk and sunshine is a good day! 

Then this afternoon I asked my little boys to pull the dead plants from the garden beds. They were happy to do it and they worked hard for a half an hour getting most of the plants pulled. I loved seeing them doing a hard job like that without complaining. They’re the best!

Happy Kids

We had a good day at church. Great messages were shared. Unfortunately Brad was at the church until 6 because of tithing declaration but luckily the kids were so good and played so well together! That made my day so much better.

Luke’s Snuggles

It was a crazy long day. Poor Ryder threw up all night last night.We've had friends dealing with this sickness and I guess it has hit us. Maybe by some miracle no one else will get it! Tenley was sweet enough to take care of Ryder and Luke all day because Kade was working on the farm and Brad and I were at the church for four hours for a funeral. I helped with the food and he conducted the meeting. It was a good funeral for Ted Robbins who lived a long and full life. He was a good man and he raised a great family. 

Kade and his friend Nathan found some deer nearby the farm while they were working and decided to do some hunting. I pulled up to pick up Kade and found them loading the deer on to a truck bed. Boys are funny. 

Kade and Tenley both got to go to a fireside tonight and then Kade got to stay for a dance. They had a great time. And while they were gone my sweet baby fell asleep on me. I’m so glad he’s still willing to do that. I love Luke’s snuggles! He really needs to stop growing up!