Our new kitchen, spring break adventures 2014

Make a slideshow design I have wanted to put new countertops in our kitchen for a long time.  I bought a pull out faucet about five years ago in hopes that I would be able to update the countertops and have a sink out of the same material as the countertops sometime soon.  We priced the countertops I wanted last year and decided we had to keep saving our pennies before we could do the project.  Finally, a few months  ago we decided we had enough to do it.  I really wanted to do this project.  We talked with our friend, Scott Shoopman, who sells and installs countertops about coming to measure our kitchen.  Right before he was coming  I got thinking about our kitchen and the possibility of adding another drawer base by the dishwasher.  I talked with Neil and looked on Lowes.com for drawers.  I found some I liked and they weren't too expensive.  We bought them unfinished and Neil stained them to match our other cabinets.  Neil spent time during his spring break moving the original cabinets over 18 inches and putting in the new drawers.  He did an amazing job! We made the school room smaller and the kitchen bigger.  I am so grateful he was willing to spend his vacation working on a project I wanted to have done so much!  Thanks so much!  I love the space, the new countertops, and the new sink.  I think it looks perfect! Some of our other spring break adventures included cleaning up the basement from flooding (twice).  On Monday we thought Joshua had used the hose and left it running resulting in a flooded storage room and a little in Emma's room and the playroom.  We pulled up carpet and cleaned up.  A couple of days later Neil used the hose to wash the car and van.  When Julia went downstairs she discovered water again.  I think she was bad luck because she discovered the flood both times. Actually, maybe she was good luck so we could find it quickly and it wasn't too bad.  We have decided that the outside faucet broke in the really cold weather we have had the last couple of months and was causing the flooding.  Neil took the faucet handle off so no one will forget and turn it on resulting in another flood. Neil was a great sport and did an amazing job cleaning up the floods.  Not what he planned on doing during his vacation.  I know this is at least the second year we have cleaned up floods over spring break. I think we will just have to put all use of hose off limits during spring break. Tonight it looks and feels like winter is here again. It is snowing and the wind is blowing. I really hope spring is right around the corner. I guess I will enjoy time baking in the kitchen while winter rages on outside.

A little late, but a sweet 17 year old!

On February 12th Julia turned 17!  What  a sweet teenager she is.  She is easy going and great to help out with anything I ask her to do.  She really is a great young lady. 

We had  a busy day on her birthday.  I took all the children to Lovell for a field trip to go bowling.  Julia really didn't want to go, but she was  a good sport and came along.  The bowling and pizza were both good, free is always good.

In the evening on Julia's birthday we had a stake auxiliary training in Cody.  We had to work dinner, presents and cake in before leaving Julia to babysit.  She wanted Minestrone soup and french bread so it was an easy meal to fix before hand.  We made a simple cake, but her favorite frosting on it and decorated it with green frosting.

I love doing things for Julia because she is always so grateful.  She is so good at helping me, and visiting with me. I love having her home.  Happy Birthday (a little late) to our favorite elf, Julia!  We love you!

What happens when an 11 year old boy tangles with an apple tree

One of our great family traditions is that Neil pulls the children behind the car on the sleds around our loop when there is enough snow.  The children love it and ask every time there is snow for Dad to take them sledding.  There is only enough snow once or twice a year.   This year the children only got to go once and it ended in a tangle.  We have a little apple tree right by the loop.  David and MaryAnne were riding and somehow they swung out wider than usual.  David ended up tangled up with the apple tree.  David was pretty scratched up and I am not sure who got the better end of the tangle.  The tree lost a few branches.  We had fun coming up with a story could tell his friends at school.  He told his friends that he got tangled up with the apple tree, but some of them still thought he had been attacked by a bear.  Oh the stories kids can come up with. He looked kind of bad, but it really didn't hurt too bad. He was  a good sport about the experience.

Hope you enjoy the sledding videos and the pictures.

Free photo collage made with Smilebox

Winter Camping Wyoming Style

February 21 and 22  the weather forecast was snow and down right cold, I think about 15 degrees for the low.  Our scout troop had a overnight campout planned and they invited the eleven year old scouts to come along for the fun.  Neil, Matthew and David packed up their warm clothes and sleeping bags and headed out for the winter fun.  It snowed about 3 inches Friday night and Saturday morning.  Matthew said that it was the first time he had snow land on his head and not melt.  By the time they went to bed he had about 3 inches on top of his head.  I'm glad to say they planned well and didn't get too cold at night.  I was glad when they came back safe and sound.  By the way, you can click on each picture and see them up close.  Hope you enjoy the boys experience.

This free collage customized with Smilebox

Meanwhile back at the homestead the rest of us had an enjoyable evening and sleep in our soft, warm beds.  Bethany came over for the evening. We made pizza and watched Pride and Prejudice.  When the movie got over we watched a little of the Olympics.  We had a good time together and hoped the boys were all staying warm enough.

Inspired by the Olympics

I don't know how many little girls have been inspired by the Olympics to want to be a figure skater when they grow up. I know I had that dream for awhile before I learned I couldn't skate, let alone jump and twirl on skates.  We have been watching the Olympics together some evenings.  Our children, even the ones that don't like sports, love watching the Olympics.  We love cheering for our favorites and the underdogs in each event. 

Lydia loves watching figure skating and she knows that is what she wants to be when she grows up.  Here is a short video of her watching and practicing.  Hope you enjoy our future star.

Things to keep us busy when it is freezing outside

Last week we didn't even see zero degrees after Monday.  Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday we had temperatures around -20 and with wind chill it felt like -30. Cold!  I knew it was cold when Neil drove the car to school instead of biking.  He finally biked again on Friday, it was slightly above 0 that day.  Saturday we got some snow, but at least it has warmed up.

We had to find things to do to keep us busy while in the house all week.  Actually, I could stay in the house all week and not need anything to keep me busy, but the children needed some entertainment.
Lydia discovered that the Easter basket could make an adorable hat.  MaryAnne found out it was fun to play with bubbles while doing the dishes.  Dallin learned how to make a snowflake out of Borax, boiling water and pipe cleaners. It was a fun science experiment.  The crystals grew over night and worked really well. Matthew and Lydia did puzzles together.  We have plenty of teasing that happens at our house, I love those moments when the older children play with the younger children and it really feels like Heaven on Earth. We have been building monkey houses out of books and blocks since Rebecca was about 2 years old.  Neil came up with the activity and it has been a favorite ever since.  We built a few monkey houses this past week.  Emma and Julia decided they needed a change and both of them had their hair cut.  Emma had 10 inches cut off to donate to Locks of Love.  I miss Emma's long hair to braid, but I think her new hair cut looks cute.  Julia just had her layers cut again, she didn't really go any shorter.

Here are a few pictures of our week. Hope you enjoy.

Burritos the Wyoming way

It was really cold in Powell last week.  -20 some days and it felt like -35. We're talking cold! Joshua found a cute way to stay warm.  Hope you enjoy the picture of our little burrito Wyoming style.

Joshua stayed warm and enjoyed being a burrito for a day. I kept worrying that he would trip and not be able to catch himself, but he loved being all wrapped up tight.