A new year!

So I'm really starting to feel guilty about my Halloween Happenings post. I adore everyone's post and need to do my part. We had a wonderful holiday in Moses Lake with everyone. We could have done without the sickness, (so sorry to all we got sick) but we thrilled in spending time with all of you. I feel so very blessed to be connected with so many special, talented, and kind people. I'm always reminded of the special ties that family members maintain. Even though I see many of my friends and neighbors much more frequently than my siblings or parents, I feel a closeness with them that can not compare. Thank you all for your sacrifices to be together and your willingness to share your holiday with our family. We love you!

The new year seems to be going by at an incredible rate. We were very tired after coming home, and glad to see our own beds. Everyone recovered from their illnesses and school began a little too quickly. Brecklyn jumped back into her play practice with every night-sometimes until midnight rehearsals for the first week. She began her performances two weeks ago and is very tired, but enjoying it immensly. She is the witches monkey and a munchkin. She has a cute costume and a completely blue face for the monkey role, and she usually has blue eyebrows and creases around her eyes and nose for the next day of school. She has to hold the real dog for part of the show which makes things a little exciting. I got to go help backstage and was unable to sleep for a couple of hours afterwards cause I was so worked up wtih the fast pace, absolutely crazy drama of the changing room, prop coordination, and ins and outs that I had to help orchestrate. I don't think the stage is for me, but I was incredibly impressed wtih her cast. They are for the most part LDS and the adults are very positive and supportive of Brecklyn. Breck's science project was if she could paint a picture of the same quality as purchased watercolor paints with the pigments derived from
basic foods. It was a fun project.



Landen started Basketball. THey play on regular height hoops which is frusterating for him, but he is working hard to get better. It is so much easier to score a goal than a basket. He is back at his intense reading and after earning his bear has actually slowed down a bit and only reads one or two books a night. We have had fun preparing for his birthday party and his baptism. He had his first pinewood derby Friday night. I have to admit it was a bit stressful for Craig being that his one adn only pinewood derby experience didn't even cross the finish line. He purchased three blocks and was working on the final product 10 minutes before race time. In pre-race trials his car (with a bunch of quarters ducktaped on for weight) did quite well, but as soon as it came time for racing it didn't do nearly as well. He had some disapointed moments, but they raced so many times and his didn't lose every time, and he ended up with a ribbon (all the boys got one) and it was a fun time to run around with his friends and feel cool in his boy scout shirt (thanks Mom for saving EVERYTHING). The picture of Landen in costume is of his role as the villian in the class play before Christmas.





Talia is asking frequently when school is starting. She is working hard on Gavotte which is a difficult song for her. She has moved to 45min. lessons which is hard for her to make it through. She has been glad that we've cleared some of the snow so that she can get back on her bike. We've had a few sunny (not warm) days that enabled a little swinging, walking, jumping, and chalk drawing. She wants to be playing with friends as much as possible. She hardly eats anything
but fruit.




Capri has had a rough January. After I pulled myself together a bit we cut the tips off of all her passies. It was a very sad time. She would bring them to me and say, Mom, passy broken and we would mourn together. The kids thought I was so mean and always wanted to tell her I had cut them. She is for the most part over it now, though sleep has been a bit more disturbed and she often wakes up very distraught needing to go back to sleep but unable to. The picture shown is her outfit 90 percent of the time. She strips out of her clothes and down to her pink onsie (I think she thinks it looks like a leotard) and thats how she spends the day. She LOVES to dance, and wears this dancing garb everywhere (literally). She is so very active that people often comment. She jumps off and on all the furniture. She still has a very noticeable bald spot but seens to twist her hair much less since the passy is gone. She sings and sings, but continues to poorly articulate. She has so very much personality and loves to be funny. She is very habitual. She also got an ear infection which was not fun.



Craig and I are working hard to just keep up with everything. It seems life is very busy. I don't want to let it get too busy, but it seems to almost run away with you. We've been doing a few extra things like birthday stuff at school, science projects, and late night plays that seem to take everything extra. I don't feel like I even maintain the house. I've definitely hit the big stage and packed up all my skinny clothes and replaced them with "fat" clothes. THe word is out in the ward and I guess I'm officially pregnant. I feel tons better than before but will be thrilled to not feel nauseous anymore. I have so very much fatigue and often feel guilty for how little I do.

Craig stays plenty busy with work, elders quorum, working on his financial projects, and being a wonderful dad and husband. He has made some real changes in his fathering which we are all so enjoying. He helps with the piano practicing in the morning, does plenty of homework, did the science project this year with Breck, takes kids to lessons, and has been coming home earlier to be a part of our evening more. We love him and so appreciate his solid, kind, presence in our home. He is a wonderful husband and I feel so blessed to have him. We do however have a house problem we can't figure out how to solve. Begore Christmas Capri shoved cat food down the overflow hole in the basement sink. We got as much out as we could, emptied the pipes, but it still smells EXTREMEMLY bad. Any suggestions. When we had our home appraised, that was the only thing the woman commented on. It was pretty embarrassing.

We've had a ton of snow and are glad for the exercise, but dreaming of warmer weather and sunshine.