SPRING FORWARD

 

 I have been under the weather the last 2 weeks coughing my head off. To make matters worse, the weather I have been under is depressing, not horrific like most of the country is suffering, but cold and rainy.  Yes, I realize the rest of the country would gladly trade weather with the Northwest, but still I am pining for spring.

I thought I would cheer myself up by posting pictures of some thrift store teapots that I turned into bird houses with a little glue and a drill. I actually made these at the end of last summer, long past the nesting season. So I will have to wait until spring to see if they are to the birds liking.

They are adorable hung on a garden fence,  a post or a tree.  They are actually practical, because the angled lid protects the inside from rain (unless it is blowing sideways), and if moisture does get in, it will drain out through the spout.

The thought of brightly colored teapots and chirping birds puts a smile on my bleak mid-winter soul.

UPDATE IN MISERY

This week has been interesting:

1) I have been sick in bed ever since we got home from Utah. Upper respiratory infection (translation: coughing my head off).

2) Dog Dunn has come down with a mysterious malady that makes him walk like a drunken sailor. He literally can not walk a straight line, bumps into walls, and falls down constantly.  Going to the vet today.

3) Chuck goes back to work today after having all last week (and the week before) on vacation.  He had a hard time entertaining himself with me sick in bed.

4) Jared starts a new semester at  Bellevue College today as he is mostly recovered from his auto accident where he was rear-ended by an uninsured driver causing a 4 car pile up.  The person behind him and the person in front of him were both taken away by ambulance.  Still experiencing some stiffness, but basically back to school and work full time.

5) Sam on his mission in Indianapolis is in the middle of the Polar Vortex as they are calling the worst storm to hit the mid-west/east coast in 20 years.  Good thing we sent him all those wool socks for Christmas.

6) Rachel was just called to work in the nursery at church- nuff said.

7)Becca.............well, actually Becca is just fine.  One out of 7 isn't bad.

HEBER CHRISTMAS

We spent Christmas week in Park City Utah, about 15 minutes away from Rachel & Nate's house in Heber. Although our 14 hour drive there was uneventful (thank goodness), they had a good snow dump a day or two before we arrived.  So building a snowman in the back yard was one of the first things on the agenda.

Actually, number one item on the agenda was a trip to Costco to load up on groceries to feed the nine of us all week (Nate's sister Lindsey was also visiting).

The kiddos were on their best pre-Christmas behavior, making life merry for all concerned.

Becca thought we might need some larger cookware to accommodate the crowd.

We did do other things besides eat-

 

The family went ice skating

 

 

and tubing

Little Douglas was too small to be allowed on the big tubing hill. Instead he got to ride on the tube "carousel", which is basically a mechanical turntable similar to a horse "hot walker" with slowly spinning metal bars to which they have attached tiny inner tubes by tow ropes. The kids sit in the tubes and they go around and around in a circle.  The attendant said half the time the kids just fall asleep.

Christmas Eve we spent in Temple Square taking in the lights...

We had a delightful time sharing the holidays with our kids!!

A BELLEVUE MERRY CHRISTMAS

Dunn insisted on wishing all a Merry Christmas!!

It is hard to get a picture of a dog that is the exact same color as the carpet- he just kind of blends in.

BABES IN TOYLAND

 

 

Even though Rachel and I drove the kids back to Utah more than a week ago, I was looking at pictures taken during their stay and missing them.

I worked hard  to make sure they were entertained while they were here.  Which meant gathering some toys for them to play with.  Some were borrowed, some were bought and some were made.

I fell in love with the purple hobby horse I found at a local thrift store.  I always wanted one when I was a kid.  The kids got the hang of galloping around with a stick between their legs pretty quickly.  Grandma provided the sound effects.

Besides toys, we also did activities and crafts:

The kids are naked because they are using an eye dropper to drip vinegar and food coloring into pans of baking soda and watching the resulting foam/fizzing (reminiscent of a science fair volcano).  I didn't want the food coloring to stain their clothes, so I pulled off their shirts- luckily they are still young enough they don't care.

Evelyn and Douglas had two very different methods of experimentation.

 

Evelyn very meticulously dripped her colors in a little at a time and kept her colors separated and tidy.

 

 

Douglas' was more of a "hands on" mish/mash approach.  He started adding colors with the eye dropper, progressed to a spoon, then a measuring cup and ended just picking up the jars of food coloring and dumping all the colors into his pan resulting in brown/gray sludge he delighted in squishing between his fingers.

 

 

 

We ate ice cream, although I'm not quite sure why they are eating it on the floor.

 

 

Here is Evelyn wearing grandma's glasses (upside down).  Somehow I feel like she is mocking me.

 

 

Odie  looks a little nervous sharing a bed with Dunn.  That was about all Dunn was willing to share, certainly not his favorite cow, and certainly not his family's attention. Poor Odie, he tried so hard to stay out of Dunn's way so he wouldn't get snarled at.

 

 

When Rachel arrived home from her trip to Peru, both Odie and the kids just couldn't get close enough.

 

 

 

And Douglas just couldn't smile big enough!!

10 DAYS OF BLISS

Yes, we all had fun, especially grandma!!!

 

 

 

We decorated gingerbread boys (Jared's was a ninja)

 

 

We played on the toys at various parks

 

 

 

We went to the beach...

 

 

 

Where it was literally below freezing in spite of the glorious sunshine,

 

 

and Douglas walked into the water and got deep enough for his rain boots to fill up (which ruined his day!)

 

 

While the dogs enjoyed the frigid lake.

 

 

 

Best of all was spending a lot of time with Aunt Becca

 

 

GRATITUDE

I am grateful for.....

 

 

an amazing husband that makes his family his first priority, works hard to provide for us and supports me in all I do.

 

 

4 wonderful kids that make me proud and enrich my life every day.

 

 

 

A fantastic son-in-law that adores his wife and children and works hard to care for them and provide them with all they need.

 

 

Two adorable grandchildren that fill my life with delight.

 

 

 

and the sweetest dog on the face of the earth that loves his toy cow.