Life Recently

Random happenings from January and February, 2014:

Jace likes to push stuff, especially this purple doll stroller. (Actually he just loves anything that has wheels or can roll).

Typical little brother, no?

We ate at a really super fancy steak house for Garen's Grandma and grandpa McKenna's anniversary. It was yum! And fun to see some family :)

Sometimes we have FHE every Monday and sometimes it includes treats like chocolate chip cookie ice cream bowls!

The preschool kids learned about emotions and this was their snack.

Lainee girl had an ear infection and I happened to snap this lovely photo of the kids waiting in line for her prescription at the pharmacy. Nice one, Jace.

Ear infection day. Rest time.

(So far this winter- throw up flu, strep throat, ear infection, eye infection... Let's hope it's over now.)

Another of Jace's messes. Chocolate milk powder gone to waste :'(

We went with our friends, the Durrants to see Frozen-the sing-along. These stinkers wouldn't sing, but their moms had fun busting out some lyrics!

There was a Super Bowl game and we root for the SeaHawks of course. 

Super Bowl Sunday in our blue and green.

Jace likes to steal my laundry baskets out from under my nose.

Lainee is learning to pump her legs and swing on the big kid swings. Woot!

Jace. Loves. Cars. 

And wearing things draped behind his neck.

On a windy day, we made valentines. Mom did the cutting and Lainee did the gluing and the stickers. Jace crawled all over my stack of cute paper, naturally.

We had a girls night after kids were in bed and husbands were home studying. I made this. The number blocks confused us a bit ;)

We got to spend a beautiful day with Dad at the park one Sunday afternoon. I'm not sure how I feel about this crazy "winter" down here...

Then there was Valentines day...

We made cookies.

And ate them.

And then licked our fingers.

The kids got some cute hugging monkeys from the people who love them most- mom and dad.

My sweet valentine brought these beauties home.

And I got him this perfect candy deer.

This is all the junk we got from various friends and each other. Spoiled.

And this was our Valentine dinner for four.

Garen made some yummy smoothies.

And we got to read the love notes we wrote for each other earlier in the week.

I always try to get a good picture of these  little buddies together but I'm always just a second too late. They're cute anyway though, right? 

Jace likes to stand on top of stuff so he flipped the basket over and got on. Good thing he's not very heavy.

Somehow my house ends up looking pretty much like this every afternoon, even though we clean it up so tidy each and every evening before bed. (And by "we" I mostly mean "I.")

Jace likes it when his dad comes home.

Lainee's little preschool group learned a little about the Olympics this week and their own Olympic Games, where they won medals (made by themselves) and everything!

"Winter"

Well, it's always bitter sweet feeling when the holidays are over, but life is still good!

We're learning some valuable lessons as we figure out how to parent and love our very opinionated, stubborn three-year-old daughter. She is a sweet, talented, beautiful, kind little miss... but definitely knows how to throw a fit these days. 

Only 9 or 10 short months until our husbands are finished with PA school. I think we're all beyond excited to be done and move on, but it will be a sad day when we have to leave each other. These are the best besties a girl could ask for (at a little girls night for Dayna's birthday). Don't mind are scary faces here.

Garen has been working in the ER for his rotation this month and has had to be there a lot of nights. We miss him while he's gone for bedtime but the month is almost over! Plus, the kids got some really awesome story books for Christmas to make bedtime a bit more fun!

I got out some old notes of mine in preparation for tutoring a sweet little friend of ours, Zoey with some of her shook work. It's been really fun to practice some of the things I used to be so good at.

"Scrunchy nose!"

Garen and I have some AWESOME grandparents who send us money at Christmas time cause they love us so much, and I got to use some of mine on decor for the living room! Yay!

We are obsessed with the soundtrack to our new favorite cartoon movie, Frozen!

We dance and sing to it a lot in the evening while we clean up and get ready for bed.

It is sick season, and poor Lainee Girl had strep throat last week, so we went on lots of walks to get out for an hour here and there. This is the only thing I hate about winter. Yuck.

We've been creative with finding places to go while Garen tries to sleep during the day before his night shifts. Here are my happy kiddos actually sitting together long enough for me to get some pictures while they play. 

I love our little family and I can't wait until Garen is done with all this studying and weird schedules business so he can hang out with us more often. Less than a year. Yeah!

This Time in ML

The kids and I got to go home to Moses Lake after Christmas and spend a week with my family. This is how it went- (photos at the end).

Saturday: Our flight left a day late but it did leave, and Jace threw up on the plane. 

Sunday: church was pretty good. The kids went to nursery with Grandma and enjoyed themselves. I got to go to class with my siblings and my dad taught a great lesson... Lainee started throwing up that evening and threw up ALL night long.

Monday: Lainee still yucky but a little better, and we got to hang out at home with everybody and play on the ice for a bit.

Tuesday: New Year's Eve- made a trip to the store for some yummy drinks and food. Did some fun ice skating with the whole family, until Megan went inside not feeling well, and by that night, the whole house was sick sick sick. Lainee, Ariel, and I had some sparkling cider and popped some confetti at 9:00 with the east coast. The rest of the night was spent watching a Netflix show and taking care of the ill in their beds. 

Wednesday: New Year's Day- everyone had been throwing up and/or had diarrhea at some point ALL night and morning so we laid around. Dad was the only one who didn't get it at all so he brought us all some saltines, Coke, and Ginger Ale. When mom was feeling a little better she made some homemade chicken noodle soup, and we had a slow day.

Thursday: everyone felt a lot better with the exceptions of just a few runs to the toilet. Garen's brother and his wife were driving through to Port Orchard and stopped by so we got to see him and his wife and daughter for a minute! Then the kids and I met up for lunch with some of my old friends who grew up together and it was refreshing to catch up a bit! I also got to see one of my best buds, Jill that evening! I'm so glad she came by. We forgot to take a picture :(

Friday: we had to say goodbye to Jordan and his wife, Ariel as they left for Rexburg. Then helped with some housework, and got to visit with both sets of my grandparents before leaving the state again. 

The kids were okay on the way home until we landed, and Lainee threw the biggest, longest, craziest, naughtiest, screaming, kicking, bratty fit I have seen any kid throw ever... (Except maybe my brother, Parker at her age)... It lasted from the time she woke up on the plane until we got to passenger pickup, which, as you know can take a while and DID take a while. Who knows how a person her size could have had that much crazy bottled up at that time of night. BUT, I will say that it was a looong week of not feeling well and sleeping in a different bed, PLUS it was way past bedtime and she got woken up, PLUS she IS only three...... But still, UGH!

Anyway, we made it home and my house was sparkling clean because Garen loves me and knows what makes me happy. I missed him TONS and am glad to be home, even though I always miss my mom and daddy. 

Normal... We'll be returning to you soon.

Snuggles.

This fireplace shelf is Jace's dream play spot.

Sickies.

The lake in Mom and Dad's back yard during the summer.

The lake in the back yard this winter.

Our sad New Years Eve.

Little cousin Kennadie visiting.

Warm blankets out of the dryer.

Reading a few last books with Grandma.

Parker is always making beautiful noise with Mom's last year's Christmas gift. 

Goodbye Moses Lake. Until we meet again.

Happy New Year!