Snow Day

Like the rest of the country, we had snow this week. We started the week with a beautiful 75 degree day on Monday. Jonathan got the day off so we decided to take advantage of the warm weather and spent the afternoon at the park. We knew it was supposed to snow that night and snow it did. But not very much, at least not compared to the Eastern side of Texas and Oklahoma.
Kirsten got up first thing on Tuesday and wanted to go outside and play. Colton decided it looked pretty fun and wanted to join her. Since it really doesn't get that cold here that often he doesn't even have a big coat. So he had to wear a hand me down that is WAY too small, Kirsten's pink gloves and cowboy boots. Oh and he saw Max's little Santa hat and wanted to wear it too. When he got outside he decided the gloves and hat had to go. About two seconds after that he decided it was way too cold to be outside without a hat and gloves and came back inside.













The roads really weren't that bad but we were stuck home anyway because Colton was sick and Kirsten didn't have school. We had to find some way to occupy ourselves so Kirsten and I had a little Cupcake War.

Kirsten set up a "display" for her cupcakes.


And then stood before the judges. We ended up winning, so that was pretty exciting!

Colton enjoyed eating the cupcakes.


Little Max was sick this week too.


Our hot water heater froze so we had no hot water for a good part of the week. Boiling water on the sink to do dishes and take a bath is a not fun. I don't know how people did it back in the day. Before the nice warm water went away Max had his first bath in the big boy tub.


Trying to enjoy a Sunday afternoon nap.

The other day Kirsten put on her ballet clothes and asked us to turn on some "tough" music. Then she started dancing like this...





I really don't know where she got those moves from.

It's been a great day

It was a beautiful 78 degree day. Colton said two new words today, he handed me a piece of bread and said "Jelly" then he got in Kirsten's booster seat and, while cracking up, said "buckle, buckle". I helped Kirsten get out of the car this morning at school and she gave me a big kiss. I told her I love her and she turned around, blew me a kiss and flashed me the sweetest smile ever. So as the cutest old man ever (who goes to our church) says..."It's been a beautiful day in West Texas."

The Rodeo

The Rodeo came to town this weekend. So we went and checked it out last night. My mom got the kids these really cute cowboy outfits for Christmas and they were perfect for the Rodeo.
Kirsten had to come straight from gymnastics and we thought she would be super tired but she absolutely loved it. She kept asking if it was almost over. I thought that meant she was ready to go home but she finally told me that she wanted to stay all night.


Colton kept waving his little finger and saying "no, no, no" while watching the cowboys ride the bulls. I don't know what he was thinking but it was pretty funny.


Kirsten enjoying her cotton candy.


Colton wasn't so sure.


Proof that mom and dad went too.

Bake Sale

We found out a few weeks before Christmas that a really sweet family in our old ward in Pennsylvania is going through something really hard. The mom, Heather, was diagnosed with a rare form of cancer. So Kirsten and I decided we'd have a bake sale to help raise money to pay for her treatment. We made fliers, passed them out around the neighborhood, and baked, baked, baked all week.





I couldn't believe the kindness of people who don't even know this family. When we first opened for business a man walked up to me and said he didn't want anything but wanted to help and handed me a 20 dollar bill and then another man came up to me and said he wasn't much for sweets but wanted to help and gave me a 100 dollar bill! I could not hold back the tears. My great friend Danie stayed up late the night before to make cookies for us to sell. This was such a great experience for Kirsten and I and we managed to make a little money for this sweet family. Heather was my visiting teacher and was amazing. Her kids are the sweetest ever. Her son, Max, contributed to my love of that name. These guys will always hold a special place in our hearts for making us feel welcome when first moved to Pennsylvania.

Max's 2 month Check up

Max had his 2 month check-up today. His stats are:
Weight: 15 lbs 97th%
Length: 24 Inches 87%


He is a big healthy boy, aside from his bad case of eczema and torticollis. He is a very sweet little baby. He's a very squirmy little guy and not very cuddly. He has slept through the night a few times in the last few weeks. He often gets fussy in the evening. He still sleeps a lot and is such a wonderful part of our family. I love that he has started smiling and "talking" to us.