Random Pictures

Jonathan straightened Kirsten's hair today so he had to take a picture of it. She looks so old to me in this picture doesn't she?


I found some oldish pictures I haven't posted.
Here they are:
We have a tradition of eating fondue on Valentine's Day. Since Kirsten fell asleep on the couch at 6 on Valentine's Day we did it the next day instead. The kid's obviously loved it.


We had an enormous amount of snow a couple weeks ago, well a lot for West Texas. Kirsten and I had so much fun playing in it in the backyard. Doing snow angels, digging for treasure, and playing football.


Colton wasn't feeling good that day so I put him in front of a movie when we came inside this is what he looked like.


A few weeks ago Kirsten got to have a banana split. The Backyardigans had one and so she had been dying to have one too. While she was eating she said, "I can't believe this is real life...I can't believe this isn't a dream...that I'm actually eating this ginormous banana split."




We made some St. Patrick's day cupcakes last week. Kirsten did the beautiful swirls.


Just moments after making them we come into the kitchen and find Colton standing on the stool and several little bites taken out of a a bunch of the cupcakes.

Trip

So things have been crazy around here with all of us (except Kirsten, hopefully she's immune) having had a stomach virus in the last 2 weeks. It's the worst bug I've ever seen going around. In fact Jonathan has been sick since Thursday and still is not better! It's no fun. So anyway, that's why it's taken so long for me to post.

We went on an awesome trip a couple weeks ago to see our great friends Cameron and Kressyda. It was so fun to just hang out all day and have someone to talk to all the time.
Kirsten and Elliot had so much fun together. They got to have a sleepover in his bunk beds every night.


Baby Olive and Colton are about a week apart. They were pretty funny especially when Colton would take her stroller away from her. That sweet little girl can definitely hold her own.


Jonathan got to work down there with Cameron which was really more like a party than work. Lots of going out to eat and touring the oil fields, which is always super exciting.
The guys took the kids to the museum. Colton got pretty fixated with this ball and I guess he played with it for about 30 minutes.







And the highlight of our trip was going to


We just walked right over the river it was awesome.


It was like a big party over there. Totally set up for tourists. Although I was the only person there who couldn't speak Spanish. Thank goodness Kressyda can! We just walked through the streets looking at all the little shops.


We ate 80 cent tacos.


And then stood in line to get back home to America. On the bridge on the way back there was some kind of parade. It's a funny town because they take Washington's birthday very seriously. The whole month of February is devoted to festivals, parades, carnivals to commemorate the life of George Washington. Coming back into America was a little intimidating. They asked me about a million questions, and I have to admit I was a little nervous. All they were asking was where I lived, why I was in Mexico and I totally studdered my way through all of the answers. I would make the worst criminal because I can't even tell the truth without getting nervous. Anway, it was super fun and I'm so glad Kressyda suggested it and that she was brave and that our husbands were brave enough to let us go (oh and that we didn't see the news the night before talking about the big shootout just over the bridge in Mexico that probably would have kept our husbands from letting us go).


That night we went to the carnival in town.


All the kids looking so cute on the little train.


Jonathan wanted Kirsten to go on this slide. He said he always wanted to when he was little and never did. It was a proud moment for me watching her walk up there all by herself put the sack down on the slide by herself...I don't know why but I almost started crying. She's just growing up so much. Anyway, she was doing really well at first sliding down straight and having a good time.


Here's where things started to go wrong.


And then she ended up like this. Needless to say she will not have any fond emotional attachments to this ride like her daddy when she grows up. And she walked away with only a few little bumps and bruises.


I had to practically beg Kirsten to go on the Ferris Wheel. She was pretty nervous but ended up loving it.


She was so sweet to share her dipping dots with everyone.


We had such a fun time and we are so happy our friends let us come and stay with them. It was such a great little trip!

Happy Valentine's Day!

We had a big week this week. Kirsten got her ears pierced! I have been telling her forever that she can get them pierced whenever she wants to, but up until last weekend she was too nervous to. Last weekend she got some little stickers that she was putting on her ears and they kept getting stuck in her hair and falling off so she said "these are driving me nuts, I guess I'll get my ears pierced tomorrow." So Monday during lunch we took her to the mall to do it. The one girl working there said that since she's so young they like to have 2 girls there to do the piercing at the same time so the little girls don't freak out and chicken out with only one ear pierced. So I said ok we'll come back later. After some drama with our town mall we decided to go to Odessa, 25 minutes away. Kirsten was super excited and a little nervous. She picked out some pink flower earrings (of course she wanted the craziest ones she could get) and sat on my lap to get ready. There was only one girl working there so we said just do one at a time and hope she doesnt' chicken out. So the girl said ok count to three. Kirsten did and they pierced it. She had to try really hard to hold her tears in. The girl went over to the other side and Kirsten said, "one, two, three" really fast, she wanted to get it over with. And then she was done. And she had two beautiful pink flowered ears to show for it. I could not stop smiling. I think I was more excited than she was.






And then the kids played at the mall.


We went to get bubblegum ice cream. While we waited the kids were cracking each other up.







I had preschool this week at my house which was awesome because we got to party all week. We made Valentine's boxes and decorated them with potato stamps, something I remember doing with my mom when I was a kid.




Last Wednesday Jonathan had the Young Men over at our house for dinner so I went over to Dannie's house, which is always fun. Colton actually fell asleep on the couch.


I was watching Colton eat his breakfast the other day and he looked so cute I just had to take a picture.


We had so much fun this weekend. Friday night we had a couple's party at our friends house and then last night we had a ward Sock-Hop. I wish I had a camera there because we all had so much fun. Colton danced with me for most of the night and was just loving it. Kirsten was running around with her friend and trying to hula hoop and Jonathan was too cool to hokey pokey, but he did bunny hop so overall we all had a great time. Oh and they had a daddy daughter dance it was so cute to see Kirsten and all the other girls dancing with their dads. Kirsten was standing on Jonathan's feet dancing around and loving her life, it was precious.

Last Week

So my birthday was this week. I had such a great day.
We started off by making some chili for Jonathan's work chili cook off. Jonathan got to stay home for longer in the morning to make it which was fun. He got this great recipe from our friend Cameron. Everyone said it was their favorite, even though he didn't win. They were allowed to bribe the judges so the one with the biggest bribe ended up winning.


That night I opened presents. And yes I am still in my pajamas. I decided to let myself stay in them all day and do nothing...actually that's not all that unusual. I just felt less guilty about it than usual.


Jonathan got me some black boots that I've been wanting and Kirsten wore them around all night. Well, until we went to take them back. That may sound really mean but Jonathan got me two pairs of boots so that I could go exchange them and get what I really wanted. We went out to eat while my great friend Danie watched the kids. Then we went back to her house for cake. I've been getting into yoga lately and she got me a mat and a block, which I've been in desperate need of and was such a great gift. She's such a wonderful friend! My family got me a great tent, which is just what I asked for and my mother in law got me a a beautiful Cristus statue.


I got so many great gifts but the very best gift of all was from Kirsten. She said, "close your eyes I have a present for you." When I opened them she did this.


She's such a sweetie. She was watching me get ready for Jonathan and my date. When I was ready she said, "you look so beautiful mom." Kirsten and I went on a date to Gigi's cupcakes this week. It was tons of fun to go out together, but I don't get the whole 2 cups of frosting for every cupcake. Anyway, that's not the point I guess. Here's a picture of Emily she did. Look at those lovely lips and eyes.


Jonathan's mom and grandma game out to see us this weekend. They were so good to read lots of books to Kirsten and play dollhouse with her.


On a side note, we're watching the super bowl right now. The Doritos commercials have been hilarious.

Jonathan went with the young men to the Harlem Globetrotters on Wednesday night.



We had some seriously crazy flooding on our streets last Thursday. Since we live out here in the desert even a couple inches of rain is more that we can handle. It was crazy. Our little car almost got stuck a couple of times, but it was an adventure.


Playing in the backyard last night.


Colton loves having his picture taken. He comes right up to the camera and says "cheese".






Colton found these fruit snacks yesterday in the pantry (he has learned to open doors, I swear Kirsten didn't learn until she was 2 1/2 probably, man what a pain) he went to me to ask me to open it and I said "no" so he went to daddy and he said "no". So he decided to take matters into his own hands. So this is what he found to open them with. Needless to say ultimately he was unsuccessful.