Future Winter Olympians?

...perhaps not in our family. However, the boys did enjoy going to the ice skating rink with Dad on Saturday. They did pretty well for first timers (at least that was the report I got. I had to stay home with a napping baby).

Brevin took to ice skating quite naturally because he has spent some time mastering the skill of rollerblading.

Spencer used the provided "walker" to assist with balance, but by the end of the day, he felt confident enough to skate on his own (provided there was a wall nearby to grasp onto from time to time).

Jason took some great pictures and video for everyone's viewing pleasure. Enjoy!

This post authored by Amber

Taste The Rainbow

Leprechauns did not make an appearance at our home for St. Patrick’s Day, but I hear one made some mischief at Brevin’s school. We all dressed in green to avoid getting pinched, but aside from that, it was a pretty regular day. I did happen to make the traditional breakfast of clover-shaped pancakes, though, and we had our pot of gold soup for dinner. (The fruit rainbow was a newly incorporated dinner item this year; I liked it so much I think I will add it to the yearly menu.) I wonder if my kids realized we just celebrated a holiday. Oh well. If they didn’t, I guess Easter is just around the corner. Happy St. Patrick’s Day anyway!

This post authored by Amber

Reading Buddies

I don't really have much to say on this post.  I just thought these photos were AWESOME!

This post authored by Amber

Have You Ever Wondered How I Keep My Mixer Beaters Nice & Clean?

The Answer: Child Labor

This post authored by Amber

Happy Birthday, Brad

It was a lovely weekend.  I left late-afternoon on Friday to make the drive to Ogden.  I drove straight to the West Warren Cemetery where my siblings would be gathering with Brad's wife and daughters to let off balloons in celebration of his birthday. Here are a few snapshots from the event:

I didn't remember this military marker being there before.  Jenny said it always had been, but it was in an unusual location and had since been moved to be just under the headstone.  I love that the marker has the image of the Angel Moroni triumphantly sounding the trump.  

As we let go of the balloons, I noticed that the two red ones tangled together looked like a giant heart floating off.  We're sending you our love, Brad!

The cemetery neighbors a cow pasture.  Isn't it fitting that there would be an eagle's nest in the high branches of the tree that bordered the cemetery? I think so!

And then the sun set on the day that marked thrirty-seven years since Brad was born. 

Because birthdays are for celebrating, we went back to the house for food, cake, and "Casino Night."  

My siblings and I stayed up late reminiscing and laughing about all the trouble they got into as kids (my teenage years were decidedly mild in comparison), and we tried desperately to stifle the last remaining giggles as we settled in to sleep. Saturday morning, we awoke early and enjoyed attending a session in the Ogden temple before I headed back home.  Like I said before, it was such a lovely weekend.

This post authored by Amber

Don't Let the Pigeon Wear Those Pants To School

Brevin's first-grade class had a character day at school on Friday. Each student was encouraged to bring a favorite book and come dressed up as a character from the book (hence the name "character day"). Seemingly odd to me, Brevin chose Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus. (I'm relieved he didn't pick what I thought was his favorite book, Captain Underpants, but he may as well have, as you will shortly learn!)

The costuming seemed simple enough. I had a grey pilot cap, he had some grey shirts, and a pair of oversized baseball pants finished off the perfect ensemble. All I had to do was make a mask. It was perfect...or so I thought.

I got a phone call from the school at about 11:00 a.m. It was Brevin. He was asking if I could bring him a different pair of pants to change into. Apparently, he had gone to the bathroom earlier in the day and somehow managed to get the drawstring of the baseball pants into a wicked knot. It was a minor dilemma that prevented him from being able to properly cinch the waist to fit. When I arrived at his classroom, he exclaimed, "FINALLY!" and stood to retrieve the jeans from me while clutching to his pants in an effort to keep them up. It looked like he was holding on for dear life. I daresay, I don't think he shall soon forget the day he was a pigeon at school!

This post was authored by Amber