New Discoveries

Wow, where to begin.  I realized it has been a while since I have posted anything, so hopefully I can bring you all up to speed.  Not that there is a whole lot really, just that we have had some fun lately.  The pictures should be able to tell most of the story.

Heber learned to stick out his tongue

This is what happened once I refilled their water after it had been empty for a day.  Clearly they couldn't wait for the other to finish.  Sorry guys!

The Care Bear pillow I made for Eliza.  She picked out the fabric.  I have some left over material so I might try a skirt or something...haven't decided.

Kohl's Children's Museum

Easter egg hunting at home and at a friends house.

Heber's first taste of Rice Cereal.  Do I have to eat it Mom?

I found my feet!  Yummy!

The docile garter snakes in our backyard.  They're fun to catch.

Happy Birthday

I had a lot of fun for my birthday.  We celebrated it a day early since that was when Aaron would be home so he could join us.  Aside from the awesome gifts that I got, the highlight of my day was baking my own cake.  It took a little longer that I would have liked.  But, that's what you get when you only have one round cake pan to use.  I found a recipe for a mint cake.  So, the cake part was a white cake flavored with mint extract and a section of the batter was saved to dye green and then add to the white cake, swirled in.  I just used chocolate to fill and frost the cake.  That was fun.  Then I got to frost my cake using the cool cake decorating kit I got last year.  My cake was really just one big experiment, but it was so much fun!  Scott thought it was funny that I had declared I would make my own birthday cake.  I liked it, it tasted amazing, and I think I might have to make it again sometime.  Besides, I got to eat most of that cake, with the help of Eliza because Scott and Aaron are not big cake fans.  More for me!

Picture Some Fun

I thought it was so funny that Heber managed to stick his thumb inside his pacifier and essentially suck his thumb.  Too cute!

Scott and Eliza building a snowman.  Eliza loves her time with Scott.

Ready for bed and staying warm on the couch.

"Cheese"

Akela sleeping on the table.  I think she's clamed it as her own.

Me and the kids

Can you smile, Heber?

Snacking on our hike

Heber in the backpack, watching Scott and Eliza eat their snack.

Playing Pooh Sticks, which is dropping a stick on one side of the bridge and watching to see whose stick will come out first down streem on the other side of the bridge.  Eliza could have played this game all day long.

Fun Times

We have had a few fun adventures lately.  The first one I think Eliza probably enjoyed the most.  Scott had brought home some tulip bulbs a month ago along with some pots.  So, about two weeks prior to Valentine's Day, he and Eliza planted about 15 pots of tuilp.  Scott gave Eliza the task of covering the bulbs with soil once he had planted them.  She kind of packed them down a little harder than he would have liked so he had to go back through and losen the soil a bit.  All that mattered to Eliza was that she was having fun with her daddy.

Then Valentine's Day came around.  Eliza had fun at play group frosting sugar cookies and heaping sprinkles on them.  She loved eating the cookie as much as decorating them.  Actually, she only wanted to eat the frosting.  Didn't care much for the cookie part.  Silly girl.  Scott had to run out Satruday night to get his Valentine's gifts for me and Eliza.  The poor guy has been so busy plowing that that was the only time he could go.

Frosting cookies

I just had to take these pictures of Heber sleeping with his puppy and sucking his thumb.  And taking a bottle!  Yeah!  We were able to leave Eliza and Heber with two gals from our ward who offered to watch them so we could go to the temple the temple.  Oh, happy days!

 

Scott took a few days off this past weekend and one of those days we spent  up in Wisconsin near Devils Lake.  Scott has this dream of owning property in Wisconsin so that we have a place to go to for camping and who knows what else.  Kind of like or own place to get away.  He found one site to look at and so I figured it wouldn't hurt to endulge in his little dream.  Of course this dream of his also includes building a log cabin, having his own saw mill, a wood fed stove for cooking and no electricity.  Just backwoods it, so to speak.  I tell you it's rather tempting, but not right now.  We still have to pay off Heber and I would rather have my family complete before we think of buying property.  We'll see who wins in the end.  But, while we were there, we took some time to hike at Devils Lake.  Scott had Heber in the backpack and pulled Eliza behind him in the sled and I got to use my Cross-Country skiis.  If only I could go as fast as they do in the Olympics...first I have to learn not to fall and how to turn.  Wish me luck!

Playing and hiking

 Learning to ski

Eliza dancing with her daddy.  I am so jealous!

Thumb Sucker

To suck the thumb or not to suck the thumb?  That is the question.  Heber has recently figured out that he can suck his thumb.  It's cute to watch him put his thumb in his mouth and then practically grab his face with his remaining fingers.  But the question I have is whether I should let him get used to sucking his thumb?  I think I would prefer the pacifier over a thumb because a pacifier can be weened from and then tossed where a thumb cannot.  It's kind of attached and can't be tossed away.  As it is, he still prefers a pacifier, but will calm himself with his thumb if he can get it to his mouth.  Meaning, I really don't have much to worry about now, right?  Either way, who knows what will happen.  Eliza only occasionally sucked her thumb, obviously prefering the pacifier.  Maybe Heber will be the same way.  And then again, maybe not.  I guess we'll see what he decides.  Choose the pacifier!

My Nutty Kids

Sometimes I wonder about my kids, including Scott!  Just kidding.  Eliza is one strange little girl sometimes and it can be quite entertaining.  The other day Scott's mom and I were sitting at the kitchen table talking.  Eliza decided to entertain herself by using her unusual organizing skills.  Her object of choice?  The refridgerator! 

Yes, she decided to move everything around and stick bottles into drawers and pull the produce out of the bins and move them elsewhere.  I can't tell you exactly how she was trying to organize.  All I know is that she was trying to shove as much stuff into the drawers as she could.  I was having too much fun watching her engrosed in rearranging the fridge that I just had to let her go.  A week later, I still haven't reorganized it yet.  Oh well.

Heber is still as cute as can be.  He just went in for his two month check up and he did really well, despite the five shots he got.  Poor kid.  He was pretty cranky all day yesterday, to say the least.  Luckily, today he is back to his old self.  He weighed in at 12 pounds.  Good grief!  They marked the table to see how long he is but the doc forgot to actually measure that so I did those at home.  He is now 21 inches long.  That's my boy!  Healthy and strong.  That's all I could ask for.  I did feel kind of bad for the med student who came to check him out.  The pour guy introduced himself and then informed me that it has been a couple of months since he has had pediatrics.  He looked a little lost, but I'm not worried about Heber and the doc came in after and checked him out.  No worries.  Just hope the med student gets a little more comfortable and I think he'll do just fine.

For as much of a handful these two can be, they really are good kids.  Even Eliza is a little angel, that is when she isn't loving her brother to death (literally), talking back and trying to be the adult.  She is a big help.  Can't wait for her to get out of her current phase, but that just brings on another one which could be better or worse.  Oh well.  Batten down the hatches and prepare for one exciting ride!

Happy New Year

Well, Christmas was a ton of fun. We were lucky to have Scott home with us. He was supposed to snow plow, but the weather turned out to be nice so he got to stay home. Eliza had a blast opening up her presents and she ended up with a pretty good haul this year. Heber just slept the whole time. Too cute.

Eliza and her gifts

Then, both of our families came out for Heber's baby blessing. We had a very full house, but it was so worth it. Eliza loved playing with all of her many uncles and with her grandparents. I have enjoyed it too because I got to have help with Eliza. It's not easy keeping up with her amazing energy level, but I wouldn't have her any other way.

Heber's baby blessing

All the family is here

Eliza and Uncles sledding in the backyard

It's fun to watch Eliza with Heber. She can be a little rough in her loving, but I think she's learning. Just have to keep an eye on her and reign her in sometimes, but other than that, I think she's doing alright. Hope you all had a wonderful New Years!