Our crazy SKIER!!!

Andrew got his first lesson in skiing yesterday. We headed up to Donnor Ski Ranch and let the boy have a try at skiing. Mommy skied with Andrew and daddy and Luke hit up the tube run and hung out in the lodge. Andrew took a lesson and did great. I skied with him the rest of the day. He caught on pretty quickly and was buzzing down the mountain by the end of the day. The DeJongs were up there the same day we were, so it was fun to ski along side them as well. Andrew, Lauren, Mike, and I took a ride to the top of the mountain and skied down the fire road. It was very windy up there, so it was a bit scary for the kids, but they were super brave and we made it down. They were very proud of themselves. Andrew says that skiing is his favorite snow sport (not sure how many there are, but glad he liked it). He can't wait to go back!!

Allie and TT go on a date...

TT took Allie to see Disney on Ice last Friday night. They met Jenell and the kids there as well. Allie was very excited to have special time with TT. The boys were just excited for her to go. Luke picked out her princess dress and helped get her all ready. She had a wonderful time and we had a great time with the boys at home. They wanted to play games and get frozen yogurt, so that is what we did...pretty easy to please if you ask me!!
Thanks TT for taking Allie on a special adventure with you!!!

Valentine's Day

This post is a bit late this year, but here we go....Valentine's Day fell on a Monday this year. I decorated the table and hallway on Sunday night so the kids could wake up to the festivities. We made a yummy breakfast of heart shaped egg sandwiches, sausage, and scones. After Andrew left for school Amy and Christina cam over and we let the kiddos play while we enjoyed some fresh juice, coffee, and scones. After lunch I headed out to Andrew's class to put on his class party. We had ice cream sundaes and made Valentine envelopes. Poor Andrew was not feeling well at all. B the time we got home he had a fever and he spent the next four days at home on the couch. Our Valentine activities were pretty low key for the rest of the evening, due to Andrew being sick. It was a cold rainy day, so we just enjoyed loving on one another indoors.

Basketball Season Ends

Andrew just loved basketball season this year. Even though it's only 5 weeks long, he was excited to be able to play at the local high school. He always would ask us if he could "shoot a few hoops" before we would leave for each game. The second to the last week he won the knockout game on his team. It was a final match up between him and Ben, so it was fun to see them play against each other. He scored some baskets this season. In the final game he made 4 or 5 baskets (up for debate). I just LOVE when he scores...he gets his big smile on his face and as he runs back down the court he does a sly little "YES" by clinching his fist and pulling down. He is a pleasure to watch!!!
Thanks to uncle Paul for some good pictures!!

Hidden Falls Hike

We changed things up this weekend and went to Saturday night church. It was a great evening and has a different feel than Sunday morning. It was smaller and seemed a bit more relaxed. We enjoyed it!!! Sunday morning we thought it would be fun to go on a family hike. Some friends had gone to this trail before so we thought we would try it. It was a blast. Team Vandy completed 3.5 miles of hiking and we found the hidden falls. Poor Allie woke up with a swollen eye and she has some kind of bites on her leg that are swollen and hurt her. We opted to bring the backpack carrier for the poor girl, because I figured she wouldn't be as adventurous as usual. The boys just love wearing their camel packs. Andrew's is broken, so he put his first aid kit in his and we called him the medic. We got to the park and there was only one other person there. By time we returned the parking lot was full, so we were glad we got some hiking time in without a lot of other people. We followed the trails and finally found the big waterfall and observation deck. It was beautiful outside and the sun was perfectly warm. We enjoyed snacks and lunch along the way. I have been reading the kids a Geronimo Stilton book about going on a hike, so we packed our book and read a few chapters along the way. It was a fun to read out in nature. I think a highlight for the kids was stopping by a small waterfall on our way back. They took turns throwing their cheetos and goldfish down the waterfall and watching them end up in the small pool down below. We ended up with one injured knee (Mr.Luke), but Andrew the medic came to the rescue with a bandaid. The kids did great and were tired by the end, but they just LOVE exploring nature. We are very excited about this new trail system we discovered close to home and we will be visiting again soon. We had a very enjoyable family Sunday!!!

Friday Funday!!!

I just LOVED this past Friday. I stayed home with Luke and Allie all day and then we took Andrew dirt biking after school. I slipped in a good 6 mile run (without the stroller) when Andy got home...this is always a good thing. The weather was beautiful to say the least and even though it's February, it's feeling kinda springish. While Andrew rode his bike we visited the sheep, who had just been moved to a new field. The kids just love watching these animals and I could watch them too for quite a long time. So many people from the community were out along the trail visiting the sheep as well. After some riding we came home for a bit and then rode bikes back over to the park by the sheep to have a Valentine picnic with cousins, grandpa and grandma, and TT and Jesse. It has been a blast to have both boys on bikes now, so family bike rides are actually enjoyable and we move at a quick pace. We ate a yummy picnic dinner, watched the sheep some more, and the kids loved running around and playing. We even rode home in the dark because the kids had been having so much fun. It was just a great day with our family and I loved that we could enjoy the beautiful weather without driving anywhere. I love days like this!!!

The "innocence" of our BOY!!

First grade has been a good year for Andrew, but we are learning that so many of the kids are just growing up too fast. I get sad when I hear how some of them talk, or hear about things they do. I just want my boy to stay little and innocent for ever. Andrew still does many things that show me that he still is a little boy at heart....He still likes us to walk him all the way to his classroom every morning and stays with us until the class goes in, I never force a hug, but sometimes (like just this past week) he comes running out of his class and jumps to give his mommy a big hug at the end of the day. This past Friday he came out of class very excited about the little bag one of the mom's had given him. She is a nurse and brought the class little first aid kits. Andrew was so proud of his and all the goodies inside. He kept it strapped around him all afternoon and even wore it dirt biking. I thought it was so cute (because it kinda looked like a purse), but he just loved it and was so proud of it. We continue to be proud of the choices our boy makes and we will continue to pray for his heart as he grows up in this crazy world!!!

A little ARTIST!!

I have been trying to be intentional about having either Wednesday or Friday as an "at home day." Luke just loves these days because it's where he is comfortable...just mommy, Allie, and Luke at home. I know kindergarten is going to be a big change for him next year, so I want him to enjoy as many "at home" days as he can now. This past Friday we hung out at home all day, he even stayed in Pjs until it was time to get Andrew from school. He spent a good amount of time drawing animals and then he wanted to teach me how to draw. While I was laying Allie down for a nap he set up a little drawing station for us and showed me how to draw all the animals. I LOVE his creative drawings and he was very proud of all his work. I just love special times with my little guy because it's times like this that I see him smiling and beaming with pride over his work!!