A quick check in!!!!

It has been a very quiet, low key break.  We of course had a great time celebrating Jesus' birthday.  Benjamin made the cake and Jacob made the frosting.  I thought it was ingenious for him to use wafer cookies for the name.

Our Christmas Day was literally spent all day in our pajamas.  We went to Christmas Eve service and then skipped out on Sunday morning.  We keep Christmas pretty low key with just small items.

I have enjoyed not having to work with my boxes.  I have gotten some things cleaned up.  One thing I really like about after Christmas is how the days start getting longer.  I watch the shadows everyday in the back yard creep closer and closer to our yard.  I look for the day when the sun actually hits Bree when she is in the backyard.

I also spent a day and a half doing one of my favorite things....working a puzzle.  It was one the boys were not interested in, so I had it all to myself!!!!!  1000 pieces just for me!  (I love working with the boys too)

No plans for the weekend.  Just the way I like it.  We have a really cold snap coming again early next week.  I did my last workout of 2016!  It was a mentally tough one.  We had to row 10,000 meters (that is just under 6.5 miles).  52 minutes of rowing, rowing and rowing.  I talked the coach into putting netflix on so we could at least watch Planet Earth, instead of our rowing monitor.  I burned 587 calories and did it feel good!  I am ready to start the new year.

The sun is out!!!  All day!!!  We have come through the cold snap.  Last Saturday morning we had to get out and go to the church for the boys to practice their Christmas program.  This was the temp.

Once we got to the church, this was a picture from the inside.  So much ice on the inside door because of the outside temp.

All the boys have been building snow forts.  I am somewhat bummed I did not get pictures before they settled and collapsed.  Benjamin shoveled the entire back yard and had one about 4.5 feet tall.

We have already had huge bowls of snow ice cream.  Ok, maybe my boys just had a bowl but I have had bowls.

Bree loves the snow.  She could stay out in it for long periods, I am the one worried about her little paws.  See the snow on her nose, from rooting and digging in the snow.

Just her back end because her head is often buried.

I spent all day yesterday baking.  Made 10 loaves of bread and about 30 treats for all the teachers!

The boys have school on Thursday and then off Fri, 23rd through Mon 2nd.  We have no plans.  It looks like lots of snow for the weekend, so JR will probably be working.  I need to get a game plan together though with some fun activities.  Hopefully we will get enough snow and can go sledding and ice skating.

Winter has hit hard!   When we wake up Saturday morning it is going to be -25 (yes, negative 25!).  That is just cold!!  We have already had 8 inches in the last 24 hours.  And guess who loves it....Bree.  She digs in and rolls around in the snow.  It is suppose to snow most of the night.  I recently talked with our school secretary, who has worked in the district almost 20 years.  She said the district has never had a snow day since she started working there.  Not sure what it would take for that to happen.  Good thing the -25 is happening on a Saturday.  I certainly would not want to get out in that.

The other day after school we had Italian Sodas and corn dogs.  I challenged this kid to Connect Four.  Sure love it that they are old enough to really compete and challenge their momma.  I still prevailed.

 I gave all three of the boys an early Christmas present....they all wanted NFL beanies!  Benjamin Seahawks, Jacob Broncos and Joseph currently likes the Dolphins, but the Eagles and Cowboys are a close 2nd and 3rd.

Jacob and I have been busy with puzzles.  Jacob actually told me I could not work on the puzzles while he was at school.  He rocks them.  We often finish one in a day.

The company I work for was getting overrun with products so they have put the home assemblers on a break. I will probably have 3 weeks off. Not real sure what I am going to do with my time. I know I will set up one of my puzzles, that the boys won't work on ~ it is all gummy bears and really small pieces. Just a challenge that I like.

I have been doing some weight lifting at the gym. The other day we had to do max effort dead lift. Dead lift is where you start with the bar on the ground and just stand straight up, with bar ending around mid thigh. I was able to hit 200 pounds! I was so stoked. One of the coaches that trains us tried out for the Olympics. She did not make the team but was in the top 6. (I am not looking at competing, just really enjoy it and the workouts.)

Off to my nice, warm, cozy bed!

Our Christmas tree has been standing for over a week now!  (That is huge given there are three boys and a dog that share a space with the tree).  This year I got everything out and put up, except the ornaments.  I had the ornaments organized into the boys' own piles.  Then they came home and just had to hang their ornaments.  It worked beautifully.

I am not sure how they got Bree to sit still long enough, but isn't she cute.

 Benjamin woke up this morning at 5am in pain.  We just assumed it was a crick in his neck and encouraged him to stretch it out.  He was getting some mobility then I encouraged him to take a hot shower and try to work it out more.  After the shower the pain was so bad, we were at the chiropractor's office by 8:30.  A few weeks ago, he started carrying a book bag...the kind you put on one shoulder and run the strap across your body.  (He did this because the school does not allow backpacks in the classroom...security reasons.  Not sure why they think a book bag is safer than a backpack.)  Anyway, carrying his books on one shoulder finally proved to be too much for his body.  He has a pinched dorsal scapula nerve.  The chiropractor worked on it for close to an hour.  It is better but it keeps seizing up.  We will probably go back later today, Thursday and then hopefully a follow up on Monday.  He has been excused from any physical activity or quick movements.  He was excited when he realized that meant cleaning but then very bummed when he realized it meant no xbox or Wii.  Turns out him getting in the shower was the worst mistake.  I always get confused on whether you use heat or cold and the doc said the only time you use heat is if you need to warm up the injury to work it out.  Otherwise, in this case, it softened and relaxed things but then when they cooled down it was twice as bad.

In a little bit I have to get Jacob out of school because he is having 2 teeth pulled.  The orthodontist is very concerned about his upper cuspids become impacted.  So, we are pulling the baby teeth (which refuse to come out) and hopefully the adult teeth will slide down into place.  If not...I don't want to think about the if not.  We will know by early summer if they cooperated or if we have a huge problem on our hands.

We have been in the single digits the last 2 days.  Not much snow where we are but the cold temperatures.  I am so glad all of my early, weekly, standing appointments are done and I can stay home.  No plans for the rest of the month.  The boys have a short break.  They are out of school Friday, Dec 23 and then go back on Tuesday Jan 2.  Just laying low.

Sorry I checked out the last couple of weeks.  Seems like ever since the election, I have stayed away from anything online.  Not sure why, just seemed like there was so much yuck out there.

Anyway, not much has been happening here lately.  We had a quiet Thanksgiving with beautiful weather, in the low 50s.  A storm is moving in, so snow is on the way.

The boys plod along with school.  Some doing better than others, but it is all a learning curve.  I continue to love my quiet days while they are at school ~ so much so that having them home the last 5 days has been tough.  The older I get the more I retreat into my own little world and am just fine with that.

Here are their school pictures.

I was recently looking at pictures from 9-12 months ago and could not believe how much they have all changed!

I will be better about blogging through the winter months, but no promises.  Just in a technology funk right now!

Random pictures from the last couple of months that I never posted.

A local hardware store has a pumpkin find every year.  They hide pumpkins throughout the store.  When you find one, you win a prize that corresponds with the number on the pumpkin.

Not a great picture, but want it for the memory.  This was on Joseph's last day of private speech therapy.  He is doing speech 2 times a week at school though.

I am always amazed when I go to recess with this kid.  The girls just stand around and watch him.  So cute.

Rattlesnake hunting with JR.  Not sure if it was a good thing or not that we did not see anything.

Learning to chop wood at an early age!

From the overnight camping trip when JR took the boys.

Inside the tent.

Rattlesnake hunting and shooting.

Eeeck...He found about 40 last year and probably just a fourth of that this year.  Amazing how nice the skins turn out.  I would love for him and the boys to create a job, like selling rattlesnake hat bands.  I think could be great little job for the boys and does not require a lot, other than finding the snakes.

He is so proud of his splits.

Last weekend I attended a one night retreat. It was a beautiful house on the river.


This was the view from the hammock on the river!




This was a really nice, screened in fire pit porch.


Looking out the living room window.  Such a nice place to get away for 24 hours.  Makes me wish we had a little more room, but some day!


Halloween was pretty low key. The boys went out for about an hour. My flexible ninja.

JB and his dad.

Jacob was with a friend. They were late meeting up with us, because the friends dad saw a buck at dinner time in his back yard, so he had to shoot it and gut it quickly! A huge benefit of living in the country.

Benjamin tagged along, with out a costume.

Some random pictures.
Not a great picture but just love it when the clouds settle like this.

Benjamin dressed up as Sparky recently for our Awana Club.  He hammed it up well.

Another football pic of Jacob and his best bud, Cam.

Benjamin went hunting with his dad recently.  Saw some stuff but did not get a good shot at anything.

My monkey climbing kid, who now has braces!

Just love the slow, lazy days! Fall is struggling to hang on. Just a matter of time before the snow comes and stays!

Slow and steady here!

Look at this handsome boy.  After 4 years he got all the metal from his mouth removed.  And a new haircut.  Just in time for his first school dance tonight.  He is so excited.




The orthodontist almost assured me that he will need jaw surgery down the road. I asked this one how much it costs and he said $35K. Gulp. The good news, if it is something he will need it will be probably 5-8 years out!

Quiet around here, that is why you don't hear much from me these days.

Just a quick check in...not much happening on this end.

Here is my little corner of the working world. This is where I spend about 15 hours a week, putting products together and listening to podcasts, etc. I really do enjoy it, unless I get behind and have to do a lot in one day!

Last week we had about 6 inches of snow. I think it shocked everyone! We all expected a little dusting and got way more than that. It was gone in the lower elevations pretty quickly.

A view of the mountains. I think it is so cool how the snow line is a perfect line.

Football is over! Yay. I am pretty sure we have nothing extra curricular, sports wise all winter. I don't do well with weeknight practices. Just throws everything off for me. Hard to believe how quickly the days are getting shorter. The kids are out of school this Thursday and Friday. Nothing planned. Hoping the weather is nice and they can get lots of outside time with the neighborhood kids.

It is kind of fun going so long without posting because I am always surprised by the pictures on my camera.  Total randomness from our days.

A friend of ours has a cortland apple tree in her yard.  We helped her pick them all and then she showed me how to do water bath for the apples.  We brought all of the supplies home and Joseph helped me to peel and core the apples and then I made about 12 jars of apple pie filling.  I have a really easy crockpot recipe for apple streudel, so an easy, quick dessert.  (See the clear water bottle in the background, that was the homemade lava 'lamp' Jacob made with oil, water and food coloring)

An action shot of my boy.  Football season is winding down.  Only 1 week left!  Jacob's team has won every game (except tied one game) and Joseph's team has lost every game (no ties there).

I sometimes wonder how many times this kid brings a smile to a passing stranger's face.  Him and all his get-ups.

We are still attending the Friday night missional community group.  Every Friday night.  We really enjoy it, there are lots of kids there and good food.  One recent night was Asian night so I made crab rangoons.  I was so surprised at how easy and quick it was!

JR set up his wall tent recently.  Seems that once or twice a year he puts it up for a week or two and gets his fill.  The younger two spent one night with him and Benjamin and I opted to leave and sleep in a warm bed...although with the stove, it stays pretty warm in there.

He had it very close to the river.

My selfie loving son (whose voice is changing and I love hearing the different pitches, especially when he laughs!)

Benjamin has decided to take a break from Tae Kwon Do.  I don't think he will pick it back up, but we shall see.  Once football ends, our days drop off.  Of course 4H has started and Benjamin will be doing air rifle/pistol, hopefully.  I am also looking into some cooking classes for him.  He has told me that he is really interested in culinary school.  He was talking today about how he also wants to be a pilot and so maybe he could learn to cook and then just fly himself around to all these restaurants in big cities and cook!  How fun would that be.  We have found some really cool online videos that are teaching all the basics like knife skills, spices, veggies, cooking different meats, sauces, desserts, etc.  I have learned a lot too.  It is sponsored by Cuisinart, so Benjamin has a whole list of kitchen gadgets he wants!

Jacob has gotten lots of kudos lately from school.  Shortly before school started there was a 4th grade boy who was accidentally shot and killed.  Jacob did not know him very well, but one of Jacob's really good friends was really good friends with the deceased child.  About 3 weeks ago Jacob's friend started having separation anxiety and had huge melt downs at school.  Jacob patiently and lovingly came alongside him and sat with him, included him in activities, etc.  So warms my heart to see the character of my children coming out.  When I first heard about it, I took him out for ice cream.  I told him I would always be proud of him and cheer loud when he scores touchdowns, but that I am most proud of the guy he is.  Both the teacher and this friends' mother (who happens to be the behavioralist that Jacob made a goal not to get sent to her office this school year) have just been awed by Jacob.

Joseph has stopped his private speech therapy and has been picked back up by the school therapist.  He is still doing well.  He is not necessarily regressing but it is that all the other kids are progressing, so the gap is becoming more evident with his speech.  They will work with him 2 times a week.  The teacher says that it has not shut him down in the class though and that none of the students have really picked up on the difference, but it is obvious when you listen with a trained ear.  One thing that he is loving about school, is writing.  He will come home and write books.  We talk about him being a writer or illustrator one day.  One day recently in school he kept writing and writing and writing and even had to flip the paper over.  The teacher was amazed.

JR is gearing up for winter.  He has 5 new potential clients.  Still waiting to hear if they will accept his services, but it looks good.  This growth has allowed him to let go of some other work that was not a great fit.  Always nice when you can start turning down work for something that suits you better.  He has been out hunting and seen some animals, but never had a good shot.  One night he spent at the camp.  Then early the next morning he drove to his huge association around 6:30am and the parking lot was full of elk...however, his bow was not with him!  We have finally figured out some game jerky recipes, so I am excited to get some more meat in the freezer.

I continue to enjoy the home assembly.  Naturally I am getting faster and faster, so I have started doing more and more.  I am trying hard to commit all of the money to savings, knowing that all of our vehicles are getting older and very likely all the boys will need more orthodontics.  A pipe dream of mine is also to get the townhouse paid off early and then possibly look into rental/investment property.  No idea if that would ever pan out but more like a 10 year plan than 2-3 years!  Given the day and age we live in, it would be nice to know we don't owe anyone any money!  I have also been trying to stay up with Benjamin's reading at school.  He is blowing through 400 page books and I thought it would be fun to read them after him so we could talk about them.  I just finished the first book, Divergent.  Very interesting and thought provoking book!

That is the latest and greatest with us!  Ready for football fever to be over and to get two of our afternoon/evenings back.