tanker vs. protege

No pictures today...just a quick note to remind myself how grateful I am for my life. 8 years ago today I survived. In the process, I gained an absolute testimony of prayer, faith, and the knowledge that our Father is always watching over us. hAppY liVeR daY!! If you didn't see last year's pics of the accident, you can go to my archives for February of last year :)

inventions

Last Friday was the third grade invention fair. As you know from my last post, we were in Sundance. Carter took his invention to school a day early and presented it to his class. My girls were always hung up on an invention that actually worked...not my boy. He designed the Hoverboard 5000. He sketched it all out, labeled it, and then told Tim "all you have to do is help me build it!" Sure...no problem...just make a Hoverboard! Tim and Carter went to work. They used a very old skateboard, some pvc piping, and lots of duct tape, cause duct tape fixes EVERYTHING!

Carter was one proud kid!

If Carter were here, he would explain how the Hoverboard converts CO2 to oxygen, which is pressurized and then released to made the board fly...of course, that makes perfect sense.

These are the labels for the different parts...the converter system/CO filters/pressurizer were tricky! Thank goodness for dad's with invention-building-skills!

days away

All my complaining about the winter makes this post seem so out of my character. The Jorgensen's (Tim's best friend from high school) invited us to come and stay 3 nights at the Ashton's cabin at Sundance. No, we weren't at the big one...ours was the small cabin, which still dwarfs my own home. We pulled in just as the sun went down. Even though I dread winter and the snow, even I have to admit, this place was beautiful. Maybe if my snow could look like that, I'd complain a little less...only a little. We spent the rest of the weekend playing in the snow, watching movies, eating good food, playing games..Apples to Apples was a huge hit with the kids! We even made a quick trip to Heber for shakes at Granny's. We stopped at Days Market to pick up doughnuts for breakfast...note to self: never, NEVER, take 9 children + one 19 year old boy + 2 adult men (with 12 year old minds) and 2 mommies into a store all at once. I'm sure the store people were so glad we didn't stay long! It was a great weekend, and we are so very lucky to have such good friends who let us tag along on their fun adventures!

Waiting for John to open the tunnel...yeah, I said tunnel, that goes into the underground garage.

This is how snow should look!

How can you resist eating fresh snow?

Those are the steps up to the deck. Jace was drowning!

Carter just before jumping off this deck railing...when the snow it 5 feet deep, you can do that!

Maddy and Annie digging their snow cave.

Kenzie and Zac having a "how long can you stick your face in the snow" contest (Tim's idea of course!)

"K! I'm freezing!"

Kenz tried to say she won, but Zac put his face in way deeper...too bad Kenzie!

Face full of snow!

Carter's tunnel

Serious icicles everywhere...Lady thought it was the best ice of her life!

Hanging out inside...

The weekend flew by and was so much fun! And I am so not ready to start another week. There is nothing like a change of scenery to get rid of those January blahs. I'm feeling like sunny days aren't too far away...thanks again John & Jodi for a perfect winter break!

almost there

I think this is nearly the longest amount of time I have gone without a new post...that tells you how exciting January is for me. I firmly believe January is the longest month of the year. It's cold, snowy, and when the inversion kicks in, just ugly! Needless to say, I am glad that February is nearly here. The school year is more than halfway over, we're hitting Disneyland in April, and then Spring will be in full swing...YAY!!!

Tonight was Kenzie's induction into the National Jr. Honors Society. There are 80 kids at the school who were honored. The society helps plan service projects/activities throughout the school year. Just recently, they started "penny wars". The money raised will be donated to Haiti. The grade level that donates the most pennies gets a party. The catch is, you can't have any paper bills in your jar. Today a 7th grader put a $100 bill into the 8th grade jar. The 8th graders now lose $100 worth of pennies from their jar. Looks like the 7th grade may win this one. Anyway...it's a fun and worthwhile thing for Kenzie to be a part of.

Kenzie and her girlies at the NJHS night.

Receiving their certificates...they're lookin' pretty excited!

I'm off to bed now so I have some energy to finish packing when I wake up. We're heading with some friends to stay in a cabin at Sundance for the next few days. FYI...snow clothes & gear take up TONS of packing space! I'll post pics of the weekend when we're back. Happy soon-to-be February!

the name is bond, james bond

I was putting away laundry this morning...as I tried to open Jace's door, he held it shut saying "No mom, you can't come in here. I'm not all the way ready." Hmmm...ready for what? Jace soon emerged sporting every bit of spy gear he could attach to his body. And, ya know, every spy has a very inconspicuous shield and sword. He was so proud, not just of his spy gear, but of his new John Deer shirt from Ry (he knew it was Ryker's because "when I put it on, it smelled like Ry's clothes". Funny, that's how everything he wears smells...love hand-me-downs.

Hey mom! Do I look like a real spy?

flashlight in one pocket....a voice recorder thingy in the other

spy watch with secret note compartments

night vision binoculars...what spy doesn't have those?

Can't believe this guy will start Kindergarten in the fall. My days are going to be so boring after spending the last year with spiderman, superman, spy guy, jedi master, batman, fireman, police officer..who still needs a police guy hat, and worker/fixit man...also in need of a worker hat. Love that Jace!

january....blah.

I was playing with my editing software...thus the new winter pic at the top of my blog. If I could just find more time...ha!ha! I could learn so much more. Of course, digging through old pictures led me to these fun pics from last spring at the tulip festival. I am itching to get outside, but it is so stinking cold! And I truly have so much to do while I'm trapped inside. I decided to post these pics just for myself...they make me feel all warm and springy!

I really am hoping that January passes by quickly....and Spring gets here sooner than later!

twenty ten

We rang in the new year with the Jorgensen family. We've been doing it for the last 15 years....only missed it once! As expected, we had more food than we could even begin to eat and the kiddos filled up on way too much sugar. Of course, all that sugar made staying up till midnight a breeze! Maddy and Annie set up a magic show in Maddy's bedroom, complete with a disappearing magician, a bendable spoon, and magically multiplying bubbles (gotta love the Costco magic kit!). We even convinced Tim to play a couple of card games...which he won, of course! Within minutes of the clock striking twelve, my family room floor disappeared, leaving behind a mess of popped balloons, streamers, confetti, noisemakers...you name it. Love New Year's!

Watch out mom!

so very talented!

So glad Zac & Kenzie can still figure out how to hang out together...they've been friends since the day they were born...just a week apart!

the famous magicians!

I'm using all my breath!

calm....

the complete opposite of calm!
HAPPY NEW YEAR ALL!!