January

Both of these girls got to get on the roof and help dad take down the Christmas lights.  Brynn especially loves helping Justin whenever she gets the chance.

On New Year's Day we went to the Webb's for a get-together.  After that, Justin took the three older kids to the rec center so they could get some energy out...they played soccer, basketball, and baseball and came back late.  It was a full moon that night so we got out Molly's new telescope and after some figuring out, we were finally able to see the moon.

On the last day of Christmas break, I decided to take the kids to the movie Coco.  We had free movie passes and I was going to take them down to Orem to the theater on Geneva Road but when I looked online at seats, they were already sold out for the time I was trying for.  So I decided to take them to Sandy and invited Gene, April, and Brett to go with us.  April couldn't go (she was writing a talk for her brother's funeral), Brett was at work, but Gene did come and go with us, along with Camille and her boys.  The movie had really great reviews-I was skeptical when it started but I really did like it in the end and the message it taught.

Micah, Molly, Brynn, Riley, Grandpa, Ivy, Cameron, Stockton

Grandpa took us to McDonald's after and treated the kids to ice cream cones.

Molly, Micah, Ivy, Brynn, Riley, Stockton, Cameron, Grandpa

Not sure what this set-up was all about but it looks like fun!

Ivy pulled this old dress out of her closet.  Molly wore it for Matt and Camille's wedding reception when she was about 9 months old and no one has worn it since that day.  Not sure why we still have it but it sure looks great with the Strawberry Shortcake wig and the high heels.

Stockton earned some belt loops at pack meeting.  He is loving Scouts!

His wolf leaders are Todd and Tricia Steiner.

We were able to spend the long Martin Luther King holiday at the cabin.  It was so nice to get away! There wasn't enough snow on the golf course for snowmobiling and sledding so we drove to the sinks and spent Saturday there.  It wasn't too busy and the snow was good for both activities.  The kids had a great time sledding and snowmobiling and when some of them got tired of that, they spent a good chunk of time making snow caves by the parking lot where they had plowed the snow into big hills.  They stayed there for a lot longer than I though they would-and that was good because we haven't had many chances to get some good snow play in this winter.

Stockton and Tessa

Ivy, Grandpa, Harper, Brynn, Grace

Stockton, Grace, Harper, Brynn, Tessa, Abby

We took a break in the middle to eat lunch in the snowmobile trailer.

Harper and Stockton

Abby, Molly, Chloe

Grace and Brynn

We went to church on Sunday morning and then relaxed.  My mom and I watched a cheesy Hallmark movie and that felt wonderful.  Only the Walker's were able to make it that weekend but my mom and dad brought up the Moyes girls...Stockton was definitely outnumbered but he is so awesome to play with whoever is around and he never complained and definitely never got bored.  I think he and Grace started a drawing club.

Chloe, Molly, Tessa, Abby, Grace, Stockton, Ivy, Josie, Harper, Brynn

We finally got a little bit more snow, on a Saturday, so the kids took some time to go out and enjoy it.

I took this picture of Stockton because the poor guy had a headache.  That headache turned into a horrible migraine that took him about three days to recover from.  It was awful for him-he's never had one before and hopefully it's the last!  We took him to the doctor on the fourth day (he was feeling much better by then) and were given some tips to prevent a headache from turning into a migraine.

I got a letterboard for Christmas and we have been having fun with that. I change it about once a week but at first I wasn't sure what to put on it. I first had a quote from a hymn and then I changed that to a Dumbledore quote from Harry Potter which everyone liked but then Stockton wanted to come up with his own quote.  This was his and it did make everyone laugh.  It's mostly a joke that only our family would really get but Brynn does walk around saying "bok-bok" like a chicken at the most random of times.

Brett was having some tests run in the hospital-not necessary, but they were hoping to find out more information about his seizures.  We didn't all make it down to see him but Justin and Molly were able to pop in and visit him one afternoon.  Stockton and Brynn made these cards and at first I wasn't sure I should send them down, but we figured they were sincere so they were given to him, along with some peanut butter bars that I made for him.

"Dear Brett, I hope that the doctors figure out what is causing the seizures.  You are an AMAZING uncle. -Stockton"

"You better not have a seizure again!" (This was from Brynn.)

Justin was given Jazz tickets for some goals he had met at work.  The two of us had just gone together back in November and so I told him to take Molly this time and count it as their date (it was January and he was still trying to get his Valentines dates in with the kids!).  Stockton lent her his John Stockton jersey for the night and they had a great time.

Three years old was a big one for Ivy.  No more crib, no more binkies, no more diapers.  She has handled it good for the most part but all of those things combined meant that she gave up her naps (sob, sob).  Some days it sure catches up to her and she can't help but fall asleep wherever she is.

Stockton played Jr. Jazz basketball in January and February and loved it.  Like really loved it.  It is so cute to watch those boys!

Snuggles and books in Brynn's bed.  This doesn't happen every night because I don't love dragging out bedtime but if we are ahead of schedule, then I like to read to kids.

Brynn got a lunch date with Justin.

On the last Sunday of the month, as we were getting home from church and I was getting the kids some lunch, I heard a crash and Ivy started to cry.  A really hurt cry-I could tell it was different from just her regular cry.  I didn't see what had happened but she was laying down on the ground with the piano chair tipped over on top of her.  (The story, I found out later, was that she had climbed up onto the keys of the piano, turned around to jump off, fell on the chair, and put her arms out to catch her fall.)  I picked her up and held her and snuggled her until she was so exhausted that she fell asleep.  She was favoring her left elbow but I've had kids favor a foot or an arm and they are just fine later so I figured she would be okay.  She slept for a couple of hours but was still in a lot of pain when she woke up.  She wouldn't move her arm and when she did accidentally, it was causing her a lot of pain.  I managed to get dinner on the table but when it was done, I told Justin that we needed to take her in to the Emergency Room.  We left the other kids at home with my phone (they were so concerned, they texted about every 5 minutes) and took Ivy to the ER.  They were so sweet and gentle and nice to her and after looking at some x-rays, the doctor determined that she had fractured her elbow.  He said it was hard to see the elbow because there was fluid and some blood around the injury but he looked at it and also called it in to another doctor and they were both almost positive that's what it was.  They put her in a soft cast and we left with instructions to set up a follow-up appointment at Primary Children's fracture clinic for later that week.  Ivy did incredibly well, she had all the nurses loving her.  She was so, so, so brave!

The doctor told us to try to keep the arm elevated as much as possible and keep her quiet and still so the next day I let her sit on the couch and watch movies all day and gave her whatever she wanted.  Applesauce on the couch?  Sure, you bet-she pretty much got whatever she wanted that day.  She perked up the next day and I wasn't really able to keep her relaxing at all but we gave her ibuprofen and tylenol whenever she complained of pain.

We were also sent home with a sling that she was really good to wear for a couple of days-after that I couldn't get her to wear it.

Molly went to practice one day and instead of playing soccer, they did yoga.  She really enjoyed doing that!

She is on the right, in the white jersey.  The short one.

She is now on the furthest left, leaning back on her hands.

Once Ivy turned 3, I knew it was time to start potty training.  I was not looking forward to it-she had shown interest last summer and I put it off.  I was hoping she would just train herself (like Molly and Stockton) but that didn't happen so there was no more putting it off.  We went to the Disney store and she picked out a set of Little Mermaid people, we picked out some stickers, and we made a chart.  When she filled up her chart, she got to pick out one figure from the set.  I started with just 10 squares for her to fill up.  It has been okay, she hasn't put up a fuss to go to the bathroom and I have tried to be laid back about the whole thing.  At first I would set a timer and we'd go in the bathroom and I would read her a couple of books while she sat there.  We'd see if anything came out-if it did, she got a sticker; if it didn't, then we tried again later.  We had a few accidents but she actually learned quickly to hold it and wait until I took her.  She still prefers to wait until I take her, but she has been taking herself more and more.  I'm still nervous to take her out on errands without putting a Pull-Up on her, but she only wears underwear at home and we have had lots of days with no accidents.  I think I can say I'm officially done buying diapers, although we'll keep those Pull-Ups around for errands (I think we're close!) and nighttime.  It was an exciting day when she got her first reward-she picked Ariel first-and we keep doing those charts (I add 5 squares every time we make a new one and we only get the stickers on there about half the time) but she has been able to earn Ariel, Ursula, Prince Eric, and Flounder.